Monday, February 14, 2011

Love is Like Liquid Dran-O

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

Happy Single Awareness Day everybody!!! Yes, perhaps my least favorite time of year… but instead of piss-poor weather or heartache and rejection… this weekend was pretty EPIC!!! No, $teve didn’t make a connection or anything of that sort… but good times were had. Though Friday night was pretty much just a night at home with the roommates watching the TV series “Parks & Recreation” (hilarious by the way), Saturday was a little more productive. I spent the morning running errands & getting things as situated around the house (to be completed tonight… after we get rid of the extra couch… FINALLY!!!), then I went to lunch with Bubbles & her roommate at some French bistro place outside the Lombard Gate (probably not going back there, their menu was Eggs Benedict or toast) and then we made plans to go out on the town. What plans you ask? Plans to go dancing & get tipsy!!! Oh… and obviously it was just girls accompanying me on this journey (Bubbles, Jackie D & Carmen).

We started off the night with dinner at The Tipsy Pig, a nice little bar & restaurant in the marina… which actually turned into dinner & a show. Crowded place with a lot of couples, who apparently had been drinking all day, and then Valentine’s drama. THREE separate lover’s quarrels developed right before our eyes… and luckily they put us in the perfect spot, right by the door in the corner, so we could observe everything. Oh… and the food wasn’t bad either. Then we had a few starter drinks at the apartment, so yeah, Bubbles finally got to see it… and she liked it of course. Soon I may have a few pictures to share with you as well… but not right now.

After a few drinks, we took a cab to The Cellar. Our cabbie there was a middle-aged hippie… but an alright guy… and of course, Bubbles made instant friends with him… because that’s just her way. We got to the club… and the bouncer asked, “Are you on the list?” “Oh crap, is there a private party or something here?” “Sorta… are you Jewish?” “Ugh… I could be. I’ve got the nose & the pocket book… and the ladies to bring with me.” “Haha… alright, let these guys in, they’re okay.” See the kind of doors that open for you when you’re walking around with three gorgeous women? Once we got inside, something was a little odd. Granted I’ve only been to a few clubs in the area… but there was definitely something different… and then it clicked, apparently this was Jewish Night. My roommate Carmen told me later in the evening that every few weeks they have it at a different club… and this time it was The Cellar. Mozeltov, mother f**ker!!! Obviously I don’t know Hebrew…

So after a few hours of intense dancing, we were invited to the VIP area next to the DJ by Carmen’s friends who were celebrating a birthday… and then we were able to make our own drinks… so the dancing got even MORE intense. Please observe…

After the club, we were hungry, so we went to Golden Boy Pizza in North Beach, because we were told it was pretty good… and it didn’t disappoint. Great thick pizza, perfect for soaking up booze… and open at 2 AM. After that, Carmen’s designated driver friend dropped us off & we eventually went to bed… and by we I mean us… but to our own separate beds. Like I said, single awareness day… sigh…

Sunday, woke up around 11 AM, then basically just hung out with Jackie D, going to Starbucks, watching some Netflix things like Katt Williams stand-up, then went to dinner at E’Angelo, a nice Italian restaurant in the Marina that we actually tried to go to Saturday night, but they had a line down the block & they’re a small place. It was a new thing for me too… because the Italian restaurant… was actually run by Italians. I’m not used to that in Utah. The food was just as good though. It was just different hearing Italian spoken… and it made me miss Italy a little bit… but hey, we had a good dinner… and I even got some nice chicken with fettucini on the side for Bubbles, who wasn’t feeling too well… because I’m an AMAZING guy. Sigh… too bad I’m still single. Oh well, that will probably change very quickly as I’m looking to step out of my comfort zone a bit & get out there now that I’m somewhat established. I hope that it works out… but hey, I’m good with being me. I just owe it to all the ladies out there to share myself… so here’s some news…

Jerry Sloan Steps Down - Like the impressive mountains that dominate Salt Lake City’s skyline, Jerry Sloan was a fixture in the Utah landscape. Now, for the first time since 1988—three years before Michael Jordan won the first of his six NBA titles—the Jazz will have a new head coach on their bench. “He’s been there like this rock and all of a sudden the rock is gone,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said of the 68-year-old Sloan. “It’s like your franchise moved or something. I don’t know. It’s just strange.” While Sloan expected to wake up refreshed knowing he was done game-planning and tussling with fiery superstars such as Deron Williams, the rest of the basketball world was awakening to a new era. “Man it’s gonna be crazy and weird seeing anyone besides Jerry Sloan walking the sidelines for the Utah Jazz!” Miami Heat star LeBron James tweeted. “Jerry Sloan is the Utah Jazz. Wow.” James wasn’t exaggerating. Since Sloan took over in Utah for Frank Layden, there have been 245 coaching changes league wide—13 alone by the Los Angeles Clippers. Five current NBA teams (Charlotte, Memphis, Toronto, Orlando and Minnesota) did not even exist when Sloan was hired by the Jazz…and LeBron’s Miami Heat & the then Charlotte Hornets teams had just started playing a few months earlier. “As a colleague, we’ll miss him,” said Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who along with Sloan and Pat Riley were the only coaches in NBA history to have 15-plus consecutive seasons with a winning record. Sloan stepped down Thursday with 1,127 wins as Jazz coach and 1,221 overall (including his short stint in Chicago). The career total is the third-most in NBA history. His decision came after an emotional loss to the Bulls on Wednesday night, a night that saw his former team and former players help hand the Jazz a 91-86 loss. It was their 10th loss in the last 14 games and third straight at home following a 15-5 start. At halftime, Sloan and Williams clashed, reportedly over how a play was run. It wasn’t the first time. “We had a disagreement,” Williams told 1320-KFAN radio Thursday. “I’ve seen him have worse ones with other players. Jerry’s very fiery. I am, too. Sometimes we clash on things.” The All-Star point guard insisted there is no truth to the rumors that he forced the Hall of Fame coach out, and general manager Kevin O’Connor also said it was false that Williams gave management a “me or him” ultimatum. “I would never force coach Sloan out of Utah,” Williams said, deriding the media for twisting stories. “He’s meant more to this town, more to this organization than I have by far. I would have asked out of Utah first.” Sloan, who was choked up and wiped away tears during his farewell announcement Thursday, said there was no final straw. He simply said he didn’t have the energy to coach any more, and that the losses were getting tougher and tougher to handle. “I could have done it last week, done it a week before that or waited another week,” said Sloan, who has always thought it appropriate to conduct his pregame interviews next to a trash bin. “When it’s time for me to go, it’s time for me to go.” The one thing that did surprise Sloan was that longtime assistant Phil Johnson joined him in retiring. “I came with him and I’ll leave with him,” the 69-year-old Johnson said Thursday. Now I suppose former player Tyrone Corbin will take over as coach from what I hear… but it’s the end of an age for sure. As a player, Jerry Sloan was known for his defense… and being a tough, hard-nosed player who never backed down from a challenge. When he took over for the Jazz in 1988, he took them to the playoffs pretty much every year since… and even made it to the NBA Finals twice to lose to the Jordan-led Bulls. He’s been through a “rebuilding” time with the team in which they still won more games than they lost… and everybody was heart broken when his wife Bobbi’s long struggle with cancer finally came to an end… but he kept on being tough & hard-nosed through adversity & never backed down from a challenge. I mean… the guy coached Karl Malone for a long time. You saw that Phil Jackson could only do it for a year in LA. I mean… think of that one for a minute. We wish you nothing but the best, coach. Enjoy your retirement!

Arnie Returns – Well, former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (still tough to say out loud) has apparently retired as well… from politics. However, he’s looking to get back into the job that only paid him $30 million per three-month stint… and that’s Hollywood movie actor. How did he announce it? He wrote on Twitter that he's ready to start considering film roles again. The former governor tweeted Thursday night: "Exciting news. My friends at CAA have been asking me for 7 years when they can take offers seriously. Gave them the green light today." Creative Artists Agency is a leading Hollywood talent agency. Schwarzenegger's personal aide, Daniel Ketchell, confirmed the tweet Friday morning. So keep an eye out for his next project… which will probably be “Expendables 2” that’s my best guess.

Red Sonja Update – Speaking of Arnie movies, Amber Heard ("Drive Angry," "The Informers") is being pursued to play the titular lead in "Red Sonja" for Nu Image and Millennium Films. "Amber is the new Red Sonja, but she doesn't know it yet!" producer Avi Lerner tells Empire. Catch is while Heard is eyed for the role, negotiations haven't begun (so this is really just an excuse to put up a picture of Amber Heard… but you don’t mind). The character is a fiery-haired warrior in a chainmail bikini who seeks vengeance on those who destroyed her family. Brigitte Nielsen (“Rocky IV” & that VH1 reality show with her & Flava Flav) played the character in a 1985 feature which also starred Arnold Schwarzenegger. Simon West ("Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," "The Mechanic") directs this new incarnation of the Robert E. Howard-created character. If you remember, the film has been in development for a while… but with actress Rose McGowan and director Robert Rodriguez previously attached back in 2008… but apparently they’re thinking of going a different route… which may be unfortunate. Sigh… I hope they don’t try to make this into a serious action movie. Sure, Amber’s got the chops… and Simon West has made some good ones like “Con Air” & “Tomb Raider” but… it’s Red Sonja. It’s a barbarian movie… that starred Arnie & Brigitte Nielsen for one reason… they are HUGE people… and it’s a barbarian movie that requires no acting skills. Who specializes in movies like this and making them awesomely trite? Robert Rodriguez… and let’s face it, he got Robert DeNiro to be in “Machete” for instant credibility. Oh well, I’m sure that the Red Sonja remake will still be great with Simon West at the helm (even though he’s really wanting to do a Con Air 2) & Amber Heard in a chainmail bikini… mmm… and decapitating fools left & right… with hot waves of blood flowing down her bare porcelain skin & accentuating her blaring sapphire eyes… mmm… anyway, yeah, it could be good. Excuse me… do you have a paper towel by chance? Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

Alien Prequel - Ridley Scott's previously untitled "Alien" prequel now has an official moniker, "Prometheus", and Fox has already locked in a March 9th 2012 release date reports Deadline. The two most frequent names linked to the lead female role of Elizabeth Shaw have been Scott's personal favorite Noomi Rapace and the studio favorite Charlize Theron. Now it seems a compromise has been reached. Rapace, the star of the Swedish "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" film series, is now locked to play Shaw, while Theron and Angelina Jolie are said to be circling the other female lead role of Vickers (mmm… girls in space peril with guns… I like). Jon Spaihts wrote the original script which was generally thought to serve as a prequel to Scott's "Alien" and would explore the alien 'Space Jockey' creatures glimpsed during one scene in the original. Now, Scott and Damon Lindelof have been working together on the current version which has expanded the story into new directions. A quote from Scott indicates that the film will probably be set in the same universe as the "Alien" movies, but we probably won't see the xenomorphs at all - "While Alien was indeed the jumping off point for this project, out of the creative process evolved a new, grand mythology and universe in which this original story takes place. The keen fan will recognize strands of Alien's DNA, so to speak, but the ideas tackled in this film are unique, large and provocative." Lindelof added "In a world flooded with prequels, sequels and reboots, I was incredibly struck by just how original Ridley's vision was for this movie. It's daring, visceral and hopefully, the last thing anyone expects." Which to me sounds like a porn without a money shot… but hey, who am I to question Ridley Scott? So… to sum up, casting still continues for the sexy females of this space adventure… that may not have any aliens in it at all… or merely implied aliens… and it’ll be out next year. I’m sure it’ll be a great flick either way… but come on… there has to be xenomorphs even if there’s no Alien in the title anymore. We shall see…

Dark Knight Rises Villains – So after over a year of speculation as to who will be the villains in the next Batman movie (Riddler & Penguin among the best guesses), a press release from Warner Bros. Pictures has confirmed the two key members of Batman's Rogues Gallery that will appear in the much-anticipated upcoming "The Dark Knight Rises" - Catwoman and Bane. It reads "Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” She will be starring alongside Christian Bale, who returns in the title role of Bruce Wayne / Batman. Christopher Nolan stated, “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story.” In addition, Tom Hardy (“Inception”) has been set to play Bane. Nolan said, “I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies.” Nolan will direct the film from a screenplay he wrote with Jonathan Nolan, from a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Nolan will also produce the film with his longtime producing partner, Emma Thomas, and Charles Roven. “The Dark Knight Rises” is slated for release on July 20, 2012. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company." Okay… so reading about as I do, it’s pointed out that Anne Hathaway is to play Selina Kyle… and NOT Selina Kyle / Catwoman as specified with Bale playing Bruce Wayne / Batman. Can Hathaway act her way out of a paper bag? Of course!!! This isn’t a Michael Bay movie for f**k’s sake. Does this make me remember Michelle Pfeiffer in a dirty & perverse way from “Batman Returns”? Absolutely!!! It did when that movie came out when I was ten years old… and probably will until I’m long since in the grave. I’m not entirely sure how Bane is going to be brought to the movie in a way similar to the comics where he’s quite the formidable foe (and I think actually kills Batman a few times) but he HAS to be better than that stupid f**king “Batman & Robin” version. I’m excited… but hey, it’s a year and a half away.

Anyway, that’ll do it for today. Tomorrow is Taco Tuesday… and I’ll also be interviewing roommates for Carmen’s room as she’ll be moving out at the end of the month. It should be interesting… but more on that when it happens I guess. Have a great night everybody!!!

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