Pain Don't Hurt

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

Fun little weekend with the ladyfriend Dizzy, after a long week at work (and next week is going to be HELLA longer), yesterday we went to Fort Point at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge for some Civil War Reenactment. Yup... that's how awesome we are. While there, we did some nice hiking around the beautiful coastline, wandered through the giant hundred-plus year old Fort Point, with volunteers in full regalia. We also asked the volunteers about the reported ghosts in the area... and who was eavesdropping... but a man who runs ghost tours of Pennhurt Penitentary in New Jersey (as seen on EVERYTHING ghost related). "That's cool, we'll have to hit you up if we're in the area. What's your name?" "Just call me Juice." Dig it. Here are some pictures...

This week, I caught a few flicks too. First up was "Ted" starring Marky Mark, Mila Kunis & the voice talents of producer/director Seth MacFarlane. It's the story of  a boy (Wahlberg) who makes a wish as a child for a friend... and of course, Christmas miracle, a teddy bear comes to life & becomes his best friend. The switch is... now it's 25 years later... and the talking bear Ted is still his best friend... and they're both kind of lazy drunken sh*ts... but some how he's got a superhot successful girlfriend (Kunis) but hey, hilarity ensues. I'd say check it out if you're into dirty R-rated humor... but if not, pass.

Next up was "The Descent: Part 2", the obligatory sequel to the successful (and very well done) horror flick "The Descent." In the original, six adventurer ladies go spelunking in the Appalachian mountains... and discover a subterranean race of humans perfectly adapted to the cave dwellings... but are more animal than human now & go on to devour them... spoiler alert, one woman makes it out alive at the end of the first. The sequel picks up from there... she's in a hospital & (of course) can't remember what happened or where the others are (really?). Well, one of the girl's was a senator's daughter or something... so they make her help them to go back into the caves to find her... and yeah, you can kind of guess where it goes from there. It was okay as far as unnecessary sequels go... but yeah, not nearly as well done as the original.

Next up was another obligatory sequel to a rather well done horror flick called "Quarantine 2." Where the original was basically one of those Blair Witch found footage single camera movies about an apartment building being quarantined with a zombie virus, this one was your standard told movie story about a plane (with really hot stewardesses) where one guy gets sick, another guy brings hamsters onto the plane... and the hamsters bit somebody and then there's just a bunch of vomiting & death... this one is really bad... don't even check it out. See the original only.

Thursday night I watched "Double Dare" which is a documentary about stuntwomen starring Jeannie Epper ("Wonder Woman" TV series) and the great Zoe Bell ("Xena", "Kill Bill" & star of "Death Proof"). Basically it talks about the history of stuntwomen... and basically just how badass they are... and chronicles their struggles & follows the path of how the incredible Zoe Bell even has trouble finding work... through the audition process, overcoming injuries, incredible physical conditioning, etc. It's a great documentary if that kind of stuff interests you... and being a bit of a moviefile it certainly did for me. Check it out!

Last night, Dizzy & I watched "Road House" starring Patrick Swayze & Kelly Lynch... while also listening to Adam Carolla's basic cable commentary. Now, I had never seen this movie before... I know, gasp of disbelief. I had seen bits & pieces on TV here & there... but yeah, never watched the whole thing. I just knew the references about ripping out a guy's throat, the tai chi on the beach shot & stupid sh*t like that. Well, it's even more ridiculous than that... but yeah, it's about a bouncer named Dalton (Swayze) who's the best in the business (and they'll never let you forget it) and he's hired by a guy to clean up a bar called the Double Deuce in Jasper, Missouri. Apparently the city is ran by a super corrupt business man... and for some reason, there's nobody that any of the good 90% of the city can turn to... except Dalton... and his fellow bouncer buddy Warren (Sam Elliott). There's a superhot doctor (Lynch) interested in the lead... and there's fight scenes... about a thousand knife wielding rednecks... horrible dialogue... poor plot development... but yeah, it's one of those guilty pleasure movies for sure. I don't mean to rag it that bad... I mean... I love Pootie Tang, how credible of a source does that make me? Anyway, check it out... with friends... and be prepared to laugh at inappropriate times.

That should do it for today. Only a few more days until I go to New Orleans... and I might be able to update before then... but if not... I'll see you after Valentine's Day! Have a great day everybody!!!

It's Not Tragic to Die Doing What You Love

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

I'm in a great mood today. First off, because I got a call from Bubbles last night...and she had an appointment with a REAL doctor...and he took care of her like you would expect a real doctor to. Hopefully she'll be happy & healthy from now on. God knows I've been praying for it for a while now. Secondly, Season 4 of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" just arrived in my mailbox...and it's gonna be an awesome few nights of seeing most of the episodes for the first time (no cable since like episode two). Thirdly (I think that's a real word), I will be in Lake Tahoe in like...40 hours or so (depending on when my mom wakes up). Fourthly, somebody finally picked up my last shift on Sunday so I don't have to be penalized for being prepared two months in advance with this vacation. Fifthly, it's been raining the past day or so...and you know how I like the rain...like more than a friend. Sixthly, JUST LOOK AT ME!!! I should be in a great mood anyway. However, there was one thing that dampened my moods a bit...

Patrick Swayze Dies - Patrick Swayze personified a particular kind of masculine grace both on and off screen, from his roles in films like "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost" to the way he carried himself in his long fight with pancreatic cancer. Swayze died from the illness on Monday in Los Angeles, his publicist said. He was 57. "Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months," Annett Wolf said in a statement Monday evening. She declined to give details. Fans of the actor were saddened to learn in March 2008 that Swayze was suffering from an especially deadly form of cancer. He continued working despite the diagnosis, putting together a memoir with his wife and shooting "The Beast," an A&E drama series for which he had already made the pilot. Personally, I was raised on his movies like "Road House" & "Point Break" and...I still have fond memories of the scene in "Ghost" with the Righteous Brothers singing background (Bubbles knows how I feel about that song) and it's truly a tragedy. He seemed like a great guy & a pretty talented actor too. So with that...here's a posthumous Movie List. I really can't think of a higher honor that anyone I've never met in person can receive from me. My condolences to his family & friends.

Patrick Swayze Movies

Medal Winners

Gold - Point Break (1991) - MY LIST!!! If you don't like it, write your congressman. I can already hear your groans...but please read this list through to the end. Yes, this is the ONLY time that you'll see this movie on the top of any kind of movie list with merit (yes, mine has merit) but anybody who has seen it, probably can quote a few lines. "I AM AN F-B-I AGENT!!!" Anyway, it's the story of thrill seekers turned bank robbers lead by Bodhi (Swayze) and the crack team of FBI agents sent to bring them down (Keanu & Gary Busey, how could they possibly fail?). Surfing, skydiving, passionate metaphors, the chick from "Tank Girl", lies, betrayal, manipulation, a character named Johnny Utah, just a great flick...and to tell you any more would only cheapen it.

Silver - Ghost (1990) - Okay, so as far as real movies go, this was probably his high point. Sam Wheat (Swayze) has it all. A great career, beautiful wife, he looks like Patrick Swayze, good times. Then he's killed during a routine mugging...and his ghost wanders around trying to make sense of it all. Why did he have to die? What will become of his fiancé (Demi Moore with a Beatles haircut)? Then he finds out...that maybe his death wasn't an accident. Using the help of a psychic (Whoopi Goldberg) now he has to avenge his death & save his lady...all from beyond the grave. Great flick. Check it out. There's the scene with the clay & the Righteous Brothers too. You've all seen that.

Bronze - To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar (1995) - The tale of three fabulous cross dressers (Swayze, Wesley Snipes & John Leguizamo) and their cross-country trip to the championships...but their car breaks down in the rural Midwest somewhere...and now the world of New York cross-dressing meets the good ol' boys of farmtown...and the hilarity ensues. Now, do yourself a favor...and watch "Road House" (1989) followed by this movie. That way, you can see him kicking ass & taking names as a bad-ass bouncer with ninja skills & raw sex appeal...and then you can see him be a stunning man in an incredible wardrobe...yet still kicking ass occasionally. "Get your hand off my d**k, buddy!!!" If you haven't seen either movie, check 'em out. They have completely different appeals though.

Suggestion - Tall Tale: The Unbelievable Adventures of Pecos Bill (1995) - I really liked this tall tale come to life. It's a Disney flick with Swayze playing the title character, Oliver Platt as Paul Bunyan, John Henry, & Catherine O'Hara as Calamity Jane...and a kid (Nick Stahl) on a magical adventure with them while he tries to save his family's farm from a greedy developer (Scott Glenn). There's even cameos by William H. Macy & the incredible Burgess Meredith. Also, "Black Dog" (1998) isn't half bad. It's about an ex-con truck driver (Swayze) who's manipulated into transporting illegal guns...and there's B-movie legends like Meat Loaf, Randy Travis, Stephen Tobolowsky & Charles Dutton. Check 'em out.

Flush It - Red Dawn (1984) - Okay, it was actually kind of hard to pick a Flush It because of Patrick's great line of work...but I picked this one because...well, it's the story of Russian deciding to invade the United States...via Colorado. Now, I can understand the whole take out the heart and the rest will fall...but taking out the heartland just won't do it unless their mission is to spread a disease (not that I'm giving them any ideas). Also, a bunch of kids (Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Charlie Sheen, Jennifer Grey, Lea Thompson, etc) bring them down. Now, I loved the movie. Don't get me wrong...but really? Really? So it's one of those rare Flush Its...where I still suggest that you check it out. WOLVERINES!!!

Future Watch - Dirty Dancing (1987) - NOW you know why this wasn't on the list. Of my extensive movie knowledge, I have yet to watch "Dirty Dancing" or its prequel...and that is why it did not make the list. Now, because I have had many friends & family members that quote this movie in any given situation...even when it doesn't make sense, I think that I have the basic storyline down without looking. A rebellious hottie (Jennifer Grey) likes to dance...but doesn't know about dirty dancing until she hangs out with a guy more than twice her age (Swayze) and then the conservative parents get wind...and it hits the fan. But "Nobody puts Baby in the corner" so they have a big final dance and have the time of their life...and roll credits. Was that about right? I'm sure I will find out when/if somebody wants to watch the movie with me. I've offered...but I refuse to watch this movie alone. I have to watch it with a fan...and apparently fans of this movie are all talk. There I said it. Prove me wrong (ladies...). Also, I was intrigued by his latest series "The Beast" but it was on WAY after my bedtime...and I think the Daily Show was on at the same time. It should be coming to DVD soon though.

So that'll do it for today. I've got some "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" to watch so...I'm pretty busy. Can't wait to check out Lake Tahoe for the first time...and see if it's a possible future adventure in this whimsical little thing called Life. Go support the Swayze estate by watching some of those movies...and more importantly, be sure to donate to medical research so we can find a cure for cancer. Have a great day everybody!!!