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tomdo98@aol.com |
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February 2007 Archives |
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posted 2/27/2007 What is Juice? I want some DRINK!
I like to repeat this until I'm really annoying. The part Dave Chapelle says "What is Juice? I want some drink!" Watch the video and try it on for size. It's a short 2 minutes.
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posted 2/26/2007 Colossal Burger v Fresh Chicken and Broccoli
As I get older and older (now 32), I make a half-assed effort to watch what I eat. When I say half-assed I mean I still eat crappy bar food and chicken wings while I'm drinking a lot of beer but I have also given up things that I love like Fried Chicken, Papa John's Pizza, and I limit the times I eat at Micky D's. I may go to Micky D's like twice a month but I used to eat there every day when I was a consultant. I also may eat Papa John's pizza now and then but if I could, I'd eat that like 3 times a week (sausage and mushrooms is da bomb).
Now, if I'm not going out, I like to eat turkey sandwiches or take home sushi and maybe have some edamame as a snack. I'm also trying to get used to the flavor of Lean Cuisine but I often have to eat two of them to be satisfied. That's probably defeating the purpose but I figure it has less fat. I still eat things that are very bad for me but I try to justify it by working out more. I'd rather have some, if not all of my guilty pleasures, and not have a six pack then eat none of the things I want and be all ripped. Who needs to walk around all ripped up? Just having a semi fit look is cool and I'm not giving up cold beer.
I used to love restaurant burgers. Sometimes they come with a knife cause they're just so damn big. I've recently turned to the alternative turkey burger and sometimes even the veggie burger. Not nearly as satisfying but not that bad either.
Sometimes the nutritional value of food is surprising. Usually, it's surprisingly higher than we expect. The things that are on the low scale is usually pretty obvious.
This burger from Ruby Tuesdays is high, but not surprisingly high:
It's some crazy ass double deckered, two full sized patty burgers. It has about 1943 calories and 126g of fat. I doubt I would even order this when I was a young and energetic 18 year old. If I ate it now it would probably put me down for the night. Don't forget the fries.
Now Ruby Tuesday's also has a menu item called:
Fresh Chicken & Broccoli Pasta
That doesn't sound too bad does it? We have fresh white chicken meat and steamed broccoli which is pretty healthy. But hmmm, I don't know anything about this cream sauce. A little bit of cheddar can't hurt and what's wrong with baking? It's better than frying.
Well the "Fresh Chicken and Broccoli Pasta" weighs in at 2061 calories and 128g of total fat! It's more than the freaking colossal burger! I need someone to send me a picture of this dish. It sounds delicious.
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posted 2/26/2007 Oscar Show Analysis
I used to love watching the Oscars. I remember one year, back in the pre Tivo days, I actually gave my friend a blank video tape so she could record it for me while I was flying into California. I hated missing it. But I don't think today's Oscars were like the Oscars I used to love. I think it's because they keep tweaking with the formula. From what I remember it used to be more basic. One of my favorite parts was that they used to spread out the 5 nominated songs through out the show and they used to be great performances. You would hear people like Bruce Springsteen do "Philadelphia", Bjork singing "I Have Seen it All", or even the songs from Aladdin or Beauty and the Beast. This year they had three crappy songs from Dreamgirls, a pretty decent Melissa Etheridge song, and a James Taylor song. I'm glad they bundled the Dreamgirls songs together.
They also had this weird human sized puppet show going on. It's hard to explain but there are basically a bunch of contortionists behind a shadowed screen making different images like a gun, or a shoe, or snakes on a plane. It guess it's kind of cool at first but they did it like 10 times and it was starting to get a little ridiculous.
There was a pretty good segment where they had a chorus of people do a ton of really interesting sound effects. Jerry Seinfeld also helped things out.
The best part of the entire show was Jack Black, Will Farrell, and John C Reilly doing a broadway-esque song about how comedy never gets its due respect at the Oscars. The funniest line of their song was when John C Reilly was trying to explain that you can do both drama and comedy by singing, "I chose to be in both Boogie and Talledega Nights." I love that Cro-Magnum looking man.
As far as the awards are concerned, my favorite moment was when Martin Scorsese won for best director. His film the departed eventually won for Best Picture as well. I was actually a little worried that his Million Dollar nemesis Clint Eastwood was going to beat him down again but Marty rang true. Forrest Whitaker's speech was a little weird and Helen Mirren's ultra rehearsed speech didn't inspire me at all. I predicted Jennifer Hudson to win but I'm not sure if that was much of an acting display although I appreciated her performance in Dreamgirls. Alan Arkan winning for Little Miss Sunshine seemed like a silly win next to Mark Wahlberg's and Dijmon Honsou's performance. Thank goodness Eddie Murphy didn't win.
Al Gore actually appeared a few times at the Oscars. He had a semi funny bit with Leo (apparently a big fan) earlier in the show and then eventually won for best documentary. Al's big as a line backer now. Whether or not global warming destroys the planet in 20 years or 2000 years I find his sincerity honorable and refreshing.
I can't believe how many montages there were.
The Academy Awards are just way too long at 4 hours. I guess that's one of the oldest complaints about the Oscars but I never really minded before. I think having an "Oscar Party" really helps things out. That way you're not watching the show the entire time. You could have a beer, have a snack, or talk to friends during the really dull parts.
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posted 02/23/2007 Pacman Jones might be in big big trouble
Pacman Jones is a corner back for the Tennessee Titans. He plays with arguably the best UT big game player of all time, Vince Young. During all star weekend, he went to a Las Vegas strip club at 4 am in the morning. He threw a hundreds of $1 bills in the air to make some sort of "Stripper Rain." He got mad when a stripper it wasn't intended for started grabbing the money. In his anger, he banged her head against the stage.
A security guard with mixed martial arts experience, intervened and scuffled with Pacman's crew. Jones then threatened to kill the guard. Order appeared to be restored and everyone moved outside. A gun man came back and started shooting people. He hit a female customer and a different security guard.
That guard is now PERMANENTLY paralyzed. Pacman is trying to deny that he even knew the guy but witnesses are saying he was sitting with the guy, came with the guy, and left with the guy.
Paralyzing a person might be the worst crime against a human being that you can do. The guy had only been working there for two weeks. Tom Urbanski worked as a real estate agent by day and moonlighted at the strip club so he could put his wife, Kathy, through law school, his father said.
Pacman, that shit ain't right. Pacman Jones, Not a role model
Vince Young, ROLE MODEL
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posted 02/22/2007 Vaya Con Dios My Korean Brother
Paul Kim, we barely knew ya. It's a shame you had to try and sing one of the most popular karaoke songs of all time (George Michael's Careless Whisper). I don't have any statistics on that fake fact I just put out there but I have never been to a karaoke bar, a personal karaoke room, or someone's karaoke machine where that song wasn't available and someone didn't sing it. I myself like to butcher that song and Last Christmas.
I never thought he was as good as Randy said he was ("one of the best male voices we've heard this year") but I was hoping he'd stick around at least a little longer. I like to support my fellow Asians in "the arts."
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posted 02/22/2007 Man Kicks Down Door With Sword in Hand
This is what can get you on CNN headline news. A man was listening to his pornography so loud that his neighbor kicked in the door and had a three feet sword in his hand, a la Butch in Pulp Fiction. The man demanded to know where the woman was that he was obviously sexually assaulting. He kept yelling, "Where is she?! Where is she?!" He then made the man open all the closet doors to prove that there was no one being held captive. Of course, the neighbor heard some dramatic porn acting and assumed the man was raping a woman. The man who kicked down the door was arrested. They showed his mug shot. He was quoted as saying, "It's embarrassing." What's even funnier or almost as embarrassing is that the man who was watching the porn with the sound cranked up was giving an interview. He was showing how his lock was broke and talking about the intruder not self conscious at all that his porn watching habits is on the national news. |
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posted 02/22/2007 Women Finalists Saves American Idol The men's finalists were so bad the other night that I thought I was watching NBC's Grease, You're the One that I Want (that show has really bad vocalists for those who don't know). Actually, the guys on IDOL aren't bad singers. They just have no wow factor so it's hard to imagine them selling a lot of CD's or concert tickets. Rudy selling out Stubbs in Austin like Chris Daughty? No way. For the women, I knew the Bank Teller/Belter (someone who can really belt it out) had a lot of skills and of course I love Melinda Doolittle so I had high hopes about the show last night and it paid off. Doolittle was fantastic. I didn't really know the song she sang but her voice was strong and her performance was on target. It was ridiculous watching the Belter sing And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going from Dreamgirls. This was a shortened 1.5 minute version but it was as good as any version I've ever heard, including the original version sang by Jennifer Holiday. I'm not saying she's better than Holiday, but she's certainly in the ballpark. What's also sort of interesting is Jennifer Hudson's Oscar nomination is practically based on her performance of that song in the movie and the Belter might be a little better (I need to look up her name.) I hope Belter can show me her soft side too. Mandisa, from last year's show, was a great belter as well but after a while, it's just a little too jarring to hear someone sing like that every single night. |
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posted 02/21/2007 The Lion King at Bass Concert Hall
For some reason I like Broadway musicals. It could be my "feminine" side but I prefer to call it my "culturized artistic side." I just like dramatic singing. You know, like Meatloaf style. When I was a kid I remember really liking the movie musical, "Little Shop of Horrors." That's the musical with Rick Moranis and Steve Martin. I really loved those songs. I even checked out the cassette tape from the library! Remember when you could check out records and tapes from the library?!
I made a copy of that tape and listened to it over and over. The song Suddenly Seymor was the bomb and I knew every song by heart. Then I got into some other musicals like Les Miz, Miss Saigon, and Jesus Christ Superstar.
Here's a list of the ones I've seen: Miss Saigon (great), Rent (great), Evita (pretty good), Les Miserables (great), Phantom of the Opera (pretty good), Jesus Christ Superstar (great), Hello Dolly (terrible. I saw the version with Carol Channing), A Chorus Line (boring), and Grease (I saw the version with Grease II's Adrian Zmed. This version kind of sucked if you like the movie at all). And now, the Lion King. I may have seen more but that's all I can remember.
I bought these tickets about 3 months ago and I had forgotten how difficult it was to get tickets. I remember I had to settle for a Tuesday night because there were so many sold out performances. I didn't realize till the usher told me where to sit last night that I got really, really bad seats. SECOND BALCONY! I have never sat so high at Bass Concert Hall. In fact, there are few places in the world where I've sat so high. It turned out that although it was so far, the actual view and perspective wasn't too bad because many of the props and stage activity was very bright and tall.
Since I do like Broadway musicals, it only makes sense that I like a lot of Disney musicals like Lion King, Little Mermaid, and Aladdin. Lion King is one of my all time favorites. I've seen that movie at least 12 times all the way through. I also have a very good memory when it comes to movies and there are many scenes and songs in the movie that I know by heart.
I'll do a bit right now without even looking at anything. Here goes: Timon: When he was a young wart hog. Pumba: When I was a young wart HOGGGGG! Timon: He found his aroma lacked a certain appeal, he could clear the savannah after every meal. He's a sensitive soul, though he seems thick skinned. And it hurt, when his friends wouldn't stand downwind!! And oh the shame! What's a change in a name (I don't think that sentence is right but that's what I filled in)? And he felt downhearted. How did he feel? Pumba: Every time that I... Timon: Pumba, not in front of the kids. Pumba: Oh sorry. Hakuna Matata...
Do you see the dilemma in being able to recite comic lines? It's all PG humor that I know is coming and that's not so bad because I have seen the movie a bunch of times. What's bad is that I would cringe right before the inevitable over laugh of the audience. I couldn't believe how loud they would laugh sometimes. I kept thinking, haven't any of you fools seen the movie??
Other than that, the singing was good and it was quite a visual spectacle. I didn't realize they wrote songs just for the play that wasn't in the movie. That threw me off a little but it was still an overall good experience.
I think I prefer more grown up, dramatic fare like Miss Saigon and Rent.
Dancing antelopes
the great MUFASA
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posted 02/21/2007 American Idol Men's Finalists Could Be Worst Ever
As we enter the 6th season of American IDOL and the first elimination by viewer vote show, we may just be faced with the worst batch of men's finalist this show has ever seen.
The two guys that I thought had any potential was the be-box guy, who sang the Keane song, and the Osborne guy. Simon HATED that Osborne guy. Simon said he only got through because of his dry sense of humor. Well that dude got mad and shot back with some weird low blow about the Teletubbies. Simon then said the Osborne guy looked like a Teletubby and told him he was making everything really awkward. Simon was pissed and it was quite awkward.
I thought the guy that sang Keane was ok but to tell you the truth, I've had a guy sing that song better at a Karaoke show that I hosted.
Click on the link below to hear him work it out.
Click here to hear this guy sing Somewhere better than the IDOL dude.
If you put these guys side by side with past finalists, you realize just how ordinary these guys are. At the end Simon said the last guy sang the song pretty good but that we used to have guys like Daughtry who would absolutely nail those songs. Well, there's no Daughtry this year and right now Idol is in big trouble.
The show just needs one good girl to carry it a la Kelly Clarkson. If she wasn't around, freaking Justin Guarini would be the first American Idol and the show might have completely failed.
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posted 2/20/2007 1:33 PM 2007 Oscar Race
Of the Oscar nominated movies, I have only seen Little Miss Sunshine and the Departed. I am going to try and see Babel before Oscar night. Out of the two movies that I have seen going for best picture, my pick is easily the Departed even though I love Little Miss Sunshine. Some people think there are parts of Little Miss Sunshine that is a little too over the top but I thought it was one of the funniest movies of the year. Between his work in 40 Year Old Virgin, the Office, and Little Miss Sunshine I think Steve Carrell might be the most underrated actor currently working. I don't know if those three examples are exactly that rangy, but he's pretty damn funny. Here are some movies that I've seen this year that are up for Oscar Nominations (www.oscars.com): I linked these to www.rottentomatoes.com my favorite site that compiles movie critic's opinions. I also gave them my personal star ratings out of 4 stars max and what they received on Rotten Tomatoes.
I've put these movies in order from first to worst. 1. Pan's Labyrinth 96% (**** Best movie of the year. This movie is no Chronicles of Narnia. It's a very grown up movie that is at times intensely scary, crushingly sad, and wildly uplifting. Don't be put off by the fantasy. It's set in some kind of conflict or war and the fantasy part is melded in with that. The departed is great too, but I've never seen a movie this creative, different, and just plain good.)
2. The Departed 93% (**** Second best movies of the year. Marky Mark and Alec Baldwin were fantastic in smaller roles. Matt Damon and Leo were as good as always.)
3. United 93 91% (**** If Rocky inspired people to run up stairs and box with Russians, this movie inspires you to join Toby Keith and President Bush and to beat up terrorists. Not really, but this movie is powerful and exhilarating and makes you proud to be an American. It makes me almost want to be in the final charge of the passengers, but of course not in the crash.)
4. Little Miss Sunshine 91% (****)
5. Apocalypto 65% (***1/2 An exhilarating, yet super simple movie.)
6. An Inconvenient Truth 92% (*** I thought that the first half was really boring but when Al started talking about how the world just can't support the population as it grows exponentially, it started to sink in a little and make sense. We used to fight with guns, but now we fight with bombs. We used to farm by hand but now we use massive machinery. The population will double in 30 years whereas it took 10,000 years to get it to where it's at now. Those aren't actually the numbers but you get my point.)
7. Dreamgirls 79% (** I didn't love the music but I thought the acting and story line was good. I really like Jennifer Hudson's rendition of the show stopper, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going". I didn't think Eddie Murphy was as good as many of the critics are saying. He's certainly not good enough for the Golden Globes or the Oscars plus, they have him singing like 10 songs in the movie. I didn't exactly want to see an Eddie Murphy concert. I just like it when he sings "my girls wants to party all the time.")
8. Half Nelson 91% (** Great performances but kind of boring for me. I didn't feel like there was enough going on.)
9. The Last King of Scotland 89% (** Well acted and pretty interesting throughout but then it turns into this African Forrest Gump. By that I mean Forrest Whitaker's character is real, but the main protagonist in the movie keeps getting into these wild predicaments that you can't quite believe happened.)
10., The Prestige 74% (* 1/2 Good performances by Wolverine and Christian Bale. I was really hyped about seeing a movie about a couple of David Copperfields. Apparently, the magic business is a little more popular in those times then it is now. The movie gets a little silly when dealing with "real magic". Only a marginal recommendation.)
11. Borat 91% (** Made me kind of uncomfortable at times and certainly way too hyped up for me. There were some crazy, cringe inducing but funny scenes like the nude wrestling.)
12. The Pursuit of Happyness 66% (* 1/2 Sappy movie. The kid's a little full of himself and the dad character (based on a real person) is actually very irresponsible for the choices that he's taken. I think if you have a kid, you're not supposed to take the risks that his guy is taking. The guy is gambling is with more than one life.)
13. Jesus Camp 87% (* People keep saying how this movie is powerful. I didn't find it more powerful at all. In fact, I was waiting for the REALLY crazy stuff like playing with snakes and drinking poison or something. These kids just learn to be slightly fanatical about religion early on. Big deal. You can get a kid to believe anything if you start telling them stuff while they're young enough. What is funny is the evangelical leader that was caught being with a male prostitute and buying meth is on this film before he got busted and you can see him just oozing with hypocrisy.)
14. Superman Returns 76% (1/2 I couldn't even finish this. I love comic books movie in general (Spider Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four) but this movie had the weirdest diabolical plan. Create a continent with crystals and own the world? Lame.)
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American Idol 2007 I haven't really found too many potential idols to be psyched about yet this year. Perhaps it's too early and I haven't seen enough of the 24 finalists. With that being said, I did find two that are my early pics for finalists when I first saw them audition. They were Melinda Doolittle and Sundance Head. Sundance had a really tough Hollywood week and now I'm starting to wonder if he can only sing Bayou songs. Melinda Doolittle, on the other hand, it still working it out.
Check out her original audition below:
Here's Sundance Head:
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When I Was In Middle School I Wanted My Hair to Look Like Dustin Nguyen's Growing up, I hated my hair. I don't love it now. For those of you who don't know, most Asians have very straight hair. If you're a girl, it's not so bad because you can just grow it long and blunt. Well maybe in the 80's you needed it wavy, but you could perm it. For dudes, it's hard to get it to do much. If you try to comb it one way, it would fight you with every fiber of its being to straighten up and point straight down. That's why you see so many Asians in the early day with the "bowl cut." That would be straight bangs and blunt hair. I need to dig up a picture of me looking like that. Anyways, as I was trying to evolve, I took a picture of Dustin Nguyen (from TV's 21 Jump Street) to the barber and said, make me look like him. Mind you, I took the pic to Supercuts not some salon so all she could do was cut it. I didn't realize that you need a lot of product, and blow drying, and probably just better hair to look like Dustin (as shown below). Of course, my hair never looked close to Dustin's.
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Star Trek 2.0
For some reason I think this is comic genius. The Spock character and his interaction with Kirk is hilarity.
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Last Week's "the Office" The end of The Office last week made we well up and laugh at loud at almost the same instant. Pam was touched because Michael was raving about her art work. She went in to give him a hug and then asked "Is there something in your pocket?" There was a chance that the socially awkward Michael might have a boner at this moment so you weren't sure what was going on. He tells her, "I have a chunky in my pocket." She looks even more shocked. He reached in his pocket and pulls out a chunk candy bar and says, "You want half?" I didn't do that any justice unless you saw it. |
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