My picks are shown in bold; the winners are in parenthesis.
Arizona at Atlanta (Atlanta) Dallas at Tennessee (Dallas) Indianapolis at N.Y. Jets (Colts) Miami at Houston (Houston) Minnesota at Buffalo (Da' Bills) New Orleans at Carolina (Carolina) San Diego at Baltimore (Baltimore) S. Francisco at K. City (K. City) Detroit at St. Louis (St. Louis) Cleveland at Oakland (Browns) Jacksonville at Washington (REDSKINS IN OT!!!) New England at Cincinnati (New England) Seattle at Chicago (B-e-a-r-s) Green Bay at Philadelphia (Eagles)
Office standings for correct picks: Urban Docent: 44 The Limey: 39 Fantasy Fanatic: 39 The other guy: 39
Oakland Athletics pile on after clinching the AL West division title by beating the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2006. The Athletics won 12-3.
I really liked the Where Not To Eat feature. And I am willing to say that I may have been the only person in the world who found it funny.
But in the end, who cares?
Blogs are all about keeping yourself entertained, right? And if somebody else happens to "get it" along the way, so much the better.
Therefore, I hereby decree, that Where Not To Eat and similar items will again return to the realm of the living on The Not Blogger's Blog in the very near future . . .
1. Mark Brunell (Redskins QB): I've been saying for a while that you should have hung it up. But Sunday, you straight-up brought the heat -- breaking the NFL's record for most consecutive completed passes in a single game. I stand corrected . . . good luck next week as Jacksonville comes to D.C.
2. Chris Simms (Tampa Bay QB): I really dislike your entire franchise, but you showed that you're one of the toughest competitors in the game - period. You almost made that go-ahead score hold up, and then you jetted to a hospital to have your spleen taken out. You're tough. Get well soon . . .
3. The Cincinnati Bengals: You're now 3-0. You came to Pittsburgh to beat the world champs, dropping them to 1-2. Carson Palmer got the ultimate revenge for what I believe was a cheap hit during last year's playoffs. There is finally something to cheer about in the Queen City. Woot!
Here are my picks for Week 3 games. Winners so far are shown in bold; my picks are show in parenthesis:
Carolina at Tampa Bay (Carolina) Chicago at Minnesota (Chicago) Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (Cincinnati) Green Bay at Detroit (Detroit) N.Y. Jets at Buffalo (N.Y. Jets) Tennessee at Miami (Miami) Jaxville at Indianap (Ind.) Washington at Houston (Wash.) Baltimore at Cleveland (Baltimore) N.Y. Giants at Seattle (Giants) St. Louis at Arizona (Arizona) Phillie at San Fran (Eagles) Denver at New England (The Pats) Atlanta at New Orleans (Dirty Birds)
Office standings for Week 3 (so far) : Urban Docent: 9 The Limey: 7 Fantasy Fanatic: 8 The other guy: 9
Have no fear; this is not the return of WNTE. This is simply a passing revisit . . . a savory belch to remind you of that last flavorful chomp.
A health inspector visiting a Waffle House (of all things) issued the following comment:
"Cardboard cannot be used to store bacon."
The same inspector -- apparently to his dismay and not at all a surprise to Awful Waffle regulars -- "found food particles on plates and silverware."
Bad dish washing aside, I think the cardboard-as-bacon-keeper comment is more of a challenge than a statement of fact. So, here is a quick perusal of some web-based bacon storage tips:
Rip off a large piece of aluminum foil. Place one strip of bacon horizontally at one edge of the foil. Fold the foil down to cover the strip. Repeat until all of your bacon is in the foil, accordion-style. Freeze your bacon until ready to use. (found it here)
Bacon should be used within one to two months. If storing longer, double wrapping is suggested to help keep in moisture. Be sure to wrap tightly against the entire surface of the meat to prevent ice crystals from forming in areas that are loosely wrapped. (additional instructions) Smoked and cured bacon produced at home needs to be frozen or stored in a refrigerator until eaten. Take off the rind, slice, wrap in freezer paper and place in freezer -- it's then good for 2 to 3 months. (look here for more than you want to know)
I guess you really shouldn't store bacon in or on cardboard. Who knew?
Once again, my co-workers and I are picking NFL games every week for fun and no profit. Therefore, I will post my weekly predictions with my selections shown (parenthetically).
Carolina at Tampa Bay (Carolina) Chicago at Minnesota (Chicago) Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (Cincinnati) Green Bay at Detroit (Detroit) N.Y. Jets at Buffalo (N.Y. Jets) Tennessee at Miami (Miami) Jaxville at Indianap (Ind.) Washington at Houston (Wash.) Baltimore at Cleveland (Baltimore) N.Y. Giants at Seattle (Giants) St. Louis at Arizona (Arizona) Denver at New England (The Pats) Phillie at San Fran (Eagles) Atlanta at New Orleans (Dirty Birds)
Our current standings at the end of NFL week #2:
Urban Docent: 23 The Limey: 23 Fantasy Fanatic: 21 The other guy: 18
This is Don Wright, mayor of this little town in Tennessee called Gallatin (in Sumner County, a metro Nashville location).
Don is an interesting guy. In addition to mayoring, he is a published author. According to Gallatin's website, Don has another career as the author of "award-winning historical novels." His titles include "The Captives," "The Woodsman," "The Last Plantation" and "Gone To Texas."
Don is a former state Senator. He was an MP. He served in the honor guard. He has been a member of dozens of appointed governmental committees, panels, boards and councils.
So what did Don Wright do to make one of his constituents write the following:
I think it's time for Don Wright to step down as mayor and resign.
Please quit putting our town in the news with negative, embarrassing incompetent decisions you seem to have been making lately.
What was his offense? Well, you could say that he was a little too accommodating to a certain aspect of the Hollywood crowd.
It seems some independent filmmakers asked Don if they could use his mayoral office for certain scenes of their "superhero" movie. He agreed after receiving their word that nothing tawdry would occur.
But as it turned out, the film was the latest installment in the "Thong Girl" line of adult-like films, featuring the adventures of "Lana Layonme" and "BoxerBrief Boy." Fine entertainment if there ever was any . . .
Now the Gallatin City Council is preparing to step in and revise ordinances to create more oversight concerning who is allowed to film what and where. And national news outlets to some degree and local reporters are on a "thong watch" to find the next interesting angle or crack in Don's tale.
Meanwhile, film guru wannabe Glen Weiss hopes he'll end up laughing all the way to the bank from folks taking an interest in his films, comic books and assorted underwear-based products.
It seems to me there is a natural opening for cooperation on behalf of the director and the author -- a line of films and books covering the historic adventures of past heroes and heroines clad only in their skivvies.
Whatever the outcome, "Thong Girl 3: Revenge of the Dark Widow" couldn't possibly surpass the cinematic brilliance on display in the second "Thong Girl" film . . .
Director Clark Johnson brings his small-screen experience to the silver screen with a horrible little movie called "The Sentinel." Once you review Johnson's directing credits you see why this one played like a glorified TV drama and little else.
"The Sentinel" has a squishy and often porous plot about a Secret Service guy (Michael Douglas) being set up to look like a traitor. The would-be bad guy's protege (Kiefer Sutherland) is out to bring Douglas to justice or prove the evidence wrong or whatever. Throw in an especially lifeless performance from Kim Basinger, and you've got yourself one stinker of a waste of time.
Here are some of the problems with this movie:
There are many scenes designed to give the back story, but they accomplish very little; they are handled like afterthoughts with no ties to what's happening and no relevance overall.
The performances are across the board f-l-a-t; Sutherland is a watered-down Jack Bauer ("24"), Douglas bumbles around as an emotionless zombie and Basinger is mostly shown as an out-of-breath basket case.
The action sequences are straight out of any TV ensemble crime/cop drama; if you've ever even mistakenly watched one of these network programs, you'll be yawning through every shoot out and chase "The Sentinel" has to offer.
The revelation of the true evildoers and the final conflict are completely anti-climatic; everyone associated with bringing a resolution to this weak plot seemed like they were just phoning it in by that point.
To sum up, this movie isn't even a good rental. I consider myself fortunate to have watched it for free as a borrowed title. Otherwise, I'd be kicking myself for spending any amount of money to see it.
For a better check-your-brain-at-the-door flick of a similar nature, do yourself a favor and watch the 2000 action/drama "The Art of War" with Wesley Snipes and Kiefer's dad, Donald Sutherland. You'll be much better off.
Never have I seen such a well-balanced film strike the medium between shoot-em-up flick and anti-war preaching. Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket" is a decidedly anti-war film with the presence of countless original absurdities and fantastic battle cinematography.
There are so many memorable lines and easily recalled scenes that "Full Metal Jacket" is a full-fledged classic. I particularly enjoyed my return visit to the abusive domain of one Sgt. Hartman (portrayed masterfully by the man who lived it -- E. Lee Ermey).
The message of this film goes well beyond the simple "war-is-hell" routine to enter the ramifications of combat, training, trench life and the brotherhood of those that fight for their country. I don't think I have ever seen another war movie that tackles so many complex topics without backing into at least some kind of heavy-handed moments. This one is solid through and through.
And if for nothing else, you'll likely enjoy the experience that is Adam Baldwin's character, Animal Mother. I mean, who else was going to go in there after those guys?
On the right side of this page under "other blogs," there is now a photos page. There aren't very many pics there yet, but more will be added soon . . .
To see the images a little closer, click on them and they will be available in a larger window.
I swear the Urban Docent is about more than movies, although it may not seem like it at times.
But I recently obtained the new "Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier" two-disc set, which contains tons of extras and commentary from director Francis Ford Coppola.
My recent viewing was my first to see the film start to finish unedited. It's truly a one-of-a-kind cinematic undertaking that I'm sure will never occur again. Listening to Coppola's commentary is like sitting in on a great conversation about what it takes to make a classic. He put so much work and effort into this film -- down to composing all the music with the help of his father -- that nobody could ever reproduce the undertaking.
One of the really interesting revelations is that "Apocalypse Now" could have fallen into the hands of another director entirely -- one George Lucas. Apparently Lucas, Coppola and screenwriter John Milius were all friends in film school. Coppola basically bankrolled the efforts of the other two to keep them collaborating on the film's screenplay with the idea that Lucas would make the picture.
When the time came to begin the film-making process, which took nearly thee years and 1,000,000 feet of exposed negative, Lucas was busy making "Star Wars." And it's a good thing; Lucas' vision was to make "Apocalypse" in a documentary style with a small cast and very little military equipment. In short, it would have really stunk (in all likelihood). The Lucas connection also accounts for Harrison Ford's small role at the beginning of the film.
Another great piece of insight concerned the film's slow-motion napalm helicopter opening. Coppola came to the editing room one Saturday to help fill in when the leading editor had to leave. The director, out of curiosity, grabbed some spare footage sitting in a barrel waiting to be discarded. As he scrolled through the seemingly useless images at a slow pace, he played The Doors track over the sequences . . . and a memorable open was crafted by accident. Real movie-making genius!
This movie -- and the great TV series "Lost" -- inspired me to finish reading Conrad's "Heart of Darkness," which became Coppola's basis for the film more than the original screenplay.
So you're standing around your favorite local shopping or eating establishment when all of the sudden, during one of those extended lulls in the action, you get the strong sensation that someone is watching you. No, they're not just gazing in your general direction; they are looking right at you in particular.
Paranoia? Spider sense? Guilty feelings? Try one or the other of these two ideas on for size.
Apparently the attempt to prevent "loss" (aka theft) in this wacky post-911 world of ours has created a pandemic of surveillance equipment installations almost everywhere. According to this article from BusinessWeek, there are now at least 6,000,000 cameras watching, monitoring, recording and (in some cases) diagnosing behavior through image analysis software. This is in addition to the presence of actual humans tasked with monitoring as well as RFID tags and other electronic measures.
The message from the retail world is clear: "Come, enjoy yourself and spend money. We'll be watching to make sure you do." Thanks, Captain Retail. Now can you lower some of your prices because of all the shoplifters you've nabbed?
In the meantime in the real world, there is a very real chance that you and I have something like a detection mechanism to let us know when unseen eyes are giving us the once-over.
Consider Dr. Rupert Sheldrake and his work indicating that people can detect when an otherwise unknown individual is staring at them. There is even an online experiment section where you can try it out for yourself . . .
The number-one cinematic bomb in the nation right now is "The Wicker Man" starring Nicolas Cage. If today's movie is as bad as its 1973 namesake starring Christopher Lee, then I can see why.
Ordinarily, I enjoy watching older films of generally any kind (minus sappy love stories) because they have key features that I find entertaining. Many of these films were not worried about having some form of noise -- dialogue, swearing, lousy music -- hitting you every 10 seconds. They were more focused, for the most part, on telling a good story well.
But back in 1973, the world was exposed to a piece of garbage known as "The Wicker Man." And there is very very little to label even remotely entertaining about this thing.
The plot is simple: a cop from the mainland comes to a British isle to investigate a missing child case. The town starts to act wacky as he begins the investigation, and the root of the matter rests in the village's total abject devotion to paganism.
Everything about the 1973 version is predictable and poorly executed. The plot is so easily diagnosed that it's really laughable. And the way all the characters interact is equally painful to see. There is nothing -- NOTHING -- supernatural about the story, and it doesn't make for an interesting glimpse into psychological terror either. It's just garbage through and through . . .
I will not see the 2006 "Wicker Man" if I can possibly avoid it. And I would give the original an F- minus for even attempting to exist.
I think "The Wicker Man" may be bad enough to replace my top-ranked worst films manufactured by humans:
Decades before anyone even dreamed of IMAX, people were shelling out their hard-earned bucks to see films presented in "Cinerama."
Cinerama was essentially a film-production technique that offered an additional gimmick to get people to come back to theaters following the advent of TV.
Back then, studios correctly realized that there was no hope of truly competing with the "free" entertainment of TV without a new hook. So, inventors were able to take a three-camera recording and projection system devised for military pilot training and use it to make sweeping epics like 1962's "How The West Was Won."
Viewers were able to see their movies on large rounded screens designed to make them feel like they were actually there. And, studios produced the most technologically advanced multi-channel stereo audio tracks to assault the senses. Until that point, there was nothing else like it.
"How The West Was Won" proved a critical, technical and financial success. Audiences saw stunts the likes of which no one had the money or technical knowledge to produce. The 155-minute adventure brought out the who's who of Hollywood for star power and directing abilities. In the end, they had Academy Awards and a nearly two-year theater run to show for it.
But the film also signaled the death of Cinerama. Within a year, an annoying little film entitled "It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World" was released that accomplished wide, panoramic images similar to Cinerama but on a traditional single screen. Cinerama was over.
However, the storytelling prowess of "How The West Was Won" preserved the film for future generations, and it was eventually carried over to television. TV audiences, however, had to suffer through the annoyance of two lines or seams on either side of the screen as the three images were joined to show the entire scope of the picture. The lines appear on the DVD as well.
Overall, this is a pretty good picture. Some of the acting was a little over the top in the ham department, but it had great stunts and an overall swift pace. And you can't go wrong with the immortal Eli Wallach threatening to murder George Peppard and his family . . .
I really enjoyed that I was able to help share the work of others as they spied on the nasty food endeavors of the greater Winston-Salem, N.C., community. But it appears interest in this topic was completely resident with the Urban Docent.
So, please enjoy this final helping of WNTE courtesy of our friends at WFMY News 2:
Peking Kitchen -- Foods uncovered in the freezer . . . several dead cockroaches in the kitchen El Pollo Rostizado -- The restaurant shouldn't let a cat roam in the storage building Reno's Pizza and Italian Restaurant -- Restaurant shouldn't store pizza at room temperature under the counter . . . and don't smoke in the kitchen
Thanks for joining in the fun . . . Bon Appetite!!!
So you think you're one of those independent-minded, Hollywood-hating, mainstream-shunning film buffs, do you?
Well now you're going to get your chance to officially put up or shut up . . .
The fantastic work of the fine folks at Janus Films and those Criterion DVDs we all know and enjoy cannot be lauded enough. They have undertaken the restoration, preservation and distribution of films that would otherwise pass into cinematic oblivion. My hat's off to them.
This is why I was really interested when I learned that they are producing a massive boxset with book detailing the 50-year history of Janus, complete with the following DVD titles:
ALEXANDER NEVSKY / ASHES AND DIAMONDS L'AVVENTURA / BALLAD OF A SOLDIER / BEAUTY AND THE BEAST BLACK ORPHEUS / BRIEF ENCOUNTER / THE FALLEN IDOL FIRES ON THE PLAIN / FISTS IN THE POCKET / FLOATING WEEDS FORBIDDEN GAMES / THE 400 BLOWS / GRAND ILLUSION HÄXAN / IKIRU / IVAN THE TERRIBLE (Part II) THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST / LE JOUR SE LÈVE JULES AND JIM / KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS KNIFE IN THE WATER / THE LADY VANISHES LOVES OF A BLONDE / THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP M. HULOT'S HOLIDAY / MISS JULIE / PANDORA'S BOX PÉPÉ LE MOKO / IL POSTO / PYGMALION RASHOMON RICHARD III / THE RULES OF THE GAME SEVEN SAMURAI / THE SEVENTH SEAL THE SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE / LA STRADA / SUMMERTIME THE THIRD MAN / THE 39 STEPS / UGETSU UMBERTO D. / THE VIRGIN SPRING / VIRIDIANA THE WAGES OF FEAR / THE WHITE SHEIK WILD STRAWBERRIES THREE DOCUMENTARIES: THE GREAT CHASE, THE LOVE GODDESSES AND PAUL ROBESON: TRIBUTE TO AN ARTIST
Where my excitement was somewhat staunched was the link for the pre-order.
Yikes. I'm sure I would really enjoy the hours of entertainment this set has to offer, but there is no way I can bring myself to pay that much. Even if I could afford it I'm not sure I would do it . .
So if you happen to get this, would you consider loaning it out to a fellow film aficionado?
