December 29, 2004

Motley Crue

     Motley Crue is back! It's the original members back again finally! They're touring the US this spring and summer and I wil try to attend. Ticket prices are outrageous for an over-the-hill hair band. There is also a recorded album on the way as well.
     Just heard the new Motley single on the radio. It's only mediocre by hard rock standards. They are trying to sound like newer rock bands like Nickelback, Puddle of Mud, or Limp Bizkit. They should just be themselves and it would work out fine. I'm sure it's because Tommy Lee has a bigger influence on the music these days than does Nikki Sixx. Plus Vince's voice isn't what it used to be.
     They were the final act at the Video Game Awards this year and rocked with the now classic "Girls, Girls, Girls." But their encore of Dr. Feelgood was one of the worst performances I've ever heard. Vince Neil started singing two measures too late, so was off with the rest of the band. The band tried to compensate, but the recorded backing vocals kicked in when they were supposed to, so everything turned into a cluster f-bomb. It was very Ashley Simpson ala SNL like.
     Still, it warms my heart to see my favorite junior high band alive and kicking. See you all on the Wild Side!




For anything more Motley Crue, click here.

December 28, 2004

Best of 2004

Lists lists lists. The world loves to make lists. I'm no different. Here is my list of favorite/best and most hated/worst of everything I can think of to spew out.

Best movie:
Eternal Sunshione of the Spotless Mind
Team America World Police
Worst movie:
House of the Dead
Fahrenheit 9/11

Best book:
The DaVinci Code
Worst book:
I only read two other books this year and they weren't bad

Best album:
William Shatner's "Has Been"
Sun Kil Moon's "Ghosts of the Great Highway"
Worst album:
I don't buy bad music, but I heard enough Jessica Simpson to know it's HORRIBLE!

Best Xbox game:
Halo 2
Worst Xbox game:
The Guy Game

Best PS2 game:
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
Worst PS2 game:
Under the Skin

Best Gamecube game:
"Metroid Prime 2: Echoes"
Worst Gamecube game:
? Didn't play much

Best PC game:
Half-Life 2
Worst PC game:
Sims 2 - waaay too real, and sucks waaay too much of my time. Otherwise great title!

Best TV show:
The O'Reilly Factor
Worst TV show:
anything concerning "reality"

Best movie theater:
Carmike Cinema in Apple Valley (only screen #9)
AMC Southdale Center 16 (they were the worst last year, they really turned themselves around)
Worst movie theater:
Mall of America

Best news source:
Fox News
Worst News source:
CBS

Best looking affordable car:
Hyundai Sante Fe or Volvo S90
Worst looking affordable car:
Scion xB

Best breakfast:
49er flap-jacks at Original Pancake House
Worst breakfast:
anything with gravy

Best store name:
Start to Furnish
Worst store name:
Sox Appeal

Best pro athlete - tie:
Johan Santana & Peyton Manning
Worst pro athlete - tie:
Ron Artest & Michael Olowakandi

Best legal drug:
Pain Away
Worst legal drug:
Ibuprofen

Best city:
Minneapolis
Worst city:
Fallujah

Best affordable restaurant:
Figlio
Worst affordable restaurant:
Ground Round

Best political figure:
Condoleezza Rice
Worst political figure:
Kofi Annan

Best website:
Thebestpageintheuniverse.com
Worst website:
Michaelmoore.com

Coolest TV:
Sony's 70" LCD Widescreen HDTV
Worst TV:
Daewoo 19" shit TV

Best mouthwash:
fake blue listerine
Worst mouthwash:
anything claiming to be fruity or bubblegum flavor

Best clothing store:
The Gap
Worst clothing store:
Guess

Best celebrity:
Clint Eastwood (hey, why not?)
Worst celebrity:
shockingly, it's Michael Moore

Best snack food:
Jalapeno Doritos
Worst snack food:
Triscuit "lite"

Best drink:
White Russian, stinger, washington apple, So-Co w/gingerale, beer
Worst drink:
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Best election:
USA 2004
Worst election:
Ukraine 2004

Best cereal:
Lucky Charms
Worst cereal:
Cheerios

Best thing about my new apartment:
Delma
Worst thing about my new apartment:
rent

Best collection agency:
LSM
Worst collection agency:
whoever the bastard is calling me from Wells Fargo

Best car dealership:
Morries Mazda
Worst car dealership:
Walser Ford

Best toy:
Bop-it
Worst toy:
The Star Wars lightsaber that doesn't completely collapse (how dumb!)

Best news story:
Afghan Elections Held
Worst news story:
60 Minutes' Bush military record
Tsunami kills 1000's

Best birdseyereView article:
"Vacation Brochure" (Oct 26, 2004)
Worst birdseyereView article:
"Am I Mising Something?" (Nov 12, 2004)

Best movie trailer:
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Worst movie trailer:
Alfie

Best magazine:
Game Informer
Worst Magazine:
Rolling Stone

Best concert:
Gomez
Worst concert:
Brad

Best pizza:
King Cheetah from Cheetah Pizza
Worst pizza:
Davanni's

Best holiday decoration:
flashing snowflakes
Worst holiday decoration:
icicle lights that only cover half of the awning

Best bumpersticker:
that's an oxy-moron
Worst bumpersticker:
Christians for Kerry/Edwards

Best gas station:
Super America (any)
Worst gas station:
Sinclair (Richfield)

Best Bush-ism:
"Need some wood?"
Worst Bush-ism:
"That's why they're fighting so vociferously."

Best construction job:
Light Rail complete
Worst construction job:
494 still bogged down

Best thing about this list:
It's complete
Worst thing about this list:
I was reaching for ideas towards the end

Tires

     Don't buy really expensive 80,000-100,000 mile warranty tires if you live in MN. Generally people here are looking for traction. Cheaper, lower mileage tires are softer and have more traction. They won't last as long, but you'll get more traction in the snow. Higher mileage, more expensive tires are made from a harder material that slips on the ice and snow.
Just a little wisdom from dear old Dad. Happy New Year!

December 27, 2004

Blog for Today

     So much crap going on the last few days, I haven't had time for anything. I have not seen one movie in 2 weeks. It is starting to affect my work. I wanna see these. In no particular order:

The Machinist
Meet The Fockers
Ocean's 12
Flight of the Phoenix
The Life Aquatic
Sideways
Finding Neverland
A Series of Unfortunate Events
The Aviator

     AAAAAaaargh! So many and so little time! I've been playing Halo 2 a lot, and now I got some new games for Christmas. Baseball, Metroid Prime 2, Phantasy Star Online 2, etc... I also got the illustrated version of the Da Vincci Code that looks really entertaining, so that will take up some time. I'll link to the above movies when I get home. Also, check out my new political reants at The World According to Me.

December 04, 2004

National Treasure

     What a delightful surprise! Although completely unbelieveable, it was an original and great story, with a bunch of little American history lessons along the way. Nicolas Cage plays treasure hunter Ben Franklin, searching for the lost treasure of The Knights Templar. After realizing there is a clue as to its location on the back of the Declaration of Independence, he decides to steal it. From clue to clue, location to location, and bullet to bullet, the adventure that ensues takes off with little predictability, but a lot of fun.
     Although many reviews have compared National Treasure to the likes of Alan Quartermain or Indiana Jones, I found it to be very dissimilar to these stories in many ways; as it takes place mostly in the city, and also in the present. Bad guys and of course the FBI are only a half step behind Franklin.
     Rated PG for I guess intense action (there is little cussing, no nudity or excessive violence), it is a film for all. If you're looking for hip dialogue or realistic drama, look away. But if you're in the mood for fun and adventure, look no further than the back of a hundred dollar bill. Confused? You'll see what I mean if you see National Treasure. Grade A.

Related Links:
Official site
More reviews of National Treasure
Database site - full cast and crew, plus more reviews and trivia

Worst Movie Ever

House of the Dead.

     Horrible. Atrocious. Pukable. Hated it. Bad. Unsettling. Not good. Terrible.

Here's a REVIEW...or actually a rip fest.