The 2010 Packers According To The Mike - Week Two

We're back for round two with the 2010 Packers, and it was a rough week for the team.  Starting running back Ryan Grant, who has been a workhorse over the past two-and-a-half years, is done for the season due to the ankle injury that he incurred last week.  Luckily, the opponent for the home opener hasn't made the playoffs in a decade plus.  Let's get at it!

Pre-Game Notes:
The Game: Vs. Buffalo Bills.  The Bills have fallen on hard times since their reign over the AFC in the mid 1990s, and new coach Chan Gailey brings them to Lambeau with an 0-1 record.  Quarterback Trent Edwards is getting his last chance to lead the team, and the team hopes rookie running back CJ Spiller can carry the offense.

Things That Excite Me: Well, it's the home opener, so it's hard not to be excited.  I've been to Lambeau 15 times in the last 17 years. and the chance to witness the gameday environment in Green Bay is always a pleasure.

Things That Worry Me: Recent Packers teams have often overlooked some games that seem like easy wins on the schedule.  Most recently, they went to Tampa Bay last year and dropped the game to an 0-7 team.  Everyone knows that the Bills are rebuilding, but the Packers still have to show up and play the game.

The Game:
First Quarter: The Packers took the ball to start the game, and the opening drive quickly became three points on a Mason Crosby field goal.  And the defense picked up right where it left off last week, with linebacker Clay Matthews ending the Bills' first possession with his 4th sack of the young year.  Also notable on the first Bills drive was the fact that Packer linebacker AJ Hawk made the opening tackle on Bills running back Marshawn Lynch.  Both players are former first round picks that started the season off wrong (Hawk didn't play a down last week due to gameplanning issues, Lynch has been trailing Spiller and Fred Jackson on the Bills' depth chart), and have been the subject of trade rumors this year.  (Both players would get a lot of action in this game.)

A big play from Aaron Rodgers to boisterous-and-talented tight end Jermichael Finley would set the Packers up inside the 10 yard line on the next series, but the offense stalled and Crosby was needed to hit another field goal.  The Bills followed suit with another three-and-out, and the next Packers drive would not be stopped.  Rodgers and Finley connected for 32 yards on a third down, keeping alive a drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown by Grant's replacement, Brandon Jackson.  Jackson got to take the first Lambeau Leap of the season, and the Packers ended the first up by a couple of scores. (13-0, Packers lead.)

Second Quarter: The Packers seemed to stall entirely in the second quarter, on both sides of the ball.  The Bills ran the ball well on their first drive of the quarter, and a pass interference penalty on Packers corner Charles Woodson extended their drive.  Fred Jackson got in for the Bills' first score less than five minutes into the quarter, cutting the Packers' lead to six.

Neither offense did much the rest of the quarter, with the Packers stalling on both of their possessions.  The defense stayed strong, and rookie Sam Shields made a nice open field play to stop the Bills' last drive of the half on a third down pass over the middle.  Packers coach Mike McCarthy oddly chose not to stop the clock and utilize his two-minute offense with time running down, and the Packers went to the half with a meager lead. (13-7, Packers lead.)

Third Quarter: The defense continued to carry the team in the early third quarter.  Linebacker Brandon Chillar - who's the guy that has taken AJ Hawk's playing time - pulled in his first career interception on a tipped third down pass, and the Packers responded on offense.  Greg Jennings made a great third down grab to keep the drive going (last week he had to leap and make a one handed grab to extend a TD drive, this time he slid to catch a ball thrown behind him), and Rodgers connected (on another third down) with the Packers' all-time leading receiver - and my personal favorite Packer - Donald Driver for a TD.

Clay Matthews pulled in his fifth sack in 7 quarters on the next Bills three-and-out, and the offense took back over.  Rodgers and company put together another fine drive (Finley pulled in his third 20+ yard reception of the game), and scored on a quarterback keeper from nine yards out to stretch the lead .  (27-7, Packers lead.)

Fourth Quarter:  It didn't take much of the fourth quarter to confirm that this was mop-up time.  Rookie safety Morgan Burnett, who has done a fine job of not getting burnt through two games, took a short pass away from Bills receiver Roscoe Parrish for his first career INT, and a drive of just over two-and-a-half minutes ended with Rodgers hitting James Jones for a 30 yard touch down.  From there on, it was just about going through the motions to end the game.  In the process, Matthews took the time to pull in his third sack of the game, putting him at six on the young season.  The Bills got some yardage on the final possession, but the Pack held on a fourth down and put the game in the books. (34-7, Packers win.)

Looking Back:
The Good: 

• The defense swarmed the Bills for most of the game, and really made up for their second quarter lapses in the third.  Matthews looks like a superstar, and the suspect pass defense has held up fine - though this wasn't much of a challenge in that department.
• The passing game looked explosive.  Finley was a mismatch for the Bills, and the top four receivers each made an impact.
• Crosby hit on his field goals again, and Jordy Nelson looked good on kick returns again.

The Bad:

• The second quarter was completely wasted.  The team looked uninspired at times early, and lacked punch on offense and defense.  I worry that this team, still relatively young, will let the high expectations for the season go to their heads at times, and this quarter seemed to show that.
• Veteran left tackle Chad Clifton was pulled from the game in the second quarter by McCarthy, and replaced by rookie first-round pick Bryan Bulaga.  Clifton has had a long injury history, and it's sad to say that time may be catching up with the 34 year-old tackle.
• Tramon Williams didn't do much in the punt return game, and I'm absolutely terrified that he's going to get hurt twisting around on these plays.  Williams is starting at cornerback - the Packers' thinnest position - in place of injured veteran Al Harris and the Packers can not afford to lose him.
• I know Grant's only been gone one week, and the running game wasn't needed here.  But the offensive line has to be more consistent in making the ground game work if Brandon Jackson, John Kuhn, and Dmitri Nance are going to be their primary ball carriers.

Gameballs:

• Clay Matthews, of course, needs to be mentioned for the second straight week.  He looks as dominant as any pass rusher in the league through two games.
• Jermichael Finley talks a big game, and today he backed it up.  He only caught four passes from Rodgers, but totaled 103 yards.  He showed that he can be a nightmare for defenses.
• Bryan Bulaga, the rookie from Iowa (*tear*  Go Cyclones!), looked very good in relief of Clifton.  If he has to start going forward, he looks ready.
• Morgan Burnett's play to get his INT was a heads-up and hard-nosed one.  Hoping to see more of this for years to come.

Final Observations:
This is the kind of game you expect to win, and it's good to see the Packers get it done.  It might not have been a perfect game, but the team showed off plenty of the reasons why they're one of the favorites to compete in the playoffs at season's end.  With no major injuries occurring, there's not much more the team can ask for here.

Next Week: The Packers get their only Monday Night appearance of the year, on the road at the rival Chicago Bears.  The Bears are a surprising 2-0 and tied with the Packers atop the NFC North.  It's early in the season, but every divisional game is a must win in this league.  Should be a fun one.

In movie news.....Boy Scouts vs Zombies!!!

It is being reported that Andy Fickman, director of the upcoming You Again, is attached to a movie were boy scouts take on zombies.  This could potentially be amazing.  Thoughts?!?!?

Quote of the Day

I'm not a big filmophile. I don't watch movies a lot for a hobby. I spend all my time watching sporting events. Because, opposed to movies, you can never tell how they're going to end.
Michael Douglas

Dream Come True-Gilmore Girls Movie!

The word is getting around of a possible Gilmore Girls movies!  Being one of my favorite shows, if not my favorite show of all time, this would be a dream come true.  I was heart-broken when the show ended after seven fabulous seasons and would love to see the show hit the big screen.  The characters of Gilmore Girls were some of the quarkiest and most fun to watch.  There were many times I found myself wanting to live in Stars Hollow and befriend all of them.  In addition to great characters, the dialogue was some of the best to be found in tv.  With scripts twice as long as other hour long shows,  the banter and speed of delivery of lines was amazing and so unique.  As long as they could produce a script that would produce the same Gilmore Girls charm as the tv show, it would be a sure hit.

Here is what Lauren Graham, aka Lorelai Gilmore, had to say:

"It might [happen]. What's funny to me is that in all these years, no-one ever talked about [a film] except the fans. But now people… who could actually make it happen are talking about it. I think it could be good, but I wonder if we've waited too long. I don't want to be walking around the town square with a cane. It's hard to say because the show was never very plot driven. That is what might be uncovered in a two-hour movie."

 Here is to keeping fingers-crossed and hoping this happens!!

Tomorrow

Mascots Eat Cheerleaders!

Now that's a diet The Mike approves of!

Cyclone Football 2010

Yesterday I tuned in to watch my beloved Cyclone Football Team take on one of, if not our biggest, rivals in football, the Iowa Hawkeyes.  My hatred of the Hawkeyes runs deep.  I will tune in to an Iowa Hawkeye game and root for the other team.  I constantly talk smack to Hawk fans at work and I can literally feel a pit in my stomach when I think of the Hawks.

Being the optimistic person I am,  I went in to yesterdays game with high hopes.  My prediction:  21-17 Cyclones.  I could not have been more off.  With a senior quarterback that has progressively become worse from his freshman year, there was not a prayer for the Cyclones.  It appeared that not a single Cyclone player decided to show up to Kinnick that day, with proof being the final score of 35-7.  The only seven the Cyclones scored were in the 4th quarter against what was most likely Iowa's 4th string players.

After the game, I sulked for a few hours and decided I needed to pick myself up.  This is only our coach's second season.  I have to give him time to build.  I also had to think of the happy times of the past: aka the victory over Nebraska last year at Lincoln on my wedding day.  It made me smile and gave me hope for the Cyclones' football future.  In closing, the Hawks still suck!

Check out the video below of the Cyclones post victory at Lincoln last year.  It will make your day brighter!

The 2010 Packers According To The Mike - Week One

If you don't know already, you should know that The Mike loves the Green Bay Packers more than almost anything.  It's the Lombardi Code - God, Family (and Friends, of course), Green Bay Packers.  So, since he has this blog where he can post whatever he wants, I figured this'd be a good place to follow the 2010 Packers, for better or worse.

Since this is Week One, here's a little background.  The Packers are as hyped this year as they've been since the Super Bowl years of the mid '90s.  They've only been to one playoff game under new QB Aaron Rodgers - losing that game last January - but their young offensive weapons have a lot of people drinking their Kool-Aid.

Now, here's what's up in Week One:

Pre-Game Notes:
The Game: at Philadelphia Eagles.  Also a Wild-Card team last year, also lost in the first round of the playoffs.  Traded long time QB Donovan McNabb in the offseason, putting young QB Kevin Kolb in a situation that's similar to where the Packers and Rodgers were two years ago. 

Things That Excite Me: Tight End Jermichael Finley has been promising a break out year, and looked great in the preseason.  However, I'm most interested to see the Pack's offensive line, which seems to be as stable as it's been since Coach Mike McCarthy came on board 5 years ago.

Things That Worry Me: The Packers defensive backfield - which gave up 51 points last time they played - is short two probable starters with veteran CB Al Harris and S Atari Bigby out for the first six weeks with injuries.  Undrafted CB Sam Shields will be the third CB, and the Eagles boast a deep set of receiving threats. 

Also, the much beloved offense might face some first game jitters, and the Pack haven't won in Philadelphia since 1962.

The Game:
First Quarter: Both teams started slowly, with the Eagles scoring the first points on a FG late in the quarter.  Rodgers' first INT of the season, a bad pass over the middle toward Finley set up the FG drive.  Both teams definitely looked out of sync on offense - those jitters I was worried about - but the Packers seemed to pick up the pace late in the quarter and were driving as it ended. (3-0, Eagles lead.)

Second Quarter: The Pack start the second quarter with their second consecutive sack given up, which kills the drive - but Mason Crosby hits a FG to tie the game at 3.  Sloppy play continues, with injuries too, until a good drive gives the Pack their first TD of the season as Rodgers hits Donald Driver (one of my favorite Packers EVER!) on a third down.  The Pack get the ball back on a quick punt after that TD, and Crosby hits another FG - a franchise record setting 56 yarder - to extend the lead. (13-3, Packers lead.)

Third Quarter: Kolb, who was shaken up on a great play (from a football standpoint, not saying it's good that he was injured) by Clay Matthews late in the 2nd, is out for the day with a concussion.  So is Eagles MLB Stewart Bradley, who the TV heads claim is their defensive leader.  This means the infamous Michael Vick is in at QB for the Eagles, and he looks pretty good.  The Eagles' first drive ended when All-Pro CB Charles Woodson forced a fumble that the Pack recovered.  The Packers offense went straight down field, and scored after a couple of strong runs by FB John Kuhn, giving the Pack a 20-3 lead.

Vick led a good drive for the Eagles, and LeSean McCoy scored to make it 20-10.  The Packers responded, as Jordy Nelson returned the kickoff 51 yards and Rodgers and Jennings hooked up for a 32 yard TD (against former ISU Cyclone Ellis Hobbs, no less).  This leads to the third quarter ending with the Packers leading (27-10, Packers lead.)

Fourth Quarter: It's not over yet, folks.  A third down stop is negated by a defensive holding penalty, and the Eagles make their way downfield.  After a good defensive play in the redzone by Nick Barnett (Eagles fans, hostile as ever, were calling for interference) and a sack by undrafted rookie Frank Zombo, Vick hit on his first TD pass of the day, to tighten the score to 27-17.  Another good return by Nelson led to another Rodgers INT on a horrible pass over the middle.  The Packers defense seems to be wearing down - they've been on the field a lot lately.  However, the defense held up in the red zone this time, and the Eagles were held to a field goal.  With 5:43 left to play, it's 27-20 Packers.

Then, things get really tense.  The Packers offense sputters again, and the Eagles use all their timeouts to get the ball back.  They continue to drive on the Pack, but a sack by linebacker Matthews gives them a long third down.  Vick completes over the middle, but they're a yard short of the first down with 2:00 to play.

On fourth and one, Vick runs out of the shotgun.  Matthews leads the charge up the middle...and makes the play.  Turnover on downs, the Packers get the ball, Victory formation.  Final score: 27-20, Packers win!

Let's take a look back at the game:

The Good:

• The secondary looked really good against Kolb, but started to wear out versus Vick.  The Eagles' top receiver, DeSean Jackson, was a non-factor.  Shields and rookie safety Morgan Burnett didn't make the big mistakes that I was afraid of.
• Wide Receiver Greg Jennings had a big game, with his third quarter TD and a spectacular one-handed catch that extended the first TD drive as highlights.  Finley and Driver seemed neutralized at times, but Jennings made the plays that needed to be made.
• Jordy Nelson was fantastic returning kicks.  This was a major concern coming into the game, but he had three excellent returns and looked comfortable there.

The Bad:

• The running game needs to improve, fast.  Starting RB Ryan Grant left with an ankle injury in the second, which could be a huge blow to the offense if he has to miss time.  The run game wasn't great when he was in - though he had a few excellent runs - and was even worse without him.  
• The defense wore down late, and any time Jarrett Bush is on the field I worry.
• Injuries to DE Cullen Jenkins and Justin Harrell also are concerning.  The Packers are not deep on the D-line, and - though Jenkins returned and played well - injuries up front could kill the run defense.  Former first round pick Harrell is running out of chances to prove he can stay healthy.
• Wasn't the offensive line supposed to be stable?  Rodgers got hit way too often.

Game Balls:

• Clay Matthews has to be the MVP of this game, with several big plays, at least 4 of which killed Eagles drives - including the final stop on 4th and 1.  After missing large portions of camp, having Matthews playing like this is exciting to see.
• Undrafted rookie Frank Zombo gets a mention because a) his name is freaking Zombo, and b) he had a sack in his first game.
• Mason Crosby making both of his kicks is huge.  He's been erratic through his first years in the league, but these were two tough kicks and they give me faith that the worst of his career is behind him. (Note from The Mike: Fans, remember to ALWAYS compliment the kicker!  They're moody fellows, and you really need them happy.)

Final Thoughts:
I'm both pleased and disappointed with today's result.  But, a win is a win - and in a tough place like Philly, I'll take it.  If this is one of the offense's worst games of the year - they didn't look too good outside of the three TD drives - they should put up big numbers this year.  Hopefully they can work out the kinks in the running game, and Rodgers won't play that badly often.

Next Week: Packers vs. Buffalo at Lambeau Field in the home opener.  Here's to many GO PACK GO chants and a lot of Todd Rundgren!

(Because they play "Bang on the Drum All Day" whenever the Packers score a TD, not because he plays for them, of course.)

Things That Bring The Happy, Vol. 2 - Dennis Hopper Selling Football and Nike

As you may have noticed, it is indeed football season again in America!  (And, to the rest of the world: It's time to admit defeat and call your boring sport Soccer!)  Football has been in my blood for my entire life, growing up with a football coach for a father, and there are few things I wouldn't trade for another Green Bay Packers Super Bowl win.

There are also few things that entertained me as much as Nike's NFL commercials of 1994 did when I was a teen.  In these ads, legendary actor Dennis Hopper plays Stanley, an obsessed football fan in a referee's uniform who seeks out some of the stars of the era.  Lets take a look at what happened next.

First, and most famous, is the ad where Stanley enters the Buffalo Bills' locker room to get a whiff of Hall of Fame defensive end Bruce Smith's shoe.  Smith was one of the best linemen to play the game, retiring as the NFL's all-time sack leader (though he had to play more years than Reggie White to break the record).

Next up is Stanley's thoughts on Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders, who he calls "a cannonball loose in a pinball machine".

In this ad, Stanley uses ESP to contact the Dallas Cowboys' QB/WR duo of Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin, who won three Super Bowl titles in 4 years during the early '90s.

Stanley gets in the Christmas spirit in this next ad, discussing Deion Sanders.  Deion was playing for the San Francisco 49ers in '94, and ended up winning his first Super Bowl ring in January of '95.

This next one brings a tear to The Mike's eye, as it features Packers receiver Sterling Sharpe.  Sharpe was easily my favorite player between '92 and '94, which would be his last season in the NFL due to a spinal injury.  Despite the injury, Sharpe led the NFL with 18 TD receptions that year, the second best total for a receiver in NFL history at the time.  Meanwhile, the commercial made the phrase 'Choo choo, baby.  Choo choo!" part of my vocabulary.

The surprise of the '94 season was the San Diego Chargers, led by linebacker Junior Seau.  In this ad, Seau makes an impression on Stanley.

When the playoffs came around, Stanley got a little more excited.  Here, he reminds us that marbles, not football, is a game.

Last, but most certainly not least, is Stanley's 90 second Super Bowl spot.  This is, without a doubt, my favorite video on YouTube.

(Note from The Mike: There's one more ad that I can remember but can't find, in which Stanley praises Steelers linebacker Hardy Nickerson using a tape recorder.)

Now that we've got some Hopper in our lives, let's get to the football!

Morning Music - Tonight, Tonight

It's morning somewhere, but it is Tonight here.

 

 

Artist: The Smashing Pumpkins

Album: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

In Comic Book News..............Betty White!!!

Female Force: Betty White to be released in November.  Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

In Twilight news.....

Rumor has it that Summit Entertainment is looking at the possibility of making The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner in to a feature film.  It would be released after Breaking Dawn.  Here is what is being said about the project:

"It goes without saying Summit want to continue this franchise… Tanner is the one they're looking at post-Breaking Dawn… It's too early to talk casting, and everything we're hearing is just speculation or off a wish list, but I don't believe they plan on using the original actress, Jodelle Ferland, for the spin-off film. It's all about numbers and names — you guys know that."

I was surprisingly pleased with Bree Tanner and would like to see it made in to a movie.  Thoughts?!?

Trip Review-Disney World

During the last week in August, my husband, brother, and I ventured down to Orlando Florida for a week of fun.  Our week of fun included Universal Studios (Harry Potter Park…..my inner geek totally came out!), a day trip to Cocoa Beach, a fan boat ride in the Everglades to see some ‘gators, and of course Disney World.  If you have never ventured to Disney World, it is a must!  We stayed at Disney’s Pop Century Resort for our week long stay.  We had the convenience of Disney picking us up from the airport and transportation to all of the Disney Parks.  We went on so many fantastic rides, it would be hard to pick just one as my favorite, so I decided to pick 10!!! If you are thinking of going to Disney in the near future, here are some musts! 

10.  The Great Movie Ride (Hollywood Studios)  This 22 minute ride takes you smack dab in the middle of some of the greatest movies of all time.  From Casablanca to The Wizard of Oz to Alien, you feel you are right in the middle of the movies.  It is a must for movie lovers!   Being  an air-conditioned ride, it is also a great retreat from the hot and humid Florida Weather!

9. Soarin (Epcot) Strap in to your seat and get ready for an adventure!  This ride flies you over the great state of California.  With the wind blowing in your hair, and the smells of salt water and pine trees blasted at your face, you really do feel like you are hang-gliding over Cali!

8. DINOSAUR (Animal Kingdom) Hop in to a CTX Time Rover and race back in time to capture a dinosaur.  Beware of the hungry Carnotaurus!  This bumpy fast ride is slightly scary and definitely not for youngsters.

7.  Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Magic Kingdom): Hop in to a train and ride through the Old West town of Tumbleweed.  This fast and fun and fun ride is great for those that love the speed of coasters but not necessarily the height and drops of a traditional coaster.

6.  Splash Mountain (Magic Kingdom):  The “Godfather” of log rides, this almost 5 minute long ride is what many amusement parks model their log rides after.  Your log takes you leisurely past scenes from Disney’s 1946 film Song of the South and then plunges 52 ½ feet at the end!  You are sure to get wet from this drop!

5.  Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom): An oldie but goody-jump in to a mini “spaceship” and blast in to space.  This fast, jolting, roller coaster through the dark, is worth the wait if the lines are long!

4.  Test Track (Epcot):  Hop in to a “GM car” and go through all the  obstacles/stages of testing a new car.  At the end of the ride, the car goes over 60 mph on the test track.  If you are in need of speed, this is the ride being the fastest ride at all of the Disney Parks.

3. Rock N Roller Coaster (Hollywood Studios):  This coaster takes you from 0 to 60 mph in a matter of seconds!  It is a coaster that is completely indoors that goes upside down and all over while the music of Aerosmith blares in your ear.  A total heart pounding good time!

2.  Tower of Terror (Hollywood Studios):  This 13 story ride takes in you the elevator of a haunted hotel.  It takes you up, lets you view one of the floors of the hotel, and then drops and rises you at an extreme speed in the elevator shaft.  Not for the faint of heart!

1.  Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom):  This thrilling roller coaster, takes you up and through Mt. Everest, in attempts to get away from the Yeti on the mountain.  If you love coasters, especially ones that go backwards, this is a must.

These are only 10 of the fantastic rides at the Disney Parks.  There are so many rides worth checking out, I could go on and on.  If you are not one to ride rides, then the shows are just as great.  There is truly something for everyone at Disney World!!

Quote of the Day

''I will no longer be carrying around photo ID. Know why? People should know who I am.''

-Sue Sylvester of Glee (played by Jane Lynch)

Teenage Dream

Check out this lil guy from Chicago singing to Katy Perry's Teenage Dream. He is really feeling the lyrics!!

Favre-The Indecision

Quote of the Day

There are many dying children out there whose last wish is to meet me.

 -David Hasselhoff

Movie of the Day-The Last Song

Spoiler Alert:  Do not read if you intend on watching the film.  I also want to note that I have not read the book, so I do not have any opinions on how the movie stacks up to the book.

First off, I am not a Miley Cyrus fan.  I wanted to make this very clear as I write this review.  I am, however, someone that doesn’t mind a Nicholas Sparks film every now and then.  I am also a huge fan of Greg Kinear.  With that being said, I rented The Last Song, hoping for something decent at best.  I ended up disappointed and wanting my time back.

The Last Song is the story of rebellious Ronnie Miller (Miley Cyrus) and her younger brother Jonah Miller (Bobby Coleman) going to live with their father Steve Miller (Greg Kinear) for the summer in his beach house on the coast of Georgia.  Jonah finds himself connecting with his father through a stained glass project for a church, while Ronnie slowly ends up connecting with her father through their love of music.  Along the way romance blossoms between Ronnie and the sensitive/rich local hunk Will Blakelee (Liam Hemsworth-was Miley’s real-life beau up until this past week).    I found much of the movie focusing on the relationship between Ronnie and Will (was it necessary to be kissing in every scene?), when I felt the story was meant to and should have focused more on the relationship between Ronnie and her father.  It was not until the last part of the film, when we find out Steve is dying of cancer, does the film shift its focus to the relationship between Ronnie and her father.

With Kinear nailing his role as always, Bobby Coleman was spot-on playing the role of the sweet younger brother, and Liam Hemsworth surprisingly showing some promise as an actor, this film failed.  And I blame the majority of this on Cyrus.  This film again confirmed acting may not be her thing.  I felt no connection to her character and very little emotion from her, considering the emotion filled summer her character went through.  The times that she did try to do emotion, it felt forced.  With some changes to the script and different actress to play Ronnie, The Last Song could have had potential. 

On a side note: Miley also sounded like a man who has been smoking for 60 some odd years.  

Veronica Mars Movie?!??!

Having become a Veronica Mars fan three days ago (Season 1=done in 3 days!!!),  I was THRILLED to hear that Kristin Bell aka Veronica Mars is pulling for a movie version of this fantastic show.  Here is what was Kristin recently tweeted:

"Mars fans-can we bug @wbpictures & tell em they must do a VM film?? new tactic. bombard em w/tweets, there's evidence of fans they cant ignore.

#veronicamars fans send petitions & any obsessive behavior you have to @wbpictures & demand the film. they see no audience for it? i beg to differ."

Start tweeting to wbpictures Mars fans.  Lets see this happen!!!

Quote of the Day

I know very little about acting. I'm just an incredibly gifted faker.

Robert Downey, Jr. 

Incredibly Awesome Rare Psycho Photo!

I don't know if weird promotional images get any cooler than this shot.

Morning Music - Beat City

As heard in the all-time classic, Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Artist: The Flowerpot Men

Album: The Janice Long Session

Morning Music - Don't Stop Believin'

On behalf of The H-Bomb, who's losing a kidney today.

Hilton Coliseum Flooding of 2010

On August 11th Ames, the beloved residence of The Mike, H-Bomb, and Narcosleepy, suffered from a devastatingly record breaking flood. Not only did it displace some of our friends and shut-down several businesses, it flooded our Hilton-the home of the great Cyclones. Below is a video highlighting Hilton's flooding of 2010.

Quote of the Day

“I always told Hitch that it would have been better to put seats around the set and sell tickets.”

James Stewart

An Ode to The Other Guys

I remember, a younger and dumber me, naive to the way of the Ferrell.

Lost was I, lost amongst the nerds without a herald.

I remember, a Caucasian rapper, resounding psalms with good vibrations.

His bunch was funky, thank god for the Boogie Night sensations.

I saw this flick with two cops, a Brit, and a wooden gun…

I smiled, I laughed, oh man I had so much fun.

Keaton blew my brain with TLC references…

Eva Mendez blew my mind with huge bouncing convexes.

Not much plot but for this I don’t really care…

For Will Ferrell merely had to be there.

This flick was fun but don’t expect too much or you will pout…

Just know that Narcosleepy is 10 kinds of Clutch and...

Narcosleepy's Out

In music news......

Swell Season parting ways :(

Glen Hansard will be returning to his band The Frames while Marketa Irglova will make a solo album. Here is what Glen had to say:

"I'll go back to the Frames, and Mar will make her own record at some point. This band (Swell Season) will eventually naturally end. But right now, all of us are just so grateful. Getting together and making music with Mar was a side thing for me, but it felt absolutely right.

"I followed through on it even when it felt like I might've been abandoning my band a bit. But I had to follow through. I knew there was something in this that I had to follow through on."


They made such beautiful music together...sad!

Quote of the Day

I pretended to be somebody I wanted to be until finally I became that person. Or he became me.

Cary Grant

Quote of the Day

“This CGI bullshit is the death knell of cinema. If I'd wanted all that computer game bullshit, I'd have stuck my dick in a Nintendo.”

-Quentin Tarantino

Songs Stuck In My Head - Fake Empire

Morning Music: Bette Davis Eyes

I'm kind of obsessed with this song.  I want to turn it into an intergalactic sci-fi epic.  Like Flash Gordon, but with Kim Carnes as the heroine and a Bette Davis-ish Ming-type evil character.  It'd be awesome.

Artist: Kim Carnes

Album: Mistaken Identity

Celebrity Facial Hair of the Day: Sylvester Stallone in Nighthawks

Earlier today, I was watching First Blood, better known as "the first Rambo movie", and very much enjoyed a deleted scene in which Sylvester Stallone sports a mustache that landed squarely in between the Fu Manchu and Hulk Hogan mustache slots on the mustache continuum.  Alas, that mustache doesn't appear immortalized online, as far as I can tell, but it reminded me of Stallone's greatest hour in his career as a facial hair grower: the shockingly good 1981 action film Nighthawks.  (Seriously, the movie's about Stallone playing Detective Deke DaSilva while teaming up with Billy Dee Williams to take on Rutger Hauer, who plays a terrorist named Wulfgar.  The movie's THAT good.)

Now, let's take a look at that facial hair!  (If you're feeling lucky, clicky makes the little pictures bigger!)

Note that it's difficult to determine whether or not the beard is growing out of his face, or is an extension of his perm-mullet.

Unfortunately, this ruins stealth mode.

Side View.  As you can see, ladies were impressed.

Billy Dee wants to comment, but knows better.

This beard goes well with a beret!

I'm not sure if he's undercover as a business man or as the spawn of Sasquatch and Jack the Ripper...

Wouldn't you feel safe if you saw that beard flying a police helicopter?

Movie of the Day-Captain EO

Narcosleepy and myself were fortunate enough to be able to spend last week in Florida at Walt Disney World. An inclusion to any perfect vacation would be film. While at Epcot, Narco and myself decided to give Captain EO (1986) a try. Following a popular return to Disneyland, EO has only recently returned to Disney World. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by George Lucas, this is considered the first "4-D" film, as it combined a 3-D film with in house theater effects.

The plot of the film is simple. Captain EO, played by Michael Jackson,and his misfit group of crew members are on a mission to deliver a gift to the wicked alien queen, The Supreme Leader, played by Angelica Huston. When, the crew arrives on the planet,they are captured and sentenced to be tortured. EO tells the queen he can unlock her hidden beauty, brings her the gift of song to unlock, and the queen turns in to the beautiful Huston.

This is a fun 17 minute film that is definitely not something to be taken seriously and is Spaceballs-esque in many ways. In addition to the enjoyable 3-D and 4-D effects, this film also has the inclusion of some great dance moves and some great songs performed by Michael Jackson-"Another Part of Me," and "We Are Here to Change the World." If you have the opportunity to see the film, it is a must!

In video game news....

Yeah, I am actually posting something about video games! Craziness!! This actually looks kind of good though!

Quote of the Day

If you can dream it, you can do it.

-Walt Disney

Favorite Band at the Moment: The National

i've listened to this record (high violet) at least 3 times this week, give it a spin

Things That Bring The Happy, Vol. 1 - John Belushi

If there's one thing I know about this blog (and, considering our young age as a blog, I'm surprised I know one thing), it's that we aim to bring you the things that bring us happiness.  So, I figured it was about time that we start a new feature here on (O)PP, aptly named - "Things That Bring The Happy".  We've got like 50 of those things that bring at least one of us happiness pictured in the banner above, but there are probably wayyyyyy more of them out there that we need to feature here. 

This idea, like so many great ideas, was born in a bad place.  I'm having one of those evenings where I'm immensely annoyed, on my last nerve, and ready to hastily battle the forces that bring me this anger.  And I realize that we've all had those days.  Someone says/does/thinks/implies/reincarnates something that we disagree with.  And we freak out, because we know they're full of crap.  It's that age old "Hey, I know life's not fair, but you don't have to be ridiculous" moment.  And when we're pushed against the wall like so, we have certain things that we go to that take us out of that moment.  That's where the Things That Bring The Happy come in.

In my case, there's one thing that came to mind tonight immediately: John Belushi.  Here's the thing about the late Mr. Belushi - every time I see him on screen, I laugh.  He doesn't even have to say anything, I just start laughing.  If he moves, I laugh.  I can't explain it.

I started up my SNL Best of John Belushi DVD tonight (though I'm still mad the DVD cuts a few scenes I loved from the VHS version - which is in the other room, and I'm too angry to move), and I started laughing as soon as he showed up.  By the fourth sentence ("I am afraid we are out of badgers.  Would you accept a wolverine in its place?"), I was laughing out loud.

From his stints with The Blues Brothers (one of my favorite movies ever, too) to his ranting on Weekend Update to his portrayal of a coke snorting Beethoven (not the dog), I laugh, and laugh and laugh.  I also wonder how he could be so agile, and especially how he can control his right eyebrow so well.  I'm a left eyebrow kind of guy, and wish I could pull that off.

In fact, I kinda wish I could be John Belushi (without the drugs, of course, I enjoy being the me I've created too much for that stuff).  Somehow, he captures everything that I find hilarious.  Even the outdated jokes work for him - his impersonation of a drunken Joe Cocker is literally the funniest thing I've ever seen, and I wasn't even around in the '70s to see Cocker on stage.  Oh, and that brings up the issue of his musical talent, which cannot be forgotten. I so wish I could pull that off.

So here's to John Belushi for being a Thing That Brings The Happy.  You were taken too soon, but I'll continue to run through every DVD you ever appeared on until the end of time.  Whatever it was you had, I needed it tonight.