Yeah It's A Cheat- But I Got Much On My Mind!

Mailing it in with an easy post. At least you have a lot to respond to...

As you know, I have long been a Manny apologist/supporter. And they are certainly better with him in the lineup and people are ignorant if they think he is so easily replaced. But when my boy Gammons jumps off the bandwagon (he didn't even jump off the Bonds bandwagon), then I have to leave too. It's really too bad. You wish he would have handled it differently. It would be nice if he just went out and dominated and then forced everyones hand. But nobody likes someone who bails with a fake injury. Interesting who he has sat against too...

Saw The Dark Knight. It is good. Very good. Heath Ledger is absolutely worthy of every bit of praise being showered upon him. There is really nothing left to say that hasn't been said. The hair stood up on my arms every time he was on screen. Not over the top, not taking himself too seriously. I was worried that it might be a Daniel Day-Lewis like performance in which he gets an Oscar before anyone sees him, but that's not the case. He crushed it. Are we fascinated with his death? Most certainly, but dead or alive, the performance was beyond description...

That said, the movie IS NOT the Greatest Movie Ever as some people seem to think it is (I can't believe it's number one on iMDB right now). It ran too long and got too convoluted in the same way that The Departed did. And that's what i don't like about Christopher Nolan (I'm starting the Memento Sucks blog). Rather than realize that simple and subtle can be amazing, he tries to make everything an "epic" movie that has to make a "statement." The plot development introduced in the final 45 minutes should have waited until the next movie, but it wasn't bad enough to destroy the movie in a let's introduce-a-bunch-of-adult-characters-in-a-high-school-movie way like Superbad did...

Have you read Emily Giffin's new book yet? Well, you should. Love The One You're With is great and she is the Michael Jordan of chick-lit... You'll burn through it at the beach...

Well, under 100 days to the election and Mick Jagger- I mean Barack Obama continues to gather steam. And I love it. He's the greatest candidate to run for anything in my lifetime. But I'm standing by my statements: No way he wins. I like my steak medium rare Scott, with the mashed and steamed broccoli on the side...

Played some golf two weeks ago. While I always shit on the game, it was fun. A scramble really is the only way to go. But you have to agree with me that it completely sucks up your day. You can't do ANYTHING when you are done. And where are all the women on the golf course? A bar is still way better...

Great Top 10 List on joblo.com. It's about the best high school movies of all time. It's nearly perfect and I was so, SO happy about #2. That movie is just awesome and deserves some love. And who can argue with #1..?

Back to the Sox for a minute. While the Manny thing is sucking up all our time and energy, no one has said a single word about the two gaping holes in the Red Sox lineup. Jacoby Ellsbury (Johan who?), the novelty has worn off. Are you going to get a clutch hit? And The Captain... yes, I hate him and his flat top, but are you serious? I read that his VORP is in the negative, which means they are better off having a AAA catcher in his place. And can we stop the handling the pitching staff thing? I think that Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux won there 600+ games with a different catcher or two...

On September 23, both TV On the Radio and Cold War Kids have new albums. Think I'll be at Newbs that day? And CWK has a new song on myspace. Ridic. Something tells me you'll see them show up on my end of the year song list. Let's see if they have a tune that can unseed this years best song, "Le Ruse..."

And the year's best album? Easy. The Virginia EP by The National...

That's a cheat, since it's an EP, so I'll go Vampire Weekend. Put that on start to finish and you don't skip a song. Rare these days. And further proof that music is NOT the worst it's ever been Eric! You just gotta find the right stuff...

Shocking that Matt and Shayne Lamas from The Bachelor split up, eh? I always watch that show, but could ABC stop pretending that it's about people finding true love? Just embrace that it's about a bunch of people trying to get on TV and it would be a lot more likable...

Speaking of TV, I started to watch Generation Kill and it looks like great stuff. Wild place that Marine Corp. A gay joke every fifteen sentences. Races overtly hating on other races. Thankfully, it's a mini-series so I don't have to wait eight years to see the end. Now if only Mad Men were a mini-series, then maybe I'd watch. I'm sure it's great, it's just that my time is too precious what with my blogging, drinking, and texting Top Gun ("Get your butts outta that flight gear and get up to Viper's office... Now.)quotes at three in the morning...

Even more TV: Vinnie Chase and the boys are back September 7th. Don't care what anybody says about that show. I'll always love it, largely because I wish it were my life...

I swear, I won't flip flop on him, but it would be funny if Tommy Boy came out and threw like ten interceptions in his first four games on a way to a 1-3 start. It would be funny because the Pats would be 1-3, but what would be funnier is listening to all the Masshole Pat fans hate on Brady and blame his crappy start on his "Hollywood Life Style." That would make me like Brady maybe thismuch. Unfortunately, he's too damn good to have that happen...

I feel like the whole Budweiser getting purchased by a Belgian Brewery didn't get the play it deserved. How does this affect the good red blooded American? Will they switch to Miller or Coors? And how to Bud screw this whole thing up? This is a business fold of epic proportions and I still haven't heard how it all came unglued for Budweiser. Maybe it is because they haven't had a funny ad in 30 years...

Speaking of ads, cell phone companies have hilarious ones. That one where the Dad makes the lactose intolerant joke and the sons laugh is awesome. It can't beat the one where the two dudes are sitting at a table and one friend shows the other his lower back tattoo and before the sentence is finished, his friend across the table has him "out of his fave five and maybe out of his life forever." Hilarious...

I was thinking of going out on disability for the carpal tunnel I have developed blogging here in summer school. Anyone know some body building competitions I can enter..?

Raise your hand if you want Brett Favre sent to Siberia...

I've been watching a bunch of The Kingdom lately. While it has it's flaws, I feel it is a way better action movie than anyone gives it credit for. And watching Jennifer Gardner get her ass whipped (Literally. Whipped, as in thrown) around the room is awesome. Even more awesome is what she does in return. Such an intense scene...

Anyone hear the new tracks from Chinese Democracy yet? I heard one that was pretty good and one that was maybe worse than "Man In The Box." What do you think Axl is doing RIGHT NOW. I got money saying he is NOT rising early to greet a new day while eating an egg white omelette and watching reruns of 227...

Have any of you gone out to eat with old people lately? It's about as fun as a rectal exam. At what age do you just say "screw tact and politeness?" Is it 50? 55? I've said it once and I'll say it again. Hit me over the head with a shovel at 40 and spare me the agony. How long is the line for that honor..?

What's more delicious in the summer, a lobster roll or fried clams? More importantly, what's healthier..?

And along the lines of food, what is the price that cereal has to go to before we stop buying it? $7 a box? $8? $10? It's beyond insane. And it's not even that good. Or filling. And how much does it cost to make that box of Honey Nut Cheerios? Six cents..?

Last Batman comment... Last week Ty Burr wrote an unbelievable article about why The Dark Knight is currently the cultural phenomenon that it is. And he was dead on with a bunch of observations (you can read it on the right), but I'd like to add to it. I think that a huge part of the film is that males in their teens and twenties haven't had that movie experience when they can truly call a movie their own. They tried it with Sin City and 300, but upon further viewings, they probably (and hopefully) realized that both movies aren't good and so these said males couldn't make those films theirs. The Lord Of The Rings was a contender, but that was EVERYONE'S movie, not just theirs. We in the seventies and early eighties had Star Wars, Rocky, and The Indiana Jones movies. The child of the mid and late 80s was given John Hughes movies and even ET. The 90s brought us college boys Pulp Fiction and Seven and The Usual Suspects. Hell, the 90s even gave tweens their movie in Titanic. But it's been a long time since a film had a cultural impact and even if The Dark Knight is not that film, those born in the late 80s and early nineties are going to make it that movie. And, as a super fan boy nerd myself (of some movie that had characters named Fett and Solo), I can't hate on these cats, much as I want to yell at them for Nolan's attempt at making a Shakesperean Tragedy (just make it about Batman and the Joker dude! That was money!). So, congrats Kids of The Bush I administartion, you found your it film...

And lastly, big ups (and big, BIG good lucks) to my main man and brother, Mike. Wednesday and Thursday he takes the Bar. I know you're as nervous as hell Mike, but you're the snmartest person I ever met, present company included. You'll make it through. And if you don't there's always PBR and Monday in Central Park. And oh yeah, 35 years of working at BHS. Best of luck to my best friend...