Entries Tagged as 'art & entertainment'

race & culturesports

Thoughts on Lyoto Machida vs Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

There’s so much going on in the world of Mixed Martial Arts these days. When I watch my monthly UFC bouts on PPV, I always think about how interesting the sport is and how lucky I am to live in these times. The last generation that got to watch anything like this actually knows When Fell the Coliseum. If MMA is a symptom of the downfall of our society, than I say burn baby burn, because it’s a great watch, and MMA is destined to stand in the pantheon of popular sports.

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movies

Weekend box office predictions for the weekend of May 7-9 (Mother’s day weekend)

Sorry I’m late getting in this weekend’s box office predictions, but it’s MOTHER’S DAY ON SUNDAY and I don’t mean to shout like that but you all got to remember to get your mother something nice. She did all those great things for you. She taught you right (helping little old granny ladies across the street) from wrong (kicking little old granny ladies down the street). She locked you in the closet for eight hours a day when you did poorly on your grammatical tests. She took you to your first cockfight. She let you stay up until way past your bedtime so that you could watch “Carrie” with her, back when HBO would only show R-rated movies at night and she was too scared to watch it by herself. She pretended not to notice when you stole her cigarettes and smoked them yourself (she was trying to quit anyway). She taught you how to hold your liquor.

So get her something nice on Sunday, huh? At least a card with one of those messages that’s real heartfelt, a sort of “Thanks for all the great stuff you did for me” (choose from list in paragraph above)!

Now that all of that weepy stuff is out of the way, let’s take a look at this weekend’s box office predictions! [Read more →]

art & entertainmentmusic

This week I am digging virtualnes.com, XPN’s free at noon shows, and my girlfriend’s marathon finish

To kick things off this week,  I want to tell you all about a website that instantly brings me back to my childhood. VirtualNES.com is a site where you can legally and safely play almost any game from the Nintendo Entertainment system. It is hilarious to see how simple the games were then, and how far we have advanced in video game technology. I’m not a “gamer” by any means but love playing old Nintendo games and harking back to my youth of hanging out with my friends playing RBI Baseball and listening to the Beastie Boys “Licensed To Ill” over and over.

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art & entertainmenteducation

Justin Bieber doesn’t know what “German” means?

Justin Bieber, did your parents take you out of school too early? I mean, I know it’s important to be a superstar to tween girls, and maybe your family needed the money, but really, aren’t there mandates about hiring a tutor or something?  Seriously — this is why people from other countries (particularly my friends on the other side of the Atlantic) say Americans are stupid. At first I thought it was a problem with the accent, or maybe he misunderstood the question… but no… I think he’s never heard the word “German” before. See for yourself!

art & entertainment

Another reminder of how far out of the loop I can get

So, why do some people in other parts of the world have a negative view of America and its people? Is it because of our President (or his predecessor)? Is it because of our government, our culture, our religion (or lack thereof), our sense of superiority (both real and perceived)? Or, is it because of news stories such as the one that headlined yesterday’s “The Scoop” at msnbc.com ? [Read more →]

religion & philosophytelevision

Lost in myth: Are you a candidate?

Wanna know why the Man In Black is really trapped on the island? It’s not because he’s malevolence, evil, or darkness, and it’s not because Jacob wouldn’t let him leave. It’s because he hasn’t overcome his issues. And what are his issues? Up to now, all we know is that he seems to be terribly frightened of adolescent boys. Hopefully, we’ll get a better answer next week, but as ridiculous as this might sound, I actually think there may be something to it. [Read more →]

Gail sees a moviemovies

Gail sees a movie: Date Night

Despite the comic talents of Tina Fey and Steve Carell, Date Night is sorely lacking in the laugh department. It is not funny enough to be a good comedy, and not interesting enough to compensate for the lack of truly funny moments. The charm of the stars and the strong supporting performances cannot make up for the poor script. [Read more →]

art & entertainmentpolitics & government

I think I know who the Times Square Bomber is! (kind of)

So someone left a car bomb in Times Square. The immediate questions that come to mind are who, why, what was its capability, how can such things be prevented from happening again?

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art & entertainmentmovies

This week I am digging The Lemonheads and the work of Shane Meadows.

I have and will always love The Lemonheads album It’s A Shame About Ray. Came out in 1992 and yet I still listen to it on an almost weekly basis. It was a simpler time then — Kurt Cobain was still alive, mix tapes were literally cassettes, and the only person I knew with a cellphone was Zach Morris. Every song on the album is so good, and it brings me back to my days of stressing over girls and being almost solely responsible for keeping Oxy Cream’s stock up. Ahh, my teenage years! [Read more →]

books & writing

Fan Boy Says: I Drink for a Reason, the audiobook is, meh

I’ve been a fan of David Cross since the late 1990s when his sketch comedy show, Mr. Show with Bob and David, aired on HBO. He is a harsh, vulgar, and insightful comic who calls attention to serious issues through exaggerations so extreme most people are instantly offended. I remember one sketch that assaulted America’s public schools by juxtaposing Hitler and Anne Frank — brilliance. So, when I saw his book, I Drink for a Reason, I was psyched to download the audio book from iTunes and give it a listen. Wow! Does it suck! The comedy takes a turn for the worse about two hours in; it moves quickly from amusing social critique to the trite ramblings of a tired comedian. 
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Gail sees a moviemovies

Gail sees a movie: Kick-Ass

 According to nerdy Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) a superhero is a “perfect combination of optimism and naiveté.” Of course, skill with lethal weapons and a fearless nature are also required.  In Kick-Ass, however, the powerless become unlikely superheroes.  The film is a parody of superhero movies, but I was still invested in the characters and story. And most of all, Kick-Ass is a hoot. [Read more →]

television

Tacky House and Food Revolution: The perfect television shows for our times

It’s rare for a television reality show to perfectly capture the American cultural zeitgeist, except on those all-too common occasions when it actually does, which is frequently. These shows hold a mirror to our own reality (“reality” shows), by reflecting back to us who we are, what we’re doing, what are our shared interests. American Idol is a perfect microcosm of our culture’s pursuit of musical success (a “recording contract”), on which so many of our young, I-want-it-now-mp3-downloading children place so much importance. Then there is Survivor, which glorifies the reveling in the cut-throat world of deserted island back-stabbing in the pursuit of filthy lucre (“dirty money”), in the form of a $1 million prize. This is the type of greed typified by the current Goldman Sachs situation; I’m not sure of the specifics on that, but I know that a greedy win-at-all-costs attitude was the motivating factor.

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art & entertainment

From Salman to South Park

Fatwas just ain’t what they used to be. When one was issued after the publication of Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses, he was in genuine fear for his life (and at least one of his translators was murdered). It was only after years in hiding that Rushdie could gradually reemerge in public life and engage in the simple pleasures that so many of us take for granted, like attending U2 concerts or boning Padma Lakshmi. Now South Park‘s waded into similarly forbidden territory, with an outcome likely less dramatic and even more tragic. [Read more →]

animalsart & entertainment

Top ten horses least likely to win the Kentucky Derby

10. Lethargy

9. Yugo

8. Kirstie Alley

7. Elmer’s Extra Sticky

6. Cat Napper

5. One Horse of the Apocalypse

4. Tripod

3. My Little Pony

2. Lackadaisical

1. Snowball in Hell
 

Bob Sullivan’s Top Ten Everything appears every Monday.

musictelevision

Get well, Bret Michaels — we need you

The world’s greatest entertainer’s life is in danger. Hanging by a thread in some undisclosed ICU. I’ve noticed that there are no reports of general rioting throughout the United States. I think there is rioting here in Africa but it’s probably unrelated.

Wait. Let me back up. I have often been kidded about my first concert. Air Supply. [Read more →]

religion & philosophytelevision

Lost in myth: Is the last recruit a sucker?

In Lost‘s “The Last Recruit,” the Man In Black refers to John Locke as a “sucker” for believing in fate. As he points out, Locke pursued this belief until it got him killed so perhaps MIB has a point. Despite his compelling argument, Jack takes a leap of faith towards the exact same conclusion as his former nemesis. So does this make Jack — the last recruit himself — a sucker too? My short answer is yes, but, what if this isn’t necessarily a bad thing? [Read more →]

art & entertainment

Mohammad can no longer go to the mountain

The good people of RevolutionMuslim.com, who recently threatened the creators of South Park with death, over their depiction of Mohammad in a recent episode, have issued a new edict: no longer can anyone use the expression, “If the mountain won’t come to Mohammad, Mohammad must go to the mountain.” Or any variation of it. [Read more →]

Gail sees a moviemovies

Gail sees a movie: The Joneses

“Stealth marketing” sounds like a good idea. In fact it might work, which makes the idea behind Derrick Borte’s satire on American consumerism almost believable. But while the performances are good, the plot clever and the dialogue fun, the predictable ending and lack of depth makes The Joneses mildly enjoyable, but ultimately of little consequence. [Read more →]

moviesrecipes & food

This week I am digging my new chicken recipe and Star-Ving

I am totally digging my new chicken recipe.  I use Wegmans Parmesan Italian Dressing and Weber’s Garlic and Herb spice.  Cooking is a pretty macho things these days, think about it — look at the guys on TV — Bobby Flay, Emeril, Guy Fieri, and Alton Brown. Well, 3 out of 4 ain’t bad. I would like to think I am a pretty decent cook — and love cooking on the grill.  Since the weather has turned, I have grilled practically every night.  So I got this stuff from Wegmans and added in the spice — then rubbed it all over the chicken and basted it while it was cooking. Wow, was it good.  The local potheads came floating towards my house like zombies when they smelled the amazing aromas coming off of my overworked grill. Most importantly, the girlfriend gave it the seal of approval.  Sadly, the potheads are all still milling around in my backyard waiting for me to make the chicken again.   [Read more →]

movies

RTB: RottenTomatoBot takes on the scourge of film critics who wrote negative reviews of Kick-Ass

Introducing RTB: RottenTomatoBot, the hero who does everything within his power to protect the cinematic art form from moronic film critics!

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