ModestGeniusXL

Saw III

I really had no desire to see this movie when it came to theaters.  I couldn't believe that they actually found a critic who called it "the best Saw yet".  The problem with that was two-fold:

1. If it were true, it wasn't hard to do considering the laugh-fest that the ending of the original had
2. "Yet" implies they aren't done and there are more to come.

Regardless, I had invested time in seeing the first two so of course I   had to see the third.  As I sat there contemplating why I made the decision, I immediately had to give them credit for knowing how to get your attention quick.  The first fifteen minutes of "Saw III" were the most brutal and graphic since...well...since the last "Saw".

I couldn't help but wonder all throughout the movie where the villain Jigsaw comes up with the ideas for all the contraptions he invents.  They never delve much into his history.  Is he ex-military and specialized in torturing prisoners to get confessions?  Actually, not knowing makes it more superficial as a horror film should be.  I'm sure along the line, there'll be a "Saw: The Beginning" where we'll get all that.  Based on how this one ended, they now don't have much of a choice.

Choices is what the "Saw" movies have really always been about.  This one's no different.  Several people have to make crucial decisions that could affect their own lives as well as others.  It could save a life or take a life.  In a morbid way, the entire movie represents the harrowing decisions we face in our own lives.  In this one especially, a man makes a decision regarding his deceased son's possessions that I'm not so sure I could even make...even if it would save a life...

Despite the whole "yet" ordeal, I kept the scene from "Scream 3" in my head where Jamie Kennedy's character explains the whole premise behind a true trilogy.  There has to be a tie to the original somehow that wouldn't evolve until near the end of the movie.  "Saw III" really didn't have it which indicates, just as they eluded to, there's more to come.  Too bad because this one probably really was the best in the series.

My rating:  B

Payday Cash Advance

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I HATE THE COLD!

We got somewhat of a reprieve around here from the snow/slush/dirt/sand/what-have-you on the streets.  They were finally cleaned up enough to the point where you could have a clean car without having to worry about getting mud on it as your navigating thru all the slush.  I figured it was finally time to was the Maxima.

I can't recall what the temperature was but given the history around here during the past week, it was definitely below the teens.  Whatever it was, it was cold enough that after the car was washed and supposedly dry from the automated wash's air machines, the locks still managed to freeze.  Unfortunately, I didn't find this out until it was too late.

I had went to the library and came outside to try to unlock the car.  Not one single lock would budge.  Even the trunk lock was frozen.  Not that that would have mattered because it's not like I'm small enough to squeeze thru the "secret compartment" that connects the trunk to the backseat.

Was it my key copy that was doing it?  There was only one way to find out.  I had to walk back home to get the original set of keys.  Naturally, I was wearing my fall jacket instead of my winter coat.  No hat. No gloves.  Fortunately, the library was only a half dozen blocks from our house.  Why is it that it seems no matter what direction you're facing as you're walking in the cold that the wind seems to always be coming from THAT direction?!

Got home and got the keys and was able to change into more comfortable winter gear.  I briefly contemplated driving the van back so I wouldn't have to face the elements again.  That wasn't going to happen.  That fender is WAY too jacked up for that van to move unless it's towed.

So I walk back, praying that a different key would make a difference.  It unlocks the passenger door only.  Better than nothing.  However, that now means that we lock the car during the winter at our own peril.  Have I told you yet how much I really, really hate cold weather?

Football Message Board

Remember when I was talking a while ago about an NHL message board that was out there?  I had commented that one good thing about it was you could view forums on other sports as well.  Now I've found something even better.  A football message board and just in time for the Super Bowl.

Footballboards is still rather new being just 6 months old.  All that means is you can get in while its up and coming to help contribute to its success.  Find the team of your choice (...cough...Kansas City  Chiefs...cough...) and interact with fans with the same mindset as yourself.  Argue online with anonymous people instead of getting all heated at your best friend about who's the best runningback in the league.

Naturally, it wouldn't be a complete football forum unless you can surf the whole gamut of the sport.  They have the college level conferences to choose from as well.  Even Fantasy Football League forums for all you Monday morning quarterbacks.

Start now and continue your buzz after Superbowl Sunday...

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One to Add to Your Collection - "Life"

Martin Lawrence has a comedy cd he did quite a while ago when he was still up and coming.  At the time, even his show "Martin" was in its infancy.  On it, he talked about meeting his idol Eddie Murphy and how much in awe he was of his house and surroundings.  Looking back, it was rather prophetic that he would eventually ascend to that point himself.

It was inevitable that the two of them would eventually star in their own movie together.  "Life" would end up combining two generations of comedy almost in the same fashion that "Harlem Nights" (another classic) did.  Only this time, Eddie would be in the mentor role.

The first time I saw this in theaters, "Life" didn't do much for me.  I look back on that now and I can't figure what in the world I was thinking.  It just continued to get better and better each time I saw it.  It even had one of my all-time favorite movie quotes...

"You gon' eat that?!"

It doesn't make much sense when it's in text but if you know the movie and know the scene, it's absolutely priceless.

What makes this flick so good is the natural talent of both Murphy and Lawrence.  They were both at the peak of their game and they play off each other brilliantly.  I couldn't imagine what it would have been like to be on the set trying to keep a straight face.  You see evidence of this in the outtakes which are just as good as the actual movie.

As usual, the supporting cast helps out tremendously.  The entire host of inmates they interact with, including Bernie Mac as Jangle Leg, help to make this flick unforgettable.  With talents like Murphy and Lawrence, having talent surrounding them was an added plus.  "Life" ends up being just like real life...it just gets better and better with time...

Florida Adventure

As the weather continues to dip more and more into freezing temperatures and stay there, I can't help but envision our previous trips to Florida.  We were fortunate enough to have a pretty timid December for Iowa; however, this current weather is starting to work my last nerve.

D would normally be the one to bring up talks of moving to Orlando to get some Florida property.  She's far from the only one.  People in Britain are seeing the benefits too as they are buying houses in Florida to enjoy the sun, beach and local area.  Even though Floridaventure.co.uk targets the UK investor, check out the site to see all the types of Florida property that is available.

Wouldn't it be the life to live just minutes away from places like Disneyland, MGM Studios, SeaWorld or just a warm climate in general?  Sure, there's the occasional flare-up of a hurricane or two you would have to contend with, but the more I stomach this arctic environment, the more I think I could deal with those.

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Lappy Down...I Repeat, Lappy Down...

A crisis of major proportions has just struck.  It actually hit yesterday, but today I'm feeling the impact more than ever.  It all started early Sunday morning when I was using my laptop to check the local job listings as I do everyday.  Sunday's the best day to do it as that's when most of them hit the Register.  As I was searching away, the laptop suddenly went into hibernating mode.  It only does that when it has been running on battery power and the battery has been exhausted.  That was rather odd.

I checked the power supply and it was plugged in.  I tried plugging it into another outlet.  No power.  Tried disconnecting it and re-connecting again.  No power.  Somehow, the ac adapter had crapped out.

No problem.  I could just go to Best Buy and swap it out for another one.  Of course it couldn't be that easy.  Best Buy had clearanced out ALL their laptops to get ready for the new shipments that will come Windows Vista equipped.  They had no models similar to mine. 

Then I call the good people at Toshiba.  I had to talk to a guy named "Roger" with a VERY thick Indian accent who gave me limited options:

1. They send a new ac adapter to me within 5-7 business days and I send back the damaged one
2. I send my ENTIRE laptop to them and they send it back with the new ac adapter...within 5-7 business days
3. I take the laptop to a local Toshiba center to get the new ac adapter.  And conveniently, there's not even one in Iowa

Long story short, I'm stuck on the desktop to do any internet activity.  It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't go as slow as molasses moving uphill in the middle of January.  I had moved the desktop upstairs and have a D-link USB adapter to it so it can pick up the wireless internet.  Somehow, I think that's causing it to behave like it's on dial-up rather than high-speed.  Those 5-7 business days can't come soon enough.

Funny Videos

Watch out, YouTube...there's a new sherriff in town.  Or at least another deputy....

Jokeroo.com is the latest site to join the online video revolution.  They host a variety of  funny videos, movie trailers, funny pictures, adult jokes and more.  The most important thing is it's free of charge so you can enjoy the fun at no cost!

It's extremely user-friendly.  No difficult links to navigate.  They have columns that are very straight-forward that help you to find whatever you're looking for. 

Stop by jokeroo.com today and get your laugh on.

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I'll Make Me a World 2007

A hot mess.

The pamphlet for the annual I'll Make Me a World Celebration describes it as follows:

...a diverse collaboration of Iowans, which highlights African American arts, culture and contributions through education, awareness and preservation during an annual enrichment celebration and with continual educational outreach

Coming from a journalism background, whoever designed that pseudo-mission statement probably should have been a little more concise.  Basically, what they were trying to say is it's a celebration of African American culture in Iowa.

It all started off well enough.  One thing I had been looking forward to leading up to it was the good soul food I knew they would have.  I didn't go around test-tasting the many vendors as I should have.  After trying the ribs and greens from the Greater Love Church of God and Christ I was hooked.  No, the ribs weren't Gates but they were right up there.  Pretty good considering it was a church and not a restaurant.

I also got a few very good leads for my continued job search.  The networking that can be achieved from a function like that is invaluable.  If any of them pan out then that alone would have made the event a success for me.

One of the featured guests for the day was actress Victoria Rowell.  I guess she is more recently known for being a foster care advocate which is what she spent most of her time talking about.  It's interesting to see people like that in person to see how much magic the cameras can really add.

Hillary Clinton even stopped in a for a few minutes.  She was in town for a rally at East High School so of course she had to stop by this event to try to connect with the Black folks.  She popped in unannounced (with huge security force in tow, of course), gave her usual "I've always been a {insert cause/team/state of the moment here} fan" speech and left.   

Later that evening is when the madness started.  The other featured guest was R&B "rising" star Sammie.  One of the event coordinators had stopped by our table (Alpha Phi Alpha of course) and asked if we could help provide security.  It is a free event so they had to cut ends where they could; therefore, security consisted of volunteers.  Not thinking at all, I agreed to do it along with Broderick.

When the half hour show started, I got the unfortunate task of having the position right in front of center stage.  The crowd there was easily about three to four hundred strong with the majority of them being screaming little girls.  We had to lock arms and keep them from rushing the stage as this one-hit wonder enticed them on the makeshift stage behind us. All these frantic girls were pushing and shoving each other as well as us trying to get as close as possible.  They didn't even car that there were tiny children in the audience that could get injured.  I knew then that this wouldn't end well.

There was supposed to be an autograph session downstairs afterwards.  As Sammie waited in a back room for the tables to get set up and the madness to gain some sense of order, things only got worse.  I'm guessing about 80% of the teeny-boppers there had no parents anywhere nearby.  The crowd got thicker and tempers flared.  In no time at all, three or four fights started breaking out.  One girl fell to the ground and was getting stomped and beat repeatedly until we pulled her to safety.  That was enough for me.  I broke out just in time as multitudes of police authorities converged upon the convention center.

That's what I would consider poor planning.  The coordinators of the event had to know that when you have a performer like Sammie, your crowd-base is going to be entirely different.  You are no longer going to have the adults with common sense that have frequented the event in past years to see the likes of Malcolm Jamal Warner and Blair Underwood.  Instead, they get the knuckle-headed youngsters.  All I know is that's the last time I do "security" for free.   

Optics and Stuff

The countdown to Super Bowl XLI has finally reached a more reasonable seven days.  Hopefully, this week will fly by rather quickly.  As usual, I'll be able to enjoy the game in hi-def on the big screen.  It's almost just as good as being there with that type of view.  Almost.  For people lucky enough to have tickets, nothing could take the place of seeing it in person.  Even if the seats aren't that great.

Opticsplanet.com can help to put those nose-bleed fans right in the action.  They offer a wide variety of binoculars and digital binoculars from which to choose.  A person could enjoy the actual atmosphere of the live game while being able to put the action in their lap.

Visit their specials and closeouts page to see some of the lowest prices of the season.  Buy from OpticsPlanet and they will pay for UPS Ground shipping.

Don't let the name mislead you though.  OpticsPlanet has a huge selection of many other type gifts.  MP3 players, printers scanners, leupold rifle scopes, metal detectors, radar guns, memory cards...just about everything but the kitchen sink.  Give them time though...that could be added soon.

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