ModestGeniusXL

Mr. Bungles

We're not even two months into Obama's presidency and already folks are trying their best to see how many "subliminal" racist messages they can aim in his direction.  Don't get it twisted thinking that I'm surprised though.  I am by no means shocked that it's happening.  In fact, what does amaze me is that it took this long.

Many of you may remember the entire monkey controversy that the rag known as the New York Post tried to kick up in an effort to sell more newspapers.  In case you don't recall it and/or somehow missed it, you can read all about my take on it here.  Just know the tomfoolery didn't stop there.  Not even with their pathetic excuse for an apology.

There was also a story about an unusual amount of raccoons having invaded the White House front lawn.  So many that they had to put out traps to catch them all and be rid of them.  Now when have you EVER heard that the White House had that type of rodent problem?  You know someone has been putting them nasty critters out there in an effort to make a shameless association.  Even that wasn't the last of it it for being less than two months in.

Los Alamaitos, CA Mayor Dean Grose thought it would be humorous to forward an e-mail this week regarding the President.  It showed a watermelon patch on the White House lawn under the following title:  "No Easter egg hunt this year." 

Naturally, Grose has apologized for the insensitive action.  Because you know...apologizing about being racist makes it okay and forgivable.  Oh, but he foresaw that label coming too.  He thought he had that covered by stating that he wasn't aware of the racial stereotype that African Americans like watermelon. 

The obvious reason I don't buy Grose's excuse is I don't honestly believe he was that naively stupid.  If he didn't pick up on the negative connotation, then why would he be forwarding the e-mail?  How was it a "joke" if that part of it was not involved?  He knew full well that it was offensive humor.  He probably just thought that he could trust the folks that he forwarded to.  Thankfully, it turned around and bit him right in the butt like it should have.

Some folks have already been calling for Grose's resignation.  He has agreed to resign and give up the mayoral post, but will remain on the City Council.  Even that is not good enough.  He should be removed from office and from any position at all where he has the chance to make legislative decisions.  I don't care how small Los Alamitos is.  It's about principalities.  Idiots such as Grose should be reminded that that type of behavior is not acceptable.  It should not be tolerated from anyone in general and it certainly should not be tolerated from elected officials.

Congratulations on running away with the Mr. Bungles title in a landslide victory, Dean-O.  Hopefully, it will be the last election you even win.

He's Just Not That Into You

We all have that one friend who knows everything there is to know about dating.  That person could be either male or female and it doesn't matter.  Anything you want to know about why the opposite sex is acting a certain why while trying to get their date on, that person can tell you.  Funny thing about that person..they're always single.  And of course they will always tell you it's by choice.  "He's Just Not That Into You" takes a look at that person and many of the other pitfalls that come with dating and marriage.

The movie tells the stories of a group of interconnected, Baltimore-based twenty- and thirty-somethings as they navigate their various relationships ranging from the shallow end of the dating pool through the deep, murky waters of married life, to just trying to read the signs of the opposite sex.  Let me do you a favor and break down each of the relationships examined in the film:

Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) just wants a man who says he will call her then actually does.  Her new found friend, Alex (Justin Long),  advises her to stop sitting by the phone.  All the while, he's dispensing priceless advice to her to provide insight as to what guys are really trying to say when they aren't saying.  Alex is that aforementioned friend.  Except Long was a rather interesting choice for that role.  He doesn't have the looks you would expect of a guy that has the luxury of playing the field.  Of course, it is Baltimore so I guess we're supposed to believe that women are more desperate there because there are so few good men to pick from.

Beth (Jennifer Aniston) wonders if she should call it off after years of committed singlehood with her boyfriend, Neil (Ben Affleck), but he doesn't think there is anything wrong with their unmarried life.  The only thing truly wrong with their relationship is that they both don't mutually agree on their arrangement.  However, if Beth had stuck with it for that long KNOWING that he didn't believe in marriage, you would think she would have known what to expect.  Plus, their relationship was just fine with the way things were going.  It would seem rather senseless to tempt fate.  Unless you take the Biblical approach that they wanted to stop living in sin.  Strangely enough, although that's the most logical argument, it's a point that Beth never brings up.

Janine (Jennifer Connolly) is not sure if she can trust her husband, Ben (Bradley Cooper), who can't quite trust himself around Anna (Scarlett Johannson). Anna can't decide between the sexy married guy, or her straightforward, no-sparks standby, Conor (Kevin Connolly), who can't get over the fact that he can't have her. And Mary (Drew Barrymore), who's found an entire network of loving, supportive men, just needs to find one who's straight.

The latter love interaction involving the five different characters was the most interesting one in the movie.  No, it wasn't just because it involved Johannson.  It was because it explored the challenges that a marriage encounters when the married couple has strong ties to their still single friends.  The grass always does look greener on the other side.  Sometimes, it truly is, but a person has to go thru some things in order to even experience that. 

The best part about the examination of that particular circle of friends is what they DON"T show us.  Anna is supposed to be a struggling songstress that Ben is trying to help with a career boost.  That would have been the perfect opportunity for them to expose us to some of Johannson's singing.  Thankfully, they never do.  Something tells me that her vocal abilities probably leave a lot to be desired.  Kudos to the producers for deciding not to go the easy route of casting a singer in that role.  They could have tried to milk a soundtrack out of the deal too, but instead, they left the focus on the characters where it should be.

When it comes to the rules of the dating game (and even marriage too for that matter), the simple truth is that the rules are ever changing.  Everyone has their different take on what you should and shouldn't do to make things work.  The bottom line is men and women are dynamic and no relationship is the same.  What works for one couple and/or potential couple may not work for another.  That's what "He's Just Not That into You" touches on. 

Even though it gets rather formulaic in some spots, it does change up things a bit to avoid being a total chick flick.  The folks who you think will end up together do.  How they end up getting to that destination is entertaining to watch though.  Plus, the folks that don't hook up (and/or stay together) are ones you also see coming.  Even if the reasons fo them doing so seem a little arbitrary.  He may not be that into you, but I will admit that I was rather into this movie.

My rating:  B+

One Thing He Could Do...Was Finger Roll!

I always loved this commercial.  Old school meets new school and the Iceman will ALWAYS be tha man!

Things to Be Grateful For

More Cuts

Thanks to the ability to listen to the streaming online radio stations at work (which is something to be grateful for in itself), I have the luxury of getting exposed to more and more music that I'm really diggin'.  Here we are in just February and we're already getting some good hits as candidates for best of the year.  Things are looking pretty promising for the music scene in 2009...

I Need a Love Song - Babyface

The name of the song is rather ironic given the artist.  Babyface was the king of love songs for quite a while.  Any artist that needed a good R&B slow jam always knew he was good for a bonafide smash.  Although many of them did sound a little to similar.  I'm not mad at him all though.  When you find something that works, stick with it.  However, what's funny about this one is it's not in the mold of his traditional cuts.  It's a little more upbeat and a little different style than we're used to hearing from the former Deele front-man.  Kudos to you for keeping it fresh, Face.

The Way - Jill Scott

I've been hearing this song for a few weeks now.  The entire time, I'm thinking it was the latest single from her cd she just dropped last fall.  That had be the reason it's been getting so much pub lately, right?  Not so much.  It turns out this song originally appeared on her first cd.  It makes no sense that stations are just now starting to give it more shine when she's had two cds since then.  Better late than never I guess.

Chocolate High - India Arie f/ Musiq Soulchild

I have liked this sista's style ever since she first hit the scene.  She knows how to get a good track behind her and have her vocals just melt on it like butter.  There's not much she ever needs to do to improve her sound.  Adding Musiq Soulchild sure didn't hurt though.  For a minute, I thought it was D'Angelo finally making his long-awaited comeback.  Nope.  Just Musiq wreckin' shop as usual.

   Just Like Me - Jamie Foxx f/ T.I.

Jamie made a wise decision for the first single from his third cd.  Yes third.  I know some folks want to dismiss "Peep This" like it never happened back in the 1994, but it did.  Anyway, what helps this cut is the video is pretty dang funny.  He was fortunate enough to get Taraji P. Henson before she started blowing up from her Oscar nomination.  It's just too bad that song is the only good song on that entire cd.  Glad I was able to listen to it online before dropping the duckets to get the whole thing based off just that one song.

You Found Me - Fray

It's not the first song by these fellas that I was feelin'.  They had a cut back in 2005 called "How to Save a Life" made famous from it's stint back "Grey's Anatomy".  Back when Grey's Anatomy was actually enjoyable to watch.  This one just plays like a bit of a slower version of that hit.  Still, I like the groove of it.  Even if they are still new to already be rehashing their sound.

Gives You Hell - All-American Rejects

Don't let the title fool you.  It's not really as raunchy as it might imply.  The entire concept is rather amusing while having quite a bit of truth to it.  Think about it...anyone with any bit of a heart to them doesn't really want anything bad to happen to someone that did them wrong.  They just want them to got thru a little bit of stuff though.  Just enough to irritate them.  My favorite part in the song:  "Truth be told...I miss you; truth be told...I'm lying!"  Of course I'm going to give props to a song that can implement that kind of sarcasm!

Another Version of Cardboard Crack

It's refreshing to know that at least the comic book business doesn't seem to be affected by our failing economy.  The latest news of Superman's tales are proof of this.  After being hidden away for years, a copy of the original "Superman and Friends" comic book will be available at the specials price of a measly $400,000.  There is even talk that some folks are so desperate to have it that one dude is willing to trade his Ferrari for the joint. 

Collecting baseball cards was something I could never get into when I was a shorty.  It may have been in part because I could not stand the sport.  It was also because like an average kid my age, I wasn't looking ahead to the future and realize that those things appreciated with value.  But for some reason, I caught on to that with comic books.

Comic books ran right around 25 cents for a weekly to near a dollar for the specials.  My cousin Earl collected them like a madman and could tell you anything you wanted to know about just about any superhero.  He probably still can.  Although I knew I could never catch up to his collection, I thought I would go for the next best thing and start trying to get first issues.  Especially when I saw the type of money first issues were getting.  The problem was, they weren't that easy to come across.

Even in the 80s, most of the good comics had been out long enough that their first issues were like golden unicorns.  My only hope to get a first issue of anything at a price I could afford was to catch a comic making it's first run.  The closest I came was the first issues of G-Force.  The comic book was based on a short-lived television series by the name.  The comic book lasted about as long.  Plus, I never kept it mint condition so I never stood a chance.  Not that I missed out on much.  According to comic book sources online, it has no appreciated value.

I still look back at the one shot I had to get in on a series that did take off.  "Star Wars" began a comic book that was based on the movie and would later evolve into various stories about different characters in the Star Wars universe.  Stupid me never picked up the first issue because I thought it would cheapen the beauty of the movie itself.  I didn't want to read it when I could watch the movie instead.  The current value today of a pristine vintage issue?  A whopping $45.

So basically, if one wanted to really be a player in the game, one would have to go after the big fish like the established comics that have a rich tradition.  But trading in a prized sports car for one of them?  Not so much.  Although a man that can afford a car of that value probably wouldn't miss it too much anyway.  Still, I'm not sure even if I had that kind of loot that I could logically rationalize making that type of a deal.

Plus, I can't help but think investing in that type of thing is not that far away from getting involved in the stock market.  That Superman comic may be worth $400,000 now, but how much longer could the price keep going up?  That could be the real reason it's up for sale now because the owner is trying to cash in while the getting is good.  I'm sure folks can't keep justifying spending that type of money on collectibles when the economy is how it is. 

Then again, as long as there are folks out there willing to give up a car for a rare comic book, maybe there will always be a market.  Apparently a fool and his nice ride are easily parted.

Thursday Throwback

They Want EFX (remix) - Das EFX

From the minute Das EFX hit the scene in 1992, they had set themselves apart from an already evolving hip-hop scene.  They had a style of flow that was so uniquely different that it just begged for imitators.  Several did eventually come along, but none ever possessed the lyrical prowess of Skoob and Krayz Drayzy.  I still remember we jokingly had our own class at Iowa State known as Das EFX 101 where would dissect their flow and pick your lyrical gems that may have been missed on the first or sometimes even second listening.  They never got the full credit they deserved for their contribution to the world of hip-hop so I'm giving it to them now.

The Presidential Address

Normally, I would have had a post like this one out here much more timely.  I just caught up doing too much multitasking last night and before I knew it, I had crashed.  I was sitting there trying to keep up with the frenzied Facebook updates commenting on the speech, listening to the speech myself, getting two stubborn boys ready for bed, making mental notes on what I wanted to say....  Therefore, I figured it was best to just wait until today so I had time for it all to soak in.

First and foremost, let me say that from the moment that President Obama was announced, that entire surreal feeling overcame me again.  Is it just me or do some of you still watch him speaking and continue to think it's too good to be true that he is our President?  It's barely been a month now since the inauguration so I guess that stands to reason that it's not completely sunk in even yet.

Among the several things he said that struck a chord with me was that he indicated they are going to cut about $1 trillion off the deficit in the next decade.  Once he starts making good on his promise to get the troops home, that will make a HUGE difference in saving our money.  Just as President Obama stated, in the past, the administration never wanted to talk about the price tag of the war, but it was that very philosophy that has been having our tax money spent needlessly   abroad when it could have been doing more benefit at home.

If I did not know any better, I'd think Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was the president of the President Obama fan club.  She couldn't jump up to give him standing ovations fast enough.  It's almost as if she was having a competition with the rest of the officials there to see if she could be the first one standing.  The funniest thing about that was that you could tell VP Joe Biden was getting tired of it.  That's what I like about that guy.  It's hard for him to be disingenuous because his facial expressions always let you know where he's at.

The story of bank president Leonard Abess was very impressive.  Not many American CEOs today would take a $60 million bonus and give it back to his employees.  However, I'm not buying the whole thing about him not telling anyone and the local newspaper just happened to catch wind of it.  How much do you want to bet they were "accidentally" tipped off?  Still, it was a fantastic gesture on Abess's part. 

Events like that always make me a little nervous from a security standpoint.  Not so much when Bush was in office, but definitely now that President Obama is.  They have the President, the VP, the entire Supreme Court, the Speaker of the House, the President's cabinet...all of those folks all in one place.  If someone took out that one building, we would be screwed for leadership. 

President's Obama's speech sounded much more like a speech he would give trying to get into office rather than one while he's already there.  It was full of many ideas and plans of how we're going to get to a better place, but not many specific details.  However, I have no problem with that at all. What he was doing was laying out the syllabus for us.  Again, he's only been there less than a month so the details are still getting worked out.  Much of it requires Congressional support so part of the reason for the speech was to hold them accountable as well.

As for the GOP rebuttal by Governor Bobby Jindal's rebuttal, it was pretty useless.  I tuned out after just a few minutes into it.  You would think the Republicans would have found someone more charismatic to represent them for a retort.  You can't follow up an eloquent speaker with someone that looks and sounds like they are struggling to read from a cue card. What happened to Rep. J.C.  Watts?  I thought he was supposed to be the GOP's ace-in-the-hole for moments just like this one? 

I can never get enough of hearing President Obama speak.  As I have often mentioned before, it is SO refreshing to have someone in that office who possesses the intelligence to represent our country.  This was the first Presidential Address I have watched in its entirety and thanks to the fact that we finally have a President who knows what he's doing, it won't be the last.

One to Add to Your Collection - "An Officer and a Gentleman"

I used to have a problem with how some films could get truly classified as "Black" films when they didn't have a predominantly Black cast.  Shouldn't that be one of the prerequisites for a film to fall into that category? It was only common sense.  Or at the very least, it should have a Black director at the helm so it would be eligible for that distinction.

Then the most obvious occurred to me.

There are those films where it may not be a predominantly Black cast, but yet the brotha and/or sista in one of the featured parts makes the movie worth watching.  Not only can a person with true ability make a movie that enjoyable, but they take over the film and make it their own.  Their portrayal was so poignant and powerful that it permeated the entire flick.  So much so that when they weren't in a scene, you found yourself impatiently waiting for their character to return.

That is just how Louis Gossett Jr. was with his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley.  From the moment he first appeared on screen in "An Officer and a Gentleman", his presence was so commanding that you couldn't take your eyes off him.  It was in the swagger of his strut, the coolness of his authority and definitely the sharpness of his tone.  There was something about him that made you want to dislike him, but you couldn't because he just demanded so much respect.

Gossett was just an actor playing the role of a training sergeant but I'm sure he served as the example of several drill sergeants everywhere in the various armed services.  I know when I was going to Basic Training for the Air Force, that was my greatest fear.  I figured I could tackle any obstacle they threw at me, just as long as we didn't have a drill sergeant like Foley.  It turns out we didn't.  We got one that was like my dad instead.  That made it a pretty interesting experience.

"An Officer and a Gentleman" was supposed to be showcasing the talent of a young Richard Gere who was the latest heartthrob at the time.  Unfortunately for him, he was still learning to fully utilize his dramatic abilities.  He tried his best, but in scenes where it was just he and Gossett, it was painfully obvious that Gere had quite a ways to go.  To his credit, starring opposite the much more talented Gossett did help Gere elevate his game.

It was reported that the rule of Foley was intended to go to actor Scott Glenn.  Some of you may remember him as Roger in "Training Day".  I have always been a fan of Glenn's work and could actually see him in that part as well.  However, there is no doubt in my mind that he could not have brought Foley to life as much as Gossett did.    Gossett created a screen icon with his version of Foley.  Yeah, the love story was all fine and dandy, but it was Gossett that made "An Officer and a Gentleman" a great film.

Hungry?

This commercial always  cracks me up.  I assumed I was the only one who thought him mocking the lady with the pizza box as a lappy was hilarious until my frat brother Mike pointed it out too.  Good stuff!

One Missed Call

The concept alone had no originality to it.  People get a phone call on their cell phone and it is a voicemail of themselves just seconds before their own death.  The date and time of the call is telling them when it will happen.  All they are really doing is combining facets of "The Ring" and "Final Destination" movie in an effort to be creative.  That's why this one fell to the ranks of waiting until cable for me to see it.

Beth (Shannon Sossamon) is a developmental psychology student who develops well-warranted concern when her friend Leann (Azura Skye) receives a panicked cell phone message from herself days in the future.  After Leann falls in front of a train at the same date and time on the message, Beth suspects she may be next.  Beth's fear seems even more justified after her friend Taylor (Ana Claudia Talancon) befalls a similar fate as her phone message is being  investigated by a reality TV host (Ray Wise) who specializes in unexplained phenomena.

Naturally, the police think that Beth is delusional, except for Detective Jack Andrews (Edward Burns) whose own sister died in a freak accident that bore a striking similarity to the deaths of Beth's friends.  The two of them work together feverishly to solve the mystery behind the calls and the deaths before Beth can become the next victim.

As usual, this is the latest remake of a Japanese horror film.  "Chakushin ari" ended up spawning not only a sequel but even a television series.  Of course Hollywood was going to jump all over that.  Having never seen the Japanese version, I have nothing to compare it to, but there were clearly some elements the American version retained that is a common theme in Japanese horror cinema.  Things like the creepy kid factor and the jerky apparitions show up as the American version borrows trademarks from the Japanese original.

Meagan Good is starting to become the new scream queen of the B-movie horror films.  She's been popping up in an awful lot of them lately, even if her role doesn't last that long.  Here, she doesn't even get out of the opening credits.  Directors must already have it established that when they need that token good-looking sista for their flick, Good's the one to call.  Apparently she never says no.

Whenever "the" call came on someone's phone call, it was always the same eerie ringtone.  A song that sounded like something you hear from a child's music box.  It would have had a better effect if they made it sound more like it was coming from the phone.  It was difficult to discern if the ringtone was the background music which is intended for the viewers only or if it was part of the scene which meant the actors could hear it.  

This was one of those films where you would think folks would have more common sense when they are dealing with supernatural events.  If you get a phone call with a future date and it's YOUR voice, that alone should be a very bad sign.  However, how much sense does it make if you're a female to go out walking in the middle of the night, in a strange place, by yourself ON that date in question?  Would it have killed (no pun intended) the gal to have a friend or two with her just in case?  Better safe than sorry.

There were a couple of scenes in "One Missed Call" that did make my skin crawl slightly.  A couple that even made my hair stand on end a little. That was more than I thought it was capable of since the previews did not look that enticing.  I'm still pretty sure the original Japanese version is much better, but I will give them credit for scoring some fairly legitimate scares when I anticipated it being very mediocre.

My rating:  C+