Well last weekend was Super Bowl Weekend with the New Orleans Saints winning their first ever Super Bowl as they defeated Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts at Super Bowl XLIV!

Kicking off the weekend, I went to a movie with Rebecca since she was in town as we saw The Lovely Bones directed by Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson.  The film is a very surrealistic look at the afterlife of a teenage girl who was murdered and how she tries to reach out to her family after her death.  Not a bad film that has some very touching moments.  A good alternative to a chick flick for a date movie.

The Lovely Bones  \m/  \m/  \m/  \n

Saturday I met up with Danielle (P1 Yellbell) and her friend Brittany who were in town from Union to celebrate Brittany’s 20th birthday.  We met and had dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse and then ran to Toys “R” Us to get a gift for Danielle’s son Gavin for his second birthday which was the next day.

I then had to leave the ladies to continue their celebration without the grace of my presence as I had a prior engagement as a judge of Mauldin High School’s Battle of the Bands.  I normally don’t agree to judge battle of the bands competitions because I don’t like to show any sort of favoritism since I host Upstate Unsigned and a lot of them end up being popularity contests but I gotta say there were some pretty impressive musicians in the competition including young acoustic guitar prodigy Dakota Burwell and alternative rock groups THE RIGHTEOUS and SING SING 76.

I slept in Sunday (again!) because I was just starting to fight off some sinus trouble which I am still dealing with as I am writing this though it hasn’t been as bad as it could have been.  I stayed in until around 5 as I went to Joshua Scott’s house for a great Mardi Gras styled Super Bowl party.  Being an unofficial company party, many Entercom employees came bringing goodies including our GM John Burkavage with his homemade chili and Chase Murphy with his famous cheese dip.  Granted this was on top of the Cajun styled food prepared by Mr. Scott including gumbo and roast beef po’ boys!  Yeah I gained several pounds I am sure!

Needless to say, a majority of the party attendees were rooting for the Saints as the second half of the game (especially the fourth quarter) was a bit of a riot!  Joshua even broke out some very good champagne as even I enjoyed it not being a fan of champagne myself.

So the Saints took their very first Super Bowl as I got a little emotional as it was a Cinderella story of sorts for the franchise based out of New Orleans, a city still recovering from the ravages of Hurricane Katrina.

And I am also relieved and pleased to announce that I just found out this morning that I will not be required to have surgery on the hernia I have developed in the past year or so!  Thank God!  I HATE hospitals!

Well I am finally starting to pick up the pieces from 2009 and I am feverishly rebuilding my empire for the new year!  Thursday I got my renter’s insurance check in the mail so on Friday I went and picked up a new PS3, Blu-ray remote and HDMI cable to replace the ones that were stolen during the break-in last month.

After work that night I went to the Handlebar to catch NOXIOUS’ return to the Upstate with special guests KELEN HELLER and DOGFIGHT.  I ended up tuckering out rather early that night since I had to head up to NC first thing Saturday.  P1 QuickKart31 had not only invited me up to catch another night of SWA (Southern Wrestling Association) but also to fix my Jeep Compass which had several war wounds from being both scraped and keyed in late ‘09.

When I got into town, he met me and led me to his dad’s shop, 3D Kustoms and Restorations in Ellenboro, NC to drop my car off.  QuickKart and I then ran to grab some lunch and went to the Forest City National Guard Armory where I ’helped’ set up the ring for that night’s wrestling event.  By the time we got back to the shop, my car was done but still drying so I rode with QuickKart back to the armory so he could get ready for his THREE matches that night – ALL of which he won (under the name Kendall Slayer) with one of the matches being the main event cage match!

After the event was over, everyone gathered at the wrestler Wicked’s house for some after party drinks and continued mayhem as I got fairly tanked (yes, that’s me holding the belt and drinking pineapple juice and vodka out of a HUGE Mason jar)!

I ended up catching a ride with QuickKart’s two brothers Mark and Justin and crashed at their place after making a much needed stop at Waffle House!

The next morning I caught a ride with their dad, Will who did most of the awesome work on my car and rode with him back to the shop to pick up my car and head back home to catch the last two playoff games of the weekend.  I kept up with the first two by checking the scores on my BlackBerry and was pleased to see New Orleans venture on to the NFC Championship as they will be taking on Minnesota who slaughtered Dallas!  I was disappointed that Baltimore got taken out by Indianapolis and that my Super Bowl pick San Diego lost to the New York Jets.  This weekend should be great as I am torn between the Vikings and the Saints for the NFC title.

Monday morning I went to the dentist to have him look at what seemed to be a piece of tooth protruding from my gum where my last pulled wisdom tooth was.  As it turns out, it was actually my jaw which had healed with an angular rough edge that was cutting through my gum so he grinded it down and smoothed it out a bit.

After leaving the dentist’s office I went to the doctor to get a physical and have them look at my suspected herniated area.  Indeed, I have a hernia so I will be making an appointment with a surgeon in the near future to get that taken car of (JOY!).  Since I had breakfast that morning, the doctor told me to return the next morning after fasting for at least 12 hours so I could get some bloodwork done.  She did, however, have me go ahead and get a Tetanus shot (I HATE those!  My arm STILL hurts!).

After getting my physical, I treated myself to a movie and let my curiosity get the better of me as I broke down and went to go see Avatar and see what all the hype was about.  And I’ve gotta say I was actually quite impressed!  I admit the plot wasn’t entirely original as our webmistress, Tracy pointed out, it’s basically FernGulley: The Last Rainforest just live action and on another planet.  And just like Aliens (which James Cameron also directed) this one features Sigourney Weaver as a strong-willed protagonist facing off against a greedy corporation and working with futuristic Marines one of whom is a badass Hispanic tomboy.  But, despite the film’s lack of originality, it’s eye candy is spectacular and almost worth the hype if you go see it in 3D at a movie theater.

Avatar  \m/  \m/  \m/  \m

Yesterday morning I got up early and went straight to the doctor to get my bloodwork done then came home and showered and got ready for work.  At about one (my usual lunchtime) I had my replacement TV delievered to my apartment so I took a few minutes to get it set back up and hook my PS3 up to it and made sure everything worked fine. 

Now my living room is at least functional as it once was before my apartment was broken into….and my car looks like it did the day I bought it (or it WILL after I give it a BATH)!

Before coming to work last Tuesday I stopped by MY toy store Best Buy and picked up a copy of the movie I thought was the best film to come out this year, Inglourious Basterds the new film by Quentin Tarantino.  The cast, the acting and the script are all superb and Brad Pitt is a riot as Lt. Aldo Raine who leads a band of mostly Jewish Americans into Nazi-occupied France to do one thing and one thing only: KILL NAZIS!

Inglourious Basterds  \m/  \m/  \m/  \m/  \m/

I managed to watch the entire film and a few special features that night before going to bed.  I fully intended to watch the rest of the special features when I got home Wednesday night however, upon arriving, I first noticed my doormat was pushed all the way up to the doorway (I always pull it back an inch or so when I leave) and then I noticed that the front casing of my deadbolt had been chiseled off.  Needless to say that the lock was already opened when I slid my key in and, lo and behold, I found someone had jacked my apartment.  My 40″ LCD TV was gone as well as my PS3 and numerous PS3 games and DVD and Blu-ray movies – including Inglourious Basterds!

After the initial shock wore off and a few minutes of kicking and screaming, I called 911 and filed a police report.  An officer soon arrived followed a bit later by a forensics officer who dusted my apartment for fingerprints as one of my maintenance guys replaced the locks.

The next day I had my checks cancelled to be on the safe side and filed a report with my insurance company.  Keep in mind I still have an applicable $500 deductible and my rates may still go up in June even though this was not my fault in the slightest.

Friday night we had both the Rise Guys Big Ass P1 Christmas Party and the Entercom Company Christmas Party both of which I attended considering it’s no fun being a hermit cooped up in my apartment without my TV and PS3.  The Rise Guys Big Ass P1 Christmas Party was being held in my hometown of Simpsonville at the Zone Sports Bar and Grille and the place was packed!  I had fun hanging with the Original P1 Lauren and P1 Big Counsy and had a paper tube fight with Fat Boy which I unanimously won and earned some much needed stress relief.

During the course of the evening, our transmitter, which sits atop of a big ass mountain in North Carolina, went out due to the perilous winter weather in the area.  The conditions were so severe that our engineering team couldn’t even reach the transmitter until Sunday morning managing to keep us off the air for a whopping 41 hours!

The weather was bad enough locally that a tree fell on Roper Mountain Road and knocked out the power up and down the street….which I live on.  So I ran home after the Rise Guys Big Ass P1 Christmas Party to change into something a little nicer and more business casual for the Entercom Company Christmas Party and did so in the dark.  The power was restored by the time I got home later that night but went off for a while longer during the early morning hours.

I had a great time at the company Christmas party hanging with Intern Tyler, Diesel and some of our lovely promotions staff….and the free food and booze helped a lot too!  We basically shut the place down that night and still tried to find a place in downtown to continue the festivities.  When we found nothing else to do, those of us left parted ways and went home.  Some of us had to sober up just a bit first….

Saturday I ventured out to the deadly malls and other stores of holiday frenzy to do what little shopping my broke and burglarized ass could afford.  I also managed to take in a movie in an attemt to boost my own morale and revive any amount of Christmas Spirit I could muster.  I went and saw The Blind Side, the football biopic with Sandra Bullock.  The film was very heartwarming and inspirational which I definitely needed to lift my spirits.

The Blind Side  \m/  \m/  \m/  \m/

Sunday I went to church for the first time in forever (maybe to try and win favor with the Lord – LOL!) and then went to borrow a small TV/DVD combo from my best friend’s parents who’ve been like a second family to me.  Unfortunately I couldn’t get my digital antenna to work on the set so I didn’t get to watch football but at least got to watch some movies and relax a bit.

I got my renters insurance forms in the mail Monday and filled them out first thing yesterday morning and faxed them to my claim representative.  Now I just gotta wait for the check and try to get as much replaced as possible since I will be receiving $500 less than what my stuff was worth because of the deductible.  Sucks.

Today I wrapped up the 12 Days of Axemas from noon until 2 at First Cash Pawn on Rutherford St in Greenville.  The turnout was great but I had to rush back to the station to be on the air at 2!

Right now I’m trying to wrap up all my work and take the day off tomorrow for Christmas Eve and then come back and do my shift on Christmas Day.

Even though this year has been a rough one for me having had some legal woes, totaling a car, having my new one keyed and then my apartment broken into, I am remaining optimistic that 2010 will be a much better year kicking off a brand new decade.

I want to take a minute to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed and Happy New Year in 2010!

Man I love this time of year!  Halloween is this upcoming weekend and I can’t wait!  I’m planning on heading to Savannah to do some haunted tours on Halloween night!  Should be awesome!

Last week we did the first ever Canned Film Festival at Camelot Cinemas where listeners brought in five canned food items to benefit Harvest Hope in order to see their choice of one of five films: Wayne’s World, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Halloween 2009, Transformers and Neato Mosquito featuring Nine from The Rise Guys.  Planet and Rock 101 staff suited up in tuxes provided by Gregory’s Formalwear and walked the red carpet and welcomed listeners to the event.  Even I got all decked out and broadcasted live.  Check me out:

Nothing against Nine, but I couldn’t miss the opportunity to finally see Wayne’s World on the big screen!  The whole event was great and we collected over 1,300 lbs of canned food!  Hey Thanksgiving is on the way and I’d like to think that everyone gets fed for the holiday and all year round!  Thanks to everyone who showed up and made this such a huge success and I look forward to doing this again next year!

Saturday night I went out to the Spirit Halloween Superstore at Cherrydale for some creepy window-shopping since I is broke!  Then I met Rebecca who was in town visiting her folks and we hit the Point of Terror interactive haunted house which is right next to Cherrydale behind Stax.  Once again I was stuck leading the way as I always do at haunted houses this time followed by a mom and her two daughters who were freaking out and crying through the whole thing!

Afterwards, Rebecca decided she didn’t wanna go right back home so we went and saw Saw VI.  I enjoyed the first three films but I haven’t been enjoying the new ‘Jigsaw’ in the past two movies but, surprisingly, this one was a lot better than the last two.  Eh, why not, right?

Saw VI  \m/  \m/  \m/  \

Sunday I slept in and watched Rob Zombie’s new animated flick The Haunted World of El Superbeasto which I had rented after work on Saturday.  The film is a lewd mix of pornography and horror which deserves the new genre entitled horrornomation….or horrornographimation – ok, it’s not working for me!  Just watch it!  Rob Zombie + animated sex and violence = fun adult cartoon!

The Haunted World of El Superbeasto  \m/  \m/  \m/

If any one word could describe this past weekend, it would be CRAZY!!!  Friday night when I got off the air I went to do some shopping at the Haywood Mall since I had just got paid the day before.  I went to Hot Topic to check out what they had in clearance only to discover they had no clearance since they had to make room for Halloween items.  Disappointed, I continued to roam the mall hitting stores here and there but coming up empty.

After stopping by GameStop, I remembered I had a $5 Reward Zone certificate for Best Buy so I hauled ass over there before they closed since it was already 8:40.  I got there just in time and picked a copy of Lego Batman for PS3 since I have both Lego Star Wars and Lego Indiana Jones.  I sat up late playing the game and crashed on the couch only to wake up and head to bed around 5 am.

When I got up later Saturday morning I just sat around playing my new game until it was time to get ready to go announce at the Upstate Roller Girl Evolution invitational PIRATES vs. NINJAS.  I met Ogre there and we teamed up as announcers for the event.  I had announced for the Reedy River Roller Girls a couple of years before but Ogre was new to the game but we played off each other as we usually do on Upstate Unsigned.  It was fun and we both look forward to announcing future bouts.

After the bout, Rebecca met up with me and we stopped by the URGE after party at the Caddy Shack on Haywood Rd then went and grabbed dinner at Beef O’Brady’s.

The next day Rebecca and I went to Hollywood 20 for a matinee double feature.  We first caught the new underground horror sensation Paranormal Activity which was made for 15 thousand dollars and is reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project.  This film, however, centers around a couple who is stalked by a demon in their own house.  Like Blair Witch, the entire film is shot from a camera purchased by the guy and captures absolutely terrifying footage as it is left running in the bedroom while the couple sleeps.  Honestly, there are images from the movie I cannot get out of my head as I am writing this and will, undoubtedly, make sleeping alone difficult for a while!

Paranormal Activity  \m/  \m/  \m/  \m/  \n

To help ward off the effects of the fear instilled in us from the first film, we went to see Zombieland, the dark horror comedy starring Woody Harrelson as a badass who ‘leads’ a band of survivors in a zombie apocalypse.  The film wasn’t quite what I was expecting but then again what else could I have expected?  It was a fun ride with little plot to choke on and even a tragic encounter with Bill Murray….as himself!  Interesting to say the very least!

Zombieland  \m/  \m/  \m/  \n

After the double feature, Rebecca and I had to take off for Charlotte to see METALLICA at the Time Warner Cable Arena.  We got there just in time for LAMB OF GOD to hit the stage and do their thing before the heaviest band in the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame took over for the rest of the evening.

METALLICA started up shortly after 9 and played a couple of songs off their new disc Death Magnetic and then ran through songs from their first four albums.  They played for nearly two and a half hours covering a lot of ground including obscure songs such as “Phantom Lord” from Kill ‘Em All and even a MOTORHEAD cover.  I also don’t recall them playing anything from Load, Reload or St. Anger which is NOT a complaint in the slightest!

At the end of the set they finished with “Seek and Destroy” while huge black beach balls with their logo on them fell from the ceiling.  They then began throwing out sticks and picks and I nabbed a James Hetfield autographed pick that Kirk Hammett was tossing into the audience.

We didn’t hit the road until about midnight and didn’t get home until about 3 am after making a pit stop at a Denny’s Diner along the way.  Which means my ass is beat and I’m ready to go home!

Labor Day weekend was just that: laborous!  So, when I wasn’t working, I was out trying to blow my paycheck!  Hey, what’s the point in working relelentlessly if I don’t take some time to go out and enjoy it?!  Friday I met up with Rebecca after work.  Yes, we are on speaking terms again and trying to somehow sort out our differences in some way whether it leads to us seeing each other again or not.  She brought me her latest dog rescuee being she is like the crazy cat lady only with a crapload of dogs instead of cats!  I think she knew I’d be interested in this one being the dog is a Boston terrier and border collie mix and I have always wanted a Boston terrier.  So she brought Molly (the name she gave her being she is fond of giving dogs people names – as for me, I still want a male Boston terrier and name him Vader!) to the apartment and we went to Target to pick up some stuff for the dog (leash, toys, bowls, etc.) and then went to Ruby Tuesday’s for dinner.

Saturday I did little more than do my on-air shift and the same could be said for most of Sunday.  My mom and Aunt Pat came over to see the new addition to the Twisted family and we walked her out to the small man-made lake out by my apartment complex.

Monday, when I wasn’t on the air (again!), Rebecca and I managed to take in a movie: the new comedy spoof Tropic Thunder starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey, Jr.  Of the three lead characters, Downey clearly made his mark portraying “the dude playing the dude disguised as another dude”.  I mean his character stayed in character until the end of the movie!  “I stay in character until I finish the DVD commentary!” I believe he said….and he wasn’t kidding!

And let’s not forget the A-list supporting cast of Nick Nolte, Matthew McConaughey and, oh yes, Tom “Damn, my ass is crazy!” Cruise!  I really enjoyed the film as it was a breath of fresh air from other crappy spoof movies such as the ridiculous Scary Movie saga that has bled over into the even more preposterous Epic Movie, Disaster Movie and all the other ”Fill in the Flippin’ Blank” movies!

And it really pisses me off that everyone is all up in arms about their references to mentally handicapped people as ‘retards’.  I admit it’s in rather poor taste, but isn’t comedy supposed to be unapologetically irreverent?  I mean I just watched the new Harold & Kumar flick on DVD and it’s remorselessly racist!  Being a Christian, I constantly see shows like South Park or especially Moral Orel that make a mockery of my beliefs.  Yes, it offends me, but I simply choose not to watch it if it gets too offensive which I did stop watching the latter of the two shows because it honestly made me feel like a heathen….or worse!  LOL!!!

Tropic Thunder   \m/  \m/  \m/  \n

And here’s a few of the DVDs I’ve watched recently now that I have a steady supply of rentals with Blockbuster Total Access:

I just mentioned how racist Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay was, but don’t get me wrong, it was a riot!  If you liked their first adventure getting to White Castle, you’ll caertainly enjoy this!

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay   \m/  \m/  \m/  \

I pretty much got what I expected out of Prom Night and maybe a little more since it was more bloody and violent than what I would expect from a PG-13 rated slasher flick.  Granted it is painfully obvious that it is not a remake of the Jamie Lee Curtis horror film of the same name.  The character names are different as well as the overall plot of the movie save for the fact that both films occur on (big surprise here!) high school prom nights.

Prom Night  \m/  \m/  \

When Grandma’s Boy first came out, I thought it would be a big piece of crap trying to capitalize on Adam Sandler’s success by throwing a comedy together using a cast full of his supporting cast regulars – but no Sandler.  It turned out being one of my favorite comedies in recent years so I had high hopes for Happy Madison’s latest DVD release Strange Wilderness.  I have to say I was somewhat disappointed.  Don’t get me wrong, it had some rather hilarious moments, but just didn’t deliver a comedy I’d really want to watch again.

Strange Wilderness   \m/  \m/  \n

That’s it!  I’m done and heading home to take care of Molly!

I went to see the midnight showing of The Dark Knight at Hollywood 20 last night – or should I say this morning?!  Rebecca had bought our tickets on Fandango as all the theaters sold out as I am sure this film set an amazing pre-sell record.  After getting off the air, I got a little work done in the office until Becca got to the station then we went over to Target so I could pick up some much needed groceries and to get my cousin a gift for his baby shower this Sunday.

We ran the groceries back to my place then grabbed a bite to eat at T.G.I.Fridays and then on to the theater.  We got there about 10:30 and they were already seating so we got some reasonably good seats.  Despite the fact the projector broke down on us twice, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

I wasn’t too thrilled with Batman Begins being I actually prefer the surrealistic feel of the Tim Burton films.  However, the gritty realistic realm of Christopher Nolan’s Gotham City actually translated really well in this film.  The atmosphere really added to the twisted, sadistic nature of the Joker whose character was wonderfully portrayed by Heath Ledger who will, regrettably, not be able to reprise the role in any future Batman films.  Aaron Eckhart also did an amazing job portraying Harvey Dent and then the inevitable villain Two-Face.

The story was quite possibly THE greatest superhero screenplay I have ever experienced on the silver screen.  The complex twists, turns and moral obscurities were just extremely clever and well-executed.  And the film leaves you wanting more as you’re wondering what’s next and how long you’re gonna have to bite your nails until the next installment of the Caped Crusader.

The Dark Knight  \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ \m

Oh no, it’s Monday!  4th of July weekend is over!  Oh well, time to saddle up!  At least I have a few things to talk about – and yes, that includes movie reviews!  First up, I went to go see the new Angelina Jolie flick Wanted which was amazing even though I’m normally not into assassin movies.  From start to finish the film was damn near flawless with a great storyline with some clever twists and phenomenal special effects.  I had heard great things about the movie but wasn’t expecting to have that much delivered.  I’ve actually been debating over whether to give the film four and a half or five rockers.  So I compromised and gave it four and three-quarters.

Wanted  \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ \m

Friday, the 4th, when I wasn’t on the air, I was in my uncle’s pool and eating hot dogs off the grill!  That night I went out to Ground Zero to see KITTIE, DOPE and some great local bands throw down on Independence Day!  Screw fireworks!  I got there as A VACANT SOUL was on the stage and, I gotta say, those guys keep getting better every time I see them!  Can’t wait to see them open for SHINEDOWN tonight!  Expect another blog tomorrow!

After AVS, DEAD 7 hit the downstairs stage for which I was up front virtually the whole time considering they hit their first notes as I was walking out of the john!  They put on a helluva great set throwing in Johnny Cash’s classic “Folsom Prison Blues” as well as some new material.  Back upstairs A NEW REVOLUTION hit the stage.  I wasn’t too familiar with them but they put on a good set.  BOOLOW hit the downstairs stage next and they have really stepped up their game which is really a feat considering bassist/vocalist Jason Scoggins was running the upstairs bar the whole night when he wasn’t onstage!  Hats off to ya, bro!

DOPE was next upstairs followed by HEADSNAP downstairs.  Our Spartanburg boys never disappoint when they take the stage!  And, of course, KITTIE wrapped up the night on the main stage and I was pooped by the time they finished!  Yeah, I know I’m a pansy!

I went straight home, took a harlot’s shower and went to bed.  A couple of hours later I woke up starving so I went to Waffle House at about five in the morning.  Chopped steak, scrambled eggs, hashbrowns and toast never tasted so good!  I sat up for a while to let my late night feeding frenzy digest and then passed back out after seeing the sun come up and slept until time to go back on the air.  And that, ladies and gentlemen, was my Saturday.

Sunday (yesterday) I met my family at Golden Corral to have an early birthday dinner for my brother Anthony.  We then went to Hollywood 20 to catch the new Will Smith flick Hancock.  I really enjoyed the movie until the main character’s background was revealed and I was rather disappointed.  It wasn’t bad, but I thought they could have done better.  Nevertheless, the film was quite entertaining overall and definitely worth checking out on the big screen.

Hancock  \m/ \m/ \m/ \n

Last week I got a copy of the new horror DVD The Ruins which hits stores tomorrow (I love my job!) and I will be giving away copies of it all week long only on my show being I am the resident horror movie nut.  I finally got around to watching the film last night and got what I expected which wasn’t much.  I was surprised to see Shawn “Iceman” Ashmore from the X-Men films sporting the bearded nappy-headed look.  As a matter of fact I wasn’t sure it was him until the credits rolled.

Anyways, the movie had the whole Cabin Fever vibe to it where something organic yet sinister ‘eats’ its way through its victims and there is virtually no hope for its college-aged characters.  It was very predictable in places but had its redeeming moments of gore to appease horror fans’ bloodlust.  Not a must-have or even a must-see, but if you manage to win a copy off of me this week, it’s a fun run for a ‘got nothing better to do’ movie night.

The Ruins  \m/ \m/ \n

Friday after getting off the air, Rebecca, Mikey and I all went to go see the new Pixar flick WALL-E.  During the previews, there was a trailer for a new Disney animated feature called Bolt which, I later find out, a college friend of mine named Chris Doehling worked on some of the animation in the film.

WALL-E surprised me in that it was very bleak in the beginning and made a very serious statement about the current course of man (didn’t Shyamalan already make a big environmentalist statement this summer?!).  However, the situation is reversed by our lovable main character and his newly found ‘lady’ friend in an adventure true to the nature of Pixar.  I didn’t find this one to be Pixar’s best, but I’d have to say that WALL-E is easily the most lovable character created by the computer animation masters.

WALL-E  \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/

The next night Rebecca had a party at her house and, of course, I was recruited to help her set up for the party (didn’t I give up this duty when we broke up?!).  So, being the newly created Jell-O fiend I’ve become (thank you St. Patty’s Day on River St. in Savannah!), I went by Party City and found those little Solo dipping cups which are nice and shallow so the Jell-O shooters are much more accessible to the tongue (another trick we discovered in Savannah).  I also grabbed ten packages of generic brand gelatin at CVS which were on clearance for 25 cents a box!  Those were in addition to the couple of boxes of name brand Jell-O we already had for a grand total of four cherry, four orange and four strawberry.

We ran to Green’s to nab various liquors and, of course, got some Everclear for the Jell-O (oh yeah, we weren’t messin’ around)!  So, for each box of Jell-O, you’re supposed to use a cup of boiling water and a cup of cold water.  Originally, we were going to substitute ALL the cold water with alcohol but since we were using Everclear we just used a half-cup of alcohol and half-cup of cold water.  Needless to say even that was extremely potent!  And we had no idea how many Jell-O shots each would yield.  We did all four boxes of cherry then decided only to go with two boxes of orange and ended up with damn near 60 Jell-O shots and eight Jell-O injector syringes!

By the end of the night we had just a little over a dozen Jell-O shots remaining as well as three syringes (granted there were other liquors and some beer involved).  And I am happy to report that in nearly 32 years I have still yet to get sick from drinking!  I think I know what I’m serving at my birthday party in a month!  There’s ALWAYS room for J-E-L-L-O!

I took a little time out of the office Friday to go see the new Mike Myers flick The Love Guru.  I was expecting another stupid comedy from another SNL veteran like that of Adam Sandler’s You Don’t Mess with the Zohan and even that was an overestimation!  The film was full of unrefined dick and fart jokes, which I usually enjoy but these were totally lame and unoriginal.  I admit I chuckled a few times at the blatant absurdity of it all, but not enough to have remotely enjoyed a whole hour and a half of it.  Hard to believe this came from the mastermind that created one of my all-time favorite comedies (and frequently quoted both on and off the air), Wayne’s World.  I’m not going to tell you not to ever see this movie.  I will tell you to consider it if you’re on vacation and you and your significant other want to stay in and catch a movie in your hotel room and take advantage of free HBO!  Just don’t pay to see it!  Thankfully I didn’t!

The Love Guru  \m/ \m/

After work, Mikey and I went to catch a much better film, the film adaptation of the 60s’ hit TV series Get Smart starring Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway and Dwayne (will still always be “The Rock”) Johnson.  This was everything I expected, so I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Comedy, action, gadgets and a surprising number of appearances from cast members of the remake of The Longest Yard.  Nothing more to say except that this was the film to see this weekend.  Screw the guru!

Get Smart  \m/ \m/ \m/ \n

Before leaving the office to kill 90 minutes of my life Friday morning, I grabbed a copy of the new SHINEDOWN cd we had just received.  As I was hoping, the album goes more in the vein of “Devour” as that song opens the cd with the title track “The Sound of Madness” following and keeping the momentum.  Granted there are a handful of trademark ballads from the band such as “Second Chance” and my favorite of the slower tempoed tunes, “If You Only Knew”.  Overall, a really good record from a band I, admittedly, am not a big fan of being this is the first album by the band I’ve owned.

SHINEDOWN  The Sound of Madness  \m/ \m/ \m/ \n