A year ago today, I said in my retrospective of 2005 that that year had "went all over the map, and sometimes drove straight off of it." If that's the case, then 2006 not only went off the map, it mutilated it before burning what was left.I've been looking over all the posts made during this past year and it's really something: you can actually see me changing as a person, almost right before your very eyes, across this past year. A lot of things...
Sunday, December 31, 2006
ROCKY BALBOA review
This was the perfect movie to go out of 2006 with.I haven't felt this good coming out of a movie in, Lord only knows how long.No film in recent memory had me coming out of the theater feeling so upbeat and hopeful and affirmed with life as Rocky Balboa has. I saw it yesterday afternoon at the Grande in Greensboro and... it's just resonating with me on so many levels. It'll...
Congratulations Ashley and Brent!
Good friend from college Ashley Trent got married to... some guy named Brent two weeks ago. On a cruise ship no less! Here's a pic of the beautiful couple. Congratulations to the newlyweds and may God shower all His blessings upon them ...
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Christmas 2006 after-action report
Lisa and I spent last Friday evening at my parents' place having some Christmas (dining together, exchanging gifts etc.) with them and my sister. We then went home and about 10:30, we drove off into the dark knight for Lisa's parents' home in Georgia. It was about 4:30 a.m. that Atlanta shined bright in front of us, aglow with night lights and Christmas cheer. Another hour...
Friday, December 29, 2006
Gallows humor
Sometime in the next hour and a half, Saddam Hussein is going to be executed by hanging. I know: the death of any person - even one who's done as much wickedness as Saddam - should be a sober event. But in this case I just couldn't resist..."25 Minutes To Go"(written and sung by Johnny Cash)Well they're building a gallows outside my cell I've got 25 minutes to goAnd the...
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Gerald Ford 1913-2006
We heard the news early yesterday morning but I'm just now able to note here that in addition to James Brown, we've now also lost Gerald Ford: 38th President of the United States. Who was a lot of other things too, but to me especially Ford will always be remembered as the first (and so far only) Eagle Scout to become President.And without naming any particulars, I'll also...
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
James Brown 1933-2006
Usually, I wouldn't post something during my Christmas "sabbatical". But hey, James Brown was the man! He made some mistakes in his life (and went to prison a few times for them) but through and through, he was a true son of the South and one of the rare that it could be truly said "he was one of a kind".He died early on Christmas morning. I know of no better way to pay tribute to his memory than this video of what is his all-time signature song:UPDATE...
Friday, December 22, 2006
Have a very Merry Christmas
As has become the usual custom, I'm going to step away from the blog for the next few days to celebrate Christmas with family and friends.This has been a pretty wild past several months, between running for school board and a few other things. I haven't really afforded myself a chance to stop and breathe in all that time. For the next several days, I'm going to treat myself to that, and take the time to contemplate on and admire how far God brought...
Christmas 2006: Now we'll REALLY have some fun!
At the wild WGSR staff Christmas party this morning (which was televised live believe it or not) our boss gave each employee a fine bottle of Christmas red wine.Then earlier this evening Lisa gives me an early Christmas present: a martini set, including glasses and stainless steel mixer.Between both of these items, this is the most alcoholic paraphanelia that I've ever owned...
KEYS: KWerky Productions' new feature film project
I've been mentioning a "full-length feature film" on this blog for several months now. Earlier this week "Weird" Ed and I decided it was time to reveal what it is we are working on.Today, December 22nd 2006, KWerky Productions is proud to announce that our next project is a feature-length movie entitled Keys.Currently I am working on the first draft of the script. If all...
DOCTOR WHO Season 2 wraps up on Sci-Fi tonight
Following two weeks of some of the most forgettable Doctor Who episodes ever - last week's "Fear Her" and before that the abomination called "Love & Monsters" - the show returns to fine form tonight with the final two episodes of the revived series's Season 2 tonight at 8 p.m. on the Sci-Fi Channel.I'm forgoing the usual "sneak peek" with "Army of Ghosts" and "Doomsday", because the less you know of these two episodes before going into them......
AT WORLD'S END with Keith Richards
The first pic of Keith Richards (he's the guy on the right) as Captain Jack Sparrow's father from the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's E...
Thursday, December 21, 2006
KNIGHT VISION MEDIA
Coming in 2007The full website won't be up for another few weeks, but I thought it would be neat to make a pre-Christmas announcement about it.There will be more information about Knight Vision Media coming soon.There's one other thing that we've decided it's time to pull the veil off of (no Lisa and I aren't having a baby... yet). Expect another announcement within the next 24 hou...
Book 7 is HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS!
Funny thing: I've had this feeling for the past two weeks that we would be getting the title of the seventh and last Harry Potter book before Christmas. And I was right.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the title, according to J.K. Rowling's official website.Mounting rumor is that this final chapter of the Harry Potter saga... and maybe even for Harry himself... will be released on July 7th, 2007: Book 7 on 7/7/...
Review of EMPIRE by Orson Scott Card
This is the most I've struggled with writing a review in quite a long time, made all the more worse because I'm a big fan of Orson Scott Card: Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead were two of the books that influenced me the most when I was in high school. I also think that Card is a brilliant thinker when it comes to things like domestic politics and foreign policy, as...
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
UNCG's performance of AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS
Yesterday morning I went along as a chaperone with Lisa's students on a field trip to see the Music and Drama departments from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro put on a performance of the Christmas opera Amahl and the Night Visitors. We had to drive to Westover Church's new sanctuary (which is absolutely cavernous) because Aycock Auditorium on the UNCG campus...
CIVIL WAR: "Whose side are YOU on?"
Are you with Snow Miser?Or are you with his brother Heat Miser?Both clips are from the classic Christmas special The Year Without A Santa Claus (the ORIGINAL one, not the new live-action remake with John Goodman as Santa, Delta Burke as Mrs. Claus and Harvey Fierstein (?!) as Heat Mise...
TRANSFORMERS first full trailer arrives
After all these months of shaking my head in disbelief at the leaked photos, having read one version of the script and wondered how this was going to work, fearing that the memory of one of my most cherished childhood toys was going to be desecrated......I've watched this trailer about ten times now. And I like it a lot!Seeing this first trailer for Transformers, I am realizing...
DVD Review of SOPHIE SCHOLL: THE FINAL DAYS
This may be the most shocking historical drama that has ever been produced. You wouldn't believe what they did to make Sophie Scholl: The Final Days as authentic as it could possibly be. More on why that is in just a little bit...Three months ago, I posted on this blog a review of the movie Sophie Scholl: The Final Days. Ever since I heard about this movie earlier this...
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
ROCKY BALBOA and retconning movie series
Apparently Rocky Balboa - which premieres in theaters tomorrow - references ever single previous Rocky movie... except Rocky V. Sylvester Stallone is now being quoted in a few places as saying the reason he wanted to make Rocky Balboa was to make people forget about how bad Rocky V was.In other words, as of this week, it's possible that Rocky V should no longer be considered...
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE is 35 years old today
On December 19th 1971, filmmaker Stanley Kubrick unleashed what – I believe so anyway – is the greatest movie he ever made. So let's hoist our glasses and raise a toast to the 35th anniversary of A Clockwork Orange!This is definitely my most favorite movie that Kubrick made: even more so than 2001: A Space Odyssey and Dr. Strangelove (although I love those also quite a bit)....
Monday, December 18, 2006
Lots of stuff coming the next few days
A book review, a DVD review, maybe a movie review, another humor piece, possibly more YouTube videos, a holiday tradition, and an announcement. All of this before the week is o...
THE LOBO PARAMILITARY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
And now, the most twisted and ultra-violent movie you'll ever see this or any other holiday season...The Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special! This 2002 short film was for awhile the most sought-after comic book-related movie on the Internet... but now it's on YouTube! In this torn-up holiday classic, DC Comics' galactic bounty hunter Lobo (click here for more info about...
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Review of ERAGON
"I liked the part where Darth Vader rides the Balrog."A long time ago and far, far away, there was an empire ruled by a cruel tyrant. It had been a realm that was originally looked after and protected by an order of mystical warriors, until they were betrayed and wiped out years before by the dark lord. The emperor ruled with an iron fist... but an alliance of rebels threatened...
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Elon University lit up for the holidays
Late Thursday night/early Friday morning Lisa and I were driving back home from Raleigh after seeing Trans-Siberian Orchestra in concert. We wound up going through Elon University, where I went to college. I stopped and took a few pictures, although they really can't do any justice to how beautiful the campus is lit up every Christmas season.These photos of Elon University...
Friday, December 15, 2006
Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the RBC Center in Raleigh
Last night Lisa and I hooked up with Chad and my sister Anita at Chad's apartment in Raleigh. We headed out a little after 6, had a bite to eat at a nearby Quizno's and then headed to the RBC Center for a live concert by Trans-Siberian Orchestra.This was by far one of the most unique musical experiences I've ever had... to say nothing about it being the most lively Christmas...
