Mavs lead

Mavs actually took the lead for a moment. Nice to see for a change.

KVH sucks

Keith Van Horn should be eliminated from the NBA as soon as possible. Whatever team decides to pick him up after the Mavs decline to offer him a new contract in the off-season should also be eliminated from the league.

Mavs down three at the end of one

Dirk missed a three at the buzzer and Mavs are down by three points at the end of the first quarter. They have looked better so far this game. On a completely different note - the movie Little Man looks like total crap. Who makes this stuff?

At least Dirk and Howard are playing better

They both have more made baskets in the first half of the first quarter than they did in the entire game 4.

Not looking good

HEAT are on a 10-0 run. Mavs aren't getting out on their three-point shooters and they are making them pay for it. Gonna have to start playing some perimeter defense or this game is going to end up like game 4.

Josh starting out hot

Josh is two for his first three. A couple of nice moves.

The HEAT are on the runway and the traffic controler is waving them in!

That guy with the crazy glasses and pseudo-Japanese HEAT flags scares me a little. I think maybe the Mavs are intimidated by him or something. Also, I really don't need to see the name and face of their PA guy ever again. He gets more face time during the intros than any of the players or coaches do.

Lame National Anthems

This series has had the worse National Anthem singers I remember in a finals. I think Michael MacDonald might have actually been the best one.

Fearless Prediction

Dirk will score 32 or more. Josh will score 18 or more. Terry will score 22 or more. Mavs will win by at least nine. Write it down!

These two guys have to step it up tonight!

I'm back!

After spending the last two games at the Studio Movie Grill in Addison, Texas, I'm back on my couch in front of my laptop where I should be. The Mavs won games one and two while I did this, so I"ll be blogging throughout the game in hopes that the Mavs take game five and go up three games to two with the final two games at the AAC in Dallas.

MySpace

I declined invitations to join MySpace for a long time, but with my new-found spare time, I figured why not? So, I have officially joined the MySpace world. I've made contact with several people that I haven't talked to in years, so that's fun! It's still very new, but feel free to check it out - http://www.myspace.com/coryj98

I'm free!!

Yesterday was my last day at work. I was scheduled to work until 7 p.m. central, but they decided to take away my access to the systems I need at about 4:30. I stayed and helped out until 6:30, but once we forwarded to our after-hours bureau, I was out the door one last time. It was an emotional day at work. We brought in lunch for the office to celebrate my last day. It was good food and I think everyone enjoyed it.

I had a nice card, signed by everyone in the office, waiting on my desk when I arrived. I'll be honest, I had to choke back some tears when I was reading it. A lot of these people are more like family than co-workers to me after over seven years of working with them. As the day went on, people would leave for the day and we'd have to say our goodbyes, which was hard. As I walked out the door one last time, I couldn't help but to look back and take one last look at the place where I'd spent most of my time since I graduated from college.

Mavs up two games to zero!

Mavs win 99-85. They have a nice position going into these next three games in Miami. Shaq ended up taking just 5 shots and scoring 5 points. Who'da thunk it?

Nice effort

Mavs up by 14 with 2 minutes left to play. Shaq has five points - who is this guy?

Posey joins Shaq and Haslem on bench

Six fouls for James Posey - who's gonna guard Dirk now?

Keeping them at bay

The Mavs are managing to keep the HEAT down by 16 - 20 points, so they are basically keeping Wade and Shaq off the court. Hopefully we won't see either of them again tonight.

Mavs had a nice third period

Mavs up by 24 at the end of the third quarter. HEAT have only managed to score 58 points in three quarters.

I'm liking this game now

Mavs big guys are getting it going and Stack is providing a huge lift from the bench. If Dirk and Josh keep outpacing Shaq and Dwyane Wade, we're in excellent shape. And please, please let them keep passing it to Antoine Walker!

Stack is the MAN!

Stackhouse just killed the HEAT at the end of the half. Mavs up by sixteen thanks to Stack scoring the last 10 points for the Mavs!

Mavs on a run

Dirk and Josh have started hitting some shots and the Mavs are now up seven. Gotta keep big mo on our side.

Not a good finish

Mavs end up the quarter up by one, but it was an ugly end to the quarter. They're going to have to play better than this if they want to go up two games to one.

Need to finish first strong

There is a minute and a half left in the first quarter. They need to finish this strong. The last two minutes haven't been good.

Shaq looks tired

I was expecting an energized Shaq tonight, but he's looking really tired so far. Dirk just sat with two fouls and Van Horn is on for him. Uh oh.

Good Start

Mavs up by six and Riley has to take a time out. I'm not getting too excited yet, but things are looking good so far.

Prediction!

Give me the Mavs in tonight's game. I know a lot of people are picking the heat, but I'm thinking Mavs by seven!

Here we go!

Almost time to start game 2 of the NBA Finals. I hope Shaq isn't too upset by his performance on Thursday night or we could be in for a great deal of Diesel power tonight.

Haunted Cemetery near my new home

Here is a picture and a brief description of the Stonewall Cemetery that is located about half a mile from my parents house (where I'll be living for a while).

Stonewall Cemetery is located on Stonewall Cemetery Road, about ½ mile from US-22, outside Lancaster, Ohio (Hocking Township, Fairfield County). The coordinates are 39° 41' 28.55" N, 82° 38' 22.9" W. Stonewall Cemetery a small family cemetery that is no longer active. The cemetery is kept locked to prevent vandalism. The inscription above the gate gives some history about the cemetery. It reads:
THIS WALL which encloses the family burying ground of NATHANIAL WILSON (one of the early Pioneers of the West who emigrated from Cumberland County, Pa. and settled near this place A.D. 1798 when all around was one continued & uninhabited wilderness) was commenced by him A.D. 1838 & finished in the following year by his son GUSTIN the former having suddenly died May 12 1839.

The technique used to construct Stonewall Cemetery is amazing. The angles in the wall were cut into each individual stone. This is a one of a kind cemetery, there is not another one like it anywhere. The Fairfield County parks ordered the Lebanon cedar that is planted inside. These trees are very difficult to find, and this one replaced the original one. I was told that the entrance faces the Polaris. The North star is exactly over the arch. The cemetery is also known to be haunted. Legend has it that if you walk around the top of the cemetery's wall thirteen times at night flames will shoot up and you'll be pulled into hell! Dala, a website visitor and Vice President of the Pisgah Cemetery Association in Perry County, Ohio e-mailed me another legend about the cemetery. When Dala was a teenager she and three or four of her friends drove out to the cemetery one night from New Lexington, Ohio. Her friend's boyfriend told them that if you sat on the wall and lit 3 matches a ghost would knock you off the wall. Dala's friends hoisted her and her friend Kim up on the wall and they lit three matches. However, they were disappointed because nothing knocked them off the wall...I think I would have been happy about that! :) A big thanks to Dala for sharing her story with me!!

Information courtesy of http://www.graveaddiction.com/stonewall.html

I'm starting to feel it a bit ...

I think all of the changes coming up for me are finally starting to sink in. The last couple of days, I think I've really started to realize how different my life is about to become. Everything I know is about to change. In less than two weeks, I'll be living in a new state with no job to speak of. I haven't been without a job since 1992. The more I think about it, the weirder it sounds. I'm not doubting my decision at all - I still believe it to be the right one, just grasping the realities of it. I've got five days left at work and then it'll be time to get a move on to Ohio. There are a few people I would have liked to see before time to move, but I know everyone has their own things going on, so maybe I'll be able to catch up with them the next time I come down to Texas to visit. That's all for now!

Can I get a sidebar here?

Channel 8 is doing their after-game newscast from outside the AAC. While this might seem like a good idea, I believe it is not. They audio is awful and they look like idiots reading news stories in their casual clothes in front of a crowd of thousands.

Nice win!

Mavs with a 10-point victory. Only three wins to go for an NBA Championship!

Mavs with a decent lead with one minute left!

Damp just sent Shaq to the line - nice move. Shaq is o for the game for free throw makes.

Terry hot and cold in the fourth

Big threes and free throws, but some silly plays too. Hopefully they don't come back to haunt us. Damp going to the line after being fouled on the three-point line (what?).

This is not good

Mavs only up by three now and Devin Harris can't make a free-throw. The rest of the team can't make anything.

Scary!

Mavs had a nice, big 10-point lead, but it is now down to 6. Gotta get back to making good decisions and we can't blow any more open layups.

End three - Mavs lead, but not by much

Mavs by two at the end of the third quarter. Heat keeps sticking around. I don't like it.

Could be trouble for the Heat

Haslem with four fouls is good news for the Mavs, bad news for the Heat. Nice to see Dirk knocking Wade on his butt too.

Mavs lead at the half!

Dirk ends his drought with a big shot at the buzzer. Mavs lead 46-44 at the half! I love this game!

Tie Game!

Mavs tie it at 44 with 27.7 left. Heat are 12-0 when leading at the half. We cannot let them lead.

What an effort

Mavs have done a great job getting back into this game. Let's see how they finish this quarter.

Terry the hero so far

Dirk's been pretty bad so far, but Terry is lighting it up.

Wade is good

Can't let him have 13 points each quarter or this won't be much of a series. On another note, Dirk cannot throw a bad inbounds pass again in this series. This isn't game number 28 of the regular season -- this is the NBA Finals!

Gotta get J-Ho shooting better

Josh's shot isn't looking so good right now. Gotta get him to the rim and get his confidence going. We've got to get him to 20 points afterall.

Shaq travels

Can it be? A traveling call on big Diesel?

This is intense

Heat lead by 2 now. This is very nerve-racking, even in the first quarter.

Finals are on!

Mavs/Heat going down right now. This is amazing. I can't believe I'm actually watching this. Mavs up by one early on.

I finally saw it ... (X-Men spoiler alert)

... X-Men - The Last Stand that is. I can't believe it took me almost two weeks from the opening to see this movie. If you haven't seen the movie yet and are planning on it, you probably don't want to read this post.

I really enjoyed this movie. There were some really cool mutants that haven't been in the other two movies in this one and some of the ones that have been in the other films were really able to shine in this one.

I enjoyed getting to see Kitty Pryde play a big role in this movie - her battle with Juggernaut was great! Bobby Drake (Iceman) also got to be "iced up" in this one, which was cool. I thought Rogue was pretty useless in this film however. I also thought that having Psylocke in the movie was stupid. They never even got her into the action before she was turned into dust by Dark Phoenix.

Wolverine got to cut people up real good and Storm finally gets to fly and put her powers to good use.

I've got to say I was somewhat shocked by the demise of both Cyclops and Professor Xavier. I really didn't mind that they killed off Cyclops because I think he is a big whiner (like Tim Duncan), but I didn't like the killing of Charles.

All in all, I thought this was a fun action, comic book movie, but not nearly as good as the second X-Men film. They are planning a Wolverine movie, but I would also like to see them do something with all the younger X-Men. I think a good movie could be made using just Iceman, Shadowcat, Colossus and Rogue (maybe adding in some others we haven't seen much of, like Jubilee).

I give X-Men - The Last Stand 4 out of 5 stars.

Big Changes Upcoming ...

Well, I might as well get this out in public. On June 21, I'm moving from Texas to Ohio. My folks moved up there in April and I feel like I should be closer to them and that it is time for a change in my life. I'm turning in my two-week notice at work tomorrow and my last day there will be Friday, June 16. I'm renting a U-Haul trailer and my parents are driving down with their Lincoln Aviator to tow the trailer back up there. This was the right time for me to make this move, as my lease on the apartment ends at the end of June and I'm doing okay financially right now, so I can afford to be without a job for a little while. I'm planning on taking a couple of months off once I get up to Ohio so I can get my bearings in a new town/situation and so I can enjoy a little time off before getting started in a new career path. I'm both scared and excited about this. I'm going to miss all of my friends and co-workers, but this is the right choice for me to make at this time.

That's it then!

Mavs win! Mavs in six! Mavs face off against the Heat, starting on Thursday. What a season!

Git er done!

Mavs take this one. They played some defense tonight. Mavs with by seven and they hold Phoenix under 100.

Missed free throws

Stack one of two from the line, Mavs up five with 36+ seconds left. They're going to have to keep fouling, so we're going to need to start making these consistenly. We've left too many points on the line tonight. Devin has got to improve his free throw shooting.

Defense ... defense ... defense

Mavs up four with 38 seconds to play. They just gaveup a huge three pointer to Tim Thomas. Stack to the line.

Terry out of bounds

That could be a huge turnover. Mavs up seven with 48 seconds left.

Mavs up six - time out Suns!

Blow me up dog!

Mavs picking up the pace defensively

Mavs have been playing stronger defense the last few minutes. Hopefully that'll play out the rest of this game. Mavs lead by 4 points on a Terry jumper.

Mavs tie it up!

Dirk with the fade shot - good! Mavs tie it up!

Playing Mavs pace, but not getting the job done

The Mavs should be winning this game if you think that pace wins games. Mavs down two with 9:45 to play.

After three quarters - Mavs down by two

Mavs can just not finish a quarter with any mometum. We need another big quarter by Dirk to get us out of this game with a win. If we don't take this one, things are not looking good for the Mavs in this series.

Second half adjustments

The Mavs need to knock Steve Nash's butt to the floor hard at the beginning of the second half. They need to show him that they're not playing around and they are willing to knock him around. How Nash goes, so go the Suns. They held Marion to 8 in the first half, so they need to keep the clamps on him. They also need to keep the pace closer to what they did in the first part of the first half as opposed to game one and the last couple of minutes of the second quarter.

Not good

Mavs did not effectively end the quarter. A blown possesion and a three-pointer by Tim Freaking Thomas and then a quick layup by Nash. Mavs down by five at the half.

One minute left in the half and the Mavs have lost the lead

Mavs were holding the Suns down by five to seven points, but they went on a run and now lead by two with a little over a minute left to play in the first half. Mavs need to finish strong on both sides of the court to end the half. This can be the place in the game that makes or breaks a Mavs victory.

David Hasselhoff

Good to see the Knight Rider at the Mavs game tonight. He's in the house rooting on his biggest (7-foot) fan, Dirk.

Howard is looking great

You can't even tell that Josh Howard has a bone bruise on his ankle. He's already got 10 points and he is looking nimble on the court. That is a good sign for the Mavs. Mavs by 8 with seven minutes left in the second quarter.

Mavs Up Five After One

The Mavs lead 22 - 17 after one quarter. This is a good sign as the Mavs managed to hold Phoenix to under 20 points in the quarter. The pace seems to be working to the Mavs' advantage as well. Diop, Dirk and Howard have been strong in the quarter.

Another Nail Biter

Mavs up one with a little over four seconds left. Defense on this last Suns chance will tell if the Mavs win or lose the one. I'm scared!

Western Conference Finals begin tonight!

After spending the last two days trying to get the excitement from the Mavs win over SA out of my system, it is now time to get into round 3 of the Western Conference playoffs. Tonight begins the Mavs series with the Suns and former Mav, Steve Nash. I'm a huge Nash fan, but I really hope he scores like 8 points tonight and has 12 turnovers (not gonna happen, but hey, I can wish). This should be another great series, but I doubt anything can top the Mavs/Spurs series as far as excitement goes. Anyway, go Mavs!

Game 1 - Wednesday

Game one of the conference finals for the Mavs starts on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. central. It'll be an interesting match-up with either the Suns or the Clippers (I'm hoping for the Clippers).

That's it - Mavs in Seven

Now we wait to see if we face the Suns or the Clippers. Nice job by the Mavs. Dirk, Terry, Diop, Stackhouse - all huge.

Halftime - Mavs Up By 14

I'm liking it - but the Spurs did get a little run there at the end. The Mavs will have to tighten the defense in the second half.

Dirk's a man!

He just took it to the rim and got an and one. Excellent move. Mavs up by 20 with three minutes left.

Mavs are into it tonight

Mavs up by 16 well into the second quarter. I love this game!

So I was wrong!

My prediction proves false. Mavs can't recover from their mistakes and lose game six. The series moves back to San Antonio on Monday night and that favors the Spurs for sure. This might have been the end of the best shot for the Mavs to move on to a conference finals.

Not good ...

Mavs have the ball, down three, with 26 seconds left to play. It's not looking good here folks. Mavs have screwed up too many posessions in the fourth quarter.

Devin's jumper gives the Mavs the one point lead ...

Mavs up by one with a little over 3 minutes left to play. It's win or go home for the Spurs and I say it is time for the Spurs to go fishing!

Tight!

Mavs down two with just a little over nine minutes left. This is going to be another close one!

Mavs/Spurs all even through three quarters

Well, it is like a whole new ballgame now with the Mavs and Spurs tied at 67 at the end of three quarters. They've got one quarter to make my prediction come to fruition. Go Mavs!

My Prediction Stands

Jason Terry or no Jason Terry, my prediction - Mavs in six - stands. I think the suspension of Jason Terry can actually work as an advantage for the Mavs. What's the staring lineup going to be now? Will Stackhouse start, will Daniels start, will Van Horn start? Will it be small-ball or big-ball? Nobody will know until just before tipoff tomorrow night and that can be an advantage for Avery's team. My opinion is that Daniels should start and Stack and Van Horn still come off the bench to provide some offensive pop off the bench. Whatever happens, I believe it will still be a great game and the Mavs end up taking this series in six!

Mavs win ... almost

Game 5 is over and the Mavs had a chance to win it at the end, but came up just a few inches short. Another amazing game, down to the wire. Game six on Friday in Dallas is sure to be another crowd-pleaser. My prediction of Mavs in 6 is still a distinct possibility. It is certainly amazing how close all of these games (except game 2) have been. It's really too bad somebody (the Spurs) has to lose.

Mavs Win, Mavs Win!!

Dallas wins over San Antonio in OT. I guess the Mavs could win it in five now, but I'm sticking with six. I hope I'm wrong and it goes five, but I like the Spurs at home on Wednesday night. Big games from Stack, Dirk, Devin and Terry tonight. Go Mavs!

Tonight's Mavs Game

Here it is - my bold prediction. Dallas bests San Antonio by at least 12 points tonight. Mark it down. Big nights from Josh Howard and Jason Terry and decent nights by Dirk and Devin. My prediction of Mavs in 6 stands.

Write it down - Mavs in 6 over the Spurs

Mavs win over the Spurs tonight, so the series is 2-1 Dallas. Before the game, I predicted Mavs in six, so I think that'll stand after tonight's big win. It was a tough one, but they pulled it out in the end. They missed too many free throws again and still managed to win. If they make their free throws, they should win games with a little less drama. On another note, I believe Tim Duncan has become the biggest whiner in the NBA. If you believe him, then he has never commited a foul in his life.

I'm still here

Just wanted to post that I'm still alive and kicking. Just haven't had much to talk about on here lately. My parents have moved away from Texas and are settling in to Ohio life. My mom went and saw her new doctor in Ohio and they are cutting her chemo treatments from 12 to 8, so she's only got 1 or 2 to go (they did some tests and they didn't detect any cancer at this point). My brother, roommate and I are driving up there in late May to visit for a week. Should be interesting - my brother's dog is going with us!

A Good Day!

Today is a good day. My mom went to get a CT Scan done last Thursday to check to see how her cancer tumor in her liver was reacting to the chemo. She went to see the oncologist today and her told her that there is now no sign of the tumor. The chemo is working. She's gone through five of the 12 treatments so far. This is a good sign, and although she will still have to do the last seven treatments, she can be happy that it is actually working and it isn't being done for nothing. So, today is a good day!

Movie Review - Fun With Dick and Jane

I went to the movies on Friday and saw the new release - Fun With Dick and Jane. I thought the previews seemed really funny, so I was a little surprised with some of the seriousness of the movie. Jim Carrey is hilarious as usual and the movie does have its funny moments. I recommend saving this one for DVD in a few months or taking in a matinee. I give Fun With Dick and Jane three out of five stars.

Happy Holidays!

I know I'm a little late, but I wanted to with everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday season! I hope everyone is doing well. I'll update again soon.

Another update

My mom's been home for over a week now. She's recovering remarkable well from this surgery (a lot better than the last time). I've been on vacation this week, so we've been doing some shopping and watching some Christmas shows and stuff like that.

She went to the chemo doctor on Tuesday and found out this is a very aggressive cancer. She starts chemo in 2 - 3 weeks and she'll be going in for treatment every other Monday for six months. It's going to be hard on her, but we expect she'll do great! She's so strong. The doctor said she'll lose her hair and she'll already got a prescription for a wig (who knew they prescribed wigs?). They say she'll go in for 3 1/2 - 4 hours every other Monday and wear a chemo pack home. Then on Wednesday, she goes back in to make sure the drugs all went through. The doctor said she'll probably feel sick for a few days, but the off weeks should be okay. She's not looking forward to that, but she knows she's got to do it to get better.

Well, that's all I've got for now. If I don't get back to the blog before Sunday, Merry Christmas to everyone!!

Update

My mom's surgery went well on Thursday. She's resting in the hospital now and will probably be there until Monday or Tuesday. The colon cancer has been taken care of. It didn't go outside the wall of the colon, so that is excellent news. They found some cancer in the liver though, so we're not through this yet. She's going to start chemo in about 2 weeks to slow down/reverse the liver cancer and then in about 3 - 6 months she'll go in for another surgery to remove whatever is left of the tumor in the liver. She's handling it very well and we all know how strong she is, so we know she'll beat this thing. She's got great doctors, which makes all the difference in the world.

One of life's little detours

Well, my mom is sick again. She did really well in recovering from her surgery to remove ovarian cancer, but now she's been diagnosed with colon cancer. She found this out during a routine test two days before Thanksgiving. She's having surgery to remove the cancer this coming Thursday. She's got great doctors and is having the surgery at a fine hospital. The doctor who is doing the surgery is optimistic and my family and I all feel like she's going to be fine once they get that stuff out of her.

My grandparents (her parents) are in town from Ohio to be here with her and to help out once she gets out of the hospital (the doctor says it should be a 6 or 7 day stay).

So, if you read this and it is something you do, please say a little prayer for my mom and the rest of my family. Thanks!!

Well, I guess I have to grow up now!

That's right - it's time to grow up! About two weeks ago, I was promoted to Editorial Supervisor at my job. I now have four people (five once I hire my replacement) that report directly to me. I've been at my job for almost seven years now, so I think the time is right. I haven't had any major catastrophes yet (knock on wood), so I guess things are going well so far. I haven't fired anyone and nobody has quit on me yet, so that's a plus. Once I figure out how to fit everything I need to do in a week, I'll be all set. I go to New Jersey for some training next month - nothing like New Jersey in the middle of December I bet! That's all for now, just wanted to rant a bit. Good night!

Yes, I'm a slacker

Well, it's been over a month since I've posted and what can I say? I haven't really done anything that interesting. I did go see the 40 Year Old Virgin over the Labor Day weekend. It was okay. Pretty raunchy though. Not a movie you want to see with your parents or anything. I for whatever reason still haven't seen Dukes of Hazard and it is no longer playing at the theater I go to. I guess I'll be waiting for the DVD.

I'm looking forward to the new fall television season starting up in a couple of weeks. I'm especially looking forward to seeing where they take Lost in season 2. I'm also looking forward to seeing how Joey starts off. A friend of mine said that they were re-vamping Joey this season because they character had lost the feel of Joey from Friends. Hopefully it works out. That is one of those shows I've continued to watch just because I feel a loyalty to the character.

Well, that's about all I've got for tonight. Until next time!

Movie Review - I, Robot

Tonight's movie selection was I, Robot starring Will Smith. This is another of those movies that I kind of wanted to go see when it hit theaters, but just never did do it (I guess I really didn't want to see it that bad huh?). I really like Will Smith, so it would have been hard for me not to like this movie. Robots are generally pretty cool too, so that helps as well.

I, Robot was set in the year 2035 and everything has changed. Robots live among the humans and even serve as the FedEx deliverypeople. Smith doesn't trust them and throughout the movie, you find out why. This is a pretty good action flick and it won't leave you bored. If you kind of like sci-fi and enjoy action movies, check it out. I give I, Robot three and a half out of five stars. Coming up soon will be a review of Lawrence of Arabia (with an almost 4 hour run-time, I'm not sure when I'll be getting to it).

Car Payments Forever?

Well, I've purchased a new vehicle (the picture on the left is what it looks like, but that is off the Mitsubishi web site, not my actual vehicle). I had only had my Dodge Ram 1500 for a little over two years, but gas prices and bad fuel economy were really getting to me. That V8 engine just drank the gas. With all of the employee pricing and various other car ads on the radio and television so much lately, I figured I would go see what I could get done.

Initially, I was thinking about a Chevy Equinox, or possibly a Mercury Mariner. I really wanted to move into a small SUV-type vehicle. Well, on Friday night, after all of the dealerships closed, I went to walk the lots to see what was out there. I went by the Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Jeep and Nissan dealers and nothing really impressed me all that much.

The last lot I checked out was the Mitsubishi dealer. I had thought about the Misubishi Outlander when I was looking at stuff on the internet, but from the pictures, I thought it looked too much like a station wagon. Once I saw them in person, I knew I had been wrong. This is a sharp looking little SUV. They had a graphite/greenish/greyish XLS model that I really liked. I decided that I would come back the next morning to check it out. Unfortunately, by the time I got there, somebody was already in the process of buying it. I was bummed out, but decided to look around the lot a little more. Then I noticed that there was a Blue XLS Outlander that I hadn't seen the night before. I have been wanting to buy a blue car for about 10 years now, so I think it was fate that the graphite one had been sold.

Long story short, after three and a half hours at the dealership, the Outlander was mine and I'm now loving it. It sits higher than a car, looks great and it pretty much fully loaded. It's amazing what a better ride it gives than my truck did.

Double dose of movie reviews

First up for this round of reviews is 2004's The Terminal, a romantic comedy starring Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta Jones. I remember this moving hitting theaters last year, but I don't remember there being much buzz about it. I know I remember thinking it might be worth seeing, but then figuring I would just wait for the DVD. Well, the DVD finally arrived thanks to NetFlix and I must say, it was a pretty entertaining film.

The Terminal has a fun cast of characters besides Jones and Hanks. As seen in the photo accompanying this review, there was a character named Gupta, played by Kumar Pallana. I thought Gupta stole the show (I mean come on, the guy is performing with rings at their table in the photo!). If you get a chance to see The Terminal, I recommend it. I give The Terminal 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Up next is The Maltese Falcon, starring Humphrey Bogart. I'm really becoming a fan of Bogart's movies, but I don't think this one measures up very well to Casablanca. I thought The Maltese Falcon was very hard to follow plot-wise. That being said, it did keep my attention and I did like the acting. Peter Lorre is just fun to watch. He's so evil-looking and sounding and just plays the part of the creep really well. I've got to say that Mary Astor doesn't hold a candle to Ingrid Bergman, but I guess a lot of actresses don't. If you haven't seen The Maltese Falcon, check it out sometime, but make sure you're paying attention, or you might get lost. I give The Maltese Falcon 3 out of 5 stars.

Movie Review - Casablanca

Last nights' movie selection was the classic - Casablanca. Casablanca stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in a story of love and war. I went into this movie thinking I would be bored through the entire film, but that wasn't the case.

I really enjoyed this movie. It was an excellent story with some twists and turns and featured great acting. I think Sam may have been my favorite characer in the film. A movie like this makes me glad that I've decided to mix in some classics with current films in my DVD watching.

In my opinion, Casablanca gets 4 out of 5 stars and should be a must-see film for anybody that is interested in the movies. Coming up next will be The Terminal, starring Tom Hanks.

Yet another movie review - The Day After Tomorrow

Tonight's movie selection was 2004's The Day After Tomorrow starring Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal. This was another of those movies that I thought I'd like to see when it came out, but just never got around to it. After seeing this movie on DVD, I think that was a big mistake.

Seems like the effects make this movie and you just don't get the full experience you would get at the theater on the 32-inch TV. I liked the movie well enough, but I think it was one that should have been seen in all its glory on the 30-foot screen.

Besides a few unbelievable parts, I've really got nothing to complain about. It was a pretty fun movie and Sela Ward is still hot at the age of 49.

If you haven't seen it, check it out. Its worth checking out, if for nothing else the environmental message. I give The Day After Tomorrow 3 out of 4 stars.

Fantastic Four movie review

Yes, another movie review. It's hot outside - what else am I going to do? Today I went and saw Fantastic Four, which by the way, is the number one movie in America for the weekend.

If you're looking for a dark, moody movie like Batman Begins, don't see this movie. If you like fun little action movies based on comic books, check it out.

Personally, I love comic book movies, so this was a treat for me. I'm not saying it is a movie of epic proportions or anything like that, just saying it was a fun movie. The critics are having a field day with bashing it, but they probably don't even know who the Fantastic Four are.

As a comic book guy, I thought the casting was good, especially in the case of Johnny Storm (Human Torch) and Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic). I could have used a darker version of Dr. Doom, but you can't have everything. This movie is pretty much an origin story and is obviously the jumping off point for one or more sequels.

This was not my favorite comic book movie, but it is in the top 10 (and if you think about it, there have been a lot of comic book based movies). It is nowhere close to the two Spider-Man movies or the two X-Men movies, but I feel like it was two hours well spent. I give Fantastic Four 3 out of 5 stars.

Punisher movie review

Okay, as a comic book and action movie guy, you would have thought I would have seen this film before it hit DVD, but that wasn't the case. I wanted to see this movie when it was in theaters, but I never got around to it and quite frankly, I forgot it was even out on DVD.

When browsing through the titles at NetFlix, I noticed it and remembered that I actually wanted to see it and am I glad I did! This movie is jam packed with action from beginning to end. It didn't do so great at the box office, but I thought it was a really fun action flick. Lots of gratuitous killing, but anyone that knows the character of the Punisher knows that would be essential in any film adaptation.

The story focuses on undercover agent Frank Castle, who is retiring and is ready to settle down with his wife and child. Well, let's just say that his plans are permanently put on hold and Castle's life changes forever. One good thing about this film is that you actually have to think a little. The questions of good and evil aren't as evident as they normally are in an action movie. Your views determine if the Punisher is a hero or just a villain.

The acting was not great, but I thought Thomas Jane made a fine Punisher. In a movie like this, you don't expect the actors to be vying for any Oscars. If you haven't seen the Punisher and you like action movies - check it out, I think you'll enjoy it. That's it for tonight. I give the Punisher 4 out of 5 stars.

Stay tuned for the next review - The Day After Tomorrow (that's the movie, not when I'll be doing the review)

Movie Review - Collateral

Tonight's movie selection was the Tom Cruise, Jaime Foxx thriller Collateral. I'll be honest here, I'm a bit biased against the lunatic, Tom Cruise, but I figured I would give this movie a shot. I thought the movie started off a bit slow, but there was nothing during the slow part that wasn't needed for the ending of the movie, so I guess I can live with that. I felt like I really got into the movie about an hour and ten minutes into the one hour and 55 minute film. I did think that Cruise did a pretty good job playing the crazy sociopath. Overall, if you like action thrillers, I say give Collateral a shot. It's not a great movie, but it doesn't make you want to turn off the DVD player either. I give it 2 1/2 out of five stars.

Yet another movie review

Over the long weekend, I found time to watch one of the NetFlix movies I have out. I stopped down to check out Citizen Kane. For the longest time, I've heard that this is one of the best movies ever made. After watching it, I've decided that I just don't understand the finer points of making a movie because I thought it sucked. I felt like I'd just lost two hours of my life that I could never get back. I'm sure some of you that have seen this film will disagree with me, but I put it in the top ten worst movies I've ever seen. So, my first trip down "I should see this movie because it is a classic and it is supposed to be one of the best of all times" lane was a complete failure. Next up for the classics is Casablanca, which I'm sure will be a big snoozefest.

Happy Independence Day!

Hope everyone is having a great 4th of July.