More of my bullshit

Who is your favorite Beatle? Not that I have one, but I would pick John.
What is one of your favorite Beatle songs? Key word there is "one of," because I have so many. The whole 2nd side of Abbey Road, Most of the White Album, and all of Rubber Soul.
Best/Worst cover of a Beatles song How about I show you:

Best song by a Beatle after the breakup "Imagine." bar none. Well maybe "Back Off Bugaloo." Just kidding :) "Imagine" sums up perfectly hope for a better world amid so much turmoil. Lennon was talking about early 70s turmoil, which is different than the current day turmoil, which is different than future turmoil. Despite that, the words fit perfect. As a writer, you hope your words are timeless and enduring. Very few songs resonate like "Imagine" in that respect. Prince's "Sign O' The Times" comes close. Also, Paul McCartney had a string of great solo tunes as well. "Live And Let Die," and "Maybe I'm Amazed" are among the best. Both of those sound amazing live. I put those tunes in the playlist, hit play on the cassette to the right to hear them.
Are you a talker or a listener? Is it ever possible to really be both? Absolutely not. When you're running your mouth, you can't absorb anything. I am a listener, I don't talk much. You can get more information that way. Ben Franklin I think once said, "The ear should be sharper than the tongue."
Do you think God has a sense of humor? Aw hell yeah. I am living proof!
Do you believe in love at first sight? Have you ever experienced it? Yes and yes.

What about you? Hit comments and release your inner Lance Brumder.

At The Movies

After watching the Academy Awards some months ago, I decided I would use my knowledge of the internet's backroads to watch some of these honored flicks in an effort to be more cultured. Since then, I've seen some of the movies that got the most buzz. I don't know if the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominating committees were watching the same movies, but the ones I've watched... suck.
Here now is my rundown of a few movies that Oscar cheered, but Chas kinda jeered:
Juno: Won for best original screenplay, the only win of its 4 nominations. Slang-slinging teen misfit learns life lessons while pregnant. The writing was pretty good, despite trying to crow-bar in the teenspeak. The acting was well-done, but the story just kinda dragged. The music to me sounded all the same. I think they hired the first granola chick at the local liberal arts college who played guitar to shit out a few songs. At the end I was just thinking, "So what?"
There Will Be Blood: Won two of its eight Oscar nods, one for best actor Daniel Day Lewis, and the other for best cinematography. There will be boredom. By the end of the 6-to-7 hour movie I was going to demand my money back. I couldn't exaclty do that, so I was going to find Paul Thomas Anderson and waste 6-to-7 hours of his life. Maybe ask him Dirk Diggler questions. I should've known better after watching two of his other movies, "Magnolia" and "Punch Drunk Love." They both sucked major ass. Anyway, the plot on this clunker went nowhere: a Sleazy oilman and his son shiester a small town. I was pleading with the movie gods to please make something happen. It just dragged on and on and on. The dialogue was sparse, and not compelling. The characters had moments where they were interesting, but the momentum then fizzled. For example, the soft-spoken preacher guy was pretty boring the whole movie, then all of a sudden he's this charasmatic evangelist who was healing in the church. I was left thinking, 'where the hell did that come from?' And contrary to popular belief, Daniel Day Lewis can't cover up his british accent. He just sounds fake in this and in "Gangs of New York." I don't know why Hollywood swings on this guy's nuts... or the nuts of this film.
Sicko: Nominated for best documentary feature. I like Michael Moore, but this thing was a fill-in-the-blank documentary for him. It gave a little more credence to his critics who say you can slant something to make it look however you want. Plus it was so anti-American it made my stomach turn. Don't phone it in Mike, you're better than that.
Michael Clayton: Tilda Swinton Won Best Supporting Actress for the film, the only winner among its 6 nominations. Good film, however it's not without its flaws. It's way too long, and the dialogue just drags and drags. Too much needless conversation. Overall the movie was engaging, and kept me interested until the end. That Tilda Sinton woman who got the Oscar was barely in it, and I didn't think her performance was anything special... and she kinda freaked me out cuz she's reminds me of those old concentration camp newsreels. George Clooney should've gotten an Oscar for this film.
American Gangster: Nominated for best art direction and Ruby Dee was nominated for best supporting actress Good film, lots of action. I like gangster films, and this fits in well with the classics. Denzel should've been nominated here. You can see the anger that's boiling just below his cool exterior, and when it blows, it's spectacular. It had a happy ending that I thought was a bit cheezy. Russell Crowe CANNOT do a Jersey accent. It's just impossible. He should stick to gladiator movies. The writing was good and the character development was good as well. I agree with the art direction nod, everything in it looked like the 70s and early 80s. The cars, the clothes, etc. They looked like that era, but not too cliche. I don't get the Ruby Dee nomination, she was barely in it, and she plays the same old lady she's been playing since 'Do The Right Thing.'
BONUS: 2006 FILM I SAW LAST NIGHT:
Little Miss Sunshine: Won two of four nominations: Best screenplay and Alan Arkin won best supporting actor. Imagine if you got the most boring professor you had in college, then told him to remake "National Lampoon's Vacation." You would get "Little Miss Sunshine." A hapless dad takes his know-it-all wife, weird kids, and strange family members on a cross-country trip in a silly vehicle. Can't miss, huh? Oh yeah. I chuckled exactly 3 times in this movie. The only bright spot is Alan Arkin's cursing grandpa (the Aunt Edna of the trip, he even dies halfway through like Aunt Edna!). But you get no sense of why he's an old coot. The characters' exposition should weave into the story... but it doesn't. I think by the end of a movie, the characters should have changed in some way. In this movie, they did... and that's the one good thing I can say about it.

Now my usual caveat, this is my opinion I welcome yours, hell, I'm pleading for it! Hit comments and release your inner Peter Travers.

Back In Black

1. Who's the black sheep in your family? In my immediate family there's only 3 of us, so nobody. In my whole family, it would be my brother. He always ummm "did his own thing."
2. Do you take your coffee black? Nope. I put tons of cream and sugar. I need it smooth and full of caffeine.
3. Do you own a Blackberry? Nah, I don't need to be that in touch. I would get one if it didn't cost extra on your phone plan or if they gave me one at work. I asked for one, they said I didn't need one, and that they were not going to give me one just to play with. Overall, I'm enamored with gadgets, and I fight back the urge to get one just for the sake of having it.
4. Which black forest would you rather eat - cake or ham? Cake, definitely cake. Ham is good, but it ain't cake.
5. Have you ever had a black eye? Nope, I'm a lover not a fighter.

See Ya George

George Carlin died yesterday. I'm kinda sad. I met him once in December 2004 at a book signing. He was a dick to me. I walked up and said, "Hi, I'm Chas" as I handed him my book, to which he replied, "I don't personalize nothin!" Then when I asked if I could take a picture with him he said, "Sure, but I usually don't look up." As you can see, he didn't look up. Then I got home and started reading the book. It sucked. Why would I say less than flattering things about a guy who just died? Because George was a "call it like you see it" kind of guy, and would want no less. If someone is a dick, call them a dick... not a "personality-challenged individual." Just listen.
Despite that one bad experience, I have loved his comedy since the early 80s when, as an impressionble youth, would watch his HBO specials. Even as a kid I liked him because he not only made you laugh, he also made you think. Godspeed funnyman.

The story of my life

If you're at work, you'll wanna turn the sound down.
You're doing your best, working you ass off, then a bug flies into your mouth.
Wait, that was wrong.

More of these things that you guys keep telling me you loooove!

1. How many days a week, on average, do you eat breakfast? I eat breakfast every day. Six days a week its toast to go, cuz I don't have time to eat.
2. If you eat a breakfast that involves actual cooking, what are most likely to prepare for yourself? Every once in a while I'll fry a couple of eggs.
3. If you eat a breakfast that requires no cooking, what are you most likely to choose for yourself? Toast, cereal, sometimes instant oatmeal.
4. Take the quiz: What Kind of Cereal Are You?

You Are Cheerios

Like other Cheerios eaters, you want to be a responsible adult. But you can't help but still be a kid at heart! You try to make good decisions. You're a clean cut, conscientious person. You're the type of person who would never skip breakfast. Part of you thinks that breakfast is too important to miss... But a bigger part of you knows it's too fun to miss!

What Kind of Cereal Are You?

That's funny, cuz I don't like Cheerios.
5. When you eat pancakes, how many do you typically place in a stack?4
6. How do you like your pancakes: with butter/margarine or without, and what flavor of syrup? Butter and regular ole maple syrup.
What do you think? Hit comments and release your inner Tony the Tiger.

Word Association

The first song/artist/album that comes to mind when you see these colors:
Pink: Aerosmith's tune of that name.
Purple: Rain
Blue: -s Brothers
White: Lines (old school rap song)
Gold: Band Of..
Silver: Maxwell's Hammer, The Beatles
Green: Day
Yellow: Submarine, The Beatles
Red: 99 Balloons
Brown: James,the Godfather of Soul

I added these songs to the playlist, hit play on the cassette to the right for more badass JamZ, then hit comments and leave your favorite color songs/artist/album and release your inner Barry White or Jackson Brown.