Show Stuffs: BEER TASTE TEST

mmmmm.....beeeer

If you live in Orlando, then you probably know about Total Wine and Spirits (@total_wine). It's the MECCA of liquor/wine stores. It is bigger than the size of walgreens and has every single alcoholic beverage known to man.

They also have an insane collection of beer. An entire aisle is devoted to single bottled beer from everywhere across the globe. You can create your own six pack and the prices are pretty good per beer ($1.00 - $2.50).

So I decided to grab a few randomly for myself and the boys to try during the show on Friday. A bit of a taste test if you will. There were 5 of us that tested the beers and rated them on a scale of 1-10.

Virgin Islands Tropical Mango Pale Ale

Brewed in Portland, ME

4.5% alc.

First Place

Total Score: 32/50

High numbers across the board. It would be hard not to like this beer, because it doesn't really taste like beer. It's girlie but has a little bite to it.

BELL's Kalamazoo Stout

Brewed in Comstock, MI

6% alc.

Second Place

Total Score: 29/50

Came in a close second. This is technically a dark beer but had a nice clean taste to it. Not too strong, not too filling. Everyone enjoyed it.

Hazed and Infused Dry Hopped Ale

Brewed in Boulder, CO

4.85% alc.

Third Place

Total Score: 25/50

Aromatic. Average. It has a unique taste.

Abita Beer Purple Haze Raspberry Wheat Brew

Brewed in Abita Springs, LA

4.2% alc.

Fourth Place

Total Score: 23/50

Tastes like beer but with a hint of raspberry in it. It's nothing special, could be good with dinner. If you don't really like the taste of beer, this would be a good one.

Redhead Red Ale

Brewed in Dunedin, FL

5.2% alc.

Fifth Place

Total Score: 17/50

2 really liked it, the other 3, hated it. Guess this has an acquired taste. Brewed in Dunedin, so that's cool!

Dogfish Head Burton Baton Indian Pale Ale

Brewed in Milton, DE

10% alc.

Sixth Place

Total Score: 7/50

Yeah, everyone gave this a 0, except Nos and myself. It's 10% alcohol, which is brutal, but I didn't think it was terrible. If I was on a beer binge and had like 5 miller lites, I could probably handle this. This is a beer drinkers beer for sure.

Weyerbacher Double Simcoe India Pale Ale

Brewed in Easton, PA

9% alc.

Last Place

Total Score: 1/50

Hahaha, we almost all lost our lunch on this one. This was the most disgusting beer that has touched our lips. Everyone hated it, Nos gave it a pity vote. Gasoline comes to mind when drinking this.

Check out the podcast of the last show here.

Later Skaters,

Jamie

jamie@theexperience.fm

www.twitter.com/JamieExp

Current Events - June 17, 2009

CH-CH-CH CHECK IT OUT!

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Emeril opened some restaurant called Tchoup Chop. What? I will never eat at a restaurant that I cannot pronounce you arrogant bastard.

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Special Browser for my exams at school. So over the summer, im taking 4 classes. These are speeded up hybird courses, so one of the classes I have is an Online Class. I recently had to take my first online exam and was thrown for a loop when I was told I had to download a special browser in order to take the exam. A SPECIAL BROWSER??? Ive never seen anything like this before....so I downloaded it, whatever. It's called "Lockdown Browser". It's pretty much a browser that locks down your entire computer except for that browser with which your exam is in. This is obviously to prevent your computer from locking up or your browser crashing. I don't know what to think of it. But what I do know, is that Online Classes are a scam and should be half the price of normal classes.

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MentalFloss.com

I have searched the internet endlessly. I really thought I had searched it all....until I read an article on CNN that was linked to the sight MentalFloss.com. The name itself caught my eye. Genius. So I clicked and my life began. This is my website. This is what runs through my brain on almost a daily basis. Just RANDOM ASS SHIT. But interesting shit.

This is the best article i've read so far: http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs//archives/15131

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My Favorite Picture thus far this week:

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Global Warming - I will be posting a blog about this topic soon.....

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Iran Election

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QZ-Gb1Q8Ao

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Journalists in North Korea - Supposidly there is video of Euna and Laura crossing into N.K. I don't know....this story is so crazy.....they have been in N.K. since March 17th. WHY??? WHY??? WHY WOULD THEY BE SO STUPID TO TRY TO SNEAK OVER???? I don't know what to believe....

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,526581,00.html

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Microbe wakes up after 120,000 years in Ice?

Just an interesting read.

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Nebraska mom attempts to sell her kid on craigslist.

This bitch didn't actual try to sell her kid. She was a meth head, and said she needed someone to take the child before she did something stupid. I love how media distorts everything. There is a HUGE difference between this woman wanting to sell her kid OR give her kid up the only way she obviously knew how.....but yet the headline reads "Nebraska mom attempts to see her kid on craigslist".

Her ad said something along the lines of:

"the woman is a methamphetamine addict and the boy deserves a mom who is not an addict and her son needs help before she does something crazy."

THANK GOD, she wrote that on Craigslist. Or else, she probably would have just left the kid somewhere, or killed it. People who are addicted to drugs have no control. So instead of making them out to be monsters, let's fucking try to help them. Foxnews, I hate you for the way you titled this article. You pegged Craigslist as some sort of disgusting forum for perverts and child killers. This kid would probaby be dead if it wasn't for Craigslist.

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Psychedelic Kolidescope....enjoy

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HOAX OF THE DAY:

Man missing for like 50 years, ends up alive? I give this story....a week, week in a half. I CALL SHENNANIGANS.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/06/16/ny.missing.boy.mystery/index.html

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Taylor Swift Rapping - this is so cute, I want to barf. Im a fan of this chick. She's a good egg.

http://perezhilton.com/2009-06-17-taylor-swifts-thug-story

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Myspace is cutting 30% of their workforce (take note Facebook. This shit doesn't last forever).

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Perezhilton.com Reports:

There are very loud whisperings that Marc Jacobs will be wedding his Brazilian advertising executive of a fiance, Lorenzo Martone, sooner than later!

As in within the week!!!

The wedding is said to be taking place in Provincetown, Massachusetts, close to Robert Duffy's home (aka Jacobs' design partner).

Who cares right? I do. These two men are like a hot sandwich wrapped in some sexy bread. For all you ignorant phucks of the world who think gays should be treated like second-class citizens...look at this picture, these men are in LOVE. They LOVE each other. IT DOES NOT EFFECT YOUR LIFE WHATSOEVER. God damn, it seems so stupid to even try to explain it.

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Another Perezhilton.com Exclusive:

THE GAMING INDUSTRY IS DOING GREAT DESPITE THE ECONOMY

Yes, we know you're out there. You have no job, no money, basically no life, and you are sitting in your parent's basement right now playing Halo. (how eerily accurate this is, makes me wonder if Perez himself is a gamer?)

Well, congratulations, because of gamers like you, the video game industry has never looked better!

Reports are coming in that video games sales for the next five years are set to grow at 5.8% annually. In just in North America alone, video games sales are looking to reach $17.2 billion this year and growing to $21.6 billion in 2013.

Stefanie Kane, a partner at Pricewaterhouse Coopers' entertainment and media practice says "unlimited hours of fun" after a game is bought is one of the reasons that "cost-conscious consumers" will keep buying games even when the economy is bad.

Translation: You need something to do to fill the time between receiving the unemployment checks. (hahahahahaha, oh Perez, your so silly)

FYI: Success should also be attributed to teenage boys, nerds, and pot-heads. (again, lmao, and your success should be attributed too???).

Video Games have always been popular. ALWAYS. From the beginning of my life, I was playing Texas Instruments Hunt The Wumpus, Mario and Zelda. Although it might seem like a time waster, its fun. And wtf are we doing here, if not having fun?

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LOVE,

JAMIE

P.S. You can check out the podcast of last week's show here:

http://theexp.mypodcast.com/2009/06/The_Experience_June_12_2009-214695.html

WWW.THEEXPERIENCE.FM

TWITTER: @JamieExp

jamie@theexperience.fm

Xbox360: What I would change

Alright, so the E3 conference was a few weeks back. It's where a bunch of gamer nerds get together (Microsofts Xbox, Nintendo, Sony). They discuss new games, new products, new technology and it didn't fail to excite me.

I got to watch a majority of it live on justin.tv . Which is why I love the internet so much. I wasn't there, but I got to watch it fricking live. Anyway, so Xbox was first up at the week long conference. They spoke for HOURS...and didn't fail. I'm excited about alot of the new games, etc. I don't want to get into that. But I do want to tell you what I personally think would improve the xbox 360. As a user....an Avid User.

1) The new xbox live platform debuted not too long ago, and I really like it. It's smooth as hell and easy to navigate. I'd love to see more of a structured way of presenting information. All xbox users don't use the machine everyday. So when you add new game reviews, videos, etc. they get lost in the shuffle. If you put the time and/or date on the vids, it would be a lot easier to see what you've looked at and what you haven't.

2) Project Natal....can it. I already hate this idea. Unless they start marketing the Xbox for FAMILIES, there is no way this is going to work. The sample games they showed at the conference, the ball thing, it was ridiculous. They had this shit when WebCams first came out. Where you could play basketball with your hands, via webcam. It's a stupid idea. I could care less if I have to push my button controller or use my hands to move the menu. This is dumb and until motion sensors became INSANELY ACCURATE....this will never fly. (Nintendo Power Glove).

3) Get rid of the new Facebook shit. That's lame. Facebook is a dying entity just like Myspace. Its nice to update every once in a while, but its going to be used much less in the next few years. Keep twitter, that might be fairly relevant. But make a nice app that allows your gaming updates to be updated on twitter. Make sure it's in REAL TIME. Otherwise it's pointless. My laptop is two inches from me when im playing xbox. So if I can get twitters faster that way, then I wouldn't bother with twitter on xbox.

4) Game Rentals and full game Purchases. It's absolutely ridiculous to me that you can't rent video games on xbox live. It makes NO SENSE. Do you know how many more games I would rent and then buy, if I could rent them online? And i'm not talking about bs trial games....that is wack. I want to be able to play the game for a good 3 days. Not even a week. 3 days, and if I like it, I can buy the full version minus the rental price. YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THIS. I would have already this year bought Grand Theft Auto, Fable II, Halo Wars, Saints Row II and Oblivion....if I was given the option to rent it then buy it online. I don't care if it takes up space. When you release your new system, just make the space be larger. Then all you have to do is sell us SPACE and a platform to retrieve information (xbox live). Everything should be downloadable, and it should be downloadable RIGHT NOW. That is how you will kill all the rest of the platforms.

5) Massive Multiplayer Games. Fable II is an excellent game. There's quite a bit I would change on it, to make it less extensive but it's still a great game as it is. It's a cross between Zelda: Ocarnia of Time and Sims (two of the most POPULAR video game series in the world). I love this game. However, when me and an xbox live buddy of mine tried to play it via xbox live together, we realized it sucked. There are so many situations where being able to play in real time against real life opponents would be super easy to create. The main "world" should be completely multiplayer . Property should be realistic and conversations and interactions should be "limited" but extensive with another real life player. All you would have to do is create maps. The building and movement would be completely up to the player. It could realistically be infinite, but won't have to be because video gaming is a fairly small amount compared to the entire population of the world.

6) Media Sharing: You should be able to show what music your listening too. There should be an option. Along with which movie. And an immediate rating system so you can influence others on what your watching or listening too. It should be optional and easy to change, because Netflix has porn, so the dudes wouldn't want everyone seeing they are watching porn.

You should be able to link ANY computer to share your music. This is doable with Windows Media Player for free through a PC. It is not available on a Mac without a $20 download. That is bullshit. You need to make this shit compatible or people are going to sway.

7) MOVIES. Netflix and Xbox need to do a little merger. It's stupid to me that I pay for Netflix but don't get the option to see any CURRENTLY RELEASED MOVIES. There are two completely different systems for that. It's unnecessary. You need to join the two, allow for ALL movie rentals, for a monthly price or individual price (you should allow for individual price because otherwise you'll miss a huge market of people who do not buy into a monthly membership too easily).

8) AVATARS. Why you haven't expanded on this is beyond me. People who are gamers, like to have the ability to change shit. That's why everything is customizeable in games. You need to broaden our options, make it a little more realistic. Girls especially like doing this, and you could attract a nice brood of young chick gamers. It doesn't have to be crazy, but at least allow us to change our shirt colors and be able to wear flipflops.

Xbox needs to realize that the Xbox360 is a social network. It's where us gamers go to hang with people who like to game. This isn't possible anywhere else, but while we are gaming in real time. There isn't a forum, website or chatroom that will make it easier than being able to converse directly with people who are playing with you.

That is exactly what you need to improve on. You already have a HUGE leg up on the other platforms. Take Halo as an example of EXCELLENT multiplayer platforming.

You need to be less inventive when it comes to new technologies and focus on the technologies that you have. You need to have a rating system, a place where people can leave comments about games or at the very least, RATE THEM. Real time statistics of how many people are playing a certain game, so you know what is more popular or what you should be playing when it's 4am in the morning.

I could think of a million more things. Easy things. Things that are technologically available to us right now. You need to lay back before you jump forward.

Jamie

Movie Review: "The Hangover"

I haven't been to the movies in a while. Mainly because with high speed internet, you can watch movies online a week before they come to the theatre for free. But, I saw the previews for The Hangover a while back and decided I had to see it in the theatre. It was a brilliant concept and had some of my favorite actors in it.

I love Bradley Cooper, sexy piece of ass. Ed Helms is frickin hilarious in The Office and he killed it in this movie. Zack Galifianakis is one of the funniest guys on the planet. And Justin Bartha was amazing in the shitaceous movie Failure to Launch. I also just recently pegged him as who I think should play "Waldo" in the big screen movie version of Where's Waldo.

So, the movie is what it is. It's 4 dudes, who go to Vegas for one of the guys bachelor parties. One is single (zach), One is married with a kid (cooper), One is getting married (bartha) and one is in a HORRIBLE relationship with satan herself (helms).

The boys get wasted and don't remember anything from the night before and they have lost the groom.

Hilarity ensues.

It's not raunchy (until you see the closing credits). It's like Old School but with attractive younger guys (zing). Some of the scenes were almost completely predictable, but hilarious none the less. The audience laughed the entire time, and I literally had to catch my breath between laughing so much.

I won't tell you the cameo's but there are a few. It's a super funny movie and worth the money. No matter if you have kids, are older, younger, whatever, it's a movie that anyone would enjoy.

I give it 4 1/2 out of 5 Nuggets.

My History of Basketball

I watched the Magic lose to the Lakers tonight. I was nervous about it, I really wanted to see this team win, but I had a gut feeling that it was too early. We are a young team....I think next year is going to be a hundred times better and I can't wait.

I am not a hardcore sports fan. I don't know the specifics. It's not a hobby of mine. But I LOVE going to sporting events and have my whole life. Ive been to pro and college hockey, baseball, football, basketball, arena football, soccer, etc. games. I like the atmosphere, I like getting behind something and truly having it be a part of you. I like drinking beers while hangin at a bar watching a game. I just like the whole she-bang.

I had been into sports the entire time growing up. I played basketball from 2nd grade through High School and was pretty good at it, until I stopped growing at 5'2 and became way more interested in Snowboarding and smoking cigaretters. I also made it to State in the 100m Hurdles in track. Woop.

I love competetion. And I grew up outside of Detroit, Michigan. I had the Red Wings, The Pistons, The Tigers and The Lions. My dad was always a fan of sports (I remember hours in the car listening to baseball games, which is the worst....listening to baseball on the radio), so we got to go to all sorts of games. I specifically remember going to a Pistons game and was begging my parents to get me a Grant Hill jersey. Grant Hill was it for me. He was my hero and I loved him.

I have a signed Dollar Bill, by John Sally. I met him and he said he'd never signed a dollar bill before. I was young, like 10. It was awesome.

We had Joe Dumars, Isiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, Grant Hill and so many others when I was a kid. Also had Tigers Manager Sparky Anderson who I will never forget. Not to mention Cecil Fielder and Alan Trammel. Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, Nicklas Lindstorm and Barry effing Sanders made the Lions and the Red Wings who they are today.

After I left Michigan, my allegiance was always to Detroit. They were my team. I moved briefly to florida for my last years of high school and then over to colorado. I always cheered for Detroit. I then moved back to Michigan where I fell back into place as a Detroit fan. The Red Wings were kicking ass during that time. Stanley Cup Champs in 02.

I moved over to Philadelphia when I was 21. Philadelphia is hard core. The fans are brutal and I lived within minutes of all the stadiums. They have the 76ers, The Eagles, Phillies, The Flyers, The Phantoms and the Soul. I worked for a good company and had friends who loved sports, so I pretty much went to sporting events all year long. I remember seeing the Eagles play in Baltimore. My seats were in the front row (a hookup from a client at my company). It was ridiculous. During that time, I hit all the stadiums there and in Maryland and New Jersey. Lucky for me, one of my co-workers was a Detroit implant out of college. So a majority of the games I went too, were Philadelphia vs. Detroit. And I always cheered for Detroit. Philly fans were ruthless. They would boo their own team. It wasn't my style, so I managed to not become a huge Philly fan during that time.

There was a brief period where I really loved the Boston Red Socks. It was of course, the year they broke the curse. My boss was a Boston boy. Born and raised. He was alot older than me and had endured years and years and years and years of suffering with defeat. He now lived in Philly, but was a never wavering fan of Boston. I watched the whole season while staring into a pint of beer with my coworkers. While I lived out there, the Red Socks broke the spell. I saw a grown man well up into tears the day they won it. It was an insane series....and i'll never forget it. Boston fans have a lot of heart.

Even with McNabb, TO, Bobby Abreu and Allen Iverson, I still had all Detroit teams in my heart. On New Years Day, I remember driving to Pittsburg to see the Steelers play the Lions. It was an important game...Detroit wasn't doing horrible that season. It was snowing and it was freezing and we had nose bleed seats . But it was fucking awesome. We both had on Detroit gear, and got harassed while walking into the stadium. The Lions lost, but it was an amazing experience.

I have recently moved to Orlando. Been here about 3 years. When I first moved here, I knew that Grant Hill played for the Magic. That's pretty much all I knew about the team. I knew he hadn't played much at all. I knew his nickname was "Glass Ankle". I went to probably a dozen games my first year here. The fans in Orlando are different. They have heart. A heart I didn't see in any of the other towns i'd lived in except Detroit. There wasn't much hating going on, more just love and support for their only professional sports team. Ive since seen the Bucs, Lightening and The Rays play and still none of the fans are better than The Magic's.

I quickly became a fan of the Magic, maybe not a die-hard, but I was a fan. I was still a Detroit fan but then The Magic started kicking some ass, which caught my eye. I have now lived here a few years and have been to numerous games, so my allegiance has changed. I love this team now. I love the fans, I love the spirit, I love that they aren't cocky. We try to do good by things in Orlando. We are a tourist town, hell our fucking reason for being is to MAKE OTHER PEOPLE WHO DO NOT LIVE HERE, HAPPY AND COMFORTABLE (damn tourists). Our downtown is meager at best, but we are growing. I have lived downtown for pretty much the whole 3 years of being here and I love it. This is my hometown now and the Orlando Magic are my hometown team. I'm proud of this city, the team and the fans during this completely enlightening experience during the finals. I got to watch the Magic win the Eastern Conference Championship against the Cavs. Live....lower bowl, thanks to my friend Danny who won tickets about an hour before the game. IT WAS AWESOME.

So I guess I jumped on the bandwagon. I think a whole lot of people in Orlando jumped on it as well and it's excellent. That's what sports is about. It's about everyone coming together and just being psyched about their team.

If you have been a die-hard Magic fan, don't hate on those who have jumped on the bandwagon. Educate them. Tell us the history, tell us the statistics, get us involved. Next season is going to be insane.

Go Magic!

The "Idea"

It was talked about last night on the show (theexperience.fm). There's a concept, that was thought up one night. It went from a small idea to an entire creative brainstorming tsunami! I'll admit, I did not think up the idea in its original form. But it hit me like a ton of bricks. Here was this insane idea, that I personally would love to see come to fruition. I know it hasn't been done before. And it's all stuck in my fucking head. Just stuck there. I wrote it out, on paper, but that wasn't enough. I can't draw. I can't draw well. I typed out thoughts and ideas. I brainstormed a few times after the original idea came about. It has progressed. This is definitely a collaborative effort.

It came so quick. I don't even care what it means. It's not like this a million dollar idea. But it's a creative idea, that I think is limitless on the ways it can be molded and shaped. When it comes to any design work, I could care less about the outcome other than it being completed. I'm super excited about it. So stay tuned I guess ;)

Jamie

Internet Fatigue

It was mentioned today.  Internet Fatigue.

I believe it.

My brain is not used to retrieving so much information so quickly.  I have never been a big TV watcher...I don't like sitcoms really and I never get involved in drama's.  I have liked a few shows, but generally I could careless if I have cable.  I have never been a huge multi-tasker or had an especially busy life, so i'm not prepared for my brain dealing with so many things at once.

The internet on the otherhand, has inundated my brain.  I have always been a newspaper reader.  I have always been a talk radio listener.  I like information.  I don't care what it is.  I have listened to Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern, Glenn Beck and Keith Olbermann.  I have read the Orlando Sentinel almost everyday since i've lived in Florida.  I would read the Wall Street journal if I had no choice.  I like to read information.  But the internet is pretty much infinite....and it's overwhelming for someone who is a news junkie.

Now, i'm not a typical internet user.  I RARELY watch videos online.  I never visit youtube unless i'm forwarded a link to it.  I prefer to read my information not watch it.  If I click a newstory on cnn and it's a video...I close it.  I don't participate in any real forums.  I have chatted before, but I don't really belong in any conversations online other than on twitter.  There's no point to anything else really.  

But here's my problem.....there are so many amazing journalists and writers in the world and I intend to read every single thing written by every single one of them.  Impossible?  Yes.  Realistic?  Absolutely not.  But I don't care.  I read CNN, Snopes, Foxnews, Washington Post, BBC, Perezhilton, MSNBC, Tmz, Random Blogs about gaming, politics, life and marijuana, National Geographic, Twitter, ABC News, Reuters and when i've finally read it all, I go to Wikipedia.  Which always has something to read about, because it's a goddamn online encyclopedia.  I FUCKING READ THE ENCYCLOPEDIA.

But i'm not saying i'm smart.  Most of the stuff I read, I forget by the time i'm done reading it.  I have a horrible memory.  I couldn't argue with anybody when it comes to science, history, music or art.  But it's entirely entertaining to me to read about so many different things that do not pertain to my life at all.  Like science.  SCIENCE.  I know shit about science.  I failed science in school and I do not understand it.  Yet, reading an article by some spectacular journalist who is either A: Passionate about the topic or B: Has researched the topic enough to write an article about it, is extremely fun and fills me with information i've never knew about before.

There is a whole big ass world out there.  And since we aren't all millionaires who can travel and experience a whole bunch of exciting and new stuff....I turn to reading.  Always about something that is real and always about something I don't know about.  And that is where I experience Internet Fatigue.  When I was younger, I could only have 4 books from the library checked out at one time.....so I was limited.  I am no longer limited.

Yay for reading.

Jamie

Movie Review - A whole bunch

Since I got my Netflix on Xbox, I have watched an abundance of movies. So I am going to just give quick reviews of all of them. (this was over a few weeks).

Inventing the Abbots
This movie is older. Joquaine Phoenix and Liv Tyler. Cute, based in the 50's. Romantic. Not for dudes.

4 out of 5 nuggets.

Incendiary
Michelle Williams and Ewan McGreggor. This movie was excellent. It's a sad story...but both do a great job. Its a little choppy, but stick with it. TEARJERKER.

4 1/2 out of 5 nuggets.

The Last Word

Reviewed this one a few blogs back. Smart movie.

4 out of 5 nuggets (would have been better without Wynona)

Blue State

Ugh, I wanted to like this. Breckin Meyer was good, Anna Paquin bugs me. If you're a die hard liberal, watch it. It's political...but it's very wordy and unbelievable.

2 1/2 out of 5 nuggets.

Lonesome Jim

Casey Affleck, Steve Buschemi Directed, James Strouse wrote. It's a good movie...dark, but good.

4 1/2 out of 5 nuggets.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

When I saw this movie, I immediately thought it reminded me of Being John Malkovich. After research, I realized they were both co-written by the same dude. Good movie. Like Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. But meh, nothing special.

3 1/2 out of 5 nuggets.

The Jane Austen Book Club

Loved this movie. Perfect for all girls who like to read. Definitely a chick-flick but not in a cheesy way. It touches on heavy topics. See it.

5 nuggets!!

Australia
This is one of the worst movies i've ever seen in my life (besides Romey and Michelles High School Reunion). I wanted to like it, I stuck it out through the whole horrible awful thing. But it sucked. Never see it.

0 out of 5 nuggets.

Now I realize I didn't really write any reviews. Just giving a quick opinion. Click the links and read their summary's.

Peace -

Jamie

Movie Review: The Last Word

So, I have Netflix on my Xbox 360 and it's super rad. I've been picking random ass movies to watch recently. Tonight after I watched the pile of shit that is "Australia" with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, I watched "The Last Word". No review for Australia. It was garbage.

The ONLY reason I decided to watch The Last Word was because Wes Bentley is in it (he was the guy in American Beauty). He's the hottest man alive. And Ray Romano was in it. The description of it was pretty dark and I tend to dig a well written movie over an over-acted one.

It's about a guy (Wes) who makes a living writing epitaphs for people who are suicidal. He has a website, the whole nine-yards and meets with his suicidal "clients" to edit the epitaph they want read at their upcoming funeral. Most of these patients have chronic illnesses and/or are already to the edge with no return.

There's a whole process he has in place and instead of it seeming extremely creepy and borderline illegal, he makes you understand that what he does is just a service. He writes beautiful poems that get read aloud at funerals. Not everyone he deals with end up committing suicide, so it's almost like he's providing last ditch therapy. But there a lot that do end up killing themselves. He's seems to be be completely comfortable about it.

Anyway, he meets one of his "clients" sisters at the "clients" funeral, and falls in love with her. Obviously (insert obvious storyline here), he can't tell her he's a suicide letter writer, especially since he wrote her brothers suicide note, so he lies. Eventually she finds out, gets pissed, leaves him. The entire story between him and Wynona Ryder I could have done without. She is a HORRIBLE actress and pretty much renders this movie useless. If not for Wes and Ray Ramano's scenes, I wouldn't have been able to stomach the whole thing. Thankfully, the scenes between Wes and Ray were fucking hilarious, dark and genius.

Ray plays a guy who wants to kill himself and goes to Wes to draft up his epitaph. He's a composer. He's really good at it, but has been dealt shit cards and missed opportunities all his life. He is dry, depressing, nervous and hilarious. Here are these two dudes, completely different, yet eerily similar. The relationship between them is the real story.

I don't want to give too much away.

If you can look past Wynonas shitatious acting, this movie is EXCELLENT. I wish I would have read it. Wes Bentley, Ray Romano and the writer did an great job. This is a movie about committing suicide, so it has a pretty dark tone. But Ray Romano made me laugh in every scene he was in.

The writer/director is Geoffrey Haley, who has written only two movies but has been a camera man in about 100 movies (including recently "The Hangover"). The writing and directing were stellar.

If you like well-written movies, or dark-comedy's, then see this. If your favorite movie is Titantic and/or Billy Madison, probably not for you.

I give it 4 1/2 out of 5 nuggets.

Later skaters,

Jamie

P.S. Show was super fun tonight with DJ John and Kristina in the house to hang out. They all went out afterwards, but I punked out and went home. No drivin and drinky unless I want to end up in the clinky.

Weed. Yes I said it.

If any of you have heard me on www.theexperience.fm or have known me in person, then you know I fully support the legalization of marijuana.  But I've decided that just coming out and saying you support it, doesn't exactly do anything but make yourself look like a pot head.

Here are the reasons why I support the legalization of marijuana for medical and non-medical purposes:

#1: It's weed.  If you've smoked it more than once, you get it.  Otherwise, you should smoke it more than once and then argue with me on the "harmful" effects of it.

#2:  I know it's not healthy.  Inhaling smoke into your lungs isn't healthy no matter what you do.  But the alternative is cigarettes.  Cigarettes do nothing but contain an addictive chemical that triggers your brain to WANT MORE.  It kills you.  Marijuana has no nicotine.  It's not "addictive".  It's safer than a cigarette and at the very least stimulates your brain.

#3:  Your only LEGAL options for escaping reality is ALCOHOL or MEDICATION (or the "runners high" haha).  Neither of which are any safer and less harmful to your body than smoking marijuana.

#4:  Smoking marijuana actually stimulates conversation.  Whereas alcohol stimulates nothing but your libido and your inability to function as a normal human being.

#5:  I can tell you the worst thing i've done while drinking alcohol.  Then, I can tell you the worst thing i've done while high.  The stories are COMPLETELY different.

#6:  The stereotypes of pot smokers is fairly accurate.  However, only a small percentage are dealers and only a small percentage do it everyday.

#7:  It has been proven to not make you any less intelligent.  No more less intelligent than video games, cigarettes, alcohol, television and sports do.

#8:  Alcoholism runs in my family.  And I would give up my entire life in order to have a parent who is addicted to Marijuana, over a parent who is addicted to Alcohol.  

#9:  Marijuana will NEVER make you mad.

#10:  Marijuana aids a lot of people in pain.  However, the side effects vary.  If I smoke too much marijuana, I get body aches.  People who suffer from chronic pain or cancer, receive natural relief rather than medicated b.s. that can fuck up your body and create HORRIBLE SIDE EFFECTS AND WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS.

#11:  Read your facts. You need to realize that marijuana hasn't been properly researched and therefore you have no idea how it effects you positively and/or negatively.  If you look online there are plenty of foundations who have tested it out and what resulted are exactly the positive things you've heard or read about.  Be informed.  Not ignorant.  Everyone was duped by Cigarette manufacturers....thank your parents for that.

#12:  Weed CAN and DOES make you lazy.  It effs up your motorskills and shouldn't be used lightly.  It's not cool for kids to do, and I believe THC levels should be regulated.  However, I refuse to understand why there is a bar on every corner.  EVERY CORNER...and why if you have an ounce of weed on you (which couldn't harm you, even if you ate the entire bag at one time), you get arrested.

#13:  Don't get me started on the ways a regulated marijuana crop could be profitable to America.

NOW SERIOUSLY.....

#14:  Around 50,000 people die each year from alcohol poisoning.  Similarly, more than 400,000 each year are attributed to cigarette smoking.

#15:  Of 872,721 of those charged from marijuana violations.  89% (or 738,915) are attributed to MARIJUANA POSSESSION.  The rest, 90,000 or so, were charged with selling/manufacturing the product.  uh?

#16:  Marijuana smokers aren't stupid.  They know when they have smoked too much or if they shouldn't smoke anymore.  But guess what?  If you smoke too much marijuana, you fall asleep.  And you wake up normal.  You wake up without a hangover.  You wake up feeling refreshed and exactly as you would otherwise.

#17:  I can assure you that out of 10 people you know, at least 2 of them are smoking dope.  If they don't, then they know somebody who does.  It's EXTREMELY normal and happens every single day.  It happens in a way that does not effect you, your family, the users families and/or their lives.  Certainly not anymore than alcohol does.  And certainly a lot less than something crazy like Cocaine, Pain Killers and Heroine do.

#18:  Tomorrow I would vote for the BAN of alcohol in place of the legalization of marijuana.  Crazy right?  I think a lot of people would agree (dope smokers and not).

#19:  It is not a gateway drug.  In fact, most people who smoke pot have never tried any other "drug".  And they never will.  Habitual drug use is genetic....addiction is genetic.  If you have it in your family, chances are you should not use any substance that alters your mind.  But guess what?  That's not realistic.  Choose weed if you need an escape.  At least I know you'll be chilling and playing xbox for 5 hours and not driving around like a drunk fuck killing children with your car.

#20:  I live a majority of my life Weed and Alcohol free.  I am not a pot-head and/or an alcoholic.  But I understand the desire of both.  I understand the desire to be fucked up.  I am addicted to smoking cigarettes, but i'm not addicted to smoking weed or drinking alcohol.  I know people who's lives have been destroyed by only one of those substances.  Only one.

Whatever.

Jamie

Laura Ling and Euna Lee

I read a while back about the two American journalists who were being held in North Korea.  I hadn't thought much about it since reading it but recently it's become an extremely important story that I think everyone should know about.

Just this week, Lisa Ling spoke publicly that one of the women who was detained is her sister (Laura Ling).  Lisa Ling is an amazing American Journalist and wonderful role model for young women everywhere.  Most of you will recognize her.  Her sister is equally amazing and brave along with the other journalist being held, Euna Lee.  I was heartbroken hearing about this because Lisa and her family (and the family of Euna Lee) truly thought that diplomacy would take place and the women would be freed.  They did not speak publicly about this until just this week.  The women have been detained for 3 months and have had contact only on one or two occasions with their families during that time.  Their trial begins today and they are facing possibly 10 years in Labor Camps if convicted for illegally crossing the border and "hostile actions".

With everything that is happening lately with North Korea, these two women are now in a firestorm between Korea and the U.S.   These are brave young women who are passionate about what they do and my thoughts go out to them and their families.  

Here are some articles related to this story:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,525033,00.html - Fox News Article summarizing the story.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2009/06/01/lkl.ling.family.cnn - Larry King interviews Lisa Ling, Laura Ling's Husband, her Mother and Father.  As well as Euna Lee's husband.

-Jamie