THE HOOTEE CHRONICLES

Monday, June 12, 2006

IT'S BAAAACK!!!

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

Thursday, June 01, 2006

it's June...I should say something

been playing in myspace for awhile and neglecting this place.

so lets see here...what is what?

going on my first vacation in nearly 2 years...and of course I pick the place that would have the most haunting memories and give me the least likely chance to relax. i might as well camp out on my ex in-laws front lawn. But at the same time, i look forward to a face off with my dark thoughts. as draining as it can be, the better side usually prevails in the end.

the short short version---i'm going to New Jersey...south Jersey. In the late summer of '04, the initial shots that would spell the beginning of the end of life as I knew it were fired in that wonderful setting. Months later while trying to escape the trauma that life had become...I smashed up my car on the highways of the garden state. A place that used to bring me huge amounts of joy suddenly became a symbol of pain.

Now I hope to go back and reclaim some of the warm feelings I once had for it. I'm hoping that there isn't too much deja-vu...but I must be ready for that possibility.

OK...anything else????

yeah...HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL.

super ass cheesy...and yet, I found myself hanging on every second of the flick. I went with a great deal of curiousity as to why it is such a phenomenon. And it sucked me in quick. Many will give me grief for liking it...but hey...actually that would be awesome considering that is the underlying theme of the movie. Do what you love and if the rest of the world tries to hold you back tell them to fuck off! Of course, it's a much more cuddly version of that...it is after all a made for the Disney Channel movie.

OK...I thinks thats it...oh wait...one last bit of proof that there is hope for a better tomorrow...
------------------
The debut album by Oasis, the band that best spread the Britpop craze of the 1990s, has been voted the greatest album of all time in a major music poll published.

"Definitely Maybe," which featured chart-topping hits such as "Live Forever" and "Supersonic," beat "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" by the much-loved Beatles into second place in the survey of more than 40,000 music fans.

Another Beatles album, "Revolver," came third, followed by Radiohead's "OK Computer" and a second Oasis title, "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?."

The poll to find the top 100 albums was organised by the book of "British Hit Singles and Albums" and music website NME.com, with votes coming from as far afield as New Zealand, Croatia and Colombia.

Fans were given no pre-ordained list to chose from in the survey, drawn up to celebrate 50 years of Britain's official albums chart.

David Roberts, editor of "British Hit Singles and Albums," said: "Usually these polls are full of records that people have only just bought because they are freshest in the mind.

"But this poll shows that the truly great albums always have longevity."

Only two albums in the top 20 were released in the past five years.

"Up the Bracket," the 2002 debut by drug-troubled bad boy Pete Doherty's former band The Libertines, is the newest album in 15th place.

Only two bands from the United States had an album in the best 20. Nirvana came sixth with "Nevermind" and The Strokes were 20th with "Is This It."

In seventh place was the Stone Roses' self-titled album, followed by Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" and The Smiths' "The Queen Is Dead."

"Definitely Maybe," which cost just 85,000 pounds (158,000 dollars, 124,000 euros) to produce, was released on August 30, 1994 and debuted at the top of the British chart a week later, with seven million copies selling worldwide.
---------------------
Way to go Brits!!!!

Thursday, May 04, 2006

A man with shit loads of money finally listens to the people

SWEET SWEET NEWS THAT GREATS MY EYES ON THIS GORGEOUS SPRING DAY.
September seems so much more sweeter now. I remember the 1st time I saw each of them...I saw them out of order(Empire 1st...sitting on my dad's lap in the theater because I was too small to see over the seat). There is nothing like watching Star Wars when you're seven and being completely confused because Han Solo is walking around.

And then, these funky fly glossy versions came out when I was in college. I was psyched. But when I got to see them...something was wrong. I don't know what. I still don't know what. But I was really put off by them. In fact, I fell asleep during Empire and Return.

I'm glad old Georgey finally decided to listen up. What am I saying...he's just making sure that 7 generations from now, his descendants will still be gazillionaires. God bless him anyway.

RETURN OF THE OLD SCHOOL: The original theatrical releases of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi finally coming to DVD Sept. 12, two years after fans blasted George Lucas for only releasing the digitally modified editions. The DVDs will be available only through Dec. 31, at which point they'll apparently be blasted off to a galaxy far, far away.

Monday, April 24, 2006

tHe COOLEST SHOW gets FUCKING COOLER!!!

NEVER LIKED STAR TREK. COULDN'T STAND X-FILES. BUT THIS SHIT IS DA BOMB!

ABC has devised a way to keep fans of its hit show confused, guessing and on the edge of their seats during the lazy days of summer reruns. The network announced Monday the creation of an interactive multiplatform treasure hunt game called Lost Experience that will introduce a new story line but stay true to Lost's signature mix of supernatural and psychological mystery.

The Lost Experience will require players to trade e-mail messages and phone calls and check out billboards, TV commercials and websites to gather all the necessary clues.

The game's premise will be rooted in Lost history but ABC said that you don't need to have watched the show to get in on the game, which will feature new characters and delve deeper into the manipulative Hanso Foundation that was introduced in season two as the benefactor of the button-pushing Dharma Initiative. (Well, watching a few episodes beforehand couldn't hurt...)

There is no grand prize for those who manage to piece the puzzle together, but ABC promises that those who play will end up learning some of the island's better-kept secrets.

In a savvy stroke of synergy, the game's first clue, in the form of a toll-free number that you must call, will air during a May 3 Lost episode. The first clues for Others in the U.K. and Australia are being released May 2 and May 6, respectively.

One of the most exciting parts of the Lost Experience will be the interaction it fosters among people all over the world, according to Michael Benson, a senior VP at ABC. He said that Lost's writers, not ABC marketers, were responsible for plotting the game's course and that 19 other broadcasters in various areas of the globe would air the series of clues in different ways. ABC would like to see fans reaching out to each other to stay up to date on the latest Lost Experience info.

"We wanted to tell stories in a nontraditional way," Lost writer and executive producer Carlton Cuse told the New York Times, "and there were certain stories that Damon [Lindeloff] and I were interested in telling that don't exactly fit into the television show."

Luckily the worry that something might not fight hasn't stopped them from adding a host of complicated back stories, symbolism and numerical puzzles to the show for fans to writhe in exhilarated anticipation over.

"We purposely design the show with a big amount of ambiguity so people can theorize about what a certain scene means," Cuse said. "This allows the fans to participate in the process of discovery."

Cuse also offered viewers a tip for starting the Lost Experience off on the right foot:

"Watch the May 3 episode very carefully. You can TiVo it, but don't skip the commercials.

"You have to give the audience something to connect to," Benson told the New York Times. "I want to prove to the audience that this is something they will enjoy, that is organic to the show. I don't want the audience to feel like 'they are just selling to me or marketing to me.'"

This is not the first time that Lost has sent its faithful to other media platforms in search of answers. To up the eerie factor, the show's team created a website for Oceanic Airlines, whose doomed Flight 815 made our castaways Lost in the first place.

"What we discovered was that by creating additional content for this show, we could creative a marketing tool that would have fans more invested in the program, and if it was cool they'd share with their friends," Benson said.

ABC also announced earlier this month that it is making new episodes of Lost, Desperate Housewives, Alias and Commander in Chief, available in May for free online viewing, although fans will have to sit through ads that they can avoid if they download commercial-free shows for $1.99 per episode from Apple's iTunes Music Store.

Lost, which has averaged 15.4 million viewers this season and is one of iTune's most popular TV downloads to date, will leave viewers staring into the dark hatch of summer hiatus with a two-hour season finale May 24.

road trip to the HOOd

A trip home for the first of 4 weddings this year (hopefully no funerals).

Congrats to Jim and Amy Hilbert. more photos and insights below. but first, a trip to the cinema. (just the way the photos uploaded and I'm to tired to fight with blogger right now).

-------------------------------------------------------------

auburn mall...still in the same look that it's had for decades. I enter and immediately, I am 7 years old again. it's nice when people leave shit alone, especially when it looks cool.

saw The Sentinel with CJ. not that good. all episodes of 24 are way better (for those of you that don't know...both involve Keifer Sutherland chasing bad people determined to kill the President of the United States). the flick never really tells you anything...they assume you won't care. there is more substance in Arnold's movies of the 80s then there is in this one. but still, they made me care enough to pay attention. Good acting will do that. but this is one you can wait for...till it hits TNT or or USA.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

the posse for good old Mynderse Academy is all in the same place for once...with the exception of Ford. we all gathered together for Jim and Amy's wedding. On earth day 2006 in a science museum. That made for quite the interesting reception. I never thought I would see the day when I could walk around with a beer in a museum...and even climb rock walls.

and even better then that, the music playing was almost all british. morissey, keane, the cure, coldplay, james....now that's my kind of wedding. a reception DJed by an IPOD hooked up to a intercom system. They even played Wilco. I have now heard Wilco at a wedding!!!

Now all I have to hear is Pavement or Bad Religion at one and life will be somewhat complete.

Definitely will go down as the most unique one that I have ever attended...and this includes Vegas.

take a trip in the depths of Lake Ontario.

send someone an e-mail postcard in a weird science setting.there is nothing like holding a cocktail in one hand and playing with a laser beam with other.

and I never thought I would be drinking Labatt Blue and looking at a mastadon (i hope that is how you spell it)

CJ climbs a rock wall.

Friday, April 14, 2006

i WILL Spoil THIS CHILD

One of my bestest buddies had a son. And immediately, we bonded.

He screamed, he cried, and then he came to me...and chilled right out. I explained to him who the bad Yankees were and who the exceptible ones were (I've softened over the years). I then explained that the most important thing in life...is how you hold the remote control.

So cute. So innocent.

I pray the world brightens up for him in his lifetime.

Finally...a Church gets it right!!!

There is nothing that bores me more in church then the music. I am a music snob and I can't stand to hear the same boring chord progressions and weak lyrics set to a pipe organ. For those that would get offended, I have nothing against the tone or the message that the words are trying to convey. I just don't like the flow. It's good occasionally in pop music but for the most part it comes across the same way a paint by numbers piece looks.

Now I read this, and I immediately want to get in my car and drive there this Sunday.

The Grace Episcopal Church in Rhode Island using the spiritual music of U2 as part of "U2 Eucharist," a special event aimed at drawing younger worshippers to services. The idea is part of a growing trend among churches nationwide.

I wonder if they play Discotheque during communion. That would kick ass!

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Ahhh...Life is GOOD!

Reeses Peanut Butter Cups---$1.00

Can of Sprite---60 cents

Digging through the trash in your car in hopes of finding change buried under the floor mats because you have no cash in your pocket and want to get a sugar fix....

And finding the exact amount!!! PRICELESS!!!

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

A Genius that needs YOUR HELP

Every week I read where somebody is getting this honor. Sometimes they are more then deserving. And then there are others...DESTINY'S CHILD????

I'm talking bout a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

This man needs to be there.

Please, help make it happen.

http://weirdalstar.com/

Sunday, March 26, 2006

THERE MAY BE MONEY WAITING FOR YOU OR SOMEBODY YOU KNOW

So you know that story about the guy or gal who watches something on television and then they go out and do what the people in the idiot box told them to do and it actually works...in a positive way (no not the crazy church cooks!!!)

For some strange reason I was watching Dateline...and for some strange reason, I felt compelled to watch all of Dateline. Nothing that amazing...until the last story.

Apparently, there is tons of unclaimed shit it every state in the union. The mother of all lost and founds. And this includes money. Old pensions, stocks, lost accounts, etc.

The story tells about the poor people of Mississippi after the Hurricaine and how some of them found that they had money coming to them that didn't know about...and it helped them get back on their feet. And it was sitting in a safe place for years.

Eventually, it ends up with the state. And they don't always call you to tell you it is there.
At the end of the story, they gave out a website...

WWW.UNCLAIMED.ORG

So for fun I decided I would go and look and see if anything was waiting for me. I had zero expectation, but it gave me an excuse to kill some time which is what I do best.

And low and behold, there is something. Some kind of pension from one of my many shit part time jobs from years ago.

I don't hold out much hope that it will be alot...but who knows. Once you find out that you have something, you have to fill out paper work. Gee...shocker!!!

But I'll do it. Who know what is waiting for me at the end of this?

Anybody who reads this might want to do the same. And have their relatives and friends do it and their relatives and friends do it and so on and so on.

This is not a joke. This is not a stupid chain email that originated with some cook in Idaho. This really happened. It involves money. DO IT!

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

is this a basic right?

I rarely do this...I don't want to make a new enemy on the road. And most of the times, I'm too busy smoking or singing. But from time to time, I do let a few fly. Others I know make it a daily ritual...including my dear sweet mother. I never really thought of it being a case of anything other then instant stress relief. But now...I wonder. Is it a basic human right or disorderly conduct? I understand the courts have other matters to attend to...but this is pretty important.
---------------------------------------------------------
A Pennsylvania motorist is going to federal court to protect a very specific part of what he claims are his free speech rights: the right to show his middle finger.

Thomas Burns of New Castle, Pa., was cited for disorderly conduct last April after he became frustrated with a PennDOT traffic delay and he flipped his middle finger at a construction worker. The worker reported the gesture to a police officer in Beaver County, Pa., who cited Burns.

The citation was dropped in October when the officer and the offended construction worker failed to appear at a hearing Burns requested to fight the citation.

But now Burns is suing in federal court in Pittsburgh saying he never should have been cited in the first place and was maliciously prosecuted. He contends he was denied his First Amendment free speech rights.

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Confronting Mortality

It was always something that left me filled with fear.

I first realized it as a child and spent years confronting the cruel fact in my dreams.
Then...it all stopped. Did I forget about it? Maybe. I really don't know.

Then one day when I was in my mid-20s, it hit me again. I grew scared the same way I did when I was a child. And once again, it became something that haunted me for a few years.
And then...it all stopped.

A year ago, it came back again. But this time, it wasn't a daydream or a sleep dream. It wasn't a thought.

It was real.

A question to my doctor became a two week nightmare. I described strange ongoings in my body and immediately it became a "cancer" possibility.

I didn't really comprehend it at first. I guess that is how I respond when I'm in shock.
But after a few days, I was a wreck inside. I was scared shitless...and I was alone.

My world had been turned upside down just a few months before. Reality was cruel. It was dark. It was ugly. Now there was a chance that it was all going to end.

What hadn't I done? Where hadn't I gone? What was left to achieve?

Who was I? So many fucking questions.

And then...the waiting. You would think that if there was a chance that a person had a fatal disease that they would get the necessary tests right away. But no. It's easy to get your oil changed. But if you want an ultrasound, you have to wait.

A week and half later, it was time to find out the truth. On my way to the test, I stopped and ate two big macs. I would have loved to wash them down with a bottle of cheap vodka...but I had to go back to work after finding out my immediate fate.

And then just an hour later, I was laying on a cold metal slab. A machine was touching my skin to see if there was any sign of the disease in my body. I always thought that my experience with an ultrasound would be to determine the health of my unborn child...not my mortality.

It turned out to be nothing more then a side effect from one of the prescriptions I was taking.
For a time, there were 5 magic pills that helped me regain my balance after the collapse of my marriage. One of them made a doctor think that I might be really sick.

Nothing like a prescribed remedy that makes a medical proffesional assume you might be dying.

Needless to say, my opinion of medicine is forever changed. I definitely think twice before I head to the pharmacy for anything other then NyQuill. So many side effects. The stuff helps with one problem...but creates two new ones? Is that really how medicine is supposed to work?

My opinion also changed about life and death. And not the way I would have assumed that it would. I didn't attack my days with a new found desire to achieve. I didn't run after the goals at a faster pace. I didn't even quit smoking.

We are all going to die. No matter what you eat. No matter how much you exercise. No matter what medicine you take.

Science tries to make us believe that it has ways to extend our days. A diet, a prescription, avoid this, ingest that....and it always changes. There is no formula for success.

All I do now is try to be a little happier each day. If you gotta go...GO WITH A SMILE!

Thursday, March 09, 2006

All I need is One good game a year

The team hasn't been playing so well this year. I really wasn't giving them much of a chance for anything. Hope was not gone...but it certainly had one foot out the door.

But then, they went and made me love them again. They reminded me why they are the only ones for me.

God I love my Orange!
Note--They are still Orangemen as far as I am concerned.

As I sat at work plugging away at the latest batch of propaganda, I noticed that my boys were about to take the court against THE BEST TEAM IN THE NATION.

Well, maybe there's a chance. Maybe...just maybe they can pull off some kind of magical act.

20 minutes later, I was believing. I was also hopping up and down and making strange noises.
I was running around the building with serious adrenaline overload.

An hour later, I was louder and crazier. A very large lead had dwindled down to just two points.
I was not quitting on them...but seeing as how they had broken my heart many times before, I was ready to hang my head.

And then, they were losing. There were just a few precious seconds left. Why bother? Back to work I went. And then...LOUD SCREAMS OF JOY echoed into my avid suite. I work with a lot of Syracuse graduates, and they were being just as productive.

The game was tied. Overtime.

I could not bear to sit through overtime. I went to work. Suddenly, my focus was totally shifted and I could have cared what was going on.

3 and 1/2 minutes later I was out of my seat and in an office with 3 other men. While many tried to get the day in order, we sat at screamed like primates. And then...it was over.

The miracle had happened. Orange Victory!!!

I ran in jubilation...and knocked over a 30 gallon can full of recycled paper.

Embarrassed?? Yes. Nothing like stumbling in front of a gorgeous woman to get the natural blush going.

But I'll take the momentary loss of my dignity if it means Syracuse winning.

Thank you Gerry!!! You DA MAN!

Monday, March 06, 2006

Get up you son of a bitch...I didn't hear no bell!

He's at it again. We thought we had seen the last of him in the street brawl with Tommy Gunn.

But no...the champ is back. And he's a philospher now.
Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch_fullscreen?video_id=5II-BBVQMvU&I=65&fs=1&title=rocky%20balboa%20teaser

Friday, March 03, 2006

The Oscar quest...and my picks

It began months ago...

Sometimes...you're lucky and you end up seeing a few by accident. But most of the time, you have to wait for the list to come. And then...it begins.

Many hours later, you might have an opinion or two. But can you really call anything that is art the best? I believe it was Dustin Hoffman who brought this to everyone's attention when he won his first best actor award for his performance in Kramer vs. Kramer. And I tend to agree with him. At the end of the Sunday night, you won't be seeing the best walk away with shiny gold naked men.

The best of the best in any art form is what the individual viewer or listener prefers. And there is a lot of people with a lot of opinions and tastes.

Why is the Academy the group that gets all the attention? I don't know.

But based on what they said...here is what I would do if I was voting.

***note...due to limited funds I was unable to see everything. I hope to catch a few more before Sunday at 8pm. My picks could change before then. If you are in a pool, do not use my opinion to try and win a few bucks.****

For best actress in a supporting role...the envelope please.
Rachel Weisz for The Constant Gardener. I don't quite understand how she is a supporting performer. She is THE WOMAN in the film. I would say more about her performance...but this is a thriller filled with lots of twists and turns. I fear that any extra information would spoil someone's viewing pleasure.

For best actor in a supporting role...the envelope please.
I love love love Paul Giamatti. He has been screwed countless times over the years. He is a treasure to spend a few hours with. That being said my pick is...
George Clooney for Syriana. He is one of the few real "stars" that we have. He could do his thing in any era. Reminds me a lot of Bogart...but with much better range. Many will argue with me that he always plays George Clooney. I disagree. He is constantly challenging himself and doing the broadest range of material. And he hit one out of the park with this one.

For best actress in a motion picture...the envelope please.
Reese Witherspoon for Walk the Line. Normally, I am not a fan. Too much of that warm and fuzzy romantic comedy garbage. There is no need to fill the void left by Meg Ryan. But, it does get you job security. But...she and Joaquin saved this movie. It was filled with so many stupid and predictable moments. Shit that just made everything fit nicely together. Although I didn't know him, I am sure that Johnny Cash's life didn't play out that way. I thank god that Ms. Witherspoon burst on to the screen with pure grace and humor...and a killer singing voice. When you act and sing well, you get the nod from me always.

For best actor in a motion picture...the envelope please.
Playing a real person is a skill. Playing a real person well is remarkable. I give Reese the actress award because she saved the movie about a music god from sucking. But I won't be so kind to Joaquin. Or to Phillip Seymour or Mr. Strathairn. So that narrows down the list for me to two people.

Terrance Howard in Hustle and Flow or Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain?

The pimp or the gay cowboy?

I have to go with the gay cowboy.
Heath Ledger is just...simply amazing. I still get chills when I think about the performance.
Of all the nominees, this is the only one that I would have called the best of the year even without the list.

And finally...the best picture

BATMAN BEGINS!!!!!

But since that isn't nominated...

Brokeback Mountain. It is the perfect example of what should be the norm in films.

Unfortunately more often then not, we are stuck with hacks making crappy remakes of horror movies that weren't that good when they were first made. And if not, PG13 movies with lots of farting.

Maybe the people shouldn't have the power. They are the ones that keep letting these things get made. If you don't go, it might stop. The more you spend on it, the more the cycle will continue.

Sounds like the war on terrorism. Hmmm.

Monday, February 27, 2006

Windchills and hip-hop

After many weekends spent in a normal routine...finally, a break. A reprive from my "Groundhog Day" existence.

Of course, the weather was no help. Hoth has returned with a vengence and is leaving a blanket of frosty hell. I made the mistake of walking outside without eye protection. Now the side of my left eye feels like Mike Tyson came to town. Or it is the beginning of a nice infection. Guess only time will tell.

At the begging request of a friend, I went to the "dancing" bar Saturday night. While I am no fan of the throbbing bass and the majority of the music, I figured it was time to check something else out besides my 25 inch screen.

So this is what I learned. One...there a many women who are light years younger then me that are...well, let's just say they all leave the house hoping they might find the Girls Gone Wild truck.
Fine figures...low morals. No thanks.

Two...there is only one dance now. Everyone moves around shaking and bopping to loosen up the muscles...and then when the time comes, everyone grabs their partner and starts to simulate da doggy style. And once they have started, they don't stop. They throb and thrust...throb and thrust. Everyone is basically just a stripper that doesn't get naked.

It is one giant fake orgy!

I'm sure I'll return from time to time. Not exactly gonna be the place to find Miss right...but it does make for good people watching...a favorite pastime of mine.

Don't take this a sign of me being some kind of righteous bastard. 6 years ago, I would have been jumping right in. But age and some first hand experience with a little "too liberal" a lifestyle has taught a few harsh lessons. I need not go through them again.

On the Oscar watch front, I got through 2 more nominated flicks this weekend. Murderball and Munich. At some point this week, I will elaborate more.

The quick version...rent Murderball when you have the chance.

Munich...great and powerful flick. But...well, it got too bland at the end. I guess it had to. Not every movie about terrorism can end like True Lies.