Adventures of a Grad Student

Television BLEACH

2012-01-26T02:25:00.003-05:00

(Netflix, Instant) (Japanese audio, English audio)

SEASON 1: THE SUBSTITUTE
Episode 1 20120125 1448-1511
I never thought how short Rukia is compared to Rukia.
Haha, her drawings is one of my favorite parts in the first few pages.
His breaking free of the kido is another favorite.
The opening credit song is in Japanese and the ending credit song starts in English and ends in Japanese.
Lol, after the credits we see Kon and at some point Ichigo interjects and says you don't appear until later!
Episode 2 20120125 1514-1537
LOLOL. I have vobby wobby volly.
Episode 3 20120125 1537
Continuation of episode 2
I think this is the first episode where they translated the opening credit song. [Or possibly only episode]
There's a slight review of the last episode.
I still don't understand why Rukia didn't explain to Ichigo that destroying a hollow sends it to the Soul Society when his concern of seeing Orihime's brother behind the hollow's mask arose. Is it not the same soul? Is it not as good as sending the original soul to the Soul Society? [See episode 10] [Episode 11 though sort of answers this]
Episode 4 20120125 1605
Lol. After thinking that Chad and I guess all the other students are around 15 years old, it's quite strange.
I'd forgotten that Ichigo used the Spirit Ribbons this early in the series.
Lol, "That preview is one week early!"
Episode 5 20120125 1628
Continuation of episode 4
The first episode with Gates to the Netherworld.
Episode 6 20120125 1652
Lol, I personally wanted the rabbit. Hahaha.
Haha, Chad. I can't do it.
Episode 7 20120125 1739
Haha @14:30 Nice angle. I'm glad I'm stuffed animal.
They show the quincy in class.
Haha. There's no such show! Fun endings.
June 16.
Episode 8 20120125 1802
June 17.
Episode 9 20120125 1827
Episode 10 20120125 1850
Song translated.
Lol Don Kan'onji.
Bohahahaha.
The camera switches among those with high spirit energy and sense something wrong with the building.
I love "clog and hats"!
Hahaha. Bohahahaha.
Episode 11 20120125 1914
Song translated.
Lol funny introduction. They all escape trouble. Haha.
Haha, Orihime in 3rd, Ichigo in 23rd, Chad in 11th, and Ishida in 1st.
Urahara
Episode 12 20120125 1941
Song translated.
Crazy Ishida.
We see Tatsuki comment on seeing ghosts ever since the day she was attacked by the Hollow.
The first time Karin sees the hollows more clearly.
Yeah Chad!
Haha. Just like Ichigo. [pause] The way he kicks.
Episode 13 20120125 2300
Song translated.
Yay, it's Orihime's turn.
Haha I love when the villains explain their powers. So egotistic. I suppose in most cases the good guy would figure it out anyways.
Huh, Tatsuki could see the ghosts but can only see the frame of the Hollow.
Hehe Urahara.
Episode 14 20120125 2323
ST (It seems like all episodes will have song translated from here on out)
Strange that a bunch of soul reapers haven't shown up.
Hat-And-Clogs! Hahaha.
But aside from Urahara and his crew, why haven't other reapers showed up.
Menos.
Lol @14:16. Cartoon of how Ichigo planned to take out Menos.
Lol, how. Love their conversation. If my spirit energy is high, isn't it always at maximum? Yeah I remember reading that. That was just as awesome in the manga as this episode.
A different end credit song and images. Translated.
Byakuya's face to end the episode.
Episode 15 20120125 2353
Lol, Orihime seems a bit bustier than usual.
Lol, Kon goes flying.
Yoruichi!
Lol, "All the nutrients are going to her breasts that's why."
Poor Rukia.
I know it's the same song from the last episode, but it might have been different images.
Renji's face to end the episode.
Episode 16 20120126 0021
Aww... it's a montage of memories.
Renji and Byakuya.
In this episode the viewers will learn that each zanpakuto has a name.
Zabimaru
Similar end credit to last.
Gin Ichimaru's face to end the episode.
Episode 17 20120126 0049
Okay, this will be the last episode for the night. Unless the fight between Renji and Ichigo continues. Man, Ichigo had Renji pinned. Crazy Spiritual Pressure.
Soul Chain and Soul Sleep.
Episode 18 20120126 0112
And so I have no discipline tonight. What if I end up watching to where I've read up to!?! No, I probably couldn't stay up that late. Haha.
Haha, you're eyebrows look so weird, Mr. Lieutenant.
@10:41 is another favorite part of mine in the book.
Lesson 1: Ururu vs. Ichigo
Lesson 2: Chain cut. Hahahah.
Oh no... I don't remember how he completes Lesson 2. Must continue...
Lol end credit humor: Urahara asks Jinta and Ururu how long it'll take Ichigo to come up. Jinta says 5 hours, Ururu says 12 hours, and Urahara says he won't.
Episode 19 20120126 0136
Hahahaha. Jinta and Ururu and they're drool.
Oh right... he meets the spiritual incarnation of his zanpakuto and finds his Soul Reaper power. The explanation in this episode for some reason seems so much more clear than when I read it in the manga. It basically says that Byakuya severed Rukia's power from Ichigo, but overlooked the fact that Ichigo had his own power deep inside.
Episode 20 20120126 0200
Benihime.
Zangetsu. No hilt or hand guard.
One swing.
[20120126 1646]
Apparently I ended watching the show at the right cutting point. Episode 20 was the last of the first season, The Substitute.

SEASON 2: THE ENTRY
Episode 21 20120126 1622
What an honorable guard.
Only three have survived the first thrust.
None have survived the second, until Ichigo.
Episode 22 20120126 1645
Shinso is Ichimaru's Zanpakuto.
Ganju.
Episode 23 20120126 1713
Lol, a Dalmation.
Kakuka doesn't have a prosthetic arm in the manga.
Aizen.
Episode 24 20120126 1737
Lol, Ichigo and his cannonball.
I don't remember who ends up being the good guy and who ends up being the bad guy, but I do remember liking Ichimaru's general way of handling things.
Episode 25 20120126 1805
Four streams? In any case, I already knew the outcome of Ichigo and Orihime reaching for each other, so that wasn't as exciting. Can't wait for the next episode.
Episode 26 20120126 2304
New opening credit song and scenes.
Oh Yorouchi separated from Ichigo and Ganju.
Haha, they got each other eh...
Huh, the annimation for Ganju running around the corridors is interesting.
Kisuke Urahara.
The problem with tricks is if they don't finish the opponent off, then you're short a trick. Haha.
Different end credit song and scenes too.
Episode 27 20120126 2328
The opening credits end at around 1:30.
The first scene shows that the inner ring is pretty big, so a lot of area to cover for what I suppose is not too many people, also taking into account some groups are purely used for other reasons like medical.
Ooo... pretty art @12:56
Ikkaku.
Haha Kenpachi and his lieutenant Yachiru.
The images for the end credits changed.
The focus is on Ichimaru, and perhaps his company.
Episode 28 20120126 2355
Ikkaku was a 3rd seat from the 11th division. The guy chasing Ganju was 5th seat.
4th seat of squad 7 against Ishida. Apparently no contest.
End credits change again, the focus is on the 11th division.
Episode 29 20120127 0027
Oh wow, Ishida shot out the Soul Sleep and whatever to take away the dude's power.
Hmm... though with Renji in 11, then Kenpachi would have known that Ichigo
I wasn't paying too much attention to the end credits, but I believe the focus was on Mayuri.
The ending face was Tosen.
Episode 30 20120128 0035
A bum job that turns out to be useful. Squad 4 and the sewer system.
Oh no, it's Renji Abarai. And I say that not because he's a danger, but because then I'll probably have to watch another episode to see the end of the fight. Haha.
End credits is 4th division.
Ending face was 10th division lieutenant.
Episode 31 20120128 0100
I like how this episode goes back to Urahara's teachings
I love the three things. So far one of the cooler episodes.
Focus on division 2. With some scenes of SPOILER fighting.
Ending face was 12th division lieutenant. Nemu Kurotsuchi.

Movie Patton (1970)

2012-01-23T17:30:00.040-05:00

Watched 20120123 5PM (Netflix, Instant)
Patton (1970) Franklin J. Schaffner. 172 min

Relevant Links:
Patton (IMDb.com)
Patton (film) (Wikipedia.org)
George S. Patton (Wikipedia.org)

20120123:
[20120126]
Great movie. Unlike Kagemusha (1980), I find this film both historically interesting and interesting as a movie. Of course a movie about a U.S. general set during World War II has a head start in interest over a movie about a Japanese warlord. But I feel the movie remained interesting and had better pacing than Kagemusha. I also enjoyed the battle scenes in Patton much more than the battle scenes in Kagemusha.

Instant Comments:
approx 6 minute monologue
a combination of the bible and hollywood?
so far @40 min, i'm enjoying the movie.
through Patton's poetic dialogue, the movie itself becomes rather poetic.
there's a definite appeal to a patriotic america
I wonder if they'll explain: "Rommel you bastard, I read your book!"
1h18 I didn't realize Patton was irrational.
I do this job because I'm trained to. you do this because you love it.
LOL: Colonel there are 50,000 men on this island who would like to shoot that son of a bitch.
finished at 8:30 PM.

Movie Billy Madison (1995)

2012-01-23T00:48:00.092-05:00

Watched 20120123 12AM (Netflix, Instant)
Billy Madison (1995) Tamra Davis. 89 min.

Relevant Links:
Billy Madison (IMDb.com)

20120123:
[20120125]
I like the second half of the movie a lot better than the first half. Overall, the movie is average for me. I like Click (2006), which is the last Adam Sandler movie prior to Billy Madison, more. And while it's been a long time since I've seen them, I recall 50 First Dates (2004) and The Wedding Singer (1998) being better movies than Billy Madison.

Originally, I thought I didn't like the movie, because of Sandler's childlike character at the beginning. But I think he used the same character throughout The Waterboy (1998) which is a movie I remember liking. Though I think The Waterboy is the first Sandler movie I ever saw in theaters and I don't remember seeing it since, so maybe I wouldn't like The Waterboy as much if I saw it now either.

Going beyond Adam Sandler movies, I definitely like plenty of other comedies I've seen recently: Horrible Bosses (2011), Borat (2006), Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011), and Swingers (1996). Movies I don't like as much as Billy Madison include: Almost Heroes (1998), Gulliver's Travels (2010), and BASEketball (1998).

After making my comparisons, it would seem reasonable to clarify that "average" here is along the lines of the adjectives "decent" and "good." Those three adjectives fall below the class of "great," "awesome," and "fantastic." Obviously there's often much more to a movie than just an adjective, and many features remain beyond my ability to review, but I do my best to compare and judge from my point of view and memory. Cheers!

Instant Comments:
lol he's eating the paste
What's the teacher doing with the paste?
lol the clown hahahaha. up until now, not so funny.
wheee... that's nice.
hahahaha Principal Anderson
lol Chris Farley the bus driver
haha why is Billy's two friends there stealing sandwiches too?
that wet your pants scene is probably the second most memorable for me (around 45 min)
oh i forgot about him calling up his old high school buddies and apologizing. (1 hr) Steve Buscemi crosses him off. hahahaha.
lol "Don't I have a nice rack?" I forgot there was a musical number.
hahaha. now Eric's secretary is in a coma.
haha 1h13 + 1h14 was most memorable, but not as great or funny as I remember
hahahaha @1h17. O'Doyle rules! so horrible, yet so funny
hahahaha everyone in the room is dumber for your response.
lol all the couples kissing

Movie Kagemusha (1980)

2012-01-21T11:11:00.000-05:00

Watched 20120121 (Netflix,Instant) (Japanese audio, English subtitles)
Kagemusha (1980) Akira Kurosawa. 180 min.

Relevant Links:
Kagemusha (Wikipedia.org)
Kagemusha (IMDb.com)

20120121:
[20120125]
This movie is long and more historically interesting than interesting as a movie in and of itself. I like Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954) and Yojimbo (1961) much much more. The movie movies much too slowly with little reason to hold my interest. The motivations of the protagonist, the kagemusha, don't always make sense to me. The ending of the movie is just as hard for me to follow.

Movie Shaolin (2011)

2012-01-20T20:00:00.032-05:00

Watched 20120120 8PM (Netflix, Instant) (Mandarin audio, English subtitles) 131 min
Shaolin (2011) Benny Chan. 131 min

Relevant Links:
Shaolin (IMDb.com)
Shaolin (film) (Wikipedia.org)

20120120:
[20120124]
I liked this movie. Good old-fashioned martial arts movie. Though I don't like it as much as Fearless (2006), Ip Man (2008), or Forbidden Kingdom (2008). Unfortunately, I can't put my finger on why. Perhaps some of the delivery isn't as good or the story as a whole isn't as grand. In any case, there is a particular scene that I really like for how emotionally powerful it was. The ending was also beautiful. Again, good movie and worth watching, but something about it falls short for me.

Instant Comments:
how beautiful @26 min. rice rice!
the brother had a lot of honor. even saving his brother when betrayed and shot.
whoa what a scoop @41 min
jackie chan's special appearance @ around 50 min
the act @57 min was to be expected. nicely done.
what a dumbass haha "no they brought stolen rice."
lol they didn't erase the red "is no big deal."
omg the little boys and the bread @1h37 was one of the most powerful moments in a movie i've seen in a while [possibly ever]
hahaha stir fry and knead them like dough. go jackie the cook!
oh jeez, another bad bad guy. dude says i lose and keeps fighting.
running down the blade, that's always a fun one.
the abbott's final scene... wall of men behind him
wow, that's beautiful, right into the hands.
such a sad and beautiful story
wow rain. and blood.
end credits consist of the boy training in the snow. then to various groups.
i think i need to start martial arts again... there was an email for a club. aikido i think. yeah, every saturday from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. [i tried to go and they weren't there, but then i ran into the end of their practice elsewhere, signed up (again) to their mailing list]
credits are both in chinese and english. similar to opening credits

Movie Wheels on Meals (1984)

2012-01-20T18:00:00.033-05:00

Watched 20120120 6PM (Netflix, Instant) (Cantonese audio, English subtitles) 108 min
Wheels on Meals (1984) Sammo Hung Kam-Bo. 98 min.

Relevant Links:
Wheels on Meals (IMDb.com)
Wheels on Meals (Wikipedia.org)

20120120:
[20120124]
This movie is very similar to Dragons Forever (1988) in terms of style, humor, action, and even cast. Of course the two movies have completely different plots. If you liked one, you'll probably like the other. If you like 80s Hong Kong martial arts films, you should watch both Wheels on Meals and Dragons Forever.

Instant Comments:
haha there was no wall dividing their rooms, but he knocked to make sure his roommate was up
low the jump down from the balcony
hahahaha that's the latest liquid preservative
hahaha worse than before
it's the one bad guy from Dragons Forever (1988)
"don't tell anybody else." haha. clever.
what was he thinking when he decided to punch the bulldozer?
holy crap. that was awesome what jackie did to scale the wall. too bad it didn't work due to a fluke
hahaha. sammo hung kicks jackie.
that's not at all honorable to not give your opponent a weapon. this guy's a bad badguy.
yeah... go sammo @1h38
ooo fancy kick blows out the candles

Movie Dragons Forever (1988)

2012-01-19T20:48:00.037-05:00

Watched 20120119 9PM (Netflix, Instant) (Cantonese audio, English subtitles)
Dragons Forever (1988) Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, Corey Yuen. 102 min.

Relevant Links:
Dragons Forever (IMDb.com)
Dragons Forever (Wikipedia.org)

20120119:
[20120123]
This movie was funny. Sammo Hung was especially funny. I loved the interaction among the three main characters (Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, Biao Yuen). I was, however, slightly troubled with the fact that the movie seemed to make as if Jackie Chan's character and his assistant would get together by the end of the movie. When it was clear this wasn't going to happen, I was momentarily confused. This was a solid Jackie Chan movie.

Instant Comments:
hahaha of course shoots gun. sounds and fires like the real thing.
haha jackie and the ladies.
haha comedic
bhahaha black eye and bloody nose
jackie loves ships haha
the flowers are rotting.
hahahaha what are you up to? on megaphone
the pleasure of fishing... hahaha.
the sad look on the assistants face.
the girl handling the microphone as a nunchuck was a surprise

Movie The Forgotten (2004)

2012-01-18T22:00:00.002-05:00

Watched once before.
Watched 20120118 10PM (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
The Forgotten (2004) Joseph Ruben. 91 min.

Relevant Links:
The Forgotten (IMDb.com)
The Forgotten (2004 film) (Wikipedia.org)

20120118:
[20120123]
This movie suffers from a terrible plot. The progression of the movie is just ridiculous. The NSA does a terrible job at capturing the protagonist, who has no reason to be able to outrun and hide from them. When you find out what's happening in the movie, you can't help but wonder how the person(s) running the show could possibly screw up. Having already seen the movie, there was only one part of the movie that remained surprising to me. In any case, there is no way that I could watch this movie again and reasonably enjoy it. I recommend you save yourself the trouble and avoid this movie. Maybe it never even existed. You're crazy. :)

Instant Comments:
i guess having already seen the movie and knowing what happens, then it's not really interesting. everything becomes obvious. i suppose there's no harm. but i feel you really couldn't go beyond a second watching of this movie.
one thing that's silly is how crappy the NSA agents in this movie are.
i suppose the movie already made itself obvious @40 minutes or so... but definitely @1h12 they just make the obvious. with ann pope and the dude and ash.
Oh i guess i forgot the little part @1h15.
i definitely remember the strong emotion this movie evoked when i first watched it and still so. But as a whole the movie isn't that great. The ending starting @1h18 is great. i guess that's my favorite part.
the particular part i like and remember is @1h22.
"his name is Sam, you son of a bitch."
[i wonder if i like the alternate ending more. i must of also watched deleted scenes, because i remember there was a scene where there was tension in the bedroom between telly and ash]
strange for telly that she has to remember that she went through a year without her son.

Movie Spy Hard (1996)

2012-01-18T16:00:00.056-05:00

Watched 20120118 4PM (Netflix, Instant) (English Subtitles)
Spy Hard (1996) Rick Friedberg. 81 min

Relevant Links:
Spy Hard (IMDb.com)
Spy Hard (Wikipedia.org)

20120118:
[20120123]
This movie has plenty of cheap laughs, but it's nowhere near as good as The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) or Airplane! (1980). Overall, it's a decent bad comedy movie. Roughly this means the movie was bad, but I got enough laughs out of it to make up for my time.

Instant Comments:
Weird Al does the opening credits.
Mr. T. Alex Trebek. Fabio.
@21 min, reference to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). The bike with the girl and bike tricks. haha. and the song too I think. Yes, Rain Drops Keep Fallin' on My Head (Wikipedia.org).
resumed the film @30 minutes at 9:40 pm
haha Michael Jackson
lol @37 min Ray Charles driving the bus.
is that suppose to be ET @39?
haha @40 Mr. Miyagi.
lol Rancor is also listening. haha
lol @55 when they get out of the car
lol this is for ... and my girl 2. i wasn't in my girl 2 (Macaulay Culkin joke) haha. it's funny that the booby traps didn't work.
yeah Hulk Hogan @1h13.

Movie Zach Galifianakis: Live at the Purple Onion (2006)

2012-01-17T23:20:00.001-05:00

Watched 20120117 11PM (Netflix, Instant)
Zach Galifianakis: Live at the Purple Onion (2006) Michael Blieden. 72 min

Relevant Links:
Zach Galifianakis: Live at the Purple Onion (IMDb.com)
Zach Galifianakis Live at the Purple Onion (Wikipedia.org)

20120117:
[20120123]
Zach Galifianakis is hilarious. There's a couple of jokes here and there that don't appeal to my humor, but overall, having seen this video, I'd love to go see him live.

Instant Comments:
Started watching at 11:20 PM with no subtitles.
"I African-Americaned out."
all his jokes work so well, especially with his personality. great delivery.
"have you seen that show on lifetime about that women?"
bus-lagged. haha
lol love the burp at 12 minutes.
hahaha "I'm quitting cold turkey"
lol at 26 minutes he did a face that wasn't too far from my physics teacher in high school. mainly in combination with the beard
lol at 30 min, that one Fugee's song. hahaha
hahahahaha at 36 minute. silhouette and deepened voice.
hahaha Murphy's Law, Law and Order.
lolol the combination of NAACP and MADD.
haha @ 50 min, Kangaroo Jack.
lol in the credits: Zach Galifianakis would like to thank... [credits scroll with nothing following until...] Zach Galifianakis.

Movie The English Patient (1996)

2012-01-17T12:30:00.001-05:00

Watched 20120117 1PM (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
The English Patient (1996) Anthony Minghella. 162 min [botnotsn (1992) by Michael Ondaatje]

Relevant Links:
The English Patient (IMDb.com)
The English Patient (film) (Wikipedia.org)
The English Patient (Wikipedia.org)

20120117:
[20120123]
This movie didn't draw the same level of emotional response that I got from A Very Long Engagement (2004), but it had its moments and overall it was a good solid romance with a war theme. I really liked Juliette Binoche's performance (as Hana). Perhaps it's one of those movies, like The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), that has so much going on in the plot, that other important elements like sound, acting, visuals, etc. go unnoticed. As a result, the movie would be become more enjoyable on additional viewings. If you're into war romances, you should check this movie out. If you liked A Very Long Engagement, you should definitely try watching The English Patient, and vice versa.

Instant Comments:
holy shit !#%@ this movie is just all over the place in the first 15 minutes. i say this at around 12 minutes when something happens that they explain around 13 minutes... and "sayid" [Naveen Andrews]
i don't remember around 50 min we see she was drawing in red with a brush in the style of the opening credits. though this time what we see her draw is clear.
ah... at 57 min it starts to come together.
whoa he just rips that dress at 1 hr 13 min.
oh wow, right before 2 hr mark. what a scene.
it's interesting to see the thumbless character enjoying the rain.
2 hr 7 min Suprasternal Notch (Wikipedia.org)
what did she write at 2:18? [it gets read at 2:31]
because of times i paused, i finished the movie at 4:00 PM [starting at around 12:30 PM I should have finished at around 2 PM]

Movie What the #$*! Do We Know!? (2004)

2012-01-17T02:00:00.082-05:00

Watched once before. I recall around the time it was a new release at Hollywood Video.
Watched 20120117 2AM (Netflix, Instant, HD)
What the #$*! Do We Know!? (2004) William Arntz, Betsy Chasse, Mark Vicente. 109 min
a.k.a. What the Bleep Do We Know!?

Relevant Links:
What the #$*! Do We (K)now!? (IMDb.com)
What the Bleep Do We Know!? (Wikipedia.org)
Masaru Emoto (Wikipedia.org)

20120117:
[20120123]
This movie had some good ideas worth thinking about. But if you're like me, then you've already thought about them and don't need this movie to enlighten you. Regardless of whether or not you've given thought to the ideas in this documentary, the way the movie presented the ideas and the logic and reasoning was bad. As a result, the movie as a whole is bad. Perhaps because part of the movie is dedicated to a fictionalized side-story which is used in part to illustrate the ideas in a slightly comedic fashion. In any case, the movie has a way of making itself seem scientific, when in fact, it is quite unscientific. The best example to being unscientific, is the film's use of water molecules being affected by intent. Originally, I was planning to recommend you watch the first forty to sixty minutes of this film. Instead, I recommend you read the Wikipedia article and other reviews, before choosing to watch this movie. Better yet, just watch The Matrix (1999) and Inception (2010). Then as you watch them, keep in mind that what we call reality is a result of the information our senses collect and our brain's interpretation of that information. Thus, we may very well know nothing at all about reality.

Instant Comments:
lol i'm still blogging so put on something i've seen.
i already understand the concept that our perceptions are distinct from reality. my own primary example is the difference in perception of a blind person or a deaf person than a given person. or color blind person.
i also understand the concept then that given we make certain perceptions, we can alter those perceptions and thus change well our perception of reality. but there's an extent to which the reality itself can be changed.
i don't particularly believe the majority of the logic used in this film, but i'm okay with most of the ideas, and i suppose it's not bad in terms of being convincing, to getting people to think in these terms
is that kripke from big bang theory? [Yes, John Ross Bowie!]
lol "is that a rocket in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"
the non informational but rather um illustrative sections are mostly comical. sometimes excessive.
lol after about the first half of the movie, i stopped paying much attention

Drink Kona Koko Brown

2012-01-16T21:45:00.014-05:00

Kona Koko Brown

Relevant Links:
Kona Koko Brown Ale (RateBeer.com)
Koko Brown (BeerAdvocate.com)

20120116:
[20120120]
I wrote: "For coconut it has a raspberry smell. Maybe a little coconut. The aftertaste of coconut is clear. Enjoying the beer along with my mom's sugared-and-roasted coconut." 9:54 PM
I wrote: "Maybe I didn't wait long enough for the beer to warm. All in all the beer was good." 10:19 PM
I would definitely give this beer another try.

Remark: Apparently this beer came out for the first time in February 2011.

Website Information:
Koko Brown

NUT BROWN ALE

A Nut Brown Worth Cracking

Is there anything more iconic of the lush tropics than the coconut? The delicious heart of this island treasure has a nutty, toffee flavor and aroma that sends you straight to the beaches of Paradise. Kick back with a Koko Brown, brewed with real toasted coconut, and savor the mahogany color and smooth, roasty malt taste.

Available Winter/Spring

SUGGESTED FOOD PAIRINGS
Koko Brown pairs well with coconut and caramel flavors, such as Thai curries, BBQ meats and carne asada. Its refreshing nutty aroma makes for the perfect beer after a day on the water.

Brew Specifications:
BITTERNESS:
28 IBU
ALCOHOL BY VOLUME:
5.5%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY:
13.3 P
MALTS:
PREMIUM 2-ROW, VICTORY, CARAPILIS, MUNICH, CHOCOLATE
HOPS:
CASCADE, WILLAMETTE, WARRIOR, MILLENNIUM

Movie The Last of the Mohicans (1992)

2012-01-16T21:00:00.006-05:00

Watched 20120116 9PM (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
The Last of the Mohicans (1992) Michael Mann. 112 min. [botnotsn (1826) by James Fenimore Cooper]

Relevant Links:
The Last of the Mohicans (IMDb.com)
The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film) (Wikipedia.org)

20120116:
[20120123]
The ending is pretty good, but for some reason I didn't like the movie as a whole. Perhaps I like it better than The Last of the Mohicans (1920). Though I'm not sure it's fair to compare the two, as that version was a silent film, and inherently harder to understand on the first viewing and this film benefited from the fact that I already saw the silent film. Perhaps to compare them somewhat fairly, I'd have to watch both again. But honestly I wouldn't watch either film again any time soon. While I didn't like the movie as a whole, I love the film's score.

Instant Comments:
movie makes more sense to me at around 25 min
@50 min damn straight "no" jerkface

Credits:
Military Costume Advior
Military Wardrobe
Armourer
Reenactor Coordinator
Native American Coordinator
Hawkeye Physical Trainer
Dialect Coaches
Acting Coach
18th Century Frontier Consultant
18th Century Military Consultant
Delaware Language Instructors
Meterologist

Movie Reservoir Dogs (1992)

2012-01-16T16:00:00.002-05:00

Watched 20120116 4PM (Netflix,Instant,HD) (English subtitles)
Watched 20120116 11PM (Netflix,Instant,HD) (English subtitles)
Reservoir Dogs (1992) Quentin Tarantino. 99 min

Relevant Links:
Reservoir Dogs (IMDb.com)
Reservoir Dogs (Wikipedia.org)

20120116:
[20120122]
I've been wanting to watch this movie for a while and I finally get around to watching it. In fact, I get around to watching it twice in a day, though not in a row. This is certainly rare. I came short of watching The Good, The Bad, The Ugly (1966) twice in a day and I've seen Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008) twice in a day (in fact in a row) twice. I don't remember what compelled me to watch it again, but I would infer that I thought it was a great movie.

When thinking of movies to compare it to, the first thing that comes to mind is The Departed (2006). Intuitively, I like The Departed better. I suppose that's because it was more straightforward, while Reservoir Dogs has non-linear elements and a thriller. Unfortunately, I dislike the fact that the thriller element is lost about halfway into the film. Suddenly the movie changes and I have to adjust my interest. This would be fine if the movie had a twist other than the obvious, but to me there were no twists to be had. Along this line, the pacing of Reservoir Dogs might have been rough around the edges compared to the pacing of The Departed. It's also possible that I like The Departed better than Reservoir Dogs simply because I like the mix of actors in The Departed better than those in Reservoir Dogs, which in turn might be from recognizing more of the actors in The Departed than the actors in Reservoir Dogs.

In any case, overall Reservoir Dogs is an excellent movie. I'd give a general recommendation to watch this movie, but a definite recommendation to fans of crime movies.

Remark: I have not seen Pulp Fiction (1994).

Instant Comments During First Viewing:
interesting movie
@38 min Remy Martin
the shots off in the three gun draw happens so fast
great ending. some welcomed ambiguity.
fun music

Instant Comments During Second Viewing:
hmm this is one of those movies where the ending... well I guess it's over a little before the ending. but the ending... anyways...
I put this movie on in the background while blogging
the one thing is why is Mr. White so adamant about his standpoint? I mean I sort of understand character personalities, but he seemed to be excessively stubborn about it [that is, beyond that which I imagined his character would behave]
oh yeah, that's a hard one to hear for. I turned the film back and turned the volume up. as Mr. White says "I'm sorry kid we're gonna do time" or whatever, you can hear the cops telling Mr. Pink to put his hands up. You can hear Mr. Pink reply. Though I'm not sure how that conversation ends.

Movie Russell Brand in New York City (2009)

2012-01-16T15:40:00.022-05:00

Watched 20120116 (Netflix,Instant)
Russell Brand in New York City (2009) Ryan Polito. 42 min

Russell Brand in New York City (IMDb.com)

20120116:
[20120123]
Russell Brand's set had pretty good bits. Many jokes thrive off of the way Brand's (stage) personality.

Remark: The only other movies I've seen Russell Brand in are Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), Get Him to the Greek (2010), and Arthur (2011). To be brief, the movies, respectively, were great, okay, and bad.

Movie Swingers (1996)

2012-01-16T14:00:00.003-05:00

Watched 20120116 (Netflix,Instant,HD) (English subtitles)
Swingers (1996) Doug Liman. 96 min.

Relevant Links:
Swingers (IMDb.com)
Swingers (1996 film) (Wikipedia.org)

20120116:
[20120122]
I like this film. I enjoyed watching the protagonist's struggle and watching to see if he's able to overcome that struggle. I'd say Swingers is a solid comedy. I recommendeded it to a friend of mine soon after watching it and I'd recommend it to anybody who likes comedies.

My Favorite Conversation in the Movie:
Mike: So how long do I wait to call?
Trent: A day.
Mike: Tomorrow.
Sue: Tomorrow, then a day.
Trent: Yeah.
Mike: So two days?
Trent: Yeah, I guess you could call it that, two days.
Sue: Definitely, two days is like industry standard.
Trent: You know I used to wait two days to call anybody, but now it's like everyone in town waits two days. So I think three days is kind of money. What do you think?
Sue: Yeah, but two's enough not to look anxious.
Trent: Yeah, two's enough not to look anxious. But I think three days is kind of money. You know because you...
Mike: Yeah, but you know what, mabey I'll wait 3 weeks. How's that? And tell her I was cleaning out my wallet and I just happened to run into her number.
Charles: Then ask her where you met her.
Mike: Yeah, I'll ask her where I met her. I don't remember. What does she look like? And then I'll asked if we fucked. Is that... would that be... T, would that be the money?
Trent: You know what. Ha ha ha Mike, laugh all you want but if you call too soon you might scare off a nice baby who's ready to party.
Mike: Well how long are you guys gonna wait to call your babies?
Trent, Sue: Six days.

Instant Comments:
around 2 PM, HD available, but didn't buffer until about an hour in
it's funny because Ron Livingston (from Office Space) reminded me of Vince Vaughn and Vince Vaughn is in this movie
wtf the answering machine is talking with him?
lol, is that Vaughn? his face is skinny.
lol this protagonist... @around 26 min. ridiculous. hahaha.
good friends. haha after I made that comment, mike says to trent "you're a good friend." @30 min
@41 minutes, is that an immediate reference to Reservoir Dogs? i haven't seen Reservoir Dogs yet, but it's got to be the next film I watch.
@48 min trent is drinking a Rolling Rock (speaking of drinks, earlier at the casino there was mention of Glenlivet)
hahahaha how am i supposed to kill this bunny? hahahaha
that's hilarious @ 52 min. you're money.
lol @55 the number of days to call. hahaha in unison: 6 days.
1hr15min awww... bunny
lol the two friends "it's on, it's on" with the girl next to them bored
haha perfect ending

New Additions 20120109-20120115

2012-01-15T23:59:00.001-05:00

See Also New Additions 20111219-20120108

Added 20120110 to Book Ender's Shadow post.
New Post: Drink 2006 Quinta de Cabriz Dão Reserva
New Post: Drink Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
New Post: Drink Laurent Miquel
Added 20120109 to Foosball post.
New Post: Food Pho #1
New Post: Drink 2011 Anchor Christmas Ale
New Post: Drink Julian Hard Cider Cherry Bomb
New Post: Drink Cherry Chocolate Stout
Added 20111213 to Food Curry House post.
New Post: Movie Project A 2 (1987)
New Post: Movie The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
New Post: Movie Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
New Post: Drink Allagash Tripel Ale
New Post: Drink Allagash Curieux
New Post: Movie Dragon Lord (1982)
New Post: Drink Ballast Point Calico Amber Ale
New Post: Drink Black and Tan (Guinness and Firestone Walker DBA)
Kind of New Post: Drink Snakebite (Guinness and HardCore Cider)
Kind of New Post: Drink Oliver's Irish Red
Kind of New Post: Food The Owl Bar
Kind of New Post: Drink Belvedere Half and Half (The Owl Bar Lager and Guinness)
Kind of New Post: Drink Clipper City Balto MärzHon
Added picture to Food In-N-Out Burger post.
New Post: Food Yum Cha Cafe
New Post: Drink Blue Hawaiian Hefeweizen
New Post: Drink Red Nectar
New Post: Drink Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter
Added 20111221 to Drink Deschutes Black Butte Porter post.

Movie Conversations with Other Women (2005)

2012-01-15T21:00:00.011-05:00

Watched 20120115 (Netflix,Instant) (English subtitles)
Conversations with Other Women (2005) Hans Canosa. 84 min.

Relevant Links:
Conversations with Other Women (IMDb.com)

20120115:
[20120122]
I enjoyed watching this movie. It was kind of strange, yet enjoyable. While watching the movie, I had certain expectations of how I wanted it to end, but the ending was quite different from expectations, with one exception. The split screen style of the movie was done well. The simplicity of the movie meant that it depended heavily on dialogue. But the split screen helps in adding complexity and opens up opportunities with the dialogue.

Instant Comments:
started around 9 pm
lol @7minutes something editorial note there's only one good couple dancing... everybody else speed up or slow down hahaha
split screen is interesting
haha i don't know why that line rings so nicely: let's just say 15 years bast 23 on august the 12th.
hahaha "don't worry about him he's trying to get laid"
that was funny. and what are you waiting for? Ladies first.
olivia wilde... ;)
haha: we sleep in separate beds. but sometimes i push them together. why? [it's cute how helena bonham carter says "why?"]
i was waiting for when, and when it happened, i was wondering how. so i went back some frames, and it's after a big truck passes.

Movie Jingle All the Way (1996)

2012-01-15T19:00:00.002-05:00

Watched at least once before.
Watched 20120115 (Netflix,Instant)
Jingle All the Way (1996) Brian Levant. 89 min

Relevant Links:
Jingle All the Way (IMDb.com)

20120115:
[20120121]
I wanted to watch this movie during the holidays, but I didn't get the chance to. Oh well. The comedy and fun of the movie exists year-round. On the other hand, I thought some parts were a bit ridiculous and unbelievable. Perhaps excessively over the top. One could argue that ridiculous is reasonable for a family movie. I don't know, but for me, the parts of the movie I enjoyed watching most were moments between Arnold and Sinbad. Anyways, this movie is half bad, but the fun should be worth the watch, especially during the holiday season.

I suppose a small reason to see this movie is to see Jake Lloyd in a movie role prior to being Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).

Remark: prior to seeing the movie today (20120115), the most memorable scene from the movie for me is when Arnold's character Howard is racing Sinbad's character Myron down the street to the radio station while reciting the names of Santa's reindeer: "Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen."

Instant Comments:
started the movie around 7 pm
haha you're my number one customer
their house is the only unlit house. hahaha Ted is installing some lights
haha arnold's eyes before going to bed
i love the scene with the bomb
oh i don't remember the car being stripped
great ending!
great cast
a little part plays after the end of the credits. funny.

Video Game The Dig (1995)

2012-01-14T14:25:00.001-05:00

The Dig (1995)

Relevant Links:
The Dig (Wikipedia.org)

20120114:
Point-and-click graphic adventure game. It took a while, but the game became interesting when the story became interesting. I played until I got stuck. I'm at a point where I assume the four symbols depicted on the purple rod should be entered on one of the panels and thus opening a door. But there are several doors and the entry process is rather slow. I've tried entering the code on all the doors, but maybe they're in the wrong direction. However, I don't want to try entering them in the opposite direction at the moment, so I decided to save the game and stop playing. On a Mac, I found that all the menu options are found in the menu bar at the top (where the toolbar options for any Mac application is found). From there press save and choose a file to save the game to. Just remember where you saved your game so that you can load it next time you play. The file is about 500 KB.

The only other point-and-click graphic adventure game I remember playing is Loom (1990). Oh wait, I've played Sam & Max Save the World Episode Four "Abe Lincoln Must Die" (2007). I'm not sure if Mixed-Up Mother Goose (1987) belongs to this genre or not. By recommendation, I also own other point-and-click graphic adventure games, but I have yet to play them.

So far, I don't enjoy The Dig as much as Loom or Sam & Max Season One Episode Four, but that might be a premature statement.

Movie Office Space (1999)

2012-01-13T17:30:00.001-05:00

Watched once before.
Watched 20120113 (Netflix,Instant) 89 min
Office Space (1999) Mike Judge. 89 min

Relevant Links:
Office Space (IMDb.com)

20120113:
[20120121]
I finished the movie around 7 PM. It's been a while since I've seen the film and so I didn't remember exactly how it ended. Of course when I did see the ending, I understood that I didn't remember it, because it was boring and uninteresting. The movie wasn't that funny. On the plus side, it wasn't horrible and there were a couple of good moments. My favorite scene is when the protagonist and his friends trash the printer. Then a moment of the film I like is when he's sort of sitting around happy as the hypnotist is having trouble. Overall, I'd say watch it once if you're into comedies.

Note: Page Reverting Disaster

2012-01-13T00:15:00.001-05:00

Perhaps disaster is too strong a word, but I was editing my movie page when suddenly I accidentally hit the button Save as Draft. At first I didn't think it was a big deal, until I loaded the draft and the page had reverted to a rather old version of itself. One where the last movie seen was Chicago (2002)(20111010). Somewhat fortunately, I was able to pull up a Google cached copy of the page as it appeared on Dec 22, 2011 13:08:08 GMT. That saves me from re-entering about 33 entries. The last movie at that time was A Soldier's Story (1984) (20111218). Since that time I've added 17 movie entries. Ideally that should take under 30 minutes to rebuild. I wish there was an alternative. I suppose I can save time and just use the New Addition (Movie Title Year) entries as opposed to the full (Title Year Director Minutes Misc) entries. Ironically, this whole mess accidentally came about as I was going through and deleting the word "Movie" from some of the older entries.

Anyways, time to go to sleep. From now on, I'll make a backup of my blog every time I create a New Additions post. Had I already formed this habit, I'd only have 4 movie entries to rebuild.

Movie Dragon Lord (1982)

2012-01-12T22:00:00.002-05:00

Watched 20120102 (Netflix,Instant,HD) (English audio) 94 min
Dragon Lord (1982) Jackie Chan. 86 min
also known as Long xiao ye (original title)

Relevant Links:
Dragon Lord (Wikipedia.org)
Dragon Strike (IMDb.com)

20120102:
This is one of the funniest Jackie Chan movies I've ever seen. I would also like to say that I enjoyed the English dubbing for this movie. Of course, if I ever got my hands on the DVD, I'd certainly try watching it with Cantonese audio and English subtitles. If you like humor, Jackie Chan, martial arts, or action movies, then this movie might be down your alley. If you like any combination of those, then I'd definitely recommend you watch this movie.

Interestingly, the Wikipedia article says the following, "The film experimented with various elaborate stunt action sequences in a period setting, serving as a transition between Chan's earlier comedy kung fu period films (such as Drunken Master and The Young Master) and his later stunt-oriented modern action films (such as Project A and Police Story)." While I had the following to say in my Project A 2 (1987) post: "Better than [Project A 2] is Rumble in the Bronx (1995) and Little Big Soldier (2010). I'd say better than those, preferring more traditional martial art movies, are The Young Master (1980), Drunken Master (1978), and Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)."

Instant Comments:
lol, "it's heavy" I laughed quite a bit at that one
nine little ten little Indians
haha empty the dragon.
lol poem reading antics
omg the gun being shot right after Dragon looks down the barrel
watching the little match in the middle of the movie was fun. and then of course the ending where the shuttlecock hits the girl. hahahaha
lol the ending of Jackie Chan getting the kite and he looks to be doing a one finger pull up. lol
for the most part, the fighting style and the tone of the movie is humorous. one of the more slapstick funny Jackie Chan movies.
the last battle, though it seems Dragon's skill level and condition stand no chance against the antagonist, somehow he manages to win in the end. best explained by luck
omg, hahahaha with the cannon hahahaha.
credits just role over a still of the last frame of the movie and are in English

Movie Project A 2 (1987)

2012-01-12T15:30:00.002-05:00

Watched 20120112 (Netflix,Instant,HD) (English audio) 101 min
Project A 2 (1987) Jackie Chan. 101 min
also known as 'A' gai wak juk jap (original title)

Relevant Links:
Project A 2 (IMDb.com)

20120112:
As usual, I definitely enjoy all the action in a Jackie Chan movie. The scene where all the different characters were showing up at the one girl's home was funny, and perhaps my favorite. The fighting sequence where Dragon and Chun were cuffed together was also entertaining and at times funny. I don't remember much about Project A (1983), but that didn't affect my understanding of Project A 2 in any way. The only thing that bothered me from time to time were the different accents. Overall, one of my more liked Jackie Chan movies. Better than this movie is Rumble in the Bronx (1995) and Little Big Soldier (2010). I'd say better than those, preferring more traditional martial art movies, are The Young Master (1980), Drunken Master (1978), and Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978). On the other hand, I like this movie more than Thunderbolt (1995) and Gorgeous (1999). And those I like better than Heart of Dragon (1985).

Credits:
As the credits role, then footage of various takes are shown as well as a Jackie Chan singing the end credit song.

Drink 2008 Robert Sinskey Pinot Noir

2012-01-11T18:30:00.006-05:00

2008 Robert Sinskey Pinot Noir

Relevant Links:
2008 Robert Sinkey Vineyards Pinot Noir Carneros (Robert Sinskey Website)
2008 Robert Sinskey Vineyards Pinot Noir Carneros,USA, California, Napa Valley, Carneros (CellarTracker.com)

20120111:
[20120120]
I wrote: "2008 Robert Sinskey Pinot Noir. 14.1%. Deep grape taste. Smooth tasting. Not sour. Slight pinch at the end. Sweet. Great, especially for a red." 6:33 PM
Apparently wine at Gertrude's is half off on Wednesdays:

Wine on Wednesdays—After 4 p.m. every Wednesday evening, all bottles and glasses of wine are half price. In addition, BMA Members receive their usual 10% discount!

CellarTracker.com Information:
Vintage 2008
Type Red
Producer Robert Sinskey Vineyards (web)
Variety Pinot Noir
Designation n/a
Vineyard n/a
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Napa Valley
Appellation Carneros

Website Information:
PINOT NOIR
Los Carneros
2008

Tasting Notes
Bright, gem-like translucent ruby color tumbles into the glass, as classic Pinot Noir aromas of berries, earth and spice leap towards the nose. Ripe tannins weave an elegant texture, soft and velvety, that holds beautiful flavors of dark cherry, cranberry, vanilla, sweet herbs, forest floor, and exotic spice. The wine finds incredible balance between flavors, tannins and acidity, making it a fantastic dinner companion.

Drink 2007 Domaine Cabirau Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes Serge & Tony

2012-01-11T16:15:00.001-05:00

2007 Domaine Cabirau Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes Serge & Tony

Relevant Links:
2007 Domaine Cabirau Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes Serge & Tony, France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (CellarTracker.com)

20120111:
[20120120]
I wrote: "2007 Cabirau Grenache. The red tastes good. Spicy alcohol taste." 4:31 PM

CellarTracker.com Information:
Vintage 2007
Type Red
Producer Domaine Cabirau
Variety Grenache
Designation Serge & Tony
Vineyard n/a
Country France
Region Languedoc Roussillon
SubRegion Roussillon
Appellation Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes

Drink 2009 Domaine de la Collonge Mâcon-Fuissé

2012-01-11T16:00:00.001-05:00

2009 Domaine de la Collonge Mâcon-Fuissé

20120111:
[20120120]
I wrote: "2009 Domaine de la Collonge Macon-Fuisse. 13.5% ABV. The white tastes nice." 4:31 PM

New Additions 20111219-20120108

2012-01-08T23:59:00.005-05:00

Drink Black and Tan (Guinness and Bass)

2012-01-08T01:18:00.003-05:00

Black and Tan (Guinness and Bass)

Relevant Links:
Black and Tan (Wikipedia.org)

20120108:
[20120120]
I wrote: "Old Fashioned (Glenlivet, muddled cherries) tasted bland. Alright. Strange. Black and Tan (Guinness and Bass). Gooood." 1:38 AM PST

Drink Old Fashioned

2012-01-08T00:14:00.018-05:00

Old Fashioned

Relevant Links:
Old Fashioned (Wikipedia.org)
The Glenlivet (Wikipedia.org)
The Glenlivet Website Day Month Year

20120108:
[20120119]
I wrote: "Old Fashioned (Glenlivet, muddled cherries) tasted bland. Alright. Strange. Black and Tan (Guinness and Bass). Gooood." 1:38 AM PST
I'm not sure which recipe the bartender used to make the Old Fashioned, but I'm pretty sure the whisky used was The Glenlivet. Though perhaps next time I'll just try drinking The Glenlivet neat or with a splash of water.

Movie Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)

2012-01-06T22:00:00.002-05:00

Watched 20120106 (DVD)
Lethal Weapon 4 (1998) Richard Donner. 127 min

Relevant Links:
Lethal Weapon 4 (IMDb.com)

20120106:
[20120107]
A great end to the series. Jet Li and Chris Rock were great additions. JK and PN briefly discussed Joe Pesci's monologue near the end of the film. It was a great monologue. It took me a moment to realize how the Joe Pesci's story was relevant to Mel Gibson's character. All the references to the first three Lethal Weapons are also welcome. In the end, I think I like Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) best, then Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), then Lethal Weapon (1987), and then Lethal Weapon 4.

Drink Seven and Seven

2012-01-06T20:40:00.028-05:00

Seven and Seven

Relevant Links:
7 and 7 (Wikipedia.org)
Seagram's Seven Crown (Wikipedia.org)

20120106:
[20120119]
I wrote: "7 and 7. A shot of Seagram's Seven Crown (whisky) and 7up. Good taste. I wouldn't really know, but I think there's more Seagram's than 7up. Good." 8:58 PM PST
Despite my instant comment and my lack of experience with Seagram's, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that I would prefer a rum and coke to a 7 and 7.

Movie Thunderbolt (1995)

2012-01-06T14:00:00.002-05:00

Watched 20120106 (DVD) (English audio, English subtitles)
Thunderbolt (1995) Gordon Chan. 110 min
also known as Pik lik feng (Original title)

Relevant Links:
Thunderbolt (IMDb.com)
Thunderbolt (1995 film) (Wikipedia.org)

20120106:
[20120108]
I think this movie has several plot holes, but I'm willing to overlook them, because the action is fun. In particular, the action scene that takes place in the casino is awesome. There's even trampolines in that scene!

Movie Hanna (2011)

2012-01-05T22:00:00.054-05:00

Watched 20120105 (Blu-ray)
Hanna (2011) Joe Wright. 111 min.

Relevant Links:
Hanna (IMDb.com)
Hanna (film) (Wikipedia.org)

20120105:
[20120108]
I watched this film with JK and RH. Great movie. Great pacing. My friend JK noted, a great part of the movie is just experiencing the different places Hanna passes through. For the most part I agree, but I feel it might not appeal to everybody watching the movie. On a different note, the effect of having Hanna disappearing from sight in a blink of an eye was used a lot, but I never tired of it. If you enjoy watching females kick ass, like in Kill Bill or Aeon Flux (2005), you'd definitely enjoy this movie.

SPOILER:
While the "repetition" of the opening scene was predictable, it was still awesome. I suppose being able to predict the line made the scene better, if not unchanged. "I just missed your heart." Of course, I might not have been able to predict the repetition if I hadn't seen two particular movies starring Clint Eastwood.

Sebastian: So Hanna, is your Mom and Dad still together?
Hanna: My mother is dead.
Sophie: [to Sebastian] Nice one, Dad.
Sebastian: I'm sorry to hear that. I lost my mom when I was very young, so...
Hanna: It's all right. It happened a long time ago.
Rachel: Hanna, what did your Mom die of?
Hanna: Three bullets...

Drink Sake Sampler at Kaisen Kaiten

2012-01-05T18:15:00.002-05:00

Sake Sampler at Kaisen Kaiten

Sort of Relevant Links:
Otokoyama Website
Otokoyama (Mans Mountain) Junmai Sake (RateBeer.com)
Ozeki (Champion) Karatanba (RateBeer.com)
Urakasumi Website
Kurosawa (Black River) Junmai Kimoto Sake (RateBeer.com)
Hatsumago Nama Moto Junmai Sake (RateBeer.com)
Shirataki Jozen Mizunogotoshi (Pure Flower) Ginjo Sake (RateBeer.com)

20120105:
[20120118]
I wrote: "Otokoyama: not bad, doesn't really taste like rice. Karatanba: stronger. Urakasumi: yum, maybe a plum taste? pleasant. Kurosawa: maybe that same plum taste." 6:30 PM PST
I wrote: "is a rice taste. this fourth came out unpleasant. cleansing of the palate might be inconsistent. Hatsumago: Perhaps spicier. Jozen Mizunogotoshi: Good. ;; For the most part, it's hard to distinguish the different sakes." 6:42 PM PST

It's unfortunate that only the brands of the sakes were named. I'm tempted to call the restaurant and inquire, but not today.

Movie Heart of Dragon (1985)

2012-01-05T13:00:00.003-05:00

Watched 20120105 (DVD) (Cantonese audio, English subtitles)

Heart of Dragon (1985) Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, Fruit Chan. 91 min.
also known as 龍的心
also known as Lóng Dé Xīn

Relevant Links:
Lóng Dé Xīn (IMDb.com)

20120105:
There was a good action sequence at the beginning of the movie which established the coordinated relationship between Jackie Chan and his friends. The long action sequence at the end of the movie is also pretty fun. I thought the scenes that follows that final action sequence was excessively long. In any case, I thought the pacing of the movie was horrible and the story wasn't particularly interesting.

Drink Deschutes Inversion IPA

2012-01-02T16:30:00.031-05:00

Deschutes Inversion IPA

Relevant Links:
Deschutes Inversion IPA (Ratebeer.com)
Inversion IPA (BeerAdvocate.com)
Inversion IPA (Deschutes Website)

Yard House:
4.0% Timmermans Strawberry Lambic
6.8% Deschutes Inversion IPA

20120102:
[20120118]
I wrote: "Deschutes Inversion Shorty. Nice IPA smell. Really nice taste. I really like this IPA. Very balanced. Yeah. As far as I can remember this is one of the best IPAs I've ever had." 4:44 PM PST

Unfortunately, Deschutes is currently only distributing to the western half of the United States.

For some reason, perhaps by chance, I "correctly" spotted the Deschutes Inversion IPA as a great beer, but "incorrectly" commented on the Deschutes Black Butte Porter. Especially since the porter is, in some sense, better than the IPA.

BA Score: 88 (0574 Reviews); The Bros: 092; RateBeer 94 Overall; RateBeer 89 Style [IPA]
BA Score: 93 (1050 Reviews); The Bros: 100; RateBeer 97 Overall; RateBeer 98 Style [PORTER]

Website Information:
Inversion IPA

IPA
Alc. 6.8% | IBUs 80
228 Calories, 12 oz serving

Paradise is stumbling upon our whole flower hop room and inhaling. Inversion IPA is as close as you can get without knowing somebody.

Enter, if you will, all the glorious aromatic complexity of the hop. This big, bold IPA's intense multi-hop kick gets a subtle dose of restraint from select Crystal and Carastan malts. For discriminating hop heads.

The Critics Speak
The America's Best IPA Pale Ale
2011 World Beer Awards
Gold Medal, India Pale Ale
2009 Australian International Beer Awards
Gold Medal (90 Points - India Pale Ale)
2008 World Beer Championships
Silver Medal, India Pale Ale Category
2007 Australian International Beer Awards
Bronze Medal, India Pale Ale Category
2007 West Coast Brew Fest

Drink Timmermans Strawberry Lambic

2012-01-02T15:45:00.006-05:00

Timmermans Strawberry Lambic

Relevant Links:
Timmermans Strawberry Lambic (RateBeer.com)
Timmermans Strawberry Lambic (BeerAdvocate.com)
Timmermans Strawberry Lambic (Anthony Martin Website)

Yard House:
4.0% Timmermans Strawberry Lambic
6.8% Deschutes Inversion IPA

20120102:
[20120118]
I wrote: "Timmermans Strawberry. Nice strawberry smell. Like strawberry cream smell. Nice taste. At first kinda funny. Cloudy, peachy pink color." 4:00 PM PST

Website Information:
TIMMERMANS® STRAWBERRY LAMBIC

For anyone who finds strawberries irresistible, Timmermans® Strawberry evokes the fragrance of long sunny days. Its strawberry flavour will have you wrinkling your nose in delight with each sip. Its luminous colour and its fruity freshness are a treat for taste-buds and eyes alike. A totally juicy experience.

Taste-wise …
Its aroma evokes the perfumes of a lovely summer’s day. Its strawberry flavour confirms the nose’s impression, without being over-sweet, and is enhanced by a real feeling of freshness, recalling those tiny green granules that are found around ripened strawberries. Its taste is consistent and spreads very quickly throughout the mouth, finishing on a note that is fruity rather than sweet.

Alcohol : 4%
Colour : Red
Fermentation : Spontaneous
Type : Fruity

Movie Gorgeous (1999)

2012-01-01T22:00:00.007-05:00

Seen once before
Watched 20120101 (DVD) (English audio, English subtitles)
Gorgeous (1999) Vincent Kok. 121 min
also known as Boh lee chun (original title)

Relevant Links:
Gorgeous (IMDb.com)

20120101:
[20120106]
My friends and I were watching this movie while playing a game. As such, I didn't completely follow the plot, but I understood the gist of it. The movie has a decent plot and a solid amount of action. If you're a fan of Jackie Chan, I'd say you should watch Gorgeous, at least once.

Drink BJ's Annual Grand Cru

2012-01-01T18:25:00.002-05:00

BJ's Annual Grand Cru

Relevant Links:
BJ's Annual Grand Cru (BJ's Website)
Grand Cru (BeerAdvocate.com)
BJ's Grand Cru (RateBeer.com)

20120101:
[20120118]
Upon being seated and seeing the menu, I had no doubt in my mind that I wanted to order the Grand Cru as well as purchase the glass. I don't remember the prices at the moment, but buying the beer and the glass together saves $1.

I wrote: "BJ's Annual Grand Cru. Slightly grassy, hoppy? No, I got it: citrusy, but not obviously. Nice taste. Ok, I can smell the citrus now." 6:30 PM PST

Website Information:
BJ's Annual Grand Cru

First brewed to celebrate the new millennium, BJ’s Grand Cru has been an annual tradition ever since. This strong Belgian-style ale is brewed with imported Belgian malts and some secret ingredients, resulting in a malty character with a whirlwind of fruit and spice flavors.

Style:Belgian-Style Pale Strong Ale
Alcohol:10%
Awards:Silver: Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ales at 2002 Great American Beer Festival; Silver: Belgian Strong Ale at 2000 World Beer Cup
Seasonality:January/February
Availability:All BJ’s

Note: Yard House Checklist

2011-12-31T23:59:00.008-05:00

20120115:
I copied this list from the Yard House website in order to create a fairly complete checklist. I say fairly, because it's possible I've had a beer on this list, but have no record or recollection of having tried it. As a result, I might end up having a beer I've already tried. Not a big deal, but a minor one I would prefer to avoid if I could. Anyways, apparently Yard House also has an app for rating beers which appear on their menus. Of course, that is only useful if I'm going to Yard House with a friend that has a smart phone or if Yard House offers free wi-fi. Thus, I will just keep a short list of beers I haven't tried in my phone's notepad function and keep that updated.

A + on the left means I've tried it already. A +#+ means I've added it to my Yard House account with tasting notes. A +#- is added but without tasting notes. An = means I added the Yard House information to my blog post.

[[NOT LISTED BELOW]]
+5-Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter
+4-Anchor Steam
+5-Bootlegger's Golden Chaos
+1-Carlsberg
+2-George Killian's Irish Red
+3+=Karl Strauss Windansea Wheat
+5-North Coast Brother Thelonious
+4+=[TRYONDRAFT]Oskar Blues Old Chub
+4+Ballast Point Calico Amber

[[ALES]]
YARD HOUSE CRAFT BEER
House Amber Ale
+4-House Belgian Amber Tripel
House Hefeweizen
House Honey Blonde
House India Pale Ale
House Pale

BLONDE ALES
Light · Crisp · Refreshing
Bayhawk Beach Blonde
BBC Strawberry Blonde
+2-[20111228]Hollywood Blonde

HONEY ALES
Light · Subtle · Sweet
House Honey Blonde

PUB CREAM ALES
Light · Toasted · Creamy
+2+Belhaven Scottish Ale
+2+=Boddingtons Pub Ale
+Kilkenny Irish Cream
Old Speckled Hen

BELGIAN FRUIT & LAMBICS
Full Fresh Fruit Flavor
*Lindeman's Peche
*Timmermans Framboise
+4-*Timmermans Strawberry

AMERICAN WHEAT
(Fruit) · Citrus · Easy Drinking
House Hefeweizen
+4+Abita Purple Haze
+3+=Blue Hawaiian Hefeweizen
Lost Coast Apricot Wheat
Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat
Pyramid Hefeweizen
Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat
+4-Sea Dog Bluepaw Wild Blueberry
+3-Widmer Hefeweizen

BAVARIAN HEFEWEIZENS
Zesty · Spiced · Refreshing
Franziskaner Hefe-Dunkel
Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse
Hacker-Pschorr Weisse
Paulaner Hefe-Weizen
Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier
Weihenstephaner Vitus

WHITE ALES
Orange · Citrus · Coriander
Allagash White
Avery White Rascal
+3-Blue Moon
+3-Hoegaarden White
+4-Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat
Lost Coast Great White
+3-Shock Top
Wittekerke

BELGIAN STYLE BLONDE ALES
Sweet · Spicy Fruit · Effervescent
*Affligem Blond
*Leffe Blond
*Lost Abbey Red Barn
*North Coast Pranqster
*Ommegang Hennepin

AMBER AND RED ALES
Malty · Caramel · Balanced
House Amber Ale
+3+Alaskan Amber
+2+Anderson Valley Boont Amber Ale
Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale
Firestone Double Barrel Ale
Full Sail Amber
+Karl Strauss Red Trolley
Lost Coast Alleycat Amber
Mad River Jamaica Red
Napa Smith Lost Dog
+4+=Nectar Red
+3-New Belgium Fat Tire
*Palm Amber
Smithwick's

BROWN ALES
Malted · Roasted · Nutty
AleSmith Nautical Nut Brown
Big Sky Moose Drool
+3+Hobgoblin English Ale
Lost Coast Downtown Brown
+4-[20111228]Lost Coast Raspberry Brown
+3-[TRYAGAIN]Newcastle Brown
Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar

EXTRA SPECIAL BITTERS (ESB'S)
Rich · Balanced Hops & Malt
Grand Teton Bitch Creek ESB
Redhook ESB

PALE ALES
Hoppy · Floral · Aromatic
House Pale Ale
+2+Bass Ale
Deschutes Mirror Pond
+Flying Dog Classic Pale
Full Sail Pale
Fuller's London Pride
Kona Fire Rock Pale
+3-Magic Hat #9
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Stone Pale Ale

PORTERS
Rich · Chocolate · Coffee
+5-Deschutes Black Butte Porter
Firestone Walker's Reserve
+Fuller's London Porter
Stone Smoked Porter

STOUTS
Hearty · Fully Roasted · Creamy
Belhaven Scottish Stout
+4-Guinness Stout
+Murphy's Irish Stout
+5-**North Coast Old Rasputin Imperial
+Young's Double Chocolate

INDIA PALE ALES (IPA'S)
Hoppy Bitterness · Piney · Floral
House India Pale Ale
Alaskan IPA
Anderson Valley Hop Ottin
+4+Bear Republic Racer 5
+5-Deschutes Inversion
**Dogfish Head 90 Minute
Green Flash West Coast
Karl Strauss Tower 10
Lagunitas India Pale Ale
Shipyard XXXX
**Speakeasy Double Daddy
+4-Stone IPA
**Stone Ruination IPA
**Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale (Black IPA)
Victory HopDevil

AMERICAN STRONG ALES
Bold · Flavorful · Full Bodied
**Arrogant Bastard Ale
*Green Flash Barleywine
**Moylan's Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale

BELGIAN STRONG ALES
Complex · Spiced · Fruity Finish
+4-*House Belgian Amber Tripel
*Avery The Reverend
+4-[TRYAGAIN]*Chimay Triple
*Delirium Tremens
*Goose Island Matilda
*Gulden Draak
*La Chouffe
*Maredsous 8
*New Belgium Trippel
*Piraat Ale
+5-*Trois Pistoles
+5-*Victory Golden Monkey

*Served In Goblets Only
**Served In Pints Only

[[LAGERS]]
Below is a sample beer list. For a store specific list, please select By Location.
LIGHT
Low Calorie · Crisp · Refreshing
Amstel Light
+1-Bud Light
Coors Light
Michelob Ultra
Miller Lite

PALE LAGERS
Clean · Dry · Refreshing
Budweiser
Carlsberg
Dos Equis Lager
Foster's
Harp
Hofbräu Original
+1-Kirin Ichiban
+3-Kona Longboard Lager
Kronenbourg 1664
Miller Genuine Draft
Modelo Especial
Moosehead Lager
Pabst Blue Ribbon
+2-Pacifico
+1-Peroni
+3-Primo Island Lager
+Rolling Rock
+2-Sapporo
+2-Spaten Lager
+1-Tecate

PILSNERS
Crisp · Dry · Tangy Bite
Beck's
Bitburger Pils
Czechvar
+2-Heineken
North Coast Scrimshaw
+1-Pilsner Urquell
Spaten Pils
+3-Stella Artois
Warsteiner Pils

AMBER LAGERS
Subtle Caramel · Balanced · Crisp
+2-Dos Equis Amber
Negra Modelo
+3-Sam Adams Boston Lager
Spaten Oktoberfest

DARK LAGERS
Chocolate · Coffee · Roasted
Köstritzer Schwarzbier
Warsteiner Dunkel

BOCKS
Malty · Sweet · Toasted
*Moretti La Rossa
+2-Shiner Bock
+3-*Spaten Optimator

*Served In Goblets Only
**Served In Pints Only

Basketball and Football Winter 2011

2011-12-28T15:00:00.002-05:00

20111223:
[20111229]
Basketball:
Daniel Josh Tim Chris Ryan Kevin?

So windy.

Football:
Daniel Josh Tim. Chris Ryan Kevin?.

For ease, Daniel set up four preset plays assigned to the numbers 1 through 4.

20111227:
[20111229]
Football:
Michael Phuong Stephanie 5. Tim Josh Tiffany 7.

Game:
Started late. Played a little past sunset. I recalled the score was 5 to 6 when we were about ready to end the game. But Phuong requested one more possession to tie the game. But our team regained possession. Phuong declared first to score wins. We scored on that possession.

Lost Keys:
Fog was settling. We had to look for Phuong's keys. He had placed them near all the bags which were subsequently moved about ten feet closer to where we were playing. We pooled our light sources and scanned the area as carefully as possible. Occasionally we would search inside Josh's bag for the keys. Ultimately, we ended up finding the keys hanging off the bottom of Josh's bag.

20111228:
[20111229]
Football:
Josh Stephanie Phuong lose?. Tiffany Tim Kevin win?.
Josh Tiffany Phuong 4 or 5. Stephanie Tim Kevin 2.

Rules:
Two-hand touch. 5 downs, no blitzes, 5 alligators must be counted out loud before rushing the QB, QB is allowed to run only if a member of the defense crosses the line of scrimmage. To "punt" is to move the ball half the distance to the goal and obviously a change in possession. "Kick-off" is down at the goal line. Because of the number of players, no hand-offs.

See Touch football (Wikipedia.org)

My Future Proposal of Rules:
Two-hand touch (simultaneous). 5 downs, 1 blitz, 5 alligators must be counted out loud before rushing the QB, QB is allowed to run if a member of the defense crosses the line of scrimmage or after the blitz count (in this case 5 alligators). To "punt" is to move the ball half the distance to the goal and obviously a change in possession. "Kick-off" is down at one-fifth the length of the field. Because of the number of players, no hand-offs, unless for a change in QB. See Forward pass (Wikipedia.org) and Lateral pass (Wikipedia.org).

Clarification of my proposed rule set by examples:
A) The QB hikes the ball. A defender begins counting. 1, 2. The QB hands it off to a teammate. That teammate is now the QB and follows the same rules as the QB. The defender continues counting 3, 4, 5. And may begin to blitz the QB.
B) The QB hikes the ball. A defender begins counting. 1, 2. The QB makes a lateral pass to a teammate. While the teammate may opt for a legal forward pass (one from behind the line of scrimmage) or begin running the ball. The defense may "tackle" the teammate that just received the ball.

Random Comments:
We tried to use the flags, but they broke so easily. I'll have to return them. Eventually we reverted to two-hand touch. In the first game, instead of using numbers, we used names. Bottlecap, Marco, Penguin, Polo. One of the fun plays that almost worked was a lateral pass from Tiffany to me followed by a forward pass to Kevin. I think it confused Josh, because he saw it as a hand-off. In any case, it failed. Later, someone made the later pass to Josh who threw a forward pass to Phuong for a touch-down. Honestly, the play must have confused me as much as it did Josh. In part, because our rules don't explicitly cover the lateral pass. Under the rules we had set, I'd say that Josh would have been allowed to rush me (not having to finish 5 alligators) and vice versa. At some point, we would often employ the strategy of not rushing the QB in favor of adding a defender against the receivers. This gives the defensive team a two-fold advantage of not allowing the QB to run the ball. It was too late then, but I think there should be an option for the QB to count to 10 alligators and running the ball. The plays where the players would cross work well when unexpected, but the defenders could agree ahead of time to switch coverage in such situations. The difficulty is when the switched coverage results in a significant speed difference and therefore a worse scenario than trying to catch-up with the original match-up. One of the problems I ran into was a desire to throw past a tall defender for an easy touchdown, but in hindsight, it would have been more beneficial in the long-run to throw in front of a tall defender. Basically the receiver would probably be down the moment he/she catches the ball, but at least there would be yards gained. We never invoked the option to "punt."

Regarding Field Sizes:
We just sort of gauged field size. But perhaps problematic was unmarked end zones. In a full football game, there are 11 players on each team on a 360 feet by 160 feet field (including end zones). That's about 14.5 feet per person against width and 33 feet per person against length (27 feet per person against length without the end zone). If we scaled the field by number of players on a team then we'd have:

1-on-1 playing on a 33 (27) feet by 15 feet field.
2-on-2 playing on a 66 (54) feet by 29 feet field.
3-on-3 playing on a 99 (81) feet by 44 feet field.
: A tenth of the field is 8.1 feet and each end zone is 9 feet.
4-on-4 playing on a 132 (108) feet by 58 feet field.
8-on-8 playing on a 264 (216) feet by 116 feet field.
11-on-11 playing on a 363 (297) feet by 160 feet field.

Those seem like pretty reasonable size fields. However, perhaps more reasonable and easy to measure out the field, is taking the length (including end zone) to be three times the combined arm spans of all the players on the field. Thus in a 3-on-3 game with average height of 5'6" we'd have an approximate length of 99 feet. Take a fourth of the combined arm spans off from each end to mark the end zones. On a 3-on-3 game with average height of 5'6" we'd have 8'3" long end zones. The width should be one-and-a-half minus one-sixth the combined arm spans of all players on the field. Thus in a 3-on-3 game with average height of 5'6" we'd have an approximate width of 44 feet.

Injury Report:
Jammed metacarpophalangeal joint belonging to the thumb on my right hand. See Finger (Wikipedia.org).

Basketball:
Kevin Phuong Stephanie 11. Tim Josh Tiffany 8.

Handedness:
I throw the foot ball with my right hand. I throw a basketball with my right hand. I throw a baseball with my left hand (thus I wear a baseball glove on my right hand). I hold a badminton racket in my left hand.

Movie The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

2011-12-25T14:20:00.009-05:00

Released 20111221.
Watched 20111225 Theatre. Garden Grove [TINTIN 3D] 2:20PM $9.50
The Adventures of Tintin (2011) Steven Spielberg. 107 min [bot comic book series otsn (1929-1976) by Georges Remi]

Relevant Links:
The Adventures of Tintin (IMDb.com)

20111225:
[20111229]
We got to the theater and into our seats at about 2:20, but the movie hadn't started yet. The aisle lights were still on and previews hadn't started. I guess they were a little behind schedule. The theater was also fairly empty. I suppose there was a low demand for movie watching at 2 in the afternoon. In any case, I watched the movie with my sister and my parents. This is significant, because the last time all four of us saw a movie in theaters together was The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001). I enjoyed this movie. In particular, I enjoyed the 3D. The movie is action-packed and fast-paced. I love it.

I like it a lot better than Hugo (2011). Of course, I do favor more action oriented movies. I look forward to watching the sequels.

Attached Trailers:
ParaNorman
Dr. Seuss's The Lorax
Titanic 3D

Attached 3D Trailers:
Brave
Men in Black III
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
The Hobbit

Drink Il Conte D'Alba Stella Rosa Rosso

2011-12-24T21:00:00.003-05:00

Il Conte D'Alba Stella Rosa Rosso

Relevant Links:
Stella Rosa Website
Il Conte D'Alba Stella Rosa, Italy, Piedmont (CellarTracker.com)

20111224, 20111231:
[20120120]
My sister got a bottle of this and my family and I drank it on Christmas Eve at dinner. I recall it being quite carbonated like a champagne. Soon after, my dad bought some bottles at Costco and either my mom or dad insisted my friends and I open a bottle on New Years Eve. We drank it while playing Power Grid, several hours before midnight. I'm under the impression that everybody who had the wine enjoyed it to some extent. In the end, I suppose it's a wine best enjoyed by those newer to wine, as it's sweet and sparkling.

Website Information:
STELLA ROSA ROSSO
Appellation: Piedmont, Italy

Vintage: Nonvintage

Description:
From the beautiful village of Santo Stefano Belbo in Piedmont comes our delicious Stella Rosa Rossa. A refreshing semi sweet red wine to be served chilled and accompanied by fresh fruit and cheese.

CellarTracker.com Information:
Vintage N.V.
Type Red - Sparkling
Producer Il Conte D'Alba
Variety Red Blend
Designation Stella Rosa
Vineyard n/a
Country Italy
Region Piedmont
SubRegion n/a
Appellation n/a
UPC Code 087872630139

Movie Weekend at Bernie's (1989)

2011-12-23T22:00:00.002-05:00

Watched 20111223 (DVD)
Weekend at Bernie's (1989) Ted Kotcheff. 97 min

Relevant Links:
Weekend at Bernie's (IMDb.com)

20111223:
This movie has a lot of good laughs. Many scenes are funny. Some because the situation is just plain silly. The movie does dumb well. In my opinion, an example of dumb not done well is Year One (2009).

JK said he's seen this movie many times. MT, KH, and I have not seen this movie. MT seemed to enjoyed it to a greater degree than I did, but I definitely enjoyed it. Perhaps the laughter was just contagious. At some point, after the movie concluded, someone said something, and JK, MT, and I just couldn't stop laughing.

I had a great time watching this movie.

Special Features:
Trailer. I love watching the trailer to a movie after watching a movie instead of before watching a movie.
Production Notes. Skimmed through the production notes.

Movie Almost Heroes (1998)

2011-12-23T16:00:00.005-05:00

Watched 20111223 (Netflix, Instant) 90 min
Almost Heroes (1998) Christopher Guest. 90 min

Relevant Links:
Almost Heroes (IMDb.com)

20111223:
[20111228]
This movie was decently funny. I can only pick out two absolutely funny scenes. Both involve poop. I suppose Farley's encounter with the eagle eggs was pretty good too. Overall, it's not terrible to watch it once. I guess something like Weekend at Bernie's (1989) worthy. Who knows, it might end up being a personal favorite.

Drink Hinano Tahiti

2011-12-23T00:45:00.001-05:00

Hinano Tahiti

Relevant Links:
Hinano (BeerAdvocate.com)
Hinano (Wikipedia.org)
Hinano Website YYYY

20111223:
[20120116]
I wrote: "Hinano Tahiti. Premium lager beer. Hmm, I'd take this over a Bud I guess. I suppose it has a decent smell." 1:01 AM PST

Website Information:
The Hinano beer is a deluxe lager, low fermentation, golden colour, draught to 5% alchohol with pronounced bitterness.

It's made in Tahiti in the Punaruu valley, on the most advanced production site in the South Pacific Islands, using the most advanced technology.
This allows to guarantee an exemplary quality, rewarded by International awards (Gold medal in Luxembourg, Brussels).

Movie Little Big Soldier (2010)

2011-12-22T18:00:00.027-05:00

Watched 20111222 (Netflix,Instant) (English subtitles included)
Little Big Soldier (2010) Sheng Ding. 96 min
a.k.a. Da bing xiao jiang (original title)

Relevant Links:
Little Big Soldier (IMDb.com)

20111222:
[20111223]
Jackie Chan! Great seeing Jackie Chan running around and doing what he does best.

The movie is full of surprises. Great movie.

Movie Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

2011-12-21T22:30:00.015-05:00

Watched 20111221 (Netflix,Instant) (English subtitles)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947) George Seaton. 96 min [botnotsn (1947) by Valentine Davies]

Relevant Links;
Miracle on 34th Street (IMDb.com)
Miracle on 34th Street (Wikipedia.org)
Miracle on 34th Street script (Script-O-Rama.com)

20111221:
[20111222]
Possibly the first time I watched the movie in full.
I love the scene where Kris Kringle starts speaking Dutch.
Great classic (holiday) movie.

Fred Gailey: All my life I've wondered something, and now's my chance to find out. I'm going to find the answer to a question that's puzzled the world for centuries. Does Santa Claus sleep with his whiskers outside or in?
Kris Kringle: Always sleep with them out. Cold air makes them grow.

SUZIE: Mother, I was thinking... we've got such a big turkey for dinner... and there are only two of us. Couldn't we invite Mr. Gailey?
GAILEY: Oh, don't even think about it. I'll have a sandwich or something.
SUZIE: It's an awful big turkey.
DORIS: That's not it, dear... but I'm sure Mr. Gailey has other plans.
SUZIE: No, he hasn't. Have you?
GAILEY: To be quite honest and truthful with the child... I must admit I haven't any other plans.
SUZIE: Please, Mother! Did I ask all right?
GAILEY: Hmm?
SUZIE: Didn't I ask all right, Mr. Gailey?
GAILEY: That all depends.
DORIS: Dinner's at : .
GAILEY: Thanks. Suzie, honey, you asked just right. I'll see you at : .
SUZIE: It worked.
GAILEY: Yes.

Drink Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter

2011-12-21T00:18:00.004-05:00

Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter

The Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter is on the left.

Relevant Links:
Black Marlin Porter (BeerAdvocate.com)
Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter (RateBeer.com)
Black Marlin Porter (Ballast Point Website)

Yard House:
5.3% Drink Alaskan Amber (SIP)
5.2% Drink Deschutes Black Butte Porter (SHORTY)
6.0% Drink Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter (SHORTY)
5.2% Drink Young's Double Chocolate Stout (SIP)
5.4% Drink Red Nectar (SIP)
4.9% Drink Blue Hawaiian Hefeweizen (SHORTY)

20111221:
[20120115]
Shorty @ Yard House.

I wrote: "Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter on the left and Deschutes Black Butte Porter on right. Ballast Point: Chocolate is good. Deschutes is more carbonated and has less of a chocolate flavor. I'm liking the Ballast Point more." 12:37 AM PST

There might be an unfair advantage as I don't recall cleansing my palate and thus the chocolate flavor of the Deschutes might have been diminished by that of the Ballast Point.

At the moment, reviewers, overall, like the Deschutes Black Butte Porter just a bit more than the Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter.
BA Score: 93 (1050 Reviews); The Bros: 100; RateBeer 97 Overall; RateBeer 98 Style [DESCHUTES]
BA Score: 89 (0256 Reviews); The Bros: 096; RateBeer 96 Overall; RateBeer 97 Style [BALLAST]

Website Information:
Black Marlin Porter

Like dessert? You’ll love this: Black Marlin Porter with apple pie a la mode—try it! Black Marlin is a rich, dark and chocolaty Porter with a distinctive American hop character.

It is a great beer to go with hearty foods and is surprisingly one of the few beers that goes well with dessert. We also invite you to blend Black Marlin with Big Eye IPA for a treat we like to call the Black Eye.

Availability
Year-round in 22 oz & draft
Bitterness
45 IBUs
Alc. by Vol.
6%
Serving Temperature
40-50 defrees F

Drink Red Nectar

2011-12-21T00:04:00.015-05:00

Red Nectar

The Yard House beer ordered is listed on the menu as "Nectar Red." And at first several searches on Google led me to conclude that it should be Red Nectar. Later in the evening, I stumbled upon Yard House's Beer Checklist that cleared any doubt that "Nectar Red" is actually "Red Nectar."

The Red Nectar is on the left.

Relevant Links:
Nectar Ales Red Nectar (RateBeer.com)
Red Nectar (BeerAdvocate.com)
Red Nectar (Nectar Ales Website)

Yard House:
5.3% Drink Alaskan Amber (SIP)
5.2% Drink Deschutes Black Butte Porter (SHORTY)
6.0% Drink Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter (SHORTY)
5.2% Drink Young's Double Chocolate Stout (SIP)
5.4% Drink Red Nectar (SIP)
4.9% Drink Blue Hawaiian Hefeweizen (SHORTY)

20111221:
[20120115]
I wrote: "Nectar Red has a good taste. More interesting than mine." 12:04 AM PST

Website Information:
red nectar

Boasting a ruby hue and an exquisite floral aroma, Red Nectar is a robust yet elegant brew with distinctive accents of toasted malt, caramel, spice and residual sweetness.
The beer that started it all… Red Nectar was considered a strange bird when it was first released in 1987. After all, where did a robust, handcrafted all-natural amber ale fit into the massive flock of American industrial lagers? Answer: it didn’t. So it blazed its own trail, helping set the pace for the craft brew revolution.
Enjoy Red Nectar for its dazzling reddish copper hue, original flavors and caramel spice accents.
ACCOLADES:
2010 Great American Beer Festival® - Gold Medal: American-Style Amber Ale
2009 California State Fair - Gold Medal
2009 LA County Fair - Silver Medal
2006 California State Fair - Gold Medal
2005 LA County Fair - Bronze Medal
2004 Great American Beer Festiva®l - Silver Medal: American Style Amber Ale
STYLE:
American Amber Ale
Alcohol By Volume - 5.4%
Color - 22.0L (Red)
IBU - 35.0 (Medium)
FERMENTATION:
Fermented in 100% stainless steel with Humboldt Brewing’s original house yeast strain
MALTS:
Premium Two Row
Wheat Malt
Crystal 75
HOPS:
Bittering - Chinook
Late Kettle - Mt. Hood, Cascade
AVAILABILITY:
California and Select Markets Nationwide
6 pack, 22 oz. bottle and draft (15.5g)

Yard House Information:
Nectar Red Ale
Brewery
Firestone Walker
Origin
Humboldt, CA
Style
Amber and Red Ales
ABV
5.1%
Description
Nectar Red is an amber ale with hints of toasted caramel flavor and a residual sweetness which melds with the strawberry esters of Humboldt Brewery’s own strain of ale yeast. Smooth and a balanced with a clean finish.

Drink Blue Hawaiian Hefeweizen

2011-12-20T23:53:00.013-05:00

Blue Hawaiian Hefeweizen
now known as Bayhawk Hefe Weizen*

*The above claim might be incorrect. However, after making several searches on Google, it seemed reasonable to conclude. I have the option of calling Yard House, but I will not take it.

The Bayhawk Hefe Weizen is on the right.

Relevant Links:
Blue Hawaiian Primo Hefeweizen (RateBeer.com)
Bayhawk Hefe Weizen (RateBeer.com)
Hefeweizen (BeerAdvocate.com)
Bayhawk Ales Website

Yard House:
5.3% Drink Alaskan Amber (SIP)
5.2% Drink Deschutes Black Butte Porter (SHORTY)
6.0% Drink Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter (SHORTY)
5.2% Drink Young's Double Chocolate Stout (SIP)
5.4% Drink Red Nectar (SIP)
4.9% Drink Blue Hawaiian Hefeweizen (SHORTY)

20111220:
[20120115]
I wrote: "Blue Hawaiian Hefeweizen. Shorty. Orange smell. Easy very drinkable. Simple." 11:53 PM PST
I also wrote: "Nectar Red has a good taste. More interesting than mine. I couldn't pass on a sip of MT's Young's Double Chocolate. I squeezed the lemon into mine. It brings about a nice saltiness sensation." 20111221 12:04 AM PST

Website Information:
Hefe Weizen
Color: Golden Orange &Cloudy
Body: Thick with a rich mouth feel
Aroma: Sweet & Malty
Flavor: Creamy with a distinct Citrus flavor
Technical Data:
Original Gravity: 1049
Est. Alcohol Content: 4.9% abv
Grist: Malted Barley & Wheat
Hops: Northern Brewer
Type of Beer: Unfiltered American Wheat
IBU's: 8
Calories: 164 per 12oz Serving

Yard House Information:
Blue Hawaiian Hefeweizen
Brewery
Blue Hawaiian Brewing Company
Origin
Irvine, CA
Style
American Wheat
ABV
4.2%
Description
This beer is refreshing, light bodied, and has distinct lemon and citrus notes. Hints of banana and and herbal spiciness round the flavor out and give it some complexity.

Food Yum Cha Cafe

2011-12-19T13:30:00.001-05:00

I've had dim sum from this chain several times before
20111219 Yum Cha Cafe - Garden Grove
Yum Cha Cafe

Relevant Links:
Yum Cha Cafe Website
Yum Cha Cafe - Garden Grove, CA (Yelp.com)
located inside Sieu Thi Thuan Phat (Yelp.com)
Yum Cha Cafe - Westminster, CA (Yelp.com)
located inside My Thuan Supermarket (Yelp.com)

8900 Westminster Blvd
Westminster, CA 92683

13861 Brookhurst St
Garden Grove, CA 92843
(714) 530-8188

20111219:
[20120115]
My friend CF likes coming to this location (Yum Cha Cafe Garden Grove) for fast food dim sum. I recall before this location existed, my dad would occasionally buy dim sum from the Yum Cha Cafe in Westminster. Personally, I'm happy with going to the Giai Phat Food Company on Bolsa (Yelp.com link), but I usually only order har gow, so it's possible Giai Phat might not have as good a selection. In general, I don't have any idea of how the three fast food dim sum locations above compare. Yelp.com isn't particularly useful, since Giai Phat only has 10 reviews, making its current rating unstable. Maybe I'll try a blind taste test next summer.

In any case, this outing was funny. My friend JK wanted to get an egg tart. But an order of egg tarts comes with three and he didn't want to eat three. So he asked if I wanted to split an order. I was a little hesitant, because I sort of wanted to eat three myself. But after a moment's thought, I said sure. The thing is, everybody (JK, MT, SH, PN, CF, and I) ordered separately. So we go sit down on the tables they have set out and as JK and I open our containers, we realize that we both purchased an order of egg tarts. But to top it off, CF opens one of his containers revealing another order! It works out in the end, as now there was enough to share with everybody.

New Additions 20111128-20111218

2011-12-18T23:59:00.006-05:00

Movie A Soldier's Story (1984)

2011-12-18T11:30:00.000-05:00

Watched 20111218 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
A Soldier's Story (1984) Norman Jewison. 101 min.

Relevant Links:
A Soldier's Story (IMDb.com)

20111218:
Interesting story. The ending was alright. Overall, the movie was better than I expected from my first ten minute impressions.

Reason for watching:
The earliest film available on Netflix streaming with actor Denzel Washington.

Movie Billy Elliot (2000)

2011-12-16T11:30:00.000-05:00

Watched 20111216 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
Billy Elliot (2000) Stephen Daldry. 110 min

Relevant Links:
Billy Elliot (IMDb.com)

20111216:
What a great movie! Lots of emotion going on. Great characters. Great story. Maybe part of why I like it is because the plot revolves around dancing. I didn't realize that the actress playing Mrs. Wilkinson is Julie Walters, the actress who plays Mrs. Wesley in Harry Potter, until the the dad sees his son perform and goes to thank her.

Drink Black and Tan (Guinness and Firestone Walker DBA)

2011-12-15T21:00:00.001-05:00

Black and Tan (Guinness and Firestone Walker DBA)

Relevant Links:
Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale (RateBeer.com)
Double Barrel Ale (BeerAdvocate.com)
DBA (Double Barrel Ale) (Firestone Walker Website)
Black and Tan (Wikipedia.org)

20111215:
[20120114]
I wrote: "Firestone Walker DBA and Guinness. This mix is alright. At times it tastes watery... Maybe because it was the bottom of the current Firestone barrel. Anyways." 9:20 PM PST
But yeah, both beers were on draft and I was sure I've tried all the beers I wanted to try that were available on draft. Apparently I haven't had the DBA by itself.

Website Information:
dba (double barrel ale)

2011 great american beer festival gold medal (english/special bitter)

A British Pale Ale never tasted so fresh. We challenge our good friends across the pond to match this one. Can’t be done. We’ve honored the traditions of the great British Pale brewers of Burton-on-Trent using our patented Firestone Union oak barrels. You’re left with a mild blend of vanilla and toasted oak flavor touched with an elegant hint of English noble hops. DBA is the flagship of our company and wildly popular.

REMEMBER: Watch for bottled on dates located on the necks of our beers. Our beer is not pasteurized, so it is best when stored at 44F or below, out of light and within 110 days of the bottled on date...this ensures freshness and ultimately a great Firestone Walker beer!

brew notes
style
English Style Bitter / Amber Ale
abv
5.0%
fermentation
Selectively fermented in the Firestone Union oak barrel brewing system.
malts
Premium Two-Row, Maris Otter Pale, Munich, Crystal, Chocolate
hops
Bittering—Magnum; Late Kettle—Styrian Golding, East Kent Golding; Dry Hops—East Kent Golding
availability
California / Nevada / Arizona / Washington / Oregon / Colorado
6 pack, 12 pack, 22 oz bottle & draft (13.3g/5.2g)

Movie Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)

2011-12-14T22:50:00.002-05:00

Watched 20111214 (DVD) (Director's Cut)
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) Richard Donner. 118 min.

20111214:
[20111216]
Great action movie. This sequel adds some serious and dark elements that is closer to the first film, while retaining some of the over-the-top elements of the second film. I like the addition of the character Lorna Cole to this movie. Overall, I think I like Lethal Weapon 2 more than Lethal Weapon 3, and Lethal Weapon 3 more than Lethal Weapon. Of course, they're all worth watching if you're into action films.

Instant Comments:
Lol. Great start to the movie.
"Semantics" I'm always up for some antics.
Lol the scene with Riggs and the dog is ridiculous.
In the last film they picked up his gun. Did he lose it in this film in the warehouse?
Lol sound effects: wah wah wah
Lol, hold that.
Lol after end credits. Building and "I'm too old for this shit."

Parkour 20111214

2011-12-14T20:00:00.000-05:00

5 laps warm-up
Some sort of lunges
Hops forwards and backwards. Arms straight up close against ears. Both. Then left. Then right.
Monkey.
Push-ups along beam. Moving one hand on each push-up. Basically one wide, one short.
Hops up and down on beam.
Hops up and forward then up and backward. Keep shoulders roughly over the beam.
Hops over and back over the beam.
Calf raises. Both, then left, then right.

[[Front flip, arms straight up when preparing to jump. Drive the butt/hip up. Then bring the arms forward for the tuck. This way you have all the momentum going up. The arms coming down afterwards for the rotation. Yeah that helped a lot. I got a lot more rotation and after I landed my body was tilted forward.]]

Ab work. Hold. In and out. Hold. Rest. Hold. Bicycle. Hold. Rest. Hold. Scissors. Hold. Rest.

Parallel bars made uneven and we went down and back using the following variations. One hand and foot on each bar. Both feet on one bar. Both Hands on one bar. Coming back, the two hands or feet should switch bar.

Push-ups along beam. Except now with the feet on the beam and the hands on the floor.

50 jumps on the really soft mat. It absorbs all your momentum and gets tiring at some point depending on your fitness level and how much you try to put into your jumps.

[[Round-off. My arms were off. J suggested to keep them straight aligned with the spine as with the front flip. During the lunge, the arms and spine should line up with the hind leg. Stay straight. Then as the arms are planted, you do that quarter turn and you're sideways when you're at your peak. Then complete that turn so that you face back where you came from coming up.]]

Drink Ballast Point Calico Amber Ale

2011-12-14T18:22:00.001-05:00

Ballast Point Calico Amber Ale

Relevant Links:
Ballast Point Calico Amber Ale (BeerAdvocate.com)
Ballast Point Calico Amber Ale (RateBeer.com)
Ballast Point Calico Amber Ale (Ballast Point Website) Yes/No

20111214:
[20120114]
I wrote: "I tried JK's Ballast Point Calico Amber Ale. $6. Has that pale ale smell and taste. I like the creamy head. Yeah, like JK said, it has a pretty good balance. I like the Allagash Curieux more." 6:22 PM PST

Website Information:
Calico Amber Ale

Inspired by traditional English ESBs, our Calico Amber Ale is as American as it could be. A rich complexity comes from four types of malt—but it’s those distinct American hops that offer a crisp bitterness and unique floral aroma.

To round out our traditional-English-yet-very-American Amber Ale, we use a proprietary yeast to develop a fruity, Madeira-like richness. Try one today, and find out what a gold medal beer tastes like!

Availability
Year-round in 12oz, 22oz, & draft
Bitterness
45 IBUs
Alc. by Vol.
5.5 %
Serving Temperature
38-45 degrees F

Drink Allagash Curieux

2011-12-14T18:10:00.012-05:00

Allagash Curieux

Relevant Links:
Allagash Cureiux (Allagash Website)
Allagash Curieux (RateBeer.com)
Allagash Curieux (BeerAdvocate.com)
My Drink Allagash Tripel Ale post.

20111214:
[20120112]
I wrote: "Nice floral smell. I can smell the orange. The taste is good. There's a good hint of alcohol and there's also the Belgium taste. Allagash Curieux." 6:14 PM PST
I also wrote: "Yeah... the powerful alcohol. Delicious. Definitely had expectations when I was expecting a drink by the Allagash Brewing Company." 6:58 PM PST

Website Information:
Beer » Year Round »
Allagash Curieux
Allagash Curieux was the first foray into barrel aging. Curieux is made by aging our Tripel Ale in Jim Beam bourbon barrels for eight weeks in our cold cellars. The aged beer is then blended back with a portion of fresh Tripel. The resulting beer is soft with coconut and vanilla notes, with hints of bourbon.
Description: Bourbon Barrel Aged Strong Ale
ABV: 11%
Profile: Dark Golden, Smooth, Bourbon, Vanilla
Serving Temperature: 40°-50°F
Availability: Year Round
Package: 750ml bottle, 5.17 gallon keg
Ideal Within: One Year
Recipes:
2009 ICE Cooking Contest
2004 ICE Cooking Contest
Food Pairings:
Roquefort, Crème Brulée
Beer BBQ Sauce
Cheesecake
Awards:
Bronze, World Beer Cup 2007

Movie Horrible Bosses (2011)

2011-12-12T23:30:00.001-05:00

Watched 20111212 (Extended Cut) (Blu-ray) 106 min.
Horrible Bosses (2011) Seth Gordon. 98 min.

Relevant Links:
Horrible Bosses (IMDb.com)

20111212:
[20111214]
Pretty funny movie. It sort of had the vibe of The Hangover (2009). I remember finding the scenes with Jamie Foxx's character especially entertaining, though they only make up a small portion of the movie as a whole.

Movie Hugo (2011)

2011-12-11T22:05:00.020-05:00

Released 20111123.
Watched 20111211 Theatre. Garden Grove [HUGO 3D] 10:05PM $9.50
Hugo (2011) Martin Scorsese. 126 min [botn The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2007) by Brian Selznick]

Relevant Links:
Hugo (IMDb.com)
Hugo (film) (Wikipedia.org)
The Invention of Hugo Cabret (Wikipedia.org)

20111211:
[20111212]
I wanted to watch this movie simply because it was directed by Martin Scorsese. In fact, I didn't know anything else about this movie prior to watching it. The beginning of the movie is a little slow. I recall being in jeopardy of nodding off to sleep, on account of being tired combined with the initial pacing.

My friend pointed out that the movie is set in Paris and yet the characters are speaking with English accents. I don't mind this difference at all, since for me it's all or nothing. Either all the actors speak in the language their characters are supposed to speak or they can speak in any other language and with any other accent (as long as the intended language is clear). In application to this movie, I don't think speaking English with a French accent would have made it more authentic than speaking English with an English accent. I'm fine with knowing the movie is set in Paris and therefore the characters are actually speaking French.

There was only one other person in the theater besides my friend J.K. and I.

I recognized the main film in the movie when the movie got to the plot point where it actually showed the film being mentioned earlier in the movie. That's a mouthful, but if you've seen the movie, then you'll understand. If you haven't seen the movie, you should.

Credits:
Johnny Depp was a producer.
Howard Shore did the music.
The credits are done screen by screen (instead of rolling).
They move pretty quickly.

Trailers:
Mirror Mirror
The Lorax
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
3D: Beauty and the Beast
3D: The Adventures of Tintin
3D: Titanic

Drink Cherry Chocolate Stout

2011-12-11T19:26:00.007-05:00

Jason Fields & Kevin Sheppard / Tröegs / Stone Cherry Chocolate Stout

Relevant Links:
Jason Fields & Kevin Sheppard / Tröegs / Stone Cherry Chocolate Stout (BeerAdvocate.com)
Jason Fields & Kevin Sheppard / Tröegs / Stone Cherry Chocolate Stout (RateBeer.com)

20111211:
[20120112]
I wrote: "Jason Fields & Kevin Sheppard / Troegs / Stone. Cherry Chocolate Stout. 7.3% ABV. Pours thick. Definite chocolate smell. Great cherry chocolate fizz. Sweet." 7:33 PM PST
Thanks TKG for sharing this wonderful beer. I hope I can find a bottle of it here in MD.

Drink Julian Hard Cider Cherry Bomb

2011-12-11T18:30:00.001-05:00

Julian Hard Cider Cherry Bomb

Relevant Links:
Julian Hard Cider Website

20111211:
[20120112]
I wrote: "Julian Hard Cider Cherry Bomb. 6.99% ABV. Enjoyable cider." 10:06 PM PST.

Movie Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

2011-12-10T23:00:00.014-05:00

Watched 20111210 (DVD) (Director's Cut)
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) Richard Donner. 114 min.

Relevant Links:
Lethal Weapon 2 (IMDb.com)

20111210:
[20111211]
Lethal Weapon 2 has better pacing than Lethal Weapon (1987), but I didn't like all of the scenes. While it lacks the relationship building dynamic of the first movie, it still retains great moments between the two main characters. Overall, I liked it better than the first.

The funniest scene in the movie is his daughter's commercial.

Instant Comments:
Lol. Thank you for not smoking placard and on the door. I noticed before the dialogue. Of course the camera angle is intended to draw your attention to them.
Lol. What are you doing? I'm checking if I'm standing on plastic.
Okay okay okay. Hahaha.
Diplomatic immunity...

Food Pho #1

2011-12-10T13:00:00.000-05:00

Pho #1

Relevant Links:
Pho #1 Website
Pho #1 (Yelp.com)

5764 Baltimore National Pike
Catonsville, MD 21228
(410) 719-7500

[20120111]
I remember when I was first introduced to this restaurant. It was the first pho I had in Maryland and despite the pho being worse than pho in Westminster, CA, I was happy to have eaten some pho. After that, and before the following entries, I've come here on about two other occasions.

20110831:
[20120111]
Ate here with VW.

20110903:
[20120111]
Ate here with PS.

20111210:
[20120111]
Ate here with PS. Last meal in MD before getting on my flight back to CA. The pho here is decent. Having eaten shortly before coming today, I simply ordered a bowl of pho bo vien ($6.25 for a regular bowl). The menu description reads "beef ball rice noodle soup." I also ordered some coffee, ca phe phin sua da, "iced filtered coffee with condensed milk, french style." ($3.65 for Trung Nguyen Gourmet Blend) I'm not sure I was aware at the time, but apparently there were two types of coffee available, Cafe du Monde ($2.65) and Trung Nguyen Gourmet Blend ($3.65). Overall, I can't recommend going here, as there are several other pho places, including one in Baltimore, which I haven't tried going to yet. On the other hand, I have gone here several times, so they certainly don't make terrible pho. I would say the same about Pho Dat Thanh in Towson and at the moment I don't know how they compare. Actually, I now remember once going to Pho Van Restaurant, which is also along the Baltimore National Pike. I'm not 100% sure I went there, but I do remember going to a pho restaurant with JB and liking it a whole lot better than both Pho Dat Thanh and Pho #1.

Drink 2011 Anchor Christmas Ale

2011-12-10T12:00:00.004-05:00

2011 Anchor Christmas Ale

Relevant Links:
Christmas Ale (Anchor Brewing Website)
Our Special Ale 2011 (Anchor Christmas Ale) (BeerAdvocate.com)

20111210:
[20120111]
I wrote: "A delicious coffee or chocolate taste. Anchor Brewing Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2011. Love it." 12:02 PM
Given its limited release, I might decide to drink two or three bottles from the six-pack.

20120114:
[20120120]
I wrote: "A lovely roasted smell. Maybe chocolate. Great taste. Some creamy texture. Yeah wonderful mouthfeel." 7:21 PM

Website Information:
CHRISTMAS ALE

2011 Anchor Christmas Ale. New tree. New recipe. Same traditions.

Each year since 1975, Anchor Brewing creates a distinctive Christmas Ale, available from early November to mid-January. A rich, dark spiced ale, our secret recipe is different every year—as is the tree on the label—but the intent remains the same: joy and celebration of the newness of life.

Since ancient times, trees have symbolized the winter solstice when the earth, with its seasons, appears born anew. Our tree for 2011 is the bristlecone pine. Found high atop California's White Mountains, bristlecones are among the oldest living things on the planet. Some date back nearly 5,000 years, to the dawn of the ancient art of brewing.

Each year our Christmas Ale gets a unique label and a unique recipe. Although our recipes must remain a secret, many save a few bottles from year to year. Properly refrigerated, the beer remains intriguing and drinkable for years. Different nuances emerge as the flavor mellows slightly, much like the memories of great holiday seasons past. Celebrate the holidays with Anchor Christmas Ale, an Anchor tradition since 1975.

FIRST BREW
1975
FIRST BOTTLING
1975
ALC. BY VOLUME
VARIES
AVAILABILITY
NOV.-FEB.
MALT
TOP SECRET
HOPS
TOP SECRET

Movie How Beer Saved the World (2011)

2011-12-09T23:30:00.001-05:00

Watched 20111209 (Netflix, Instant)
How Beer Saved the World (2011) 43 min

Relevant Links:
How Beer Saved the World (IMDb.com)

20111209:
[20111216]
This was a pretty cool documentary. There were many interesting stories regarding beer's effect on the world. While some of the connections were a bit of a stretch, the documentary still served as informational. Even if you might not like it, for only 43 minutes running time, consider it a documentary worth watching.

As a side remark, the documentary mentions that the way the beer the Egyptians drank was actually quite nutritious and good for their health. It left me wondering, does that imply the beer they were drinking wasn't tasty? Otherwise, why don't we drink this healthier and nutritious beer?

Drink Laurent Miquel

2011-12-09T19:45:00.049-05:00

2010 Laurent Miquel Chardonnay Pere et Fils
2010 Laurent Miquel Chardonnay Viognier Pere et Fils
2009 Laurent Miquel Viognier Nord Sud
2010 Laurent Miquel Cinsault Syrah Pere et Fils
2009 Laurent Miquel Syrah Grenache Pere et Fils
2009 Laurent Miquel Cabernet Syrah Pere et Fils

Relevant Links:
http://www.laurent-miquel.com/us/chardonnay-viognier.html
http://www.laurent-miquel.com/us/cinsault-syrah.html
http://www.laurent-miquel.com/us/cabernet-syrah.html
http://www.laurent-miquel.com/us/syrah-grenache.html
http://www.laurent-miquel.com/us/ns-viognier.html

20111209:
[20120110]
I love whenever Eddie's Liquor does samples. For other sampling opportunities I've had from Eddie's Liquor see my Drink Widmer Brothers and Drink Rum Jumbie Splash, BlackBeard Rum posts.

2010 Laurent Miquel Chardonnay Pere et Fils
I wrote: "1. Light. Very easy. Chardonnay." 7:50 PM
2010 Laurent Miquel Chardonnay Viognier Pere et Fils
I wrote: "2. The Chardonnay Viognier is more interesting than the Chardonnay. Spicier." 7:50 PM
2009 Laurent Miquel Viognier Nord Sud
I wrote: "6: Viognier leans towards too spicy." 7:58 PM
2010 Laurent Miquel Cinsault Syrah Pere et Fils
I wrote: "3. Cinsault Syrah is sweeter, maybe more dry than the Chardonnays." 7:50 PM
2009 Laurent Miquel Syrah Grenache Pere et Fils
I wrote: "4. Syrah Grenache is good. No bitterness." 7:50 PM
2009 Laurent Miquel Cabernet Syrah Pere et Fils
I wrote: "5. Cabernet Syrah. Sour. I like the Syrah Grenache better. Drier." 7:53 PM

Website Information:
Pere et Fils
Chardonnay Viognier
Chardonnay 65% Viognier 35%
The uniquely French concept of 'terroirs' or classified soils ensures low yields of intensely flavoured grapes.
Laurent Miquel, a talented young winemaker, hand selects the best of his Chardonnay and Viognier grapes from his family estate near Beziers in the South of France. He crafts this premium blend as a testament to the 'terroir' to reveal a wine with real personality and character.
Enjoy the subtle apricot and lemon flavours and a hint of almond as an aperitif or with seafood or chicken dishes.
Tasting Notes :
Characterised by combined aromas of citrus and white peaches, this Chardonnay Viognier is a delicious introduction to the unique flavours of the Viognier . The influence of the early-picked unoaked Chardonnay element is evident on the palate - lemons and clean white fruit flavours.
It finishes with rich apricot fruit
Press extracts :
Lively, floral spiced-peach blend delivering terrific value for money
Jane McQuitty, The Times UK
‘Drink as a substitute for the summer we never had’
Raymond Blake, Food and Wine magazine

Pere et Fils
Cinsault Syrah
Cinsault 70% - Syrah 30%
The uniquely French concept of 'terroirs' or classified soils ensures low yields of intensely flavoured grapes.
Laurent Miquel, a talented young winemaker, hand selects the best of his Cinsault and Syrah grapes from his family estates near Beziers in the South of France. He crafts this premium blend as a testament to the 'terroir' to reveal a rosé wine with unusual personality and character.
Enjoy its freshness and light elegant fruit as an aperitif or with simple dishes such as roast chicken, salads or grilled cajun shrimp.
Tasting Notes :
Characterised by a beautiful pale pink robe this Cinsualt Syrah epitomises the best of southern French rosés with forward fruit flavours and perfect balance. Cinsault contributes freshness and soft texture to the blend and Syrah the dramatic colour and delicious red fruit. Serve chilled 12-14°C and drink ideally within 12 months of purchase.

Pere et Fils
Cabernet Syrah
Cabernet 60% Syrah 40%
The uniquely French concept of 'terroirs' or classifieds oils ensures low yields of intensely flavoured grapes.
Laurent Miquel, a talented young winemaker, hand selects the best Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah (Shiraz) grapes from his family estate near Beziers in the South of France.
He crafts this premium blend as a testament to the unique 'terroir' to reveal ripe berry flavours and elegant tannins. Enjoy with dishes such as roast lamb, duck and vegetable ragout.
Cabernet 60% Syrah 40%
The uniquely French concept of 'terroirs' or classifieds oils ensures low yields of intensely flavoured grapes.
Laurent Miquel, a talented young winemaker, hand selects the best Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah (Shiraz) grapes from his family estate near Beziers in the South of France.
He crafts this premium blend as a testament to the unique 'terroir' to reveal ripe berry flavours and elegant tannins. Enjoy with dishes such as roast lamb, duck and vegetable ragout.
Tasting notes :
A very complementary blend of well structured Cabernet and elegant Syrah this wine offers a vibrant berry nose, with hints of licorice and spices. The palate is rich with several layers of flavour with ripe plum and red berry and soft rounded tannins.
Press excerpts:
Ripe fruity red, its got plenty of concentration and the pure fruit is enlivened by some savoury and spicy notes. This is thoroughly drinkable, at a great price.
Jamie Goode, The Express
Monsieur Miquel prizes not just the Languedoc’s Viognier grapes, but its Syrah too, which explains why this delicious, dual-varietal, dusky, scented, soft red fruit-packed red is so good.
Jane McQuitty, The Times

Pere et Fils
Syrah Grenache
Syrah 70% Grenache 30%
The uniquely French concept of 'terroirs' or classifieds oils ensures low yields of intensely flavoured grapes.
Laurent Miquel, a talented young winemaker, hand selects the best Syrah (Shiraz) and Grenache grapes from his family estate near Beziers in the South of France.
He crafts this premium blend as a testament to the unique 'terroir' to reveal ripe berry flavours and elegant tannins. Enjoy with dishes such as peking duck,warm goats cheese salad or vegetable lasagne.
Tasting notes :
Typical Southern French blend with dominant spicy Syrah and juicy full grenache. This wine offers a ripe nose of red fruits, with delicious mocha herbs and spices. The palate is mellow with intense berry flavourw and characteristic rosemary, thyme and floral notes. A real taste of the garrigue.
Press excerpts:
Syrah/Grenache bottle
'Dagens Nyheter' Sweden, Bengt-Göran Kronstam.
Laurent Miquel Syrah-Grenache is more elegant and nuanced with a warm and tempting nose. The taste is equally rich and at the the same time spicy in a long style typical for southern France.

Nord Sud
Viognier
Viognier Nord Sud
Laurent produces his signature aromatic Viognier from selected blocks of mature, naturally low yielding vines at his family estate. Vines are planted in the optimum North-South orientation meaning that the grapes are exposed the gentle warmth of the morning and evening rays but protected from the burning effects of the midday sun. This ensures the conservation of a good acidity levels while the grapes mature gently and evenly. Viognier is still quite rare despite is recent resurge in popularity. It is a difficult grape to grow and gives very small yield of berries with highly concentrated aromas and flavours.
Tasting notes:
This is a deliciously perfumed opulent wine with characteristic aromas of white flowers and 'peche de vigne'. On the palate it is surprisingly elegant for a Viognier with delicate apricot and orange blossom but also some citrus character. Enjoy as an aperitif or pair with lobster or crayfish salads or spicy oriental cuisine.
Press extracts
"I am particularly taken by this, their superior Viognier bottling.... Drink it over the next few months to benefit from its entirely authentic honeysuckle and mayblossom flavours while there is also good freshness and attack there too.... To me, this does taste like baby Condrieu, unlike so many Languedoc Viogniers with their suspiciously ersatz aromas.
The Miquels have 26 ha of Viognier now, all planted within three kilometres of Cazal-Viel, and between five and 14 years old. The name of this bottling comes from the north-south orientation of the vine rows which is designed to protect the grapes from the burning effects of the midday sun. Almost a third of the juice, all free run, is barrel fermented but this is not an obviously oaked wine.
I’d serve this wine either as an exotic aperitif or with the sort of zesty salad that does duty as either a first course or a summer lunch. I could imagine it pairing a combination of pear, walnuts and blue cheese rather well."
Jancis Robinson
"Made by one of the Languedoc's star winemakers, this subtle spicy lightly oaked Viognier is an outstanding wine."
Tim Atkin, The Observer

Drink Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

2011-12-08T19:00:00.003-05:00

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

Relevant Links:
Dogfish Head Website
60 Minute IPA (Dogfish Head Website)

20100826:
[20110131]
So I recall having a conversation about Dogfish Head also having a 90 Minute IPA and 120 Minute IPA. Reading up on the 120 Minute IPA from the Dogfish Head websites has definitely got me interested in getting my hands on some. Dogfish Head's Fish Finder function returned one location carrying the 120 Minute IPA 79 miles away from Baltimore, MD. The Dogfish Head 2011 Beer Releases shows that the next release for 120 Minute IPA is scheduled for April. Actually, there might be a chance a local store has some, but I doubt it.

20111208:
[20110110]
I wrote: "60 Minute IPA. Nice and standard. Very drinkable. Well, at least for someone that likes IPAs. Piney." 7:15 PM

Website Information:
Our 60 Minute IPA is continuously hopped - more than 60 hop additions over a 60 minute boil (getting a vibe yet of where the name came from?). 60 Minute is a session India Pale Ale brewed with a slew of great NorthWest hops. A powerful, but balanced East Coast I.P.A. with a lot of citrusy hop character. The session beer for hardcore beer enthusiasts!

Every Beer Has A Story...

In our Quick Sip Clip video below, Sam Calagione talks about the 60 Minute IPA and for some perspective, compares this beer to its predecessor 90 Minute IPA and big-brother 120 Minute IPA. Sam stepped out of the brewery for the taping of this Quick Sip Clip and comes to us from the place where it all started - Dogfish Head, Maine (which, by the way, is a great area for a summer visit... especially if you have a cold 60 Minute IPA to sip while enjoying the fantastic coastal Maine sunsets!).

Cheers.

Availability: Year Round
ABV: 6.0
IBU: 60
Original Release Date:
02/2003
Food Pairing Recommendations:
Spicy foods, pesto, grilled salmon, soy-based dishes, pizza, vintage cheddar
Glassware Recommendation:
Pint
Tasting Notes:
Really hoppy, citrusy, grassy
Wine Comparable:
Busty Chardonnay

Movie Lethal Weapon (1987)

2011-12-07T23:30:00.002-05:00

Watched 20111207 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
Lethal Weapon (1987) Richard Donner. 110 min.

Relevant Links:
Lethal Weapon (IMDb.com)

20111207:
What a great action movie. Right up there near Die Hard (1988). What a great ending. Now I have three franchises with a bunch of sequels on my list of movies to watch: Die Hard, Dirty Harry, and Lethal Weapon.

Instant Comments:
First scene with Gibson, I hardly recognized him. So young.
Awesome scene with Gibson.
Lol, shaved the beard.
Haha, guess we'll have to register you a lethal weapon.
Haha, everyone in this movie is crazy.
Lol the jump reminds me of The Other Guys (2010). Except... hahaha...

Drink 2006 Quinta de Cabriz Dão Reserva

2011-12-06T15:00:00.002-05:00

2006 Quinta de Cabriz Dão Reserva

Relevant Links:
2006 Quinta de Cabriz Dão Reserva, Portugal, Beiras, Dão (CellarTracker.com)

20111206:
[20120110]
I wrote: "Cabriz Reserva Dao 2006. 13.5% ABV. Has that sour wine taste." 4:03 PM

CellarTracker.com Information:
Vintage 2006 Label 1 of 4
Type Red
Producer Quinta de Cabriz (web)
Variety Red Blend
Designation Reserva
Vineyard n/a
Country Portugal
Region Beiras
SubRegion n/a
Appellation Dão

Drink 21st Amendment Fireside Chat

2011-12-05T22:00:00.001-05:00

21st Amendment Fireside Chat

Relevant Links:
Fireside Chat (21st Amendment Website)
Fireside Chat (BeerAdvocate.com)
21st Amendment Fireside Chat (RateBeer.com)

20111205:
[20120105]
I wrote: "Fireside Chat. Winter Spiced Ale. 7.9% ABV. 45 IBUS. 12 FL OZ. Can. Seasonal Release. 21st Amendment Brewery. Initially tasted like a porter. Chocolate. Eventually had a nutty, roasted taste. Enjoyable. Slightly bitter aftertaste on the tongue. After trying so long to appreciate smells and tastes in beer, I still can't quite pick up any of the smells and tastes that other people writing beer reviews on BeerAdvocate.com. Being told that nutmeg is a primary scent in this beer, I suppose I can detect it. Then again, I'm not entirely sure I know what nutmeg tastes like! Perhaps I'll go buy some tomorrow." 10:16 PM

Website Information:
Fireside Chat
Winter Spiced Ale

Like FDR's Depression-era radio addresses, which were like a kick in the butt and a hug at the same time, our Fireside Chat is a subtle twist on the traditional seasonal brew. We begin with a rich, dark, English-style ale and then we improvise with spices until we know we have a beer worth sharing with the nation.

Fireside Chat is our early winter seasonal brew available from October through December in six pack cans and on draft. Brewed like a classic, warming Strong Ale but with a subtle blend of hand-selected spices for just the right festive flair.

ALCOHOL CONTENT: 7.9% BY VOLUME
COLOR: DEEP RUBY BROWN
BITTERNESS UNITS (IBUS): 45
MALTS: PALE, MUNICH, WHEAT, CRYSTAL, AROMATIC, CHOCOLATE MALT AND DE-BITTERED BLACK
HOPS: MAGNUM, GOLDINGS
YEAST: TOP FERMENTING ALE YEAST
SPECIAL INGREDIENTS: SPICES, COCOA NIBS

Drink Rolling Rock Extra Pale

2011-12-03T20:00:00.001-05:00

Rolling Rock Extra Pale

Relevant Links:
Rolling Rock Website Day Month Year
Rolling Rock Extra Pale (BeerAdvocate.com)
Rolling Rock Extra Pale (RateBeer.com)
Rolling Rock (Wikipedia.org)

20111203:
[20120105]
I wrote: "Rolling Rock Extra Pale is plain, but not bad. I suppose then I like it more than a Bud Light." 8:01 PM

Website Information:
Using a time-honored recipe, Rolling Rock is a classic American lager that is as well-known for its distinctive, full-bodied taste as it is for its craftsmanship, heritage and painted green bottle.

-Premium Extra Pale Lager
-Only the finest malted barley, a blend of hops and time-honored recipe
-Full-flavored, with a subtle bite
-Light-to-medium body and color
-4.5% ABV, 132 cal, 10g carbs per 12 fluid oz.
-Brewed with only the choicest ingredients, including a perfect blend of pale barley malt, rice and corn
-Rolling Rock (national version): 132 calories, 10g carbs, 1.3g protein, 0g fat per 12 fluid oz.
-Rolling Rock (4% version for certain states) 116 cals, 8.8g carbs, 1.1g protein, 0g fat per 12 fluid oz.

Drink 2010 Apothic Red

2011-12-02T18:54:00.001-05:00

2010 Apothic Red

Relevant Links:
Apothic Red Website
2010 Apothic Winemaker's Blend, USA, California (CellarTracker.com)

20111202:
[20120105]
I wrote: "2010 Apothic Red. Winemaker's Blend. 13%. California. Sweet dark smell. Tastes nice. Slight sour punch on swallow." 6:54 PM

CellarTracker.com Information:
Vintage 2010
Type Red
Producer Apothic (web)
Variety Red Blend
Designation Winemaker's Blend
Vineyard n/a
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion n/a
Appellation California
UPC Code 085000017746

Website Information:
Apothic Red

Winemaker's Blend

A captivating blend of three distinct grapes, with the dark fruit flavors of Syrah, brambly spice of Zinfandel, and a smooth elegance of Merlot.

Apothic Red reveals intense fruit aromas and flavors of rhubarb and black cherry that are complemented by hints of mocha, chocolate, brown spice and vanilla. The plush, velvety mouthfeel and smooth finish round out this intriguing, full-bodied red blend.

13.1% Alcohol

Movie Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996)

2011-12-01T22:49:00.005-05:00

Watched 1st half 20111201 (Netflix, Instant)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996) Jim Mallon. 73 min

Relevant Links:
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (Wikipedia.org)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (IMDb.com)
This Island Earth (film) (Wikipedia.org)
This Island Earth (IMDb.com)

20111201:
This movie didn't keep my interest. I didn't find the "bad" movie worth the commentary and I only found some of the commentary interesting. I couldn't watch more than half.

Drink Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

2011-12-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

Relevant Links:
Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA (BeerAdvocate.com)
120 Minute IPA (Dogfish Head Website)

20111201:
[20120104]
I wrote: "I have three bottles. Two I bought once a while back and one sometime later. I've kept all of them in a cupboard since I've bought them. Today, I put one in the fridge for about 15 minutes. Just to get the serving temperature down a bit. It has the general smell of pine, but perhaps a slightly sweeter smell than most IPAs. I might actually smell the caramel in a beer for once. Amazingly, the taste is not as bitter or as strong as I was expecting. It's alcohol content is high enough to give a slight burning sensation on the tongue. I don't feel the burning sensation down the throat. I guess the alcohol only has an immediate effect. Complex and powerful. It'll take a while for me to finish this one. It doesn't taste like an IPA. (At 18% ABV it should be powerful)" 12:33 AM

Ultimately I couldn't finish the drink. I started too late at night and I was feeling too tired. That's about $5 down the drain; I was only able to drink about half the bottle. Next time I open a bottle of 120 Minute IPA I will definitely split it at least two ways.

Website Information:
120 Minute IPA

Availability: Limited
Too extreme to be called beer? 120 Minute IPA is brewed to a colossal 45-degree plato, boiled for a full two hours while being continuously hopped with high-alpha American hops, then dry-hopped daily in the fermenter for a month and aged for another month on whole-leaf hops!

Clocking in at 15-20% ABV and 120 IBUs, 120 Minute is by far the biggest IPA ever brewed! It's easy to see why we call this beer THE HOLY GRAIL for hopheads!

We brew 120 Minute IPA a few times a year, but it goes fast. If you find some grab a few bottles -- some to enjoy and some to age.

Original Release Date:
04/2003
Food Pairing Recommendations:
Smoked almonds, smoked meats, grilled lamb, gingersnaps
Glassware Recommendation:
Snifter
Wine Comparable:
More whisky than wine

Movie Winchester '73 (1950)

2011-11-30T23:00:00.002-05:00

Watched 20111130 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
Winchester '73 (1950) Anthony Mann. 92 min

Relevant Links:
Winchester '73 (IMDb.com)
Winchester '73 (Wikipedia.org)
Winchester rifle (Wikipedia.org)

20111130:
So I've really been in a mood for westerns lately. When browsing through movies to watch, I just end up choosing a western. In any case, Winchester '73 was pretty good. It has more action and feels more real to me than some of the other westerns I've seen lately. Of course, appearing realistic is different from being realistic. But when it comes to liking a non-fiction movie, I'd rather have it appear and feel realistic rather than be realistic. Achieving something real without needing to be real. For example, you can create antique furniture (from new furniture) that appears worn and old instead of buying real antique furniture that looks new.

Moving on, I really like the final duel.

I read part of the overview on Netflix prior to watching the movie and I feel it was incorrect. After watching the film I read the entire overview and not only is part of it incorrect, but another part contains a minor spoiler. I offer the following overview: Lin McAdam (James Stewart) has some beef with a man who goes by the name of Dutch Henry Adams. The two compete in a shooting contest in Dodge City, Kansas for a special Winchester rifle. Lin wins, but the rifle is take from him. The remainder of the movie follows Lin on his quest for Dutch and the rifle as it journeys through different hands.

This might be the first western I've seen with Indians attacking. It certainly wouldn't be the first movie I've seen with Indians. The Last of the Mohicans (1920), Dances with Wolves (1990), Pocahontas (1995), and Avatar (2009) (I felt like I had to poke a little fun at Avatar).

Overall, great film. I liked it better than The Left Handed Gun (1958) and High Noon (1952).

Note: Harvey (1950), another movie starring James Stewart, was also released in 1950.

Movie The Left Handed Gun (1958)

2011-11-29T23:00:00.003-05:00

Watched 20111129 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
The Left Handed Gun (1958) Arthur Penn. 102 min.

Relevant Links:
The Left Handed Gun (IMDb.com)
The Left Handed Gun (Wikipedia.org)
Billy the Kid (Wikipedia.org)

20111129:
This movie is about Billy the Kid. According to the Wikipedia article, Billy the Kid is actually right handed. Anyways, I didn't like the movie. I think it displays too many angles of Billy the Kid. He's kind of a good guy, and yet he's kind of a bad guy. A couple switches spread throughout the movie would be alright, but several switches and sometimes in short periods of movie time made it hard for me to keep up with the character. I was hoping the movie would be more like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), but the two movies are more different than alike.

I don't know what else to mention. I guess the ambiguity of the movie has clouded my opinion of the movie itself. Overall, you might decide to check this out if you like Paul Newman's acting. That's why I decided to watch this movie in the first place. I'd say the majority of his performance is solid.

Actually, I would like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of the movie up until and including the scene where Billy shots the two men on horseback. I only enjoyed parts of the movie after that scene. I like the last western I watched, High Noon (1952) better, because the protagonist had a clear goal and purpose.

New Additions 20111024-20111127

2011-11-27T23:59:00.004-05:00

See Also New Additions 20111010-20111023

New Post: Note: Research
New Post: Movie RoboCop (1987)
New Post: Movie Peter and the Wolf (2006)
New Post: Movie Gnomeo and Juliet (2011)
New Post: Movie Barton Fink (1991)
New Post: Movie All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)
New Post: Movie Commando (1985)
New Post: Movie Season of the Witch (2011)
Added 20111116 to Movie Tangled (2010) post.
New Post: Gymnastics 20111116
New Post: Modern Dance October
New Post: Gymnastics 20111031
Added 20111116 to The Iron Giant (1999) post.
New Post: Gymnastics 20111107
New Post: Movie Yojimbo (1961)
New Post: Drink 2009 Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha
Added 20111113 and 20111120 to Game Fantasy Football 2011 ESPN post.
New Post: Movie Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) post.
Added 20111105, 20111109, and 20111120 to Billiards post.
New Post: Gymnastics 20111121
New Post: Video Game Lume
New Post: Dirty Harry (1971)
New Post: Drink Bass Pale Ale
Added 20111114 to Food Silk Road Express post
Added 20111113 to Food Petit Louis Bistro post.
New Post: Drink 2009 Laurent Martray Brouilly Vieilles Vignes
New Post: Drink Ommegang Abbey Ale
New Post: Movie 50/50 (2011)
New Post: Haircut 20111110
New Post: Sofi's Crepes
New Post: Food Road2Seoul
Added 20111110 to Drink Heavy Seas Gold Ale post.
Added 20111110 to Food Kooper's Chowhound Burger Wagon post.
New Post: Foosball
New Post: Drink 2008 Papantonis Agiorgitiko Meden Agan
New Post: Drink Dominion Lager
New Post: Drink Gekkeikan Cap Ace Sake

See Also New Additions 20111128-20111218

Drink Flying Dog Double Dog Double Pale Ale

2011-11-27T22:00:00.001-05:00

Flying Dog Double Dog Double Pale Ale

Relevant Links:
Flying Dog Double Dog Double Pale Ale (BeerAdvocate.com)

20111127:
[20120102]
I wrote: "Poured the beer into a wine glass. I smell some sort of fruit. Maybe cranberry. Smells great. Amber color. The beer was about to overflow and I took a quick sip. I was surprised at the strength of the beer. On one of the sips I had I could smell and/or taste the alcohol. There's some pine smell to it. Perhaps too much for me. I'll let it warm up and have one final sip or two warm before pouring the rest out. Wow. Yeah... strong. Much better when it was somewhat cold. Of course, I don't find the sense if having a strong beer for the sake of strong beer. I figure the strength of a beer should correlate with its complexity, smell, and taste." 10:12 PM

Website Information:
(Listed under Canis Major, as opposed to The Pack, Seasonal, or Wild Dog)
DOUBLE DOG DOUBLE PALE ALE
BREWER BREAKDOWN:
ALCHOHOL BY VOLUME: 11.5%
AVAILABILITY: Limited distribution
HOP BITTERNESS: 85 IBU
PLATO: 24
HOPS: Columbus, Warrior, Cascade
YEAST: Ale

FOOD PAIRINGS:
This is a big beer that calls for equally big foods.

Flavor notes: Citrus hops with sweet malt and subtle alcohol burn (like a kiss on the cheek)

Pairs with: Extra sharp aged Cheddar and stinky Blue cheese; smoked brisket; spicy foods with chili or cayenne pepper; earthy desserts like carrot cake

NOTABLE NOTES FOR $1000:
Originally a Wild Dog release commemorating our 10th anniversary, Double Dog Double Pale Ale became here to stay in 2009. Could you control such a beast?

Movie High Noon (1952)

2011-11-26T22:45:00.002-05:00

Watched 20111126 (Netflix, Instant) 84 min
High Noon (1952) Fred Zinnemann. 85 min

Relevant Links:
High Noon (IMDb.com)

20111126:
I think this movie has a lot of fluff in it and I don't think it does a good job of showing me why I should care for the protagonist. I guess the audience is suppose to pity the fact that he's alone, but the movie itself presents the question of why he just doesn't leave for the sake of the town. Some people in the town welcome the gang and some don't. As a viewer, why then should I maintain pity for the protagonist? Then when the antagonist comes, the resolution is quick and simple in an uninteresting way. On a different note, Grace Kelly is gorgeous. I'd also like to add I like the main theme song.

In any case, you might find something worth watching in this classic western, but aside from Grace Kelly, the best thing I can say at the moment is it's one less western I haven't seen.

Movie Dirty Harry (1971)

2011-11-26T20:30:00.000-05:00

Watched 20111126 (Netflix, Instant)
Dirty Harry (1971) Don Siegel. 102 min

Relevant Links:
Dirty Harry (IMDb.com)

20111126:
Great movie. I love the line at the end of the bank scene and the scene where he's standing on the bridge and jumps on the bus. Great ending also. Clint Eastwood rocks. I though of Gran Torino (2008) when I saw the end of this movie.

The antagonist is so evil, and that definitely helps drive the story. I just couldn't wait to see Harry catch him once and for all.

Video Game Lume (2011)

2011-11-25T20:40:00.001-05:00

20111124,5:
I played and got stuck at the kitchen cabinet. The game ran sluggishly on my laptop. I plan to move my Steam installation back to the main drive. I played through again on a different computer and was still stuck. I played through again today on my mac and I couldn't make heads nor tails of the clue in the library book. After falling asleep and waking up a little frustrated, I looked up the solution to the puzzle. It was a little ridiculous, but I suppose with enough patience it would have revealed itself. I suppose I'm also not used to these point and click games. There's certain indications of what you should focus on. When I learned that was the end of Lume: Part 1, I was a little sad. I definitely look forward to the rest of Lume.

The game's art design is absolutely wonderful. $3.49 well spent.

Gymnastics 20111121

2011-11-21T19:40:00.000-05:00

20111121:
[20111125]
8:22PM Watch those arms and let arms dictate back handspring. Yes. Bring arms up before the jump. Then pull in.
8:41PM Front walkover with momentum. Arm circle and pop. Run arms up and pop. DRIVE back leg over. Other follows together. Keep arms at sides of head.

Today I start by practicing my back handsprings on the floor. My confidence is growing. My form is improving, mainly I'm going back in a line.

I would occasionally practice doing an aerial on the trampoline. I'm definitely getting the feel of it. Maybe next class I'll try it on the floor.

After a couple of aerials, I joined a group of other people doing front tucks. It's important to raise those arms in front when jumping up so they can swing and pull in. At the beginning I had my arms near my side and that was bad. After getting that step, then it was a matter of opening at the right time.

Then L.B. was showing me her front handspring and I decided I wanted to learn how to do that. I asked around and got some good instruction on the basics. I can't wait to practice some more.

Note: Immediately on the first aerial I did, the affected joint or muscle pain from last week returned. Staying away from the aerial helped minimize aggravating the pain. The pain disappeared faster than last week. This is promising. I wouldn't want a repeat of the inflammation to my heel which I encountered in Capoeira. That took forever to heal because I would start playing Capoeira before it was completely back to normal.

Perhaps next week I can do exercises related to the pommel horse and parallel bars.

Drink Cosmo Pearl (Momokawa Pearl and Tripel Sec)

2011-11-21T18:00:00.000-05:00

Cosmo Pearl (Momokawa Pearl and Tripel Sec)

Relevant Links:
Momokawa Pearl Junmai Nigori Genshu Sake (RateBeer.com)
Momokawa (SakeOne Website)

20111121:
[20120102]
I wrote: "Cosmo Pearl. Momokawa Pearl and Triple Sec mixed with cranberry juice and fresh-squeezed lime juice. $5.50 minus $1. Happy Hour until 6PM." 5:58 PM
I wrote: "I'm still not quite adjusted to sake. The mix (Cosmo Pearl) has an interesting flavor. After a couple of sips, the sake ceases to be overbearing and there's a nice lime taste." 6:06 PM

Drink 2010 Famiglia Cielo Venezie IGT

2011-11-19T18:30:00.006-05:00

2010 Famiglia Cielo Venezie IGT

20111119:
[20120102]
I wrote: "2010 Famiglia Cielo dal 1908. Pinot Grigio delle Venezie IGT. White Wine. 12%. Good. I think I tend to like the overall taste of white wine over red wine." 6:35 PM

Drink Crispin Artisanal Reserve The Saint

2011-11-19T18:00:00.003-05:00

Crispin Artisanal Reserve The Saint

Relevant Links:
The Saint (Crispin Cider Website)
The Saint Press Release (Crispin Cider Website)
Crispin Artisanal Reserve The Saint (RateBeer.com)

20111119:
[20120102]
I had some Crispin at the Pratt Street Ale Fest and I thought it would be a suitable drink for Thanksgiving.

I wrote: "I like the Crispin The Saint. Yeah... Though cider is a different beast than beer. I hardly understand beer, let alone cider." 6:10 PM

Website Information:
The Saint
Prepare to be converted. The Saint is a uniquely debonair & elegant cider, a cider to convert skeptics.

Naturally fermented using a premium blend of fresh pressed apple juice, not from concentrate, and fermented with Belgian Trappist beer yeasts, The Saint boasts a sweet floral bouquet that develops a yeasty, herbal complexity.

The Saint is uncorrupted by added malt, spirit or grape alcohols, and is free of added sugar, colorants, sorbate and benzoate preservatives, and is filtered cold for crisp refreshment.

A small batch, hand-crafted, super-premium hard apple cider, The Saint is smoothed with pure organic maple syrup for a silky, sustained mouth-feel that develops complexity on the palate. The Saint is vinted to a 6.9 percent ABV for a full body, yet remains exceptionally easy to drink from the first crisp sip to the last drop.It's very, very good. The Saint has an elevated drinkability that is never sacrificed to overbearing complexity.

Cloudy Filtration. The embodiment of artisanal style, The Saint uses rack-aged apple wine through our cloudy filtration process. Discerning drinkers will find residual apple wine sediment in each bottle for a rich full-bodied flavor that's true to the apple and good to the last drop. Give a full Bottoms-Up! Tilt & swirl to disperse the apple-wine sediment evenly and to ensure an even taste profile through the entire bottle.

Website Information (Press Release):
The Saint
2011-06-28

The Saint Comes Marching In

Introducing Crispin® The SaintTM

Elevated Hard Apple Cider

With Belgian Trappist Yeasts & Organic Maple Syrup

The Crispin Cider Company (Crispin) continues to take hard cider to a higher level with another new genre-breaking cider, Crispin The Saint. The Saint is a truly unique cider that uses apple wine fermented with Belgian Trappist beer yeasts and is smoothed with organic maple syrup.

"Crispin has always been inspired by the truly innovative, and breakthrough, can do culture of the American craft beer industry," says Joe Heron, CEO of Crispin. "The Saint is our homage to these pioneers."

Prepare to be converted.

The first creation by new Crispin Head Cider Maker, Bruce Nissen, The Saint is a uniquely debonair & elegant cider, a cider to convert skeptics.

Naturally fermented. Using a premium blend of fresh pressed apple juice, not from concentrate, and fermented with Belgian Trappist beer yeasts, The Saint boasts a sweet floral bouquet that develops a yeasty, herbal complexity.

The Saint is uncorrupted by added malt, spirit or grape alcohols, and is free of sugar, colorants, sorbate and benzoate preservatives, and is filtered cold for crisp refreshment.

Artisanal Reserve®. A small batch, hand-crafted, super-premium hard apple cider, The Saint is smoothed with pure organic maple syrup for a silky, sustained mouth-feel that develops complexity on the palate. The Saint is vinted to a 6.9 percent ABV for a full body, yet remains exceptionally easy to drink from the first crisp sip to the last drop.

Cloudy Filtration. The embodiment of artisanal style, The Saint uses rack-aged apple wine through our cloudy filtration process. Discerning drinkers will find residual apple wine sediment in each bottle for a rich full-bodied flavor that's true to the apple and good to the last drop. Give a full Bottoms-Up! tilt & swirl to disperse the apple-wine sediment evenly and to ensure an even taste profile through the entire bottle.

The Greatest Adventures Happen Over Ice

Crispin Super-Premium Natural Hard Apple Ciders are designed to be enjoyed over a glass of ice for crisply satisfying refreshment. The Saint continues this vision and is exceptionally smooth tasting over ice.

"The combination of super-premium ingredients and hand-craftsmanship yields a hard cider that's very, very good, with an elevated drinkability that is not sacrificed to overbearing complexity," says Bruce Nissen, COO and Head Cider Maker - Crispin. "The Saint is testament to a rapidly evolving US cider market that is reinvigorating America's Original Refreshment after years of dormancy.

About the Crispin Cider Company

In addition to The Saint Artisanal Reserve Cloudy Hard Cider, the Crispin Cider Company also produces European-style Natural Hard Apple Ciders in Original, Light and Brut varietals, as well as an additional Artisanal Reserve - Crispin Honey Crisp. The company recently acquired the Fox Barrel Cider Company and added the Fox Barrel line of superior flavored ciders - Pear & Black Currant. The company is based in Minneapolis, MN & Colfax CA.

www.CrispinOverIce.com & www.FoxBarrel.com

Contact Details

Roepke Public Relations

Press@RoepkePR.com

612 - 677 1717 (w)

612 - 677 1714 (f)

Drink 2011 Georges Dubœuf Beaujolais Nouveau

2011-11-19T17:20:00.001-05:00

2011 Georges Dubœuf Beaujolais Nouveau

Relevant Links:
2011 Georges Dubœuf Beaujolais Nouveau, France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Beaujolais Nouveau (CellarTracker.com)
2011 Georges Dubœuf Beaujolais Nouveau (Website) Yes/No

20111119:
[20111230]
I wrote: "2011 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau. It isn't harsh like some red wines, so I like it a little more. Beaujolais Controler. Red Beaujolais wine." 5:20 PM

CellarTracker.com Information:
Vintage 2011
Type Red
Producer Georges Dubœuf (web)
Variety Gamay
Designation n/a
Vineyard n/a
Country France
Region Burgundy
SubRegion Beaujolais
Appellation Beaujolais Nouveau
UPC Code 031259015477

Website Information:
2011
This 2011 Beaujolais is striking in it's brilliant deep crimson robe.

For the nose, a veritable palette of bright floral aromas is interlaced among blackberries, with hints of black and red currants. Taste the Beaujolais Nouveaux 2011 and revel in its full, smooth body with a fine, silky harmonious texture and exceptional richness.

Drink Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat

2011-11-19T16:45:00.006-05:00

Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat

Relevant Links:
Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat (BeerAdvocate.com)
Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat (RateBeer.com)
Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat (Shock Top Website) Month Day Year

20111119:
I wrote: "Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat. Nice spice smell. Great taste, good amount of fizz." 4:45 PM

Website Information:
Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat
Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat is the first seasonal ale from Shock Top. With a flavor that’s refreshingly fall and distinctly Shock Top, it’s guaranteed not to be the last.

Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat is a traditional Belgian-style wheat ale brewed with ripe pumpkins and a variety of autumnal spices, including nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. This seasonal unfiltered wheat ale has a deep amber color and is crafted with a refreshingly distinct pumpkin spice that fully captures all the flavors of fall.

Movie Yojimbo (1961)

2011-11-17T19:45:00.003-05:00

Watched 20111117 35mm Shriver Hall. Japanese audio with English subtitles.
Yojimbo (1961) Akira Kurosawa. 110 min

Relevant Links:
Yojimbo (IMDb.com)
Yojimbo (film) (Wikipedia.org)

20111117:
I've been meaning to watch this movie for quite some time now, but never got around to it. Luckily, today's modern dance class was simplified and that gave me an opportunity to go to watch Yojimbo on 35mm! Class would have been an hour long starting at 7 and the movie's planned start time was at 7:30. Of course it started ten minutes late, but that's fine.

Verdict? What a great movie! I love the music and the story is great. The protagonist is such an interesting character. The movie did a great job of developing a strong emotional bond with him.

While I like Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954) better, this film is still awesome and I would recommend it to most people.

Remark:
Not all the opening credits subtitled in the version we saw. I got the following from the U.S. Theatrical Version Title Sequence: "The time is 1860... the emergence of a middle class has brought about the end to power of the Tokugawa Dynasty...//A samurai, once a dedicated warrior in the emply of Royalty, now finds himself with no master to serve other than his own will to survive...//...and no devices other than his wit and sword."

Drink 2009 Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha

2011-11-16T16:30:00.002-05:00

2009 Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha

Relevant Links:
Bodegas Borsao Website (English)
2009 Bodegas Borsao Garnacha Campo de Borja Tres Picos, Spain, Aragon, Campo de Borja (CellarTracker.com)

20111116:
[20111118]
I wrote: "Tres Picos Borsao Garnacha 2009. Smell is the strongly bitter smell. Taste definitely reflects this." 4:30 PM

I think I'm still getting used to the taste of wine, because there are suppose to be smells and flavors in this wine that I can't pick up on. Come to think of it, I'm still unable to pick up on a lot of the smells and flavors of many beers.

Website Information:
Product Name:
BORSAO TRES PICOS GARNACHA

Description:
Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha, is the most daring creation of the new phase of the winery. It is the result of new technologies that have been applied but without disregarding the wise tradition of wine making in the region. It has a dark ruby colour with shades of purple. At the nose there is a rich aroma of ripe berries with hints of floral tones typical of the Garnacha, a unique variety. In the mouth, it is a full bodied rich wine with a taste of blackberries, strawberries and hints of leather, vanilla and plums. It is perfectly combined with a sweet and pleasant tannin that leads to a long, balanced and smooth finish.

Tasting:
Alcohol: 14,5º
Variety: 100% Garnacha
Harvest: First week of October
Production: Fermentation in stainless steel tanks at a temperature between 25 y 30º, with a long maceration of the grapes for 21 days. It is placed in a new barrel for a period between 3 to 4 months.
Serve at a temperature of 16º

CellarTracker.com Information:
Vintage 2009
Type Red
Producer Bodegas Borsao (web)
Variety Garnacha
Designation Tres Picos
Vineyard n/a
Country Spain
Region Aragón
SubRegion n/a
Appellation Campo de Borja
Options Show variety and appellation
UPC Code 763159120097

Drink Bass Pale Ale

2011-11-16T16:25:00.001-05:00

Bass Pale Ale

Relevant Links:
Bass Pale Ale (BeerAdvocate.com)
Bass Website

20111116:
[20111126]
I wrote: "Taste is subtle. Its a small step above Bud and Heineken. Very simple. Bass." 4:25 PM

Movie Commando (1985)

2011-11-15T23:30:00.002-05:00

Watched 20111115 (Netflix, Instant)
Commando (1985) Mark L. Lester. 90 min.

Relevant Links:
Commando (IMDb.com)

20111115:
Great action movie. It doesn't compare to Die Hard (1988), which is my current favorite action movie. I think one reason I don't like this movie as much is because it can be unreasonably over the top. A particular example is the scene where Matrix, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, runs a bulldozer into a closed army surplus shop.

The constant music definitely helps the mood of film. I'd say it's around the quality of Conan the Barbarian (1982). Conan had scenes I didn't like, but also had great scenes. This movie in contrast was consistently good, but didn't have epic moments the way Conan did. My favorite scene was when the girl, Cindy, fires the rocket launcher.

I like it.

Instant Comments:
Whoa, this action movie has a great pace. The music is particularly excited. The horns.
Lol the lady sort of skews the story a bit. She was partially the cause of all the ruckus. Though I suppose I would have initially been worried and told the cops too.
Great one liners.
When he (John Matrix) goes into the warehouse and sneaks around, I suddenly wanted to play Splinter Cell. That was a great game. Lol, I made that comment before he knocked the guy out and carried him into the closet. But he did it with much greater ease than Sam Fisher (the game character).
Well, actually some bad one liners too.
The silliest part of the movie was why his daughter would reveal herself before she saw him. Stupid. And then she watches the whole fight and hardly reacting.

Movie All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)

2011-11-14T23:51:00.000-05:00

Watched 1st,2nd third 20111113, 3rd third 20111114 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles) 84 min
All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989) Don Bluth. 89 min.

Relevant Links:
All Dogs Go to Heaven (Wikipedia.org)
All Dogs Go to Heaven (IMDb.com)

20111113,4:
The songs aren't as great or catchy as most Disney movies, but they're decent. The overall movie is good, but I liked both The Land Before Time (1988) and Anastasia (1997) much better.

Thinking about what to say, I just remembered a similar movie to All Dogs Go to Heaven that was done by Disney: Oliver & Company (1988). See Oliver & Company (Wikipedia.org). I remember liking that movie. It might be one of the less successful Disney movies, but I would probably prefer Oliver & Company over All Dogs Go to Heaven. To see where my opinion stands, I headed on over to IMDb.com. All Dogs Go to Heaven had 9,848 user ratings for an average of 6.2 and Oliver & Company had 9,198 user ratings for an average of 6.4.

Anastasia had 24,652 user ratings for an average of 6.7 and The Land Before Time had 20,697 user ratings for an average of 7.1. Thumbelina had 3,331 user ratings for an average of 5.9.

In any case, having never seen this movie before, I definitely needed to see it at least once. If you've never seen it before and like the old 2D animation, you should also see it at least once.

Gymnastics 20111114

2011-11-14T19:45:00.001-05:00

20111114:
Learning the Side Aerial.

We started today diving over an obstacle about two feet high and two feet wide. Though we were eventually told to imagine it was taller. In any case, I started off not having enough turn over speed. I seemed to take too much time and it scared the instructor. We did the arm circles from last week going into the jump. The diving part is easy enough for me. Though several times at the beginning, I would dive too far when I focused on getting the leg over, as opposed to getting the height. For the most part, the instructor noted that getting height wouldn't be a problem for me. My main problem was a lack of leg speed. A secondary problem was not keeping the legs straight.

8:10 PM "Legs straight will help. Arm circle. Kick that leg over harder. Keep the height. Drive that heel. Keep chest up. Legs go up to ceiling. Imagine taller block."

The idea is that floppy legs create instability. Straight legs are harder to maintain, but in the long run they generate more power and make the move easier. So it's better to focus on keeping the legs straight rather than floppy.

When we moved to the trampoline, I initially got some false confidence and then lost the form. The instructor said to forget focusing on whatever it was I accidentally started focusing on, and remember the basic form. Basically instead of thinking too much about the aerial, think about the diving and back to having the hands contact the mat. A difficulty is keeping everything on the mind. When the instructor had a correction, I would end up focusing on that and lose the other correction. For example, focusing on kicking the leg would make me forget the arm circles or the dive. Perhaps thinking about the arm circles would make me forget about the dive or keeping the chest up. Thus, I tried to think of the short snippets I should remember. I used this technique when learning to surf. A series of short words that would represent the ideas I should remember.

8:26 PM "Arm circ look leg."

Arm circles. Look straight in front of you going into the movement. This helps keep the chest up. Later it was made apparent, that unlike a cartwheel, the movement starts facing forward. Then during the movement you're sideways. I guess you should end the movement looking back where you started from, but that's problem something to focus on later. Then kick that leading leg hard. I felt like the rest would just come and those were the key factors of the movement.

8:41 PM "Chest up with kick exercise. Arch and kick. Starting to get it. Now slowly focus on straightening leg."

To emphasize the kick, I propped my arms down on a surface and kicked my leg up with such a force that my body would lift. Even though I was only doing aerials with the left leg leading, I did alternated my kicking leg for this exercise. I think it helped a lot.

Back Handsprings.

9:32 PM "Near the end of class, I did a couple of back handsprings with the roller whatever. All were straight. Obviously it was easy to focus on being straight with the device bringing my legs over. I rested some more. Then at the very end, I prepped to do one. Then faked myself out, turned to the side, and just fell on my butt. I tried again, focusing on bringing the arms up past my ears. Also telling myself to just go after sitting back. I don't know if I got the distance correct, but I felt everything else was clean. As far as I can tell, my head followed my arms, which went straight back, and the legs followed straight and landed together. Perhaps I should have tried a couple more, but I decided finish class on a high note."

Pain/Injury Report.

9:32 PM "A muscle around my left buttock, probably the muscle used to kick the back leg over during the aerial is in some minor pain. There's also some feeling in the left shin. I guess the kicking leg is also the leg that takes impact on landing."

Miscellaneous.

9:32 PM "It's funny, there's a couple that I landed, and I have no idea what I do with my hands/arms on those. There were one or two that the form felt great, but there would be perhaps just a left hand scraping at the end. I've definitely started to feel what the chest should be doing during the aerial.""

Other names for the aerial are "side aerial" and "aerial cartwheel." See the Wikipedia.org article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_cartwheel

9:48 PM "No more pain in the buttocks, but apparently there's a little pain or ache of some sort in the left ankle. Or maybe not the ankle, but somewhere in the joint there, feels more in the front. Oh I see, it is the ankle. Not to be confused with the heel which I had a problem with a year or two ago in capoeira; the right heel which I landed on wrong."

[20111115]
On Tuesday, I walked around with some sort of pain/soreness in the left buttock. That was pretty much the only critical muscle area bothering me. Everything else was just mildly sore. It only slightly detracted from my walking. It severely detracted me during modern dance. It was very difficult to lift my left leg while balancing on the right, and nearly impossible to balance on the left leg, let alone try to lift the right leg.

[20111116]
That area is still feeling the pain. I deduce it's not just sore. Thus I suppose it's inflamed and/or bruised and I should remember to ice it and take some aspirin when I get home.

Drink 2009 Laurent Martray Brouilly Vieilles Vignes

2011-11-13T18:30:00.003-05:00

2009 Laurent Martray Brouilly Vieilles Vignes

Relevant Links:
2009 Laurent Martray Brouilly "Combiaty" Vielles Vignes, France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Brouilly (CellarTracker.com)

20111113:
[20111127]
I wrote: "Great strong beautiful smell. Great taste. Nice balance. Nice sourness when swallowing." 6:28 PM
I wrote: "Brouilly Vieilles Vignes. 2009." 6:40 PM
I wrote: "Apellation Brouilly Controlee. Vieilles Vignes. 12.5%" 7:02 PM
I wrote: "Combiaty. Vieilles Vignes. Laurent Martray." 7:11 PM

Petit Louis Bistro:
601g Brouilly, Laurent Martray "Vieilles Vignes" 2009

CellarTracker.com Information:
Vintage 2009
Type Red
Producer Laurent Martray
Variety Gamay
Designation "Combiaty" Vieilles Vignes
Vineyard n/a
Country France
Region Burgundy
SubRegion Beaujolais
Appellation Brouilly

Drink Ommegang Abbey Ale

2011-11-13T16:12:00.002-05:00

Ommegang Abbey Ale

Relevant Links:
Ommegang Abbey Ale (BeerAdvocate.com)
Ommegang Website
Ommegang Abbey Ale (Ommegang Website)
My Ommegang BPA post

20111113:
[20111127]
I wrote: "Nice fruity smell. Has a dark, great tasting berry taste. Almost like a great berry soda." 4:12 PM

Unfortunately, I drank this beer in somewhat of a hurry. But I definitely remember enjoying it while it lasted.

Website Information:
Ommegang Abbey Ale

Meditate on this dark ruby elixir. Breathe in its deep emanations of fruit and spice. Is that clove you smell? Licorice? Fig? Sip serenely as revelations of honey, toffee, chocolate and dark dried fruit delight your senses. Can a beer be holy? you wonder, and Where can I get a grail on-line?

Ommegang, our first brew, was inspired by the centuries-old brewing practices of the Belgian Trappist monks. This burgundian brew gives off a variety of aromas, including plum and cinnamon, and packs in flavors such as caramel, toffee, and licorice. At 8.5% abv, it is known to cause spontaneous meditation.

Try Ommegang with:
savory dishes, meats, slow-cooked French dishes made with pork, lamb, rabbit, beef, carbonnades, hotchpot, marinated roasts, barbeque, rich cheeses, almost every dessert.