8/25/2020

2014 Summer Movie Awards

Movies seen this summer – Captain America:The Winter Soldier; Transcendence; The Other Woman; The Amazing Spider-Man 2; Neighbors; X-Men Days of Future Past ; How to Train Your Dragon 2


Best Dude – James McAvoy/Michael Fassbender : Professor X/Magento : X-Men Days of Future Past


Best Dudette – Emma Stone : Gwen Stacy : The Amazing Spider-Man 2


Best Scene – Logan waking up at the end of XMen Days of Future Past and walking through the Mansion. 

Best Fight – Captain/Falcon vs the Winter Soldier on the Hellicarriers - Captain American:The Winter Soldier

--Honorable Mention - Zac Efron vs Seth Rogan - Neighbors

Best Fight –
Captain/Falcon vs the Winter Soldier on the Hellicarriers - Captain American:The Winter Soldier


Biggest Dud – Transcendence - I liked the idea of the movie, but it was just slow.  Johnny Depp’s monotone voice didn’t help it out.  The supporting cast was the best part of the movie.


Anticipated Sequel – Avengers 2 : Age of Ultron – Tying in Capt 2, Thor 2, Gaurdians and Iron Man 3….again all together. It’s gonna be awesome.


Summer movie not seen that I want too – Draft Day ; Chef  ; Maleficent  ; Transformers 4 ; Tammy ; Planes 2 ; Guardians of the Galaxy ; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ; Expendables 3



4/04/2014

How I Met Your Mother



How I Met Your Mother has been one of the two tv shows on in the last 7-9 years that I've watched religously and its in my top 5 series of all time.  After Monday's finale, I've heard good and bad on the net, via text and in conversation about the How I Met Your Mother ended.  

We all knew how Lilly and Marshall were going to end up with all the fast forwards through out the 9 seasons with Marshall being a judge and so forth.  

*** SPOILERS MAYBE LISTED BELOW***

I didn't see the curve of Robin and Barney getting divorced but I'm not at all surprised by it based on the strenght of their personalites that were built through the seasons.  I am shocked though that the whole build up of Season 9 was built around their wedding or at their wedding and to do that in the finale after this season, that did shock me.  

I really liked how Barney's story arc ended.  Him having a daughter is the only thing that could slow him down from his life style.

I had a feeling that the "Mother" may die in the end, no shock there, but when Ted and the Mother interacted at the Farhampton train stop under the umbrella when the actually met.  That is where we should have gone to the kids and said, "and that is how I met your mother".   Perfect, end of story.  

As those of us though that have seen the finale, do we really need more Ted and Robin where we were given that to start, then end it and back again?  

But the story is over, the show is done.  With the zoom into the future I'm guessing we won't have a reunion show.   So with that, my top 5 HIMYM moments/episodes.

1.  Ted/Tracy (mother) met - Like I said this is perfect interaction between the two.  Close screen there.  Perfect.  

2.  Marshall's dad dies - The show went serious here.  Marshall's dad was/is his best friend.  This scene shows it.

3.  Robin Sparkles  - Wanna go to the mall?

4.  Barney's Love of his Life - Perfect ending for Barney as mentioned above.  

5.  The Super Bowl - As much as the show was how about Ted met the mother of his kids, this was HIMYM was basically Cheers, Seinfeld or Friends...it was about friends and being together and enjoying life with those closest to you.  The Super Bowl episode showed it.  
      The gang misses the Super Bowl and plan to DVR it and void being spoiled and watch it together Monday afterwards.  They all find out what happened.  But ultimately? It didn’t really matter. “I don’t remember who won. Hell, I don’t even remember who played. What I do remember is that we drank beer, we ate wings and we watched the Super Bowl together,” says Ted, the narrator, in a voiceover at the end of the episode. “Because sometimes, even if you know how something’s gonna end, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the ride.”

3/24/2014

2014 Summer Movies

The BIG popcorn movies seem to stretch a little earlier to avoid each other for weekend box offices, so I’m gonna have to adjust the Summer Movie Awards to reach to spring months.



The list of this year of potential movies I'll see in theater (I won't get to all of them) - Captain America : The Winter Soldier ; Rio 2 ; Draft Day ; Transcendence ; The Amazing Spider-Man 2 ; Neighbors ; Chef ; X-Men Days of Future Past ; Maleficent ; How to Train Your Dragon 2 ; Transformers 4 ; Tammy ; Planes 2 ; Guardians of the Galaxy ; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ; Expendables 3.

I’m a little more excited since my kids are getting older, they are getting more into the non-cartoon movies and I get to share a few of the movies with them. My boy’s most excited for the Ninja Turtles. I will say I’m kinda curious as to how that will come out too. I’m not that big on what Michael Bay does to some of these franchises and well Megan Fox. But if it focuses on the Turtles it’s all good!  Addyson is excited about Maleficent though I wonder if it will scare her any.
X-Men and Captain America 2 are my most anticipated ones.

2/09/2014

Get Away

Life brings about a lot of challenges, professional and personal. It basically is weight on our shoulders that we need to balance out. That is one hon give never been great at.  

This year Ive decided that I'm getting away some where to relax. I wanted Boston in the end of June/beginning of July for the Cubs-RedSox but I just don't think that money wise that is going to happen now.  I have a friend getting married in Mexico that I'm now going to look at, and also Vegas is an option.  

On top of that there I'm going to try to find a place, along with Clear Lake, for me and the kids to go.   We'll see where 2014 takes us.

1/27/2014

Big Ten Awards - Week 14

Team of the Week : Penn StateAll Wisconsin had to do was beat a 5-6 team at home and they had most likely a 4th trip to the Rose Bowl in the bag.  Penn State showed up and Bill O’Brien’s teams dominated the Badgers.  It wasn’t close.  When O’Brien gets his full allotment of scholarships and bowl eligibility back, the Nittany Lions will be back very quick.

Game of the Week : Ohio State 42  Michigan 41 : The Game lived up to the hype!  The national media will rip Ohio State for “struggling” with Michigan, just so they can get a 1 loss SEC team in the Championship game (looking at you ESPN).  But this game is a game they can play over and over and over again and you can always throw out the records.  Michigan came back on their arch rival and had a chance, and I like the call, to win with a 2 point conversion when Gardner’s pass being picked off.

Player of the Week : James Morris / Anthony Hitchens / Christian Kirksey  Iowa Linebackers :  The 3 of the senior Iowa linebackers, and the Iowa Defense, controlled the Huskers all day, and totally lit up Ron Kellogg.  28 tackles, 2 sacks, 7 tackles for loss, 2 Interceptions and 2 forced fumbles.  These 3 have been the rock in Iowa’s D all year long and they held the Big Ten’s leading rusher to 85 yards.  These 3 will be missed next year.

10/06/2013

Big Ten Awards - Week 6

Team of the Week : Indiana -- Coming into Saturday the Hoosiers have never beat Penn State in the previous 16 meetings.  That changed Saturday in Bloomington when the Hoosiers won their first conference opener win since 2000 also.  Indiana didn't fluke win over Penn State, they destroyed them 44-24.  The win was desperately needed for the Hoosiers if they want to play in a bowl game this year.

Game of the Week : Ohio State 40 - Northwestern 30 -- In a game that was really a lot closer than the score (since the Buckeyes put up 6 on the last play).  In a see or red in Evanston, the Wildcats went toe to toe with Ohio State most of the game, leading most of it too until Carlos Hyde put in his 3 second half touchdown rushes.  Even with that Wildcats still had a chance when they were stopped on 4th and 1 on the Buckeyes side of the 50.  Ohio State and Urban Meyer have now won 18 in a row, and with their upcoming schedule, many wonder how many more marquee wins it can notch till the battle with Michigan and a Big Ten Championship Game.

Player of the Week : Carlos Hyde - RB - Ohio State : Struggling most the first half against the Wildcat Defense, the Buckeyes relied on Hyde's legs the second half.  Hyde's 3 touchdowns came in the 2nd half, the last putting the Buckeyes up for good late in the 4th quarter.  Hyde finished the evening with 168 yards rushing and 3 scores, and getting rocked on a huge hit late in the fourth quarter also.

Jimmy John's Big Ten Challenge:
Matt: 3-2  12pts / 48-7  293pts
Chad: 3-2 12pts / 45-10  287pts
Kyle: 2-3 6pts / 46-9  282pts

9/29/2013

Big Ten Awards - Week 5

Team of the Week : Iowa -- Iowa went on the road and pounded Minnesota, allowing the Gophers only 30 yards rushing and the only threat offensively came after the Gophers returned a kickoff to the 37.  Mark Weisman rushed for 147 on the year and the Hawks are now 4-1 on the year.

Game of the Week : Ohio State 31 - Wisconsin 24 --  The Badgers made it interesting int he end, scoring 10 fourth quarter points, but in the end the Buckeyes won their 17th straight game.  Braxton Miller returned to the Buckeyes starting lineup, and accounted for the 4 Buckeye TDs.  The Buckeyes now take their streak to Evanston for the biggest regular season game in Pat Fitzgerald's tenure at Northwestern.


Player of the Week : Nathan Scheelhaase - QB - Illinois -- This is fast becoming the Scheelhaase/Guiton award this year.  Scheelhaase is definitely the leading candidate in the Big Ten for comeback player of the year.  The senior QB threw for 278 yards and 5 touchdowns in the Illini's 50-14 win over MAC foe Miami (Oh).  The Redhawks didn't stand a chance, the Illini QB threw all 5 of his scores in the first half.  

Jimmy John's Big Ten Challenge:
Matt : 4-0 10pts | 45-5  281pts
Kyle : 4-0 10pts | 44-6  276pts
Chad : 4-0 10pts | 42-8  275pts