Star Trek prequel

Turns out that J.J. Abrams, producer for a few episodes of Lost, Alias and a few other well known television programs, has decided to go ahead and make another Star Trek movie but this time...it's going to be a prequel. The story basically follows James T. Kirk and Spock in their days at the academy. Despite the pleas of many Trekkies which state that Paramount should give Star Trek a break and leave it on the back burner for a few years and come back later to revive the franchise, Mr. Abrams and crew have basically given them the finger and decided to do it anyways and on their own terms.

There are rumors that William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy may appear in this movie and I think this may help draw some crowds so they can see the famous duo one last time but at this point it's just conjecture on their part.

New Zombie Flick!!

According to Hollywood Reporter George A. Romero has signed on to write and direct a new addition to the zombie franchise titled, George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead. I don't know about you but I'm excited about this. I got a hint of this earlier in the year when I went to a toy convention in Orlando with a friend of mine and had the pleasure of meeting George himself. I asked what, if anything, he had planned for the zombie franchise and although he was being careful with his words he did say I would be pleasantly surprised with what he had in the works.

Plot Synopsis:
The movie will follow a group of indie filmmakers shooting a zombie flick in the woods but slowly realize they're surrounded by real zombies.

Its been said to be a mix of The Blair Witch Project meets Night of the Living Dead. Romero has had enough of working with major studios after working with Universal on Land of the Dead so he will be independently financed himself along with partner, Peter Grunwald. I love watching Zombie flicks because they're simply fun to watch and are too few in between.

eBay

I got inspired by someone named Pinky who I met through my brother Pavel to reopen an eBay sellers account so I can possibly open a side business of selling vintage and collectable toys. The inspiration also comes from a friend of mine who's been doing this for a few years now and I must say he makes enough money to not have to work and then some. I'll give you an example. He found someone on eBay that found an old box of his old G.I. Joe toys and put it up for auction. Now the pictures were a bit blurry but my friend was able to see a certain accessory piece that alone was worth about $1300 if not more and my friend was able to buy his entire box for about $200-$300. He sold the accessory piece for about $1300 so just off that one piece was able to make back what he spent and make a HUGE profit. For the rest of the set he was able to get a few hundred dollars. He also buy and build an entire collection of a particular series, like his old He-Man set, piece by piece and then sells it for more than what he got it for. He's not conning anyone in doing this he just sits at home all day and finds auctions set by people that don't really know much about toys or what they are worth. I think he got about $6000+ for that He-Man set.
Anywho, I have a few things on eBay right now of things around the house I don't use anymore just to get me started. He's a link to one of them. If you'd like to see the other things I have on auction just click on "View Seller's Other Auctions". I'll blog it up whenever I have new things up for auction. Thanks Pinky!

Rudeness Capital of the World aka. Orly's Rant: Episode II

I ran into this article in our local newspaper, The Miami Herald. It states that a national poll conducted last year and in 2002 that incivility and rudeness is a growing problem and it seems that South Florida is number 1 in a list of cities with the rudest people. I read the article and found that the majority of the problems talked about is quite evident here in South Florida. It's all about me, me, me. It does seem as if everyone feels like they are more important than everyone else. I have to admit I've caught myself acting that way while driving and I have since tried to eliminate that behavior. If I'm late to work then it's my own fault. A good example of almost everything this article discusses is go visit Walmart here in Miami. When I go people push me, push my little one, push my wife, push my cart even when my little one is sitting inside, push my mother if we happen to be in their way and there is no way through unless they wait a few seconds for a path to clear.

Another issue I go through is that although I am cuban I don't look like the typical "latino" as say my brother, Pavel. I have light features: Light brown hair, green eyes, light skin and when I speak I don't have the usual "Miamian" accent. I find myself to be pretty articulate compared to most people here. So when I get a spanish speaking customer that for whatever reason is annoyed with me starts to insult me in spanish to whoever they are with thinking I don't know Spanish. I let them roll with it for a while until the very end and I say to them in spanish "Oh, by the way, I understood every word you said." I would love to hear what you guys think about this article and maybe create some discussion on it.

I'm sick and tired of all the a$$holes that can't drive for shit in this city because it's getting old ALMOST getting into bad accidents a few times a day, everyday and to add insult to injury when they do something $hitty and then you yell at them they lower their window to start laughing at you and crack some jokes at me as if I'M the one that did something stupid. Just the other day some guy didn't see us in the turning lane and start to merge into our lane right on top of us. We honked and he finally noticed us. When I yelled "Nice driving! Next time, pay attention!" he rolled his window and made some incoherent comment about how cute I was sitting in the passenger seat and then blew a kiss at me. WTF is this all about?!

Yeah, it's pretty shitty living here in Miami and it's definitely not the place to raise children...not like Morristown, TN or Knoxville, TN the few times I was there to visit my brother.
I found this song on youtube.com and found it appropriate. It's from a great band called Nickelback and was edited to roll with scenes from a great game called Kingdom Hearts. If you have a PS2 I do recommend getting this game. My daughter loves sitting next to me to watch while I play it. Enjoy!!

"If Everyone Cared"
From underneath the trees, we watch the sky
Confusing stars for satellites
I never dreamed that you’d be mine
But here we are, we’re here tonight

Singing Amen, I’m alive
Singing Amen, I’m alive

If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
We’d see the day when nobody died
And I’m singing

Amen I, I’m alive
Amen I, I’m alive

And in the air the fireflies
Our only light in paradise
We’ll show the world they were wrong
And teach them all to sing along

Singing Amen I’m alive
Singing Amen I’m alive

If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
We’d see the day when nobody died
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
We’d see the day when nobody died

And as we lie beneath the stars
We realize how small we are
If they could love like you and me
Imagine what the world could be

If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
We’d see the day when nobody died

We’d see the day, we’d see the day
When nobody died
We’d see the day, we’d see the day
When nobody died
We’d see the day when nobody died

A.M.P.

No, this is not a blog about amplifiers but a song dedication to my beautiful and wonderful daughter, Autumn Melody Plasencia. What sparked this blog you may ask? Well, the other day me, my wife and daughter were at Blockbuster renting a movie and Autumn picked up a box of Spongebob Squarepants Crabby Patties candies. Once we were done and half way out the door we realized that we didn't pay for it so we decided to walk back and pay for it so as not to show a bad example for our daughter. I don't want her growing up thinking it's O.K. the way I grew up with my family and our "famous" Walt Disney world trips. The customer service rep there commented on how weird it was to see someone coming back and paying for something when they were already out the door so he decided to give us a discount on the box of candy and said thank you. This is something I want to teach her because I'm afraid I have not fully learned this valuable trait. I consider it an addiction the way you would look at a drug addict or alcoholics. I've been arrested for it once and have tried to stop even after repeated pleas from my wife. I have been denied a promotion from my previous job because of the mark that one arrest left on my record. I am in the process right now to have it expunged/sealed from my record....but that's for another blog.

I would love to teach her to be humble regardless of how good she is at any one thing. I would love to teach her respect like showing respect for other people's opinions. I would to teach her to always tell the truth even if it means getting grounded, losing an opportunity, getting fired from a job. To appeal to the nobler motives. To be sympathetic with the other person's idea and desires. To show her that if she works hard enough dreams do come true. I want these things and more to shape her into a genuine and "real" person and not the usual faker that surround me.


Well I want you to notice
To notice when I'm not around
I know your eyes see straight through me
And speak to me without a sound

And I want to hold you
Protect you from all the things I've already endured
And I want to show you
To show you all of the things that this life has in store for you
I'll always love you
The way a father sould love his daughter

When I walked out this morning
I cried as I walked to the door
I cried about how long I'd be away
I cried about leaving you alone

And I want to hold you
Protect you from all the things I've already endured
And I want to show you
To show you all of the things that this life has in store for you
I'll always love you
The way a father sould love his daughter

Sweet Zoe Jane
Sweet Zoe Jane

So I wanted to say this
'cause I wouldn't know where to begin
To explain to you what I have been through
To explain where your daddy has been

And I want to hold you
Protect you from all the things I've already endured
And I want to show you
To show you all of the things that this life has in store for you
I'll always love you
The way a father sould love his daughter

Sweet Zoe Jane
Sweet Zoe Jane

Strange facts and useless information

I was surfing online waiting to get tired to go to bed and I stumbled upon this website full of facts and useless information. I thought I'd share the most interesting, the strangest, and the most usless ones.

1.) It takes glass one million years to decompose, which means it never wears out and can be recycled an infinite amount of times!

2.) Most lipstick contains fish scales! (Kind of makes you think twice before kissing someone with lipstick)

3.) It's illegal to drink beer out of a bucket while you're sitting on a curb in St. Louis!

4.) Over 2500 left handed people a year are killed from using products made for right handed people! (????)

5.) Until 1796, there was a state in the United States called Franklin. Today it's known as Tennessee! (Did you know this, weenieman?)

6.) In Natoma, Kansas, it's illegal to throw knives at men wearing striped suits!

7.) After eating, a housefly regurgitates its food and then eats it again! (How in the hell did they find THIS out?!)

8.) In Miami, it is forbidden to imitate an animal! (I was born and raised here in Miami and I've never heard of this law...not once!)

9.) In Memphis, Tennessee, a woman is not to drive a car unless a man warns approaching motorists or pedestrians by walking in front of the car that is being driven! (If you get a chance to visit Memphis, Pavel, please find out if this is true. This is too funny)

10.) In Tennessee, it is against the law to drive a car while sleeping. (OK, what is wrong with the peopl of Tennessee??)

Hurricane Ernesto

It's that time again. It seems like it was only yesterday that we here in South Florida went through Hurricane Katrina and then Hurricane Wilma within a month, I believe it was.

The day Hurricane Katrina hit us directly I was working at a local Burger King temporarily. The owner of that particular fast food spot thought the storm was entering more up north in West Palm Beach and we were only going to get the bands. Boy was he wrong. We stayed working until the eye was right over us and then we were sent home...only...I didn't know we were in the eye so me and a fellow co-worker decided to go to a dunkin doughnuts. While eating I received a call from my little brother in law warning us to get home quick because we were in the eye. As we were getting in our car it literally came out of nowhere as if someone turned on a switch. What began as a light drizzle turned into a hellish nightmare. One by one all the transformers in the area started to overload and you could see the strange eerie blue lights in the sky and then...pitch black. All you could hear was the loud roar of the wind and couldn't see your hand in front of your face how heavy the rain was. I don't know if I could say God was watching over me that night or if it was just luck but a huge palm tree fell within inches of my door. How the wind didn't pick up enough to blow it on my car with us in it is beyond me. We decided to drive home...very slowly since my breaks were barely working. Along the way we had to stop several times to help out a few people who were also unfortunate to be caught outside after the eye passed. One guy drove his car over a medium and couldn't get out so I pushed his car with my truck. Another guy had a similar problem but it was a big tree trunk instead. Then we found a car that was completely totalled in the middle of an intersection and we HAD to stop to see if anyone was hurt but we couldn't see so we reluctantly kept on. The rest of the way was pretty much incident free but still scary as hell. I kept half expecting to hear the sound of a train that you supposedly hear when a tornado is near but thankfully there was none...that I know of.

It was quite an experience....that I don't care to go through again. Here's hoping that we go incident free with Hurricane Ernesto.

80's Rock Sundays!!

I borrowed this idea from a fellow blogger, mindtwister, do take the time to pay him a visit.

This first video is from one of the biggest names in Rock and Roll history, Van Halen-Love Walks In. This is my favorite song from Van Halen live from their 5150 tour concert video "Live without a net".

I know most of you liked David Lee Roth best, yes he was more of showman but Sammy Hagar is a better singer and human being from the sounds of most people who have met Roth. I had a chance to see Van Halen reunited with Hagar in 2004 and I have to say I was literally in tears for a chunk of the show especially when they played this song as well as Right Now. They were tight and didn't miss a beat or a note.

Miami Seaquarium

This Saturday that just past I took my family to the Miami Seaquarium. It was more of a present for my daughter for being such a good girl her first week of school. The day started a little slow, went to eat breakfast at McDonalds but took a while because it was jammed packed with people trying to get breakfast before 10:30, long trip through expressways and same old people driving like maniacs, but once we finally got there it was all downhill.




We started our day with looking at some dolphins underwater and the marine tanks. We saw one tank that had most of the fish from Finding Nemo. We saw Marlin & Nemo, Dory, Bloat, Peaches, Jacques, Bubbles. It was really cool to be able to see the dolphins swimming around underwater especially a recently born dolphin. He was quite playful and doing more twists and turns that the other dolphins.

After that we saw most of the shows. First was the sealions show. It's amazing how quick and swift they are in water and on wetland. Ww got to see someone feeding the sharks and answer some questions about their diet and feeding habits. They tend to rather eat a fish that's either dead or sick as opposed to a healthy live one. We also learned they actually don't particularly like humans and the reason for most of the attacks we've seen in the news over the years is mainly because they were startled and felt obligated to defend themselves. We didn't get to enjoy the dolphin show as much because our little one was getting a bit restless by that time and didn't want to sit still for the whole show so we took a break to get something to eat/drink and relax. We got to see a local celebrity, Lolita the killer whale, splashing a HUGE amount of freezing salt water on the first 4-6 rows. We ended the day seeing the sealion show once more to get a chance to take a picture with one of the sealions.

Rocky Balboa statue

Ever since the early 80's after Rocky III came out Art Museum Officians and members of the city Art Commission have argued that the famous statue, erected at the foot of the those famous steps, was not art but simply a movie prop and deemed it not worthy enough to be in it's original position. So for many years the statue moved from being in front of a local stadium, then moved to the Wachovia Center to end up in it's final resting place, a local storage building. Of course it was moved back to it's original spot during the making of Rocky V but again went back to storage.

In light of the recent completion of the movie Rocky Balboa, the final installment of the Rocky series, many fans, local politicians and Sylvester Stallone himself have been rooting for the statue to be placed back to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Those on the museum board were against it.

Well, it seems that a compromise has been made and the statue will earn a spot somewhere near-by the museum. I guess it's better than nothing but personally, I think it should go on the foot of the 72-step staircase. From what I read a lot of people have specifically gone to Philly to see the famous statue only to find after sprinting those long stairs....no statue. The Rocky statue is as much a part of Philadelphia as are cheese steaks, the liberty bell, and the Mummers Parade.

Creepy footage

I found this Blair Witch-esque amateur video about 2 guys and a girl who are lost somewhere in Portugal. Along the way they pick up a female hitch-hiker. She begins acting a bit strange the rest of the way and the ending is creepy as heck. Real or fake? You decide

World Trade Center review

I saw it a few days ago but was a bit busy with work and going through a wonderful process that is my child's first few days of school. I am here now and wanted to share my experience watching this movie.

Synopsis
The movie is inspired by the true story of two Port Authority police officers John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno. On September 11, 2001 American Airlines Flight 11 was hijacked while still in the air and used as a weapon against against the North Tower of New York City's World Trade Center. McLoughlin and Jimeno were part of a rescue team that were among the first on the scene and start preparing to enter North Tower, unaware that United Airlines Flight 175 had hit the South Tower as well. With a small group of others they rush inside the burning building.

This is a well made movie as well as a tear-jerker. It is not the typical Oliver Stone movie which usually plays off the conspiracy theories like "JFK". Do not expect a movie that shows the hows and whys of what happened. It's more of an isolating storyline based on the two courageous Police Officers that were trapped under the rubble and what their families go through not knowing whether they're dead or alive. There is a particular heart wrenching moment when the wife of Will Jimeno askes her father "How do I tell my child her father is gone?" Being a father myself I have a real soft spot to situations in movies where children lose their mother and/or father so needless to say I was choked up for most of the movie.
I'm glad they released this movie. I was growing tired of the few hollywood execs that decided on digitally removing the World Trade Center towers from movies and shows. Whether or not this country wants to forgive those that trespass against us is entirely up to them but I don't see why we want to forget. Whether it was by the hands of terrorists or as some consipracy theorists say in the hands of certain powerful people in our government we just have to make sure that it never happens again.
I kept thinking about this song while typing this. Thought I would slap it on here.

Orly's Rant: Episode I

You know, I've seen this cartoon on the internet about a squirrel ranting about certain things and people and events that he has an issue with and I got inspired to do the same so here goes...
I wish I could say there are certain people in Miami I just can't stand but I'd be lying to you. Everyday from the moment I leave my home to the moment I return home I would have contact with literally hundreds of stupid, annoying and unintelligent people. Like women in general here in Miami. If you have this same problem where you live then that's a scary thought that's it's not isolated to one place. Anytime I drive in this city it's like taking a bargain with my life...especially with these women that drive HUGE SUVs while talking on their cell phone. This is just an accident waiting to happen. You seem them swirving from left to right in their lines and it's a surprise there aren't more accidents. I mean really...most women...I said most, not all....but most women can't drive for $hit. Now let's throw a Land Rover or God forbid a Hummer with a cell phone in the mix. That's a recipe for disaster. Unless there is someone dying or dead there is no reason you need to be on a cell phone so hang it up, you self-important ass.
Speaking of cell phones, I'm so tired of going to the movie theater and having to listen to about 10-20 cell phones go off durout the entire movie. What makes it worse is when they actually answer and talk in a normal tone or higher. There are signs all over the place that say silence your cell phones or turn your cell phones off. You even see it while you're sitting down waiting for the movie to start. Stop being such a$$holes and turn them off or leave them home. Whatever it is, it can wait.
I've been in retail and customer service for about 6 years and I've worked pretty much all over Miami. Borders Bookstore, Cobb Theater, Blockbuster Video, Mars Music, Sam Ash Music. One thing remains a constant. It is impossible for a customer to return the item they picked up to look at to their original spot. Whether it's something they picked up, looked at it and then put it somewhere else or if they thought they wanted it at first but then changed their mind while they're at some other part of the store and just leave it somewhere random...and when you confront them about this you know what their excuse is? "It's your job to put it back." "If customer's actually put things back where they belong you'd be out of a job." You know what else I could do without? When I'm with a customer I will have a random customer pop in-between me and the customer I'm currently with and ask "Can you help me with something?" When I tell them sure but once I'm finished with the customer I'm helping out, they act surprised. I get that constantly. My favorite is when I'm in my department, which is petcare, I'll be standing at our blue mobile stand where we have all our fish supplies. I'll be testing the water levels, taking out the dead fish, treating certain tanks, wiping the algae off certain tanks and then I'll get a customer and he asks "Is there somebody that can help me out with a fish?" "No sir, I'm just feeding the fish because they looked hungry and no one seemed to look to it...but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn last night."
I would go on about how great it is to drive in Miami but I would be here all night...

Land of Confusion

I think this song made a whole lot of sense during the 80's regarding the "Second Cold War" and I think it makes a whole lot of sense today with what's going on in the world. Any thoughts? I thought I would refresh everyone's memory with the original version and Disturbed's remake.






Land of Confusion
I must have dreamed a thousand dreams
Been haunted by a million screams
But I can hear the marching feet
They're moving into the street

Now, did you read the news today?
They say the danger has gone away
But I can see the fire's still alight
They're burning into the night

There's too many men, too many people
Making too many problems
And there's not much love to go around
Can't you see this is the land of confusion?

This is the world we live in
And these are the hands we're given
Use them and let's start trying
To make it a place worth living in

Oh, superman, where are you now?
When everything's gone wrong somehow?
The men of steel, the men of power
Are losing control by the hour

This is the time, this is the place
So we look for the future
But there's not much love to go around
Tell me why this is the land of confusion

This is the world we live in
And these are the hands we're given
Use them and let's start trying
To make it a place worth living in

I remember long ago
When the sun was shining
And all the stars were bright all through the night
In the wake of this madness, as I held you tight
So long ago

I won't be coming home tonight
My generation will put it right
We're not just making promises
That we know we'll never keep

There's too many men, too many people
Making too many problems
And there's not much love to go round
Can't you see this is the land of confusion?

Now, this is the world we live in
And these are the hands we're given
Use them and let's start trying
To make it a place worth fighting for

This is the world we live in
And these are the names we're given
Stand up and let's start showing
Just where our lives are going to

Scotland

My wife and I have always wanted to visit Scotland. Even before we ever met. We've seen many pictures and videos showing the beautiful scenery of Scotland but I'm sure it looks better in person. This video has been the best one showing you all the landscapes and castles. Below I have put a video of Robin Williams' discussing some of the finer points of the Scottish people.

R.I.P. Bruno Kirby

If you don't already know I'm a huge fan of movies. So I'm constantly online reading up on upcoming movies and actors/actresses. I was sad to learn this morning that Bruno Kirby has passed away from complications related to leukemia, after recently being diagnosed with the disease. Most of you probably remember Kirby as Billy Crystal's best pal in, personally, one of my favorite romantic comedies of all time, When Harry Met Sally or as Robin Williams' strict, yet hilarious nemesis in Good Morning, Vietnam. Here are some other movies he was in:

-City Slickers
-The Freshman
-The Godfather II
-Donnie Brasco

First days of School!!

Hello all!! Sorry I haven't been on for a bit. First, for the past 2 weeks 2 employees left on vacation where I work so of course all their hours went to us. Secondly, I had something important to post on Monday but as always my in-laws were meddling with our network router and it started malfunctioning so there went the internet for a few days. But I'm back so here goes...


My beautiful 4 year old daughter started her first day of school on Monday. Woke up in the morning and put on Finding Nemo and woke her up. Got her dressed in her school uniform and gave her some breakfast. We tried not to mention that she was going to school all that much that morning as well as the day before sionce she made it a point to let us know that she did not want to go to school. Not sure if this was a great idea but I think regardless of whether we told her or not she would have reacted the same way. Sorry for the dark pic.



Once we got to her school we were off to find her classroom. Once we got there my wife and I felt better because we weren't the only parents whose child was crying because they knew Mommy and Daddy had to go soon. So we let her pick where she wanted to sit and we set her bookbag on her chair. We then walked towards the big carpet that looked like a Monopoly board where all the children were sitting and had her pick a spot and sit.



Finally the bell rang and it was time to go. Easier said than done. We started to slowly walk towards the door but once she noticed she got up and ran towards us crying. She attached herself to my wife's leg and wouldn't let go. Then the teacher walked in and we were able to get her to sit back down on the carpet. The teacher and her assistants were able to get her attention and we were able to walk out of the classroom and proceeded to wait outside for a few minutes just in case. We then heard her scream BLOODY MURDER!! "Mommy? Daddy?" Broke our hearts to hear that but we know it must be done. The last parent to walk out told us she was crying for a few minutes but then once they gave her a book to read and other kids started to talk to her she quickly forgot.

I felt weird all morning being home alone. I usually don't work until the late afternoon so I'm with her all day. I didn't want her to feel alone or abandoned but I would quickly snap out of it and assure myself that she was having fun making new friends and learning new things. Then the afternoon came and me the wife went to pick her up. We were excited...or maybe it was just that we missed her terribly. Not sure. When we got to her classroom she saw us but stayed sitting down. I don't think she wanted to go. She was having fun. Then the teacher said "Autumn, Mommy and Daddy are here. It's time to go." She got up and ran to us with her arms wide open.


Overall it was exciting. The weird thing is I've been waking up in the morning with a smile on my face and ready to take her to school but as anyone who knows me will tell you...I'm not a morning person. Early to me is 9 or 10 a.m. Anything before that is obscene to me. lol. What are your experiences with your child's first day?

I was feeling a bit lonely these past few days. I don't have any friends. The one I did have is no longer here. The few friends I did have after high school I just don't talk to anymore. It ended as quickly as it began. Out of nowhere a situation was created to be used as an excuse for the end of our friendship and to this day I still don't understand what happened and why.

As far as family goes, blood relatives, I no longer see any of them and don't wish to really. I have my immediate family now, my beautiful wife and daughter and although we had a rough 2 or 3 years we're finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I also have my mother who I am very blessed to have. Unfortunately, my father died over 10 years ago and it makes me sad to think I wasn't able to introduce my wife or beautiful daughter to him when she was born. He's the one person, as strange as this may sound to some people, I wish would have been here today so I could have someone to discuss my recent marital troubles with or seek advice about a certain addiction I had. My two older brothers, Priamo & Pavel, who are there for me even though one of them lives in another state. That's it.

You see, here is the problem I have with my family. They have the tendency to simply sweep things under the carpet when it comes to family problems. That is something I cannot do. Without talking it out, problems tend to keep gnawing away at me and I can't live my life like that. So I either resolve a problem or cut ties with the source of the problems. There was a certain situation a few years back where I was accused of pushing my aunt's husband's mother. I asked my mother she knew the answer to that and she didn't want to go any further and quickly changed the subject. There was also that time I was invited to a Metallica concert, I'm a HUGE almost borderline obsessive fan, in Orlando a few weeks before the concert and a few days before it I received a phone call from my mother telling me I could no longer go for some vague reason. I still don't know who it was that didn't want me to go. Whether my Uncle, cousins, or brother's wife. No one can give me a straight answer and I wish to God they would.

In the end though it doesn't really matter. I have a beautiful healthy daughter who I would do anything for. A beautiful and caring wife that will do anything for me and if one day fails at providing something I can see that she honestly feels bad about it. A great mother and two brothers that are there for me despite anything stupid I may do. Sorry, reading this back, it sounds like I'm rambling on incoherently. Thanks for reading it though.

This is for my brother, Pavel. He had/has a deep passion for playing drums and I loved watching him play with his bands growing up. I don't know if he's had a chance to watch or listen to one of his favorite bands lately, Dream Theater. This guy is sick on the drums. Oh, a small bonus of an amazing concert I have yet to send you, weenieman. Ladies and gentlemen....MIKE PORTNOY & DREAM THEATER!!

In-Law jokes


Sorry I haven't been by lately...work has been keeping me busy. I thought I would begin today's entry with some in-law jokes. Those who know me know have heard me share my disdain for my in-laws particularly about my father-in-law so I thought I'd share a few jokes about our beloved in-laws. If you have any jokes of your own or little anecdotes...please, do share.

A man's mother in law just passed away, and his wife and him were talking to the undertaker. The undertaker asked "Do you want your mother to be cremated, buried, or embalmed?" While the wife was thinking, the man said "Do all three---Why take any chances?

I find it interesting that if you rearrange the letters in the word "mother-in-law" you get the words "woman Hitler".

Then there is the joke about the guy who was told by his doctor that he has only 6 months to live. He decides to move in with his mother-in-law, because living with her for 6 months will seem like forever.



"""A woman goes to see Mel Gibson's new movie, The Passion, and is inspired to take her family to Israel to see the places where Jesus lived and died.

While on vacation her mother-in-law dies.

An undertaker in Tel Aviv explains that they can ship the body home to Wisconsin at a cost of $10,000 or the mother-in-law could be buried in Israel for US $500.

Without any hesitation, the woman says "We'll ship her home."

The undertaker asks, "Are you sure? That's an awfully big expense and we can do a very nice burial here."

The woman says, "Look, 2000 years ago they buried a guy here and three days later he rose from the dead. I just can't take that chance.""""

I just finished saying my farewells to a very good friend of mine, you could say good enough for me to consider him a brother along with my two older brothers, Mark who is going away to the United States Army Reserves. I've only known him since November of last year but he's been there for me and guided me through all my rough times and never passed any judgement like some people I've known. Aside from an unfortunate incident at Petco, I daresay I would trust him with anything including my life. j/k about the Petco thing. I can honestly say that I didn't want him to go especially with everything going on in the world and tried to understand why he was doing it but I realized something. I don't need to understand and he doesn't have to explain anything to me. The only thing I have to do is respect him and his wishes/decisions and be there for him as a friend or a brother. Mark, I got nothing but love for you, bro. What's mine is yours and you don't even have to ask. I've got a shot glass here and a bottle of apple flavored vodka I found so this shot is for you, buddy! SALUD!

Favorite Movie quotes


The Count of Monte Cristo:
“Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes. You must look into that storm and shout as you did in Rome. Do your worst, for I will do mine! Then the fates will know you as we know you: as Albert Mondego, the man!”

Cinderella Man:
“Jesus H. Christ! Jesus Mary and Joseph! All the saints and martyrs and Jesus! Did I mention Jesus?”

Bruce Almighty
“Yes, behind every great man, there’s a woman rolling her eyes, folks.”

We Were Soldiers
“Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: I can hear you laughing you know.
Julie Moore: I'm not laughing, I'm marveling.
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: At what?
Julie Moore: That you can find stubbornness in your children and think it comes from anywhere but you...”

Boiler Room:
“And there is no such thing as a no sale call. A sale is made on every call you make. Either you sell the client some stock or he sells you a reason he can't. Either way a sale is made, the only question is who is gonna close? You or him? Now be relentless, that's it, I'm done.”

“Anybody who tells you money is the root of all evil doesn't fucking have any.”

“There's an important phrase that we use here, and think it's time that you all learned it. Act as if. You understand what that means? Act as if you are the fucking President of this firm. Act as if you got a 9" cock. Okay? Act as if.”

“I had a very strong work ethic. The problem was my ethics in work.”

Superman/Superman Returns:
“They can be a great people, Kal-El, if they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you... my only son.”

Interview with the Vampire:
“Evil is a point of view. God kills indiscriminately and so shall we. For no creatures under God are as we are, none so like him as ourselves.”

White Squall:
“You can't run from the wind. You trim your sails, face the music, and keep going.”
White Men Can’t Jump:
“Look man, you can listen to Jimi but you can't hear him. There's a difference man. Just because you’re listening to him doesn't mean you're hearing him.”

The Last Samurai:
“Katsumoto: You believe a man can change his destiny?
Algren: I think a man does what he can, until his destiny is revealed.”

Rocky:
“You're gonna eat lightnin' and you're gonna crap thunder!”

“Women weaken legs!”

Rocky IV:
“Going in one more round when you don't think you can - that's what makes all the difference in your life.”

Rocky Balboa:
“What is it you said to the kid? The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very rough, mean place... and no matter how tough you think you are, it'll always bring you to your knees and keep you there, permanently... if you let it. You or nobody ain't never gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit... it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward... how much you can take, and keep moving forward. If you know what you're worth, go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit.”

Clerks:
“You know, there's a million fine looking women in the world, dude. But they don't all bring you lasagna at work. Most of 'em just cheat on you.”

Mallrats:
“Listen, not a year goes by, not a year, that I don't hear about some escalator accident involving some bastard kid which could have easily been avoided had some parent - I don't care which one - but some parent conditioned him to fear and respect that escalator!”

“You're gonna listen to me? To something I said? Hasn't it become abundantly clear during the tenure of our friendship that I don't know shit?”

Chasing Amy:
“All every woman really wants, be it mother, senator, nun, is some serious deep-dickin'”

The Godfather:
“I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse.”

The Punisher:
“In certain extreme situations, the law is inadequate. In order to shame its inadequacy, it is necessary to act outside the law. To pursue natural justice. This is not vengeance. Revenge is not a valid motive, it's an emotional response. No. Not vengeance. Punishment.”

Biloxi Blues:
“You would need three promotions to be an asshole.”

“Once you start compromising your thoughts, you're a candidate for mediocrity.”

Batman Begins:
“It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.”


There are a lot more but I can't remember them all. I looked throughout my DVD collection, I have almost 700, and this is what I got so far. I'll continue posting as I remember more. Feel free to post some of your own. As you can see, I'm a movie fanatic. One of the greatest things ever invented next to the written word, of course.