The Wookie has no Pants.

"Goodbye my fine friend...Goodbye to you my good friend...goodbye"

2010-05-26T18:37:00.002-04:00

If we are truly lucky in life, we meet someone whose very nature raises us up to a higher level. Someone who teaches us and guides us and supports us without us really even realizing that they are there at all. George Germann was this to me. I first met him at an open audition at Stage West. I was a transplant fresh out of High School not sure what I would find or who I would meet. As luck would have it we were both cast but because of other obligations he had to drop out. I regret this as we may have had an extra year or so as friends.

Our next meeting was much like the first, at an audition for a show in which we were both cast. He played Hans the Gardener, I a politically incorrect Indian Chief. We struck up conversations during the course of the show and by the end were well on our way to a friendship that would help to define me.

In a relationship lasting almost 10 years he was the Kirk to my Spock, the Han to my Chewie, the Peanut Butter to my Jelly. In other words he was the better half. When I lost my job his first instinct was to invite me over to his house for a rousing game of Dungeons and Dragons to get my mind off of it. When I first moved to Orlando and did not have much money to be able to do things, he willingly and graciously paid my way. When I got into a drinking contest with my Brother in his back room and vomited all over, he cleaned me up, saw them off, and made sure that I was alright to drive the next morning. He dealt with my shortcomings with grace and kindness. Never losing his temper, or judging me for what I had done.

After I moved back in with my parents I had every intention of keeping in touch with him, but life has ways of keeping us from our best laid plans. Like many friends we drifted apart, did not speak to one another as much as either of us would have liked, and were not as much a part of one another’s life as before. This is more my fault than his. I took him for granted, I mean this was George, he would always be there, and there would be plenty of time for me to catch up with him once I had other things straightened out. Obviously life showed me just how naïve that attitude is. This regret will haunt me forever.

But he never took me for granted that I can think of. Whenever he was in town or going to be in town he always called me to get together. When he and Connie married he must have called me 20 times to come and visit. And when I could make the time he was always there with a big smile and an even bigger hug. Such was the man who was George Germann.

For those of you who knew him I am sure you have similar memories. For those of you who loved him I know you do. To his family I offer my condolences for the loss which you have suffered. George was like family to me. He was family to you.

But George would not have wanted us to become depressed at his passing. He would have wanted us to rejoice in the wonder that was his life. So in that spirit I will leave you with a quote from the movie that he and I saw together and that became a favorite of ours.

“Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things that a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good. That honor, courage and virtue mean everything. That money and power, power and money mean nothing. That good always triumphs over evil, and that love…true love never dies. Remember that. It doesn’t matter if it is true or not. A man needs to believe in those things because those are the things worth believing in.”

I believe that George believed.

George William Germann

December 9th 1981-May 19th 2010

The Return of the Wade.

2009-09-17T15:20:00.006-04:00

Hello all. It has been quite some time since I took pen to paper (so to speak) and gave you all an insight into my life. Sorry about that but I have been extremely busy. Since my last post I have won two acting awards at my local community theater. Interviewed and not gotten a promotion at work. Been asked to help facilitate with the person who did get the job for the next 12 weeks or so. Helped out backstage in an assistant Stage Managerial role in my local community theaters latest production, and have started production meetings for my own directorial debut in February. Suffice it to say, I am freakin' tired. But very satisfied with how my life is going at this point.

'Til we meet again.

Paul

Good-Bye Old Friend...

2009-06-29T10:53:00.008-04:00

The last few weeks have reminded us of the shortness of life. With the passing of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and now Billy Mays, the consciousness of America has turned once again to our own mortality, and the futility of trying to escape it. What you won’t hear about in the news, on the radio, or in the newspaper is the passing of someone else. A person who lived an unremarkable life by conventional standards, but to those who knew and loved him, he was a most remarkable man.

Leslie Richards was by all accounts an interesting person, loving, devoted, and for lack of a better term, strange. In this world everyone has a drum that they march to. Leslie’s was the quintessential different one. I first met him during rehearsals for “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” and did not quite know what to make of this funny man with a big voice and a huge stage presence. He was a monster on stage, yet seemed fragile off. He had a big heart and a good sense of humor, but was extremely guarded. Looking back on it now it’s not hard to understand why but at the time he was, to say the least, an enigma.

Unfortunately, because of this Leslie made many bad first impressions. Fortunately once a person really got to know him those impressions were discarded. But because of them he was also misunderstood. He was opinionated and passionate about those things that meant the most to him, namely his views on his faith and family, yet was not above laughing at a well told off color joke. He was a smart-ass sonofabitch who would burn you without you even knowing it. He was subtle in his humor, yet retained a childlike innocence about him that was both endearing and infuriating. His laugh was infectious and his smile warming. He seldom complained about anything.

Yet he had a lot to complain about. His health had never been great. In the short time that I knew him he was admitted to the hospital three times. He was in constant pain and did his best to hide it. Knowing now some of the things that I know about his health problems it is surprising to me that he was able to carry on as well as he did.

I was blessed to work with him on four shows, including what I consider to be his masterpiece, “Veronica’s Room”. In this show he played the illegitimate, incest born, necrophiliac love child of mine and my good friend Jeanine Martin’s characters. As you can imagine this type of role is one that anyone would find uncomfortable with, and this was more than uncomfortable for him. However as with any role that a talented and committed actor is presented with, Leslie overcame his reservations about it and put in a performance that was revolting, touching, and tragic all at once. Those of us involved in that show formed a special bond that has now lost one of its strongest links.

There are few people in this world that can intimidate me by there sheer size but he was one of them. Not that I was afraid of him, nor that I thought he would ever do me harm, but he carried himself, with a quiet nobility that, combined with his physical stature, cut an imposing form. Yet he was one of the most approachable people I have ever known. And the man could sing. His beautiful tenor voice rang with passion, and longing that left me in awe every time I heard it.
There really is not much more that I can say about him. Except that this tragedy is compounded in my heart by two things. First he was too young to go. Leslie was not even out of his 30's when god finished his heavenly mansion and gave him the keys. Second that those in the world outside of this little circle of it that he called home, will never know just what they had and what they have lost.

...And Thank you.

Leslie Jacob Richards
1972 - 2009

Til' We Meet Again

Paul

An Epic Experience

2009-05-25T18:10:00.008-04:00

So this weekend saw the end of another play, and I have a few things that I want to say and a couple of pictures to share.

First off Epic Proportions is the stage equivalent to movies such as Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and Kung Pow: Enter the Fist. It is a stupid, predictable, laugh out loud riot of a show that I was both fortunate and unlucky enough to be a part of. This show gave me the chance to do something that I never get to do, be the funny man.

Usually in comedies I play the straight man. This is a combination of both my acting style, which tends to be understated and subtle, and my natural sense of humor. Those who know me can testify that I am nothing if not a smart-ass. But I was given the wonderful gift by our director and my good friend Peter Clapsis, to step outside myself and truly be wacky, zany, and funny. Looking back it was something that I will always cherish because I got the chance to really stretch myself as both and actor and a person. So to Peter I say thank you from the bottom of my heart.

To my fellow cast mates, I took something away from each and everyone of you that I will hold dear for the rest of my life. Chris, in you I found a kindred spirit who I both respect as an actor and was awed in watching. Jess, I have seen you blossom a lot from the young actress that I met during Veronica's Room. Your sense of urgency and professionalism were an inspiration to me, and your legs ain't half-bad either :p. Juan you are one of the few people whom I have met who not only has a passion for theater equal to mine but also a love of life and questioning of the status-quo. Michael, I have known you for a few years now and I must say that if I did not my life would be less interesting than it is. Lezlee, not only are you extremely talented in dance and acting, but you have a love for life that is inspiring to see. Dalton I have marvelled at your talent for several years and feel as though I was blessed with a glimpse at a true master at work. Mitch, in you I have found a brother. I have only known you for a very short while but feel as though we have lived a lifetime of friendship. Cheryl and Jeanine, you both raise me up to a higher level of consciousness. Barbara, Linda, Carol, and Lauren, I feel truly blessed by God to know you and look forward to being friends for many years to come.

That's pretty much all I have left to say. So I will let the pictures say the rest.

'Til we meet again

Paul

The Crazy Uncle. Every Family Has One.

2009-05-19T08:30:00.003-04:00

I was going to make this post a recap of the day my niece was born, but I don't think I could say it any better than my brother already has. Maybe write it better but not say it better. Check out this link if you are interested.

http://www.dutchgirl-irishguy.com/

Then go to the link Grand Rapids has a Skyline.

Much Ado about Awesome!

2009-04-27T08:46:00.003-04:00

This weekend marked another milestone in my dramatic endeavours. It was my first time doing a legitimate version of one of Shakespeare's works. Before now the closest I ever got to the "Bard of Stratford on Avon" was in "Kiss Me Kate" which is a musical retelling of "The Taming of the Shrew".

It was an experience that I will never forget. But to truly understand what this weekend meant to me it must be put into perspective. First, if you have ever read Shakespeare then you know how difficult it is. Now imagine sitting down for your first read through with a group of actors you have never met before aside from the director, and reading lines like these.

"Then is courtesy a turncoat, but it is certain I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted, and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart for truly I love none."

Or...

"Sir I will meet your wit in the career, and you charge it against me, I pray you choose another subject."

or my personal favorite...

"Against my will I am sent to bid you come to dinner. There's double meaning in that. I took no more pain for those thanks than you took pains to thank me. That's as good as saying any pain you take for me is as good as thanks, if I don't take pity on the lady I am a villain."

Yes it was enough to make my head spin. How in the hell was I going to be able to successfully pull this off. It was very daunting doubly because I was picked to portray Benedick, the male lead. It was most interesting because for weeks I couldn't get through the majority of my lines without tripping over my tongue every third word.

Slowly but surely however, and with the help of some very good friends and talented castmates, I finally was able to get a grip on the meaning of the lines and by extension how they should be said. We put in alot of time and were able to put on a very compelling and entertaining show that will be remembered by all who were apart of it for many years to come. To my castmates I extend my everlasting thanks and congratulations for a job well done and for making me look good on stage as Benedick. There is no way I could have done it without you all.

'Till we meet again,

Paul

Melancholy Baby.

2009-03-18T08:28:00.002-04:00

I would like to start this blog post with a thank you to a very special friend of mine who has a true gift for listening. A couple of weeks ago I fell into one of my bouts of melancholy over the fact that I am a 28 year old single man who lives in a town with no apparent romantic options because the average age of the members of the opposite sex is dead. But seriously, those of you who know me can vouch for the fact that for the most part I am a person who enjoys life and is always there to give an encouraging word, laugh with a well told joke, or generally be a good friend. And though I am a confessed realist, I would say that I lean to the side of optimism instead of pessimism.

However, every now and then I look around me and see my friends with their spouses, or girlfriends and wonder to myself, why not me? It depresses me to think that I am a person with a lot of love to give and no one to give it to. Now I love my friends and I am very liberal with the love I have for them but that is a different kind of love. I want to know the kind of love that exists between two people who have become one. The kind that I see when my parents or grandparents look at each other.

The platitudes of it will happen when it happens sound more hollow to me the older that I get and it gets extremely frustrating because for all my bluster and realistic philosophy the truth of the matter is, I am a hopeless romantic at heart. I know that I am probably making more out of this than there actually is but this is how I feel sometimes, and I am not one who usually verbalizes feelings like this because of my masculine conditioning of internalizing such feelings.

Anyway I really just needed to vent. To my good friend again I say thank you for being able to listen to me when I do externalize these feelings and to all my other friends who read this blog, I am sorry I have not trusted you enough to tell you these things before. Hopefully you won't think less of me.

'Til we meet again.

Paul

An evening with the King.

2009-03-09T08:32:00.003-04:00

This past weekend I went to see Roger's and Hammerstein's classic musical "The King and I", which was playing at my local community theater. Now some of you may be asking yourselves why, because some of you know that I have an unbiased hatred for that show. The answer to that question is that I have a very good friend who was playing the King, who stepped in on short notice and needed the support of his friends. That being said I now know why I do not like this show.

I first developed a dislike for this show as a little (yes I was little at one time) boy when my sister would watch the movie starring Yul Brenner with some regularity. I really think it was the song "Getting to Know You" that did it for me, to this day I cannot hear that song and not cringe. But after a few years I began to reevaluate my dislike for the show and try to give it a fair shake. After all there have been many movies that I could not stand as a child that I have grown to love in my adult life, The Wizard of Oz is one that immediately springs to mind. However no matter how many times I watched it with an objective eye there was always something that grated on me about it and I never could figure it out.

This weekend however I think I know. The show is very uneven. You have arguably one of the most dynamic characters in theater in The King, surrounded by a group of under defined characters that no matter how good of actors you have to play them are always coming up short. Now before you get angry at me and misconstrue my words, I am not saying that the only person I saw that did a fantastic job on Friday was my friend the King. I have many friends in that show and I was astounded by how good some of them were. I never before realized just how good a singing voice Lady Thiang or Lun Tha had until I saw them this weekend.

What I am saying is that no matter how good they are, the characters they are playing are so underdeveloped it is painful. There is a whole story in and of itself for the Lun Tha/Tuptim relationship. Now I know that the show is about the relationship between Anna and the King, and all others are support, but it just seems to me that with a little bit of tweaking in other areas of the show it could be so much more than it is.

Anyway I have probably made no end of enemies by this post but I felt that these were things I needed to say.

'Til we meet again

Paul

P.S. A word of advice. Never play Clue with lawyers.

Well Deserved but tainted.

2009-02-23T10:52:00.005-05:00

So the Oscar's were last night and big surprise Heath Ledger won posthumously for his portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime from Last year's The Dark Knight. I would like to take this time to convey my congratulations to Mr. Ledger's family and friends and say that it is an award well deserved.

However I would be remiss in this post if I did not point out the obvious hypocrisy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. What hypocrisy you ask? Well I am a firm believer that the voting of the Academy members was based less on the actual performance of Mr. Ledger and more on the fact that he died tragically a couple of months before the film hit the theaters.

Now before you get all upset and start yelling at me, I am not saying that Heath Ledger does not deserve this award. What I am saying is that if he had not died, there is no way in hell he would have won. And that is the hypocrisy I am speaking of. I saw a good deal of movies last year and I can say without a doubt in my mind that Ledger had the best acted, most fully realized, and most dynamic character of any movie last year. His performance is doubly impressive when you consider what he was up against. The Joker is by far the most recognized villain in comic book history. He has had the good fortune to be portrayed by some of the most distinguished live and voice actors our generation has ever known. As such everyone who knows the character has there own interpretation of how he should be played. From Cesar Romero's campy clown, to Nicholson's dark gangster, to Hamill's zany Daffy Duck-esque voice work, it seems almost impossible to bring something new and fresh to this character. Not only did he do it, but he put this icon of evil into a new realistic light that has never been seen before.

This and this alone should have been the basis for the voting this year. However, it never would have happened if he were still alive. This has nothing to do with Ledger and everything to do with Hollywood. It hates Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Comic Book movies. This is best illustrated by the 1978 awards in which Star Wars, the movie which had the biggest impact, was snubbed in all major categories for other winners. It, like it's predecessors and successor's was relegated to the technical categories like visual effects and such.

In the last 50 years only one film has ever won any Oscar's for any of the main categories, that being The Lord of the Rings: Return of The King, but this is the exception that proves the rule. I suppose I should not be surprised, seeing as how the whole thing is really a popularity contest and not one of validity. It just makes me mad that it takes something like a tragic death to bring a modicum of respectability to a genre of storytelling that just about everyone enjoys.

Anyway that's enough for this rant.

Til' we meet again.

Paul

28 things about me.

2009-01-28T08:35:00.006-05:00

Hello all. For those of you who know me you know that today is my birthday. So I thought I would let everyone get to know me a little bit better by answering a few questions.

1. Dream Car- Aston Martin DBS

2. Favorite Book- The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

3. Dream Vacation- Worldwide Theme Park tour followed by a tour of all Major League Baseball Stadiums

4. Favorite Obscure Movie- Life as a House.

5. Favorite Movie Quote- "Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things that a man needs to believe in the most: that people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; that love, true love, never dies... No matter if they're true or not, a man should believe in those things because those are the things worth believing in." -Secondhand Lions

6. Aside from my acting, my greatest catharsis comes from my writing.

7. Contrary to popular belief, theater is not my first love. That place belongs to Baseball. Every spring I miss being able to play more than anything.

8. My brother and I used to get mistaken for each other all the time. Once, while we were working at the same grocery store, we both dressed up as gangsters for Halloween. I got called up to the front to bag, but my brother told me he would do it because he wanted to see how long it would take them to realize it was him and not me. The answer.......45 minutes.

9. Probably the greatest irony of my life to date is the fact that between my brother and me, I was always the inferior athlete, but I was on a State Champion Wrestling team, a two time conference winning football team and the first Baseball team to win any trophy of any kind for our school in like 25 years. He on the other hand was always on teams that were inferior to his own abilities.

10. I was born with a collapsed lung.

11. I am not a sports nut. For the most part I follow sports with passing interest. I know enough to be able to hold conversations and to know what is going on. I follow the big sporting events of the year, i.e. The Masters, The Superbowl, Daytona etc..... However when UGA football is on I become a raving lunatic. It is actually quite funny.

12. My perfect year in sports would consist of. Georgia winning the BCS championship, Atlanta winning the Super Bowl, Tiger completing the Grand Slam, Dale Jr winning the Nextel Cup, and Atlanta winning the World Series.

13. If I could only watch 5 movies for the rest of my life they would be. Star Wars (OT), Casablanca, The Godfather, Lonesome Dove, and The LOTR.

14. Favorite Dog- UGA

15. The people I most admire- My Parents and my Grandaddy.

16. My dream job- Paid Rollercoaster rider.

17. Favorite historical figure- Jesus Christ. Even if you don't believe in him as the son of God you have to admit he had a wonderful philosophy on life.

18. Favorite Quote- "Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed." -G.K. Chesterton

19. Favorite Chuck Norris Fact- While urinating, Chuck Norris is easily capable of welding titanium.

20. My inner circle- J9, love ya babe, Pete, he's da man, The Dwyer, although have not heard from him in a while.

21. I often feel as though I was born in the wrong period in time. I feel more at home dressed as a Medieval Knight, or a 1930's newspaper reporter than in my normal street clothes.

22. My biggest fear- Snakes. Hate them.

23. My birthday wish- That my parents can get away for a few days and escape the financial state that we are in right now. They are both so weary of penny pinching, I wish that I could send them on a weekend retreat or something.

24. Places I would most like to visit- Scotland, Ireland, Australia, The Grand Canyon, Montana

25. I am expecting the birth of my very first niece. I can't wait to be the crazy uncle.

26. I am a fan of music. I love harmony, dissonance, and the magic of hearing it all come together. That's probably why I don't listen to much Pop music.

27. I still have many movies from my childhood that I will watch again and again.

28. I am beginning to regret the fact that I got an XBOX for Christmas. This not getting to sleep until midnight is killing me.

Well that's it. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did in creating it. If not, then I really don't care.

'Til we meet again

Paul

A Memorable Meal.

2009-01-26T15:37:00.005-05:00

I would like to take the opportunity to thank the cast and crew of one of the best shows that it has ever been my privilege in which to perform. "The Man Who Came To Dinner" was a show that I knew little about before reading it. It struck me as a show that could be very very good or very very bad depending on the type of cast that was assembled. I consider our interpretation, a complete success in all ways. So, to all of you who shared the field of battle with me over the last 3 months I wish to extend my heartfelt congratulations to a wonderful show, and I fervently hope that I will get to share it with you again for many shows to come.

'Til we meet again

Paul

My most abject apologies.

2009-01-16T12:42:00.006-05:00

To all my faithful blog followers, I first wish to extend my heartfelt apologies for the lack of posts in the month of December. For those of you who know me you know that December was a freakin' crazy month of one thing after another. So I thought that with this post I would catch everyone up to speed as to what kept me so busy that I could not post once the entire month.

It all started the 1st weekend of the month. A two year love affair with a particular play known as "Beckett" premiered at my local community playhouse on the 4th and ran the entire weekend. Needless to say the entire week leading up to it was filled with frantic rehearsals and long nights. I am pleased to announce that it was met with rave reviews even if the crowds were very small you can read the review here if you are interested. http://www.tampabay.com/features/performingarts/article918006.ece

The next event that shaped my month happened the very day after Beckett ended. The company where I work was audited by Texas Medicaid. I was trapped for two days with very nice people from the state reviewing our ability to service the product that we are contracted to service. Following that wonderful experience I was then allowed to be part of a new training class as an instructor, for that same product. That took up the next week of my life and then I was finally at the one thing that I had been looking forward to the entire month. December 18th 2008 I started my Christmas vacation. 10 days of not having to work. That being said I by no means had a slow vacation. On top of having rehearsal's for The Man Who Came To Dinner, which incidentally has opened and been reviewed,(see http://www.tampabay.com/features/performingarts/article964618.ece if interested.), I got to play Taxi to my Brother and his lovely Wife and my Sister, who came to visit for Christmas.

Not that I am complaining understand. I love my siblings and hate the fact that we are so far away from each other. But this was my vacation. Thursday December 18th drove to the Orlando/Sanford Airport 2 1/2 hrs away to pick my Brother and his wife up, then rehearsal that night. Friday thru Tuesday at the house relaxing. I guess I could have spent this time updating my blog but you know I was on vacation and did not feel like it so sue me. Tuesday Dec. 23rd drove with Dwight and Jenny to Daytona Beach to visit with the Grandparents and my Aunt Lynda while we waited for my sister to arrive at 11 p.m. in Orlando, did not get home until 2:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve. Wednesday Dec. 24th had Christmas at the house with everyone. Got an XBOX almost creamed myself. Thought you'd like to know. Thursday Dec. 25th drove back to Orlando/Sanford to take Dwight and Jenny back to the airport. Friday went to the mall with my Mom and Sister and bought a bunch of games for my XBOX. Saturday said goodbye to my Sister as she and Mom drove back to Orlando/Sanford to get her to the Airport with a side trip to IKEA. Then spent the rest of the day cleaning the house and getting ready for a business trip that I had to go on for work to Fairmont West Virgina.

That next morning Sunday the 28th I got up at 4:30 a.m. so my Father could take me to the Tampa Airport for my 8:45 flight. He had to be at work anyway. The flight was an experience to say the least. We got stuck in the Charlotte Airport for 12 hours because our plane broke. Because of that delay we did not reach the hotel in Fairmont until 1:45 a.m. on Monday the 29th. The rest of the trip was uneventful. We spent the day at one of our outsourced sites helping the new hires and spending the evenings at the Hotel. New year's day I worked for six hours then came back to the hotel to watch the second half of the Capital One Bowl and a Looney Tunes marathon on Cartoon Network. Our flight home was only disrupted by the complete shutdown of Pittsburgh International Airport because of some yahoo breaking the security rules.

But I'm home now and glad that December is behind me. I am in the second week of the run of a very good show and enjoying my Christmas Toy.

I hope you will forgive me for the delay but this should shed some light on the situation.

Til we meet again

Paul

Well worth the sacrifice.

2008-11-19T20:38:00.005-05:00

This past weekend was spent in my ancestral home with my family. This is not meant as a metaphor or clever play on words, it is literal. Over the weekend my parents and I crammed ourselves into the Sebring and made our way to Jasper, Georgia for my Grandaddy's 80th birthday. We were able to enjoy good food, good company, and most importantly the company of possible the greatest man that I have ever known...

...my Grandaddy. Born in 1928, he has graced this earth for 80 years and my life for 27 of those. I have never met a man more giving, or forgiving than him.

In addition to seeing him I was also able to visit with the entire Wade clan. A feat that does not happen very often, the last time occurring 7 years ago when my brother got married. It was wonderful having everyone together for this wonderful occasion, we laughed, watched football, and were able to catch up on the lives of those we hold most dear.

The weekend was best summed up by a DVD that my brother put together and that you can view at his blog, just follow the link on mine if you are interested.

This weekend was special for me in that I gave up the chance to be in 1776 at my local community theater. It's second weekend of the run was this past weekend. It is a show that I have dreamed of being able to be apart of for a long time.

Looking back I wouldn't have traded this weekend for anything.

'Til we meet again

Paul

Give credit where credit is due. Part Deaux

2008-11-05T08:23:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Senator Barack Obama who is now the first American of African descent to be elected to the presidency.

I wish him the best and hope he will lead with common sense and wisdom.

And I hope he is able to come through on all the promises he made during this campaign.

But don't blame me if I don't hold my breath.

Til' we meet again.

Paul

Convoluted Movie Trivia Returns.

2008-10-16T19:37:00.004-04:00

We're back. Hope you enjoy.

1. Jerry Macquire meets Ra's Al Ghul.

2. Leonidas marries the Merovingian sister.

3. Roy Hobbs double crosses Ghandi.

4. El Mariachi is hired to kill Austin Powers.

5. Captain Picard rides a worm.

6. Peter Venkman stalks Mr. Holland.

7. Ray Zalinski plays a hit man.

8. Mrs. Doubtfire goes insane.

9. Forrest Gump goes to the moon.

10. Banky Edwards is killed by a shit weasel.

Good Luck.

Til' we meet again

Paul

My head hurts.

2008-10-16T08:50:00.003-04:00

We'll start this post with a question.

What is this?

If you said a dog, you are incorrect. This is a picture of a dog. Semantics you say? You would be correct. Which brings me to the point of this post. How did we as a people go from using images like the one above to share ideas to the written word? As you can see the above image is clearly an image of a Golden Retriever which is a breed of dog. It is easy to make the connection. But now consider the word DOG. Think about how incredible it is to think that we can go from this.

To this, D-O-G, and you still understand what it is that I am talking about.

Just something to think about.

Til' we meet again

Paul

Your lack of pants disturbs me.

2008-09-30T08:22:00.003-04:00

I have a new catchphrase. It is derived from an interview that Mark Hamill, aka Luke Skywalker, gave during the filming of the Empire of Dreams documentary found on the special features disk of the Star Wars DVD's.

It goes something like this. "...of all the things to worry about...the Wookie has no pants." This quote is in direct correlation to a memory of some memos that he saw while filming Star Wars, in which the executives at 20th Century Fox were expressing their concern about the fact that Chewbacca was essentially naked. He recalls that there were suggestions of putting the Wookie into various clothing including a deravation of Lederhosen and he states that he was amazed that with all the other problems that the shoot had encountered, they chose something as stupid as that to put in a memo.

It has got me thinking about the current economic crisis this country is going through, and what irrelevant things were on the national stage while we should have been focusing on this, because this is not anything that happened overnight. I have tabulated a list. Hope you enjoy.

1. Congressional hearings about steroid use in Baseball.

2. Lindsay, Britney, and Paris; need I say more.

3. Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction.

4. The bridge to nowhere.

5. Al Gore.

So sports fans look over these in light of the fact that we are sitting close to the edge of what could become the Second Great Depression and just remember. "...of all the things to worry about...the Wookie has no pants."

Til' we meet again.

Paul

My thoughts exactly.

2008-09-16T08:55:00.000-04:00

A transcendental Experience.

2008-09-11T20:25:00.004-04:00

One of the coolest things for a person to experience is the feeling of stepping outside oneself in a purely transcendental moment.

As of today it has happened to me twice, and fittingly with both of my great loves. The first time was my senior year in high school. It was one of the last baseball games of that season. We were getting killed by a team that we had never lost too in 4 years of games. Needless to say it was not a fun day, but about the 5th or 6th inning I was coming to bat for the 3rd time that game and I suddenly knew that I was going to hit a home run. I can't explain it but I truly knew balls to bones that I would be going yard on the very first pitch of that at bat. Sure enough the first pitch I crushed the ball about 360 feet over the center field fence and rounded the bases.

The funny thing is that it was almost like I was watching myself do it. It was unbelievable, and a feeling that I never thought that I would have again.

Then this past Thursday came along. As many 0f you may know I am currently involved in my second great love, a theatrical endeavor known as Neil Simon's The Odd Couple. While on stage last week, I was reciting my lines when I realized that I was consciously aware of how natural they sounded. It was like my brain had split into two camps. The side that needed to focus on my lines was parked in auto-pilot allowing my analytical side to evaluate my performance. It was scary cool. Again the only way that I can describe it was like stepping out of myself to watch my performance from the audience as an audience member.

If you have never felt this sensation I highly recommend it. There is nothing out there as far as sensation goes to compare.

Til' we meet again

Paul.

Give credit where credit is due.

2008-08-29T08:31:00.002-04:00

Let me start off by saying that I do not like Barack Obama. I don't trust his politics, and I think that if elected president, he would be a very bad commander-in-chief for this country.

That being said I also think that everyone should step back and acknowledge the incredible achievement of the senator from Illinois.

Going into this election season it was pretty clear that one way or the other history would be made. On one side we had Senator Hillary Clinton, the first woman to have a serious shot at the office of the Presidency. On the other side there was Mr. Obama. The only thing that was not clear was what that history would be. Well last night it became official. Senator Obama has become the first black presidential candidate from one of the two major political parties.

This is in a country where just 40 years ago blacks could not eat in the same restaurants, use the same bathrooms, or drink from the same water fountains as whites in a large section of the country. Where a 150 years ago they were still enslaved in that same section of the country.

Many people, both black and white, never thought that they would see this day. Well ladies and gentleman it has arrived. And before we get back to the partisan bickering I think we should all look at what this means for our country, how far we have come, and where we are destined to go in the future.

So to Senator Obama I say congratulations.

But I still won't be voting for you.

Til' we meet again.

Paul

Stop Hatin'

2008-08-13T10:58:00.007-04:00

As just about everyone who does not live in a cave with no contact to the outside world knows, the Olympics started this past weekend. And as always it has been full of exciting moments like the American win over France in the 4x100 Freestyle relay, or Micheal Phelps quest to become the most decorated Olympian of the modern era. It is a time for people from all countries to stand united behind their national athletes and cheer them on to victory.

But this time is also riddled with those people who either don't get the Olympics or just don't like them for various reasons, and they are always trying to kill the fever that accompanies these games.

I heard a local radio personality downplaying the significance of the Olympics because of how much money is spent to put them on and how that money could be better utilized helping people in the various countries that participate. And while that is true, it overlooks an essential truth that we are privy to every two years.

The Olympics show us the world as it should be not as it is.

What do I mean by that statement? The answer is quite simple.

World peace is on display at these games. They show us that it is not only attainable but that it is really not that hard to find.

Think about it for a second. Here are a collection of some of the worlds most bitter rivals. America vs. China, England vs. France, Georgia vs. Russia, etc.....

We get to see everyone strut around and beat the hell out of the competition. It's like war. Except nobody has do die. Don't you see. For one shining moment every 2 years we forget about what one country did to another, or why this countries ideology is worse than ours, and solve our problems on the field of competition. And in the end hopefully there is no question about who is better on that date. The scoreboard tells all. China had the better Women's Gymnastics team. The U.S. has the better swimmers in the 4x200 Freestyle relay. There is no room for argument.

And if you can't understand that, then I've got nothing for you. Just do me a favor. Don't try to kill my love for these games.

Til' we meet again

Paul

Rest in Peace...and thank you.

2008-08-04T15:29:00.004-04:00

Skip Caray "The Voice of the Braves"

08/12/1939-08/03/2008

Is this Heaven? No it's Georgia.

2008-07-08T10:19:00.003-04:00

This is were I spent the 4th of July Weekend.

Be glad you didn't go to school with them.

2008-06-23T08:19:00.004-04:00

As many of you know I am occasionally taken with strange thoughts running through my head. This weekend proved to be a unique experience in that phenomenon. As I was watching the conclusion to the Discovery Channel Mini-Series "When We Left Earth", which is about the history of the NASA and the Space Program, and the thinking about my 10 year class reunion, which is next year, I thought to myself about how much it would have sucked to be in the same class as some of the pioneers of this Program.

So this post is dedicated to those men and women, and for those of you who don't know here are the names and accomplishments of the special fraternity of those who were the firsts.

1.) Alan Shepherd- First American In Space.
2.) John Glenn- First Man to Orbit the Earth.
3.) Ed White- First American to Walk In Space.
4.)Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders- First Men to Orbit the Moon
5.) Neil Armstrong- First Man to Walk on the Moon.
6.) John Young and Robert Crippen- First Men to Fly the Space Shuttle in Orbit
7.) Sally Ride- First American Woman in Space.

How would you like to go to their class reunions?

Til we meet again

Paul

A great weekend of Sport.

2008-06-16T08:33:00.004-04:00

Hello there all of my faithful blog readers. Today I write to you about this weekends magical, nay almost mystical adventures of the sporting kind. By far one of the greatest weekends of sport that I have ever seen.

It all started on Saturday evening with an amazing round of golf by this man right here........

Two incredible eagle putts on the 13th and 18th holes of the U.S. Open put him in the lead going into the final 18 holes on Sunday, all while playing with a knee problem that would put any mortal golfer on the sidelines.

Next came the opening round of the College World Series with my beloved #8 ranked University of Georgia Bulldogs, taking on the #1 ranked Miami Hurricanes.

In a game that was a nail biter until the very end my Bulldogs upset the #1 ranked team in the country due to some timely hitting and some even more timely errors on the part of the canes. It made me very happy.

Then came Father's day Sunday. I got up wished my dad a happy father's day, ate some breakfast, and watched as Dale Earnhardt Jr. finally win a NASCAR race after 76 tries.

It was at Michigan which is normally a pretty boring race, but this year turned out to be pretty interesting. What made it even more special was the knowledge that my big brother was there to see it. He is a huge Dale Jr. fan.

Finally the creme de la creme. It was time for Tiger to work his magic again. After an absolutely atrocious round of golf, by his standards, he found himself on the 18th green needing to sink a birdie putt to force an 18 hole playoff against Rocco Mediate today. The putt was about an 8 footer with a slight drop to the left. Not a particularly difficult putt for a man with Tiger's skill but clearly not a gimme. It was at this moment that I realized that Tiger Woods does not need the help of the Golfing gods in his rounds, HE IS ONE!

Needless to say he nailed it!

Well that's it for this post. I hope those of you who read it enjoy it as much as I enjoyed watching the things that inspired it.

Til we meet again,

Paul

A long time in coming.

2008-06-08T17:48:00.002-04:00

So yesterday I sat down and watched 3 movies that I have not seen in over 10 years. Now this may surprise you but I am referring to the Star Wars Trilogy. How is this possible you ask, since most of you know that I watch those movies at least twice a year. Well that is true and yet not. I say this because the movies that I have been watching these past 10 years or so are not the Star Wars Trilogy, but the Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition.

It was incredible. My new lady friend, (you know who you are), that I have been spending a great deal of time lately, brought over the DVD's that were released a few years ago that have both the Special Editions and the original theatrical cuts over, and we spent the whole afternoon watching them.

While doing so I had and epiphany. These movies are perfect just the way they are. Sure most of the extras in the Special Editions are cool but not necessary at all, and some of those extras (i.e. the lame ass musical number in ROTJ) are a blight upon movies that did not need these things.

I came to the realization that the reason that I fell in love with these movies in the first place is a reason that I do not believe Mr. Lucas has ever even considered. That reason is that the human imagination is capable of creating a greater landscape than anything that can be put onto canvas, celluloid, or any other medium of art that we know. I didn't need to see the whole of Mos Eisley in A New Hope to know that it was there. I did not need to see the dewbacks move and make noises to know that they were alive. My imagination took the basic format that Lucas gave me and filled in the rest of the areas that I could not see.

It was truly a remarkable experience because in a way I was seeing these movies for the first time again, a feat that is considerable because of the sheer number of times that I have seen them both altered and unaltered.

So does this mean that I will never watch the Special Editions again. No I still enjoy them, but it does mean that the first chance I get I will be buying those other editions and when presented with my first choice I will probably watch them as they were when first released.

Anyway this is a pretty stupid post but, it is what is on my mind right now so I hope it wasn't boring at least.

Til we meet again,

Paul

It's been a while.

2008-05-26T19:51:00.004-04:00

Well it's been sometime since I last put word to blog and brought you some of the totally inane and stupid thoughts that are running through my mind...........Sorry for those of you who hoped I had given it up you will have to suffer some more.......MWHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Anyway I thought I'd take this moment to give you my take on something else that has not been with us for a while.......and by that of course I mean.........

Yes after 19 years the man in the hat returned to the big screen. (Stop reading now if you have not seen the movie and are planning to. Unless you don't mind spoilers.)

Overall I enjoyed the movie very much. It was fun, exciting, funny, and for the most part captured the spirit of what Indiana Jones movies are all about.

However, there were a few things about this movie that I really could have done without. So without further ado I present you with the "Cringe Moments" of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Cringe moment #1- The atomic bomb.

Now while the special effects were cool in this sequence and the science of leads abililty to shield a human from the radiation that an atomic bomb creates is accurate, this movie makes one teeny tiny oversight.

THERE IS NOT A REFRIGERATOR THAT HAS EVER BEEN CREATED THAT CAN WITHSTAND THE BLAST AND SHOCKWAVE OF A NUCLEAR EXPLOSION!!!!!

Sorry about that. So anyway our hero after escaping from the Soviets at the begining of the movie find himself at a nuclear testing facility at the time that a test of an atomic bomb is taking place. To save himself he hides in a lead lined refrigerator and manages to ride out the explosion and subsequent shockwave with only a few bumps and bruises to show for it.

Cringe Moment #2- The Shia/Tarzan moment

He freakin' swings on vines with a bunch of monkeys following him. While a nice homage to Tarzan not really necessary for the story.

Cringe Moment #3- The alien angle

Now while for another movie the whole alien/inter-dimensional being storyline would work fantastically, in an Indiana Jones movie it only works well. See in my opinion one of the best things about the other three movies is that for all the fantastic supernatural things that happen, there is no scientific explanation of why. The only thing we are left with is the idea that there are somethings that have no scientific explanation and can only be followed by faith.

To actually state in the movie that the whole basis for a religion is because of alien influence is, again in my humble opinion, not faithful to one of the major themes of the whole series.

Cringe Moment #4- The hidden natives

I have my brother to thank for getting me to think of this one, but the temple where the climax of the movie takes place is located in a lost civilization that has not been visited by outsiders for hundreds of years. Yet when our heros make there way through a pyramid on their way to it there are natives that just happen to be hiding in nooks and crannies just waiting for outsiders to pass by so they can kill them.

Cringe Moment #5- The flying saucer

Again a cool special effect but very cliche and not needed. Since the aliens were supposedly form another dimesion and not another planet it would have been just as easy to make the temple dissapear through a portal instead of having a giant flying saucer come up out of the ground and fly away.

Well that's it. Again the movie as a whole is extremely enjoyable and let's face it, it ain't everyday that an Indiana Jones movie comes out. So go see it and enjoy. I look forward to discussing it with you.

'Til we meet again

Paul

I guess I get to live......

2008-04-17T08:32:00.004-04:00

I was listening to the radio the other day and the portion of the show I tuned into was dealing with the various conspiracy theories that are prevalent in the world today. Included of course were the old standbys of the Kennedy assassination, and moon landing as well as the newer ones of 9/11 and TWA flight 1800.

At one point as the the discussion was on the New World Order theory a caller got on the line and said asked the host a question that I had never heard in relation to this particular theory. He asked what color the numbers on the back of the hosts Social Security Card were. When the host said "Black" the caller then said "Well you get to live."

Apparently, as the caller explained, one facet of the NWO theory is that anyone who has Red numbers on the back of their Social Security Card is set to be sent to a Concentration Camp and executed when the NWO takes control.

Now I don't put much stock in conspiracy theories but I would be lying if i told you I was not curious about the numbers on the back of my SSC, one reason being that I was not aware that there were numbers there. And I found black numbers on the back of my card.

I guess I can breathe a little easier.

Til we meet again,

Paul

I've just had an apostrophe! I think you mean an epiphany.

2008-04-05T22:38:00.002-04:00

In case you haven't noticed how strange me and my family are here is a little insight into our psyche. I realized today that when the unfortunate time comes that my father and mother are no longer with us, my brother, my sister, and myself will not be fighting over the usual things that siblings tend to fight over at that time. (i.e. money, cars, televisions and the like.) No instead the one thing that will more than likely cause us strife, especially in mine and my brothers case, is my father's book collection. We are going to go crazy at that time trying to decide who gets what. I am not looking forward to it.

Til we meet again,

Paul
Bonus points to the person who can guess the movie that this post title refers to.

A little bit of my childhood

2008-04-01T08:17:00.003-04:00

Does anybody else remember the old read along adventure books back from the early 1980's? I just came upon an article on the internet about the Indiana Jones ones, and it brought back some very happy memories for me. Back when I was a litte boy, (yes I was little at one time) I used to spend hours on end at my Nana and Grandaddy's house litsening to those tapes and reading along with the books. Reading over the article I remembered that among the rather decent library of books that my granparents had were Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Temple of Doom. Also among those books were Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi along with many Disney and I belive Muppett stories. I trace my love of reading to these adventures more than any other reason for it. I cherish those memories and hope that one day I can provide them to my children as well.

What kind of beer are you?

2008-03-15T11:29:00.002-04:00

You are Guinness. You are brooding, bitter, and often in a dark, pensive mood. You are an intellectual and a dreamer, but your passion and emotions can sometimes get the better of you.

www.brainfall.com

For those of you who wonder why....

2008-03-15T10:47:00.001-04:00

...I do theater. Here is the answer.

Any Questions?

My 4

2008-03-15T08:57:00.006-04:00

4 jobs I have had in my life:

1. Dishwasher
2. Grocery Bagger
3. Pool Boy
4. Customer Service Phone Rep

Four movies I would watch over and over (or have watched over and over):

1. Star Wars (That's no moon, it's a space station!)
2. 300 (Tonight we dine in hell!!!!)
3. The Neverending Story (Falkor kicks ass!)
4. The Princess Bride (I'm on the Brute squad...You are the Brute squad!)

Four places I have lived:

1. Orlando, Fl,
2. Grand Rapids, MI
3. Tampa, FL
4. Stone Mountain, GA

Four TV shows that I watch:
1. Jericho
2. Criminal Minds
3. Bones
4. House

Four places I have been:
1. Hawaii
2. Las Vegas
3. California (it was only a layover on my way to Hawaii but it still counts.)
4. Nashville

Four people who email (or call) me regularly (in no particular order):

1. George Dwyer (he's a crazy mofo)
2. J9 (she's my ex-wife, theatrically speaking of course)
3. G (he is my counterpart of German heritage)
4. Dwight (he's my brother and takes that role very seriously)

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Fried Chicken
2. Pulled Pork Barbecue sandwich (especially the ones from Leroy Selmon's)
3. My mamma's Meatloaf (no one else's though)
4. My grandmother's peach cobbler (not likely to ever taste it again though as she passed away two years ago.)

Four places I would like to be right now:
1. Anywhere but work
2. Scotland
3. At a baseball game
4. Playing Golf

Four things I am looking forward to this year:
1. 1776 (one of the musicals scheduled for next season)
2. Visiting my brother and sister (to bad I have to go to Michigan to do that)
3. Braves Baseball
4. The return of UGA football (only 6 months to go)

Four people who should post four things about them:
1. J9
2. Jennifer V.
3. Pete (i think he should start his own blog because I would like to know what goes on in his head)
4. George D. (same reason as above)

More Convoluted Movie Trivia!

2008-03-08T14:29:00.002-05:00

I can't stop thinking them up. Here are some more. Enjoy.

1. Captain Picard kidnaps William Wallace.

2. El Mariachi dates Forrest Gump.

3. Dances with Wolves throws a perfect game.

4. Iceman hunts lions with the son of Spartacus.

5. Queen Amidala shaves her head.

6. G.I. Jane stops the Apocalypse.

7. Captain Hook goes to Vegas.

8. Billy Madison cooks food.

9. Magnum P.I. goes to Japan.

10. John McClane saves the world.

11. James Bond meets Blade.

12. Jason Bourne plays golf.

13. Alfred Pennyworth shoots Superman with a crossbow.

14. Jack Burton faces an Egyptian god.

15. The Terminator teaches kindergarten.

Some should be easy but hopefully there are a few tough ones here.

Til we meet again,

Paul

Convoluted movie trivia.

2008-03-01T07:46:00.002-05:00

It's time to play a game. Here are the rules, I will describe a movie using references to other works the actors were in and it is your duty to guess the movie. For example "The flying nun picks cotton" means Places in the Heart, or "Han Solo goes Amish" means Witness. Hope you enjoy.

1. Obi-Wan Kenobi meets a giant.

2. Vito Corleone fights Sugar Ray Robinson.

3. Rocky sing county music.

3. Neo rides a bus.

4. Captain Jack dies in his sleep.

5. Ellen Ripley becomes first lady.

6. Peter Venkman plays golf.

7. Batman stays at home to watch the kids.

8. Gus McCrae preaches a sermon.

9. Miss Daisy meets aliens.

10. Thulsa Doom goes to a baseball game.

That's it for now hope these work your brain a little.

Til' we meet again,

Paul

If they rebooted the franchise. Part 1.

2008-02-22T07:28:00.002-05:00

I was thinking the other day, the new trend in movies right now is to take movies that have had success in the past that have fallen on hard times and "Reboot" the franchise. Batman Begins, Superman Returns and Rob Zombies Halloween just to name a few. So I started to think about what movies I love that I would like to see rebooted and who I would cast in the roles. So occasionally I will be posting my ideas for reboots. Hope you enjoy and please feel free to join in.

Movie #1

Highlander:

This is one of my all time favorite movies. I love the original and the subsequent television series that followed. Unfortunately just about every one of the sequels has sucked hardcore. The only one that was and still is watchable is Endgame and that is only because of Adrian Paul, who is a far better actor and more believable Scotsman than Christopher Lambert. So if I were to remake this movie this is who I would use.

Connor MacLeod: Gerrard Butler: The guy is a phenomenal actor plus he is a full blooded Scot.

Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez: This is the role immortalized by Sean Connery. So when thinking of an actor who has not only the chops but the obvious sex appeal to follow that legend only one actor springs to mind. Antonio Banderas

The Kurgan: The main antagonist. This role was beautifully crafted by Clancy Brown. He has a very distinctive bass voice so the only man who could play this part in my mind in Tony Todd aka The Candyman.

Brenda Wyatt: This one was tough because the character of Brenda is one of the few that I have always felt was underdeveloped but I think I would have to pair Mr. Butler with his 300 co-star Lena Heady. She is not only beautiful but a very strong and talented actress.

Heather MacLeod: I believe that Kate Winslet would be a great Heather. Not only is she talented she has a certain gravitas about her that Heather would need to have.

As for the rest of the cast it is really only small bit parts so they could be filled with just about anyone. One thing I would do however is write in an appearance for Duncan MacLeod so that Adrian Paul could have a cameo but that is just me.

Anyway I know that I am the biggest dork of all time but I don't care. This is what I've chosen to write about today. I hope you have enjoyed this post and there will be more to follow. Feel free to join in the discussion.

Til we meet again,

Paul

Words.

2008-02-09T16:29:00.000-05:00

I consider myself somewhat of an amateur wordsmith and every now and then I wil read or hear a word that sticks out as a really cool one. So I am taking this opportunity to share some of those words that have struck me in my life. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do but if you don't I really could care less.

1. Nefarious- adjective
extremely wicked or villainous; iniquitous: a nefarious plot.

2.Malevolent- adjective
a.
wishing evil or harm to another or others; showing ill will; ill-disposed; malicious: His failures made him malevolent toward those who were successful.
b.
evil; harmful; injurious: a malevolent inclination to destroy the happiness of others.
c.
Astrology. evil or malign in influence.

3. Puhlcritude- noun
physical beauty; comeliness.

4. Svelte- adjective, svelt·er, svelt·est.
a.
slender, esp. gracefully slender in figure; lithe.
b.
suave; blandly urbane.

5. Asinine-
a.
foolish, unintelligent, or silly; stupid: It is surprising that supposedly intelligent people can make such asinine statements.
b.
of or like an ass: asinine obstinacy; asinine features.

6. Gorked- See above.

That's all for now. I'll post more at a later time

Til' we meet again

Paul

Have you ever noticed.

2008-02-07T08:21:00.001-05:00

What is with getting sick just a few days before you are set to do something important. As many of you know I am in the middle of a show right now called Veronica's Room. We opened last weekend to rave reviews and are set to close this weekend. This means that this weekend is important because we have to live up to the hype that has been generated by the newspaper review and word of mouth recomendations. So what happens to me 4 days before we are set to close out this show. I come down with a cold and a fever of 102 degrees. Not that I am really feeling it now as the fever has come down and steadied itself at 100 and is sure to start falling at anytime. But it really sucks when this happens. Not because of being sick, although it is not a pleasant experience. It's the uncertainty. Not knowing if you are going to kick it in time to be effective at whatever it is you have planned. And of course to top it all off I still have to go to work. Now some of you may say why not stay home. Well there are two very good reasons. The first is that I would have to give up a hell of a lot of overtime to stay home this week, and that is almost as undesirable as getting sick. The other is that, and my brother Dwight can help me out here, Wade's don't take sick days unless we are really, really sick. I am talking gutter crawling, comode hugging sick. Any way I just needed to vent a little as this situation just blows.

Til' we meet again,

Paul

Quotes

2008-01-25T10:47:00.000-05:00

For this post I felt a little lazy so i decided to put together a compilation of some of my favorite quotes from history, movies and television. Hope you enjoy.

Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson:

I like liquor — its taste and its effects — and that is just the reason why I never drink it.

Captain, my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me. Captain, that is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave.

Robert E. Lee:

It is well that war is so terrible — otherwise we should grow too fond of it.

True patriotism sometimes requires of men to act exactly contrary, at one period, to that which it does at another, and the motive which impels them — the desire to do right — is precisely the same.

So far from engaging in a war to perpetuate slavery, I am rejoiced that slavery is abolished. I believe it will be greatly for the interests of the South. So fully am I satisfied of this, as regards Virginia especially, that I would cheerfully have lost all I have lost by the war, and have suffered all I have suffered, to have this object attained.

Secondhand Lions:

I’m Hub McCann. I’ve fought in two world wars, and countless smaller ones on three continents. I’ve led thousands of men into battle with everything from horses and swords to artillery and tanks. I’ve seen the headwaters of the Nile and tribes of natives no white men had ever seen before. I’ve won and lost a dozen fortunes, killed many men, and loved only one woman with a passion a flea like you could never begin to understand. That’s who I am.

Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things that a man needs to believe in the most: that people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; that love, true love, never dies... No matter if they're true or not, a man should believe in those things because those are the things worth believing in.

Albert Einstein:

A happy man is too satisfied with the present to dwell too much on the future.

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.

George Washington:

To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.

I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world.

Criminal Minds:

G.K. Chesterton wrote: "Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed."

"Superman is, after all, an alien life form. He is simply the acceptable face of invading realities." Author Clive Barker

Mahatma Gandhi once said "All through history, there have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall, always."

Lonesome Dove:

The only healthy way to live as I see it is to learn to love the everyday little things. Like a sip of good whiskey on a cool evening, or a soft bed or a glass of buttermilk... or a fiesty gentleman such as myself. -Augustus Mcrae

It ain't dyin' I'm talkin' about, it's livin'!- Augustus Mcrae

Braveheart:

Every man dies. Not every man really lives.

If I swear to him than all that I am is dead already.

In order to find his equal, an Irishman is forced to talk to God. Yes, Father? The Almighty says 'Don't change the subject, just answer the fucking question.'

William: You dropped your rock.
Hamish: Test of manhood.
William: You win.
Hamish: Call it a test of soldiery, then. The English won't let us train with weapons, so we train with stones.
William: Well, a test of a soldier is not in his arm, it's here [points to his head].
Hamish: No, it's here [points to his fist, then punches William]

Hamish: Where are you going?
William Wallace: I'm going to pick a fight.
Hamish: Well, looks like we didn't get dressed up for nothing.

Theater at its highest form.

2008-01-13T13:14:00.000-05:00

Now you may be asking yourself why in the world do I have a picture of "The Ultimate Warrior" in a post about theater at its highest form? Well the answer is simple. In it own way professional wrestling is just that. Now think about it for a moment before you string me up and eviscerate me. Where else do you find men and women who spend years of there life devoted to the creation, cultivation, and execution of a character that in almost all cases is nothing like said person in real life. The answer is nowhere. Actors in the movies will only do it for maybe six months to a year at the most before they move on to the next project. Those on television may have several years with which to play with a character, and Broadway is very similar, but professional wrestlers don't. We know who Hulk Hogan is but not Terry Bollea. "The Rock" is "The Rock" but who is Dwayne Johnson? And what about men like "The Undertaker", can you even tell me what his real name is?

These men and women have so devoted themselves to these characters that they have become more than synonymous with the men and women themselves, they have become the men and women. And that my friends is the height of theater. Don't believe me then ask your self this question. When you look at this picture who do you see, Harrison Ford or Indiana Jones?

Think about that the next time your watching it on T.V.

Til' we meet again,

Paul

Read this book. DO IT NOW!!! Your ape overlords command you.

2008-01-01T11:43:00.000-05:00

There are few contemperary stories that grip a reader on a truly
visceral level. This is one of them. I first had the pleasure of reading
this book about five years ago and, while I found it a difficult read at the time, it captivated me. This novel is one of the greatest achivements in the history of literature. It is compelling, funny, heartbreaking, exciting, and surprisingly educational.

I have just recently begun listening to this book on CD as I drive to and from work and even though I know the story as well as I know any other I am still riveted by the characters, plots, and subplots to the point that it is like I never read the book in the first place. Few books have that effect with me, and I know that I will be able to read this book forever and never lose that feeling.

It was kind of funny to learn that this book is the most recent addition to Oprah's book club. I find it funny because the book has been out for twenty years and found it's initial audience through word of mouth. In its initial run it was never a bestseller in the states but now because Oprah has read it, it suddenly finds itself in that position.

Now I don't trust Oprah any farther than I can throw her but I have to admit it gives me a sense of comfort to know that this book will now be enjoyed by millions of people who would probably never have even heard of it if not for the big O.

The best part is that after twenty years Mr. Follett has seen fit to publish a sequel called World Without End. I can't wait to read it.

Take it from me, if you want a classic story of love, loss, betrayal, murder, political intrigue, and historical accuracy, written at a level few have been able to accomplish since Shakespeare, pick this book up. You will soon be casting the movie in your head.

Til we meet again,

Paul.

P.S. For those of you who have already read this book how's this for a cast.
Tom Builder- Gerard Butler
Ellen- Kate Blanchett
Jack Jackson- Rupert Grint
Waleran Bigod- Christian Bale
Prior Philip- Ewan Mcgregor
Aliena- Emma Watson
William Hamleigh- Tom Felton (a.k.a Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter movies)
Alfred- James Mcavoy
Richard- Daniel Radcliffe

Questions to make your head explode!

2007-12-22T07:27:00.001-05:00

1. Is there such a thing as and albino polar bear?

2. If so what color would it be?

3. Do mormons celebrate christmas and easter the same way christians do?

4. If the library at Alexandria hadn't burned down all those years ago, would we have some fucking flying cars by now?

5. If the saying "I'd rather be rich than famous, and happy than rich" is true, than why are there so many miserable middle class punks in the world?

6. Why can't Democrats and Republicans get along in Washington; when in this day and age they are, for all intents and purposes, the same thing?

7. If global warming is tuly as bad as everyone says why is it always so damn cold in the winter?

8. For what purpose does a congressional hearing for steriod use in baseball serve, when we have so many other important issues facing us at this time?

9. If an ignorant jackass, spews his hate speech and no one is around to hear it, are they still stupid?

10. Why can't we all just get along?

Okay the last one isn't mine but it is still one that will make your head hurt when you sit down and think about it.

Til we meet again,

Paul

You may call me a theater whore, I just call me a glutton for punishment.

2007-12-15T07:37:00.000-05:00

So I have an eventful couple of months ahead of me. Three shows within six weeks of each other and rehearsals for all overlapping, is enough to make me wonder just what the hell I've gotten myself into. I knew that this show season was going to be tough to say no to. For those of you who don't know Stage West, the local community theater that I frequent, announced a slate of show for the 2007-2008 year that was an actors dream. Noises Off, Steel Magnolias, Oliver, A Few Good Men, Veronica's Room, Beckett, Camelot, Death of a Salesman, and Agatha Christie's Murder on the Nile.

Of these show I have already done Noises Off. But the truly interesting time comes now when I have parts in Veronica's Room which runs the first two weekends in February. A week after that closes Beckett opens for a three night run. Then with only a day to recuperate Camelot will open and run for the next three weekends. And to top it all off in the week off between Veronica's Room and Beckett I will be going to audition for Murder on the Nile.

So in the event that I die of exhaustion and never see any of you again just know that I died doing what I love. But seriously if you could please keep me in your prayers. I will need all the help I can get.

Til' we meet again,

Paul

Addendum

I have just recieved word that one of my shows has been rescheduled for sometime in the 2008-2009 season. This makes things much easier, but I must confess I was looking forward to having all three at virtually the same time.

College football this year in a nutshell.

2007-12-03T18:46:00.001-05:00

For anyone who doesn't have an appreciation for just how messed up this college football season was take a look at this chart I found on Wikipedia.

Key matchups, upsets, and "The Curse of #2"
Date Visitor Home Significance
September 1 Appalachian State 34 Michigan 32 In the game that set the tone for the rest of the season, the two-time D-I FCS national champions shocked the fifth-ranked Wolverines in the Big House. It was the first time a D-I FCS team had defeated a ranked Div-I FBS team.

September 3 Forida State 18 Clemson 24 The Bowden Bowl debut for the new FSU offensive staff including coordinator Jimbo Fisher. Clemson jumped out to a 24-3 halftime lead and held on for the win.

September 8Virginia Tech 7 LSU 48 This early SEC-ACC showdown promised to be a defensive battle, but quickly became lopsided, as the Hokies were torched for 298 yards rushing and 302 passing.

September 8 Miami (FL) 13 Oklahoma 51 The Hurricanes get blown out in the first major road test for new head coach Randy Shannon.

September 15 Tennessee 20 Florida 59 In this key SEC East matchup, the Gators thrash the Vols behind two passing and two rushing TDs from quarterback Tim Tebow.

September 29 California 31 Oregon 24 Cal temporarily stamped itself as USC's main contender for the Pac-10 title, but can only seal the win when Oregon fumbles the ball out of the end zone in the last minute of play.

October 6 Florida 24 LSU 28 In front of a record home crowd, LSU comes from behind to complete the sweep of its top ranking, adding the USA Today Coaches and Harris Interactive polls to the AP writers' poll they earned the previous week.

October 6 Nebraska 6 Missouri 41 What promised to be a Big 12 North showdown turned into a Mizzou blowout, thanks to 403 yards passing, two passing TDs, and two rushing TDs from Chase Daniel, plus a strong performance from the Tigers' maligned defense.

October 6 Oklahoma 28 Texas 21 Oklahoma wins the Red River Shootout in Dallas, keeping itself atop the Big 12 South and on the fringes of the national championship picture.

October 6 Stanford 24 Southern California 23 In a season littered with upsets, Stanford pulls off perhaps the most shocking upset of the year when they stun the Trojans 24-23 on a fourth and goal TD pass by Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard to WR Mark Bradford with 49 seconds left to play. USC quarterback John David Booty breaks his finger during this game.

October 13 LSU 37 Kentucky 43 (3 OT) The Wildcats claim their first Number 1 scalp since 1964 in a three-overtime thriller in Lexington, helping erase memories of the final play of LSU's last visit in 2002.

October 13 Missouri 31 Oklahoma 41 This game between top 15 teams proved to be a preview of the Big 12 Championship. Oklahoma proved their worth by taking advantage of several Mizzou mistakes, including returning a Jeremy Maclin fumble for the go-ahead touchdown.

October 18 South Florida 27 Rutgers 30 For the second straight year, the Scarlet Knights knock off an unbeaten top-5 Big East rival on a Thursday night in Piscataway, thanks in no small part to 181 yards on the ground from Ray Rice.

October 20 Auburn 24 LSU 30 LSU had the ball in field goal range at the end of the game, but did not use its remaining timeout, instead calling a pass into the end zone, which goes for the winning TD with 1 second left, keeping their national championship hopes alive.

October 20 Florida 45 Kentucky 37 The Gators take charge of the SEC East race for the time being, defeating the Wildcats for the 21st straight time behind Tim Tebow's 4 total TDs. Andre' Woodson also improves his Heisman stock, throwing for 5 scores in a losing cause.

October 20 Tennessee 17 Alabama 41 On the Third Saturday in October, John Parker Wilson throws for a career-high 363 yards and three TDs to lead the Tide to a spanking of the Vols.

October 25 Boston College 14 Virginia Tech 10 Held scoreless until the final 2:11 at Blacksburg, the Eagles stay in the midst of the national title race thanks to a Matt Ryan TD pass, a recovered onside kick, and a second Ryan TD pass. This also proved to be a preview of the ACC Championship Game.

October 27 West Virginia 31 Rutgers 3 Steve Slaton's three rushing TDs and Pat White's 156 rushing yards lead the Mountaineers to an unexpected blowout.

October 27 Florida 30 Georgia 42 Georgia stays in the SEC East race with a win in the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

October 27 South Carolina 24 Tennessee 27 (OT) The Vols blow a 21-0 halftime lead, but tie the game with a last-second field goal, and win in overtime after the Gamecocks miss a field goal that would have sent the game to a second overtime. Tennessee stays in the thick of the SEC East race.

October 27 California 20 Arizona State 31 The unbeaten Sun Devils come from behind to win and put themselves in the midst of the national title race.

October 27 Southern California 17 Oregon 24 The Ducks keep themselves in the national title race and knock out the Trojans.

November 3 Arizona State 23 Oregon 35 The Ducks convincingly win at home, knocking the Sun Devils from the unbeaten ranks and taking control of the Pac-10 race for the time being.

November 3 Navy 46 Notre Dame 44 (3 OT) In a triple-overtime thriller, the Midshipmen defeat the Irish for the first time since 1963, when Roger Staubach was at the controls for Navy. This ends a 43-game Irish winning streak in the series, the longest between annual opponents in Division I history.

November 3 LSU 41 Alabama 34 In Nick Saban's first outing for the Tide against his former team, the Tide have the lead in the fourth, but LSU scores two TDs in the final four minutes to stay in the thick of the national title race.

November 8 Louisville 31 West Virginia 38 The Mountaineers survive a scare from the Cardinals to stay in the national title race.

November 10 Virginia 48 Miami 0 With dozens of former Miami players returning for the final game Miami would ever play in the historic Orange Bowl, Virginia spoiled the party by sending them off with a 48 to 0 shellacking. Ironically, the majority of the capacity crowd had already left the stadium when the final whistle blew as a huge "We Are the Champions" banner was unfurled.

November 10 Connecticut 3 Cincinnati 27 In a matchup between two of the country's most surprising teams, the Bearcats get an easier-than-expected upset win.

November 10 Florida 51 South Carolina 31 In his annual game against his former team, the Ol' Ball Coach has no answer to Tim Tebow, who runs for five TDs and passes for two more.

November 10 Michigan 21 Wisconsin 37 The Badgers finally live up to their preseason expectations with a convincing win over the Wolverines.

November 10 Southern California 24 California 17 The Trojans continue the Bears' late-season tailspin and stay in contention for a BCS bowl berth.

November 17 Boston College 20 Clemson 17 In a showdown for a place in the ACC Championship Game, Matt Ryan strikes with a late TD pass to give the Eagles the lead, and they hold on to punch their ticket to Jacksonville.

November 17 Ohio State 14 Michigan 3 On a rainy day in The Big House, the Buckeyes get 220 yards on the ground from Chris Wells and a dominant defensive effort to win their fourth straight game in the storied rivalry and assured themselves of no worse than a trip to Pasadena, but with events that followed, it became New Orleans while the Buckeyes were "in the clubhouse" as the Big Ten season ended.

November 17 Oklahoma 27 Texas Tech 34 A bad night on the Caprock for the Sooners: First they lose quarterback Sam Bradford to a first-quarter concussion, then their national title hopes disappear behind 420 passing yards from Graham Harrell.

November 22 Southern California 44 Arizona State 24 The Trojans win over the Sun Devils and create a logjam atop the Pac-10.

November 23 Arkansas 50 LSU 48 (3OT) In the Battle for the Golden Boot, Darren McFadden rushed for 206 yards on 32 carries and scored three touchdowns, and threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Peyton Hillis, giving the Razorbacks their first win over LSU since 2002, their first in Tiger Stadium since 1993, and first over a number one-ranked team since 1981. Arkansas won the game in the third overtime when Matterral Richardson intercepted Matt Flynn's two-point conversion pass which would have tied the game.

November 23 Texas 30 Texas A&M 38 A&M wins consecutive games against their archrivals for the first time since 1994, sending coach Dennis Franchione out on a high note. The result essentially assured Oklahoma of the Big 12 South title; the Sooners removed any doubt the next day with a shellacking of their own in-state rivals, Oklahoma State.

November 23 Boise State 27 Hawaiʻi 39 Thanks to 495 passing yards from Colt Brennan, the Warriors beat the Broncos for the first time ever in WAC play, and win the outright WAC title for the first time ever. The following week, they came back from a 21-0 first-quarter hole against Washington to completed an unbeaten regular season, ultimately following in the footsteps of the previous year's Broncos and earning a BCS berth.

November 24 Alabama 10 Auburn 17 Not even Nick Saban's $4 million/year salary is enough to keep Auburn from winning their sixth straight Iron Bowl.

November 24 Connecticut 21 West Virginia 66 In a battle for the Big East title, the Mountaineers destroy the Huskies behind 517 yards rushing, 186 of them from Pat White, and state their case for a berth in the BCS championship game.

November 24 Missouri 36 Kansas 28 The Tigers take a 21-0 lead in the third quarter, and hold on to book a rematch with Oklahoma for the Big 12 title and a chance to make the BCS championship game.

November 24 Virginia Tech 33 Virginia 21 The Hokies take home the Commonwealth Cup and win a trip to Jacksonville for a rematch with Boston College, this time for the ACC title and a BCS berth.

December 1 UCLA 7 Southern California 24 Southern California got a measure of revenge for last year's upset and earned another trip to "The Grandady of 'Em All".

Can anyone say playoff?

I have found the ultimate answer to Chuck Norris.

2007-11-24T10:12:00.001-05:00

Okay so as many of you know I love to read. And while not a true bibliophile like my father I have an insatiable hunger for a good story. Well about a month ago I stumbled upon a novel called Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. If that title sounds familiar then you may not be surprised to learn that it is the novel upon which the atrocious motion picture The Relic starring Tom Sizemore was based. Now as you can probably tell I did not think much of the movie however the overall story was good enough to make me wonder if there was a book and if so what was left out that could have made it all the better.

Well my friends the answer is simple. FBI Special Agent Aloyisius X.L. Pendergast. You see what the movie did was it removed the true hero of the story and gave that title to a supporting if not equally bad ass character named NYPD Lt. Vincent D'gosta. So what makes Pendergast so wothy of the challenging of Chuck Norris. Well I'll tell you.

While at first glance Pendergast may seem unassuming and even a pushover, appearances can be deceiving. The man is a former special ops warrior, a master of disguise and a supernaturally effective investigator on par with the legendary Sherlock Holmes. While reading subsequent Pendergast novels Reliquary, Brimstone, Dance of Death and The Book of the Dead, it is quite clear that in a world of no originality, Pendergast comes as close as one could hope to a truly original character. He is described as a man who shows all the signs of a sociopath but has a true love for his closest friends, best shown in the Holmes/Watson relationship he has with Lt. D'gosta. He is a well cultured man with an appreciation for wine, books, history, art, music and food. His brilliance is matched only by his deadliness in tight situations. And of course just like Holmes he has his own Moriarty. Diogenes Pendergast his brother. An equally brilliant and infinitely insane man, Diogenes is driven to cause his brother pain and suffering on an almost biblical scale.

All in all Pendergast is one of the best heroes in contemporary fiction and if you like a good detective story I suggest you pick up one of his books. I promise you will not be dissapointed.

Til' we meet again

Paul

P.S. I almost forgot Pendergast is all those things plus a southern gentleman from New Orleans.

This is so funny and yet so very very wrong!

2007-11-17T19:24:00.001-05:00

TAG

2007-11-09T07:34:00.000-05:00

tag . . .
Here's how you play....once you have been tagged, you have to write a blog with ten random facts, habits, or goals about yourself. At the end, choose ten people to tag, listing their names and why you chose them; don't forget to leave a comment on their page letting them know "tag you're it". You cannot tag the original people/person back that tagged you first, but let them know when you have posted so they can read your blog.

1. I was born with a collapsed lung.

2. My favorite snack food is a peanut butter and jelly and potato chip sandwich.

3. I am not above watching a good movie just because it may have chick flick implications. (but if it has Sally Field in it I avoid it like the plauge)

4.My greatest catharsis is my acting.

5. My greatest ambition is to be able to say that i am svelte once more. (because svelte is a cool word.)

6. I may be on the heavy side but I am good with who I am and not alot of people can say that.

7. I hate snow.

8. I love Scotch. Scotchy Scotch Scotch.

9. I can eat the crap out of a barbeque pork shoulder.

10. I too have an unhealthy view of how dead sexy I really am.

My tags

1. Jennifer V. - Cause she kicks ass.

2. George - cuz he pretty much thinks like me

3. Jessica - Cause she's hot.

4. Justin - cause he's like a second brother

5. Pete - cause he kicks ass.

6. Connie - because she probably won't do this thing

7. Brooke - because she's crazy

8. Aime - Cause she's a liberal kook

9. Jennifer C. - Cause she's a mommy

10. Jeff - cause he's Jeff.

My Favorite Movies Part 2

2007-11-05T19:17:00.000-05:00

#5

One of the few movies that will make me cry. Anyone who loves movies and baseball should not be without this movie.

What is this movie all about? This line says it all.

"Hey dad... you wanna have a catch?"- Ray Kinsella played by Kevin Costner

#4

How can you not love this movie. I mean if you believe the Holocaust was the most terrible and unnecessary loss of human life the world has ever seen, you can't help but love the story of hope that this movie is. And if you deny that the Holocaust even took place you can rejoice in the loss of that life because you are a Jew hating piece of shit.

Anyway this is another of the few movies that make me cry, and I think the reason is quite obvious.Sum up line for this work of art.

"The list is an absolute good. The list is life."- Itzhak Stern played by Ben Kingsley

#3

Brando, Pacino, Duvall, and Caan, how can you possibly miss. Now I know that most of you will probably say that the second installment is better but I have always been partial to #1.

This movie is very difficult to sum up in a single line but if put on the spot I think that I would have to go with.

"It's not personal, only business."- Michael Corleone played by Al Pacino

#2

Just an unbelivable movie. And I did not pick out a single movie in the trilogy on purpose because they are essentially one large movie and should be viewed as such.

Gandalf will now recite the sum up line for this movie.

Upon Frodo saying that he wishes the ring had never come to him, Gandalf has this to say.

"So do all who live to see such times but that is not for us to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."- Gandalf the Grey played by Ian Mckellan

And my #1 favorite movie of all time is.

Okay if this comes as a suprise to anyone who reads this blog I will be severely dissapointed. However I feel I should clarify that I am not speaking of strictly Episode IV. This trilogy (notice I said trilogy and not saga as I cannot in good taste include the prequels in this entry) is, just like LOTR, meant to be viewed as a whole. I know that this is probably a bit anti-climactic but so what.

Anyway I had to truly rack my brain to find the line from these movies that truly sums them up and I believe it can be found in Episode IV.

"You must do what you feel is right of course."- Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi played by the late great Alec Guiness.

So there they are. I know that many movies on this list would not make most top 10 lists but for the moment this is mine. I expect it to change as other movies come out or I see others classics that I have not seen before.

'Til we meet again

Paul

My Favorite Movies

2007-11-04T17:02:00.000-05:00

I was watching something on television yesterday with Steven Spielberg talking about his movies and what he liked and disliked about them, and it got me thinking about what I would consider the top ten best movies that I have ever seen and how many of those would be his. So I sat down and really thought about it and was surprised to find that he only has two spots in my personal top 10. Now as this is my personal top 10 a few of my choices may be unknown to some of you but these movies are all near and dear to my heart. So without further ado I would like to share with you my personal top 10 list of the best movies I have ever seen.

#10

Now this may be one of those movies that a good many of you may not have seen. If you haven't I suggest you go out and rent it as soon as you can. It is a beautiful movie about what it means to be an adult and more specifically what it means to be a man.

This movie is best summed up in one line.

"Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things that a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good. That honor courage and virtue mean everything, that money and power, power and money mean nothing. That good always triumphs over evil, and that love...true love never dies. Remember that. It doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see a man needs to believe in those things because those are the things worth believing in." - Hub Mccan played by Robert Duvall

I have my brother to thank for putting me on to this movie. Every time I watch it it makes me wonder why Connery couldn't let this be his last movie before retirement instead of doing the terrible League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. This movie is a wonderful mentor tale and it is close to my heart for its wonderful insight into the world of writing.

In a movie like this there are many great lines and moments but I would have to say that the one line that best sums this movie up is a very simple one.

"That's not exactly a soup question is it." - William Forrester and Jamal Wallace played by Sean Connery and Rob Brown.

This movie gave me my introduction to William Shakespeare's masterpiece of literature Hamlet. It works on the very basic principal that if you can understand Hamlet you can understand anything. It has a wonderful cast strong characters and even though it fudges on certain facts about the military it is a wonderful movie that any self respecting movie lover should see.

This movies sum up line...

"The choices we make dictate the life we lead."- Bill Rago played by Danny Devito

I am sure that most of you have seen this movie as it is a classic with my friends. But that aside it is, I think one of the best movies ever made not just one of the best ones that I have ever seen. I mean Mel Gibson in a kilt how can you top that. Plus every time I watch it I talk in a Scottish accent for the next week, so that's all good.

And is there any better sum up line than...

"Every man dies, not every man really lives."- William Wallace played by Mel Gibson.

Another movie that is definitely one of the best ever made. 'Nough Said

Sum up Line

"I don't know I'm making this up as I go along." Indiana Jones played by Harrison Ford

Well I was going to do all 10 here but a combination of blogspot not giving me access the add image function and the fact that I have to clean the kitchen make that impossible so I leave you with these five and I will reveal the last five tommorow.

'Til we meet again

Paul

WOW!!!

2007-10-28T14:46:00.000-04:00

GO DAWGS!!!!!

Vindication at last!

2007-10-26T12:35:00.000-04:00

For many years now I have had memories of a 1970's anime cartoon that I used to watch as a child. It had to do with what many of those shows had to do with, namely a giant robot controlled by a human being that was charged with saving the world ala Voltron. One of the key differences with this show was that the robot resided under the protagonists swimming pool or fountain when not in use, and would rise up out of it when needed. The protagonist would then hop into a flying saucer like machine and fly up to the robots head where he would dock and then take the controls. However when ever I asked anyone if they knew what the name of this show I was looked at like I had two heads or something. My wonderful brother even went so far once as to call me crazy when I asked him about it and said that there was no such show.

Well today I am vindicated as my new best friend from my training class has informed me that I am in fact not crazy when it comes to my recollections of this cartoon. He was a huge fan of it when he was a kid and its name is Mazinger Z or Tranzor Z for us Americans.

So to all of you who said that I was a looney freak for remembering a show that did not exist, I only have one thing to say to you... KISS MY PALE HAIRY WHITE ASS!!!

Til we meet again

Paul

The Unifacation of two worthy adversaries of Geekdom.

2007-10-20T09:26:00.001-04:00

The Lost Generation.

2007-10-19T09:21:00.000-04:00

For those of us born in the wonderful years between 1975 and 1985, there seems to be something missing. I am speaking of course of our wonderful generational name. What is a generational name you might ask? Well a generational name is the moniker given to a generation of people as a whole that identifies them with a specific time. Our grandparents belong to the Greatest Generation. Our parents are Baby Boomers. Their younger siblings and cousins belong to Generation X. I have heard the current generation of kids and teens referred to as the IPOD generation. But we have no cool moniker to identify us to the generations to come. Why is this? Oh I know that most of us are lumped into the very generic sounding Generation Y, but doesn't that sound a little lazy to you. I want a cool generational name.

So what can be done to rectify this serious breach of decency and all that is right and good in this world. We must stand up and say to the world at large "Hey what about us?" Next we should find a generational name by which to go. It must be something that truly defines that ten year stretch of time. For me there can be only one choice but I am open to suggestions. I say we start calling our selves the "Star Wars" generation or some such derivation. In my mind (biased as it is) there is nothing that had a greater impact on the world in that 10 years than Star Wars. Not only that but nobody born between 1975 and 1985 can really remember the world with out it. It has always been a constant in our lives and it also gave a whole generation of people a new mythology in which to dream and a whole new universe in which to live.

As I said this is only my suggestion because I am severely biased (anyone who knows me well enough can attest to this fact). So I am not opposed to entertaining alternate suggestions. Tell me what you think and maybe we can agree on a generational name and finally have a place in the world.

Just some food for thought.

Til we meet again,

Paul

I had forgotten just how good this movie is.

2007-10-15T14:08:00.000-04:00

Great story, excellent theme song, great villians, kick ass sidekick and the wonder that only a cheesy 1980's Sci-Fi movie can offer all combine to make The Last Starfighter a must have for any self proclaimed movie geek's collection.

If you have never seen this movie rent it or buy it as soon as possible because it will not let you down. Some interesting facts about this movie are that it is the first movie to use CGI exclusively for all of its effects shots. It is also the final movie of the late great Robert Preston as the unforgettable Centauri.

Anyway as you can tell I love this movie. I have ever since I was a little kid and even today it is still one that I can watch and enjoy without any guilty pleasure feeling like some of my other beloved childhood cinematic adventures.

So check it out if you want a excellent adventure.

Til we meet again,

Paul

A tale of two houses.

2007-10-06T14:39:00.000-04:00

I got this email a little while ago and it really struck a chord with me in regards to how some of our leaders are perceived. I don't expect to change any minds about the two people listed here but I do ask that you read this and take it for what it is.

House #1A 20 room mansion ( not including 8 bathrooms ) heated by
natural gas. Add on a pool ( and a pool house) and a separate guest
house, all heated by gas. In one month this residence consumes more
energy than the average American household does in a year. The
average bill for electricity and natural gas runs over $2400. In
natural gas alone, this property consumes more than 20 times the
national average for an American home. This house is not situated
in a Northern or Midwestern "snow belt" area. It's in the South.

House #2 Designed by an architecture professor at a
leading national university. This house incorporates every
"green" feature current home construction can provide. The house is
4,000 square feet ( 4 bedrooms ) and is nestled on a high prairie in the
American southwest. A central closet in the house holds geothermal
heat-pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the
ground. The water (usually 67 degrees F. ) heats the house in the winter
and cools it in the summer. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or
natural gas and it consumes one-quarter electricity required for a
conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the roof is collected
and funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from
showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then
into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land
surrounding the house. Surrounding flowers and shrubs native to the area
enable the property to blend into the surrounding rural landscape.

HOUSE #1 is outside of Nashville , Tennessee; it is the abode of
the "environmentalist" Al Gore.

HOUSE #2 is on a ranch near Crawford,
Texas ; it is the residence the of the President of the United States ,
George W. Bush.

An "inconvenient truth".

A feeling of Independence.

2007-10-06T11:13:00.000-04:00

Well I had a fantastic week.

First the parents were gone for 10 days on a well earned vacation. So I got back a little bit of the independent feeling that I had when I lived on my own. It made me realize a few things about being independent that I had not really thought of before.

The first is cooking. I had forgotten how much of a pain in the butt it is to have to make my own meals for days at a time. It was both a very liberating and irritating experience.

The next was cleaning up after myself. Most of the time when my parents go away for a few days I typically let the house go. But this time I truly put forth a concerted effort to make sure the house did not get out of control as it would have 10 days do become a true disaster area. I am pleased to say that I was able to really keep the house in a good state and that only about an hour or two was required for the final clean up on Thursday before the parents came home. I am understandably proud at this accomplishment.

Finally it was nice to have the parents gone for this amount of time. They put a great deal of trust in me to make sure that the animals were taken care of, the house stayed in one piece and most important of all that I did not spend all my money while they were gone. It was needless to say a wonderful feeling to be able to do all this and keep myself honest.

Anyway I know that this may not be my most exciting or thought provoking post but I truly felt the need to express what this week meant to me.

Til we meet again,

Paul

P.S. For those of you who have been following my job hunt I am very pleased to announce that I got the Customer Service position at United Health Care and will be starting on Monday at 8:00 a.m.

Miranda...

2007-09-29T08:41:00.000-04:00

So I watched Serenity last night and it struck me just how freaking awesome this movie is.

I had seen it before but because of various reasons it did not stick with me any more than it just being a really good Science Fiction flick. Now granted that would be reason enough for any SCIFI geek like me to extol all about it but a few things struck me last night as I watched it that I did not notice before.

First off I loved the imagery of the people of Miranda just laying down and dying because the government had essentially taken away there reason for life. In case you have never seen the movie the Alliance, which is the governing body in the future in which Serenity is set, set up a colony planet called Miranda, on which they introduced a drug into the atmosphere processors that made most of the population no longer want to fight, and as a result they also lost all ambition for the future and died. For better or worse we as human beings thrive on conflict. Whether it be sporting events, a good healthy debate, or war, conflict gives us a reason to better ourselves and think outside of the box. Don't believe me just ask any parent what the most gratifying experience of their life is. In probably 99.9% of cases they will tell you that raising their kids takes the top spot. Now ask them what the most trying experience has been. Not surprisingly they again will tell you it has been raising there kids.

Why is this? Well it goes to the idea that we as humans feel the need to be accomplished. There are few things in this world better than the feeling of accomplishment. There is an old saying that nothing worthwhile comes easily. It takes the proverbial blood, sweat and tears, to get anything worth getting.

Next it struck me as interesting the parallels of this incident in a fictional universe and things that are going on here in ours. We now live in a society that for the most part does not want us to do for ourselves. Instead it tells us that we are entitled to anything we want regardless of whether or not we have earned it. But the curious thing is that the place that I like to call the real world does not work that way. It never has and it never will. The real world still holds to the basic principles of hard work, and entitlement because of that hard work. But we have a government that is working hard to make us all believe that we don't need to. We are entitled to happiness and riches just because. The reason they want us to believe this is because it takes the power out of our hands as a people and puts it in theirs. In other words they want us docile because we will be easier to control.

So what can we do to stop this. Well in the words of Malcolm Reynolds, the greatest space pirate to come along since Han "the man" Solo, "I aim to misbehave." It is only through thinking for ourselves and doing for ourselves that we can stem the tide of entitlement that is crushing this country. The last time I looked we still lived in a society that lets us follow our own beliefs and desires. If your beliefs advocate entitlement over empowerment then continue to follow the "party line" that our government wants you to follow. But if you are like me and believe that "Nothing worthwhile comes easy." than teach to your children, preach it to your friends, and above all else never stop believing that you are right.

Well thats it for this rant. Sorry if it was a little long winded.

Til we meet again,

Paul

P.S. River Tam kicks ass!

Random Thoughts

2007-09-22T09:17:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone.

Just some random thoughts that I have had this week.

1. Who is this Will guy and what did he do to piss everyone off so much that all they want to do is fire at him?

2. Is it safe to call the Harry Potter series one of the best works of literature ever created?

3. Felting pool table rails sucks great big donkey nuts!

4. Is there any greater feeling than seeing someone you despise look like an Idiot? (See my last post and what I had to say about Britney Spears)

5. Is there any song that has been released in the last twenty years with a better message for life than "The Dance" by Garth Brooks?

6. I know one person who could kick Chuck Norris' ass. His name is Robert Duvall.

7. Is there any western better than Lonesome Dove?

8. They need to stop making Highlander Movies. Although I loved the first movie and the TV series the well is dry and the horse is dead.

9. I hate election years. Especially when they last more than one.

10. Sometimes a "Once in a lifetime opportunity" means you loved doing what you did but you would never do it again.

That's all for now. I hope I did not bore you too much.

Til we meet again,

Paul

Did you notice...?

2007-09-15T11:54:00.000-04:00

Hello all.

Did anyone else notice the lack of coverage of the 9/11 attacks on the regular news outlets this year. I was at work on Tuesday and turned on the television we have there to check out what I was sure to be a good hours worth of coverage remembering the worst attack on American soil. Instead what did I find? A story about the return of Britney Spears at the VMA's. Okay so I figured that they were probably just waiting until we got close to the time that the second Plane hit the towers to start there real coverage and this was just filler until it began. So I made it a point to take another look around 9 o'clock figuring that soon they would have to begin some kind of memorial coverage for those lost in NY, Washington, and Pennsylvania. But no. I saw a grand total of about ten minutes of coverage concerning 9/11. The rest of the coverage was on stupid shit like Britney Spears, and what fashions were in for this fall.

Now I by no means want 24/7 coverage of the events and memorials that happened to mark that day, but come on. 10 freakin minutes. What the hell is that all about. Needless to say I more than a little miffed at what I saw that day. Have we as a society truly fallen that far that we would prefer to see coverage of a skank like Britney Spears than take a few hours out of our day to remember the horror of that day and why the fight against these extremist Muslims, is so important. In case you hadn't noticed they want to kill or convert us all. Not just a few but all of us. Republican or Democrat. American or Australian is does not matter. If we do not fall to our knees and worship the way they want us to and follow the same moral code as them they will cut off our heads.

I weep for our country sometimes. I hope against hope that I am wrong about what I saw and that I just missed the coverage, but I do not think so. So as I leave you today think about what is important to you in this life, and remember that there is evil in this world that can not be bargained with or bought out, it can only be fought and destroyed. May god bless our troops and bring them home as soon as it is right to do.

Til we meet again.

Paul

The Joys of Live Theater.

2007-09-08T13:51:00.000-04:00

For those of you who don't know I am an actor. It is really the only thing that I do well and strive for perfection in. It is also the only addiction that I have that is actually beneficial to me. For any one wondering what could possibly posses a person to stand up on a stage in front of complete strangers and make a total ass out of themselves, I will try and explain why at least I do it.
Contrary to popular belief acting is not an easy thing to do. It involves long hours of rehearsal, both at the theater and away to effectively create a believable character and an enthralling experience for those who come to see us. We put ourselves through pain, suffering, and exhaustion voluntarily and regularly with no thought as to what we may be doing to our health, both physically and mentally. And when this is all done but before opening night we frequently leave the theater looking like something out of a George A. Romero movie.
But all of that is worth it when opening night comes. The unadulterated high that we get from putting everything on the line and leaving it all on stage is enough to keep us going for days. You want a high that you never really come down from? Then put all that you are into a character, sweat your ass off giving every ounce of energy that you have into bringing that character to life, and just when you think that nothing good could possibly come of it all, take a look into the faces of your audience. It is an experience that no one who has not gone through it can possibly understand.
Now granted the trials that we suffer in no way compare to those of others in this world (soldiers spring immediately to mind), but we do suffer none the less. However the rewards that we gain from this experience include close friendships with people we probably would never have met otherwise, a little ego boost, and the knowledge that if nothing else we gave our absolute best to bring little distraction to the lives of people who live in a world that needs distraction from time to time.

Oh yeah there's one more reason I almost forgot. Chicks dig actors!

Til we meet again

Paul