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I am a part-time author of dollarbinhorror.blogspot.com...short story and novel writer. I've found true love with the one I love.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Stardate 0917.10

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Fall is in it's infancy. The leaves are falling. Damn! Damn! Damn!




Another Descent Into...
Steelers Recap-Week One
So let's say you lose your two-time Super Bowl winning QB for a period of time due to his stupidity. What do you do? For the Steelers, the answer was easy, go back to basics. Grit, the run game, and badass D was the key to Sunday's 15-9 overtime win over the Falcons.

For almost the entire game it was a classic slugfest against a team many consider to be on par with the Saints in football superiority. If you ask me, the Steelers could have won this game in regulation if Bruce Arians would have done some proper offensive coordination and Jeff Reed hadn't missed a fg with less than a minute to play.

Nevertheless, I will praise Arians for Rashard Mendenhall's 50-yd td run to seal the deal for the black and gold. I think the Steelers will be ok for the next three weeks.

Week 2 vs. Titans-
Which leads us into this week's game against the Tennessee Titans. Led by current running back gawd, Chris Johnson, the Titans are coming off a victory against the Raiders and really want to run it down the Steelers gullet. Guess what? Ain't happening! The Steelers D is going to be very tough, so tough in fact, they will keep Johnson under 100 yards for the first time in twelve game. On the offensive front, I look for Dennis Dixon to finally get into a rhythm and actually throw for a td. Steelers 17 Titans 7

It Can't Happen Here-
I love books about possible scenarios involving America and a change of the political  and social guard. Sinclair Lewis's 1935 novel It Can't Happen Here is a fine and timely example of such a story. Berzelius "Buzz" Windrip, a charismatic and power-hungry politician, is elected President of the United States on a populist platform, promising to restore the country to prosperity and greatness, and, more importantly, promising each citizen $5,000 a year Once in power, however, he becomes a dictator; he outlaws dissent, puts his political enemies in concentration camps, and creates a paramilitary force called the Minute Men who terrorize the citizens. One of his first actions as President is to make changes to the Constitution which give him sole power over the country, rendering Congress obsolete. This is met by protest from the congress as well as outraged citizens, but Windrip declares a state of martial law and, with the help of his Minute Men, throws the protesters in jail. As Windrip dismantles democracy, most Americans either support him and his Corpo Regime wholeheartedly or reassure themselves that fascism "can't happen" in America.


The few who openly oppose Windrip's regime form a secret protest organization called The New Underground; establishing a secret propaganda periodical under the alias the Vermont Vigilance. Doremus Jessup becomes a major contributor to these publications, writing editorials decrying the state's abuses of power. Shad Ledue, head of the state police and Jessup's former employee, terrorizes him, eventually putting him in a camp. He also goes after Jessup's family, attempting to seduce Jessup's daughter, Sissy. Eventually, however, Ledue falls out of favor with Windrip, and he is put in the same camp as Jessup, where he is murdered by the angry inmates he sent to the Camp. After his friend bribes a guard, Jessup escapes from the camp, rejoins his family, and goes to Canada to join a resistance movement.

In time, Windrip's hold on power begins to weaken; the economic prosperity he promised has not materialized, and more and more people are fleeing to Canada to escape his government's brutality. Windrip's lieutenants stage a coup; Secretary of State and Windrip's number two man, Lee Sarason, becomes president and has Windrip exiled to France. In the ensuing power vacuum, they fight among themselves for control, setting the stage for the regime's self-destruction. After another coup, ousting Sarason in favor of General Haik, the Corpo Regime's power slowly starts seeping away and the government desperately tries to find a way to keep the people happy with the Regime. They decide to stir up patriotic fervor by slandering Mexico in the state-run newspapers, deciding an all-out invasion of the country will rally the American people around the government. But the resulting draft of 5 million men for the invasion splits the country into factions: those pro-war and loyal to the Corpo government, and those anti-war who now see that they have been manipulated for years.

With this novel, you have to take it in very slowly. The prose and dialogue is ripe with mid-30s vocabulary and expressions. The main thing I was disappointed with is this is not a multi-character tale. I feel it would have worked better. I mean, a major upheaval such as this is bound to be rich with other people's actions. If it hadn't been for this novel, there would have been no original V  and no cornerstone for my imagination. That much I'm thankful for. Pick this up. 8/10

The Cinema Snob-
Mr. Snob will be away for a few weeks filming a movie so no new episodes for awhile. However, it doesn't mean there will be no fun at the end of my post. Oh no. This week I dig into the archives and pull out a peculiar porn featuring-guess who-ROCKY!!!




Friday, September 10, 2010

Stardate 0910.10

                                                           Lest We Never Forget...

Another Descent Into...

Steelers vs. Falcons-Wk.1 preview-

And with the Saints 14-9 win over the Vikings last night, we have kicked off another season of NFL football and the start of my weekly Steelers preview. This week is the start of a month-long journey of uncertainty for the black and gold. Big Ben begins his suspension, and backup Byron Leftwich is out with a sprained knee leaving the QB duties to little-used Dennis Dixon coming off an above-average preseason.

Up first is the Atlanta Falcons, a team with a third-year QB in Matt Ryan with considerably more experience. Yet after completing 61.1 percent of his passes and being named the Offensive Rookie of the Year while leading the Falcons to the playoffs in 2008, Matt Ryan was less accurate (58.3) and took a small step backward in Atlanta's 9-7 season. After missing two games with a toe injury, though, Ryan came back to throw six touchdowns in leading the Falcons to their final three victories.

They are up against a rejuvenated Steelers D with a healed Troy Polamalu and Aaron Smith at the helm. Which I feel will decide the outcome of this game. I think the Steelers will go back to offensive basics, i.e, run, run, run. The O-line has improved along with starting RB Rashard Mendenhall which will give the Falcons D all it can handle. Look for a low-scoring game in the Steelers favor...Pittsburgh 17, Atlanta 10


Rush-Beyond The Lighted Stage-

I have waited an eternity for a proper story about one of Rock-N-Roll's greatest groups. Rush has never received a Behind the Music episode nor an A&E Biography. It took almost 40 years and director Sam Dunn to bring the story of Rush to life.

Featuring an A-Z bio along with interviews by the band and their fans and peers(Gene Simmons, Sebastian Bach, Jack Black, Les Claypool to name a few). We learn Rush's path to success was often impeded not by drugs or alcohol(though Geddy Lee admits they used drugs during the recording of their awful Caress of Steel album), but rather mainstream critics and so-called musically inclined folk who felt the band was nothing but hot air.

The most heartfelt piece is towards the end of the movie where Neil Peart opens up(a crack) about the loss of his daughter and first wife within a span of the year. If you're a fan of the band, you will love this. If you are not a fan of the band, you will love this. This is a perfect documentary, no doubt about it.  DYK: The original drummer for the band was the late John Rutsey. Neil Peart would join following the release of their debut album.10/10

Rush(self-titled album)
Every story has an origin. In the story of Rush, it begins with this 1974 self-titled debut. Featuring original drummer John Rutsey, this album can be best described as Zeppelin on 5-Hour Energy. All these songs are not in the lyrical depth of their later work(albeit "Working Man" comes close), but you can hear the passion and energy so prevalent in alot of first albums.

We start with the hard-charging "Finding My Way". A great intro, fantastic in-your-face, Geddy Lee-vocal piercing tune. "Need Some Love" is not quite as good, but not bad. Somewhere in the middle. "Take A Friend" despite the get-to-the-point beginning is kinda of a dinosaur slog.  "Here Again" is a slow, bluesy jam which is rather depressing, not in a bad way though. "What You're Doing" is more or less them in Zeppelin tribute band mode. "In The Mood" is a rather naughty kind of song, Geddy putting out there for the girl he's singing for.
"Before and After" is a slow starter but kicks in two minutes in with a variation of the "Over the Hills and Far Away" riff. The album closes with the legendary "Working Man". It's about all of us who work a joe job then want to get back and chill. Ironically, it was Cleveland that first broke Rush, so I guess I'm grateful....7.5/10

Troll 2-


I'm going to be to the point...PIECE OF FUCKIN SHIT!!! Steer clear of this movie. Yes, I'm aware of its cult following as Best Worst Movie ever, but no matter how I tried to see this film, I couldn't get past anything that was bad and I love bad movies! But what I don't like is the dialogue, Jackie Collins could have written better verbiage!. The acting on the level below kindergarten plays. Worse yet, this isn't a sequel to the original Troll!  Yet in the pile of shit, I can at least pull from it one peanut...



1/10. This movie has displaced Titanic as my 2nd least favorite movie of all time. Maybe I don't get it. No wait, I do. It sucks! If you like this movie in whatever context you see it in, good for you!

The Cinema Snob-
Here are the two latest episodes from the SnobMeister himself-
Caligula, Part II-


and the more recent, Violent Sh*t-

Monday, August 30, 2010

Stardate 0830.10

“Conflict is the gadfly of thought. It stirs us to observation and memory. It instigates to invention. It shocks us out of sheeplike passivity, and sets us at noting and contriving."-John Dewey






Another Descent Into...
The Runaways(2010)-I am a huge fan of The Runaways. Lita Ford(junior high school crush#1), Joan Jett, Cherie Currie, Sandy West, and a revolving number of bass players made for a dirty three-chord rock-n-roll band whos music is as timeless as it was thirty years ago. Like most popular groups, sooner or later, a movie had to be done. An inaccurate, by-the-numbers movie.

The film opens with Cherie (Dakota Fanning) and her sister, Marie Currie (Riley Keough), as Cherie has just got her first period. Marie's boyfriend, Derek (Brendan Sexton III), picks up the sisters from Marie's job at "Pup n' Fries" and Marie announces to him that Cherie has gotten her period. Angry at her sister for telling, she informs Derek that Marie is not wearing any underwear. Later, Cherie is seen cutting her hair in a shag and putting on face makeup in an attempt to create a look resembling Bowie on the cover of Aladdin Sane (the cover is shown on her wall as a poster). The scene is accompanied by scenes of Joan huffing marijuana with her girlfriend. Cherie is later seen lip-syncing David Bowie's Lady Grinning Soul at the school talent show and is the target of paper balls, to which Cherie reacts by flipping off the crowd, but wins the talent show.

Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) is making out with a guy outside a club when she sees record producer, Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon). Joan approaches him and talks about starting an all-girl rock band. Kim is interested and introduces Joan to Sandy West (Stella Maeve), a drummer. Joan and Sandy become friends and start jamming when Kim suggests that they recruit a hot blonde in the vein of Brigitte Bardot.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Stardate 0823.10

Do I know you? Oh yeah, you were suppose to take care of me once or twice a week not when it is convenient!



Another Descent Into...
Happy Anniversary Jo, I love you!




My Pittsburgh Steelers Season Preview-When last I left the greatest team of the Super Bowl-era, they had just defeated the Miami Dolphins 30-24 and thanks to piss-poor defense in the 4th quarter all season long, they sat home, missing out on the playoffs for the second time in five years. However, hope springs eternal. This off-season the Steelers played Back to the Future and brought back both Larry Foote and Antwaan Randall-El. I think with Big Ben on the shelf for four, possibly six games,bringing back these comfortable shoes was a good idea on the Rooneys part.

I see a vastly improved offensive line giving go-to guy Rhasard Mendenhall huge holes and keep either Bryon Leftwich or Dennis Dixon upright, something they failed to do with #7 the past two years. The wide receiving core will be underrated now that Santonio Holmes has been sent packing to the Jets. Mike Wallace and Randall-El will surprise many a secondary this year and I think Hines Ward, my boy, can eek out another 1,000 yrd season.

The biggest problem will be, surprisingly, the defense. Last year, they seemed to forget football is played in 4 quarters and blew many a comfy lead. The line is aging and the corners are a step slower than they have been in past years. Will Troy be the glue that holds these guys together?

I think the Steelers have it in them to finish 10-6 and clinch a wild-card berth. Sadly, I don't see them winning number 7 this year as the defense has way too many ?'s marks for them to be effective. However, I hope I'm wrong!




The Expendables(2010)-Wow! I was expected a subtle, intelligence, thought-provoking film and I get this? DAMN STRAIGHT! So many action stars, so little movie. It's a good thing though. Stallone in his Rambo-esqe glory leads a ragtag bunch into a Latin American country to overthrow a dictator. That's about it for storyline. With this film, just sit back, laugh at the cheesy taglines,cry with the all-too-brief interaction between Rocky and The Terminator(original), and enjoy the explosions. It is a trip down 80s memory lane that will have you going, Dolph! Dolph! Dolph!
8/10


The Cinema Snob-
In my most recent absence, The Snob has posted two brand new vids, the latter being his 100th episode.

The Expendables...No not that The Expendables. This one features a lower budget, bad actors, and about the same amount of explosions as the 2010 version.



Caligula, Part I...This is Brad Jones'(a.k.a The Cinema Snob) favorite movie. So how does he make fun of his darling? Quite well. This is so good, it required him to break this into two parts. Look for cameos from all involved in his web shows.



Great to be back!










Friday, August 6, 2010

Stardate 0806.10

Hey, don't I know you from somewhere? Oh yeah, you were my vacation. I'll see you again next week....



Another Descent Into...

My Vacation, Part I-
Oh by the time I went back to work Wednesday, I felt more relaxed then Hugh Hefner in the girls shower. It was so nice to go back home to Pittsburgh to explore things I had never discovered in the ol' hometown. Jo and I went the Carnegie Science Center, the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, ate at a Primanti Bros., visited the zoo where I saw my dad(lol, j/k) but the centerpiece of the 'Burgh was KISS!

Other than a few bad steps in the beginning and a rather bad one at the end where the confetti went off a bit premature, the show was awesome! Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer fill in quite nicely for the departed Ace and Peter, Paul had some vocal problems, and Gene screwed up some words, but nothing to get in a twist over.

Dinner For Schmucks-    Normally, I don't have alot of respect for newer comedies. I find them playing from an old playbook developed by Revenge of the Nerds, Animal House and Porky's. Steve Carell vehicles are really no different, but in his case, he convinces me he could stand along side those classic films of old.

Tim (Rudd) is a mid-level financial executive, who acquires a negotiation over special novelty lamps with wealthy Swiss businessman Mueller (Walliams). Impressed by Tim's ingenuity, his boss Fender (Greenwood) invites him to a "dinner for winners" in which he must find an eccentric person with a special talent to invite; the winner earns a trophy and the executive that brought him or her gets glory. He soon learns it is more of a "dinner for idiots", and the guests will be mocked mercilessly. Meanwhile, Tim's girlfriend Julie (Szostak) lands a curator deal for eccentric artist Keiran Vollard (Clement), and Tim unsuccessfully proposes to her, as he has done several times before. After learning of the cruel nature of the dinner, Julie forces him not to attend.


The next day, Tim accidentally hits IRS employee Barry (Carell) with his car when Barry tries to retrieve a dead mouse in the road. Witnessing Barry's bizarre behavior (he stuffs mice and arranges them into elaborate dioramas), Tim realizes he is perfect for the dinner. That night, Barry shows up at Tim's apartment unannounced, and accidentally invites over Darla (Punch), a woman of Tim's who is stalking him. Barry attempts to send away Darla, but mistakes Julie for Tim's stalker, giving Julie the mistaken impression that Tim is cheating on her. Tim and Barry chase her down to Vollard's ranch, where he accidentally offends Barry (which further hurts his and Julie's relationship), but he makes amends and they go to the dinner with Mueller, despite a disastrous lunch that afternoon.

Barry is a hit with the group and is a shoo-in for the trophy, but unexpectedly his boss and rival Thurman (Galifianakis) arrives and displays his "mind control" power over Barry. After that, Tim tells Barry everything, and after some encouragement, gets Barry to win, before causing his boss and fellow executives to reveal the truth and cause havoc. Tim is fired, as is Julie after Barry makes Vollard realize it would be a problem to have her. In the end, Tim marries Julie, Barry gets in a relationship with Darla, does some artwork with Vollard, and hosts a monthly "breakfast for champions" for all of the "losers". Thurman gets a new book in the mental hospital, as well as Tim getting a new museum started in Switzerland for Mueller. After the credits, it is revealed Fender's company has gone under and Forbes Magazine has named him the "World's Biggest Loser."

If not for Carell's goofball acting, this film would be middling at best, but he saves the film from itself.
8/10

The Cinema Snob-
The Snob was a busy bee while I was away. 3 posts await your viewing

Hell's Bloody Devil's-
This late-60's bikersplotation film features Colonel Sanders in a cameo role. Seriously!



Redneck Zombies-
The director could've easily have cast customers from a southern Wal-Mart.



Super Hornio Brothers
Yep! A parody of the piece of garbage featuring Ron Jeremy. God help me!



Hope to post during Vacation, Part II next week in which I get to reviewing Mars Attacks!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Stardate 0723.10

I can feel it. The obsidian clouds are lifting away. The drudgery of life is soon to be replaced by 9 days of fun and frolic....ahhh vacation




Another Descent Into...
Dead On Earth Update-













Just recently finished Day 5 of this little tale of an alien apocalypse as told from the point of view of many spread across Earth. David Naughton-Shires has begun developing artwork for the project and recently gave me an illustration of my main character, Kyle Stanton. If the rest of his effort is as good as what he's done for me, then we will have ourselves a winner. Got a long way to go, but the effort will be worth it.

Saiqa Akhter-
This is the woman who murdered, yes murdered her autistic child and badly injured her other one who is also autistic. Her excuse, she wanted 'normal' kids. You know what I think? This woman is an icon to problems I see in people these days. Selfish, self-indulgent people who still think they are in their perpetual youth and refuse to grow up! It's all about me! It's always been around, don't get me wrong. With our omnipresent media, it's just been more exposed.

It's people like you how look towards the government for a handout, the schools to teach what you refuse to teach, and the t.v. and the internet to raise and babysit them as you worry about your Gen 4 cell phone and who is going to be ousted on Dancing With The Stars. You cry and whine about how the kids drive you crazy. Well I hope you're proud of yourself. You took a life and you robbed the innocence of another. Luckily, this crime took place in Texas, so you will move to the front of the electric line. Thank goodness they put in an express lane.

The Cinema Snob-
Mama Snob is visiting her baby boy, so no new episode this week. Instead, I will go to his coveted vaults to show an episode which will require mass amounts of alcohol to understand. It's Monkey With 72 Magic. Be very, very afraid!



Next week, I will be down in Jim Rome's basement taking my vacation. I'm looking for someone to guest blog for me. If you're interested, email me at epolk75@suddenlink.net.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Stardate 0720.10

Real quick post today. My blog has been given The Versatile Blogger award courtesy of dollarbinhorror.blogspot.com. Thanks Rhonda!

One of the caveats are I post 7 more things about myself and award 5 blogs this honor. So here it be.


1. I am a huge KISS fan(though I love most genres of music)

2. My favorite dramatic movie is The Godfather

3. My favorite movie of all time is Star Wars:Episode IV

4. I proudly wear a Pittsburgh Steelers jersey on top of my Star Trek:The Next Generation t-shirt on my days off

5. Stephen King is my favorite author though I also enjoy Ray Bradbury, Ed McBain, Peter Straub, Richard Matheson, and J.D. Robb to name a few.

6. I am the author of the short stories Rhapsody in Black and From A Serpent's Kiss. I'm also a contributing author to the upcoming Dead on Earth novel.

7. I had and continue to have a crush on Stevie Nicks



My five favorite blogs I bestow The Versatile Award to are

1. http://jenniferdelucy.blogspot.com/

2. http://patrick.wonderal.com/

3. http://thekidinthehall.blogspot.com/

4. http://angelicaraene.blogspot.com/

5. http://xtopher.wordpress.com/
 
And now our song is done!