The Jimi Hendrix Experience “All Along the Watchtower” performed by The Classic Rock Show. Recorded live at The Sage, Gateshead, England, 23rd of February 2018. This is an awesome cover.
Month: October 2018
Bought A Smart TV Online
I finally bought my first ever tv! Yay! Now when I say that, this is the first ever tv I have personally bought. I haven’t watched anything on a tv for over 10 years but there is a tv in this apartment in the living room but only my parents watch that.
I watch everything on my computer, my current 15.6 in Dell. That is gonna change. I placed an order for the Mi LED Smart TV 4A 80 cm (32)
- 20 W Speaker Output
- 1366 x 768 HD Ready – Great picture quality
- 60 Hz : Standard refresh rate for blur-free picture quality
- 3 x HDMI : For set top box, consoles and Blu-ray players
- 2 x USB : Easily connect your digital camera, camcorder or USB device
- Ultra-bright LED display
- Powerful 20W stereo speakers
- 700,000+ hours of content on PatchWall
- 64-bit quad-core processor, 1GB RAM + 8GB Storage
- One remote: Control TV, set-top box and more
The Good Ole Days
Write about the things you loved doing when you were a child.
When I was a child, I certainly loved to watch Cartoon Network and watch cartoon after cartoon. I loved watching them (though very selective) even in my 20s. I loved playing football, badminton and occasionally cricket with my cousins or friends.
I also loved playing board games like Monopoly or Hind Trade (basically an Indian version of Monopoly) and we have spent hours & hours during lazy afternoons and evenings and even late nights playing that. Listening to music too – my cousins and I spent many afternoons and evenings playing our favourite 80s & 90s pop and rock songs.
And ofcourse a group of us would go to one or two of the local video lending libraries and pick a couple of movies for us to watch that evening or night. Those were the days.
Prompt from Cheryl Strayed’s writing prompts
Phantasm
Phantasm is a 1979 American horror film directed, written, photographed, and edited by Don Coscarelli. The first film in the Phantasm franchise, it introduces the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm), a supernatural and malevolent undertaker who turns the dead of earth into dwarf zombies to be sent to his planet and used as slaves. He is opposed by a young boy, Mike (Michael Baldwin), who tries to convince his older brother Jody (Bill Thornbury) and family friend Reggie (Reggie Bannister) of the threat.
Phantasm was a locally financed independent film; the cast and crew were mostly amateurs and aspiring professionals. And it shows; in some places the acting is down right terrible and artificial but most of it is from cast members who are there in just one scene and have only a line or two of dialogue. What I was surprise by was the quality of the transfer to bluray; this does not look like a movie released in 1979 but more like a few years later. If only the acting and the storyline as well as the direction was as good.
There are way too many scenes that are like too sudden and at times seem ridiculous. The way that Mike keeps following his brother Jody on foot, the sudden change of scenery, the overall ridiculousness of the reasonings and decision making makes no sense. Anyways, the Tall Man turns out to be an alien who is getting people killed – by morphing into a chick and banging guys and then stabbing them right after orgasm – abducting the corpses, then somehow shrinking them to dwarfs, reanimating them and making them work for him on his planet. In the end I don’t know if these events actually happened or did Mikey dream it all? His brother is dead in a car accident and Reggie is taking care of him.
But Reggie was shown to be killed in the events earlier or the dream. What was going on? In the end the Tall Man appears in Mike’s bedroom and abducts him through the mirror. To…I suppose his home planet. How? I dunno! It’s all so strange. I don’t get why this film has so much praise piled on it going by reviews. I give it a ….6.5 outta 10! I am not sure about checking the remaining 4 films in the franchise now.
Bloodied Knee Memory
Write about a memory of a physical injury.
I was about 16 or maybe 17. Probably 16 I think. I had bought my spanking new bicycle when I was 15 back in 1990, something called a Street Cat. I loved that cycle a lot. I mostly used it to go around the little suburban town my family lived in from 1987 onwards. I also rode it to my tuition classes that I attended for Math, Physics and Chemistry.
My childhood friend Renjish, who lived less than a kilometer away, attended the same tuition classes as me and we rode together in the mornings on the weekends and evenings on other days. We rode on the bad roads up and down and we had some slopes on the way. For two years I had no incidents. But one evening, I tripped and feel on my left knee which was bloodied and bruised.
I had to go to the doctor and I was limping. He advised me to stay off my feet for 5 days and rest at home. I also remember my sister and my cousin sister, who lived with us for 3 years while she was in an engineering college close to my home, fussed over me and got me soft drinks and snacks and pillows. Which was weird as they never did that any other time I got sick and was laid up. Oh well!
Prompt from CHERYL STRAYED’S WRITING PROMPTS
Food Review #253
TAG
Tag is a 2018 American comedy film directed by Jeff Tomsic (in his directorial debut) and written by Rob McKittrick and Mark Steilen. The film is based on a true story that was published in The Wall Street Journal about a group of grown men, played by Ed Helms, Jake Johnson, Hannibal Buress, Jon Hamm, and Jeremy Renner, who spend one month a year playing the game of tag. Annabelle Wallis, Isla Fisher, Rashida Jones, and Leslie Bibb also star.
So that’s the basis of this film, grown men – in their what seems like 40s atleast judging the ages of the actors – still playing the children’s game of tag. Hogan “Hoagie” Malloy, Bob Callahan, Randy “Chilli” Cilliano, Kevin Sable and Jerry Pierce have been playing tag since they were nine years old, starting in 1983, during the month of May. Since then, the group’s main rule of the game is that the last one tagged is “it,” until next season. Hogan tags his CEO friend Bob and then get their stoner friend, divorced loser Chilli and then they go get Kevin (the token black guy). Hogan reveals that their friend Jerry is planning to retire after this May as he is getting married in a few days and since Jerry has never been tagged in his life, this is the last year they can attempt it.
Rebecca Crosby, a Wall Street Journal reporter doing a piece on Bob, joins them and decides to write an article on the friends. They are also accompanied by Hoagie’s wife Anna. What follows next is hilarious attempts to tag Jerry, who is always one step or several steps away from his friends. He is athletic and agile and very clever, being the owner of his own fitness business. His wife to be, Susan, is cautiously enthusiastic but pleads to the other four that they won’t do anything at the rehearsal dinner or the actual wedding. During the rehearsal dinner, Susan reveals to the guys that she is pregnant. Also in the mix is fellow classmate Cheryl Deakins who used to be the love interest for both Bob & Chillli at one point and both of them now try to date her as she is recently widowed.
Well in the end, after an inappropriate way to get outta of being tagged, Jerry gets married but Hoagie charges at Jerry, but narrowly misses and ends up tackling the pastor to the ground. Hoagie then loses consciousness, which Jerry thinks is a ruse, but Anna confirms that Hoagie’s condition is serious and calls for an ambulance. At the hospital it turns out that Hogan tells them the truth: he had lied about Jerry quitting after the season because he wanted to reunite with his friends after he recently discovered a tumor on his liver and has advanced liver cancer; he may not be alive for the following year. Jerry chooses to swallow his pride and allows Hoagie to tag him. The group starts the game again, running around the hospital as they did as children, and change their rules so Anna, Rebecca, and Susan can play as well.
Before the credits roll, multiple photographs and video clips are displayed, showing the real group of ten men that inspired the film, who continue to play to this day. Which I find fascinating and endearing. The film, though it started out very well lost a lot of steam later on. I found some of the humour forced and boy does Hannibal Buress look out of place in this film. It just seems like they wanted a black guy to fill out the group and found him. He was the dud in the film and is quite a bit younger than the other 4. Talk about miscasting! 7 outta 10!
Favourite Breakfast Food
Well, I happen to be a minimalist breakfast eater since 2015 since I work late evening shifts and tend to wake up late. Hence I just skip breakfast or keep it down to a single sandwich. My current breakfast of choice, if I wake up by 10 or 10:30 am on a weekday is to toast two large slices of bread and smear some eggless mayo on it. Keeping it light here folks!
My favourite breakfast of all time, and I really don’t need more than that people, is four slices of toast with a two or three egg omelet. Preferably duck’s eggs if I can get them otherwise hen’s eggs will do. Sometimes it’s bulls-eyes or fried eggs (if that’s what you call them) with the toast. That and coffee. Two cups during the morning.
The Full English – well that is something I would love to do but not regularly. I have had versions of the Full English; everything else minus the has browns or mushrooms and definitely without the blood sausage. We just don’t get them here or make them.
Skyscraper
Skyscraper is a 2018 American action film written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, and starring Dwayne Johnson, Neve Campbell, Chin Han, Roland Møller, Noah Taylor, Byron Mann, Pablo Schreiber and Hannah Quinlivan. If you have watched Die Hard, you will get a familiar feeling while watching this movie. It basically is Die Hard with updated techology, way too many cliches and 1/3rd the charm. Maybe even less.
10 years ago, U.S. Marine war veteran and FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader, Will Sawyer (why does every single role of Johnson always has his as a war veteran) is badly injured in an explosion set off by an unstable abusive father who was threatening his own family. Will loses one of his legs and is operated on by a surgeon, Sarah, who later becomes his wife. He retires from the FBI and starts his own company which assess the security for large skyscrapers. Fitted with a modern prosthetic leg he has full mobility and has two kids, twins Georgia and Henry.
Wealthy Chinese financier and entrepreneur Zhao Long Ji has funded the construction of the world’s tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong, standing at 3,500 feet (1,100 m) and 225 stories tall, which they call “The Pearl”. Although the building is structurally complete, the construction process has been not without complications and the building has yet to be opened to the public.awyer confirms to Zhao, security directors Ajani Okeke and Sawyer’s friend and fellow ex-FBI agent Ben Gillespie, and insurance executive Mr. Pierce, that the building’s fire and security systems are secure, but he needs to inspect the offsite security center that controls the system. Zhao then hands Sawyer a tablet computer that gives full administrative access to The Pearl’s computer systems that can only be unlocked by facial recognition.
As expected, Ben is seeking revenge and has conspired with Kores Botha, an international terrorist to forcefully get the tablet from Will and take over the building. The Pearl is infiltraded and as his wife & kids are in there, Will must fight the whole team of terrorists and save them. Sarah is no slouch in fighting either (though why the good doctor is like also a martial arts asskicking gal is beyond me) and in the end they are able to save the two kids and reunite as a family. Even the final scene with the family hugging and the Hong Kong Police Force Response team chief congratulating Will screams Die Hard.
This is another one of those big block buster explosion fest filled with cheesy scenes and dialogues fit for Dwayne. He is a one-man industry for these kinda movies. Nice to see Neve Campbell in a big budget movie again and she looks great. Movie gets a 6 outta 10 from me.
Fulham 1 Arsenal 5
Aaron Ramsey scored an early goal of the season contender as Arsenal thrashed Fulham to record a ninth straight win for the first time since April 2015. Alexandre Lacazette scored two impressive goals before substitute Ramsey finished off a classic team move and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted twice. Frenchman Lacazette claimed the opening goal of the London derby at Craven Cottage when he spun on Nacho Monreal’s cutback before drilling the ball past Marcus Bettinelli. But Fulham drew level before the break as Luciano Vietto pounced on a loose pass by Monreal to thread the ball through to Andre Schurrle, who chipped over Gunners keeper Bernd Leno.
Arsenal were a different side after the interval and Bettinelli – called up by England this week – produced the save of the game to keep out a fierce strike from Bellerin, moments before Lacazette added his second – an early strike from long range which seemed to catch the Fulham keeper by surprise as it nestled in the bottom corner. Ramsey was introduced in the 67th minute – and the Welshman added a third just 39 seconds later as Arsenal moved from left to right with one-touch passing and neat headers. The ball made its way to fellow substitute Aubameyang, who swept the ball across the face of the Fulham goal for Ramsey to flick past Bettinelli.
Aubameyang added a fourth as he swivelled on a low cross from Hector Bellerin before side-footing the ball into the far corner. And the Gabon striker rounded off the scoring after a neat low finish to cap a thoroughly entertaining victory in the derby. Fulham had their opportunities to respond. Aboubakar Kamara had the pick of their chances but shouldered Cyrus Christie’s cross instead of meeting it with his head. A sixth consecutive Premier League victory for Arsenal moved Unai Emery’s men up to third in the table, a point behind Manchester City and Liverpool, who meet at Anfield later on Sunday. Fulham remain just above the relegation zone in 17th.
RIP Scott Wilson
Scott Wilson (born William Delano Wilson) passed away yesterday at the age of 76. Wilson was an American film and television actor who had more than 50 film credits, including In the Heat of the Night, In Cold Blood, The Great Gatsby, Dead Man Walking, Pearl Harbor, and Junebug. In 1980, Wilson received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for his role in The Ninth Configuration and played veterinarian Hershel Greene on the AMC television series The Walking Dead from 2011 to 2014. He had a recurring role on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as casino mogul Sam Braun.
He made his screen debut portraying characters suspected of murder in his first three films. In his debut film, Wilson played a murder suspect in In the Heat of the Night (1967). His follow-up role, in the same year, was In Cold Blood, based on the book of the same name by Truman Capote. Wilson portrayed real-life murderer Richard Hickock, while Robert Blake played his partner, Perry Smith. Wilson’s long filmography also includes The Gypsy Moths, The Right Stuff, A Year of the Quiet Sun, Malone, The Grass Harp, Junebug, The Host, Monster, Young Guns II, Pearl Harbor, Big Stan, Judge Dredd, the Shiloh film series and Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon.
Wilson has filmed on location in South Korea, Japan and Spain. Wilson had a recurring role in several episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Sam Braun, father of crime-scene investigator Catherine Willows (portrayed by Marg Helgenberger). Braun was killed off in the episode “Built to Kill, Part 2”. In the fall of 2011 he also made an appearance opposite Laura Dern in the HBO series, Enlightened. He also portrayed John Lyons in Damien.
Where Do We Go Now?
If you were going on a trip to any place in the world today, where would you go and what would you do?
Easy, peacy! Canada. I want to go to Canada and I want to see all the places that I want to see. I have several cities and towns that I would like to visit and several places that I want to see for myself and take in the beauty and the sights to see.
Not just the big cities like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Halifax, Calgary, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, St. John’s etc etc but also the smaller cities and suburbs that dot the periphery of these big cities and have a character of their own. I want to drink Canadian craft beer and watch a few NHL games in the 7 Canadian cities that currently host a team. I want to go and see the shooting venues of some of my favourite movies and tv shows.
Take me there now! It’s perfect since they have their Thanksgiving on the 8th and I’ve always wanted to have a nice Turkey dinner.
Prompt from 31 DAYS OF OCTOBER WRITING PROMPTS at The SitsGirls
Qarabag 0 Arsenal 3
Teenager Emile Smith Rowe scored his first Arsenal goal to help the Gunners to an eighth win in a row with victory against Qarabag in the Europa League. The 18-year-old academy graduate coolly finished beneath Qarabag goalkeeper Vagner in the 53rd minute to score Arsenal’s second goal. Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Matteo Guendouzi scored either side of Smith Rowe’s strike to also register their first goals for the club. Sokratis, who joined from Borussia Dortmund in the summer, put the Gunners ahead in the fourth minute when he diverted Nacho Monreal’s header in at a corner.
Teenager Guendouzi, another summer signing, added the third in the 79th minute, finishing a slick move with a low shot into the bottom left corner. Arsenal did not have all of the play in Baku and goalkeeper Bernd Leno had to make good saves in either half. The Gunners top Group E with two wins from two games and they have now won eight consecutive games in all competitions for the first time since April 2015. Londoner Smith Rowe was making his full European debut in the game, having come on as a substitute in Arsenal’s opening Europa League match for his first competitive senior appearance.
The highly-rated England Under-19 international made his first start of the club in the Carabao Cup win against Brentford last week. In total, Arsenal manager Unai Emery made nine changes for the match but still fielded a team with eight full internationals. His side are now in a strong position in the group, level on points with Sporting Lisbon but six clear of third and fourth place, with the top two progressing.
Dark & Stormy Day Dos
What do you like to do on a dark and stormy day?
The same thing I’d like to do on other days off and if I am staying in at home. I’d like to sit at my desk with my laptop and browse Youtube. I’d drink a couple of big cups of strong black coffee while I spend my time online. I would blog. I would check the highlights of football games played in various leagues.
I would play music and look for good quality live concert versions of songs from my favourite bands. I would order in some food or see what is available in the kitchen. Stare at the clouds and the rain from my balcony or my windows. Watch a couple of movies in my room. Sleep.
All the simple things in life.
Prompt from 31 DAYS OF OCTOBER WRITING PROMPTS at The SitsGirls
Dirty Limerick Time
A right twisted wench from Caprees-ed
Orgasmed each time that she sneez-ed
To the druggist she went
And laid down her last cent
Said, “A barrel of snuff, if you pleas-ed.”
On the moors Kelly walked in a daze
There she’d bark at the moon and the haze
Still her friends weren’t concerned
For by now they had learned
Once a month she would go through this phase.
(author’s note to the ladies: She was a werewolf. Now is it funny?)
A randy marsupial named Reeves
Spent some time with the whores ‘tween their knees
When they’d asked him for money
He’d say “Listen honey
A koala eats bushes and leaves.”
A new farmer’s helper named Kull
Accidentally was milking a bull
The farmer said, “Boy yer dumb,
You done milked the wrong one!”
Said the boy, “But me whole bucket’s full.”
Two Mushrooms
ROSHAN’S ELEVEN : JIM CARREY MOVIES
I’ve been a huge fan of Jim Carrey ever since I watched him for the first time in The Mask. He is a great comedic actor and always has made me laugh (with a couple of exceptions). Here is my top 11 favourite films of his.
- The Mask
- Dumb & Dumber
- Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
- Bruce Almighty
- Liar Liar
- Me, Myself & I
- I Love You Phillip Morris
- Yes Man
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
- The Truman Show
- The Number 23
There are movies like Batman Forever & Earth Girls Are Easy in which he was great but not the main actor or one of the main leads.
Back To Work I Go
This here is exactly how I feel right now. After 4 days of enjoyment and relaxation, only on one of which I actually ventured outside the apartment. 4 day weekend or mini-holiday from work and stuff. 4 days where I didn’t have to worry about the crap at work and relax and sleep in if I wanted to or watch as many movies or do whatever I wanted to. If I only hadn’t been suffering from that nasty cold and sinus infection then I would have had an even more enjoyable long weekend.
The cold subsided by late Sunday evening which meant I could still go out on Monday and enjoy a day out shopping and have a nice meal outside for lunch. But I still did get tired very quickly and couldn’t do everything that I had wanted to. Unfortunately there weren’t any good films that I wanted to see running in Lulu PVR Gold, the only theatre I go to anymore. So I did not go to Lulu although I could have on Monday as it would have been one of their less crowded days.
I didn’t drink beer or vodka during these days as I was ill. Maybe this Sunday I will get me some beer or drink some Smirnoff. Sigh! Anyways, it’s back to the grind again for 4 more days (as we have to work on Saturday to compensate for getting Monday off.