A protein inside a protein inside a protein, like this turducken, is called a "ballotine."

This week’s “Top Chef: Las Vegas” really increased the intensity — and I, for one, ate it up. The five remaining chefs were clearly the best, the cream of the crop. Still, I thought the judges made the right decision at elimination time. Even though I was not surprised, I was prepared to be, thus leaving me on the edge of my seat from the moment Jen said “turducken” during the quickfire challenge.

The quickfire challenge, articulated by Bocuse d’Or vetran Gavin Kaysen, was to cook a protein inside a protein inside a protein, hence Jen’s turducken joke. The Bocuse d’Or is the yearly “food olympics” in France. A turducken is a duck stuffed inside a chicken, which is stuffed inside a turkey. I wonder if I’d need a small personal loan to afford all three of those.

Welcome back

Birds all over the world rejoiced when they discovered that Jen actually wanted to work with seafood, which she says is her specialty. She made calamari steak, shiso and salmon all rolled up like sushi. It was pretty and apparently pretty tasty. Padma said “welcome back” after she tasted Jen’s dish.

So why all this talk about Jen? She won the quickfire. I thought the most delicious sounding dish was Kevin’s bacon-encrusted fried catfish, but alas, the television that transmits flavor has not yet been invented. Ahem. Anyway, Jen won an extra 30 minutes to cook during the elimination challege, which was — not surprisingly — for the chefs to prepare a Bocuse d’Or style dish, presented on a giant mirrored platter and everything.

Stuck in the moment

Eli says in a video on Broadway’s web site that he “got a little caught up in the situation … and the magnitude of what was happening.” I think most of the chefs fell victim to the same thing. I can’t really blame them: The winner of this challenge was promised $30,000. Despite the fact that all five of these chefs have put forth great performances throughout the season, all of them had technical problems with their dishes, except Kevin, whose dish was simply deemed too simple.

Everyone undercooked their dishes, except Kevin, so Kevin won. Judges called his dish “elementary,” but he still came out on top. This mark’s Kevin’s fifth elimination challenge win. It was a tad disappointing to watch the judges analyze such mediocre performances this late in the game, but I guess we just have to chalk it up to nerves and move on.

Looking forward to next week

In the spirit of moving on, I can’t wait to see the four very best chefs, who also happen to be my personal favorites, compete next week. We know from the preview that for the quickfire, the contestants must prepare a dish on a train — on the way to a new, far away place!

Based on the fact that he has won more challenges than anyone, logic points to the fact that Kevin will come out the overall winner on “Top Chef: Las Vegas,” but we’ve been surprised before. Was I the only one who was shocked when Hosea won “Top Chef” last season? Who do you think will win this season?

Tim and Heidi image from Wikimedia.

Once again, “Project Runway” has managed to remind me that I know absolutely nothing about fashion. Either that or the people who get to decide what is good fashion are crazy. Irina, who did show she was a very good designer throughout the season, was the “Project Runway” winner.

If she’d won based on the individual challenges throughout the season, I would have understood completely. However, I thought the collection she sent down the runway at Bryant Park was bizarre and even ridiculous. Shows how much I know. Of course, the person writing this is wearing sneakers, jeans and a hoodie. But it’s casual Friday at the best payday loans finding company in the world!

It’s not just me

However, I am somewhat comforted by the fact that I’m not the only person who thought Irina’s collection on the “Project Runway” season six finale was just weird. “If this is where fashion is going, I am resigning myself to jeans and T-shirts for the rest of my life,” one of my viewing buddies remarked as Irina’s almost-all-black “woman warrior” collection went down the runway.

We definitely agreed that her line was based on women in old sci-fi movies. Another friend called it “the fashion that the ’80s thought the future would have.” Before you get upset at us for being catty, remember, she won. We’re the idiots, apparently.

Our choice for ‘Project Runway’ winner

In case you are wondering, we all agreed that Carol Hannah should have won with her more practical, modern-looking line. Althea’s looked to me like a revival of the shabby-chic look that dawned a few years ago, but it was way too shabby, not very chic, and soooo two years ago.

My cousin in San Diego even agreed that Carol Hannah should have won, but she was the first to be told she was out and get auf wiedersehened. Clearly, the point of Bryant Park fashion week is not to display clothing that people would actually wear. Every season of “Project Runway” feature some talk about “show pieces” and “translating” what is on the runway into “real clothing.” I still don’t get the point. After six seasons of “Project Runway,” I probably never will.

‘Project Runway’ finale recap

The commercials promoting the “Project Runway” finale made a big deal about the fact that Tim Gunn said he was “going to lose it.” Yes, he did say that, but apparently Tim Gunn’s version of “losing it” is emphatically adjusting his spectacles, then propping his chin upon his fist and making an angry face. Oh, if only we could all control our tempers so well.

The editors also seemed to highlight Carol Hannah being sick, Irina being short and bossy with her assistant Gordanna and Althea almost crying when Irina — once again — implied she was copying her. Carol Hannah and Althea both got major kudos for their “surprise” 13th looks, but of course that footage was probably meant to throw us of the scent of who would be the season six “Project Runway” winner. Check out photos of Irina’s beffudling — er, I mean Irina’s winning collection.

Sandra Bullock image from Flickr.

“The Blind Side” has some really tough competition at the box office this weekend, thanks to the ravenous “Twilight” fan base. However, anyone looking for a more grown-up movie can skip “New Moon” and take  your instant cash loans over to “The Blind Side.”

Pete Hammond from Boxoffice Magazine goes so far as to say that Sandra Bullock delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as main character Leigh Anne Touhy. Hammond compares Bullock to Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich.

‘The Blind Side’ movie reviews

“The Blind Side” tells the story of Michael Oher, who was a first round draft pick this year for the Baltimore Ravens. However, a few years ago, he was a homeless, uneducated boy from a broken home. The wealthy, white Touhys took in the “oversized” African-American, says IMDB, and “groomed (him) into an athletically and academically successful NFL prospect.”

Joe Leydon from Variety says “The Blind Side” is “Another uplifting and entertaining feel-good, fact-based sports drama.” Heaping more praise on the star of the show, Emanuel Levy says “Sandra Bullock renders a strong performance as the feisty Southern belle in this inspirational sports saga.”

Breakouts and books

In his first lead role, Quinton Aaron plays the other main character, Michael Oher. Leydon says:

“Aaron gracefully treads a fine line, playing Michael as neither dullard nor idiot savant, but making him emotionally vulnerable, painfully self-aware and surprisingly resilient. Better still, Aaron more than holds his own opposite Bullock.”

The film is based on the book “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game,” and “The Blind Side” movie reviews are typical of films based on books. Many critics comment that the film doesn’t have much depth or subtext. “What you see is what you get,” says Levy. Critics consider it a fault when movies don’t contain the complexity and layering that books do, but most movie theater audiences would likely walk out of a film that contained all of the elements of a book complaining that it was long and slow.

Can’t win ‘em all

Of course, not every film critic gave “The Blind Side” a good review. Mark Palermmo from Coast, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, says the film doesn’t contain “understanding or identification, just white self-congratulation.” Even reveiws that were positive overall, such as Michael Rechtshaffen’s, said that the movie contained “missed opportunities and surface gestures.”

While several reviewers criticize “The Blind Side” for not delving deeper into the complex racial and class themes present in the film, critics such as Ann Hornaday from the Washington Post, see this as a plus: “Viewers get the sense that this isn’t a story about race or redemption or the complexities of class and culture. It’s a story about a person who witnesses need and responds, simply and honestly, with unfussy compassion and authenticity. It’s a story about family.”

Blind predictions

I think this film will be intriguing for American audiences, who are living in a race-obsessed culture. Much like in the film, racial issues are certainly presents everywhere. However, this lack of focus on race that many critics cite will likely be a refreshing aspect for viewers who understand that race is an issue but are tired of having it in the spotlight all the time.

I think obsessive teenagers will drive “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” into the top-earning spot at the box office this weekend. However, I think “The Blind Side” will hold its own by continuing to draw audiences long after  “Twilight” lovers have spent their allowance.

Critics say "New Moon" is built on Taylor Lautner's sex appeal, and apparently that foundation is enough to earn big box office bucks. Image from Wikimedia.

On Rotten Tomatoes, “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” reviews were 70 percent “rotten.” As of now 10 a.m. Friday morning, it has gotten 86 bad reviews. At Metacritic, only 46 percent of the reviews were good. However, I’d bet my emergency money that this film will be among the top box office sellers of all time.

I have discovered time and again that a film’s reviews and its box office sales often do not reflect each other. This may be one of the best examples of this phenomenon to date. “New Moon” box office sales, after last night’s showing at midnight releases, are expected to hit between $85 million and $100 million this weekend.

Breaking hearts and records

Even more amazing, “New Moon” broke the all-time record for most advance tickets sold. On Fandango, while “New Moon” has the record for most advance tickets sold, No. 2 is last night’s re-release of the first “Twilight” movie, which played before “New Moon” in many theaters last night.

It appears Stephanie Zacharek  really wanted this film to be good, but it wasn’t up to par for the Salon.com critic. She wrote: “New Moon offers few of the juicy, go-for-broke romantic pleasures of its predecessor, and the movie is so badly shaped that it’s hard not to blame Weitz as a director.”

Word from the fans

Of course, though good “New Moon” reviews were the minority, they are out there. “New Moon” got 37 good reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. “New Moon is little more than a skillful soap opera, but it’s still enjoyable escapism – even if you’re old and wise enough to see through it,” wrote Anna Smith from Time Out.

“If you’re a romantic at heart who doesn’t mind shelling out $12 to watch a couple of adolescent boy hotties strut their stuff, you might as well just go and enjoy the eye candy. ‘Cause it’s kind of worth it,” wrote David Foucher from EDGE Boston.

Not buying it

Most critics agree with Sonny Bunch from the Washington Times, who wrote “There’s little in the way of forward momentum until the final 30 minutes; stretching out this picture to longer than two hours was indefensible.” Daily Mail, in the UK, says “New Moon” is “Tedious, long-winded and not so much undead as almost entirely devoid of life.”

For those of you who want to hear from an actual “Twihard” who gave it a bad review, Kevin McCarthy from BDK Reviews wrote: “New Moon lacks the chemistry and passion that made Twilight so special. The sequel focuses more on the gratuitous sex appeal of the two lead male stars.”

A solid sales strategy

If McCarthy is right, and the film focuses on sex appeal, “New Moon” box office sales are all set to meet expectations and go through the roof. For decades films have made millions off the sex appeal of the lead characters. The only difference in this decade is that the sexiness keeps getting sexier.

Indeed, Willie Waffle echoes McCarthy’s sentiment, but he gave the film an overall good review. “Gives fans what they want (hot young dudes who don’t wear shirts), and might surprise a few people who didn’t expect much.”

Simpler, golden times for Michael Jackson. Will he and Shmuley Boteach find debt relief soon? (Photo: flickr.com)

Over the years, we witnessed the eccentricity of Michael Jackson. From his constant changing appearance and repeated debt relief missions to his legal issues, we ask ourselves the question: Why did he do it? What lead MJ to go that far? For instance, we remember him dangling his son over a balcony, the constant wearing of surgical masks, his Caucasian/Hispanic children, and him wearing pajamas to his court date. Now that Jackson is dead, it’s morbidly fascinating to see how many of his secrets float to the surface, and which person provides the fishing pole and bait, so to speak.

Shmuley Boteach Documents Time with Jackson

In light of celebrity Rabbi Shmuley Boteach’s “The Michael Jackson Tapes” and new book on the market, Jackson isn’t made to appear realistic, or even human. He’s made to seem even stranger. During 2000 and 2001, Jackson kept in contact with Boteach on a daily basis while he explored Judaism. The two hit it off, considering Boteach complimented Jackson by calling him very handsome and even compared him to another great pop star, Britney Spears (if you can call that a compliment). Jackson then assisted the rabbi by speaking at his forum at Oxford University and revealing the clandestine information that would later form Boteach’s book.

At first read, you’d assume the book should shed light on lots of Michael Jackson’s awkward moments, but it never delivers on that hopeful expectation. In fact, the tapes raise certain questions that could never be answered. Here are four items things left me baffled after reading this book:

MJ’s Shrine to Shirley Temple (True or False?)

In the book, it is said that Michael Jackson had an unusual obsession with Shirley Temple. Jackson said an unidentified guy would travel with him, and the man’s sole responsibility was to set up a room-sized shrine to Shirley Temple before Jackson arrived. This leads a person to ask, “What was up with Michael Jackson’s fixation with children in general?” Remember the days of Jackson hanging out with Emmanuel Lewis and Macaulay Culkin? What made their relationship so cryptic and mysterious was that neither one divulged personal details of their friendship.

Michael and Janet

Boteach’s book never really discusses the true relationship between Michael and his sister, Janet. Some people have been questioning if they really did or didn’t get along. Numerous rumors, as well as Michael Jackson’s confessions, state that he did unfortunately pester Janet. Perhaps this is understandable in light of the treatment Michael received from his father and brothers.

One subject that wasn’t addressed was Janet’s vocals being turned down in the mix on their duet, “Scream.” As usual, rumors were spreading about Michael seeking debt relief right before the recording of the song. People began questioning if Michael tried to sabotage his sister’s solo for him to shine brighter for more album sales. It’s evident that Janet looked up to big brother Michael and wanted to follow in his footsteps. However, Michael Jackson didn’t seem interested in helping her. We could chock this up to his talent simply being greater than hers, or we could leave the subject unanswered as “The Michael Jackson Tapes” does.

MJ: Straight or Asexual?

There have always been questions centered on whether Michael Jackson was actually attracted to women or not. Some people assume that he was merely pretending, but with so little facts to back up his claim of heterosexuality, what is true and what is false? Boteach, however, doesn’t believe that Michael was gay at all, and provides multiple instances where Jackson showed interest in the opposite sex. Katie Couric, Princess Diana, Brooke Shields and Tatum O’Neal have all spent quality time with Michael, though he tells Boteach that he was never intimate with these women because of his bashfulness. Jackson admitted that he’s never had to ask a woman out, because they’ve all asked him first. Alas, the question of Michael Jackson’s true sexual nature will go unanswered in this lifetime.

Michael vs. Madonna. Why the “Beef?”

No one knows or has yet admitted what events transpired between Michael and Madonna to make the King of Pop say that she is “just not a nice person.” He left his comments at that, but the unanswered question is why. What happened between the two to make Jackson, someone who claimed to not dislike anyone in the world, find something objectionable about Madonna? And what made Michael vehemently claim that she was in love with him? The world may never know.

Boteach Provides Interesting Entertainment

There might be some individuals who are bent on glorifying the material Boteach has put together, simply because it has the names Michael Jackson and King of Pop attached. But information that is worth sharing and paying attention gives something to the reader or audience. I’m not 100 percent sure what “The Michael Jackson Tapes” uncover, but maybe all they’re meant for is what Michael Jackson himself gave to us: pure entertainment. And with the entertainment being distributed through Michael Jackson’s branded name, debt relief might forever be a thing of Jackson and Boteach’s financial past.

Not a still from the film, and Halloween was weeks ago. Grow up, people. From Wikimedia Commons

That’s right, teenie-boppers and anyone else really into this whole vampire thing New Moon comes out Nov. 20th, and the New Moon reviews are starting to pour in.  The consensus among critics is that the film – you’ll have to pardon the pun – really BITES.  (Oh how am I NOT supposed to make that joke?) Rotten Tomatoes along some of the really big reviewers have decided that the novelty has worn off, and are giving the film a hiding.  Maybe payday loans for camping gear to await the premiere won’t be worth it.

Rotten Tomatoes

Even though some feel that Rotten Tomatoes is hit and miss at best, it’s one of most popular review sites for film on the internet.  RT gives New Moon a 30% score.  That is unflattering, to say the least.  Some comments from the New Moon page at RT describe the film as “toothless,” “the second bite was stale,” and one of my personal favorites, “if the first installment…was a celebration of teen sulkiness, this film positively drowns in it.” For some reason, I’m waiting for a two word review to come out saying something like…”Lame Moon.”  (Hello Cleveland!)

Roger Ebert and others

Roger Ebert, though he is at times far too kind to some films, didn’t spare the rod, or anything else when it came to this film.  He gave it one star from four, and one and zero star films are the ones that he pulls no punches with, and those are frankly the most entertaining of his reviews.  From his own website:

“New Moon…takes the tepid achievement of Twilight, guts it, and leaves it for undead.”

“The characters in this movie should be arrested for loitering with intent to moan…Their charisma is by Madame Toussad.”

In case you wondered, Madame Toussad’s is a famous museum, or to the point, perhaps the most famous wax museum in the world.

“…sitting through this experience is like driving a pickup in low gear through a sullen sea of Brylcreem.”

Harsh! MTV’s Kurt Loder seemed to like it, saying the film was an improvement over Twilight BUT that “It’s a very silly picture, of course: Given the source material – Stephanie Meyer’s blathery teen novels – how could it not be?” and that lead actress Kirsten Stewart was a good actress in a “wooden role.”

Of course some critics did like it, but heaping praise on a movie that’s already popular and getting huge box office gates is too easy, and not nearly as fun as trashing it.  That said, movie critics are hit and miss at best, and some seem to be bought by studios outright.  (The movie critic in my hometown paper, for instance – oh, you know who you are, and an adult who only gives 4 star reviews only to Disney films is obviously in need of psychological evaluation.)  I wasn’t planning on putting any quick cash towards New Moon tickets so the New Moon reviews make little difference to me, and it looks like you might want to think twice yourself if you listen to critics.

At least Tyra didn't choose herself. Image from Wikimedia.

I am not here to trash talk the “America’s Next Top Model” winner. (OK, maybe a little.) I am happy for her, and I wish her the best. However, I believe that the other finalist, Laura Kirkpatrick, was more deserving of the win.

I’d like to present a three-point, logic-based argument on why. I’m not saying it’s objective — it’s not. But given these factors, I just can’t believe the choice the judges made.

1. Her walk

The “America’s Next Top Model” judges said winner Nicole has a “signature walk,” but really she just has a bad walk. She has no business being on a runway with her bowlegged-ness and her swinging shoulders. She walks like a linebacker. She could definitely be a model for photos to go with articles on how to get easy payday loans, but she should not be ambling down a runway at Fashion Week by any stretch of the imagination.

Miss J felt strongly enough about Nicole’s awkward clumsiness during the Hip-Hop Hula challenge that Miss J blatantly mocked her. So why were Miss J and all of the other judges suddenly defending her horrible walk as “signature”? I have a theory on that, but I’ll save that for the end.

2. Her personality (or lack thereof)

The judges along with many photographers, mentors, agents and others along the way commented on Nicole’s lack of personality. They talked about her monotone voice, chilly demeanor and general social awkwardness. During the commercial shoot they said she came off as a snob, and they were right.

I think Nicole is gorgeous, looks fabulous in photographs and is a very talented model in a lot of ways. However, this brings me to my final arguments for why the “Top Model” winner was the wrong choice.

3. Laura is better

Laura’s walk is better. Laura’s personality is better. Laura’s legs are better. Everyone agreed all along the way that she was warm, friendly, humble and filled with gratitude. I think the modeling world could stand to have a little more of that. She did a better job at the commercial shoot. They did half as many takes with Laura compared to Nicole.

When the judges went through the photos from the whole season, Laura clearly had more great shots, according to the judges’ comments. Perhaps I am getting swept up in the fairytale of the would-be small-town-Wal-Mart-worker-turned-Top-Model-winner. Maybe I just love her accent, but again: The walk. The personality. The legs. This brings me to …

The theory

My ANTM-watching buddy planted in my head the idea that Nicole was selected as the winner before the finale. This is the only way the Top Model winner selection makes any sense. If the commercial shoot and the runway show on the finale were a total sham,that explains how Nicole could have been named the Top Model winner.

Of course, I am aware that the show could have been edited in a way that purposely misled the audience. However, I’m also aware that the people who sit behind the judges table aren’t the only ones who have a say in who gets to be the Top Model winner. The people handing out the life-changing contract, Cover Girl, have a pretty heavy hand in deciding who wins, and they could have made their choice known before the finalists went through all the song and dance of the finale activities.

Image from Flickr.

“Project Runway” season six, its first season airing on Lifetime rather than Bravo, is nearing its end. The finale airs Thursday, and we will find out whether Althea, Irina or Carol Hannah will win the prize money and all of the other perks.

Wednesday’s “Top Chef: Las Vegas,” which Bravo thankfully managed to keep around, will pit the final five chefs against each other. To get you prepared for this delightful week on cable, I offer you recaps of “Project Runway” and “Top Chef: Las Vegas” because I love them so — both, I can’t pick. It’s like choosing between personal loan companies — they’ve all got what I want!

Top five on ‘Top Chef’

I think most viewers — and I know the remaining chefs — believe now that Robin is gone, we are really down to the very best of the bunch. Everyone still in the competition most definitely deserves to be there. Truth be told, I am a softy and I always felt sorry for Robin because the other chefs were mean to her.

They continued to be mean to her during episode 11, but on the most recent challenge, it was clear that it was Robin’s time  to go. I think she probably makes much better food than I ever could, but she kept repeating the same mistake: Rather than perfecting dishes that she knew she could do well, she was always trying brand new things. It finally caught up with her on “Top Chef” season six, episode 11.

Strong get stronger, weak go home

If it wasn’t clear that Robin was the weak link going into episode 11 (it was), it became apparent quickly. She left a huge mess in the kitchen after creating her quickfire breakfast in bed for Padma and Nigella Lawson, who is a huge big shot in the food world. Eli won with what Nigella called “a good hangover breakfast.” It was a reuben sandwich/eggs benedict hybrid, and it made it into the Top Chef Quickfire recipe book.

The elimination challenge was to create a dish inspired by one of those elaborate Vegas hotels. Robin, once again, took on way too much and tried a brand new experiment. She tried to make sugar panes that represented the glass sculpture all over the ceiling at the Bellagio. She failed. The sugar didn’t even make it onto the plate, leaving her with a boring dessert.

On the other end of things, Michael — or Voltaggio the Younger — won the challenge with his crispy buffalo wings, inspired by New York, New York. I find a lot of comfort in the fact that my love for buffalo wings doesn’t mean I have an unsophisticated palate.

Fastest ‘Project Runway’ recap in the West

Here’s a summation of what happened on “Project Runway,” the season six finale Part I: Nothing. Yes, it was the episode where Tim Gunn went to visit the designers as they worked on their collections. Then the designers checked into their hotel. Then Heidi told them there was a “surprise.” They had to create another look for their collections before the show in Bryant Park.

Sorry, Heidi, but six seasons in, this is not a surprise. In fact, if Carol Hannah, Irina and Althea didn’t show up for the finale with an idea of what else they’d make, they’ve obviously not been following the show. Just two more days, folks, and the suspense will be through! Yes, it’s a little sad to see season six come to an end and begin the long wait until season seven.

Image by wikimedia

Never in a million years did I think I’d find myself doing any of these things:

1. Defending Rob Schneider
2. Agreeing with Howard Stern
3. Berating a national news organization for sensationalizing

However, I am about to do all three. After I watched the CBS news story on the Rob Schneider radio interview that took place Friday morning in Palm Beach, I thought Rob Schneider was being arrogant, rude and combative. However, after I watched a video of the full interview, I have to agree with Howard Stern’s sentiment that the catastrophe was the result of the radio show hosts being unprofessional.

Bad news is good news

In order for you to see things from my perspective, I suggest you go through the same process I went through. First, watch the ABC News story about the Rob Schneider radio interview.

Of course, we all know that Rob Schneider has had enough hit movies that he’ll never need same day payday loans to make ends meet. One line that has stuck out was when Rob Schneider says he makes a lot more money than the radio hosts and he says “I could buy and sell you.” In the ABC News version of the story, this part comes across as insulting and mean. Watch:

Makes for a pretty good story, eh? But wait…

There’s more to it

If you watch the video of the entire interview, you’ll see how CBS carefully cobbled together sound bites to make it look like Rob Schneider was being a first-class jerk. I can’t speak to whether CBS did it intentionally, but I have a really hard time believing that the network just arbitrarily left out all of the parts where Schneider kept his cool while the radio show hosts completely lost theirs. You can see this in the video of the full interview.

It’s a long interview, so I’ll paraphrase. The full interview was more than 10 minutes long. When put in context, it’s obvious that Schneider is engaging in a little bit of good-natured, sarcastic ribbing and the hosts are completely overreacting.

I cannot believe I’m agreeing with Stern

This story about the Rob Schneider radio interview really blew up when Howard Stern mentioned it on his show. I have not heard all of Howard Stern’s comments, and I am sure I wouldn’t agree with all of them. I do agree with the gist of what he said, though. The show hosts acted unprofessionally and Rob Schneider was just being the type of comedian he is known for being.

At one point in the full video Schneider says, basically, that the show hosts picked a fight with him to create a better story. I don’t know if that’s what they were doing, but I can see why Schneider said that. If they weren’t just trying to bait him, they need to learn to calm down.

Taking sides

Of course, a lot of people disagree with me, even after seeing the full interview. However, the blogs I have come across that defend the radio hosts and call Rob Schneider a number of names to describe his conduct all appear to have some sort of affiliation with the radio station. At the very least, people I’ve seen defending the radio station hosts in print live in Palm Beach and likely listen to the show often.

A caller during the morning show said Schneider was being a jerk, but again, I believe that person probably was a big fan of the show and the hosts. Sure, some of the jokes Schneider made were rude. However, the hosts on the Rob Schneider radio interview were way too defensive and completely overreacted, turning something that was meant to be a joke into an on-air blowup that didn’t need to happen.

John Cusack stars in "2012." Image from Picasa.

The world is going to end — again. Previews of and commentary surrounding the film “2012″ remind me of the constant speculating and paranoia during the two years or so before the year 2000 hit. I’m not really sure exactly how rumors that the world was going to end or that we could expect the Second Coming of Christ began, but they were everywhere and even easier to find than money lenders.

Furthermore, most people were pretty sure that all of the computers in the world would somehow be rendered useless as soon as the clock struck Jan. 1, 2000. Well, now that that’s passed and we’re all still here, it’s time to start focusing on the next end of the world, which is featured in the movie “2012.” I don’t personally know any people who believe that the world will really end in 2010, when the Mayan Calendar says it will, but I do know that people are fascinated by thoughts of the world ending.

‘2012′ pulls in the big bucks

The film “2012,” which stars John Cusack and details the upcoming apocalypse, beat out all of the other films in theaters in terms of ticket sales over the weekend. Perhaps it’s because it was the only new wide release, as “Pirate Radio” only was released in a few hundred theaters across the country.

“2012″ made $65 million, pushing “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” from the No. 1 spot to No. 2. “The Men Who Stare at Goats” came in third for ticket sales with $6.1 million. “Precious,” a Tyler Perry/Oprah project expanded and did well, snagging the No. 4 spot with $6.1 million in ticket sales. That’s a pretty amazing feat, considering that “Precious” is showing in less than 200 theaters. “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” remained in the top five, making $5.1 million.

More about ‘2012′

The Mayan Long Count calendar comes to an end on Dec. 21, 2012. This is actually the year 5125 on that calendar. Some theories state that this date marks a positive spiritual experience or awakening for humankind. Others say it marks the apocalypse.

Of course, the film “2012″ focuses on the idea that disaster will strike. Filmmakers have made it pretty clear that the film is only loosely based on the Mayan calendar. It’s not really meant to reflect the beliefs of the people who follow that calendar, it’s just a disaster movie designed to sell tickets — and sell tickets it did.

Box office top 10

Amazingly, despite horrible reviews, both “Fourth Kind” and “Couples Retreat” did well at the box office, coming in sixth and seventh place, respectively. I am pretty surprised that “Couples Retreat” is still pulling in viewers. It has been out for five weeks. “Paranormal Activity” came in eighth place at the box office.

This weekend alone, “Paranormal Activity” made more than $4 million, even though it only cost $11,000 to make. It has made more than $100 million to date. Rounding out the top 10 box office moneymakers, “Law Abiding Citzen” made $3.9 million, and “The Box” pulled in $3.2 million.

Philip Seymour Hoffman stars in "Pirate Radio." Image from Wikimedia.

I am a pretty decisive person. For instance, when I saw the “Pirate Radio” trailer, I decided less than a minute in, “I definitely want to see that movie.” When I saw the “Fantastic Mr. Fox” trailer, I thought “I definitely do not want to see that movie.”

Based on that, I’d predict that “Pirate Radio” reviews would say the movie was great and “Fantastic Mr. Fox” reviews would say that movie is lame. However, despite the fact that I made predictions about movies pretty much on a weekly basis, I am really bad at it. So, naturally, the “Fantastic Mr. Fox” reviews are overwhelmingly favorable and “Pirate Radio” reviews are mediocre at best. Foiled again! Good thing I didn’t bet my cash till payday on it.

Not psychic but stubborn

Still, despite the fact that all of the critics think “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is indeed fantastic and “Pirate Radio” should get lost at sea, I’m going to see “Pirate Radio.” However, in order to help you choose the appropriate Sunday matinee for you and yours, here are some snippets from “Pirate Radio” reviews and “Fantastic Mr. Fox” reviews written by professionals.

‘Pirate Radio’ reviews

Tom Long of the Detroit news called “Pirate Radio” an “amiable mess,” which still encourages me to see it, even though his overall review was negative. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone liked “Pirate Radio,” which is definitely a good sign for me. Travers says “The boat nearly sinks from character overload.” Sounds like my kind of movie!

The only thing that concerns me is the length of “Pirate Radio,” two hours and 15 minutes. This especially concerns me because Travers said “(Director Richard) Curtis brakes when you most want him to gun it.” So I am a little concerned that the movie will be too slow, especially because I prefer my couch to chilly theater seats.

‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ reviews

Even though “Fantastic Mr. Fox” got great reviews and it’s based on a book by the famous and popular Roald Dahl, it’s only opening in a few theaters this weekend. However, on Friday it’s expanding so keep an eye out if this sounds like your cup of tea.

More reasons I’m a bad film judge

In a lot of ways, “Fantastic Mr. Fox” sounds as though it should be my cup of tea. I loved Roald Dahl books when I was a kid. I’m a huge fan of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” I am also a huge fan of director Wes Anderson. So what is it I have against “Fantastic Mr. Fox”? The animation? Yep, that’s it.

I think stop-motion animation — the latest, greatest, trendiest craze in filmmaking — is creepy. So there’s your full disclosure. I guess sometimes “decisive” really means “closed-minded.” Oh well, like Popeye says, I am what I am.

Charla Nash appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show on November 11th, to

From Wikimedia Commons

update the world on her status almost 9 months after being the victim of a horrific mauling by a chimpanzee.  She is blind, cannot eat solid food, and lives at the Cleveland Clinic, the esteemed hospital where the first face transplant was carried out on American soil.  It takes a very brave person to want to appear on TV in that state.  In the wake of the attack, her family has set up a trust fund, where people may donate quick cash to help pay her medical expenses and support her in general.

A real “animal lover” desires preservation of habitats, not a pet

There seems to be a real sick fascination with having certain animals as “pets.” For instance, lions, tigers, bears (oh my! – how am I not supposed to make that joke?) and chimpanzees.  Elvis had a pet chimp, so did Michael Jackson.  (Both animals, Scatter and Bubbles, respectively, had to be gotten rid of after they grew violent, by the way.)  They are a popular fixture on television, and some people will event rent a chimpanzee for parties.  Let me assure you, they are not an animal you want around either you or your children, at all.  Perhaps the foremost expert on chimpanzee behavior, Jane Goodall, posted this opinion piece in the wake of the incident.

Here comes some learning

Despite what you see on TV, in magazines, or movies starring a former President they aren’t cute, cuddly, and safe.  (Well, they can be in infancy.  Once they get a bit older – not so much.)  An adult chimp can stand over 5 feet tall, and weigh up to 150 pounds.  They are 5 times stronger than the average human.   Furthermore, chimpanzees are territorial and can be very aggressive in the wild.  They have, and this is documented, killed human infants.  (One of Jane Goodall’s subjects did just that in Africa – a 14 month old baby.)  They carry out what amounts to tribal warfare, and males will kill infants in order to mate with the mother.  Goodall herself was almost beaten to death, and Far Side cartoonist Gary Larson, visiting the preserve where Goodall did her field studies, was also attacked and injured. They do live in troops, so the life of a chimpanzee isn’t necessarily solitary, but is nasty, cruel, brutish, and short.  Oh, and might we also mention AIDS and the Ebola virus?

At what point should it stop?

People and wild animals don’t mix very well, period.  Stick to a normal pet, like dogs, cats, the smaller and more manageable (and non-venomous) reptiles, birds, and fish, people.  Charla Nash will never see again, as her eyes had to be removed due to infection, and she wears a veil around the hospital she lives in.  She’s a brave and strong woman.  People are inclined to ask why it happened – was Travis infected with rabies?  He was negative for rabies – he just did what was in his nature, as a chimpanzee.  They aren’t pets.  They are wild animals, capable of killing a full grown person with ease.  Get some quick cash for a rabbit instead.

Carrie Prejean image from Flickr.

Carrie Prejean, who is famous for several semi-scandalous things I’ll list off later, appeared on “Larry King Live” last night. During the brief interview, she showed the world that she is a naive, condescending prima donna. Of course, I could be just another member of the “liberal media” she speaks of, the people who think it’s OK to attack conservative women.

Or I could just be someone who calls a spade a spade. You can decide for yourself, and you can say whatever you want, thanks to the fact that this is the United States. That means I can write about Carrie Prejean on Larry King for a payday lending site, and it also means Carrie Prejean has the right to make a sex tape, discriminate against gays and act like a complete jerk on “Larry King Live.” However, I’m allowed to say whatever I want about it.

Carrie Prejean background

Before we get to the Carrie Prejean on Larry King video, here’s a little Carrie Prejean 101. Keep in mind that I am under no obligation to be objective. Carrie Prejean first made a splash on the national scene when she said, during the Miss USA pageant, that same-sex couples should not be allowed to marry. She was named runner-up for Miss USA and went back to being Miss California — but not for long.

She was fired from her post as Miss California after missing publicity appearances (aka not doing her job) and, according to Donald Trump, treating people like, um, crap. Carrie Prejean sued the pageant for religious discrimination, saying she was really fired from being Miss California because of what she said about gay marriage. The suit was settle out of court and Prejean walked away penniless after the prosecution revealed that they had a copy of a sex tape featuring her, a self-proclaimed conservative Christian.

Who is being inappropriate?

That brings us to Carrie Prejean’s appearance on Larry King, where she apparently believed she’d be doing nothing besides promoting her book, “Still Standing.” (Reader poll: Would you read her book? Leave comments below.) Something tells me she’s never watched “Larry King Live” before.

So, now to back up my original points, it was incredibly naive of Carrie Prejean to think she could go on Larry King and not talk about the lawsuit. It was condescending of her to pull the “I’m not allowed to talk about it” card. Anyone with half a brain knows that after a lawsuit is already settled, there is absolutely no legal reason a person can’t explain their motive for keeping a case out of court. Did she have to tell him? No. Was it an insult to his intelligence to pretend that she was legally obligated to withhold her motive for settling? Yes. Was it even more condescending for her to repeatedly say “You’re being inappropriate” to Larry King for asking questions, which is his job? Yes.

As far as the prima donna part, she threw a temper tantrum and took off her microphone even after Larry King agreed to move on. Enough said. Oh, wait, I’d like to add “childish” to the list of adjectives before “prima donna.”

Addressing more ridiculousness

At the beginning of the interview, King asks Prejean to explain what she means when she says she’s been “Palinized.” She explains that “the liberal media” thinks “conservative women are fair game to be attacked.” First of all, they are fair game, according to the Constitution. Also, public figures are not protected under the same libel or slander laws as the rest of us non-celebrities.

She also says media can “get away with” attacking conservative women but not liberal public figures. Sigh. I think this falls under the “naive” category.  However, to her credit, she appears to be learning from her mistakes. TMZ reports that she pulled out of  a speaking gig today five minutes before she was supposed to talk. Thought the speech was to be given to an exclusive club for Republicans in Washington, D.C., a source at Capitol Hill said she wanted to avoid a repeat of last night’s fiasco. I think this is a smart choice for her. If you don’t want public scrutiny, don’t thrust yourself into the public eye.

Image from Picasa.

By now, Taylor Swift must be over the insulting incident, courtesy of Kanye West, that took place at the Video Music Awards a few months ago. Taylor Swift won not two, not three but four Country Music Association Awards, taking home the most wins among CMA Awards 2009 winners.

Taylor Swift won Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year and Music Video of the Year. Other CMA Awards 2009 winners include Brad Paisley for Male Vocalist of the Year, Lady Antebellum for Vocal Group of the Year and Sugarland for Vocal Duo of the Year. Although the CMA Awards were held on Veterans Day, the web site for the Country Music Association says the ceremony is purely for honoring musical talent; the association isn’t collecting money for military loans or anything.

More CMA Awards 2009 winners

Brad Paisley and Keith Urban won Musical Event of the Year for their duet “Start a Band.” The CMA Awards 2009 winners for “Song of the Year” were Jamey Johnson, James Otto and Lee Thomas Miller, co-writers of “In Color.” Along with its Vocal Group prize, Lady Antebellum took home the win for Single of the Year with “I Run to You.”

Fun fact: “antebellum” means “before the war.” Other CMA Awards 2009 winners were Mac McAnally, who won Musician of the Year, and Darius Rucker, the New Artist of the Year.

CMA and Vetrans Day

This year, the CMA Awards ceremony happened to fall on Vetrans Day, and though the country music genre does have a reputation for being patriotic, it was just a coincidence. Last year, the CMA Awards were held Nov. 12, the day after Vetrans Day, also a Wednesday.

The date of the CMA Awards ceremony has a lot more to do with the television network’s schedule than anything else. ABC’s usual Wednesday night lineup features a slew of new sitcoms, but it was about time for a midseason break and the CMA Awards.

Image from Flickr

Loyal Wednesday night TV watchers have  had to endure some disappointment lately. “Glee” has not aired on Fox for two weeks because of some baseball tournament thingy between some dudes who are named after a racial slur for white people and some dudes named after delicious steak sandwiches. However, “Glee” is back tonight!

Furthermore, last week “Top Chef” played some ill-conceived space-filler in which former “Top Chef” contestants got together to cook and talk. There was no competition, and events such as host Fabio confronting grating personalities like Marcel from Season 2 made the awkwardness a bit over the line for me at times. I’m aware that a lot of people eat that type of content up, hence shows such as “Real Housewives of She-Devil County,” but I’d rather eat up Kevin creating his next pork masterpiece or some good, old-fashioned Voltaggio brothers rivalry.

Veterans Day: good for staying in

Veterans Day means banks are closed, but you can still get online payday loans. In fact most businesses are still open, but it’s tough to know in advance which ones. Luckily, you can have a great night at home because both “Glee” and “Top Chef” are back with new episodes.

Internet buzz says that on “Glee” it is revealed that Finn is not Quinn’s baby daddy. I don’t feel bad saying that because it has been on the TV commercials, too. The new “Top Chef” is entitled “Strip Around the World,” and it begins with the chefs making breakfast in bed for Padma and a guest judge. Of course, “America’s Next Top Model” will air as usual.

‘Glee’ catch-up session

Because “Glee” has been off the air for what seems like forever, here’s a little catch-up session for y’all. On the last episode, good-girl Rachel and bad-boy Puck made out and then, after a little back-and-forth on the topic of being a couple, eventually decided that being “two good-looking Jews,” as Puck said, is not enough.

The union between Emma and Ken continued to be painful to watch as Will tried to create a mashup of their chosen wedding songs, “The Thong Song” and “I Could Have Danced All Night.” Ken picked up on the fact that Emma may have a thing for Will, and some good old-fashioned macho exchanges took place.

‘Top Chef’ replay

Before all of this “All Stars Dinner” ridiculousness, Kevin won (again) on “Top Chef: Las Vegas” season 10 for his vegetarian dish. What was the King of Pork doing making a vegetarian dish? Why, it was the wish of Natalie Portman, of course.

After Mike I. said the leeks in his dish were meant to “represent” protein, he was sent packing, and I let out a huge sigh of relief. Some people love to hate their least favorite chefs, but I just love to watch them leave. Mike I. remained an arrogant, somewhat sexist jerk throughout the competition, and I won’t miss him at all.

5 Things to do on Veterans Day

In case you’re not the TV-watching type, I have come up with an alternate list of things to do on Veterans Day. Of course, the purpose of Veterans Day is to honor soldiers. I believe this happens in the mind and heart and isn’t much of an activity, so I am sticking to activities with the understanding that we should be grateful for soldiers every day. That said:

1. Go see “A Serious Man,” the new Cohen brothers film, if the big screen is more your speed. It’s a masterpiece!
2. Rent a war movie. One with a good message, not one of those “let’s see how much gore we can put in an R-rated movie” types.
3. If you don’t have to work, practice for Thanksgiving. Try out recipes from AllRecipes.com or Recipe Zaar to take out some of the guesswork and stress.
4. Is it time to join a gym? Most gyms are open on Veterans Day, and if you get a gym membership before you’re tempted with all types of holiday cuisine, you might not have to deal with post-holiday guilt.
5. Start your holiday shopping. If you get on it now, you can complete your entire shopping list online and not have to deal with mall mayhem. Check out my gift ideas.

Maybe it’s the mixture of themes such as war, family, love, death and infidelity. Maybe it’s the tear-jerking “Brothers” movie trailer. However, I am willing to bet it’s the cast: Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire top the list of actors in “Brothers.” Put together the fans of those three, and you’re going to be selling a lot of movie tickets.

If you’re not sure yet whether you want to save your money for a ticket so you can avoid needing money loans when the movie “Brothers” comes out, here’s the “Brothers” movie trailer.

‘Brothers’ release date

“Brothers” the movie, which also features Carey Mulligan and Clifton Collins Jr., comes out Dec. 4. In case you can’t watch the “Brothers” movie trailer, here’s a plot synopsis for you.

Grace Cahill, played by Natalie Portman, is the wife of a soldier and mother of two girls. When her husband Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) goes missing, his brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) moves in to help Grace. Eventually, Grace accepts that Sam is dead, and you can probably guess what happens after that between Grace and Tommy.

Turning point

As you can probably guess, Sam is not dead. He is found, and he returns home. It is evident from the “Brothers” movie trailer that the movie takes a dramatic turn at this point. What starts as a tearful drama about dealing with loss and taking care of family turns to an anger-filled psychological thriller, or so it seems.

I think perhaps the “Brothers” trailer gives a bit too much away, but it certainly does draw interest. Though I already know the husband isn’t dead, and I already know how he reacts when he catches wind of romance between his wife and brother, it’s hard to tell from the trailer exactly what type of movie this is. Is it a heartwarming drama about helping soldiers deal with hardship, and in the end everything ends up OK? Or is it a tragedy where people get killed? I guess the filmmakers are doing a good job of selling this film, at least to me.

Box office bounty

"Brothers" movie stars Jake Gyllenhaal.

Thanks to the star-studded cast and the war theme, I predict “Brothers” will do extremely well at the box office. The same weekend it hits the big screen, “Armored” comes out. “Armored” is a crime thriller starring Matt Dillon and Laurence Fishburne, but I don’t think it’ll have as wide an appeal as “Brothers.”

Other offerings for Dec. 4 are comedy “Everybody’s Fine” and horror comedy “Transylmania.” “Everbody’s Fine” stars Robert DeNiro and is a good alternative to “Brothers” for those who want to laugh instead of cry. Actually, there might be a little bit of crying, but it’s the good kind.

What’s horror comedy?

“Transylmania” falls in the same vein as “Scary Movie” and all of its sequels. Of course, it’s about vampire movies. At this point, you already know whether you like horror movie parodies, right? The jokes will be obvious, and most of them will be gross. The film will attempt to shock you and/or make you feel uncomfortable throughout.

It’s apparent from the trailer that there will be a lot of physical comedy. College students make up the core characters. Yes, we have seen all of this before, but that means you’ll already know going into it whether you’ll like it. If you are amused by poking fun at “Twilight” and its ilk, this movie might be right up your alley.

Box office check

“Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” which stars about six versions of Jim Carey, is sitting pretty at the top of the box office earnings list. On its opening weekend, it managed to beat out “Michael Jackson’s This Is It,” which was No. 1 for the two weeks prior.

This weekend, action drama “2012,” which is about the end of the world, will enter the competition for top spot at the box office, though I highly doubt it will end up there. My money is on “Pirate Radio,” starring Oscar winner Phillip Seymour Hoffman. I think “Christmas Carol” will probably remain near the top until Dec. 26, and “This Is It” will stay in the top three until the end of its run, which now reportedly will last until the day after Thanksgiving.

“Precious” is expanding this weekend, and mark my words: It will make a pretty penny, just like everything Oprah touches and everything Tyler Perry makes.

George Clooney image from Flickr.

After a bit of a dry spell at the box office, we are inundated this week with a flood of new releases. Critic favorite is clearly “The Men Who Stare at Goats,” as reviews from all over sing its praises. It’s no surprise that a film starring George Clooney, Kevin Spacey, Ewan McGregor and Jeff Bridges is getting a lot of attention.

In fact, “The Men Who Stare at Goats” will probably cause trouble for its competition. Why the makers of horror movie “The Box” and thriller “The Fourth Kind” waited until after Halloween to release their films I can’t explain. I also think it’s a tad early for “A Christmas Carol,” but I’m sure in the long run that one will pull in big bucks.

Ensemble

“The Men Who Stare at Goats” will bring in instant cash, and I say that not only because of its uber-famous ensemble cast, but also because of its wide appeal. It’s listed most places as simply a comedy, but it has several elements that appeal to a wide audience.

Love, war, psychic powers and missing soldiers are among the subject matter that “The Men Who Stare at Goats” tackles. Rich Cline from Shadows on the Wall says: “Based on true events as recounted in the Jon Ronson book, this freewheeling war comedy is deeply entertaining due to the crazy-but-believable premise and wonderfully outrageous characters.”

Plot points

As one can probably guess, “The Men Who Stare at Goats” is a satire, but much like its cast and its subject matter, it’s hardly one-dimensional. Amy Nicholson from Boxoffice Magazine says the film is “At once optimistic about what the military could do if it replaced its guns with flowers, and cynical about what the non-believers and opportunists can – and did – do to that dream.”

Of course, not everyone is a fan. Deborah Young from Hollywood Reporter said “With material like this, one would have liked a more incisive comedy to materialize around the decline and fall of the New Age movement.”

Box office

Despite getting some negative reviews from a few top critics, I am fairly certain “The Men Who Stare at Goats” will bring in more money this weekend than the other new releases. It might have a tough time beating out last weekend’s top box office earner, “Michael Jackson’s This is It,” especially because “This is It” is only in theaters for a limited time.

Jim Carrey does most of the voices in "Disney's A Christmas Carol." Image from Wikimedia.

If you don’t think the Rated R satirical comedy “The Men Who Stare at Goats” — which critics call “a farcical antidote to big-screen bores about Afghanistan and Iraq” — is quite your speed, you have a couple of options at pretty opposite ends of the spectrum.

On one end we have Jim Carrey doing the voices of about six different roles in the animated holiday flick “Disney’s A Christmas Carol.” If you’re not into Jim Carrey, Disney or Christmas, your other options are horror movies. Check out “Christmas Carol” reviews and “The Box” reviews below. You could also spend your payday advances on the movie that none of the critics liked, “The Fourth Kind.”

“A Christmas Carol” movie reviews

Officially, “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” is rated “rotten” on Rotten Tomatoes, but 56 percent of critics liked it, so that’s a majority. Lisa Kennedy of the Denver Post wrote “Does this entertainment achieve a timelessness beyond its exquisite source material? Not even. Yet there’s pleasure to be had and relief in feeling the filmmakers didn’t Scrooge it up either.”

Randy Myers of the Contra Costa times also gave it a bit of a mixed review, saying “Disney’s excessively hyped A Christmas Carol brings Dickensian details to such sumptuous life that you mostly forgive it for possessing a stop-motion soul.”

While most critics agreed with the vague “not great but good” take, many agreed with Christian Toto, who said “The only major change Disney’s A Christmas Carol takes with the source material is draining the humanity right out of it.”

‘The Box’ movie reviews

Jolene Mendez from Entertainment Spectrum called this movie starring Cameron Diaz “a box full of boredom.” “The Box” got 46 percent good reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Betsey Sharkey from the Los Angeles times agrees, but decided to skip the word play and go straight for the kill. She wrote:

Have you ever actually tried watching paint dry? A sloth walk? Grass grow? You can have all the thrills with none of the chills courtesy of The Box, the painfully sluggish new sci-fi morality play from Donnie Darko creator Richard Kelly.

However, New York Times critic Manohla Dargis said it was “Sincere and sinister and inevitably ambitious.” Stephen Witty from The Newark Star-Ledger admired its originality, saying “It’s not slick, standard sci-fi, sure — and that’s a good thing.”

‘The Fourth Kind’ movie reviews

My experience in observing these things tells me that even though “The Fourth Kind” got terrible reviews, it’ll still make a killing at the box office. I don’t think it’ll pass up current box office topper “Michael Jackson’s This is It,” but terrible horror movies have a cult following — and it’s a big cult.

Tom Long of the Detroit News says “The Fourth Kind” is “Unintentionally, laughably bad.” I suspect reviews like that will actually encourage a lot of people to go see it. I understand. It’s the same reason I love movies like “Step Up 2: The Streets” and “You Got Served.”

“A gimmicky, inordinately self-impressed attempt to cash in on the latest tabloid buzzwords. If this was made in the ’70s, it’d be narrated by Leonard Nimoy and chock-full of yetis and the Devil’s Triangle,” writes Andrew Wright from The Stranger.

Has he lost weight? Image from Flickr.

Behold the power of Google. The world’s most popular search engine put a picture of Cookie Monster on its homepage today, and suddenly a four-year-old rumor is revived. There has not and will not be a decision to change Cookie Monster to Veggie Monster.

The fact that everyone is researching this rumor because of Google’s homepage makes me wonder if people are paying attention. Yesterday, Big Bird’s legs were featured on Google’s homepage because starting Nov. 10, Sesame Street will be airing its 40th season. So if everyone found out yesterday that it’s a big anniversary for Sesame Street and thus birthdays for all the characters, why is everyone suddenly wondering if Cookie Monster is now Veggie Monster? Did people not see the connection?

Everyone loves a good rumor

Of course, it’s human nature often to assume the worst, speculate, go with the most shocking story. People like low interest loans and everyone loves a little scandal in the morning. Those are just the facts of life.

But how did this rumor about Cookie Monster and Veggie Monster get started in the first place? As usual, it is a story with a grain of truth that just got blown out of proportion.

Cookie Monster to Balance Diet Monster

In 2005, makers of Sesame Street decided that in order to achieve their goal of making children’s lives better, they needed to recognize that childhood obesity is a problem. They decided the best character for helping advocate healthy eating was Cookie Monster.

CBS wrote a lengthy report on Cookie Monster not being Veggie Monster and explaining that Cookie Monster was simply changing his eating habits for the sake of his health and the health of his viewers.

The financial advice part

Sometimes I have to remind myself that this is a financial news blog, not just a place for me to dispel nasty rumors about puppets. So here is some financial advice:

Following Cookie Monster’s example and eating healthy foods can save you a lot of money. At the least, you won’t end up spending a bundle on pills, books or personal trainers when you realize you need to lose weight. On the super expensive end of the spectrum, we’ve got the medical bills that stem from all the health problems caused by obesity. So be a Veggie Monster, not a Cookie Monster, and you’ll be able to watch Sesame Street for another 4o years.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gamerscore/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Raquel Houghton is making headlines today and it’s not because she was Dane Cook’s girlfriend for several long years. It’s because she’s kicking things up a notch and working hard to be the next American Idol.

Interestingly, Houghton is not a stranger to Hollywood. Apparently, the 28-year-old beauty reportedly earned some quick cash and recognition for her television commercial appearances for “Trollz”, “The Power Girls”, and a couple others. Houghton lives in Los Angeles and works as a bartender and a waitress.

Raquel Houghton, Dane Cook

Raquel Houghton and comedian Dane Cook were first spotted together at the 2006 premiere of the movie ‘Employee of the Month,’ starring Dane Cook with Jessica Simpson and Dax Shepard. Dane was quoted as saying, “We’ve been invited to other functions, but this is our first event of this caliber. This is my baby. ..[She is] independent and funny – two things I like in a woman.”

Dane Cook is not only a brilliant comedian, but he makes quite a decent actor as well. Some of my favorite Dane Cook movies include: ‘My Best Friend’s Girl,’ ‘Good Luck Chuck,’ and ‘Dan in Real Life.’

Raquel Houghton – The Next Big Thing?

I’m not sure how well the girl can sing. From what I’ve been able to dig up, she is the lead singer of a band called “The Valli Girls.” I haven’t had the chance to listen to any of her cuts, but the group’s MySpace profile says:

Raquel Houghton is our fearless lead singer who always brings the funk when we’re jamming. Plus she has the best reflexes of anyone in the Valley.

Houghton sang “Son of a Preacher Man” by Dusty Springfield during her audition for American Idol. I’ve been looking all over YouTube for a video of her singing, but so far I haven’t stumbled upon any luck. Nonetheless, I wish Raquel Houghton the best of luck and success in the world.