King of Cool

Using Blockbuster Total Access online rental service, I have watched quite a few movies. Since there are only so many new releases that are of interest, I rent a fair number of older movies too. Some that I just missed, some classics, and some originals (ie. remakes have been done that I have seen). This lead to me to a realization. Of all old school actors, there is one man who comes across as being flat out cool. Steve McQueen. Honestly, watch a Steve McQueen movie and tell me he doesn't just reek of coolness. The guy is just cool. Here's a list of movies that I've seen starring Steve McQueen: Hell is for Heroes, Bullit, Thomas Crown Affair, The Great Escape, The Magnificent Seven, The Towering Inferno. He's done others and I'll get around to watching them, but he still remains....


There is a current actor that also gives off a very similar swagger. This actor also comes across as cool in most of his movies. He hasn't truly acted in any classics, but regardless, most of his movies have been fun and he also radiates that coolness. I am speaking of none other than Jason Statham. His movie credits (movies I've seen) include: Cellular, Snatch, the Transporter 1 and 2, Crank, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, The Italian Job, The One, and most recently War (not seen it, but would like to). He may not yet be "the essence of cool", but he's definitely got the spirit of cool.

My Retirement Fund...

didn't quite come through as I had hoped it would. On Friday, I invested $5 into my retirement fund. I looked it up today, and found out that it was a bad investment and would not be returned to me. For those of you curious, my retirement fund goes by the name of Powerball. Yep, the lottery game. The jackpot finally cleared my $250 million benchmark and required a donation (estimated $300 mil). I looked up the winning numbers today and found that I did not hit the jackpot. For that matter, in my 5 plays, I only hit 2 white balls (not on the same line either), and no powerballs (red balls). It's a darn shame too, because I was really banking on it.

Seriously, I never expect to win, but its always nice to dream about. What would I do with $300 million dollars? Ok, actually, I get distinctly less than that, but still, it'd be a boatload of money.

Well, off the top, I'd do the charitable things: Donate to churches (if they take lottery winnings), give $1 mil to Danielle and Hank (due to previously arranged deals), give a mil or two each to my family (siblings and parents), payoff student loans.

Next, I would buy the personal luxury items. Namely a car...or two. Don't get me wrong, I like my car, but I would go out and buy a really awesome car. Something classic, 1960s mustang or corvette.

Then would come my big decision. Do I continue in graduate school? Do I stop, move back to Indiana and buy a bowling alley? Do I work pro-bono pharmacy for those in need? Do I travel (eventually...yes, right away...maybe)?

To be honest, these are the kind of problems/decisions, I could easily live with. The rest of the money I would bank/invest and live comfortably off of the interest, and never touch the principle.

If wishing made it so....

70 questions....a little long

I've decided to do one of those random question things that occasionally circle the internet. This one claimed 70 questions, but skipped numbers 2, 16 and 18 (I don't get it). Anyway, read and enjoy. You might even learn something about me...

70 things about me:

1. What are your initials? KMJ

3. Last thing you ate? Egg McMuffin...breakfast sandwiches are frickin' sweet

4. One place you will never eat at? One...ha ha..that's funny..the list of unapproved restaurants is lengthy…

5. I say shotgun, you say: bazooka…I win!!

6. Last person you hugged? Uh…Emily at her going away party

7. Does anyone you know wanna date you? Seeing as how I’m single...

9. Name something you like physically about yourself. Being 6’4” is pretty cool…right mom…oh, wait…she wouldn’t know

10. The last place you went out to dinner to: Carl’s Jr….does fast food count as “out to dinner”?

11. Who is your best friend? Out here, Hank

12. What time of the day is it? 10 AM mountain time (that’s 12 noon Eastern…and 3 AM Friday in Vladivostok, Russia)

13. Who/What made you angry today? Nothing…yet…I’ve got a short fuse though, so don’t be stupid…just kidding

14. Ever gone skinny dipping? Uh…unless that one time at camp counts…Nope

15. Favorite Food Mmmmm…steak….

17. Favorite holidays: Christmas…home with the fam (and gifts…better to give, or something)

19. Do you care if your socks are dirty? Only when I need clean ones

20. Opinion of Chinese symbol tattoos? Very brave, unless you actually speak/read Chinese. Seriously, you are trusting that it means what you think…you could literally have Stupid tattooed on you and would never know.

21. Would you date the person who posted this? Nope…I randomly stole it and have no idea who posted it.

22. Has anyone ever sang or played for you personally? The radio sings/plays for just me all the time...no one else is in the car, so it has to be for just me, right?

23. Do you love anyone? Sure…I have to love my family, right?

24. Are colored contact lenses sexy? Nope…who finds thin pieces of plastic to be sexy…might want to get that checked out.

25. Have you ever bungee jumped? Not so much

26. Have you ever gone white-water rafting? Does White Water Canyon at Kings Island count? No…oh, then, nope, I haven’t.

27. Has anyone ten years older than you ever hit on you? No, but if they did, I might hit back…it’s just rude to hit people.

28. How many pets do you have? I seem to have lots of spiders in my room…

29. Have you met a real redneck? I’ve had one before…stupid sun.

30. How is the weather right now? Climate controlled…I love A/C

31. What are you listening to right now? Medal of Honor original recording soundtrack

32. What is your current favorite song? Rebirthing by Skillet is a pretty good one that I heard this morning

33. What was the last movie you watched? The original Thomas Crown Affair with Steve McQueen (last night)

34. Do you wear contacts? Glasses all the way…who wants to touch their own eyeball…gross

35. Where was the last place you slept besides your house? My parents house…I guess

36. What are you afraid of? Work…at least that’s the only reason I can think of that I avoid it so much

37. How many piercings have you had? Zero, zip, nil, null

39. What's one thing you've learned this year? That it really does snow in Denver…a lot…despite what people say (Mom, Dad…)

40. What do you usually order from Starbucks? Morning, Hot chocolate…Afternoon, Carmel Frap

41. Which is better: Facebook or MySpace? Facebook…that’s an easy call

42. Have you ever fired a gun: Heck yeah…bb guns count, right?

43. Are you missing someone?: Was I supposed to be keeping track of anyone?...Not again…

44. Favorite TV show? Eureka on SciFi

45. Do you have an obsession with WoW?: Nope, I rarely ever say wow…definitely not obsessed with it.

46. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celeb? Not to my knowledge

47. What Magazines do you read? Bowling this Month, Bowlers Journal, and Game Informer

48. Who would you like to see right now? Someone with a big check for lots of money with my name on it…that’d be cool

49. Favorite movie of all time? Braveheart…although 300 gives it a run

50. Do you find yourself loved? Most definitely

51. Have you ever been caught doing something you weren't suppose to? The charges were dropped, so I’m counting that as NO

52. Favorite smell? Freshly washed laundry…that’s good stuff

53. favorite popcorn? Movie theater….or Orville Reddenbacher’s pour over butter (microwave)

54. Have you ever done the celebrity challenge on www.xHuh.com? All I can say about xHuh.com, is Huh??

55. Which celebrity does www.xHuh.com say you look like? That one guy from that one film…you know which one

56. Has anyone you were really close to you passed away recently? Yeah, you could say that

57. Our Lady Peace or Nickelback? Nickelback…unless I over paid by 10, then I want my dime back…ha ha…ok, that was lame

58. What's something that really bugs you? Stupid, ignorant people (aka, most of the world)… although that fly is a bit of a bug…ha ha…ok…equally lame (sorry)

59. Do you like Michael Jackson? Not really…he’s a little odd

60. Taco Bell or Burger King? Gotta go with the King (despite that guy being creepy) over Taco Smell

61. What's your favorite perfume/cologne? I don’t wear that stuff…but my scent of deodorant and body wash is Old Spice Red Zone Pure Sport (oh yeah, I’m an Old Spice man)

62. whats your favorite baseball team? Florida Marlins…go fish!

64. Nipple or Nose rings? Ouch….

65. What's the longest time you've gone without sleep? I’ve done the 24 hour thing, but get sick, so I try to limit it to sub 20..it’s safer that way.

66. Last time you went bowling? Last Monday, but I’m going tomorrow.

67. Where is the weirdest place you have slept? My parents house…have you met them…they are weird, so that counts

68. Who was your last phone call? From: Rob, To: Walgreens in Richmond, IN (to talk with Danielle)

69. Last time you were at work? Currently there…isn’t wasting time great.

70. What's the closest orange object to you? The lids on some chemical/solvent jars

Fantasy Football

This past weekend was my fantasy football draft with my friends from school. A month ago, I had a draft with guys that I play games with. Plus, we are in week 2 of preseason football (aka. Who Cares!!). All of this means that regular season football is imminent....which is exciting. Anyway, I wanted to inform my large fan base out there about my fantasy teams. With that said, here are the rosters for my 2 fantasy leagues. A starting line-up consist of 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 K, and 1 Def/Spec. Teams. Points are scored for yards and touchdowns, lost for interceptions and fumbles (unless its the Def, then you get points for INT/Fum.).

Video game friends (14 rd draft, 14 man roster, 12 players in the league)
QB - Philip Rivers (SD) ; backup - Jake Delhomme (Car)
RB - Willis McGahee (Bal), Laurence Maroney (NE); backups - Brandon Jacobs (NYG), Marshawn Lynch (Buf)
WR- Randy Moss (NE), Larry Fitzgerald (Ari), Joey Galloway (TB); backup - Brandon Jones (Ten)
TE - Dallas Clark (Ind) ; backup - David Martin (Mia)
K - Stephen Gostkowski (NE)
DST - Carolina Panthers

School friends (16 rd draft, 18 man roster, 12 players in the league)
QB - Peyton Manning (Ind) ; backup - Alex Smith (SF)
RB - Thomas Jones (NYJ), Edgerrin James (Ari) ; backups - Cadillac Williams (TB), Tatum Bell (Det)
WR - Hines Ward (Pit), Lee Evans (Buf), Terry Glenn (Dal) ; backups - Vincent Jackson (SD), Anthony Gonzalez (Ind), Robert Meachem (NO)
TE - Heath Miller (Pit) ; backup - Greg Olsen (Chi)
K - Joe Nedney (SF) ; backup - to be picked up in free agency
DST - New Orleans Saints ; backup - to be picked up in free agency

Those are my fantasy teams. I'm pretty pleased with them, and if all goes well, I will do great in the leagues. It's really fun to do, and I'm looking forward to a good season.

In other football news, I bought Madden 08 and will keep you up to date on how my fantasy draft and franchise goes there.

Financially unable...on $168k/year

Before I rant, here is the article to which I am referring.

The basics: Tony Snow, White House press secretary, has announced he won't finish Bush's term at his current position. No resignation date was announced, but the reason he won't be able to continue in his current capacity, "I will not be able to make it to the end of this administration, just financially." He does have 3 children (of unlisted ages) and is undergoing cancer chemotherapy (one treatment remaining). His salary is $168,000 a year.

My issues: Financially??? What??? He makes a $168k a year...a year, and he can't continue financially? This is ridiculous. If you want to hop out of a burning ship, then do so, but don't drop horsecrap about finances. That's a ton of money. I understand that cancer treatments cost money, however, he's insured (by our tax dollars) and is about at the end of his treatments (ie, unless the cancer persist or recurs, the major costs are behind him). Raising kids cost money too, but I'm pretty sure they can survive on his current salary. My parents raised 3 kids and had all of us in college for a year, and 2 in college for 5 years. All while making significantly less than $168k per year.

Republican or not my gripes would be the same (yep, there are a bunch of yuppy rich Democrats that would claim the same thing...I assume). If you can't survive on $168k a year, perhaps you shouldn't try and make more money, but reconsider your lifestyle. It may just be an excuse to get out of the administration, but if he is sincere about it, then...well...it's just ridiculous. Millions, some with both cancer and kids, of people get by on significantly less than he makes. Boo on you Tony Snow!

Just ridiculous. Ok, I'm done. {steps down from soapbox}

My PBA Experience

Last night was the final night of my summer bowling league. This was not just any summer league, but a PBA Experience league. That means that I bowled on the same conditions as the professionals. It was a fun and challenging league (which was what I was looking for). I enjoyed it so much, I am now in the midst of looking for a winter PBA Experience league (time will tell if I can find one). Anyway, to make matters even better, my team ended up as champions, and I ended with the high average. As a team, we were in first for nearly the entire league, so it was fitting that we won. The same can be said for average, I was in the top 3 from the second week on, and have led the league for most of the season.

Now despite these accomplishments, I'm not about to go and join the PBA Tour. I finished at a 195 average. Keep in mind that top tier pros averaged 225+ for their season. That encompasses far more games than I bowled this summer and the pressure would be distinctly higher than in a summer league. I now have more confidence for the PBA patterns, but am equally blown away by the pros ability to shoot the scores they do.

Well, my winter league should be starting in the next couple of weeks, so until then, I'll just have to go out and practice once or twice.

Queen said it best.....(cue music)....We are the champions....

Nostalgic Movies

I have recently viewed two movies that dealt with re-living the past. Yesterday, I watched the Bourne Ultimatum and it clearly revolves around Jason Bourne (aka David Webb...aka Matt Damon) trying to remember his past. The other film that I watched the previous day was TMNT (or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). This one doesn't directly relate to nostalgia via plot, but it was very nostalgic for me. Let's get on with the reviews:

TMNT - A blast from my childhood returns in the form of 4 ninja fighting turtles. The highlight of this film (in addition to that youthful feeling) was the animation (yep, no rubber suits). It was absolutely stunning visually. I can honestly say this is the best-animated movie I've ever seen (not best animated-movie...you see what I'm saying). The plot is pretty corny, and doesn't get really entertaining until the end. It's a bit "grown-up" for the early part of the film. Still entertaining, especially if you grew up with the loveable green guys...er...turtles. 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

The Bourne Ultimatum - An excellent film all around. This is the best edge of your seat action movie I've seen in a while. {NOTE: Die Hard 4 was the best popcorn action movie...pure entertainment.} This movie literally picks up before the end of the Bourne Supremacy. The ending of the second film is incorporated into this one (excellently done). Multiple scenes do an great job of building suspense and the action is top notch. The story is also furthered along, and the origins of Jason Bourne are discovered. My biggest complaint (as with the second film) is the style of filming. The camera is constantly shaking, but several times it makes you feel like part of the action. If you are a fan of the first two movies, this one is must see. If you haven't seen the first two, be sure to watch them before going to this one (or you will be confused). 4 1/2 out of 5 stars....Must see!!

There you go. Now you have the full and most trust-worthy review you are going to get. Enjoy!

One Year in Denver

Today marks the one year anniversary of my leaving Indianapolis. Technically, Wednesday is my one-year mark actually in Denver, but I'm posting today, so there. It has been a good year, and the time has really flown. I've been home several times and seen family a few more (Christmas, USBC, Peterson, Brickyard). I've had experiences that I've never had before (trips to the mountain, trips to bars, etc.). School work came and went. I can't say I enjoyed class, but I learned things and overall found that biology and life is an amazing thing. Far more complex than I ever knew. Lab work has been good. I'm still fighting lack of motivation, but that's a norm for me. I'm easing in, but over the next few months really plan to buckle down and get a lot of work done.

I like the town of Denver. It has everything that one needs. I continue to bowl on a regular basis, and have gotten into the habit of playing some basketball. I play video games and watch plenty of movies. So, in other words, my life is very similar here as it was in Indy. I do miss some of my close friends from Indy. Time with family is more valued now. But it's been a good year. If all goes well, I'll be on another life decision on what to do in 3 1/2 to 4 years.

That's a long time from now with plenty of posts in between, so stay tuned.

300 on DVD

I'm sure you all remember the glowing words of recommendation for the movie 300 after I saw it in theaters (in case not, click here). This week, I went out and bought the DVD version (in fact, the 2-disc special edition). Last night, I got together with friends to watch it. Basically everything I said and thought before holds true. This movie is amazing!! It claims a spot in my top 10 easy and could be fighting for a spot in the top 5 (I'd have to give some thought for it). If you like epic feeling movies, great battle scenes, solid story, great one-liners, and don't mind blood and violence (there are limb losses galore), then you will love this movie. If you like to own movies you like, do yourself a favor and just go buy the DVD now (while it's cheap).

Ok, enough for the shameless plug of 300. I have watched other movies recently and will give the title and ranking, but no full reviews. As always, just ask and I can enlighten you in more detail.

Transformers (4 out of 5 stars), Hellboy: Sword of Storms (3 1/2 stars), Hellboy: Blood and Iron (4 stars), Top Secret (2 1/2 stars), Donnie Darko (3 1/2 stars), Hot Fuzz (4 stars), The Fountain (2 stars), Stay (2 stars), The Contractor (2 1/2 stars)

I am super excited about seeing the Bourne Ultimatum. I'll let you know what I think.