Archive for July, 2014

Book Review – W.E.B. Griffin’s “Brotherhood of War: The Majors”

Today we’re taking a look at The Majors, the third book in W.E.B. Griffin‘s series, The Brotherhood of War.

W.E.B. Griffin — Brotherhood of War: The Majors

The Majors begins on March 10, 1954, about eight months after the end of fighting in the Korean War, the focal point of the previous book, The Captains.  The general storyline of this book involves the growth of the usage of helicopters in the U.S. Army and the concept and attempt at arming them to create a new kind of weapon.  Although the book begins in French Indochina, the majority of the events take place in Germany and the Continental U.S.

The story begins with some action as President Eisenhower authorizes Major Sanford “Sandy” Felter to make a parachute jump into French Indochina so he can analyze how the French forces are fighting the communists at Dien Bien Phu.  Joining him on the secret mission is Major Rudolph “Mac” MacMillan and a soldier named Staff Sergeant Edward Greer.

While flying above Indochina, the soldiers’ aircraft is hit by anti-aircraft artillery, and only Felter, MacMillan and Greer are able to make it out of the aircraft before it crashes.  The rest of the paratroopers and the flight crew are killed.  The three soldiers are harassed by communist forces, but they’re able to reach a French base and analyze the situation.  A few days later the three Americans are extracted by a transport aircraft.  The general conclusion is that without proper reinforcements, the communists will push the French forces out of Indochina. Read more…

Book Review – Clive Cussler’s “Inca Gold”

Last night I finished reading Inca Gold, the twelfth book in Clive Cussler‘s main series of books featuring adventurer / aviator / engineer / underwater explorer Dirk Pitt.

Clive Cussler — Inca Gold

Inca Gold begins with a prologue set in 1533 as a fleet of makeshift ships sails to an unknown island in a far away sea.  The ships are carrying a vast collection of gold and other treasures, all of which are meant to be hidden for a very long time.

The story then cuts to 1578 off the coast of Peru in South America.  Legendary seafaring explorer Sir Francis Drake on the Golden Hind captures a Spanish galleon, Concepcion, filled with treasures from the Inca Empire.  Drake decides to send a small crew on the Concepcion back to England with a bunch of the captured treasure.

As the crew sails away with the treasure on the Concepcion, an underwater earthquake creates a powerful tsunami.  The wall of water lifts and carries the Concepcion into the jungles on the coast of South America, never to be seen again.

Fast forward to today (1998).

In the Andes Mountains in Peru is an archaeological expedition that has recently discovered an ancient sinkhole that filled with water and eventually became a sacrificial pool.  Archaeologist Dr. Shannon Kelsey makes a dive into the sacrificial pool with veteran photographer Miles Rodgers.  When neither of them surface, a call is made over the radio for emergency assistance. Read more…

Movie Review – Sharknado (2013)

It’s not very often that you hear of a movie literally being so bad that it’s actually good.

That’s what happened with the direct-to-video shark movie, Sharknado.  As soon as the movie was aired on the SyFy Channel on July 11, 2013, the movie immediately received a flood of response on the social networks.  The movie’s ludicrous plot and incredible corniness sparked a media frenzy.  Syfy channel aired the movie a couple more times, and each viewing received more viewers.

The premise of Sharknado is that a hurricane in the Pacific Ocean spawns waterspouts that lift man-eating sharks into the air.  The storm strikes southern California, and through storm surge and tornadoes, the sharks wreck havoc on the people.  It’s a bloody battle so incredibly corny that it has to be seen to be believed . . . . and then seen again while drinking heavy amounts of alcohol with your friends.

Sharknado (2013) – movie poster

Directed by Anthony C. Ferrante, Sharknado stars Ian Ziering as Finley “Fin” Shepard, a former surfer and the owner of a bar on a pier.  Also in the film is Tara Reid as April Wexler, Fin’s ex-wife, and John Heard as George, one of the regulars at Fin’s bar.  The rest of the film is a cast of nobodies as one would expect in a corny direct-to-video movie.

Sharknado begins out in the Pacific Ocean as Hurricane David spawns waterspouts that magically suck hundreds of fierce sharks out of the ocean.  It’s implied that the remaining sharks stayed in the ocean within the vicinity of the hurricane, and they apparently became extremely fierce and really pissed at human beings.

Sharknado (2013) – (c) The Asylum

Near the storm is a fishing boat where the ship’s captain is trying to make a shady deal with a Japanese businessman.  The Japanese man pulls out a pistol and tries to double-cross the captain, but their deal is interrupted by large waves from the hurricane.  The two men have a small gun battle on the main deck of the ship as it rocks in the waves.  Suddenly a shark lunges out of the water and grabs the Japanese man, dragging him to his death in the ocean.

The captain thinks that he has won until his boat drifts into a waterspout and is pulled into the air.  While airborne in the waterspout, the captain is repeatedly attacked by sharks that are also flying through the air.  It’s a bloody mess as the sharks kill the ship’s captain. Read more…

Movie Review – Planes (2013)

Back in 2006, Walt Disney Pictures scored a major hit with Cars, an animated film that depicted cars and other vehicles as being alive with their own personalities.

The follow-up question was simple:  How could they expand the Cars universe?

That’s where the 2013 animated movie Planes comes into play.  Set within the Cars franchise, Planes is a spin-off film that takes a look at the high-speed world of air racing.  The story involves a crop duster airplane that dreams of doing something bigger with his life.  The crop duster gets involved in an international air race around the world and discovers that it’s going to take more than just horsepower and fancy flying to win this dangerous race.

Planes (2013) – movie poster

Directed by Klay Hall, Planes stars Dane Cook as the voice of Dusty Crophopper, a crop duster with so much to prove.  Co-starring in the film are the voices of Stacy Keach, Brad Garrett, Cedric the Entertainer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Gabriel Iglesias and John Cleese.  Even Val Kilmer and Anthony Edwards lend their voices as Navy fighter pilots (Top Gun, anyone?).

Planes (2013) – (c) Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Planes begins high in the skies as Dusty Crophopper (voiced by Dane Cook), a crop duster, races through the skies against two hotshot Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet fighters.  Just as Dusty makes a pass and takes the lead in the race, all of a sudden Dusty wakes up from his daydream.

It turns out that Dusty is just an ordinary crop dusting airplane.  He and Leadbottom (voiced by Cedric the Entertainer), a biplane, are out spraying the farms around their home airfield of Propwash Junction, a small airport in the middle of nowhere.  Although Dusty dreams of one day racing in the prestigious Wings Around the Globe rally, Leadbottom thinks that Dusty spends too much time with his head in the clouds.  According to Leadbottom, the good life is really right there at Propwash Junction where it’s always sunny and quiet.

At Propwash Junction are Dusty’s friends, Chug (voiced by Brad Garrett), a fuel truck, and Sparky (voiced by Danny Mann), a forklift.  Inside one of the hangars is Dottie (voiced by Teri Hatcher), a forklift and mechanic.  Also at the airport is Skipper Riley (voiced by Stacy Keach), an F4U Corsair from World War 2. Read more…

Movie Review – Patriot Games (1992)

Today we’re taking a look at Patriot Games, a movie based on the bestseller Tom Clancy novel of the same name.

Released in 1992, the movie Patriot Games basically follows the plot in Tom Clancy’s novel.  The story involves a naval historian named Jack Ryan, and how he stops an IRA terrorist attack while vacationing in London, England.  Although one of the terrorist soldiers is captured in the attack, he later escapes and tries to strike back and get his revenge against Jack Ryan’s family.

Patriot Games (1992) – movie poster

Directed by Phillip Noyce and with a soundtrack composed by James Horner, Patriot Games stars Harrison Ford in the lead role of Jack Ryan.  Supporting him are Sean Bean as terrorist Sean Miller, Anne Archer as Jack Ryan’s wife Cathy Ryan, Patrick Bergin as Irish terrorist Kevin O’Donnell, and Samuel L. Jackson as Navy Lt. Commander Robby Jackson.  Also in the film is James Earl Jones as CIA Admiral Greer.

Patriot Games begins in London, England.  John “Jack” Patrick Ryan (Harrison Ford) is a naval historian and giving a guest lecture at the Royal Naval College.  His wife Dr. Cathy Ryan (Anne Archer) and their daughter Sally (Thora Birch) are also in London and enjoying their vacation.

Patriot Games (1992) – (c) Paramount Pictures

After delivering a speech at the Royal Naval College, Jack Ryan meets his wife and daughter by Buckingham Palace when he witnesses a sudden terrorist attack on the Royal Family‘s motorcade.  Jack jumps into action and attacks the terrorists, stopping one of them and shooting and killing another, but he’s shot in the process.  The remaining terrorists escape before authorities arrive on the scene.  Cathy tends to her husband’s gunshot wound until he’s transported to a local hospital. Read more…

Book Review – Tom Clancy’s “Patriot Games”

First published back in 1987, Tom Clancy‘s novel Patriot Games acts as a prequel to Jack Ryan, the main character in the 1984 book The Hunt for Red October.

In Patriot Games we learn how naval historian Jack Ryan stops a terrorist attack in London, England, and, through a chain of events, he becomes an analyst within the CIA.

Tom Clancy — Patriot Games

Patriot Games begins in London, England as Jack Ryan, a teacher of naval history at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, is on a trip to England with his wife, Caroline, and their young daughter Sally.  This is a business trip for Jack as he’s there to research material for his next book, but it’s a vacation for his wife and daughter.  Cathy Ryan is a medical doctor and works as an ophthalmic surgeon.

One afternoon as Jack is meeting his wife and daughter, he witnesses a terror attack in broad daylight.  Armed men are attacking and trying to kidnap some people inside of a car.  After making sure his wife and daughter are in a safe area, Jack jumps into action and fights the terrorists.  He knocks one of the gunmen to the ground (injuring his shoulder) and shoots him in the hip to disable him.  Jack then uses the pistol to shoot and kill the other gunman when he turns and fires at Jack.  One of the gunman’s bullets hits Jack, and he bleeds on the street while the local authorities finally arrive.  Cathy helps treat her husband until he’s transported to a local hospital.

When Jack awakes in the hospital, he meets with FBI agent Dan Murray and learns that the people he saved inside of the car were the Prince and Princess of Wales along with their infant newborn son.  Jack does not care for the sudden attention by the news media, especially with his arm in a cast and at an awkward angle, but he’s now a national hero.

The only problem is that the people who attacked the Royal Family were part of a group called the Ulster Liberation Army (ULA), an offshoot of the Irish Republican Army (IRA).  The gunman that Jack Ryan knocked out and disabled was Sean Miller, a very smart and dedicated killer in the organization.  Because of the organization, Jack is under guard at the hospital and his wife and daughter are guests at Buckingham Palace. Read more…

Stretchkins (Stretching Kids’ Toy) – A Marketing Review

It’s another day in the summer and your kids are yet again sitting on the couch and playing video games.

As they periodically pause the game and grab a handful of potato chips and wash it down with another gulp of soda (followed by the traditional belch), you can only wonder how your precious little snowflakes transformed into couch warriors.  It wasn’t long ago that they used to enjoy playing outside in the sunshine, enjoying each day to the fullest extent possible.  Now that they’ve piled on the pounds of fat, and merely picking them up and giving them a hug has a good chance of straining your back.

Is there any way to get your fat kids off the couch and get them to exercise, or at least move their arm and leg muscles more than their bowels?

Stretchkins website — www.Stretchkins.com

What’s this?  Stretchkins?  A toy that can help get those lazy kids off the couch and to dance around and exercise?

an older Stretchkins TV commercial

Is it true?  Is there a faint glimmer of hope that an item can get the kids off the couch and to jump around and play, for at least a few minutes?

Perhaps there really is some hope for America’s future.  This almost sounds too good to be true.  Let’s take a closer look and review the advertising for the Stretchkins and try to see if this really is a useful product, or if it’s more of a scam.  We’ll be examining the commercial that plays on the Stretchkins’ website, and NOT the YouTube video.

Stretchkins TV commercial – It’s Stretchkins time!

The TV commercial for Stretchkins begins with a call to action by a woman telling kids that it’s Stretckins time.  Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!  I can hardly contain my excitement knowing that it’s now Stretchkins time!  I certainly hope that the product can live up to all of this hype about “Stretchkins time.” Read more…

Movie Review – Independence Day (1996)

Imagine one morning you were to awaken and discover an alien spaceship the size of a city hovering over your home town?

What would you do when discovering that the aliens are hostile and intend on wiping out the human race?

In honor of the Fourth of July, today we’re taking a look at the 1996 alien invasion, summertime, blockbuster film, Independence Day.  Directed by Roland Emmerich, Independence Day tells of a story about a race of aliens who attack and intend on destroying the Earth’s population.  Humanity fights back, but the people discover that it’s going to take more than ordinary weapons to defeat these aliens.

Independence Day (1996) – movie poster

Independence Day stars Jeff Goldblum as David Levinson, Will Smith as Captain Steven Hiller, and Bill Pullman as President Thomas Whitmore.  Supporting them in the movie are a variety of actors and actresses including Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Robert Loggia, Randy Quaid, James Rebhorn, Adam Baldwin and Brent Spiner.

Independence Day (1996) – (c) 20th Century Fox

Independence Day begins early in the morning on July 2nd as a massive alien mothership passes by the Earth’s Moon.  The astronomers at SETI (Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence) receive the transmissions and alert the U.S. government.  Marine Corps General William Gray (Robert Loggia) receives the news and passes it along to the Secretary of Defense. Read more…

Did Justin Ross Harris Murder His Infant Son By Leaving Him Inside Of A Hot Car?

Today was a bond hearing concerning the case of Justin Ross Harris and the death of his 22-month infant son, Cooper.

Two weeks ago, Cooper Harris died after being left inside of his father’s SUV for over seven hours.  On that day the outside temperature was over 90 degrees, and temperatures inside of the car would have been extreme.  It’s believed that the infant died a terrible death in less than two hours.

Anyway, today was the bond hearing, and the hearing itself was televised and on our local news channels.  It’s been noted that this case has a national following, so there’s a big media presence covering it.

Here are two websites (AJC and WSBTV) that have a basic rundown of the events inside of the Cobb County courtroom.  After listening to the police detective give his testimony, it seems like this is an easy case against Ross Harris, a trial with a punishment that could include the death penalty.

WHO IS ROSS HARRIS?

The evidence points to Ross Harris being somebody who didn’t want to be an adult.  Although it’s claimed that he loved his son very much, the police indicated that this same person was sexting to as many as six ladies at once.  At least two of those women were located and contacted, and one of the ladies was only 16 years old at the time of the sexting and exchange of naked pictures.

The detective made it clear that the investigation into Ross’s computer(s) and phone(s) was still in progress, and they had only scratched the surface.  I’m sure we’ll be hearing more sick details about Ross’s “double life” at the murder trial itself.

It was also implied that Ross and his wife, Leanna, had gotten into arguments about their finances and Ross’s alleged spending habits.

THE CRIME

According to the police, on the morning of the death of Cooper, Ross had taken his son to go have breakfast at a Chick-fil-A restaurant.  It’s a location that they frequent as the restaurant’s workers had recognized them.  It was reported that the son was alive and well at the fast food restaurant.  After breakfast at Chick-fil-A, Ross would then take Cooper to a daycare center as both Ross and his wife had full-time jobs.

However, on the morning of the day of Cooper’s death, Ross instead drove across the street to his job at Home Depot.  It’s a driving time of only a minute or two.  Ross then parked his car, locked it, and walked inside to work, completely “forgetting” about his son who was still in the car.

A few hours later Ross and a couple of his friends went out for lunch.  They then went into a Home Depot store and Ross purchased some light bulbs.  Ross was then dropped off at his car.  He opened the driver’s door and placed the light bulbs inside of the car, apparently not noticing that his son was still strapped into the car seat.

It was until later that day when Ross was heading out to see a movie with his friends that he finally “noticed” his son inside of the car.  He pulled over and tried to perform CPR to save the boy’s life, but by then it was too late.  When the police arrived at the scene, Ross was arrested and placed in the back of a police car. Read more…

Apple iPhone 5s – Strength – TV Commercial

One of the latest television commercials for Apple’s iPhone 5s shows average people using the phone to help them exercise, both with the exercise and recording one’s progress.

This TV commercial has been aired numerous times during coverage of the 2014 World Cup.  For those of you wondering, the song in the catchy commercial is called “Chicken Fat.”

Apple iPhone 5s – Strength – TV commercial

When seeing this commercial, I can’t help but cringe and wonder if people really do exercise that way, keeping track of their progress with what appears to be pinpoint precision and accuracy.  I honestly don’t know about just how precise and accurate it is, but this is an Apple product and it’s expensive.  Therefore I *assume* (yeah, I know) that it *probably* lives up to the hype in the television commercial.

Don’t get me wrong here.  I do like technology and the way that it continually advances at a fast pace.  My main concerns are when A) Said technology is used against everyday people, and B) When people are too dependent on said technology, and they live their life around it.

When you exercise at the gym, is it really necessary to have a program on your phone basically count the reps for you or show you how to do exercises?

How about when jogging or swimming laps at a pool?  Do you really want your phone (and basically “Big Brother”) keeping track of your every movement? Read more…