Archive for December, 2014

Day After Christmas Mall Fights – Random Violence OR Planned Terror?

Last night while sitting in bed, I cruised through headline news stories using an application on my phone.

A quick headline about there being a mall fight caught my attention, but I didn’t think much of it.  Then there was a second headline from a different mall.  That was followed by two more violent headlines, each of them being reported from different shopping centers across the county.

Once is an isolated incident.  Twice might be a coincidence.  Three or more times means that this could have been an organized, large-scale event carried out throughout the country.

The mall fights took place at Monroeville, Pennsylvania; Memphis, Tennessee; Independence, Missouri; and Sacramento, California.  Three of them (Monroeville, Memphis and Independence) seem to have the same story written for each incident.  In addition to the mall fights, there was also a major fight involving teenagers at the Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois.

Monroeville, Pennsylvania:

In the news article, it was reported that hundreds of “teens” (the media’s current term for describing *black* teenagers and young adults) suddenly began arriving at the Monroeville Mall around 4:30 or 5 p.m.  It was estimated that as many as 1,000 “teens” were then in the mall at one point.  Some of them began fighting on the lower level, and some of the fighting escalated to the upper floor.  Stores were forced to quickly close their security gates to keep their workers safe and to prevent any looting.

Perhaps the most important part of the story is that the article states, “The chief said his officers learned later Friday that through social media, hundreds of teens were showing up at the mall, with the influx starting about 4:30 or 5 p.m. and reaching as many as 1,000, according to mall security officers.”

Some of the fighting at the Monroeville Mall Read more…

Movie Review – Gallipoli (1981)

In today’s movie review we’re taking a look at Gallipoli, a 1981 Australian film that focuses on two friends who enlist in the Australian Army and are sent to the Gallipoli Campaign against the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey).

As we know from our history books, the Gallipoli Campaign was designed to have Allied forces invade and capture Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire so that the Russian Navy would have a clear path from the Black Sea into the Mediterranean.  That part of the Ottoman Empire was a critical chokepoint against the Russians.  The Gallipoli Campaign lasted from April 25, 1915 until January 9, 1916.  The campaign was a serious failure for the Allies and cost the lives of over 56,000 soldiers.

Gallipoli (1981) – movie poster

Directed by Peter Weir, Gallipoli stars Mel Gibson as Frank Dunne, and Mark Lee as Archy Hamilton.

Gallipoli begins in Western Australia in May of 1915.

Gallipoli (1981) – (c) Paramount Pictures

Archy Hamilton (Mark Lee) is an 18-year-old sprinter continually being trained by his uncle, Jack (Bill Kerr).  When he’s not training to be a champion sprinter, Archy works on a cattle ranch.  One day Archy is challenged to a race by fellow cowboy Les McCann (Harold Hopkins).  Archy is forced to run barefoot across a desert while Les rides his horse bareback.  Although Archy wins the race, he badly damages his feet and faces disapproval from Uncle Jack. Read more…

Assassination Of Two NYPD Police Officers In Brooklyn

Earlier today two New York Police Department (NYPD) police officers were ambushed and assassinated during a brutal, execution-style shooting attack in Brooklyn, New York.

The police officers, Wenjian Liu and Refael Ramos, were sitting inside of their patrol car when they were suddenly approached and shot point-blank by Ismaaiyl Abdullah Brinsley, a 28-year-old THUG who also shot his ex-girlfriend earlier today.  She is expected to survive from her attack.  After shooting both of the police officers multiple times, Ismaaiyl Brinsley fled into a nearby subway station as other police officers quickly arrived.  When Ismaaiyl was trapped by the police in the subway station, he took his own life and committed suicide.

The Daily Mail website has an informative article about the murder of the officers as well as NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s reaction.  It’s doubtful if any of our American news agencies will have any detailed articles like that.

So far there hasn’t been a whole lot of information released about Ismaaiyl Brinsley’s motives and the extent of anybody else connected to his murders, but it is believed that the death of Eric Garner and the protests by the public influenced his actions.

How do we know this?

Simple.  Ismaaiyl allegedly posted his intentions earlier today on Instagram.

Ismaaiyl Brinsley’s posting on Instagram hours before he shot and killed two NYPD officers in Brooklyn.

The posting stated, “I’m Putting Wings On Pigs Today.  They Take 1 Of Ours …… Let’s Take 2 of Theirs #ShootThePolice #RIPErivGardner #RIPMikeBrown  This May Be My Final Post  I’m Putting Pigs In A Blanket“.

Shoot the police . . . shoot the police . . .

Why does that sound familiar?

Oh yeah.  Now I remember.  That’s exactly what people were shouting when marching in a recent protest through New York City.

“What do we want?  DEAD COPS!  When do we want it?  NOW!” Read more…

Movie Review – The Blue Max (1966)

Today we’re going to review The Blue Max, a 1966 film about a World War 1 German fighter pilot eager to shoot down 20 enemy aircraft and earn the prestigious Blue Max medal, the highest military honor in the Kingdom of Prussia.

The Blue Max (1966) – movie poster

Directed by John Guillermin, The Blue Max stars George Peppard as Bruno Stachel, a young fighter pilot who will risk it all to shoot down enemy aircraft.  His aggressive actions earn him a negative reputation amongst his fellow pilots, but his success makes him a hero in the eyes of the commanding generals.  Co-starring in the film are Jeremy Kemp as Willi von Klugermann, the squadron’s commanding officer, James Mason as General Count von Klugermann, Willi’s uncle, and Ursula Andress as Kaeti, the general’s wife and a woman who has affairs with some of the pilots.

The Blue Max (1966) – (c) 20th Century Fox

The Blue Max begins in 1916 as German Corporal Bruno Stachel (George Peppard) is one of thousands of infantry soldiers fighting in the trenches on the Western Front.  He knows that fighting in the trenches is a losing battle.  One day he looks into the sky and sees two fighter aircraft fighting each other.  Suddenly Bruno is inspired to join the air service and become a combat pilot. Read more…

Holiday Light Saver (Tangle-Free Christmas Lights Storage System) – A Marketing Review

For most people, late November and early December means that it’s time to haul the Christmas (errr, holiday) decorations out of the attic, basement, or garage, and to then decorate the house in an appropriate manner.

It’s fun, it’s entertaining, it helps spread the Christmas spirit (HOLIDAY!  I really meant to say holiday spirit.  Really.), and the larger number of lights that you use means the bigger your manhood.  Or something like that.  Whatever it really means, we all know that the more decorative lights that you use, then that much more time will be required to keep them all neatly stored and organized.

That’s what brings us here today.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) – (c) Warner Bros. – Clark Griswold needs some help untangling his Christmas lights.

For most people, the biggest problem with decorating for Christmas (Dang it.  That should really be “. . . decorating for the holidays“) is simply dealing with the Christmas lights (Holiday lights!!!  I should really pay more attention to my typing!  Somebody has probably become offended at this point.)  In January it’s very easy to pull down the lights and simply toss them into a plastic tub with the other strands of lights.  They’re then forgotten until late November when it’s time to decorate the house again.  That’s when we realize just how much we’ve forgotten that it’s actually frustrating and time consuming to untangle all of those strands of colorful lights.

Bob Rivers – “The Twelve Pains of Christmas” – original music video

It’s no wonder that “Rigging up the lights!” ranks as the second “pain” of Christmas in Bob Rivers‘s classic Christmas comedy song, “The Twelve Pains of Christmas.”  Sometimes it’s challenging enough just to hang up the lights *without* trying to untangle them.  Good grief!

Anyway, depending on your methods of organization and/or storage, dealing with the Christmas lights (HOLIDAY lights!  I’ll get it right at some point.) can be a breeze or a royal pain in the Arsch.  It’s just a matter of time before somebody, somewhere, creates a new method of storing those dang lights, a method that will (hopefully) make it so much quicker and easier to deal with the lights.

What’s this?

Holiday Light Saver website — www.HolidayLightSaver.com

The Holiday Light Saver?

Can this really be the answer to the problem of figuring out an effective way of storing Christmas lights (Whoops!  I really meant to say holiday lights.  Honest.)?

an older TV commercial for the Holiday Light Saver

Let’s take a look and review the advertising for the Holiday Light Saver.  In this case we’ll be using the TV commercial on display at the product’s website (www.HolidayLightSaver.com).  Does this look like a useful product, or does it look more like a scam?

Holiday Light Saver TV commercial – Decorating the house Griswold-style.

The advertisement for the Holiday Light Saver begins with an image of a house covered with Christmas lights.  At least, I’m assuming that we’re looking at Christmas lights here.  Neither the advertisement or the website specifically mentioned *Christmas* lights, but rather “holiday” lights.  Since this doesn’t really look like a Hanukkah or Kwanzaa display, I’m going to take a wild guess and say that it’s most likely for Christmas.

Anyway, using lights is a common way to decorate your home for the holidays.  It’s festive.  It’s fun.  And at night they usually look great.

But for many people, there’s a tiny little problem when it comes to Christmas (Yeah, I know, I know.  Holiday.) lights . . . Read more…

Movie Review – Paths of Glory (1957)

One of the negative stereotypes of World War One was that of high-ranking “armchair” officers who would seek further advances by slaughtering their own soldiers in suicidal missions.

Although that has been an issue throughout the history of warfare, it was more of a factor from the stalemates on both the Eastern and Western fronts.  When no army could push forward and gain an advantage, some officers were more prone to taking daring risks and sending their soldiers on perceived suicide missions.  The theory was that the greater the risk, then the bigger the reward.

The 1957 film Paths of Glory deals with a general who orders a suicide attack, all in the name of glory for himself.  When some of the soldiers fail to carry out the attack, they’re put on trial for cowardice, an offense punishable with the death penalty.

Paths of Glory (1957) – movie poster

Directed by Stanley Kubrick, Paths of Glory stars Kirk Douglas in the role of Colonel Dax, commanding officer of the 701st Infantry Regiment.  Supporting him in the film are George Macready as Brigadier General Paul Mireau, Ralph Meeker as Corporal Philippe Paris, and Wayne Morris as Lieutenant Roget.

Paths of Glory (1957) – (c) United Artists

Set in France in 1916, Paths of Glory begins with a voiceover describing how Germany and France went to war, and the stalemate that lead to trench warfare.  In a chateau, Major General Georges Broulard (Adolphe Menjou) informs his subordinate, Brigadier General Paul Mireau (George Macready), that the French Army is poised to launch a major offensive in the near future.  To spearhead the attack, General Mireau is assigned to attack and capture a heavily defended German position nicknamed the “Anthill.”  Mireau is hesitant as his forces have already suffered heavy losses in recent fighting, and they’ll surely lose many more attacking the heavily fortified “Anthill.”

General Mireau’s attitude against the attack suddenly changes when General Broulard informs him that a successful attack against the “Anthill” would essentially mean a promotion to a desired position within the army.  Mireau rethinks the attack and now believes that his soldiers can succeed in attacking the “Anthill” and holding it. Read more…

Book Review – Clive Cussler’s “Shock Wave”

Today we’re taking a look at Clive Cussler‘s Shock Wave, the thirteenth book in Cussler’s main series of books.

The events in this story loosely follow those from Inca Gold and the previous books.

Clive Cussler — Shock Wave

Shock Wave begins with a prologue that takes place in 1856.

Captain Charles “Billy” Scaggs is one of the top naval captains in England.  He’s in charge of the Gladiator, a transport carrying a cargo of prisoners bound for prisons in Australia when his ship is hit by a storm while sailing through the Bass Strait between Tasmania and southern Australia.  When the ship doesn’t arrive in its destination two weeks later, it’s presumed to be permanently lost at sea.

In reality, the Gladiator survived the storm but it was badly damaged.  The captain ordered the remains of the ship to be converted into a raft.  The prisoners and as many provisions as possible were transferred to the raft before the remains of the ship finally sank.  Captain Scaggs set a course for New Zealand, but it was an agonizing slow pace.  Food and fresh water began to run low, and the prisoners grew restless while sitting in the hot sun all day.  It was just a matter of time before they rebelled and tried to attack Captain Scaggs and his crew.  The rebellion was stopped, but most of the prisoners were killed, and nearly all of the captain’s crew was either killed or injured.

The remains of the raft and its crew finally land on a deserted island.  It takes two years before Captain Scaggs and a couple of able-bodied men can build a strong enough raft to sail to Australia.  Two of the convicts, Jess Dorsett and Betsy Fletcher, get married and remain behind on the island.  They have a couple of kids and discover a source of valuable diamonds.  Their sons ultimately receive passage to England where they both receive top educations, and Jess and Betsy begin a trading business with passing ships.  In time, their company will ultimately expand into the diamond exchange and become one of the richest companies in the world.

Fast forward to January of 2000.

The cruise ship Polar Queen has dropped a load of passengers off at Seymour Island, an island off the coast of Antarctica.  Led by marine biologist Maeve Fletcher, the small group of people go sightseeing at an old whaling station.  When they enter a cave that was used by the whaling crew, suddenly they’re hit by a mysterious “disease” that causes tremendous pressure on their head and ears.  The attack ends just as mysteriously as it began, and everybody who was inside the cave soon recovers.  However, the few people who were outside of the cave had died from the strange attack. Read more…

Movie Review – Sergeant York (1941)

Today we’re taking a look at Sergeant York, a 1941 biographical film about Alvin York, a simple man from Tennessee who achieved combat glory in World War 1 and became a hero, earning himself the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Sergeant York is a patriotic film that was a smash hit with the audiences.  The film continued to receive attention after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and a fresh wave of American patriotism.

Sergeant York (1941) – movie poster

Directed by Howard Hawks, Sergeant York stars Gary Cooper in the lead role of Alvin York.  Supporting him in the movie are Walter Brennan as Pastor Rosier Pile, Joan Leslie as Gracie Williams, and George Tobias as “Pusher” Ross, a soldier from New York City.

Sergeant York (1941) – (c) Warner Bros.

Sergeant York begins in 1916 in the Cumberland Mountains in Tennessee at a place called the Valley of the Three Forks of the Wolf.  This is a small mountain town somewhat isolated from the rest of the United States.  When news breaks in the country, it’s several days before the residents in town learn about it. Read more…

Movie Review – The Dawn Patrol (1938)

When looking back at the battles during World War 1, many people are aware of the countless slaughters as men were forced to go over the top of the trench and straight towards the enemy’s trenches.

This was a continual problem as the generals and commanders fought to find a way to break the stalemate.  The generals would form a battle plan, and those orders were passed down the chain of command to the battalion commanders, the platoon leaders, and ultimately the soldiers themselves.  No matter how pointless or suicidal the plan sounded, the men were expected to attack when ordered to.

Of course, it wasn’t only the soldiers in the trenches who had to deal with the orders from generals who were safely positioned far from the action.  This was also a problem for the bomber and combat pilots as well.

The 1938 film The Dawn Patrol addresses the problem of generals issuing orders and continually sending inexperienced pilots into dangerous situations.  The squadron commanders were forced to carry out those orders, knowing that many of the replacement pilots would be killed.  The 1938 version of the film is a remake of the original version released in 1930.  From what I understand, most of the dialogue is the same between the two versions, and most, if not all, of the flight scenes were taken straight from the original film.

The Dawn Patrol (1938) – movie poster

Directed by Edmund Goulding, The Dawn Patrol stars Errol Flynn as Captain Courtney, the leader of A Flight.  Co-starring in the film are Basil Rathbone as Major Brand, the commanding officer of the squadron, and David Niven as Lieutenant Scott, one of the pilots in A Flight.

The Dawn Patrol takes place in 1915 at a Royal Flying Corps‘ airfield in France.

The movie begins with an action scene showing British combat pilots in a dogfight against the Germans.  We later learn that two of the British pilots, new replacement pilots in the squadron, were shot down and killed.

The Dawn Patrol (1938) – (c) Warner Bros.

Back at the airfield, Major Brand (Basil Rathbone) is the commanding officer of the 59th Squadron.  He’s been under increasing pressure by headquarters to have his pilots produce better results on their missions, or he’s going to be transferred to a less important position.  Major Brand is nearing his breaking point as he has already lost 16 pilots in the last two weeks, nearly all of them replacement pilots with little to no flight or combat experience.

A Flight returns from its dawn patrol and lands at the airfield.  Flight leader Captain Courtney (Errol Flynn) and his good friend Lieutenant Scott (David Niven) have survived the mission, along with Lieutenant Hollister (Peter Willes), another experienced pilot, but they lost two of their replacement pilots.  Hollister is shaken up as one of the pilots that was shot down and killed was his best friend.  When Courtney tries to talk to Hollister and boost his spirits, it only makes him more depressed. Read more…

Movie Review – Wings (1927)

Today we’re taking a look at Wings, a 1927 silent movie that tells a story of two rivals who fight over a woman, join the Army Air Service and become pilots, and later fight in World War 1.

Wings (1927) – movie poster

Directed by William A. Wellman, Wings stars Clara Bow as Mary Preston, Charles “Buddy” Rogers as Jack Powell, Richard Arlen as David Armstrong, and Jobyna Ralston as Sylvia Lewis.  Gary Cooper has a brief role as Cadet White, and El Brendel plays the role of Dutch-American Herman Schwimpf.  Music for the film was composed by J.S. Zamecnik.

Wings begins in a small American town in 1917.

Wings (1927) – (c) Paramount Pictures

Jack Powell (Charles “Buddy” Rogers) is an average guy who knows how to work on cars and he dreams of one day flying airplanes.  His neighbor Mary Preston (Clara Bow) is in love with him, but he rejects her advances.  When he repairs his car and renames it “Shooting Star,” he drives away and asks Sylvia Lewis (Jobyna Ralston) to go with him for a ride.  This move annoys David Armstrong (Richard Arlen) as he was trying to romance Sylvia. Read more…

The Death of Eric Garner – Was His Death Caused By Police Brutality?

On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner was in Staten Island, New York, when he was questioned by a pair of undercover NYPD officers on suspicion of selling untaxed cigarettes.

During the questioning, Garner stated that he was not selling cigarettes, and also that he was tired of being harassed by the police.  He told them that the harassing was going to end today.  When the police moved in to arrest Garner, he resisted and continued claiming his innocence.  At that point Officer Daniel Pantaleo moved behind Garner, wrapped his arms around Garner’s neck and shoulders, and used a submission hold to help subdue the suspect.  Eric Garner was 6’3″ tall and weighed 350 pounds.

As Eric Garner fell to the ground, he continued resisting and more police officers swarmed over him, trying to hold him still so they could handcuff his arms behind his back.  At that point in time Pantaleo had moved his arms, but he still had one of his arms wrapped around Garner’s neck in an alternate submission hold.  He immediately releases this hold when Garner’s free arm is finally cuffed behind his back.  When that happens Garner stated the words, “I can’t breathe.”

The arrest was recorded on video, and it has been posted online for the world to view.

The arrest video of Eric Garner on July 17, 2014.

At 1:20 in the video you can clearly see Officer Pantaleo wrap his arms around Garner’s neck and shoulder.  Garner is then wrestled to the ground.  Ten seconds later at 1:30 you can see that Officer Pantaleo has his left arm wrapped around Garner’s neck in a slightly different hold than the one he used a moment ago.  That second hold is released a few seconds later when Garner is rolled onto his right side and his right arm is finally cuffed behind his back.  While his arm is being cuffed, Eric Garner is on his stomach, officers are holding him against the ground (using their hands and knees to press against his head, chest, and torso).  That’s when he utters the words, “I can’t breathe.”

The ending of the video shows that Eric Garner became unconscious just after being handcuffed.  The final scenes show him lying on his side as officers keep an eye on him while waiting for paramedics. Read more…

Movie Review – Hell’s Angels (1930)

One of the fascinating aspects of World War 1 was the rapid advancement in technology and tactics used in what would ultimately become modern, mechanized warfare.  Between 1914 and 1918, military aviation saw tremendous leaps and bounds as armies recognized the true strengths and advantages of air power.

Released in 1930, Hell’s Angels takes a look at World War 1 combat pilots, from their life outside of the combat zones to the harrowing missions themselves.  This film follows along as two brothers and their friend all join the air service, two of them for England and one for Germany.  We see them go through training, fight against a Zeppelin during a night time bombing raid, go on a dangerous bombing mission in a captured German bomber, and then become captured and face death after being branded as spies.  Before the war and between the combat missions, the two brothers fight each other for the love of a woman.

Hell’s Angels (1930) – movie poster

Directed and produced by Howard Hughes, Hell’s Angels stars Ben Lyon and James Hall as the British brothers Monte and Roy Rutledge.  Supporting them in the film is Jean Harlow as the young woman Helen.

Hell’s Angels (1930) – (c) United Artists

Hell’s Angels begins in Germany some time before the outbreak of war.  British brothers Roy (James Hall) and Monte Rutledge (Ben Lyon) are enjoying the company of their German friend, Karl (John Darrow), while they spend time in a tavern.  The guys tease Roy and try to get him hooked up with a young lady. Read more…

Movie Review – All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

Today we’re kicking off a bunch of movie reviews dedicated to one of my favorite time periods — World War 1.

As you can guess by the title of this article, the first movie that we’re going to review is the 1930 classic, All Quiet on the Western Front.

Based on the classic novel by Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front follows a group of young men as they graduate from school, enlist as soldiers in the German army, and then experience the various forms of horrors in warfare, from attacking an enemy’s position to starvation to the horrors of life in the hospital.  It’s a gripping story as the young men are faced with the challenges of staying alive and fighting “for the Fatherland.”

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) – movie poster

Directed by Lewis Milestone, All Quiet on the Western Front was produced by Hollywood legend Carl Laemmle, Jr.

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) – (c) Universal Pictures

All Quiet on the Western Front begins in Germany as a group of boys finishes their final semester at secondary school.  As soldiers proudly march in formation through the town’s streets, Professor Kantorek (Arnold Lucy) gives the boys an impressive and patriotic speech about the duties of enlisting in the Army and fighting for their home, the Fatherland.  The students are impressed by the speech, and they believe in the glory and honor of serving in the German military.  The group of them promptly enlist and find themselves at a training camp. Read more…

Movie Review – Waterworld (1995)

Continuing with the theme of a flooded Earth (like in the book Flood and the movie The Day After Tomorrow), today we’re taking a look at the 1995 post-apocalyptic science-fiction film Waterworld.

Set several hundred years in the future, Waterworld takes place on a version of planet Earth that is almost entirely covered by water.  It’s mentioned that the polar ice caps have melted and flooded the planet, creating one massive ocean.  The people simply call the world Waterworld, and everybody uses boats and lives on large crescent-shaped barges called atolls.  The plot of the movie focuses on a mysterious sailer called “The Mariner,” and a strange map on the back of a young child.  It’s believed that the map leads to a place called Dryland, and people will kill for that information.

Waterworld (1995) – movie poster

Directed by Kevin Reynolds, Waterworld stars Kevin Costner as The Mariner.  Dennis Hopper plays the role of The Deacon, the leader of the villains.  Supporting them are Jeanne Tripplehorn as Helen, and Tina Majorino as Enola, the young girl with a precious map on her back.

Waterworld (1995) – (c) Universal Pictures

Waterworld begins with a brief animation of planet Earth and how the polar ice caps melted and flooded most of the surface of the planet.  We then meet a drifter called the Mariner (Kevin Costner) as he’s alone while sailing his boat, a trimaran.  After meeting another sailor in the open water, the two of them are ambushed by “Smokers,” a.k.a. pirates.  The Mariner uses the sails on his trimaran and makes a clean getaway while the other sailor is caught by the Smokers and brutally killed. Read more…

Movie Review – The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

What if the world was to suddenly have a radical climate shift, one that would wreck havoc on life as we know it?

On top of that, what if this climate change was something that we could have prevented?

That’s basically the premise for The Day After Tomorrow, a 2004 science-fiction doomsday film.  In The Day After Tomorrow we see what planet Earth could be like should there be a sudden and radical shift in the climate, a shift caused by man-made global warming.  Coastal areas are flooded by a sudden rise in sea level, ocean currents are disrupted, and ferocious weather systems blast frigid weather across North America, creating a new Ice Age.

The Day After Tomorrow (2004) – movie poster

Directed by Roland Emmerich, The Day After Tomorrow stars Dennis Quaid as paleoclimatologist Jack Hall.  Co-starring in the film is Jake Gyllenhaal in the role of Sam Hall, Jack’s son.  Other actors in the movie include Ian Holm as Professor Terry Rapson, Kenneth Welsh as Vice President Raymond Becker, and Emmy Rossum as Laura Chapman.

The Day After Tomorrow (2004) – (c) 20th Century Fox

The Day After Tomorrow begins in Antarctica as paleoclimatologist Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid) and his team are drilling for ice-core samples on the Larsen Ice Shelf.  Suddenly there’s a fracture in the ice that crates a deep crevice.  Hall’s team barely escapes falling to their doom.

Later, at a United Nations conference in New Delhi, India, Jack presents his findings on global warming and how it’s significantly worse than anybody had expected.  Unfortunately, his research fails to convince the diplomats or Vice President Raymond Becker (Kenneth Welsh).  They’re set on maintaining their current ways when it comes to using fossil fuels and the Earth’s natural resources as they see fit, rather than considering its effects on the environment. Read more…

October & November 2014 Exercise Results

Now that we’re into December (and the Christmas shopping season, in case you haven’t noticed), it’s time to look back and see the exercise results from the previous month.

As you can guess by the title of this article, this time we’re looking back at both October and November.  I never got around to making the article for October, and by the time I actually started caring (yeah, yeah), it was the end of November.

Anyway, neither October or November was that great.  In October I was distracted by a couple cases of sickness, and at the end of the month my wife and I were out of town on vacation.  The start of November saw one more illness (this has to be a record for getting sick so many times within a couple of months) and then very busy times during the week of Thanksgiving.  In addition to that, my car needed to be towed to the repair shop so that I could get a new fuel pump installed.  🙁

October of 2014 exercise results:

Exercise bike totals (cardio):

– 6 sessions; ~ 45 minutes each

– 278 minutes (4.63 hours)

– 58.6 miles

– 2,932 calories

Total Bodyworks 5000 totals (strength):

– 5 sessions; ~ 45 minutes each

Total number of sit-ups:

– 500 Read more…