Yard Sale To Remember

I meant to go online yesterday, but got held up by an important event, which was a yard sale my family was having.  Since this was the first yard sale I was ever going to be a part of, I was ecstatic, but once the event was over, I wished I hadn't been involved.  Here's what happened...

• Everything was so disorganized because we had so much stuff.  There were some things I knew we  would sell like electronics, but other stuff we had like VHS tapes were failures I could see coming a mile away. 
• Getting business was difficult because the signs my dad made were terrible.  He wrote them all by hand with handwriting that was too small from far away.  In his defense though, barely any people were in my neighborhood yesterday; it was just a slow day.
• Setting up for the yard sale was much more difficult than I expected.  I thought it would be easy like I'd seen at other people's yard sales or on TV, but it was the complete opposite.  I had to label everything, carry tons of boxes and tables, and communicate with the few people who came, which was mostly pleasant, but not easy to do.
• We were outside from 9-4 basically and made less than $100.  I could say the real amount, but I'm embarrassed.  Although, I do find that hilarious.
• My contribution to the yard sale was DVDs.  No one bought any of my stuff, but a couple almost bought my first season of Futurama.
• Lastly, even though the day was terrible, there were some positives.  I realized I never want to be part of a yard sale again.  My family made some money (albeit not much), and I got to spend some time with my dad.

From Russia With Love

From Russia With Love (PG)

Grade: A+

• Directed by: Terrence Young
• Produced by: Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli
• Screenplay by: Richard Maibaum and Johanna Harwood.  Based on From Russia With Love by Ian Fleming
• Starring: Sean Connery (James Bond), Daniela Bianchi (Tatiana Romanova), Pedro Armendariz (Kerim Bay), Lotte Lenya (Rosa Klebb), Robert Shaw (Donald "Red" Grant), Bernard Lee (M), Walter Gotell (Morenzy), Vladek Sheybal (Kronsteen), ? (Ernst Stavro Blofeld), Lois Maxwell (Miss Moneypenny,  Desmond Llewelyn (Q), Eunice Gayson (Sylvia Trench)
• Cinematographer: Ted Moore
• Music by: John Barry
• Studio: Eon Productions
• Distributed by: United Artists
• Released: October 10, 1963 (London), October 11, 1963 (UK)
• Running Time: 115 minutes/1 hour and 55 minutes
• Language: English

"There's a saying in England: Where there's smoke, there's fire."

-James Bond

When James Bond says the quote above, he's in a speedboat being chased by bad guys.  Things don't look good for him, until he shoots a flare gun at oil drums he dropped, causing a fire, which engulfs the surrounding water.  Yes, the scene has all of that, but "From Russia With Love" has so much more compared to the previous Bond film "Dr. No".  It has love, introduction to gadgets, and best of all, memorable villains who are worthy to our hero.  The first time I saw "From Russia With Love" as a child, I didn't like it, but now that I'm older, I think it's one of, if not, the best James Bond film.

"From Russia With Love" is about revenge, at least in the beginning.  The villainous organization SPECTRE has a plan to get back at James Bond for a past vendetta.  Number 1 is the leader of the organization, and hires Number 3 and Number 5 for the assignment.  Number 5 (Kronsteen), is a chess master who has planned out every possible outcome, while Number 3 (Klebb) has to run his plan.  Their plan is to lure James Bond with a Lektor decoding machine, which is an object the British Secret Service and CIA have wanted for years.  As expected, Bond takes the job, but when Tatiana Romanova is set up as well, sparks fly and things get difficult, especially with a killer following them.

Sean Connery is still top notch as 007, but he's not alone.  In my opinion, the whole cast is great in this movie.  Vladek Sheybal looks the part of a chess master, Lotte Lenya really looks like an evil old woman, and Number 1?  Well, we don't see his face in this film, but his presence is felt by his actions, and of course, the white cat he always holds.  Along with the villains though, there's Daniela Bianchi and Pedro Armendariz as Bond's allies.  They get significantly more screen time, so we see their relationship with Bond evolve, which is a strange, yet wonderful sight to see.  

That's what I think is so great about "From Russia With Love".  Yes, it came out a long time ago, but it set the early standard for what Bond films would eventually have.  It has a pre-title sequence, gadgets, stunts, and villains, but the plot isn't ridiculous or video gamey like some of the later Bonds will be.  The relationship with Bond and Tatiana is also wonderful because we see how much they care for each other, which makes us root for them, and keeps us glued to the screen.

Bond fans everywhere will have different opinions on who the best Bond is, and what the best film in the series is, but if you ask me, it's "From Russia With Love".  Like I said before, it's not something I always thought, but re-watching it again, I saw myself being caught up in the love affair the was 007.  I may not know all there is about films, but I know what I like, and "From Russia With Love" is one of those films.

My Top 6 Favorite Foods

One question I'm never asked, but think often of, is what's my favorite food?  It seems like it would be an easy answer, but for someone like me, who's indecisive and a bit picky, it isn't.  The good thing though, is that I know there's no need to limit myself, so without further ado, here's another thing you all can learn about me: My Top 6 Favorite Foods.  It's not really an important issue, but it's something interesting to think about because I could never pick my favorite foods, until now.

Without further ado, the list...

6. Eggs: In the culinary world, there's a saying that eggs make everything better.  I don't know if that's the case, or if that's even a real saying, but I agree with it because I love eggs. They're versatile, quick, and a little healthier compared to other proteins.  Most people like sweet stuff when it comes to breakfast like pancakes and french toast, but I'm never satisfied with that, so give me scrambled eggs or an omelet, and I'm a happy man.
 
5. Fried Rice: There's nothing not to love about fried rice.  It has rice in it, which is one of the most versatile foods in the world, and when combined with meats and vegetables, it can be just as filling as any dish.  Most fried rice is good to me, but like most people, nothing beats mom's home cooking.  Unfortunately, my mom doesn't make the dish as often anymore (especially since I try to eat healthier now), but whenever she cooks it, I notice it.

4. Cheesecake: Not healthy at all with the cream cheese, butter, and sugar content, but any time I see cheesecake, I have to eat it because it tastes so good.  The cheese in a cheesecake is always delicious, but the graham cracker crust has always been underrated to me, which is why I always save the crust for last.

3. Cheeseburger: Cheeseburgers are the only meaty dish to make my list, which is a surprise, considering how much meat I eat (like most people).  Cheeseburgers or burgers usually don't make people's lists of favorite foods because they're so common, and have become popularized because of fast food, but a well-made burger is a wonderful thing.  It's meaty, full of flavor, and they can be so versatile, which I always love, considering how picky I am.

2. Eggplant Parmesan: Eggplant is the first vegetable I was able to eat on a consistent basis as a child, so cover it with cheese and sauce, and you basically increase it to the point of no return.  It's not meat, but when it's well-made, it makes me think I could pull off being a vegetarian sometimes.  Although, I know that's never happening.

1. Sushi: Lastly, my number one favorite food is sushi.  Now, I'm not surprised about this result because I do love sushi, but that wasn't always the case.  As a child, I was hesitant to try it, and hated it when I actually did, but as I got older and my palate changed, I found myself loving the taste.  I'm not one of those people who focuses on texture when I eat food, but for sushi, I find it to be necessary.  Sushi is usually too expensive for me most of the time, but that's why it's my favorite food.  If I'm eating it, it means I'm indulging, and life must be going good.

A Great Day!

Most people I know have great days often, but for me, they rarely happen, which is why when I have a day like today, which was great, I have to talk about it.  I know from the way I've built it up, you probably think I did amazing things, like win the lottery or meet someone famous, but neither happened.  It was actually a really chill day, and that's what was so great about it.  I hung out with my friend Phu, ate delicious food, bought some Yu-Gi-Oh cards, went to Dedham, and most importantly, caught up with him.  Like I said before, on the surface, it seems like I just had another hangout, but the older I get, I realize it will be harder to see my friend's, which is why I cherish days like today when we just spend time together.

Thanks for the day Phu!

What Should I Do?: Yu-Gi-Oh Style

For the past few days, I've been looking at and re-buying Yu-Gi-Oh cards to build a good dueling deck.  I've tried remaking my old deck from my youth (which was Spellcaster/Fiend), but it's been difficult with the way new cards are now, and how much older cards cost.  I could buy some of the newer ones, but I'm still drawn into the nostalgia of old ones like Gate Guardian, Dark Magician, and banned cards, which have made my deck suck.  As I've started dueling again, I've rediscovered how fun it is, and how it really does require strategy, which is something I didn't conceive as a child.  I haven't won yet, but I've had fun, making me think maybe I'm more cut out to be a collector since I only buy rare cards, and love the shininess of them.  If those options don't work, then I'll have to be a rare hunter or part of Team Rocket.

In all seriousness though, despite buying so many cards, I'm clueless on building a proper deck.  So does anyone have any suggestions for someone like me, who wants to make a Spellcaster/Dragon deck?  I honestly don't know what to do.

One Saturday Morning

As a child, Saturday was always the best day of the week for one reason, and one reason only: cartoons and TV shows.  Despite everyone having that unity of thought though, everyone had different preferences of what they watched.  If you had cable with Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, you were basically set, but I didn't have cable back then, so I was stuck with normal channels, which wasn't a bad thing.  WB had Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh, Fox had Digimon, etc.  But one of the most underrated networks with cartoons and shows for me was ABC's One Saturday Morning.

Now, I'm not sure how many people know about One Saturday Morning, because like I said, everyone had their own preference, but One Saturday Morning was great!  They had real people hosting the slot time, but then basically aired cartoons and shows like Recess, The Weekenders, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Pepper Ann, Fillmore, etc.  They were aimed to be educational, always saying "Illuminated Television", but their shows had plot, and dealt with real life issues children went through, which looking back on, was wonderful, especially considering how Saturday morning cartoons are now, and what Disney has unfortunately become (Disney Channel).

Because of everything I just said, today is a throwback to the old days.  I won't post up episodes of all the cartoons and shows since that would take forever, and you can find most of them on Youtube (like I have).  One thing I will do though, is post the intro to One Saturday Morning, which was catchy, and a reminder of better Saturdays.