My Favorite Disney Songs

Like a lot of people in the world, I grew up with Disney films, so talking about them is always a special for me.  I love talking about the quality of the films themselves, but I also love talking about and listening to the songs from the films.  This thought came into my mind yesterday when I was in a car with my friend's talking about what my favorite Disney songs were.  At first, I thought that would be easy to figure out, but as I thought about it, I found that it wasn't.  There were a lot of memorable songs, but only a few I liked enough to listen to again, or had powerful lyrics that related to their characters, as well as me.  I admit, my list is biased since all the songs are from the Disney Renaissance era, but most people will agree, that's one of, if not the best era for Disney music.  Anyways, here are my top 6 songs because is my lucky number...

6. "I Won't Say (I'm In Love)" from Hercules by Susan Egan: A song that Meg sings when she's describing how she feels about Hercules.  I love the song because I love love, and because it's described how I've felt a few times.  Plus, it's a damn good song. 

5. "Go The Distance" from Hercules by Roger Bart: To most people, this song isn't as popular as "I Won't Say (I'm In Love)", but it's something relate-able, and a great song despite having few lyrics.  I mostly like this song because it inspires the need to never give up and follow your dreams.

4. "I'll Make A Man Out Of You" from Mulan by Donny Osmond: A catchy song that guys and women love.  Even as a feminist, I can't help but sing along to this song because it's lyrics are so awesome, and Donny Osmond does a great job as well.  On a side note, the Jackie Chan version is good too.  When a song from a film is equally as good in two languages, that's when you've got something special.

3. "Part Of Your World" by Jodi Benson: One of the most subtle Disney songs, but it ranks high on my list because of Jodi Benson, and because the song represents Ariel and myself perfectly; the desire to be part of a world we don't fit into.  It's also one of the Disney songs I listen to most frequently, besides my number 1 song.

2. "A Whole New World" from Aladdin by Brad Kane and Lea Salonga: I don't listen to this song much because I don't have a great version of it on my Ipod, but I watch it on Youtube and on film all the time.  This song has great lyrics like all the Disney songs, but I love it because as soon as it appears, it makes me fantasize what I'd want to do with a woman.  Just take her on a magic carpet ride, and show her the world.  Maybe it's silly, and I'm lame, but I can dream as a romantic.

1. "Out There" from The Hunchback Of Notre Dame by Tom Hulce: An underrated song from an underrated Disney film.  The Hunchback of Notre Dame wasn't as acclaimed as it's predecessors, but I love it.  This song sung by Tom Hulce as Quasimodo is beautiful.  The artwork is stunning, and it relates to an individual's need to break out, which I think is something we can all relate to.

The Weather and the Shows That Go With It

With the heat in Boston yesterday, and what what's coming up this weekend, I can honestly say I'm not looking forward to going outside (even though I know that will most likely happen).  I'll trek though that when it comes, but in the meantime, here are some episodes of shows I like that have to do with the heat.  It won't take away the heat, but it will hopefully take your mind off it.

An episode of Arthur called The Blackout!

A Recess episode called The Coolest Heatwave Ever

A Day To Remember!

Today, I had another great day for all reasons possible.  I ate some good Thai food and wings, which is always a plus; I went bowling (even though, it was hilariously terrible), went to Toys R Us, helped someone with work stuff, and hung out with friends for the day.  When you do stuff like this for a day, there's not really much to say.  One thing I know for sure is, I'll remember this day for a long time.

The Un-Beautiful People

In my house, we have tons of magazines from Time to TV Guide, but the magazines that always stand out to me are Entertainment Weekly and People magazine.  It's not just because I'm a film guy; it's because of who they have on the cover, which is always celebrities (barring some tragedy).  Nothing makes me pay more attention to them than when they have a headline which says "Best Dressed" or "Sexiest Woman Alive".  You'd think something like that would make me drool, but it doesn't.  I honestly think it's sick.

Forgive me if I'm being a hard-ass on this subject, but it's the feminist in me.  I think it's nice to acknowledge beauty when it's there, but publications like magazines only advertise beauty and objectify people.  You never see average looking people like a majority of people actually are.  You see someone like Beyonce or Matt Damon.  For someone young, who reads magazines all the time, seeing those type of people all the time can be damaging to their self esteem.  They may think that to be well liked, they have to be that good looking, which can lead to serious consequences if the wrong steps are taken.

It's not just the focus on beauty I hate in magazines; it's the fact that most of the time, it's fake!  I've read in articles and books, that most magazines airbrush and clean up advertising and pictures of even the most beautiful people in the world.  Don't believe me, you can read anywhere about what happened to Beyonce or Kate Winslet when something like that happened.  They were pissed off!

I'd be lying if I said there weren't beautiful people in magazines, because I think some celebrities are attractive, but honestly, why pay attention to beauty in magazines, which is fake and unrealistic, when there is beauty around all the time?  What I mean is, there's beauty around us all the time in regular everyday people, so why focus on people in magazines?  Case in point, there's one woman I know, who is absolutely wonderful.  She's one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen in my life.  She's not a celebrity, but she's real and has personality, which to me stands out than any celebrity in some magazine.  People in magazines are beautiful, but give me a person I know any day, and I'll be satisfied.

NaCl

When it comes to relating to everyday problems people deal with, I think I deal with less than the average person.  One thing I do deal with though, which is a problem for most people is trying to shop and eat food, while watching out for NaCl or salt.  I know most of you reading this don't think it's a problem, but for a majority of us with health problems, it is.  Salt is everywhere, and while it's necessary for our bodies to have some, most of the time, there's too much in everyday food.

There's salt in everything from processed food to food that you wouldn't even think had any like yogurt, etc.  As people, we can make the choice whether to eat the food or not, but most of the time, when we consume more NaCl when necessary, I blame food labels or the distributors because they do not inform the people properly what's in their product.  An example on my mind is when I see Subway ads, or read labels on foods like chips.  They say they reduce the calories and fat, but never say the NaCl content, which is misleading because to me, that does more harm than calories and fat do.  There's good calories and fat for the body, but I've never heard a doctor say eat more salt.  That just doesn't make sense, and would lead to bad health in the future.

I know nothing will change as long as business's want money, so the only thing we consumers with health problems can do is to read labels carefully, and watch what we eat, which I think as people we do well enough.

Dragon Ball Z

I just bought the first two seasons of Dragon Ball Z yesterday off Amazon because recently, I have been getting into the show.  Most people I know watched the show as kids, but that wasn't the case for me because my family, of course, didn't have cable.  Because that was the case, I was never able to watch Dragon Ball Z, but despite that, I knew who Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, etc were.  I always felt so out of group circle's not being able to talk about Dragon Ball Z like my friends, but that will never be the case anymore because now that I've made the purchases, I'm finally part of the group.  Yes, I'm far behind, but I can't wait to catch up!

Going Back In Time

Going back in time is an anomaly that is impossible, but it's something that I always think and talk about with my friends whenever we talk about high school (since it's the last time we were all together).  I know some of you probably think that it's silly to talk about something like this, but I know it's something we all wish we could do, whether we could alter the future or not.  Whenever my friends and I talk about time travel, our scenario is that we go back to 9th grade, before ever meeting each other, with our current memories intact.  What would we do if that happened?  Would we leave things as they are, or change things for the better?  I'm not sure if I would make that many changes with the past or future, but if I did, here are a few things I know for sure I would do.

• I would tell myself to lose the weight I had back then because back then I was huge.  Not just for my own health, but because losing weight would give me better self esteem, which was something I lacked for a majority of high school.
• Be more social, which really speaks for itself!
• Do more work and homework for myself because the norm for a lot of people in high school back then was to copy each other's work.
• Bring my own lunch to school because most of the time I starved.
• I would take a different bus to school because as my friends will attest to, the 14 bus sucks.  It was unreliable back then, and it's still unreliable now.
• Lastly, I would just try harder in school, because if I started working hard back then, it would set me up for life's challenges now I struggle with, like college or getting a job.

Rootless

Rarely do I ever comment on one song, especially one off a soundtrack like MLB 13: The Show, but I couldn't resist this time with a song that's been stuck in my head for all the right reasons.  The song I'm talking about is Rootless by Youngblood Hawke.  Youngblood Hawke is an indie pop band (at least from what Google says).  They've only released one album with a few songs, but I like their music a lot, and root for their success.  MLB 13: The Show has a great soundtrack overall, but this is the standout song for me.  I've been listening to it nonstop for days, and hope if you're into this genre, you'll like it too.

My First Barbershop Experience

Today was another day of firsts for me as I went to the barbershop for the first time ever as an adult.  I know you're probably surprised by that statement, considering my age, but my mom always cut my hair for me, so I never complained, since it was free, and I never found her style bad.  Recently though, she told me I had to go to the barbershop, so I did what she told me to do.  I was hesitant at first, but after going, I realized it wasn't so bad.

The barbershop I went to was a small place in my neighborhood.  I went really early in the morning, so I was basically the only person there beside one guy who was finishing up.  Once he left, it was my turn to get my haircut.  They cut on a number system with 3 being the lowest number and 1 being the highest.  The lower the number, the more amount of hair you want off.  Since I didn't want to be bald, but was unsure, I picked 1 and a half, which was what my friends usually got.  They cut off more than I expected, with people being able to see my scalp a bit, but I still like it.  My scalp gets some much needed exposure, and I won't need a haircut for awhile, which is the goal of a haircut.

So all in all, a good experience at the barbershop.  Nothing will ever replace my mom's work, but it was time to start anew, even if it cost $14.  And since I found the first experience so enjoyable, soon it will become routine.

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.

Happy Anniversary!

I finished finals and school today, which is reason enough to celebrate, but I found out recently that today is my parent's 27th wedding anniversary, which is a momentous occasion.  It seems like yesterday my sibling's and I were young children, but here we are, all basically young adults.  We've changed, but something that hasn't isn't the bond my parents have.  Even though I don't show it all the time, I am grateful for everything, and just want to take this small amount of time to say HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!  Here's hoping to many more! 

The Top Novels I Read This Semester

Now that all my classes are done, and I only have one final left to take, I think there's been enough time where I can fully comment on the novels I read.  There were only 7 of them, so it's not going to be a long list, but it's safe to say they all made an impact on me, whether I liked it or not.

With that out of the way, here's my list...

7. Democracy by Joan Didion: This novel dulled me from the start because I had just finished reading The Crying of Lot 49, which hurt my brain for a few weeks.  It had an interesting premise taking place at the end of the Vietnam War, and the fact that Didion breaks the fourth wall, but I was so confused with everything that it made this novel painful to read through.  This maybe one of Didion's most acclaimed work, but it doesn't get my vote. 

6. Franny and Zooey by J.D Salinger: Everyone is probably surprised to see a novel by Salinger this low (especially since he wrote The Catcher In The Rye), but I say read this, and you'll agree.  This novel is promising, but it's not The Catcher In The Rye.  To be honest, I'm not sure what it is.  The novel has connection with the Glass family that Salinger constantly wrote about, and how they're dissatisfied with life, but that's all I got from it.  Yes, maybe there's some enlightenment, but it's dragged out.  And the fact that everyone is so cynical gets tiring after awhile.

5. Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer: The most modern/recent novel on this list considering it came out 2002.  Again, like Didion, Foer breaks normal narrative and has himself as a character in the novel trying to figure out family history of sorts.  The novel is humorous, tragic, and contemplates a lot of questions about life, but it was hard for me to take anything seriously being often confused.  Definitely not for me, but if you like a challenge, this may be the novel for you.

4. The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon: Probably the biggest surprise on this list considering I despised this novel when I first read it, but when I had to write an essay on it, I found I liked it much more than before.  This novel still makes no sense, but there's no doubt Pynchon's prose is great, and that this novel is a must read for people serious about literature.  The ending is a bit of a letdown, but just the fact I understood it (compared to another one of his works, like the short story "Entropy") was a huge step for me as a reader and writer.  I'd say more, but the less I say, the better.

3. The Joy Luck Club: This novel is here because it relates to who I am being Asian-American myself.  The second half of this novel takes away from its overall value, but it is still a joy to read.   

2. Another County by James Baldwin: Baldwin's novel about the jazz musician Rufus Scott isn't pretty at times.  To be honest, it's not pretty at all.  There's sex, racism, religion, and dis-enlightenment of American culture in this novel, but it speaks true to the artists who lived in New York during the 1950s-1960s, painting an unforgettable picture of them.  The novel focuses on mostly on Rufus, but Baldwin shows us the inside of many lives, which is hard to watch at times, but beautiful at the same time.  

1. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler: And now, the best novel I read this semester, which was Parable of the Sower.  I must admit, part of the reason this is up so high is because it blew my expectations away, but that doesn't take away what an achievement it is being futuristic and apocalyptic.  This novel was written in 1993, but it's striking how many similarities it has to the U.S now.  It's deeply religious, but you can't help but be drawn in to the protagonist Lauren Olamina, and the way Butler writes.  I haven't read any futuristic stuff before this, but now that I've read this, I can't wait to read more.

Dr. No

Dr. No (PG)

Grade: A-

• Directed by: Terence Young
• Produced by: Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli
• Screenplay by: Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkley Mather.  Based on Dr. No by Ian Fleming
• Starring: Sean Connery (James Bond), Ursula Andress (Honey Ryder), Joseph Wiseman (Dr. No), Jack Lord (Felix Leiter), Bernard Lee (M), Anthony Dawson (Professor Dent), John Kitzmiller (Quarrel), Zena Marshall (Miss Taro), Eunice Gayson (Sylvia Trench), Lois Maxwell (Miss Moneypenny) 
• Cinematographer: Ted Moore
• Music by: Monty Norman
• Studio: Eon Productions
• Distributed by: United Artists
• Released: October 5, 1962
• Running Time: 109 minutes/1 hour and 49 minutes
• Language: English

"Bond...James Bond"

-James Bond

The first time I remember being exposed to James Bond 007, was when I was a child reading Ian Fleming's novels.  My dad had a huge volume of his works, so I read them all at school, or whenever I had spare time.  I didn't understand anything since the dialogue was too intricate for my young mind, but after being exposed to James Bond, I knew I would never forget the name.  Then one Saturday night, out of nowhere, I saw "Dr. No" on ABC.  I was confused because the film was nothing like I pictured it, but I watched it anyways, starting a love affair that still continues to this day.
  

"Dr. No" starts off with a British Intelligence Station Chief named Strangways, who gets ambushed and killed in Jamaica.  After British Secret Service gets news of this, they send their best Agent, James Bond 007, to Jamaica to investigate what happened.  He doesn't find much at first, but with clever tactics, he finds that everything leads to Crab Key and the mysterious Dr. No. 

I realize that I didn't say much about the plot, but that's only because not much happens in the "Dr. No".  I know that seems hard to believe, considering what all the recent Bond films have been like, but that's really the case.  It's the first film, so it's likely the filmmakers were just trying to get a feel for the series, and the Bond formula we're all so accustomed too.  Despite being unlike modern Bond films, there is a car chase, fight scene, and beautiful women, including the beautiful Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder.

The star of the film though is Sean Connery.  No doubt, we all know what a great actor he is now, but back then, he was basically unknown besides a few roles.  In fact, he was so unlike Ian Fleming's depiction of Bond, that he was almost passed over until fate changed things.  Everyone has their own preference of Bond, but true fans will always know Connery is the best.  He's sexy, suave, smooth, charming, but at the same time, you know he's knowledgeable and can kick your ass.  Not to mention, his dialogue and accent play well to the character, and he has unbelievable chemistry with everyone in the cast as they'll tell you.  "Dr. No" has some memorable moments, but none more memorable than this one (which reminds me of how Alfred Hitchcock introduces characters in some of his films).

The immortal introduction and soundtrack

So overall, "Dr. No" is a good Bond film.  Not great compared to "From Russia With Love" or "Goldfinger" because the villain doesn't appear much in the film (among some other small flaws), but it's a good introduction to the franchise.  I know some of you are wondering why I gave such a high grade to a "good" film, but my answer is because of the way the film made me feel then, and how it makes me feel now.  After seeing "Dr. No" as a child, I was obsessed with Bond to the point that I played James Bond at the playground more than tag.  Because I'm older, I'm not as addicted to Bond as I was then, but I still love it, and wish I could be him (or at least Sean Connery for that matter).  I know that's impossible, but I can still dream, and "Dr. No" was the first film to get me started on that.  The James Bond franchise may be 50 years old now, but "Dr. No" shows the attraction people have to him, and why he still matters to film lovers everywhere.    

Bullying

Being older, it seems that one thing that has died down is bullying, but in hindsight, that really isn't the case.  All I have to do is turn on the TV, or read the newspaper, and there's a story about a child being bullied.  I suppose it wouldn't be that bad if the situation got resolved, but there's an old saying said about the media: "They only report what's negative", which is why you sparingly hear about happy things that happen in the media; they usually only talk about negative news, which is why whenever I hear about bullying, I know it's unfortunately tragic.

When it comes to bullying, it's a touchy subject for me because I was bullied a lot as a child from elementary to middle school.  I wasn't sure why, but I think it had to do with how I looked, my weight issues, or the far fetched idea that somebody liked me (I know, ridiculous).  I won't get into the details of it, but the bullying was so bad at one point that I had to get transferred from the class I was in just to get through school.  That worked for awhile, but in middle school, the same thing happened.  Even when I tried nice, or did what they wanted, nothing changed, and it scared me.  Worst of all, all of my bullies were girls believe it or not, so whenever I complained, sometimes teachers believed me, and other times they didn't. 

Now, I'm not hear to blame the school, or even the people who bullied me since that was a long time ago, but bullying is still something prevalent now.  You may not think it is because you aren't exposed to it, but it's happening at school's, and even online (which I think is worst).  Children are being picked on for no reason, and it unfortunately ends in suicide most of the time.  Suicide is a terrible thing, but it can be avoided if the person being bullied has someone to talk to, a parent, sibling, anybody.  I wish as a child, I spoke up more, but I didn't and still deal with the effects.  That doesn't have to happen now.  You can be there for someone in their time of need.  All you have to do is be there, or seek professional help when necessary.  It doesn't matter if you're the person being bullied, or the person helping.  You still matter, and you have a voice to make a difference.

In light of this subject, I found an episode of Arthur online that deals with this subject.  It's from season 16, so the animation is different, among other flaws, but I think this episode shows a good example of how bullying can affect a child's mind, while at the same showing how it can be fixed by talking about it, or taking responsibility.  Yes, I know Arthur is a children's show, but as they've shown with the cancer episode and fire one, they aren't afraid of tackling adult subjects.  And while bullying usually happens to kids, it's something that shouldn't be ignored.

(Couldn't get the video posted since the episode is so new, but here's the link.  Sorry you may have to paste it.  I'm still getting used to this blog)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou0t-3hk5eM

Mirror Pictures

One thing I saw today that I cannot stand is mirror pictures, which for those of you who don't know, is when someone takes a picture in front of a mirror with their phone, device, etc.  I'm not sure what I dislike about it the most, but I know that it's tacky and lame.  If you can't even take a proper picture, then you shouldn't take one at all.  To me, that would be better than a mirror picture, which makes a person seem self centered or vain.  I'm know I'm not one to judge, but I just can't stand it! 

ESPN SportsCentury: Kevin Garnett

With everything that happened to the Boston Celtics on Friday, it's hard not to focus on Kevin Garnett, arguably the best player on their team.  His future is up in the air after this season since he's unsure what the future of the Celtics is going to be.  Because I was so interested in him, I found an interesting SportsCentury video posted on Youtube about him during his Minnesota Timberwolves days.  Yes, it's outdated, but it's interesting if you're a Kevin Garnett fan, or want to see what he was like as a youth.  I know I gained something from it.  Anyways, here it is, so I hope you all enjoy!

Celtics Playoffs/Season In Review

Paul Pierce had a tough series overall vs. the New York Knicks

As the final buzzer sounded yesterday, the right word to describe how I was feeling was let down.  Yes, I knew the Boston Celtics were huge underdogs going against the New York Knicks being older (arguably), and not having the same caliber of players, but somehow, like always, the Celtics always found a way to keep things interesting.  I didn't think they would come back (especially being down by 26 at one point), but somehow, they almost did.  If that happened, it would have been equally as amazing as what the 04' Red Sox World Series title was to me, which in my opinion, will never be topped  Yes, I knew the Celtics weren't going to win the NBA title this year, but throughout the six year run since Kevin Garnett came to Boston, they always made you believe they could.

Describing the Celtics-Knicks series is painful, but somebody has to do it.  The first three games went to the Knicks, and while I give them credit for playing good defense, it's arguable the Celtics gave those games away by not scoring 80 points in any game, and turning the ball over a ton.  Carmelo played well, as well as J.R Smith, but the MVP of the first three games was Raymond Felton and Iman Shumpert for the defense they played, and the fact they actually hit shots consistently.  After losing the first three games, I thought, like many, that the Celtics would get swept, but they won game 4 in overtime and won game 5.  Credit could be given to Paul Pierce, Jeff Green, or even Jason Terry, but I give it to Kevin Garnett for his leadership and statistics.  Hell, even if the Celtics had Rajon Rondo healthy, I'd still think KG was more valuable, but that's a post for another day.

Game 7 was a debacle with the Celtics barely scoring for the first three quarters, until they exploded, and almost came back in the fourth.  It was the most excitement I had for the Celtics all season, but I knew it was over when Carmelo hit that three pointer to seal it.  Blame can be cast all over from Paul Pierce (4-18 shooting) to Danny Ainge for not giving the team a better supporting cast.  I'm usually one who supports loyalty since I think it's a lost thing in sports, but it's obvious the Celtics need to make a change.  Despite that feeling though, I can't bring myself to say the Celtics should trade Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett.  They've given so much to the organization, and the Celtics wouldn't be who they are without them.  Maybe I'm being too sentimental, but these two Hall of Famer's deserve better ending considering all they've done.

I know I'm in the minority on this, and that's fine, but the season could have been so much different if Rondo and Jared Sullinger didn't get hurt.  I know we could say that about a lot of teams, but for this team, that statement definitely fits.  Other teams were hurt, but they didn't have Terrence Williams and Shavlik Randolph on the floor for their season.  I don't know what next year holds, which a lot of people feel, but I know I don't want to say good-bye yet.  Sure this season was tough with injuries and subpar play with the Celtics being older, but if the San Antonio Spurs can do it with Gregg Popavich, why can't the Celtics do it with Doc Rivers.  Out of the four major sports, the NBA is where you see the least upsets, but with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, they've taught us anything is possible, and to never give up until that final buzzer sounds.

Have Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce played their last games as Celtics?  Hopefully not, but if it's over, thanks for everything!

A Song To Say Good-Night To...

Recently, I just watched Woody Allen's masterpiece Crimes and Misdemeanors, and it ended with the song, "I'll Be Seeing You".  I could try and say whose version of the song is my favorite (which would be a toss up between this film's version, or the one played at the end of Star Trek Deep Space Nine), but that would take forever considering so many artists have covered the song.  Anyways, ever since I saw the film, I couldn't get that song out of my head, so I went on Youtube, and was looking up stuff on Paul Newman, (my favorite actor of all-time), when I found the In Memoriam video from the 81st Academy Awards, which is when he died.  They played this song during the tribute video which was rare because they usually don't have someone sing during the In Memoriam part, but they did this time with Queen Latifah.  I know most people are mixed on her, but I liked her version of this song.  I've never heard her sing before, so this was a welcome treat for me, and definitely a great song to end the night with.  Not just cause of how I feel about the Boston Celtics loss to the New York Knicks, but just to say good-night to.  Anyways, hope you all have a nice night, or morning, depending on where you read this from.  Enjoy the video!

A year where we lost many great people in cinema, but I'll always have a soft spot for Paul Newman

Bugs

Bugs, or insects (as they're correctly called), are one of the things I despise most in life.  You may think I'm joking, but ask anyone who knows me, and they'll tell you I can't stand them.  I don't know what I dislike about them the most.  Maybe it's the fact that they're pests, can kill people, and sometimes have no importance to the ecosystem.  I'll give it to you that bees are important, but I have a hard time believing all the species of beetles in the world are necessary, like the Asian ones that destroy trees.  Yeah, those are really helping us (I'm being sarcastic of course).

The reason why I'm blogging about this is because the past few days I've had bees that came into my room somehow, even though I never leave the door open, and always shut the windows.  I dispatched of them very quickly (and somewhat easily), but I was still scared as sh*t from the buzzing, and the fact that even though I clearly smashed it, it was still alive.  Yes, I know bugs are necessary for society, but I swear, if I was president, I would pass a bill that would eliminate any unnecessary bugs.  I'm sure people like PETA would be against me, but I wouldn't care.  I know that no one likes having a garbage fly or bee in their house, so the people would probably thank me.  It's one thing when we're talking about in nature, but in my house, it's my rules!

I know bugs are here to stay, so I have to live with them, but that doesn't mean I have to like them.  Maybe my fear of that will change as I get older, but till then, we'll always be enemies.

Bugs maybe cute to some, but unless they're the ones from Pokemon, they aren't getting near me

Yu-Gi-Oh Cards

Recently, I wrote a blog post about the Yu-Gi-Oh cartoon a few weeks ago, talking about how I was getting back into it, but not in the way I was as a teenager.  Well now, I'm here to say that's changed because recently, I've been playing the Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card Game and video game, which has reignited my interest in the game itself.  I don't plan on ever playing in tournaments or dueling full time, but I love collecting things, so it's cool to collect something from my childhood I loved.  Most of the cards I've bought are older ones from the original Yu-Gi-Oh series and booster packs like Legend Of Blue Eyes or Pharoah's Servant.  The cards may be worst compared to the the cards now, but that's only because the new ones are so cheap with their synchro-summon, etc.  For my money, I'll take the original cards any day, and I am, as I try rebuilding my old deck with bunches of new cards.  I still have a long way to go, but it's time to RE-DUEL!  Now all I need is a duel disk.

Jason Collins And Chris Broussard

I know I'm late commenting on the Jason Collins "coming out" story, but I was on hiatus for a few days, so here are some of my thoughts.

• I think it's wonderful that Jason Collins was able to to be honest with himself and the world by revealing his homosexuality.  I know it couldn't have been easy for him to do, but I know it was even harder for him to keep bottled in (based on his article and people I know personally).  So I am sincerely happy for him. 
• With him doing what he did, he has now become a role model for closeted homosexual athletes, and possibly young kids who are struggling with that issue now.  Jason Collins may not be a Michael Jordan or Lebron James, but he is the right person to have done this.
• Jason Collins is a good person, but I don't know if he will find an NBA team next season like he wants.  I'm not saying that based on his decision, but if you watched any Boston Celtics games this season like I did, you'd agree he sucks.  He commits stupid plays and fouls out in record time.  Of course, many teams could use his size, so anything is possible.  
• I want to comment on Chris Broussard, the writer for ESPN who was/is under a lot of heat for his comments on Jason Collins.  For those of you who don't know, Chris Broussard is a writer and analyst for ESPN that I admire a lot for his work and articulation.  When the Jason Collins news broke out, he was on ESPN, and gave his opinion, which disagreed with Jason Collins lifestyle.  I don't have time to get into the details of it, but basically, Chris Broussard was calling Jason Collins a sinner because of his homosexual lifestyle (from what it says in the Bible).  Everyone basically attacked him, but I say that's not fair.  Chris Broussard was giving his opinion and using his right of free speech.  Yes, he doesn't agree with Jason Collins lifestyle religiously, but he didn't say he wasn't happy for him, or that he wanted genocide or something.  That would have been wrong.  Also, he said the same thing about heterosexuals who have premarital sex as well, so he wasn't just focusing on homosexuals either.  Nobody ever seems to listen or read the whole quote, but when you get down to it, Chris Broussard wasn't saying anything wrong.  He was just voicing his opinion based off what the Bible says.  Most of us disagree with it, so let's just leave it at that.  The world has too many issues to be focusing on one person from ESPN.  There are rumors he may lose his job, but I hope he doesn't because I would hate to see a good writer and analyst suffer for being honest.  Like I said, I disagree with Chris Broussard, but I think he's entitled to what he believes, like we all are.  We shouldn't attack him, otherwise, we're being hypocrites for not letting someone express themselves.
• What the hell was ESPN thinking when they put Chris Broussard on if they knew how he felt prior?  Were they setting him up or something, or just plain stupid?

Chris Broussard's opinion for those of you who are interested

• Lastly, somehow this story has become political and religious, which was bound to happen, but let's not forget the focus, which is on Jason Collins, and homosexuals everywhere, who just want to be accepted in the world like everyone else.

Classes Are Over!

Today is the first day of May, and while that is a glorious thing, that's not the reason I'm back and writing today.  I'm writing because I finished classes officially today, and it's a glorious feeling!  Don't get me wrong, this semester of school has been fantastic (possibly my best one yet), but like every person, I like break because it gives me a chance to relax, and hang out with friends.  Unfortunately, I'm taking a summer class, so I won't be away for long, but even a temporary break from class is better than none. 

Good luck on finals to all you students out there!