Hero Inc.

I don’t really have enough for a complete post about anything important but over the past few weeks there have been several items that I’d like to spill my thoughts and ideas around. That’s right. This is one of those I don’t care enough to devote full time so you are getting my halfhearted approach.  Welcome to the hodgepodge.

• Alex Rodriguez is on steroids?  Really?  The savior of baseball?  The one that was to make all of the records right and legit.  Well, he is now just another cheater.  I wonder if he is actually upset at what he did or the fact that his name was released.  I mean, you can’t state that you never did steroids and then be exposed for telling a lie.  It just won’t work out well when you ask us to believe you when you state you are no longer taking them.  He’s a cheater to me and if I actually attended games I’d boo him.
• The World Baseball Classic is coming up and the world doesn’t care.  I’m starting to notice a trend with these world athletic events.  It seems that the athletes or owners are pushing to not let the players participate.  You don’t see this same concept with the World Cup.  The players will play regardless and the world wants them to play.  Is there a higher sense of honor in the world cup?  Why don’t the other sports show it?
• I’m a fan of Lost and 24, but Burn Notice is the show that really gets me excited each week.  When its Thursday, I have a smile on my face.  Not because it is almost the weekend.  It’s because that Michael, Sam, and Fie are about to kick butt.  Everyone I’ve suggested the show to has really enjoyed it.  It’s Spy + Equalizer + A-Team.
• I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again.  Heroes is not a good show.  Yes, I watch it, but it isn’t that great.  The stories are terrible and never really conclude.  The writing can’t develop characters and now there are too many.  The first season was good but only had 2 great episodes (“Company Man” and “Five Years Gone“).
• Free Agency starts tonight at 12:01AM for the NFL.  I don’t expect big things out of the Falcons, but I could see us going after lesser Free Agents.  Derrick Brooks’ name was thrown out today which I like in ways but you can’t pick up a huge rival such as this while you are dropping your loyal player (Keith Brooking).  Instead how about we get Jermaine Phillips?  I’m always a fan of more Georgia players on my dirty birds.
• I love it when the “good” NFL combine stories are released.  Especially the ones where a kicker beats the other players in the workouts.  A kicker who benches 225 lbs 25 times?  More than his USC LB teammate?
• I’ve recently purchase cymbals for Rock Band 2 and I must say that it dramatically increases the amount of fun one can have playing rock’s greatest tunes.  I’m barely moving into the area of “Hard”, but there are a few songs that I really feel like I’m a fake rocker.
• All this talk about a new stimulus plan reminds me of the following Ducktales Inflation lesson.  I’m just glad we are passing on debt further to our children.  That just means I don’t have to pay for this mess.
• Yes, the US and the world is in bad shape due to the economy.  We all know it.  All of our investments are dropping.  It’s terrible.  Let’s get over it and begin to move forward.  We can’t fix what most of us caused so we need to begin turning over a new leaf.  No more living outside of one’s means.  Change people.  Don’t wait for someone else to do it for you no matter what John Mayer tells you.
• Watchmen comes out next week and I’m looking forward to it.  Not because it is another heroes movie.  I’ve read this graphic novel and it blew my mind.  When I started it, I didn’t think much of it other than the writing was quite good.  It wasn’t until I reached the end that I truly realized how good it really was.  Take it how you want, but I will be upset if there is not fully frontal male nudity in this movie (it actually has a purpose here).  Wow, I can’t believe I just typed that.
• Reese’s Easter Egg time is upon us.  It is now time to begin hoarding for the winter.  If you go to a store and they are out, you know where to find me.

After being on the air since 1989, the Simpsons have updated their intro yet again as a new way to enter the world of HD content.  Here’s a copy of the new intro who missed it tonight (like I did).

I think the team did a great job of incorporating more of the people (angry baby) of Springfield into the intro as well as more of the town. For those true Simpsons fans, if you really watch closely, you can find many “odes” to Simpsons episodes:

• When Bart is writing on the blackboard, you can see Homer the astronaut on the wall.
• When Maggie is being scanned at the market, you will see a breakfast cereal from Homer’s brief stint in Japan.
• Bleeding Gums Murphy is now on the wall of the band room.
• The quick cut to the house includes God and the devil, El Barto, Blinkie, Kang and Kodos, and etc.
• It also seems that the Simpsons have a new HD tv in the living room.

I wonder if this new update will spawn a new update for the Halloween special as well.

I can’t wait to catch the full episode later this week on Hulu.

Liam “Qui-Gon Aslan Ra’s Jean Valjean” Neeson is one badass man that no one should ever mess with. Taken is the story of a couple of people who try to mess with his daughter.  This is also not a good idea.

When Neeson’s daughter heads on a trip to Paris, she is kidnapped in an attempt to traffic her into prostitution and drugs.  Thanks to Neeson’s background of being a Preventer (yes, it is a cheesey as it sounds because he “prevents” bad things from happening), Neeson has certain skills that will be useful on his quest of rescuing his daughter.  Now that I have thrown out almost all of the possible movie cliches, I can begin to state that this movie turned out to be pretty good.

Fast edits, Bourne-esque fights, and a dad seeking revenge were all that I needed for this movie.  Taken doesn’t try to be more than it needs to be and just lets the audience enjoy the action.  No matter how many open hand chops to an opponents throat I have seen, but it seems cool and painful every time.

And for those Losties out there, be ready to see Benjamin Linus die once Neeson realizes that Shannon was on that island.

[Rating: 3.5/5]

For those facebookers out there, I recently was tagged in a note by the wonderful and talented May Park Square Pants. Apparently the new hip thing in the world of social networking is to create a list of 25 things that people may or may not know about you….err….me. Since my notes are the same as posts on my site, this is the perfect place to put up my 25 Things That People May or May Not Know About Me.

1. I’m in a video game.  That’s right.  I have completed every boy’s dream.  I appear in NCAA 2006 (for PS2 and Xbox).  I’m the first “G” of Georgia when the Georgia intro is played.
2. My favorite vacation spot is in New Smyrna Beach, FL.  It is nice and quiet.  Not many people go to this beach but it is close to Destin and has many great places to eat.  My memories there are great and not so great.
3. My first concert was DC Talk at the Omni.  Thanks to Will for this trip.
4. For a class senior trip, Will (see above) and I headed on a road trip that followed the Warped Tour to multiple venues in Atlanta, Tampa, and Jacksonville.  I can quote Flogging Molly since their set was a repeat at every location.
5. In High School, I was the ultimate geek/nerd as I was a member of the marching band (trombone) for one year as a freshman.  The highlight of the year was when I performed a solo for Unchained Melody in Newnan.
6. My first speeding ticket (yes, I’ve had several) included 5 police cars driving up my driveway to give me the ticket.  They thought that I was trying to illude them due to my quick speed up the driveway.
7. The first NFL player I remember when I was younger was Reggie White.
8. I played chicken against my brother when we were younger.  I was on a bicycle and he was on the go-kart.  I won (because he couldn’t hurt the youngest) and he lost when he swerved and ran through an ant bed.
9. I’m terrified of having Alzheimer’s when I get older.
10. I was a member of the Thomaston Wrestling Federation.  That’s right, backyard wrestling at its best.  I was a wrestler, announcer, and referee.  Of course, we were all required to take on multiple jobs back then.
11. While I was in high school, I coached a U-10 team that went undefeated.  Of course, we did have 3 of the best players in the league.
12. I can’t stand to be called Benji.  Ben Ben, Ben, Benjamin, and Jamin are all acceptable alternatives. This is not acceptable.
13. I had my bank account cleaned out when I was hacked due to purchasing music online illegally while in college.
14. I never originally wanted to attend the University of Georgia.  I actually wanted to attend any other college, not limited but including Georgia Tech and Auburn.
15. When I was in the 2nd or 3rd grade, I had my left hand sliced when I tried to grab a rake from the barn at our house.  It required 5 stiches.
16. I can sing “The Distance” by Cake from start to finish without the music and stay on beat.
17. Les Miserables is one of my favorite plays mainly due to the songs.  Sometimes you can catch me at work or home listening to a full recording.
18. The first book I remember receiving on my own was Arthur’s Halloween.
19. In college, I would carry Donatello with me on big test days so that he could help me.  He was the smartest.  One guy even asked to borrow him once I had finished my test.
20. Late high school / early college, I wrote poetry.  It was really bad.
21. When I was in kindegarten, I tried to jump through one of the holes in a spiderweb.  I ended up hitting my head on the bar and had to go to the hospital to stich my head.
22. The best ringtone I ever had was one I had to program myself.  It was the theme to Zelda. Man, I miss MIDI ringtones.
23. Whenever I play Mario games, I always select Wario as my character regardless of his skills, or lack there of.
24. I had a huge fascination with Canada at one point in time.  I’ve never been there, but I’ve always wanted to go.
25. I still wish I had my old Crown Victoria to drive.