Oprah, lets have a drink!!!!

Today is my birthday and on the stupendous occasion I will tell you of some of the most interesting things to have had happen on this most auspicious of days.

1802: John Beckley becomes the first Librarian of Congress, appointed by President Thomas Jefferson. He reportedly was paid two dollars per day.

1843: President William Mckinley is born.

1845: Edgar Alan Poe publishes his most famous work, "The Raven"

1861: Kansas enters the Union

1886: The first successful petrol-driven motorcar, built by Karl Benz, was patented.

1891: Liliuokalani became Queen of Hawaii following the death of her brother King Kalakaua. She was the last monarch in Hawaiian history.

1916: In World War I, Paris was bombed by German zeppelins for the first time.

1936: US Baseball Hall of Fame elects its first members, honorees include Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, Honus Wagner, and Christy Mathewson.

1954: Oprah Winfrey is born

1963: The first members to the NFL Hall of Fame were named in Canton, OH.

1990: Exxon Valdez oil tanker captain Joseph Hazelwood goes on trial for his involvement in the worst oil spill in the history of the United States.

1995: The San Francisco 49ers make NFL history by winning their fifth Super Bowl.

The Geek In Me

I am a Geek. In the true sense of the word. I love movies, science fiction, comic books, collecting DVD's, wearing my glasses. I love it all. I love the way people look at me when they realize that I am a Geek. I love how a girl smiles at me like I am the little innocent one. I love how guys quietly profess their love for those same things when others aren't looking.

So, what are all the different things that make me a geek? That is what I intend to share with you in this every so often column called, The Geek In Me. It will be released in no uniform fashion. Tonights installment will revolve around my current obsession with Comic Books. That is right ladies and gentlemen, I said it. I LOVE COMIC BOOKS!!!! If I could say it louder I would. Of course I do blame is rabid obsession on Kevin, one of my best and worst friends. That bastard has made it so that I find myself spending hundreds of dollars on these things and countless hours on PirateBay looking for the latest releases that I am too damn cheap to buy. Oh I loath that man.

What do I love about Comic Books? The stories. The real stories that are so damn over-the-top that you can find them nowhere else. I love that everyone in the world loves the stories but won't admit to liking comic books. I love going in the store and seeing them all over the walls and knowing that there is no way in hell that I can read them all, but damnit I am going to try. I love anticipation from one issue to the next. I love that it takes years to tell a story. I love that time doesn't exist, that all the characters haven't aged in years (I am excluded DC Comic's 52 from this paradigm). I love that a character can die and you know they will be back in one form or another. I love that there is good and there is evil, there is black and white, very little gray. I love superheroes that don't want to be superheroes. I love villains. I love that imagination is an asset. I love that my two favorite comic books, Fables and 100 Bullets, don't even involve superheroes. I love that I can pick out the right comic book for anyone to read and they are hooked, there are that many options. I love when something I expect to happen, doesn't. I love the art. I love the way they make me laugh. I love the simplicity of the fact that they are movies in storyboard form. I love that everyone in the world loves the comic book movies. But most of all I love how much I get excited for new stories and new rules. I just love the entertainment they give me.

Geeks are taking over the world ladies and gentlemen. The highest grossing film of the year just happened to be based off of a comic book, maybe you have heard about it, The Dark Knight, based off that little known comic book called Batman. Oh, and the second highest grossing film of the year in Iron Man. I will leave you with a cover of each of my two favorite comics.

My Favorite Movies Vol. I

I have a lot of favorite movies. Some are the worst movies ever put on film, yet I love them for their ability to make me forget the outside for a couple hours. There are others I love because they inspire me. Some make me remember. One can make me cry even after watching it for the hundredth time. I also love that not matter where the movie came from, be it book, another movie, or original idea, they always stand by themselves. I love movies. Every so often I will give you a list of movies. These will be required watching as they are movies everyone must watch. This is that first list.

My Favorite Racing Movie: Days of Thunder, This Tony Scott directed film starring Tom Cruise is the epitome of the out of nowhere success we all want. Tom Cruise plays a race car driver that comes from nowhere to succeed unlike any other driver ever has. You get to see a hot Nicole Kidman with full on Aussie accent along with Randy Quaid, who happens to have one of the greatest lines ever halfway through the movie. You will see Cary Elwes ("As you wish") in a rare villain role. Robert Duvall will make you cry with laughter and pain playing the Crew Pit Chief with a past. A young John C. Reilly will give you a glimpse of the comedic actor he will become in movies later with Will Farrell. And if that isnt enough, you will find yourself rooting for all in this riveting film from beginning to end. (Other favorite racing movies include...wait...racing movies suck)

My Favorite Movie That Always Makes Me Cry: Life as a House, A movie starring Kevin Kline and our favorite whiner Hayden Christensen. It revolves around a Dad dying of cancer and his quest to build a house with his son, who just happens to hate him. Interesting characters abound as Kevin Kline gives his best performance since A Fish Called Wanda. A particular scene stealer is the girl next door that isnt your typical girl next door, played by Jena Malone. This movie has heart and these days that is hard to find in movies. (Honorable mention goes to Braveheart, Good Will Hunting, and with A River Runs Through It a very close second.)


My Favorite Movie that Inspires: Ghandi, There is no movie more moving nor more inspiring than the one about the Mahatma. Mohandras Ghandi was a man above all. He believed in a world that could change and should change. His most famous quote is also the most real, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." There is no better attitude. Ghandi is portrayed brillantly by Ben Kingsley. You fall for everything he says just as much as you did the real man. There are not many times you can say that about a performance. Watch it and be inspired. (Honorable mention to Remember the Titans, Miracle, An Inconvenient Truth)

These are just three of the movies that I love and own. If you have not seen these movies you should run to the store and buy, not rent, these movies and watch them over and over and over. They are entertainment at their best.

Next time in My Favorite Movies....My favorite Comedies.

My Favorite Pics, Vol. I

I love finding strange pics on the Internet as well as take pictures myself and every so often I will share these with you whether you like it or not. All will have a theme and this is one of my favorites, Stupidity. There are a lot of stupid people in the world and these are a few examples.

How did this person get past the do?


I want to know this person's thought process. Seriously.

This is so much easier in shorts and without those darn spikes on my foot.

"I'm almost there dad. Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Yeah, Son, you're doing great."
"What would I do without you dad?"


Best use of Hay bales ever.

This dude is the world's strongest man.

Do I need say anything?

There are a few gems. If you would like to see more stupid people doing stupid stuff, try these few sites I love...Stupid people, Dumb Videos, Not always right

Until next time...

The Things I Do

Every couple years I try and redo this blog. I have a dream, a dream to have two blogs. One that is personal and another that completes the other part of me. The one that is constantly analyzing, criticizes and just talking trash. It is what I do. This is my final attempt to make this dream come true. Please read and see the joys of the world with me. Comments always appreciated.

My first entry will be related to my favorite activity that comes from boredom, Stumbling. Do you Stumble? Everyone should. Stumbling is using the Stumbleupon add-on for the internet. It is a button that you add to your browser(both IE and Firefox ready) and when hit takes you to a random site based off or your internet surfing preferences. Takes about five minutes to setup and gives you hours and hours of entertainment on the Worldwide Web.

Stumbling is what you do on those nights that there is nothing on TV and its too cold to go outside. It is what you do when you are depressed and need a little uplift. It is what you do when you really don't want to do that housework you are meant to do or the assignment that you are supposed to finish. Stumbling is no longer what happens when you lose your balance but what happens when the current world you live in can no longer hold your attention.

Here are a few of the goodies that I have found in the last twenty minutes of Stumbling...

An Angel Oak in South Carolina

Too Cute

Buck Knives (You can never have enough Knives)

American's are weird (Which means we are stupid)

Wallstats - The Art of Information (Great way to put the facts out there)

List of common Misconceptions (Now everyone will realize that I am always right)

Sports Illustrated Vault (A sports geek can't ask for much more)

Bread Kills (Got to love satire)

How Many TV shows can you name in Two Minutes (can you beat 38)

Free Documentaries (A true Treasure of the Truth)

Cliche Finder (Just when you thought all cliches were lost)

Sweet Pics (Sometimes only a picture is the truth)

The Bachelor Guy

Those or just some of the treasures that I have find through Stumbling. So, give it a try and see what you find. There is more to the world than any of us will ever think. Thats all for today folks.

Coming soon....

• Top Ten Things about the greatest state in the Union, Iowa.
  
• Weekly Movie Picks
• Comic book Chatter
• The Geek in Me