Top Gifts NOT to give a loved one this Holiday season.

Christmas is almost upon us, and it is time for the search for last-minute gifts. Some might turn to commercials for ideas for said gifts This should not be done because commercials lie. These are some gifts commercials try to force on us, which, personally, I really don't think work for most people.

 

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1. Luxury Cars: Perhaps I'm weird, but I'm not a car person. Basically, they're a way to get from one place to another.

In this day and age, that makes them essentially a necessity. So, if you are buying a car for someone for Christmas, it's like buying them a really expensive pair of socks.

Luxury cars might have more bells and whistles, but they are still cars. And, really, it turns out that you are buying them a $200 gift every month. Nothing says "I love you" like going into hock.

That is, unless you can purchase something like a Lexus outright. If you can, I'd suggest putting that money to better use by giving it to charity.

 

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2. Major Appliances: Again, somewhat of a necessity. I mean, the milk will go bad if its not refrigerated, right? We need to cook the food before we eat it, right? 

Not that necessities should be ignored altogether at Christmas time, but I believe Christmas gifts should have some sentiment behind them. What's romantic about a radar range? What's special about a stove? In my eyes, nothing.  

If anything, this gift will send the wrong message. "Honey, all I think of you is as someone who will cook my food. Now go make me some cupcakes in that new oven I bought you."

Besides, you are spending several hundred dollars at one time for a gift, which is more than the entire Christmas budget for some people. That would make a refrigerator the only gift you got that certain someone. Is that what you want?

If you need a new stove or refrigerator, you should buy a new stove or refrigerator. If you need a better stove or refrigerator, you should buy a better stove or refrigerator. But buy them when you need it or want it. Don't buy it for Christmas.

 

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3. An Engagement Ring: There are a lot of commercials out there advertising jewelry for Christmas gifts. Too much sentimentality is place on jewelry, especially diamonds. Diamonds are essentially the most plentiful gem on Earth (their made of carbon, as any science class will tell you, is all around) which are controlled by a few cartels to inflate the price unnecessarily.

But this year, I've seen more engagement themed ads around. They are trying to portray giving an engagement ring as a good idea for the holidays. Really, its not.

Yes, Christmas is a romantic time anyway. You are putting thought and effort into getting something special for someone you love they want you to think that getting engaged at Christmas will make that event even more special.

But, really, it is special all its own. It doesn't need to piggyback on Christmas for extra sentiment. If anything, it takes away from both events.

Wait until New Year's and give her the ring then. Because, you know you are have to get her something else on Christmas anyway. (You do know that, don't you??)

 

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4. Power Tools:  My favorite commercials this time of year are the Lowe's commercials. Couples walk into the store and say along the lines of "Hey, we can do all our shopping here!" Yeah, if the only guy you're buying for is Paul Bunyon.

Don't get me wrong, I know there are people with hobbies such as woodworking and cabinetmaking that would appreciate a good set of power tools. And, by all means, get some for them.

But for most men without these interests, you buying them power tools says, "get off your butt and do some work, ya lazy bum!"

And, unless the guy works in construction and needs to supply his own tools, any man can get by with a simple tool set that can fit under the sink. Does Joe Shmoe really need a nail gun? A power sander? A table saw?

 

 

 

A personal note for Keith Bullock, Javon Kearse and the rest of the Tennessee Titans.

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Um, you guys DO know that the Steelers didn't bring their A game on Sunday, right? They made a boatload of mistakes, which, to your credit, you capitalized on. But this wasn't the out and out domination that you made it out to be with your wiping your feet on and blowing your nose in the Terrible Towel.

I know, I know. The whole "we're not as respected as an unbeaten team as the Patriots were last year" image you were trying to make for yourselves went out the window when, well, you were defeated. But the Steelers, when they had their act together, seemed to be able to move the ball against you fairly well. And the point total would be quite different if there weren't so many stupid turnovers. So theis "Dominating team of destiny" image you're trying to build? Doesn't really work if your a team that lost to the Texans.

That being said, I don't think should have to worry about your shenanigans having a negative effect against you when you meet the Steelers in the playoffs. Because you probably won't be meeting the Steelers in the playoffs. You'll probably be out by the second quarter of your first playoff game. I mean, there is a chance that the Jets could make the playoffs and we both know what happened the last time your guys met.

My Picks for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2009.

The Nomination list for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are out. Here are the nine nominees:

• Jeff Beck
• Chic
• Wanda Jackson
• Little Anthony and the Imperials
• Metallica
• Run D.M.C.
• the Stooges
• War
• Bobby Womack

That's a pretty eclectic list if you ask me. Run D.M.C. was the only first year eligible act to be nominated. No Bon Jovi, no Stevie Ray Vaughn, no The Smiths, and no Cyndi Lauper. Metallica finally gets nominated after being snubbed last year.  Chic is the only nominee to return from last year. Which means the Beastie Boys got snubbed. 

The inductees are set to be announce in January. This is who I think will get in. Not who would vote for, if I had a vote, but who I think has the best chance of being inducted:

1. Metallica (Eligible since 2007, first nomination): They definitely deserve it. I mean, when it comes to Heavy Metal, you don't get much more influential or innovative than Metallica. But they also lost the first Heavy Metal Grammy to Jethro Tull, so voters have a sort of blind spot for them.
2. Run D.M.C (First Year Eligible, first nomination): There are other rappers that came before them, but none that had the influence that Run D.M.C had. They opened up rap to a whole new audience and influenced several generations of rappers.
3. The Stooges (Eligible sine 1994, seven nominations): I think this could be the year this widely held favorite gets in. This is a band who might not be the most popular in terms of sales, but are mad innovative in the industry and influential with other artists. I argue that if they don't get in this year, they never get in.
4. Chic (Eligible since 2002, five nominations): After the Stooges, it's anybody's guess. I am thinking these guy might have a good shot considering four of their five nominations were in the last four years.
5. Wanda Jackson (Eligible since 1983, two nominations): This choice is risky. Jackson is the least famous of the nine, but she has a lot of fans in the industry. She certainly fills the bill for innovative--being the one of the first female rockabilly artists--and influential--for almost all female country artists. And she has been called the female Elvis, which would get my vote.  

How NOT to give an interview if you are a Vice-Presidential Candidate.

1. Answer every question emphatically. Sure, people will think you're psychotic, but there might be 5 or 6 people out there who think you really, really, really mean what you say.
2. If faced with a question where to answer truthfully would make you look weak, ignore it and just talk about what is one of your positives.
3. Be sure to try to clumsily shoe horn it in so it looks like you are really answering the original question, but do it so awkwardly that it is obvious you are trying to avoid the real question.
4. Talk in circles whenever possible, but be real obvious about it.
5. Contradict yourself several times, yet have no idea that you are doing so.
6. Answer questions you know nothing about with a load of mumbo jumbo.
7. When called on it, try to bury the interviewer in words.
8. If that still doesn't work, repeat the first answer more firmly and emphatically, with the intonation that you think the interviewer might actually be retarded.

Let's watch Republican Vice-Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin employee these tips to great success!

 

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Yeah, I was pretty non committal when it came to this election before I saw this. Now, i know I must vote for Obama. This woman can't be a missed heartbeat away from the Presidency. She's the female Dubya, only with less experience.

Sad News: R.I.P. Julius Carry

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Variety is reporting that character actor Julius Carry has lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 56.

Fans of The Last Dragon might remember Carry as the villain Sho'nuff. I knew him from two other projects.

I recall being a fan of of the short lived sitcom, Doctor Doctor, back in 1989. Carry played Abraham Butterfield on the show. His character was uptight without ever being pompous. I don't know if it was the talent of the writers or the ability of Carry as an actor (most likely a combination of both), but what could have become a "Frank Burns" type of character became a relatable, three dimensional portrayal.

That show only lasted two season before being cancelled. Then he went on to another one of my favorite short-lived shows (I seem to like a lot of short lived shows), The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. He played the memorable character Lord Bowler.

 

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In a complete opposite to his Doctor Doctor character, Lord Bowler was a cantankerous, down and dirty bounty hunter. He started out as Brisco County's nemesis but eventually became his partner. The role was a great one, full of flash, showy scenes, and killer dialogue. If anyone besides Bruce Campbell played the lead, Carry could have stolen the program. As it was, they played of each other well and the show became a cult favorite.

I was so impressed by him as an actor that I kept waiting for him to get his own series or move over to the movies. But the 'continuing character" roles were what he excelled in, and were what he did after Brisco went off the air.  

Condolences go out to his family and friends.

Images taken from this site. 

Movie: The Dark Knight

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This movie almost lost me halfway through. I'm not going to spoil it, but it was something that had the comic fan in me saying "No! Tell me they didn't just do that!  Tell me it was a swerve!' It was, and when I found out it was that was the moment I fell in love with the movie completely.

This is a great movie. That should have come as no surprise for me because no less that three theater employees told me so on the way in.

This is a film that not only respects the characters but also the fans of the characters.

The acting was great all around. I had my doubts on Eckhart and Ledger based on the trailers, but the trailer didn't show the best part of their perfomances.

Is Ledger as good as they say? Yeah. Is he better than Jack Nicholson, well, it's like comparing apples and oranges. Nicholson was the best Joker for the movie he was in. Ledger for his. Will Ledger get an Oscar? I think its a worthy performance, but perhaps too out there for the Academy.

But I will say this, this probably is the best presentation of the Joker in any medium. He is an agent of chaos, a living embodiment of the Loki the trickster god. Part of that is due to Ledger, part of that is due to excellent writing.

I, unfortunately, did not get the Watchmen trailer. I instead got the Spirit, which looks positively awful.

 

I attended the DHL All-Star Fan-Fest 2008 on Monday!

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I can not say how, but I got VIP passes to the DHL All-Star Fan-Fest at the Javitz Center in NYC! It was part of the celebration of the All-Star game that took place at Yankee Stadium yesterday.

I had a chance to walk around the city a bit before the event, and came across this lovely lady here. Apparently, there was a Liberty statue painted in the colors of every major league team and spread out all over the city. This one was in front of Madison Square Garden. The Cincinnatti Reds one was in front of a Models store in 80s. I would have liked to see that one live and in person.

MLB is actioning them all off. So, if you have a few thousand dollars lying around (opening bid for each is $5,000), you can click here for details. Proceeds of the auction go to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of America.

As for the Fan-Fest itself, it was great. Being a VIP meant that we got special access to a private area in the middle of the exhibition space and also admission to the event itself.

The VIP passes were a great perk. It gave you access to free food, a simulcast of the Home Run Derby, and a chance for a one-on-one autograph session with former MLB greats.

Who? Well, Darryl Strawberry:

 

 

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Who was really nice. Also, Yankee Legend Bucky Dent:

 

 

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And Dave Winfield also came out at the same time. By the time I got through the lines for Bucky Dent and Darryl Strawberry, Dave Winfield's was closed. My one gripe about the whole thing that I wish they staggered the players more. Anyway, here is Dave signing away.

 

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They had about an hour before the next group of players came out, so my wife and I walked around for a bit.

The Fan-Fest is very family friendly. There are fun activities for kids and adults, You could have your image placed on a replica baseball card or the cover of the New York Post. You could go to a batting cage, have your pitches clocked for speed, or see how fast you could run the base paths.

There was also an auction house there auctioning off memorabilia. They had old baseball cards, jerseys, and pictures. A lot of stuff from Whitey Ford and Thurman Munson. Munson is one of my wife's favorite players, so we had to get a picture of Munson's MasterCharge card.

 

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It might be blurry, but I assure you it's his!

They also had a replica of the clubhouse from the All-Star Game, which, having seen the clubhouses on the actual pre-game, looks nothing like them.

 

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Here I am with former Red Josh Hamiltion's locker, at the moment he was at bat at the Home Run Derby.

 

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We then headed back to the VIP area, which was in the shape of the a baseball diamond. We got back there just in time to see Dave Winfield being interviewed by FOX's Chris Myers. Unfortunately, he had to compete with Josh Hamiltion's awesome performace on the screen behind him.

 

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Which was really unfair because Dave Winfield is a great speaker and was telling some great stories. But he didn't have it as bad as Wade Boggs, because he was being interviewed while the next autograph session began.

 

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I'm pretty sure he was waving at me, not the woman in front of me. Yeah, I'm almost positive.

This time around, we didn't learned from our earlier mistake and made sure we got all the stars. And I'm glad we did because there was Graig Nettles:

 

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Who had the best picture to have signed. And we got Mickey Rivers:

 

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He was a really nice guy. As a matter of fact, they all were. And, last but not least, there was Steve Sax:

 

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It was a blast to see all the player I grew up watching and be able to shake their hand. They said that Yogi Berra was signing somewhere in the building, but we didn't get to his autograph, which would have been nice.

We also got a chance to meet amd talk with Chris Myers, who was very personable and completely nice.

 

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We also visited the Fan-Fest store. We spent more money than we should have considering we are about to go on a two-week vacation, but it was cool stuff. Like T-shirts and hats to remember the day. They even had the All-Star Game program. That was cool.

The Baseball Hall of Fame also brought some of their exhibits there. I got to see Tom Seaver's Reds jersey next to Mike Schmidt's:

 

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As a Reds fan and a Schmitty fan, that was totally awesome. Here are some other pictures of jerseys throughout Baseball history:

 

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There was also a store dedicated to Minor League baseball, where you could buy hats from almost all of the Minor League Baseball teams. I picked up a Sarasota Reds hat.

I heartily recommend the Fan-Fest if it ever comes to your town. I think tickets were only $30 a piece, and you got a lot for your money. Especially if you are a baseball fan and want to pass the love on to your kids.