The Ugly Truth

We were going to see this movie last week but we went a bit too late and it was sold out. We didn't expect a full house tonight but surprisingly it was also quite busy. But we got our seats early. The movie was better than I thought it would be (there were a lot of negative reviews out there), although perhaps a bit cruder than I would expect. Nevertheless, Gerard Butler has become quite the versatile actor, going from a "man" movie like 300 to romcoms like this one. Katherine Heigl didn't look too bad as well.

Heat

Is it me or is it hot?

The Bachelorette

Other than the Canadian flavor of this season, is it me or is the show just getting sillier? Jillian almost fell for one of the worse species of human beings ever, and it looks bad enough that he got to the Final 6. Canadians aren't that stupid are they? She ends up choosing a guy that left her once. Damn what am I saying, I actually watched the show (but it was with someone special). And with the sparkling record of past relationships from the show, I wonder why people still watch it. I guess it's the American culture for you. Who's looking forward to the upcoming Octomom reality show. The kids get $250 each per show, maybe she'll use those fertility drugs some more.

Skipper!

"So sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip, that started from the River Rock aboard a tiny ship...."

Yesterday Wayne invited me and some friends on his boat for a cruise on the water, followed by watching the firework in the evening. I was working the morning shift but managed to leave a bit past two. At the time the weather was gorgeous. We went to Gibsons and ate at Molly's Reach (which fans of the old series Beachcombers will be more than familiar with). We went to a park and were about to spend some time there when it appeared to start raining. Strange, because there really was no rain forecasted for that day. But as we got back on the boat we realized that as usual the weather forecasters were not even close.

Everybody knows by now how the weather was in the Lower Mainland in the evening. We definitely felt like as we were tossed around in the water. It was like the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in Disneyland. But Wayne was one heck of a good skipper and even though we were all pretty wet by the end of the trip, it was quite memorable. We still managed to catch the fireworks, simulcast on the radio. It was a trip I definitely won't forget.

Things I've Grown Really Tired of Hearing About 24/7

1) Michael Jackson: I've mourned his death but now I'm tired of the consistent reporting. Like him or not, let him rest in peace. Unfortunately the tabloids won't stop, the news reports won't stop, and the press won't stop. The funny thing is all this time nobody really "knew" about all these drug problems. What exactly has the media been doing the last few years? Their sources suck.

2) Jon & Kate: WHO CARES about these people so obviously exploiting the media for their own good? I truly feel sorry for the real victims in this, their eight children. I don't give a crap who's having an affair.

3) Brangelina: They're together, they're apart, they're together, they're apart. Once again, there are children at stake but of course that means nothing.

I wonder how long I have to wait before I can spend a whole week (heck, even one day) without hearing about these tired topics. Last I heard there were a few wars going on in the world, there is poverty and strife, but those don't mean anything anymore.

Turning Back Time

Just a month ago Roger Federer beat Andy Roddick at Wimbledon in one of the most memorable matches in history. I thought that would be the sports story of the year. But this weekend at the British Open was perhaps the sports story of the decade (and beyond). While 59 in golf usually stands for the "unattainable" 18-hole score, this weekend it stood for the age of one Tom Watson, who turned back the clock and came within one stroke of winning a tournament usually reserved for people half his age. If there had been even a shred of justice in the world, he would have sunk that putt on the 18th hole. But alas it wasn't meant to be. Maybe when I'm 59 I'll still be beating those young whippersnappers at something.

Long Long Ago...

The last two days I worked at Fraser Downs to cover some vacations. It was nice to catch up with the wonderful staff that I remember way back when. It's hard to believe that it's been almost 8 months since I had to say goodbye to everyone. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and I managed to get outside for a few wonderful breaks. I hope I can visit again soon.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Last night I went to see the next installment of the Harry Potter series. Believe it or not, I'd never seen any of the previous chapters, or read any of the books. As a result I found myself confused at what was going on, but managed to make sense of it all. The visual effects were stunning and the British actors were at their best.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Surprisingly it took me this long to finally see the second installment of last year's awesome blockbuster. It was time for more automotive fights and more Megan Fox. OK I'll be the first to say it: Megan Fox is one sexy lady but she really served no purpose in this movie other than to show off her front. Her running was done in Baywatch-like fashion and her voice was rather annoying.

Oh yeah, the Autobots! Awesome! Optimus Prime Forever!

Tim Horton's Plug

For the next month or so I'll be getting mostly morning shifts 6am-2pm. While it is usually quite the effort to get to bed early and wake up at 5:10 in the morning, the reward of a full day after work is well worth it. It's tough to get my usual 8-10 hours of sleep but caffeine carries me through the day. But because we're fairly short in the mornings I don't have too much time to do my paperwork. Still, it's nice to see the morning crew after being on midshifts for so long.

Death of a Laptop

The hard drive on my laptop died a few days ago. Luckily I'd installed Norton and subscribed to some online backup thing that saved some of my documents. But it will be a long process to get the files back. The alternative is to bring my broken hard drive to one of those disk recovery services and pay over $500. I'll see what I can recover. Music I can redownload. But the sad part is all the emails I've saved may be gone. Boo hoo.

Enough Already

I chose to remember MJ for his music and not his private life. The same can't be said for the hypocritical journalists who one minute are making fun of him and the next are mourning him. Let him rest in peace.