Deuces are wild #12: Qatar.

Let me tell you a little bit about where I am. I'm in a lovely little country named Qatar. Northwest of the United Arab Emirates, Southeast of Bahrain, on the East coast of Saudi Arabia and perfectly placed right on the southern end of the Arabian Gulf.  If you are wondering the Arabian Gulf is the picturesque little pond separating us from our friends to the North, Iran.

Qatar has a population of 1.8 million.  Of which only 300,000 are native Qatari's.  And 40,000 of those Qatari's are millionaire's. 18% of the population is Pakistani, 18% is Indian, 13% is Nepalese, 7% are from Sri Lanka, 10% is Phillipino, 5% is Iranian and the other 25% of the population is a cultural melting pot of Arab and South East Asian nationalities.

Qatar is the worlds sixth largest exporter of Natural Gas.

Qatar's landscape is very reminiscent of the planets of Tattooine or Naboo from Star Wars.

There are three levels of housing.  The lowest is tents, tents are for units that are transiting through the base and are expected to be here for less than 30 days.
The second are trailers, these trailers have 30 rooms in them, they have a/c and mini fridges in each room and conveniently each trailer has wifi.  The wifi however is as slow as dial up.  The trailers are reserved for units staying at the base for as long as 179 days.  Lastly there are hardened buildings for units that are here longer than 180 days.  Those rooms share a shower and toilet with the room next door, have a full size fridge and microwave and do not have any windows.

I live in the trailers.

The bathrooms in the trailer compound are know as Cadillacs.  These Cadillacs are conveniently located about 3-5 minutes away from the trailers. This makes for a delightful midnight stroll when you have to take a leak in the middle of the night.

We have a Subway, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Arbys, Taco Bell and a few Starbucks'.

There are two movie theaters.  Two gyms.  Two DFAC's (Dinning FACility).  Two bars, one of which is called the Sky Box: Fox Sports Bar.

We are allowed only three alcoholic beverages in a 24 hour period which is doing miracles for my tolerance. 

I have made some good friends here, there names are Archer, Luther, Seinfeld, Frasier, Becker, Chuck and Dexter.  They're good guys, we stay up late together watching the TV.

I recently tried my luck with the Pizza Hut.  The goat cheese was a surprise.  The Cadillac got a bigger surprise though.  No more Pizza Hut for me.

We have about 30 cable channels here, 20 of which are AFN (Armed Forces Network) channels.  I try and spend most of my free time watching Arab Idol and Arabs Got Talent.  I have also seen Middle Eastern drag racing, which is usually some sort of Toyota, Isuzu or Suzuki suped up to 400 horse power and then launched up a 30 degree sand dune for 1/8th of a mile.  It's pretty awesome. 

I plan on watching some camel races here next weekend. Should be epic. 

The only thing that could possibly top camel racing is camel hunting, I'll be sure to take pictures.

Deuces are Wild #11 short and sweet

March 25- March 28, 2012

Lessons Learned:

When dealing with long distance travel, always pack extra snacks.  Drink a ton of water.  Bring noise cancelling headphones.  Because if there is nothing worse than being hungry and dehydrated dealing with a seat-mate that can't shut the fuck up 5 hours into a flight.  And it doesn't miraculously get better at hour 14 either.  So come prepared.

I truly have no idea how the fertile crescent "origin of mankind" is located in the middle east.  Now I can't say I've been there, but it can't possibly be that fertile from where I am standing.  Everything is in some form or another a rock.  And they all have different classifications.
   Dust: is just dust.
   Sand:
      Extra fine sand, fine sand, coarse sand, extra coarse sand, just regular sand
   Pebbles:
      Tiny pebbles, little bit bigger pebbles, pebble sized pebbles
   Rocks:
      Pebble sized rocks (there a little bit more rough around the edges than a true pebble), tiny rocks, golf ball rocks, baseball rocks, grapefruit rocks, soccer ball sized rocks, BIG-ASS rocks.   And none of these rocks look like, taste or should be used in the same way they are named  these a purely technical terms used for classing the type and size of rock.
   Boulders: are just really big fucking rocks that think they are too good to be rocks so they get their own classification.

There are so many beautiful color here to stimulate the senses, like white, sand and brown just to name a few.

Its only March so the weather is fairly nice, about 65^F at night and up to about 85^F during the day.  The sun isn't too intense yet.  There is always a nice steady breeze though.  I can tell though that if the breeze picks up anymore sand storms could easily cripple a productive day and your sinuses.

Stay Classy, Deuces OUT.

Deuces are Wild #10

I am terribly sorry that I left all of you waiting so long between posts.  I promise to post multiple times this week.

MEDIA REVIEW

I have seen a lot of movies since the last post, so I will try and get you up to speed on what's hot and what's not.

Despite the abysmal reviews 'the Change-Up' received I still gambled and saw it.  And I think I came out on top.  'the Change-Up' stars Ryan Reynolds; who can only play one role well and yes he plays that character in this film.  And Co-Starring one of my favorite comedic actors Jason Bateman.  'the Change-Up' is a movie that has been done a dozen times before and most all of them are horrible, most notably 'Freaky-Friday' with Lindsay Lohan. However, this film is rated R and doesn't abuse it, but rather embraces it.  A loser ladies man switching bodies with a successful family man, add some hilarious vulgarities thrown around like monkeys chucking their own poo at each other.  It all comes together quite well, for some really good laughs.  

The Change-Up        EA:  78%        CW:  59%

The second film I am reviewing for you today is a foreign film from Hong Kong, that may not be on your radar, if it is cheers to you.  Donnie Yen portrays Yip Man a Kung Fu Grandmaster in South China at the on set of the Japanese invasion of China in 1932.  This biographical story of Bruce Lee's instructor; Yip Man, shares with Americans the Japanese tyranny in South China.  While at the same time using incredible and realistic action sequences to drive the story.  You may be able to find the dubbed English version, however I thoroughly enjoyed it in Chinese with subtitles.  One of the best martial arts movies I have ever seen.  

Ip Man        EA:  88%     CW:  98%

TOP TEN COUNTDOWN          SCI-FI FILMS

Remember, these are my personal favorites.  I chose these movies because I thought they were absolutely mind boggling and or a blast to watch over and over.  I can tell you right now, 'A Clockwork Orange' didn't make it because that movie is not DEEP, not impressive, and is a fucking joke.  Stanley Kubrick is a hack.  Sadly, none of the 'Star Treks' made the list either, I would rather watch CSPAN than hear about Galactic politics between the Vulcans and the Wogneer-creatures.  I also tried to steer away from SCI-FI/ Horror movies and the obvious SyFy Channel movies.  Sorry, 'Mega shark VS Crocosaurus' didn't make the cut.  If any of these movies were on your list than just skip past this section now and save yourself from disappointment.

#10        Children of Men (2010)  Clive Owen's Best.  Original.  Fantastic Cinematography. 

#9          Back to the Future (1985)   Michael J. Fox's Best.  Timeless.  DeLorean.  Doc Brown.

#8          Fifth Element  (1997)   Chris Tucker's Best.  Crazy Fun.  Milla Jovovich side-Boob.

#7          Inception (2010)   Best Cinematography.  Leo's Best.  Christopher Nolan says enough.

#6          Donnie Darko (2001)  Jake Gyllenhaal's Best.  Time Travel.  Hypnotherapy.  Giant Demonic Rabbit.

I bet you can't wait to see what my top 5 are.  I'll give you a hint.  a Foundry, a Falcon, a Clone, a tiny mouth, a really big needle. 

TIP/ TRICK OF THE DAY

How to Go About Tasting Scotch/ Whiskey  The Nose Whisky tasting is done principally with the nose - a far more acute organ than the tongue, although the two interrelate as the sample is swallowed.While there are only four primary tastes, there are 32 primary smells. These are aromatic volatiles, which are detected by a small fleshy bulb called the Olfactory Epithelium, located at the back of our noses and having a direct link to the brain. The Tongue As well as registering the primary tastes, the tongue also detects what is termed 'mouthfeel' - the viscosity, texture and smoothness of the fluid we are swallowing - and 'pungency' (which is essentially an evaluation of pain - from irritation to unbearable - and is also picked up by the nose). In whisky tasting, pungency is particularly apparent in very strong spirit, which may sting your nose and tongue and induce numbness (temporary anaesthesia). So you have to be careful when nosing whisky at full strength - i.e. as it comes from the cask. Flavour Is a combination of three factors: smell, taste and feeling. Our noses detect scents - nuances of flavour from volatile aromatics - and pass this information direct to our brains. Our sense of the smells that surround us are recorded unconsciously, yet smells probably trigger memories more effectively than sounds or sights: they are the most evocative of experiences. With a little practice you can soon learn to break smells down and identify their constituent parts. Putting names to them is more difficult, and will be explored later in this section. Primary tastes are registered by little sensory receptors on our tongues and palates. These are broadly arranged so that sweet flavours are picked up on the tip of the tongue, sour and salt flavours by the sides and middle and bitter flavours at the back. The time it takes to stimulate the different areas of the tongue varies, with the bitter receptors taking the longest, so it is important when tasting to hold the liquid in the mouth and to make sure it coats the tongue thoroughly. GADGET OF THE DAY I'M GONNA NEED A DRUM ROLL FOR THIS NEXT PART.   RRRRRRRRRRRRRRR................... THE AMAZING NOODLE-WEENIE!

How could such a simple concept have taken so long to come to fruition? It’s a noodle, it’s a weenie, and it’s a poor man’s spaghetti and meatballs – it’s the incredible Noodle Weenie!

Move over Apple pie, I think we have a new all American top dish WINNER. Dinner from the food bank just got a whole lot more interesting.

LAUGH OF THE DAY

The Italian Boy's Confession



Bless me Father, for I have sinned.

I have been with a loose girl’.

The priest asks, ‘Is that you, little Joey Pagano ?’

‘Yes, Father, it is.’

‘And who was the girl you were with?’

‘I can’t tell you, Father. I don’t want to ruin her reputation’.

“Well, Joey, I’m sure to find out her name sooner or later

so you may as well tell me now. Was it Tina Minetti?’

‘I cannot say.’

‘Was it Teresa Mazzarelli?’

‘I’ll never tell.’

‘Was it Nina Capelli?’

‘I’m sorry, but I cannot name her.’

‘Was it Cathy Piriano?’

‘My lips are sealed.’

‘Was it Rosa DiAngelo, then?’

‘Please, Father, I cannot tell you.’

The priest sighs in frustration.

‘You’re very tight lipped, and I admire that.

But you’ve sinned and have to atone.

You cannot be an altar boy now for 4 months.

Now you go and behave yourself.’

Joey walks back to his pew,

and his friend Franco slides over and whispers,

‘What’d you get?’

‘Four months vacation and five good leads.’

Stay Classy.  Deuces, Out.

Deuces are Wild #9

It's been awhile.  Let's get right to business.

I'm sorry it has been so long since I last posted.  But, Captain America isn't the only one trying to save the world.  I only hope that this post can satisfy the craving that I'm sure you all have had for some good quality wholesome Deuces are Wild posts.  Let's get to it.

MEDIA REVIEW

I have no idea how you all felt about my last post on Captain America and the Top Ten Countdown, so be sure to comment below on anything and everything you have missed out on.  This past weekend I saw the movie Cowboys and Aliens.  And yes that is what I will be reviewing.

Cowboys and Aliens was directed by Jon Favreau (director of Iron Man) and starred Daniel Craig (James Bond), Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde.  I went into this movie with High expectations from Jon Favreau and mixed feelings from the 49% the film received from rottentomatoes.com; one of my most trust worthy sources on all things movie.  The beginning started off with some very weak moments caused by some very awkward dialogue.  The movie gradually picked up momentum and fulfilled my expectations with some solid acting from Harrison Ford; which was much appreciated after his past few films, and Daniel Craig.  The setting was never really an issue, I mean how hard is it to pull off an old western setting.  The plot was never really an issue seeing as how simple it was; cowboys trying to get rid of the aliens.  The protagonist; the aliens, was a bit of a hiccup in the film.  There was little back story on these foes and I don't know if it is the de-sensitivity through modern media or what, but I felt like the aliens were pretty lame, standard, overdone, un-original, what have you, as a foe.  The one thing that really upset me about the film was the plot twist that Olivia Wilde's character had in the film.  I don't want to spoil it but, it was pretty bizarre.  Over all not a terrible movie, definitely entertaining, kept my interest through out, but Jon Favreau has some redeeming to do afterwards.

Cowboys & Aliens        EA:  79%     CW:  64%

TOP TEN COUNTDOWN     WORST MOVIE QUOTES

Remember these quotes were based on two criteria.  1)  Was the quote meant to be serious?  2)  Hype/ Success of movie or actor saying the quote.


#10     Batman & Robin (1997)       Arnold Schwarzenegger 

"Let's kick some Ice."

#9     Face/Off (1997)        John Travolta

"It's like looking in a mirror, only not."

#8     Ghost (1990)         Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore

"I love you, I've always loved you.""Ditto"

#7     X-Men (2000)        Halle Berry 

"Do you know what happens to a toad when it gets struck by lightning? The same thing that happens to everything else!"

#6     Star Wars: A New Hope (1983)     Mark Hamil

"I'm Luke Skywalker.  I'm here to rescue you."

#5     Batman & Robin (1997)         Chris O'Donnell

"I hate to disappoint you, but rubber lips are immune to your charms."

 #4     Road House (1989)        Patrick Swayze and Female Doctor 

"Do you enjoy pain?" -Doc"Pain Don't hurt."  -Dalton

#3     Death Race (2008)        Joan Allen 


I must warn you this is pretty vulgar quote.  It was meant as an insult from the protagonist to the antagonist, but in all honesty no matter how vulger it is, what the hell does it mean?!?!

 " Ok, cocksucker, you fuck with me....and we'll see who shits on the sidewalk"

#2     Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) 
          Hayden Christensen


A romantic scene between Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Queen Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) when he offers this discourse on sand.

"I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. Not like here. Here everything is soft and smooth."

#1     Titanic (1997)        Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet 


Now the reason this quote makes #1 on my list is, seconds later after the most intense moment between the two main characters, she lets go of his hand and lets him descend deep into the freezing abyss.  Jump to 3:00 minutes to get to the moment.

"Ill never let go Jack, I'll never let go."

I know I will get a lot of heat for some of these quotes.  But understand I was not going for comedy or deliberate cheesiness.  I was trying to find the most ridiculous quotes found in the biggest most serious movies of all time.  Just absolute writing disasters.  Quotes that make you say "what the hell were they thinking!"

TIP/ TRICK OF THE DAY

100 Skills Every Man Should Know

I am surprised as to how many of these I don know how to do.  But I assure you that there are plenty I still need to learn.

Automotive

1. Handle a blowout
2. Drive in snow
3. Check trouble codes
4. Replace fan belt
5. Wax a car
6. Conquer an off-road obstacle
7. Use a stick welder
8. Hitch up a trailer
9. Jump start a car

Handling Emergencies

10. Perform the Heimlich
11. Reverse hypothermia
12. Perform hands-only CPR
13. Escape a sinking car

Home

14. Carve a turkey
15. Use a sewing machine
16. Put out a fire
17. Home brew beer
18. Remove bloodstains from fabric
19. Move heavy stuff
20. Grow food
21. Read an electric meter
22. Shovel the right way
23. Solder wire
24. Tape drywall
25. Split firewood
26. Replace a faucet washer
27. Mix concrete
28. Paint a straight line
29. Use a French knife
30. Prune bushes and small trees
31. Iron a shirt
32. Fix a toilet tank flapper
33. Change a single-pole switch
34. Fell a tree
35. Replace a broken windowpane
36. Set up a ladder, safely
37. Fix a faucet cartridge
38. Sweat copper tubing
39. Change a diaper
40. Grill with charcoal
41. Sew a button on a shirt
42. Fold a flag

Medical Myths

43. Treat frostbite
44. Treat a burn
45. Help a seizure victim
46. Treat a snakebite
47. Remove a tick

Military Know-How

48. Shine shoes
49. Make a drum-tight bed
50. Drop and give the perfect pushup

Outdoors

51. Run rapids in a canoe
52. Hang food in the wild
53. Skipper a boat
54. Shoot straight
55. Tackle steep drops on a mountain bike
56. Escape a rip current

Primitive Skills

57. Build a fire in the wilderness
58. Build a shelter
59. Find potable water

Surviving Extremes

60. Floods
61. Tornados
62. Cold
63. Heat
64. Lightning

Teach Your Kids

65. Cast a line
66. Lend a hand
67. Change a tire
68. Throw a spiral
69. Fly a stunt kite
70. Drive a stick shift
71. Parallel park
72. Tie a bowline
73. Tie a necktie
74. Whittle
75. Ride a bike

Technology

76. Install a graphics card
77. Take the perfect portrait
78. Calibrate HDTV settings
79. Shoot a home movie
80. Ditch your hard drive

Master Key Workshop Tools

81. Drill driver
82. Grease gun
83. Coolant hydrometer
84. Socket wrench
85. Test light
86. Brick trowel
87. Framing hammer
88. Wood chisel
89. Spade bit
90. Circular saw
91. Sledge hammer
92. Hacksaw
93. Torque wrench
94. Air wrench
95. Infrared thermometer
96. Sand blaster
97. Crosscut saw
98. Hand plane
99. Multimeter
100. Feeler gauges 

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/skills/4281414

GADGET OF THE DAY

http://sweet-station.com/blog/2011/01/suitcase-stickers/

LAUGH OF THE DAY

BONUS OF THE DAY

Today I feel like doing a little Special Edition with a 'Bonus of the Day' for all my auto lovers out there.  The latest and greatest concept cars.  Oh My, how they are Sexy!

The RSX-Type S replacement.  The Acura Stealth.

Bugatti Renaissance

Maserati Grand Finale

Ferrari 612 GTO

Citroen GT (front)

Citroen GT (rear)

Deuces are Wild # 8

Ladies.  Gentlemen.  Let's Rock.


Looks like everyone enjoyed the Top Ten Countdown, or at least it inspired some argument, and who doesn't love a good argument.  I hope that everyone enjoys this post equally and I look forward to hearing everyone's thoughts.  Also in this edition of Deuces are Wild there are a lot of video clips, specially place to make those of you that hate reading feel included.

MEDIA REVIEW

This weekend I saw the much anticipated Captain America and have some keen observations to share with you.  My greatest observation is, how truely under-rated Hugo Weaving is as an actor.  You may know him for his famous roles as Agent Smith in the Matrix trilogy, V in V for Vendetta, Elrond in Lord of the Rings, Megatron in Transformers and now the villain Red Skull in Captain America.  Hugo Weaving brings a much appreciated sinister evil-genius personality to his character.  An actor that makes you hate yourself for liking the villain is a brilliant actor.  Moving on to the grit of the movie.


Captain America had a solid, believable, entertaining story line and a solid supporting cast.  The visuals and cinematography were outstanding especially with a historical-fiction WWII setting.  The supernatural cult Nazi villains were an exciting match to the rookie Captain America.  My biggest complaint is Christopher Evans playing Captain America.  His acting is abysmal, painful to watch and at the same miserable level as Ryan Reynolds in the Green Lantern.  His female counterpart was a lovely edition to the visuals but she too contributed nothing to the story or the script.  All in all, Captain America was fun, the best way to put it is a hybrid of, Hellboy-Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow-Wolverine.
Captain America        EA:  89%     CW:  76%

I watched a second movie this weekend at the suggestion of one of our readers, Kill the Irishman.  Based on the true story of the Irishman Danny Green taking on the Cleveland Italian Mafia which began the demise of the Italian Mafia across the country.  This movie also had a fantastic supporting cast of Christopher Walken, Val Kilmer and Paul Sorvino to back up the lead, Ray Stevenson.  I don't really understand why this movie didn't do better in theaters.  It was suspenseful, action-packed and Danny Green is one of the toughest BAMFs (Bad-Ass-Mother-F**kers) ever.

Kill the Irishman        EA:  75%     CW:  83%


Now on to our new countdown, the worst movie quotes ever.  I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS! I think I dug up some really good ones.  To make this more interesting I tried to pick quotes based on two criteria.  1)  Was the quote meant to be serious?  2)  Hype/ Success of movie or actor saying the quote.  I'll try and put these in some kind of order but they're all so bad it doesn't really matter.

TOP TEN COUNTDOWN    WORST MOVIE QUOTES

#10     Batman & Robin (1997)       Arnold Schwarzenegger 

"Let's kick some Ice."

Jump to :26s for Quote

#9     Face/Off (1997)        John Travolta

"It's like looking in a mirror, only not."

Movie Videos & Movie Scenes at MOVIECLIPS.com

#8     Ghost (1990)         Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore

"I love you, I've always loved you.""Ditto"

 

Jump to 2:22 for Quote.

#7     X-Men (2000)        Halle Berry 

"Do you know what happens to a toad when it gets struck by lightning? The same thing that happens to everything else!"

 Jump to 2:00 for Quote

#6     Star Wars: A New Hope (1983)     Mark Hamil

"I'm Luke Skywalker.  I'm here to rescue you."

Quote is in the beginning. 

The last five quotes will be in the next edition of Deuces are Wild.

TIP/ TRICK OF THE DAY

Car Dealer Secret

This code is usually located somewhere on the price tag of New cars.

GADGET OF THE DAY

Today's Gadget of the Day may be more appealing to some than others.  And I know we all have seen simple versions of this most Genius Under-Rated Gadget, but take a moment to take in and appreciate the complexity of this AWESOMENESS!  Dare I say.... wedding present idea?! 

LAUGH OF THE DAY


What if you actually said what you were thinking in an Interview?
This might be what it would look like. 

    1. Why did you apply for this job?  I have applied for many jobs along with this one and it's just that you called me first.

2. Why do you want to work for this company?  I have to work for some company, whoever gives me a job, I don't have any specific company in mind.


3. Why should I hire you?  You have to hire some one, you may give me a try.


4. What would you do if this happened?  Well, it depends on my mindset and mood in that situation...


5. What is your biggest strength?  I dare to join any company who pays me well, without thinking about the fate of company.


6. What is your biggest weakness?  Girls


7. What was your worst mistake and how did you learn from it?  Joining my earlier company and I learnt that I need to switch my job to get more money, so I am here today.


8. What accomplishments in your last position are you most proud of?  Had I accomplished any in my last position, why do I need to change my job? I could demand more and stay there.


9. Describe a challenge that you faced and how did you overcome it?  Biggest challenge is answering the question "why are you looking for a change" and I started blabbering irrelevantly to overcome that.


10. Why did you leave/ are you leaving your last job?  For the same reason why you left your previous job.


11. What do you want from this job?  No work and good hikes.


12. What are your career goals and how do you plan to achieve them?  Making more money and for that I keep switching jobs every two years.


13. What do you know about our company?  I knew you will ask me this question. So, I've gone through your website.


14. What salary are you expecting?  Well, no one will change his job for the same salary, hence, give me 20% extra than what I am getting right now. I know you will bargain on whatever I ask. So I have already hiked my current salary by 30%.

Deuces are Wild #7

Top O' the Mornin to Ya!


Let me start off by thanking everyone for the encouragement and the ideas.  Today we will finally find out what the last three War Movies in our countdown.  Some of you may be disappointed with my decisions, I will do my best to justify my reasoning.  But hell, this is MY blog.  I enjoyed seeing some of your Top three picks.  I am obliged to agree, they are all good choices.  But none better than Battle: LA.  I kid, I kid. 
I will give you a little whiff of my next post, I will do a TOP TEN WORST MOVIE QUOTES, upon a request from one of our readers.  


Also at request, a couple sexist, dirty but we all know they're funny, drinking toasts.

“Here’s to Hell! May my stay there be as much fun as my way there!”

 “Here’s to the ideal woman; Who could ask for more? She’s deaf ‘n dumb, oversexed, and owns a liquor store.”

 “To women and horses, And the men that ride them!”

MEDIA REVIEW

I thought I would take this opportunity to try and be the first at something in my blog.  Last night infamous Rebecca Black released her second single titled "My Moment".  I think that much like the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and Eminem; Rebecca Black's earlier work is her best work.  Her debut single "Friday" is simply deeper, edgier, more original and of far better quality.  Also it is obvious in the long awaited 5 months since her last release the young starlet hasn't aged well either.  It seems that we have yet another star shinning too bright too early.  

 REBECCA BLACK - MY MOMENT

In case for some odd reason, you haven't seen her debut release "Friday" and you live in a cave and my review above flew right over your head, here it is.  Enjoy.

REBECCA BLACK - FRIDAY 

TOP TEN COUNTDOWN              WAR MOVIES

#10     300

#9       We Were Soldiers

#8       The Patriot

#7       Patton

#6       The Hurt Locker

#5       The Great Escape

#4       Glory

#3       Braveheart - Our last Mel Gibson movie to make the list.  This film is unique in the time period it covers.  Unfortunately, the oppression of the Scots and the Irish by the tyrannical English Kings of the period is rarely taught in our schools anymore.  I enjoy every bit of this movie.  The Historical accuracy, the underdog battle sequences, the humor here and there, but most of all love and determination that Mel Gibson brings to his role of William Wallace is moving.  Definitely a tear jerker for me.

#2       Saving Private Ryan - I often feel like WWII is over done in movies and video games.  However, this film conquers a difficult feat in film; getting emotionally attached to so many characters, the Sniper, the Jew, the English teacher and the Football player.  Every time they going into battle you pray they all come out safely.  The film also took a graphic approach which upset a lot of people when it was released.  Today, I think; NO, I know that people in my demo-graph and younger are de-sensitized to realistic violence, this is extremely unfortunate because now the message is lost.  If you take a moment and try and understand that these aren't fictional characters and these aren't ancient roman legions but rather these were our REAL American men; your grandfathers and family members, that were alive in our childhood and some still alive today, that went through these horrific endeavors to preserve the freedoms of total strangers.  This film clearly shows us what real courage and valor is.  And any ignorant, selfish, arrogant, dumb-ass that laughs when a dying man screams for his mother (AND I HAVE SEEN PEOPLE LAUGH DURING THAT SCENE) should be drafted to the front lines immediately, or beaten, or sterilized, or sent to live in North Korea OR SOMETHING!  UGH!!! That review turned into a rant, pretty fast.  Sorry about that.

#1       Blackhawk Down - Probably a controversial pick for #1, but hear me out.  This film shows men younger than I am now.  Fighting in a time period I can relate to.  Against an identical enemy I am currently engaged with (indirectly).  This film is absolute non-stop action.  But not Terminator or Transformers action.  The action I am talking about is a fire fight.  On average a fire-fight lasts 15 minutes to 3 or 4 hours depending on the circumstance.  A fire-fight, properly known as a TIC (troops in contact) is different than a Battle.  A TIC is where the same unit goes un-supplied and un-reinforced for a continues period of time, exchanging gun fire regularly.  The Rangers in Blackhawk down did this outnumbered and outgunned for 27 hours straight, this is unheard of, a miracle.  The soundtrack, cinematography and acting could not get any better.  I love this film and want to share an interesting political point about the movie, with all of you.  After the failure of the first Battle of Mogadishu(1993) President Clinton pulled out of Somalia and left it in shambles instead of retaliating and more and importantly finishing what General Garrison had worked for the last 18 months.  The men that gave their lives that day could not be avenged because some politician thought he could do General Garrisons' job better.  This is a prime example of every conflict we have been in since WWII.  Politicians fight wars, instead of generals.

Honorable Mention      Band of Brothers - This 10 part miniseries on HBO done by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks (same team that did 'Saving Private Ryan') deserves the honorable mention.  This series balances, politics, emotions, pain and suffering, action, tactics and strategy, courage and heroism perfectly.  The story follows the longest active and most successful unit in WWII, the U.S. Army 101st Airborne.  These boys took anything the Nazi's could throw at them and still kicked some Kraut ass.  God bless'em.

UNCLASSIFIED BRIEF

I thought this would be an interesting section to add occasionally.  I have a unique position being in the military, that allows me to look at the real gritty news on our current affairs.  I thought I would share some quick bullet points that are UNCLASSIFIED, that you won't get in the news.  

• China officially has its first Sea worthy Aircraft Carrier.  This means China is at our doorstep.  This also means the Philippines and Vietnam are Shit out of Luck when it comes to the oil feud in the South China Sea.  This also means this is the first major piece of military hardware that China has that isn't Russian.  I don't know whether to congratulate them, or sink it. http://www.spacewar.com/reports/First_China_aircraft_carrier_sea_trial_next_week_999.html

• In other news today, Israel has informally given the Middle East another metaphorical "Fuck YOU!"  Israel has completed its first operational test of its Star Wars missile defense program.  This means, once functional, the Arrow defense system can track and shoot down any rocket or missile launched at them from anywhere in the Middle East.  Nice try Iran, better luck next time.  I read that there were talks of putting a similar system in the Cincinnati Bengals Secondary this next NFL season.   http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Israel_successfully_tests_Arrow_anti-missile_system_999.html

TIP/TRICK OF THE DAY

Sometime you just come across an ordinary object, that can do extraordinary things.  Check out the brilliant uses for a Binder Clip.

www.funnyordie.com/articles/e85111f5f4/6-life-changing-uses-for-binder-clips-that-you-could-ve-easily-thought-of

GADGET OF THE DAY


FIRST ZOMBIE PROOF HOUSE

I don't know how many of you actually know this, but I am a HUGE zombie fan.  I love all things Zombie survival.  And this is just awesome to me.

all-that-is-interesting.com/post/4956385434/the-first-zombie-proof-house

LAUGH OF THE DAY

Stay Classy.  Deuces, OUT.