Last Christmas

 

 

          Last Christmas isn't just your typical holiday movie. it's also a delightful rom/com that has 

   heart (literally). It stars Emilia Clarke ( Game of Thrones) as Kate, an aspiring young woman 

   whose down on her luck, stuck at her dead end job until one day she meets a handsome strange

   man (Henry Goulding, Crazy Rich Asians). He gives her advice to become a better person and

   ends up changing her life for the better. 

          While I liked this movie, there was part near the end that teared me up a bit (spoiler: He 

   was a ghost who died in a biking accident and he donated his heart so she could live on.) 

   This movie was taken from a Wham song and predominately features George Michael songs. 

     

      3/4 Stars

 

Pro Sports Has a Big Problem

          Ever since the arrest and death of felon George Floyd back in May by Minneapolis police,

  many SJW groups (including BLM and Antifa) have been burning down and looting businesses

  in retaliation. The sports world has been affected as well as many of the sports leagues (MLB, 

  NFL, NBA, NHL) have been encouraging their players to speak out about it. Many have been

  not only wearing BLM shirts, kneeling during the anthem but have been sitting out playing in 

  protest. 

 

         But their actions come at a high cost as many of their fans who have been looking for 

  escapism during this epidemic, can't now due to their political activism. The forced agenda 

  the players are pushing are alienating fans who just want to see their favorite teams compete.

  In turn, fans have been tuning out in droves and ratings have been falling faster and faster.

  To take it a step further, the NBA even kneeled on 9/11, a fateful day in US history that 

  put social issues over the thousands of lives lost that day.

 

         When athletes pander to the woke mob on social media, they end up showing their 

   true colors and fans are tired of it. The fact that many of them claim oppression while 

   making millions and millions of dollars that the average fan dreams of making is something

  that their core fanbase can't relate to. 

           When we watch sports, we want to be entertained, not preached to. It's not that the

  players can't protest but when the issues takes precedent over the game itself, that's when 

  fans have a problem. With the COVID outbreak, it not only shut down America but also 

  the sports world as well, causing fans to take up something else ridding them of their 

  addiction. It's only a matter time before pro sports finally wakes up to the lost

  revenue and fandom that they have chosen to alienate. The leagues will be having a hard 

  time regaining those fans as well.  

           Fans didn't abandon sports, the sports leagues abandoned the fans.

Buzzords of 2020

 Buzzwords of 2020

       This past year has been a doozy. From the threat of World War 3, to total chaos in the 

  streets, many new words have entered our everyday vernacular. Here is a list of words 

  that are used alot lately :

  1). Uncertain/ Unprecedented times 

  2). Systemic 

  3). Pandemic

  4). Social Distance

  

  5). Gaslight

  7). Curbside

  8). Quarantine

  9). Essential

  10). Racist

  11). Contactless 

  12). Asymptomatic 

  13). Conflate

  14). Discredit 

   15). Undermine 

   

    16). Grifter

Post Covid Plans

 Post-Covid Plans

Here are some of the things I am looking forward to doing after the virus goes

away by next year

1). Hug my relatives and friends

2). Go out to eat at The Cheesecake Factory

3). Play arcade games at Dave and Busters

4). Watch a movie on the big screen at the local cineplex

5). Host a big dance party with music and snacks 

6). Go on a road trip with my guardian up to Oregon

7). Go out shopping to my favorite stores without having to

worry about keeping my distance from people

8). Go bowling with my friends

9). Go back to the gym to work out

10). Sit close to my gal pal

Movies watched during quarantine/lockdown

           With the way 2020 has been going and Gavin Newsom closing down businesses to 

    control COVID outbreak, I thought I'd share some movies I watched during this time:

   1). Willow (fantasy/epic)- producehd by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard, this 

   fantasy tales revolves around a little guy named Willow who protects a baby whom an 

   evil witch wants. I really liked this movie and found it to be enjoyable (7/10)

   2). Ford v Ferrari (bio/drama)- This biographical racing drama involves American car 

   designers pitted against Italian designers to see who could make the fastest car. Christian

   Bale really shines in this one (7/10)

   3). Die Hard (action)- In this fun action movie, Bruce Willis stars a John McClane, an off 

   duty cop who must save his wife's co-workers as they are held hostage by some evil terrorists.

   This movie was my favorite among all of them. (10/10).

   4). Robocop (scifi/action)- This 1987 classic is about a cop who is gunned down in the line 

   of duty and is brought back to life through as a cyborg. This actionfest perfectly captures 

   corporate 1980's America. (8/10)

    5). The Terminator (1984)(scifi)-  James Cameron's scifi classic stars Arnold Schwarzenegger

    as a killer cyborg who travels back in time to stop a young woman (Linda Hamilton) from 

    giving birth to a son who leads the resistance against the evil robots in the distant future. 

    This movie was good but the sequel was miles better (7/10)

     6). The Blues Brothers (musical/comedy)- Starring the late and great John Belushi and Dan 

     Aykroyd, this film stars as two brothers on a mission from God to raise money for a 

     Catholic orphanage. The chase scene at night was my favorite part (7/10).

Quarantine Activities

Quarantine Activities 

     

     Here are just a few of the things that you can do while quarantined in your house: 

    1). Watch a movie or two you haven't seen

    2). Clean out your cupboards/ closets 

    3). Go for a walk/ stroll

    4). Practice meditation/ yoga 

    5). Learn a new skill/ talent (i.e. guitar, sewing, new language, etc.)

    6). Learn how to cook something (i.e. cookies, brownies, etc.) 

    7). Start and finish a puzzle/ a board game

    8). Start a scrapbook of old photos 

    9). Do a repairs (loose doorknob, light switch)

   10). Binge watch you favorite TV show 

   11). Read some books/ magazines.

Coronavirus Tips

Coronavirus Tips

    In order to stay safe from getting infected, here are a few tips to help keep you sick-free

    1). Don't touch your face (you can get infected from putting your fingers in your

     mouth, eyes or nose where bacteria can thrive.)

    2). Wash your hands! (Washing your hands for at least 20 seconds can reduce the 

    spread of the virus.) 

    3). Cough into your arm  (When you cough, it can spread germs many feet)

    4). If you are sick, stay home and get plenty of rest

    5). Social Distancing (Keeping a distance of 6 feet can reduce the likelyhood of 

     getting germs on you and others.)

    6). Do fist or elbow bumps (bumping knuckles or elbows with someone can 

     reduce the risk of getting germs on your hands.)

Corona Related Songs

 Corona Related Songs

      With all the talk of a certain disease going around, I thought I'd make up a list of the 

    songs that are about diseases & quarantining.

   

      1). Alice in Chains- Sickman 

  

      2). Alice Cooper- Poison

      3). Bon Jovi- Social Disease 

      4). Disturbed- Down with the Sickness

      5). Megadeth- Countdown to Extinction

      6). Slayer- Epidemic

      7). Slipknot- My Plague

      8). Bad Religion- Infected 

      9). Sean Paul- Temperature

      10). The Police- Don't Stand So Close to Me 

      11). Beach Boys- In my Room

      12). Matchbox 20- Disease

      13). MC Hammer- U Cant Touch This 

      14). The Minutemen- Corona [Jackass theme]

      15).  Alice In Chains- I Stay Away 

      16). Geo. Satellites- Keep your Hands to Yourself

Spring/ Summer 2020 Classes

Spring/ Summer 2020 Classes

       With winter just about over, here are some of the new classes I am looking forward 

   to:

    1). Public Speaking

     

    2). Brain Games

       

    

    3). Office Workplace

    

    4). Math and Money Skills

     

    5). Community Outings

      

Black History Month

Black History Month

        Famous Black People: 

        1). Barack Obama, former president

        2). Muhammad Ali, boxing legend

        3). Michael Jordan, NBA legend

        4). Martin Luther King, activist/ baptist

        5). George Washington Carver, inventor

        6). Harriet Tubman, former slave who started the Underground Railroad

        7). Clarence Thomas, Supreme Court Judge

        8).  Denzel Washington, actor

  

        9).  Jesse Jackson, politician/ activist

       10). Whitney Houston, soul/ pop singer

       11). Oprah Winfrey, media mogul/ talk show host

       12). Michael Jackson, dancer/ singer/ actor

       13). Maya Angelou, poet/ activist

       14). Jimi Hendrix, rock guitarist/ singer

       15). Ella Fitzgerald, Jazz singer

       16). Jesse Owens, Olympic athlete

       17). Sojourner Truth, activist/ abolitionist

Bucket List

My Bucket List

1. Kiss a pretty girl in the rain and take said girl to bed


2. Meet the 49ers and get a private tour of Levi's.

.

3. Go on a 2 week long road trip across America


4. Go to a rave/ out clubbing with friends


5. Ride the cable cars in San Francisco

6. Fly to Washington D.C. or Niagara Falls 

7. Attend a movie premiere and see a celebrity 

8. Take a ride downtown in a party truck

9). Be in the front row at a rock concert 


10). Go to a color/ bubble run

11). Learn how to roller blade

12). Become a DJ and play good music.

13). Get a back massage from a professional

14). Join a yoga class/ get a facial at a spa

Birds of Prey

Birds of Prey

Dir: Cathy Yan

Cast: Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ewan McGregor, Jurnee Smollet Bell,

Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco

      After being dumped by the Joker, Harley Quinn (Robbie) is out on her own and must 

  fend for herself in the crime ridden slums of Gotham. Narrated by Quinn herself and

  told by in flashbacks, Quinn drowns out her sorrows in a night of drinking and getting

  drunk.
         Harley gets caught up in a frantic search for a lost mob treasure which is being 

   hunted by everyone in the city. Along the way, she makes some friends including

   Dinah Lance (Smollet Bell), a runaway teen (Basco), and a skilled assassin the 

   Huntress (Winstead). They all must work together to stop a mob kingpin Roman

   Sionis (McGregor). 

         This movie leans heavily anti male and quite cringe-worthy in dialogue. There

   are no redeeming qualities whatsoever. The action scenes were directed by John

   Wick's Chad Stahelski and Robbie take on the popular DC character was rather 

   good. This film should've not been made in the first place and hopefully the 

   forthcoming Wonder Woman movie should be better.

        Grade: D

Super Bowl LIV- my take

Super Bowl LIV- my take

     While it was disappointing to see the 49ers lose the Super Bowl for the second time, 

   the team surpassed expectations the previous season. To go from 4-12 record to a 13-3

   record is quite the accomplishment.  

      QB Jimmy Garoppolo played a full season since tearing his ACL last year and the

   drafting of star defensive end Nick Bosa really helped the team become better. While I 

   do congratulate the Chiefs on winning the big game, it will give the Niners motivation

   to do better and return to the big game.

      I do think the refs had it out for them. Case in point, the holding penalty by Eric 

    Fisher so Pat Mahomes could throw it deep was never called and allowed the Chiefs

    to score. The NFL is a star driven league and what better way to prove that by 

    promoting Mahomes as the face of the league and gracing the cover of the last 

    football video game and magazines. 

       While I realize that Chiefs winning coincided with the NFL's 100th anniversary,

    the league is starting to become almost scripted. The more this happens, the more

    fans should tune out or have the league investigated on rigging charges but I quite

    frankly, don't see that happening as the money will keep flowing in.

Bubble Gum Day

    

 Things I know about bubble gum: 

     1). It gets sticky.

     2). Has lots of sugar.

     3). Bad for your teeth.

     4). Many different brands

        (Bubble Yum, Juicy Fruit, Fruit Stripe, Wrigley's, Hubba Bubba, Orbitz) 

     5). Eventually loses its flavor after a few minutes.

     6). Willy Wonka's Violet Beauregard loved to chew it until it turned her into a 

      big purple rolling ball.

     7). If you swallow it, it stays in your intestinal tract for almost 7 years. 

     8). Bubble gum pop was a genre of music that proliferated in the late 90's and 
     featured teeny bop singers and groups such as Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys 
     & N Sync. 

My Favorite TV Shows

My Favorite TV shows

        1). Legends of Tomorrow- this scifi show features several superheroes traveling 

     through time and fighting villains along the way. It is one of the CW shows that I 

     can tolerate. 

      2). Bob's Burgers- this animated sitcom features the Belcher family running their

     burger diner along with their precocious kids (Tina, Louise and Gene). 

  

      3). South Park- This show is about the residents of the town and 4 bratty kids. 

     Despite this show having lost its charm since it debuted in the 90's, it still has 

     biting social commentary.

      4). AEW Dynamite- Looking for an alternative to WWE? look no further than 

    AEW. This wrestling show on TNT features many popular wrestlers who have

    made names for themselves on social media as well as the indies. My favorite

    wrestlers are Orange Cassidy and Darby Allin.

     5). Robot Chicken- Stop motion skit show on Adult Swim. 

RIP Kobe Bryant (1978-2020)

Kobe Bryant (1978-2020)

          It is with heavy heart that retired the retired NBA superstar along with his daughter

   Gigi have passed away in a helicopter crash. Since being drafted in the 1997, Kobe's rise

   to super stardom began when he took his Lakers team to dominance in the 2000's and 

   creating a dynasty. 
          Kobe's career was tarnished by a scandal in 2003 when he was accused of rape by 
    a young groupie looking to get famous. Although the case was later dropped, Kobe
    also had a feud with fellow teammate Shaq.
          He not only was great player but also inspired a generation of younger players for 
   an unquenchable fire and grit. 

Cheap Date Ideas for Valentines

Cheap Date Ideas 

        

         With Valentines coming up pretty fast, here is a list of the things you can do with 

    your SO on a budget.

    1). Attend a free concert/ play in the area

    2). Visit your local farmers market and try out some of the food 

    3). Go to your local bowling alley and bowl 

    4). Go to the library and check out books you're interested in

    5). Visit your animal shelter and play with some of the pets that are up for adoption.

    6). Browse a local secondhand store and look for fancy things to buy.

    7). Go to the mall and go window shop. 

    8). Cheer on your local high school sports team 

    9). Collect seashells at the beach 

    10). Throw a Frisbee around at your local park 

Life Hacks 3

Life Hacks 3

     1. If your chap-stick is melted, stick in the fridge for a couple hours so it reforms

     2. To get sand off your hands, use baby powder

     3. Wrap a wet paper towel around a bottle and put it in the freezer for 15 minutes,

        take it out and it will be cold

     4. Use a muffin tin to serve condiments 

     5. Take a picture of your fridge to remember what you need to get

     6. Put a dry tea bag in smelly shoes to get rid of the odor

     7. Clean a microwave ceiling by heating a bowl of water for 2 minutes, it will loosen

       any particles stuck to the top.

  

     8. Put on an old sock on your hand to polish shelves

     9. Use dental floss to perfectly cut cakes 

     10. Check your breath by licking your wrist and wait 10 seconds

Marvel Director Leaves

Marvel Director Leaves

      It was recently announced that director Scott Derrickson has left Dr Strange 2 due to

   creative differences. It was rumored that he was going to take the sequel in a scarier 

   direction than previous Marvel movies. 

     Frankly, I don't blame Scott one bit. MCU chief Kevin Feige wanted to water down
   his movie to appeal to the masses. Why should the director have his vision comprimsed
    under the name of the almighty dollar.

       Scott was right right in leaving and much better off making his own movies the way
    he wants to. Unfortunately that means Marvel will hire someone that will answer to 
    them without disputes and the quality of Dr. Strange 2 will suffer because of it. 

49ers: Playoff Edition

      

         The 49ers are back in the playoffs for the first time since Jim Harbaugh was coach. 

    They will faceoff against Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings at Levis Stadium.

    Even though the 49ers are #1 seed, I see them barely eking out a win since they had 

    trouble against the dreaded Seahawks.

        Star tight end George Kittle should be deadly in the passing game as long as Jimmy 

   G gets rid of the ball faster in the pocket. Jimmy has Deebo Samuel to throw to.

         On the defensive side, end Dee Ford and linebacker Kwon Alexander return from

    being out for most of the season. Personally I think the 9ers are rushing them back 

    since the body needs time to heal.

        Luckily star rookie Nick Bosa will pressure Cousins into throwing the ball away

    and causing interceptions for Richard Sherman.

What I Did During the Holidays

What I Did During the Holidays 

        With Christmas break over, here are some of the things that I did:

      1). Opened presents with my cousins and had a delicious Swedish meatball dinner

      with them. I had a Spotify account setup for me so I can add my favorite songs.

      2). Saw Jumanji with my galpal and out to eat to Cheesecake Factory despite it 

      being so crowded that there was nowhere to sit.

      3). Listened to holiday pop songs on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

      4). Took my dog to the park for her walks.

      5). Watched a few college bowl games on TV with my dad 

      6). Spent time with my cousin by going grocery shopping.

New Years Resolutions

New Years Resolutions

      It's a new year, new you so here are a few of the things I hope to work on this year: 

      1). Take up cooking/ cooking more meals by myself

      2). Try to socialize more/ meet new people

      3). Speak up when needed

      4). Get outside more

      5). Spend less time on the internet