What Sucked and What Rocks!

I know end of the year lists are completely overdone. There is a list for top movies, top musicians, best of 2010 fill in the blank. One would think compiling such a list is easy. Turns out you actually have to put thought into remembering a whole year. I do not know about you, but I forget where I put the remote within a minute.
Nevertheless, I went month by month, trying to recall the highlights and low points of my year.

Things that Sucked

Nicole’s brother dying in car accident

My uncle dying the next day in car accident

Helping move Nicole to North Dakota. Received my first experience driving a u haul van and trailer. I miss going to lunch with her and the kids on my day off

Helping Kristy move days later. This would be the actual packing and transport of materials, her moving was a good thing.

My buddy relapsing


Working the day of the Blizzard, preparing food for a party that would end up canceling and getting my car stuck and eventually towed. Yep hell of a day that one.

Kristy getting a kitten even though it is cute and fun to play with and Alesha getting another cat. I love animals, even the furry cute ones, but allergies are a bitch.

Two words: Student Loans

The Chadbag

The Vikings, more specifically the Cheddar Monkey formerly known as Favre, who shall now be known as Junk Texting Dirty Old Man.





Things that Rock!

Going Back to school. I enrolled in Ashford University’s online BA degree program. Presently Majoring in History. So yeah that kicks ass and I am enjoying it immensely.

My buddy getting back on the wagon.

Gaining new players for Sunday game days

Going to the art museum with Brayden.


Meeting Britta who has become one of my closest friends.


Meeting Bob who sends me some of the most twisted texts.

Renewing my friendship with Kristy

Renewing my friendship with Jennifer

Starting a new Army for Warhammer 40k even though the present edition of rules kind of blows. The Death Watch knows how to handle the Xeno's threat to the Imperium. Glory to the Emperor! <---- Total nerd lingo but more on that in a future post

Alesha and Nick moving to Waconia. We may have had our differences in our younger years, but my sister has kind of grown on me :) I am glad she is no longer an hour away.

My 6 year sobriety dinner with friends

Starting to write this blog as a means of self-expression and writing practice.

Nicole finding happiness in Devil’s Lake

Supporting and working for Leanne Kunze’s bid for election. Yep that is right, I supported a Democrat. Not because she is a distant cousin, but because she has some great ideas.

 The Face Book Posts of all my old friends from High School. We may not see each other much anymore, but know that I care for each and every one of you. We shared an experience that lasted years and is not easily forgotten.


Winning Fantasy Football league. I took 1st and 4th in the two leagues I care about and I am presently in the super bowl for 4 out of 8 of my ESPN free league teams. So yeah pretty good year of Fantasy Football for me.

If I had to pick the one thing I am most grateful for from 2010, It would have to be meeting Britta. The universe may have conspired to bring us together by chance, but by choice, we have become very good friends. Britta’s man Bob, is one of the funniest guys I have ever met and her son Jackson knows Iron Man is the awesomest.

To Whom it may Concern

This weeks installment is not a collection of random thoughts.

To whom it may concern,

You killed my uncle.

Whether through inattentive, careless driving or criminal negligence, you killed him. I did not rush to judgment the day of the accident or in the weeks and months that followed. That is until I received word on Christmas Day that the State Patrol determined you ran the red light and broadsided my uncle. The fact that the State Patrol is turning over their findings to the Carver County Attorney’s Office for possible criminal charges gave me very little solace. You killed my uncle. Blood cries out for blood.

Anger. Hatred. Disgust. These emotions came crashing down upon me like an avalanche. Perhaps I have been withholding the anger component of my grief inside. My sister said, “It changes nothing.” Maybe for her, but now, now I had someone to blame for taking Donnie away from this world. You killed my uncle. Blood cries out for blood.

My uncle Donald “Donnie” Moonen was an inspiration to me and others. He always had an encouraging  word to say and a funny story to tell. Uncle Donnie was not only a husband, father and grandfather; he was the Patriarch of the Moonen Clan. He served our nation’s military and locally as a volunteer firefighter. He volunteered his time for charity organizations. He taught my cousins and me how to play cribbage and poker. He made the best-grilled pork loin it has ever been my pleasure to enjoy. Rarely was he angry and even then, never more than a moment. He was a Paragon of what it means to be a loving and caring human being. In many ways, I wish I could be more like him. I wish I were going to see him this weekend at the Moonen Clan Christmas, but I am not, you killed him. Blood cries out for blood.

My Insomnia kicked into high gear and gave me plenty of time to think. I learned who you are, but I do not know much about you. Honestly, I am not sure I care. I really did not appreciate your social networking post expressing concern over totaling your truck. Fuck you; it is a replaceable material possession. You killed my uncle. Blood cries out for blood.

It was this morning, when I could take no more of the tumultuous emotions simmering within me, that I spoke once again with my best friend Kristy. She had already gotten me through the rough patch on Christmas day, but this morning was different. I do not know how she does it, but her words eased my anger. She quieted my mind in a way I did not think possible. It was then that I heard what my Moonen blood truly cries out for and perhaps it is Donnie’s final life lesson to me: Forgiveness.

You are someone’s brother, son, and grandson. For the remainder of your life you will have to live with the knowledge of what you have done. I do not envy you, for unless you are a sociopath, the guilt must be gnawing at your soul. And for that, not only do you have my forgiveness, but also my sympathy. You are young; I hope you learn from this experience how precious life truly is. If you go on to become half the man Uncle Donnie was you should consider yourself lucky.

Fellow traveler on the planet earth
Joshua “Foodie” Moonen
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It's About Time

The following list, in addition to the previous 28 i have already covered, represent movie characters that for one reason or another stick out in my mind. The original point of this exercise  was to quantify how we perceive movies, what genres appeal the most to us, and I think just to get a grasp of  how much movies make an impact upon us. We no longer sit around the hearth fire on cold wintry nights exchanging the stories of our ancestors.  Our shared cultural stories are in the mediums of movies and television. As Mr. Sneak Mike has asked, no animated characters are on the list as we were not allowed to include animated features for some reason. Looking upon this list it stands as a good basis for making a top movie list but that grows to become repetitive, though there certainly are movies that do not have characters represented here (Monty Python and the Holy Grail comes to mind). It is no surprise to me that Westerns are under represented as that is my least favorite genre. I guess the biggest curveball was the lack of martial arts characters as I thoroughly enjoy those films, but upon reconsideration I think I identify more with the actor as opposed to the character (Aka Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Chow Yun-Fat, Jackie Chan, etc.)

I challenge you dear reader to spend 20 minutes making a list of movie characters that come to mind. If anyone does send me a copy and I will post it up.  Or barring that if there are any stand out characters I have missed in your opinion let me know.

26. Inigo Montoya - Princess Bride
25. Princess Leia -  The Star Wars Trilogy
24. Batman- Batman Franchise
23. Wolverine- X-men Franchise
22. Luke Skywalker - The Trilogy
21. Mathilda- The Professional
20. Tony Stark/ Iron Man
19.Malcom Reynolds - Serenity
18.Peter Venkman- Ghostbusters
17. Patrick Bateman - American Psycho
16. Aragorn - Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
15. Forrest Gump - Forrest Gump
14. Yoda - The Trilogy
13. Ferris Bueller - Ferris Buellers's Day Off
12. Jason Bourne - Bourne Series
11. Roy Batty - Blade Runner
10. Maximus Decimus Meridius - Gladiator
9. Bobba Fett - The Trilogy
8. Vito Corelone - The God Father
7. Captain Jack Sparrow - Pirates of Caribbean Series
6. Ellen Ripley - Alien Series
5. Hannibal Lector - Silence of the Lambs
4. Han Solo - The Trilogy
3.75. The Joker - Dark Knight
3.5. The Dude - The Big Lebowski
3. Jake " The Muss" Heke - Once were Warriors
2. Tyler Durden - Fight Club
1. Darth Vader - The Trilogy


Horror:
Chucky
Freddy
Pin Head
Jason
Michael Meyers
Leather Face
Norman Bates
Jack Torrence (The Shining)
Jigsaw
Ash (Evil Dead I & II)

Action:
Rambo
Rocky
Clubber Lang (Rocky III)
Ivan Drago (Rocky IV)
John Mclane (Die Hard)
Hans Gruber (Die Hard)
Martin Riggs (Lethal Weapon)
Roger Murtaugh(Lethal Weapon)
Terminator
Axel Foley (Beverly Hills Cop)
Snake Plisken (Escape from New York)
Brain (Escape from New York)
Quint (Jaws)
Indiana Jones
The Jackal
Brian Mills (Taken)
William Wallace (Brave Heart)
Connor and Murphy McManus (The Boondock Saints)
Nathan Alger (Last Samurai)
Katsumoto (Last Samurai)

Fantasy/Sci-Fi:
Conan
Hal-9000
Wicked Witch of the West
Agent Smith (Matrix)
Neo (Matix)
Marty Mc Fly
Dr. Emmet
E.T.
Tron
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Dune)
Paul Atreidies (Dune)
Blade
Dr. Ray Stantz
Dr. Egon Spengler
Winston Zeddmore (Ghost Busters)
Alex (Clockwork Orange)
Donnie Darko
John Preston (Equilibrium)
Edward Scissorhands
Gandalf
Gollum
The Goblin King (Labyrinth)
Sarah (Labyrinth)
Leeloo (Fifth Element)
Wesley (Princess Bride)
Eric Draven (The Crow)



Suspense/Drama:
Clarice Starling (Silence of the Lambs)
Scarlet O’Hara (Gone with the Wind)
R.P.McMurphy (One Flew over the cuckoo’s nest)
V (V For Vendetta)
Rick Blaine (Casablanca)
Juno MacGuff (Juno)
Red (Shawshank Redemption)
Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver)
The Narrator/Jack (Fight Club)
John Bender (The Breakfast Club)
Captain Heinrich (Das Boot)
 Parry (The Fisher King)
Leonard (Memento)
Truman Burbank (Truman Show)
Derek Vinyard (American History X)
Marion Silver (Requiem for a Dream)
Gunnery Sgt. Hartman (Full Metal Jacket)
Pvt. Pyle (Full Metal Jacket)


Comedy:
Martin Q. Blank (Grosse Point Blank)
Bill and Ted
Napoleon Dynamite
White Goodman (Dodgeball)
Derrik Zoolander (Zoolander)
Happy Gilmore
Zohan (You don’t mess with the Zohan)
Ace Venture
Ron Burgandy
Brick Tamland (Legend of Ron Burgandy)
Lt. Frank Dreben (The Naked Gun)
Walter and Donny (Big Lebowski)
JB and KG (Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny)
Rob Gordon (High Fidelity)
Barry (High Fidelity)
Josh Baskins (Big)
Jake and Elwood (Blues Brothers)
Ralphie (A Christmas Story)
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern (Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead)
H.I. McDunnough (Raising Arizona)
Max Fisher (Rushmore)
Steve Zissou (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou)
Bob & Doug Mackenzie (Strange Brew)
Ty Webb (Caddyshack)
Carl Spackler (Caddyshack)
Dr. Strangelove

Crime:
Vincenzo Coccoti (True Romance)
Mr. Blond (Reservoir Dogs)
Marv (Sin City)
Miho (Sin City)
Kaiser Soze’ (Usual Suspects)
Mickey (Snatch)
Bullet Tooth Tony (Snatch)
Frank Booth (Blue Velvet)
Tony Montana
Michael Corleone
Jules Winfield (Pulp Fiction)
Seymore Parrish (One Hour Photo)
Vincent Vega (Pulp Fiction)

Martial Arts Mix:
The Bride (Kill Bill)
Ghost Dog
Wah Sing Ku (Lethal Weapon 4)

Western:
Butch and Sundance
Man with no name (Good, Bad, and the Ugly)
Lt. Dunbar (Dances with Wolves)

Askewniverse:
Randal Graves (Clerks I & II)
Jay and Silent Bob
Brodie (Mallrats)
Alyssa (Chasing Amy)
Zack & Miri (Zack & Mirri Make a Porno)
Sexy Stud (Clerks II)
Elias (Clerks II)
Dante Hicks (Clerks I & II)
Loki (Dogma)
Bartleby (Dogma)


The angels Loki and Bartleby are in probably one of my favorite scenes of all time:

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To Whom it May Concern: Thoughts and musings from the past week.

 It's time again for the weekly installment of random thoughts and ideas that struck me over the past week.


To Whom it May Concern: Dude, you spent an entire summer taking LSD every other day? That explains a lot.

To Whom it May Concern: Two wrongs may not make a right, but three lefts comes close.

To Whom it May Concern:I dislike the fact that when I go Xmas Shopping without a friend to keep me in line, I always buy myself something.

To Whom it May Concern: Red and white  may work on Santa, national flags and coke cans, but most certainly is not very flattering for you.

To Whom it May Concern:I wish making you feel better was as simple as saying "Stop Being Sick." Alas, I lack magical healing powers.

To Whom it May Concern:Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc. (after this, therefore because of this) Just because event B followed event A, does not mean that event A caused event B to occur.

To Whom it May Concern: Seriously you need to stop driving like a retard. I know it is snowing and the roads are not the best, but grow a pair and drive a bit faster than 7 m.p.h..

To Whom it May Concern:There is no reason to be ashamed of the fact your license is suspended. Sure you messed up and got caught. It happens. The real challenge is incorporating this experience into who you are as a human being so that similar events can be avoided.


To Whom it May Concern:Whoa. Whoa slow down. Did you just say crane? As in the Bird that has long legs and a pointy beak? Or Did you say Caine as in the Receiver of the Mark and the Bible's first murderer? Crane? And your telling me it's edible? No, It really doesn't matter where it came from, I'll pass. I like Crane as a type of Kung Fu, not as a variety of Bratwurst.

To Whom it May Concern:That is some cool mix. If your going to do it again, warn me, I'll get a video camera.

To Whom it May Concern:My Sponsor is one hell of a great guy.

To Whom it May Concern:Chocolate Mousse Cups do indeed kick ass!

To Whom it May Concern: Why are you even wasting your money? This is the third class in a row that we have been in together. At least you have somewhat figured out how to use spell check. Yay. Now if you could only do your work on time and actually have something substantive to add to the conversation.

To Whom it May Concern: Was that too Condescending?

To Whom it May Concern: Yes, I am a Star Wars loving, comic book reading, Dungeons and Dragons playing nerd. Yep, Star Trek too, DS9 was my fave. It says "Booger" in reference to the classic film "Revenge of the Nerds." Why 69? Other than the fact it's 69? I don't know, can I please just get my change now.

To Whom it May Concern: Turns out Harpies, Medusae, and Succubi really do exist.

To Whom it May Concern:Yay! White Christmas.

To Whom it May Concern:Stoopid Snow.

To Whom it May Concern: It takes some serious dedication to be snowmobiling out in this weather.

To Whom it May Concern: All "Smokey and the Bandit", redneck, or other jokes aside, truckers really do have one hell of a job.

That is it for this weeks installment some of  random musings of my mind. Still trying to put some what of an ordering into my full list of movie characters, and I am about to read Jenna Jameson's autobiography sometime in the next week and I'm sure I will have something to say about that.

Mix

Top Five Movie Characters

All right here is my Top Five Movie Characters, but first a recap:

26. Inigo Montoya - Princess Bride
25. Princess Leia - Star Wars Trilogy
24. Batman- Batman Franchise
23. Wolverine- X-men Franchise
22. Luke Skywalker - Star Wars Trilogy
21. Mathilda- The Professional
20. Tony Stark/ Iron Man
19.Malcom Reynolds - Serenity
18.Peter Venkman- Ghostbusters
17. Patrick Bateman - American Psycho
16. Aragorn - Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
15. Forrest Gump - Forrest Gump
14. Yoda - Star Wars Trilogy
13. Ferris Bueller - Ferris Buellers's Day Off
12. Jason Bourne - Bourne Series
11. Roy Batty - Blade Runner
10. Maximus Decimus Meridius - Gladiator
9. Bobba Fett - The Trilogy
8. Vito Corelone - The God Father
7. Captain Jack Sparrow - Pirates of Caribbean Series
6. Ellen Ripley - Alien Series

5. Hanibal Lector -  "I do wish we could chat longer, but I'm having an old friend for dinner."
Portrayed by Anthony Hopkins
Movies: Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Red Dragon

A famed sociopath,  he's kept like a trophy by the prison that holds him. A viewer is certainly not expecting to see a well groomed, unimposing figure at the end of that dark corridor.  What Hopkins brings is that eerie stillness, that unnerving sense of cold calculation. This is because our view of him, other than through the glass, is shaped by stories of his notoriety. All his Lecter need do therefore, is wait for you to make a mistake - and he has a lot of patience. More pure animal than human, it's never demonstrated better than through the stories of his cannibalistic tendencies. In Lambs, Lecter's character is dependent on a good foil, and therefore owes a significant debt to the similarly well-written Clarice. What we benefit from as an audience then, is a beautifully balanced, carefully built relationship between the two, before the story kicks up a notch and the unthinkable happens...

Best Moment: Hannibal's Escape.

4. Han Solo - "Never tell me the odds."
Potrayed by Harrison Ford
Movies: The Star Wars Trilogy

Carpenters can make for great heroes, just ask Jesus. It proved to be true for  Lucas when he cast wanna-be actor turned set carpenter Harrison Ford as Star Wars' swaggering scoundrel, Han Solo. In any other hands, Solo could have been simply an arrogant jerk, but Ford brought so much charm and laconic cool  that real man Han steals the show - and the girl - from the movie's nominal hero, the boychild Luke Skywalker. How cool is Han Solo? He's the only non-Jedi in the series to ignite a lightsaber, and it doesn't look out of place in his hands. Now that's cool.

Best Moment: Han Shot First, Han Shot First, Han Shot First, Han Shot First, Han Shot First. (This is a crucial point in the Arc of Solo's Character. When we are first introduced to him, we learn he has no problem shooting the Bounty Hunters out too collect on him. Greedo is a two-bit punk bounty hunter wanna be who got blasted while he had his weapon pointed at Solo's Chest. Lucas's reworking of the scene is a complete disservice to the character.)

3.75. Joker - "Why So Serious?!?"  
Portrayed by Heath Ledger (Jack Nicholson)
Movies: Dark Knight (Batman)

"Some men just want to watch the world burn." Which is about as succinct a summary of Heath Ledger's Joker as you can get. There is no rhyme or reason - just an appetite for anarchy, chaos and destruction that marks him out as the most terrifying screen psycho in years. Jack Nicholson's Joker was, arguably, even more psychotic than Ledger's, but where he played the Clown Prince for laughs, Ledger's aim was to maniacally slip under your skin, and reveal his utter lack of empathy with those piercing, dead, cold eyes. Ledger's Joker is an unstoppable force of chaos, and a wonderful testament to the late actor's talent.

Best Moment: I really like the Opening scene, but I guess the thing I like most is that Ledger's Joker comes across as the kind of character that can beat a man to death with a 20 lb fresh fish in a moment of frenzy and become a methodical, calculating genius the next. Just as the character has been portrayed in the modern age comics.

3.5. The Dude - "Nice Marmot."
Portrayed by Jeff Bridges
Movie: The Big Lebowski

His Dudeness, Duder, El Duderino, if you're not into the whole brevity thing - Jeff Bridges has had a lot of great roles in his career, but does anyone  love any of his characters as much as The Dude? To have this guy at the center of a kidnapping/rug theft plot is so totally inspired, you almost can't fathom it upon first viewing - that is superb writing. Nihilists, Gold-diggers, Crazy Vets, bowling and a rug that really ties the room together, makes for one heck of a story. The Dude abides. Don't know about you, but I take comfort in that.

Best Moment: Purchasing discounted, past expiration date milk with a check for 83 cents.

3.0 Jake "The Muss" Heke - " I was right... too much weights, not enough speedwork. Useless prick."
Potrayed by Temuera Morrison
Movie: Once Were Warriors

Long before he became the face and voice of the Clone Army in Star Wars, Temuera Morrison's first big acting role was a film out of New Zealand, "Once Were Warriors", a poignant and disturbing look at a Maori family's fight against poverty, racism, alcoholism and domestic violence. It is only when his family and his life are in complete shambles that Jake even begins to think something is wrong with the way he lives life. As viewers, we can see his heartache for his family, the difficulty he has in sharing his feelings, and the utter despair he tries to hide near the end of the film as his wife finds the courage to leave him. There is not much sympathy to go around for a hard drinking, wife beating, bastard, yet "The Muss" manage to provoke at least a little, within this compelling story. When I first saw this film, it made an indelible impression on me.

Best Moment: It is actually hard to find a best moment for the character, because unlike other characters on this list, conflict does not move the story forward, the violence is the story. I think the two best scenes that give a sense of the character are: When Jake beats the punk up in the pub and when Jake brings home a nice seafood dinner for the family, Both demonstrate the polar opposite sides of his nature.

2. Tyler Durden - "You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world."
 Portrayed by Brad Pitt
Movie: Fight Club

Tyler Durden is not a nice man. He will piss in your soup, sleep with your girl, make soap out of your fat, bombs out of your soap, and beat you to a pulp. It is hard not to rate him my favorite movie character of all time.  Durden, as created by Brad Pitt, encapsulates that  saying about Bond, "men want to be him, women want to bed him" more perfectly than perhaps even Bond. He's effortlessly stylish, unshakably cool, and dangerously charismatic. He is a rock star god, a natural-born leader, a trend-setter. He is unrestrained id, he is a monster, he is the very image of modern man (or at least how modern man would like to see himself). He looks like what you want to be, he fucks like you want to fuck, and he is an utterly indelible creation.

Best Moment: Project Mayhem. or arguably the first night of fight club speech.

1. Darth Vader- "The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am."
Portrayed by David Prowse / James Earl Jones (voice)
Movie: Star Wars Trilogy

Really, was this any surprise? To hell with the Emperor - he was not even around all that much. Darth Vader is, to every child of Star Wars, the supreme badass in the galaxy. He is everything that scares you as a child, cutting a huge, imposing figure, wearing malevolent black, and breathing through some kind of ominous respirator. The masterstroke behind Vader's design is that mask. The cold, expressionless cover is difficult to read, and makes for a much scarier experience than a human face can give. Having the bass tones of James Earl Jones doesn't hurt either. The very definition of simple and effective, there is unlikely to be a character that is so instantly recognizable as evil anytime soon. That at the end of his story arc he is redeemed is merely icing on the cake.

Best Moment: His Entrance. or The Big Reveal. or Force choking every one that disappoints him. or the Darth Vader Double take. or the moment he saves his son from certain doom. or. . . well you get the picture.

There you have it my top 26, OK it is actually 28, but come on it isn't easy to rank all the movie characters I like. I think I will yet do an addendum of the entire list I made, in somewhat of an order.

Mix.

Insomia = More Movie Characters

Since I am up I may as well finish some more of my favorite Movie Characters.

Recap:
26. Inigo Montoya - Princess Bride
25. Princess Leia - Star Wars Trilogy
24. Batman- Batman Franchise
23. Wolverine- X-men Franchise
22. Luke Skywalker - Star Wars Trilogy
21. Mathilda- The Professional
20. Tony Stark/ Iron Man
19.Malcom Reynolds - Serenity
18.Peter Venkman- Ghostbusters
17. Patrick Bateman - American Psycho
16. Aragorn - Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
15. Forrest Gump - Forrest Gump
14. Yoda - Star Wars Trilogy
13. Ferris Bueller - Ferris Buellers's Day Off
12. Jason Bourne - Bourne Series
11. Roy Batty - Blade Runner

10.  Maximus Decimus Meridius -  "My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next."
Portrayed by Russel Crowe
Movie: Gladiator

Signaling a return to The old Style Hollywood Epics, Maximus is about as traditional a tragic hero as you'll find. With everything taken from him by corrupt man-child Emperor Commodus, all he has to fight for is justice, and before he dies, justice is what he shall restore and receive.

Best Moment - The Fight with Titus of Gaul.

9. Bobba Fett - "He is no good to me dead"
Portrayed by Jeremy Bulloch
Movie: Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi

That such a minor Character is this high on the list is a testament to the impression the most bad ass bounty hunter in the galaxy made on me as a youngling. Fett took no shit from Vader, he wears Mandalorian Battle Armor, His back pack has jets, and he outwitted Solo. Perhaps not the broadest, nor best defined character, but certainly one of the coolest.








Best Moment: Tracking Solo & Crew to Bespin

8. Vito Corelone - "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse"
Portrayed by Marlon Brando
Movie:  The Godfather

Although he's the title character, it's often a surprise for newcomers to The Godfather to find that Don Vito isn't the primary focus of the film. It's an ensemble piece, and it's his youngest son Michael who's focal point of the story. Still, Vito is the one who everybody loves most, as the family man so honourable and dedicated that somehow nobody cares that he's the head of a massive criminal empire. 

Best Moment: Advising Micheal how his enemies will maneuver around him.

7. Captain Jack Sparrow -  "I think we've all arrived at a very special place. Spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically."
Portrayed by Johnny Depp
Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean series

If you had told Johnny Depp, that a movie based on a Disney theme park ride would provide him with his most unforgettable character, he'd probably have told you to eff off.  The dandy, dishevelled, permanently addled Sparrow was already there on the page, but it was Depp's genius in adding a dash of  Keith Richards, that brought Cap'n Jack to life. The disappointing part of the sequels was sidelining and failing to develop Sparrow in favor of the bland Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley characters.

Best Moment:  His drunken, bewildered outrage at discovering that Keira Knightley's Elizabeth Swann has burned all the rum.

6. Ellen Ripley - "Get away from her, you bitch!"
Portrayed by Sigourney Weaver
Movie: Alien Series

Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley is the heroine of Alien - and though Sigourney Weaver, then an unknown, does a sterling job there, Ripley is  still essentially a horror film stereotype: show us your underwear, scream a lot, run about a bit, barely survive. It's in Aliens, directed by James Cameron, that Ripley blossoms. Initially a nervous wreck, her life torn apart by her experence on the Nostromo, Ripley is reborn as a warrior when her maternal instinct kicks in and prompts her to go through hell to save surrogate daugher, Newt.

Best Moment: The alien Queen is about to kill Newt when the docking bay doors open and Ripley appears in an Exo-Suit with a look of determination on her face. 

To Whom It May Concern. Random Thoughts and other musings from the past week.

Before I jump into the collected thoughts from the past week, I would like to share a disturbing Dream I that woke me up on Saturday Morning. What I remember of the Dream is as follows: Me and some Friends enter a building. Turns out it is a tavern. It is not any bar I recognize yet feels extremely comfortable. I shamble up to the bar and order 2 beers, the first one is gone in seconds. I look around and realize the patrons are all people I know. Every one is having a great time that gets even better when a Wet T-shirt Contest spontaneously breaks out. Then my good friends Kristy and Kelli notice me drinking and begin walking my way, with a look on their faces that tells me I'm in trouble. Then I wake up, and it's the Biggest Blizzard of the Twenty First Century.For the most part most people wouldn't mind a dream in which partying and good times were had. Me, I took it as a sign of ill omen.

Turns out I may have been right, It was an extremely rough weekend for me. The Drinking Beast seriously rattled his cage. But with the assistance of good friends, some meditation, and some reading of the Big Book all is well. Definitely need to make more meetings. This time of year is always difficult for me.

But enough of that mix. On to the collected ramblings of the last week.

To Whom it may Concern: I think the title of your documentary is a bit off. "Turtles Gone Wild" or "When Reptiles get Frisky" maybe more appropriate. If I really wanted to watch animal sex that much, I'd surf the Internetz. Please consider renaming your film to warn others. Thank you.

To Whom it may Concern: I could stand here and stare at that all day. To bad I have to work and junk. Note to self: Win the Lottery.

To Whom it may Concern: Dude, I'm pretty sure society frowns on Arson.

To Whom it may Concern: Cute Puppy. I miss you.

To Whom it may Concern: Seriously?!?  WTF!?! Are you Kidding me? (this one occurred quite frequently over the weekend)

To Whom it may Concern: Please be Ok, Please be Ok, Please be Ok, Please be Ok, Please be Ok, Please be Ok. (ad infinitum)

To Whom it may Concern: I have some of the coolest Cousins to ever walk the earth.

To Whom it may Concern: But I thought. . . . . What? . . . Um Ok. . . . I guess. . . . Whatever Dude.

To Whom it May Concern:

To Whom it may Concern:  In the words of Homer, "Those guys were the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked." (Way to put on a classic show Vikings)

To Whom it may Concern: You need to grow up and stop acting like a child who cannot accept responsibility for his own actions. Had your chance. I believe your exact words to me were "Never again, I cannot take her childish, disrespectful behavior anymore" Wow, Irony. Furthermore, ah forget it, Do not need to push you any more over the edge, unless of course it is full on into the Abyss where the Elder Evils of Legend await you.

To Whom it may Concern: Shopping with 4 year olds is fun. Everything is the coolest down every aisle of the toy section.

To Whom it may Concern: Thanks for putting up with me and my idiosyncrasies. Dinner, as well as the  conversation that followed,  was excellent.

To Whom it may Concern: This very well could be the coolest Hour of the year.

To Whom it may Concern: Thor is a kick ass name for your kid, But perhaps a better name for a rottweiler.


That about does it for this weeks edition of thoughts and musings. Still working on the remaining top ten movie characters, as well as the addendum that I realized i am going to have to do. Mix It.