From Bad to Worse...

Today was my day off. So I played golf with one of my Elders at my congregation. Here's why the entry is titled the way it is.

I started off with a 10 on the first hole. And it really didn't get much better, strokes-wise.

Here's the other issue: Our cart died. It had started sputtering on the back nine. But guess where it died? In the middle of the 18th hole. We pushed it for awhile, but then gave up and informed the club. It was really too late for them to do anything for us except give us another cart to put the bags back in the minivan. The picture in this entry is the cart that died.

Hopefully, I didn't bore you too much, dear reader. I know it's kinda boring hearing other peoples' golf stories. I get bored with it too.

Movie Review- The X-Files: I Want to Believe

I got into The X-Files pretty late. The series, not this movie. But, I still enjoyed what I saw. Despite my protestations about fantasy and sci-fi geeks (and if know anything about Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, you know exactly what I'm talking about), I do find "the unexplained" to be entertaining. Despite there not being an actual bigfoot or Loch Ness Monster, it makes for great storytelling.

To watch this movie, you don't really need to be a hard-core X-Files junkie. You just have to know how the series ended. I'm not publishing that here. Look it up. The storyline stands alone from the actual TV show (except for the ending part I just alluded to.) Actually, that's kinda not true. It doesn't make much sense for me to tell you that it's like watching one long episode if you've never seen an actual episode. That said, it's exactly that: Like watching one long episode.

Performance-wise, there's not much to tell. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson played their characters as well as they did on the show. (Thus adding to that "one long episode" thing.) But, at least they looked interested in revisiting their characters.

The "that guy factor" was in full effect. The biggest one was Billy Connolly, as the priest. He's been in tons of stuff (rent Mrs. Brown for a great performance by him).

While this film is definitely not worth full-price admission ($9.25 in my case), it does have great attributes. One of the things I've pointed out in my movie reviews is the potential for discussion. This movie is loaded with it, especially for theologians or those who fancy themselves as that. Issues that the movie brings up are the nature of God, the nature of God's forgiveness, medical ethics, psychics and psychic phenomena, as well as a host of others.

There's really not much else to say. If you liked the show, you'll like this movie.

Acting: B
Directing: B
That Guy Factor: A-
Overall: B

Movie Review- The Dark Knight

So, I finally saw the the newest installment of the Batman franchise. What an amazing film!

First, the #1 thing that I've heard people say is that's it's really dark. But, people said that in 1989 when the first Batman movie with Michael Keaton debuted. The difference is that this one is so dark, it makes the 1989 film look like an episode of "Love Boat."

Everyone in this film puts on a fantastic performance. Of course, the big story here is Heath Ledger, but I'll get back to him in a moment. Aaron Eckhart gives a really strong performance as Harvey Dent and, later as Two-Face. But if you saw "Thank You for Smoking", you know he has great performances in him.

I suppose now is as good a time as any to discuss heath Ledger's performance as The Joker. It's a select few that have played batman's archenemy: Caesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, and Mark Hamill (the voice in the animated series and animated movie). Each portrayed the Clown Prince of Crime in a unique way. But in this one, I finally got my wish.

Not that it was my wish to see Heath Ledger play The Joker. But I finally got a glimpse of what they hype was all about. I never saw why people thought he was such a wonderful actor. And you can't say I didn't give him a legit shot. True, I didn't see every film he was in. But I did see The Patriot, Brokeback Mountain, The Four Feathers, A Knight's Tale, 10 Things I Hate About You, and The Order. I just never saw it. I resigned my self to thinking that maybe I didn't see it, because I myself am not an actor. But he gives a tremendous performance in this film.

I know there's kind of a big push to get him nominated (and win) an academy award for this role. We'll just have to see what comes along. Traditionally, films like this are not nominated for the "Big 5." But one never knows. (After all, The Silence of the Lambs shocked us all in 1991.) If the academy does nominate and vote for Ledger's performance, it will be due not only to the strength of the performance, it will also be an, for lack of a better term, apology for last year's Oscars. None of the winners last year were Americans (which is fine, since the foreigners gave better performances). Nor was the best picture a very widespread film (though, it was in my opinion the best picture). I don't really think his death will factor in very much, as the Academy has only given 1 posthumous Oscar in recent history (Peter Finch, 1976). But,I could be completely wrong about this.

The film raises a lot of good discussion issues, especially about the nature of good and evil, as well as the limits of law, the need and usefulness of heroes, etc.

The "that guy factor" is there, but you have to really strain for it. here are 2 possibilities here. The bigger one is Anthony Michael Hall. The plays a TV reporter. The second is a bit tougher (at least for me). But it's Michael Jai White, most known (I suppose) for playing Spawn. But he's done other stuff as well. if I'm omitting anyone, let me know.

Overall, a wonderful effort. Let's give out the grades:
Acting: A
Directing: A
That Guy: B
Total: A

I will be blogging later about the issues that I mentioned that the film raises.

"We all had a terrific time."

So, today was a good day. I had lunch with a friend (who picked up the tab), went to a movie with another friend & his kids, then went to a murder-mystery picnic. This post is mostly about the picnic.

One of the highlights was somebody brought these amazing homemade pickles. They were just out of this world good! One of the people I talked to asked, "With all the pickles you can buy at the store, why would someone go through the trouble of making their own?" Then his wife made him try one. The look on his face when he tried it prompted me to say, "That's why someone would make their own."

All in all a good time was had by all. Plus I leaned to play this one game that I hadn't encountered until I moved up here. There's several names for it. You basically throw bolas at this ladder and try to score points. It's more challenging than it looks, and is really a lot of fun.

The Ingredients List

Faithful readers know that cooking is one of my hobbies. I've only been cooking semi-seriously for a couple of years. But I try to learn as much as I can about it. My favorite cuisine is Chinese. Maybe in a later post I'll tell you that story. Then again, many of you faithful readers probably know it. Anyway, here is a list of my fave ingredients to use in dishes (Chinese or otherwise). Again, they are in no particular order:

1. Soy Sauce
2. Crushed Red Pepper
3. Craisins
4. Garlic
5. Peanut Butter
6. Bacon
7. Amish Roll Butter
8. Sesame Oil
9. Fresh Ginger
10.Chicken (any part except legs)
11. Ribeye steaks

The Movie List

This is the first of many lists that will be forthcoming on this blog. I discovered I like making lists.

This first one if my favorite movies. Note: Favorite. Not the best movies ever made. Some are classics. Some are awful. They run the gamut genre-wise. But for whatever reason, they evoke great emotion in me. And they are listed in no particular order. I will watch these whenver. I will interrupt other things to watch these movies.

Without further ado:

1. Billy Jack
2. Annie Hall
3. Hannah and Her Sisters
4. Lady in the Water
5. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
6. Batman (1989)
7. The Seventh Seal
8. Beavis and Butt-head Do America
9. Patton
10. As Good as it Gets
11. The Godfather
12. Pulp Fiction
13. No Country For Old Men
14. The Mask of Zorro
15. Dances With Wolves
16. In the Heat of the Night
17. The Black Cauldron
18. Private Fears in Public Places

1 Year!

Perhaps this post may strike you as completely self-indulgent. And it probably is. But today marks a special day in my life. One year ago on July 22, 2007, I was ordained.

I figured I had to mark the occasion with a blog post. Enjoy the pics!

A Brief Rant-Golf Etiquette

I played 18 holes of golf today. I did much better on the back 9. The front 9 was pretty much a disaster. But, I ran into the same problem that I've been having as of late, whether I play with my usual partner or alone.

Will somebody please tell me why people on the golf course (as of late, it's been primarily old guys) are so dead-set against having faster people play through? I just don't don't get it. I thought that was one of the primary roles of golf.

Apparently not.

What Was The Holdup?

Ahhh...'tis the season to be training. I'm just glad that my beloved St. Louis Rams signed their 1st-round draft pick, Chris Long. He's the son of NFL HOFer Howie Long. I just am wondering what the holdup was. At least he didn't hold out.

Lutherans in the News

This was in yesterday's local paper. It's an article about my congregation's upcoming anniversary celebration:
http://observertoday.com/page/content.detail/id/506025.html?nav=5070

Good Times with Church Members

I just got back from a fun time hanging out with some of my parishioners. This morning they invited me to spend some time with them, their relatives, and some friends. It was down at the VFW hall. We all had a terrific time. let me give you some highlights:

1. Good food. Various people brought in different dishes. I love potlucks! I hadn't eaten like that for a long time. (And probably won't for a long time.)

2. I did karaoke for the first time in my life. It was a smaller crowd, so I wasn't really afraid to screw up. I did 2 songs, both by Johnny Cash (go figure). I did fairly well on "Cry Cry Cry", but almost completely botched "Ring of Fire".

3. I was pretty stuffed from the food people brought and the dessert, which was this killer apple pie, which one of my hosts described as legendary. Just as everything gets settled, somebody shows up late with a party-sized pepperoni and cheese from Ellie's Deli here in Silver Creek! Amazing!

Anyway, it was great. Needless to say, after this afternoon's festivities, gym workouts in Dunkirk are probably going to be switched to 2-a-days. Maybe I should make the trek to Pittsford, NY and see if I can slim down by working out with the Bills during their training camp, which opens this week.

The Sabres Get It Right! (Finally)

I have to admit that I was shocked to discover that the Buffalo Sabres actually pried open their wallets and resigned a key component of their team. I know sometimes have to let stars go due to economic reasons. But, with Buffalo, it just became kind of a running joke. Two local DJs even suggested last season that the main reason to watch the NHL All-Star Game was to see who from the Sabres wasn't going to be on the team next year.

Miller get a 5-year deal worth $31.25 million. Not too bad.
Here's the link to the actual story: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=AikO4vq5Amy3BKojFpv8XhU5nYcB?slug=ap-sabres-miller&prov=ap&type=lgns

Amazing Performance

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This is an amazing performance of a great song. "Love Reign O'er me" is probably my favorite song by The Who. (And the movie is really amazing, too, in my opinion." This is Pearl Jam covering it at the VH1 Rock Honors.

You're welcome.

Review- The Man They Could Not Hang

I guess I should explain why I'm reviewing a movie form 1939, and not a current flick. So let me start at the beginning:

Tonight was a wonderful experience. I found out that this place in North Tonawanda called the Riviera Theater is showing films from 1939 this summer as part of a series. I was thrilled! I love old movies, and if I can get the chance to see them on the big screen, that just sweetens the deal.

So I eventually get there. North Tonawanda is quite a hike from Silver Creek, as is just about everything in the Buffalo area, except Dunkirk and Fredonia. Anyway, I get there with time to kill. Fortunately, there's an Irish pub right next to the theater. I stop in for a quick Labatt Blue to kill time.

I bought my ticket and was transported back in time. The Riviera's interior is old-school and gorgeous! It made me think of this now-defunct movie house in the STL called the Avalon. Being there reminded me of some of the good times I had at the Avalon. Plus, it was on $6 to get in, and the snacks were moderately priced. But, the proceeds to go benefit the Riviera restoration efforts. Before the film started there was a brief intro by the director of the Buffalo International Film Festival. Then there was an old-school Popeye cartoon from that era. A real treat all the way around.

Now, onto the main event: I tend to view old movies through a set of rose-colored glasses. Thus, I give them breaks that I don't give to newer films. You have to remember the context of the audience at the time. You have to ask what was going on in American culture at the time? Was there a war? What were peoples' attitudes regarding race relations, politics, etc? But I digress. That said, this movie certainly fits into that mold.

This film is technically classified as a horror film (also, its a B-movie). However, that depends on what people think is scary. In this movie, Boris Karloff plays a mad scientist (go figure). he invents an artificial heart which can reanimate the dead. he tries an experiment, but it goes wrong, and the subject dies. He is charged with murder, tried, and convicted. He is sentenced to death by hanging. After the execution, his former assistant tries the experiment on him, and it works. So, he decides to wreak vengeance on those who sent him to the gallows.

The plot moves pretty fast,a s it's quite a short movie. Film snobs and other pretentious folks would probably find a lot to dislike about this film. But, I must disagree. I've already stated my biases. I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, there was really no "that guy" factor for me. But this may simply be due to my lack of familiarity with the character actors of that era.

As I drove home, I reflected on the movie, as I saw it alone. I came to the conclusion that even though Boris Karloff played a lot of the same character (the mad scientist) he really was quite an underrated actor. I've seen his 2 biggest films, Frankenstein (1931) and The Mummy (1932). Granted, I haven't seen all that many of his movies. But from what I have seen, my 3 favorite performances were in The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), where he reprises his role as the monster, and Isle of the Dead and The Body Snatcher (both 1945). I will definitely be seeing more of this great artist's work.

Here's the link to the Riviera: http://www.rivieratheatre.org/

Barack and The New Yorker

On this post, you'll see a picture of the most recent cover of The New Yorker Magazine. There's been a controversey of late regarding whether it is simply satirical or offensive. Admittedly, as a supporter of Sen. Barack Obama, I was a bit taken aback. But, as a fan of both political cartoons and free speech, I don't have that big of a problem with it.

On this post, you'll also see a clip from The Daily Show which, I believe, sets the record straight, and says it a lot better than I could.

Review- Taste of Buffalo

Today I went to the Taste of Buffalo. It's not as big as the Taste of Chicago (which I attended last year), but it was just as tasty. The weather was warm, might be considered hot here, but nothing a ol' STL guy can't handle. Plus, the there was a great crowd. Good things always happen when I'm in an urban area. On top of all that, I met Bobby from "Hell's Kitchen." I don't care about the show one way or the other. (Personally,I like Chef Ramsay. I think his other show Kitchen Nightmares on the BBC is a lot better. But that's my opinion. I could be wrong.)

So, allow me to give a rundown of the places at which I stopped (in no particular order):

1. Ms. Goodies: I had what they call the Junkyard Dog. It's a fried fish sandwich with fries, slaw and hot sauce all on a pita. Not bad.

2. Village Desserts: I had to try something which labels itself the "ultimate peanut butter cookie". It was actually quite tasty. It had PB frosting, PB chips, and some chocolate on it.

3. Shannon Pub: I tried their potato chowder. Good flavor, could have used some bacon (or more bacon). However, let me caution you. Potato chowder does not pair well with blue Powerade. The weather was also a bit too warm for soup, but still good.

4. The Grill @ The Dome: Here I tried the Bourbon Shrimp skewer. The shrimp was grilled, and maybe a tad overcooked. But that's forgivable due to the crowd. Kinda syrupy glaze, but not too bad.

5. Red Osier: They tried to pass this off as a "prime roast beef sandwich." But everybody could tell it was a beef on weck. But, as beefs on wecks go, it was one of the best. However, 8 tickets for only half a sandwich was a bit steep, I think.

6. Kabab and Curry: I had this stuff called Chicken Makhani with Basmati Rice. Very tasty. The sauce for the chicken is a really bright reddish-orange. But, you get a great serving size.

7. May Jen Chinese Resaurant: People who know me know I'm passionate about Chinese food. They also know I'm a bit harder on Chinese places. But I'm also pretty generous. I tried the Ginger Garlic Chicken. Pretty Good. But I'm not sure that I would order it on a regular basis. I still enjoyed it, though. I could really taste the ginger, but not so much the garlic.

8. Carmine's Restaurant: I wanted to give this place I try. I saw it local TV yesterday and my interest was piqued. I tried the crab cake stuffed shrimp. It came with this spicy remoulade which brought a nice, pleasant delayed heat. The dish itself was really good. I could see making a trip there for these.

9. Fat Bob's Smokehouse: Here, I binged. I got both the STL-style ribs and the Pulled Pork sandwich. I'm a sucker for a good pulled pork. This one was good, but needed slaw on top of it. That's really the best (and possibly only right) way to eat it. But I digress. The ribs were tender, and just the right size. I could also see making a trip for the ribs.

10. Tandoori's: I had the chicken curry with rice. One of my companions today was a curry enthusiast, so that made the dish that much better. Good curry flavor. One of my fave dishes today.

11. Zebb's: This place is not too far from me, up Route 20. I tried their NY Chili. Probably my least fave thing of the day. i don't know what it is, but I can't seem to find good chili up here. Most of the places I've tried taste like spiced-up jarred spaghetti sauce. But, the place was highly recommended by a friend, so I'll give the rest of the menu a shot at some point.

12. Orazio's: This was the 2nd or 3rd place we went to. Here,I discovered my fave dish of the day They were these little balls of olives and asiago cheese, breaded and then deep fried. The best! A trek to this place is definitely in the not-too-distant future.

13. Spicy Thai: I tried the "healthy option" here. It was 3 steamed veggie dumplings. Incredible! Steamed just right, and with the right amount of soy sauce on top. A real delight.

14. Anderson's Frozen Custard: I needed to cool off. I got the Loganberry Ice here. It was cool, with a good loganberry flavor. Not a bad ending. However, it does not pair well with Labatt Blue.

All in all, this truly was one of the best days I've had during my year up here. I love the city of Buffalo, and now I love it even more now that I've gained some insight into its culinary treasures.

Movie Review- The Happening

So, tonight I saw M. Night Shyamalan's latest film "The Happening." I was left kinda confused. But more on that later.

This was the kind of movie that I really wish I could have seen with somebody else. It cries out for post-screening discussion (preferably with wings and beer). Like I said, I was confused by the film.

I couldn't figure out what exactly "the happening" was supposed to be. I guess it's just some natural/supernatural force which cannot be explained. That's what they allude to in the movie anyway.

So, what exactly was the message? Is it environmental? Is it spiritual/religious/quasi-spiritual & quasi-religious? Is it political? Is it scientific? Perhaps it is all of the above, since all of them intersect at some point.

As to the film itself: M.Night has gotten a bit weaker over the years. Is he this generation's Hitchcock, as some called him a few years back? That remains to be seen, after he builds up his body of work. I still think his best film to date is "Signs," though many disagree and make a good case for "The Sixth Sense." Plus,I actually loved "Lady in the Water." To be perfectly honest, Shyamalan is my 2nd-fave director (behind Woody Allen). But a true fan is always critical, not blinded.

The performances, I felt, were a bit weak. I've seen what Mark Wahlberg can do. If you doubt, check out "The Departed" for the performance he gives in that Scorsese-helmed dynamo. Maybe he just shot his load with that one. I don't know. I thought John Leguizamo's too-short performance was really good. He conveyed a sense of fear and intensity that should have permeated the whole movie. the little girl who portrays his daughter did a fine job of reflecting this as well.

I felt that Zooey Deschanel's performance was OK. But, she, like Wahlberg, demonstrated a clear lack of intensity, except for the climactic scene after "the event." That was actually a great scene in my book.

The cinematography and camera work was very good, as Night's films usually are. Especially good were the rural scenes.

One other thing which took away from the film for me was a personal thing. I got it from ESPN's website a few years back, when they rated sports movies. It's called the "That Guy Factor." It actually makes a lot of sense. It's the character actor who has a part in the film, either major or minor. They are actually and actively involved in the plot. Basically, it's more substantive than a cameo. It's the character who makes you go "Hey! That's uhh...that's uhh..that guy! What's his name?" Great "that guys" in movies today include Bob Balaban, Will Patton, etc. Long story short, there's no "that guy" in this movie.

It's worth seeing, if only for the discussion factor. Not for the squeamish (which I usually am), as it is graphic (but not gory) and intense in that regard. Overall, probably a C+ effort. Good writing and directing, but a better casting would have made this a much better picture.

The New Home (For real this time!)

OK, dear readers. I think I'm ready to start blogging regularly again. There's all sorts of reasons for my hiatus. I won't go into any of them now. Suffice it to say, it was a combination of laziness, paranoia, and lack of anything to say.

Regular and faithful readers will know that my blogs generally (though not always) range from the inane to the inocuous. Let me assure that this will still be the case!

Feel free to comment on anything you read here.

The name of the blog comes from the Bible. I was reading the minor prophet Habakkuk one day a couple years ago. "Habakkuk's Complaint" was one of the heading in the text. So, I took it from there.

Just a few statements to clarify about this blog:

1. I make no claim of objectivity. I am honest about my biases and will lay them on the table for all to see.

2. Hope you like lists. Because there's going to be a bunch of them.

3. While I am a Lutheran, this is not a "Lutheran Blog." Seeing as how there's more to life than just theology, I talk about more than just theology.

4. I reserve the right to make the rules up as I go along.

That's all I can think of right now. Enjoy!