Motorcycles. Zombie Movies. Music. Guy Stuff.

Stopped by today for some of La Mexicana’s great tacos. This is a great little spot in Denton to get some authentic Mexican food. If it were closer to my work I’d probably go every day for lunch. You can’t beat their pastor tacos. Wife says their enchiladas are really good, but I still haven’t tried them. I’m too big of a fan of Tex-Mex enchiladas. When I go to authentic Mexican joints, I tend to get tacos or tortas.

They have a three-taco minimum, but that’s an easy rule to follow. I always order four!

While the entire world, apparently, is enthralled with soccer, I’m watching The U.S. Open. Yes, I know golf is “boring” and soccer is the new cool sport to watch if you’re an American (like being a Celtics fan or a Red Sox fan when the mood hits you). But I don’t care for trends, or soccer for that matter. I like what I like, and I won’t apologize for it. I also love California. I’ve been several times on vacation and business, and I’ve enjoyed it more each time.  It’s where I’d live if money were no object.

So, Pebble Beach has my attention right now despite the fact that I am not a golfer. I have one iron and a driver that I take out to the range and slice with. I can almost curve a ball 90 degrees (I’m that bad). I think if I ever did actually play a game of golf, my score would more resemble my bowling average. Still, I enjoy the game. It’s very soothing. Add that with the background of northern California, and you’ve really got something.

I only wish I had a 52″ HD TV to watch it on. I’d leave it on like a screen saver.

New Nike Free running shoes.

My buddy just got a pair of these. Now I’m super jealous. But since I just dropped $70 on a pair of New Balance running shoes last week, I can’t very well go out and drop $80 more.

It seems that people are starting to listen to the idea that our shoes are creating a lot of our problems when it comes to running. I have a very high arch, and the softer the shoe the better. My foot needs a little cushion, and a lot of freedom to bend. If my shoes are too stiff I feel it the next day.

This is a very good book to read if you want to know about running and some of the health issues we’ve created by not using the proper footwear.

Finally got around to watching the “rockumentary” It Might Get Loud, after hearing about it for so long. Have I mentioned that Netflix on my PS3 is the most amazing thing since penicillin?

Anyway, let me say that the “cast” is a tad ridiculous. Uniting Jimmy Page, Jack White and Dave Evans (The Edge) is like making a documentary on the piano and casting Thelonious Monk, Lady Gaga and Vince Clark. Sing along: One of these things is not like the other….

Jack White. Jack White came off as being pompus, although I do enjoy a lot of his music. His schtick of staying dressed in that ridiculous getup seemed tiresome. For some reason the guy who has sold the least amount of records, came off as being cocky. There’s a line (it’s in the trailer) where he comments on what he thinks will happen when the three of them get together, and he says “probably a fist fight”. Oh, grow up, kid. It was a ridiculous line, and a goofy attempt at trying to be a “tough rocker”.

The Edge. The Edge just didn’t belong. I liked U2 prior to Zooropa and I think they made some important songs in the 80s, but I’m sorry Dave Evans is not a guitarist. He’s a musician. He’s an entertainer. But he’s no more of a guitarist than (to use my previous analogy) Vince Clark is a pianist. I felt really bad for him too. There’s a scene where he’s showing the guys the riff to “I Will Follow”. Really? “I Will Follow”? It made me think of the scene in “Amadeus” when Salieri plays his piece for Mozart, and Mozart sits down and plays it from hearing it only once—then improves upon it. Plus, you can see that The Edge is nervous. He knows who Jimmy Page is. I had to think he was wanting to be anywhere else than in that room at that moment.

Jimmy Page. Jimmy Page was the one guy in there who could have been a complete asshole and gotten away with it. I mean, with the exception of Jeff Beck and a handful of others (still living), who has more skins on the wall? Instead, he was courteous, funny and kind. He actually listened when the other two guys talked, and he didn’t butt in or look away with disdain. It made me respect him even more.

All in all, it was a good flick. If you like guitars and hearing stories about where ideas come from, I’d say check it out. The Edge’s story is actually very interesting, but he’s very monotone so it’s easy to drift off.

I would have loved to have seen a different group of guys (and maybe they’ll make a sequel). I would have loved to have seen Prince instead of Jack White. I think Prince’s skill and his knowledge of funk and blues would have been really great. I’d love to see him and Jimmy bounce licks back and forth. But, I sincerely doubt the Purple One would be in a documentary.

I’m sure there are tons of other guys people would like to see. The list could go on and on. But IMO, Jimmy was the only one who truly belonged.

When I was in third or fourth grade, me and a buddy went to Crested Butte, Colorado with his parents for vacation. While in town, we stopped at a gift shop and I bought my first Garfield book. I LOVED it. I wanted to be a cartoonist just like Jim Davis.

Years passed, and the day came when I stopped finding Garfield funny. Then came the time when most people stopped finding Garfield funny. Much better comics have come and gone (Calvin and Hobbes, Bloom Country, The Far Side) and Garfield has continued on: the well-oiled, movie-making corporate machine that it is. I don’t know if Jim Davis even touches pen to paper anymore, or if he just collects paychecks and sucks down mai tais by his pool.

Then came the idea of Garfield Minus Garfield by Dan Walsh. A buddy sent this link to me today, and for the first time in probably a decade, I laughed out loud at Garfield. Good God, was Jon really this fucked up the entire time and we just didn’t see it?

http://garfieldminusgarfield.net/

Hate it. Hate it!

What as Honda thinking? I remember hearing last year that they were going to update the VTX 1300 to a FI (fuel injected) bike for 2010. I was so excited! I knew what my next bike was going to be. I had loved the 1300, but didn’t see the point in making a lateral change (+ some CCs) to another cold-hearted carbed bike.

So I waited, knowing that they were about to release the new 1300s with FI and  a few color options. And then…this. This is what I got. Yeah, the rumors were true, Honda brought out an FI 1300…but it was ugly! I mean, what IS it exactly? It sort of looks like a chopper…, but choppers are custom bikes, not production bikes. You know what this is? This is the Mac Cube. The McRib. Ed Hardy T-shirts. It’s, forgive me, NEW Coke!

What the hell happened to the traditional cruiser VTX? I mean, if you’re going to kill off the 1800, shouldn’t you have another cruiser in the stable? This bike is hideous! Now the only touring bikes Honda has is the Gold Wing, and their sport touring line. The only thing they have that looks like a cruiser is the 750. A fucking 750 is your middleweight cruiser?

I hope someone in marketing gets a pink slip and a kick in the baby maker this summer. But thanks to Honda’s idiocy, I’ve moved on in my desires. I’m back in love with the Heritage Softail Classic. Thank you Harley for not producing gimmick bikes…(or at least not replacing your traditional bikes with them. I’ll forgive the Forty-Eight and the VRod).

First off, let me preface this review by saying that I am not a movie critic. In fact, my tastes in movies is incredibly lowbrow. I saw Independence Day on opening day. I’ve seen all the Alien movies, and Predator movies; and Aliens vs. Predator movies. I’ve also seen Freddy vs. Jason, and I own Forbidden Planet and Astro Zombies. So, if you’re looking for some intelligent critique of camera angles and “Actors Studioesque” style comments, you might want to go over to Mr. Ebert’s blog. ‘Cause I like me some zombies, Nazi killin’, and explosions.

Dead Snow (DøD Søw) 2009–

First off, the flick is in Norwegian with English subtitles. So if you’re a whiny baby who doesn’t like to read his movies, then don’t even bother. But, if you’re used to watching Anime, or other foreign subtitled flicks, then continue on.

DS is directed by Tommy Wirkola. I have no fucking idea who he is, but I love him and if I were a woman I’d have his babies. It’s written by Wirkola and Stig Frode Henriksen, and stars Vegar Hoel, Stig Frode Henriksen and Charlotte Frogner. Again, more people with a lot of Hs and Ks in their names. But I loved them all! Did I mention that the women are hot? Bonus!

Number one contrast between Dead Snow and the other zombie flicks I’ve seen–ACTING. These folks can act, ladies and gentlemen. Wow! I never thought acting could improve a zombie flick, but it sure does. I’m used to seeing screaming and flailing, and badly delivered lines from campy half-naked Americans. I wasn’t sure what to make of this movie! When the old man comes in to give the obligatory “this is why you shouldn’t be staying out here alone in this cabin, you stupid young people” speech, I was blown away. They didn’t find some schlub off the street, but a guy who was incredibly believable and convincing–and eerie.

But don’t get me wrong, this IS a zombie flick. And it doesn’t take long for things to get good. It’s only 90 minutes long (praise Jesus). Thanks to Peter Jackson, everything in America is friggin’ twice as long as a movie needs to be. Let’s get the characters established, and kill them off!  Why does it always take so long?

Anywho…,The good stuff starts right away with some sex, and a very nasty scene in the outhouse. Believe me, this movie is high on the grossometer. I also rank it high on the “honey!- look!!-watch!!!” meter. That’s me telling my wife to stop covering her face.

Once first contact starts, it never lets up. It’s zombie (Nazi zombie!!) killin’ at its finest. The Zs get theirs and so do the humans. I won’t give away any spoilers here but the coup de grace of this flick is that there is  a TON of foreshadowing. Watch (and listen) to every little detail because everything is explained and played out.

Dead Snow is the best Z flick since 28 Days Later, and possibly the best one of all time.