Movie Review: Transformers 2

I went to go see Transformers 2. Now I hadn't gone to see the first one a few summers ago when it came out but the previews for this looked like I couldn't pass up this franchise any longer. It looked like a legit action movie with some funny parts to it. Overall I think the second movie did its job in the franchise, it was a transition movie to a mores serious plot point and while it seems that earth is truly endangered you always feel like they will find a way to win and that the threat isn't terribly great like in the first movie. In the first movie there a lot of unknowns about what will happen next. This time around the story line seemed to mesh with the first one and made sense. When Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeouf) goes off to college he attempts to have a long-distance relationship with Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox) this leads to mistrust on her part when he misses their first internet date. This is just the beginning of the trouble as we learn that the Decepticons have transformers all over the world. The clean-up of them ensues and Optimus Prime and the Autobots team up with US Special Forces in an attempt to corral up the evil Decepticons. The plot is somewhat shaky and hard to explain but you don't watch action movies for the plot or intellectual script, especially sequel action movies. For what it was, a sequel action movie, it got the job done. It has some great action sequences and allows the viewers to get a better feel of the first movie and understand some of what happened in it. You also learn along the way the history of the Transformers on Earth and why there are Decepticons and Autobots. We learn that Optimus Prime has a long legacy and he is the natural leader of the good guys. The evil guys of course come after the main characters and their friends, this sequence plays out over Egypt and the pyramids and that there is an ancient evil weapon in one of the pyramids. In the end, Sam give Optimus Prime a second life and saves mankind in the process, and of course he gets the girl in the end. This movie is worth watching if you are a fan of the first or just want to know more about what happened and why in the first movie. I definitely don't recommend it if you haven't seen the first or really disliked the first. It is an action movie with lots of action and a decent enough script to get by. It gets dull sometimes but overall I'd give it 3 and a half stars.

Newspaper Article #4

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-britain-biggs8-2009aug08,0,7700104.story

This article details how one of Britain's most famous criminals has finally been released from custody. Ronnie Biggs has become a British Legend after being a part of the "Great Train Robbery" back in 1963. He was captured and sentenced to prison for injuring the driver of the train but he escaped from jail and fled to Brazil where he lived on beaches and relaxed in a "playboy and luxurious lifestyle". He repeatedly flaunted his fortune and easy lifestyle in Brazil. The Brazilian government refused to extradite him to the British Authorities and his rebellion in full view of the British government led to him being a "cult icon" in the British Isles. He decided to return to Britain and was arrested immediately. He spent the past few years in prison and is no longer capable of taking care of himself. The British government released him being that he is no longer a threat to society.

I think what he did was wrong but his story is humorous, he stuck it to the British government repeatedly and I find it funny just from a personal perspective. I think what they did was right and humane.

Newspaper Article #3

http://www.sj-r.com/news/x2121671158/Springfield-VFW-post-put-in-jeopardy-by-legalized-video-betting

This article from the State Journal-Register is about the new video gambling law that was enacted in Illinois. The purpose was to provide legalized, money payout video gambling in bars, restaurants, and veterans establishments. The end goal of this new program/law was to provide much-needed funds to pay for the capital construction program that is in progress currently. However, in this budget crisis there was an absence of money for the program. The general infrastructure around the capital needed some much needed improvements. The legislature was looking for a way to pay for this plan and the end result was taxes from legalized video gambling. The issue that has arisen from the new law is that bars and veterans halls were already using video gambling to help keep their business afloat. They were taking money for it and paying out under the table and using the revenue to stay in business or for the veterans halls, stay open. This will be an issue to keep an eye on as businesses struggle with the new laws and cuts of their profits are sent to the state. I think that while illegal, in the tough economy it wasn't hurting anything to keep them open with under the table payouts.

Real World: Cancun Blog #3

So I just got a chance to check out Episode 6. It was alright. Just tons of drama. There were two main story lines for this episode, Joey potentially being fired for missing work which means he would have to leave Real World and Jonna and her boyfriend having trust issues along with her kind of playing him. The whole get Ayiiia out of the house project by CJ and Joey doesn't pop up except for them to reiterate that the problem hasn't gone away. Joey just has authority issues and doesn't like rules. He skips work and gets put on probation after a long drawn out decision is made by the leaders of where they work, Student City. Jonna has her boyfriend come and stay for a little bit and they seem great and happy and then once he leaves she finds a guy on spring break that she likes and they hangout and they sleep together without doing anything and she doesn't tell her boyfriend but expresses her concerns over some of his downsides and weaknesses. This season is shaping up to be as drama filled as all the others.

Hell's Kitchen Season 5 Blog #3

Alright back to the blog grind. I just finished up Episode 3. That was a doozy. Lots of yelling and screaming but man is the Head Chef taking an axe to the Cooking Instructor's confidence. He constantly berates her and she's always messing up. She's lucky Gi saved her on the woman's team's only elimination. The challenge was won by the men who correctly named and place cuts of meat. They got to go on a wine tasting and steak house dinner flown there on a private jet while the women had to eat cow insides (not meat hint hint) and butcher the meat to get the cuts for the next night's dinner. The punishment was disgusting to watch and they were all puking as they ate intestine, heart, liver, tongue, and a whole host of things that should never be consumed. If that's not motivation I don't know what is. In the service challenge their was two parts, serving and cooking. The men cooked first while the women served and the men had a horrendous time trying to keep it all together. You knew right off the bat when they tried to send out dessert first that it wasn't gonna go well. They had a chef from a steak house cooking the meat and he messed it up. How does that happen? This challenge should have been a walk in the park but they got cocky and were tripped up. The woman absolutely destroyed both parts and they won fairly easily. Although with the Head Chef constantly watching it's never easy. It ended with Charlie going home after Seth gave a massive speech to the Head Chef. The rest of the team was disappointed Seth would be coming back. I really hope he gets kicked off soon, I'm sick of listening to him speak. ON TO EPISODE 4!

Hell's Kitchen Season 5 Blog #2

Well I just finished up Episode 2 and I must say I really am beginning to dislike the two whiners on the ladies team. They can't hack it, bottom line. I don't understand why he doesn't send them both home with muzzles. However, that's TV so I can live with it I guess. It's just they're so annoying and they talk back to the Head Chef. Seriously they need to realize he's not joking and he will tear them apart mercilessly. In this episode, he wake them up at the crack of dawn with two snare drums and a cymbal. You can't make this up, he takes them outside to receive their shipment of fresh scallops and then has a contest to see who can shuck the most scallops to his standard, which is perfect if you haven't figured that out, the guys win in a narrow 35-34 contest and win a trip to a beautiful island to ride on a glass bottom type boat. Meanwhile, the girls team has to get the raw bar ready by shucking and prepping all the shellfish for the raw bar. Lacy the team whiner and lazy incompetent one decides she doesn't want to and lays in her bed all day until service opens. She then kicks up her skills and actually shows someone how to do something! Amazing! The girls end up losing and instead of sending home one of the incompetents Gi volunteers because she is injured and unable to compete. On to the next episode.

Hell's Kitchen Season 5 Blog #1

Alright for my second reality tv show I decided to try Hell's Kitchen because I had never watched it before but I knew that I liked Bravo's Top Chef show. I absolutely love this show. Hard to believe right? Big guy likes a cooking show. Not the reason I like it, most of the food looks disgusting. This definitely makes me wanna watch the new season that just started. The Head Chef is just funny to watch. I wish it was uncensored because he just rips on these chefs in an English accent which multiplies the funny factor by at least 10. I watched Episode Number 1 and this is where he picks the chefs and has them cook their best dish. Pure classic quote from this? "I definitely intend to prove to the Head Chef I can cook better than this." Don't you think your SIGNATURE DISH should be the thing you can cook best. Just a thought on that. Of course this is the lady who cooks buffet style for mid-level executives. How she made the show I don't know. Another classic comment was "most people think I'm the pretty girl trying to cook, but I can cook" ok lady which is why you're cooking for a buffet. You say you've never cooked in a restaurant so what makes you think you have the chops to cook in the best chef in the world's restaurant? Anyways back to the show, the first challenge ends up with the men's team going down in flames after a total disaster of a night at the kitchen. The reason the girl's won? They boozed up the clients when they messed up the food. Awesome strategy and you have to give them major props for the waitress/cook to think that up. Wil gets sent home because he decided he should. Why would you ever put yourself up for elimination and not fight for yourself? Great show and I'm gonna go watch Episode 2 now. Stay Tuned.