The Rundown

I've realize that I've been neglecting my blog and so much has been happening recently. I apologize for my laziness, so hopefully a wide-ranging entry will start to make up for it...

Transformers: Back to Blow Stuff Up and Take Your Money in the Process
I don't really have too much to say about this since I haven't seen the movie yet, but it's arguably the most anticipated one of the summer. Reviews for the sequel aren't that awesome, which should probably be expected. But it's not like the first movie was a brilliant piece of movie making either. Yeah the effects and action were awesome, but the plot was mediocre and the script was pretty weak. Seriously, watch the first one again -- you'll eventually just find yourself laughing out loud at how terrible some of the dialogue is. Look, this isn't to say that I didn't enjoy Transformers, and I know I'm going to watch the second one and probably like it as well, but let's just try and be honest with ourselves when we walk out of the theater. However, one thing everyone can agree on: Megan Fox is fiiine.


Jon Minus Kate (Plus 8)
My fandom of this show is well documented, so lots of people were asking me what I thought about the JK+8 announcement. For those that don't know, America's long-developing nightmare finally came to fruition this week as Jon and Kate officially parted ways and filed for divorce. As a fan, I was rooting for them and hoping that somehow they'd make it through all this. But I have to admit that after a while, all of this got so ridiculous and given so much attention that it became more annoying than interesting. One thing is absolutely clear: this show changed who Jon and Kate were. Kate used to be the stay at home mom whose job was to care for all her kids and maintain order. And she was really good at it, showing love for her family but also keeping them going and in line. But now she travels constantly, doing her book tours, signing autographs, giving interviews, wearing her diva sunglasses; she's fully embracing her celebrity at the cost of her previous role as an always-there mother. Jon, on the other hand, seems like he just wants to get away from everything that's happened since this show began. He's going out to clubs, (allegedly) having an affair with a 20-something year old girl, and spending less and less time with the family. He also appears to be having a mid-life crisis, as was evident when he came on the show with his ears pierced. It was like watching an axe murderer kill someone in a horror movie -- it's painful to see, but you really can't help but look. Anyway, in the end, this show that was once about watching how a family managed and coped with the craziness of twins and sextuplets is now about watching the collapse of a marriage.

North Korea Dun Lost its Mind...Again
For some reason, people have been asking me quite a bit what I think of the whole North Korea situation. Maybe they do this because I'm Korean? If that's the case, clearly they don't know me that well, otherwise they would know that I'm just about the worst Korean ever. Seriously. My Spanish is better than my Korean. Anyway, in my opinion, there's only one way to describe North Korea: a whiny, bratty child who wants attention and pampering and does annoying things to get you to watch them, and when you stop paying attention, they threaten to launch nuclear weapons at you. Look, North Korea knows that if it were to ever actually attack the U.S., America would bomb it back to the stone age. And it would take about three hours to do it. But because North Korea has such dangerous technology, it knows that they can't be ignored, so they use it as a way of getting others to pay attention. It's not the most mature way to handle international relations, but it has proven effective. And in this game, that's all that really matters.

Giants-A's Game Recap
I went to the Giants-A's game with my brother the other night and wanted to share a few thoughts and observations.
1) The worst things in the world are those half-Giants/half-A's hats that some people wear to these games. For the love of all that's right in the world, CHOOSE A SIDE. You people that wear those hats are like Confederate soldiers who, upon realizing that the Civil War was lost, pretended like they were pro-Union and not actually a bunch of Southern rednecks. Is that who you want to be?? And I know defenders of the hat will have this retarded argument: "Oh but if you support both teams, you can't lose!" Okay, you moron, you also CAN'T WIN. You might be wearing the winning team's logo, but you're also wearing the losing team's logo too! At the next Giants-A's game, I'll be holding a pregame burning of all those hats. Please come join me.
2) It was apparently celebrity look-alike night at the Coliseum. Here's a quick rundown of who we saw: Paul Wall look-alike, Sean Paul look-alike, and the lead singer of the Strokes look-alike. Actually, now that I think about it, it could very well have actually been them when you consider that none of them has been really making music lately...
3) We saw an underage kid get busted by a security guard for sneaking alcohol in. I laughed. But you know who should really be trying to sneak alcohol in? People who are actually of legal drinking age. I mean, come on... eight dollars for a beer?!
4) And one final observation: Giants fans' team clothing article of choice? Official team jacket, retail value: $120-$140. A's fans' team clothing article of choice? Shirt that was given away at previous game promotion, retail value: $0. And people wonder why the A's are poor as dirt?? And for some reason, A's fans take pride in the fact that the majority of them dress like homeless people. But I guess that what they wear matches the stadium they play in, so it makes sense in the end.
Oh yeah, the Giants won 6-3, taking the season series 5 games to 1.
Go Giants.

If you're a sports fan, you'll appreciate this video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exOxUAntx8I

Team USA Beats Spain...in Soccer?
It's incredible -- not the fact that the US beat Spain, but the fact that the moment the US soccer team does something good, everyone is apparently a huge soccer fan. Look, dude, I'm all about rooting for Team USA and wanting to see them succeed. I'd love to see them make some real noise in a World Cup someday. But I don't act like I'm a diehard fan, which is what many of my friends on Facebook apparently are. How many of you fools actually knew what the Confederations Cup was before this tournament? Be real -- the only confederation you knew was the south during the aforementioned Civil War. Let's get two things straight: first, USA soccer is still not very good. Yes, beating a powerhouse like Spain is nice, but it's more fluke than an actual indication of improvement. Even the Clippers manage to beat teams every now and then. It doesn't mean that they're any good. Second, this win will mean almost nothing if the US gets beat down by Brazil in the final, and there's a very good chance of that happening. Remember LeBron's shot to beat the Magic in Game Two of the Conference Finals? Remember how everyone thought it was a defining moment in his career? Remember how the Magic then whooped the Cavs the rest of the way? Remember how that shot means absolutely nothing now? Yep. Me too.

Speaking of King James...

LeBron and The Big Tweeter


Okay, on paper, the Shaq to Cleveland deal looks like a great move. Shaq showed this year that he can still bang and be a dominant big man, and God knows that the Cavs will need that against Dwight Howard. He's a definite upgrade from Sideshow Bob (aka Anderson Varejao) and Big Z, and I can see him and LeBron getting along great together. But Shaq isn't what the Cavs need most; what they really need is an above average to dominant swingman who can play the 2 or 3 and create his own shots. Mo Williams was supposed to provide some of that relief, but he came up empty in the Conference Finals. Plus, he's a natural point guard and not a take-it-to-the-bucket scorer. How this all plays out, I don't know. Yes, it helps the Cavs for sure, and they basically acquired Shaq for nothing. But I'll believe in it when I see it on the court first.

R.I.P. Michael Jackson


When I heard about Michael's death, it took me a while to believe it. Stunning? Sad? Yes, absolutely. Michael Jackson was an incredibly influential musician and a fantastic entertainer. That will be his legacy first and foremost. However, he was also a very strange and disturbed man. No matter how often people told him what he was doing was inappropriate, and no matter how often he was the butt of jokes and parody, Michael never thought what he was doing was wrong. In reality, there were two parts of his life: the old Michael that everyone loved to watch and listen to, and the new Michael that everyone thought was out of his freaking mind. Nonetheless, rest in peace, Mike. And let's end on a positive note. The Gloved One obviously had his share of hits, but my personal favorite will always be "P.Y.T."

Pretty Young Things, repeat after me!