• 12Jun 09

  Morality Gut-Check

  So, I finally saw Gran Torino, starring the legendary take-no-sh!t Clint Eastwood. I'm a little late to the party, as usual, but I must say the movie was very entertaining. Besides already hearing numerous good things about the film from critics and close friends, I was pleasantly surprised to see good ol' Mr. Dirty Harry still has his charm. For anyone who hasn't seen the urban drama by now, I'll refrain from spoiling any of the juicy bits… basically, Eastwood is a veteran of the Korean War, bitter about his experiences and overall life, he spends most of the movie spewing racial slurs and exacting justice where he deems suitable.
  
  When I first head about the main plot, it sounded appealing enough to keep me occupied for an hour or so. Then someone told me about the elderly Caucasian star ranting on and on about people of different color and such… this, as an avid movie go-er of all genres was alarming to say the least. No matter how much I enjoy terrible B-movies, its never easy to stomach films or characters who blatantly disrespect other cultures. With that, I reserved my interest in seeing the film, and most fellow fans of cinema assumed I already experienced the aging Eastwood endeavor. Truth is, I either departed from the conversation, or simply came clean with the fact that I haven't seen the movie. To anyone who is superficial enough to be concerned with such details, it would be somewhat difficult to reveal to others that yer slipping on the movie-game. For me, I was turned off by the concept of an elderly Eastwood cleaning up racially diverse neighborhoods with malice and diluted righteous.
  
  If you grew up watching the man kick @ss Bronson-$tyle against inner city street gangs, the transition to neighbor-friendly, racially charged Gran Torino could be… perplexing. Label me naïve
  
  Nearly two hours later, I find myself watching the credits and thinking, "this movie could have used a little more focus on a certain subject". Being that I personally have enough troubles as it is keeping focused on subjects while typing much less speaking, being critical wasn't difficult to overcome. As I said, I don't want to spoil the movie for others… but I really felt like Gran Torino opened up on a good note (the younger generation not respecting their elders) and teetered off into a side story that would mostly appeal to neighbors who are accustom to snooping on the world through their curtains...

  

  
  Bottom line is, a movie about an old white man pissed off about the way his neighborhood is changing doesn't win awards. Instead, you need to grab the audience and drag them along an emotionally tattered story where people connect and see positive change. Without a doubt, Gran Torino offers that. Even though I mentioned such trivial plot-drivers as mere tangents, the overall story really does deliver in a sense that you can relate as a young/old man or woman who has lived in bad neighborhoods. If you're cynical enough, some parts could be considered comical… while many others I like to think are extremely uncomfortable and unfortunately familiar. For any fans of Clint Eastwood, the Redbox (my favorite source for renting movies), or simply urban dramas, check out Gran Torino! It's definitely not a film for little kids, but if you want some insightful teenagers to have a moment of self-reflection through turbulence, give this movie a chance.
  
  As for other matters in life, I've been pretty focused on just living. Watching the NBA Finals (thank you regular cable!!), working when I can and where I can, paying my few bills, eating out WAY too much, and staying entertained with a few games/movies here and there (mostly stuff that's been on the shelf) has been tending well to my insatiable "urges".
  I don't need much to keep quiet, especially when I'm lucky enough to afford a few beers in the comforts of my little apartment. To think, there was a time when I would "demand" expensive whiskey and no substitute… and now I'm full of glee simply having clean, cold water. Oh, how a few years can show such dramatic difference in perception and appreciation. Wish I could say the same for my food habits though… something about spoiling my stomach has surely become my kryptonite. Hopefully I don't become over-weight, because then the REAL money/depression problems will blossom!

  I really enjoyed the E3 event of this year… for what I could watch. Being that my laptop (my only means for personal computing) is pretty old and beat up, conferences and interviews were limited. I could have arranged something with a friend's computer, but in all due respect, that's like asking someone to use their underwear. Not my fortay.

  On a positive, I can always read up on the gaming happenings of Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. July is my last month of subscription with Game Informer, so I'm mighty curious what their layout will be like this year for the E3 blow out. Even with so many gamers turning to the online source as their number one way for updated info (which is logical no doubt) I'm still a sucker for magazines and papers. Never confuse me for a tree-hugger! I strongly believe toilet material is key for the human race to properly "relieve" themselves… next to functioning toilets and waste disposal.

  Quick little Brett Favre update for all my fellow football fanatics (as if you haven't heard) the nearly 40-year old QB has gone through with the shoulder surgery, and is currently on schedule with the 4-8 week recovery process. No word yet if he is officially committed to a team (especially the Vikes) or returning to the NFL at all. I know… if I were so concerned with MY TEAM being able to break their loser-mentality, I would deviate from all this silly talk about recruiting a sworn rival for a measly single season of unknown success/disaster. Truth is, the Minnesota Vikings could really use a reliable quarterback.
  I see a lot of potential in the team we have going into 2009; something about a well-respected, battle-tested veteran could be the magic glue to help it all come together. My biggest fear though… what about 2010? If you dump tons of money and effort into a guy who can barely play one season of football, what does that do to the remaining team… how do you build around that coach?!
  The excitement in reaching a Superbowl, or Heaven forbid actually winning one after all these years seems to be the dominant force behind all this Favre drama. And I'm starting to feel the contagious itch! Besides, if Brett really wanted to stay retired he would have opted out of surgery completely and left everyone in the dark… instead, he gets the shoulder surgery, which is damn near a screaming beacon that he's bound for opening season. In the coming months leading up to the NFL opener, I'm really curious how things will play out for Minnesota. We don't have much to cheer for in the sports realm (Vikings = curse, Twins = potential, Wild = effort, Timberwolves = misery, other teams = meh) so I'm really hoping whatever daring gambles our coaching staff make to keep their jobs pulls off… because if it doesn't, welcome to the world of unfair unemployment. You got a spot in line behind me coach Brad Childress… nothing personal…

  • Posted Jun 12, 2009 12:35 pm PT
  • Category: Rant
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• 14May 09

  R.I.P. Brett Favre

  In 2008, the Pittsburg Steelers won a riveting NFL Super Bowl game against the unlikely Arizona Cardinals. Damn near as exciting as the championship game of the previous year, where the New York Giants magnificently defeated the unblemished New England Patriots. With 2009 quietly shifting gears towards another enticing NFL season, every fan of the sport watches, waits, and feverishly anticipates what their favorite teams will do this coming year.

  My squad is the Minnesota Vikings.

  
  And yes... yellow can be manly...

  As of this moment, Brett Favre, the waning 40-year-old quarterback who is destined for Hall of Fame greatness is once again "debating" his comeback from retirement. And guess whom every sports writer and pigskin fan declares as the obvious choice for such desperate investments… my team, the Vikings.
  For anyone who has followed the Favre-melodrama the last few years, this silly bout of emotional gossip is nothing new. "The love for the game is strong", or "it's so difficult to walk away, couch coaches wouldn't understand", or "who even cares anymore", are all legitimate ways to logically excuse such back-and-forth whiney nonsense. My only suggestion as a hardcore fan of football, and of the man himself – stay retired Mr. Favre, please!
  
  If you are into football as much as I am, the question hovering around the sports world and fans alike is undoubtedly there… "If Dreski is able to cheer for a team (the Vikings) who is accustom to coming up short (losing) so often, why begrudge the idea of bringing in a tried and true veteran (Favre) who can give them a decent shot at the big game (the Super Bowl) for JUST one year???"
  
  Well, I'm happy you asked! Simply put, Brett Farve has been in the league for nearly 20 years – which is most of his adult life – and the man would be mighty wise to avoid further tarnishing his immaculate reputation and overall health. But isn't that something American football players are known and paid for (not the reputation part), resilience and physical endurance? Correct! Since the upgrade from the fashionably useless leather helmets, the NFL has become a catalyst for high-impact action that causes crowds to cringe with awe, or either scream for more broken bones. It's a silly generalization on my part, but the fact stands: people PAY MONEY for healthy able bodies to run up and down the field, ready and willing to smash anything in their path with extreme prejudice.
  Brett Favre is 39 years old, and his extreme juice is running on "E". This is not some bitter team/player mud tossing. The man has a torn up shoulder AND bicep (his throwing arm), which needs surgery if he plans on returning to the sport. Medically speaking, the procedure is pretty straightforward and common among athletes who use their arms so much. Within 6 to 8 weeks, Favre (if he returns from retirement, again) could be on the field come week 1, with any team that wants him. Honestly speaking, there is TOO much risk investing in a deteriorating quarterback. His years of experience, enthusiasm for the game, a pass that resembles laser speed, one Super Bowl ring, and a undeniable urge to prove his manly fortitude all sound like a worthwhile gamble. A gamble many are saying Minnesota/Favre-haters would be crazy to pass up on. But what do you do when that legendary figure takes one heaping hit and doesn't bounce back up with a smile? What if he doesn't fully recover from his surgery? Would a few too many wild interceptions be fair for the defense? How do you even begin to justify medical expenses for a double-retiree to Viking supporters; fans who've seen their fair share of semi-useful, partly broken quarterbacks

  
  The current standard in MN quarterbacking... it hurts!

  Then there is the monotonous reputation matter. Brett Favre originally hails from one of Minnesota's most adored rivals, the Green Bay Packers. Playing for the cheese-heads pretty much his entire career, Favre has developed a respectable following with the organization and its devote fan base; they basically cheer for him like Michael Jackson of the early 90's. And I can't really blame them… anyone who plays in below 0 weather with ease, picks up heavy linemen after touchdowns, completes 68% of his passes after 16 years, and holds almost every major passing record in the NFL… it's difficult NOT to praise such an awesome player, retired or not.
  But that's my whole concern with maintaining a reputable image – its not just about the kids and steroids – you have to be true blue for the team. This is something I think is becoming a lost notion in modern sports, but I'll save that rant for another conversation. Point is, about 2 years ago Favre was clashing with Packers management about his future with the team. Being the quarterback – next to the head coach – you embody every analogy in the book for calling the shots and commanding respect on the field. I'm not clear on every exact detail, but management was nudging Favre to either take an office job, or simply retire. In retrospect, the following year Favre lead the Packers to a 13-3 season and gave them a good run in the playoffs (until he threw a tough comeback-deflating interception).
  Instead of riding off into the sunset, the clash with management erupted even further; accept the desk job, or warm the bench, these were number 4's final options in Green Bay. Favre demanded a trade of course, and this is when the venture for joining Minnesota first came to light. Because of legal mumbo-jumbo, the Packers actually had their franchise player locked up through contractual absurdity. So he fought and pleaded his way out of brief retirement, even utilized (unknowingly he claims) the ever-daunting media, all to end up with the New York Jets in 2008. And what a year it was on the East Coast!
  Most of the Jets season was in the bag, and they were rocking an 8-3 record that many would credit solely to the Brett Favre phenomenon. This is when bricks started to rain on the picnic. The offensive line was still sour about the previous quarterback being run out of town, the team was operating under a new (passive) head coach, the sub-par defense could only work with what the quarterback arranged for them, the running backs were demanding more opportunities, and apparently the phenom wearing #4 was gradually playing worse with an unnamed injury. Finishing the season at 9-7 (interpret that stat as you see fit), the Jets missed the playoffs by one game, the new coach was fired, locker room gossip was leaking into the media, and Brett Favre reluctantly retired… again. THAT COULD HAVE BEEN THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS!!

  
  "I don't like this feeling..." Adrian Peterson, after 1st round playoff elimination.
  

  Most of my gripes with Brett Favre joining the Vikings revolve around a theory of malicious-intent on his part; something I believe has lingered over his head for the last few years and finally caught up with him, mentally and physically. In no way would I boo the dude if he dawned the purple (preferably as an assistant of some sort), but I definitely wouldn't be caught wearing his stitched on cash-in number. I really enjoyed watching and cheering for Favre over the years, even when he was squashing my home team. The plethora of potential he could bring to Minnesota or any team for that matter is undeniable, but it has to strictly be with good intentions for the TEAM.
  "It's all about winning the Super Bowl!" most would remind me. What player or team doesn't intend on that final result… one who is possibly hell bent on "sticking it" to their old coaching staff. Like I said, it's a theory at best. But something tells me that Favre wasn't too keen on the idea of taking the bench when he still felt strong with Green Bay – so he made his case providing a winning season. Even after such glory, the office gig offered by GB management likely felt like a smack to the face, so why not converse with your neighborly rival and show'em you still got it. Minnesota was rightfully interested in him during this time (being friends with our offensive coordinator helped), but GB wasn't having it, and I doubt they wanted to face off against a scorned play-maker nearly 3 times in a single season. So instead of kicking back with endorsement money flooding out of his commercially popular jeans, Favre relapses. No doubt it was entertaining, even when the Jets went on that terrible losing streak. The man wearing number 4 proved his worth, carried a crippled team, scooped up a few more QB records, hushed his critics, and then excited them with failure. All the while living the dream most football fans can only imagine through video games and fantasy leagues.

  
  How I will always remember #4

  Speaking of imagination, assume Brett Favre did join the Minnesota Vikings for the 2009-2010 season. Our hidden piece to the Super Bowl puzzle could finally be revealed. It's not like other teams were completely unsuccessful with veteran QB's: Collins with Tennessee, Warner with Arizona, McNabb with Philadelphia, hell… even Warren Moon did his part with Minnesota back in the day!
  
  Older players have a lot more than war stories and arthritis pains to share. They can easily rally team moral and exude bravado most coaches struggle to establish, especially with the younger pups. Minnesota is chalk full of youthful go-getters who want nothing more than to soak up insightful football tact, and that's not something you can always naturally do without a strong leader. Favre could bring that advantage to Minnesota, IF he's healthy and capable. Even if he wasn't 50% (something a lot Favre-faithfuls refuse to believe), there isn't much the Vikes really need right now besides a competent guy in the QB position. Hand the ball off to the amazing running backs, zip in a few accurate passes to the agile receivers, entrust the O-line with protection, and let the highly rated defense play with some new found confidence.
  Sounds pretty cut and dry, but one look around the NFL and all I see is nothing but teams building for "future runs" at the Super Bowl. Nobody wants to attend a team meeting about what they're building towards; everyone wants to win now, and win big. Its not called the Minor Bowl, this I understand. Yet there is something uniquely bothersome about our lack-luster coaches, the billion-dollar owners, the bandwagon fans, and the Vikings legacy as a whole. How do you expect to maintain greatness if you always seek for the quickest fix? With Favre, a chance to improve our record of 10-6 from last season is a strong possibility, one that could even invite debate about legit Super Bowl contention. Without Favre, the purple-people eaters are left to their usual devices: an unreliable QB core, a defense that needs to play perfect every down, a coaching staff with shaky employment, and a fan base that hardly wants to attend their own home games. Kind of a bleak outlook for the purple pride, but if it leads to a stronger, more cohesive group built up by THEIR OWN MERIT, that said team will be more deserving than any jersey-buying fanatic will ever be able to comprehend. And I honestly wouldn't want it any other way!
  
  As for the Mississippi man, he's a hot commodity in the NFL, on or off the field. Staying retired is not his only option; though I truly believe if Brett Favre gears up for another year rather than embrace his wonderful accomplishments, such actions could be extremely detrimental to his career and whatever team he joins. Bottom line is, don't take the Michael Jackson route completely, Mr. Favre… being "remembered" as the king is dandy in concept, but nobody wants to line up to witness a train wreck cloaked in shameless ticket sales.
  
  Please, let me know what you think fellow gamers and sports fans.

  • Posted May 14, 2009 8:36 pm PT
  • Category: Sports
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• 29Apr 09

  WWZ... and the Swine Flu?!

  Anyone else afraid of zombies??

  

  Just the concept alone is bone-chilling to me. Indeed, such ghoulish creatures who return from death hungry for blood and flesh is not real, which is a major plus, but why even pose such an unrealitic question. Lets just say I'm overly cautious...

  Seems that I've been interested in such wild morrib lore since I was a child, recalling some my first nightmares revolving around the walking dead. In a strange way, its one of those nightmares that ranks very high on worst possible scenarios coming true... definently much higher than free-falling to my doom, only to wake up to falling off my couch. Point is, I had to say something to someone about the recent happenings of the Swine Flu and this book I just finished reading. Max Brooks, this writer who obsesses over zombies just as much as any doomsday fanatic (like myself) published a story titled, World War Z, back in 2007. His past works from what I know mostly relate to zombie fiction; yet, his real winning uppercut comes in the form of how he wonderfully constructs such detailed and concise imaginary information and happenings solely based off "how would I feel" writing.
  In WWZ (which is a work of fiction), he explores the world as himself (a niche writer), who desires to document a unfiltered global view of the zombie apocolypse that nearly destroyed the human race. Kind of cheesy and cliche, but the way he writes such detailed experiences for people all across the globe, farmers and soldiers alike, its memorable and frightening all in one.

  The contents page reads like this: Introduction, Warnings, Blame, The Great Panic, Turning The Tide, Home Front USA, Around The World And Above, Total War, Good-Byes, and then Acknowledgments. That doesn't really mean anything in particular, but it does lead to why I even mention the terrible Swine Flu craze that seems to be the new "fear of the month". Just that little smart-@ss comment of mine perfectly summerizes an entire chapter of WWZ. Ignorance! Its more than a American thing... we as humans seem to feel invincible until the very thing we were warned about bites us on the hand. All zombie puns aside.
  Flip on the news and I'm sure you'll hear something about this Swine Flu or the pandemic potential its building up. Even Jay Leno made a funny about the spreading madness, and I don't how to take that being the paranoid madman that I am. No doubt, wearing a doctor mask and avoiding the general public would constitute me as a full-fledged doomsday believer; but looking around at how the fear is secretly swelling up in people (even in MN, smack dap between NY and MEX), I'm even beginning to hear people openingly conversate about this stuff... then they brush it off...

  Just like in WWZ!!

  I'm not here to tell everyone to be more afraid than they could already be. Simply because this unknown leads to that unknown and you might be better off preparing unknowingly and such and such doesn't sound very fun... live life, be healthy, and don't depend on others to keep you completely safe and sane. I really hope this Swine Flu stuff gets under control in the next few months, because summer time is right around the corner, and we don't need a nation wide Summer of Sam type of scenario playing out. People are already crazy... having them sick AND crazy is too scary of a thought for a nut-job like myself. On a positive note, I look forward to hearing what everyone thinks of the new Wolverine movie coming out this weekend. I'll reserve my criticism for a later rant, in the mean time, the game is the ultimate salvation for this comic-book debacal in my eyes. All is well none the less... the month of May altogether is bound for some good times in entertainment, so I'll definitely be rattling on about that in the coming days ahead

  • Posted Apr 29, 2009 3:59 pm PT
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