Iron Man 2 (the movie)

A few weeks back I went to go see Iron Man 2 with my friend. I was hoping to go see it with my boyfriend, but…well anyway.

I am a huge Marvel fan, so when Iron Man came out I was stoked. And when I found out Robert Downey, Jr was playing Tony Stark I about flipped. I have loved him ever since Natural Born Killers! He is always great!

Anyway, at the end of Iron Man you knew there was going to be a second (that and the movie made BANK so it was a guarantee).

Iron Man 2 takes place about six months after the end of the first movie, Tony Stark has brought the world to peace and his of course is feeding his ego with his immense popularity. The U.S Government is attempting to demand the Iron Man technology from Tony saying that it is not right for him to keep the technology for himself. Tony of course bluntly refuses to hand over his invention and basically laughs in the military representatives faces.

Stark has bigger fish to fry and is working to fulfill his dad’s dream of opening “Stark Expo” which will be a convention to show the latest’s and greatest inventions from around the world. But behind all of this glory and wonder, Stark is dying. The machine he is using to keep himself alive is in fact poisoning him. Realizing that time is short, he hands his company over to Pepper and hires Natalia to become is new assistant.

In an attempt to live every moment of the life he has left, Tony fly’s to Monaco and demands to race the Stark car during the race. While he is rolling around the track at high speeds, Stark is attacked by Ivan Vanko who has used similar technology to the Iron Man suit and developed a whip-like arm harness (similar to what Kratos from God of War has if any of you play that game). Stark manages to defeat him but his competitor, Hammer, realized the possibilities and after Ivan is safely locked away in prison Hammer breaks him out and hires him to make Iron Drones that will allow him to beat Stark at Stark Expo.

While Tony is celebrating his birthday, he gets drunk and his friend, Rhodes, beats him down and fly’s off with Iron Man Mac II suit to turn it over to the Military, because he believes that the government should have it. Hungover and disgraced, Stark is once again approached by Nick Fury (played by Samuel L Jackson) of S.H.I.E.D (from the first movie). Nick gives Tony a chest from his father and the pieces he will need to figure out the puzzle of his slow death.

 So I will leave you there….in the mist of things.

Hammer has Ivan Vanko, Tony’s enemy working for him.

Ivan has his own revenge plans in mind.

Rhodes has taken off with Iron Man 2.

The company is in chaos as Pepper tries to run it.

Stark has all but given up on life.

And Stark Expo is only days away.

The movie is full of action, action…and, well, more action! Although not as good as the first one, it is still a wonderful movie and Robert Downey Jr does a wonderful job.

I am already looking forward to Iron Man 3!!

Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse

We have all decided that the outbreak is coming. Eventually the dead will rise up and walk among us craving the flesh of humans, never dying, never stopping, never slowing, just on and on, moaning as they continue to stalk you across hundreds and thousands of miles.

And are you prepared?

My friends and I actually spend more time discussing what we need to prepare and since this week at work so many people have been sick, we have realized that although we have a good action plan in our minds…we really are not as prepared as we would like to be. What do we need to survive the zombie apocalypse? Sure there are the RULES, but rules are not enough on their own…it is easy to say, Supplies…but what supplies? What about a plan!

My girlfriend and I have spent the last few days talking about what we need. She is lucky because, “My family is full of gun toting freaks, and I’ve got Sam J,” and she is right…she is lucky. I don’t have a gun toting family, although I must admit, my mum is one very good shot and does know how to handle her way around a gun!

When the outbreak happens…where are you going to go?

Again, my friend is lucky because her family has property in the middle of nowhere! PERFECT for hiding out and surviving the outbreak.

Me on the other hand…well I live in South Florida…so we will say, I am preparing for HURRICANE’S. Which includes:

Storm windows

Metal panels that can be pulled over and bolted over every window and door

Reinforced Walls

Extra roof shingles in the attic

What do you need?

Sure it is easy to say I have a house built to withstand weeks and months…maybe even years of zombie bombardment. But if you don’t have the supplies you need or the ability to get the supplies you need. You’re pretty much screwed.

Again, my friend is lucky; her property has cattle, farmland, and an orchard.

Me on the other hand…living in a city I must think outside the box and again, hurricane preparation is the perfect cover:

                Solar panels on the roof – providing me with electricity for cooking, etc

                Generator with back up fuel

                A huge store room full of bottled water, water cleaning systems, toilet paper (because lets admit that is a must have), canned goods

                A small ledge garden built onto the roof

What about protection?

Great, now you have a location, and it is stocked to the bursting point…but those zombies don’t just stop trying to get in because you haven’t poked your head out in a few hours. NO once the zombies know you are there they keep coming, moaning and coming, pulling more and more to your location as other sources of food die out.

What about cash?

Lets face it…money is going to worthless, so robbing a bank or your neighbors is pretty stupid, but that does not mean that everything is going to lose its value.

As my friend pointed out, penicillin will definitely be worth something.

Me, yeah, I agree with the penicillin, but I am thinking Mr. Walker or the Goose is going to be the next Benjamin!

So before you lock yourself away in your safe room/house, make sure you stop by the local hospital (go in hot and ready because that place will be loaded with walkers! Sick people always like to gather in hospitals) and load up on the meds! With the liquor, don’t be foolish and wait until the day of the apocalypse, those crazy hoodlums will have already cleaned them out…Liquor is something you should have already been stashing...I know that I will be!

My best friend made a wonderful suggestion and although it sounds a little mean and inhuman…or whatever you would like to call it, it is logical, and to survive you do not need to think with your heart, but with your head. She said….”First thing I would convince them all to do is KILL all the neighbors.  Shoot them all.  Kill the humans, that’s just one less potential f*ing zombie.  Then we can eat their food.” Beautiful idea, and she is totally right, because as your neighbors fall to the zombies, they do not just die, they turn and they come after you! 

Some survival plans that would not work:

Plan to run around naked.

So live long and survive!

Safe Fun in the Sun with Jake

In South Florida especially…summer is in full swing, and June is one of the hottest months. But just because the sun is beating down, doesn’t mean your puppy has to lose out on their outdoors time. Jake would drive me crazy if he didn’t get his dog park time, but because of the heat, I have to take additional precautions to ensure that Jake is happy and healthy all summer long. 

Pet Supermarket sent me this great list of basic tips to avoid a few summer hazards. So I put a little of theirs and added some of my own to help any of you dog lovers out there!

Dehydration – If your dog is anything like Jake, they love to play outdoors, but they can overdo it in hot weather. Make sure your doggy is hydrated because he'll feel more intense heat at his level, closer to the pavement, than you will, and he has a layer of fur as well. If going to the dog park, bring water for him, be it in a cooler or just a 12 ounce bottle.

Heatstroke – It is easy to think that on your way back from the dog park you can stop off at the store real quick and run in and grab something while your dog stays in the car. But in the summer sun you should never leave your dog in the car. Even with the windows down, a car can reach oven-like temperatures that are fatal. Leave him at home instead or have someone stay in the air-conditioned car with him.

Signs of heat stroke:

• Vigorous panting
• Lying down and unwilling to get up
• Dark red gums
• Tacky or dry gums
• Thick saliva
• Dizziness
• Collapsing or fainting

Sunburn - Believe it or not, dogs get sunburned too, especially if they have short hair and fair skin. You can easily care for your doggy by applying sunscreen to his back, head, nose and ears before going outside. I am not sure how much Jake would appreciate that, but it would be the hell out of him getting sunburn and cancer…he is a short haired dog.

Overwhelming crowds – During the summer there are all kinds of fairs, carnivals and events and we want to go to them (as long as no clowns are involved). Large outdoor events are often overwhelming and could lead to injuries, dehydration or exhaustion more easily. Also, if you dog is like mine and wants to eat everything in site, they run the risk of eating unhealthy food or trash left on the ground.

Keeping Cool – Sitting inside at work or in the a/c all day can make you forget how hot it really is outside for your dog. If you keep your dog outside during the, be sure to give them a cool area that they can relax in and plenty of water. If it is possible, try to keep them indoors during the hottest parts of the day.

Swimming dangers - Since your dog might not be a natural swimmer, stick close when he dips in. If you have a pool, think about buying a ramp so he can get out if he falls into the deep end. Going to the beach? Watch for undertows and jellyfish. Also, keep him from drinking salt water, which is dehydrating.

Getting lost - With more outside playtime, your pup might try to get away to visit your furry neighbors. Now's the time to make sure your yard is fully secure and his ID tag has a current phone number. A microchip ID is also a good idea, you can ask you vet about them if you are interested!

2010 Nightmare on Elm Street

I went to my first drive-in movie theater this week. I have always wanted to go to one, but because they are far and few between, I had never had the chance.

I went with my boyfriend to see Nightmare on Elm Street. I love horror movies and Wes Cravings Nightmare on Elm Street is truly a horror movie classic, so when I heard they were remaking it I knew it was a must see.

This movie was really in and out of the theater and I was lucky enough to catch it before it was gone for good.

The remake goes pretty much right along with the original film, but when you basically have perfection in a movie, why change it much? It starts off with Dean sitting in a Diner trying desperately to stay away. The waitress and main character Nancy, keeps walking by and waking him up. He friend Kris shows up and Dean breaks down and tells Kris about this nightmare he has been having where a burned man in a red stripped sweater and claws on his hand has been trying to kill him. Kris thinks he just needs sleep and tells him not to worry but as she is standing in front of her, a sleeping Dean cries out “You’re not real! You’re not real!” while a knife plunges into his throat and it appears that he is slitting his own throat. But we all (as the audience) knows that it is really Freddy.

Everyone is traumatized by Deans apparent suicide.

But Freddy doesn’t stop there. Now that Dean has shared his fears with Kris before he died, Kris begins to dream of the burnt man with the claws. Freaked out she allows her boyfriend/ex-boyfriend Jesse to stay the night where they both discover that they have both been dreaming about the man. While Jesse and Kris are in bed, Kris is killed in here sleep…in a very wow way. Jesse freaks out and in an attempt to escape the police he runs to Nancy’s house

Jesse doesn’t escape the police…like in the original…and you can fill in the blanks there.

Nancy turns to her friend Quentin (must say…I love that name) and together they realize that all of them had been in the same preschool together when they had been 5 and not meet in middle school and high school like they had believed. Makes me wonder how they didn’t meet in grade school, it is a small town, but that is just a huge hole in the plot.

Nancy’s mother finally confesses that while they had all been in preschool there had been a grader named Fred Krueger who hurt all the kids. Quentin and Nancy know that this is not the whole truth, but none of the parents are willing to tell them the rest of the story, so Nancy and Quentin set out on a race against the clock to uncover the truth as to what really happened to them in preschool and why Freddy is trying to kill them.

Gwen claims Krueger skipped town before he was arrested. Nancy does not believe her and attempts to track down the remaining kids from the school. Nancy eventually

This is not the worst re-make I have ever seen, and as a true lover of the mystery that makes up a good horror movie, this one lost it, stole it from you. It gave too much away, and told too much of Freddy’s history. But to each their own, but do not expect to be scared in the original Nightmare on Elm Street way (the way even to this day that movie send chills down my back), this one is very predictable and you see every attack right before it happens, nothing is a surprise. I didn’t find myself on the seat of my chair and sucked in by the characters…it didn’t provide me with that. But if you want to jump a little and like horror movies…you should check it out.

And they did…like the original, leaves it open for a sequel. With the budget being $35,000,000 and the worldwide gross revenue for Nightmare on Elm Street 2010 being $100,812,068, I would not be surprised if they did. But as well all know, Part 2 is never as good as Part 1

Top 100 Greatest Characters for the last 20 years

100. Tim Riggins from Friday Night Lights
99. The Bride from Kill Bill
98. Lisbeth Salander from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and its sequels
97. Violet Weston from August: Osage County
96. Bernie Mac from The Bernie Mac Show
95. Wilhelmina from Ugly Betty
94. Truman from The Truman Show
93. Game Boys: Nathan Drake from the Uncharted series; Kratos from the God of War series; and Niko Bellic from Grand Theft Auto IV
92. Christopher Boone from The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night-Time
91. Hancock from Hancock
90. Marge Gunderson from Fargo
89. Wikus van de Merwe from District 9
88. Napoleon Dynamite from Napoleon Dynamite
87. Tony Stark from the Iron Man series
86. Karen Walker and Jack McFarland from Will & Grace
85. Daniel Plainview from There Will Be Blood
84. Dr. Gregory House from House, M.D.
83. Jen Yu from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
82. Tracy Flick from Election
81. Amanda Woodward from Melrose Place
80. Gorillaz, the animated rock band
79. Elphaba from Wicked
78. Patty Hewes from Damages
77. Mimi Marquez from Rent
76. Tyler Durden from Fight Club
75. David Brent from The Office (original version)
74. Don Draper from Mad Men
73. Catherine Trammell from Basic Instinct
72. Kara “Starbuck” Thrace from Battlestar Galactica
71. Det. Alonzo Harris from Training Day
70. Mary Katherine Gallagher from Saturday Night Live
69. Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada
68. Effie White from Dreamgirls
67. Borat from Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
66. Allie and Noah from The Notebook
65. Lorelai and Rory Gilmore from Gilmore Girls
64. Maximus from Gladiator
63. John Locke from Lost
62. Jimmy Corrigan from Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth
61. Vic Mackey from The Shield
60. Mary Jones from Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Saphhire
59. Master Chief from the Halo series
58. Thelma and Louise from Thelma & Louise
57. Clayton Bigsby from Chappelle’s Show
56. Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother
55. Tracy Jordan from 30 Rock
54. Juno from Juno
53. Edward Cullen from the Twilight saga
52. Annie Wilkes from Misery
51. Omar Little from The Wire
50. Pearl the Landlord from FunnyorDie.com
49. Vivian Ward from Pretty Woman
48. Red from The Shawshank Redemption
47. Corky St. Clair Waiting for Guffman
46. Jerry Maguire from Jerry Maguire
45. Stewie Griffin from Family Guy
44. Jack Bauer from 24
43. Cal Stephanides from Middlesex
42. Sydney Bristow from Alias
41. Harold and Kumar from the Harold & Kumar series
40. Ron Burgundy from Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
39. Gob Bluth from Arrested Development
38. Elmo from Sesame Street
37. Keyser Söze from The Usual Suspects
36. Gollum from The Lord of the Rings
35. Dexter Morgan from Dexter
34. Cher from Clueless
33. Sarah Connor from Terminator 2: Judgment Day
32. Beavis and Butt-Head from Beavis and Butt-Head
31. Forrest Gump from Forrest Gump
30. “Stephen Colbert” from The Colbert Report
29. Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield from Pulp Fiction
28. Madea from several Tyler Perry films and plays
27. Frasier from Frasier
26. Kavalier and Clay from The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
25. Woody from the Toy Story series
24. Felicity Porter from Felicity
23. Austin Powers from the Austin Powers series
22. Eric Cartman from South Park
21. Roseanne Conner from Roseanne
20. Ally McBeal from Ally McBeal
19. Morpheus from The Matrix series
18. Sue Sylvester from Glee
17. Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider franchise
16. Bridget Jones from the Bridget Jones series
15. Shrek from the Shrek series
14. Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski from The Big Lebowski
13. Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean series
12. Fox Mulder and Dana Scully from The X-Files
11. Cosmo Kramer from Seinfeld
10. SpongeBob SquarePants from SpongeBob SquarePants
9. Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City
8. Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs and its sequels
7. Edward Scissorhands from Edward Scissorhands
6. Rachel Green from Friends
5. The Joker from The Dark Knight
4. Tony Soprano from The Sopranos
3. Buffy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2. Harry Potter from the Harry Potter series
1. Homer Simpson from The Simpsons