Movie of the Week

This week,

CADDYSHACK (1980)

Starring- Chevy Chase, Ted Knight, Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray

Caddyshack is to golf what Animal House is to college. This movie has done more for the sport of golf than Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson combined. Even if you are not a golfer, there is enough hilarity to make you laugh til you cry, and enough memorable lines to keep you quoting forever. Based on some of the experiences of writers Doug Kenney, Harold Ramis and Brian Doyle-Murray, the film follows the action at the posh Bushwood Country Club. Among the members of the club are the aloof playboy, Ty Webb (Chase), snobbish Judge Smails (Knight) and crass developer Al Czervik (Dangerfield). The club also boasts some great employees, mainly caddy Danny Noonan and greenskeeper Carl Spackler (Murray).

The overall story doesn't matter as much as the side splitting scenes that occur throughout the film, but generally the movie is about the struggle between snobs and slobs. It all culminates in an epic match play round between the team of Smails and Dr. Beeper against Ty and Al, and eventually Danny Noonan. Rather than give a blow by blow account of Caddyshack, I will instead do an extended "Things to watch for" because there is so much classic comedy stuffed into 98 minutes.

Things to watch for-

The Lama- big hitter, long
The Haverkampfs
Spaulding picking his nose
Rat farts
Ty sings Lacey Underall a love song
Fresca
Wang
This nape of the woods
Varmint Poon Tang
Mitch Cumstein
Cannonball with the Bob Marley joint
Winter Rules
The greatest slow burn artist ever- Ted Knight
A Cinderella Story
Kenny Loggin's great title song- I'm Alright
Baby Ruths can be dangerous
Making $14 the "hard way"
Fuzzy little foreigner

That's all I got, but I could go on for a lot longer. Just watch the movie again, and who knows you might get laid.

"Your honor, Your Honor."

Nityananda speaks about his steamy experience

After 53 days of prison life on charges of rape, Swami nityananda is back in his ashram. Again he says that purported video footage of him with actress Ranjitha has .........

Companies That Should Sponsor Me

I think that I would do very well as a walking billboard for certain companies, and in fact, I already feel like I am some of the time. This blog entry is a plea to all those company presidents and marketing people to send me free stuff, so that I might tell people how awesome said stuff is.

Ralph Lauren Polo Brand Polo Shirts

I wear pretty much exclusively these shirts. If you know me, you know this to be true. I think its a no-brainer. Send me some shirts, Ralph! I'm already like the Salt Lake City branch of your company, deputize me already.

Crystal Light

This stuff is great. I mix up a big batch of lemonade or raspberry lemonade a few times a week to quench my thirst. Send me powder packets please, and I'll tell everyone about the deliciousness of Crystal Light.

Apple Computers

Guess what kind of computer this blog is written on? That's right, the old MacBook does pretty well, but I could use a new one. I also love my iPod, but its a little outdated too. I tell everyone I know that Macs rule, and that they blow PCs out of the water. That alone should get me a coupon for an iPad. Whattaya say, Jobs?

Meet Swami Hrithikanand

Hrithik Roshan has a new name. The Kites actor is known as Swami Hrithikanand...

Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn become 'Rascals'

After acting, Sanjay Dutt is all set to produce his first film. His upcoming movie is ' Rascals' and the shooting is set to begin on October.
Sanjay Dutt is really busy these days as its great time for him. Firstly he is going to be..........
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John - Bipasha turns Down Viagra Endorsement

Bipasha says John and she will only endorse health and fitness brands as a couple, turn down offer worth crores to lend names to herbal aphrodisiac
As a power couple, John Abraham and Bipasha Basu draw....

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Top 10 Albums of All Time

Music makes the people come together, and these ten albums have brought many together over the years. It is hard to pick only ten albums, and while there are many deserving bands and records, these are the ones that I feel are the cream of the crop. Here now is the list...

10. THRILLER- Michael Jackson

The top selling album of all time starts us off on the list. It spent 37 weeks at number one and includes some of the King of Pop's biggest hits including- Beat It, Billie Jean, Wanna Be Starting Something, and of course, Thriller. Jackson would have other great albums as well, but none would ever come close to this seminal work.

9. GRACELAND- Paul Simon

This may seem like kind of an odd choice, but I think it is one of the most complete albums ever made. From start to finish, Graceland is great. All of the songs on it are listenable, which I feel is the ultimate test a great album must pass. Paul Simon used a liberal dose of South African music and musicians on the album, as well as the talents of Linda Ronstadt and the Everly Brothers on select tracks. It won the Grammy for best album, and gave us classics like You Can Call Me Al, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes and Gumboots.

8. WHO'S NEXT- The Who

Who's Next is a hugely important rock album because of its use of the synthesizer and advances in sound engineering, and also its list of many fabulous tracks. A bit of a departure for the group, this album is marked by the variety of sounds and styles- going from loud rock anthems like Won't Get Fooled Again to quieter, introspective songs like Behind Blue Eyes. In addition to these songs, Who's Next includes some of the group's most well known hits like, Baba O'Riley, Going Mobile and Bargain. Well done, lads.

7. SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND- The Beatles

The Beatles sixth studio album is arguably the most influential one ever made in the history of rock and roll. As the first true concept album, it raised the bar for what rock bands could do with instrumentation and song writing. The songs on the album are not the best the group ever produced, but this record signaled the beginning of the 'Summer of Love' and was the epitome of hippie culture. This album is less about the music and more about the message, but there are still amazing cuts on it, including A Day in the Life, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and Lovely Rita.

6. BACK IN BLACK- AC/DC

Written as a tribute to fallen lead singer Bon Scott, Back in Black is the best hard rock album ever. Taking over for the late Scott, new singer and lyricist Brian Johnson gave it to audiences with both barrels by teaming with the brothers Young to create some of the band's most memorable songs. Every song on this album kicks ass, and lets you know AC/DC is still out to rock as hard as they can. I could list any song on this album as a classic, but the best ones are Back in Black, You Shook Me All Night Long, Shoot to Thrill and Hells Bells.

5. ABBEY ROAD- The Beatles

Not only is the cover iconic, so is the music. The last album recorded by the Beatles, Abbey Road boasts perhaps the best collaboration by the band since their early days. Each Beatle is given room to shine, and does so in impressive form. Unlike Sgt. Pepper, Abbey Road is a complete record, wowing the listener from start to finish. George Harrison also emerges as a songwriting equal with Lennon and McCartney on this album with his hits- Something and Here Comes the Sun. The Beatles sure knew how to make an exit.

4. LED ZEPPELIN II- Led Zeppelin

Many point to Zoso as the band's best album, but Stairway to Heaven does not an album make. The group's second album is its best, being the most complete throughout. Led Zeppelin II is devoid of one truly great song, but is rife with very good ones. In fact, the album's most recognizable song, Whole Lotta Love, might be one of the weaker ones. I really like Living Loving Maid, Heartbreaker and Bring it on Home the best, but let's also not forget the fabulous instrumental Moby Dick. Don't feel the need to skip songs here- you'll miss something awesome if you do.

3. LET IT BLEED- The Rolling Stones

This 1969 effort from the Stones marked an era of change for the band, as they infused their music with a larger variety of styles. Let it Bleed was also the last album to feature founding member Brian Jones. It can be said that any of four albums from the late '60's and early '70's is the group's best, but this really captures a great mix of sounds, as well as some of the Stones' biggest hits. I think I like this album best also, because it signaled a shift in the mentality of society- away from the flower power sixties toward the darker, edgier seventies. The songs Midnight Rambler, Monkey Man and Gimme Shelter indicate this shift best.

2. PET SOUNDS- The Beach Boys

Just like Sgt. Pepper, Pet Sounds changed the game for rock and roll. The work that Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys put in on this album made not only Sgt. Pepper possible, but many other future works as well. Using new technology and sounds, Wilson tried to copy and one-up the famous wall of sound, created by Phil Spector. It was not common to use so many orchestral elements and multi-tracking on rock records until Pet Sounds came along, and it ushered in a new age where anything was possible in rock and roll. The best cuts are Sloop John B, Wouldn't it Be Nice and the classic ballad, God Only Knows. Listening to this album is like hearing history.

1. REVOLVER- The Beatles

Prior to Sgt. Pepper, but after the release of Pet Sounds, The Beatles came out with the best album on this list. Revolver is more innovative and experimental than anything the group ever did, and there is not a bad song on the album. Drug culture, social commentary, existential thought, Eastern philosophy and children's imagery are the basis for the tracks on Revolver, showing the world that there was more to rock than just songs about teenage love. This album marks a growth in sophistication for the medium of rock music, and it is beautiful to behold. John, Paul, George and Ringo's masterpiece together is Revolver. Taxman, Eleanor Rigby, Dr. Robert, Got to Get You Into My Life and Tomorrow Never Knows are highlights, but to be fair- every song is a highlight.

PAC 12

Just like every other graduate and fan of the University of Utah, I was very pleased to see the Utes join the ranks of the PAC 10 Conference last week. Having been on hand for the Utes' two best football seasons ever, it was great validation for the hard work the athletic program has done to make our football team a national power. It is so nice to know that the next time the Utes go undefeated, they are more than likely going to be in the BCS Championship game because they are now a member of a BCS Conference.

With all that said, the BCS is still garbage and needs to be changed. I can solace myself, however, with the fact that in addition to usual rival, BYU, the Utes will have a much more interesting schedule- every year. USC, UCLA, Arizona State, Cal and Oregon will be filling Rice-Eccles Stadium with a better vibe than the likes of Mountain West opponents Colorado State and Wyoming ever could, and I mean no disrespect to those schools. Football is clearly the main focus of this blog entry, and the primary reason behind the invitation for Utah to join the PAC 10, but the move to the bigger conference has other effects as well.

The revenue that will be generated by the move will be beneficial for the school's athletic program, and all its teams, as well as the University of Utah's non-athletes. I hope that the money will get to all the programs at my alma mater that need it, and make the U a better institution overall. Also, there is a prestige that comes with being mentioned in the same breath with schools like Cal and Stanford that will hopefully make a diploma from Utah worth more to those who have one. I am really banking on this, by the way. I have always felt like the University of Utah was a very good, maybe even great, school, and this move to the PAC 10 simply reinforces the belief of many that the U is now in its rightful spot as one of the best universities in the western United States. GO UTES!

Kangna Ranaut fears for Mumbai Driving

Kangna Ranaut has licence to drive, but freezes behind steering wheel Kangna Ranaut owns one of the most expensive cars in the world -- a 7-Series luxury car and has a licence to drive it but fear of driving on Mumbai's roads prevents her from doing that. In fact, while shooting for Milan Luthria's Once Upon A Time In Mumbai, Kangna had to drive a car but the scene was changed, as she couldn't get the car moving.

Megan Fox has claimed that she is often misrepresented in the media.
The actress told MTV News that she is not responsible for controversial statements that she has made in the past because the press have misinterpreted her.
"I don't feel like I've ever necessarily said anything that was provocative," she explained.
"I think that people take relatively innocent statements and turn them into provocative things... People have no idea how to react. It's not that the statement itself is outrageous."
She went on to say that she feels a kinship with Lady GaGa, whose statements are also misconstrued on a regular basis.
"I don't go on the Internet, so I don't know what she's been saying lately. I assume that's probably what's happening with her as well."
Fox previously admitted that she has lied to reporters in order to protect her privacy.

Aamir Khan - Twitter - July 1

Aamir Khan is all set to join Twitter from July 1 on the insistence of Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan.
Bachchan had recently written on his Twitter account about "coaxing" Aamir to join the micro blogging site.
"At dinner with Aamir... coaxing him to come on Twitter. Success come to those that dare and act!! Convinced the inconvincible Aamir over dinner to come on Twitter," Bachchan had written on his account.
"With Aamir at dinner, Italian, good food and the smile on his face is his excitement of being convinced to come on Twitter," he had added.
Aamir was not a part of the microblogging site as he thought he would not be able to give enough time.
"But since Mr Bachchan has insisted that he should join, he gave it a thought and decided to join as he cannot say no to Bachchan," a source close to Aamir said.
The 45-year-old actor will join on July 1 and his account's name will be 'aamir_khan'.
3 Idiots actor will be the new addition to the long list of Bollywood stars like Big B, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra, Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Shahid Kapoor, Imran Khan, Deepika Padukone to name a few, on Twitter.

Raavan releases in 2200 screens worldwide

Mani Ratnam's Raavan starring Abhishek Bachchan-Aishwarya Rai and Tamil superstar Vikram has released in 2200 screens worldwide in three languages.
Reliance BIG Pictures, who has co-produced the movie with Ratnam's Madras Talkies and is also the distributor said Raavan is the first Indian film to release simultaneously in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
The Hindi version of the film has released in 1250 screens in India and in 325 screens overseas in over 35 countries including India, US, Canada, UK, UAE, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, South Africa, Netherlands, France, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, said Sanjeev Lamba, CEO, Reliance BIG Pictures.
The Tamil version has released in 225 screens in India including Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka and also in Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Pune, Nasik, Surat, Vadodara, Kolkata with English subtitles. It has released in 150 screens overseas in Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, US, UK, Middle East Asia, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa.
The Telugu dubbed version, called Villian has released in 215 screens in Andhra Pradesh and in additional 25 screens in US, Australia and New Zealand. The film is a modern day take on Ramayana where an outlaw Beera played by Abhishek abducts Ragini (Aishwarya), who plays the wife of a police officer Dev (Vikram).
The premiere of the film took place in London where the entire cast and crew attended it.

Raavanan Movie Review, Raavanan Movie Preview, RAAVANAN

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Raavan Movie Review, Raavan Movie Preview, Raavan Movie Posters

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Vietnam Thesis- Part V

Here is part five of my ongoing series on the Vietnam War.

As missions intensified and more men came home in flag draped coffins, the U.S. Government continued to support its troops and the war as protests against the war became more prevalent. Many times it was the troops themselves who reassured the public about the reasons for the war, and even with the horrors of Vietnam mounting, they still were able to see the silver lining. As Lieutenant Marion Lee Kempner put it, “We were given no choice and we must fight where the confrontation is, despite its cost, infeasibility, and possible illegality and physical and mental toll upon the participants...” Just as so many others had said in similar ways, Kempner saw just cause for the war not because he wanted to, but because he had to in order to give his military service meaning. Unfortunately, Kempner died in Vietnam, for a war he did not wish for, but fought anyway.

The attitude of doing a job that was potentially meaningless and very harmful, merely out of obligation, is the way a great many soldiers fought the Vietnam War up to and including 1967. Most of the letters from soldiers, and their reflections after the war illustrate that while Vietnam was not the right war for America, it nevertheless had to be fought, despite all the signs that it was not going exactly as planned by the government.

By the end of 1967, it was clear to President Johnson and his staff that General Westmoreland’s new strategy of offensive campaigns were relatively successful, despite costing 15,000 American lives in 1967 alone. The enemy, however, had lost considerably more. In a bloody battle at Dak To in November, 287 American soldiers were killed, but the U.S. military deemed it a victory. Victories like the one at Dak To were becoming routine, and in this war of attrition the U.S. appeared to be winning. What the U.S. did not realize was that battles like Dak To were strengthening the enemy’s resolve, and weakening the determination of their own men.

Whether this was known to Westmoreland, he did not show it, and said of 1967, “I have never been more encouraged in my four years in Vietnam...We have reached an important point when the end begins to come into view.” 1968 would blur the end from the American view, granting new life to the enemy, and the anti-war movement.

A feeling of foreboding began to creep into the American psyche in January of 1968 as word of a North Vietnamese buildup at Khe Sanh came to General Westmoreland’s attention. Northern troops were creating a stronghold in the Northern part of South Vietnam, presumably to mount a large offensive against U.S. forces. Westmoreland became convinced that during the impending North Vietnamese offensive, Khe Sanh would need to be a primary target for the Americans. Unfortunately for Westmoreland and the Americans, the build up at Khe Sanh was a diversion created by the Viet Cong to draw U.S. troops away from the cities and other areas in the South.

This elaborate ruse on the part of the North Vietnamese would haunt the rest of the United States’ involvement in Vietnam. The plan was for Viet Cong agents and North Vietnamese soldiers to infiltrate major Southern cities and attack without warning while the major part of the U.S. force was busy surrounding the base at Khe Sanh. The attack came during the Vietnamese holiday of Tet on January 31st. The complete and utter surprise that the Tet Offensive had on American troops once again showed the soldiers and government how unprepared they were to fight this war, and how little they understood their enemy. The attack on the American Embassy in Saigon was not ultimately seen as a North Vietnamese victory, but the destruction of the outer part of the building left a lasting impression on U.S. soldiers who saw that nothing was safe from attack.

Things I Think- Summertime Edition

Summer is a great time of year. Despite the heat, I really enjoy much of what summertime brings- golf, staying light until 10 P.M., fireworks, baseball, popsicles, etc. This Summer is special because I have several awesome things planned like going to the Paul McCartney concert in July, and taking a much needed vacation with my wife to Napa in August. Here now are some of my thoughts on Summer.

I think nothing says Summer quite like the smell of freshly cut grass.

I think the Beach Boys are a must for any Summer iPod or CD mix. I think 'I Get Around' and 'California Girls' are two of the best songs for said mix.

I think I'm actually excited for the World Cup this Summer. Go Portugal and Cameroon!

I think you can't be too careful when it comes to preventing sunburns. Wear sunscreen and hats, people! This is dedicated to Mary Anne and Jessica Gleim.

I think the best made up holiday comes in Summer- Pie and Beer Day on the 24th of July. This is a pun on Pioneer Day which occurs on July 24th in Utah. Funny huh?

I think Wimbledon is another great Summer sporting tradition, in addition to the U.S. and British Opens for golf, and the NBA Finals. Go Celtics!

I think I love the fact that we have central air conditioning at my house.

I think the best popsicles are the ones with two sticks that come in the big plastic bag, and the best flavors are cherry, blue and root beer. Get away from me with that banana flavored one, that is some nasty crap. Otter Pops are good too.

I think the Utah Arts Festival is a great way to spend a June evening. I also think that the Neil Diamond Experience is being super weak by not playing the festival this year.

I think I need to go get ready for the Paul McCartney concert by practicing my Wings lyrics.

Balakrishna Birthday Photos, Latest

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Book of the Month

In order to class up this blog a little bit, I am now going to start reviewing a Book of the Month. I read books, in addition to Sports Illustrated and the odd issue of Cracked Magazine, and as such, I will tell you about some of them. One a month to be exact. It's like my movie of the week only with words instead of moving pictures.

This month,

OUTLIERS by Malcolm Gladwell

This book flat out blew my mind. If you have read anything by Gladwell before, you know that his books take some idea, and through vignettes and studies he takes something that should have been obvious to you seem like the greatest innovation since fire. I can't stop telling people about the stuff in this book because it is so interesting, and also very telling about those who have achieved success and the reasons behind their success.

The subtitle of the book, not surprisingly, is The Story of Success, and that is exactly correct. Gladwell takes the reader through many stories of success, and shows through these examples what factors contribute to a person's relative success in life. What was a great discovery to me was the fact that so much of why people are successful is out of their control. Rather than spoil the great revelation for everyone, I will simply say that some of the factors that are out of our control as humans have to do with cultural, socioeconomic and even chronological elements that are sometimes very obvious, but not always. This is especially apparent in the chapter "The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes" where I was thoroughly amazed.

While Gladwell makes it clear that success is not always up to us in every way, there is one area that is an integral ingredient in the super-successful person- work. Those who he sites as the most successful- Bill Gates, The Beatles, et. al. were not only talented, but put in the time necessary to be truly great in their given area. The 10,000 hour rule is key to being truly successful. Look at Gates and The Beatles- they put in 10,000 hours, at least, practicing and honing their skills so that by the time opportunity knocked they were ready. LeBron James, Peyton Manning, Tiger Woods- all gifted, but all have put in the time they needed to become the greatest successes in their sports. Read Outliers because it will not disappoint, and it will show you the true meaning of success in a way you never thought possible.

Gemma secret marriage

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Lady Gaga not to pose Nude for Playboy

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Taliban to use children as bombers?

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War ethics are sinking to a new low in Afghanistan. But then expecting anything better from a mindlessly fanatic outfit like the Taliban is foolish. An Afghan boy was made to wear a vest laden with explosives by the taliban and press a button when he came near US or Afghan soldiers. Some reports say the boy, Juma, was smart enough to figure out the vest contained explosives. Others say he was picked up at an Afghan army checkpost in Ghazni province, after he was spotted wandering about looking confused.

Children have not been used as bombers in Afghanistan by the Taliban till now. Its spokesman, Qari Yousef Ahmadi, flatly denied the charge saying it was a propaganda stunt to tarnish its image.

We don’t need to use a child. Its against Islamic law, it’s against humanitarian law
, he said emphatically.

But if this is the first instance of a new tactic used by the Taliban, US forces will be in a dilemma. Should they a shoot child strapped with bombs? Lieutenant Colonel David Accetta, ISAF eastern regional command spokesman, elucidates the possible predicament,

The rules of military engagement are easily muddied when a child poses a direct threat. What we do if we identify the fact that an adult is wearing a suicide vest is we use whatever force we deem necessary to protect the lives of our soldiers and any civilians. Of course it makes it more difficult - it’s a six year-old child

If Taliban do start using children as bombers they will lose whatever support they have amongst the Afghan populace. They have not made themselves popular during the years of their rule by their extremely orthodox views on women and the strict adherence to Sharia.

He Wants Both Kareena and Katrina

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