Steph and I went to Toronto as a Christmas present to each other. Wanted to see a Cavs game, go to an art museum, and just have time to talk to one another. It was a magnificent trip. The city is just as exciting as New York City, the food is diverse, the people love hockey! Got to check out a restaurant from the great Susar Lee (the Michael Symon of Toronto), went to some great wine bars in Yorkville, and discovered a new wine tasting area called Beamsville Bench..It’s to Niagara-On-The-Lake what Sonoma is to Napa..Relaxed, fun, and educational..Love the wines and the people.. Thanks for checking out my pics!

So, my wife Steph and I are trying to complete a 365 project, where we take a differen’t picture of Madelyn everyday for a year and then scrapbook the results.  The idea is to watch your child grow day by day, and to have a keepsake for her later in life.  It is rougher than it sounds, but we’re trying.  We all take pictures of our children, but what creative things have you done to capture memories???

Ok, so here we go. A little background on my movie viewing tastes. I love a movie that makes me think, and one that I can just watch and not use my brain. I love action with or without a purpose. I adore chick flicks that are or are not predictable. Who cares if they end up together in the end. I love movies that make me cry, make me laugh, believe in love, and have likeable characters. I don’t care about continuity, if the script has been done before, or if the acting is bad. I don’t look with a critical eye at movies. If it makes me feel good, it’s good enough for me. Here is my review of “This Is It” starring Michael Jackson

Whether or not you are a Michael Jackson fan, I think you can appreciate this movie if you appreciate music. MJ was a polarizing cat due to all the scandal, but if you put prior feelings aside and focus on the music, you can see just how passionate he was about his craft. You will find him to be compassionate, kind, and a perfectionist in rehearsals. The dancers consider this to be the break of a lifetime and appear to be huge fans as well as co-workers.

The film concentrates on the performances of his biggest hits. Stripped down or built up. The concert would obviously not disappoint. The only downfall of the movie is that they did not spend enough time behind the scenes..The way a true documentary would. I wanted to see more of the work involved in a production like this, yet we seemed to see the almost finished product.

From the re-done videos of “Thriller” and “Smooth Criminal” to the environmentally conscious “Earth Song” and “Heal The World”, it leaves you with the feeling of what could’ve been, BUT, there is enough in this film to not feel completely slighted. Plus, on a flat screen tv and a home theatre system, it will be a great visual soundtrack at parties. You’ll have a new appreciation for his music, his work ethic, and Michael as a person.

As a movie B

As a concert video A+

Ok, so here we go. A little background on my movie viewing tastes. I love a movie that makes me think, and one that I can just watch and not use my brain. I love action with or without a purpose. I adore chick flicks that are or are not predictable. Who cares if they end up together in the end. I love movies that make me cry, make me laugh, believe in love, and have likeable characters. I don’t care about continuity, if the script has been done before, or if the acting is bad. I don’t look with a critical eye at movies. If it makes me feel good, it’s good enough for me. With this being said, I decided to see Avatar knowing of all the hype and polarizing reviews…Here is mine

Avatar is a mix between The Lion King, Titanic, Predator, and Star Wars. All are terrific films in their own right, but this movie seems to capture the best of all of them. The Lion King for the territorial conflicts, Titanic for the grandness, and Predator for the man versus machine aspect. In short, I loved this movie. The sheer spectacle of it all is enough to win me over. One cannot accurately describe the 3d. It is something to be witnessed. The technology has come so far. In terms of atmopheres and depth, this movie is in a category all its own. In terms of the writing, I loved it. Nothing irritates me more than a sci-fi movie that is worded so nerdy with so many inside references that it goes over my head. Sure Harry Potter is good, but you need a book to know the back stories and a pen and paper to keep track of the made up words. Write simple and I will get it and like the movie better. James wrote the script in 3 weeks, I am ok with that because it was easy to follow.

It is long, there are a lot of fight scenes, but it is all worth it. I wish the love scenes were more developed, then it might be on par with Titanic, but it was still enjoyable. Word has it that this might surpass Titanic. Possibly. The technology has come a long way, but nothing made me cry like those last scenes with the boat sinking, and unless you make that emotional connection with the audience, Avatar is destined to be the number 1 movie of all time for ever! Right behind Titanic

Grade A-

Time keeps marching on. Being a parent has changed me. It’s changed what I think is important, what I react to, what a real crisis is, how I view family, how I take care of myself, the words I use when talking to Steph. It’s all for the better and it’s taught me what being a dad really is. Hope you enjoy the pics. Looks like I may have a funny song girl on my hands!!