It’s movie review time. I really should include a weekly section for movie reviews since I see at least one matinee each week. This week’s movie was ‘The Minority Report’. I’m sure many of you have seen great reviews from the critics about this movie. Roger Ebert said it was, “…a triumph.” Roger, I beg to differ. It was good but it wasn’t all that! Besides, I don’t want to focus on the story. I will focus on something much more poignant. The advertising! There were some cool special effects in the movie. Some of the effects included 3-D videos and cars that went vertical up the sides of buildings. There were also cool flying machines. All of those things are well and good but my favorite thing was the talking cereal box!

The amount of advertising in the movie simply boggles the mind. Just from what I remember, I saw ads for Lexus, Pepsi, Gap, Nokia and Timex (?). Believe me, there were many more sponsors than that. Think about it, you walk into a mall, get a retina scan and there is a multi-media ad personalized just for you! How fucked up is that? I love it! The cereal box was the best. Tom Cruise had just poured some cereal into a bowl and the characters on the box starts dancing and singing just like a commercial. How utterly annoying! Spielberg hit the nail on the head for overwhelming us with advertising in this movie of the not too distant future. I don’t know about the pre-crime future that the movie focuses on but I think he nailed the advertising part.

I am a true wimp. I admit it and I embrace it. This current heat wave brings out the pansy in me. I like it comfortable. I have a window air conditioner unit that I was dreading to bring from basement storage to my apartment. I live on the third floor! It’s one of those old heavy bastards that weighs a ton and isn’t kind on the BTUs. My electric bill is usually ½ again as much when I use it but one thing it does do and that is shoot out the cold air. It works like a champ and that is all that matters. I was able to get it up the stairs with brute force but putting the unit in the window without killing someone is a bit more delicate and I needed help! Huge kudos goes to my friend Kevin Kaempf who offered his services. Casper and I both thank you for helping get that beast in the window!

Now it is cool nights and not so hot days with the air conditioner is in my bedroom. Normally, I would just hibernate in there during the day but I actually have things to do so I relay the cool air to the rest of the apartment with strategically placed fans. As long as I sit on the couch and do not move I can feel the cool air! If it gets too hot then I drag EVERYTHING to the bedroom. TV, VCR, cable, computer, phone, food, etc. are all hauled into the boudoir for my convenience. I can stay in there for days! OK several hours since I must still use the bathroom. I wonder if I bring a bucket into the bedroom….

This weekend I was afforded the opportunity of a lifetime. My friend Rob had an extra ticket to see the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley field. I have lived in Chicago all my life and have never been to Wrigley field. It may have something to do with the fact that I don’t like baseball. Talk about a boring sport. The game this weekend sparked a little interest. The Cubs actually won against the Cardinals. I was surprised! OK enough about the stupid game. Can I tell you there are hot guys all over the place in that stadium!

I think I watched about 10% of the game and 90% of the guys. Hot, hot, hot! Supposedly, it was even gay day. Although you couldn’t tell from the section we were sitting in. We wandered up to the nose bleed section in right field and found our gay brothers and sisters standing around and not watching the game. It looked like a gay social up there. I have definitely come to the (obvious) realization that people really don’t watch the game they just come to get drunk on beer and socialize. Hmm…sounds like a bar to me. All that is missing is music and a disco ball!