Thanksgiving In Texas

Recently got back from Dallas, where I was visiting my brother for Thanksgiving. The weather was surprisingly good for the time of year, so we got to go see a lot of things during our trip. It was pretty cool!

Dale Just Built a New Home (HDR)

It's In a Peaceful, Wooded Area (HDR)

Entry Walkway

And It's Also Pretty Nice

Inside the House

I MUST Put a Home Theater In My Next Home!

Time for Thanksgiving

Took a Tour of the Death Star

It is HUGE. And so is the HDTV

Mary on the Field

Cowboys' Locker Room

JFK Death Spot & Book Depository

Oswald's Window (He was framed, BTW)

Watch Your Head!

View from the Grassy Knoll

Dale Votes With His Italian Carcano Rifle...

Six Flags Is on the Road To Six Flags... Street

Holiday Time at Six Flags was Awesome! I highly Recommend!

Another awesome trip done and in the books! Aside from the good BBQ, there was a surprisingly large number of things to do in the Dallas area. Hopefully we can get back to visit more often and see everything there is in the area. Good times!

Disneyland Halloween!

Sorry this post is a little late, but Mary and I went over to Disneyland for their Halloween offerings this year. It was pretty cool how they decorated the park and re-did some of the attractions for Halloween. It looks like they've found their niche with Knotts and USH doing the "adult" Halloween events and Disney sticking to a more family friendly version.

Main Street Station (HDR)

The Park was All Decorated Up! (HDR)

A LOT of Rides Broke Down. IJA was no Exception.

We Were Stuck on Indy for about a Half Hour

We Noticed the Top Skull was Wearing Sunglasses

Coooooobraaaaaa!

Indy Track

These Hand Rails Pop Up when the Ride Breaks Down

Welcome to Critter Country

Chick-a-Pin Hill

Yeah, I got Really Wet

We got Stuck on Toy Story Mania as well...

Cute...

Corner Seats. Don't know why the People Next To Us are Sleeping

Candy Corn Trees!

Front Entrance Decorations

Mansion was Redone as the Nightmare Before Christmas

Where are My Presents?

GIANT Jack Skellington

Space Mountain was Redone Too. It was Pretty Cool

I Wonder if They'll Keep the Murals When They Redo Star Tours

Sleeping Beauty Castle Diorama was Reopened

Spinning Wheels... well... Spinning

RAAAAAWR!!! FWOOOSH!!!

Mickey Jams Out on Main Street

All in all, we had a great trip. I was shocked by all of the operations down-times during our trip. We got suck on Indy, Toy Story Mania, Autopia and Mansion. We also saw Pirates, Grizzly Rapids, Screamin', Space, Splash, Matterhorn and Roger Rabbit go down. Bizarre. It didn't ruin our fun though. We still had a great time and hopefully we can go back soon!

Evening at South Mountain

Made my way up South Mountain for the first time in a few years. It was good to get back up there and take a few photos. Hey, we even had a few friends show up!

Old Primitive House on the Mountain

Phoenix From Up Top

Mary Enjoys the View

Panoramic View From South Mountain
(Click Image for Large Panorama)

Mary Portrait

The Shannons are Here!

Paul & Sheenae at Sunset

Andel's First Hiking Trip

He's More Interactive Now

Phoenix at Night (HDR)

Paul and Grandpa Hebert!

Andel Shannon

Paul and Sheenae just had their first baby! Andel Shannon was born on August 27th at
St. Joseph's Hospital. He was 9lb 12oz!

Andel's First Day

Baby Close-Up

Mary Holds the Baby

Daddy With His Baby

Movie Review: Inglourious Basterds

Wow! What can I say about Inglourious Basterds? Well, it was one of the best comedies I've seen in a long time, for one. Really. It may be a dark, dark comedy, but its definitely a comedy. I and my fellow movie-goers were laughing uncontrollably during numerous parts of this movie. It was truly awesome.

Quentin Tarantino has now redeemed himself after the abomination of a movie he called Grindhouse. I was still reeling from having to sit through that snooze-fest when I saw Inglourious Basterds, but this movie was just the cure. It was funny, ultra-violent (as any Tarantino movie is), and actually had a pretty darn good plot! I was engaged in the story, and there were several scenes where the tension was palpable. The movie really has you wondering if the heroes will succeed in their secret plot, if the Nazis will find the hidden jews, etc. And the fact Quentin Tarantino is directing makes the mystery that much better, because he's so crazy practically any outcome to the story is feasable.

The plot of Inglourious Basterds follows an elite team of American Jews who parachute into Nazi occupied France with the mission to kill as many Nazis as possible. I don't need to warn you that you are going to see some serious violence go down in this movie. You already know that. But that doesn't bother you. That's why you want to see the movie, isn't it? You won't be dissappointed. The movie is also filled with so many classic film references, there's no way you'll catch them all. Hell, even the title is a throwback to a 1978 Nazi exploitation film by almost the same name.

Once the heroes get down to whacking some krauts, bigger and better targets present themselves, leading to a finale that is truly epic by any definition of the word. It was soooooo fullfilling. Hell, you'll practically need a smoke after watching the finale of this movie.

I'm sure there will be all sorts of reviews psycho-analyzing this movie. A Reverse-holocaust with the Jews killing the Germans, Tarantino parodying the blood-lust of own his audiences with the wholesale slaughter of German audiences sekking to fullfill their own bloodlust, etc. Don't pay any attention to it all. Just view this movie for the awesome spectacle it is. It's good, wholesome, fun violence. Besides, what better target for the murderous rampage of a Tarantino film than the Nazis? Everybody hates Nazis.

SCORING: I give Inglourious Basterds 4 Agent Smiths out of a possible 5.