CHINESE ZODIAC, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 49 min )

I went to see this on Tuesday, October 29th, 2013, in Emeryville, CA, at the AMC BAY STREET 16 for the 7:55 p.m. show in auditorium 16, 4th row ( counting from the front ), 6th column ( counting from the left ). The price of admission was $12.00. And I bought Curly Fries ( $5.00 ) and a 1-litre bottle of Dasani ( $4.75 ) at the concessions counter. I asked for a little cup of Ranch Dressing Dip to go with my fries, and I made a combo cup of Tapatio Hot Sauce and Heinz Ketchup Dip for my Curly Fries, too. I paid $1.50 for parking and $5.00 at the Carquinez Toll Bridge on my way home to Vallejo, CA.

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Quickie Review: Hawk ( Jackie Chan ) is working with a group of young activists interested in finding and repatriating lost artifacts; especially the bronze heads of the Chinese Zodiac, which were looted by Europeans who invaded China in the 1800s and who then destroyed the Old Summer Palace after ransacking it. But goons hired by an unscrupulous collector, counterfeiters, and pirates stand in their way.

There were just about a half-dozen people in the audience, myself included. And a couple, seated further back, liked this movie. I thought that it was "okay." This movie is definitely for hardcore Jackie Chan fans only. The plot is so-so but you don't go see a Jackie Chan movie for its plot, you go see it for Jackie Chan's ( Guinness Book of World Records ) stunts! By the way, to those of you who are a bit curious about it, the "brief nudity" in this movie is *Jackie's butt* in a Bonus Scene during the Ending Credits!

I first saw this movie sometime last year on movie2k.to before it was shut down by the "Internet Police." But I--just now--found out that it is back on-line once again as movie4kunblocked.co or, simply, movie4k.to!

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I went to see the Akshay Kumar movie, BOSS, at 3:40 p.m. at the UA EMERY BAY STADIUM 10 before I went to see this Jackie Chan movie. 'Sorry to say this, but this Akshay Kumar movie is stereotypical of pretty much most of his movies.

But, aren't most of Jackie Chan's movies pretty much the same way, too, you ask? Yes. Except that I have this bit of news to report on Jackie Chan:


>>> Jackie Chan Bashes America in Interview
Calls it 'most corrupt country in the world' By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 11, 2013 12:01 PM CST
STORY  COMMENTS (61)

(Newser) – Jackie Chan once said that "too much freedom" is a bad thing and that "Chinese people need to be controlled" for their own good. Which is why Max Fisher of the Washington Post isn't all that surprised by the actor's anti-American views expressed in a recent Chinese TV interview:

•America, he said, is the "most corrupt" nation in the world. "Where does this Great Breakdown [financial crisis] come from? It started exactly from the world, the United States. ... [But] now that China has become strong, everyone is making an issue of China."

Chan went on to fault any Chinese citizen who publicly criticizes China, especially to foreigners. "If our own countrymen don’t support our country, who will support our country?" he asked. "We know our country has many problems. We [can] talk about it when the door is closed. To outsiders, [we should say], 'Our country is the best.'" In general, his tone in the interview is more pro-China than anti-America, but it's still hard to reconcile his contradictory "condemnation of the country that has helped make him so rich," writes Fisher.

Showing 3 of 61 comments

Zero_for_President 1 hour, 36 minutes ago .America is a bankrupt and collapsing fascist, global military empire; with NDAA 2012 death camps already authorized by an 87% vote by Congress and signed by Obama. What, you don't know that? Moron Americans http://www.Justbelieve2012.com

Naked_Emperor 2 hours, 23 minutes ago .If America sucks so badly why do you keep coming here to make money?

JoelZWilliams 3 hours, 4 minutes ago .Funny, I don't see many Americans lining up to move to China and become a citizen. STFU you non-acting,ungrateful mockery of a martial artist.

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AMERICAN PRIDE

America Isn't the 'Most Corrupt Country' in the World (Not Even Close!)
Posted by Jenny Erikson on January 11, 2013 at 9:18 PM
Comments (6)|

I Like This .Jackie Chan: Martial artist, comedian, movie star, and America hater? Say it ain’t so! It’s sad but true; the actor absolutely slammed America as “the most corrupt” country in the world in a recent Chinese TV interview.

"Where does this Great Breakdown [financial crisis] come from?” he asked the host. He then continued, “It started exactly from the world, the United States …” He also criticized any Chinese citizen that speak ill of China, especially to foreigners. He said, “If our own countrymen don’t support our country, who will support our country? We know our country has many problems. We [can] talk about it when the door is closed. To outsiders, [we should say] ‘our country is the best.’”

Chan has long been a critic of freedom and a proponent of government control. In 2009, he told an audience, “I don't know whether it is better to have freedom or to have no freedom. With too much freedom, it can get very chaotic … Chinese people need to be controlled, otherwise they will do whatever they want.”

It’s ironic that the actor has amassed a reported net worth of around $130 million due in large part to his successful film career in the United States. You know, that corrupt country where people freely choose to spend their own money to watch him karate-chop the heck out of bad guys onscreen.

What the heck is wrong with doing whatever we want anyway? Isn't that what’s great about America? So long as you don’t infringe upon anyone else’s rights, you can make your own decisions. You control your own life, from what kind of movies to watch to your chosen profession to who you marry and how many children to have. Freedom is awesome!

There is no perfect system, and there will probably always be corruption of some form or another in any given country. But to say that America is the most corrupt in existence is unfair, untrue, and uncalled for.

What do you think of Jackie Chan’s remarks? Is America really corrupt?

About the author
Jenny Erikson is a conservative chick living in Southern California with her husband and their two daughters. She loves politics and hates laundry.

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Comments (6)

tuffymama on Jan 11, 2013 at 9:35 PM
LOL. Like the US could ever outdo China in corruption. Puh-lease. Someone must've had a knife to his back, figuratively speaking. Frickin China. Whatever.

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Reepicheep.CSL on Jan 11, 2013 at 9:50 PM
Well China, isn't that like the pot calling the kettle black? I have nothing good to say about China at all and I won't be watching another Chan movie...

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Carmen8706 on Jan 11, 2013 at 9:57 PM
Hmmm, let's see... all this poisonous stuff that is killing us is coming from China, you've got people starving and dying in North Korea, you have people getting bombed in Afghanistan, you have rampant slaughter and rape in various parts of Africa, you have drug wars in Mexico and other parts of Latin America, and the U.S. is the most corrupt nation?  Too bad Mr. Chan can't use all his money to buy himself a clue.

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wamom223 on Jan 11, 2013 at 10:29 PM
I want to just ditto the above comments.  We've done business with China and let me just say that is the worst experience we have ever had.

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livelaughlov26 on Jan 11, 2013 at 10:54 PM
I respect him as an actor, person, and martial artist. I appreciate his honesty instead of kissing Ass. He is entitled to his opinion. And I agree with him.

Report this comment

shygrl3cccm on Jan 11, 2013 at 11:29 PM
That's rude! I can't believe he said that after he gained so much fame and wealth here.

Report this comment <<<

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I had enough time between shows to swing by my former workplace at the Rockridge District in North Oakland, CA. I saw three of my former co-workers there. We just exchanged pleasantries since it was time for me to go back to Emeryville to see CHINESE ZODIAC.

On the way home after the movie, I found out that the Emeryville on-ramp was closed down for some repair work. So, I had to detour--and got somewhat lost momentarily--until I got on San Pablo Avenue and took the Ashby Street on-ramp to get on the freeway for my trip home.

But I stopped by first at the Food Maxx Supermarket on Tuolumne and Redwood Streets, here in Vallejo, to buy a pack of 12-count Charmin toilet paper.

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Charmin Basic single-ply is the only toilet paper that I use at home. So, whenever it's on sale, I load-up. I have $75.00 worth of Charmin at home right now. But I think I'll buy some more because I'm happy when my butt is happy. Ha, ha, ha.

Charmin Basic single-ply, IMHO, is the best toilet paper--ever! Some might argue that either Quilted Northern or Angel Soft is better but ... these two are double-ply, not single-ply like Charmin Basic; so, it's like comparing an Apple to an Orange. There simply is no comparison!!!

Years before I became a fan of Charmin toilet paper, I read a newspaper article which purported that college co-eds would only go on dates with guys who gifted them with Charmin Toilet Paper because the picky girls preferred this toilet paper over any of the other kinds of toilet paper supplied by their dormitories. Such picky butts, I said to myself. But look at me now! Ha, ha, ha. Mr. Whipple would be so proud.

Mr. Whipple, in a TV ad from the 70s or 80s, whose famous catchphrase was: "Please, don't squeeze the Charmin!" I found this on the Internet.  My, how blurry the TV Ads--and Shows--were back in the day. Yeah, sonny, back in the day, I would only get a penny each day for school lunch money; and I had to walk 10 miles to school and back in deep snow wearing only my shorts, T-shirt and sandals---Wait! what ...? It doesn't snow in the Philippines--'never did! Never mind ....

But, he better not squeeze my stockpile of Charmin, or else ....

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GRAVITY in I-Max 3-D, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 31 min )

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I went to see this movie on Tuesday, October 8th, 2013, at the EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA, for the 10:10 p.m. show in auditorium 12, 5th row ( counting from the front ), 7th seat ( counting from the left ). The price of admission was $18.00. I bought a medium Popcorn for $3.00 ( $1.00 upgrade on a $2.00 Small Popcorn Tuesday Special for movie rewards card holders ) and a small 32.0 oz Fruit Punch for $4.75 at the concessions counter.

Quickie Review: "Houston, we are all alone!"

Two astronauts, newbie Dr. Ryan Stone ( Sandra Bullock ) and veteran Matt Kowalsky ( George Clooney ), are left stranded in outer space when their space shuttle is destroyed by space debris resulting from an asteroid ( or meteor? ) destruction of a space satellite. Knowing that falling back down to Earth means "not-so-instant" 100% death, they both venture further out into space to save their lives ( since no space aliens are present to save them--despite the "proofs" shown on YouTube ).

I don't know about the rest of the audience, but I liked this movie!

prediction: This movie is a strong contender for an Oscar in the Best Director and Best Picture categories! ( And Sandra Bullock looked hot out of her spacesuit. But you didn't hear that from me. )

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I went to see this right after work. I was gonna have dinner first at the Hometown Buffet across the street from this theatre, but they close at 8:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday--not enough time for me to get my money's worth!

So, I swung by the Great Moon Chinese Buffet in the same shopping center as the theatre. But they close at 9:00 p.m.--still not enough time for me to get my money's worth!

I went back across the street to see if the Noodle House, a Vietnamese restaurant, a few doors down from Hometown Buffet, was still open. They, too, close at 8:30 p.m. on this particular night.

I just drove over the freeway to the In-N-Out Burger Restaurant ( open 'til 1:00 a.m. ) for dinner while I waited for this movie to start. I ordered the Double-Double Cheeseburger Meal. I paid "six-something" for it.

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INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 45 min )

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where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Sunday, September 15th, 2013
show: 8:35 p.m.
costs: $10.00 Ticket + $1.00 5.0 oz Muncheros Crunchy Peanuts ( bought at the nearby Dollar Tree Store in the Target Shopping Center and smuggled-in ) + $4.50 1-litre Dasani Water = $15.50
auditorium: 14
seat: 5th row ( counting from the front ), 6th column ( counting from the left )

synopsis/overview:  For Elise ( Lin Shaye )

Something from beyond has come to exact revenge on the Lambert family.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Paranormal investigation circa 1986; 2.) "I think it's stupid"; 3.) Piano; 4.) "You first"; 5.) VHS tape; 6.) "You have to go"; 7.) "How is that possible"; 8.) Forensics result; 9.) "Row, row, row your boat"; 10.) Old acquaintance; 11.) Dick; 12.) "This was an ICU"; 13.) "Your dead soul is killing his living skin"; 14.) Old patient's record; 15.) The song; 16.) "Hey, look! They left the window open"; 17.) Rocking horse; 18.) "If she sees you, she'll make me kill you"; 19.) "I'm not Foster" [ Andrew Astor ]; 20.) Portrait; 21.) Bride in Black; 22.) "It's not the house"; 23.) Code word; 24.) Knife; 25.) "I know you, don't I"; 26.) "He's got your baby"; 27.) Reunion; 28.) Memories; 29.) "So, that's what that was all about"; 30.) Teapot; 31.) Little boy; 32.) I played your song; and 33.) "The accident was no accident."

audience reaction: The audience seemed to like this movie.

recommendation: I didn't like this movie. It was "comical" in its delivery. I had to restrain myself from heckling this movie. It is strictly a rental.

spoiler alert! Don't tell me that the gender-confused boy's mom went around in public wearing that kind of a hideous makeup!  The strangle-hold on the woman was wrong---You cannot quickly kill someone using that kind of a hold. There are no such things as fogs,  flashlights and lamps, or houses--or solid land to walk on, in the dark after-world--listen to someone who knows: Me! There is only one scary scene in this movie along the line of "Boo! gotcha ...." This movie uses stupid, loud and grating "music" that was in common use maybe around 50 years ago.

fyi: According to the Canadian Psychic ( he looked like a young version of the '70s US Diplomat, Henry Kissinger ) who taught me over a decade ago how to destroy bad ghosts ( I said Ghosts, this technique doesn't work on Spirits or Demons ), when you leave your body as you go on an out-of-body astral travel, any ghost which happens to be nearby will be able to see you as if you are a searchlight shining in the dark!

Imagine leaving your body and, all of a sudden, from out of nowhere in the darkness, you feel an invisible hand slam hard against your forehead and shove you back into your own body! Or, how about awakening in your darkened room to the feel of a pair of hands grabbing at your head while another pair of hands is grabbing at your ankles as if a couple of invisible entities have decided to play Tug-of-War with your body in the darkness while, at the same time, you hear a diabolical laughter in the background? Or, how about awakening in the dark because a pair of invisible hands has grabbed you by the head and is trying to break your neck by twisting your head to either side? I've experienced all these and suchlike encounters throughout the years.

And, in an out-of-body state,  I once ventured into the world of darkness to issue a challenge to the dark entities because I want to get even with them all. A number of them had taken me up on the challenge, only one almost killed me in a sneak attack ( read my blog on OMG--OH MY GOD! [ Oct. 8ht, 2012 ] ).

The realm immediately after the physical world is a vast expanse of darkness inhabited by dark entities which crave what humans have: Physical Existence! You cannot see them because they're dark but these base entities can see your soul when you do an out-of-body astral travel simply because you're yet alive which makes your soul "glow" in the dark to them, drawing them in like moths to a flame. I call this dark realm The Wilderness Of Sin. This vast expanse of darkness is mentioned in the New Testament of The Bible as the place "where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth" [ Matthew 22: 12-14, 24: 50-51; Luke 13: 27-29 ]. This is the place inhabited by Lost Souls, Evil Spirits and Demons, i.e. Whoremongers ( Sexually Immoral ), Sorcerers, Idolaters, Murderers, Liars and Dogs. In the New Testament's Book of Revelation, the word Dogs mean the Fearful ( the Faithless ), the Unbelieving ( the Atheists and Agnostics ) and the Abominable ( the Blasphemers ) [ Revelation 21: 8, 22: 15 ]. The one who successfully traverses The Wilderness Of Sin and enters into the Kingdom of God is called the Overcomer [ Revelation 21: 7 ].

Jesus Christ said, "But seek ye first the Kingdom of God ... and all these things shall be added unto you" [ Matthew 6: 33 ]. This may seem out of context in light of what chapter 6 expounds upon but ... you cannot really approach God without first entering into His Kingdom--'just plain ol' common sense. Remember, after Jesus Christ was baptized, the Devil tempted Him by telling Him that he, Satan, rules this God-forsaken World [ Matthew 4: 8-9 ]. So, leave the Sinful World to seek God's Holy Kingdom but know beforehand that between Earth and His Kingdom is the Wilderness of Sin. Here's a fitting analogy: In Medieval Time, you're a traveler walking alone in the forest on your way to a safe, fortified city. Will you feel safe walking alone in the forest knowing that there are wild, man-eating beasts lurking about, and the relative safety of the fortified city is over a day's journey away? And Jesus Christ did say that anyone who loves his/her life will lose it [ John 12: 25 ], i.e. anyone who will not dare cross the Wilderness of Sin in search of the Kingdom of God because he/she feels safe and comfortable in the physicality of his/her insular world.

Avoid "christians" who are too scared to even see a horror movie for fear that they will have nightmares about it. And avoid "christians" who sleep with the lights on! ( I keep my condo as dark and as quiet as much as possible in order to attract entities who might be stupid enough to try and engage me in a battle of Faith. And think of the money I save on my monthly electric bill--I pay around $12.00/month on my electric bill! )

When you venture into the Wilderness of Sin, you will not be alone. Your Guardian Angel will be there with you. Although your Guardian Angel keeps itself invisible in the wilderness it is there with you at all times should you become "overwhelmed" and be in need of its assistance.  I must stress the word Assistance--You don't get a "free ride" without doing any necessary work on your own! After all, your Divine Gift of Free Will makes you responsible for your own Salvation. Remember, whenever two or more are gathered in God's Name, God is in their midst, too [ Matthew 18: 20 ]---So, you're not really alone by your lonesome self when you find yourself in the Wilderness of Sin.

Faith Tip for the Day: The name "Jesus Christ" strikes fear in the "hearts" of these dark entities. And I really don't know why because The Messiah's true name in Hebrew is not Jesus Christ, it is Y'Shua ( or a variation thereof )! Feel free to use the name "Jesus Christ" as your first-and-only line of defense--I use it as my last line of defense because I'm hell-bent ( or should that be "heaven"-bent ) on revenge!

If the dark entities cannot overcome you in the Wilderness of Sin, they will find somebody in the Physical World near you who is spiritually unevolved and possess such a weak and faithless person and have it do their work for them and attack you in the Physical World. That's why Jesus Christ told his Apostles and Disciples to be humble [ through 1 Peter 5: 6 ] and to love their enemies [ Matthew 5: 44 ] and to offer the other cheek [ Matthew 5: 39 ]. He also said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" [ Luke 23: 34 ]. A word of caution here: These teachings were given to His Apostles and Disciples and, in turn, were handed down to ONLY THOSE WHO WERE/ARE ACTIVELY CULTIVATING THEIR OWN SPIRITUALITY! These teachings are not meant for those who take God's Name in Vain and just pay Him lip-service!!!

Have I found the Kingdom of God? No. That can wait. I want to get even first with all of the dark entities who terrorized me since I was a helpless little boy! Why had I been under constant attack? Simple, I don't belong to them---I'm their enemy. And if Bad Ghosts, Evil Spirits and Demons all consider me their sworn enemy, guess whose side I am on? And I take great comfort in that. Amen ....

word of advice: Home is where the entity is.

tidbits: After the movie ended, a man seated a few seats to my right jokingly said to his two sons, "Well, my mind is blown."

A bit of bad news for you, my readers: I'm taking a sabbatical from blog posting for the next few months because my free time is now taken-up by my on-line study. I'm taking an on-line course and will have to devote my free time to it.

On the practical side of things, I've been blogging for well over 4 years and have not made one single penny on any of the ads I've posted on my blogsite---Honestly! And since I'm getting close to retirement age, I need to find ways of supplementing my income. Which is why I'm taking an on-line course and hoping for the best.

But I will blog about a movie once in a while if I have something good to write about in my fyi and/or tidbits sections.

'Til next time, then ....

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RIDDICK, R ( 1 hr & 59 min )

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where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Thursday, September 5th, 2013
show: 10:00 p.m. Advanced Screening
costs: $10.50 Ticket + $1.77 bulk Chocolate Candies + $4.50 1-L Dasani Water = $
auditorium: 2
seat: 4th row ( counting from the front ), 5th column ( counting from the left )

synopsis/overview: Court intrigue lands Riddick ( Vin Diesel ) on an alien planet. His only means of escape is to trigger an emergency beacon at an abandoned outpost. But the beacon brings with it two problems: a group, out for justice, that wants to arrest him; and a group of bounty hunters greedy for a reward on his head.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Left for dead; 2.) "Dogs"; 3.) Map; 4.) "Not Furya"; 5.) "I got civilized'; 6.) Venom; 7.) Pool creature encounter; 8.) "I thought we shared everything"; 9.) MRE; 10.) "'Looks like our time is up here"; 11.) "Bounty doubled"; 12.) "Cut that 60.0 kilos loose"; 13.) "I was getting attached to her"; 14.) "Here comes the neighbor"; 15.) Malfunction; 16.) Traps; 17.) "So, this was overkill, huh?"; 18.) "One night, three dead"; 19.) "I'm pretty sure we killed that one"; 20.) "Barium detected"; 21.) Sideshow; 22.) "May all your dreams come true"; 23.) "He could be anywhere"; 24.) "I don't f*ck guys, either"; 25.) "Fair trade"; 26.) "Are you scared of me"; 27.) "Incompatible ships"; 28.) '"Too late for back-up"; 29.) The father; 30.) Tranquilizer; 31.) Interrogation; 32.) "I know what's coming"; 33.) "Why don't we sit this one out"; 34.) "'Small ones are the worst"; 35.) "You said, 'No weapons'"; 36.) Morphine; 37.) Ground game; 38.) High ground; and 39.) "Sooner or later, we have to head home."

audience reaction: The audience sort of liked this movie.

recommendation: I didn't like this movie--save for two scenes ( heh, heh, heh ). You'd have to be a fan of the first installment if you really want to see this on the Big Screen. Otherwise, wait for this to come out as a rental.

spoiler alert! Why didn't that bird use its claws to try to free itself? The leg plate which he screwed to his leg bone was done unsanitarily. In that sparsely vegetated planet, Riddick should have died of malnutrition well before his "puppy" became full-grown. If they were capable of interplanetary travel, why were they not equipped with infra-red, thermal imaging and night-vision goggles to better hunt down their quarry with? When Riddick was coming down on his enemy, the bad guy had enough chance to fire-off a few shots--even the guy seated two seats to my right made the same observation when he expressed it vocally to his girlfriend.

fyi: When the Bone Marrow is introduced to an environmental contaminant, it sets the stage for some serious infection.

The last time that I was in Grand Rapids, Michigan, my sister gave me some MREs ( meals ready to eat ) that someone from the military gave to her. The packaged meals were actually quite tasty; and there were quite an assortment of entrees too. Unlike the k-rations which I had for the first time back in 1982 which were limited in selection and were just "palatable" in taste.

word of advice: If you want to finish-off someone, do a thorough job of it.

tidbits: I started my day off with an 8:45 a.m. appointment with my Chiropractor ( I had to reschedule my usual every-other Monday appointment because this Monday was Labor Day, a Holiday ).

Then, I went to my Periodontist to pay $100.oo for a cleaning. I still have $136.oo left to pay, which I'll do within the next two weeks.

And I went to the Goin' Postal Store in the Food Maxx Shopping Center here in Vallejo to pay the fee on my postal box. The fee increased from $37.oo to $43.oo! And I hardly ever use my box; I only use it for when I order a big merchandise on-line. I will have to close this account if they raise the fee next year.

I then went to Benicia, CA, to pick-up my paycheck and to shop at the Safeway Supermarket for ingredients that I would need for the Corned Beef and Cabbage that I planned on cooking later on in the day.

I made a deposit in my savings account at the Benicia BofA ( Bank of America ). Next, I drove to the nearby Chevron Gas Station to gas-up my car and to buy some lottery tickets. And I went to the Benicia Chase Bank to make a deposit in my checking account.

As I was about to back-up my car, I noticed something familiar across the parking lot from Chase Bank. There, on the sidewalk in front of Starbucks, was a vintage Piaggio Stella Scooter. It was beige-and-red in color and looked a little beat-up for its age. I went and had a chat with its owner because I'd never seen one up-close and personal. This classic vintage scooter is now popularly reiterated as the new Genuine Scooter 4-stroke Stella. It is made in India by the same company which makes engines for Vespa. It is essentially like the old Stella except that it has a glove box, has a better front brake, has an electric start, and comes with the option of a rear chrome rack and rear mirrors. The old Stella could only go 45 mph while the new Stella can go up to 65 mph. And the new Stella is claimed to go 140 miles on a gallon of gas! This is a definite must-have, if you're looking for a city-commuter type of scooter---Oh, 'less I forget, the new Stella also comes with an optional side-car. The world-famous singer, Billy Joel has a green Genuine Scooter 4-stroke Stella with a side-car. I'd like to get one in the blue/white two-tone combo.

I found this on the Internet. I believe that this is a Genuine Scooter Stella, not the Piaggio Stella of the '70s.

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Then, I was on my way to Oakland, CA, to visit my friend Hector and his sons, whom I haven't seen since April when his wife was rushed to the hospital---She's still in the hospital!!! I don't know how he can afford the medical expenses since he's retired and is on a fixed income.

One of Hector's sons, Tito, is a mechanic on disability. I wanted him to show me how to replace the headlight assemblies on my 2001 Hyundai Accent.

If you remember, I went to a local dealership a few months ago to have the headlights replaced. But the dealer quoted me a price of about $250.oo for a single OEM headlight assembly--and I needed a pair.

I went to Pep Boys to see if they could just restore my headlight lenses. But the mechanic told me that the headlight restoration job was only good for a year because the headlight lightbulbs are high-intensity bulbs that "cook" the headlight lens from the inside. So, in the long run, I was better off just having the headlight assemblies replaced, especially since the bulbs were still the original 2001 pair and would soon need replacement, too.

I went on-line and came upon www.partsgeek.com. And they had After-Market replacement headlight assemblies for my car. I ordered a pair for only $86.oo ( each headlight assembly was just $43.oo ).

As I waited for Tito to come home from running errands, I spent the time cleaning my tires and wheels. I used a cheap tire-and-wheel cleaner that I bought earlier in the day at the 99-Cent Only Store in Vallejo.

Hector's youngest son, Ivan, offered to sell me his brand-new Bluetooth at a discount. But since I was on a tight budget because my workplace screwed-up my pay the last two weeks, I couldn't buy it from him. Maybe, later.

Hector's two cats, Sylvester ( the female ) and Snow White ( a.k.a. Harry Potter ) had a baby kitten. But it died after just being alive for a month. Poor kitten.

If you remember, I renamed Snow White as Harry Potter because, just like his famous namesake, he is white and has a "lightning streak" birthmark on his forehead---Well, the word should be "Had" because his birthmark is no longer visible. Maybe, somebody bleached it out. Ha, ha, ha.

When Tito finally arrived home, and after he rested-up for a short while, we went to work on replacing my headlight assemblies. I replaced the headlights on my 1978 Honda Civic and on my 1994 Geo Metro years ago. But the Hyundai Accent headlight assemblies proved tricky to work on. Tito finally figured-out that in order for each headlight assembly to be replaced, we had to unbolt the fenders at the top and move each one up an inch and out of the way! The battery had to be removed as well. But the end result was professional; and my new headlights are now 3X brighter. Tito saved me approximately $470.oo in out-of-pocket expense had I chosen to have the dealer replace my headlight assemblies, instead. I gave him $40.oo for his help. The next time that I visit him, I will buy a part for his car engine.

-These are the headlights on my 2001 Hyundai Accent before Tito and I replaced them. The time was around 5:50 p.m. when I took these photos. Notice how badly oxidized the lenses are.

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These are the new replacement headlight assemblies that Tito and I installed on my Hyundai Accent. The time was around 6:37 p.m. when I took these photos. We spent the better part of the time scrounging around for the tools that Tito's dad, Hector, somehow misplaced.

After we finished replacing my headlights, Tito asked who cleaned my tires. I said that I did, that I used a cheap tire and wheel cleaner that I bought at the 99-Cent Only Store. He told me not to use the cheap stuff because it will just dry out my tires. I said that that was exactly what my mechanic at Wheel Works said. I'm just gonna have to buy a better quality cleaner for next time.

Then, we went to pick up Tito's father, Hector, who stayed the whole day with his wife, Elsa, at a nearby hospital. We rode in the used 2000 Ford Taurus that Hector bought. Tito was angry when his dad bought the Taurus because he looked at them at the used car lot and told his dad specifically NOT TO BUY EITHER OF THE TWO USED FORD TAURUS cars on the lot. But Hector, after some "advise" from his other son, Isma ( who is not a mechanic ), went and bought one of the two Taurus cars anyway---And he's paying $300.oo a month on a car that sounds and drives like it is on its "last leg"!!! Since he was paying that much for a car, he should have gotten a new one, instead! But it is just I and Tito talking ....

Anyway, as I was cooking the Corned Beef and Cabbage, Hector said that Russia and China were sending their warships to Syria because of the planned US attack on Assad's military in response to the use of Chemical Weapons against the Syrian civilians. And I said that if we ever get into a war with China, I will personally launch an attack on all the Chinese Buffet Restaurants here in Northern California! My famous namesake once said, "An army travels on its stomach." Well, them Chinese commies won't be able to travel far if they decide to invade California because I will have already eaten their food supply by then! They will learn the hard way not to mess with Cine-Man, a.k.a. Pig-Out Man!!!


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THE GRANDMASTER, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 10 min )

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I went to see this on Saturday, August 31st, 2013, in Fairfield, CA, at the EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX for the 10:20 p.m. show in auditorium 15, 4th row ( counting from the front ), 5th column ( counting from the left ). The price of admission was $11.50. I ate at the Hometown Buffet Restaurant across the street before I went to see this movie ( I spent $15--something for dinner and tip ).

Quickie Review: Before the beginning of the Japanese Occupation of China during World War II, a highly-skilled martial artist from Southern China is tested to see if he is deserving of the Martial Arts Grandmaster title when the current Grandmaster prepares to step down. Based on the life of the legendary Wing Chun Kung Fu Master, Ip Man, mentor of the late, great Jeet Kune Do Founder, Bruce Lee.

The audience liked it.

I didn't. Although it was kept to a minimum, wire-work was obviously employed in certain scenes. It was because of this that my enjoyment of the movie was spoiled. Go see this if you like watching a martial arts dance movie.

But there are other things in this movie that spoiled it for me: Before I go down the list of things that are wrong about this movie, allow me to say that the fight scenes are done more with fancy style and less with practical substance---And it is all just a well-choreographed "dance". In the first fight, where Ip Man ( Tony Leung ), was surrounded by armed bad guys, he would have been easily defeated had all of them rushed him at once! In a situation such as that where you find yourself surrounded by bad guys, Adrenaline kicks-in while you're deliberating between Fight or Flight and your Fine Motor Skills ( needed to execute fancy moves ) all go flying out the window. In other words, a good composure in such an instance is impossible unless you can anticipate your enemies' every move BECAUSE YOU'RE A PSYCHIC and/or YOU CAN SEE ALL AROUND YOU ( and you can move very fast, have powerful punches and kicks, and you don't get tired very easily )!!! A real fight doesn't drag on for a long time; it's usually over in a few seconds---And, even then, whether you are the winner or the loser, more than likely, you'll come out of the "few-seconds-fight" gasping for breath--and good luck to you if you're out-of-shape and/or are a chain-smoker! The bad guy that he kicked in the right knee and who eventually got kicked to the ground didn't react to his knee injury in the right way when he fell. In the first fight scene, why didn't the bad guys realize soon enough that the reason why their collective asses were being handed to them by the hat-wearing Ip Man was because their vision was being impaired by the pouring rain? Before he fought Gong Er ( Zhang Ziyi ), Ip Man said that if ANYTHING got broken, she'd win the fight---How stupid of a pre-fight condition is that?!?!?! Never mind that a bunch of bad guys that he fought with earlier probably ended-up with broken bones ( but "won" anyway ...? )! I guess Wing Chun Kung Fu doesn't have any Joint Locks and Submission Holds in its arsenal. A Cardinal Rule in Close-Quarters Fighting is to Never Turn Your Back On Your Enemy!!! Turning your back on your enemy as you deliver alternating back-fist strikes will only get your arms and/or shoulders put out of commission by a fighter such as myself before your butt gets kicked to the ground! Zhang Ziyi was probably channeling Kristen Stewart while acting in this movie, what with her expressionless eyes! A disclaimer at the end says that the characters are fictional, making this movie which is "based on the life of Ip Man" just a fancy work of fiction.

The one thing that I liked in this movie was Ip Man's use of Open-Palm Strikes, which are practical to use against multiple attackers because the bones in the fists are kept safe from breaking.

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I once observed from far away an old Chinese man doing Tai Chi. As I watched him, I noticed that even from such a distance I Could Feel His Chi! I mentioned this to a Vietnamese-Chinese co-worker, Dang. He told me that that was good because it meant I had good Chi. But I answered Dang by telling him that the old Tai Chi Master knew how to manipulate his energy and that I was only sensitive to it; meaning, if the old Tai Chi Master and I got into a fight I WOULD STRONGLY FEEL EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF HIS PUNCHES AND KICKS---Ouch!!!

I do know how to manipulate my Chi: I can move it anywhere on my body but I cannot project my Chi consciously at somebody else. And before I saw that old Tai Chi Master, I could never feel anybody else's Chi.

At one other time, I mentioned to "John", a Chinese co-worker from mainland China, that I was using Ginseng. He told me to stop using it because my Chi was very strong. I asked him how he could tell. He just smiled at me and walked away. Damn! those mainland Chinese sure are so secretive!

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The next time that I eat at Hometown Buffet Restaurant, I will be sure to sneak-in some burrito-size tortillas because they only have taco-size ones--and they would always run-out of them before I could get a chance to make myself a big, fat burrito.

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