Nobody Checks Baby in the Corner!

There comes a time in every man's life when he will be required to stand up and defend the honour of his woman. For this Meanie, that time was this past Thursday night.

You see, the Future Mrs. Meanie and I play co-ed rec ball hockey together and during our last game there was "an incident". Actually, it wasn't really one big incident - it would be more accurate to say that there were a series of minor annoyances.

Now, you have to understand the level of ball hockey we play is classified as "recreational" only because there aren't any leagues below that level. However, somebody forgot to pass that little tidbit on to "Gloves".

"Gloves" is the nickname we gave to a goofball player on the other team due to the protective hockey gloves he decided to wear during our "REC" ball hockey game. I don't get it - did he think the little wittle bouncy ball was gonna hit him in his tender wittle fingers?? Or was it because he was planning to play ultra aggressively and was bracing himself for the inevitable retaliation?? Yeah, methinks you already know the answer to that loaded question.

Anyway, as expected, "Gloves" was playing like a belligerent little punk, hackin' and wackin' anyone who came near him with his stick. Now it's not unreasonable to expect to take a stick across the shins on occasion (as I said, it's rec hockey), but the offending actions are usually followed up with an, "Oh my God, I'm so sorry", or a, "Sorry - are you ok"?

But no such concern or sympathy was forthcoming from "Gloves". So he's a jerk - not really a big deal, I've played against plenty during my rec-sports career.

But then the Future Mrs. Meanie (who is new to rec sports and normally fairly mild mannered) came back to bench and let loose a number of expletives while describing her unpleasant experience out on the floor with "Gloves".

Well, it's one thing when someone repeatedly slashes me across the knuckles, but nobody, and I mean NOBODY messes with the Future Mrs. Meanie and gets away with it!

Enter The Screaming Meanie.

"Gloves" wouldn't be abusing too many of my teammates (especially the Future Mrs. Meanie) for much longer.

The next time I was out on the floor against him, I accidentally on purpose threw a monster hip check and flattened the son of a bitch.

Yeah I know, I'm the man.

Another Screaming Review: David Cook Live at Casino Rama

This past Monday night the Future Mrs. Meanie and I travelled two and a half hours to Casino Rama in Orillia to see David Cook - the man, the myth, the legend! Ok, so maybe he's not a legend yet. Or a myth. As for the man part, well, he does like the Kansas City Royals so feel free to draw your own conclusions.

Anyway, I digress......

The two of us are both huge fans of David Cook and have been ever since his improbable run on Season 7 of American Idol - although we seem to like him for two different reasons.

In contrast to Daughtry two weeks ago, David Cook put on an awesome show!! I did have a couple of wee complaints so let's get that out of the way before the shameless gushing begins.

First of all, the show was way too short. He hit the stage at 8:00pm, and was finished by 9:15pm. No opening act (not that I'm complaining), and start to finish the whole concert was 75 minutes long! Arghhhh!!!

From what I understand, the length of the concert is due to a restriction of the Casino and not an issue with Mr. Cook's, ahem, stamina (The Future Mrs. Meanie just breathed a huge sigh of relief).

My second and last complaint was his set list. He didn't play Declaration. Or A Daily AntheM. Or Permanent. These are 3 of the best songs on his debut record and he didn't play them! Instead he chose to cover Van Halen's Hot For Teacher, play a song from his pre-Idol Analog Heart record, and the bonus (or hidden) track Kiss on the Neck. Look, it's not that I don't like these songs, but how can you have a "Declaration Tour" and not play Declaration?!?? It was more than a little disappointing.

Ok....enough of that. Time for what he did right - and believe me when I say that he did plenty very right!

The band was incredibly tight and sounded fantastic! It's fairly evident that almost a year on the road has really brought these guys together. However I was a little surprised to see Survivor's Evil Russ playing bass!!

Kidding of course, but check out the picture, he really does kind of look like Russell Hantz!

What can I say about David Cook's voice?? This cat can flat out sing! He never has any trouble hitting the high notes, and his voice is just as strong at the end of the show as it is at the beginning. And I like that Mr. Cook sounds like a man when he sings - could be a macho thing.

Unlike Chris Daughtry, David Cook is incredibly charismatic. He was bantering back and forth with his band, and with the audience. He really made us all feel like we were a part of the show and expressed genuine appreciation for being able to perform for us. Whether it was convincing everyone to get on their feet, or offering up an early Christmas present in the form of a new song he's written for his sophomore record, David Cook knows how to work a crowd.


By the way, that new song he played - Make Believe - is freakin' AWESOME! But don't just take my word for it (although my word really should be considered gospel), click here to hear it for yourself!

One of the lighter moments (and my personal favourite from the show) was when the band spontaneously broke into Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On. I know, you're probably thinking it's lame - but believe me, it was very very funny! Even David Cook was crackin' up.

Our seats were incredible! After purchasing tickets on the floor (12th row), The Future Mrs. Meanie took it upon herself to surprise me with upgraded tickets - 2nd row! Of course, she kept this most excellent surprise to herself right to the bitter end. I actually thought the usher put us in the wrong seats!

However, she still had the 12th row tickets in her purse. So, this called for a Random Act of Kindness! I took our no longer required 12th row seats, marched to the back row of the theater and gave them to a young couple who were thrilled to be moving much closer to the stage!!

During the last song of the evening, David worked his way into the crowd and played the tail end of the song out amongst his fans. Very cool.

Speaking of the crowd. There seemed to be three very distinct groups of fans. There were the women (most of which seemed to be 40-something cougars), the geriatrics (who were comped tickets by the casino), and then there was me - the lone man who was there because he wanted to be there and not because he was dragged against his will by his girlfriend.

That's right, I'm a man, I'm a fan, and I'm not gay!

The Future Mrs. Meanie and I had a good laugh actually watching all the geriatrics coming in. We figured they were either comped the tickets, or they were there to see that "nice young man on Idol who sings The Beatles, Mariah Carey and Neil Diamond". I'm guessing that they've never listened to his album and realized he is a rocker!

And yes, David Cook is a rocker - and a damn good one! He put on a helluva rock show, and this Meanie can't wait to see him again! Besides, I really like the mood that the Future Mrs. Meanie is in after seeing him live - makes it a good night for me!! Heh heh. Thanks Mr. Cook - I owe you one brother!

A Screaming Review: Daughtry Live in Toronto

Well, I'm only two weeks late getting this up, but on the eve of the David Cook concert I thought I would review the show that Daughtry put on 2 weeks ago in Toronto at the ACC.


The short review would be that Daughtry sucks live.

However, since I am a man of the people, I am going to treat you to the long review. My inner-most thoughts. Yes, I will bare my soul simply so that you, my dear reader, are entertained.

Ok, ok, I'll just tell you about the flippin' rock concert.

Two weeks ago the Future Mrs. Meanie and I took my daughter Martina to see her absolute favourite band (that's Daughtry for any of you having a hard time following along). It was her first rock concert.


Daughtry played the Air Canada Centre in Toronto and in my humble opinion it was the absolute wrong venue for them to play. They attracted a crowd of around 6,000 people in an arena meant for 18,000. When you only attract enough people to fill a building to one third capacity it really looks empty (are you listening Toronto Blue Jays?). I can't help but think that Massey Hall or Hamilton Place would have been a better location for their live show.

Despite what I said off the top about Daughtry sucking, the show wasn't a complete disaster. The good - Daughtry sounded great. Actually they sounded awesome! Chris Daughtry is an Uh-May-Zing singer!! How the hell did Taylor Freakin' Hicks beat this guy on American Idol?? The sound mix could have been better though as the instruments easily drowned out Daughtry's vocals (much to my dismay).

But there was plenty of bad. The "show" was awful. Honestly, somebody needs to find Chris Daughtry a personality! Yeah, the man can sing, but he is no frontman. After every song there was a long delay as he ran to the back of the stage to wipe the sweat from his brow, chug down some water, and change guitars. And then he would walk up to the mic and say something astonishing like, "yeah". He really needs to learn to engage his audience. Tell some funny stories, or tales about life on the road, or an anecdote about the song he's about to sing - hell, say anything for cryin' out loud!!.

And then there was his song choices. There were two notable gaffes that I noticed, one on a song he did play, and one a song that he didn't play.

First, he chose to cover a song for the "children of the 90's". The problem was the song he chose was an obscure one that nobody seemed to know (I'd tell you what song it was but I still don't know). Secondly, he chose to omit 'What About Now?' from his setlist. Are you kidding me?? What About Now was only one of his biggest hits and he chose to dump it so he could sing some lame art house song that no one cared about?!?? Terrible mistake as far as I was concerned.

Having said that, he did a great job covering Phil Collin's In The Air Tonight.

Their use of pyrotechnics was embarrassing, the stage was way too big for them, and even when the President of Sony Canada presented the band with a platinum record (Canada is the first country where their record has gone platinum) the only thing Chris Daughtry could think to say was, "well that doesn't suck". Uhhhhh, how about "thank you" you ungrateful jack ass??

*sigh*

Look, I'm a fan of the band and I love their music, but I would never pay to go see these guys again - their live show is terrible. Perhaps it's just too early in their burgoening career to be headlining an arena tour?? I don't know. But they're going to have to make some changes to their live shows if they hope to have a long and lustrious career.

That being said, my daughter loved the show and that's the most important thing. When my little girl is happy, I'm happy.

I can't wait to see David Cook tomorrow night - having already seen him in concert before (twice if you count Idols Live 2008) I know he will put on a good show. Stay tuned for my review.

This is Halloween, This is Halloween......

Hey everyone,

I thought I'd share some of my pics from this past Halloween with all of you out there in the blogosphere. I hope you enjoy them!

Martina (daughter) as the Grim Reaper, Me as Jason Voorhees, Christian (son) as Rorschach from Watchmen

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Group shot including my future sister-in-law Samantha (Samualanta!) as Morticia from the Addams Family. And yes, Sam is tall, but the huge heels she's wearing make her look like a giant!

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Samualanta! Errrr, I mean, Morticia.

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Tch tch tch tch tch tch, Ha ha ha ha ha ha.....

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This city is afraid of me. I have seen it's true face.

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You can be a king or a street sweeper, but everybody dances with the Grim Reaper.

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There is good and there is evil, and evil must be punished. But there are so many deserving of retribution.....and there is so little time.

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Jason's version of "Punishing Children for Dummies".

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Our Excellent Jays Adventure

Hey everyone,

I haven't posted anything in what seems like forever and for that I apologize - life just seems to get in the way from time to time.

Anyway, I still have no time today for a "proper" blog entry, so I thought I'd quickly share with you my son's favourite day of all time - the Toronto Blue Jays 2008 Home Opener!

Oh, and Happy Halloween everyone!

Enjoy!

JC's Top 5: Bon Jovi Songs

Bon Jovi has been my favourite band for years. They've produced 10 studio albums, and 4 compilation/live albums. Their 11th studio album, The Circle, will be released next month and I for one am super excited about it!

It's been a while since I've posted a JC's Top 5 (actually, it's been a while since I've posted anything), so with a new Bon Jovi album coming about, I thought it was only fitting to honour my favourite band.

With well over 100 Bon Jovi songs to choose from, trying to narrow down my 5 favourites was difficult, but, here are the results.

5. Thank You for Loving Me

If the future Mrs. Meanie and I were to choose to have a traditional wedding (which we won't), this song would have to be given serious consideration as our first dance. It's a beautiful song that eloquently captures the essence of how a man feels about his girlfriend/wife. But in typical Bon Jovi fashion, while the song is sweet and sensitive, it still retains an element of masculinity.

Favourite Lyrics:

You pick me up when I fall down
You ring the bell before they count me out
If I was drowning you would part the sea
And risk your life to rescue me

To listen to Thank You for Loving Me click here.

4. Hey God

Hey God was a single from Bon Jovi's sixth studio album These Days. If you're not familiar with the song, it could be because the only place in the world that it was a hit was the UK (those Brits sure have great taste!).

But I love this song because the characters in it are all on the edge of despair and questioning their faith. And really, who among us (that don't question the Big Guy's existence) haven't wondered if God actually notices or cares about our struggles?

Favourite Lyrics:

Hey God I'm just a little man
Got a wife and family
But I almost lost the house, yeah I bought into the dream
We're barely holding on when I'm in way too deep
We're two paychecks away from living out on the streets.

To listen to Hey God click here.

3. Have a Nice Day

Have a Nice Day is one of those songs that just makes you feel good! It's empowering and fun all at the same time. And not surprisingly, it was a top 10 hit around the world!

Favourite Lyrics:

My Daddy lived a lie, that's just the price that he paid
Sacrificed his life, just slaving away
Oh, if there's one thing I hang on to
That gets me through the night
I ain't gonna do what I don't want to
I'm gonna live my life.

To listen to Have a Nice Day click here.

2. Prayer '94

Prayer '94 is a reworked version of Living on a Prayer that was included on Bon Jovi's greatest hits album Cross Road. So why did I pick this song and not the original?? I really feel the slower tempo of this song suits the lyrics and captures the despair (and hope) of Tommy and Gina much better than the original did.

Favourite Lyrics:

Gina dreams of running away - yes she does
When she cries in the night Tommy whispers
Baby it's okay - it's ok, someday.

To listen to Prayer '94 click here.

1. You Give Love a Bad Name

You Give Love a Bad Name is not only my favourite Bon Jovi song, it is the song that got me listening to them in the first place! From the first time my friend Russ played this tune for me I was absolutely hooked. I rushed out and purchased Slippery When Wet and instantly fell in love with the band!

VH1 ranked You Give Love a Bad Name at number 20 on their list of "100 Greatest Rock Songs", and I've ranked it at #1 on my list of Top 5 Bon Jovi Songs. I wonder which the band considers a bigger honour??

Favourite Lyrics:

Paint your smile on your lips
Blood red nails on your fingertips
A school boys dream, you act so shy
Your very first kiss was your first kiss goodbye

To listen to You Give Love a Bad Name click here.

Let me know what you think of my list. Do you agree? Disagree? And what's your favourite Bon Jovi song?

Golf: A Tale of Broken Carts and Lost Clubs

Yesterday some colleagues of mine and I took advantage of the nice day and went out golfing. Actually, our golf outing was planned over a month ago and we've been praying for good weather ever since - who knew that prayers actually paid off??

What we really took advantage of was the super duper green fees the course was offering on this fine Thanksgiving weekend (yes, here in Canada we celebrate Thanksgiving on the right weekend - not like our goofy neighbours to the south). The golf deal - $32 for 18 holes and a cart! Yeah, go ahead, catch your breath, I'll wait.

While your catching your breath, I should put in a wee plug for the golf course - Oak Gables in Ancaster. If you're a recreational golfer, or a hack like myself, you really should give this course a try. The staff are very friendly, the course is pretty decent, and you can't beat their rates!

I should point out that I just took up golfing this year, and yesterday was the first time I've ever golfed 18 holes in my life. I'd golfed four rounds of 9 holes previous to this one. Hmmmm, sounds like I'm setting you up for something spectacular - I'm not, so please don't get your hopes up.

Anyway, with two foursomes ready to hit the links, I broke out my new golf shoes (thanks to my little Meanies and the Mother Meanie), my $35 used clubs, and my mad skillz.

It certainly was an interesting day.

Billy the Kid and ADAMantium (two of the four in my foursome) somehow managed to break a wheel on their cart. According to them, there were no shenanigans going on at the time of the breakage. They claim that they simply "hit a bump" going down a hill. A bump on a hill caused the wheel to snap and mangle underneath the cart??? What, do they think I'm new here or something??

However I can't really say for sure what happened - at the time of the "mishap", I was looking in the trees for a errant ball (I blame it on the wind). You'll be pleased to know that I did find the ball and rocked the next shot. Sort of. Or not. Alright, I was shooting from the base of a tree, what do you think happened??

I have to say, I did have some pretty good luck with the trees yesterday though. While the others were cussin' and swearin' looking for their balls in the woods, I found it's a lot easier to just bounce em' off the trees and back onto the fairway! No joke - twice I managed to ricochet balls off of trees deep in the woods and wind up with a favourable lie on the fairway! I told you I brought my mad skillz!

However I am glad that the future Mrs. Meanie picked up a dozen balls for me the day before (the "sure, I'll grab your balls" joke never gets old) or I would have been pooched! While I may have had great luck with the woods, the water - not so much. If there's any kind of water anywhere close to the hole I'm shooting, you can bet money that I'll find it! I lost a half dozen balls in the ponds and streams alone! If the object of the game was to hit water hazards, I'd be Tiger Freakin' Woods!

But golf balls weren't the worst thing I lost on the course yesterday - I somehow managed to lose a club! Somewhere between the 8th and 10th holes I managed to misplace my pitching wedge! Not that I know how to use my pitching wedge or anything, but damn - how the hell do you lose a golf club?!???

So how did I shoot??

Well, let's just say I paid the same green fee as everyone else and I got to play more golf than anyone in the group - save for my boss Jamie who really knows how to get a good bang for his buck!

Game On!

The NHL Season kicks off tomorrow, and like any self respecting Canadian, I'm giddy with anticipation! With that in mind, I thought I would share with you 10 fearless predictions for the upcoming season.

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1. Dany Heatley will win the Rocket Richard trophy, the Ottawa Senators will miss the playoffs again, and Bryan Murray will be fired.

2. Marian Gaborik will miss 40 games with (wait for it) a groin injury.

3. The Toronto Maple Leafs may have added a boatload of "truculence", but they'll still miss the playoffs - Quelle Surprise!

4. Even with John Tavares, the New York Islanders will still suck.

5. In a stunning announcement that would make Brett Favre proud, Mats Sundin announces he is un-retiring and will join the New York Rangers for their playoff run.

6. Ovechkin will score a goal that will be even more spectacular than this one!

7. The Flyers will win the East, The Sharks will win the West - both will be upset in the first round of the playoffs.

8. The NHL will ban the use of BlackBerry's around the league.

9. Canada will defeat Russia to win Olympic Gold!

10. The Pittsburgh Penguins repeat as Stanley Cup Champions defeating the Detroit Red Wings - Sidney Crosby still can't grow a playoff beard.

Am I Going to Hell?

Do you have what it takes to get thrown out of a church?? Are you bad ass enough to be told that you're a negative influence on a congregation?? Have you ever been kicked out of a House of God by the Pastor himself??

I have! That's right, 5 years ago this Screaming Meanie was thrown out of a church and asked not to come back!

I know what you're thinking. "JC! What did you do?!??".

Was I dealing drugs?? Heckling the Pastor?? Questioning the Good Book?? Mocking Jesus?? Or did I turn the Pastor's wife into a Screaming Moanie??

Mwuahahahahahahah!

No, I'm afraid it was nothing quite so sinister. In fact, it was such an everyday event that it's almost unfathomable that it was an issue for the church. Are you ready for this? Folks, I was tossed from a church for - *GASP* - dating!!

Huh?!?? Yeah, I didn't get it either. It's not like I was dating a man.

*sigh*

I will explain.

5 years ago, the future Mrs. Meanie and I began our whirlwind romance. However, at the time that our courtship began, we were both still married to other people!!! Mon dieu! Well, according to the "church" we were still married, according to big brother, we were happily seperated from our respective spouses - and had been for over a year!

My ex-wife and I had called it quits the year before, and she wasted no time moving on. The day after I moved out she posted an ad on a dating site! The future Mrs. Meanie's ex-husband left her for, ahem, an ugly woman! That's no joke, I couldn't make that up folks.

The trouble with the church started when one of the busybody neighbours (who was a member of the same church we were) noticed that I had slept over at the future Mrs. Meanie's house (how bad are we?!??). Being the good Christian that she is, the neighbour ran to the Pastor to tell him what we had done!

And so the intervention began.

The Pastor had arranged to have a few of the men in the church meet with me to try to make me see the error of my ways. We met individually for coffee, and as a group - after a series of meetings over a few days, I almost felt dirty for falling in love with a woman. Almost.

Of course the women did the same thing with the future Mrs. Meanie.

They tried their best to make us feel guilty for "cheating" on our spouses. It didn't matter that we were both legally seperated, because in the eyes of the church we were committing adultery because God doesn't reckognize seperations. He doesn't??

Now, you have to understand that this whole church thang was still very new to both of us. Neither of us grew up going to church. In fact, I was 18 before I realized that "Jesus Christ" was a real dude and not just something your parents say when the cable bill comes in!

So then how was I supposed to know that it was "God's plan" for us to reconcile with our spouses?? Far be it for me to question (or worse - anger) the big guy upstairs, but surely he knew my ex-wife. So how could that be his plan for me?? Didn't he like me??? Didn't he want me to be happy?? Or was this one his tests that I heard so much about?? You know what I'm talking about right?? Your house is ripped apart by a tornado on the same day you lose your job and find out your Mother has passed away - but it's not a bad thing - it's just God's way of "testing" you to see if you will continue to follow him.

But I digress....

It was unimportant to the church that both of our ex's had moved on or that the future Mrs. Meanie and I had ZERO interest in patching up our marriages, the good Christians tried and tried and tried to get us to stay with The Lord and put our relationship on hold.

But there were two things working against that, a) we were madly in love and b) we had both been single for over a year and had rediscovered the joy of physical contact (I'll let you make your own conclusions).

So, the church called in the big gun - The Pastor himself!

He came to the house to Biblethump us. He didn't want to lose two of his sheep. Two of his rising stars. Two of his future leaders in the church. Two people who were regularly tithing. Oh, did I say that out loud??

Armed with scripture, he blasted us with reasons why our relationship couldn't continue. Then he started on me with his "if you were a man" nonesense. If I was a man I would be strong enough to dump the future Mrs. Meanie. If I was a man I would be able to reckognize that she wasn't strong enough to do it herself. If I was a man I would be able to see that by prolonging the relationship I was risking her eternal damnation.

If I was a man.

If I was a man??

Cue the slow burn.

I was raised to respect people in a position of authority, but I was beginnig to lose my good senses. I politely explained to the greedy well meaning Pastor that we had no intention of ending our relationship.

He then told us that we were a bad influence within the congregation and that they couldn't condone what we were doing. He said that if we insisted defying God's will, that he was going to have to ask us to stay away from the church.

Gak! The future Mrs. Meanie and I had just been thrown out of a church!! So what were we to do?? Well, I decided to "be a man" and I threw the Pastor out of the house!!

My question is, what would happen if we were to ever go back to church?? Would we spontaneously combust and be cast into the depths of hell the minute we set foot in there?? Well, the future Mrs. Meanie and I have decided not to risk it and have therefore just avoided the hallowed grounds altogether.

So far it seems to be working for us.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

You're humming that annoying Christmas tune right now aren't you??

When I say "It's the most wonderful time of the year", I don't mean Christmas. But if not Christmas, then what??

The kids going back to school? Nope, that's soooooooo last week.

Baseball playoffs?? Nahhh, too early.

NFL?? Yeah it's pretty cool that football season is under way, but since my Raiders haven't played a relevant game in almost 7 years, that ain't it.

NHL?? Yes, training camps have opened, but I'm a Leafs fan, so if there's anything wonderful about that, please, enlighten me!!

No folks, what I'm talking about is much bigger than "back to school". It's an occasion far greater than Christmas. And it's something wayyyyy better than sports!!

I'm talking about............

SURVIVOR!!

Few things in life make me happy the way Survivor does. There's Battlestar Galactica (Caprica Six......hubba hubba!). Star Wars (original trilogy) does. Games 6 and 7 of the 2002 World Series did. Pocket Aces make me happy about 80% of the time. Cheesecake makes me happy 100% of the time. My kids of course take the cake (but if they take the cheesecake I'll disown them). And then there's the future Mrs. Meanie - at certain times of the day (or night as it were) she makes me the happiest!! Heh heh.

But I digress.

As of this writing, there are only 2 more sleeps until the 19th Season of Survivor (Samoa) premieres on CBS!

2 more sleeps until I get to hear Jeff Probst utter those four famous words - "The tribe has spoken".

2 more sleeps until 20 cast aways will starve themselves for a shot at a million dollars.

2 more sleeps until my Thursday nights are tied up for the next few months.

2 more sleeps until the next JC's Survivor Pool.

2 more sleeps until the plotting, planning and backstabbing begins.

2 more sleeps until hot-half-naked-dumb-as-post-women fill my 52" LCD TV! (What can I say - I'm a man!).

2 more sleeps until Friday mornings at the office are filled with Survivor talk! I guess if you want to split hairs that would be 3 more sleeps.

2 more sleeps until this junkie gets his fix!

2 more sleeps until I find out if anyone is hot enough to make this list.

2 more sleeps until we find out if anyone will be this stupid.

2 more sleeps until I am the happiest Meanie in the blogosphere!

Did I mention that it's 2 more sleeps until dumb-half-naked-women will be on my TV screen??

Only 2 more sleeps!

*sigh*

Oh, and when I said that Survivor is "wayyyyy" better than sports - I may have been exaggerating just a wee bit.

JC's Top 5: Rocky Moments

Growing up, Rocky Balboa was one of my hero's - along with Luke Skywalker, Daniel Larusso, and Captain Kirk! So it was only a matter of time before I dedicated a top 5 list to the Italian Stallion, Rocky Balboa.

This list is all about 'Rocky Moments'. Now, one of the things you'll notice is that Rocky's speech to his son from the movie Rocky Balboa made the list here (one of my top 10 movie scenes of all time), but is not included in this top 5. Why?? Because this blog is about the emotional moments from the Rocky movies. Those moments that either give you goosebumps or bring a tear to your eye. And Perhaps Rocky's speech to his son was one of those moments, but I chose not to include it.

My blog - My rules!

With that in mind, I give you JC's Top 5 Rocky Moments! Enjoy.


5. He's Not a Machine. He's a Man!

In Rocky IV, Rocky Balboa takes on the seemingly unbeatable Russian Captain, Ivan Drago. Early on in the movie, Drago kills Apollo Creed in an exhibition fight and Rocky is looking to avenge the death of his bestest buddy. The fight doesn't start out so well for Rocky as the Russian lays a pretty good beating on him. But as we know from the previous three flicks, Rocky's chin is made of iron! Drago however must have missed Rocky I thru III because he's caught completely off guard when Balboa launches a powerful counter attack! This is one of my favourite scenes of the Rocky (uhhhhh.....sixology??) and you will be cheering FOR SURE!





4. We've Got Everything But The Truth......

They say that behind every good man there is a great woman. Never has that been more evident than in the following clip. After the death of his trainer Mickey, and the revelation that all 10 of his title defences were against handpicked opponents, Rocky is struggling to find his mojo. Unsure of himself, his training with former foe turned friend Apollo Creed has been somewhat lacklustre.

Enter Adrian Balboa.

She gives Rocky an inspirational speech that rivals any that Barack Obama has delivered!

In the following clip, the Rocky III training montage follows the tongue lashing bestowed upon Rocky by Adrian. Enjoy.




3. There's One Thing I Want You To Do For Me.....

The Rocky movies are full of great life lessons. The lesson in this clip is an important one, so ladies - PAY ATTENTION!! We men can accomplish nothing without your support. No matter what we're doing in life - working, playing, loving or living, if we don't have the support of the woman we love the most, we will suck at it. In the back of our head, we will always be thinking, "she doesn't want me to do this", or worse, "she doesn't believe in me"!!

Let me set up the following clip for you. Following their epic bout from the first Rocky, Apollo Creed desperately wants a re-match to prove that the first fight was a fluke (Rocky went the distance). Rocky accepts the challenge from the Champ even though Adrian wants him to retire (for health reasons) and is vehemently against the fight. As a result, his training for the fight is uninspired, and life at home with his pregnant wife is strained. When complications during childbirth result with Adrian slipping into a coma, Rocky begins to evaluate what's important in his life.

This clip picks up with Adrian waking from her coma. Yes, the shivers you'll get watching this are normal.




2. Rocky Balboa Has Shocked The World!!

I could watch this scene over and over and over again! Wait a second, I have watched it over and over again! Ok, here's what you need to know about this clip - Rocky Balboa has no chance of beating Apollo Creed for the title. ZIP. ZERO. NADA.

Having said that......enjoy the clip.




1. Where's Your Hat?

Ok, this may not be a spine chilling or awe inspiring clip. Nor is it a clip that will have you leaping from your couch and cheering. But it is my favourite moment of all six Rocky flicks.

I have long believed that save for Titanic, the first Rocky may be the greatest love story ever told! In this clip, Rocky Balboa has just accomplished what no other fighter in history has managed - he's gone the distance with the Champion Apollo Creed. So how does Rocky celebrate this implausible feat?? By crying out for Adrian! And when she finally arrives in the ring, mere moments before they exchange their first "I love you's", Rocky utters the greatest line from the entire series - "Where's your hat?".

Those three simple words epitomize the Rocky character and I absolutely loved it. Enjoy the fight!



Let me know what your favourite Rocky moment is!

Father of the Year

Ladies and gentlemen (I'm assuming my faithful readers are one or the other), I heard some news today that made me shake my head. Worse, when I heard the news I think I even uttered the "F" word - in front of my Mama Meanie no less!!

I warn you now, this is a very personal blog entry and I'm not attempting to be objective. Nor am I trying to be politically correct or nice - hey, the blog is called "The Screaming Meanie" not "The Screaming Nicie".

So what's the news??

The future Mrs. Meanie's ex-husband is a Father again. Yikes!!

Ok, so at first blush, this may not seem so shocking (or personal). But for those unfamiliar with the exploits of the Dumb Ass that is my future's ex, I shall enlighten you.


The Father of the Year (who shall from here on in be referred to as FOTY or dumb ass) already has 2 children that he has chosen not to see.

Yep, you read that right. For reasons unbeknownst to me (or anyone else for that matter), after leaving his wife for another woman, he just decided one day to stop seeing his children. That was 4 years ago.

How does a man live with himself after walking out on his kids?? He'll tell anyone who will listen that his "bitch ex-wife" won't let him see his kids. But I can assure you dear readers, that that's a big steaming pile of monkey crap. He has never, not once, been denied access to his children. Even if the future Mrs. Meanie wanted to, as an advocate of Father's rights, I never would have allowed it.

Spreading his bile may make him feel better when facing his friends (like the bible-thumping hypocrite or the forever expanding Italian), but I can't help but wonder what goes through his little pea brain when he's on his own. When there's no one around to lie to, does he think about his kids?? About what he's done to them?? Does he think about them on their birthday's?? And does he feel guilty for leaving them Fatherless?

Well, they're not really Fatherless. They have me. And I don't toot my own horn very often, but as far as I'm concerned, they've upgraded. They may not call me "Dad" (a conversation I'm sure the future Mrs. Meanie and I will have soon), but I am "Dad" to them in most senses of the word. And come November 7th, I'll be "Dad" in EVERY sense of the word.

As a Father myself, I can't help but wonder how a man could possibly leave his children. More specifically, why did Dumb Ass abandon his kids?? I wish I knew. All I know is that he was pissed that he didn't get his way in court and hasn't seen the kids since. Is it nothing more than the mother of all hissy fits?? It's hard to think that someone can be that childish, but I really don't have any other explanation.

So before I end this blog entry I must ask the obvious question - is his current wife the dumbest woman on earth??? Seriously, I'm not asking tongue in cheek. He's already abandoned 2 children - why in the name of the Baby Jesus would she ever want to have a child with this dork?? What makes her think that he won't abandon their daughter??

And when he's holding that little girl, does it remind him that he already has a little girl that desperately needed a Father?? Not to mention a son. But not to worry, his two kids will be loved and taken care of. They will not go Fatherless - I'll do it. And I'll do it much better than he ever could have.

Any idiot can make a baby (FOTY is living proof of that), but it takes a man to be a Father!

Take Me Out To The Ball Game......

There are so many "firsts" in life that you never forget. Your first day of school. Your first car. Your first love. Your first kiss.

But all of these pale in comparison to your first baseball game!

And so it is that I am extremely thrilled to have shared that experience this past weekend with the future Mrs. Meanie's son, Connor.

However, what was even better, was watching my son Christian take take his future step-brother under his wing and teach him the ropes - helping him pick out a souvenir t-shirt, showing him where the bullpen is, showing him how to read the scoreboard, and more importantly, how to use your licorice as a straw!

Yes, this past Sunday, I took my boys to the Roger Centre to see the Jays play the Yankees.

An afternoon at the ballpark - Baseball. Souvenirs. Hot Dogs. Popcorn. Peanuts. Coke. Pizza. Does it get any better for 12 and 6-year old boys??

It was so cool watching Connor as he observed everything with wondrous eyes that only a 6-year old possesses. As we sat on the top level of the train he marveled at being able to see the roof of the train station. He was in awe at the height of the roof in the Skywalk (the walkway that connects Union Station to Rogers Centre).

And then there was the Rogers Centre itself. To a 6-year old, it must have seemed like the grandest place on earth!

As I mentioned earlier, my son Christian took it upon himself to be the best big brother he could be and enhance Connor's first trip to the ballpark. And I couldn't have been prouder of him for doing it. I have been doing my best to raise him to become a man. A good man. And eventually, a great Father. And based on what I saw Sunday, he has been paying attention.

Connor looks up to his big brother so much so, that on Sunday, he decided that he finally likes hot dogs. And why?? Because Christian was having a hot dog!

Seeing that it was Connor's first game, we introduced him to everything! The street meat outside the Rogers Center. He got to meet and have his picture taken with the drummer dude who rhythmically plays and sings "Let's go Blue Jays". He got his first program. His first Jays cap. His first Jays T-Shirt. And ultimately found a favourite player - Travis Snider.

Connor was thrilled to watch his new favourite player - Travis Snider - run down a fly a ball and make a spectacular catch in left field. He was even happier to see him throw the tagging runner out at home.

We also introduced him to his first seat at the ball diamond. Section 236, Row 1, Seat 6. Yup. First Row! We prefer the 200 level because the seats are cushioned, and they have cup holders - which come in very handy when you have a bucket size Coke!!

The only downside to the seats we occupied is that they weren't in an ideal location for catching foul balls. But that didn't stop Connor from sliding on his glove every time a "lefty" came to the plate - just incase. We never did catch a foul ball (although two dropped right in front of us and one flew just over our heads), but after almost every one, Connor chronicled in great detail (and with actions) how he would have caught the ball had it arrived in our section.

The only thing better than lots of junk food and souvenirs at a ballpark, is when the home team wins. And the Jays didn't just win, they spanked the Evil Empire (Yankees) 14-8!

Connor couldn't wait to show his Mom (the future Mrs. Meanie) all the neat stuff he accumulated throughout the afternoon. Programs, pictures, a t-shirt, and the item he coveted the most, his new ball cap!

I'm all about creating memories for the kids. Sometimes (like Sunday) it costs me a fortune, but at the end of the day, it's worth every penny. My goal, my job, is to teach these boys how to be men. How to be Fathers. And my hope is that when my boys have kids of their own, that they'll remember days like Sunday, and will want to create these types of memories for their children. If they do that, I will have succeeded as a Father, and my Grandchildren will reap the benefits.

Until then, I will leave you with these words of wisdom..........

Let's go Blue Jays!