Top favourite Christmas Movies

Well what can I say it’s December and unlike most adults I actually really love Christmas time. Sure the malls are packed, its cold outside, and having to spend money on presents for others instead of yourself really stinks. But luckily there are ways to help you get through the season without having to stab someone in the gall bladder.  Besides the snow, what I really love the most about this time of year is all the comfort food you can enjoy without having to measure your waistline because it’ll be covered up by sweaters.

Nothing beats a snowy night of junk food gluttony that’s accompanied by a good ol’ Christmas movie. So I’ve decided to name my favourite get-you-in-the-mood couch potato Christmas movies. Sure most of these films will have suffering and misfortune in them but like I always say, there’s nothing like other peoples miseries to make you feel good about yourself.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: This one stars Chevy Chase and Randy Quaid; not only is it funny, but it also has a sexy model working at a mall. Bonus points for being made in Chicago.

A Christmas Story: I love this movie because a ginger bully gets his ass kicked.

The Ref: An awesome Denis Leary movie before he became a commercial sell-out.

Friday After Next: Worth it just to look at the hot chick working at the lingerie store, plus Terry Crews is in it.

Bad Santa: 2 words; Fat kid (LOL).

Scrooged: Such a great film, with Bill Murray at his best. Bonus points for Santa fighting off terrorists.

Die Hard 2: Though I loved the 1st Die Hard, number 2 was my favourite because I love airports; plus Bruce Willis had hair.

Driven From Within; Michael Jordan

Title:  Driven From Within

Author: Mark Vancil

Publisher: Atria

Driven From Within was released around the same time that the Air Jordan XX sneaker hit retail stores.  At the time, the book reflected on the 20 years since the Air Jordan line had been created.  It not only talked about the past and future of the brand, but went deeper by providing exclusive interviews with the people that helped create the brand.  The book also comes with 2 foldout posters, various inspirational quotes by Michael Jordan, and numerous pictures including sneaker sketches.  The combination of Tinker Hatfield interviews and pictures of his sneaker sketches is my favorite part of the book.  Tinker Hatfield has been the lead Air Jordan sneaker designer since the Air Jordan III and has designed most of the sneaker line.

In his interviews he provides a detailed background as to where he got the inspiration for all of his designs.  In one interview he talks about the day when he first showed Michael the Air Jordan III, at a time when Michael was unsure of whether to extend his contract with Nike.  His design was so amazing that Michael decided to stay with Nike, and thus Tinker was credited with saving the Air Jordan line, and more importantly Nike. In another interview he talks about what went into designing the Air Jordan XI.  Here you could see how creative Tinker can be by taking inspirations for the XI’s design from things such as high-end backpacks, the Denver International Airport, and even a yellow lawn mower.  It’s one of those books that really remind me of how much I love sneakers and especially Air Jordan’s.  This book does a nice job of describing how each Air Jordan sneaker was created and I highly recommend it as a must read for any Air Jordan fan.

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Driven-Within-Michael-Jordan/dp/B001SAREBE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1292464167&sr=1-1

Christmas Ornaments: Eric Cartman

I have to be honest I’m not a big South Park fan.  I mean I started watching it in the beginning, and was only able to compare it to the Simpsons.  Naturally I didn’t like it, I hated the art work, I hated the storylines, and I hated how offensive it could be.  However I started watching it again a few years ago, when there was nothing else on.  A lot of the stuff that I used to hate about the show were upgraded, the artwork, the storylines, and although they were still very offensive, I found them to be more driven to have a message.

One character from the show which I love and I absolutely hate is Eric Cartman.  He’s racist, sexist, homophobic, mean, and very selfish.  Yet I can’t help but laugh whenever he’s on the show, pair him up with Butters and I’m crying in laughter.  Last year for Christmas I went to my local drug store and noticed they had a Christmas ornament of him.  I didn’t think anyone would buy him, so I waited until after Christmas to buy him when I knew he would be on sale.  Fortunately this decision paid off and I was able to buy him at half price.  The ornament was made in 2009 by American Greetings.  It is a Christmas version of Eric, and he is wearing a blue sweater that features a Christmas tree and some snowflakes.  He also doesn’t have on his beanie which makes him a rare collectable.  From the looks of it, I assume it is made from vinyl.  The paint job isn’t that great, but it still looks amazing on my Christmas tree.  Here’s hoping Eric will make Santa’s ‘nice’ list this year.

American Greetings:

www.americangreetings.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uoO_e0vb7w

Converse All Star Chuck Taylor

I guess you can say this is the sneaker that started it all.  The Converse All Star was first introduced in 1917.  Back in those days, tire and rubber companies were the first to introduce basketball sneakers into the market.  It’s amazing that a sneaker that old is still popular today.  I guess it goes to show you that something that is simple and well made will always be a classic.  Yet admittedly the company did see dark days during the late 90’s, which resulted in Nike buying the company in the early 2000’s.

While it was good that Converse sneaker would survive, Nike ownership also meant that the sneakers would now be made in China and with less quality materials.  It seems as though contemporary Nike is more concerned with profit, then with quality (but that’s just beating a dead horse).  The last time I wore a pair of Converse All Stars was back in the late 90’s.  The shoes look amazing on feet, yet they’re painfully horrible on your feet.  Swollen feet, calluses, bloody toes are just a few of the symptoms that I experienced when I used to wear them.  Oh and since I grew up in Canada, I also hated how my feet would always be wet because of the snow or rain.

So what made me come back to these torture feet chambers?  Well, looks and style of course.  I just love how they look on my feet.  Paired with a nice denim or khaki these shoes are classy.  And while I still hate the pain these caused me, I now remedy this problem by wearing insoles, and using them for only a couple of hours at most.  With the pain now gone, and so many styles and colours to collect, I will be able to wear the Converse All Star for years to come.

Converse:

www.converse.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5hug9FgDOQ

Hidden Rose Apple

I have been waiting since September to try these apples.  I first heard about them through my local supermarket magazine.  They said it was a special order from Oregon and that it would be limited.  What made me want them even more was that they also said the apples were green on the outside and pink on the inside, and that they tasted like lemonade.  I was freaking out because I love apples, and this was something I just had to try.  Well, I kept waiting and waiting every week for them to make it to the supermarket.  Finally 2 months later they arrived, and it was worth the wait because they tasted good.  The apples are sour like a Granny Smith, and yet sweet like strawberry lemonade.  I still can’t believe how good they were, and I can’t wait until next year when they’re brought back again.

Tim Hortons Christmas Ornaments 2010

If there’s one place I can’t live without it is Tim Hortons. For anyone that doesn’t know, Tim Hortons is a coffee shop franchise that is very popular in Canada. In fact everyone always laughs that you can find one on every block, seriously. I wouldn’t say they make the best coffee or the best donuts in the world, but it’s how they provide it that makes them the best. For instance their coffee is always fresh, and their donuts are also baked daily (from frozen, lol). They also provide a sort of home comfort feeling whenever you go there, all nice and warm.

This year, same as the previous year, they are releasing some collectable Christmas ornaments so people can take some of that Tim Hortons comfort home for the holidays. Last year they released a take-out cup ornament, which again is being released this year. It is made out of ceramic, painted in the same colours as a real cup, and comes with red string so you can hang it up on the tree. What’s new for this year is a coffee pot, which is made out of plastic and glass. Prices vary from region to region, but I was able to buy my set for $4.49 each. The quality for them is amazing, and I hope Timmies will be able to give us a new batch every year. I'm thinking a tim-bits box, donuts, bagels, etc…

Tim Hortons:

www.timhortons.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNvX55Y66rw

Air Jordan III True Blue Retro 2009

A few years ago I thought I would never be able to own a pair of Air Jordan III’s.  Although you could find some on eBay, the prices we’re just out of this world and more than what I was willing to pay.  Suddenly a ray of light emerged with the news that Jordan Brand would once again release the True Blue III’s in the summer of 2009.  What was even better was that it would be an international only release, meaning that I would be able to buy a pair in Canada.  This was good news because, for the past few years before 2008 Jordan Brand was releasing certain sneakers only in the United States (such as the grape V’s).  If I wanted to own US only releases I had to buy them off a reseller for a lot of money.  So when the day finally came to buy my True Blue III’s, I was super excited.  Release day was August 8^th, 2009 and they retailed for $189.99 Canadian.

The quality on these sneakers is better than it has been in the last few years.  The first thing that got to me was the smell, they have this wonderful new sneaker smell that has been missing from a lot of new releases lately.  The leather is a decent thickness, yet the tumbled leather feels so soft to the touch.  The overall silhouette of the sneaker is very accurate to the original version, and looks really good when worn.  I also like how the bottom sole is painted cleanly, without paint smearing from one area to the next.  I bought a size 10.5, and the item number is 136064 141.

There aren’t many bad things I can say about this sneaker, other than time will tell how they hold up (regarding paint chipping, comfort, and midsole cracking).  The only thing I would have liked from this release to have been included, would have been a retro card.  Overall this is a sneaker that I’m glad Jordan Brand made with better quality; materials and production.  With retro releases like this, I am looking forward to what the future holds for Jordan Brand and their retro releases.

Jordan Brand:

www.jumpman23.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k3ndin0kfw