Reviews and More

The Sopranos was back last night to start the stretch run to the series end. “Sopranos Home Movies” was episode number 6×13, and I have to admit that I was hoping for MUCH more action than what we actually got. Here’s a quick recap of what happened:

Tony gets arrested on a weapons charge for a gun that he dropped two or three seasons ago when he was running from the feds out by Johnny Sack’s place. Apparently, some teenager picked the gun up and used it to shoot at cans and stuff. The kid was recently arrested for having coke in his car, and is offering up testimony against Tony in exchange for a reduced sentence. Essex County didn’t have much of a case, so they ended up dropping the charges after Tony made bail. But towards the end of the episode, we see that the feds have decided to go ahead with the weapons charge because it will make their RICO case that much more compelling.

Meanwhile, Tony and Carm go out to Bobby and Janice’s cabin to celebrate Tony’s 47th birthday. Most of the episode focuses on this retreat and shows more of the same dysfunction that we’ve come to expect whenever Tony and Janice are in the same room. The highlight here had to be when Bobby slugged Tony in the face during a drunken Monopoly game because Tony kept insulting Janice. The two then got into an all-out fistfight that Bobby ended up winning.

Then Tony brooded over the fight for the rest of the ep, saying how he was at a disadvantage because he was shot last year, and that he could have won the fight if it happened a few years ago. I kept expecting the patented Soprano rage to kick in and to see Tony blast Bobby with that big-ass assault rifle he got as a present, but that didn’t happen. Instead, Tony got his revenge in a more subtle way: he made Bobby carry out a hit (his first) on a French-Canadian guy that was indirectly connected to a pharmaceuticals deal Tony is getting involved in.

That’s about all we saw. Christopher had all of one line, calling Tony on his cell to wish him a happy birthday (Tony hung up without saying a word). AJ is sporting facial hair and still hanging out with Blanca and her baby. Meadow is in med school and wants to be a pediatrician…. I can’t think of anything else that happened.

My Reaction: I know that many people (specifically, those posting on the TWOP boards) just eat up these types of Sopranos episodes because of the all the “symbolism” and “foreshadowing” that they contain. Well, I’m here to say that I’m not one of them. Yes, I get that the writers are laying the groundword for Tony’s fall, whether it be at the hands of the feds or his own crew.

But that doesn’t automatically make the show interesting. How many times do we have to sit through scenes of Janice and Tony rehashing their god-awful childhood?? Their family was messed up. I GET IT! I swear, I do. Now let’s move on, please. Ugh.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t tune into The Sopranos just to see these endless “talking head” scenes. I tune in for the action and the intrigue, or compelling character interaction (like Tony and Melfi in Seasons One and Two). Sorry, but I can’t stand Janice or Bobby and HATE the fact that they’ve gotten so much screen time recently.

More “mommy messed me up” tales? Not. Interested. At all.

I just heard about a great opportunity for budding writers and thought I’d pass it on to all of you. Stocknik.com, a website that offers articles and discussion forums relating to investing and finance, is currently looking for article contributions for the site. You don’t have to be a professional broker or an investing whiz to write for Stocknik.com; you just have to be passionate about finance. You even have a chance to earn money from your articles depending on their quality and the amount of traffic they drive to the site.

There are more details about the program, so if this sounds like something you’d be interested in, you can call Mark Doust at 651.204.6871 or learn more at Stocknik. Personally, I think this gig would be perfect for someone looking to break into financial reporting. Even if you don’t get paid for your articles, you’ll still get a byline for them and a profile page on the site. This will help you build a writing portfolio as you hone your skills, which will in turn help you make money someday.

Good luck to all applicants!

Entourage finally returned after an extended hiatus (that’s become HBO’s trademark move with popular shows, hasn’t it?). The April 8, 2007 episode was called “Less Than 30″ and was number 3×13. Here’s what happened on the show:

Vince and Eric are trying to move forward with Vince’s career with new agent Amanda. She doesn’t want Vince doing another popcorn movie, so she has him read a script adapted from a Wharton novel. It’s supposed to be a meaty role, and Sam Mendes (from American Beauty) is attached as the director. Vince and E both like the script and tell Amanda to go ahead and set up a meeting with Mendes.

Meanwhile, Turtle and Drama try to plan Vince’s birthday party. They won’t let Vince pay for it because they want the party to be their gift to him. But Turtle goes way over budget, so E decides to cut off the cash supply. Turtle gets creative and finds major companies like Victoria’s Secret and Skyy Vodka to sponsor the bash. This allows them to make the party even bigger and swankier, which of course goes over very well with everyone.

In addition, Vince and E meet with Ari — just as “friends”. Ari wants to wish Vince a happy birthday and give him his present in person. They manage to make it through lunch without talking business, but as soon as Vince and E return home, they can see that Ari still has an agenda.

That’s because his present was a bound script of Medellin, the movie Vince has been dying to star in for who knows how long now. Ari says that he can deliver the role to Vince if Vince will take him back. E doesn’t buy it at all, and even Vince acts like he’s unsure. But at the very end, he tells Amanda to cancel that meeting with Mendes, “just in case” Medellin becomes available. Ari has gotten in his head after all!

My Reaction: First, I want to tell you that Entourage is not the kind of show that I watch for strong plot lines and interesting character development. It’s my guilty pleasure, a show that I watch just for the glimpses of celebrity life and L.A. hot spots. In other words, my standards aren’t high with this one.

That being said, I did enjoy this episode. (Maybe it’s just the fact that the boys are back after such a long break.) I loved the Ari/Lloyd interaction, and the way that Vince was uncomfortable with Ari at lunch. I still hate Eric, and can’t wait to see Ari triumph!!

Overall: Yay, Entourage is back!!!!!

During college, a good friend of mine spent a summer in Africa as a volunteer teacher. It was his duty to promote AIDS awareness in a number of villages and to teach English to anyone interested in learning. To this day, my friend says that particular summer was the most rewarding time of his life.

Prior to my friend’s experience, I was under the impression that volunteer opportunities in places like Africa, Asia, South America, and Central America could only be obtained through an organization like the Peace Corps. If you’ve ever checked the Peace Corps requirements, you’ll see that they’re pretty strict, which can make it difficult for the average person to sign up. I could never understand the point of that. Why exclude people who want to help?

However, I’ve since learned that there are many private organizations that can arrange volunteer opportunities for people of any background. One such organization is Cosmic Volunteers, which is headquartered in Philadelphia. Through Cosmic Volunteers, you can volunteer in Ghana, Kenya, Ecuador, Guatemala, China, and several other countries where your help is badly needed.

Programs range in length from 1 to 12 weeks, so you can participate without having to take extended leave from work or school. Best of all, most programs at Cosmic Volunteers require only that you be fluent in English. There are no special skills or certifications necessary, which means you can get started on your journey very soon.

If you’re interested in volunteering in another country, you should check out the programs that Cosmic Volunteers has to offer. You could end up having a life-altering experience of your own!

The box office returns are in, and Will Ferrell’s comedy Blades of Glory held on to the top spot for the second week in a row with an estimated gross of $23 million. That brings its two-week total to a hefty $56 million. Second place fell to Disney’s Meet the Robinsons (also for the second consecutive week), while the Ice Cube comedy Are We Done Yet? grossed $15. That left Quentin Tarantino’s new film, Grindhouse, with a disappointing fourth-place finish.

Here’s the complete Top 10 for Easter weekend:

1. Blades of Glory, $23 million
2. Meet the Robinsons, $17 million
3. Are We Done Yet?, $15 million
4. Grindhouse, $11 million
5. The Reaping, $10.1 million
6. 300, $8.8 million
7. Wild Hogs, $6.8 million
8. Shooter, $5.8 million
9. TMNT, $4.9 million
10. Firehouse Dog, $4 million