Say what you will about Tom Cruise but...

Tom Cruise is an amazing actor. Sure his off-screen antics (The Oprah Incident, The Brooke Shields Incident (which he has subsequently apologised for), The Leaked Video Incident) leave much to be desired but that notwithstanding his talent is undeniable.

I just finished watching Tropic Thunder and I have not laughed that hard during a film in a long time. The overall film was funny but Tom Cruise took it to whole new level.

Side Note: Solid performance from Robert Downey Jr and Nick Nolte.

Here are the end credits of Tropic Thunder (No Spoilers)


It is well known that Tom Cruise is a member of the Church of Scientology which tends to turn off many film goers who consequently boycott his work. Personally I too, vehemently disapprove of the Church of Scientology's philosophy and their alleged and otherwise tactics, so when people choose to blackball his flicks, I completely understand.

Here is his selected filmography:

• The Outsiders
• Top Gun
• Rain Man
• Born on the Fourth of July
• A Few God Men
• Interview with a Vampire
• Mission: Impossible
• Collateral
• Mission: Impossible III
• Lions for Lambs

If film goers black list Cruise's work solely based on his religious affiliation, here is something to consider - the following is a short list of members of the Church of Scientology:

• Kirstie Alley (Cheers, Veronica Mars)
• Anne Archer (Privileged, Felon, End Game, Rules of Engagement)
• Beck (Soundtrack for: Grey's Anatomy, Knocked Up, Entourage, Scrubs)
• Catherine Bell (Army Wives, JAG, Bruce Almighty)
• Nancy Cartwright (The Simpsons, Kim Possible, Pinky & The Brain, Anamaniacs)
• Erika Christensen (Six Degrees, Flight Plan, Traffic)
• Jenna Elfman (Looney Toons: Back in Action, Doctor Dolittle, Dharma & Greg)
• Paul Haggis (Quantum of Solace, In the Valley of Elah, Casino Royale, Crash, Million Dollar Baby)
• Isaac Hayes (South Park, Shaft, Hustle & Flow, Reindeer Games)
• Jason Lee (My Name is Earl, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, The Incredibles, Almost Famous)
• Juliete Lewis (Old School, The Way of the Gun, From Dusk 'Till Dawn, The Basketball Diaries)
• Christopher Masterson (Malcolm in the MIddle, Scary Movie 2, American History X)
• Danny Masterson (That 70's Show, Puff Puff Pass)
• Michael Pena (Shooter, World Trade Center, Babel, The Shield)
• Laura Prepon (That 70's Show, October Road, Karla, Halo 2)
• Priscilla Presley (The Naked Gun Trilogy, Dallas)
• Kelly Preston (Death Sentence, Return to Sender, Eulogy, The Cat in the Hat)
• Lee Purcell (The Unknown, Dizzyland, Due South)
• Leah Remini (King of Queens, Old School, Glory Daze)
• Giovanni Ribisi (Perfect Stranger, Flight of the Phoenix, Cold Mountain, Friends)
• Ethan Suplee (My Name is Earl, Fan Boys, Mr. Woodcock, The Butterfly Effect)
• John Travolta (Hair Spray, Wild Hogs, The Punisher, Swordfish, The General's Daughter)

Does this mean people also boycott the aforementioned and their endeavours as well? Or is Tom Cruise simply targeted because he has the highest profile or simply because these days it seems fashionable to hate Tom Cruise. It might be time to separate the person from the artist, else we might miss out on some wonderful entertainment.

Don't Vote & Five Friends

The star studded voting public service announcements - really well done.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

"I can do anything... I was in a boy-band" - Priceless!

Prankin Palin

A couple of Quebec radio show hosts prank call "foreign policy expert" Sarah Palin.

Wassup Circa 2008

KO Special Comment - The Real America

How an Engineer Folds a T-Shirt

How awesome was that?

Shopping Experiences - A Comparison

This is a post I made on my other blog this summer - I went to the price chopper a couple of days ago and thought I should post this on a more public forum...well as public as TFTH gets.

I've always known I've been a bit of a traditionalist, or dare I say: old fashioned, but I had never felt it as hard as I had today. It came to me at the butcher's.

It was a beautiful day today. I meandered my way towards the "market" to acquire some sustenance. I usually shop at the Food Basics for anything not meat related. Tomato Sauces, Rice, Bread, Eggs... whatever. The meat, I buy next door at the organic butcher's. I enjoy shopping at the butcher's and I hate shopping at the Food Basics.

Yes yes yes, the Food Basics have the variety and prices that can't be beat which is all well and good if all you want to do in get in, switch-back in the aisles grab what you came for and stand in line noticing that no one is noticing, no one is making eye contact with anyone let alone striking up a conversation or heaven forbid even simply smiling at anyone and being checked out by a soulless employee who on a good day may offer the perfunctory corporate mandated concept of what passes customer service, so canned, so devoid of kind of personality and more importantly sincerity that you feel dirty afterwards - have at it.

However if you like the idea of walking in to an establishment where upon entry, or first chance thereafter, you are greeted with a smile, eye contact and a words that filled with genuineness and authenticity followed by queries of your dining plan to better aid the cut of meat you buy. If you require ground meat, it's ground right there - as much or as little as you want. No pre-packaged quantities dictating how much you shall make or conversely will have to freeze. It is the kind of place where the sole butcher wears neither an apron nor gloves. But when he cuts the meat with his razor sharp blade and handles the product with his bare hands I cannot describe watching him work and still do it justice, suffice it to say it's poetic.

After reflecting on this, I longed, ached for the old days. I thought if there somewhere I could get my fruits, vegetable and dietary staples that was akin to the shopping experience of the butcher, I would patronise it even if it meant it was farther from home. There's something to said about having a rapport with the people from whom you shop. I left the butcher's smiling. I then went to back to the Food Basics for some mushrooms that I forgotten and after leaving, my smile was lost.

Wake Up, Freak Out - then Get a Grip

Wake Up, Freak Out - then Get a Grip from Leo Murray on Vimeo.

Time for Some Campaignin'

The Earth is a Beautiful Place*

*Limited Time Offer

-Me

If Canada's political leaders were children

In time for the elections...

Flirting with a Westboro Church man

God Only SEEMS Nonexistent!

Now that my summer hiatus is over, I thought I would begin with this tongue in cheek video.

Unexpected performance

Came across this in my on line travels - very creative and effective.

BBC Exposes Facebook Flaw

EEEK!!! I was going to say my next move is to remove all my applications from my profile, but then realised that my "friends'" profile may contain potential nasty applications. Actually now that I think about it I think I will remove still remove my applications. Even though this probably won't immunize me, I will be sure that I am not infecting others. Damn you Darrell and Alana for introducing me to Facebook! I have reconnected with too many people to just give it up now.

Quoting... Kurt Vonnegut

Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance.
- Kurt Vonnegut

Freedom Of Speech By Unlikely Candidate

Court says Ill. student can wear anti-gay T-shirt at school

CHICAGO - A federal appeals court has ruled that a suburban Chicago student should be allowed to wear an anti-gay T-shirt at his high school -- a decision the teen's attorneys describe as a victory for First Amendment rights.

In its ruling, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals instructed the district court to order the Neuqua Valley High School to suspend its ban on the "Be Happy, Not Gay" T-shirt while a civil rights lawsuit in the case proceeds.

SOURCE: The Chicago Tribune

I applaud said decision... I applaud said decision if the atheist kids can wear a T-Shirt saying "God is imaginary" I wonder what The Alliance Defense Fund, the Christian litigation group, would say then? Would they still say: "The court's ruling is a victory for all students seeking to protect their First Amendment rights on a school campus"?

While I realise that fight was more of a battle to preach the Christian word and not really about the First Amendment, I can just as easily see them protesting the atheist kid's T-shirt as that would infringe of their freedom of religion.

Once again I will quote Voltaire as he was more succinct that I can ever be: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

An unfortunate side affect of people saying what ever they want is you don't always hear what you want to hear.

Searchme.com

This is pretty neat. I don't know how efficient it would be when sifting through mass results. I would go in to further detail but I wouldn't want to ruin Searchme for you

Coolest Keyboard

I've seen some pretty cool keyboards, but this one is a strong front runner with programmable LED keys

Thoughts From The Head Is Being Retarded

Okay, judging by the reactions (here and by phone), for some indecipherable reason, my previous post was not considered amusing... at all! Perhaps it is just my warped sense of humour, if you can call it that, but I thought it was hilarious. While I knew some would think I took things too far, I didn't expect them to be in the majority. I suppose it was one of those things that was funnier in my head. My apologies to those who think I crossed the line.

I shall attempt to be more wary with next years edition of dumbschmuckery.