"The New Normal," a Sports Illlustrated Article Review

 

Lovem, loathm,' or anything in-between, Patrick Mahomes is the elite quarterback in the NFL, and he's down to Earth and approachable, Greg Bishop, a Sports Ilustrated writer said in December. 

The Kansas City Chiefs are the first back to back NFL champions in two decades, and tomorrow they will make history if they win. 

Reading this article, I learned that Patrick Mahomes grew up in the Kansas City Royals locker room. He's 29-years-old. His dad, Patrick Sr., pitched 11 seasons for the Royals. Mahomes said when he was between six and 8-years-old he wanted to play sports professionally and not be an asshole to people. Some super star players were. He didn't name the A-holes.  

"Their were some superstars who loved to be there, loved to watch sports...I wanted to make sure kids or anybody else could come up and talk to me," Mahomes said. (Sports Illustrated, Dec, 2024)

Mahomes, his two children and his wife Brittany still socialize with people he met while playing youth baseball. They all enjoy watching sports and being with their kids. (SI) 

The Cheifs didn't win in dominating fashion this year, and they never surpassed 28 points in their 13 game winning streak. Mahomes, stat wise is a middle of the pack quarterback this season. He didn't even make third string in this years Pro Bowl, yet the Cheifs are one win away from a Super Bowl three-peat. They did lead the NFL in third down conversions for all or most of the season though. 

The Cheifs also have a current streak of six straight AFC Championship games. In 2019, Mahomes had a career best, 50 touchdown passes as the Chiefs went the the AFC title game. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots went to the Superbowl that year. Tom Brady talked to Mahome's after the game, and said, you're doing it the right way, just keep doing what your doing. (SI)

"For him (Brady) to say that, a guy I watched growing up, winning all those Super Bowls, was huge for me...he gave me his stamp of approval," Mahomes said. (SI)

Mark Izzy Schurr

A Modern Moron Movie Review

My mind journeyed back to the current movie era again. I sat in my favorite reclining seat, B 7 last night while viewing "Heart Eyes," a dark comedy about new lovers forced to combat the Heart Eyes Killer. 

The Heart Eyes Killer, aka HEK targets couples dating on Valentine's. Large sharp knifes are the killers weapon of choice whiling slaying. 

Olivia Holt rocks her love at first site face, and as Ally, it was easy to understand why Jay (Mason Gooding) falls in love, she falls hard herself. Love is a flower, you've got to let it grow John Lennon said. 

"Heart Eyes" impressed me with it's cool decapitation scene and the most original marriage proposal I've ever seen. 

For several years, the Heart Eyes Killer has been killing couples dating on the night of Valentine's. Ally and Jay picked the wrong night to have their first date. Forced into a kill or be killed situation puts a damper on their romance, and maybe kills it, pun intended. 

Three stars for "Heart Eyes," a bloody, yet heartfelt dark comedy. 

Mark Izzy Schurr 

A Modern Moron Book Review

 

It's black history month and "Little People, Big Dreams Pele" was a fantastic read. I acquired this  book at a Little Libraries book nook. 

Edson Arates, aka Pele was a Brazilian blitzkrieg. Pele was destined to play soccer like Shakespeare was to write and the Beatles were to music, he's a legend, a true sports icon. 

As a boy, Pele made a soccer ball by stuffing a sock with newspapers and tightening it with string. World Cup in Brazil is taken very seriously to say the very least. Pele's father cried when Brazil lost the world championship and the child told his father he'd one day play for Brazil and win it all. 

By the time Pele was 15-years-old, managers and coaches knew they had a gem of a soccer player. Pele was the leading scorer for the season in his first year in league play. At 16, he played for Sweden's World Cup team. All the best teams in the world wanted Pele, and Brazil won it's first ever World Cup with Pele at the helm of the team.  

Pele has the honor of being athlete of the 20th century, and his two decades of dominance on the field was his stepping stone for helping poor children in youth sports and so much more. Pele, a true sports legend and humanitarian. 

I can now return this book to the Little Libraries laden throughout the lands. 

Mark Izzy Schurr 

A Modern Moron Book Review

Watch the calamity unfold when the blustering pig with the unfortunate comb-over finds his way into the White House Faye Kanouse said, the author of this book. 

His inexperience, questionable values and lack of integrity is a parody of laughs in "If You Give a Pig the White House." Written in the same clever format of the Laura Numeroff books such as "If You Give A Pig A Pancake," and "If you Give A Moose A Muffin." 

...Tweeting will make him hungry, so you'll order his favorite meal. When you serve him the well done burgers, you'll have to make sure he gets more than everyone else. I'm not going to publish the whole book, but if you hate the orange fascist felon, this book is for you. It's written for adults with a childs format for understanding.  

The illustration by Amy Zhing is very fitting to Kanouse's writing style. This book points out many of our presidents current and past atrocities like rape and racism and of course his narcissism. 

This book was released in 2019, and Fox News and its affiliates blinded too many voters and thus the serial criminal is back in the White House, and "If You Give a Pig the White House" is a pleasant parody in these very bleak and pathetic political times.

Mark Izzy Schurr  

 

Rash, A Modern Moron Review

Some world views are spacious and some are merely spaced...Rash reunited my mind with the wisdom of Neil Peart, the iconic late drummer and lyricist for Rush. 

On a whim from Steve, I went to the Mystic Theater on Saturday night, December 7 expecting only songs from "Permanent Waves." Rash immediately empressed when they started off the show with a powerful rendition of the "R30 Overture." 

Extreme Rush fans might point out some musical flaws, but I love how Rash immortalized Peart's words with a Geddy Lee look and sound alike.   

So much style without substance, so much stuff without style, it's hard to recognize the real thing, it comes along once in a while. Yes, Rash played 1985s "Grand Designs" A lyrical favorite of mine. 

Rash marvelously married the acid rock sounds of obscure songs from "Caress of Steel," to their radio hits like "Subdivisions" and "Spirit of Radio."

The bass and guitar player Brian and Jay more then held their own with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson while the drummer was constantly in the pocket. 

Rash nailed "Jacob's Ladder" and "Natural Science" to say the least. Rash isn't just for Rush fans. Avid rock 'n' rollers who crave hard live music should be very impressed with Rash. Four and a half stars for Saturday night's music fest at the Mystic Theater.

Late into the show, I laughed, and I'm still laughing at the bass player making fun of people on their cell phones taking video and stills of the show, and I was one of those geeks snapping away. 

It turns out I was way off in what Brian, the bass player was doing with the phone. Michelle, the official / unofficial PR representative for Rash informed me that Michael, the singer and keyboardist used an audience members phone to play the sound into the microphone, or joking do so, the philosophy and joke being, if you want to recapture the Rush sound, play their records. 

Mark Izzy Schurr

  

"Speak No Evil," A Modern Moron Movie Review

Don't let the bad things ruin the perfect, sometimes a man needs to be slashed across the face with a utility knife, and his face saturated in corrosive chemicals. 

"Speak No Evil" is difficult to review without having spoilers, but wow, the subject matter is intensity eerie. This flick is not a comedy, yet the writers still summoned laughter, especially when the two men were listening to a mellow pop song in the car. Brilliant writing by director James Watkins, Christian Tafdrup and Mads Tafdrup. The entire cast portrayed their roles in perfect synch.   

One couple is sadistically manipulative and murderous, while the other couple is not. "Speak No Evil" weaves the fabric of harmony into a myriad of too many evils. 

The previews, as the movie, did not disappoint, the psychological terrors punched my brain from underneath the skull. 

For those seeking instant gratifications to the senses, "Speak No Evil" might disappoint. This movie exposes the darkest recesses of evil's execution. Being forced into a kill or be killed situation is the ultimate buzz kill for any vacation. 

The ending and everything in-between weren't predictable, five stars for "Speak No Evil." 

Mass murder, kidnapping and grand theft are safe reveals for those still reading and want to see the film. 

This movie will be added to my October watch list for the rest of my life. 

Mark Izzy Schurr 

"Beetle Juice Beetle Juice," A Modern Moron Movie Review

A cascade of catastrophe amidst the imagination, or a blissfully bizarre and devious journey into realities realms? Crypt Addams has cool artwork, thank you Pinterest. 

Can the dead and the living coexist? "Beetle Juice Beetle Juice" has its theories on the matter, and be careful who you trust, or you just may end up in an eternity of a monotonous day, or the fury of Hell's flames.  

"Beetle Juice Beetle Juice" is certainly the most original mother daughter bonding story I've encountered. Tim Burton, his screen and story writers along with the music of Danny Elfman is solid. Burton's art is an appropriate display for the preschool aged, and sometimes it's a baleful parade of evil deeds shown with silly make-up. 

"I'm lightheaded," the headless man said in "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice"   

I forgot the other juvenile jokes, but there are more. 

Young love lures Jenna Ortega to the edge of hell's entrance, and her mother (Winona Ryder) has to journey into the afterlife without dying and save her daughter. and that's just a small portion of the story. 

Witchcraft certainly came in handy for the wife of Beetle Juice, and Monica Bellucci portrays a sexy dead woman who uses a staple gun to attach both her legs and nearly half her face to join the living.   

"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" weaves dreams, deception, imagination, fantasy and fact onto the screen and bravo, three stars easy for "Beetle Juice Beetle Juice."  

Mark Izzy Schurr