Smokey and the Bandit - A guilty pleasure

I like a classic film like the next man. I appreciate beautiful cinematography and I recognise heart wrenching Oscar worthy performances from leading ladies and gents.

But sometimes I like something a little lighter to keep me entertained whilst I sup a beer.

Fast cars, trucks, a basset hound and a midget? Hell yeah! Grab another cold one and turn up the sound!

I've loved this film since I was a kid. I think all guys my age do. The Bandit, portrayed by Burt Reynolds, simply defines cool. "Frog" is a good looking lass with a good sense of humour - at her best when swapping smart arse remarks with the bandit. The Snowman is a real good ol' boy - a cracking character... who has a fantastic dog to boot! As for Smokey, cracking character! Jackie Gleeson's interaction with his son is great. The "when i get home i'm gonna punch your momma..." sequence and dialogue is great!

Add to all of that midgets in cowboy hats, bar punch ups, high speed car chases complete with jumps and a truly winning formula for a movie/beer combo has been achieved.

Now ... flick up the subtitles (if you need to) and sing along!:

"Eastbound and down..."

Great stuff, high time for a re-watch.

Fantasy Sports

Nothing is likely to get the good ladies eyes rolling more than me mentioning Fantasy Sports.

But I love it!

For those who don't know, it's when you pick players or teams as yours and compete against others. You score points or wins based on real life performances.

I'm an avid sports fan - always have been. I get immense enjoyment from participating in competitive leagues with friends. I find it a great way to learn about players, history and mechanics of sports I enjoy, but don't know all that much about. As such, my two favourite Fantasy leagues to play in are baseball and American Football. Now ... it can be time consuming, and can somewhat take over. And maaaaaan, it can get frustrating! Why do my players sometimes not do as well as they should!!?? Oh yeah - it's based on real life - and that's the very essence of sport - you just never know what will happen.

Ginger sent me this article last week. It pretty much sums things up and is an excellent, funny read.

At the end of the day, it's a fun, free and educational way to spend your time. So please, when I'm up till 2am pouring over the free agents looking for that one player who is going to steal me some more bases but not decimate my RBI stats, forgive me - I'm having fun!

Oh, and keep your fingers crossed for the Scottish Sluggers this year!

Ginger - My wife to be!

<--- My lady - how I love her so. Not just because she's pouring me a pint either, it must be stated.

We first met via an online message board a couple of years ago. It was a place where people went to chat about tv shows, principally "24". Neither of us were looking for love, but we got chatting online, started talking on the phone, met up a few times and got engaged in October 2007. Ginger is from Alabama in the US and we are currently going through the process of getting me a visa so I can move over there, marry and settle.

She's a wonderful lady - bubbling over with character and affection. She has a son, Matthew, who certainly keeps her on her toes. Our family is completed by Dixie - a fantastic Cane Corso who she has raised from a puppy to the 80lb dog she is today. A wonderful mother and a wonderful wife to be. I'm a lucky, lucky man.

TKO on Tour? An Introduction

Greetings all!

TKO?

TKO is the screen name I have used online for many years now. I first used it as a screen name on the BBC message boards when I signed up to discuss the television programme "24". The name came into my head from memories of playing old boxing games on my Sega Master system. I like the sound of it and have stuck with it as I have explored the world of internet messageboards.

TKO on Tour?

I've been lucky in life in that I have travelled to many countries, mostly on holiday but also with work. As tales of adventure from far flung countries are usually the most interesting anyone has to tell, I thought I would use the name as the basis for my blog. The Tour is about to embark on a more permanent relocation ... more on that to follow ...

So that's a brief introduction, hope you enjoy my Blog.

Ben