Paranormal Activity: one of the creepiest movie ever!

Happy Halloween! Every October I celebrate Halloween by watching scary movies every weekend. I love scary movies. I love alien scary. I love slasher scary. I love zombie scary. I love monster scary. But probably the scariest to me will be the ghost scary movies! Now, let me clarify something that I didnt understand before. Paranormal is not a ghost movie. It is a demon movie! There is a huge difference between ghost and demons! I thought The Grudge and The Ring were perhaps the scariest movies. But they are ghost movies. Which means that someone who died is haunting someone else. Now, movies like The Exorcist and Paranormal treat something not human: a demon. Scary! I saw the trailer and I said "I must see this movie!"

The most amazing thing about Paranormal is that it was made with $11,000 dollars. I just check box office mojo today Oct 27 and it has made $63,433,879. Seriously? I just saw it last saturday and it is one of the creepiest movie I have ever seen! This director/creator is a genius! And it was so much fun to watch it with a horror fan crowd. Girls were screaming. Guys were saying "Is this for real?" Lots of suspense, lots of buildup. And very unexpected weird stuff.

Now, many might think this was not scary at all. Others might say that it made them laugh. Still others might say it didnt live to the hype. Let me tell you that it all depends if you are a fan of this movies. If you like ghost/demon movies, then this is your movie! It is very realistic. Filmed as a documentary. But I think is even better than the Blair Witch, Cloverfield, Quarantine and Diary of the Dead! And I love all those.

I want to tell you all about the movie but I dont want to spoil any fun. Just make sure you go to a movie with some friends who are into it. Screaming girls are a must! Back in the beginning of October, I stood in line for a free screening at midnight during almost 3 hours! And I couldnt get in because there were probably 1,000 people in front of me! I am so glad it finally made it to the theater and I could purchase a ticket. Watch the trailer. If you like it and you love ghost/demon movies, this will be a very cool ride. I guarantee you will sleep with your door shut and locked and the lights one. Heck, you might even have to sleep with someone!

Alicia watched it with me, and she loved it. And she doesnt even like scary movies that much! She told me that she was not sleeping by the door that night! I said "Ok I will sleep by the door but I am locking it!" Paranormal Activity is a MUST!

Soccer club FANS need to stop being so FANATICAL!

That's right. You heard me right. No, I didnt make a mistake in my title. Yes I am a soccer CLUB fan too. My favorite soccer team is my childhood home team "Atletico Junior" from Barranquilla, Colombia. I love them and I root for them above everything else. However, I am a "Soccer Fan" more than a "Soccer Club Fan." I think people who love the game should know the difference and should love the game more than their own club. I love the GAME more than a particular CLUB. You should love the game more than your club!

The inspiration for this article is the latest "Beckham incident" when the LA Galaxy played against AC Milan. In summary, Beckham signed a 5 year contract with the Galaxy but then had an opportunity to play with AC Milan in the MLS off season. When it was time for Beckham to come back to MLS, he expressed his desire to stay at Milan permanently. However, Milan was only able to keep Beckham until the end of the Serie A season and then he had to return to Galaxy since no purchase agreement was satisfied. When Beckham returned for his first home game with Galaxy against no other than AC Milan, many of the Galaxy fans boo him everytime he touched the ball. There were several signs criticizing Beckham saying things like "Go home fraud!" referring to his lack of commitment to the Galaxy.

Now, I understand that when you love your club team you want the players to love the team too. However, I think soccer club fans need to understand that we are in 2009 and we live in a competitive capitalist soccer world. Soccer players are trying to grab the best opportunity our there! Especially, football players in high demand like Beckham cannot give heart and soul literally to a particular club team! They might sign a contract. They might pledge their commitment. Hey, they might even kiss the club emblem and the jersey! It means nothing when a better team and more money shows up!

Let's make this more personal. Let's pretend you just got hired by a great company. They teach you many things. They treat you well for several years. You pledge your loyalty and express your gratitude always. You even say that you will retire in the company. Then a BETTER opportunity shows up! What? Better pay, better location, more vacation time. Now, you can spend more time with your family. You are not so stressed out. Wouldnt you take it? Who are you loyal too now? I am almost sure that your current employer will understand and if they dont then they need to wake up and smell the coffee!

Galaxy fans should be grateful they have someone like Beckham in their team! They should appreciate him while he is there because he wont be there for much longer. Trust me. Someone like Beckham is still in high demand. I love the Chicago Fire. I like how Cuahtemoc Blanco plays, but why should I be mad if he decides to leave? Or McBride? They are people like me who is always looking for better opportunities in life! Arent you?

So this whole thing about kissing the soccer club emblem and pledging your loyalty to the jersey is just flat stupid! Stop the madness! Love the game. Enjoy the game. Enjoy the players who are in your team for now because they wont be there for long. A player will say the love the team one season and then the next season moves elsewhere! It is sad to me that players cannot be honest with the press where they want to play for fear of the fans. Sure they need to be polite without disrespecting any team, but fear of fans? This is ridiculous! Soccer club fans stop being so fanatical! Enough is enough!

Love the game more than your own club!

10 Things I hate about The Dark Knight!

Yes you read it right. No, Im not crazy. I know that everyone loved The Dark Knight. I know is the second highest best selling movie in the US with almost $534 million dollars. Well, I dont care. I still like Tim Burton's Batman & Batman Returns better. And I thought Iron Man was way better than The Dark Knight. Why am I writing this now? Well, I saw The Dark Knight back in August 2009 in the movies. I wasnt impressed but it was such a lengthy movie that I couldnt remember much. HBO just showed it for the first time Saturday June 13 and I recorded it. Let me tell you why it sucks!

1. Gotham City looks like a regular city not a gothic city. Have you seen Tim Burton's Batman? That's Gotham City! It's an imaginary city, not a real city! The decoration should be dark and sinister. There were some scenes in The Dark Knight in broad day light! What the hell is that?

2. The Batmobile is suppose to be a sports car not a tank. The tank is cool but is just not batman. Check out Tim Burton's Batman when Batman tells Vicky "Get in the car." And then they show the car for the first time. Sick!

3. What is up with the mask in The Dark Knight? He looks like a monster! It has too many holes and dents. Why do they have to put so much stuff on it? Batman's original outfit was the best! Probably not the most comfortable but it looks the best. The yellow background behaing the bat logo you can remove if you want, but dont mess with the mask so much!

4. Bale loose the voice man! That sinister-wannabe voice is plain dumb. I know he wants to prevent people from recognizing him, but please. There is no need.

5. Ugly Rachel! Sorry guys but Tom Cruise's wife was not the hottest and best actress. And now they chose The Prince of Persia's sister! Not the pretiest cookie in the jar. She did better as an actress but come on. This is a super hero action movie. Guys want to watch good looking female leads! Dont you? If you dont agree with me, then go ask the tons of guys who went to watch Transformers just because of The Fox!

6. 2 and a half hours! Seriously? I was falling asleep man! Why does it have to be so long?

7. Where the hell is the action? This is a super hero movie, right? I saw some action, but I was falling asleep at the theater. If you are going to make a long movie, you better put some more action there! Why dont you follow Iron Man's example please.

8. Two-face! This guy was good for most of the movie! What's up with that? When his faced got burned and he became a bad guy the movie was almost over! I felt ripped off. I'm not saying that I prefer the Two-face in Batman Forever, but please bring out the badass villains!

9. Please someone tell me where the hell is the bat cave? Because the one in the movie sure wasnt a bat cave! Where are the bats? Where is the darkness? The guy had the bad cave lit like the 4th of July! You want to see a good batcave. Watch Tim Burton's Batman please!

10. The FANS! You know why I hate this movie the most! The fans make me sick! The guy at the Blockbuster asked me if I wanted to reserve The Dark Knight DVD for $5 to make sure I got a copy when it came out. I said " No thanks." He looked at me like if I was a crazy idiot. "This is the best movie of the year man! How can you not reserve it? Everyone wants a copy of the DVD!" What an idiot! It wasnt the greatest movie of the year dude! You can stop worshipping The Dark Knight now. I know many fans like the movie but do you have to be so fanatic! My favorite movie is probably The Last Crusade but I dont try to push down anyone's throat!

So there you have it. The Dark Knight sucks! Bring back Tim Burton please!

Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?

This is the million dollar question. It has been a question for about 2 or maybe 3 years now since Kaka's reign is over. And now, that the Champions League final is coming and both players will try to shine, many are revisitting this answerless question. Personally, I like Messi more. Perhaps I like him more because I can identify with him more. He is South American. He is short. He like to dribble around people. I love that!

However, I think that you cannot compare them. I know is hard not to. But I dont think you can. I think that they are different players with different qualities. So how can you compare them? I would like to specify the qualities that I like from each player. Ronaldo can score from free kicks, long distances and with the head. Messi cannot do that. On the other hand, Messi can go around 2-3 guys easy and plays the one short touch passes with excellence. Ronaldo cannot do that. Can you imagine if they both end up on the same team?

I think Ronaldo deserved to win the FIFA player of the year in 2008 for all the trophies he won for Manchester United. However, I think this will be Messi's year to shine. He already brought 2 trophies to Barcelona. Many are saying that Manchester United will defeat Barcelona in the final. I love both teams. I love their soccer. However, my preference is Barcelona because I enjoy to watch Messi and company more. It is very disappointing that Dani Alves will not play. I am crossing my fingers that we can see Henry and Iniesta. I strongly believe that if Barcelona is complete (even without Alves), they can defeat Manchester United. I will predict a 2-1 game in Barcelona's favor!

Finally, I will like to end with this note. To be quite honest, if they ask me to select ONE player for my team, ANY player. I would have to reject Ronaldo and even Messi. It would be very difficult to do that. I must say that I would pick Steven Gerrard. Why? They guy does everything. He is Liverpool. He defends, blocks, creates, passes, headers, scores, free kicks beautifully. In my opinion, he is not recognized as he should be. He should've won the FIFA player already and many times over.

I want to see comments!

Dont miss the Champions League final May 27, 2009 at 1:30pm Man U vs Barca!

Does Barcelona deserve to be in the 2009 Championes League final and will they win?

Many are saying Barcelona does not deserve to be in the final. I understand that many Chelsea fans are angry because the ref did not call at least 2 out of th 5 possible penalties. I understand because if the situation was reversed against Barcelona I would be angry too. I am not a Barcelona hardcore fan. I would not have been depressed if Chelsea would have won. I am a fan of beautiful football. I think Barcelona has the beautiful football that Chelsea doesnt. I believe Barcelona does deserve to be in the final.

Chelsea went to Barcelona to defend. Barcelona had more ball possession and more attack at the Camp Nou. I apologize to all Chelsea fans but Chelsea is a boring defensive team. Yes it is a technical and effective team but they are boring and not fun to watch. It is hard for any team to score when most of the Chelsea players are defending. Ball possesion and chancs of goals at the Camp Nou were clearly in favor of Barcelona.

Chelsea had another midset for the game at home. They wanted a goal or two. I was excited about this game. However, Barcelona had key people missing and it is not fun or fair to watch a game when one team has key people missing. Henry, Puyol, Marquez all injured. Toure had to play center back which put inexperienced Sergio in the middle. Chelsea had the advantage. Yet, still Barcelona had more ball possession than Chelsea. Yes Chelsea had more clear chances and I applaud them for this but I dont think is fair to say that Chelsea was a better team.

Finally, I think most would agree that Barcelona is a better team than Chelsea. The overall yearly performance of Barcelona is better than Chelsea's. Barcelona completely dominated the local league. Chelsea, on the other hand, is struggling to maintain the third place in England. If you compare the goals stats for both teams you will find that Barcelona has way more goals than Chelsea in Champions. Both teams have similar defensive stats (goals against) but if you compare the attack Barcelona is a better team.

Barcelona will be missing key people like Alves and Abidal for the final. Hopefully Henry and Iniesta will be there. If the team is nearly complete, this Barcelona will beat Manchester United. Barcelona has better chemistry than Manchester United. The Barca players know each other very well and know how to pass to each other. Man U is a technical effective team. They have Ronaldo for set pieces which Barcelona doesnt. Barca must neutralize Man U key players to win. I believe Barcelona can do this.

Intense 2009 YMCA indoor soccer playoffs!

Chicago and Evanston, IL
Monday April 20 2009
The Soccer Times

Intense 2009 YMCA indoor soccer playoffs!

Wow! Intense playoffs! This past week was full of intense soccer starting with Chelsea eliminating Liverpool in Champions League semi final after a draw 4-4 and one of the best games in this tournament. However, there was nothing like the YMCA playoffs! Many thought that our favorite team, Joga Bonito, was in trouble after finding out that their goalie Mauricio was absent during the beginning of their first quarter final game. However, Captain Carlos Quintero (who by the way is also Joga Bonito's Manager, El Presidente, Owner, Waterboy and Chauffer) put the gloves on and took on the new role of second goalkeeper for Joga Bonito. He had no problem and gave the team plenty of confidence (he only had to goalkeep for a few minutes until Mau got ready). Here is the review of the playoffs:

Quarter Final 5pm: Joga Bonito vs YMCA1
YMCA 1 had no trouble defeating the People's Republic in the preliminary game 4-1 at 2pm. As a result, Joga Bonito had to face YMCA 1 at 5pm. They had comfronted once before in the regular season and the victory went to Joga Bonito 8-1. There was no surprise to see that JB dominated the game and with goals from the deadly Rolando (4), Pablo (2), Carlos (2) and Tony (1) defeated the YMCA 1 with a score of 9-0.

Semi Final 7pm: Joga Bonito vs Willard Warriors
Willard Warriors were the next opponents after they defeated the Purple Phreaks in a rough Quarter Final 3-1. Willard Warriors was one of the most defensive teams in the tournament as they have an outstanding goal keeper. They do not have good shooters but they do have an excellent defense system that only allowed 4 goals in the regular season same as JB. These teams had faced once before in the regular season and JB could only defeat WW with one goal 1-0. JB's dynamic duo Pablo and Rolando were very marked during the game and could not get the ball in. JB figured out that the strategy was to give the ball back to those who are not marked so they could shoot. JB's centerback, Keith, took action and ripped an 100mph shot which almost burned the net. Later on, defensive winger, Tony, gave a breath of relief to JB when he scored the second a final goal. JB won 2-0. JB was going to the final again!

Semi Final 8pm: Buckyballs vs Chupacabra
Yes, Chupacabra! Unbelievable. Everyone thought that Buckyballs would have gone to the final one more time. Buckyballs and Chupacabra faced in the regular season and BB won 7-1 with no problem. JB defeated Chupabra 10-0 in the regular season. However, this Chupacabra team in the playoffs was a completely different team. They were full of energy and hope. Buckyballs started defeating them 1-0, then Chupacabra ties. BB scored again to make it 2-1, then CC ties again to make it 2-2. BB finally scored a third which many thought would be the end, then with 30 seconds to go CC scores and the 3-3 game goes to penalty kicks. Everyone was shocked when BB missed two penalties and CC scored all 3. The final score was 3-1 in favor of Chupacabra!

Final 9pm: Joga Bonito vs Chupacabra
JB was probably happy to face CC at the final instead of BB. They probably thought this would be an easy final. Wrong! JB dominated most of the game and began winning 1-0 by the foot of Rolando. However, a minute before the end of second half CC has a breakthrough and scores the tie. Half time: 1-1. You can see the crowd biting their nails. JB's Rolando scores again and there is some relief, but not for long. CC has another breakthrough and ties the game 2-2! Was this the same team that lost 10-0 in the regular season? Not anymore! You can see JB frustrated! They calmed down and played their game. Tony finds the net and is 3-2 in JB's favor. They know that one goal advantage is not enough in indoor soccer. Pablo takes a kick in, Rolando fakes, the ball goes in! 4-2 JB winning! They feel a little better now. Finally, Captain Carlos receives a pass and rips one in the low bottom corner to make it 5-2. He screams: Yes! Joga Bonito has made history! Joga Bonito has won the YMCA tournament! Joga Bonito undefeated Champions!

"This is the best day of my life!" Yells an emotional Captain Carlos, "Willard Warriors and Chupabra were unbelievable opponents. They gave us such a hard time. But we did it! And it was fun! I am extremely proud of all my teammates. They are all outstanding players. They gave everything on the court yesterday. Joga Bonito 2009 Champions!"

Joga Bonito's 2009 amazing records include:
- Only undefeated team in the tournament with 11 wins, 0 draws and 0 losses.
- Best offense: 77 goals in favor in 11 games (7 goals per game in average!), Buckyballs were second with 47 goals in favor!
- Best defense: 6 goals against in 11 games, Willard Warriors were second with 7 goals against!

Joga Bonito's history:
- Founded in 2006 under the name of Chicago F.C. by Carlos Quintero
- Change name to Joga Bonito and eliminated in quarter finals in 2006.
- Lost the final in 2007.
- Eliminated in quarter finals in 2008.
- The only team members who have played all seasons are the brothers Mauricio and Ernesto Pumarejo.

The Soccer Times would like to congratulate Joga Bonito as 2009 YMCA champions. We would also like to thank all the readers for following this amazing tournament with us. Looking forward to the 2010 season!



Carlos Quintero
Joga Bonito Owner/El Presidente/Manager/Captain/Water Boy/Chauffer... and second goalkeeper!
The Soccer Times Reporter