The Life and Times of Chester Cheetah and the Kool-Aid Gang

Changes to Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service

2012-01-27T21:57:00.001-06:00

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Dear Google user, We're getting rid of over 60 different privacy policies across Google and replacing them with one that's a lot shorter and easier to read. Our new policy covers multiple products and features, reflecting our desire to create one beautifully simple and intuitive experience across Google. We believe this stuff matters, so please take a few minutes to read our updated Privacy Policy and Terms of Service at http://www.google.com/policies. These changes will take effect on March 1, 2012.
One policy, one Google experience

Easy to work across Google Our new policy reflects a single product experience that does what you need, when you want it to. Whether you're reading an email that reminds you to schedule a family get-together or finding a favorite video that you want to share, we want to ensure you can move across Gmail, Calendar, Search, YouTube, or whatever your life calls for with ease.	Tailored for you If you're signed into Google, we can do things like suggest search queries – or tailor your search results – based on the interests you've expressed in Google+, Gmail, and YouTube. We'll better understand which version of Pink or Jaguar you're searching for and get you those results faster.	Easy to share and collaborate When you post or create a document online, you often want others to see and contribute. By remembering the contact information of the people you want to share with, we make it easy for you to share in any Google product or service with minimal clicks and errors.

Protecting your privacy hasn't changed Our goal is to provide you with as much transparency and choice as possible, through products like Google Dashboard and Ads Preferences Manager, alongside other tools. Our privacy principles remain unchanged. And we'll never sell your personal information or share it without your permission (other than rare circumstances like valid legal requests).	Got questions? We've got answers. Visit our FAQ at http://www.google.com/policies/faq to read more about the changes. (We figured our users might have a question or twenty-two.)

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I love it when they show this thing walking.

2012-01-10T13:29:00.001-06:00

I would have wanted the R2D2 version ...

2012-01-10T13:23:00.002-06:00

but then they had to go and make it for a girl.

Not a flick for the kiddos...

2011-09-12T18:30:00.001-05:00

I have a feeling Wander will be looking forward to this movie. I think the body count in the trailer alone was more than any whole movie I've seen all year. NSFW for violence:

Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

I'm f---ing James Bond...

2011-07-05T01:13:00.001-05:00

Too bad this wasn't real. Still, I like to think that Sean Connery
writes letters like this.

All my potential wasted...

2011-03-31T18:29:00.001-05:00

To think I could have been doing this all these years:

This is Another Reason I Love The Clone Wars

2011-03-15T11:37:00.004-05:00

Here is a link to a video with the director of The Clone Wars discussing a new character but also discussing character development that holds true to the evolution of the Republic into the Empire. Pretty cool.

The Force is weak in France...

2011-02-24T17:19:00.003-06:00

I'm not exactly sure what's going on in this video, but it's awesome:

007

2011-02-24T15:40:00.004-06:00

Well its 25 day old news, but I just found out today that John Barry passed away. Known for many movie scores from Out of Africa to Dances with Wolves, the stuff that I can que up in a moments notice is his work on the James Bond movies. R.I.P.

I think this baby needs an intervention...

2011-02-18T17:56:00.001-06:00

Ouch...

2011-02-16T10:53:00.000-06:00

Does whatever a spider can...

2011-02-14T16:06:00.003-06:00

The Tobey Maguire Spiderman movies set the bar pretty high, but the images released for the upcoming Spiderman reboot look pretty "amazing." They even went classic with the old-school mechanical web slingers. Awesome. The only negative? We have to wait till the summer of 2012.

Some day, Cyclops will get the love he deserves...

2011-02-10T21:19:00.006-06:00

X-Men: First Class seems to imply a movie about the original five X-Men (Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Iceman, Angel) from the comics, so you can imagine my building disappointment as I read the emerging details of this movie over the past year. Happily, based on some new commentary by producer Bryan Singer, the name may be misleading. The trailer that came out today looks interesting. Let's hope they have some more twists in store to explain how Havoc can be in a movie without his big brother Cyclops existing in the same timeline.

Good to know that a new generation appreciates a good flick when he sees one...

2011-02-10T15:54:00.001-06:00

I can just imagine this kid spitting out movie quotes left and right soon:

Things that make you go, hmmm...

2011-02-09T15:11:00.002-06:00

The James Bond reboot was deeper than you thought (from Warren Ellis, via kottke.org):

In CASINO ROYALE, James Bond is the Bond girl. Look at the way they even show him emerging from the ocean like Ursula Andress. Sexual torture, too, if less creepy-glam than being stripped and painted gold. Vesper Lynd is Bond: never not in control, never without a plan, seducing to further her goals. She has to die so Bond can become her.

Not quite sure how this sells me on the car, but cool commercial anyway...

2011-02-03T16:09:00.001-06:00

LMFAO

2011-01-12T08:59:00.003-06:00

This website had me cracking up this morning.

Damn You Auto Correct

Here is a funny example:

2011-01-11T17:46:00.002-06:00

Add Bacon Strips, Add Bacon Strips, Add Bacon Strips, Add Bacon Strips

2010-12-10T10:47:00.001-06:00

I thought our group might like this!

Binks killed grandma...

2010-11-18T18:26:00.001-06:00

I always wondered how I would introduce Star Wars to my children when the time comes:

This is One Reason I Love the Clone Wars

2010-11-10T17:40:00.003-06:00

This season's Clone Wars on the Cartoon Network has been titled Secrets Revealed. So far it hasn't revealed much in my opinion. This third season has paled in comparison to the first two seasons, which I really enjoyed. Today I saw something to give me hope though. Supposedly they will be revealing all sorts of Sith stuff including the origin of Darth Maul.

There is a small part of me that is reluctant to know more about Maul because not knowing is part of what makes him so cool. But that part of me is so small that given the opportunity to find out more I wouldn't hesitate. I hope Dave Filoni and Lucas come up with something really cool. What is really cool you ask? Well in Episode III when Palpatine and Anakin have their talk at the opera house, that was worth the whole first three movies in my opinion.

[It looks like Swany and Scratch will be the only ones to be able to learn any of this before the rest of us. That is with little travel, anyway.]

Hopefully, he won't be strung out on drugs by age twelve...

2010-11-05T18:36:00.001-05:00

About the only thing that could possibly make this kid any cheesier is if we found out his name was Tommy Lee:

A perfect combination...

2010-10-26T18:17:00.003-05:00

Tron + Daft Punk = Dangerously Cheesy anticipation:

Everything is better with Cheetos...

2010-10-13T14:52:00.004-05:00

I was perusing some of the stories on The New York Times website today, and happened across a restaurant review for Xiao Ye, some new hipster hangout on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The fact that the writer gives the place a "meh" review is minor in comparison to a particular picture of one of their dishes--Cheeto-coated fried chicken! I thinking a new food trend incorporating Cheetos into cuisine on par with adding bacon to everything is long overdue.

Robots in Disguise

2010-10-13T09:05:00.009-05:00

Michael Bay is filming Transformers 3 in Washington DC. They are staging the vehicles out in front of my office. I missed getting all the cars as they were rolling out, but I will have more opportunities this week. Looks like one of the Transformers is a Waste Management trash truck.

I'll bet she makes better hamburgers than McDonald's, too...

2010-10-12T12:58:00.001-05:00

I think the Flash needs to lay off the beer and run a little more...

2010-10-11T23:48:00.005-05:00

We've all gotten married at one point or another, but I think there's still one of us that hasn't had a formal wedding yet. If he ever ties the knot again, may his wedding be as awesome as this couple:

OMD 16 Years Later

2010-09-26T14:37:00.002-05:00

The first new OMD album in 16 years comes out Tuesday. The official website is streaming it for free, and I have to tell you it is fantastic. They have also just released their first new video in 20 plus years. Very Post Modern, but what do you expect from an 80's synth band? I'm just so happy to see Andy and Paul making music together again.

Repressed passive aggressive Chinese anger...

2010-09-21T22:20:00.003-05:00

I think the second commercial in the series is my favorite.

Never say no to Panda:

MacNinja

2010-09-17T10:05:00.003-05:00

Rumors are circulating that Steve Jobs is really a ninja. Caught with shurikens while trying to board a plane might have been his unwanted unveiling. Of course, Apple claims that none of it is true, but isn't that what all ninjas would claim? I think Apple is just a gigantic front for the world's largest group of ninjas. Prove me wrong!

And a collective sigh from sorority row is heard emanating from Oxford...

2010-09-08T17:31:00.004-05:00

So after months of anticipation, the campaign to adopt Admiral Ackbar as the official mascot of the Ole Miss Rebels is officially dead. For politically correct reasons, Colonel Reb was dropped as their mascot back in 2003, and they've been without a mascot since then. Predictably, most of the traditional Ole Miss students were against installing the leader of the Rebel Alliance fleet to lead them into football games in the SEC. What surprised me, though, was what actually killed the dream of geeks throughout the South--George Lucas! The guy pimps out Star Wars merchandise to anything that can make a dime, so why stop at the college mascot level?

Soon Everyone Will Think They Are Jesus!

2010-08-18T22:38:00.000-05:00

Just need some popcorn and a bottle of Colt 45...

2010-08-09T17:41:00.002-05:00

Hey. You want to be a fahmah?...

2010-08-06T17:43:00.002-05:00

As I was watching the previous video I posted, I found this collection of Arnold Schwarzenegger quotes. I so miss these kind of movies:

I knew these men...

2010-08-05T17:47:00.004-05:00

It's been an interesting day that's tied together old 80's action movie stars and Star Wars. First, Sylvester Stallone reveals that he auditioned for the part of Han Solo. Then, I came across this hilarious mashup of Star Wars and Arnold:

When a Korean is near, watch your language...

2010-07-29T23:36:00.004-05:00

When Firecracker George was in South Korea teaching English, I wonder if he led a similar class lesson. A little NSFW if small children or pregnant women are around:

Green Lantern, starring cleavage and, uh, sorry, spaced out for a minute. What was I saying?

2010-07-28T18:22:00.006-05:00

When you're a little kid, what would be cooler than getting to go to Comic Con? Getting into the Green Lantern panel? Yeah, pretty cool. Getting picked on to ask a question during the panel? Yup, much cooler. Getting Ryan Reynolds to recite the Green Lantern oath to you? Man, that's pretty cool. I don't know how you can top that. Telling all your friends that you got a clear live view of Blake Lively's boobs? Jackpot.

Seriously, that cleavage was like George Michael's butt. They're mesmerizing. You just can't quite take your eyes off them. The worst thing you can do is try to ignore them. They're a force to be reckoned with.

Don't need to be high to appreciate that...

2010-07-28T18:11:00.001-05:00

A short follow-up to Wild Willie's previous post:

Dream a little dream in a little dream in a little dream...

2010-07-28T18:10:00.001-05:00

I overheard a conversation between two teenage girls today about Inception that went something like this:

Yeah, like, I haven't seen the movie yet, but I heard it was, like, really weird, but really good. It's like about these guys that can, like, go into your dreams. And they can tell you to give you a million dollars in your dream, and like, I guess you give them a million dollars in real life. And, like, you can do anything in these dreams. Like, jet skis driving on streets, and stuff. I don't know. It's kind of hard to explain. It's weird and stuff. I really want to see it.

Well, I'm not sure she quite got the plot right (or really much of anything), but I will agree that it was really good. Oddly though, the film wasn't really that weird, and that's surprisingly a good thing.

Dominic Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a new kind of intellectual property thief. With his team, he steals ideas, although not in the conventional way. Instead of breaking into a physical vault, they utilize a method of shared dreaming to enter the dreams of their mark and literally steal an idea locked in the subconscious safe of their minds. A heist of Saito (Ken Watanabe), a Japanese energy tycoon, is unsuccessful, but turns into an offer for Cobb and his gang that is just too good to pass up. Instead of a stealing ideas, they are tasked to plant one in the mind of Robert Fischer, Jr. (Cillian Murphy), the heir to a massive energy company that threatens to monopolize the entire global market if not broken up.

Part of what makes this film so entertaining is the whole heist aspect of the plot with a seemingly impossible item to steal (or in the case of Inception, to plant), an intricate plan to pull of the job, and a hand-picked team with each member having unique skills to contribute. Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Eames (Tom Hardy) are the point men of sorts for Cobb's team, Yusuf (Dileep Rao) is the science guy in charge of keeping them in their dream state, and Saito is the money man bank rolling the whole endeavor. Ariadne (Ellen Page) is a newcomer to this world who acts as an "architect" of dreamscapes for the team, and also provides the rookie questions that allows the movie to explain to the audience what the rules are in the dream world. As in any good heist movie, the method and plan is outlined up front and then put into play for us to watch and enjoy.

Now this being a dream movie, you'd expect things to get complicated. In some ways, it does, but unlike most films I recall delving into dreams, Christopher Nolan doesn't make this film overly complex or abstract. In the film, Cobb tests Ariadne during her recruitment to make up a maze on paper in two minutes that he can solve in one. Like this, Nolan creates a maze of sorts with dreams occurring within dreams, but keeps things linear enough that we can follow him on the journey, and with careful attention, not get lost. Questions arise, but are answerable with the rules and information laid out. Unlike other movies delving into dreams or other types of alternate states (e.g. The Matrix), Nolan doesn't get lost in obtuse philosophical ideas about conciousness and self-awareness to the point of running the movie in circles. And I think this is the beauty of Inception. It's a solvable puzzle, but leaves just enough ambiguity at the end to keep it interesting.

The musical orchestration by Hans Zimmer is quite good and complements the mood to the movie. I'm glad this didn't feel like an afterthought compared to most movie soundtracks lately. My only complaint is that the music may have been utilized too much. Hardly a second goes by that the music isn't playing in the background. Maybe it's just me, but it got a bit distracting when I became aware of it (almost like watching a Michael Bay movie and realizing how many damn shots the guy uses per scene). Still, after reading this post on the New York Times ArtsBeats blog, I was even more appreciative of the thought that went into composing the music for this film.

Every actor utilized in the film fits with their character. Suprisingly, Ellen Page may be the weakest link in the cast, but is probably related more to the fact that she still looks like a 13 year girl rather than a college-aged whiz kid. And this is, I think, the third movie in a row with Leonardo DiCaprio I've rated up in the Dangerously Cheesy level. The guy can do no wrong it seems, and Inception has convincingly erased any memory of him I had in Titanic.

Reebok Alien Stomper

2010-07-27T08:46:00.004-05:00

Reading something about Comic-Con led to an article about shoes inspired by video games (check out the Street Fighter Dunks). This got me thinking about some sweet kicks that Firecracker George had. Turns out Reebok is set to release the Reebok Alien Stomper in two new colorways in Fall/Winter 2010. A quick search turned up Alien Stompers in all sorts of colors, grey/red, blue/white, black red, all gray, and reflector. I still like the classic grey/red.

I Don't Know If I Can Live In A World Where The Justice League Is This Cool

2010-07-25T10:25:00.001-05:00

Video Games | DC Universe Online | Exclusive Who Do You Trust Trailer HD

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Yeah, this might be kinda cool...

2010-07-24T17:34:00.004-05:00

The new trailer for Tron: Legacy was released at Comic-Con. I have a feeling that the crowd in San Diego erupted like a Yosemitebear choir watching double rainbows when this aired. Whoooooaaa!!! Oh my gah, oh my gah, oh my gahahahahaaaaa!!! What does this meeeeean?!

And for a little more of a tease, six tracks from the Tron: Legacy soundtrack by Daft Punk. This is like a geek's wet dream. Disney certainly knows how to build up some hype:

Daft Punk for Tron Legacy Soundtrack by Hypetrak

What Does It MEEEEan?

2010-07-19T17:03:00.000-05:00

This really cracked me up.

Jabba the Who?

2010-06-28T14:18:00.001-05:00

I got a chubby just from watching this.

2010-06-16T18:27:00.001-05:00

I couldn't find a way to embed it, so I just added this link.

Best World Cup Ad Ever!

2010-06-12T08:34:00.000-05:00

When I give up my day job...

2010-05-29T23:37:00.005-05:00

As much as I love Cheetos, you might be surprised that I never knew how Frito-Lay actually made them. Well, wonder no more because Wired magazine actually had a brief article about the how such cheesy goodness is created.

The most important thing I realized while reading this article:

"The perfect reference Cheetos are sent from Frito-Lay headquarters."

That's like five minutes from my house!

I am practically living right next to the Holy Grail of Cheetos!!!

Reliving the classics...

2010-05-27T17:21:00.004-05:00

There was a time in my youth when INXS was my favorite band and Kick was my favorite album, which makes this cover project by Beck and friends all the more cheesier. Check out the video below for a teaser, and Beck's Record Club for videos of them covering the rest of the album.

Predators

2010-05-05T09:32:00.002-05:00

I know we have us some serious Predator fans on this blog. I personally am ready to build a time machine to fast forward to July to see this.

Happy Star Wars day.

2010-05-04T17:56:00.001-05:00

So apparently, today is Star Wars day (May the 4th be with you.)

Happy Star Wars day.

Poop still makes me chuckle...

2010-04-22T17:51:00.000-05:00

What better reason than this to have a bad day on the pitching mound:

Watch it till the end...

2010-03-25T18:31:00.002-05:00

At least the job market is opening up...

2010-03-22T14:27:00.002-05:00

Everybody Wants to Go On the Ride

2010-03-17T14:46:00.002-05:00

This guys commentary is hilarious. Let's just hope the Indian food isn't coming from underneath the bridge.

Tron: Legacy (Again)

2010-03-09T18:41:00.001-06:00

For those that missed this new preview in 3D before Alice In Wonderland this weekend. And how incredible is that Daft Punk soundtrack going to be?

Just because I'm getting older doesn't mean I'm growing up.

2010-02-17T22:53:00.002-06:00

Iron Man 2

2010-02-08T12:38:00.002-06:00

I have no background on Ironman other than the last movie and that Scratch had a collection. That being said the 2nd one looks pretty sweet.

Has anyone checked on Scratch this weekend?

2010-02-06T14:24:00.001-06:00

Once I get skydiving out of the way, this is next.

2010-02-02T00:23:00.001-06:00

I carved your name across three counties...

2010-01-23T13:57:00.007-06:00

That's a line from the first track from Middle Cyclone by Neko Case, as she sings from the point of view of a tornado. It's an almost violent kind of song that seems to capture the intensity of a tornado as a metaphor for passionate love. Given the experience we've had with growing up around tornadoes here at the Kool-Aid Gang, it was quite awesome to pick apart the words to this song.

Somehow I avoided listening to this CD when it came out in June. Perhaps I was a bit skeptical given it's prominence at the checkout counter at Starbucks when it came out, but damn if it isn't the best album of 2009.

Dallas finally got a radio station playing music worth listening to, and I happened upon that first track, "This Tornado Loves You," on a drive home from work. I picked up the album shortly after. I'd suggest you do the same.

Check out her performance on Letterman earlier last year:

I kind of enjoyed this video about her creative process making this album, too:

This rating may be premature, and I may change my attitude towards this album after more repetitive listens, but for now, I'll go with:

I think we should all dress up as Space Marines next Halloween...

2010-01-08T19:32:00.001-06:00

Here's one for you Firecracker George. I can't remember where I found this picture.

"verily, it tied the room together"

2010-01-08T09:38:00.002-06:00

I am a fan of both "The Big Lebowski" and Shakespeare. Adam Bertocci reworked the Big Lebowski script to Shakespearean. Examples of reworked characters:
The Dude becomes "The Knave"
Walter is "Sir Walter"
Jesus is "Joshua Quince, a pederast"

Good reading for this weekend.

find the adaptation at - http://runleiarun.com/lebowski/

Lebowski Line: "You see a wedding ring on my finger? Does this place look like I'm fucking married? The toilet seat's up man!"
Shakespearean version: "Zounds, man. Look at these unworthiest hands; no gaudy gold profanes my little hand. I have no honour to contain the ring. I am a bachelor in a wilderness. Behold this place; are these the towers where one may glimpse Geoffrey, the married man? Is this a court where mistresses of common sense are hid? Not for me to hang my bugle in an invisible baldric, sir; I am loathe to take a wife, or she to take me until men be made of some other mettle than earth. Hark, the seat of my commode be arisen!"

Lebowski Line - Jesus: "Let me tell you something, pendejo. You pull any your crazy sh*t with us, you flash a piece out on the lanes, I'll take it away from you and stick it up your ass and pull the f*cking trigger till it goes "click"."
Shakespearean version - Quince: "Well; but be forewarn’d. It reach’d mine ears That combustible Walter, o’ercome with rage Did shed good sense, and raise his sword in play. I fear not such jade’s tricks, an seeing ill, Would snatch the burden from the jealous knight And pierce his gizzard with the wrongful steel, Points up, as said of Coriolanus."

Lebowski line - Walter: "Is this your homework, Larry?"
Shakespearean version - Sir Walter: "Is this thy parchment, Laurence? "

It's a gooooooood thing...

2009-12-29T23:04:00.003-06:00

Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart in the kitchen making brownies. Now I know what she was doing to pass the time during all those days on house arrest.

Hehehehe. It's says...

2009-12-28T00:08:00.003-06:00

I pass this building on my way home from work each night. The light in the sign has been out for at least a month now, and I'm surprised no one's bothered to fix it yet. I chuckle every time I see it:

Closer and closer to a Star Trek universe...

2009-12-19T15:09:00.003-06:00

Even with the convenience of laptops, iPhones, Kindles, and other gadgets, the experience of flipping through books and magazines still has not been replicated to a point that I actually enjoy using these devices for my reading. I still subscribe to a magazine or two, flip through the morning paper at work, and prefer buying a book at the bookstore over trying to read one on my iPhone. Apple is rumoured to be coming out with a tablet device in the coming months, though, and many magazine publishers are readying themselves for the eventual evolution of their medium to electronic displays. If they incorporate the design strategies outlined in this video, it might actually be another game-changer in how we consume information. I especially like how this guy has thought about the experience of a print magazine, and how it differs from what we get currently online through blogs and RSS feeds, apart from the obvious satisfaction of flipping through pages, and considering the magazine issue as a complete project with a beginning and an end rather than the endless stories we get through the Web.

Mag+ from Bonnier on Vimeo.

That would have been one trippy Ewok battle...

2009-12-14T13:09:00.002-06:00

Truth be told, I've never read Dune, but I enjoyed the movie adaptation directed by David Lynch. But could you imagine what Return of the Jedi would have been like with him at the helm?

A dirty mind is a horrible thing to waste...

2009-12-10T18:14:00.003-06:00

A screen capture of a real page from Fox News (via The High Definite):

Set Your DVR's Now

2009-12-02T21:53:00.000-06:00

OKC on the New Years

2009-12-01T08:44:00.003-06:00

If we already didn't have plans... Flaming Lips will be covering Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon on New Years Eve.

"The Lips will be collaborating with the band Stardeath and White Dwarfs (who boast Wayne Coyne's nephew Dennis Coyne as a member), to perform their own version of Dark Side. Special appearances from Henry Rollins and Peaches are said to also be included."

Mammaaaaaa!

2009-11-24T22:05:00.002-06:00

I think enough years have gone by since Wayne's World killed this song for me that I can actually enjoy the updated version of this Queen classic by the Muppets:

Gear up for the weekend...

2009-11-19T22:40:00.001-06:00

Maybe Firecracker George should submit his work for the sequel...

2009-11-19T13:36:00.003-06:00

Considering how much backstory has been created and is currently in print, you'd think they would have already made a Warhammer 40,000 movie by now. Better late than never, I guess. From their official website:

Codex Pictures revealed today the director and screenwriter for the forthcoming Warhammer 40,000 movie ULTRAMARINES.
The director is Martyn Pick, whose credits include the 2009 film The Age of Stupid, on which he was animation director; London 2012, the promotional film commissioned by Film London and the London Development Agency which was premiered at the Beijing Olympics; the 2001 US Budweiser NBA commercial; and the celebrated BBC promotional trailers for the Euro 2004 soccer tournament. Martyn was chosen to direct Ultramarines for his renowned and highly distinctive ability to fuse live action and animation and the fluid, rich painterly style of his film-making.
The screenplay has been written by someone who needs no introduction to Warhammer 40,000 fans – best-selling author Dan Abnett. Dan has penned more than 25 books for Games Workshop’s Black Library, with total sales in excess of 1.2 million copies. He also works regularly for 2000 AD, Marvel Comics and DC Comics and has recently seen publication of the first of three novels for HarperCollins' new sci-fi, fantasy and horror imprint, Angry Robot.
ULTRAMARINES, a sci-fi thriller employing CGI and state-of-the-art production techniques, is being produced by Codex Pictures in association with Good Story Productions Ltd. The Canadian co-producer is POP6 Studios.

His insurance company must be loving these new cellphone video cams now...

2009-11-14T13:01:00.003-06:00

Don't know if you heard about this guy that crashed his $2 million Bugatti Veyron into a lagoon near Galveston. He initially claimed a low flying pelican distracted him. Unbeknownst to him, some admiring fans of the car were filming the whole thing:

If my wife gets a Snuggie, I'm getting one of these...

2009-11-06T19:23:00.004-06:00

I posted about the Tauntaun sleeping bag awhile back, but who knew it could substitute for a Snuggie?

ThinkGeek has more uses for it on their website. I especially like the idea of the after lunch nap. I actually have a little ledge under my desk that would fit an alarm clock perfectly.

CAAAATFIIIIIIIGHT!!

2009-11-06T19:17:00.003-06:00

Now this might make me more interested in women's soccer:

The Next Viral Video

2009-10-27T14:00:00.001-05:00

If you've been wondering what Scott Baio has been up to then take a gander at this video.

New Weezer in 11 days...

2009-10-23T18:54:00.001-05:00

One step closer to Dejarik holochess...

2009-10-22T18:06:00.004-05:00

A group of students at Carnegie Mellon University put together a modernized way of playing Dungeons & Dragons using the Microsoft Surface. Kind of makes you wonder what playing Battletech, Car Wars, or Warhammer 40,000 would have been like on this sort of gaming table. Definitely, would have saved a lot of paper. I'd still miss using my lucky set of dice, though.

In response to Firecracker George's "Best Concert I've Ever Been To" post...

2009-10-18T01:53:00.005-05:00

Being close enough to almost feel like you could touch Bono? Eh. Overrated. My seats at Cowboys Stadium were so much better than what Firecracker George managed to get, or even Wild Willie, for that matter. Not only did I not have to be bothered by the sight of all of U2's aging wrinkles and the smells of their body odor, I had the wonderful opportunity to stare at the colossal behemoth that was the unused black expanse of the Jerry Vision TV that was so much more spectacular than U2's puny little stage (you can see a bit of the TV in the upper right hand corner of the picture above).

And the acoustics of Cowboys Stadium? Outstanding! It was like listening to gunfire in an oil barrel. How could you not want that? And if you don't believe me about the sound, take a gander to the video below. No, that's not some fancy audio editing--that's how awesome the concert really sounded from my seats!

Seriously, though, if you're ever tempted to buy tickets to anything other than football at Jerry World, let me give you some advice--don't. The concert literally did sound like that (Muse's opening set sounded almost unrecognizable), and the ginormous video screen that had to be specially raised to accommodate U2's stage was a huge distraction. I almost thought the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey was floating above the whole time (which I guess could have fit with U2's space cowboy theme). It didn't help that I found out general admission tickets on the floor were almost a third what I paid for my nosebleed seats. I guess I got the benefit of cup holders to put down my $8.00 bottle of beer. Luckily, U2 is the greatest band on Earth and they put on quite a show. Lemon and I left happy--that's just how good they are.

The Best Concert I've Ever Been To

2009-10-17T20:54:00.001-05:00

This is how close I was.

I wish I had brought a proper camera. This was from my cell phone.

Hopefully, it doesn't smell as bad as the real thing...

2009-10-09T23:58:00.003-05:00

I love that the zipper pull that opens up the tauntaun is a lightsaber.

Soon to be on sale at ThinkGeek.

One Orlando Night

2009-10-05T11:13:00.003-05:00

While on vacation for my birthday last week my Wife and I ate at the House Of Blues in Orlando and discovered much to my delight two of my favorite bands were playing that night. Tickets were cheap, the venue tiny, and the entertainment some of the best I've ever experienced. My great love of the Happy Mondays is no secret. As God says at the end of the brilliant film '24 Hour Party People' Shawn Ryder is the greatest poet since Yeats. I agree wholeheartedly. While his huge drug problems are well chronicled in the film, Shawn was clean and sober at the show and making jokes about his past problems with a closed mouth smile. Shawn admitted at one point during the show all of his teeth had fallen out from drugs and now when he smiles he "looks like a mother f***er." Though there were few original members of the band playing, I was there for Shawn. He did not dissapoint.
The Psychedelic Furs have been on the top of my favorite bands list since seeing the film 'Pretty In Pink' in 1986. They were a band I thought I'd never see live though as they broke up long ago and seemed to want to stay that way. Richard Butler was famous as one of the most entertaning front men of the New Wave era. Even 20 years later it held true. Their sound was superb and all of the songs had been updated for a more modern feel, but leaving none of the old charm behind. I was front and center against the barrier for the entire show and the intimacy of the club mixed so well with the vibe of these two bands I thought I'd never see live that it combined into the best night of what was already the greatest vacation I've had. The chances of these two bands playing while I was there could have been serendipity, or luck, or maybe karma. Whatever it was all I know is it was one of the greatest birthday presents I've ever had.

Finally, a focus on the real victims of public health care.

2009-09-22T23:22:00.000-05:00

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Sure to be on the highlight reels all season long...

2009-09-21T00:10:00.002-05:00

The Longhorns looked pretty mortal yesterday, but a win is a win, I guess. Sergio Kindle showed some flashes of dominance, however, keeping the run in check and giving the quarterback enormous amounts of pressure. And how awesome was this hit on Taylor Potts? I seriously wondered for a split second whether that guy's head was still in that helmet rolling on the ground:

Gotta get the number to this guy's interior decorator...

2009-09-18T13:33:00.002-05:00

Admit it. If you had money and your wife or significant other didn't have objections or decorating ideas of her own, you'd furnish your pad like this guy's apartment, too. See more photos at Gizmodo:

A member of the Senate now at the highest level of office...

2009-09-17T15:50:00.004-05:00

That could sound a bit ominous, depending on your political leanings. Saw this on kottke.org, a slightly Photoshopped picture of the President playing around with the U.S. Olympic fencing team during their recent visit to the White House. Your political affiliations probably influence whether this looks like Barack Obama as a Jedi, a Sith Lord, or just an inexperienced Padawan. Either way, you have to admit, this picture is pretty cool:

I don't know if you've all seen this yet, but in case you haven't...

2009-09-14T21:19:00.001-05:00

Halo: ODST

2009-09-10T16:00:00.001-05:00

The extended live action trailer for the new Halo game coming out in two weeks.

Thrillbillies indeed

2009-08-31T22:54:00.001-05:00

Dig it, babies.

I think it's ironic that many psychologists never realize how friggin nuts they are.

2009-08-29T18:05:00.003-05:00

I read this segment from an article on cracked.com. Holy crap it's funny (yet tragic).

John Watson established the entire psychological field of behaviorism by gallantly conducting experiments on babies. Evidently, getting a baby to work on back in the 20s was easy: You just grabbed one that belonged to one of the hospital's employees... an employee who, it should be noted, was not involved in the experiment. Apart from their relationship to the subject/lab rat, of course.

For this particular experiment, Watson took a baby named Albert and exposed him to rats, monkey masks and burning newspaper. Then he stopped fucking around and began the actual experiment.

Little Albert would be introduced to a series of fluffy white objects, such as a white rat, a white rabbit and a swatch of white fur. Initially, Albert possessed no fear of these things. During subsequent exposures to the same objects, Watson would hammer a steel bar, creating a terrifying racket. In time, whenever Albert saw anything white and fluffy he cried with fear. This is science.

Watson's goal was, of course, to see if it was possible to condition fear in an infant. You know, because prior to this infants were regarded as cold, unfeeling machines, incapable of emotion.

Working tirelessly alongside his assistants, he scared a child for 31 days before returning it to the hospital drenched in terrified excrement (evidently it was just a rental). Unfortunately, Watson spent the entire experiment scaring the shit out of Albert with the hammer of Thor and never got around to actually correcting any of the tremendous psychological damage he was causing, thereby dooming Albert to grow up as a man who pissed his pants at the sight of a cotton ball.

As if this wasn't enough, it turns out Watson had wanted to do more. He lamented that he didn't have the time to condition both fear and arousal in Albert by stimulating the child's erogenous zones during the experiments, because back then getting an infant to shit all over his own boner was considered the pinnacle of behavioral research.

Batman: Arkham Asylum

2009-08-24T14:53:00.003-05:00

It's being hailed as the single best licensed game ever made. Or my favorite quote from Joystiq.Com's review "It will birth you anew in its magnificence." It's got the Joker voiced by Mark Hamill. It's got Batman in his truest comic form as I imagine him in my head. I don't even have it yet and I'm already giddy. By the way I ordered the limited edition that comes with a real batarang. You never know when you'll need it.

Now if only they could teach him how to push a bobsled...

2009-08-20T23:00:00.003-05:00

Usain Bolt shattered yet another of his world records at the world championships in Berlin by recording a time of 19.19 seconds in the 200 meter sprint. Watching the video, I'm still amazed at how completely relaxed he looks before and during the race in comparison to his competitors. And the margin of victory is freakin' insane!

As Bolt said, "I'm on my way to being a legend."

Not everything Star Wars related is necessarily good...

2009-08-20T18:22:00.003-05:00

Women in bikinis reciting lines from Star Wars seemed like a good idea...until you actually watch it. "Even I get boarded sometimes" has taken a whole new meaning in my head for some reason now.

I guess that's one way to know if she's the one...

2009-08-17T17:57:00.004-05:00

Saw this on kottke.org, and thought it was hilarious. This story is pure gold. Give it a look if you've got a few minutes to spare:

The best episode of the G.I. Joe cartoon I ever saw...

2009-08-13T13:05:00.000-05:00

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is in that category of films that's a bit hard to review. No one in their right mind is expecting greatness from a movie directed by Stephen Sommers (The Mummy), much less from a movie based on a line of toys. Still, Transformers and its sequel Revenge of the Fallen turned out to be a wonderful spectacle of CGI eye candy and quite entertaining. And considering I played with G.I. Joe way more than Transformers, I was hoping some nostalgia for one of my favorite toys as a kid would allow me to escape and have some fun with this in the same way. Even the actors themselves weren't kidding themselves into thinking this was some sort of genre defining movie. Back during production of the film adaptation of G.I. Joe in which she portrays the Baroness, Sienna Miller succintly summed up exactly what to expect: "Guns, tits, ass, and no acting!" And honestly, I think she was spot on.

The plot of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is pretty straightforward. Destro creates the ultimate terror weapon, his henchmen (Baroness, Storm Shadow, Zartan) steal it from NATO, and the G.I. Joe team (General Hawk, Heavy Duty, Snake Eyes, Scarlett, Breaker) along with their new recruits (Duke, Ripcord) are tasked to save the world from Destro's nefarious plan. In the background is the Doctor, who seems to be the real brains behind Destro's organization with a backstory that isn't all that hard to figure out before the "big" reveal towards the end of the film.

For the most part, I thought the casting of the film was actually quite good. Sienna Miller and Rachel Nichols look hot, Ray Park in his Snake Eyes outfit looks ninja cool and his moves are even cooler, and they don't give Channing Tatum too many big words to say. Wild Willie...er...I mean, Dennis Quaid pretty much calls in his performance, but he's not asked to do a whole lot either except look leader-ly and whoop and holler when the Joes win the final battle (that was pretty much a blatant knock-off of Star Wars--dogfights, sword fight between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow, General Hawk at the main base with a big holographic globe watching the battle unfold).

Steven Sommers and the writers take the right approach in this movie by making it essentially an action-centric film with lots of explosions, high-tech gadgets, and fights that defy the laws of physics. I was pleased to see that they even tried to make some of the technology for G.I. Joe a bit believable using ideas that are in the early phases of development already today (e.g. invisibility cloak). The writers even manage to explain how Cobra manages to get all these nameless soldiers to fight their battles without complaint (i.e. nanomites that allow for mind control), which always perplexed me as a kid when I would watch cartoons--perhaps a bit silly, but explains a lot nonetheless. And in some sense, this movie felt a lot like the old cartoons, save for the fact that people actually die in this film rather than miraculously parachute out of danger. Whether you feel that's a good thing or bad, I leave that opinion to you.

It's when the film stops having fun, and tries to be serious when the film breaks down. Granted, the draw for me to G.I. Joe as a kid was always the backstories behind each character, but the way they sort of tried to incorporate flashbacks for each of the main characters really slowed the pace down, and didn't add much to the movie at all. The story itself hinges on the background between Duke, the Baroness, and Cobra Commander, which was kind of silly, and wasn't helped by the fact that Channing Tatum and Sienna Miller had absolutely no chemistry. And Zartan? He's still the dumbest villain ever. EVER!

In the wrong frame of an adult mind, this was probably a laughable film, best enjoyed at 2:00 AM with a few too many beers. But G.I. Joe was never really meant for adults. I think this movie targets exactly the right market--young boys who still play with toys. Had I been ten years old, I probably would have been talking about this movie for the next month. Do you need to go rung out and see this? No. But if you've got nothing to do on a weekend afternoon, or when it comes out on DVD, it's kind of fun. And in the end, this movie comes down to one question: Ninjas and hot chicks in tight leather--do you really need anything else? Just for that, I give it a...

AHHHH! WHY NOW?

2009-08-13T11:33:00.002-05:00

So I'm moments from walking out the door on a date, and I'm stricken with diarrhea. So the question is do I call and cancel without providing a reason, or do I "suck it up" as it were.

I'm going for it. Wish me luck.

Oh no, were having Mexican food. :(

Let's pour some salt into that wound...

2009-08-11T20:26:00.003-05:00

I think Wander posted this trailer for Halo 3 awhile back. Obviously, this game has been out for quite some time, so this isn't the reason why I'm posting the video again. I'm really just putting it up to remind us how awesome a big-screen version of Halo might have been with Neill Blomkamp directing a full-on movie since he was in charge of this trailer. And when you see his movie District 9 this weekend, you'll probably be cursing Microsoft even more for screwing the potential movie deal up a couple of years ago. Oh, what could have been.

The things people will do for "The Beast"...

2009-08-07T17:58:00.002-05:00

The chase scene for this must have been amusing to watch:

Man gets DUI riding lawnmower for beer
ASSOCIATED PRESS
08/04/2009

BELLEVILLE— With a revoked license because of a previous drunken-driving conviction, Dennis Cretton shouldn't drive.

But authorities say that didn't stop the 49-year-old Belleville-area man from drunkenly driving up to a gas station for more beer --on his yellow riding lawnmower.

Cretton has been charged with felony aggravated driving under the influence after neighbors reported he was weaving in and out of traffic on his lawnmower Friday night.

When deputies tried to stop him, authorities say Bretton drove the mower into his home's front yard, his 12-pack of Milwaukee's Best spilling onto the ground along the way.

Cretton is free on $10,000 bond. Calls to his home went unanswered Tuesday.

Farewell John Hughes

2009-08-07T09:24:00.002-05:00

You were my favorite comedy writer and one of the best directors in the game. Your films defined my life. Thank you.

Pucker up...

2009-08-06T18:06:00.002-05:00

Bacon Lip Balm seemed like a good idea when I first read about it, but then after I thought about this concept for awhile, it occurred to me that this might give the sensation of spreading bacon fat on your lips all day. That could get kind of gross.