It's only true love if she loves you back...

When do you know you've met "the one?" It is asked throughout the ages, yet I can't find anyone that can give a definitive answer to what seems like a simple question. Countless movies have been made about such feelings of destiny and fate. (500) Days of Summer adds to the catalog of these romantic comedies, but uses a somewhat unconventional way to get to the answer by telling us straight out at the beginning of the film--"You should know up front this is not a love story."

Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a hopeless romantic who believes in the classical Hollywood conceit of love at first sight. When he sees Summer (Zooey Deschanel), the new worker at the greeting card company where he works, he is instantly smitten and convinced he's met his soulmate. Summer seems oblivious to Tom's interests until her feelings are revealed in a makeout session in the copy room. From there, it's pure bliss for Tom, although we know unhappiness is likely on the horizon when Summer admits early on that she isn't a believer in true romance.
(500) Days of Summer skips back and forth in the timeline to give us various glimpses of what the 500 days of their relationship was like. But rather than being disjointed and confusing, this approach gives us a better understanding of events to compare and contrast. The peak of giddiness Tom feels after consumating their relationship is portrayed in a wonderful satire on a mainstay of the romantic comedy formula that combines a glimpse of Han Solo and a classic Hall and Oates track. Contrast to the loneliness and betrayal felt after their breakup when he is invited to a party thrown by Summer where he finds out some unsettling news. Casting Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel in the lead roles is wonderful. Although neither is what may be considered the epitome of beauty, they are mesmerizing, especially Zooey Deschanel whose blue eyes are enhanced by use of the color blue throughout the movie. The chemistry between the two is pitch-perfect as two individuals who seemed destined for each other and all the more painful to watch. We see the entire movie essentially from Tom's point of view, and sympathize completely with the heartbreak we know is about to unfold before our eyes.

So is this a downer of a film? Does this completely dispel the myth of fated love and destiny? Far from it, strangely enough. In deconstructing the relationship of Tom and Summer, we actually find some hope at the end of this movie that "the one" is truly out there somewhere.

The Unholy Union

Smells like you just got Rickrolled.

The Director's Cut? Even better!

So one of my tech pirate buddies gets a hold of The Watchmen director's cut the other night, and I stayed up way too late watching it. Unlike the deleted scenes in some movies that need deletion because they slowed the story, everything in Watchmen was not only okay to leave in, they made a great movie even better. I think that like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, this extended version of Watchmen will be the only version I watch from now on.

Of course, it's only on Blu-Ray, so I wont be watching it that much.

More Then An Ankle

For those who wanted more then just the 10 second teaser viral video. I present the full official video for the new Mechwarrior game. May I offer a towel for your drool?

Coming out of the closet...

It's no secret that I'm a bit of an introvert. Actually, delete "a bit"--I'm an extreme introvert. I've often found it quite difficult to explain my personality, especially to a world where introversion is thought to be a bit weird and socially unacceptable. Which is why I was so happy to read this old article from The Atlantic titled "Caring for Your Introvert":

Do you know someone who needs hours alone every day? Who loves quiet conversations about feelings or ideas, and can give a dynamite presentation to a big audience, but seems awkward in groups and maladroit at small talk? Who has to be dragged to parties and then needs the rest of the day to recuperate? Who growls or scowls or grunts or winces when accosted with pleasantries by people who are just trying to be nice?

If so, do you tell this person he is "too serious," or ask if he is okay? Regard him as aloof, arrogant, rude? Redouble your efforts to draw him out?

If you answered yes to these questions, chances are that you have an introvert on your hands—and that you aren't caring for him properly. Science has learned a good deal in recent years about the habits and requirements of introverts. It has even learned, by means of brain scans, that introverts process information differently from other people (I am not making this up). If you are behind the curve on this important matter, be reassured that you are not alone. Introverts may be common, but they are also among the most misunderstood and aggrieved groups in America, possibly the world.

Quite a bit of this article seemed to hit the nail on the head for me, and is worth a read.

Good things can come from farting around.

I wanted more than just a foot. (Not even a whole foot, was it? Just a heel.) So I looked for similar videos at the bottom of the window and found this.



Pretty swanky. I'll have to check these guys out.

The King Returns

After nearly 10 years, Microsoft will annonce this week the return of the Mechwarrior series. Piranha Games, a newly formed company owned by Jordan Weisman the original creator of the Battletech games, has been working on it for some time for licensee owner Microsoft. The viral videos released the last few weeks are insanely beautiful. The Mechwarrior: Living Legends Battletech mod for the Crysis engine that I had been posting about over the last few years had been on hiatus while Microsoft decided if it would sue the guys working on it or not. Last week they dropped all lawsuits and gave the thumbs up to continue. Apperently, Microsoft is planning a big comeback for Mechwarrior games in the coming year. Mechwarrior has remained the number one most asked for returning game series among gamers the last 7 years, and the entire Mechwarrior series is only overshadowed by Halo for game sells among licenses owned by Microsoft to this date. I know I'm ready. And with Microsoft's Project: Natal just around the corner, the possibilities seem endless for fully interactive Mech games.

Worst Ad Campaign Ever?

Way Funnier Then It Should Be

Now that's a TV show I wouldn't mind watching...

Looking back at my posts lately, I'm realizing that I've fallen into a rut of endless YouTube videos rather than any meaningful written content. It seems my ability to write anything remotely insightful or clever has suffered as I get more busy and tired with work. So does that mean I'm going to write something insightful or clever right now? Heck no. I'm beat!

Anywho, I've seen this mashup on a couple of sites and thought it was amusing enough to share. See the second video to see how it compares to the original. I guess this shows there's only so many ways a director can frame a shot:

Star Wars: The Old Republic

The first cinematic trailer for the new Star Wars MMO was realeased today. It doesn't show any actual in-game footage, but it is perhaps the finest piece of Star Wars action put on film in a very long time.
Just a little info on the game, it takes place about 1000 years before the films and focuses on the Sith/Jedi wars. No release date for the game yet, but rest assured I'll be keeping you ahead, abreast, and afoot of new info about it.

A cautionary tale...

I'm not sure where this unaired episode of Tiny Toons came from, but I found it quite funny. Buster convinces Plucky and Hamton to join him in trying a beer resulting in the trio getting drunk of their asses...on one bottle of beer. I've heard of nursing a beer before, but how they manage to make this bottle last so long is amazing. And there's a part in this where Plucky comes across a police car they eventually steal that made me think he was about to say, "Oh, Maserati. Much better than my car. And what's this? Keys?!"

Guess I won't be using this to learn Chinese...

The bootleg copy of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (or in Chinese pirate language, Star War: The Backstroke of the West) some guy picked up in China ended up with some rather interesting subtitles.  Below is what may be the greatest catchphrase since, "Boy, am I cool!"  

Even crazier was the fact that they decided to subtitle the scrolling intro.  Perhaps it's really some sort of secret code:

V

I didn't even know they were doing a remake. Some sci-fi fan I am. Some of you may remember the V role playing game I was creating using the old Star Wars D6 rules. I read every V novel to get the facts and lore straight. They were pretty good reads, the original novel especially. Here's hoping this V is good as well. Although the lack of Micheal Ironsides and Marc Singer is crippling it already for me.

What makes his unstoppableness so unstoppable?

I'm just loving these Nike MVPuppet ads. My wish is that the Lakers and Cavaliers go all the way so that these commercials may continue:

So, anyone want to enter a soapbox derby?

I don't know if you guys have seen this, but every year Redbull hosts a few soapbox derbies. This year they're in L.A. and Hotlanta. It looks like Atlanta still is taking submissions, which is basically a sketch of your soapbox racer. I had some ideas, and wanted to know if any of you wanted to do it.

Now I know all of our situations aren't ideal right now to go have a soap box race, but when I thought about it, they never are. Every so often, we need to do something goofy like this, so if anyone wants to try it out, let me know by email.

Check out the race particulars here.

Cheesus

I wasn't sure I was going to get to this one first, but this is definately the place to report such findings.

Reported by Beth Wagner (Dallas CBS 11 News)

Dallas Couple Sees Jesus Inside Cheese Snack

"Dan and Sara Bell of Dallas found a Jesus-shaped Cheeto while on a road trip last week. They have since nicknamed the figure "Cheesus."

Many people have seen and heard about the likeness of Jesus turning up in unlikely places. Now, one North Texas family says they found Jesus in a cheese snack.Dan Bell found his vision of Jesus last week at the gas station. "We were leaving town. I stopped by to fill up with gas and bought some snacks."Inside a 99-cent bag of Cheetos brand cheese snacks, Dan and his wife Sara found something unique.

Sara recalls the discovery. "I was putting them in my hand and I had eaten most of the ones in my hand, and one was left lying there. And I said, 'Oh my gosh, look at this. It really looks like a person in a robe praying.'"Dan looked over. "I said, 'Wow, it does look like a praying Jesus.'"The couple nicknamed it "Cheesus.""Cheesus" is about two inches tall. Despite missing a right arm, the Bells see a body, hair, robe and even a tiny face. They say it is a reminder of their blessings from God; but primarily they think it's a funny Cheeto.

Various incarnations of "Cheesus" have shown up before; in Houston, Missouri and on the internet site YouTube. The Bells' Cheeto ended up on the front page of the Preston Hollow newspaper. The big question, what to do with it now?Dan says his first reaction was, "Let's put this on eBay. How much do you think we should ask for it? It could be 25 cents, could be 25 dollars. If it's only 25 cents, we're just going to eat it."For now, they are keeping "Cheesus" in a plastic box.

"Funny Cheeto..." Cheetos are not funny, they are serious and delicious. They should eat the Cheesus and enjoy the cheesy crunch.

Lemon's blonde moment of the day...

So my wife was flipping through channels and watched some movie with
Jessica Biel. Later, she asked me, "So is Justin Timberlake's
girlfriend Latino?"

"No. I don't think so. Why?"

"Because she was speaking such good Spanish in that movie." And then,
a short pause as her brain finally kicked in. "Oh, uh, actually,
nevermind."

"Why?" I asked.

"Oh, well, um...it was playing on the Spanish channel. No wonder she
sounded so fluent."

Sent from my iPhone

So's your Mother Trebek!

Not sure who caught the season finale of SNL hosted by Will Farrel last night, but it was classic through and through. In a night that saw more celebrity walk-ons then I could count, this sketch was still more then I could have hoped for.

Tweny dollar Chinese food...

The problem with having a DVR/TiVo is that you sometimes miss some pretty clever commercials.  Still not a reason that I would give up skipping ads.  Anywho, I saw this Nike commercial the other day and was laughing my ass off:

Never say die...

Saw a post about this on Pop Candy. As part of Empire magazine's 20th anniversary, they got the cast of The Goonies back together for a photo shoot.  I found this especially nostalgic considering all of us here at the Kool-Aid Gang were probably about the same age as the Goonies when this movie came out.  

And how is it that all the plump kids back in the day grow up to be lean and skinny?  That's "Chunk" sitting under Richard Donner on the right.  

Do not underestimate the power of the Force...

I guess the release of the new Star Trek movie tonight has renewed the debate as to whether the Star Trek or Star Wars universe is king.  A couple of videos may settle this one:

Dork Yearbook

In today's Pop Candy, there is a link to a site - Dork Yearbook. I think I need to dig up some photos, because I feel I have some worthy submissions. Many of the glasses look like Swany or my old pair of Charley Brown's. Sweet.

http://dorkyearbook.com/

A snack from paradise or a morsel from hell?

When I first saw the world's largest Cheeto, I salivated with desire.  But then I realized how much surface area was being wasted and not being covered in dried cheesy goodness. 

World's Largest Cheeto and the Optimus Maximus from Gizmodo on Vimeo.

'Nuff Said

Now if the movie will just hold up...

There must be a medical term for this...

As you all probably know, Battlestar Galactica ended two weeks ago.  I've probably written enough on this blog for you to figure out that I was quite fond of this show. I watch a lot of TV, but few shows really leave such a lasting impression on me. Many of you probably lost interest in the third season (or maybe even sooner) thinking they were building up too many questions and not enough answers, but I think Ronald D. Moore and the writers of BSG really tied up the whole series in the final stretch to a (mostly) satisfying conclusion. 

Alas, I find myself still on Friday nights the past couple of weeks a bit depressed, knowing BSG won't be on anymore.  My mood is kind of likened to Barack Obama as told by this recent article from The Onion:

Obama Depressed, Distant Since 'Battlestar Galactica' Series Finale

WASHINGTON—According to sources in the White House, President Barack Obama has been uncharacteristically distant and withdrawn ever since last month's two-hour series finale of Battlestar Galactica.

"The president seems to be someplace else lately," said one high-level official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Yesterday we were all being briefed on the encroachment of Iranian drone planes into Iraq, when he just looked up from the table and blurted out, 'What am I supposed to watch on Fridays at 10 p.m. now? Numb3rs?'"

"I haven't seen him this upset since Admiral Adama realized that Earth was actually an uninhabitable wasteland," the official continued. "Or at least that's what he told me. I don't actually watch the show. It's not really my thing."

Since the end of the series, Obama has reportedly brushed off key budgetary decisions, ignored his wife and children, and neglected his daily workouts, claiming that he no longer cares if he lets himself go "just like Lee did before the rescue on New Caprica."

In addition, sources confirmed that instead of meeting with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Monday, the depressed president sat alone in the Oval Office, scouring Internet message boards for posts by other fans about the series conclusion.

Yes, this article is a joke, yet it's not so funny considering I actually have spent some time "scouring Internet message boards" myself about the series finale.  Sigh... 

Consumption of My Time

Over the last few months and especially the last few weeks I have been spending most of my free time making this - a baptismal font for our church. After believing for many years in what most would think of as "Believer's Baptism," we changed our view to "Infant Baptism." This was a two and a half year process of internal debate. This is a whole other post though. I had a great time making the base. The pottery was made by someone else, but I designed the base around the bowl. The goal was to go with something that was organic much like the pottery. I am pretty pleased with it.

It is made from hard maple and it is three pieces of wood. If you want the best view then make sure to click on each picture. It highlights the grain better. You can also see more photos on my facebook page.

Curiosity

I was on CNBC this morning and saw a little side blurb about the auctioning off of some of Michael Jackson's possessions so he doesn't go into foreclosure. Some stuff was reasonably priced and some was a tad bit expensive. His touring coach was actually cheaper than the tiny RV my parents bought. The thing I thought was really cool though was this.

The SNL skit is coming true...

Apple just announced the 3rd iteration of their iPod Shuffle. The thing is so small, it can't even fit the control buttons.

Maybe that cellphone from Zoolander wasn't really a joke.

Disappointment from inflated expectations...

Coming out of the theater last Saturday night after viewing the film adaptation of Watchmen, my wife was pretty much silent. It wasn't until we finally made it to the car that she expressed her utter disgust of the movie, calling it perhaps the worst thing she's had to sit through all year. She likened her experience to my squirming and eye-rolling during Sex and the City. I wasn't surprised by her reaction--this is pretty much what I thought a non comic book fan like her would think after leaving the theater.

I'm a fan of the graphic novel Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. I'm not one of these guys that revers it like it's the ultimate benchmark of literature, but I enjoyed how it humanized the whole superhero genre and put a spin on it to ask the question about what is acceptable sacrifice for the greater good. In the context of the Cold War, Watchmen stands as a great historical record of the feelings we had during that time in the 80's when nuclear missiles were endlessly amassing and leading to what seemed like inevitable global destruction. But as a comic book fan, perhaps this is the only reason why I thought Zack Snyder's adaptation was entertaining. Trying to look at it from someone who isn't a comic book fan nor even familiar with the original graphic novel, this movie was probably a bit of a bore. Throw in a glowing blue man with his manhood literally hanging out for all to see, and this was probably a laughable film.

The biggest problem with Snyder's movie adaptation is that he seemed too afraid to stray from the source material. Much was written before the movie was even made as to whether anyone could stay honest to the original story, and I think either Zack Snyder let this fear control his film too much or that he's just not that creative of a director. Granted, the graphic novel has given him a storyboard guide as to how to frame every scene, and I could understand how one would be tempted to use it as a literal guide, but I don't think everything translates to the big screen well. Alan Moore's Watchmen was told over a span of months, with each chapter confined to a single issue of a comic book. Snyder seems to try his best to preserve every element of the comic book limited series, but the result is a film that lacks in forward momentum and flow. Scenes seemed to be cobbled together with no real artistry at all. If this was a mini-series on television, this would have worked well. In a continuous three hour movie, not so much. I can't say that I was bored with the movie, but I could understand where someone who didn't know the story already would have been checking his/her watch in places. About the only element he did change (the infamous alien squid), actually worked in the film and probably made the movie better. Too bad he didn't take a few more creative chances.

The music selections were similarly disjointed. The use of "99 Luftballoons" was nice to try and set a mood and draw the audience into that 80's vibe using a song about nuclear holocaust. Clever, too, was a subtle Muzak version of Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" in the lobby of Veidt Industries. Unfortunately, not enough 80's music was utilized to set the tone. In fact, given how it seems so long since the Cold War ended and how hard it is to really remember what it felt like thinking that the USSR could launch their nuclear warheads at us at any minute, it was a huge waste that the music soundtrack didn't contribute more to jar my memory. Instead, we got the now almost cliched use of Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sounds of Silence" during a Vietnam vet funeral and some other 60's era music that's been so overplayed in movies that it almost has my eyes rolling when I hear them now. And don't get me started about Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" during a gratuitous sex scene that was way too explicit compared to a bit more subtle approach used in the comic book.

As far as the casting choices, I thought everyone looked fine in their roles, although their acting was for the most part a tad generic. The exception was Jackie Earl Haley who matched up perfectly with Rorschach. He was about as spot on as an actor embodying a comic book character as Christopher Reeve was when he donned the red cape for Superman. Adding to it was that wonderful mask that seemed to constantly change as if to relay his ever shifting mood and thoughts. Hurm...

Having said all that, this was an entertaining movie. Action sequences, especially the opening scene depicting the murder of the Comedian, were great, and I was glad to see Zack Snyder tone down the slo-mo bit that was used to excess in 300. The main themes were all there. The story and characters were intact. Unfortunately, I think such a respected graphic novel as this deserved an equal amount of artistic interpretation instead of the essentially literal translation we got from book to screen.

Hello, is there a Seymour there ...

Moe, on the Simpsons, has probably been pranked more than anyone, but how many people were in on it? Not many. That is why I find this prank to be one of the best. There is some back story to the whole ordeal, but you can check that out later.

Watch Prank War 7: The Half Million Dollar Shot and more funny videos on CollegeHumor

What Can You Get With Your Credit Card?

How about a home. It was brought to my attention that you could purchase a home in Detroit for the average price of $7500. WTF! May your Monday be a wonderful day. Cheerio!

Some bands are just timeless...

I wasn't even aware that Depeche Mode had a new album due out this year until Wander mentioned it in a recent email. After watching this video for their new single, I'm officially intrigued:

Somehow, buying anything by the kilo in white powder form seems like a bad idea...

Something about this seems very illegal.

Maybe you're just a little too good with that Wiimote...

So I got myself a Wii last week, but I'm not sure I'll look at it quite the same after this SNL skit from the last show:

I'm hoping Nintendo will sponsor a team and call their car the Super Mario Kart...

I was interested to read about this rumor that there may be an American F1 racing team in the works. I won't rehash my frustrations about the stereotypical American race car fan and his odd love of NASCAR, but I'm hoping having an American team in Formula One will perk up domestic interests in the superior racing league. 

I'm surprised more people don't flock to Formula One anyway with the popularity of video games these days.  After all, F1 cars seem to be taking cues from games like Super Mario Kart.  Take this video from the Red Bull F1 team showcasing the new technology in their 2009 Renault-built RB5 that includes a nifty regenerative braking system to store up electrical power that can be used for an extra six second boost of speed.  So the thing essentially has turbo boost at the drop of a button.  TURBO BOOST!

The things we should have done after drinking all that beer...

I watched this video and for some reason kept thinking of that collection of empty Milwaukee's Best cans W.M. Scratch had in his college dorm room:

Don't forget...

This ad is a little racy and definitely NSFW, but a timely reminder for all the guys here at the Kool-Aid Gang:

Sums Up How I Felt About It All

Ode to a grocery store...

I don't know how many of you have a Trader Joe's nearby, but I know I don't anymore.  If you do, you'll probably appreciate this video. If you don't, perhaps someday the fates will smile upon you and Trader Joe's will expand into your area:

I think the contractor inflated some pricing somewhere...

Some dude in Canada has estimated the price tag for one Death Star.  The cost?  $15,602,022,489,829,821,422,840,226...and 94 cents. I'm guessing Darth Vader's Tie Fighter insurance rates went up after they blew up the first one!  Ha!  Cricket chirps.  Thump, thump, thump.  Uh, is this mike on?

Yeah, this has been my experience with Apple.

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

When less is more...

It's easy to be amazed by the intricate detail that must go into building grand Lego statues like what Firecracker George posted about awhile back.  But I thought this more abstract and simple view of New York City through the selective use of Legos from a blog on The New York Times website was pretty cool, too.

Who needs talent when you've got a computer?

Microsoft Soundsmith is an application that generates an appropriate musical accompaniment to any vocals you lay down. This has created a whole slew of refreshed versions of modern classics, such as this reimagining of "Wonderwall" by Oasis:



Soundsmith isn't limited to mere vocals, however. Even the recent stock market meltdown has provided inspiration for musical genius. Suddenly, that big hit I took in my stock portfolio doesn't seem so depressing anymore:

Give Daddy a kiss...

No doubt you can guess what my favorite Super Bowl commercial was.  

Yo Joe! I guess there's no way to say that and feel cool...

My 11 year old nostalgic brain that had no sense of realism or physics is liking this trailer of the new G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra movie scheduled for release in August 2009. My 35 year old brain is thinking this is the biggest waste of a potentially lucrative film idea since Highlander II: The Quickening. Looking back on my old posts, I reminded myself that I owe everyone here in the Kool-Aid Gang a round of beers if this movie truly becomes the stinker film of the year.  I guess I may try saving up the money now.  Note the way both of the film titles above are worded--the need for colons in titles is never a reassuring sign of quality.  It's not the sure sign of a bad movie (e.g. Terminator 2: Judgement Day was, in some respects, a better film than Terminator), but G.I. Joe is already breaking out one for the first movie.  Uh oh.  

ANIMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!

No rhyme or reason for this video--I just thought it was cool:

Why do things that sound like they should be disgusting sound so good?

[Photo:  Don Ipock for The New York Times]

According to this article from The New York Times, "well over 16,000 web sites have linked to the [Bacon Explosion] recipe," yet I hadn't heard about this ode to the pig until today.  This smoked combination of woven pieces of bacon wrapped around Italian sausage was the brain-child of two guys in Kansas who were challenged to come up with something amazing to do with bacon and a barbecue.

Now part of my brain is saying, "Oh man, that looks like an absolutely disgusting mess of fat and grease."  Yet, most of my brain is saying, "Oh man, that looks like heaven on a plate.  Baaaaaaacon.  Drool."

If I had a backyard to try this, I would actually be tempted to barbecue this up.  The recipe from The New York Times:

Time: About 3 hours

2 pounds thick-cut sliced bacon
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage, casings removed
3 tablespoons barbecue rub
3/4 cup barbecue sauce.

1. Using 10 slices of bacon, weave a square lattice like that on top of a pie: first, place 5 bacon slices side by side on a large sheet of aluminum foil, parallel to one another, sides touching. Place another strip of bacon on one end, perpendicular to the other strips. Fold first, third and fifth bacon strips back over this new strip, then place another strip next to it, parallel to it. Unfold first, third and fifth strips; fold back second and fourth strips. Repeat with remaining bacon until all 10 strips are tightly woven.

2. Preheat oven to 225 degrees or light a fire in an outdoor smoker. Place remaining bacon in a frying pan and cook until crisp. As it cooks, sprinkle bacon weave with 1 tablespoon barbecue rub. Evenly spread sausage on top of bacon lattice, pressing to outer edges.

3. Crumble fried bacon into bite-size pieces. Sprinkle on top of sausage. Drizzle with 1/2 cup barbecue sauce and sprinkle with another tablespoon barbecue rub.

4. Very carefully separate front edge of sausage layer from bacon weave and begin rolling sausage away from you. Bacon weave should stay where it was, flat. Press sausage roll to remove any air pockets and pinch together seams and ends.

5. Roll sausage toward you, this time with bacon weave, until it is completely wrapped. Turn it so seam faces down. Roll should be about 2 to 3 inches thick. Sprinkle with remaining barbecue rub.

6. Place roll on a baking sheet in oven or in smoker. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 1 hour for each inch of thickness. When done, glaze roll with more sauce. To serve, slice into 1/4-to- 1/2-inch rounds.

Yield: 10 or more servings.

You guys don't understand me at all...

Gong Xi Fai Cai!  It's the Year of the Ox!

This is an especially auspicious year for me, since by the Chinese calendar, I was born in the Year of the Ox.  I don't know if you believe in any of the tellings of the Chinese zodiac and what your time of birth says about you, but I decided to look up "Ox" on Wikipedia.  

Apparently positive traits of the Ox include:  "responsible, dependable, honest, caring, honourable, intelligent, artistic, industrious, practical."

Negative traits of the Ox include: "petty, inflexible, possessive, dogmatic, gullible, stubborn, critical, intolerant, materialistic."

In some respects, that sounds exactly like me, and in others, nothing like me.  I'd ask the Kool-Aid Gang about whether they thought there was any truth to this, but then I looked a step further to who the Ox is apparently compatible with. To my horror, I found this:

Ox and TIGER
Personality clashes and bitter rivalry. No understanding of each other. Animosities and mutual distrust. Unable to resolve their differences.

Given that most of the Kool-Aid Gang are Tigers by the Chinese zodiac, that alarmed me. Given that my wife is a Tiger, well, that explains a lot of the arguments we have. ;-)

Oh well.  What does a stupid horoscope know?  I think I missed the cutoff to be a Tiger by only a few days anyway.  

Happy Chinese New Year to you all!  Hope you were able to celebrate better than me.  No lucky dumplings or long life noodles for me at dinner.  Instead, I browsed around Costco and got the "$1.50 hot dog and a Coke" special.  Yum.

Is it luck or is it destiny?

When I put together my Top 10 Movies of 2008 list earlier this month, I still hadn't seen Slumdog Millionaire.  I had heard Wild Willie heap quite a bit of praise onto the film over New Years, and after it beat out heavyweights for the Best Dramatic Motion Picture award at the Golden Globes, I was even more intrigued to know what I had missed.  Well, I just might agree with Willie on this one--I'm revising my list and placing this at number one.  

Now I haven't tried to hide the fact that I'm a sucker for romance.  It's a genre that if done right, seems to hit a deep chord that moves me in ways that no other type of film can.  This seems like it should be a natural feeling about good romantic films in general, though.  After all, what gives us the most joy in life if not love?  In Slumdog Millionaire, director Danny Boyle takes us on a journey of love in a most unconventional way. 

The film opens with a young man named Jamal being tortured by the police as they try and figure out how he cheated to get to the penultimate round of India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire.  Jamal is a "slumdog," a kid who grew up in the ghettos of Mumbai with the lowest social class of India's poor.  Most scientists, doctors, and lawyers couldn't even get past the 50,000 rupees stage, so how could a slumdog know so much if he didn't cheat?  Using the game show as a backdrop, Jamal tells his life story.  As a result, we learn how he came up with the correct answers and why he became a contestant on the show in the first place (hint: it wasn't for money).  

Relative newcomers Dev Patel (Jamal), Freida Pinto (Latika), and the rest of the supporting cast do a fine job in their roles.  However, this isn't a movie that relies on star power or heavy acting.  Instead, Danny Boyle keeps us riveted to the story and really is the one who makes us care about Jamal and his destiny.  Boyle is fast becoming one of the most versatile directors in the business and adept at mastering various genres of film. I've been amazed that a guy that first got noticed making such a dark movie like Trainspotting could go on to make a family-oriented film like Millions, sci-fi/horror like 28 Days Later, and now an uplifting romance picture like Slumdog Millionaire.  The original score by A.R. Rahman also has a prominent and vital role in providing a soul to the film.  The music never seems intrusive or over-the-top, yet invokes just the right amount of mood to let your own emotions take over.  I've often said in the movie reviews I write on this blog that memorable original music soundtracks are sorely missing in films these days.  Glad to see that someone remembered that great filmmaking needs great music, too.  

Now some could argue that Slumdog Millionaire, despite some of the harsh realities of Indian poverty portrayed in the film, isn't grounded in reality at all.  One might have to suspend some amount of disbelief to think that the questions posed to Jamal on the gameshow are in the exact same order as they pertain to events in his life.  One might complain that the bond between Jamal and Latika isn't properly developed.  And in some ways, I might agree with that.  Yet, the film's primary argument, that we all have a destiny, gives us the reason to believe what's going on.  This is the kind of film where I gladly buy into the central premise wholeheartedly, and check reality at the door.  In some sense, it is giving a glimpse of the true reality of the human condition, our despair and hope, anger and happiness, loss and love. It's a magical movie that can't be missed.  Maybe we do have a destiny waiting for us all.  Maybe it is written.

Funny how I hate dancing, but I dig dance music...

Lemon got this Ladyhawke CD over New Years which has a pretty cool 80's nostalgic vibe to it. I listen to it thinking it sounds just like someone from the 80's, but can't seem to place it.

Anywho, I liked this music video from her single "Dusk Till Dawn," especially the t-shirts that morph from the predictably frightening like "Ghost" and "Werewolf" to even more scarier things like "Your Mother" and "Burt Reynolds."

He's super cool and knows kung fu...

I was thinking Watchmen or Star Trek was my most anticipated movie for 2009, but after seeing this trailer for a low budget movie recently picked up by Sony Pictures at Sundance this month, I'm revising my list--BLACK DYNAMITE! A few seconds of NSFW nudity and occassional profanity:

My name is Deja Vu. Haven't we met somewhere before?

The Academy Awards nominees were announced today, and I guess it wasn't a surprise that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button got an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. And considering Forrest Gump won before, I figure Button must be a lock.  I still say David Fincher's movie was nice to watch, but didn't strike a deep chord with me.  What am I missing that everyone else seems to see?

And I can't believe The Dark Knight didn't pick up a Best Picture nod and Revolutionary Road was practically overlooked.  The Academy Awards suck.

The Curious Case of Forrest Gump - watch more funny videos

Is it just me or does this sound kind of generic?

It seems others are interested in fancy toilets too!

Catching a blip on cnbc.com today made me curious. It seems that the former Merrill CEO, Thain, was ousted by Bank of America today. There aren't any reasons I know of that have been directly stated but it seems that he was a pretty extravagant spender. It has only been about a month since his firm was taken over by BofA and he decided to spend $1.22 million on his new office. After reading through the list of improvements I was struck with one line item. A commode on legs costing $35,115. I decided to find out what could be so nice about a commode on legs and a quick google search revealed the following option.

Its price tag was much lower than what Thain spent though. I can hear Firecracker George saying, "It better reach up and give you a massage for that price." Of course, I believe it might come out a little less polite than that.

No, this is not a joke...

There are moments when I love PETA.  This is typically when they're all about putting up ads of hot naked women with nothing but strategically placed veggies to cover up their naughty bits.  But most of the time I think they're a bit too radical and border on insane.  Case in point--their new campaign to rename fish as sea kittens:

Whoever was in charge of creating a positive image for fish needs to go right back to working on the Britney Spears account and leave our scaly little friends alone. You've done enough damage, buddy. We've got it from here. And we're going to start by retiring the old name for good. When your name can also be used as a verb that means driving a hook through your head, it's time for a serious image makeover. And who could possibly want to put a hook through a sea kitten?

Personally, I kind of hate cats, so this campaign actually probably has the opposite effect of what they're proposing.  

Now I'm hungry for sushi. 

The Clone Wars Animated Series

Last fall the Cartoon Network started a series on the Clone Wars. I am sure that everyone was aware of it, but I have been surprised that I haven't heard from anyone else in the gang that they are watching it. So ... I decided to put up a review about it.

Each episode is a short 30 minutes, which translates to about 22 minutes of actual show time. Star Wars the Clone Wars is set in between Episodes II and III as far as I can tell, and the shows are a much more thorough set-up to Episode III than the iconic scrolling words you find at the beginning of that movie.

You get much more exposure to other characters that you hoped for from the films. While I enjoyed the movies, I felt like they lacked significantly. There didn't seem to be the mysterious element found in Episodes IV and V. General Grevious had so much potential, but didn't really do it for me. In the series on TV, however, you get a deeper look into who Grevious was and is. I have only watched the first 10 episodes, and the last one was entitled Lair of Grevious which reveals some fascinating character history. This was the sort of thing I loved about Boba Fett and his Mandalorian armor. There was some character history there, but not enough to give you the whole story. Plus what was there often had to be read between lines. In the Lair of Grevious you get glimpses at statues of ancient warriors in battle. Each successive statue looks to be a transforming version of the previous one, and each one has similarities to what Grevious looks like. Interesting indeed. You also get to watch other Jedis in battle and on missions. Its like being a kid all over agian in the Star Wars universe.

Most of the episodes have been very enjoyable. They all start in a similar fashion to the movies. Instead of scrolling text to set up the current story, they start with a one line proverb of sorts. Then each episode reveals the truth behind the proverb. There are times where it is a little too hokey with the padawan learners or newly knighted masters still showing there immaturity. This really has been my biggest if not my only disappointment to the shows. I can't imagine that you would make it into the jedi fold with such undisciplined thoughts and actions, but maybe this is just the writers way of showing the jedi losing there ability.

I would highly recommend watching the series. In a strange sort of way it has given me some of that excitement I was missing from the movies. From what I understand you can watch episodes on the Cartoon Network. Let me know what you think.

Yaybia

After trying to figure out what the Tiddy Bear was (an "As Seen on TV" product that makes for a more comfortable seat belt), I came across this funny video. I kept laughing and I figured yall would laugh too. NSFW

All you need is four chords?

I guess balloon animals aren't even innocent anymore...

I guess this is sort of NSFW, but too hilarious not to share.  Be warned it involves balloon animals made out of Durex condoms and a lot of squeaking.

R.I.P. Ricardo Montalban...

In honor of perhaps one of the greatest villains of movie history, turn up the volume and click over here.

Watching this may either hurt your New Year's resolution or help it...

Given his family's penchant for relatively healthy eating, I'm guessing Fandango may have never eaten here when he was living in Arizona. I thought this video might make me hungry, but it actually made me a bit nauseous thinking about trying to eat their 8000 calorie quadruple bypass burger:


Watch CBS Videos Online

I guess all those fake crop circles threw off their navigation...

Either he's got ADHD or he's weak in the Force...

Personally, I'd just like to learn that Jedi power of suggestion, but I guess telekinesis could be cool, too. 

From USA Today:

The Force Trainer (expected to be priced at $90 to $100) comes with a headset that uses brain waves to allow players to manipulate a sphere within a clear 10-inch-tall training tower, analogous to Yoda and Luke Skywalker's abilities in the Star Wars films.

Porsches are not only fast, they're really sneaky...

So I was reading this blog post about how Porsche screwed the hedge fund market and unintentionally led one man to take his own life.  This is probably up Wild Willie's area of expertise, so I'll direct the question to him:  I know the financial market should be able to have some freedom in how it conducts it's business, but how is short-selling still a legal way of making money?  It just seems about the equivalent of a card counter in Vegas--essentially gambling with knowing a few insider things to give you an edge.  

Love is a battlefield...

Marraige, at times, feels like a war.  After the veil of newlywed bliss falls away, we gradually see our spouses in an exposing light that didn't seem to exist before.  Odd habits, mildly annoying mannerisms, character traits that you thought would magically change once you said your "I do's."  Eventually, this leads to conflicts, and in an argument where you know all of your "enemy's" secrets, the fight can get quite ugly.  When we overcome our natural instincts to protect our pride and insecurities, these conflicts can bring out the best of us.  But more often it draws out the basest feelings that hide in our soul. It's this sort of personal understanding that makes watching Revolutionary Road so painful.

In the original book the film was adapted from, Richard Yates succintly sums up the sheer ugliness of marital discord in describing a fight the main protaganists Frank and Alice Wheeler have in the opening chapter:

Then the fight went out of control. It quivered their arms and legs and wrenched their faces into shapes of hatred, it urged them harder and deeper into each other's weak points, showing them cunning ways around each other's strongholds and quick chances to switch tactics, feint, and strike again. In the space of a gasp for breath it sent their memories racing back over the years for weapons to rip the scabs off old wounds; it went on and on.

The entire movie feels something like this.  I felt myself almost wincing throughout just waiting for the whole disastrous relationship to finally fall apart.  It's like watching a race knowing the mechanic sabotaged the car, or like a horror movie except the terror comes from wondering what issues Frank and Alice are dealing with that will ring too true to real life and reflect something I've faced in my own marital life.

The Wheelers are portrayed as the perfect American couple.  Frank with his comfortable city desk job, Alice with her comfortable homemaker role, two cute children, perfect picture-window house--all a facade hiding a much more troubled pair who feel trapped in an ordinary world of suburban conformity.  The unfortunate thing is that they can't come to the honest conclusion that perhaps they aren't as extraordinary as they think they are.  And maybe they aren't as in love as they think they are.  Real life comes too quickly for them.  An accidental pregnancy forces them to marry early.  Practicality forces them to move out of the excitement of the city and into the suburbs.  Even when they finally decide to escape their mediocre life and move to Paris, reality still  seems to get in their way.  It's a universal obstacle we all face, coming to grips with the loss of the freedom and fun of married life before the realities of economics and responsibility set in.

The movie actually doesn't offer much in the way of redeeming qualities for either of the Wheelers, and it's a bit of clever casting, I think, that gets us to actually empathize with them.  After all, what love story do most of us know better than Kate and Leo from Titanic?  It's like we go into the theater already feeling like we know their backstory and all the romance that led up to their pairing.  All the better to get us watching so that it can all be torn apart.  Kate Winslet won the Golden Globe for her role last night as the wife coming to the realization that her life isn't what she wanted it to be, and I can understand why.  Even Leonardo DiCaprio, who has steadily improved his acting skills with each new movie he makes, comes out with a very believable interpretation of a guy with lofty words trying to hide a fear of inadequacy.  The adaptation as a whole seems to stay true to the source material, and Sam Mendes direction seems flawless.  

This is definitely not a movie to see if you're having major marital problems.  It paints a rather bleak picture about marraige, and gives us no glimmer of hope anything good that comes out of that bond.   I left Revolutionary Road feeling like I had seen perhaps one of the best movies of 2009, yet at the same time felt almost afraid to discuss much about it with my spouse afterwards because perhaps too much of it hit too close to home.  It's an ugly movie--and oddly I mean that in a very good way.

Swany's Top 10 Movies of 2008...

So this will be the third year in a row that the cinema has disappointed me.  Most of the movies that I thought would give me geeky glee (e.g. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The X-Files: I Want to Believe) kind of fell flat, and it continues to be a long wait for that next masterpiece film that will be remembered for years and years to come.  That being said, there were some standout films that I enjoyed this year:

1. [Addendum] Slumdog Millionaire - When I initially put this list together, I hadn't seen this film.  Original plot, excellent score, moving romance, uplifting message.  Forget what I said about this being a horrible year for masterpiece films that I'll remember for years--this movie was wonderful.  It makes me wonder why people like Titanic so much when there's movies like this around that are so much better.
2. The Dark Knight - This has perhaps redefined what a comic-book movie can be.  Comic book geeks have always made the argument that certain comics and graphic novels could be considered great literature, and this film proves that they can be inspirations for great films.
   
3. Iron Man - Not only was this a spectacular film to watch, it was actually fun without being stupid.  This was almost on par with the great superhero movies like Superman, Spiderman, and The Dark Knight, except the final climactic battle was a bit of a letdown.
   
4. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - The closest thing to art on film I've seen in awhile.  Very moving, and reminds us all not to take life for granted.
   
5. WALL*E - Another magical slamdunk from Pixar, and shows the power of the moving picture to evoke strong emotions without even needing dialogue.
   
6. There Will Be Blood - "I drink your milkshake!"  It's worth seeing again and again for Daniel Day-Lewis alone.
   
7. Definitely, Maybe - A sweet romantic comedy that didn't resort to the usual formula.
   
8. Body of Lies - Reinforces the impersonal nature the war on terror has become to most of us here in the United States, while it's a very personal and daily experience for those abroad in the Middle East.
   
9. In Bruges - Probably a movie you missed (and even one that I only saw because there wasn't anything else remotely interesting at the theaters at the time).  It's humorous, a little violent, and very entertaining--I highly recommending renting it.  
10. Tell No One - Everyone tries to emulate Hitchcock, but this actually got it right.  
    
11. The Reader - And not just because Kate Winslet is naked for half the film.  When you turn a blind eye to atrocities you know are happening, can you really claim innocence?  Some overriding questions that seem applicable not only to the Germans during World War II, but all of us who witness evil in the world and perhaps do nothing to stop it.

Potential movies that I didn't get a chance to see yet but might have cracked the Top 10:

Frost/Nixon

Slumdog Millionaire

The Wrestler

Worst movie (perhaps ever):  The Happening

Granted, I had just watched that SNL short "Mark Wahlberg Talks To Animals," and busted out laughing when Marky Mark uttered his first lines in the movie.  But when he starts actually talking TO A PLANT?!  

Biggest surprise:  Twilight

I wasn't dragged kicking and screaming to see this film, but I wasn't expecting much. Surprisingly, I thought the vampire angle was kind of clever for an abstinence/sex can wait message.

Biggest disappointment:  (Tie) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull vs. Quantum of Solace vs. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Indiana Jones and James Bond are perhaps my favorite franchise film characters of all time.  I enjoyed both films, but neither seemed to live up to expectations.  In the case of Benjamin Button, it was a great looking film that was entertaining to watch, but never really moved me emotionally as much as I think it was trying to.  Whatever overriding message they were trying to convey was lost on me. 

What I'm looking forward to in 2009:

1. Watchmen - I watched a Japanese trailer on the internet recently, and was even more stoked.  Let's just hope 20th Century Fox doesn't muck it up and keep this from being released.
   
2. Star Trek - I'm so ready to come back to the Star Trek universe.
   
3. X-Men Origins: Wolverine - This will either be really good or really bad.  
   
4. Terminator Salvation - I'm usually not a big fan of these franchise sequels that I feel have run too long (I thought they should have stopped at Terminator 2), but truth be told, I think I sort of have a man-crush on Christian Bale.  Actually, I think my wife has a crush on the guy, too--is that weird?
   
5. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Giant f@$&'in robots!
   
6. Nottingham - Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe, Robin Hood.  'Nuff said.
   
7. Public Enemies - Michael Mann, Christian Bale, Johnny Depp, John Dillinger.  'Nuff said, part 2.  Can anyone think of a Michael Mann movie that wasn't good?

So what do you think? Agree? Disagree?

The pen is mightier than the sword. The RED pen that is...

I thought this was from The Onion, at first.  At some point in time, I'm guessing the practice of even pointing out mistakes will become too psychologically damaging to a young child's development (which I think someone in this article almost inferred).  I was actually surprised this nonsense didn't originate from the U.S.  From The Daily Telegraph:

Marking in red ink banned in case it upsets schoolchildren
Hundreds of schools have banned their teachers from marking in red ink in case it upsets the children.

They are scrapping the traditional method of correcting work because they consider it "confrontational" and "threatening".

Pupils increasingly find that the ticks and crosses on their homework are in more soothing shades like green, blue, pink and yellow or even in pencil.

Traditionalists have condemned the ban sweeping classrooms as "absolutely barmy", "politically correct" and "trendy".

They insist that red ink makes it easier for children to spot errors and improve.

The red pen goes back further than most schools, having been developed during the mid-19th century when ammonia-based dyes became available.

But the opposition to using red ink is now a worldwide trend with recent guidelines to schools in Queensland, Australia warning that the colour can damage students psychologically.

Of course, if this theory was actually true, I figure I should have been one of the more confident students in our class given the fact that I was a pretty good student and had less red marks on my papers than most.  

Lego Artist: Yeah, this was probably the job I was supposed to have.

I can't say it any better than the article. Check it out here.