There Will Be Blood

I made my pilgrimage to the ArcLight last night to watch the latest PT Anderson film There Will Be Blood starring Daniel Day Lewis. This movie totally rocked my casbah if you know what I mean. I woke up at 3AM today trying to think about what I could write to do this movie justice and I am still at a loss. The best I can come up with is:

Daniel *clap* Day *clap* Lewis *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*

His performance was just stunning. The way he walked with his hunched over posture and how his limp became progressively more pronounced as he aged was pure genius. And the final act was just amazing. I had spent the entire movie pulling for him to find his redemption and make peace with himself and those around him and then the way he totally slammed the door on my "hope" was riveting. I was so sucked in that I was literally on the edge of my seat. And this is after 2 1/2 hours and a very large Diet Coke. I didn't even care that my bladder almost burst. Daniel Day Lewis is truly a master of his craft.

What more can I say? It all began and ended with Daniel Day Lewis for me. I don't want to discount other aspects of the movie though because it was a complete movie going experience for me. The sound mix was excellent. The cinematography was top notch. The characters had depth and the story was compelling. And the score was ridiculously good. All in all it was a fantastic movie. But like I said before - Daniel. Day. Lewis. I can't stop thinking about his performance. Amazing.

Blade Runner

I realize I am super late to the game on this one and I may be doing irreparable damage to my meticulously crafted persona of a quasi-hipster but I finally watched Blade Runner for the first time this weekend. Where have I been for the last 25 years? Obviously camped out in my secret hideout in the desert next to George Bluth Sr. and his business partner Mr. Hussein.

My biggest regret after watching Blade Runner this weekend was not going to see the theatrical release of Ridley Scott's Final Cut this year. I kept meaning to go and just never got around to it and now I am kicking myself. The sound mixing was simply amazing on my crappy little home theater in a box. I can only imagine what it would have been like in the theater. The cinematography was great on my little 37 inch TV but it would have been at least 9000 times better in all its glory on the big screen. Seriously, this might be my biggest regret of 2007.

And for the record, I think Deckard was a replicant.

Holiday Party

So last night was my first Holiday Party with my relatively new employer. Based on previous Holiday Parties with former employers, I was not really looking forward to this year's installment. However, I ended up being pleasantly surprised. My current employer is significantly smaller than the previous and the party was significantly better. I think there must be a correlation here. Maybe even a causation? Because we all know correlation proves causation.

The party was held at this cool little restaurant/bar in West Hollywood called The Spanish Kitchen. The decoration and layout of the venue were fantastic. I loved the combination of Spanish tile, dark wood floors, and wood beams on the ceilings. Plus the lighting was perfect. It was a nice soft glow that wasn't too dark nor too bright. Really just the perfect setting for a party. I also loved the bathroom. The sink fixture was really cool. I am trying to think how to best describe it but am at a loss for words. It had this kind of long curved neck with these great vintage looking knobs. I wish my camera wasn't broken so I could have taken a picture.

The food was also quite solid. It made me want to come back and try the regular menu which is a pretty big compliment from me considering that I usually am not a fan of catered meals because of the steep decline in quality often associated with quantity. My favorite dishes of the night were the paella and the white bean bruschetta. I love a good bruschetta and this one was fantastic.

In addition to the great atmosphere and food, the party was also graced by a few of the dorks from Sydney White as well as Garrett Hedlund. Kevin from The Office was also there with his trademark dopey grin. I couldn't help but giggle when he first walked in. I was also able to briefly discuss The Replacement Killers and Training Day with Antoine Fuqua who was quite affable. I really wanted to ask him about American Gangster but didn't think that would be too polite so I refrained.

The highlight of the night though was after wrapping up a conversation with Guy McElwaine, who you may recognize as the former agent of the great Frank Sinatra (and yes he was wearing the Sinatra family ring), I turn around and literally bump into Nitro. Yes THE Nitro of American Gladiators fame. And yes, he is starting to go bald and is approximately 2/3 the size of his former self but still pretty cut up. It was simply breath taking to be in the presence of such an icon from my youth. Totally worth the 45 minute drive to West Hollywood and the horrible wait at the valet station with the howling winds and Arctic temperatures because they can't find my car for some reason. Totally worth it.

Malick and Pitt in Talks

Per Variety, Brad Pitt is currently in negotiations to sign on to the latest Terrence Malick project Tree of Life. It looks like Pitt will be replacing Heath Ledger and will be starring alongside Sean Penn who is already attached.

Sean Penn was fantastic in The Thin Red Line, the best war movie ever made in my opinion. Plus, I have loved every other Malick film and have been a Brad Pitt fan ever since his excellent performance in 12 Monkeys. Therefore, I am really looking forward to seeing this combination on screen. Hopefully it works out.

Christmas Comes Early

Yesterday, as I walked through the door of my apartment I was greeted by the lovely sight of two boxes from Amazon.com. I immediately opened each package and was graced with the true spirit of the Christmas season when I removed this



and this



from the packages. Merry Christmas to me. I can't wait to dive back in to season 3 of Lost and continue to share the joys of Once with my friends.

More Fun With Burgers

As of today, the best burger I have eaten is the burger from Father's Office. I have received much criticism from people who are not fans of the blue cheese, the difficulty in finding a table, and the fact that nothing can be added or removed from the burger. However, I stand by my convictions and proudly proclaim Father's Office to be the best. The well deserved #1 ranking was solidified on Saturday when I was able to sample the burger at the Chateau Marmont.

I must say that I did enjoy the Chateau Marmont offering but it was just not quite as good as Father's Office. I would put it on par with The Counter. The patty was of high quality beef. The bun was quite tasty. However, there was nothing that really made it stand out from any other quality burger. It was good and I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. However, there was nothing memorable about the burger itself.

The most memorable part of the experience was dining in the secluded courtyard. It was a beautiful December afternoon. The sun was shining. The wicker table and chairs were very comfortable. It wasn't loud and crowded. It was just a great place to enjoy a Saturday afternoon meal. I do wish we had been seated one table away from where we were so we could have been in the sun as opposed to the shade. I started to get a little cold by the end of the meal.

The sides were also quite solid but nothing spectacular. The french fries were properly cooked and nice and thin but were not as good as the sweet potato fries from Father's Office. I chose the fruit option instead of the fries and I was quite pleased. The fruit was fresh and the presentation was great. The apples were the definitely the hi-light.

While the burger and sides were very good, I saved the best part of the meal for last. We started the lunch off with an order of calamari which was some of the best calamari I have eaten to date. It was lightly breaded to perfection, not to rubbery nor to mushy, and the sauces were fantastic. There was a salsa and a tartar / mayonnaise type cream that was delicious. When the two sauces were combined it was like a party in my mouth. Simply put, it was the perfect way to kick off the meal.

Just to recap, the burger at the Chateau Marmont is quite good but not as good as the gold standard of Father's Office. The sides are quite solid. The calamari is divine. And the ambiance is excellent. I wouldn't make a special trip to Hollywood just to get a burger at the Chateau Marmont. However, if I was in the area and in the mood for a good meal with great atmosphere I would definitely put the Chateau towards the top of my list.

Happy Holidays

With the post-Channukah Holiday Season officially upon us I thought that I would share a little Christmas tune that truly captures how I would feel if I was passing the Holidays in the NYC.

Fairytale of New York in the style of No Use for a Name

Download of the Day

I thought that today I would share with everybody one of the songs that has been receiving quite a bit of attention in my car lately. And that song is ..... wait for it.... wait for it.... the Ratatat Remix of Stomp by Young Buck featuring TI and Ludacris. As many of you already know, I have a strong affinity for anything G-Unit related. I have also been a fan of Luda and the Dirty Dirty for quite a few years now. Finally, I am a sucker for a good remix. As luck would have it, the Stomp Remix off Ratatat Remixes Volume II combines all these things into one great song with a decidedly gangsta feel. I love it, much like a fat kid who loves cake, and I am willing to wager at least $2.47 that you will as well.

A Few of My Favorite Movies From 2007

With the year beginning to come to a close, I thought that it would be fitting to put together a list of my favorite movies from the year. Before proceeding any further, I must make the disclaimer that I do not assert that this list is by any means complete and is quite likely to change when somebody reminds me of something that I really liked but for some reason forgot to include. So without further ado, here are my favorites in no particular order:

• Once - Loved the music. Loved the story. Loved the emotion. Loved everything about this movie.
  
• Lives of Others - Fantastic story with excellent character development.
  
• No Country for Old Men - The sound editing for the desert scenes blew me away.
  
• Children of Men (I know this came out at the very end of last year but I did not see it until January of this year so I am including it on this list) - Loved the extended tracking shots. Especially the one through the city streets and up into the apartment building in the middle of the gun fight. Awesome.
  
• The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Casey Affleck steals the show and I love the Terence Malick feel. The shot with the train pulling to a stop with all the steam and Jesse James silhouetted on the tracks was perfect.
  
• Sunshine - This really needs to be seen on the big screen to appreciate the beauty. Even if I didn't like the last fifteen movies. Mike Warner swears I will like the last fifteen minutes more if I watch it again. I remain unconvinced. I appreciate how the last fifteen minutes were made. But I still don't like them.
  
• Michael Clayton - Nice tight story. Great acting. George Clooney was really on point.
  
• Juno - Loved the witty dialogue and the way the characters really came to life. Great laughter mixed with some poignant moments equal a winner in my book.
  
• Lars and the Real Girl - I heart Ryan Gosling. Need I say more? But really this movie was excellent on many levels. Ryan Gosling was just an added bonus.
  
• The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters - As one of my friends said "you can't write dialogue and humor like this." The real thing is just too amazing.
  
• Into the Wild - Great soundtrack. Great cinematography. Great acting. I really like Emil Hirsch. As another one of my friends said "this movie changed my life."
  
• Darjeeling Limited - Loved the luggage. Loved the colors. Loved the cast.
  
• Hot Fuzz - This movie gets funnier and funnier each time I watch it. My favorite comedy of the year. By far.
  
• The Bourne Ultimatum - Best of the three in my opinion. The fight scene where he hits the guy with a book was amazing. So intense.
  
• Paris, je t'aime - A great compilation of short films about Paris. If you don't like one, no problem. Another one will be coming along in about ten minutes. My favorite was the short about the guy who gets shot.
  
• The Lookout - I really liked this one in the theater but when I watched it again on dvd it wasn't as good as I remembered. Still it was solid. Solid story with no real holes if a bit antiseptic and lacking characters with any real depth.
  
• 300 - Loved the ballet of death.
  
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Probably my favorite Potter movie to date. I really liked how they used the newspaper shots to show passage of time.
  
• Ocean's Thirteen - George Clooney. Brad Pitt. I'll watch pretty much anything with them in it and like it. I love the Ocean's series. Just plain and simple good times.
  
• The Kingdom - Surprisingly emotional for me.
  
• Eagle vs Shark - If you like Flight of the Conchords then you will like this. Very similar to Juno in that it was a great mixture of laughter and poignant moments.
  

And that is all I can think of right now. Like I said before, I am sure I am forgetting some movies that I really did like. I often struggle to remember if I ate breakfast or not or how old I am so it is not inconceivable that I would forget a movie that I really enjoyed if I watched it more than a day ago. Feel free to add to the list of this years enjoyable movies in the comments.

PS I will go on the record and say that my favorite movie of the year was Once. If you still haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and rent or buy it when it streets on December 18th.

Nocturna

During the last couple of weeks I have been on a real KCRW kick and as a result I have been able to discover a few great vignettes such as Martini Shot and the KCRW film reviews by Joe Morgenstern of the Wall Street Journal. This morning on the way to work there was also a great little piece on Rhythm and Hues and the expansion of their digital effects production to India which was made possible courtesy of the ever improving interwob technology that allows for quick and easy sharing of large files as well as video conferencing. Fascinating stuff.

While I have really enjoyed the discovery of the aforementioned programming, my favorite KCRW program so far is Nocturna which is hosted by Raul Campos. Nocturna airs from 10-midnight Monday through Friday and provides the perfect soundtrack for night time driving or "nighttiming" in LA. Raul heralds from East LA and is able to effortlessly blend "urban soul" and "house" with a sweet little Latin flair. As the KCRW website states, Raul really does have "his finger on the pulse of what makes this city (LA) beat."

Last night as I was driving home I was treated to a little Justice as well as some Rapture mixed in with a few bands that I didn't recognize. It was the perfect way to cap off the night.

PS Raul's top ten albums of 2007 are excellent choices. I think my favorite off his list is Sound of Silver by LCD Soundsystem.

PSS Nocturna is of course available on-demand

Apples to Apples

You know who was really clueless? Helen Keller.



Well played Britney. Well Played.

I Now Like Gum?

For as long as I can remember, I have not really been a fan of gum. However, If forced to choose between gum and the painful torture of sitting through another viewing of National Treasure I would most assuredly choose the gum. What I am trying to say is that 8.37 times out of ten, when offered a piece of gum, I would respectfully decline the offer. When pressured on my response I often reply that it makes my jaw tired. I guess I have weak mandibular muscles? Or maybe I am just plain lazy and chewing gum takes way to much work?

Now that the stage is set, I take you, the reader, back in time. We are not going back to far. Just to last Saturday evening. PS you can picture me as The Ghost of Christmas Past or The Delorian if that makes this easier for you. But back to the story at hand. I was on the cusp of my departure from the annual holiday party at the chapel when I felt the finger of God reach out and touch my life. A friend of mine offered me a piece of gum with no ultimatum and for some strange reason I accepted the offer without hesitation. I popped in the gum and was almost knocked off my feet by the explosion of joy in my mouth. The perfect meld of mint and lime was simply divine. It was like the two flavors were battling for supremacy resulting in an unparalleled harmonic convergence of bliss right in my mouth. To this my only reply is God bless the innovative minds at Orbit that somehow came up with the perfect synthesis of mint and lime resulting in the party in my mouth goodness of Mint Mojito Gum. Sheer genius.

Needless to say, I must now reconsider my long standing ambivalence to gum. I may even purchase my first package of gum ever tonight just to recreate the joyful experience of that fateful evening. Crazy. I know. But I think it is healthy and productive to re-evaluate our beliefs and perhaps make a change for the better as more information and viewpoints become available to us.

Project Cloverfield

I have been meaning to post something about JJ Abrams "ultra-secret" project - Cloverfield - ever since I saw the trailer this summer before Transformers.



Wikipedia has a pretty solid synopsis of the the project and the associated viral marketing hype at sites such as slusho.jp and 1-18-08.com. It has also been interesting to see Slusho pop up on an episode of Heroes as well as what some bloggers are claiming to be a Cloverfield reference on 30 Rock courtesy of Kenneth's dream journal.

Needless to say, I am pretty excited about this movie. I have been a huge JJ Abrams fan ever since Felicity and Alias. Add Lost to the mix and he pretty much had me at hello. But what really put me over the top was when I heard about the sweet Valentines Day cards his boy brought to share with his schoolmates. Rumor has it they were the bomb dot com.

So here's to Cloverfield being better than Hitman. And by better I mean more smoke machines. But that is another story for another day.

Fun With Handguns

Magnum PI minus the sexy mustache and harem of beautiful women.

PS I am thinking about purchasing this gun. It is a sweet little .22 caliber that I think would be more fun than making out with a chunky girl.

Gino's East

Continuing with the culinary theme, today's post will pertain to true gourmet heaven as opposed to the satirical brand of yesterday's post.

Courtesy of Mr. C.W. Hardie, whose blog I would now normally link to if he wasn't so behind the times and actually had a blog, I received the finest gift a "food snob" such as my self could ever wish for. Not one, but two fresh pizzas from the world famous Gino's East of Chicago. I knew that delivery was scheduled for yesterday and after receiving confirmation via the interwob that delivery had in fact occurred around 9:30 AM, the rest of the day was spent in eager anticipation of the joy to come.

So I arrived home and was greeted by The Box on my living room floor. I immediately tore it open, disposed of the remainders of the block of dry ice and packing materials, and quickly scanned the baking instructions. 30 agonizing minutes later I took this picture:



Followed by this "artistic" shot:



While the pizza was slowly baking, I was reminded of the last time I was able to enjoy the delicacies of Gino's East. It was many moons ago, and I was in Chicago with the aforementioned Mr. Hardie. Ludacris was at the apex of his career. 2 Fast 2 Furious had taken the nation by storm. We walk in to Gino's and who should greet us? The great Luda himself? Sadly, no. Just a person who was doing everything in his power to imitate the hip hop star from the moooove bitch, get outta the way voice to the sideburns. We gave the mock Luda our name and proceeded to spend the next 15 minutes enjoying the show. I must confess, I was definitely picking up what he was laying down. But I digress.

Ten minutes after the brief stroll down memory lane I had the finished product with the tantalizing aroma of cheese, sausage, tomato sauce, and corn meal crust begging to be enjoyed with an ice cold Diet Coke. And you know me, I am anything but selfish so I had to satisfy the pizza's needs even if that required much sacrifice on my part (insert unselfish scorpion joke at the expense of Mr Lybbert here). Which it most definitely did.



In summary, the pizza was divine. Everything I had dreamed of. And more. Although it was a struggle for me to finish off my two slices, it was well worth the effort. Luckily for me, the joy spilled over to lunch today. However, today's joy was slightly tempered by what may turn out to be an annoying piece of misfortune.

After reheating the remaining slice of heaven and procuring an ice cold Diet Coke, I set up a nice shot to complete today's blog. I turn on my camera and for some reason it won't focus and it makes this odd grinding noise. As such, there are no pictures to commemorate the Best. Leftovers. Ever. Hopefully my camera will fix itself.

Finally, today's soundtrack from while I was enjoying today's lunch was provided by the inimitable MSTRKRFT. Click here to download the song of the day - Street Justice from the album The Looks.

Gourmet Heaven?

When I am in the mood for a nice tasty donut with a side of Mexican chicken, I visit this mecca of culinary goodness. And yes, you read the sign correctly, the owners of this fine dining establishment are true visionaries as evidenced by their decision to incorporate Chinese food into the already robust menu.

Visit here for additional coverage of this groundbreaking culinary experience.

Martini Shot

A couple of weeks ago I was on my way home for work and was listening to KCRW and by a fortuitous if not quite magical astrological alignment I was able to catch that weeks installment of Martini Shot.

Martini Shot is a brief little vignette produced by Rob Long who you may recognize from his work on the TV show Cheers or his work with the National Review. Martini Shot offers an entertaining "behind the scenes" glimpse into the world of Hollywood as seen through the filter of Rob Long's experiences. The episodes from the last couple of weeks have been exceptionally interesting and entertaining because of Mr. Long's insights on the WGA strike.

After hearing the show for the first time I subscribed to the podcast and listened to the archived shows and was not disappointed. The pieces are funny, poignant, and insightful. Additionally, I find Mr. Long's voice to be quite soothing. If you have not caught an episode than I recommend you take 3-4 minutes out of your day and listen to this weeks broadcast. I believe it is titled Three-Bean Salad. Sounds fascinating. I know. But give it a chance. You won't be disappointed.

Click here for streaming episodes and a link to subscribe to the podcast.

Awww Aren't They Cute

4th and 18

From an Old Velvet Chair

Yesterday while blog hopping I came across a short story written by a friend of a friend who supposedly is named Ben Treasure. I think it might be a pseudonym because it has a real Buck Naked feel to it. Regardless of the origins of his interesting name, Mr. Treasure has a real talent for writing.

The short story is titled From an Old Velvet Chair and is a story of breaking up and how the protagonist deals with the associated emotions and thought processes. The story really worked for me because it was able to invoke an emotional response. That is my measure of success for a work of art - did it make me feel something. If it makes me laugh, or cry, or reminisce than I consider it to be a success. I just want to feel something.

Here is the link to From an Old Velvet Chair.

Also, when I was reading the story it reminded me of this song. Enjoy.

Writers, Plumbers, and Me

Luckily for me, I am yet to feel the direct impact of the WGA strike at work. However, the strike is always there just on the edge of my peripheral vision and every once in a while it pops into full view. Yesterday was one of those occasions.

I was in a meeting with an old school studio executive and when I say old school, he really is old school. Like I hopped into a time machine back to when Disney was producing the animated Peter Pan old school. Definitely one of the most interesting meetings I have ever attended. But I digress. So we were in the meeting and working through the agenda and deciding whether or not to entertain offers to option one of our titles for a remake when the conversation took a quick pit-stop (one of many by the way) so that the exec could express his frustration with the strike:

"I gladly pay the plumber each time he fixes my toilet. But I sure as hell don't pay him every time I flush my toilet."

A humorous comparison for sure but not without merit and underlying wisdom. It will be interesting to see how the strike is finally resolved. Especially when so many egos are involved on both sides of the picket line.

Quiet.... A Whale is in Trouble

I re-watched last week's episode of 30 Rock last night and was reminded of how smart and funny the writing is. I was also reminded of what a douche Al Gore is. I am all for protecting the environment. I like Earth aka Mother Gaea. However, we don't need to be condescending and hypocritical when doing so. Emphasis on hypocritical.

The Tuesday Morning Quarterback, a favorite over at On Life and Lybberty, provided a scathing criticism of Al Gore and his carbon credit fueled Nobel Prize in his weekly article for ESPN.com. I know what you are thinking, what can a sports journalist have to say about Al Gore and the environment that could be meaningful? Well the TMQ also writes for The New Republic, The Washington Monthly, and The Atlantic Monthly. I seem to remember him writing a few articles for some science journal as well but I am too lazy to do the research. Therefore, he is more than just a sports journalist and often has very good insights regarding statistics, space, the environment, sports, and Hollywood that he likes to mix in with his hyperbole and and sports coverage. Here is what he had to say regarding Al Gore and his Nobel Prize:

Those Hollywood Searchlights Around Gore's Home Sure Eat Power: Gore wasn't the first quack to win the Nobel Peace Prize, and history suggests he will not be the last. Gore spent eight years in the White House, and in that time took no meaningful action regarding greenhouse gases. The Clinton-Gore administration did not raise fuel economy standards for cars and trucks or propose domestic carbon trading. Though Clinton and Gore made a great show of praising the Kyoto Protocol, they refused even to submit the treaty to the Senate for consideration, let alone push for ratification. During his 2000 run for the presidency, Gore said little about climate change or binding global-warming reforms. In the White House and during his presidential campaign, Gore advocated no consequential action regarding greenhouse gases; then, there was a political cost attached. Once Gore was out of power and global-warming proposals no longer carried a political cost -- indeed, could be used for self-promotion -- suddenly Gore discovered his intense desire to demand that other leaders do what he had not! It is a triumph of postmodernism that Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize for no specific accomplishment other than making a movie of self-praise. Gore caused no peace nor led any reconciliation of belligerent parties nor performed any service to the dispossessed, the achievements the Peace Prize was created to honor. All Gore did was promote himself from Hollywood, and for this, he gets a Nobel. Very postmodern.

An annoying complication of Gore's Nobel is that few realize the award was given jointly to him and to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an organization well worthy of distinction. The IPCC is a group of scientists who have spent two decades studying climate change in obscurity, and in many cases without pay. The IPCC's efforts have been selfless, motivated only by concern for society. Had the Nobel Peace Prize gone solely to the IPCC, it would have been a great day.

An astonishing measure of how out-of-touch the Norwegian Nobel Committee seems is that it gave a prize to Gore for hectoring others about energy consumption in the same year it was revealed that Gore, at his home, uses 20 times the national power average. Gore's extraordinary power waste equates to about 377,000 pounds of greenhouse gases annually, or about 20 Hummer Years worth of global warming pollution. (A Hummer Year, TMQ's metric of environmental hypocrisy, is the amount of carbon dioxide emitted in a typical year of driving a Hummer.) When his utility bill made the news -- though apparently not in Oslo -- Gore responded by saying he buys carbon offsets. That takes you back to the offset problem: All offsets do is prevent greenhouse gas accumulation from increasing. If you really believe there will be a global calamity unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced 80 percent, as Gore told the Live Earth crowd, you would buy offsets and cut your own energy use. Instead, Gore flies around in fossil-fuel-intensive jet aircraft telling others: Do as I say, not as I do!

After news of Gore's personal energy consumption broke, Gore spokeswoman Kalee Kreider told The Associated Press the utility bill was justified because "Al and Tipper both work out of their home." This raises the question -- what kind of work are they doing? Perhaps reanimating Frankenstein; in Frankenstein movies, there is always a lot of electricity crackling wastefully about. Here are other possible reasons the Gores' home requires so much energy:

• Gore is building a time machine to return to Palm Beach, Fla., in October 2000.

• The former vice president is doing everything he personally can to cause global warming, so he can claim is predictions came true.

• Gore is growing marijuana in his basement. [Note from the corporate legal department: This is strictly a joke, ESPN is not accusing Al Gore of growing marijuana. We stand by our allegation that he is a sinister kingpin of international rare-bird smuggling.]

• Members of Gore's species require high power levels to maintain human form.

• Al and Tipper don't just leave the lights on when they make out, they leave the lights on all over the house.

Celebrity aka Tahitian Noni or NuSkin

Starscream
Rip Tam aka Rip Torn
Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Lord Tennyson
Tony Danza
Michael Dukakis
Annette Benning
Gumbi
Michael Dudikoff
Judith Light
Chuck Yeager
Ego the Living Planet
Mog - Half Man Half Dog
And many more...

Impersonations were abundant. Glasses fogged up. Tears were shed. Faces turned red. Sides ached from laughter. Good times were had by all. Best. Game Night. Ever.


PS Celebrity is a simple memory type game that involves everybody in the group writing down a name of a "famous" person and putting the name into a bowl. One person reads all the names in the bowl once and then everybody takes turns guessing who wrote down each name. If somebody guesses correctly then the people join together into a team. Each time a guess is correct the team grows. The game is over once one person has completed their MLM juggernaut and assimilated all members of the group.

PSS I have a great picture of Michael Dudikoff but Blogger is malfunctioning and won't let me upload it. I'll try again later.

Blaqk Friday

I was planning on saving this post until the day after Thanksgiving in honor of the great American tradition that is rampant consumerism at its finest. However, I realized that I would not have access to my music and a computer that day and I am not in the mood to figure out the auto-post from the future mode that I have heard rumors about. Also, if Wal-mart - the scourge of simpler, happier times filled with Saturdays spent trekking around the town to procure life's necessities from 15 locations while the children die of boredom and heat stroke in the back of the family truckster - can change Black Friday into Black November, then why can't I.

So without further ado, I present you with my song of the day courtesy of MediaFire: Semiotic Love by Blaqk Audio

Blaqk Audio is a great little side project put together by Davey Havok and Jade Puget of AFI fame. They released their first album in August of this year and I have been hooked ever since I got a hold of a pre-release leaked copy courtesy of the magical interwob. I love the electronica beats coupled with Davey's distinct vocal styling. Semiotic Love shuffled up on my commute to work today and it really set the tone for the rest of the day which has been upbeat and poppy yet not too over the top thanks to the underlying darkwave tone. Enjoy.

Kanye vs Brand New

Continuing with the mash-up theme, I thought I would share another one of my favorites. It is not new and cutting edge but that is OK because I am not a hipster music snob. Click here to download the mash-up of Kanye's Jesus Walks with Brand New. Haunting is the best adjective I can come up with to describe this mix. It is what Kanye would sound like if he were emo instead of a back-pack rapper.

I also wanted to plug the sweet little website I used to share the file. It is called MediaFire and the interface is super easy to use and free. It is great. If you ever need to host a file then this is the site you should use. PC Magazine even voted it one of its top 100 undiscovered websites so you know it must be good.

Every Car You Chase

I've always been a sucker for a good mash-up. Today I found a sweet new website with lots of great mash-ups that will take me the next couple of days to fully explore. The best mash-up so far is a catchy little combo of Snow Patrol and The Police. You can't go wrong with either and when combined they are not unlike a brisk fall golden hour when the fog is rolling in but isn't dense enough to block out the sun. Click here to download. Just scroll down to the Snow Patrol vs Police section and enjoy.

A Day in the Desert

On Saturday I was able to help out my good friend Mr. Boxpilot break in his sweet little HD camera with a bad-to-the-bone cinema adapter lens. The highlight of the day was when I got to hold the boom mic for my first time. It even had a furry rabbit thing on it to help block out the noise from the wind. I felt like such a hipster shooting a short film in the desert on my day off from work. Below are a few photos from the day. More can be found here, here, and here.

14 Hours of Hell

Here is what I looked like after 14 of the worst hours of my life. Note the parched lips and faded look in my eyes. Barstow, homosexual mechanics, towing a trailer for the first time in your life, and missed football games will do that to you.

News Flash

A little piece of advice for all the excellent defensive coordinators in the NFL:

If the Patriots line up on the goal line and bring Mike Vrabel in as a tight end or full back, you might want to cover him. It's not like this is something new or unexpected. They have been running this play in some manner for how many years now?

And one more thing, they are probably going to run play action and throw to the tight end or full back when on the goal line. Even if Mike Vrabel is not in the game.

Facecrook?

Facebook? More like Facecrook. $15 BILLION? Really? I can't see somebody really offering to buy Facebook for $15 BILLION. So, is Facebook really worth $15 BILLION? That is BILLION with a B.

This whole transaction fascinates me. It has been the topic du jour with my co-workers over the last couple of days. It is funny how history repeats. Hopefully some lessons were learned from the dot com boom and subsequent bust of the late nineties.

I want to clarify that I am not against this transaction for Microsoft and I am definitely not anti-Facebook. The publicity of "Beating Google" alone makes it worthwhile. My trepidation surrounds the valuation. Without seeing the actual models used, I can't jump to many conclusions. I just find it hard to buy into a value of $15 Billion for a company with an unproven as of now method of converting captive audiences into dollars. I can't wait to see how this story plays out. I am really hooked.

PS I am really interested in what Zuckerman's exit strategy is. From what I gather, this deal with Microsoft makes going public much more difficult. How are all the VC guys going to get their ROI? Seriously, I am fascinated by this.

Liz Lemon is my Anti-Drug

Liz Lemon is my heroine. And by heroine, I mean hero. I don't want to inject her and listen to jazz.

Pushing Daisies

Great news! I just read in yesterday's issue of Variety that ABC picked up my favorite new show of the season - Pushing Daisies - for a full season. This was done in spite of cost overrun concerns due to the excellent fantasy world sets and costumes. I guess critical acclaim and solid ratings still carry some weight in the Hollyhood.

Full episodes are available for viewing here.




PS I loved last night's episode. The scene where The Pie Maker pulls off the escaped con's fake arm killed me. I have been pushing this show similar to when I was pushing the movie Once a few months ago or when I was slingin' rock back in the day ever since the pilot and for good reason. Each episode seems to get better and better. Really, if you haven't started watching it yet, make the effort. It is really worth it. Especially now because you don't need to worry about investing time and emotions in something that might go away next week.



PSS Scrubs is back tonight. Don't forget to set your DVR. (This public service announcement was sponsored by the international legend Mr. Lybbert)

Naturally Seven on the Subway

I was having a difficult time falling asleep last Friday night and ended up reading through a few of my earlier blog posts and notice that the quality of my posts and more specifically the quality of my writing has really gone to hell. All I can say is "whaa hoppen?" in the style of A Mighty Wind. The whole purpose of starting this blog was to re-discover my long-lost writing voice. Instead, I have devolved to hyperbole and terrible adjectives. It seems like everything is amazing or fantastic.

Well I have a news flash for you Walter Cronkite, this post isn't going to get much better. The creative juices have been drained from me by the evil succubus known as my job. I still haven't recovered enough to put together a decent post so I am going to just post a video that I saw on a blog that I frequent. PS the blog I "borrowed" this from is fantastic. They use much more descriptive words than "fantastic."

Justice is Served

So last night I was sitting in the hotel bored out of my mind, flipping through the very limited selection of channels on the small TV with HORRIBLE resolution and stumbled upon the Jimmy Kimmel show just in time to catch the live performance by Justice of D.A.N.C.E.

You may be asking yourself "How can a live performance by a French electro duo be compelling enough for TV?" Well I think Jimmy Kimmel summed it up best by saying "This is going to be weird."



Prince, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Rick James bitch, Michael Jackson. All on one stage. Genius.

I Heart my DVR

Thanks to the return of many of my favorite TV shows over the last couple of weeks, as well as the pilots for this years slate of new shows, my DVR has been filling up faster then I can delete shows after viewing. I am pretty much in heaven. I love waking up on a Saturday morning knowing that I can kill the next couple of hours catching up on all the shows I missed during the week.

The slate of new shows for the 2007/2008 season have been pretty strong so far. Here is a quick rundown of what I have liked and disliked so far:

The Big Bang Theory - I am not completely hooked yet but the second episode was better than the pilot. I enjoy the premise and the lead actor is very likable. It might help that he wears the same glasses as I do. I also love the supporting group of friends. They are such extreme caricatures that it cracks me up.

Chuck - I love how ridiculously absurd the premise of the show is. I also love how the show seems to realize this and just has fun with it. It doesn't feel like they are taking themselves too seriously. The actor they chose for Chuck is perfect. Very endearing and easy to root for. I also love his sidekick buddy who just happens to be named Morgan. His comedic timing is perfect. It also doesn't hurt that Chuck's sister and also is love interest (they are two separate people perverts) are hot. All in all this show is very fun. Very enjoyable.

Cane - Just plain lame. I don't want to even wast time talking about it. I didn't even make it through the pilot.

Life - This show has a lot of potential. I was lukewarm after the pilot but the second episode was fantastic. The episodes are solid enough to stand alone yet there is a underlying story arc to reward the faithful viewers and keep you coming back for more. The cinematography and lighting are also top notch. I am really starting to like this one.

Moonlight - Vampires just don't really do it for me. Plus the female lead really bugs me. Also, the effects are cheesy and the attempt to create a film noir feel fall short. I have the second episode recorded but haven't gotten around to watching it yet. I may never get around to watching it.

Journeyman - I missed the pilot because it got deleted by new content before I could get to it. I did see the second episode however which was fantastic. The acting was very solid. The story seemed very tight and the episode I watched had a very heart warming story of redemption and forgiveness. I also enjoy the underlying element of mystery that will reward the viewers for staying with the show. I was surprisingly impressed by this show.

Reaper - I enjoyed the pilot but not so much that I was anxiously awaiting the next episode. I still haven't gotten around to watching it yet. I can already feel this one slipping off my list. Not because I dislike it but just because I don't like it enough to make time for it.

Pushing Daisies - I watched the pilot this weekend and LOVED it. It is definitely my favorite new show of the season. I love the premise and the execution of said premise. I love the quasi-fantasy world that as been created and I love the characters. The colors of the show are simply amazing and really add to the overall feel of the show. It has a real Tim Burton feel to it that really appeals to me. My favorite part of the show though was the emotions around the lead resurrecting his "true-love" and now being forced to distance himself from her because if he touches her again she returns to being dead. The execution of this plot point was perfect and will hopefully continue to add to the drama.

If there is one new show that you are going to add to your list, then Pushing Daisies is it. I can't emphasize how much I loved it. Seriously, add it to your DVR. You won't regret it

The Office Returns

"You don't know me. You've just seen my penis." Wise, wise words from Michael Scott, Regional Manager. What more needs to be said?

Click here if you missed last nights season premiere episode entitled Fun Run.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

I must admit, I was a little nervous going into this movie when I saw the run-time of 2 hrs and 40 mins. for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. I wasn't sure I could make it through the entire movie without my bladder exploding. It seems that in my old age, my already small bladder has become even smaller. As such, I purposefully did not purchase my traditional Diet Coke. But I digress.

I absolutely loved this movie. It had a Terrence Malick feel to it and maybe that is why I liked it so much. The cinematography was breath-taking. There was one shot during the train robbery at the beginning where Jesse James is standing in front of the stopping train as steam billows about that totally captured the mythical nature of Jesse James. It set the stage perfectly for the rest of the story. I also really enjoyed the tone and pacing of the narration and story. It totally worked for me.

Brad Pitt was solid as Jesse James. However, Casey Affleck stole the show for me with his portrayal of Robert Ford. It was so interesting to watch his hero-worship of Jesse James turn to hatred. One of my favorite scenes of the movie was when James makes Ford tell him what he means when he says that they have a lot in common. This was the tipping point for Ford because of the mocking tone James uses and Affleck nails the mixture of love, embarrassment, and anger. Like I said before, Affleck steals the show.

My favorite part of the movie was the final act after the assassination has been committed. I found it very interesting to see how people idolized Jesse James and treated him like a fallen Hercules or Achilles even though he was simply a bad person who demonstrated no remorse for killing at least 17 people and treating the members of his "gang" horribly. This heroic treatment of James contrasted so starkly with the way that Ford was treated. It was especially moving because of the inner turmoil experienced by Ford after killing his hero.

Overall this was just a fantastic movie for me. I have zero complaints. I would definitely watch this movie again and that is about as strong of an endorsement I can give.

As a side note, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that Nick Cave did the score. If you haven't yet seen The Proposition then I highly recommend it as well. My appreciation for The Proposition has really grown over the last couple of weeks. Especially after 3:10 to Yuma.

Fantasy Football Team Names

One of my favorite parts of fantasy football is the creativity that often goes into team names. In my current league - Morgasmo's World (aptly named due to my dominance over the previous two seasons) - we have fantastic names ranging from The Creepy Grandpas to The Fleshsicles to A Lifetime of Wiener. I literally laugh everytime I log onto the league homepage.

Over the last couple of days, thanks to the glory of YouTube I have come across a few more potentially solid names for future teams. Thanks to Senator Craig we have the potential team name of:

Bill Clinton is a Nasty, Naughty Boy



The look on Chris Matthews' face at the end of the clip is priceless.

And thanks to Andrew Meyer, we have one of my all time favorite catch phrases and a very strong contender for my fantasy football team name next year:

Don't Taze Me Bro!



I have watched the Don't Taze Me Bro clip like 20 times over the last couple of days and it still cracks me up. I also can't stop saying it. Whenever somebody asks me a question I immediately say "Don't taze me bro." I don't think it will ever get old. Thank you Andrew Meyer for being a douche and whipping out the word bro in your moment of panic. I can't think of a funnier way to ask somebody to not taze you. You are a comedic genius.

I Still Heart Hip Hop

Yesterday I made my triumphant return to the DreamWorks Animation campus. It was a spectacular homecoming highlighted by spirited discussions with the big LJD covering favorite topics such as Al Gore the Hollywood Heartthrob, Sicko, Spike Lee, and of course the latest and greatest in the world of hip hop. The hip hop topic was by far my favorite. In honor of our discussion I thought I would post about three of my currents favorites.

Good Life by Kanye West featuring T-Pain



I am kind of over Kanye in general but I love this song. I was hooked from the moment it was premiered on Entourage. My favorite song on the new album.

Get Buck in Here by DJ Felli Fel Featuring Akon, Diddy, Luda, and Lil' Jon



DJ Felli Fel is a DJ on the local hip-hop station Power 106 and once again I was hooked from the very first time I heard this song. The beat just sucks me right in. I especially love when they slow it down and get all crunk (yeah that's right I said crunk look at me I am such a banger from the dirty dirty) for Lil' Jon at the end.

Crank Dat by Soulja Boy



This song is best heard LOUD and with LOTS of bass. My whip is currently getting a little lovin at the mechanic so I have been ghost ridin in a C class Mercedes. I would never buy a C class based on my driving experience yesterday and today. However, the stereo is fantastic and Crank That sounds A-Mazing in the c class while cruising down the 101 on my way to work in the morning.

One more song that I heard for the first time yesterday on my way home from work was this new remix of 50 Cent featuring Diddy and Jay Z. I'm not sure what it is called and will have to do a little research to find it but the Jay Z part killed. If you know what the song is called, a little heads up in the comments would be very much appreciated.

I Heart The Office or My Night at the Emmys

Where to begin? Last night was the telecast for the Primetime Emmys. Finally. The show itself was pretty uneventful except for when the standards and practices (who were by far the nicest people in the production trailer) started freaking out when Brad Garrett went off script during his presentation bit and started talking about the boobs of his co-presenter. The word nipple may or may not have been said. Other than that the only other real highlights of the broadcast were the Rainn Wilson/Kanye West bit that worked surprisingly well and the impromptu on-stage celebration with Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert, and Steve Carell due to the absence of Ricky Gervais when the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy was presented.

So after standing in a cramped production trailer for 4 hours, I was starving and ready for the Governor's Ball. The food was nothing special but the decor was pretty solid. Tony Bennett sang a few songs which I was originally looking forward to but I ended up being distracted by the cast of The Office. The cast of Heroes was at the next table over but I was way more interested in The Office.

I have quite a few stories that I am giggling about right now as I remember hovering near their table waiting for an opportunity to speak with them. We took a few pictures as well so I will try to fit the stories to the pictures.

When we initially were listening to Tony Bennett perform, Kate and her husband walked by and bumped into us. She apologized and continued on her way. We then went back to our table for the main course which we quickly finished and returned to "stalk" the cast of The Office. While we were waiting to talk with Stanley (aka Leslie David Baker) at the bar, Kate and her husband walked by again and her husband apologized when they squeezed by. I couldn't contain my laughter because I was the one who should be apologizing for "stalking" his wife and friends.

Finally we had the opportunity to approach Phyllis, who was fantastic. She was so friendly and seemed genuinely happy to speak with us.

After taking this picture with us she immediately said "There is Stanley. You have to take a picture with him as well." How could I resist?

Stanley was also super friendly and hilarious. He kept saying "Don't be shy" in this booming voice that cracked me up. I couldn't stop giggling. While we took a few photos, he put is arm around me and kept rubbing my back. Which of course really made me giggle. He thought it was so hilarious that he told Kirsten that he was rubbing my back and that it was making me giggle. Definitely the highlight of the night for me. This may be the best picture of of me ever:

After wrapping up with the cast of The Office we also bumped into.... wait for it..... Kenneth The Page.

We congratulated him on being an integral part of winning the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series and Kirsten totally came through in the clutch when I froze and made a relevant joke that we were two of the 12 people that watch the show. Well played Kirsten. Well played.

As an addendum to this story, earlier in the night Tina Fey almost impaled me with the Emmy statue when she crashed into me. I was totally smitten and stumbled out a few congratulatory remarks and continued on my way. Later in the evening we saw her as she was leaving and it looked like she had a very good time celebrating. She was really struggling with maintaining her balance. It must have been the heels she was wearing.

One more little story is that Paulie Walnuts used the urinal right next to me and didn't leave a buffer when the bathroom was not at capacity.

I also have a great story about Rainn Wilson aka Dwight Schrute which I will reserve for telling in person to protect the names of the innocent. The blag is probably a little too public of a forum.

And finally, here is my favorite picture of the night:

It cracks me up every time I look at it and it totally captures the friendliness and personality of Phyllis. I heart Phyllis.


PS I have a few other great stories about Alec Baldwin, William H. Macy, Julia Louis Dreyfus, and Tom Selleck that I wouldn't mind sharing as well. They aren't quite as funny though. More observations really but still enjoyable.

I Heart Alaska Airlines

Last Christmas I flew to Kennewick Washington via Seattle Washington on Alaska Airlines. I remember actually enjoying my flight but I couldn't remember why. Based on these hazy but positive memories of the experience, I booked my flight to Seattle last night on Alaska Airlines. Now I remember why I heart Alaska Airlines.

I walked into the terminal at LAX last night and was immediately struck by the abundance of self-check-in terminals and lack of lines. I had my boarding pass printed less than 2 minutes after walking into the terminal. It was great. I then proceeded to the security checkpoint where there was absolutely no lines. In under 5 minutes I was through the metal detector and had my shoes back on and was happily walking towards my departure gate. Once I got to the gate, there was plenty of seating and the acoustics were such that I could easily understand anything being announced over the PA. Just like the NBA, it was FAAAAN-tastic.

Once I boarded the plane and plopped down in my comfy seat with more then adequate leg room I glanced out the window and saw the plane next to us and was reminded of how cool the Alaska Airlines Eskimo logo looks on the tail of the standard white plane. I am a sucker for good design and this just added more fuel to my Alaska Airlines fire. But wait. It gets even better.

After reaching our cruising altitude, the surprisingly attractive flight attendants began to make the customary distribution of in-flight beverages. I asked for Diet Coke and I was given an entire can. Yes, you read that right. I was given the entire can and didn't even need to beg for it. How nice is that? But wait, it gets even better.

About a half hour after enjoying my Diet Coke a strangely aromatic scent came drifting through the darkened cabin. It was unlike any other smell I had ever experienced on an airplane. I was so disoriented I couldn't quite place the smell. But then it hit me. Molasses cookies. I love molasses cookies. And guess what, they were piping hot molasses cookies sent straight from heaven. When have you ever had warm cookies on an airplane? I never have. And now I am completely and utterly smitten with Alaska Airlines. They are the best and it is because of the small things. Blink 182 had it right all along.

PS The flight was only $99 each way with only like 4 days advance purchase. Even better right?

Dedicated to My Anonymous Friends

xkcd.com does it again. Pure genius.

Facebook Love

Compliments of the geniuses at xkcd.com

Save Jake Brown Save the World

The Summer X Games kicked off again last night with some ridiculous freestyle motocross tricks and big-air on skate boards. Back in the day I used to think "the kiss of death" was one of the coolest tricks in the world. Well last night, I saw a guy do "the kiss of death" while doing a back flip. My jaw dropped. And the guy didn't even win.

In addition to all these amazing tricks last night, I also saw one of the scariest things ever which turned into one of the coolest things I have ever seen. Jake Brown falls 50 plus feet, hits the ground so hard his shoes fly off, and then walks away with no visible injuries. I think he has super powers. I watched it again this morning and am still a little dazed. Simply amazing.

I Can Be a Little Picky

I know that this song is not "new and hot." I loved it months ago. Look at me, I am so hip. However, I heard it on my way home from work last night and was reminded of how much I like it. DJ Quick is a genius. Especially when he breaks out his blood walk or drops the Gmail reference. Who said hip hop was dead?

Honestly, Uncle Jeremy's a Little Tired

Maybe I have spent way too much time in a small room with 6-8 other people over the last couple of weeks but every time we break out this clip (which seems to happen at least once a day) I die laughing. "Shut your mouth funny guy and make it." I can't help but laugh. Every time.

Malibu Dreams

A few weeks ago my roommate Dan brought home a real estate magazine full of multi-million dollar homes and pieces of land that were currently for sale in the Malibu area. While paging through the magazine we stumbled upon a little gem in the Rambla Pacifico neighborhood with 180 degree ocean views. My first instinct was that this little plot of land would be well over half a million dollars. But I have a news flash for you Walter Cronkite. It wasn't. This little beauty was priced at a cool $185,000. Think about that for a minute. Ocean view property in beautiful Malibu for only $185,000. There must be a catch right? Well, after doing some research on the interwob, the only "catches" I could come up with were that the building permit had expired - a new permit would cost roughly $15,000 - and the lot is really small. Really small in the sense that it is big enough for a 2000 square foot house and that is all. When I say that is all, I really mean that is all. There will be no yard and the parking space for you car will need to be integrated into the construction of the house - i.e. the house will be built on top of the garage. But lets be honest, I don't want to mow the lawn. I don't need a yard. Especially when the ocean is right there.

So this weekend I took a drive up to Rambla Pacifico to see if the property was really all that and a bag of chips. Ummm, it was. The property was towards the top of the mountain with a sweeping view out through the valley down to Surfrider Beach. The air had the distinct sage smell of Malibu that I love so much. It was super quiet and peaceful. I was in heaven. Literally in heaven. Also, the site was perfect for a pre-fab modern house of the style made famous by Dwell Magazine. Pre-fab houses can be built anywhere from $100 - $250 per square foot depending on the amenities. Think about that for a minute. I could conceivably build my dream house on my dream property for roughly $500,000. In Malibu. With sweeping ocean vistas. Within a reasonable commute to work. I am still in shock from the sudden realization that I could conceivably own my own house in Southern California and be able to afford it. Literally within the next five years I could realistically build my dream house in California. That just blew my mind. Again.

Here are a few pictures I took from the Rambla Pacifico neighborhood. My Lamejack doesn't do the location justice though. Especially because it doesn't capture the wonderful smell of the air.







PS I am in love with the FlatPak housing system. I can probably save a little money by going with another builder but that doesn't change the fact that I love the FlatPak.