Jimmer Bleeping Fredette

49 points? 9 threes? Single game scoring record for the BYU? Well done Jimmer. Well done. And the 30 point victory over Arizona wasn't too shabby either. And on the road at that. Very nice way to send out the old year.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Happy Christmas

Tanner & Sarah

This post is kind of the sequel to the post from a couple of days ago because the photos were taken the same day at Pasadena City Hall. After finishing up with Broek, we turned our focus to Sarah and Tanner and took a few photographs to celebrate their engagement. Sadly, they wouldn't tailor their wedding schedule to my needs and I was unable to attend the celebration for the union of two of my favorite people. From what I have heard and seen on Bookface, the wedding was a smashing success. I know I am a couple months late on this, but never the less, felicitations are still in order and no less diminished by time. As always, additional photos are available via Flickr.

Sultry Looks From LA's Finest Model

A couple of weeks before I moved around the world to quote... unquote... find myself or in other words, escape the suffocating clutches of complacency I was able to help out my good friend Sarah with her final project for fashion school. We went to Pasadena City Hall and took some photographs of her stunning sister-in-law-to-be (who is now her actual sister-in-law) Broek modeling the line of dresses that she had made. I felt quite a bit of pressure taking the photos because I consider myself to be barely a novice when it comes to these types of things and I have absolutely zero experience with art direction. It turns out that after quite a bit of straightening and cropping and other miscellaneous post production activities that I am kind of happy with some of the shots. I have posted two of my favorites and the rest can be seen on my Flickr.

Winter Is Upon Me

Finally

Finally got to see Where The Wild Things Are. Still not sure why the UK release was so much later. Loved that it was more for grown-ups than it was for kids. Mainly because I am supposedly a grown-up. Still not too sure on that count.

If you haven't already perused the work of 24 featured artists and their works inspired by Where The Wild Things Are at Vice than check it out. Some really good stuff. I really liked the pieces by Shintaro Kago, Lisa Hanawalt (above), and Esther Pearl Watson

Book Covers by J. Purrington

I picked up a copy of Let the Right One In from Amazon yesterday and was reminded of how not appealing the cover design for the book was. This in turn reminded me of the excellent version that the talented Jared Purrington created after he almost didn't buy the book because of how poor the cover design was. Here is what my version looks like:

Here is the version created by Jared:

The cover for Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card that Jared created is pretty cool as well. Check out his website for some of his other illustrations and projects. One word of warning though, don't ask his opinion of the film Wall-E. You may get more than you bargained for.

I Love Tight Ends

But I don't love the University of Utah and I really don't love a large chunk of the fans of the University of Utah. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I don't love the Utah media either. Except for Greg Wrubell that is.

Bullit - Behind The Scenes

A couple of months ago, The Selvedge Yard posted a behind the scenes look at what went into the production of the iconic car chase through the actual streets of San Francisco from the Steve McQueen film Bullit. It is a fascinating read full of little insights such as how McQueen originally insisted on doing all his own stunt driving until he "overshot a turn and smoked the tires." Turns out that the studio execs and his wife at the time were none to happy with this and quickly quashed the idea of him doing any additional stunt driving.

The entire piece is fascinating. In addition to the great insight, The Selvedge Yard also excels at providing fantastic photographs to give the story added depth. Seriously, take a few minutes and read the article. Also, if you have some free time, peruse the archives. The photo essays are just brilliant.

Anish Kapoor At The Royal Academy of Arts

I recently received a request for more posts on London. My response to that is simply qu'ils mangent de la brioche. But not really. I am a man of the people and not one to ignore the howling masses. So, without further preamble:

One of the best things about living in London is the quantity of museums and galleries that are so generously sprinkled throughout the city - kind of like the chocolate sprinkles on the doughnuts at Greggs. PS if you haven't tried the yum yum at Greggs than you are living a pale, empty existence. Seriously. But back to the topic at hand - Since moving to London a couple of months ago I have been able to visit many different museums and galleries around the city such as the Tate Modern, National Portrait Gallery, and little galleries around Brick Lane to name just a few.

This past weekend, based on a strong recommendation from a trusted source, I went to the Anish Kapoor exhibit at the Royal Academy of Arts. Absolutely one of the best exhibits I have seen in a long time. The piece titled Svayambh was mesmerizing because of its sheer size and like a moth to a flame, I couldn't resist touching the wax on the track. There was also another piece aptly titled Vertigo that was a collection of these large shapes of stainless steel. The way the shapes were formed resulted in these amazing reflections that actually ended up making feel like I was losing my balance a few times. Later in the evening, on the way home from a night out with the dudes, I was telling my friend about the exhibit and started to feel a little bit of vertigo again. The last piece from the exhibit that I want to mention is Shooting in to the Corner which is a great piece of mixed media where this cannon shoots large rounds of wax through a doorway into the corner of another room. Once again, the size and scope of the piece is impressive. A live web-cam of the piece can be seen here. I believe the cannon is fired approximately every 20 minutes or so.

I want to finish up by saying that the combination of the large scale pieces and the brilliant colors of the Anish Kapoor exhibit left a lasting impression on me and the way the various pieces interacted with the surrounding gallery was fascinating. If you ever get a chance to visit one of his exhibitions you will not be disappointed. I promise.

Finally

After years of procrastination, laziness, desire for more storage, concern for making ends meet in a foreign country without being gainfully employed, Bob Loblaw's Law Blog I can now say that I am a proud owner of a shiny new white 32GB iPhone 3Gs. I can't wait to ride the tube tomorrow and enjoy an episode of Samurai Champloo. Or maybe I will watch Princess Mononoke. I could even go the live action route and watch the season 7 finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm. The possibilities are endless. I have a feeling I am going to spend many hours sifting through the app store tonight. Any suggestions on which apps I absolutely need? Feel free to leave them in the comments along with any disparaging remarks regarding how I am such an "early adopter" of technology.

The Monte Carlo by Launderette

Having difficulties finding the perfect gift for the gentleman who seems to have everything? Been scouring the shops looking for the ideal accessory to bring out your inner Don Draper? Planning a relaxing holiday in the south of France and need a tie to wear to dinner? Well look no further. The stylish folks at Launderette have exactly what you have been searching for - The Monte Carlo Bow Tie.

As Launderette so aptly put it - "The Monte Carlo bow tie is for the man about town. Wear it to a Grand Prix after party or a NASA hearing. Easy to dress up or down in its emerald green and navy stripes."

So don't delay. Place your order now. Supplies are limited. And don't despair ladies, there is also something for you - the popular Shuffleboard Dress is still available.

PS Refreshing your browser and exploring the various pages of the site will reward you with some pretty good photos. Simply disregard the dork in the bow tie.

The Mature Game of Kobe Bryant

Remember that Michael Lewis piece in the NY Times earlier this year? Kobe Bryant does. From a recent piece in the NY Times on the maturation of Kobe Bryant's game:

"And after a New York Times Magazine article last February depicted the Houston Rockets’ Shane Battier’s use of analytical data to guard Bryant, he went to Grover’s assistant, Mike Procopio, and requested the same type of report on the Rockets’ tendencies."

The full text of the article can be found here. It is an interesting assessment of the evolution of Kobe from a statistical standpoint and also gives a greater understanding of just how seriously he takes his job and how much effort he puts into being the best basketball player on Mother Gaia.

Nike Pro Combat Uniforms

The new Nike Pro Combat uniforms for the Missouri Tigers are pretty sweet. I love the black on black helmet and the black on black pants. The Vapor Trail 2.0 gloves are sick as well. The flywire stitching on the shoulders is a subtle detail that pulls everything together quite nicely. Click here for the photo gallery.

Behind The Backboard

Kobe continues to impress. His shot last night against the the team formerly known as the Seattle Supersonics was ridiculous. See for yourself:

Should have been a chance for a three point play as well. Regardless, it is nice to see The Lake Show rolling again now that Gasol is back. Are the playoffs here yet?

Peugeot BB1

I was in Covent Garden a couple of weeks ago and saw the new Peugeot BB1 on display. It was in a plastic bubble and there was a big queue to see it so I didn't get to touch it or sit inside it. From what I saw though, it looked awesome. I loved the shape and the ultra modern design of the interior. I have always been a fan of the Smart Car but I liked the design of the BB1 more. There was also a cool advert up that said something along the lines of the BB1 being the offspring of a scooter and car or something along those lines. Wish I could remember exactly what the tag line was. I think it is a concept car right now but it has already taken over first place on my list of micro cars that I want.

PS The driver's lady friend is hot.

Art of the Trench

I realize that at the speed of internet, this post is so two thousand and late. Who cares. I have had the best of intentions to post this link since the website debuted last week? The week before? It is all kind of a blur for me these days. Never the less, take a look at Art of the Trench, which is a collection of photographs that Scott Schuman did for Burberry featuring... wait for it... wait for it.... has the anticipation built enough yet????? wait a little longer.... and now the anti-climactic reveal - the iconic Burberry trench. I bet you didn't see that one coming did you. All bad jokes aside, the website is pretty fantastic. Makes me happy that I picked up my Burberry trench off the eBizzle a couple weeks before the site went live and trenches became the hotness.

Eddie Russia

This past weekend I was able to visit the Hayward Gallery at the Southbank Centre for a viewing of the Ed Ruscha exhibit. My previous knowledge/experience with Ed Ruscha was very limited. I knew that he was a seminal figure in the pop art movement of the 60s. I knew that his work was heavily influenced by the Los Angeles area and his experience with typography. I was also familiar with his piece titled Standard Station. That was about it.

In retrospect, I am pretty happy that I only had a rudimentary base going into the exhibit because of the excitement of new discovery as I walked through the gallery. I loved the iconic Los Angeles images such as the 20th Century Fox logo, Norm's Diner, the Hollywood sign, and the LACMA. I loved the tongue in cheek humor of the words that were chosen for the paintings. I loved the mixing of mediums - peptol bismol and silky fabrics?. But above all I loved the colors. The majority of the pieces utilized bright, rich, vibrant colors that added a sense of happiness and light heartedness to the entire exhibit.

One of my favorite pieces from the exhibit was a blue canvas with a quote from Hamlet painted in a spiraling nature. Sadly, the Goog has failed me in my brief search for a recreation of this painting. However, I did happen to write down the quote which was:

Words without thoughts never to Heaven go.

Here is a link to a large collection of the works of Ed Ruscha. Sadly, the digital copies on you computer lack much of the emotion and beauty of the full sized pieces. If there is ever an exhibit near you, check it out. It will be well worth your time.

Jay on Jools

After hearing about Jay Zed's performance on the BBC program Later with Jools Holland for quite a few days from my magically empowered flatmate, we were finally able to set aside some quality time and watch the replay courtesy of the world wide web. The performance of Empire State of Mind was revelatory. The Alicia Keys replacement Bridget Kelly absolutely stole the show for me. She is stunningly beautiful and her voice gives me chills. I might be smitten. Again. This is a regular occurrence I know. Check out the performance for yourself:

The 99 Problems bit was pretty cool as well. Arguably my favorite Jay Z song of all time:

Guy Fawkes Celebration

So I went to the Guy Fawkes celebration at Victoria Park this weekend. The fireworks were pretty legen....dary. Totally worth braving the "cold" and the long tube ride. I think it was my favorite display of all time. This was largely due to the proximity of the fireworks. They were literally bursting directly over our head and I felt like I could reach out and touch the flares as they streaked and floated around. Being so close to them added a level of depth perception that was absolutely fantastic. I couldn't stop smiling during the entire display. But wait, it gets even better. There was a dirty little carnival set up on the side of the park as well. I love carnival lights at night. The only thing lacking was a sweet ferris wheel. Here are a few of my favorite photos from the evening. The entire set can of course be found on my Flickr page.

Heart On A Sleeve, I Mean Pocket

I saw this fantastic post on Garance Dore's blog today. Maybe this is "true love?" Even if it isn't, I still want it.


PS I loved this photo from Cedric Bihr's (the man with the heart on his pocket) website:

I'll have a milk steak with a side of your finest jelly beans

If you are not watching It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia than you are living a hopelessly deprived life. It is the funniest show on TV right now. Seriously. The funniest. The improvisational nature of the show is pure genius. The cultural and current events commentary is rivaled only by the geniuses of Southpark. Milk steak? A side of your finest jelly beans? Little green ghouls? Come on. I can't stop laughing. Here are a few of the milk steak clips that absolutely kill:







This season is absolutely hilarious. It has yet to miss on one single episode, whether it be milk steak, Frank failing to hang himself because his neck is too fat, or Charlie poking his head out of the tent and discussing the money making possibilities of catching crabs. I wasn't joking when I said this was the funniest show on TV.

PS I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of November 17th and the release of the much anticipated It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: A Very Sunny Christmas.

15 Diamonds

15 diamonds and 15 karat gold for 15 championships.

Cambridge

I don't really want to turn this place in to a travel blog where all I do is post boring pictures of me at various amazing places around London. I prefer to maintain the recent history of posting interesting links, videos, photos, etc. With that said, I feel almost obligated to post a few of the boring photos from when I ventured to Cambridge on Friday. Seriously. So. Amazing. It goes without saying that many, many Harry Potter jokes were made and while they may have stopped being funny to my travel companions almost immediately, I never tired of them. Nor do I think I ever will. So yeah, here are a few photos from Cambridge:



If you feel so inclined to see more pictures of Cambridge simply check out my Flickr. With that said, I hope to return to regular posting of cool and interesting ish I find on the interwebs and around town in the near future. So stay tuned for that. I hope.

It's So On Like Donkey Kong

Welcome back. Welcome back.

London Town

So I have been in London for a little under a week now. It has been sunny on all but two days so far which means London is pretty much way better than advertised. I may even love it more than a fat kid loves cake. My computer showed up today along with the rest of my books, art, sweaters, etc. so this post will be brief. I still have some settling in to do, including a trip to the great and wonderful Ikea. So for now I will leave you all with a glimpse of my terrace house (be sure not to refer to it as a row house or a town house, you will be mercilessly ridiculed by all the London tossers):

Potent Potables

Two quick things. The first of which is a follow-up to yesterday's hilarious Obama speech/Kanye stunt mash-up courtesy of my friend Keith:

Too soon? I vote no because it is just too funny and too timely. Like I said, I really love the internet.

The second point I would like to address is a little anecdote from my friend Broek. This last weekend while in the NYC she was walking with a friend through the meatpacking district and made a few jokes about bumping into Scott Schuman. Next thing you know, they actually do bump into Scott Schuman and Garance Dore. "In the wild." Pretty cool huh. The story goes that both Scott Schuman and Garance Dore were quite affable. However, what stood out the most was the contrast between their physical appearance and what they look like in photographs. Broek said that Scott Schuman was much shorter than expected. He also looked much stockier than he does in his photographs. The conclusion was that he really knows how to position himself for the most flattering photos. The word on the street regarding Garance Dore is that she is even more beautiful in person than she is in her photographs.

When I first heard the story it made me a little sad to hear that Scott Schuman was not 6 feetish and slender like I had imagined. Kind of like hearing that The National suck live. But after thinking about it a little more I kind of like that he is more of a regular guy with "flaws" just like me. Hearing that Garance Dore was even better looking in person just made me like her even more.

What makes this story even better for me was that I had just read the post on Garance Dore's blog from Monday where she posted the photo that Scott Schuman took of her taking a picture of another woman who was in turn taking a picture of her. I wonder how the timing worked out of when this picture was taken to when Broek bumped in to them.

So yeah celebrities! They're just like us! Or something like that. But really, in all honesty, and with complete earnestness. Check out the blogs for both these photographers. Two of my favorites by far. And Scott Schuman's new book is the bomb diggity. I can't stop paging through it.

Reason # 7,894,593 For Why I Love The Interwebs

I am not sure if I have mentioned this before, but I love the interwebs. I mean, I REALLY love the interwebs. I love them even more than Michael Jordan loves being petty and vindictive. This hilarious "mash-up" that hit the interwebs immediately following Kanye's little stunt at the VMAs is just one of the many, many, many reasons why I have this burning love:

I Will Not Read Your !@#$%^& Script

A couple of days ago A History of Violence screenwriter Josh Olson published a nice little rant in the Village Voice. While his rant is often quite amusing because of his colorful choice of words, Olson also makes quite a few meaningful points and offers some sage advice for aspiring screenwriters. I agree with everything Olson says and really appreciate the way he framed his arguments. My favorite part of the rant was the final anecdote:

You are not owed a read from a professional, even if you think you have an in, and even if you think it's not a huge imposition. It's not your choice to make. This needs to be clear--when you ask a professional for their take on your material, you're not just asking them to take an hour or two out of their life, you're asking them to give you--gratis--the acquired knowledge, insight, and skill of years of work. It is no different than asking your friend the house painter to paint your living room during his off hours.

There's a great story about Pablo Picasso. Some guy told Picasso he'd pay him to draw a picture on a napkin. Picasso whipped out a pen and banged out a sketch, handed it to the guy, and said, "One million dollars, please."

"A million dollars?" the guy exclaimed. "That only took you thirty seconds!"

"Yes," said Picasso. "But it took me fifty years to learn how to draw that in thirty seconds."

Like the cad who asks the professional for a free read, the guy simply didn't have enough respect for the artist to think about what he was asking for. If you think it's only about the time, then ask one of your non-writer friends to read it. Hell, they might even enjoy your script. They might look upon you with a newfound respect. It could even come to pass that they call up a friend in the movie business and help you sell it, and soon, all your dreams will come true. But me?

I will not read your fucking script.

Maybe I should have titled this post I Will Not Do Your !@#$%^& Taxes.

One Final Thought on BYU - OU

I just watched the video that I posted a couple of days ago for like the 900th time. After many, many, many viewings I think I feel comfortable saying that my favorite part was the route that Pitta ran to pick up the crucial 3rd and 10 conversion on the final drive at the 4:55 mark of the video. His route is truly a thing of beauty. I love watching the defensive back get turned completely around as Pitta squares off the route, catches the perfect pass, and turns upfield for additional yardage. The balance and rock of the shoulders just leaves me feeling sleepy and with a giant grin on my face. Perfection.

Pitta. Pitta. Pitta.

BYU vs OU from Brandon Orton on Vimeo.

Still Can't Stop Smiling

14 - 13: The Day After

A little over 12 hours have elapsed since BYU came out and stood toe to toe with the "number 3" team in the nation. I am still drunk on the elixir of exceeded expectations mixed with a dash of improbable victory. My throat is a little scratchy as well. Still amazed at the defensive stand that stopped OU six straight plays on the goal line. I don't think the happy glow of this win will rub off for years to come. Seriously so blessed right now.

Station Fire Time Lapse

My good friend Mike Wiener sent me the link to this cool time lapse of the smoke cloud from the Station Fire north of Los Angeles. My roommate has compared the fire to the eruption of a volcano and I must say that the smoke cloud is how I would envision a smoke cloud from an erupting volcano to look. Pretty impressive. The video is on some dude's personal website so there was not an embed feature. Click on the link though. It is totally worth it.

Dangerously Delicious Pies

So I have been in Baltimore since Sunday experiencing my own personal Office Space hell masquerading as one of The Bobs. The one shining moment from this horrible "adventure" was when I stopped by Dangerously Delicious Pies. Let me tell you, it was the bizzzzooomb.com. I sampled the peach, the pecan, and a savory pie called The Hot Rod. The Hot Rod was a potato and cheese based pie that was seasoned to perfection. The fresh peaches were the perfect consistency and not overly sweetened. The same goes for the filling of the pecan pie.

Personally, the true measure of the quality of a pie from my perspective is the crust. This is where Dangerously Delicious Pies really excelled. The crusts were nice and flaky without being dry and crispy. They were not over cooked resulting in the perfect coloring. And finally, I am pretty sure that they were quite generous in the amount of butter used to make the crust. In all seriously, this was probably the best crust I have ever had on a purchased pie. I throw in the purchased caveat because we all know that my personal pie crust is tres (I wish I knew how to add the little accent denoting this as the french word) legen - wait for it - dary.

So yeah, if you are ever in the B-easy and you have some free time between re-upping your Pandemic or WMD and when your flight leaves, swing by Federal Hill and grab a slice of pie. Totally worth the supposed bullet dodging you will have to do.

PS Baltimore natives are way too proud of the idea of how "dangerous" their city is. Newsflash - you don't live in Darfur or Afghanistan.

PSS The Dangerously Delicious Pies website could use some serious help.

NBA Draft 09 Behind The Scenes

Terrence Williams pieced together some of the footage he shot on his Flip Cam during the days leading up to the 2009 NBA Draft. I loved the candid nature of everything and how genuinely excited yet nervous the draftees were. I would be as well if I was on the eve of achieving my ultimate goal in life. It is things like this that make me really appreciate the internet and the depth it adds to my consumption of sports entertainment.

Even More Usain in the Brain

So Usain Bolt was arguably more impressive in breaking his own 200m world record today than he was earlier in the week when he broke his own 100m world record. Usain in the brain does not even come close to capturing the dominance on display. The closest competitor was what, 10m behind?

Avatar Trailer

The trailer for James Cameron's 3D epic Avatar was released today. Click here for enjoyment. I wish I could have seen the trailer in 3D. I am pretty sure the movie itself is going to melt my brain. Especially after speaking with people who have been on set and seen the technology at work. December 18th can't get here fast enough.

Lost - Opening Credits in the Style of 1967

Picked this link up off the Twitter feed from @kogibbq today:

Leica a la carte

Leica has this really cool configurator on their website that allows you to customize their MP or M7 models. It is pretty fun to play around with the different options. The only drawback is that it made me really want one. This is a drawback because of the prohibitive (for me) cost. I really need to find a nice woman of noble lineage. Or one with a trust fund.

Those Crazy Germans

Usain

Usain Bolt broke his world record in the 100M at Berlin this weekend. I think he can still go faster.

Bike to the Future

This bike will supposedly be theft proof with fingerprint recognition. I just like the way it looks.

Victory!!!

I Love LA

I stumbled across this Nike SB ad this morning as I was perusing the interwebs. I'm not sure how old it is. May have been around for years or minutes. Doesn't really matter. I loved the Kobe and Ice Cube cameos. But what I really loved were the shots of the downtown LA skyline. The golden feel. And the smooth flow of Ice Cube's lyrical stylings coupled with the grace and ease of Paul Rodriguez. For me, this video perfectly captures my feelings for LA.

Behind The Scenes

New Where the Wild Things Are Trailer

Just saw the new trailer for Where the Wild Things Are. It still looks great and I am still really excited for this movie.

500 Days of Summer Reunion

Floating Apartments

Maybe I should move to The Netherlands. The Dutch firm Waterstudio has designed this complex of luxury apartments, called The Citadel, that will float on the surrounding body of water. Amenities include a "car park," floating road, boat docks, garden terraces with each unit, and views of the lake from each unit. Click here for additional photos.

London Calling

Almost there.

Scarves

I have recently been quite smitten by the concept of scarves. I loved how Adrien Brodie's scarf pulled together his look in Brothers Bloom:

And then last week I watched To Catch a Thief again and was compeltely fascinated by Cary Grant's polka dot scarf:

So this past weekend I ventured to the fabric store in search of materials to fashion my own scarves. I am a little unhappy about what I came away with. I think the polka dot material was a calico and seems too crunchy and stiff. I also picked up some black silky like stuff but I wasn't totally happy with the color nor the feel. The black wasn't as deep as I wished and it felt a little to nylony if that makes any sense. I will give them both a go though. Worst case scenario is that I wasted $9 on bad fabric. Now I just need to find a sewing machine.

And So It Begins

Book of Eli

I have always been a sucker for post-apocalyptic dystopian films. Book of Eli, with its washed out lighting and deserty landscapes appears to be exactly that. It looks like Mad Max meets I Am Legend which means that I am looking forward to watching Denzel Washington, who by the way looks pretty bad ass with his graying hair, kick some butt.



Trailer Link

Summer Exhibit in Bristol by Banksy

More Fun With Stop Motion

Here is another stop motion video for your viewing pleasure. It is called Deadline and was done with post-it notes. Music by Royksopp. Good times for all.

In Honor of The King of Pop

This little tribute to MJ from the newest Laker is solid gold. Needless to say I am a more than a little excited for the Ron Artest era. When does the season start again?

Smitten

I'm totally smitten with this woman, Anna, who decided to create her own line of glasses. I don't even know her but I kind of wish I did. I think we might be able to have some interesting conversation for at least seven minutes. Or until I totally freeze up with awkwardness. Whichever comes first.

DOA

Jay-Z throws some roots on the Autotune fad:

More Auto Tune Awesomeness

It is well known around these parts that I am a fan of Auto Tune anything. I have always enjoyed Auto Tune the News and I really, really like Wallpaper and his song Text Me Your Love. Well, today I was introduced to the latest piece of Auto Tune genius. The video below mixes together some of the most recognizable sports "rants" from the last couple of years, lays them over some dope ass beats, and tosses in a little Auto Tune for flavor.



Well played Steve Porter. Well played. A downloadable mp3 version of Press Hop is available here.

Electric Moto Update

Newsflash - Thanks to Dan I learned about Mission Motors which addressed pretty much all my reservations regarding electric motorcycles. The bike they have created has a top speed of 150 MPH and range of 150 miles on a single charge of the lithium ion batteries. On top of all that speed and distance, Mission Motors claims that their electric engine provides max torque from 0 - 60 MPH. But wait. It gets even better. The bike looks fantastic.

I think it goes without saying that I want one. There is just one small problem. The price tag on one of the 50 available bikes in 2010 is $68,995. Ouch. I will have to wait until the technology becomes a little more affordable. I could handle $58,995 but $68,995 is just asking a little too much right now.

Brammo Enertia

Electric motorcycles. I would love to have one except for the limited range and limited miles per hour. I recently stumbled upon the website for the Brammo Enertia which is easily the best looking electric moto I have seen to date. I love the shape of the frame and the way the seat is positioned over the rear wheel. From a pure design perspective I find this bike very appealing. However, it only has a max speed of 50 mph and max distance of 45 miles at an average speed of 25 mph. The Enertia would work just fine for my daily commute. I don't have to get on the freeway and I don't really need to go faster than 40 - 45 mph on any of the streets. The distance is also low enough for me to ride the bike a little more aggressively and not burn out the charge before making it back home in time. However, if I am going to spend $12,000 on a motorcycle than I want to be able to take it out on the weekends and get my speed fix while whipping through the twists and turns of Mulholland or Angeles Crest.

Dwarfed Punk

I saw this video on the blog of a friend of a friend and thought it was great. Dwarfed Punk. Genius. I am still smiling.

#15

I'm not sure when this photo was taken. I grabbed it from Freedarko who probably grabbed it from somewhere else. With that said, it perfectly sums up my feelings about the Lakers winning their 15th title.

This Is Why I Love The NBA (and the Lakers, natch)

Mad Hops

This video is great for many reasons. Not only does Keith Eloi jump in to the back of a truck but he does it in sandals. Plus his buddies talking trash about Jarron Gilbert jumping out of the pool are pretty hilarious. Peep the awesomeness:

Down with Up

So I saw Up in 3D this weekend and I totally loved it. The animation was outstanding which was to be expected but what turned out to be the pleasant surprise was how they were able to bring the characters to life with such depth and vitality. I'll be honest, I may have teared up just a little in a few parts. Oh yeah, and I also laughed quite a bit and may or may not have looked like a fool when I jerked violently to the right to dodge the broken propeller that was flying straight at my head. So go see it. The only way you will not enjoy it is if you hate really good movies.

PS That last sentence was a subtle tribute to Drag Me to Hell which was about a million times better than I expected. I totally loved it and I usually don't watch suspense/thriller/horror movies because I don't find the stress to be enjoyable. So go check that one out to. I promise you will laugh to deal with the stress and be totally blown away by the scene in the parking structure.

PSS I can't believe I forgot to mention before that the short before Up was worth the price of admission in and of itself. One of my co-workers liked it so much that he wished they would have made it a full length film. I respectfully disagree. It was perfect just the way it was and I wouldn't want them to ruin the magic they had already captured in those few short minutes.

My Favorite Laker

It warmed my heart to watch last nights stellar performance of my favorite Laker - Lamar Odom. I love his goofy grin. I love his Go Go Gadget Arms. I love his post-game interviews. And I love how he plays through the pain of the disgustingly large contusion on his back without complaining. Word on the street is that the contusion was visible though his jersey on last nights telecast. Gross. If he would bring back the star on the side of his head my joy would be complete.

Memories

Last night I watched Magnetic Rose which is the first segment on Memories. It was pretty much one of the greatest animated shows I have ever seen. It was right up there with Castle in the Sky and just behind Cowboy Bebop. I am really looking forward to the other two segments on the DVD.

So here is a quick recap of Magnetic Rose: A space ship that kind of operates like a salvage vessel picks up a distress signal from a broken down space station. The crew boards the space station to investigate and discovers that an AI system has kind of gone haywire and is creating a virtual reality based on the memories of the deceased opera star who used to live on the station. The story is quite poignant and the animation is awesome. But what really makes the show work for me is how it is built around Puccini's Un bel di vedremo from Madame Butterfly. The haunting beauty of the song permeates the action and adds a sense of depth and sadness that resonated perfectly with me.

Surrogates

So a guy at work showed me the trailer for Surrogates - the latest Bruce Willis vehicle based on the graphic novel with the same title. I absolutely love the premise. I find the whole idea of people living their lives remotely via these surrogates that they control to be fascinating. It is like a live action version of Second Life. I also like the idea that people now die when their surrogate dies. Similar to The Matrix in that aspect I guess. Another interesting way the story could go is if the surrogates start killing the people that control them. I have no idea if that is what this story will be about but I would love it if it were the case.

So like I said, I love the premise but I am a little leery of the execution. Maybe it is due to Bruce Willis' wig? I really hope that this movie works. Here is the trailer:

SURROGATES trailer in HD