Do you want to buy $6000 worth of used military uniform equipment for $50 (plus S+H)? Or how about 130 Survival vests (a $29,435.00 value) again, for only $50 (plus S+H)? If so, then check this out! This site sells everything from airplane engines to pellet rifles, even an X-ray machine! Check it out.
Pandora
Check this out (anyone who is online ever...like you are right now!) - Pandora is a new music player that revolutionizes "random" and internet radio. There is nothing random about this player actually, but it appears random to the listener. Joseph was telling me about it yesterday. You type in the name of an artist or song and it begins to build a playlist based on the characteristics of that artist or song. I put in the song "Burn one down" by Ben Harper and it starts playing this other music that I have never heard before but that's awesome. You NEED to check this out, seriously. It is the coolest thing I have run across in a long time.
My favorite quote of all time:
This taken from William Shakespear's Richard II (Act II, Scene I).
"This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,—
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England."
Of course Jon would be quick to tell us his favorite movie that contains a part of this quote, The Scarlet Pimpernel (I'm not sure if Sir. Percy quotes Shakespear in the book).
PS. I, of course, am not refering to the 1982 version of The Scarlet Pimpernel with Jane Seymour, but rather Herald Young's 1935 classic staring Leslie Howard (Pygmalion, Gone With the Wind).
Assonpoop
Yes, that's right. The title of this book does include the word "Assenpoop". The cool thing is that the author has actually published quite a few books in the past and this one is simply a re-publish through AuthorHouse. His first book was made into a major motion picture staring Sean Connery (A Fine Madness).
Step on a Crack:Diary of a Pakistani man with OCD
Step on a Crack:Diary of a Pakistani man with OCD
Okay, so don't read anything on this blog but the title... wow!
Fire Down the Street
The other night some of my friends, my wife, and I were preparing to go caving (spelunking), one of our favorite past-times. We had assembled all our gear. Flashlights and headlamps, grubby clothing (the caves around here have soft clay floors and often have creeks running through them), and some bottled water. We were all ready, in fact we were putting our gear in to the cars when one friend, David, noticed an annoying noise. “What the heck is that?” Looking around we realized that it was the fire alarm going off in the apartment two doors down from mine. Through the open window we could see a haze of smoke and an occasional flicker of a flame. Quickly I ran up the stairs to see if anyone was home. Michal called the emergency line for the complex (it simply sent her to a voicemail-box), David called 911. We evacuated the neighbors, letting them know that there was a fire (which none of them seemed to think was a really big deal). Within 5 minutes the first fire truck arrived, soon followed by 3 or 4 other vehicles including 2 full sized fire engines. After breaking down the door and dragging in the hose, the firemen discovered the source of the smoke and flame… a burning trash can in the kitchen. I talked to the guy who lives in that apartment a couple days later and found out that his friend had flicked a cigarette butt in the trash can right before they left to return to the friend's house. The scorch mark up the side of the kitchen wall reminded me of videos I have seen of trash-can fires quickly torching an entire room.
Caving was fun. We weren't able to get out of our parking spaces to go until all the fire trucks were out of the way… but it's best to trespass on private property in the dark any way!
Encyclopedia of Arda
Well, there are a few web sites out there that can easily catch ones attention and distract that poor fellow for hours (homestar runner is one such site). But after going to the Glyphweb website I have found a site that keeps me busy for many many hours, and yet I don't walk away thinking “dang, what a huge waste of time” (though my wife might think so). This site is dedicated to be an all encompassing guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien. My favorite pages are the movie guides that go through each error in the movie (not just the “that didn't happen in the book”s, but the reasons why certain statements would conflict with the metaphysical world that Tolkie created). Anyhow, there is so much to read, you should go right now!
Strange New World
Check this out [link]. The picture is a little strange... but the idea is awesome! I think it's great that my computer can barely recognize a voice and type out what is being said, and yet this guy can mouth words and have the computer translate it into english (or spanish)... way cool!
The World At Large, How Can I Complain?
Okay, so I haven't written on this blog about my musical choice in a long time, and knowing that all of you hard-core bcBlog fans are desperate for some new tunes, here are the songs and bands that I have been recently listening to:
Alexei Murdoch – Orange Sky. I was watching a preview for some movie coming out about suicide bombers and this song started playing. I was like “wow! I thought I had heard all of Nick Drake's music, where in the world did this one come from?” – then I searched and found that A. Murdoch sounds just like the Drake! – great music.
REDISCOVERED! – The Moody Blues – Yeah so they pretty much rock! – This is a great band for all occasions.
The White Stripes – Blue Orchid – The more I listen to the White Stripes the more I realize two things. First, all there music is about the same. Heavy drum, same ol' guitar riff, etc… Second, there music gets better the more you listen to it (for some reason). Yeah, so I don't know why I like them, but I do.
The Wailin' Jennys – Michal's godfather sent her this CD and it's great. They came to Bloomington just a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't find out until the day after. They really have some beautiful harmonies (though I still can't figure out why all their songs are about sailors?)
Dude 222 and Grandpappy Lewis – If you haven't heard of them, you should check 'em out!
Serenity
Yeah, so I remember when kids use to play video games... so now are kids so lazy that they have to watch them. Of course I remember sitting in our living room with my brothers watching Peter (the self-proclaimed "Master" of Mario) power-up and shoot fire balls. We could have watched him for hours (if our Mom hadn't unjustifiably relegated our time to 20 minute increments). But what’s the deal with video games coming to the big screen? Books being made into movies makes sense, movies allow the viewer to give up their rite to an imagination and allows the director to dictate the world that was once only words and descriptions. I understand comic books being made in to movies. The stories are there, they are a visual media, they simply become “animated”. But video games? The story lines of these game/movies are all the same… monsters take over something and an elite force of someones has to save the day/planet/galaxy/dimension…etc… This movie Serenity will be no exception. If you want to spend your money watching a game that you will never get a turn at (Peter always had to turn over the controller sooner or later), you might as well wait for the Halo movie to come out. But I recommend dusting off that old NES and bouncing off of some Hammer Brothers… Cute, Eh?
Brave New Job
Okay, so I haven't posted anything for a long time, and this post will not be long either (I'm on break and I need to get back to work soon). I have just started a job at Author House book publishing. We are a self-publishing company (vanity press) and the job is great. I design book covers for a veriety of different kinds of books. Everything from children's books to murder mysteries to self-help books come across my desk (or rather, my screen) and I get to find all kinds of interesting ways of fulfilling our authors' every last whim using stock-photography. Very fun! Well, I will now get back to work, but be sure you will be hearing more about the House in the days to come.
Save the Green Planet
I have found it yet again. The film that all people will be saying "have you seen" about. And it's name... Save the Green Planet. This film has been a smash hit in its native Korea and was directed by Jang Jun-Hwan who has made many waves in the independent film pool and will hopefully begin to see more notoriety on the film circuit. Save the Green Planet claims to not be adventure, not be romance, not be comedy, but rather be something that you have never seen before. And I dare say, they are right. I have never even heard of such a hair-brained plot. This guy thinks his boss is an alien and his paranoia leads to more mishaps than Mrs. Fletcher and McGuiver escapades combined.
The Crazy Film, Save the Green Planet
My Rating: I'm having a hard time with this one, I think maybe a 7/10 or 7.5/10. This film looks really funny, but you never know with Asian filmmaking what the story will pan out to be like.
Climate
Two people just happen to be standing in a lobby waiting for the same elevator. After a few uncomfortable minutes of trying to avoid the other’s eyes, accidental eye contact occurs and the first one blurts out “ah… hi!” Great, now he’s done it, now person two feels as if he is required to say something too, but it can’t just be the same “hi”, no, he needs to say something a little more, you know, to show that he’s not a jerk. “What’s up” says person two, fearing that person one will take it as a question and not simply a statement requiring absolutely no reply. “Um, not a lot… just waiting for my ride” says person one, motioning to the elevator that seems to be taking forever, and smiling, hoping person two finds his retarded statement to be at least a little witty. “yeah, tell me about it” replies person two smirking, and then realizing that he has again posed a rhetorical question that may very well be answered. Another silence. Not a totally uncomfortable silence, in fact it feels much better than the awkward conversational small talk. “Some weather we’re having huh?” says person one. “hmpf” grunts person two, trying to kill this one before it turns ugly again. “Have you ever heard of it being 60, then snowing, then being 80 and then 50 and rain? Crazy huh?” This guy just won’t give up… what’s the deal? Ding! Finally, the elevator of salvation. Both step on board. Person two punches 64. “Floor?” he says, not wanting to start another uncomfortable situation. “65” replies person one, “64 huh? You must work in accounting”
It seems as if there are only really two types of people in this world. Well, perhaps three. Person ones, person twos, and person three who would tell person one to shut up. One of my favorite past times is to sit in the mall or to sit on a bench downtown and watch people. I don’t know if people watching is really considered a serious hobby, but it is so much fun and so interesting. Watching the interaction between perfect strangers and seeking to uncover their hidden agendas or motivations is my favorite pastime. Try it some time, when you are waiting for someone or simply looking for a way to pass the time, watch people. In seeing them you will begin to see yourself. Anyhow, just another random thought of my day.
Ramblings
One of the first songs that Dude 222 ever recorded was called Ramblings. The lyrics went something like, “there is nothing wrong with me, except I can’t hear, feel, or see. There is nothing wrong with you, except that you’re cold and your face is blue.” But is this truly ramblings, or does it have some deep meaning? D222 has always been one of my favorite bands and their lyrics have often made me wonder if some modern art does actually have subliminal significance. As I listen to a lot of music I first can’t figure out what the guy is saying, then, when I have read the lyric sheet, I can’t figure out what the words mean. Like the lyrics from the Stone by Dave Matthews… “Unholy day, If I leave now I might get away, This weighs on me, As heavy as stone and as blue as I go” Sounds good, but what in the world is he talking about. “As blue as I go”? I hope this doesn’t mean something obvious that I just don’t get. I think a lot of lyrics are like this. The “feel” of the song has more bearing than the actual lyrical content. Nevertheless, check out D222’s newest album, The Time Was Now (2004) and see what the Dude has to offer | Dude 222
Super Sleuth
I have been getting a lot of questions recently about the legendary Super Sleuth. Questions like, "were you really the Sleuth?" and "is the Sleuth really that cool in person?" and "who the heck are you talking about you raving lunatic?!?" Needless to say, some explanation is needed. Many of you will remember the exploits of the Sleuth in such mysteries as The Super Sleuth and the Freak and The Super Sleuth and the Freak (part 2). The Sleuth was more than just a comic book hero who had mechanical arms, he was the mold by which the whole orange rots. 
When the first Super Sleuth comic was released back in 1997, many critics said that it was too much like the Stock Bond comics to be truly considered "original" or "even remotely funny", yet despite all the scrutiny of the press, the comics designer (me) continued his pursuit of the perfect comic-book hero. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of creating a comic-book character, for me, is that I had never read a comic book before. This meant that the only knowledge of comics that I had was gained through my conversations with the creator of the comic, Stock Bond. Thus, similarities between Stock Bond and the Super Sleuth inadvertently arose. For example: Stock has a mechanical arm, Super Sleuth has mechanical arms and legs (thanks to the Freak). Stock Bond is unnecessarily violent as is the Sleuth. And they both have British accents. Check out the re-release of the Super Sleuth comics, coming soon!
State Props II
What film event could possibly be big enough to bring together Bennie Sigel, N.O.R.E, Damon Dash, Cam’ron, the ODB, Kanye West, M.O.P, Freeway, Bernard Hopkins, Winky Wright, Oschino, Omillio Sparks, Young Gunz, Loon, Juelz Santana and Jimmy Jones… I don’t know, and I don’t think I have ever heard of any of these people (except ODB). Well, supposedly the only thing that could bring them all together is a Damon Dash film (yet another name I have never heard). So here’s how this one goes down.
State Property 2 (originally called, Other Boyz in another Hood) features Theo from the Cosby Show as a crime lord trying to rule his empire from the inside of a prison cell. He realizes that he had it so much better living with Pop (Cliff) and Mother (Claire) in the burbs and so enlists the help of his good friend Jazz (played by Old Dirty) to carry out his hair-brained scheme (hatched by sister Roody, played by that latino lady). The scheme lands all his “broz” in the slammer and he finds himself in the witness protection program (posing as the half-brother of the Young Gunz) and living in a trailer park in Detroit (special guest appearance by Eminem, played by Winky Wright).
Sounds like a real winner to me.
My Rating: 4/10 – The soundtrack won’t even be good.
Another Blog
You know how people say that every day you learn something new? Well, I don’t know if it’s really true, I think sometimes it hold true for some people, nevertheless I did learn something new today. I learned that there are actually other Blogs out there, other than my own, that are worth reading.
Today I stumbled upon the Blog of Nathan Alberson (and some others) and it is really good. In fact it is so good that I am devoting an entire post simply to them. And, you are reading that post. Instead of simply reading, you should click here and check out their blog for yourself.
My rating: I don’t think I have ever sat down and rated a blog (heck, they also say there’s a first time for everything! – they are so smart). 8 stars.
Animation
It seems as if every year we get a slew of animated that should never have been made. Shrek, the biggest animated film of 2002 was retarded and simply overshadowed the far superior Monsters Inc. So what will be the big animated hit of this summer and will it be worth seeing? We’ve got a couple of lousy looking films in the runnings.
First: Cars – Opens June 9th. I really don’t know what to think of this one. The preview makes me think of Thomas the Tank Engine (actually I don’t even really know anything about Thomas, but I think he is a train with a face). This really doesn’t appeal to me, but, being from Pixar this is sure to be well made, funny, and family friendly (which all animated films should be, but are not as we have found with the Shrek films).
My Rating: 7/10 – This might be higher if they were not advertising for the kids of Nascar fans.
Second: Chicken Little – Another Disney movie not-worth-watching. This may have its funny moments, but for the most part it is a movie about a queer little chicken who whimpers and accidentally saves the world… oh yeah, and he also has annoying side kicks.
My Rating: 3/10 РThis one only gets points for having R.E.M. in the preview (despite being clich̩).
Third: Madagascar - May 27th – Has there ever been a funny animated movie from Dreamworks? Well, lets see… Shrek - funny but crude – Shrek 2 – not very funny, more crude – Shark Tale – pardon my French, but…gay. Could this movie be good…well if you base that on the previews… possibly, but we all can imagine the stupidity that will ensue when this movie actually hits the big screen. Yet another Dreamworks animated film to avoid.
My Rating 3/10 – No good.
And Finally: Wallace and Gromit – Finally these two are making it to the big screen. But will this be a masterpiece like their shorts were? First we should think about the quality of the W&G short films. The first one, A Grand Day Out, featured not-so-splendid claymation, but incredibly hilarious plot, dialog, and visuals. Next came The Wrong Trousers, in my opinion the best of the short films. Great animation, great plot, great character development, great everything. A Close Shave was also funny but lacked the charm of the first two. We can also look at the film Chicken Run to get an idea of what Nick Parks motion pictures are like. I don’t think we will find the Wallace and Gromit motion picture to be spectacular, but it will no doubt be one of the best animated films of the year.
My Rating: 8/10 – I sure hope I am wrong.
The Year of the Yao
Okay, so I must admit, when I saw the title for this one I thought it was gonna be a kung-fu flic (as far as I know it still could turn out to be just that). Here is what I have found out about this one so far: "We are going to take you on a journey of adventure, mystery and romance" says Lextor Hamilton of Fine Line Features. "I don't have any idea what he was talking about" says Yao, assisted by translator Jimmy Ho "I thought it was a kung-fu flic."
As everyone who follows Pro basketball should know, Yao Ming is the 7'5" superstar from China. I however do not follow Pro b-ball (or Kobe-ball as I like to call it) so I had to ask Taylor who he was. Supposedly he started out in China as a 3'7" baby, and has grown into his shoes to become one of the greatest chinese basketball players playing pro ball in america currently. 
Some may not like Yao, I am not really sure why they would not, and I am not saying that I don't... why would you think that I was saying that I don't like him? What kind of person do you think I am? I don't understand why you can't simply let me tell you what's on my mind without interupting me and calling me racist or something. Thanks a lot... all I was gonna say is that Yao is a cool guy...
My Rating: 6.5/10 - I don't know, maybe it will have kung-fu!
Take a Glimpse
I have found it. I have gazed into the very minds of nerds and am in complete awe. The web-site I have stumbled upon has got to be the greatest work on all the world wide web. What is it you may ask? The Encyclopedia of Arda at glyphweb.com. This site actually has a lot of interesting material on it. For instance, the game Tower of Hanoi, is one that my firends from the Comp. Sci. department and I used to play all the time (and this is a really nice Java version). Another nice addition to the site is the inclusion of a "surprise" button. When clicked, this button takes you to a random page on the site. I don't know why you would really want to use this feature, but it's there because it can be.
As I have mentioned, though, the greatest aspect of the site is the Encyclopedia of Arda. This "celebration of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien" is one of the greatest catalogs of his work that I have ever seen assembled. I have already spent more time than I should have on the site, but somehow reading about the minnute errors that the film-makers made is very interesting to me. I now know that where Gandalf and Pip cross into Gondor should have been in a forest/glade not in an open plane (humff, surprised I didn't already know that). Anyhow, there is a lot to learn about the world of Elderon (or as you know it, Middle Earth), so check this site out.
My Rating: Either 10/10 or Nerd/10 - I'm not sure which.
Nobody Knows
Sometimes people tell me that I don't know what I'm doing, I don't know what they like and so I shouldn't be writing, or that I am just stupid. While some of this might be true there is one thing I know... I know what movie everyone is talking about... Daremo shiranai (Nobody Knows). From acliamed director, Hirokazu Koreeda, and featuring Yuya Yagira, Ayu Kitaura, Hiei Kimura, Momoko Shimizu, and Hanae Kan this will no doubt be the one of the greatest films of all time.
This is the timeless story of four Japanese children who overcome all odds to survive the dangers of suburban Utopia (Tokyo). Their survival is dependent on two factors, their ability to giggle and their willingness to eat nothing but noodles. I would predict a plot twist at the end of the film, perhaps credits or a sneak-preview at Hirokazu Koreeda next film.
My Rating: 2.5/10 - This film will only be good if the guy who does the voiceover in the trailer also does the over-dub for all the children.
Lord of the Rings
"They made those movies in to books?"
Yes, believe it or not it seems that commercialism knows no bounds. Our favorite movies of the past few years; The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King have finaly made their way to our local libraries – next thing you know they’ll be turning Harry Potter into books too!
If anyone reading this is at this point thinking “dang communists!” – you, my friend, are a retard (no offense). The Lord of the Rings has been a favorite work of literature for the past 50 years and has been voted “Greatest book of the 20th Centuray” (BBC) and “Greatest Book of the Millennium” (Amazon.com). I have little to say about the whole saga however since I am trying to stick strictly to movies and, though the movies were a cinematic success, they had no where near the power inherent in the original text. For more on this, see my fiancé’s blog here
My Rating: 8/10 – Overall rating for the Film Trilogy (though perhaps it should be lower due to the butchering of Boromir’s brother, Faramir, and the lack of proportion in the overall geography of middle-earth)
My Rating: 8/10 – Overall rating for the Film’s Soundtrack (the soundtrack to The Fellowship of the Ring was awesome [great job Enya], but the other two were not-so-hot)
My Rating: 11/10 – The Book(s) – and the Silmarillion just makes them that much better.
War of the Worlds - I'm in...
Hey check this out, it's an email I got from the program webmaster for War of the Worlds, the new film from Steven Spielburg and Tom Cruise. This means that as soon as I get hot information, I'll be passing it on to you (meaning anyone who may chance to read this blog).
Thanks for your interest in the WAR OF THE WORLDS Webmaster Program. Your application has been accepted!
As a member of the official webmaster program, you will have the inside track on the latest
and greatest WAR OF THE WORLDS content and information.
You will be receiving periodic emails notifying you when new assets are available.
Coming in Late January/Early February 2005 we will launch a webmaster content depot where you can login to get all of the assets you will need for War Of The Worlds as well as see answers to frequently asked webmaster questions.Once the webmaster depot launches, a username and password will be automatically generated and sent to you.
In the meantime, please feel free to email any questions or concerns about the webmaster program to us at this address. We will be your official program contact for the program.
Thank you again for your interest.
Paramount Pictures
Interactive Marketing
This movie is gonna be great. Even the fact that the trailer gives us no idea what the actual film will be like makes me excited. I'll keep you all posted.
Indiana Jones 4
The more time I spend looking into movie reviews and sneek-peeks on the web, the more I realize that I know nothing. Sure, I like movies, I like to watch them and even write about them, but I have no clue as to what movies are coming out and what they are about. As I dig deeper into the online treasure-trove of information I have been able to find some really great stuff, though the validity of it is questionable.
Indiana Jones IV is one of the films that I am most looking forward to, and, of course, is one of the films that it is hardest to find any information about. A site I came upon recently, indyfan.com, has a great deal of speculation to siphon through. There are so many different script possibilities and cast variations that it is hard to know with any degree of certainty what this film will be like. All we know is that Lucas and Spielburg have been talking about it (we don’t even know if there is really a script yet) and we know that Harrison Ford would be cast as Jones Jr. and Conary as Jones Sr.
I found a rumor somewhere that Kevin Costner would be cast as Indi’s brother, but I don’t know if that’ll fly. I also read that Tom Hank’s son, Colin, may be Jones III. Regardless, I don’t think that the rumor saying the film will be released this summer is accurate. Both George Lucas and Steven Spielburg seem to have full schedules with Star Wars – The Phantom Jar-Jar and War of the Worlds coming out too. Each year I have been hoping that “this would be the year” that they make Indiana Jones 4, but it looks like it might not be for another year… we’ll just have to wait and see.
My Rating: Well, we will see… I don’t think I can dish out ratings without, at least, reading something official.
Corpse Bride
From the director of some of the spookiest movies ever made (Edward Scissor Hands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sleepy Hollow), Tim Burton, comes an all new full length claymation classic… The Corpse Bride. Yikes, I almost didn’t even open this one up, it sounded like a normal, run-of-the-mill psycho thriller, but it won’t be. As I watched the special features for Burton’s Sleepy Hollow one quote stuck out to me and Jim, “he [Burton] has a great sense of humor.” More like a “disturbing” sense of humor. The first Burton film I ever saw was Batman in 1989 and it WOWed me (actually I saw a clip from Beetlejuice while on the USS Carl Vinson in 1988). It wasn’t just a great story, but the sets, the camera angles, the music, and the “humor” all made for a wonderfully spooky experience. As I think back on Burton’s filmography every single title conjures the same spooky feel. Even his “feel good” film of 2003 Big Fish had a spook factor. His “kids movies” too seem to be out to scare the kids as much as make them laugh. I can remember sitting in the theater watching James and the Giant Peach and freaking out when the huge mechanical shark jumps out of the water to devour the flying peach. Needless to say, this new film, The Corpse Bride, will carry with it the same spook factor combined with Burton’s favorite selling point, Jonny Depp, and introducing a favorite spooky actress of mine, Hellan Ebonum Carter.
This brings up an interesting question concerning movies, should movies be made to scare us, and if so, how? This movie will certainly be creepy, but how and why? Based on the preview we see that there are skeleton dogs and brides walking around, talking to people and reaching out from the ground and grabbing passers-by. Obviously for any adult who has been desensitized by “real” scary movies this will seem like child’s play, but that right there is the problem. This is not a kid’s movie. James and the Giant Peach may have been for kids, but how would we convince ourselves that undead brides are a subject for kids (or adults). Is this really entertainment? As you can tell I am excited about this film, but simply for the combination of director, actors, and medium (clay), not for it’s content. I like to be frightened while watching a movie, what I don’t like is that movie targeted to children who will be frightened beyond their ability to cope with and who may be left having nightmares. While I was down in Florida over Christmas break my family sat around watching movies (as we always do) and one of the movies we watched was Jurassic Park. I know that the first time I watched this movie I was petrified, so to allow my little 5 year old brother to watch it just seems a little twisted. I think in general we need to be more careful what we allow our children to become numb to. I want my kids to be afraid that Bambi’s mom is gonna die, not that the man-eating, genetically engineered, computer generated werewolf is gonna eat the children running through the woods. That we don’t need. 
My Rating: 8/10 - The film will be well made, the story will be intriguing, but are films like this worth watching?
ourTunes and rTunes
There are two music options I have found that seem to continue to grow the beast of the copyright wars. One is called ourTunes and the other is a new trend of pay-for-play Russian bootleg sites.
ourTunes
The ourTunes program is actually simple in concept and very simple in design. It is a Java based program (you actually run the .jar file) and it syncs with iTunes. The way it works is this: when I am on a network and open iTunes I can see other people's shared music. I can listen to this music via iTunes in the form of streaming audio. If I want, I can download wire-tap and record that streaming audio in real time, or I can get ourTunes. ourTunes taps directly into iTunes and allows the user to download tracks from another's computer rather than streaming them. This means you get those mp3s fast and without using a peer-to-peer software. The freaky thing is that the other person thinks he's being legal in simply streaming his library to you... you on the other hand are taking advantage of this guy by downloading his hard earned music.
mp3search.ru
Russian bootleg sites have been around for a long time. Normally marked as "warez" sites these offshore blackmarkets offer the savvy surfer a plethera of illegal software, music, movies, games and all things digital (even term-papers). The site mp3search.ru has exteneded this idea to make it profitable for the bootlegger (bootlegger n. boot-leg-er german: one who bootlegs). This site works off of the same idea that the iTunes music store had; the consumer is actually willing to pay a little for something that he can find for free (if free is illigal and paying is not). The only difference between iTunes and mp3search is that iTunes is legal and the Russian site is not! For some reason buying a song from a Russian for 10cents is more appealing than buying the same song from iTunes for 99c. Next thing you know the Chineese will be selling Greatest Hits CDs by U2 with the song Take My Breath Away on them (oh wait, I actually saw that once)
Alone in the Dark
I'm gonna try my hand at telling you the entire premise of a film by simply watching the Trailer (and this only once because I cannot bear to watch this trailer more than one time). Alone in the dark, first of all, will be rated R (for graphic violence, language, and lack of appeal to anyone who was born after Aliens was released). Christian Slater plays an angsty loser who is bitter over his father’s affection for his older brother (Robin Hood – am I correct in thinking that Robin Hood was the last film that Slater was in?) and not only that but he is also joined Lara Croft and is now a raider of tombs. The beast from Hellboy is unleashed and his buddies (the old cast from Aliens) start to terrorize the world. Robin Hood comes to the rescue and this time he is played by Richard Gere (if he is still alive). The end.
My Rating: 2/10 – This movie will not be good.
Who Listens to This?
As I was browsing music at Barnes and Noble the other day I ran across some weird stuff. The one artist, in particular, that struck me was Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. This singer from Hawaii who died a few years ago (from obesity related health problems) has one of the most beautiful voices of any guy I have ever heard (I have told Michal that she cannot use the word “beautiful” to describe a male characteristic, but a man’s voice can be beautiful only if he weighs over 300 pounds). This guy got me thinking though, how incredible it is that one person can have such diversity in his enjoyment of musical styles. I am looking at the music that I have added to my library in the past 30 days (and you’ll have to forgive me for some of these), but I have Santana, Indigo Girls, Spandau Ballet, Weird Al, Green Day, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, The Strangers, Karl Jenkins and many more (this is actually those I have added in the past two days). 
Last night I got into a discussion of why christian music isn’t appealing to me. There are some groups like Jars of Clay and old Newsboys and Third Day that I will listen to, but for the most part I can’t bear to listen to contemporary christian music. I think one of the factors is the production quality. It seems as if these christian labels only get the worst record producers, or, as Michal suggested, they may be trying to hit too many genres with the same producer and so he ends up making everything sound the same. That’s really the beef that I have with christian music, it all sounds the same…and I didn’t like it the first time. What I want is variety, that’s why my library has Nick Drake and Bach, Green Day and Norah Jones, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole and JET. I want to hear the variety. Someone once said “variety is the spice of life” (actually when I googled it I found that many people have once said that). It’s true though. I know there are people who can put a CD into there car stereo and simply have it on repeat for weeks (or if the CD gets stuck they may have it on repeat indefinitely). I just can’t do that… I need my mix (so should I get an iPod shuffle?)
My Rating: Israel Kamakawiwo'ole – 6.5/10 – Get’s a little repetitive, but Somewhere Over the Rainbow is amazing.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
There is a lot of buzz (can you hear it?) going around about this one... It seems as if all we are supposed to get from the trailer is that, believe it or not, .... hold on to your seats.... it's the news of the decade (or year or something)... ready?.... Jonny Depp plays Wonka! What?, oh, you already knew that? well then I guess we didn't get anything from the trailer. Okay, so we can find a few little things. For example, we do catch a glimpse of Wonka on safari (to rescue the Oompa Loompas one assumes) and we also get a sneak-peek into the mind of Tim Burton with his nightmarish style (humor as some call it).
This movie may actually turn out to be pretty good. I must admit, as much as I hate the original, I still watch it whenever it's on. This one promises to be nothing like that one (Burton either hasn't seen the original, or hated it so much that he is not "remaking" a movie, but rather taking another hack at making the book into a movie). The Burton/Depp formula has worked in the past (Eddy Scissor Fingers and Sleepin' Holler) so I am looking forward to this one... it'll be so funny.
My Rating: 7.5/10 - Any film whose premise revolves around candy cannot hope to get better than an 8!
John Hiatt - Walk On
John Hiatt seems to be one of those guys who is just awesome to listen to. I really have only heard one of his albums, Walk On, his 1995 release, but it is one of the best albums that I have ever heard. I was talking to my brother Jon the other day about what makes a great album. We were talking about Abbey Road by from the Beatles and Dark Side of the Moon from Pink Floyd...even A Rush of Blood to the Head from Coldplay. These albums are all what I would call great, but they are great for different reasons. We concluded that Dark Side of the Moon is the best album of all time (unless another is discovered)... but it's the best because all the songs flow so smoothly into one another... it is truly an album. John Hiatt's Walk On is more along the lines of A Rush of Blood... in that it is a collection of great songs all on the same album. It all works, it's great to listen to, and the nice thing (as apposed to Dark Side...) is that you can listen to one song and you don't feel like you have to listen to the entire album from start to finish. So, for some great listnin' check out Walk On.
My Rating: 9/10 - Great Album
iTunes top 10
With the release of the new iPod Shuffle I think it is high time that we all realize the importance of veriety in our listening habits. I saw a book at B&N Bookstore the other day that was simply a collection of play-lists for iTunes. You simply look up "ska" and it lists off the top 25 songs or so that you need to download to start off your ska collection... needless to say, it was one of the dumbest ideas for a book that I have ever seen. Seriously, who needs to buy a book that has the same lists that they can find anywhere on the web and even within iTunes itself.
So here now is what has made it to my top 25 most played list on iTunes (this is only the top 10 off of that list):
1] Hey Julie - Fountains of Wayne
2] Cry Love - John Hiatt
3] Diane - Guster
4] The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack
5] Amsterdam - Guster
6] The Scarlet Tide - Alison Krauss
7] Careful - Guster
8] Ramona - Guster
9] Everything is Everything - Phoenix
10] The Swimming Song - Loudon Wainwright III
Okay, I know what you're thinking... who the heck is Loudon Wainwright the 3rd?...and also, "I thought you said veriety...you have four out of ten songs on that list by Guster?!" Well, when I got that Guster CD I think I must have gone a little overboard with how many times I played it in the first week or two. I believe the entire CD is on my top 100 list.
Other stuff worth checking out is Radiohead's "Hail to the Theif", Snow Patrol "Final Straw", the Kill Bill Vol. 1 Soundtrack, and anything by Nick Drake. Let me know what you think about this one... give me some sugestions of what to listen to... broaden my scope. I'm all ears.
Napoleon (Part One)
Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769 in Ajaccio on the Mediterranean island of Corsica. Through his military exploits and his ruthless efficiency, Napoleon rose from obscurity to become Napoleon I, Empereur des Francais (Emperor of the French). He is both a historical figure and a legend—and it is sometimes difficult to separate the two. The events of his life fired the imaginations of great writers, film makers, and playwrights whose works have done much to create the Napoleonic legend. [view source]
Napoleon Dynamite on the other hand is nowhere near that interesting. He is a curly-haired loser from Idaho who gets picked on, beat up, and taken advantage of by nearly everyone else in the film. Don't worry though, this is no Columbine tale, this kid simply roles with the punches, making friends where he can, finding solace in his "skills" and causing more uproarous laughter than any other film in recorded history. What makes this film conenct with so many people is that everyone is someone in this film. You may be the 32 year old brother, Kip, who still lives at home and spends all his time "online chatting with babes", or Rex, sensi at Rex-kwan-do, or the mullet-dawning grandmother, or uncle Rico, or Padro, or any of the other charactors. The point is that you are someone. Everyone who I have talked to who doesn't like the film is too much like one of the charactors to find it funny, everyone else who is just kind of like someone loves the movie.
If you haven't seen it, watch it with someone who knows all the lines... it will make it so much better.
My Rating: 10/10 - This is quickly becoming my most watched DVD (the soundtrack sucks!)
Kingdom of Heaven
"From the Director of Gladiator" reads the trailer page on Apple's web site for the Kingdom of Heaven. I immedietly start racking by brain trying to remember who directed gladiator, then something hits me... this doesn't say directed by the director of gladiator...does that mean it is like Hero being "from Quintin Tino" where he had nothing to do with the making of the movie, he simply slapped his name on it? I sure hope not. No... this thing is legit! Who is that guy, that guy is Ridley Scott. This guy has a cult following thanks to movies like Blade Runner and Legend and he is known as the king of the modern movie epic (sorry guy who directed Troy, your film sucked).
The trailer for KoH looks really cool, but it also looks like a remake of Gladiator (but now I find that unlikely because the remake of Gladiator is coming out sometime next year [click here]...great! we'll talk about that one later). This looks like it might be a well executed film combining what we all loved about Gladiator with what we all thought Troy was going to be (I really hope no one got what they were expecting out of Troy). Even the whole, blue-tinted winter scenes look like out-takes from Gladiator 1. So my big question about this one is: why is the princess lying with an ashen white face next to an ax head? Is she dead...is this Braveheart or something? Or, I guess more likely, is this Romeo and Juliet?
My Rating: 9/10 - Unless this ends up like Troy (which I doubt) then it would get the boot rating of -10!
Ice Princess
There should be a rule about casting one person in the same roll more than a-finnity times... however what's-her-face keeps getting cast as a retarded klutz. I was actually forced (at gunpoint) to watch the Princess Diaries (yes the whole thing!!) and have still not compleetly recovered my manly-ness. This one will surely be a hit with the pre-teen, klutz, wanna-be ice skaters middle-class suburbian crowd (though, how that demographic keeps getting movies made for it leads one to wonder, "are these kids loaded or what?")
My Rating: 2/10 - I know, you're thinking "how can this not get a 1/10?" Truth be told, I am just waiting for a worse movie to roll around...and trust me, it will come, and I predict that it will have a couple of kids rescuing their secret-agent parents from Pee-wee herman's henchmen .... in 3D!!!
Cinderella Man
Okay, so I'll admit, when I first read the title for this film I was like "what the..." thinking it was another Cinder-fella movie. It's not, and it looks okay, but I already know the whole story. James Braddock (Russle Crowe, I never know if there is an "e" at the end of crow) is a star boxer who gets old, and loses to many fights... everyone deserts him except his loving wife, the chick from Chicago. Soon he finds him self struggling to survive, life on the docks is hard, so he returns to boxing, this time with a mission.... to WIN. And so he does, unless it's like rocky in which case this film will suck. I think this film is meant to be though of as a Raging Bull or The Hurricane, not some Chuck Norris flick.
My Rating: 7/10 - I almost gave it a six, but has Crow(e) ever let us down in the past? ...not that I know of... and this one has some big names backing it. Let's get ready to rumble.
Sin City
What's this one about... I'm guessing it's about 2 and a half hours of weird fun. Its the combo movie everyone has been looking for... a mix of Dick Tracy, Hell Boy and that Bruce Willis space movie that everyone for some reason has seen (the 5th Elem.) I'm not saying this will be a bad movie, though it may get anoying to be watching a black-and-white film with such harsh contrast... the look is cool, but I just hope they don't over-do it. I'm most excited about Dwight (played by Clive Owen from the BMW short films)... oh yeah, and Frodo Wood also makes an appearance as the mysterious halfling.
I'll give it 6/10 with possibly a cult status.
Movie Pre-Reviews
I have been online looking for all the information that I can get about upcoming movies like King Kong, Indiana Jones 4, and the Hobbit, but there is really very little information, and what I do find I have no way of knowing if it's legit or not. So from now on I have a new order of business for this blog. I am going to seek out all the newest previews of upcoming films and write some short blurb (simmilar to a blog) about them... I also hope to get my movie-loving brothers to help me out a bit. Stay tuned.
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