Palabras De La Casa

Actor's thoughts on Early Roles

2010-07-07T14:12:00.003-04:00

Big actors always start in much smaller roles (or at least at much smaller paychecks). I think a great video documentary would be to interview a series of A-list actors/actresses and find out what they think about some early roles that jumpstarted their careers.

Tom Hanks on Big?
Julia Roberts on Pretty Woman?
Al Pacino on Scarface?
Ray Liotta on Goodfellas?
Joe Pesci on My Cousin Vinny?
Geena Davis on League of their Own?
Michael Keaton on Beetlejuice?
Robin Williams on Dead Poet's Society?
Ice Cube on Boyz in the Hood?
Tim Allen on Santa Clause?
Will Smith on Bad Boys?
Martin Lawrence on House Party?
Johnny Depp on Edward Scissorhands?

Certainly there are many others...

Thoughts about Michael

2009-06-25T21:35:00.002-04:00

Thinking about it for the last few hours, I've come to a conclusion. This is truly the most powerful death, I remember feeling. It'd be comparable to Snoop Dogg, Hammer, Deniro, Pacino, Clinton, or any other celebrity that has been a big part of my life. I still remember listening (and quasi-dancing) to "Beat It" in the mid-80's while living in NJ. When I finally got into music, Dangerous was one of my first albums. I also loved History (which re-introduced me to the old stuff) and even Invincible was quite good. Watching the "Jacksons: The American Dream" re-introduced me to the wonderful tunes of the Jackson 5, the first true "boy band". New Edition, Backstreet, N'Sync, NKOTB - they'd never be if it weren't for MK and the brothers.

So, over the years, I've seriously gotten more and more connected to MJ and his tunes. I was heavily debating whether or not to attend the 2001 tribute concert in NYC, even at $1000 a ticket. I ended up snagging a bootleg DVD of the concert, and it was terrific. All the oldies and even "Rock My World" (his only single off Invincible).

Many celebs have died over the past 15 years. Sinatra, Martin, Nixon, Ledger, Ford, Princess Diana, Jam Master Jay, Biggie, Tupac, Tim Russert, Peter Jennings and others I can't think of. None have hit this hard. Wow.

An early Michael Bay film

2009-03-16T16:19:00.002-04:00

I got the Bad Boys Special Edition DVD from the library last week and finally had a chance to watch it. I already owned the original release, which had virtually no additional features, but it was released when DVDs came out in 1997. So, I was able to snag the re-released SE to see what they had to discuss.

Overall, they didn't say much. as It was quite a weak showing. You've got a discussion of a few stunts and special effects that were done, and then a detailed look at how each of the film's guns fired in real life. Snore. There were also some music videos and trailers - all of which can be found on Youtube.

Finally, there was a Michael Bay commentary track. This was certainly the highlight. It was recorded right before Pearl Harbor was released, so approximately 2000-01. This gave a good perspective of where his head was at while filming Bad Boys, since he had only done the big budgets of The Rock and Armageddon.

The commentary was generally pretty interesting. He's a fairly narcissistic guy and repeatedly impressed upon the audience how wonderful it was that he directed this picture while only being 29. He disclosed which sections of the film were improv'd by the lead actors as well as specifics that were done on the cheap and he'd have polished if there were more than his "meager" $15 mill of a budget.

If you already own the original or SuperBit version of this film, I certainly wouldn't go after this one. If you're a Bay fan, the commentary might be a worthwhile listen, but the remaining extras are worthless, so really at best try your local library or maybe even Netflix it, if you're desperate.

P.S. I've had significantly more success acquiring special edition and re-released versions of movies from my library rather than Netflix. The latter seems to carry as old a version as possible of DVDs, so keep this in mind.

Idol 2009

2009-03-11T22:45:00.002-04:00

So, we've got 11 left (Jorge and Jasmine were just both booted).

It is a VERY solid group this year. It's almost too hard to choose. But, clearly, there are some superstars and then some that are simply "decent."

Here's the two groups:

Danny Gokey - the dude has a great voice and even better tactics on how to use his voice.

Adam Lambert - His theater background keeps his perfoming in high gear and his quality of vocals and ability to work songs into his own way.

Allison Iraheta - Gravely rocker (like Amanda Overmeyer from last year) but MUCH better

Lil Rounds - A Mary J wanna-be but one that can actually sing

Then we have the rest:

Anoop - great personality, but not quite the voices of the top 4

Kris - Doesn't voice and guitar but can't match the top group

Both Matts - Voices aren't as strong as the top four

Alexis - Judges loved her, but I think Allison crushes her

Megan - Judges say "quirky", I say "weird"

Scott - His blindness will win him votes, but his vocals aren't on par with even the rest of them. Heart doesn't last long in Idol.

What happenend to Xenon headlights?

2008-11-15T10:05:00.002-05:00

About 12 years ago, I was looking around for my first car. I wanted something fun, high-schoolish, and fast. However, I was also looking for something with a good headlights, as I couldn't see well. I had come across the Xenon (whitish/bluish) headlights on my uncle's $100K BMW but that was just a bit above my price range. Outside of that, there wasn't a big difference. I tried a Nissan, Civic, and finally settle on a used BMW 318ti. It was a tight ride, that they discontinued a year later due to poor sales. The headlights were decent but not nearly what the Xenon could do.

Fast forward to 2000. I was again looking for a new ride, as my sister would get the BMW. At this point I had a more reasonable choice of an Audi A4 or a BMW 3-series. Both sported the Xenon headlight option, and my night driving was made much easier. Despite the poor reliability records of German cars, I had the Audi for 7 years without a great deal of trouble.

Now, I'm not looking for new cars at the moment, but it is quite interesting that there are not that many more models with these lights. You still can't get a Civic or Corolla. About the least expensive car is a Mazda3, which will set you back about $25K. They offer a significant increase in visibility, but manufacturers just aren't offering it. Granted it is usually at least a $500 upgrade, and I'm assuming most people just aren't interested, if it doesn't come standard. Also, I've heard reports that the bulbs being a hot ticket in the black market, so a rash of thefts may also be a deterrent.

Navigation systems, iPod adapters, and MP3-ready CD changers can be found on almost all cars these days. Some are even sporting USB ports for music playback, which I have to admit is very very cool. But, there seems to be a dearth of new cars with the brighter headlights. Hopefully, some new technology will come about that will be cheaper and better. Actually, it's a guarantee we'll see it.

Why is Twitter getting huge?

2008-05-26T08:52:00.002-04:00

So, I signed up for Twitter a few weeks ago and was utterly amazed at how much its used. Most of the big shot tech luminaries are on it, (Guy Kawasaki, Kevin Rose, Chris Pirillo, Leo Laporte, etc.) and they are also VERY frequent posters. (Robert Scoble's there at least 5 times a day) Also, the number of followers each one has is incredible. Twitterholic has these stats and right now, Leo has over 37,000!! What's interesting is that he only has 900 or so messages posts (or "tweets"). Scoble is in 5th place in terms of followers but has over 12,ooo tweets. It's interesting the type of people who are followed. Seth Godin never posts anything unique - its simply the title of his daily blog post, which I already get in my RSS feed. Yet, over 5,500 people follow him.

The TWIT crew are even giving out their twitter names as of late - of course these are predominately those I mentioned above, but they are almost skipping out on their blog URLs. John C Dvorak used to mention his blog a few times a show (it was a running joke), but now Leo only mentions it at the onset and then they all repeat their Twitter names throughout. Neat how it has changed.

To answer my original question - I think it'll only continue getting bigger as long as the big shots keep using it. I'll also be interested how they initiate some direct cash-building exercises.

I bet Castro is STILL safe

2008-05-07T11:15:00.002-04:00

The results show is tonight, and despite his crappy performances, I think Castro is gonna stay. He must have some type of weird appeal to the ladies and potheads, but otherwise he's terrible. He's repeatedly outsung, forgot some lyrics yesterday, and doesn't have a clue on how to remake songs. Yet, he's beat out much stronger competitors.

So, get your suitcases ready Syesha - you made a valiant effort, but popularity rules. on't worry sweetheart, we'll see you in the future.

And unless Cook is in the bottom two this week, Castro will be gone next week. As much as I like Mr. Cook, Archuletta has solidified his crown.

American Idol Predictions

2008-04-10T22:07:00.002-04:00

Just saw that Michael Johns was booted. He had some good initial performances, but at this point he's a wanna be rocker, and David Cook has got that genre tied up beautifully.

So, who's left?

Syesha Mercado - Cute girl. Great voice but more or less a Whitney wannabe. I don't think this market can use it. Particularly with the lack of female talent (who haven't had past success) She's had quite a few bottom three's and will be gone in the next two weeks.

Brooke White - She can sing decently, but not well. She's quite wholesome and humble, which seems to be her appeal. Probably top 5.

Jason Castro - Honestly, I can't tell if the dude can sing or not. He seems to perform fairly well. Sometimes. I guess nice smiles and dreads get you far with the ladies. I think his shtick will begin to get old in the next few weeks. But, please chill with the dope.

Carly Smithson - I want her to go for the simple fact that she already had a contract and her album sold like 300 copies. Her fault? No, but let someone else get mismarketed and bomb. You've had your shot. Plus Syesha can outsing her, so she doesn't have much going for her.

Kristy Lee Cook - I have to say she's actually getting better. She's also cute. As long as she keeps up her streak of strong song choice, she may have a few weeks left.

David Archuletta - Yeah he's friggin adorable. Yeah he can sing. Yeah he chooses pretty good songs. Yeah his album will sell millions, regardless of when he's booted. But I have to say - he irritates the shit out of me.

David Cook - My man. Killer voice and super original. I hope he wins.

Going home predictions
Syesha
Carly
Kristi
Jason
Brooke
Cook should win, but it'll probably be Archuletta.

There's always next year.

"Uncredited" actor?!?!

2008-04-01T20:23:00.002-04:00

So, I just finished watching Orange County and was rather impressed. It was a quick 82 minutes, but quite funny with some classic Jack Black and a great drug-induced Harold Ramis. It also had cameos from Ben Stiller and Kevin Kline, as a fireman and author, respectively. However, when I was sifting through the credits, I noticed they weren't mentioned. Same thing happened in Anchorman - Stiller, Luke Wilson, and Tim Robbins were all a part of the big "brawl" but weren't in the credits. Ashton Kutcher in Cheaper by the Dozen? No dice either. (Shut up, it had its moments).

Huh? Why? Don't you want the recognition?

I'm not sure how their salaries worked out, but I'm assuming they were paid just like Chevy Chase (credited in Orange County, but in a much smaller part than Mr. Kline). My only thought would be that they thought the film was going to bomb and didn't want it to tarnish their record? Possibly - although Wild Wild West (Kline) and Mystery Men (Stiller) have already accomplished this task.

Why the Lethal Weapon series is awesome

2008-03-19T20:10:00.002-04:00

If you haven't seen them, you need to reconsider.

They star a great Mel Gibson and straight man Danny Glovers. The two guys seriously seem to be having some good fun doing these films and I dig it. Joe Pesci joins them in 2-4, and is terrific as the ritalin-needing sidekick with a quick repetition of "OK, OK, OK, OK" during almost every dialog exchange. And you've got Chris Rock (a bit too tame) as well as a scary-as-hell Jet Li in part 4.

But there's some thing else.

What I really love about this series is the consistency in casting. Not only do the main two guys appear in all four. But so does their boss. And Glover's wife, Trish. And all three kids. Eleven years between the 1st and the 4th and the entire crew keeps coming back. Now, that's dedication!

Pick up all four films in a single case from Target for $11!

Some Irony in 90210

2008-03-12T22:16:00.002-04:00

While watching a rerun of the trials of Brenda and Brendan, I came upon a very interesting episode that almost mocks today's game of baseball. So, Steve and his dad (Rush) were in a father and son golf tournament against Rush's rivals, who happened to be Barry Bonds (circa 1994) and his fake dad.

The tee-off takes place and the game is even for awhile. However, Rush and Steve begin to lose and Rush is pissed. Nobody likes losing to the same people over ana over again. But he's got an ace up his sleeve - a.k.a. juiced golf balls that give him some extra distance! Classic. Of course, Steve gets upset, threatens to throw the game, Rush gives in, they win, lalala.

I wonder if Barry remembers this one? He actually looked human.

Neat list of box office flops

2008-02-02T07:38:00.000-05:00

Trolling through Wikipedia, I found this list of films which made far less than their budget. Now, some of them probably made out ok after video rentals and sales but there were quite a few that I was surprised at.

Almost Famous ($80mill budget /$54 mill box office) Beautifully acted and Cameron Crowe-directed coming-of-age tale that pitted a young writer into the life of a 70's rock band on the up and up. Introduced the world to Kate Hudson.
EdTV ($80mill budget /$21 mill box office) Kind of a real-life Truman Show, which came out around the same time (and was probably the main reason for this one's failure). McConaughy is kind of annoying as the guy they follow around, but Woody Harrelson, Martin Landau, Rob Reiner, and Ellen Degeneres all have funny supporting roles. At least, worth a rental.
Hurlyburly ($15 mill / $1.8 mil) - Based on a play, Kevin Spacey and Sean Penn are Hollywood hot shots who have got some very clever dialog. Actually I don't remember much about the simple plot, only that I thought their discussions were rich, full-of-life, and enjoyable to participate in. Another one certainly worth adding to Netflix.
Last Action Hero ($85 mill / $50 mill) - Shut up, it was an incredibly clever premise. I liked it.

And, of course, some on the list were bonafide crap that should never have been released:

Soldier
Bonfire of the Vanities
Sahara
The Postman
The 6th Day

Xmas time!

2007-12-16T16:11:00.000-05:00

Been busy with a bunch of stuff, but here are some highlights:

- More or less set with Xmas shopping, Provided, of course, that the deliveries this week take place as scheduled. Otherwise, heads may roll. Of yeah, a tip for anyone who has FedEx problems. Send the CEO a letter (not an email, a letter). I had some runaround problems with them and sent him off some unhappy comments. About a week later, I was FedEx'd (of course) a very nice note back explaining the issue as well as a $25 AMEX gift check. Good work, FedEx!

- Almost finished up Crysis. Friggin great game until the cave. Then it just gets dull and aggravating. I'm at the second to last bad guy, but he's a pain and I'm more interested in redoing the earlier levels. Or maybe, I should try Bioshock (eBay'd), Orange Box ($25 during BF weekend), or Super Mario Galaxy (came with a $25 gift card)? Too many games, not enough time.

-Made some nice dollaz with Soldier of Fortune 3 Payback. First off, I was super-excited that it came out, as its prequels contained some hardcore gore (say that three times fast). This one, though, seemed like it was done in a weekend. Shit graphics, weak sound, and boring levels. After about 20 minutes, I again did the letter thing to the Activision CEO. After two weeks, no word back. So, I eBayed it and I got over $100 for the $40 game. Seems a guy in Australia and a dude in Germany both really wanted it. The latter won, and so did I. Thanks Activision!

- Enjoyed not having to drive during the past two snow storms. Although, the subway rarely, rarely cloes so the chance of me having a snow day is ridiculously slim...

And, yes, I'll go back to one-a-day in the new year, if not before.

Ya gotta love Craigslist

2007-10-20T14:29:00.001-04:00

Since I moved a few months ago, I've been doing some wheeling and dealin on Craigslist. Mostly in the selling rather than buying, but it has worked rather well. Some of the stuff I've unloaded in recent months:

17" LCD monitor
Dell 19" LCD monitor
Bookcase
Headboard
Marantz receiver

It has generally worked very well. Of course, you get a number of disgustingly low ball offers, but there are also others who are sincerely interested in your product (and fee). Yeah I still do the eBayin', but this works much better for items that are very large and/or are commodities. Also, if I have something that requires some sort of verification of the seller - such as a cell phone I just sold for the lady - eBay's feedback system allows the buyers to make sure your legit.

Very pleased I bought the new Dell!

2007-10-12T13:46:00.000-04:00

After reading this CNET blog post, I'm thrilled that the recommended specs for Crysis are almost exactly in line with my new PC. For those interested, here's what I snagged:

Dell Vostro 400
Core 2 Duo E6550 proc
3 GB of RAM
160GB HD
DVDRW and DVDROM/CDRW
8600GTS 256MB video card
XP Home (have yet to read a reason to upgrade to Vista)

This came to $725 and included a 19" LCD monitor. I got $165 for the monitor and $425 for my old PC (Dell 9150). So, the new one cost me just over $100. And can play Crysis. I'm set.

Can't get enough of Celebrity Jeopardy

2007-10-11T21:09:00.000-04:00

"I'll take famous titties for $400!"

Why are we so scared?

2007-10-11T21:03:00.001-04:00

Say you're in the elevator with three other people. Two people, who are on one side of the Vader, find their floor and exit. Then, you'll always find that awkward moment when the other two remain - on the same side. One of the two always feels the need for symmetrical space and saunters on over. Why do we do this? Can't two people remain together? As one? Why do we have to recreate Vietnam?

The lady's new ride

2007-10-08T09:00:00.000-04:00

The gf had a Nissan Altima for a number of years now. It runs fine and has just over a 100K miles, but she's been pining for an SUV ever since she got the Altima. (Fortunately grad school was a financial priority). During the past few months, though, we've been looking around at various smaller SUVs:

- Acura RDX: Very nice ride and finish. Plush seating and fancy gadgets galore. Only problem was that the pricing was high ($37K with the navigation), and its supercharged engine required premium fuel.

- Toyota RAV4: Toyota build quality certainly was a plus. However, it's one of those cars that got pricey very quickly. Gf doesn't need the V6, but wants the moonroof. Too bad, you have to get both. Thus, we were again looking in the mid 30's.

- Mazda CX-7: Smooth ride but had a chintzy interior. Pricing was fine, but again required premium gas, as it shared the same engine as the RDX.

- Nissan Rogue: This one just came out and is a small Murano. On paper, it sounded good (under 30K, 4-cylinder engine, Xenon headlights, Bluetooth, leather), but we test drove one and the inside feels as though you're in a much smaller car. Also, the visibility out the back was horrible and there was no backup camera or nav. The seats were super comfortable though!

Finally, we settled on a Honda CR-V which was redone for '07. Even though 2008 models are just coming on the lots, a few dealers still had the '07 models, and we snagged one for under invoice from the wonderful people at Honda Village, where my parents bought three cars from.

It's a sweet ride - Royal Blue with black leather, moonroof, and navigation. It's also got a killer sound system and four methods for music playback:

6 disc CD changer
Aux input (for your iPod/MP3 player)
PC card slot (reads MP3s off a memory card, but it requires a Compactflash card/PCMCIA adapter, which is about $60)
Single disc CD that reads MP3/WMAs

All in all, an excellent ride and she loves it!

A lucky read = cash money!

2007-10-07T22:05:00.000-04:00

Perusing CNET yesterday I saw this piece that analyzed the high prices of DVD recorders with built-in hard drives. For some reason, manufacturers saw a lack of demand on these and stopped making them a year ago. I don't really get that. You've got the chance to record some TiVo'd show on your hard drive and then easily throw it onto DVD or VHS. Sounds ideal.

Anyway...

I was then at Circuit City in the afternoon and ran through the DVD player aisle. There lay an open box Panasonic. With not only the DVD-R but also the coveted HDD. Hell yeah. $250? No problem. It's now on eBay where I hope to snag at least double that.

Yanks are up 8-4. Double hell yeah.

Dave is THE man!

2007-09-30T08:40:00.000-04:00

I guarantee Paris' PR conglomerate promised her he wouldn't talk about clink.

Paris: "It's (the food) not supposed to be good, it's jail."

The wedding band of wedding bands

2007-08-02T16:57:00.000-04:00

We were in NYC for the lady's good friends wedding. It took place at the Chelsea Piers' Lighthouse. It was a nice affair on a crappy day of rain and thunder. The apps were eterrific and main courses decent. However the real highlight was the band.

Now, normally bands can't play more than some modern slow stuff, Motown, a little Springsteen and movie the Electric Slide. These guys banged through all that and MUCH more.

How do these little diddies hit ya?

"Crazy in Love"
"Sweet Home Alabama"
"Yeah!" (Usher)
"Dance to the Music" (Sly)
"Sexyback" (no joke)

Sure, they weren't quite as solid as the original performances. But, I (and everyone else under 30) definitely appreciated their attempts.

What did we do before the Internet?

2007-07-13T12:49:00.000-04:00

As I was subwaying in today, I was listening to some tunes and thinking abou the first album I ever owned (Hammer's Please Don't Hurt 'Em). I then thought of the number of people, back in 1990, that knew he sampled Rick James' Superfreak. Probably very few and even fewer could ever find out, unless they read a review in Rolling Stone or caught a Hammer interview on the news. So, how did people find out tidbits of information like that prior to the Web?

I realize it wasn't the dark ages - we still had TV, books, Nintendo, malls, museums, CDs, etc. But in terms of finding out little things, the only way I remember was the encyclopedia. And mine came out in 1986 so it didn't have anything recent. We were able to find out movie times (newspaper) and a local plumber (yellow pages), but all that other stuff was a mystery, unless you happened to know someone who knew or who caught a TV episode with said info.

It's almost scary how much we rely on Google, etc. these days. What new-fangled gizmo will the next generation have?

Some recent news of mine

2007-07-09T12:09:00.000-04:00

- Getting further and further into formally moving in. The kitchen is setup and almost everything works. Haven't tried the dishwasher and the washer makes a funny buzzing noise at certain parts of the cycle. Good thing I got the extended warranty from Yale. Had to get the fridge and boxspring craned up from the first floor on Saturday morning. I was given Titan Moving as the people to do the work. They were super-efficient and friendly for 9am on a weekend. It costs almost $500, but I had figured that into my appliance spend.

-Had Comcast come out as well. I've now got digital cable with on-demand. This is very new to me, as I've had basic TV for the past two years. I look forward to playing with it. I didn't go for DVR, but I can easily grab it for an extra $15/month, which also includes HD content and the ability to DVR HD stuff. I think I'm gonna cancel Blockbuster, because this on-demand and my insane DVD collection make it seem frivolous at this point.

-Via SEOMoz, found this terrificly awesome job posting. Not that I'd be interested (or qualified) but I'll bet they get some great responses. Oh yeah, my office also has a clever request for a programmer.

- This feels like Twitter. But I'm not gonna use it cause A) I don't have the time to continually update stalkers with my life and B) Most people I know don't use it

First iPhone reviews

2007-06-27T09:12:00.000-04:00

Wall Street Journal (video)

USA Today

NY Times

Would I get one? If it was $200 and worked with Verizon, probably. But I'd have to break my contract and drop $500? No thank you. Not for only 4GB of space. You can buy a 4GB Nano for $129. And a new cell phone (via eBay) for under $100. Plus, the whole touch and transition screen thing is quite cool but it just seems so fragile. As if, I just want to watch other people do stuff with theirs, but not me. I can't buy something that expensive that I won't feel comfortable using.

Why was the train so crowded????

2007-06-27T08:51:00.001-04:00

I got on about 7:40a - well before the 8:05 mad rush. So, why the heck was the crowd 8:05-like? Did people want to beat the heat? It was still hot as a hippo's ass. This happenend yesterday and today. My only assumption is that people who usually walk were too wimpy and wanted to use the train instead. Hopefully tomorrow's sub-85 temp will alleviate some people traffic.

Also, the time to go to IKEA is on a weekday. Way fewer people and easy access to assistance. We loaded up with a wardrobe, dresser, speaker stands, rugs, toilet paper holder, and more. To end the visit, we got some awesome help from one of the parking lot guys. Overall, a most excellent experience, dude!

A new way to search through eBay

2007-06-25T21:42:00.000-04:00

There are many, many sellers on eBay who make a living listing their wares of CDs and Coach. But, you'll also find those who won't ever make more than a few bucks here and there. Partly because they don't have anything good, but it's also because their title doesn't accurately describe their goods. Titling a Dell Inspiron E1405 as just a "laptop" won't get you nearly as many bids as needed.

You've also got those who can't spell. To take advantage of these morons, there are websites like Fat Fingers. Type in anything and it'll search eBay for a number of misspellings for whatever you type in. Give it a shot and get a bargain.

I am the Platinum Stud

2007-06-22T12:30:00.000-04:00

Underneath the covers, off the record and on the DL. I present you with the blog of blogs.

What else?

- Enjoying this weekend in DC to see some 'omies traveling in from the west coast.

- Did you catch the Clinton/Sopranos vid? Love Bill's face when he doesn't get onion rings.

- Slowly moving over to the new pad. Big move is next weekend. Very psyched, very psyched.

- I have to give a shoutout to the CAGcast. These two guys (one in Japan, one in NYC) talk video game news, deals, playlists, theme songs, and all else related. Now, I'm much more of a PC gamer, but these guys are well-spoken, funny, and have interesting discussions about topics like censorship, DRM, HD content, dinner choices, marriage and Cucumber Pepsi.

Thoughts on Sopranos Finale

2007-06-13T13:22:00.001-04:00

First, I love this show. I've sat through repeat viewings of virtually all seasons and greatly enjoy the humor, drama, violence, and just overall kickassness the show offers.

As with most people, the final cut from Tony's face to black was very disheartening. That's not how you end a six season show that was super successful for HBO. Yeah, they were trying to be all cool with the unexpected ending that did not really "end" the show. But, I think they could have resolved a bit more. Yes, Phil is dead as is Junior (mentally) but AJ? Paulie? Sil? C'mon.

It was kinda neat to see Hunter, who'd been out of the picture since season 2, I think. And the following piece on the ending scene was an interesting perspective, but overall I was underwhelmed and very much hope there will be a surprise season 7.

"The guy at the bar is credited as Nikki Leotardo. The same actor played
him in the first part of season 6 during a brief sit down concerning
the future of Vito. That wasn't that long ago. Apparently, he is the
nephew of Phil. Phil's brother Nikki Senior was killed in 1976 in a car
accident.
Absolutely Genius!!!!

David Chase is truly rewarding the true fans who pay attention to
detail. So the point would have been that life continues and we may
never know the end of the Sopranos. But if you pay attention to the
history, you will find that all the answers lie in the characters in the
restaurant. The trucker was the brother of the guy who was robbed by
Christopher in Season 2. Remember the DVD players? The trucker had to
identify the body.

The boy scouts were in the train store and the black guys at the end
were the ones who tried to kill Tony and only clipped him in the ear
(season 3). Absolutely incredible!!!! There were three people in the
restaurant who had reason to kill Tony and then it just ends. This was
Chase's way of proving that he will not escape his past. It will not go
on forever despite that he would like it to "don't stop". Not the
fans!!! Tony would like it to keep going but just as we have to say
goodbye, so does he."

Where have I been?

2007-06-12T12:38:00.000-04:00

Let's see:

Saw Pirates 3. Very disappointed. All the fun from the first was washed away with three hours of too many characters and violence (which sucked cause it was PG-13.) Wait for video.
Caught John Williams conducting the Boston Pops. Terrific show. He did all his old stuff (Star Wars, Indy Jones, Superman, ET, etc.), some new stuff (Mr. Potter), and a tribute to some really old stuff (Vertigo, Citizen Kane, Psycho, Fiddler on the Roof). He also played the full 5 minute version of the NBC Nightly News theme that he wrote in the 70's. Neat stuff.
Closed on my condo! Once it's hooked up with my stuff and the new appliances, I'll YouTube it for all to watch. P.S. if you need a new anything for the kitchen, hit up Yale Appliance.
Working, eating, and other miscellaneous stuff

My new favorite song

2007-05-25T12:16:00.000-04:00

It's cheesy. It's for 12-year olds. But it's a fun song with a great hook and I like it.

Heard it first during the closing credits of "Night at the Museum" (surprisingly funny film!)

I present you with Keke Palmer's "Tonight" (Yup, the same hardcore speller from Akeelah and the Bee - also worth the rent)

Might be the best deal site yet!!

2007-05-23T12:33:00.001-04:00

I just StumbleUponed Dealdump.com, which is an ingenious idea that simply RSSs the sites I have in my sidebar. Laziness rules!

Tough times for Tweeter (TWTR)

2007-05-23T12:08:00.000-04:00

As per the recent stock dive and articles like this one from the Fool, Tweeter's home audio and video business is having some major problems. Both sales and profits are way down, as they are continually getting their heads bashed in by not only Best Buy and Circuit, but Target, Walmart, Amazon, and many others.

So, why don't people want to spend extra cash on a fancier TV? Simple - who the heck can tell the difference? The big retailers stock TVs at may price points , so there is very little reason for consumers to head to a specialty consumer electronics retailer, when their Best Buy has all they need. Yes, you'll find actual assistance at Tweeter (rather than some drone who can only answer questions by reading the box), but the amount of online info affords everyone almost equal levels of reviews and comparisons. Thus, once they arrive at the store, all they need to do is ask, "Do you have the Samsung 46" DLP?", "How much is it?", and "Do you accept Diner's Club?" Easy.

Same goes for the audio end of things. My dad's worked for a series of top-end manufacturers of speakers and electronics, so I've been accustomed to some serious firepower. But, most people haven't. In addition, decent to semi-high quality electronics and speakers have proliferated throughout the chains. Can you tell the difference between a $2,000 Marantz receiver and a $500 Onkyo. Does the $800 Polk Audio home theater system sound good to you? Great! Sold!
To make matters worse, our MP3 culture of using iPods with this garbage further decreases consumer's desire for good quality audio.

Tweeter's future is grim. It's sad that a 35-year old can't maintain its reputation with the current generation of iTuners and Bose-heads.

What will this summer's threequels bring?

2007-05-21T12:36:00.000-04:00

Allmovie has a great piece about the varying plot options directors can take for the third film in their series. It makes a whole lot of sense and includes such classics as Christmas Vacation, Goldmember, and Die Hard with Sam Jackson.

From reading previews and what not, the only two films this summer that are actually completing a trilogy (a la the Star Wars prequels) is Pirates 3 and Bourne 3. Otherwise, they were all created because the first and second made a crapload of money and the studios believe the third will do the same. Thus far, both Spiderman and Shrek have kicked some serious financial ass. And I'll be standing in line for Ocean's and Rush Hour, which should both have no problem duplicating their prior film's monetary achievements.

Shrek 3 = King

2007-05-18T13:35:00.001-04:00

I actually wans't a huge fan of the first one. I thought the fairy tale theme was cute, but the jokes iffy and Donkey annoying. The sequel was much better (particularly the Cops riff and American Idol sequence on the DVD).

We caught an advance screening of "the Third" Wednesday and were pleasantly pleased with the result. JT actually did a reasonably good job with the voice of Arthur ("Artie") and the use of Pythonite Eric Idle as Merlin was great. There were also some great set pieces, including Artie's school, the ass-kicking ladies, and the bar where the villians hang out. Actually, the whole film was funnier than the other two, and caters even more so towards adults. Ignore Yahoo! Movies B- critics score. It's a quick 90 minutes that's well worth your time.

Also, I caught "Children of Men" last night. I didn't really get what the big deal was. The plot was kind of lame - a special lady magically emerges and she needs to get through the bad guys so she can reach her necessary mecca. It's been done before (Fifth Element, some other stuff I can't think of). Visually, the animated signs and what not reminded me of "Minority Report". I did like the the last half hour of shootouts and apocalyptic bleakness, which was shot with no music and worked well with the theme. But, overall, it was unsatisfying.

Do you regularly receive stuipid questions?

2007-05-18T12:57:00.000-04:00

Use this perfect response.

Nicely done, Engadget!!!

2007-05-17T11:14:00.000-04:00

These guys killed $4 billion off Apple's market cap after a fake email about the iPhone's release.

Craziness!!

Uh..I own Apple stock

F-ckin assholes

You learn alot between DTX and Central Sq

2007-05-09T21:49:00.002-04:00

I was sitting on the Red at the end of the car. Two young ladies were standing next to me. They couldn't have been there more than seven or eight minutes before I got off the train.

Liz - Unattractive 24-year old. Has a MA in Public Policy from Harvard. Uses "like" six times per sentence. Married to Tom. The two of them will be attending Tom's brother's college graduation this weekend. Tom's brother is 27. He worked for a number of years and also went to Honduras, which was his reason for a delayed bachelor's degree.
Tall Girl - Also 24 and thought Liz was older, due to her marriage and graduate degree. Finished college in 3.5 years. Has an older brother who took Tommy Boy time to complete his degree. Liz was worried about the cost of this, but Tall Girl reassured her that it was U. of Wisconsin, so the public tuition was doable.

Hopefully, I'll tune in tomorrow for more details.

Tracy Morgan = Crappy Stand-up

2007-05-08T19:28:00.000-04:00

Now, I've seen some very funny dudes at Comedy Connection downtown. Therefore I was psyched to see SNL-alum and present "30 Rock" cast member Mr. Tracy Morgan. You know you love Brian Fellows as much as I do.

But his stand-up is gross, perverted and, most importantly, mostly unfunny.

Granted his page on Comedy Connection prefaced my ticket purchase by saying that the content of the show was sexually explicit and vulgar, but it was not only this, but very repetitious and not very clever. Not to be too graphic but he went into a diatribe about what guys sole interest in the opposite sex (fellatio) and decided to repeat this about 16 times. Ugh. About two thirds of the way through, he started on Michael Jackson and kids, which wasn't bad, but the first chunk put a very sour taste in my mouth. The opening act a local guy) was significantly better. Both my GF and co-worker agreed with this assessment. Skip it the next time he hits town.

As for future events, I'm set to see John Williams return to conduct the Boston Pops in a few weeks. Hell yeah!!

Culkin's twin sister

2007-05-03T10:06:00.000-04:00

Don't mess with an 11-year old and her shotgun. Maybe the next Home Alone won't be straight to video.

I dig Digg's craziness

2007-05-02T21:48:00.000-04:00

As most have heard, Digg has had a wild 24 hours. Some nerd found the code needed to crack the HD-DVD encryption, so once someone creates the appropriate software, geeks will be able to copy HD-DVDs very easily. Originally, the story was pulled, as it promoted piracy. But, then, Mr. Rose decided to throw his middle finger at the legal process and allow the story (and anything else) to stand. It's now the most Dugg story ever.

Should it be pulled? Nah. There was a huge todo when the original DVD encryption was cracked and DVD copying software was made available. But, DVD X Copy, about the only retail software to arrive on store shelves, has gone the way of the dodo as did its company, 321 Studios. And there are a few other options out there, like DVD Shrink and AnyDVD. So, someone was bound to crack the code and the the software will ultimately be released. Who wouldn't want to archive 30GB on one disc, be it a blockbuster film or some MP3s? Why should we have to wait?

Way to go Grandma!

2007-04-30T13:32:00.000-04:00

She must have been 80. But there she was - on the train, gabbing on her cell. Excellent embrace of technology. Two thumbs up!

Also, I found out that Rush Hour 3 comes out this summer. There goes another Saturday for the theater...

Tales of Service to the Customer

2007-04-26T12:19:00.000-04:00

This wonderful segment was passed around at work today.

Companies don't realize that the little stuff employees do for their customers is so important.

When I was working at Best Buy after college, I remember I assisted this nice couple with buying a computer. They weren't sure what they wanted to do, so they said they'd think about it. The next day, I was in the warehouse when I heard my name announced over the loudspeaker and that I should report to the Computer department. I was initially worried that I had done something wrong, but soon found out it was simply the same nice couple, asking for my services again, even though we weren't on commission. It was a great feeling that they were solely interested in my assistance. (Of course, the computer they wanted was out of stock!)

And then there are instances from larger companies like AOL and Dell, which can cause serious meltdowns of common decency. For the record, AOL's rep was in the wrong but the Dell customer should have been committed.

Finally, some more fun stats from MSN Money.

A huge weekend for baseball

2007-04-23T12:27:00.000-04:00

Even though the friggin Yanks are sucking, I still enjoyed a trip a few weekends ago to the place where it all started. Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame.

To review the highlights, let's take a look at the videotape:

The no-hit wall. Here, we've got every no-hitter, the pitcher's face, a blurb, and the ball. Very cool.
Old-timer uniforms - All the top guys have had their uniforms donated - Ruth, Wagner, Gehrig, Musial, Robinson, and many others.
Sections dedicated to other important areas of the sport - women, writers, announcers, movies, and desegregation.
The Hall itself, where everyone inducted into the Hall has his plaque. Duh.

A worthwhile trip for any baseball or history buff. Just be sure to make hotel reservations in advance or else - you may find yourself in a place where the hottest spot in town is called Locomotion's. (and its a straight bar)

A sweet video overview

Strange things are afoot at the BSC

2007-04-20T12:10:00.000-04:00

At the beginning of last year I signed up with the BSC in Watertown, as it was local to my then office. However, my new job isn't anywhere near there, so I decided to switch my "home" gym to the Cambridge branch. Only at your "home" gym can you use it during peak hours (right before or after work, when everyone else goes).

So, my rate at Watertown was $50/month, and when I went at the end of January to switch to Cambridge, I was quoted a $50 transfer fee as well as a $70/month rate. Major ouch. I gave a polite "Hell no!" to the nice lady who gave me this price and went on my way.

I decided to go back and try again a few days ago. This time, the guy said he'd waive the transfer fee and also try and get me at a $60/month rate. Good stuff.

I'm assuming the reason for this is that the beginning of the year is the hot season for gyms, so they're never willing to budge on rate decreases. Now that traffic is slower, they are more willing to negotiate. Or else the guy thought I was cute

A work spouse? No thank you

2007-04-18T12:28:00.000-04:00

Forbes shares this article with us, which describes married couples, who each have someone they confide in during their 9-5. The author describes it as a "work spouse". In other words, a coworker of the opposite sex to share work gossip, personal issues, project difficulties, eating habits, and anything else. All except the physical part.

OK, there's something wrong here. If I came home to gf and said I have a "work spouse", I'd get my ass beaten down and then thrown out to pasture. If these people have to resort to this type of behavior, I think there's something really crappy going on with the "at home" relationships. And there's no way they can believe there isn't a little sumthin' sumthin' going on behind closed office doors. At least, I wouldn't...

A summer of thirds - Holy shite!

2007-04-16T08:33:00.000-04:00

We took in Blade of Glory on Saturday night. It's a very funny film. Ferrell's shtick is the same, but I still laughed alot. How could you not when the dude's name is Chazz Michael Michaels?

More importantly though, I realized that this is a huge summer for blockbuster films. You've got the following badasses which will be competing for some potential record-breaking weekend tallies:

Pirates of the Carribean 3 - Loved the first. Mostly liked the second. Hopefully the final chapter will bring about less of the darkness and more of the witty banter.

Ocean's 13 - Again, loved the first. Liked the second (hated the big heist retrospective, but the Bruce Willis scene was killer!). Pacino's got the third on lock.

Shrek the 3rd - I actually just saw Shrek 2 yesterday and really enjoyed it. Since I've already got the above two to see, I may wait for video.

Spiderman 3 - Liked the first. Thought the second was average. I'll wait for video.

Not to mention, Die Hard 4 (I'm there!), Chuck and Larry (There!), and Transformers (Netflix!), this heated months might be ones for Guinness.

Optimism from the scientific field

2007-04-12T10:10:00.000-04:00

Even though my RP sitch isn't very bad right now, it's always exciting to see all the research that's going on with computerized eye chips that provide sight to those without.

Also, I'm glad the american public decided on the appropriate measures for eviction last night.

For a millionaire, Kevin Rose is actually a funny guy

2007-04-11T10:43:00.000-04:00

During his TechTV days, I always found Mr. Rose irritating. He made silly remarks and never really offered anything useful. So, once he founded this tiny company, I guess I was just jealous that the little worm had achieved such success.

But all that has changed.

Even though it's been around for almost two years, I just recently viewed an episode of Diggnation. It's such a simple concept - you've got Rose and a buddy sitting on a couch, each with a laptop and a bottle of beer. And all they do is discuss the most frequently "dugg" stories of the week (from Digg.com, obviously). They're rude, they curse, and they're misogynistic. It's perfect.

Kevin Rose, keep on truckin'.

A seemless integration of Internet and old school marketing

2007-04-10T08:50:00.000-04:00

Despite my lack of patience with websites, I found myself clicking very, very deep in this one. It's a site for an author's new book that's done in a very unique fashion. But it's so simple. And inexpensive. As long as you own a washable marker and white appliances, you can do it too!

Love those dick and fart jokes. Love 'em

2007-04-06T14:44:00.000-04:00

TWIT (and co) are great weekly listens, but what idiot came up with the name for this podcast?

Problem with Idol

2007-04-05T15:27:00.000-04:00

I guess my main issue is the lack of reasons to watch. Outside of the top three ladies (Melinda, Lakisha, and Jordan, who are all very similar in and of themselves), who else is there?

Blake? Yeah a beatboxer who can sing is kind of unique. But, he can't croon nearly as well as he can lay down beats.
Sanjaya? Please
Phil? Decent voice, but otherwise booorrrriinngg
Chris? Oh yeah, that other white guy...
Haley? Cute, but doesn't have a voice remotely as strong as the top three.

Yeah, quite disappointing. Chris Sligh had a great personality and should have remained. I love the clip when he's walking into the judge's room (pre-top 24) and quips, "Thank you all for coming to this meeting." Classic!

A really crappy movie

2007-03-30T14:45:00.000-04:00

I had hooked up Waiting within my Blockbuster queue and decided to partake last evening. Its cast includes Ryan Reynolds (Van Wilder, not bad), Justin Long (from the Mac vs. PC commercials), Anna Faris (the incessant Scary Movie series) and a bunch of others. Its supposed to be a gross out American Pie/Road Trip type comedic feature. Not a bad start, I like that stuff.

I began the film...10 minutes passed...20...a half hour. I didn't laugh. Nothing was funny. I turned it off and want 30 minutes added to my life.

Please.

Restaurant Review: La Brace (North End)

2007-03-27T08:40:00.000-04:00

My sister, gf, and I decided to walk through the cobblestoned North End for some eats Saturday night. Despite a lack of reservations, I figured we'd get into at least one of the myriad of eateries. Giacomo's? Line out the door. Strega? Booked for the night (although my sister found the host quite appealing). Cantina Italiana? 90 minutes. Assagio? 45. Three unhappy campers.

Walking over to Salem St, we finally stumbled upon a place called La Brace, which could seat us right away. That's usually not a good sign, but we were all very pleased with our experience. We were served by one of the owners, Gail, who was very accommodating to our requests. My sister's butternut squash lasagna was one of the best she ever ate. My clams were extremely fresh and the pasta tasted as if it was right out of the oven. Dessert, usually saved for Mike's, was also terrific, with homemade cannoli and some vanilla creme brulee. And to top it off, Gail hooked s each up with some Grand Marnier on the house. The place is less than a year old, but we all really enjoyed the food, the experience, and the gracious hostess. Highly Recommended.

Portable video player issues

2007-03-23T16:26:00.000-04:00

Why are all the major companies coming out with PVP (portable video players) that have such tiny screens. The iPod Video's 2.5" is about the smallest I can deal with, but their software won't take DIVX, Xvid, H.264 or any of the other stuff I have. I tried the Creative M player and their software was crap, so I returned it and don't won't to try the W version (which has a decent sized screen). I've always liked Archos products but Veronica's recent battle suggested some really shoddy control schemes. Thus, my only option is the Cowon A2, which I'm trying to eBay. We shall see...

Pretty friggin cool bits

2007-03-21T14:58:00.000-04:00

30 years of family pictures

Thank you, Digg.

Ghetto Spellin B

Thank you, GF.

Addendum to the Billy Crystal film critique

2007-03-19T09:46:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I forgot about one of the greatest mob films ever. Analyze This took Deniro's Jimmy Conway and placed it under the care of neurotic psychologist played by Crystal. Everyone was perfectly cast and it was a very funny film, thanks to the performances from the leads as well as Harold Ramis' direction. The only fault was the DVD commentary heralded Deniro and Crystal, but if you listen to it, they are both in different locations. If you could have heard their discussion together, I'm sure it would have been one for the ages.

The sequel, unfortunately, tried to replicate the success but only succeeded in the first quarter of its run time. The rest was dull and a waste of time.

Very underrated film

2007-03-16T14:52:00.000-04:00

Looking back to 2002, I really enjoyed Drumline. Yeah, it's extremely formulaic. Cocky freshman hot shot thinks he's the next coming, when it comes to marching band drumming. He's then embarrassed by the current hotness, they become best buds, taught a lesson by the instructor, gets the girl, and wins the big game. My man Greten could have easily picked this one.

But the plot isn't what's important. Marching band always seemed like a joke, which was further exaggerated by other films. Drumline, however, makes it extremely exciting. The musical quality of the performers and the visual exuberance is quite the spectacle. Who would've thought they could reproduce Sugar Hill Gang's "Apache" or J5's "Can You Feel It?" so well? Totally worth the Netflix.

Today's lesson: How to write a rap song that sells millions

2007-03-15T16:43:00.000-04:00

Yo, I'm kickin it live
Direct fo sho
I don't know where I'm goin
But it better be with some flow

My girl is here, my ride is hot
My hand is ready, with fingers on the glock

The work is hard, the work is tough
Hey, my brain is full - that's enough!

Let's go y'all and continue this rap
Cause I can't dance but I sure can tap

This is supposed to make some sense to you
Oh yeah, I forgot to tell ya - I am a Jew

And Passover's coming - matzah for all
Eat some bread? Hell no! I'd be apalled

Man, this rap sucks, and I'm sick of rhymin'
Maybe I'll get better, as we pass the timin'

Word

Can someone PLEASE explain it to me?

2007-03-15T08:52:00.000-04:00

There's a Dunks downstairs at my new office.

A small coffee is $1.30.
A small ice coffee is $1.68.

It is just a small coffee with some ice cubes - is there some cube shortage that causes the price to jump 30%???

And I thought Pursuit of Happyness was unimpressive. Virtually the entire movie was depressing. Don't bother.

Why doesn't Billy Crystal make more movies?

2007-03-08T22:09:00.002-05:00

While watching the severely disappointing You've Got Mail, I thought about other films that Meg Ryan was in and of course the classic "When Harry Met Sally" came to mind. Not because it was Ryan's best film (not that she's a good actress) but because Crystal steals every scene. Sure, City Slickers was good and no one hosts the Oscars like William. If you are into baseball, "61" was a great assessment of the big Roger Maris/Mickey Mantle rivalry of 1961, and Crystal directed it.

But what else? (Yeah, Princes Bride, no, not "Mr. Saturday Night", "My Giant", or "Father's Day")

Big fan of Chi-town

2007-03-06T19:50:00.000-05:00

So the lady and I hit up the Windy City during this past weekend, as neither of us had been there, save the lovely O'Hare airport.

Here's a quick overview of this mysterious part of the Midwest.

Scenery: Friggin' great. Chicago is known for its architecture and it's clear why. This thing looked liked it was pulled from Flight of the Navigator. Not to mention the Sears Tower and Hancock Building, which is almost twice the height of the one in Boston.

Stuff to do: That's a yes, your honor. You've got a ton of shopping on Michigan Ave (similar to Fifth in NYC and Newberry in B-town), the architecture, a huge aquarium, free zoo, world-class art museum, and lots of other stuff we didn't get to.

Weather: Sucked, but we weren't going there for surf and sun.

Eats: Very good. We had three very good meals and one decent one. Of course, the latter was the most expensive ;)

Cost: Super reasonable. Our hotel was way cool, had a watering hole called the "Big Bar" as well as free buffet every morning. Their sales tax (9%!!) can hit ya hard though.

Overall, I'd describe Chicago like this - it has the (relative) cleanliness of Boston, the size of NY, and the hospitality of St. Louis. If you have the means, get there.

Talk about some customer service!!

2007-03-01T12:54:00.000-05:00

Anybody who's anybody has been forced to make a customer service call. Whether your monitor is shot, or you can't figure out your cell phone bill, toll free numbers and lengthy wait times can be the bane of your existence. In fact, I wrote about some examples I partook in a few years back.

While perusing Digg, I found this great story. It talks about how a Nintendo customer's Wii died and instead of having to ship the unit to Mario's HQ, they had the guy simply stop by in person., since he lived so close. Thirty minutes later, he was ready to go. Very impressive work!

Gotta love the gospel

2007-02-27T22:20:00.000-05:00

Being a rap fan, I've got to give a shout out to some of the best hip hop-infused gospel:

Kirk Franklin's "Revolution"

And Hezekiah Walker's "Let's Dance" (not the best quality)

Good (Very) Old Andy Rooney

2007-02-26T16:55:00.000-05:00

Did you know this guy is still doing 60 minutes? Yeah, me too. But had you realized he is 88? Wow! Granted, he's got some assistants, but if I look half as good as he does at that age, I'll be quite pleased.

I just found out that CBS News has a kickass archive of over 9 months of his weekly bits. I just listened to this one, which provided Rooney's assessment of a prediction on 2001 life back in 1986 by Dan Rather. It's under 3 minutes, so take a listen.

And Will Ferrell and Jack Black's skit last night was worth the price of admission. They really need to bring back Billy, though.

Shame on you, Verizon!

2007-02-25T17:57:00.000-05:00

While strolling through my mall yesterday, I went into the Verizon store. My contract isn't up until next year (and I'll be hittin up the online store for my new one), so I just wanted to see what they had. There were a few cool ones like this Samsung and the enV. However, the way they listed the price of each one was hardcore scandalous.

In big print, was something like $209.99. Therefore, a quick browse from an onlooker would determine that was the final price. However, the fine print had something like this:

Phone price: $199.99
Minus rebate: ($50)
Bluetooth accessory nonesense (optional): $59.99

This totaled the $209 amount. A) That super high margin Bluetooth stuff can be bought a third of that on eBay. B) I ain't down with the sneakiness.

And the Pussycat Dolls suck - no, I don't wish my girlfriend dressed like a slutty sorority chick. I know they're very two and a half years ago but I just saw a commercial for their new show. Ugh.

Two comments

2007-02-21T10:11:00.000-05:00

Akon: If she already knows you love her, why do you need to repeatedly drill the concept in her brain?

MIMS: Honestly, no one gives two shites why you are hot. And, it's certainly not your production - go take some lessons from Pharrell.

You want some really solid hip hop? Take a listen to some Quik. or classic Snoop.

UPDATE: The Village Voice even more clearly explains the worthlessness of MIMS.

Oldie but goodie

2007-02-19T10:15:00.000-05:00

I'd like to officially tack on an addition to the "Sequel is better than the original" list with Beverly Hills Cop II.

Much funnier Murphy, slicker production, and more intense action sequences. Not to mention Chris Rock, Gilbert Goddfried, and Hef.

Part three was a travesty and is there really a rumor for part IV?

Company contradiction

2007-02-16T14:22:00.000-05:00

I don't care where you got your stupid MBA - unless you can come up with kickass commentary, you might as well just drop your degree in the nearest trash receptacle.

Basically, the discussion revolves around Unilever. (You've probably never heard of them but they compete with big fish like these kids and these people)

Unilever sells Dove (the soap) and Axe (the body spray). Dove suggests women are soft, kind and ever-loving. Axe regards chicks as sex goddesses who want hot guys that smell good.

Great stuff!

UPDATE: Yes, it is possible for a company to serve multiple markets. Lexus and Toyota. Old Navy and Banana. But, if these brands went on a date together, their totally opposite messages wouldn't require a mutual ass kicking.

I don't know why

2007-02-14T15:01:00.000-05:00

But I find this stuff incredibly funny (thanks StumbleUpon!)

And much love to MadTV for this gem.

Why does he get such a bad rap?

2007-02-08T09:48:00.000-05:00

I almost took a History of Hiphop class my senior year of college (naturally there was a waiting list) but since I decided on taking something else, I still purchased the accompanying reading. If you hvae an interest in this genre of music, it combines a lengthy list of articles that hit all aspects of the hip hop industry - the earliest days of rap (DJ Kool Herc and Grandwizard Theodore), how the rap video became mainstream, gangster rap, origins of pop rap and everything in between.

There's a solid piece about MC Hammer and what he did for the rap industry. His second album (the one everyone knows) has sold more rap albums than anyone else, going 10X platinum. He was the guy that got me into rap music - actually, it was the first album I ever bought. Sure, his flow sucked. And his most famous hits sampled the shit out of lesser known acts. But he paved the way for many, many rappers and R&B stars that would have been bunched together with all the other nonsense that was available at that time. I wish I had a few examples, but I can't think of any right now. Grrr...Anyway, go get the book and spend another 10 minutes downloading Hammer's Greatest Hits from Limewire. It still holds up.

Interesting scene yesterday

2007-02-07T17:40:00.000-05:00

So I was subwaying to work and sat across from the following:

A lady, an open seat, another young lady, open seat, a third woman, an open seat, a dude.

And all four had this nonsense hanging out of their ears. Amazingly, they seemed to be enjoying themselves. Too bad they have no clue what they're missing. These are the same morons that buy this crap. I wonder if someday everyone will have an epiphany and realize that they should be focusing their cash on decent speakers and quality electronics instead of boomy bass ridden garbage that can do nothing but rattle trunks.

Review: Gridiron Gang

2007-02-04T20:03:00.000-05:00

Six words: "Rocky, go back to the ring"

This looks like tons o' fun.

My condo closes at the end of the month. Very exciting.

Prince is about to go on - he better rock!

Honesty is always appreciated

2007-02-02T08:52:00.000-05:00

Etailers have it real tough sometimes. Sites like this, this and this, provide users with the chance to sort by lowest price for a ton of items, so that the guys who are forced to charge MSRP don't stand a chance. And don't get my started on these monsters...

So, it was a breath of fresh air to read through this interesting piece from DVD Empire.com. It describes why they are leaving the video game selling bidness and are sticking with their tried and true DVD etailing. They discuss insanely low margins (it costs them $50 for a $55 MSRP'd game!!!) as well as what happens when they stock games that suck (they collect dust). It's incredibly rare for a business to provide such an elaborate set of reasons why they close a division. Usually, you'd find such discussions at places like this.

Gangsters + tunes = deafness

2007-02-01T21:37:00.000-05:00

What is it with the thugged out hoods and their portable music? Why does everyone else have to hear it? Part of the problem is the openendedness of their crappy iPod earbuds, which allow waaaayyy too much sound out. If they stuck with a decent pair, then minimal sound would emerge and no one else would need to hear last year's Mary J. C'mon kids, get with some sort of audiophilic program. Both your ears and your neighbors on the train/street will be more than thrilled.

Album drops soon ya'll

2007-01-31T10:09:00.000-05:00

Lyrics to first single: http://www.jimboykin.com/linking-dirty-blackhat-and-dirty/

I don't get it

2007-01-16T19:32:00.000-05:00

With the recent MacWorld announcement of the iPhone, Jobs has combined a number of the tech items that many enjoy. No more separate iPod, MP3 player and Palm pilot. They are all in one. Albeit a $500 price tag and a necessary Cingular contract, but you are all in. So, that's really great. Pretty much a Tre smartphone with a massive SD card. Oh yeah, the classic iPod interface. But that's not what I don't understand.

It's more about the iPod Video - where is the update? Creative has their Vision W, iRiver has one, RCA, and Archos. My pick however is the Cowon A2, which is Divx certified and has some killer battery life. So the "new" iPod Video can match the battery life, but they're still using the puny screen. Ick. Let's get going guys. And how about some Divx certification? I'm not about to convert my entire video library to this funky format. Kick it into high gear, Mr. Turtleneck.

Games games games

2006-10-25T16:23:00.000-04:00

With the upcoming holiday seasons, publishers try and release the bulk of their new hotness in time for Santa Claus. Games like Gears of War and Sims 2: Pets not to mention systems like the PS3 and Wii are all picked to be staples of kids' (and adults') Christmas stockings.

But not me.

Yes, I've got a host of other stuff that I'm still plowing through (and replowing through). Call of Duty 2 is currently my game of choice. It came out about a year ago and I completed it around 9 months ago. However, I recently became reacquainited with its solid graphics and visceral destruction of the German army during WW2. I also enjoy the fact that you don't have a "health bar" like you do in so many other FPSs. Instead, if you get shot up, your soldier gets a bit "winded" and has to breath heavy. In a few seconds, this dissapates and he's back and ready to take more machine gun shells to the face. Sure, its unrealistic but it beats having to run around looking for a health kit or piece of armor.

I've also got Company of Heroes to try out. I've read its quite a killer RTS and look forward to taking on the Nazis from a top down perspective. I'm gonna get you Hitler - with a Colt 45 or M1 Abrams, you're mine!

Now back to your regularly scheduled program....

A nice evening

2006-10-23T15:30:00.000-04:00

Last friday, we decided to hit up the Comedy Studio in Havahd Squa. This is a little known joint that's strategically placed on top of the not-so-little known Hong Kong. We arrived about 15 minutes early and the stocky dude at the front informed us that a private event had taken over for the night, and no laughs would be had. A suggestion was made (by one of us - we had already left the bouncy bouncer in our tracks) to visit Improv Boston in Inman Square, which we had done a few months prior. It's a highly humorous excursion but it was negged (again, by one of us). Therefore, we continued along, grabbed some kickass hot white chocolate, and hit up the future location of a closed Tower Records.

I always find that going out of business sales suck. Why? Because at the initial stages, you have shitty discounts like what we saw - 20%-40% off the whole store. Of course, it should have read "20% off everything except our crappy three month old magazine selection, which is 40% off." And even the 20% is worthless, because Tower Records rapes you on all their items in the first place. 20% off a $19 Jay-Z album still makes it $16 after tax. Half.com or even Amazon could probably chop that in half. Should I try going when we get to the 50% off range? No, thanks, I have batter things to do than sift through the remaining twenty Dukes of Hazzard and Gigli DVDs. Yet - this is my second visit to the store since they announced bankruptcy. Go figure.

Oh yeah, please please please check out The Departed. Fukcin great shiznit. At the very least, you can laugh at Marky Mark. (and his dialog isn't bad either).

Classic Filmage

2006-10-17T08:42:00.000-04:00

Last night, the gf and I sat down to a plate of Lean Cuisine Skillet Sensation s and Bird's Eye frozen veggies, while viewing the second half of Vice Versa. I hadn't seen the film in over 5 years and was more than pleased to see how well it held up, since it was released in 1988. As per the review on the packaging, Big came out around the same time and Mr. Hanks was clearly the bigger box office draw. However, this film created laughs from both Savage and Reinhold, as opposed to just a single character who was made into an adult.

There is a terrific scene where young Savage (as his dad and perpetually drinks martinis) and his mom walks into his dad's crib and sees young Fred with the glass of ill-repute. His reaction is a cheerful, "Shit, what are YOU doing here?". Mom was less than thrilled with both his response as well as his choice of nourishment. I love it!!

Very excited!!!

2006-10-13T15:12:00.000-04:00

I'm a huge Scorscece fan. So much that I probably just torched the spelling of his name. (not to diverge, but it reminds me of a great early Sopranos scene. I think it was the second or third episode ever. Chrissy and Andriana see Scorscece outside a club and yell "Marty!...Kundun! I liked it!" I've never seen Kundun but neither has anyone else, so it must suck. Chrissy's heroine habit was behind the scenes at that point of the series, I guess.)

Back on track, "The Departed" opened last weekend and got some kickass reviews as well as a big box office take. Damon's an OK actor. DiCaprio has impressed me in The Aviator and Catch Me If You Can. Nicholson is always on point. Yeah, I think I'll see it.

I got a set of Sennheiser CX300 earbuds a few weeks ago from Amazon. Now, since I listen to alot of rap/R&B/techno, I need some solid bass response. My prior favorites were the Sony EX51SL buds, which are $20 at Amazon. Both sets sounds almost exactly the same, particularlyat the MP3 level of quality. So, be sure to take a gander on eBay for my set of Sennheisers. Also, I'll have my recently purchased Creative Muvo2 FM up there. With the release of the latest iPods, Apple cut the refurbished Minis to a benjamin. I had to jump on it.

My first Red Sox/Yankees game

2006-08-23T20:07:00.000-04:00

So, early this year I bought a number of tickets for the current Sox season. I was planning on going to a few games, but also made the purchase in order to accumulate some extra cash. I used StubHub to sell off my opening day seats. This past Saturday was planning on being my first Yans/Sox game, but the seats were in the dreaded right field grandstand. So I traded with a buddy for his better seats on Friday night. and sold my Saturday tickets.

The game was awesome. The scoreboard went like this: 1-0, 1-5, 5-5, 5-7, 10-7, 10-14, 11-14. It broke the record for longest 9-inning game. We were next two 6-2 250lb decked out New Yorkers so we were totally protected from potential Red Sox fan violence. Friggin' awesomeness.

Plus, the Yanks took all five games over the weekend. What chu know bout dat?

P.S. My GF threw me my first surprise birthday party!!!! She's quite bomb. Not to mention, an ice luge and keg were in attendance - even better.

Holy schnikies!!

2006-08-11T14:12:00.000-04:00

After weeks of either A) Hot and humid grossness or B) Rain, the predication for today is a kickarse 75 degrees and sunny! I say, "God Damn!" Plus I'm psyched cause the GF gets home from leading the Craigville Beach youngins on the Cape (or is it in the Cape?) To top the future afternoon off, my local Blockbuster had the Kirk Franklin: Live concert DVD. Boo Yah!!!

A new toy...

2006-06-25T20:39:00.000-04:00

The Boston streets are quite crazy as most people know. One-way roads and detours that lead nowhere are more common than irritantingly drunk Red Sox fans who feel the need to remind me of the 2004 fiasco. Therefore, I've decide to fight back. Not with no Mapquest array or an Frommer's atlas. I purchased a portable GPS unit: the Garmin C320. This badass has a 3.5" screen and a 5-hr lithium battery. It's in full color that doubles as a touchscreen. Since it's built for the car, it comes with a windshield apparatus via a suction cup. The voice has an English accent and is plenty loud. We used it this past weekend for a trip to NJ/NY and outside of one missed turn, it hit our destinations just right. I got a used one for $265 on the eBay but new ones can be had for just over $300. The C320 comes with a 128MB SD card which fits a chunk of states, but I threw in an extra 256MB card, which hooked up most of the NE plus SoCal for my upcoming trip.

Pros: Easy to use, easy to hear, specific directions

Cons: It'd be nice if the screen was a bit larger, why can't the chick talk to me by name? Or speak dirty words into my ear....

A strange advertisement...

2006-06-19T20:36:00.000-04:00

I was at Star Market (the local supermahket) and saw an interesting display as I walked in. It was for Vitamin Water and compared its "statistics" to those of OJ. Actually, it wasn't really interesting as much as it was creepy. The benefits of vitamin water were its low calories, lack of sugar, yet still had the full day of vitamin C. Ummm...yeah, artificial sweetener is way better than Tropicana's finest. Nah, I'll pass guys.

Another funky ad I saw recently is for the upcoming film Waist Deep. The film actually looks half decent. I was impressed with Tyrese in 2 Fast 2 Furious and Larenz Tate is always solid. The reason I started choking when I saw the ad was that "The Game" was also a member of the ensemble. OK, look...dude, you can't rap and I could care less how many times you've been shot. If your acting skillz are anywhere near that of your lover Fiddy, I'll be sure to rent the film when it enters my Blockbuster queue and fast-forward through your nausea-inducing scenes of nonsensical "acting". So, stick with your attempts as an MC and save the movie career for those rappers who can actually act (i.e., Ice T, Ice cube, Luda, etc.)

I love me some good eats

2006-06-12T21:17:00.000-04:00

Two good restaurants have crossed my dangerous path in the past week or so. So how about we get onto some discussing them

1) Ole Mexican Grill - There is only one reason to go this out-of-the-way joint in out-of-the-way Inman square. say it with me kids: GUAC-A-MO-LE. It is friggin awesome. And I don't normally like it. But my gf and I watched as they made it for us, right at the table. Then we chowed down into two baskets of chips and this phenomenal conconction. Oh yeah, we did have dinner which was decent but overpriced. Also, gf asked if there would be dark meat in her enchiladas - the waitress said no, the enchiladas said yes. So, after work someday or a Saturday afternoon; go here and eat guacamole. And then head around the corner to La Casa Portgual for your real dinner.

2) Giacomo's (South end branch) - I hit this place up with a fellow 'omie and his 'rents. More or less a replica of the famous North End joint, except this one is a little nicer, there's no menu on the wall, and they take reservations. They also serve dessert. The eats were tasty, including the Caesar Salad, Frutti Di Mar with Diavlo sauce, and lemon sorbet. But something about eating Italian food in the South end - it was a bit weird. If you're in the area, go for it. But as a destination place, hit up the North End version.

I need some practice

2006-06-11T09:55:00.001-04:00

I really need to be more diligent with this whole blogging nonsense. I've got things to say and my hundreds - no wait - thousands of potential readers are pining for my next discussion point. So, let's begin.

A) Let's discuss the fuckers next door. Yes, Sweet Child O Mine is a great song. Yes, it has one of the best chords ever. But, gentlemen, there's no reason why the volume needs to be at 11 when it is 4am. I don't care how drunk you are or how bad your voices attempt to mimic Axl. Give it a rest. The cops will be called. And Cambridge po-po are notorious for nightsticking bad singers...

B) Review of Munich. I actually never read a synopsis of this film and thought it was gonna simply be about the assassinations of the Israelis at the '72 Olympics. Instead, that process begins the film, and the whole plot revolves around a crack-team of 6 dudes (led by Eric Bana) to kill the 11 Palestinians who devised the plan. Overall, it was quite entertaining for its 163 minutes. The killings are all pretty unique - although they don't totally review all 6 dudes' specialties and they give them stronger personalities by the end which don't really vibe with their initial, seemingly boring, personas. Plus, its Spielberg so there are quite a few, "Look how smart I am" moments which kinda ruin the thriller/action film. I would have been interesting to see what another more action-oriented director could have done with it. No, not Michael Bay :)

C) Review of new Ice Cube. Kickass beats and (of course) dope rhymes. He's still got game. Go get it.

D) Review of DJ Quik: Live at House of Blues. This was a neat idea as his production work has always warranted a live band. However, the morons who recorded it didn't engage the band as much as they should have , so some of the backgrounds instruments' volumes are too low. Plus, they magically screwed up "Pitch in on a Party." But, if you dig Quik, its worth at least a listen.

No mo' Idol (almost)

2006-05-23T22:51:00.000-04:00

So, tonight was the last night of Idol. Well, actually tomorrow will end it, as the winner is announced. I tried calling in for my boy Taylor but no dice, it was totally busy. No biggie, he should win. Randy's comment regarding the fact that Taylor can make an OK song his own really signifies why he should win. Kat's not bad, but she's nothing new. She's Kelly with a weaker voice. She'll have some poppy album with some uptempo dance-pop tracks and some ballads. But Taylor, he's got some flava that'll totally work. Plus, he's so much more MTV-friendly than her. Way more charisma and personality, which should totally get the tenny boppers and tweens to vote his way. But, we shall see...

Gotta update this sucka a bit mo'. Watching the Huey Lewis Live at 25 DVD right now. It's very cool cause I saw him in concert about two years ago and he was really good. He played all the great jams. The DVD really rocks too. It sounds great with true 5.1 surround sound (which is actually kinda rare for concert DVDs.) I was watching the Janet Live in Hawaii last week with the gf who'd never seen a concert DVD before and really enjoyed it. Next on the agenda for her - The Up in Smoke Tour DVD!!! Hell yeah, Snoop and Cube representin'

Other solid DVD concerts that sound sweet:

Gloria Estefan: Live in Miami
Music for Monteserrat (Knofler's Money for Nothing has got Clapton on backup and Phil Collins on drums)
Tina Turner: Amsterdam
Tupac: House of Blues
Dave Matthews: Listener Supported
The Corrs: Live at Albert Hall

Peace out yo

Motorola!?!?!

2006-04-11T22:43:00.000-04:00

How can a company who releases something as cool as the Razr or E815 also put out the V276. I bought it on eBay, as I sold the Razr I got through my regular contract and nifty new-every-2 plan. Its not defective its just a crummy feeling phone. The screen looks like ass, the buttons feel cheap, and the flip functionality is lame. My regular Nokia 3589i, non-camera, no MP3, no cool ringtone, gerneric thing feels more substantial. C'mon Motorola lets try and figure this out, its not that tough! Oh the joys of cellular phone ownership...

Gangsta gangsta'

2006-04-08T19:49:00.000-04:00

Classic NWA. Outside of "Straight Outta Compton," and "F the Police," its definitely one of the great joints from the OGs of LA.

But, anyway, when I was talking "gangster," it was more along the lines of the mob. Mafia. The complex theory where places like Goodfellas and Casino eminate. I watched the latest of these films this afternoon - the one called This Thing Of Ours. It was a low budget deal that came out in 2002 or something, but was only released in a few theatres in NYC and LA. It stars Frank Vincent (Raging Bull, Billy Batts in Goodfellas, Casino and Phil Leotardo of the Sopranos), James Caan (Godfather), and Vincent Pastore (Pussy from Sopranos). It finally came to video last month and it was pretty friggin good. The scam involves banking and the Internet, so obviously some of the old school guys have no clue what's going on. But, despite the somewhat weak video/audio quality, its a decent story with strong acting and some excellent wacking scenes (necessary for a mobster film). So check it out at Amazon, Blockbuster Online, or Netflix.

Cambridge livin'

2006-04-06T20:54:00.000-04:00

So, I live in Central Square, which is roughly equidistant between Hahvahd and MIT. Theoretically with the big brains from each school so close, my noggin should have grown exponentially over my two years here. Not fuckin likely. Although, I think my stomach has increased due to the great places to eat (Central Kitchen is the bizomb)

I think I had a point here...oh yeah, so living in Cambridge I've decided there are two types of people - pissed off people that hate their life or snobby mofos who think their life is better than everyone elses.

You can tell the former by the way they stare at the ground when they walk to work in the morning. The latter? They've got this half-smile on their face as they make feeble attempts to stare each and every pedestrian down to a the size of a pea.

Then there's me who, as long as it's over 50 degrees in the morning, has the windows down blasting the latest jams from 1993. Regulators...Mount up!

Idol - 8 left.

2006-04-05T22:53:00.000-04:00

I just finished with Idol for the night. Mandisa was booted. Why can't America own up to people who aren't all sticks? Kelli Pickler? Please...I can sing better than that blond hoe. Yeah that's right...bring it on sister, you and all your inbred family. I'll take all ya'll Yee Hi!

And Battlefront II's Chewbacca is a pussy..why they put his punk ass as a Jedi?

PS. The latter is discussing PC gaming - Yes a 26-yr old that still games. Deal with it.