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Thursday, December 11, 2008

A Snowball's Chance Where???





Houston was mesmerized by the unexpected snow flurries last night, starting as a slushy drizzle around 5:00pm, and turning into fluffy flakes a few hours later. The snow around me inside the city fell at least an inch, but places on the east side of Houston had up to 4 inches! It had mostly melted by this morning at my place, but there were several pictures from the areas east of town with snow-covered rooftops and white lawns. It was so pretty to see with all the Christmas decorations up, and it made all the Christmas music seem much more appropriate. Nothing like an early snowfall to get people in the spirit! Apparantly, snow this early in the season hasn't fallen in this area since 1944 - as reported on Channel 11 news this morning!





Monday, December 01, 2008

In the spirit(s) of the season!

As I helped decorate the tree with my family over the weekend, we found this old Christmas gem that is my all time favorite holiday song. Enjoy:

Friday, November 21, 2008

Twilight Insanity


I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to vampire stories, so I never jumped right on the bandwagon of the Twilight series, but after seeing some of the preview scenes, I became curious. This past week, I saw the first book on sale and decided to get it to see what all the hype was about. I get it, and I certainly get what all the tween girls are swooning about - Edward is dreamy in a very Jane Austen hero kind of way. I literally couldn't put the book down. Naturally, I went and got the rest of the series and proceeded to devour them in about another day and a half.

So due to my morbid curiousity and because I am a glutton for punishment, I joined the throngs of squealing teen girls at the theaters last night for the midnight showing. It was an experience. First, I just sat there and observed them all in their sweat pants/flip flops ensembles chit-chatting, texting, gossiping... and then I remembered why I never considered myself "one of the girls" at their age. But then the lights dimmed and suddenly they all quit playing catty games with one another and transformed into a seething mass of dreamy hormonal mega-fans. My first moment of hilarity was when the new Harry Potter preview opened to thunderous applause and squeals. The next was when Edward appears on screen for the first time, and the entire room swooned with numerous "OMIGODS", dog-ear-piercing sounds and gutteral moans of teen desire. It will truly be a different experience to watch this movie without the electric atmosphere these girls provide, but I must say it added to the movie for me, just as watching Yoda pull out his lightsaber for the first time in a roomful of Star Wars geeks, or watching Gandalf become the White Wizard while sitting next to the dude who was making his own chain mail IN THE THEATER before the movie started (and flirting with girls for what had to have been the first time in his life).

I've heard this movie likened to the fabulous John Hughes movies of the 80's, and while I wouldn't put it on the same comedic level at all, this movie has more than its fair share of angst, brooding, and longing looks as well as plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. It will never appeal to guys the way it does to girls, but it does have just enough action to not be in the same drippy romance department as The Notebook. The chemistry between the characters is undeniable. The writing deviates from the book in several ways, but basically stays true to the plotline. The dialogue has been updated a bit, with references to Google and MySpace, and the scenery is shot very well. This is going to be an instant classic for many who will remember the frenzy as a bonding time with other girls or a first crush. It isn't the best movie (who was expecting it to be?) but I loved it, and I'll see it again. You can't help yourself when surrounded by girly teenage love from all sides. I'm like, SO crushing on you right now, Edward!!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Okay, you have my attention...

I haven't been into Star Trek for years now, but I gotta admit it's looking interesting.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Dim Sum for Lunch


Although my favorite place for dim sum is Ocean Palace (lunch only), I wanted to try to make some myself. I went for pork siu mai for my first try, and they turned out really good! I followed this recipe, but cut it in half since I didn't need so much food for me alone:

3 dried Chinese black or Shiitake mushrooms
6 ounces peeled deveined large shrimp
1 green onion
1 teaspoon minced ginger
3/4 cup ground pork
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
about 20 gyoza wrappers (or won ton wrappers cut into circles).
Preparation:
Soften the mushrooms by soaking in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Squeeze out any excess water. Cut off the stems.

Soak the shrimp in warm, lightly salted water for 5 minutes. Pat dry. Mince the mushrooms, shrimp, and green onion. Combine with the ginger and pork. Stir in the seasonings. Mix the filling ingredients thoroughly.

Lay a gyoza wrapper in front of you. Wet the edges. Put 2 to 3 teaspoons of filling in the middle, taking care not to get too close to the edges. Gather up the edges of the wrapper and gently pleat so that it forms a basket shape, with the top of the filling exposed.

Steam over boiling water until the filling is cooked through (5 to 10 minutes).


I used fresh mushrooms instead of dried so I wouldn't have to go through the soaking process. Shiitake worked really well for me. I also have a bamboo steamer for my wok, so the steaming process took longer, but I think they turned out better for it. The baskets are fairly inexpensive and can be found all over like Cost Plus or Bed Bath & Beyond, or even Target. I lined my steamer with lettuce leaves (cabbage leaves are typically used). My steamer is two-tiered, so I let the bottom tier steam for 30 minutes, and then ate while the top tier steamed for about another 8 to 10 minutes or so. I sliced some fresh cucumber with peppercorn ranch dressing as a side, and had some loose-leaf Jasmine tea with my lunch. The loose tea is best with more fragrant teas like chamomile, jasmine, or any flower teas. My favorite is the Republic of Tea Jasmine Jazz.

Friday, November 14, 2008

The Fall, Top Chef, and Online Idiots


Just watched a little-known movie recently out on DVD called The Fall. It was done by the same guy (Tarsem Singh) who was responsible for The Cell, and he brought the same gorgeous cinematography to this film. Its a sort of love letter to silent movie stuntmen and legends like Buster Keaton, but it is beautifully told and features a lovely little girl who in my opinion should be on the same level as Shirley Temple. If you get the chance, watch it!

The new season of Top Chef started this week, and I'm not as jazzed about these contestants, but hopefully that will change. The first quickfire was an elimination, and was rather blandly done with apples (Big Apple - New York, I get it. Blah.). The big challenge brought in some familar famous chef judges from seasons past, and had the contestants cooking from several different ethnic communities. It seems that the ones that make it to the end are either very politically correct and amiable, or really egotistical. It looks as if the ego award will probably go to Stefan, and rightfully so since he won both the quickfire and main challenges. Will that secure him a spot in the final? My money is on yes, but whether he will win in the end is, I hope, up for debate. The hottie is most definitely Jeff, and I love quirky Carla. I'd love to see her, Gene, Hosea or Jamie make the final cut. I'm not picking a winner this time since Richard broke my streak last season, but I'll be watching every week!

And finally, in the stupid news category, this report on CNN about a Second Life divorce just really takes the cake for non-newsworthy reporting. I'd like to know what lame-o executive over there has so few real life experiences that a ridiculous break-up of two people who cannot exist out from behind a monitor screen is one of the top national news stories today. Aren't there more important things happening? I don't give a flying fart about two WoW-addicted morons who spend their time trying to make their online personalities work since they can't seem to have one in reality. Don't get me wrong - I have spent a significant amount of time playing games, and I'm a big fan of The Sims, but GET A LIFE ALREADY (NOT a "Second Life")!!!!

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Jack is Back

Finally, the new season of 24 is beginning on January 11th and 12th, and the previews look good so far. Tony is back as well, but as a baddie. Should be interesting...




But besides the upcoming new season, there is also the TV movie 24:Redemption coming later this month on Sunday November 23rd and released a few days later on DVD.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Sad News

I was very unhappy to hear of Paul Newman's passing some weeks ago, as I have been a fan of his practically all my life, and admired him greatly not only for his acting ability but his character and selflessness as well. But I was not shocked at that news, since it had been widely reported that he was suffering with cancer.

The news about Michael Crichton's death from cancer today was a big shock, and I'm sad to hear of it. He has been a huge influence not only in the literary world, but television and movies especially. I'm sorry we won't see more amazing things from him.

But just as we're laying to rest the creator of Jurassic Park, we are experimenting dangerously with the very topic he warned us about in his book:

Scientists clone frozen mice - hope to clone extinct species in the future.

A Hopeful Election
























I don't usually blog about politics, but I'm feeling very good about this election. Even though I'm deep in the heart of Bush-land, in a very red state, I'm very glad enough people who are frustrated with the situation at hand went out and made a real difference yesterday. I'm glad I was one of them, and props to all of you who made your voice count as well. Here's hoping the change is for the better!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Blackberry Bound


Oh, I have fully and completely joined the ranks of the Blackberry-carrying nation. Where has this fun little toy been all my life? Screw the iPhone - I am hooked, and I haven't even downloaded any games yet!! Between getting my email, text messages, Facebook updates, and phone calls that crazy little contraption is buzzing with excitement ALL THE TIME. No wonder people have to take breaks from them - it seriously demands your attention 24/7. I'll probably end up leaving it on quiet mode at night, but right now I'm feeling way too important. I also LOVE that it comes with a leather pouch (albeit one without a clip) and stereo headset. I also love that the Verizon salesman tried very hard to get me to buy the "package" without letting me know this. Luckily, I declined, since I'm sure I can find way more cool stuff (and cheaper!) on sites like these:

BBerry
Blackberry Source
Fommy

I have - because I'm a serious bargain-hunter - already scoured the net for free downloads, because with the browsing upgrade you HAVE to add on to your bill if you get one of these, you tend to lean toward the frugal. Besides, the best things in life are free, right? Although it comes with a map application, no one can touch Google, so that was one of the first things I loaded. Get it for yourself here:

Google Maps for Blackberry

The next fun little app had to be an entertainment one, so TV Guide offers their freebie so you can enter your location and cable service, and get a complete channel listing all the time. It also allows you a favorites list, and will group the channels into categories.

TV Guide for Blackberry

My other favorite is Mara Tick, just because I am a consummate list-maker. This eliminates my need for little notepads everywhere. It holds a grocery vocabulary, and you can make your list, date it, set up reminders, and check it off. It also has little icons so you can use it for packing lists, party planning, and a lot of other things. Naturally, it also synchs with your computer's clipboard.

Mara Tick for Blackberry

I'm sure I'll be loading the MySpace app when it becomes available, and although Brickbreaker is a cool throwback to Pong, I can't help but think I may be getting some Sims Castaway or Star Wars games for my gadget later on... In the meantime, here are some other sites with freeware:

Squidoo
Blackberry Freeware
Blackberry Freaks

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Max Payne


I checked out the new Max Payne movie last night. Unfortunately, I have never played the game so I have no frame of reference about it's accuracy, but I was told by someone who has played the game that it is very similar. I was expecting a little more of the fantasy element to be prominent, from what I could gather off the trailers, but it took a more realistic approach and didn't delve into the Valkyrie storyline too deeply. I was expecting more along the lines of Constantine, but it ran more like a cross between an episode of CSI and X-Files. It wasn't a bad movie, but it wasn't spectacular, either.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Early Movie Buzz

Some of the latest movie buzz that has sent my head reeling with excitement - can't wait to hear more about these:

Characters:
Johnny Depp playing the Riddler in the next Batman Begins movie, and playing the Mad Hatter in Burton's version of Alice in Wonderland.

Robert Downey, Jr. playing Sherlock Holmes, with Jude Law as Watson and Guy Ritchie directing.

Russell Crowe as Robin Hood with Ridley Scott directing "Nottingham"

Jake Gyllenhall in Prince of Persia

Ryan Gosling as the Green Lantern

Movies:
Frank Miller's Sin City parts 2 and 3, the yet-untitled 300 sequel and The Spirit.

Twilight

Baz Luhrmann's Australia

Max Payne

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Joe Six-Pack

The elusive Joe Six-Pack that has been the buzz of so much political talk lately has finally been found!! See link below for a picture of him in his native habitat:

Joe Six-Pack

Monday, September 29, 2008

Houston Taiko Festival


Since this weekend was GORGEOUS, and the city seems to be getting back on its feet again, I thought it was a good opportunity to get outside with my fellow Houstonians and catch the Taiko Festival at Miller Outdoor Theater. The show was cool - lots of martial arts, dancing and drumming. There are some videos on my You Tube page. It's one of my favorite things to do in the city when the weather is nice. The park is really lovely since they have done all the updates, and its a great place to hang (for free) with the kids, the dogs, etc. All the Miller Outdoor Theater shows are also free, and it is much like the Woodlands venue, where you basically claim your spot on the hillside, and you can pack a picnic while you enjoy the show. Of course, it can get a bit noisy as the little kids are winding down and the adults are imbibing adult beverages, but it's a great way to spend a lovely fall evening.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Ike = Sauron... it fits!

hurricane ike, storm, eye of sauron, lord of the rings
see famous look-a-like faces

Clay Aiken is Gay

Apparently, being a dad forced him to be honest with the public. Can I get a big ol' DUH from everyone???

Clay is Gay

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Aftermath of Ike



My storm story is a mild one compared to some of the people I came across in San Antonio and since I've been back in Houston. We made it out of Houston early Friday morning (9/12) with no traffic delays at all. All the people who got out earlier on Thursday evening had to deal with lots of delays and an extra day of hotel expenses. The weather in San Antonio was wonderful, and I was even feeling a bit guilty when we stayed up watching all the horrible news from back home. It almost made it worth it to see Geraldo Rivera falling down in the 100+ mph wind played over, and over, and over...

We stayed in a pet-friendly hotel (Red Roof, for anyone who wants to know) - or at least, they claim to be. There was no room service, so you have to leave to get food. We came back on Saturday after being gone for about 3-4 hours during the middle of the day to a handwritten note on the door about leaving my dogs in the room unattended. Considering the loud children who kept playing in the hallway, the ear-piercing smoke alarm that went off unprovoked in our room TWICE, and ALL the other people who had dogs in the hotel that did not get nasty little notes on their doors, I don't think I'll be going back there again.

We did meet up with several people from all over the Southeast Texas, Houston, and the Gulf areas. There were lots of people who lost almost everything, and most who just didn't know when they could return or what they'd be returning to. My prayers go out to all those people, and it made me feel quite lucky considering what could have been.

Many people returned to Houston on Sunday, same as us - despite the urging on the cable news shows not to. I knew my route into town was clear, otherwise I might not have attempted it. We passed convoys of supply trucks, debris removal trucks, ambulances, and other various disaster relief vehicles heading into town. Kudos to those I saw getting out of those vehicles' way, and shame on those who were not letting them in or riding their bumpers, not allowing those of us who pulled over back on the road. Gas was already getting scarce on the way into town. We filled up 100 miles west of town, and there was only premium left at the one station open.

Life in town is slowly getting back to normal as people are going back to work and clearing debris. Most of us are without power (me included), but we've seen none of the craziness like the Katrina fiasco. There was one shooting in Pasadena over gas, there has been some looting here and in Galveston, and some FEMA confusion over where to get food, ice and water. Mostly people seem to be helping each other out, and dealing with the situation with a positive outlook. The unseasonably cool weather helps everyone tremendously, and I hope it sticks around long enough to see most of us through the widespread power outage. All things considered, it could have been MUCH worse.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Rain, rain go away...


Ugh. Let's hope it stops by September...

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Sunset Before Dolly



Hurricane season is good for one thing - beautiful sunsets!

Monday, July 21, 2008

Sequel Week

Earlier this week I finally made it to see the Hellboy II movie, and although it was good, I have to admit I was expecting more after seeing what Del Toro is capable of with Pan's Labyrinth. The cheesy Barry Manilow sing-along felt like filler, as did a few repeat scenes from the first movie. No complaints at all about the imaginative characters, especially the scenes with the Angel of Death and the Elemental. The elf prince was also very good, and I called it in the movie that he reminded me of the villain in the Blade II movie - sure enough, same guy!

Along with pretty much everyone else this weekend, I went to see the new Batman movie. Yes, it was really good - probably better than the first one. I really think the direction they are taking the comic book movies now gives the stories the seriousness they deserve. There is a reason they have a huge fan base that follow these stories for years. It's not just the artwork - the writing is excellent. The stories are involved, and the characters are multi-dimensional. Both Heath Ledger's performance and Aaron Eckhart's after his transformation are chilling. It was a riveting movie, and I was jumping in my seat throughout. My biggest complaint with the writing is that I didn't get enough insight into the Joker's story. It's as if he just popped up out of nowhere, and we never see what made him insane, or the real reason behind the scars.

That said, I also can't understand all the Oscar buzz around Heath's performance. It is not his best work - it's his last work. If we failed to give him accolades when he deserved them, why now? His take on the Joker was very good - the least cartoonish I have ever seen. But maniacal villains have been done better before, and haven't seen this much praise.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Counting Calories

I decided to get a little more serious about my dietary intake, so after doing a bit more internet surfing, I entered my information in the handy little calculators on the MSN health and fitness page. This will tell you how many calories you are currently burning as well as calculating your calorie target in accordance with how much weight you want to lose, and how long it will take to lose it.

The best results seem to come from people who keep a food journal, and I know this is a common practice in most of the major diet programs, so the most detailed (and free) one I found is My Calorie Counter.com. You can keep track of all your meals, and enter the information yourself if your food isn't listed in their vast cache.

Monday, July 07, 2008

Weekend Movies

Just a quick blurb about the movies I caught over the weekend. I'm late in seeing it, but the new Get Smart movie was pretty funny - much better than I thought it would be.

On DVD now is the movie Persepolis. It is the story of an Iranian girl whose childhood is disrupted by the political change in her home country. She is sent to live in Europe, and then returns to Iran again as an adult. The time frame spans the last part of the 70s through the 80s and 90s, and it is incredibly genuine and beautifully told. The animation is done simply in black and white. The story reads like her own diary, and moves you through every emotion from deep sadness to hilarity. The movie is based on the biography of Marjane Satrapi, and is in French (with English subtitles).

Post-holiday bloating

Something about stuffing yourself on holidays makes me want to diet like crazy after. We had a low-key holiday weekend and shot some fireworks in the front drive. You can see a few of them over on my YouTube page.

I found a cool little calorie counter that I'll be putting to use so I can get back in bikini mode before the next long weekend. Hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th!

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Top Chef Finale

Well, I was wrong about the outcome of this season for the first time since the show aired. I was expecting Richard to take the prize home, but it seems he lost momentum in the end, and the win was for Stephanie - a first for Top Chef to have a female winner. Still, it was a great season and I enjoyed it - yum!

Eddie Izzard, Stripped











I saw Eddie Izzard at Jones Hall last night in downtown Houston, and he was hilarious! I enjoyed the show more than some of his most recent stuff, and I hope this one ends up on DVD. Eddie usually does his shows in drag, since he is a "card-carrying transvestite", but I suppose being in the land of Bush he decided to dress more conservatively - with jeans and a tuxedo coat with tails! His topics cover history, and this one went all the way back to the Stone Age. He came out for a brief encore at the end, and encouraged Americans to vote in the upcoming election. I've been a fan of Eddie's for years, and turned several people on to his stand-up act. I'm really glad to see he is reaching a wider audience now, and it was such a thrill to see him live!

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Lesbians Get in Trouble for Kissing at a Sports Event??? What Gives?

This is absolutely ridiculous. Since when do guys not want to see hot lesbian action combined with a sports event??? And just when I thought we were evolving as a species...

Grow up, people.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Angels in America










I spent Saturday afternoon in Fort Worth seeing my friend David play the lead in Angels in America, an opera based on the hit play. The opera is in English, and is a bit more modern than traditional opera, but it is done very well. Each of the artists play many roles, so my hat is off to all of them for conquering several very difficult parts. The theater was an intimate venue, so every seat in the house was a good one. If you are in the area, I suggest checking it out. David tells me that all the major players are all coincidentally from Texas originally. It makes me glad to see the arts supported in such a way that we are able to produce great talents like David and his fellow castmates.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

The Kite Runner


I didn't see this movie at the theaters, but it is out on DVD now, and if you have the chance to rent it - DO. It is a difficult movie to watch, especially one scene in particular (depicts the rape of a young boy - beware), but the message is of redemption, bravery and true friendship, and it is a portrait of life for Muslims/Middle Easterners that we normally don't get to see.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

And the Penguins win it!

Last night's Top Chef episode had them in groups for the first time. The quickfire challenge asked them to spend $25 on only five items from the farmer's market, and Mark won with his steak dish despite the fact he had left one of his items behind at the market. The groups were formed for the elimination challenge for a zoo event. Each group had an animal that they had to create a menu using items from those animals' actual diets. I was surprised the vulture team did so well, but it was Andrew and his penguin team that eventually won, with both his fun glacier gelee and tasty squid ceviche. I'm a huge fan of ceviche, but have yet to try it with squid. I'll bet it comes out less chewy than when it is cooked or raw. So this time the chef that was sent packing was Valerie, who did her olive blinis ahead of time making them less palatable. Unlike the other two in the bottom, she did not have a second menu item to redeem herself. I couldn't help but make the comparison between her and Rachel Dratch from SNL - I wonder if they are related???

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Ain't it funny...

That Joe Francis (of Girls Gone Wild fame) gets released from jail just in time for Spring Break? Ugh.

Top Chef begins!


The new season of Top Chef began last night, and I have so far been able to pick the winner from the first episode with each season. This season's group seems to have a bit more pedigree, but we'll have to see if that translates onto the plate. The quickfire pizza challenge was a little predictable seeing that they met in a pizza place - any of the contestants that were surprised by this should have studied the last few seasons a bit more carefully. The elimination challenge was interesting in that they immediately paired up some rivals. I couldn't help but laugh when Richard chose Andrew and then proceeded to show him up in every way. I can tell Andrew is going to be fun to watch. I felt bad for the two that had to make souffle' but as Tom said, you should be prepared to compete with at least the basics of food preparation, and souffle' is one that every culinary school graduate should be able to make. The challenge ended with Stephanie as the winner with her take on duck l'orange. The judges always seem to favor wild game that is well-prepared, and the color of the duck looked perfect. The eliminated party was Nimma, who presented a very boring-looking shrimp scampi which consisted of two shrimp and a puddle of cauliflower goo. Plus it was apparently really salty too - ick. Maybe she should have loosened up with the others and drank a little champagne, since she was only there for the one night.

I think they put a little too much emphasis on the lesbian couple - I don't really think it should effect the others much. I am expecting big things from Dale, Jennifer, Lisa and Stephanie, but my pick for season winner is Richard, who seems to have an impressive wealth of knowledge, an ability to remain cool under pressure, a sense of good sportsmanship, and he doesn't come across as cocky, just confident. We'll see...

Monday, March 10, 2008

Food, food, food...

Perhaps in anticipation of the newest season of Top Chef starting this week, it was most definitely the weekend of eating out for me. Starting out on Friday night with a very filling dinner at El Rodeo Mexican restaurant in north Houston, I had a smothered snapper (everything is good covered in cheesy sauce!) and a very interesting drink that seemed like a cross between a margarita and a spicy bloody mary.

On Saturday night we had a lovely (but pricey) dinner at Smith & Wollensky. The atmosphere is nice, the service is excellent, and the food is good, but not nearly good enough to demand the high prices they do. I'm sure a lot of the price has to do with the name of the restaurant, but inflating wine prices and charging $40 for a bland cut of beef with no sides included is a bit much.

We rounded out the weekend with a bit of Korean barbeque at Seoul Garden in the Little Korea part of town. With a couple of appetizers and the thin-sliced marinated beef for two, we were stuffed! Great end to a weekend of eating... now, off to the treadmill!

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Project Runway Goodness


I'm not going to bother blogging about Project Runway since there are so many good sites out there that can do it much better than me, but I have to say that each time I watch Christian I am reminded of the Chris Kattan SNL character Azrael Abyss from Goth Talk. Do you think he ever worked at Cinnabon???

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Funny stuff on a dreary day

All this news about Heath Ledger seems to be bringing everyone down. Even President Bush cancelled an appearance due to the news. I thought I'd post some funny stuff to compensate, since I kinda needed a pick-me-up today myself:

25 Weirdest toys

Jerry O'Connell spoofs Tom Cruise's nutty Scientology video

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Big Monster

So we ran out this past weekend to see the Cloverfield movie so no one would spoil it for me. Yes I fell for the hype, but in order to describe the monster you'd have to combine a few species, you still wouldn't get it quite right, and the person you're describing it to would still look pretty confused. Better to just go see it yourself and make your own judgement. It was a decent flick, but nothing to get nuts about - basically another spin off Godzilla if you ask me. I saw The Host not too long ago and actually enjoyed it more, although the CG wasn't quite as big budget as Cloverfield, the story was more interesting, the ending had more of a twist, and the monster was more intriguing even though it wasn't the size of a small building.

Go see Cloverfield if you must, but not because you are worried someone will spoil it for you, and make sure you can handle the constant movement of the camera - it is filmed much like Blair Witch Project, very amateur-style, and the lady next to us had to leave in the middle of the film because she was getting motion sick.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Enough Crazy to Go Around

We all know Britney has gone off the deep end, but she's not alone:

Celine Dion is a loony

Beyonce is a nutjob

Tom Cruise gone apeshizz

But crazy isn't reserved only for the famous... crazy exists all over:

Video gamers gone wild

Even cats are losing it

Posts found via Gawker, PITNBlog, four four, and You Tube

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Snow in Baghdad

I was touched by the story about the snowfall in Baghdad last week, and I had to share it with my favorite political blogger on the People's Republic of Seabrook. It seems it touched him too, and he gave me a shout out about it - yay!

Snow in Baghdad

Sushi Nite!


As we had cause for some celebrating last night, we decided to go out for some sushi. I tend to overlook the Miyako chain since I like frequenting the smaller out-of-the-way places, but I have to rave about our experience last night. It was very quiet, probably typical for a Monday. We sat on the Japanese-style side, taking our shoes off and the whole bit. They had a few choices of unfiltered sake, which is sometimes unavailable at many places. We decided to go with the sui mai, seared ahi tuna special, a crunch roll and some assorted sushi. Everything was wonderful, especially the tuna and crunch roll. We were stuffed, and the price was fairly reasonable considering the quality of the food and the fact that we had sake with dinner as well. Next time we're going out for sushi, I won't be so quick to dismiss Miyako's!