tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-132037542024-03-21T16:54:57.572-06:00Untitled. Unfinished. Unreleased.Pop culture writings of Brett Merritt: actor, writer and family man desperately trying to hold it all together.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-91265734697613648182013-08-20T14:50:00.000-06:002013-08-20T14:50:49.666-06:00Can You Guess the 10 Highest Grossing Martin Scorsese Films?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/robert-de-niro-and-martin-scorsese-1976.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="159" src="http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/robert-de-niro-and-martin-scorsese-1976.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">from collider.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In this 1990 <a href="http://www.movies.com/movie-news/siskel-ebert-spielberg-scorsese-interview/13271" target="_blank">interview</a>, Martin Scorsese talks about the future of movies and how he hopes, one day, one of his movies will make a lot of money. I was curious to see if any had so I looked up the box office of his films. Using $100 million as an arbitrary measure for success, only three of his movies have been commercially successful.<br />
<ul>
<li>The Departed: $132,384,315</li>
<li>Shutter Island: $128,012,934</li>
<li>The Aviator: $102,610,330</li>
<li>Cape Fear: $79,091,969</li>
<li>Gangs of New York: $77,812,000</li>
<li>Hugo: $73,864,507</li>
<li>The Color of Money: $52,293,982</li>
<li>Goodfellas: $46,836,214</li>
<li>Casino: $42,512,375</li>
<li>The Age of Innocence: $32,255,440</li>
</ul>
<div>
Does the result surprise you? Does it matter?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-10519654354067999982013-03-05T19:30:00.000-07:002013-03-05T19:30:02.193-07:00Video: Training SucksHey! I found a video I'm in. Check it out.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qzHxtx-gtfs" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
Thoughts?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-90943536745345945632013-01-18T18:22:00.001-07:002017-04-09T17:59:34.049-06:00Part Time AuthorFriends.<br />
<br />
I'm a regular (Friday) contributor to <a href="http://parttimeauthors.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">PartTimeAuthors.com</a>, a blog started by 4 of the best dudes I know.<br />
<br />
To see what I have to say each week, please give it a visit. The posts from me will be more regular there than here.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-32394355786974105352013-01-04T17:07:00.000-07:002013-01-04T17:07:18.375-07:00My Favorite Music and Books of 2012<br />
Here's the music I loved and listened to the most this year. Also, I read a few books.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.billboard.com/photos/stylus/2418859-passion-pit-gossamer-617-409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://www.billboard.com/photos/stylus/2418859-passion-pit-gossamer-617-409.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Music</b><br />
<i>Gossamer</i> - Passion Pit<br />
It came out, I started listening to it and when I stopped it was 3 weeks later. It is brilliant.<br />
Recommended tracks: "Take a Walk," "Carried Away," and "Love is Greed"<br />
<br />
<i>Bloom</i> - Beach House<br />
It's slow but beautifully enchanting.<br />
Recommended tracks: "Myth" and "The Hours"<br />
<br />
<i>Shields</i> - Grizzly Bear<br />
Understandably not for everyone but I love this sort of thing: acoustic instruments, layered vocals, and found sound.<br />
Recommended tracks: "Speak in Rounds" and "Yet Again"<br />
<br />
<i>Port of Morrow</i> - The Shins<br />
Will always have a soft spot for these guys.<br />
Recommended tracks: "It's Only Life" and "No Way Down"<br />
<br />
<i>Heaven</i> - The Walkmen<br />
Still one of the most unique-sounding bands around.<br />
Recommended tracks: "Heartbreaker" and "The Love You Love"<br />
<br />
<i>Swing Lo Magellan</i> - The Dirty Projectors<br />
Again, not for everyone. In fact, I don't like much of this album. But when it's good, it's better than most music out there.<br />
Recommended tracks: "Just from Chevron" and "Dance for You"<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<b>Books</b><br />
Now, with books, I can't list stuff that came out in 2012. I can only list the stuff I read. I don't read as much as I used to but I read more in 2012 than I did from 2006 to 2011.<br />
<br />
"The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien - Worthy of its reputation. Although, it is a little anti-climatic.<br />
"Bossypants" by Tina Fey - Laughed so much.<br />
"Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card - You think you know where it's going and then it smacks you in the face.<br />
"The Spy Who Came in From the Cold" by John le Carré - Gets your heart pumping.<br />
"World War Z" by Max Brooks - Sad, funny, intense, warning of what might happen in a global crisis.<br />
"Start with Why" by Simon Sinek - Inspires you to do what inspires you.<br />
"Writing Movies for Fun and Profit" by Thomas Lennon and Robert B. Garant - Helpful?<br />
"Improv Wisdom" by Patricia Ryan Madson - Day-to-day application of improv techniques.<br />
"Managing Content Marketing" by Robert Rose and Joe Pulizzi - Good stuff for my work.<br />
"Content Rules" by Ann Hadley and C.C. Chapman - Great stuff for my work.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-54303156303014783912013-01-04T16:17:00.000-07:002013-01-04T16:17:27.695-07:00Favorite TV of 2012<div>
Here is a summary of the TV I watched in 2012. There's a lot.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://media.campustimes.org/2012/02/parks-and-rec-courtesy-of-blairpeter.typepad.com_-300x247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media.campustimes.org/2012/02/parks-and-rec-courtesy-of-blairpeter.typepad.com_-300x247.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>My Favorite Comedies in order:</b></div>
<div>
Parks and Recreation</div>
<div>
Ben and Kate</div>
<div>
New Girl</div>
<div>
30 Rock</div>
<div>
Happy Endings</div>
<div>
Bob's Burgers</div>
<div>
Community</div>
<div>
Portlandia</div>
<div>
Modern Family</div>
<div>
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia</div>
<div>
The League</div>
<div>
Saturday Night Live</div>
<div>
South Park</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640x360/legacy/brand/b018ttws.jpg?nodefault=true" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640x360/legacy/brand/b018ttws.jpg?nodefault=true" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>My Favorite Dramas in order:</b></div>
<div>
Sherlock</div>
<div>
Doctor Who</div>
<div>
Justified</div>
<div>
Breaking Bad</div>
<div>
Luther</div>
<div>
Southland</div>
<div>
Suits</div>
<div>
Mad Men</div>
<div>
Nashville</div>
<div>
Downton Abbey</div>
<div>
Arrow</div>
<div>
The Walking Dead</div>
<div>
Falling Skies</div>
<div>
American Horror Story & American Horror Story: Asylum</div>
<div>
Alphas</div>
<div>
Elementary</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>My Favorite Shows to Watch with the Kids:</b></div>
<div>
Gravity Falls</div>
<div>
The Legend of Kora</div>
<div>
Thundercats</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Shows I Want to Start/Finish Someday:</b></div>
<div>
Parenthood</div>
<div>
Vampire Diaries</div>
<div>
Dexter</div>
<div>
Fringe</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-61473596662530322442013-01-04T16:05:00.000-07:002013-02-24T00:31:25.557-07:00Best Movies of 2012<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/argo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/argo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Here's all the movies I saw in 2012 that came out in wide-release in 2012. I've organized them by my Top 10 and then <i>in descending order</i> based on the price of the ticket they warrant. Each of the Top 10 has a quote from a critic that sums up my feelings about the movie, where possible.<br />
<br />
<b>Top 10</b><br />
1. Argo<br />
"Argo has that solid, kick-the-tires feel of those studio films from the 70s that were about something but also entertained. Only it's as laugh outright amusing as it is sobering." - Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post<br />
<br />
2. The Avengers<br />
"It really is an astounding achievement - a film that juggles an unenviable number of elements; combining what we've seen before, slotting them together and then adding enough depth, action and humour to make this a remarkable standalone film." - Matt Looker, TheShiznit.co.uk<br />
<br />
3. Looper<br />
"This is the real deal, folks – intelligent, humorous, exciting entertainment that happens to be sci-fi but is by no means limited to that genre’s target audience in terms of appeal. Anyone who appreciates good fiction, science- or otherwise, will find much to enjoy in what amounts to the latest proof that Rian Johnson is one of the best up-and-coming filmmakers in America." - Eric D. Snider, ericdsnider.com<br />
<br />
4. The Cabin in the Woods<br />
"The ideal audience for Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s ingenious deconstruction of horror movies is people who have seen a lot of them, and who have thought about their tropes and cliches ... for those of us who are into this sort of thing, “Cabin in the Woods” is the most exciting shake-up in the horror world since <i>Scream</i>.” - Eric D. Snider, ericdsnider.com<br />
<br />
5. Skyfall<br />
My number one or number two favorite Bond film ever.<br />
"Skyfall epitomizes what a Bond movie should be, and its director, for once, justifiably deserves much of the credit." - Gabe Leibowitz, Film and Felt<br />
<br />
6. Zero Dark Thirty<br />
<br />
7. The Perks of Being a Wallflower<br />
"Painfully, piercingly honest and vulnerable. So, while it's not a perfect movie ... I really loved it, and it brought me back to a time when hearing "Heroes" by David Bowie for the first time was a discovery." - Davey Morrison Dillard, grassrootsshakespeare.com<br />
<br />
8. Moonrise Kingdom<br />
"With its deadpan dialogue and damaged characters, Moonrise Kingdom casts a unique and charming spell and is surprisingly hopeful." - Eric Melin, Scene-Stealers.com<br />
<br />
9. Les Miserables<br />
"A brilliant adaptation of the long-running stage musical, it raises the goose bumps like no other theatrical presentation of its kind, film or stage." -David Kaplan, Kaplan vs. Kaplan<br />
<br />
10. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey<br />
"A marvel of filmmaking wizardry and engrossing adventure storytelling ... marks another triumph by director Peter Jackson who once again takes J.R. Tolkien's words and brings them to life with skilful, passionate expertise." - Matthew Pejkovic, Matt's Movie Reviews<br />
<br />
<b>Full Price</b><br />
The Impossible<br />
The Amazing Spider-Man<br />
Django Unchained<br />
Wreck-It Ralph<br />
Premium Rush<br />
Pitch Perfect<br />
The Secret World of Arrietty<br />
Beasts of the Southern Wild<br />
Jack Reacher<br />
The Raid: Redemption<br />
<br />
<b>Matinee</b><br />
The Dark Knight Rises<br />
Brave<br />
ParaNorman<br />
The Bourne Legacy<br />
Ted<br />
Cloud Atlas<br />
Savages<br />
Lincoln<br />
21 Jump Street<br />
This is 40<br />
Hotel Transylvania<br />
<br />
<b>Red Box</b><br />
Mirror Mirror<br />
Frankenweenie<br />
Dredd<br />
The Grey<br />
Prometheus<br />
Snow White and the Huntsman<br />
The Hunger Games<br />
<br />
<b>Streaming</b><br />
The Pirates! Band of Misfits<br />
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter<br />
Chronicle<br />
Men in Black 3<br />
<br />
<b>Skip It</b><br />
Lockout<br />
Total Recall<br />
<div><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-29977747032294372292012-03-26T14:28:00.000-06:002012-12-20T14:51:09.592-07:00The 15 Best TV Theme Songs of My Lifetime<br />
<div class="p1">
Here's my rules:</div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Has to be a show that was originally on in my lifetime (1971-2012).</li>
<li>Has to be a show I watch or watched regularly.</li>
<li>Being recognizable isn't enough. Has to have what I consider real musical merit.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="p2">
Enjoy ...</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
1. <b>Cheers</b></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
"You wanna be where everybody knows your name."</div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2. <b>Southland</b></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
Simple. Powerful.</div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/pBFFZ9CS8cc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
3. <b>Friday Night Lights</b></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
Clear eyes ... you know the rest.</div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
4a. <b>Ed</b> "Moment in the Sun"</div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
"When it's my moment in the sun, oh, how beautiful I'll be ..."</div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
4b. <b>Ed</b> "Next Year"</div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
When Ed stopped using "Moment in the Sun" at least it had this one to fall back on.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
5. <b>Bonanza</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I bet you've already started humming it.</div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
6. <b>Taxi</b></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
So sweet and melancholy.</div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/zuPZ4NaRiv4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
7. <b>Olympic Fanfare</b></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
It's just an amazing and stirring piece of music. Should probably be #1.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
8. <b>Star Trek: TNG</b></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
I grew up on Kirk but I'd give the chair to Picard.</div>
<br />
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
9. <b>Sherlock Holmes (2010)</b></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
Fits the show perfectly.</div>
<br />
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
10. <b>The Rockford Files</b></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
I'll tell you a secret. I wanted to be Jim Rockford so bad.</div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/TXtpoO_DlDM/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TXtpoO_DlDM&fs=1&source=uds" />
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<br />
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
11.<b> CSI: NY</b></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
This is my favorite The Who song of the three used in the CSI franchise.</div>
<br />
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
12. <b>Veronica Mars</b></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
"A long time ago, we used to be friends." Oh, high school.</div>
<br />
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
13. <b>Parks and Recreation</b></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
I think it's the tempo, percussion and wind instruments. Just makes me smile.</div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/wI7f4CgATiE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
14. <b>Dukes of Hazzard</b></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
It's the only way they know how, ya'll.</div>
<br />
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
15. <b>Doctor Who (early 80s)</b></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: center;">
He made a multi-colored scarf famous before Harry Potter.</div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
My Honorable Mentions: Adventure Time w/ Finn and Jake, Six Feet Under, Scrubs, Pushing Daisies, The O.C., Rescue Me, Dexter, A-Team, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Greatest American Hero, M.A.S.H., The Muppet Show, The Simpsons, Taxi, Twin Peaks</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
What are the themes that shaped your TV-viewing lives?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-45474373792989467292011-12-31T12:00:00.000-07:002012-01-13T19:43:46.114-07:00My TV of 2011 ListHere is a summary of the TV I watched in 2011. Or, as I like to call it, "The stories I watched instead of the stories I wrote."<br />
<br />
<b><i>The Best:</i></b><br />
<br />
<b>My Favorite Comedies</b><br />
Happy Endings<br />
Parks and Recreation<br />
New Girl<br />
30 Rock<br />
Community<br />
Modern Family<br />
South Park<br />
Bob's Burgers<br />
Up All Night<br />
Saturday Night Live<br />
<br />
<b>My Favorite Dramas</b><br />
Friday Night Lights<br />
Justified<br />
Southland<br />
Sherlock (Masterpiece Mystery)<br />
Mad Men<br />
Downton Abbey<br />
American Horror Story<br />
Suits<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Alphas</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Person of Interest</div>
<br />
<b>Show that Hates Its Viewers</b><br />
The Killing<br />
<br />
<b>Six Seasons and a Movie</b><br />
Community<br />
<br />
<b>Shows I Want to Start or Catch Up On Someday</b><br />
Breaking Bad<br />
Parenthood<br />
Vampire Diaries<br />
Dexter<br />
Rescue Me<br />
Eastbound and Down<br />
Chuck<br />
Fringe<br />
<br />
What do you like to watch?<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-90185627610751053772011-12-30T20:00:00.000-07:002012-03-06T21:27:39.791-07:00My Movies of 2011 List<br />
Here are, I think, all the movies I saw that were released in 2011.<br />
<br />
As with my previous lists, I have tried to break them down according to how I feel about them right in this moment. It should be noted that any in the top 3 could have taken the top spot but right now my gut says it's The Muppets. Some days it's Drive. Outside the Top 10, I rank them this way: If I had to see them again, would I pay Full, Matinee, or Rental Price or would I just pass altogether?<br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Top 10</b><br />
The Muppets<br />
Drive<br />
Midnight in Paris<br />
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows<br />
The Artist<br />
Bridesmaids<br />
The Descendants<br />
Moneyball<br />
Super 8<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Hugo</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<b>Full Price</b><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Thor<br />
Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Rango</div>
X-Men: First Class<br />
Captain America: The First Avenger<br />
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II<br />
The Tree of Life<br />
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil<br />
Contagion<br />
Hanna<br />
Rise of the Planet of the Apes<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</div>
Source Code<br />
Kung Fu Panda 2<br />
Point Blank (France)<br />
<br />
<b>Matinee</b><br />
Melancholia<br />
Troll Hunter<br />
Our Idiot Brother<br />
Fast Five<br />
Puss in Boots<br />
Tower Heist<br />
The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn<br />
Limitless<br />
Friends with Benefits<br />
The Adjustment Bureau<br />
<br />
<b>Rental</b><br />
Attack the Block<br />
Insidious<br />
13 Assassins (Japan)<br />
30 Minutes or Less<br />
The Trip<br />
Bellflower<br />
Submarine<br />
The Green Hornet<br />
The Mechanic<br />
Cowboys and Aliens<br />
<br />
<b>Meh/Pass</b><br />
Green Lantern<br />
Battle: Los Angeles<br />
Hop<br />
I Am Number Four<br />
Transformers: Dark of the Moon<br />
Hangover 2<br />
<br />
What did you enjoy (or not) this year?<br />
<br />
<i>Note: Republished after I had seen more 2011 releases.</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-68626353056116981792011-12-29T22:10:00.000-07:002012-01-13T19:42:21.579-07:00My Top 11 Albums of 2011I pretty much ignored music most of the year. I find I do that more that I'm married and alone a lot less and tend to really only enjoy music if I can really listen to it. So here's what I think made me the happiest this year where music is concerned. Enjoy<br />
<br />
<b>Nine Types of Light - TV on the Radio</b><br />
From release day until October 3rd, this was in my car's CD player. Actually, I think it's still in there.<br />
Recommended track: "<a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/6x1eNB6mT6Yg8eO14xvZR6" target="_blank">Second Song</a>"<br />
<br />
<b>No Color - The Dodos</b><br />
I smile from ear to ear every single time I listen to this. Every time.<br />
Recommended tracks: "<a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/2HKKXe522Qp3CPIcApr7gI" target="_blank">Black Night</a>" and "<a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/2BklvfYjNp7uzuvvd7yGSi" target="_blank">Don't Stop</a>"<br />
<br />
<b>The Rip Tide - Beirut</b><br />
Unique without being different for different's sake. A better use of accordion I have not heard.<br />
Recommended track: "<a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/2igZoluWeHImg2afaKAkJt" target="_blank">Vagabond</a>"<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b>Circuital - My Morning Jacket</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Got back to what made me fall in love with them in the first place.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Recommended track: "<a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/4UppR2zhDhSBfxsd6vZsq0" target="_blank">Wonderful (The Way I Feel)</a>"</div>
<br />
<b>Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes</b><br />
For the smelly, hacky-sack playing hippy in all of us.<br />
Recommended track: "<a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/4luYkMzGsCUtGJFfi8kVOv" target="_blank">Someone You'd Admire</a>"<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b>Bon Iver - Bon Iver</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
They're just great, aren't they?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Recommended track: "<a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/5bGd0OxvxZSATIf2eEkmTD" target="_blank">Holocene</a>"</div>
<br />
<b>The Year of Hibernation - Youth Lagoon</b><br />
<div>
Far away, earnest and melancholy, reaching out to you from inside a winter dream.</div>
<div>
Recommended track: "<a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/2q4gGYNmNYNyqgpVmGJH0c" target="_blank">Cannons</a>"<br />
<br /></div>
<b>Days - Real Estate</b><br />
Dreamy floating tune after dreamy floaty tune.<br />
Recommended track: "<a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/3OemcJO9ytS05e0vRuVigG" target="_blank">Wonder Years</a>"<br />
<br />
<b>Kaput - Destroyer</b><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Some people may not enjoy Daniel Bejar outside of New Pornographers but I've became an even bigger fan when I heard the album Destroyer's Rubies for the first time.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Recommended track: "<a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/40YBc3mR3yyqyYvtesQOMj" target="_blank">Chinatown</a>"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b>Tomboy - Panda Bear</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Loops and reverb and happiness and sadness and echo and loops and it just puts me in the zone.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Recommended track: "<a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/44a2ChexqtwN06xwhxflMr" target="_blank">You Can Count On Me</a>"</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<b>Torches - Foster the People</b><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
It's not perfect but I have a lot of fun with it when I'm in the right mood.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Recommended track: "<a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/5Fli1xRi01bvCjsZvKWro0" target="_blank">Houdini</a>"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<b><i>Honorable Mention:</i></b><br />
<br />
<b>Collapse Into Now - R.E.M.</b><br />
I'll miss you Michael, Mike, Bill, and Peter.<br />
<br />
What were your favorites?<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-5514961525396603252011-04-15T11:26:00.001-06:002011-04-15T11:28:55.798-06:00I'm a "Modern Mormon Men" Contributor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.modernmormonmen.com/"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTk0C9BoFlLmSg0LjjL-tfPGsK4BWH3hS_cCNyD9Xz5pdxDBID6wK-8YEizEEdp7tvjNi6_FuvBff97G8zBHBbGcOaKcNmS1KcmzvPe1YlSOhaXJn2IRD_CtZR8GXkadaMGBoc/s400/MMM+Launch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div>From the <a href="http://www.modernmormonmen.com/p/about.html">About</a> section of the website:<br />
<div><br />
</div><div><i>"So, what is a modern mormon man? All three words – modern, mormon and man – are open to diverse interpretation. Figuring out the modern mormon man is less about defining who he is and more about exploring what he's made of. This blog, then, will explore those things the modern mormon man interacts with most and celebrate the spectrum that is sure to be found." </i></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div>I'm excited to be a part of this new site and look forward to seeing where it goes. How about you? Do you think it will be a smash hit? Or are there already too many Mormon-themed blogs out there? </div><div><br />
</div><div>P.S. Please let me know what topics you'd like to see written about, either by me or my colleagues. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-22216972639615432852011-01-03T19:00:00.002-07:002011-01-03T19:00:02.792-07:00My 2010 Favorite TV ListI feel like I watch a lot of TV. I didn't used to. I watched X-Files, Star Trek: TNG and Ed often back in the day but I never really scheduled my evening around what was on the Tube. In the Fall of 2002, I moved in with my best friend <a href="http://www.ericdsnider.com/">Eric D. Snider</a> and was quickly was absorbed into his condo culture of watching a few shows with hardcore loyalty using a new technology called <a href="http://www.tivo.com/">TiVo</a>. It changed my entertainment life. I could go about my day and then come home and watch the shows I wanted. Back then, we watched with regularity Alias, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, The Simpsons, Saturday Night Live and a few others. By the time I moved out in 2004, I was hooked on serial TV programs and DVRs. I always got one with my cable wherever I lived from that point on. If I found something I liked, I set it up as a "Season Pass" and watched my shows each night before bed. Harmony.<br />
<br />
When I got married in 2006, <a href="http://ameliamerritt.blogspot.com/">Amelia</a> wasn't really a TV watcher either. But DVRs are a beautiful thing and now we have a handful of shows we watch together and some we watch apart (she's more of a Reality TV fan and I'm more of an Inappropriate Comedy fan). I love watching shows with her. She's in the industry and her technical understanding of how shows work, her comments about wardrobe, her understanding of story and genre make it a priceless experience. It's also great to have someone who laughs just as hard at the brilliance of 30 Rock and Community as I do.<br />
<br />
OK, so about the list ... I'm sure I'm forgetting things but here is a summary of my TV life that was in 2010.<br />
<br />
<b>My Favorite Comedies</b><br />
Community<br />
30 Rock<br />
Parks and Recreation<br />
Modern Family<br />
Adventure Time with Finn and Jake<br />
The IT Crowd<br />
South Park<br />
<br />
<b>My Favorite Dramas</b><br />
Mad Men<br />
Dexter<br />
The Walking Dead<br />
Southland<br />
Justified<br />
Monday Night Football<br />
<br />
<b>Hit and Miss but When It Hits, Oh Man, It's Great</b><br />
Saturday Night Live<br />
So You Think You Can Dance<br />
Conan<br />
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Not As Good Anymore but Still Fun</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The Office</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Futurama</div><br />
<b>Just OK but I Still Watch Sometimes</b><br />
Outsourced<br />
The Amazing Race<br />
Project Runway<br />
Undercover Boss<br />
Ancient Aliens<br />
<br />
<b>Shows I Want to Catch Up On</b><br />
Friday Night Lights<br />
Vampire Diaries<br />
Dexter<br />
Eastbound and Down<br />
Venture Bros.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Shows I Hate but Sometimes Watch Anyway</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">America's Next Top Model</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The City</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">American Idol</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The Bachelor/Bachelorette</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Millionaire Matchmaker</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Tool Academy</div><br />
<b>Shows We Tried but Gave Up On</b><br />
The Event<br />
Chase<br />
No Ordinary Family<br />
Running Wilde<br />
The Mentalist<br />
Louie<br />
Hawaii 5-0<br />
<br />
<b>Shows We Watch that Were Cancelled</b><br />
The Whole Truth<br />
Lone Star<br />
Rubicon<br />
LostAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-50661144387649740712010-12-31T12:45:00.005-07:002011-02-14T10:55:48.163-07:00My 2010 Movie ListHere are, I think, all the movies I saw in 2010. I have tried to divide them up from best to worst according to how I feel right now about them. As you can see, we view a lot of "kid" movies. Most of the time we try to see the ones even parents will like and it usually turns out that way, thank goodness. There were actually some great family movies this year. Also, it should be noted that the top 5 are pretty interchangeable.<br />
<br />
<b>The Top of the Heap</b><br />
1. Inception<br />
2. The Social Network<br />
3. How to Train Your Dragon<br />
4. Toy Story 3<br />
5. The King's Speech<br />
6. Black Swan<br />
7. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World<br />
8. True Grit<br />
9. Nanny McPhee Returns<br />
10. Tangled<br />
<br />
<b>Very Good, Indeed</b><br />
The Fighter<br />
127 Hours<br />
Shutter Island<br />
The Town<br />
Iron Man 2<br />
Kick Ass<br />
The Kids Are All Right<br />
The Other Guys<br />
<br />
<b>Hearty Entertainment</b><br />
Megamind<br />
Harvey Porter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1<br />
Despicable Me<br />
Cyrus<br />
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole<br />
It's Kind of a Funny Story<br />
MacGruber<br />
The Crazies<br />
Get Him to the Greek<br />
<br />
<b>Had a Few Good Qualities</b><br />
Let Me In<br />
Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader<br />
Sorcerer's Apprentice<br />
A-Team<br />
Splice<br />
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time<br />
<br />
<b>Bored Me, Tried Too Hard or Both</b><br />
Alice in Wonderland<br />
Tron Legacy<br />
Repo Men<br />
<br />
<b>But for the Company, a Total Waste of Time</b><br />
Legion<br />
Clash of the Titans<br />
Jonah Hex<br />
<br />
<b>Haven't Seen But Wish I Had:</b><br />
Ghost Writer<br />
Knight and Day<br />
Date Night<br />
Salt<br />
Hot Tub Time Machine<br />
<br />
So how was your 2010 in movies? Let's hear it in the comments.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-19142516184380843352010-12-30T20:00:00.002-07:002011-01-03T08:19:09.019-07:00My 2010 Favorite Music ListI feel like I personally slacked in my music enjoyment duties this year. There were a few albums I completely missed by artists that I really like. There were new bands that I meant to check out that I never did. Life shifted into overdrive this year and it was really good but extremely busy. I blame my music slacking on that. Here's what I have for you.*<br />
<br />
Songs:<br />
<br />
"Fortune" - Midlake from The Courage of Others<br />
"Sun Hands" - Local Natives from Gorilla Manor<br />
"Swim" - Surfer Blood from Astro Coast<br />
"Heirloom" and "Enchanting Ghost"- Sufjan Stevens from All Delighted People EP<br />
"I Walked" - Sufjan Stevens from The Age of Adz<br />
"Your Hands (Together)" - The New Pornographers from Together<br />
"Excuses"- The Morning Benders from Big Echo<br />
"All the Pennies" and "Hourglass" - Mindy Gledhill from Anchor<br />
"That's Some Dream" - Good Old War from Good Old War<br />
"On My Way Back Home" - Band of Horses from Infinite Arms<br />
"We Used to Wait" and "Wasted Hours" - Arcade Fire from The Suburbs<br />
"Careful Crossers" and "Dreams of Dreams" - Fang Island from Fang Island<br />
"Sailing to Nowhere" - Broken Bells from Broken Bells<br />
"Grenade" - Bruno Mars from Doo-Woops & Hooligans<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX0D4oZwCsA">"Double Rainbow Song (feat. Yosemitebear)"</a> - The Gregory Brothers from the Internet<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58Ug5WgCBUg&feature=related">"Daddy Ate My Fries"</a> - Marceline from Adventure Time (with Finn and Jake)<br />
<a href="http://haileytracks.blogspot.com/2010/02/boring.html">"Love is My Legs"</a> - from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (David Yazbek)<br />
<br />
Albums:<br />
<br />
The Suburbs - Arcade Fire<br />
Astro Coast - Surfer Blood<br />
All Delighted People EP - Sufjan Stevens<br />
Anchor - Mindy Gledhill<br />
Gorilla Manor - Local Natives<br />
Fang Island - Fang Island<br />
Broken Bells - Broken Bells<br />
Teen Dream - Beach House<br />
Odd Blood - Yeasayer<br />
The Courage of Others - Midlake<br />
<br />
*List subject to change as memories of 2010 come back to me.<br />
<br />
Albums I might have liked if I had listened to them more (or at all):<br />
<br />
Contra - Vampire Weekend<br />
Halcyon Digest - Deerhunter<br />
This is Happening - LCD Soundsystem<br />
Body Talk - Robyn<br />
Lisbon - The Walkmen<br />
Congratulations - MGMT<br />
<br />
So, readers, what did I miss? Tell me about your year in music.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-30462325733743135542010-11-01T18:03:00.000-06:002017-04-09T18:04:35.683-06:00FallSwirling leaves in the brisk air<br />
smell sweet and wet, lost their green<br />
<br />
Pumpkins carved, once shined so bright<br />
are now memories and mold<br />
<br />
Short days, rusty sunsets turn<br />
fast to cold and smokey nights<br />
<br />
Two figures woven tightly<br />
together, cashmere sweater<br />
<br />
One in his thoughts, the other<br />
beautiful,<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> have<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> both<br />
fallen<br />
<div><br />
<br />
<br />
© 2002</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-14111126330402091002010-07-22T12:10:00.001-06:002010-07-22T12:11:53.309-06:00What's On My iPhone?I am the owner of a really old school iPhone. It's the 3G. Yep. But I don't mind. I love it, my kids love it and Amelia ... hates typing on it.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I thought I'd do a short series on my favorite iPhone applications. I don't know what it will end up covering, as I did not outline this post before hand. I'm just going to take a look at my phone and hope that whatever I decide to write encourages reader participation.<br />
<br />
Here goes.<br />
<br />
<b>Browser:</b><br />
<br />
Opera Mini - I use this browser for my phone 80% of the time. I just like the interface more.<br />
Safari - Standard. Sometimes my finger accidentally touches it so I use it.<br />
<br />
<b>Social:</b><br />
<br />
Tumblr - I've only used the app to post to my Tumblr blog once. But I use it to edit and read the Tumblr people I follow a lot. It's a great mobile blogging app.<br />
<br />
Twitter for iPhone - I tried 2-3 other apps for Twitter before settling on this one. It doesn't have all the whistles and bells of other apps but the interface is the most user friendly, in my opinion.<br />
<br />
Facebook - If you turn off push notifications for this app, it can be enjoyable if you just want to check in on what's going on with your friends while you are in line at the DMV.<br />
<br />
Foursquare - I used this then stopped and used Yelp. I figured out the reason I hated using either one for a while was that no one I knew was using a location game app at all. When that changed and more people I knew got on Foursquare, I got the app and I've been a little addicted ever since. Basically, the GPS in your phone tells the app where you are and you can "check in" to stores, gas stations, theaters, etc. to get points and badges. It's also fun to see what other people are up to. Sometimes you'll see you are at Costco or a movie at the same time as one of your friends so you can avoid them! I kid. Foursquare can get really competitive too. I still get a little bitter when someone steals my Mayorships.<br />
<br />
Glue - This one is like Foursquare for your media. Check in to TV Shows, movies and rate everything from games to music and earn badges and expert status. Like Foursquare, it will be better when more people I actually know use it.<br />
<br />
<b>Tools:</b><br />
<br />
<b></b>Wikipedia - I use this at least once a day.<br />
<br />
Evernote - This app syncs with the version on my computer so I always have the important articles or notes or webpages I clipped within a touch away.<br />
<br />
Urbanspoon - Don't know the area you are in? This app will help you select something near you based on your mood and wallet.<br />
<br />
Camera+ - Like the regular camera app but better.<br />
<br />
UStream - Live streaming video to the Ustream website. People can tune in live or watch the videos later. I use it mostly at the kids' school performances.<br />
<br />
PS Mobile - Photoshop for iPhone. 'Nuff said?<br />
<br />
Voice Memos - Our 6 yo loves to mess around with this. She loves the sound of her own voice. (She also likes to watch herself in the mirror when she cries too but that's another story.) I use this for recording thoughts, ideas and speakerphone calls at work.<br />
<br />
AFCU Mobile - I love the interface and how simple it is to use. You can do transfers, pay bills and other finance stuff right from the phone. I should never dip into my overdraft again! (But it will happen anyway.)<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">CraigsPro - Craigslist for iPhone. I've used this to take pictures of and post things we don't need anymore. Sold an old oven and microwave for $200 in just a few days without ever touching my computer to do it.<br />
<br />
WebMD - What's this lump?!!!?!!!11!!?! Ah, just an allergic reaction to stress. Nothing to worry about. Or is there???!!!?!?!!1<br />
<br />
<b>Entertainment:</b><br />
<br />
<b></b>Fandango - Decide to see a popular movie at the last minute? Buy your tickets with your phone and skip the line. This worked great recently when we showed up to Wynnsong 12 and there were 50 people in line for tickets and one person running the box office. We went right past all of it.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Pandora - Eerily knows just what to play for you based on what you've told it you like or what you're in the mood to hear. It's a staple during Saturday chores.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">PhoneFlicks - Netflix for iPhone ... kind of. Search, add or arrange your queue from your iPhone. You are all using Netflix, right?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><br />
ESPN ScoreCenter - I only really use this during the NBA season. I don't get many opportunities to watch Utah Jazz games but this can keep me updated with push notifications of the score at the end of each quarter. If I want to dig deeper into stats and even read the recap, I can to that too.<br />
<br />
iBooks - Still new to this one but I love that I can upload all my PDFs to it for quick reading.<br />
<br />
Stanza - Access to hundreds and thousands of free books on all my phone. I still prefer to turn pages in an actual book but this is a good replacement if I want to read Alice in Wonderland to the kids but don't want to add it to our busting-at-the-seams bookshelves.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Games:</b><br />
<br />
Plants vs. Zombies - The best game for the iPhone. Period. Pick the right plants to get those pesky undead OFF YOUR LAWN.<br />
<br />
Armory - For World of Warcraft. You can't play from your phone but you can check your character stats, look at your guild, use the talent calculator or buy/sell stuff in the auction house. I don't use it much but I like that it's there for when the urge to get my nerd on hits.<br />
<br />
CLUE - Kids love this one. It's a spin on the original board game where you are a reporter investigating Mr. Boddy's death. Each time you win, the difficulty rises. We've got at least 3 weeks of fun out of it for 99 cents.<br />
<br />
Game of Life - Again, it's like the board game but can be played on trips in the car or while you are waiting for your food at a restaurant or after dinner at the house if you don't want to get the real game down off the shelf. Kids like this one a lot too.<br />
<br />
Bloons TD - The second best game for the iPhone. If you like tower defense, this is the game for you. It's got monkeys trying to pop various balloons before they get past. Monkeys and balloons. What's not to love?<br />
<br />
Battle of Puppets - A castle defense game except you are a touring puppet show battling other shows' puppets as you travel to Broadway. It's a great looking game.<br />
<br />
Dots Free - The classic dots game you used to play in church. Now you can play on your phone.<br />
<br />
LocknRoll - A dice puzzle game. I don't know what else to write. Try it. It's addicting.<br />
<br />
Lux Touch - Basically the game of Risk. Classic.<br />
<br />
And that's it. Those are either the apps I use most often or the ones I like the most when I actually get to use them. I do love the iPhone and the best thing about it is the apps. So, what did I miss? What do you all like to use and why? Let me know in the comments.<br />
<br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-24150939772572792272010-03-12T14:06:00.004-07:002010-04-05T16:47:05.030-06:00I Watch Twilight and Scott Pilgrim Trailers and React<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-b3dUEWAFrA&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-b3dUEWAFrA&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Warning: There is no screaming or nudity in this video.<br />
<br />
UPDATE: I watched the "Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World" trailer to give things an even fight (stuff many girls are crazy about against stuff many guys are crazy about). It is below. There is also no screaming or nudity in this video.<br />
<br />
<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hjrareNWD08&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hjrareNWD08&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-4490071301970642432010-03-06T16:29:00.001-07:002017-04-09T18:04:35.689-06:00There Is Today<div class="MsoNormal">We can't see ten years from now</div><div class="MsoNormal">If the days will be good to us or</div><div class="MsoNormal">Who is finally rich or poor</div><div class="MsoNormal">No one can see where we will be</div><div class="MsoNormal">But, I hope you are happy</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Nobody knows five years from now</div><div class="MsoNormal">If the world is gone or at peace</div><div class="MsoNormal">Or if there is a cure for anything</div><div class="MsoNormal">We can't see who still knows each other</div><div class="MsoNormal">But, I’m sure you are beautiful</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">No gypsy can predict next year</div><div class="MsoNormal">Who is married or dying </div><div class="MsoNormal">Or who will always be alone</div><div class="MsoNormal">But, if you finally let yourself trust</div><div class="MsoNormal">I hope it healed you</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">No fortune teller sees it all</div><div class="MsoNormal">But there is one thing I know</div><div class="MsoNormal">Looking to tomorrow and</div><div class="MsoNormal">Seeing you there is all I need</div><div class="MsoNormal">In my life</div><div class="MsoNormal">Today</div><!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-2882913871681741092010-03-03T17:24:00.001-07:002017-04-09T18:04:35.680-06:00Long Night<h1>Long Night</h1><div class="MsoNormal">In the glass, reflection distorted</div><div class="MsoNormal">by rounded edges and </div><div class="MsoNormal">golden mixture</div><div class="MsoNormal">of warmth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At the mirror, an imperfect copy</div><div class="MsoNormal">noses the dusty </div><div class="MsoNormal">white picket fence</div><div class="MsoNormal">of courage.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Staring.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Steadying the chamber, a clouded</div><div class="MsoNormal">figure cinches the </div><div class="MsoNormal">belt and buries the point</div><div class="MsoNormal">of comfort.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Seeing black, remembering</div><div class="MsoNormal">childhood in a moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Eyes wet, then quiet </div><div class="MsoNormal">breath slowing, saying</div><div class="MsoNormal">goodbye.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Staring.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">© 2002</div><!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-55850563884472114282010-03-01T17:58:00.002-07:002017-04-09T18:04:35.691-06:00Firm Handshake<i>I wrote this in April of 2002 for a college class. I have taken some authorship liberties and corrected or removed some of the original. However, I do leave most of the style choices intact so you can see what I was attempting (failure or not) to communicate. </i><br />
<br />
<b>So. Life is suffering.</b> Most of us know this, realize this. It isn’t that life doesn’t have joy or light or good. It does. Life does. But, suffering is a constant. It is a constant for humankind and for me. Jesus knew this. He walked the earth and focused on the relief of suffering. He taught a gospel of suffering. He died suffering. If you are a Christian, you believe he did this for you and me to show us an example. I think he suffered because we all do. If God came to earth, he had to get a feel for what it felt like to be here. Suffer. What amazes me now is some people still don’t get it. The big question on many of their minds is "Why?" Doesn’t the fact that God never answers this question sort of answer the question? We are alone so we can learn suffering and God lets us. People who think life is always supposed to be good are the ones who are most upset when it isn’t. I’m not one of them. I’m not surprised anymore. I accept the fact that it will be hard. And, there was a girl.<br />
<br />
<b>Annie Dillard's "Holy the Firm" got me thinking</b> about all of this. I agreed with many of her assertions but saw a searching and confused person as well. Confused like many of us. This got me thinking that there should be no “why.” We are not supposed to question God. This isn’t because he is arrogant or quiet or dead. It is because we do not need to ask. Our answer is life. Despite my hard times, I am a happy person. I am usually a kind and loving person. I have learned that, to achieve the most happiness and love, I must risk. Suffering is a product of risk. However, so is love and joy and light and good. Knowing the odds, I risked my heart and allowed myself to fall for this girl. I needed to. It had been awhile. She burst into my life, I loved her and she taught me suffering. The first thing I wanted to teach myself about risk? Fuck risk. The real thing I learned? For some reason, I would do it again in a second. Not because I enjoyed the pain or the hurt or how she changed or didn’t want to listen anymore or…or…or. It was that I enjoyed the good so much. And, there was so much good. I still thank her to this day for that. Thank you.<br />
<br />
<b>I remember the day I realized this girl was going to teach me something.</b> I had just been to my sister’s grave for the first time since her passing. She would have been 43. My sister Carrie suffered through life, at times, but not at the end. I liked visiting her but it was very difficult. It is a good spot near a tree and the road. It is the easiest grave to locate of all my Dead. Toward the end of this day, this hard and tender day, I wanted to be somewhere safe. Driving home, my jeans still had green and brown memories of her in half-circles on my knees. “Please, God…let Carrie be safe and Mom and…me.” Let me. But, the girl wouldn’t let me. Instead, my suffering was weak, selfish and unattractive. I lay there and thought for the first time, “She is going to teach me something and I’m not going to like it.” I wonder what Carrie was thinking then. I wonder. That day she lay in a cold coffin and I said goodbye, we were both unattractive and weak. So, I had paid a somber visit and, later that evening, this girl could not understand my grief. It had only been two months. All I wanted was some time to mourn and some safety and that wasn’t allowed. I felt foolish for needing that. Since then, I often look back on the misery and heartbreak this girl put on me. I look back and know that we needed each other for a time. Time has been good to me. I still thank her for the good but I also thank her for the suffering. It is mine.<br />
<br />
<b>Most of the time we think we'd never want to relive something terrible.</b> We would be crazy to want loss or betrayal or embarrassment or pain or death again. However, there is this part of us that does wish we could have some moments back. We think that if we get them back, it would be different. I have moments sometimes where I get to choose again. Most of the time I choose well. Recently I had a chance. Girl and I had been apart a month and a half. I had time to get over her. To realize I was better without her. To tell myself she was better without me. I thought I was prepared. If we saw each other again, I would be ready. And, the time came. The Les Miserables tickets purchased became our ticket to relive some of these moments. <br />
<br />
<b>I thought I was prepared.</b> We had spoken during our hiatus. I had heard her voice so seeing her would not be that different. Then, I saw her. In that moment, I wanted to take Jean Valjean’s brick and throw it through the nearest window and Javert can cart me away for 19 years. Maybe I’ll forget her then. But, that was fiction and France and this was real. So, I swallowed my lump and we went out together. It wasn’t supposed to be like this: it was nice. Time does heal some things. We kissed in the parking lot. I made some good choices that night as I got to do some things over and say some things I had wanted to say. I was able to see that we could probably and honestly be friends. She would no longer be “girl.” She would again have a name and be beautiful. I felt a little upside down. And, there was a vagabond.<br />
<br />
<b>This is where it all comes together. This is where the tears start.</b> This is, as Dillard says, the joke of the world and I don’t see the rake. I am high from a kiss, a kiss from a woman who has taught me more about love and suffering than anyone else. But I was about to learn more. I didn’t even see him. His wheelchair made him a chameleon against the urban cityscape. But, she saw him. I kept driving. Can I have that moment back? She said, “Is there anything we can do for that guy back there?” Give him money. “Do you have a blanket or something in here?” I have jumper cables. “I really think we should do something.” I didn’t see him. Can I have the moment back? I turn the vehicle around and I am glad. The almond-sized raindrops have turned to snow like triple-action razors, cutting diagonally down at his shape. I pull around. That cannot be a man. She is crying now. Everything happens so fast. There is a brick in my throat. Jean Valjean and Jesus put it there. I wish I had his(His) bread now. This bent figure I approach is a man. A denim flap over a stubby limb is dangling beneath his chair. He is huddled and contorted as the razor snow comes at us. Can I do anything for him? “You can buy me a cup of coffee,” he says. I hear and smell alcohol. “Isn’t there a homeless shelter?” I have five-dollars. “You have a five spot? That would be nice.”<br />
<br />
<b>As I go to give it to him, he is reaching to shake my hand.</b> It is firm. Holy and firm: I am in touch with the Absolute. I feel dirty. I feel homeless. I want him to drive my date home and leave me there without a leg, clutching the five. I am worthless. What have I done for him? I gave him money to die with. He can’t use Lincoln as a shield from the hurling ice. He can’t even use Jesus. Can I have this moment back? As I let go of his hand, I know him. I see his eyes and hear his drunken voice and I know him. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." I wheel him out of the wind and against a building. He now has five-dollars and a dry spot. If it is Jesus, he'll still freeze. An ambulance pulls up because someone was smarter than I am. Vagabond will make it but not because of me. Who else died tonight? We get into the car and drive away.<br />
<br />
<b>I want that moment back for a hundred reasons.</b> I want it back so I am the first to see him instead of her. I want it back so neither of us will see him. I want it back so that I am the one who calls for help. I want it back because she doesn’t deserve to feel so deeply about a stranger something she never felt for me. She cannot possibly feel something so powerful about a person I did not even see. She is the cause not the cure ... Wait. Hold on. Wait. The one who taught me how cold people can be about loss, who shut me off when I needed someone, finished me off and left me wondering how quick love can stale was teaching again. Here it was: what is my pain anyway? Nothing compared to a dead man with a five in his hand. She wanted to stop and try. Her tenderness is breaking me. “…The meanest of people show more mercy than hounding and terrorist gods,” writes Annie Dillard. Suddenly, this woman was an angel. Again, I am a fool. Can I have this moment back? I want to see its purity again. Despite our wonderfully conflicted past, I need friends like her. She wept half the way home and all I could think about was how much I loved her. Because beneath all the callousness she had shown me in moments past, beat the heart of Christ. She is Love. She is Risk. She is much of what I hate but more of what I want. She is the perfect contrast of humanity. She is a teacher. Why should we care about our past? People are dying and there needs to be more good in the world. My friends are a part of that. There is good everywhere, even in suffering. So. Vagabond suffers. She suffers. I suffer. Jesus. And, I’m starting to get it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-73626297096225062992010-02-17T17:48:00.001-07:002017-04-09T18:04:35.699-06:00For Those Who MournFrom <a href="http://www.bartleby.com/142/192.html">When Lilacs Last in the Door-yard Bloom’d</a> by Walt Whitman. He wrote this after the assassination of President Lincoln. He considered his friend's death, obviously, a great loss.<br />
<div><br />
10.<br />
<br />
O how shall I warble myself for the dead one there I loved? <br />
And how shall I deck my song for the large sweet soul that has gone? <br />
And what shall my perfume be, for the grave of him I love? <br />
<br />
Sea-winds, blown from east and west,<br />
Blown from the eastern sea, and blown from the western sea, till there on the prairies meeting: <br />
These, and with these, and the breath of my chant, <br />
I perfume the grave of him I love.<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-59585594028715103302010-02-12T16:38:00.000-07:002017-04-09T18:04:35.694-06:00Across the Table<div class="MsoNormal">Amidst the clamour of</div><div class="MsoNormal">busy laptops,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal">sipping lips</div><div class="MsoNormal">clattering cups, </div><div class="MsoNormal">I barely hear</div><div class="MsoNormal">the words:</div><div class="MsoNormal">“My favorite movie is</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Cinderella</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Both eyes roll in my head </div><div class="MsoNormal">then out onto the floor.</div><div class="MsoNormal">From across the table,</div><div class="MsoNormal">this pop culture princess</div><div class="MsoNormal">wages war </div><div class="MsoNormal">with my patience </div><div class="MsoNormal">on a front made up of </div><div class="MsoNormal">Caesar</div><div class="MsoNormal">salad trenches and</div><div class="MsoNormal">battlements of roast </div><div class="MsoNormal">beef on rye.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Retreat.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Her tic-tac grin</div><div class="MsoNormal">and gumball eyes</div><div class="MsoNormal">have turned this café</div><div class="MsoNormal">cliché.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have only one thought:</div><div class="MsoNormal">Disney is the new Bible</div><div class="MsoNormal">and </div><div class="MsoNormal">I am </div><div class="MsoNormal">the Anti-Christ.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">- Published in <i>Touchstones </i>in the Fall of 2002</div><!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-12753815583719273902010-02-10T18:08:00.002-07:002017-04-09T18:04:35.677-06:002 a.m.Not words,<br />
no signs or signifiers.<br />
Not the rancid pudding <br />
of language,<br />
this is the fresh baked<br />
smell of action.<br />
A glistening sequence,<br />
pure. <br />
Pops and buzzes,<br />
the squelching<br />
feedback of motion.<br />
Not a sweaty compromise in<br />
positional rhetoric<br />
but, the moonlit entanglement of<br />
corporal consent. <br />
Now is not<br />
words.<br />
It is <br />
a soft utterance, <br />
the affirmation of<br />
truth.<br />
<br />
- Published in UVU's literary/art magazine <i>Touchstones </i>in Spring 2003.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-41625263462276074232010-02-09T18:18:00.001-07:002017-04-09T18:04:35.686-06:00Poems and SuchI've been digging through my old collections of writings from college. It's a lot of fun in most cases and a little embarrassing in others to see how my brain worked from 1998-2003. So, I think I will post the poems I've found, some stories I've written and maybe even an academic paper or two over the next few weeks.<br />
<br />
Some will be bad.<br />
Some will be mushy.<br />
A few will be pretentious.<br />
Some will be pushy.<br />
<br />
But maybe one or two will touch me again. Make me think. Maybe some of it will be enjoyed by you. In all cases, let me know what your thoughts are. I love hearing from you.<br />
<br />
Who knows? Maybe doing this will inspire me to write more in the present about all the things my brain is focussed on.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13203754.post-79058936659542640262010-01-07T18:29:00.003-07:002010-01-08T11:42:30.547-07:00My Decade of Music: 2000-2009Here is a breakdown of my favorite and/or most influential music from the past decade. I think there are close to 80 albums listed but only ranked the first 25. After that, I ordered them within their individual sections.<br />
<br />
When I look at this list I am amazed at how each album really did have an effect on me over the years. I can look at one title and start playing it in my head and remember specific places and people and feelings and events.<br />
<br />
For example, I remember how comforted I felt listening to Ryan Adam's "New York" from "Gold" just weeks after 9/11.<br />
<br />
I remember listening to Radiohead's "Kid A" in headphones for the first time and having my mind blown that a band could change so drastically and still have me in the palm of their hands.<br />
<br />
How I just kept smiling and smiling as I put The Shins' "Chutes Too Narrow" on repeat and tried to sing at the top of my lungs with James Mercer.<br />
<br />
My jaw dropping the first time I listened to "Funeral" by Arcade fire all the way through then sharing it with everyone I knew for the next three years.<br />
<br />
How I was getting tired of Death Cab until I heard the title track from "Transatlanticism" and then how I wanted to cry with sadness and joy at the same time. Epic.<br />
<br />
Then there is Wilco's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot." Say what you want (overrated, don't get it, etc.) But it shaped me as a music fan, consumer, student, poet, writer and artist like no other album I can recollect. It was a huge deal for me. I am still amazed by it.<br />
<br />
I could go on and on. If you want me too I will. But let's just say that music has been a huge part of my decade, my life. It's there through depression, heartbreak, trials and love, success and adventure. I hope I have another great music decade ahead of me.<br />
<br />
<b>The Game Changers:</b><br />
1. "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" Wilco<br />
2. "Kid A" Radiohead<br />
3. "Chutes Too Narrow" The Shins<br />
4. "Funeral" Arcade Fire<br />
5. "Illinois" Sufjan Stevens<br />
6. "Transatlanticism" Death Cab for Cutie<br />
7. "Oh, Inverted World" The Shins<br />
8. "Trials of Van Occupanther" Midlake<br />
9. "Feels" Animal Collective<br />
10. "Give Up" Postal Service<br />
11. "Apologies to the Queen Mary" Wolf Parade<br />
12. "Sunlandic Twins" Of Montreal<br />
13. "In Rainbows" Radiohead<br />
14. "Everything All the Time" Band of Horses<br />
15. "Emblems" Matt Pond PA<br />
16. "Lifted ... " Bright Eyes<br />
17. "Several Arrows Later" Matt Pond PA<br />
18. "Rainy Day Music" The Jayhawks<br />
19. "Spelled in Bones" Fruit Bats<br />
20. "It Still Moves" My Morning Jacket<br />
21. "Writer's Block" Peter, Bjorn and John<br />
22. "Misery is a Butterfly" Blonde Redhead<br />
23. "Gold" Ryan Adams<br />
24. "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" Flaming Lips<br />
25. "No More Stories ..." Mew<br />
<br />
<b>Repetition Addiction</b><br />
"Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" Phoenix<br />
"Vampire Weekend" Vampire Weekend<br />
"Violence in the Snowy Fields" Dolorean<br />
"Is This It" The Strokes<br />
"The Mysterious Production of Eggs" Andrew Bird<br />
"Destroyer's Rubies" Destroyer<br />
"Want One" Rufus Wainwright<br />
"Logic Will Break your Heart" The Stills<br />
"Ghosts of the Great Highway" Sun Kil Moon<br />
"Loneliness Knows My Name" Patrick Park<br />
"Begin to Hope" Regina Spektor<br />
"You Could Have It So Much Better" Franz Ferdinand<br />
"Let It Die" Feist<br />
"All Day" Mates of State<br />
"Not Going Anywhere" Keren Ann<br />
"The Con" Tegan and Sara<br />
<br />
<b>Entertain Me</b><br />
"Gimme Fiction" Spoon<br />
"The Green Album" Weezer<br />
"Twin Cinema" The New Pornographers<br />
"Silent Alarm" Bloc Party<br />
"Clap Your Hands Say Yeah" Clap Your Hands Say Yeah<br />
"LCD Soundsystem" LCD Soundsystem<br />
"Late Registration" Kanye West<br />
"The Weight is a Gift" Nada Surf<br />
"Life on Other Planets" Supergrass<br />
"Anniemal" Annie<br />
"Daisies of the Galaxy" Eels<br />
"American Idiot" Green Day<br />
"Summer in Abaddon" Pinback<br />
<br />
<b>Odd but Oh So Good</b><br />
"You Forgot It in People" Broken Social Scene<br />
"Hail to the Thief" Radiohead<br />
"The Flying Club Cup" Beirut<br />
"The Secret Migration" Mercury Rev<br />
"Strawberry Jam" Animal Collective<br />
"Amnesiac" Radiohead<br />
"Dear Science" TV On The Radio<br />
"The Stage Names" Okkervil River<br />
"The Runners Four" Deerhoof<br />
"Advisory Committee" Mirah<br />
<br />
<b>Nostalgia</b><br />
"Rockin' the Suburbs" Ben Folds<br />
"The Last Broadcast" Doves<br />
"Ancient Melodies of the Future" Built to Spill<br />
"Sebastopol" Jay Farrar<br />
"Figure 8" Elliot Smith<br />
"Sea Change" Beck<br />
"Set Yourself on Fire" Stars<br />
"Life in Slow Motion" David Gray<br />
"A Rush of Blood to the Head" Coldplay<br />
"The Rising" Bruce Springsteen<br />
"More Adventurous" Rilo Kiley<br />
"Riot on an Empty Street" Kings of Convenience<br />
"Turn On the Bright Lights" Interpol<br />
"Us" Mull Historical Society<br />
<br />
The list groups should be self-explanatory but if you need further clarification, please comment. Also please leave a comment if you think the list is awesome or if you think I forgot something or if you think my taste is crazy or stupid.<br />
<br />
As always, thanks for reading.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18213341210745438505noreply@blogger.com4