Saturday, September 12
Friday, September 11
Wednesday, September 9
Wes Anderson's latest, "Fantastic Mr. Fox"
Wes Anderson, one of my favorite directors, is changing his style up with this new stop-motion animated film. Watch the featurette for some cool behind-the-scenes! The time it takes to make a movie like this always amazes me.
CLICK IT
Monday, September 7
Imogen Heap + Ellipse
Once I read in the first part of this RELEVANT magazine article that Imogen Heap had recorded and mixed her new album herself in Apple's GarageBand, I was super intrigued. Then my friend Marc sent me a link to her performance last week on Letterman and I was pretty impressed! Can't wait to hear the whole album.
Sunday, September 6
Burglars Exploiting Facebook / Twitter
I've heard about this, but never read anything until now... Crazy!
READ IT HERE
Saturday, September 5
LOST
So I've never seen 1 episode of this show until last week. Not one! I barely even watched any at all because I didn't get in on it at the beginning, and I wanted to start from the beginning... Whenever I actually did. So 4-5 years and 5 seasons later, I finally started. Life was so crazy before the wedding and after finding out Summer was also interested in checking it out, we determined we'd start in August. So we started last Monday........ And we've already watched 38 episodes!! That's about 1.5 seasons and we've been loving it (except Michelle Rodriquez [insert vomiting noise here]). How have we been able to knock out that many episodes without a load of runs to Blockbuster or borrowing from friends? The answer: free HD streaming on ABC.com. Uh huh. EVERY episode since the beginning. There's a couple minutes of commercials throughout, but otherwise, it's flawless. In case you haven't started your own LOST fanaticism, I highly recommend you click the link below.
Get LOST
Apple Tablet Concepts
In case you haven't heard the big rumored news, Apple is planning to release a tablet computer of some sorts by the end of the year. It will probably have a 10" screen or such and will look like a giant iPhone. Here are come sweet concepts drawn up by people. Apple is a game-changing company, so I know that this thing is going to rock the faces of everyone who lays eyes on it when it is released!
SEE 'EM HERE
The Boy Is Back In Town
Yes ladies and gents, I'm back in action. Stockpiled with links and ready to fill this blog up once again. The wedding was incredible - my bride was mindblowingly gorgeous and it was just a fantastic night all around! The honeymoon in Daytona Beach was a lot of fun as we didn't have a schedule and just slept in, hung out, watched movies, hit the ocean, and such. We rented a scooter one day and cruised around Daytona, which included seeing the Daytona Speedway, which was cool. It was huge! We hit a minor snag with our camera case being stolen off a transit bus - one that contained our camera, my credit card, about $90 cash, and both of our driver's licenses - but we got things figured out and went back to enjoying ourselves. An unforgettable memory was made! :) We both had to get new driver's licenses anyway once we move to OK and we didn't really lose that much media on the camera (thank you, iPhones).
CLICK HERE to see part of the wedding pics. We haven't gotten the CD from our photographers just yet, but I'm sure we'll be posting a bunch on TheFutureAndersens.com when we do get them.
Now on to bloggin'!
Thursday, August 6
Engagement Photoshoot
In honor of the big day tomorrow, in case you haven't seen them, you can check out our engagement photoshoot pictures below. You should be able to view the ones on Facebook that are our favorites. To see all 96 of them, click the second link.
LAST DAY OF BEING SINGLE OR BETHROTHED!!!
Facebook link
Encre Photography (click on Portfolio, then Jesse & Summer)
Tuesday, August 4
Murdered Out Cars
I first heard the term "murdered out" referring to cars on Rob & Big. It refers to a matte black finish, which is pretty tight. Check out all these cars that proudly display that they're murdered out.
Click here
Goodbye, Paula Abdul.
I don't watch American Idol anymore, but when I did, I wanted nothing more than to lose Paula Abdul off the show. When they threw the other lady judge on there, I wished so desperately that it was the beginning of the end of Paula. Looks like it was?! Time will tell...
Check it
Monday, August 3
Handerpants
Thanks to Matt Shuttlesworth for tipping me off to these. I haven't made my order, but I'm still in the debating phase...
Check 'em and weep
Sunday, August 2
RunPee.com
Now HERE's an interesting idea! A better one? Don't drink the gallon gulp at the theater so you can't hold it for a mere 2 hours. :) Just teasin'.
Read about it here
Saturday, August 1
Weddin' Time!!
Monday, July 13
The Karate Kid Remake
BEIJING - Jackie Chan will play the wise kung-fu master in a Hollywood-Chinese remake of the 1984 hit "The Karate Kid" that kicked off filming in the Chinese capital at the weekend, a movie company publicist said Monday.
Chan's young disciple in "Kung Fu Kid" will be played by Jaden Smith, the son of Hollywood superstars Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, China Film Group spokesman Weng Li told The Associated Press in a phone interview.
In "The Karate Kid," Pat Morita plays the iconic building handyman Mr. Miyagi who trains one of his young tenants, portrayed by Ralph Macchio, into an accomplished fighter.
The co-production between the state-run China Film Group and Columbia Pictures started shooting Saturday in Beijing, Weng said.
"Kung Fu Kid" is being directed by Harald Zwart, who also directed "One Night at McCool's" and "The Pink Panther 2," Solon So, the chief executive of Chan's company, JC Group, told the AP.
Chan and Smith, along with Smith's parents and sister Willow, attended a traditional Chinese ceremony to mark the start of the shoot Saturday. Photos on China Film Group's movie news Web site show the Smith family and Chan holding incense sticks.
Will Smith - one of the film's producers - Chan, Zwart and others symbolically removed a piece of red cloth covering a movie camera, after which Smith gave Chan a hug, according to video posted on Chinese news Web site Sina.com. His hair done in a huge Afro and wearing a bright red track jacket and blue pants, Jaden Smith stood and waved when he was introduced. His father ruffled his hair when he sat down.
Chan said on his Web site he also attended the younger Smith's 11th birthday party last Wednesday, where he and Will Smith posed for pictures with young performers wearing red and yellow costumes with dragon patterns.
Ken Stovitz, one of Will Smith's partners in the production company Overbrook Entertainment, said at the ceremony Saturday that "Kung Fu Kid" will be set in modern-day Beijing. China Film Group chairman Han Sanping said shooting will last three months.
Chan juggles careers in Hollywood and Chinese-language film. The veteran 55-year-old Hong Kong action star will be seen in the upcoming the Hollywood action comedy "The Spy Next Door," about an undercover Chinese spy whose cover is blown, and the Chinese production, "Big Soldier," about the friendship between two soldiers set in China's ancient Qin dynasty.
Jaden Smith costarred with his father in the 2006 movie "The Pursuit of Happyness" and appeared in the 2008 Keanu Reeves sci-fi movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still."
By MIN LEE AP Entertainment Writer
Saturday, July 11
Friday, July 10
HP-Inspired "Invent" Video
Originally posted by Jody Earley
Invent: This video is a response set by Hewlett Packard to, ”Present an idea which promotes HP Workstations ability to bring to life anything the creative mind can conceive.”
Thursday, July 9
The New WOGCC.com
If you haven't seen or heard already, we recently launched our newly redesigned website for Word of Grace last week! I'm thrilled for it. It's a step up look-wise, even if we don't have as much control as before, and the big thing is... You've never seen anything that had to do with web be this easy to update and maintain. Absolutely incredible. I could take anyone who knows what a mouse and keyboard is and within 5-10 minutes show them pretty much how to run the site. No lies. The people at Clover have an ingenious service here for churches. Wow. Thank you!
Here are snapshots (just of what I could snap, not the whole pages) of the most recently updated Home and Media pages on the old site, to compare. Click 'em to see bigger versions.
Business Card + Sticker = Stickercard
Guy Kawasaki came up with a super innovative idea by creating stickercards! They look like a sticker, but when you peel it off, you're left with his contact info, aka his business card. Click the "You can see how it works here" link that he's got to actually see a video of his stickers.
Read it here
Wednesday, July 8
The Future Andersens
I'm not sure why I didn't post about this when it went live, but our "wedsite" (hehe) can be found by directing your non-archaic browser (Firefox and Safari snobs only) to TheFutureAndersens.com.
Movie Reviews (The Motherlode)
There's a lotta movies to review, so I'm gonna keep it short and sweet.
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The Disclaimer
Just because I've watched a movie or enjoyed it doesn't mean that it's for everyone. I don't like raunchy content in a movie and I use the websites, ScreenIt and Kids In Mind, frequently to find out what kind of content is in a movie before I watch it. BUT. Everyone's tolerance level of how much content you'll put up with if the movie's worth watching varies. With that in mind, when I say a movie is good, I'm saying that in an overall sense, and I'm saying that from my perspective. I'm not endorsing it, nor am I saying that the content that is in it is appropriate for all ages. I'd prefer the movie to be clean, but if it's overall worth watching and isn't overly raunchy, I'm able to look past a lot of it.
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Sunshine Cleaning
This was a well-done and enjoyable indie film.
4 of 5.
Henry Poole Was Here
Starring Luke Wilson, this was a great movie. I really liked it and thought he played the role great.
4 of 5.
Wolverine
It was a really good movie, but not quite as good as I was hoping. It started off killer and I was hoping the whole movie would be like that, but it just kinda petered out. There are some sick action scenes and it's more emotionally active than a lot of other action movies, but overall I could only give it...
3.5 of 5.
Bolt
I don't watch many animated movies besides what Pixar does, but this is the first I've seen, maybe ever, that left me feeling like how I do after I watch a Pixar! There are some hilarious part and lines and stinkin' Rhino was an awesome character.
5 of 5.
UP
Man, this is a tough review to write. I always am thrilled out of my mind for a new Pixar movie and this was no different. But it didn't quite do it for me like other ones have. Maybe I just need to see it again or maybe for once my expectations were too high. Generally they get blown out of the water, though. I saw it in 3D which was really cool. Overall it was a great movie, but just not quite Pixar quality in my mind. Pixar, I'm still madly in love with you, but this didn't make any favorites list of mine, but you still deserve...
4 of 5.
Yes Man
Now this was kind of a surprise. I mean, I was hoping it'd be good and the trailer looked funny and all, but you never know with some of these movies nowadays, ya know... I thoroughly got into this one from start to finish and was out and out laughing quite a bit. Jim Carrey's always good, Zooey's super ace, and the band manager from The Flight of the Conchords cracked my funny bone.
4 of 5.
Star Trek
FREAKING AMAZING. GO SEE IT! LONG LIVE J.J. ABRAMS! The end.
10 of 5.
Last Chance Harvey
Ehh. Not bad, but forgettable.
3.5 of 5.
The Son of Rambow
A fun little flick. "I'm alright, Lee Cart-tuh!"
4 of 5.
Love & Death
Woody Allen greatly satisfied me again with this film from 1975. It had some laugh out loud funny parts, especially in the first few minutes, and had very Monty Python-esque humor inspirations throughout.
4 of 5.
Sleeper
Thus ends Woody's streak for me so far. I know he's got tons of movies that I have yet to see, but this one just wasn't very good and it smacked of others I've seen of his.
2 of 5.
The Machinist
Stinkin' trippy. And if you have a weak stomach, don't gaze upon one of the gauntest bodies I've ever seen (Christian Bale). Especially considering Batman Begins was his next movie, his frailty is crazy and hard to watch!
4 of 5.
Revolutionary Road
One of the emotionally heavy movies I've seen in a while, and even more so than I thought it was going to be. BUT... Even if it was a downer and left you worn out after watching, I really did like it and can appreciate the quality filmmaking acting. DiCaprio + Winslet? That's an equation I can be a part of. Oh, and I totally dig Michael Shannon, the guy with the psychologic problems. He was in The Devil Knows You're Dead as well as Shotgun Stories, both of which I loved. He's got a great persona about him and played this quirky role very well.
4 of 5.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Really well done. But really long. REALLY long. And emotionally draining. This is one of those movies where the rating seems to say I really enjoyed it, but it's more so for props of acting and filmmaking, not the movie as a whole.
3.5 of 5.
The Lives of Others
Excellent movie! Watch it! Yeah!
5 of 5.
Valkyrie
RottenTomatoes says it best. To paraphrase, it had a lot of potential, especially historically. It didn't take advantage of that and turn this story into a masterpiece of a film.
3 of 5.
Monday, July 6
Sunday, July 5
Jonsà and Alex
The lead singer of Sigur Rós, JonsÃ, has a new project that's releasing an album on July 20 and they are offering a free download of one of their songs. I got it and it's pretty sweet ambient stuff. This specific track is pretty ethereal.
Musical goodness awaits you here
Jack White + The Dead Weather
Does this guy ever stop making music and starting new musical projects?!
Read about the band here
Watch 'em tear up Conan (chapter 6)
WE'RE MOVING!
Well, the latest news, if you haven't heard, is that Summer and I will be moving to Tulsa, OK at the end of September. My whole family is moving down, although all of our plans have been made independent of each other. My dad blogged about their plans as they will be making their move in mid-August. Big change is in the wind for Word of Grace, but I'll tell you what, God has got a great plan in store. His hand has been all over the transition so far and it's awesome to see what he's doing. It's going to be a busy few months! Wedding planning (which is killer so far), me moving into our apartment in Wisconsin already, the wedding and honeymoon, getting settled together, and packing up again after being in Wisconsin for 6 weeks... Whoo! It's going to be a fun time though. We are looking forward to being in Tulsa closer to family and being in Summer's hometown. I've interviewed for a job at Church on the Move and would love nothing more than to be a part of their incredible music department there. I was actually thrilled to be given the opportunity to play there a few weekends ago... Check out The Lamp - Part 2.
It's wild to think how life has changed in a little over a year. About 13 months ago, I was single and had just started to Facebook message with Summer, not knowing whether she would just be a friend or my wife. I'm glad it was the latter. :) Life with her has been amazing so far and I can't wait for all that God has in store for us in the future!
Saturday, July 4
Life After People
This is a super interesting documentary about how Earth would respond if there was no human life. It shows the progression of what would happen and how that it wouldn't take THAT long for all traces of our entire civilization to be completely erased and wiped out. Wild thought. Apparently there's an ongoing TV show or so the following link says. Redbox may still have this for rent, but if not, try to find it somewhere else. It's interesting!
Life After People
Q&A with Cut Copy
A cool read of an interview done by RELEVANT magazine with Cut Copy. Anyone heard the new album?
Read it here
Friday, July 3
Poking Fun At Social Media
Yep times have changed with Facebook and Twitter...
Click the image to see it bigger.
Thursday, July 2
Easter Opener Videos
This one was created by my future brother-in-law (in-law, if you want to get technical) for Church on the Move - POWERFUL!
And this one is from Elevation Church that's pretty cool too...
Wednesday, July 1
Top 20 Moneymaking Concerts
The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.
TOP 20 CONCERT TOURS
1. (1) Elton John / Billy Joel; $2,143,539; $115.94.
2. (2) Britney Spears; $2,035,367; $99.29.
3. (3) Eagles; $1,813,875; $134.83.
4. (4) Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band; $1,795,349; $91.39.
5. (5) The Dead; $1,553,713; $81.72.
6. (6) Fleetwood Mac; $1,100,696; $96.30.
7. (7) Kenny Chesney; $837,797; $62.20.
8. (8) Nickelback; $752,223; $55.17.
9. (9) Leonard Cohen; $520,871; $96.93.
10. (10) Il Divo; $501,598; $78.57.
11. (12) Neil Young; $481,471; $66.74.
12. (13) Lil' Wayne; $454,371; $62.84.
13. (14) Motley Crue; $394,250; $54.96.
14. (15) Jeff Dunham; $280,901; $41.91.
15. (New) Kings Of Leon; $261,701; $42.10.
16. (New) Yanni Voices: Live In Concert; $245,649; $67.23.
17. (17) Celtic Woman; $224,188; $55.52.
18. (16) Slipknot; $220,251; $37.77.
19. (18) New Kids On The Block; $215,557; $52.71.
20. (New) James Taylor; $207,370; $72.80.
For free upcoming tour information, go to http://www.pollstar.com
By The Associated Press
Black Cab Sessions
Very cool idea where a cool / popular band hops in a cab and busts out a song and gets video recorded. Check it!
It's all here
The Sounds + Crossing the Rubicon
This. Album. RULES. I can't get enough of it! Seriously, please download this. I'd like to think you'll greatly thank me.
iTunes link
Tuesday, June 30
Monday, June 29
Manualist Videos
What the heck is a manualist you say? Someone who's really good at making fart noises with their hands. And, um... Singing? See for yourself!
Brian May on his personal website said this about this first video...
I gotta say ........ this is one of the greatest videos I have ever seen ... the guy is brilliant ... I hope he gets to know that his superb work gets the BM.com unofficial highest quality award of the year!
One Crazy Wedding Invite
WOW. Now THIS is telling a story. I don't know how that was all printed and folded up and mailed, but man, cool idea and execution! Our invitation wasn't that near that crazy, but I love its simplicity and elegance. Props to my future bro-in-law, Gary!
Feast your eyes
Saturday, June 27
CEOs = Storytellers
I really enjoyed this article that explains the bigger role that a CEO has to play besides just running the company. They are the face. The mouth. The story.
Storytellers in Chief
Thursday, June 25
Movie Trailers Galore!
There are lots of new movie trailers to share, so I'm throwing 'em altogether in one post. Any you're looking forward to of these or otherwise?
The Last Airbender (M. Night Shyamalan's newest)
500 Days of Summer (really looking forward to this)
It Might Get Loud (heck yeah!!!)
The Cove (interesting...)
2012 (this could suck major, but the effects look intense!)
Curse You, Internet Explorer.
So right after I'm complaining to Summer about how I think Internet Explorer is what people have been using to access TheFutureAndersens.com when they have trouble navigating the site, I see this! Perfect cartoon. Dash Internet Explorer. Dash it to pieces. Long live Safari!
Click the image to see it bigger.
Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland
Check out some pics from Burton's latest masterpiece-to-be...
Website 01
Website 02
Friday, June 12
Mickey Rourke = Iron Man Villain, Whiplash
LOS ANGELES - Mickey Rourke's bruising opponents in "The Wrestler" don't look so tough compared to his new foe: Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man.
Distributor Paramount has released the first photo of Rourke as villain Whiplash in the upcoming sequel, "Iron Man 2."
Rourke is dressed for battle in the image, his torso and arms wrapped in metal braces sporting weapons and a chest device resembling the portable power plant that runs Downey's Iron Man suit.
While Downey is completely encased in his metal suit, Rourke's Whiplash outfit shows off a lot of flesh, along with plenty of tattoos coating the character's skin.
Directed by Jon Favreau, "Iron Man 2" kicks off Hollywood's 2010 summer season next May 7.
The Associated Press
Monday, June 8
Wednesday, June 3
Start A Movement!
This is pretty stinking hilarious!! Carlos Whittaker posted this video along with the 7 Keys to Starting A Movement below.
1. One man can start a movement.
2. A movement need not be started by the most skilled member of the movement.
3. When beginning your movement and you look around and no one else is joining the dance, just keep dancing.
4. When the one guy who joins your movement slowly fades away, keep going.
5. Before you know it, the people joining your movement won’t even know you started it.
6. When your movement takes a life of it’s own, just let go. There will be no stopping it.
7. The very people who are staring at you like your nuts as you movement alone, will be the very same people dancing the hardest in the end.
iPhone app :: Darkroom
This is one of my favorite little apps that sits right on my front home screen. It doesn't take a picture until the camera is completely still and it has a little timer (which you can customize) that regulates how still you have to be. I have the premium version which allows you to touch anywhere on the screen to snap a photo which I love a lot, and hope Apple incorporates into the 3.0 software.
Darkroom Premium ($0.99)
Darkroom (free version)
iPhone app :: Super Search
This is a pretty handy little app that lists a bunch of different popular websites like IMDB, RottenTomatoes, Amazon, Wikipedia, etc. and enables you to search inside the app rather than have to pull up Safari and find the search box and zoom in on it and then search. It makes life easier and I've enjoyed it quite a bit.
iTunes link
iPhone apps: Game Edition
No, there's not an app called Game Edition. This post is dedicated to the few games that I love having on my iPhone. I decided to go green and combine them into one post. Wait. No trees are being killed by me blogging. This is digital. Oh well. It saves you some scrolling time.
Yahtzee Adventures
FlightControl
Stick Wars
Enigmo
I Say Free
Monday, June 1
Pixar's "UP" + Technology
I would love to sit in on a Pixar movie from start to finish and just gaze in awe and wonder. Especially the technology that goes into it. This explains the amazing technology that they had to use for UP.
Read about it here
Scorsese + Sinatra
Boy, this is exciting! I'm dying to see this and see who gets cast in it. I did a quick Google search and saw Johnny Depp's and Leonardo DiCaprio's name. I'd vote the latter, for sure. But we shall see!
Read all about it here
Concert Line-Ups
I got an email from a Chicago concert mailing list and I was surprised at some of the quality line-ups, plus some others that I've seen. What are some wild duos / trios that you've seen paired up for a live show?
Pink + The Ting Tings
Green Day + The Bravery
Weezer + Blink-182
Keane + Mat Kearney + The Helio Sequence
Some good ones I've been to or wished I could have gone to are...
Angels & Airwaves + Weezer
Travis + Rooney
Mute Math + Shiny Toy Guns + Jonezetta
Eisley + The Myriad + Vedera
Snow Patrol + OK Go
Fever Marlene + The Redwalls
Switchfoot + Athlete + Emery
Saturday, May 30
New E*Trade Baby commercial!
These are unbelievably funny! I've included my other 2 favorites below, but here's a new one that just released for a financial education special something or other that aired last night called Unbroke.
12 Famous Stories about Band Name Origins
I always find these interesting. I haven't read through it all yet, but band names always intrigue me. Sometimes when I hear of a new band's name, I'm like. Pssshh. Lame. But then I think about a lot of the bands I like and if they weren't popular, I don't know if I'd like them either!
Click here
Friday, May 29
Mute Math Recording Interview
I haven't actually read this yet, but I knew it needed to be passed on. It's an interview with Paul Meany about the recording of the new album. I was surprised as I skimmed through it to see the couple cuss words he uses...
Read it here
Whatever Works
I haven't seen tons of Woody Allen movies, but I know he makes some incredible ones (whoop holla for Annie Hall, anyone?). He just has this awesome, quirky little knack that always makes me laugh and be right there with him. Larry David stars in his latest, but it's a character that he (Woody) would generally play.
Watch the trailer here
Bing browser
Wince. I know. I'm blogging about something Microsoft is doing. That I'm actually intrigued about. Hopefully that's not a sign that this blog is going down the porta potty. Anyways. This takes the web browser to another level of usability and functionality. Check it out...
Click here
Toy Story 3 Trailer!!
First things first, go watch this. It's just a teaser, but it's a foretelling of extreme movie goodness to follow! With UP's current 98% rating as according to RottenTomatoes, I know Pixar hasn't lost their flame (is that even possible?), and I know a sequel like this will get every bit of attention it deserves.
WATCH IT HERE
Saturday, May 23
Queen + Adam Lambert?
This is an interesting read. I haven't watched American Idol this season at all but have heard plenty about Adam Lambert. Apparently he got to perform with Queen during the finale and Brian May is a fan of his! I had no idea they had split ways with Paul Rodgers.
Read it here
Wednesday, May 13
iPhone App :: Credit Card Terminal
I saw this on one of the recent iPhone commercials and I had to do a double take - how sweet is this?! What it does is allow you to charge someone via credit card... Right there on your iPhone. Too cool. I don't know how all the rates work and if they're as competitive as your plain jane credit card terminal, but it's certainly worth looking into. It seems like a lot of bands these days have iPhones and this is an easy way to sell merch.
iTunes link
More New Mac vs. PC Ads
Check out Customer Care, Elimination (I love this one), and PC Choice Chat here.
Monday, May 11
Thursday, May 7
14 Items All Design Geeks Must Have
These are awesome! I want the polaroid mirror. It took me a second to figure out exactly what it was cos the camera threw me off, but wow. I'll have that.
See 'em here
New Pete Yorn Album
Pete is one of those artists that I remember there being quite a bit of fanfare about when his first album dropped, and I was a part of that. But then he just kinda fell off for me. I've never liked him live when I've seen clips or late night appearances and the music just wasn't as good as the first album. I haven't listened to him in quite a long time but I saw that he's got a new one coming out and the preview sounded alright. He changed up his writing process so maybe that will juice him back up into my list of listening. Back and Fourth drops June 16.
iTunes link
Monday, April 27
Oklahoma's Official Rock Song :: "Do You Realize?"
Hot dang! Go OK governor! He overturned a ruling to reject The Flaming Lips' song "Do You Realize?" as the official rock song of Oklahoma.
Read all about it
List of nominated songs
Paper Heart trailer
Fans of Michael Cera, listen up! This looks like a cool little movie starring him and Charlyne Yi. Paper Heart comes out August 7... Hey, I recognize that date! :)
Watch the trailer here
Friday, April 24
Millionaire + Regis
Yessir, you read it right! Forget Meredith Viera - Regis is back in action for a special Who Wants to Be A Millionaire event this summer. I used to LOVE this show and watched it religiously. I've been getting back into GSN (Game Show Network) more lately, but watching Millionaire now is pretty pitiful compared to the golden days. Here's to hoping the event sparks that fire again!
Read about it here
Noah And The Whale
I just heard about this band through Relevant Magazine. The article said something about them being huge fans of Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited, etc.) and I had to check 'em out. I haven't listened much, but I figured they'd be worth passing on. Check 'em!
Their MySpace
Their Wikipedia
New Muse in 2009 or 2010
First of all, if you're reading this and you're not familiar with Muse, get familiar. Their last album, Black Holes and Relevations, is a mainstay in my iTunes and is incredible. Also check out the songs Time Is Running Out and Hysteria from the album before that. Anyways, back to the news. They're working on their next album, though they're not sure if it'll be later this year or early next year. Either way, it's getting me excited!
Article 01
Article 02
DisneyNature's Earth
This looks pretty cool, along with Oceans, and James Earl Jones has a great voice for this. Can't wait to see!
Visit the site here
Indie Rock Alphabet Book
Ha, now isn't THIS awesome! Teach your kid to learn the alphabet AND get an indie music schooling at the same time! For each letter of the alphabet, Paste magazine has associated an indie rock band.
See it here
Wednesday, April 22
DisneyNature graphic
I really love Walt Disney's new graphic that comes up in their movies and they've wowed me yet again with this one they created for DisneyNatures. Click for a larger image.
Tuesday, April 21
Sound Wisdom :: Mark Driscoll
This is a great article I just read in Relevant Magazine this morning about making room for silence in your day. The link will take you to the digital issue and you'll find the article on page 33, or by clicking Articles and selecting Deeper Walk: Sound Wisdom.
Click here
Monday, April 20
iPhone app :: Pano
This is a really cool app I bought a couple weeks ago and think is just ace. You can take up to 16 pictures and combine them into one panoramic photo and pictures can be taken in landscape or portrait. It's really easy to use and has a great layout. For $2.99, it's a sweet deal!
iTunes link
Cool Relevant Magazine Covers
This is a cool concept: 2 covers. One on the front, and one on the back. Same info, just different focus for the main graphic. The Rourke cover (backside) looks even cooler in person! Click the image to see it in large form.
Saturday, April 18
Man Vs. Wild + Will Ferrell
Wow, what a matchup! Should be an interesting episode.
Read about it here
Twitter's Growth Rate
Twitter is becoming the next big thing, at least with those I closely interact with, and while I can't speak for its long-term success, it sure is making in dent in social interaction right now. I used to say that I didn't see the point and it was a waste of time, but once you get a few people you know on your list, it becomes a lot more useable. If you're on Twitter, I highly recommend following Guy Kawasaki (read about him here) as he is one of the top tweeters out there and amidst all of his postings, you'll find quite a few interesting links and articles. Who do you follow that you recommend?
Growth rate article
Friday, April 17
Mystery Science Theater, Meet Twitter.
Speaking of Mystery Science Theater 3000, I still want to do some for fun one day. Who's with me?
Read it here
Data Center - James Bond style
WOW. How cool is this! It does remind me of several Goldeneye (yes, the N64 game us men all obsessed over) levels put together.
See it here
Thursday, April 16
Wednesday, April 15
Tuesday, April 14
An Office Chair, Toots, and Twitter.
Wow, some people have way too much time on their hands. :)
Click here
Thursday, April 9
Metallica + SXSW
Check out this article...
Metallica invades SXSW as `young band from Norway'
AUSTIN, Texas - Invading South By Southwest, Metallica attempted to pose as one of the hundreds of smaller bands there just hoping to get a record deal.
"We're a young band from Norway and we want to get signed," Metallica frontman James Hetfield told the audience at the heavy metal band's SXSW performance Friday night.
It was a widely expected but not officially announced show at a venue (Stubb's) that for a band like Metallica is downright minuscule, holding about 2,100 people. The band played for slightly more than an hour, performing both classics and, as Hetfield called it, "new stuff" off their 2008 album "Death Magnetic" - a disc widely considered a return to form for the 28-year-old group.
But despite Hetfield's mock camouflage (and poor Norwegian accent), Metallica stood out on the SXSW landscape Friday. With more than 50 million albums sold, Metallica has probably outsold the other 1,900-plus bands at SXSW combined.
Droves of die-hard fans, catching wind of the rumors, lined up all day outside Stubb's, where Metallica 18-wheelers parked outside.
Metallica was in Austin for the day to promote their new "Guitar Hero" video game. To be released March 29, it's the latest rock star simulator dedicated to a single band following last year's "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith."
It may seem like a lot of fanfare for a videogame but "Guitar Hero" and its rival "Rock Band" have proven to be one of few growing revenue streams in a declining music industry.
In an interview before the show, Hetfield said the band wanted to play at SXSW - an old-school, small live show - to balance the promotion of the very contemporary, tech-savvy "Guitar Hero: Metallica."
"Here is the grass roots. Here is the basis of why we like music. Artists are getting up in front of 2,100 people and giving it what they got," Hetfield said of SXSW. "We've always wanted to support live music. We've been road dogs since the day after high school."
Now, Hetfield laughs at the idea that Metallica - who, in one of their most popular songs, sing: "Master of puppets, I'm pulling your strings" - have effectively been made digital puppets for kids to play with.
"When (drummer Lars Ulrich) and I were sitting in a garage in Norwalk, California, bashing out a horrible version of `Hit the Lights,' we were not thinking that this was going to be happening anytime soon," Hetfield said. "I've watched people play us. They're pretty good at us."
Hetfield has been more interested in observing his three children - ages 7,8 and 10 - play their father.
At the prospect of playing the game as Ulrich, Hetfield laughs and groans: "Good Lord. We've done some role-playing swapping in therapy already." (In the 2004 documentary "Some Kind of Monster," the band famously resorted to therapy sessions to heal rifts between each other.)
Instead, Hetfield will stick with real performance.
"Have you seen some good bands here?" Hetfield asked the crowd Friday before exiting the stage. "Hope we're one of them."
Iron Man 2 news
Entertainment Tonight talked to Robert Downey Jr. about Iron Man 2, which begins filming on Monday. Here's an excerpt from the interview:
"The film is almost entirely about character, and yet we still have twice as much action as we did last time, so it's going to be nuts," Robert tells our own Thea Andrews of the super sequel, set to start filming Monday. "Essentially 'Iron Man 2' is about looking behind the armor, or the armature, of a superhero. It's one thing to say you're Iron Man, it's another thing to be fully ready to do that."
As for co-star Scarlett Johansson, who plays the femme fatale Black Widow in the sequel, Robert says, "We've been rehearsing and she's in insane shape. She's getting lean and mean." Iron Man 2, opening May 7, 2010, co-stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell and Samuel L. Jackson.
Reporter Fired over Wolverine Leak
Can anyone tell me how you could be this stupid to do something like this??
Read about it here
Wednesday, April 8
New Death Cab EP
Here are some songs that were cut from Narrow Stairs as I understand it...
iTunes link
U2 + Muse!!!
Please tell me this can't be true! And please tell me Muse won't be the opener for the Chicago shows! DANG!!
Read it here
Monday, April 6
The Taking of Pelham 123
Tony Scott and Denzel Washington are at it again. This time it's a remake of a 1974 movie called The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and stars John Travolta as a train hijacker in NYC. I love movies like Man on Fire and Deja Vu and this one already has me hooked! Check out the trailer (#1 is far better)...
Watch the trailer
IMDB :: 1974 version
The Bible vs. Your Cell Phone
I got this in an email forward a little while ago and found it thought-provoking.
Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our
cell phone?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?
Online Spiritual Journal
I saw this through someone's Twitter the other day and I just peeked real quick at it, but I figured I'd pass it on in case it trips anybody's trigger. It's basically a little online devotional and a way to keep track of your spiritual growth through a journal.
Check it here
Woody Allen's latest
Mmm, a new Woody Allen movie... I like! I hadn't seen much of his stuff until last year when I was introduced to Annie Hall, which I absolutely love. I've got a bunch of his others on my queue and look forward to seeing 'em all.
Read about it here
Friday, April 3
Next iPod Update Rumors
I keep getting more and more excited for the next version of the iPhone to drop in June. Plus whatever's coming later this year that's a bigger iPhone / smaller computer is keeping me on my toes. Here's the latest...
Click here
Thursday, April 2
Font Sites
Here's a couple cool font sites that feature free fonts...
Font Squirrel
22 Most Used Free Fonts
Metric Album Follow-Up
I couldn't take it. After spinning the previews, I had to have the album. And I can't stop listening! This is a real musical gem right here. Get the song, Sick Muse, and get a nice taste of the goodness this album is bursting with.
Wednesday, April 1
New Metric Album!
Metric, with frontperson Emily Haines (of Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton), is releasing a new album in a couple weeks, but iTunes has an exclusive pre-sale on it. The previews sound awesome! Pretty guitar driven, catchy, and drenched in vocal goodness. Check it out!
iTunes link
Tuesday, March 31
Smashing Pumpkins - Jimmy Chamberlin
NEW YORK - Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin has left the Smashing Pumpkins.
Chamberlin's departure is posted on the Smashing Pumpkins' Web site. The announcement didn't say why the 44-year-old Chamberlin left the group.
Chamberlin joined the Grammy-winning alternative rock band in 1988 and played on all of their albums except 1998's "Adore." The band broke up in 2000 and reunited six years later with Chamberlin and frontman Billy Corgan on board.
The announcement says Corgan, who sings and plays guitar, will "continue to write and record as Smashing Pumpkins with plans to head into the studio this spring."
---
The Associated Press
The Sounds concert
I haven't been to a concert in a while and the next one scheduled is one I'm super, super excited for. The Sounds' album, Dying to Say This to You, was one of those albums I couldn't stop listening to. It was a great energy record if I need a pick-me-up whilst working. I'm expecting a pretty electric performance and am so glad to be able to see 'em. I regret not being able to see them with Shiny Toy Guns and Assassins a couple years ago in Chicago. Dang. What a lineup! Power chick singers galore. Anywho... The show is on May 9 at the Rave and while I was at first excited about seeing The Sounds on their upcoming tour with Paramore and No Doubt, I'd rather see them alone I've decided. Hopefully the crowd won't be as filled with types like radio-crazy teenage girls who just wanna be Hayley or only know Gwen's solo stuff. Recap to follow!
Monday, March 30
Phoenix + Saturday Night Live
No, not Phoenix the city... the band Phoenix! They're going to be on SNL this weekend with Seth Rogen hosting and I've gotta say... I'm jittery all over. The last album truly rocked my face for many hours on end and the single on their MySpace, dubbed 1901, has me excited. Tune in, folks. I'm not quite sure what their live show is like, but here's to hoping the music dominates.
Download the single + studio tracks
Their MySpace
Student Suspended for Farting on Bus
Articles like these are what keep a smile on my face throughout the day!
Read it here
30 Photoshop Video Tutorials
This is for any readers that are designers. You don't have to get me a Christmas present this year.
Click here
I'm A Vader-illionaire.
The far-reaching scope of crazed fans and their endeavors to pay homage to their favorite obsession is always humorous. This guy decided to create some Star Wars currency, touting Lord Vader as the face. Too bad we can't customize our dollars like we can our credit cards!
Read about it here
Colbert + Nasa
This article is awesome. I happened to be channel surfing one night (a very rare occasion) and came upon The Colbert Report. Colbert was calling for the Colbert Nation to unite and hit up Nasa's site for naming a new international space station and name it... You guessed it. "Colbert". I started laughing and reached for the laptop, but couldn't find the link on his site just yet. Then I read this...
Oops: Colbert wins NASA space station name contest
WASHINGTON - NASA's online contest to name a new room at the international space station went awry. Comedian Stephen Colbert won.
The name "Colbert" beat out NASA's four suggested options in the space agency's effort to have the public help name the addition. The new room will be launched later this year.
NASA's mistake was allowing write-ins. Colbert urged viewers of his Comedy Central show, "The Colbert Report" to write in his name. And they complied, with 230,539 votes. That clobbered Serenity, one of the NASA choices, by more than 40,000 votes. Nearly 1.2 million votes were cast by the time the contest ended Friday.
NASA reserves the right to choose an appropriate name. Agency spokesman John Yembrick said NASA will decide in April, but will give top vote-getters "the most consideration."
The Associated Press
New Band :: Tinted Windows
Now if this isn't an interesting mash-up of I'm-already-in-a-huge-band-but-I-want-to-be-in-another candidates, I don't know what is! Tinted Windows is comprised of Hanson's Taylor Hanson, former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, Cheap Trick's drummer Bun E. Carlos, and Fountains of Wayne's bassist Adam Schlesinger. The 2 songs on their MySpace are catchy and have piqued my interest. Listen for yourself...
Their MySpace
25 Albums :: Start to Finish
Here's a cool list of 25 albums that are best listened to from start to finish...
Click here
Sunday, March 29
Blockbuster + Tivo
I don't exactly know what came of, or what started, the news about Blockbuster's supposed bankruptcy, but it doesn't sound like they're going out too soon, or at least not without a fight. Their days have been numbered since Netflix and Redbox started dominating the video rental market. We shall see what happens to the once-behemoth Blockbuster soon enough. Death to high rental prices, I say!
Click here
The Three Stooges remake
Wow, what a crazy cast! Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, and Jim Carry as the Three Stooges? And directed by the Farrelly bros? This could get interesting!
Click here
Welcome Back, Me
After an unintentional blogging hiatus, I hereby welcome myself back. I've stockpiled some links in the past week that I'll drop over the next few days. If anyone still reads this, stay with me! I shall freshen the content on the site as much as I can hithertofore hereby and thus. And such. Thanks for reading.
Friday, March 13
Thursday, March 5
Monday, February 23
Thursday, February 19
Thursday, February 12
15 Clever Logos
Mmm, I love me some tasty logo work. Had anyone seen the hidden thing in FedEx before??
Click here
Joaquin Phoenix + Letterman
UN. BE. LIEVABLE. I was so uncomfortable watching this. It is so weird and awkward! I don't know what the heck is up with Joaquin, but he certainly has greatly disappointed me. He's a phenomenal actor and to throw it all away for a hip hop career seems like a waste. If you can catch it somewhere online, try to watch the full interview. I grabbed it off YouTube before that video got run off by CBS and boy is it crazy. I guess he's on something? I was kinda waiting for him to take a swing at Dave (or more likely, Paul) or just walk off or something. Dang. What a loss.
Saturday, February 7
Fireman (Paul McCartney)
Apparently Paul McCartney has a side project called Fireman. I haven't heard much, but it's supposed to be more experimental. Here's a link to one of the albums...
Click here
Professional Lip-Synching
Hmm. I was surprised and a bit disappointed to read this. I understand the setup at the Super Bowl has to be quick, but I expect to see some talent being shown off and not just entertainment.
Click here
Monday, January 26
Friday, January 23
Steve Ballmer = Idiot Spaz
Wow. This is the "other" Steve - CEO of Microsoft. Jobs vs. Ballmer? Um. Jobs, please.
Wednesday, January 21
Branding Apples With Um... Apple
I want some of these. I'm sure with the iPod and Apple logo on them that they even taste better. Sign me up!
Click here
Thursday, January 15
Wednesday, January 14
Blockbuster's Instant Access
'Bout time they got with the program. I wonder (and pretty much doubt at the present moment) if they can over take Netflix in the Instant Viewing business. Time will tell...
Click here
Tuesday, January 13
The Bird and the Bee + New Album
Coming January 27... Hecks yeah! I can't wait for this. If you haven't heard them, you deserve to. Check out Polite Dance Song, Birthday, and Man. Then tell me it's not infectious and that you're now excited for this album.
iTunes link