Chris Tucker cracks me up, namely in Rush Hour 2, and this soundboard had me rollin'!! There are tons of other people to choose from, so check it out for your favorite celebrity.
Click here
Friday, November 28
Chris Tucker Soundboard
Thursday, November 27
Happy Thanksgiving!
That's all I have to say in this post. :) I hope it's a great day for all of you readers! My thanks for reading.
Tuesday, November 25
Wednesday, November 19
Tuesday, November 18
Total Gym
Those of you who know me are reeling in your chair right now... What is this? Jesse's talking about fitness? Man, he really shouldn't blog late at night. He starts to ramble about things he doesn't know about. He starts acting crazy. And he starts talking about himself in the third person. He's going to stop now.
But seriously, I just wanted to rave a bit about the Total Gym. Chuck Norris endorses it and we all know he is the human embodiment of awesomeness, so my two cents doesn't add up to much, but I figured I'd plug it anyways. It's true, I don't work out and I haven't much in the past. But with the back trouble I've had over the past couple years and the looming uneasiness about the slowing down of my metabolism, aka the potential enlarging of my gut, I've gotten into it. It's really cool because every exercise works your core and the whole thing helps your flexibility. It's easy, it's quick, and it's effective. I haven't started using it on a regular basis just yet, but I'm expecting to look like Chuck soon enough. Or not.
Movie Reviews, Part 5
I haven't been watching hardly anything lately as I've been spending my time on other things, but here's a quick recap of the ones I have seen.
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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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Nights in Rodanthe
Me and Summer went to see this when it came out and I gotta say, I wasn't impressed. I don't knock romantic movies and enjoy a good one every chance I get. This wasn't one of those. I just thought it was too chick flicky and shallow.
2 of 5.
Body of Lies
The trailer didn't impress me but I saw it anyways knowing how good the Ridley Scott / Leonardo DiCaprio / Russell Crowe team was and expecting more than what the trailer did for me. Unfortunately, I was let down. It was one of those movies where it was well done and kept your attention but all of a sudden you start to approach the ending and you realize that it's going to suck. It had potential, it just didn't deliver. I was so psyched for a lot more than actually happened and the ending was kinda rushed. I wish I could rate it higher, but I can't...
2 of 5.
Harry & The Hendersons
This being a childhood favorite of Summer's, I had to see it! This is one of those that I feel bad about not having seen as it is one of those classics that many grew up watching over and over. I really enjoyed it all the way through. I was laughing out loud when he was watching TV. Haha, it cracks me up just to think about it!
4 of 5.
PS I Love You
For whatever reason, I had a weird vibe towards this movie. I don't know where I got it, but I was thinking it was overly sexual or just that it wasn't that good. Don't ask me where I got that. I'm super glad I watched it and it's one of those movies that I disagree with the Rotten Tomatoes rating, which is kinda rare. It's definitely a tearjerker, but I thought the whole premise was pretty cool and I'd watch it again. With a box of Kleenex handy... Wait, did I just say that?
4 of 5.
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
I hate to do it, but I'm going to end the reviews with yet another downer. This one especially disappointed me cos I was expecting a ton more out of it. I heard some excellent things about it and love Michael Cera, but man, it just annoyed me more than anything. Granted, watching a night of miscommunications and an unplanned and chaotic schedule is definitely going to annoy me, but even still, I just didn't see what the big deal with this was. I won't be watching it again to give it another chance.
2 of 5.
Brooke Fraser
Yes, I've mentioned her before. But not nearly enough. And if you didn't get the hint the first time around, please stop reading and slap yourself several times in the face. Rinse and repeat. You think I'm kidding... You have no idea what you're missing. I have a MAJOR vocal crush on Brooke and her songwriting ability is mindblowing. The production, the hooks, and the lyrical depth of this album will force you to keep spinning it time after time after time. It's like A Fine Frenzy meets Sarah McLachlan, but she's even better than that match up sounds. For reals. I can't speak highly enough of this amazing piece of work.
Songs you need to check out right now are Shadowfeet, Deciphering Me, Love Is Waiting, Faithful, and Hymn. And I do mean right now. Don't think twice about buying this album. Just do it. And drop me a comment of gratitude if you heart it as much as you should. :)
My Morning Jacket concert
This was awesome. Everything I was expecting and more. It was awesome cos there was no opener - the night started right off with them. They were so tight, so animated, and so rockin'. The mix floored me, especially the drums. As with Ratatat, I was super surprised at the diverse crowd that was there. I don't know what's up, but more, dare I say, mainstream people seem to be getting into these bands that I would consider pretty indie. The highlight of the night for the crowd was Highly Suspicious which is a little disheartening considering it's a big shift for MMJ and the fact that it's easily outdone by other songs in their repertoire. Go see 'em if you can. They will jam your socks off and definitely are more appealing to a wider group of people than they are on the CD. Oh, and delight in the goodness that is Touch Me I'm Going to Scream, Part 2. It blew me away. And I already had HUGE expectations for it!
"Goosebump It" playlist
There are a few songs that GUARANTEED will always give me goosebumps every time I listen to them. Without fail. Just thinking about some of them will give me goosebumps. I have several playlists like "Move It" and "Groove It", so this one's called "Goosebump It". I just had to share this list in hopes that some of these will hit you like they hit me. They're in no certain order and it certainly isn't as extensive as it should be, but these are the core ones.
I WANT TO KNOW WHAT SONGS ROCK YOU TO THE POINT OF GOOSEBUMPS, SO DROP A COMMENT!
Band of Horses :: The Funeral
The main part that always hits me is the "oooo" at the first chorus. The tender emotion oozing from the guitar, the milky smooth vocals, and the harmony that kills me every time.
Chris Tomlin :: Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
What do you get when you throw a classic hymn at Chris Tomlin? A freaking amazing updated arrangement that will rock you to your core. The chorus he wrote for this is absolutely incredible.
David Gray :: Ain't No Love
Some amazing melody, harmony, and instrumentation throughout make this a killer track.
Dido :: Don't Leave Home
The chorus on this song dominates me. Especially the latter half. Mmm. I'm getting goosebumps just writing about it!
Hans Zimmer :: Cry
For those of you who don't know, The Holiday is in my Top 5 all-time favorite movies and the score is incredible. This song is especially amazing though and easily earns its place in this list.
Hayley Westenra :: Who Painted the Moon Black
Let the chorus wash over you. And wait for the amazing "dah dah dah" harmony that comes in later in the song. Daggum is it tasty.
Jon Foreman :: The Cure for Pain
Simple, yet super well-written lyrically and musically. The harmonizing humming always hits me square in the face.
Leeland :: Tears of the Saints
This 'bumps me because of the lyrical and musical combination. It's great music, but listening to the words just gets to me every time. What an anointed song.
Leigh Nash :: Along the Wall
Yippie yikes. This is a song and a half. LISTEN TO IT NOW! It's solid gold throughout.
Natalie Imbruglia :: Torn
An oldie, but SUCH a goodie. This one gives me some of the most goosebumps out of any of these.
Phoenix :: Love for Granted
So tender. So mild. No, I'm not talking about baby Jesus as referred to in Silent Night. I'm talking about a sweet song that deserves a listen. Or two. Or ten.
Switchfoot :: The Shadow Proves the Sunshine
So delicious. I don't know what other words to say to describe it. It's even more incredible live.
Tim Hughes :: Everything
Great music underneath amazing lyrics cause this one to rock me big time.
The Trashcan Sinatras
This is pretty much the mother lode of this playlist. I hope all of you reading this post made it this far because this certainly shouldn't be at the end of the list. The guitars in this song are sicktastically genius, the solid bass pulls everything together, and the simple drum beat keeps you begging for more but not really wanting it. And the vocals. (sigh) Wow. Just listen to this. Immediately. You have my permission. Close this window and open your iTunes. You owe it to yourself.
Monday, November 17
Relationship Resources
Me being the idealist that I am, Summer and I have worked some really cool resources into the development of our relationship. Because they've helped us and we've only just begun, I wanted to share. Whether you're single, dating, engaged, or married, you'll find something useful in the following list, I guarantee it!
All About Me
I can't remember the first time I heard about this, but it definitely piqued my interest and I bought one a year and a half ago or so to fill out just for my own benefit. I love taking time to really dig into myself and find out what makes me tick and what I really like or dislike. This book covers SO many things about you, your family, your friends, your viewpoints, your fears, etc. It'll take you a couple hours to fill out if you think through it, though the trick is to not overthink it but just write down the first few things that come to mind. Me and Summer each filled one out and gave it to each other and I have to say it was amazing to read through. It's a huge help in bringing things to light that may not come up in everyday conversation and really helped us learn about each other quickly. But enough promo. You need this. You'll need several copies as the years go by. So here's where to buy it...
Amazon link
For Women Only / For Men Only
Regardless of your relationship status, you NEED this. If you're single, get a head start and read this a few times. Then read it again when you get in a relationship. I highly suggest reading both books, too. Reading FWO really helped me understand my core feelings as a guy and helped me to understand why I think like that.
FWO Amazon link
FMO Amazon link
Trading Places
I already wrote a post about this, but it begged to be mentioned again. This'll help you understand how to better empathize with your significant other and will help you learn how to communicate your mood and feelings to them.
Amazon link
Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts
Don't let the title fool you - even if you're married, this will still be helpful. I just bought this today and have been dying to get it after reading the synopsis about it. Les and Leslie Parrott need to have several places in your home library and I'm expecting amazing things from this. They have workbooks for both women and men for this and with what I know of their work, I'm sure they're worth getting.
Amazon link
Love Talk
I just happened on this one yesterday, but the Parrotts are blowing my mind already. I ripped through 100 pages of this short book last night and was floored at all the helpful information they cram into just a few pages. They have a writing style that cuts the crap and gets to the core point without boring you or dragging it out. And let me tell you - they nailed me in the face several times already. YOU NEED THIS. And the workbooks, which from what I understand, have 20 or so exercises to help you better understand yourself and the way you interpret things and communicate. Once me and Summer get into those and the online assessment, I'm sure we'll be blown away with the effectiveness and helpfulness of this book. I know I already am and I've only done part of the reading portion of the process!
Amazon link
I Love You More
I haven't read this yet, but it's yet another Parrott-written resource. Seeing a pattern here? Ha, I don't hide my respect for them and give them props every chance I get lately.
Amazon link
Every Woman's Marriage / Every Man's Marriage
I don't know much about this besides the little I read on Amazon when I found these yesterday, but knowing how good Every Man's Battle was and how good the synopsis of both of these sounded, I'd bank that they're great resources.
EWM Amazon link
EMM Amazon link
Assorted others
Amazon link :: Love & Respect
Amazon link :: The Five Love Languages (there's also a men's edition)
Amazon link :: Does This Dress Make Me Look Fat?
Amazon link :: Yup. Nope. Maybe.
Ratatat Concert
Also a couple months ago, I got to see Ratatat at Turner Hall in Milwaukee. The opening bands were nothing to write home about, though some of the visuals on the big projector behind them were pretty crazy, but Ratatat was freaking awesome. I was surprised by the crowd demographics as there were quite a few high schoolers there and they were pretty mainstream folks, not indie as I would have suspected. The mix was sweet, the energy was contagious, and I left with a feeling of major satisfaction. I was surprised by how good everything sounded, namely the guitar in matching the tones and feel of the album. It was a cheap show, though it was packed out, and your hard-earned money would be well worth your investing it in a night of Ratatat awesomeness.
No Quarter concert
A couple months ago, I went to see a Led Zeppelin cover band called No Quarter, here in Sheboygan. It was being held at the nicely restored Stephanie H. Weill Center and was only $20 so I decided to go. I can't say I'm familiar with Zeppelin besides the obvious hits like Rock and Roll, Stairway to Heaven, and Kashmir, but it sounded like a good time and I figured it'd be a good opportunity to finally gain some much needed exposure to such a classic band.
The night started off right with finding out my friend Keith scored us front row seats and continued from there. It took a bit for the band's performance to get into the groove as far as being entertaining, but they definitely started right out grabbing my attention. The mix kept getting better through the first few songs and really sounded good after a while. The raw talent of these guys was pretty dang phenomenal. I'm not familiar with Robert Plant and his stage persona, but from what I've heard from those I was with, this singer nailed both his personality and voice in an uncanny way. I was blown away by the mad skills of the guitarist and drummer, whose Moby Dick solo was Moby Sick. Wow. Excuse that cheesy joke. But I couldn't resist. :) It seriously was out of this world. It was like he was playing with 4 arms. The guitarist made everything look waaaay too easy, even the hardest leads of the night and he pulled out some cool little tricks throughout.
Though they're a fairly new band and are getting their touring legs under them, they really did awesome and I can definitely see them gaining some major popularity. If you're a Zeppelin fan, do yourself a favor and look up No Quarter.
A 21st Century Glass Eye
Wow. This is wild. An artist wants to replace her lost eye with a webcam to share what she sees with the world...
Read it here.
Papa John's + Facebook = Free Pizza
From truemors.com...
"Papa John’s has launched a new yummy (and deadly, if you eat too much of that garlic butter dip) promotion that offers a free medium pizza with any online order to Facebook users that become a “fan” of the pizza chain’s official page. Papa John’s has already dabbled in ways to reach wired customers with an online ordering widget and text-message ordering, but the Facebook promotion could bring in a whole new slew of hungry freegans."
Beatles + Experimental = "Carnival of Light"
LONDON - Paul McCartney says it's time an experimental Beatles track saw the light of day.
McCartney says he wants to release "Carnival of Light," a 14-minute experimental track the Fab Four recorded in 1967 but never released.
The band played the recording for an audience just once, at an electronic music festival in London. It reportedly includes distorted guitar, organ sounds, gargling and shouts of "Barcelona!" and "Are you all right?" from McCartney and John Lennon.
McCartney said during a recording session at Abbey Road studios he asked the other members of the band to "just wander round all of the stuff and bang it, shout, play it. It doesn't need to make any sense."
"I like it because it's The Beatles free, going off piste," he told the BBC in a radio interview to be broadcast Thursday. Extracts of the interview were published Sunday in The Observer newspaper.
McCartney said he still had a master tape of the piece and "the time has come for it to get its moment."
McCartney, usually regarded as the most melodically minded Beatle, told the BBC he had a long-standing interest in avant-garde music. He said "Carnival of Light" was inspired by experimental composers John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen.
He said he had wanted to include the track on the Beatles' "Anthology" compilation, but was vetoed by his bandmates.
McCartney would need permission from Ringo Starr and the widows of Lennon and George Harrison to release the track.
The Associated Press
Thursday, November 13
Shiny Toy Guns' Carah Faye
In checking out some new albums in iTunes this morning, I came back around to the new Shiny Toy Guns album. As I was previewing and reading some of the comments, I learned that their female singer, Carah Faye, was no longer with them and I was pretty instantly bummed. I haven't heard the new girl except the little bit on the previews so I can't say one way or another if I like her, but I loved Carah's vocals and doubt she'll be matched. According to Wikipedia, she got booted from the band, but has now started her own project called Versant.
By the by, the STG previews are quite a dang bit different than We Are Pilots, which is a pretty awesome album throughout. Kinda disappointing for a band that had so much promise.
Wednesday, November 12
VOTA (formerly Casting Pearls)
Apparently Casting Pearls, a pretty cool Christian rock band, changed their name to VOTA after being confused with Casting Crowns a lot (read about it here). They just released a new album yesterday and it's worth checking out!
iTunes link
Monday, November 10
Friday, November 7
Tuesday, November 4
"You Can Vote However You Like"
:D The original's better, yeah. But this brought a smile to my face.
Captain Bellyflop Strikes Again!
A funny tee from Threadless.com. Reminds me of Office Linebacker, Terrible Terry Tate (you need to look these videos up if you haven't seen them). But much scarier. :)
Saturday, November 1
Hear Mute Math's New Song
"Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer will premiere MuteMath's new song "Spotlight" on her website Monday November 3. Fans will be able to stream the new song by visiting Stephenie's website (www.stepheniemeyer.com). The soundtrack will be released via Chopshop/Atlantic on November 4. The film "Twilight" will follow with a nationwide release on November 21.
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