Sunday, May 30, 2010

Thank God for College Radio!- Mumford and Sons

I was sitting in one of the two favorite pizza places that my family ventures out to on occasion with my maternal grandparents (grandma and step-grandpa) and brother earlier and something caused me to perk my ears. It was the music that was playing over the speakers. It was playing indie/alternative rock. ... And I quite liked it! One of the first tracks I remember hearing was Dr. Dog's "Stranger", the first track of off their latest album Shame, Shame. That was followed by Vampire Weekend's "Giving Up the Gun", another great tune off their latest Contra. And that was followed by a Mumford and Sons track, of all things. It was "Little Lion Man". And this got me worried. Why, you ask? Let me explain.

On the Mumford and Sons album Sigh No More, there's the track "Little Lion Man". And there are two versions on the CD: the album edit and the radio edit. The key difference between the two: language. To be specific, the word "fucked". In one version, you can hear it and in the other, you can't. Take a stab at which is which.

365 Photos, Day 150: Have a Little Faith

Thursday, May 27, 2010

365 Photos, Day 147: Cards!

Yes, I ordered cards from Moo as a part of the Youtube promotion. Yes, they're pretty sweet.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

365 Photos, Day 146: Franklyn

Alright movie. Interesting take on fantasy/noir. Okay cast. Didn't really connect with any of the characters, though. I'd give it 3 out of 5.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Day 145: Towel Day

"A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapors; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (such a mind-bogglingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.
More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-hitch hiker) discovers that a hitch hiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, face flannel, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitch hiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitch hiker might accidentally have "lost". What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is is clearly a man to be reckoned with." - Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Monday, May 24, 2010

365 Photos, Day 144: Massage

Questions, Not Answers: Lost - Episode 6.17 + 18 "The End"

Well ... it's here. The SERIES finale of Lost. It's been a while. Let's just jump right into it with the reactions, shall we?


The Recap Show
In general: Whoop-de-doo.
Okay, they passed over Shannon, Walt, Michael, Rose, Bernard, Dogen, Ana Lucia, Libby ...

THE FINAL EPISODE
Really digging the opening montage.
Sawyer still has that bottomless pit of names and petty insults.
STAR WARS!
The motel! They’re back at the motel!
And Hurley used a gun!
VINCENT! ROSE! BERNARD! :DDDDDDDD
No! Not Rose and Bernard! Not … *phew*
Ah, that crafty Ben … but I could see that coming.
Alpert … the plane … really? I don’t think that you have to worry about the plane anymore.
A HUGE “Aww!” for Jin and Sun!
First gray hair … Hehehe …
LAPIDUS! :D
“I’m going to kill you.”- What a BOLD statement.
Juliet and Jack were a couple! Ha ha! :D
Boone and Shannon! They’re pulling out the stops!
Well, THAT shot (Flock and Jack looking down the hole) looks ODDLY familiar … ;)
Charlotte and Daniel! :D
Table 23!
Charlie and Claire! :D
VOLCANO! SHIT!
They bleed …
Leaving? As in … dying? Or going to the other reality?
OHMYGODOHMYGOD! :DDDDDDDDDDDDDD
NOT BEN! … Yes, I just said “Not Ben.”
AND YOU CUT TO A COMMERCIAL?!?!
Bleeding neck explained!
“It worked.” And the right toe moving. :D
“We should get coffee.” YES! :D
“You WERE a great Number 2.” … WERE? WERE?
… … … Wow … I’m … literally speechless.

I guess ... I just about got it with the "leaving" bit. ... Wow. Quite a satisfying series finale with most things answered. I applaud you, JJ, Carlton, Damon, and the rest of the crew, as well as Matthew, Josh, Evangeline, Terry, Jorge ... the whole cast. I applaud all of you for the excellent 6 years we have "spent" together. It's been nice knowing you. See you all in another life, brothas.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Weird Science: Fringe Episode 2x22 "Over There, Part II"

Well, folks, the season finale is here. The two worlds are now at war. Let's see how things turn out, shall we?

Oh, not MSG!
(I missed from part of Peter's chopper tour to when Walter met up with Belly again.)
Is the alternate universe stuck with Windows XP?
Walter is a KFC fanatic. Hehehe …
Hrm … a lot of red (Red Lantern, Red Arrow …)
Why is part of Harvard in a quarantine zone?
Does Walter only have money on the brain?
EXCELLENT fight scene!
Uh oh … I think that Peter knows that’s in store for him.
Handguns with explosive ammo?! WOW!
Crap! That’s not our Olivia! Check her! Check her!
Astrid! You could open a bakery on the side!
And the typewriter is back. Are we ever going to get an explanation about this?
CRAP! I knew it!
Okay … part of next season’s arc will definitely be getting our Olivia back … somehow.

Until the fall and the season 3 premiere, folks!

365 Photos, Day 140: The Hit

An alright gangster-road movie. A bit of a precursor to "In Bruges". Didn't quite connect to the characters, but I enjoyed the story and the setting. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

365 Photos, Day 138: Second-to-Last

Questions, Not Answers: Lost - Episode 6.16 "What They Died For"

What follows are the play-by-play thoughts. Caution: Spoilers are afoot, so you have been warned.

That cut is back. Or is still bleeding.
WHO IS JACK’S WIFE?!
Oceanic FINALLY … DESMOND?!?!
Desmond … no … no … not again!
Desmond wailing on Ben … this is TOO good!
Finally! We’re back to the trio!
So … this is AFTER the plane was wired to blow, I’m guessing.
Okay, we now know who wired the plane.
Everyone’s going to meet up at the concert … oh, this is going to be TOOOOO good!
Desmond turned himself in … to get access to Sawyer and Miles. Or just Sayid. Or Kate. Or all four of them.
Sawyer is taking this hard, harder than he needs to.
Ghost Jacob wants his own ashes back … to revive himself? … Nope, to kill himself so his successor can take over.
Ah, the fan-made promo. This was one of the two that I really liked. The other was the one with the people crying over the end of the show.
Miles turning tail? C’mon, Miles!
Did Richard just … is he …
BEN! YOU … YOU … GAH!
Hrm … matching or nearly matching facial wounds/scratches.
ROUSSEAU!
“Even if we have to kidnap you.” XD
Oh, the similarities … :)
BEN … ARE YOU … GAH! What happened to the more caring Ben Linus? Or did he die when he saw Alex’s grave?
Locke wants another chance at life. Good!
And now we know why Jacob brought them to the Island? So … was Jacob the one who caused Swan malfunction?
Did Jacob … turn the water to wine or was it just me?
By get out of here, does he mean get out of the vehicle or get out of the life of a happy existence?
ANA LUCIA!           
Ana Lucia isn’t ready? Ready to move on from this life?
SMOKEY … OhMyGodOhMyGodOhMyGod … the opening of the season premiere … it’s going to come full circle!

... Until Sunday, you castaways!

Monday, May 17, 2010

365 Photos, Day 137: Daily Show

Differential Diagnosis: House- Episode 6.22 "Help Me"

Well, here it is, folks, the season finale of House. Let's take a look back at previous season finales.
***
Season 1: House's ex, Stacey, still has a thing for House, but is married to a man who House cured.
Season 2: House is shot by a disgruntled former patient, has roughly an hour long hallucination, which gives him the idea to get a ketamine treatment, curing his pain.
Season 3: House saves a Cuban immigrant and his team leaves.
Season 4: In a two-parter, we learn that House is responsible for Amber's accident and death, hitting him and Wilson quite hard.
Season 5: House, suffering from hallucinations brought on by the Vicodin, checks himself in to a psychiatric hospital.
***
And now, we come to season 6. It has been mostly an optimistic and inspirational season. House managed to kick the Vicodin habit and inspired those in the hospital, including Alvie, who appeared in last week's episode as a bit of a housemate. And now the season finale.
House is recruited by Cuddy to assist at a crane collapse site. While there, he finds a woman who has a leg pinned under rubble. The main plot of the episode is House dealing with Hanna, the trapped woman, who might lose her trapped left leg, putting her in a situation similar to that of House. It's emotionally trying for him and emotionally trying for us, his loyal viewers and fans.
House also somewhat deals with the repercussions of the gift he gave to Cuddy: a medical book by her great-grandfather (if I'm not mistaken). Cuddy is still dealing with her feelings for House and her just-announced engagement to Lucas.
But by the end of the episode, both of these key points converge. House amputates Hanna's left leg, but she dies on the way to the hospital from a fat embolism. House is very angry and depressed, so he returns home and tears off the mirror in his bathroom, to reveal two bottles of Vicodin hidden in a drilled-out hole. He mulls over taking the pills when Cuddy shows up to console him. She left Lucas and has accepted House into her life. They kiss. And we finally have Huddy. *tear*
Overall, I quite enjoyed the episode, both because of the shooting style (shot with Canon EOS 5D Mark II cameras) and because of the emotional content and impact. At the end, as soon as I saw the bottles, I knew what House was planning on doing. I didn't want him to take the pills because of the vast improvement he made. ... And he didn't. And we, the loyal viewing audience, we, who have hoped for years to see House and Cuddy hook up ... we got a teary and emotional but well-worth-it conclusion.

Until next season, you crotchety, scruff lovers!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

365 Photos, Day 136: Paranormal

It was alright. They didn't think of using salt circles for brief protection. And they waiting too long to call the demonologist. And Micah was an ass. 2.5 out of 5 stars

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Weird Science: Fringe- Episode 2x21 "Over There, Part I"

Well, folks, the season finale is here. The two worlds are now at war. Let's see how things turn out, shall we?

Alt-Charlie! He's still alive somewhere!
Alt-Olivia is a ginger?!
Alt-Charlie still has the worm/bug infestation. I like the continuity.
Alt-Astrid is a techhead? Interesting.
Frank? Who is Frank?
How were our Olivia, Walter, and two other people able to stay so quiet?!
Oh, alternate title sequence! Cool!
What is Walter up to?
Oh, the Observer is helping. This should be QUITE intriguing.
I really like Brandon's recurring appearances. He's the geek who loves the little attention he gets. :)
Achieving noble goals through ignoble means ... eh ... not the best way to go about things, Walter.
Everyone saying their last goodbyes and making good before they go ...
Grayshot Bridge ... Cloverfield ... deliberate?
The analogy of Walter/Walternate and the theater ... interesting. :)
Hrm ... no Andrew Jackson in the alternate reality? Martin Luther King Jr. on the $20? Interesting.
The D.O.D. is on/near Ellis Island? Interesting.
The ZFT ... it came to fruition in the alternate world ... wow ...
What's the deal with the lack of coffee?
How did Lincoln know or recognize Nick?
Noooo ... not Walter! But he's going to be okay.
What's the deal with the tattoo?
Belly returns! :D
What exactly does that thing do?!

Until next week and the end of the season, folks!

365 Photos, Day 133: Library Haul

All books are out for 14 days. I have my work cut out for me. But I can handle it. :)

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

365 Photos, Day 131: Just a little more

Questions, Not Answers: Lost - Episode 6.15 "Across the Sea"

CAUTION: Spoilers from this point on. I AM SERIOUS! MAJOR SPOILERS! DON'T READ UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE SPOILED!

Questions

"It's a game." Hrm ... could the whole show be a game?
A weaver ... on the Loom of Fate?
Why does she not like games or things from the outside world?
Why would she lie to Jacob and his brother?
He won't have to worry about death? Hrm ... does just growing up on the Island grant you some form of immortality? Or is it just to Jacob and his brother?
So ... this light ... is life? Immortality?
Why did the Boy in Black just see his dead mother?!
How do you know you don't belong?
So ... is the Light like Pandora's Box?
What's worse than dying? Feeling emotion? Being human?
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?!

Answers
This whole episode is basically an answer to most of the questions about Jacob and the Man in Black. We learned that their foster mother granted them the ability to not hurt each other directly. We learned about their purpose on the Island. We learned what set them in their ways. And we finally learned how the Man in Black became the Smoke Monster.
And we finally learned who "Adam" and "Eve" are.

Musings/Comments
A ship wreck. This is a bad sign.
Is that ... Latin?
So they switch from Latin to English? Probably to get rid of the subtitles.
Hrm ... oddly familiar ... the end of season 1 ... Claire ...
... And you stone her. The RIGHT thing to do! [/sarcasm]
So, Jacob doesn't lie or like to lie and the unnamed kid is special.
It appears that the Man in Black will come to adopt his foster mother's point of view about invaders.
"NO! THAT'S NOT TRUE! THAT'S ... IMPOSSIBLE!" ... Kinda.
The question here is "What is good?" There is no universal meaning of good.
The Man in Black ... is thinking very Machiavellian.
THE FROZEN DONKEY WHEEL!
You stab her and THEN ask why she won't let you leave?! Smart move!
Hrm ... I would guess that the Smoke Monster became the embodiment of the sum of everything: good, evil, etc.

And that's it for this week, my enthralled and intrigued camp of survivors! See you in anotha life, brothas!

Monday, May 10, 2010

365 Photos, Day 130: WorkStudyWrite

Differential Diagnosis: House- Episode 6.21 "Baggage"

Just a few quick thoughts this week.


And House is back for therapy. 6 month check up?
I’m liking the format of this episode already.
Alvie! :D
Let’s go in the doughnut shoppe and … oh, what a coincidence! She recognizes her!
Wilson still cares! Aww!
What’s the problem?! … OH C’MON! A COMMERCIAL?!
NO! Not Alvie!
House! Seriously?! Perjury?!
Well, that’s a more or less hopeful ending. :)
And Alvie hit the road. :(
But at least House is back at his old place. ‘s been a while.
Oh, that was a cold note to end the episode on.

Until next week, my scruffy pill poppers!

Friday, May 07, 2010

Iron Man 2: A Slight Capsule/Breakdown

So, here we go. The start of the summer movie season with the sequel to Iron Man ... Iron Man 2.

I caught the midnight showing with my roommate and a few friends and to say the least, we were all pumped. And the film did not disappoint, for the most part. Let's break it down, shall we? (CAUTION: A few slight spoilers follow.)

The Acting/Cast = 9
Robert Downey Jr. knocked it out of the park as Stark, as he did in the first film.
Gwyneth Paltrow did a good job as Pepper, stepping up to take over as the CEO of Stark Industries, however, she could've been a bit stronger or gotten a bit more screen time.
Don Cheadle did pretty good, stepping in to fill Terrence Howard's shoes as Rhodes.
With Mickey Rourke ... you could kind of tell that it was Mickey Rourke, yet you couldn't at the same time. Yes, Ivan Vanko looked like Mickey Rourke, but Rourke did quite a good job in the shoes of Vanko.
Sam Rockwell did a pretty good job as Justin Hammer, a complete tool, the Bill Gates to Stark's Steve Jobs.
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. Need I say more?
Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff ... I wasn't sure what to expect. But she exceeded my expectations, in both her scenes with the main cast and her fighting capabilities. And she was looking good as usual.
I quite liked Clark Gregg's slightly more prominent role as S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Coulson.

The Script = 8.5
Justin Theroux did quite a good job with the script, filling it with witting banter and plenty of fight scenes ... but it did seem to lag a bit, however Downey did a great job of lifting those lagging segments. And I would've liked to have seen a bit more of Vanko in his suit at the end. The fight scene seemed too short. It was literally ... 3, maybe even 5 minutes at most, of Vanko versus Stark and Rhodes. But that's just me.

The Effects = 10
What I love about the Iron Man movies is the technology. The kind of technology that Stark had access to is the technology we fantasized we would have at this time ... oh, 20 or more years ago. Touch-screen tabletops, holographic maps, holographic maps that you can INTERACT with! And, of course, the whips ... the fight scenes in the suits ... excellent!

Other Items of Note
I really dug all the cameos and smaller roles, like Christine Amanpour's cameo, Bill O'Reilly's cameo (I guffawed and clapped when I saw Bill-O's cameo. He called Pepper a pinhead, for cryin' out loud! Ha!), Stan "The Man" Lee's cameo as a Larry King lookalike (I love Stan's cameos.), and Garry Shandling's appearance as Senator Stern.
And I QUITE got a kick out of Stark using Captain America's shield to level his laser device. And Thor's hammer at the end ... :)
And on a semi-related note, I really dug the new trailer for Inception before the film, along with the trailer for JJ Abrams's new flick out next year, titled Super 8. A mystery involving something in a train leaving Area 51. What is it? Could it be Lou Ferrigno? I don't know.

Overall, I would give the film an 9 out of 10. It lived up to the hype, but succumbed a bit to the dreaded sequelitis. However, it's a fun ride, is well worth seeing, and is a great start to the summer blockbuster season.  We'll see how it holds up after a second viewing.

Differential Diagnosis: House- Episode 6.20 "The Choice"



And welcome back to another week and another new episode of House! Let's get on with it, shall we?
House
Image courtesy of House MD Guide

According to the press release (provided by House MD Guide),
The team takes on the case of an ailing groom-to-be who harbors undisclosed secrets from a previous relationship. As his fiancée (guest star Eva Amurri) tries to get answers to her many questions, a frustrated team winnows down the possibilities. Meanwhile, House spends extra-curricular time with his Princeton Plainsboro colleagues, performing a karaoke rendition of a Gladys Knight & The Pips classic with Foreman and Chase in the all-new "The Choice" episode of HOUSE.
CAUTION: From this point on, there are potential spoilers. Consider this the medical warning on pill bottles.

Pre-credit teaser
Oh, how nice! A wedding! And the groom chokes at the alter ... or asphyxiates.

Act 1
Hungover and House accidentally woke up in the bed of the neighbor's kid?!
Oh, and that CAN'T be good!
And the hubby was gay?!

Act 2
Oh, House, you are such a trickster.

Act 3
Hey, this isn't The Lion King. No hakuna matata.

Act 4
You incited a bidding war with Taub, House? ... *sigh*
A shot over magazines? Really?
Ha ha! Karaoke! Nice!
LACTATING?!?!

Act 5
Oh, I thought you were going to drink that, House.

Ending tag
And the engagement is off. How sad ... :(

Until next week, you scruffy pill-poppers!

365 Photos, Day 127: Midnight

Thursday, May 06, 2010

365 Photos, Day 126: Done

Weird Science: Fringe- Episode 2x20 "Northwest Passage"

CAUTION: Spoilers follow. You've been warned.


Pecan ... excellent choice!
She dots her "I"s with hearts, how cute! Pity that she bites it.
Is Newton observing now? Or is he just keeping an eye on Peter because he knows that Peter is special?
Did Newton store the memories of someone else in other people?
"Gene Cowin." Ha!
Could the Sheriff be a good match for joining Mulder and Scully, perhaps? ;)
"Delicious strawberry flavored death!" Oh, poor Walter ... :(
Walter got Astrid's name right! :D
PETER! Watch out for the crazy guy with the axe/hammer!
Okay, it was just a crazy guy. Newton must've been in Peter's head ... or just sending messages from the other side.
"Find the crack." ... Hrm ... crack between the universes?
... So Newton WAS real?!
WALTERNATE?!?! SHIIIIT!

Until next week, you mad scientists!

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Geeky Dinner

So, I sat down to join my friends NJ (theater friend), Abigail (semi-theater friend and Welsh foreign exchange student (1 year abroad in the US)), and Rachel (theater friend) for dinner in the dining hall wearing "It Came Out of Nowhere". I was close to finishing when Abby took a look at my shirt and asked "What do you think would win?"
"They crashed into each other."
"No, I mean, what do you think would win? I think the TARDIS would."
NJ nodded in agreement. Rachel asked "What's a TARDIS?"
"Look at the shirt," Abby said.
"Okay, but what's the TARDIS?"
"Have you seen Doctor Who?"
"No ..."
NJ slammed her tray down. "I'M STORMING OFF!" NJ, Abby, and I had a good chuckle and we took our trays, brought them to the tray disposal, and departed.
***
All of this is more or less accurate, minus a few quotes here and there. But apart from that, this did take place.
God, I love my theater and Doctor Who friends.
Happy Star Wars Day, too!
Until next time! Allons-y, Alonso!

Questions, Not Answers: Lost - Episode 6.14 "The Candidate"

CAUTION: Spoilers from this point on. I AM SERIOUS! MAJOR SPOILERS! DON'T READ UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE SPOILED!
Questions

How was Cooper in the accident?!
Why would Flocke do that? There MUST be a candidate!
Where's Alpert?!
What's in the box?!
Is the Good Sayid back?

Answers
Well, we learned the full story about how Locke's life is better in the LA X reality: he's engaged to Helen ... and he can peacefully deal with his father.
And a certain Scotsman is still alive ... :)

Musings/Comments
Locke! Take the offer! Walk again!
And the cages are back. Wonderful. More fish biscuits all around, yes?
Bernard is back!
Collective "Awww!" for Jin and Sun.
You would THINK that there would be a back-up generator for those pylons! But NOOOOOOO! No back-up generator! Gee, quite smart when there's a GIANT CLOUD OF MALEVOLENT SMOKE that will kill you in a second!
Oh no ... I guess that Cooper took a tumble out of that high-rise window with let Locke fly after little training ... and got the short end of the stick.
And the plane is rigged to blow. Wonderful.
Sawyer, you had BETTER be bluffing with Flocke about trusting him ... wait ... you're a con man, so ... yeah.
Claire is at the hospital!
Apollo bars! :D
Coincidence after coincident after coincidence. I'm loving this!
Jack ... was that the right bag?!
KATE GOT SHOT?!!?
GET THE SUB UP! NOWNOWNOWNOW!
*phew* ... SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Lapidus ... LAPIDUS!
SUN!
DAMN YOU DAMON AND CARLTON!
Jack, don't guilt Locke into this!

And that's it for this week, my teary-eyed camp of survivors! See you in anotha life, brothas!

365 Photos, Day 124: The End