Friday, December 31

the children are our future

I've been waiting for the right moment to share this amazing picture. As the cast of the Jersey is hosting MTVs New Year's show tonight, I decided there's no time like the present.

I must have seen a hundred pictures of people dressed as the jersey shore cast, but this group of 7 year olds is definitely the best.

Happy New Year,

av

Thursday, December 30

Distortin' Norton

So, there's this artist named Brandon Bird who's pretty freakin' cool.
He makes art that usually includes putting a pop icon into odd paintings or drawings. For example,




Serious Genius - Check out his group show of artwork and poetry inspired by Edward Norton.

fp

Monday, December 27

Football celebrations have nothing on FĂștbol celebrations

This is Stjarnan FC. An Icelandic soccer team that specializes in one thing, other than awesomeness.


Here are the links to a couple of their best:

Fish Celebration
Human Toilet Celebration
Human Bicycle Celebration
Birth Celebration

-SD

Thursday, December 23

Someone stole Ty's dream and made it real

Have you heard any of TKM's couch dreams? They are amazing, but I have a hard time picturing them because i'm bad at that spacial imagination stuff.

BUT it's real!!!!!!!!!!!!

I found it amongst some other mind-blowing, yet simple, pretty much genius inventions.
[WARNING: some of them suck. rug sandals, i'm looking at you.] 

then i found the company that makes it and they have a bunch of other crazy wall beds. it's based in london, so we'll have to find an american retailer.

some dreams do come true,

av

Wednesday, December 22

Really??


Recently I was at work doing some wikipedia'ng. Somehow I got to Kirk Cameron and while reading his page I learned that DJ Tanner from Full House is played by Candace Cameron Bure who is Kirk Cameron's real life sister and I was like "really??". Also Kirk Cameron is a total wackadoodle who talks about crocoducks. really??
-jv

Monday, December 20

Mariah Christmas



I've talked to a bunch of people, including a punk rocker, a conservative person, and others that have a surprising opinion, which I share with them.
They and I agree that Mariah Carey's "All I want for Christmas" is the best Christmas song, maybe not of all time, but certainly in modern times. (But also, maybe of all time)
No song I can think of gets me in the holiday spirit as much that song.

In the comments section, I'd love to hear what your favorite X-mas songs are.

-awm

Thursday, December 16

Nat'l Geographic Photos



National Geographic has an amateur photo contest every year and the winning photos for this year were just announced. These two are my favorite; the rest of the photos are amazing too, except for any picture of a snake which I do not endorse in any way.
-jv

Tuesday, December 14

Potential Cure for HIV

We may have finally found the cure. Doctors believe that a man who underwent a stem cell transplant in 2007 has been cured of HIV as a result. It's pretty amazing. Here's the article as reported by the Huffington Post.

-av

Sunday, December 12

Poseidon would be proud

UNREAL sandcastles blow everyones mind.



This is a link to some more, plus just a great website. 

http://listverse.com/2008/02/08/top-20-amazing-sandcastles/

-awm

Coolest House Eva??

I think it's in Brussels somewhere.


BJK

Friday, December 10

Top 50 Holiday movies

 The Boston Globe did a survey to find the top 50 Holiday movies. I'm surprised by how many of them I have never seen, and that Die Hard isn't higher on the list.


What is the greatest holiday movie of all time? We asked our readers that very question , and they responded by helping us select the top 50 films for the season (though, due to multiple ties, there are actually 52 movies on this list). So, which movie ran off with the honor of being crowned No. 1? Click through to find out and tell us which movies you'll be watching this season and why !

THE list

-lab

How to get a sweet role on HBO

If you caught HBO's Boardwalk Empire this year, you're probably familiar with Agent Sepso, ie creepy prohibition Agent Nelson's assistant. Or you may have already been familiar with him, from his role on the Sopranos, where he had exactly one line in one episode.

After his stint on the Sopranos he made a video about his experience that went viral and ended up catching the attention of of the creators of Boardwalk Empire (who actually wrote that one line), and got him a sweet role. It's a pretty good story.

I have a soft spot of white guys rapping comically. And if you watch the whole video, the guy who comes in at the end now has his own show on HBO, How to Make It In America, and looks a lot like our own R. Kirby. Not too shabby.



-av

Wednesday, December 8

This just in.

In response to AV's post, I wanted to console her by letting her know the MPAA just overturned it's initial NC-17 rating for Blue Valentine, not really citing why. There was a huge outpouring from critics who saw this as an issue larger then just this film, with Ryan Gosling citing their decision as "misogynistic."  The director Derek Cianfrance said:

“To me, that’s censorship. And I respect what the actors are doing in this movie too much to change that. It’s as if to say, ‘Ryan, Michelle, you’re good in this movie, but you’re a little too good. It was never our intention to make a movie that would offend people. It was a moviethat would try to respect people. What you’re left with at end of this movie is emotions. Ultimately, I take it as a compliment that the feeling gave this movie an NC-17.”


Bam. They fought the law and the law realized it was stupid and should just let people watch movies.


-awm    

Tuesday, December 7

Found Art

In the last film I worked on, one of the characters was a "found artist" which means they use scraps and trash they find everywhere to make glorious art pieces with. The set decorators used a lot of art from a guy named Tom Deininger who is based out of the town next to me. I've met him a few times and have jammed with him in his giant warehouse studio. He has art pieces as big as walls, and they are all amazing.

For example, this is a shot Courtney Ford (of Dexter fame) took from the side. It looks like all trash and scraps and even some small branches.



But all you do is change the perspective to the front and its amazing.




It's all artwork where you can be really up close and it looks like an entire mess, but standing far away resembles a masterpiece.  This is a screen shot of the film, where you can see Courtney and Brandon Routh (Superman) in front of a piece that looks like an amazing array of colors, but is really hundreds and hundreds of broken action figures.



Check out more of Tom's art here: 
http://www.tomdeiningerart.com/works.html

-AWM

The Patriots Honor Tedy Bruschi

Last night during the Patriots epic win over the New York Jets ESPN, for some reason, didn't air the half time ceremony honoring one of their own broadcasters, Tedy Bruschi, for his 13 amazing seasons as a New England Patriot. THANKFULLY Patriots.com posted the entire ceremony for your viewing pleasure and you can see it here.



Personally I thought Bruschi was completely humbled by the entire experience and looked like he was on the verge of tears a couple times. Bruschi took the high road during his speech, choosing to highlight the coach and other players of those championship teams instead of himself, proving once and for all that he truly is one classy dude!

For those who don't know Tedy Bruschi helped the Patriots win three Super Bowl Championships in his tenure despite suffering a stroke in 2005.  Basically he's a badass, a class act, a family man, and a total cutie! If John Gruden ever decides to coach again Bruschi's got my vote to replace him on Monday Night Football!


-BJK

Saturday, December 4

NC-17 is f***ing up my s***

Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams star in Blue Valentine, an independent film that is getting tons of press. Firstly because it's supposed to be totally amazing, and additionally for garnering an NC-17 rating, reportedly for a scene lasting less than a minute depicting Ryan performing cunnilingus.

It's kind of a big deal because an NC-17 rating all but guarantees that the movie will make no money and the majority of America will have to wait for the DVD to come out to see for themselves. 

A new side to the controversy has no sprung up as another indie with a lot of buzz, Black Swan, starring a crazed ballerina Natalie Portman, just got an R rating. This movie ALSO features a scene of similar length this time with Mila Kunis performing cunnilingus. So what's the difference? As far as anyone can tell, including the equally confused directors of each film, the only difference is that in the film with an R rating there are two girls, instead of a guy and girl. Or maybe Ryan and Michelle's performance is "too real" ie way too awesome.  You can read all about it here.

Well the Blue Valentine crew has flat out refused to change the movie, but has appealed the rating and is waiting to hear back, though a rating has never been changed without the movie being changed to the MPAA's liking.

I guess we'll just have to be satisfied with this amazing trailer for now, because you'll probably be waiting for the DVD release to see Blue Valentine.

-av
ps. if you like Ryan's singing in the trailer, check out his band Dead Man's Bones. It's like if Johnny Cash and the Supremes got hired to write the soundtrack for Disney Haunted Mansion Ride. In a good way.

Friday, December 3

Your move, Gaga

Those aren't nipples... they're art.
These dresses from Chinese couture designer Guo Pei's show "The Arabian 1002nd Night" are totally, insanely awesome.

The origami-like detailing reminds me of Gaga circa "Poker Face." Next time she performs, it must be in one of these outfits. -id

Thursday, December 2

A Liddle Riddle

What is this?

Making music though not that good.
Add an "ey" to describe, I would.

Ask for Pop to help you here.
Everyone smells when it is near.

It's a dirty job, to power machines.
But ask the earth, for him it cleans.

Some say our country started this.
And gave it to the European, Chris.

When he sailed back, the ocean blue.
He once ate, and didn’t chew.
And what you ask? What did it do?
Well my friends it appeared, in his poo.

<3TKM

Wednesday, December 1

A "Famous Person" We met

When TKM and I were on Venice Beach we took a picture with the Crazy Guy on the beach. Today Kanye put a link to this song on his twitter and Crazy Guy pops up for a second at a minute 24 seconds in. Its a drag that Chris Brown is in the video he does not sing in it, I hate him forever, I like this song alot though.
June 2005
 

-jv

Johnny Cash impersonates Elvis



Also, Poor Willie Nelson
-jv