My Morning Routine
October 17, 2008
This is my morning routine, thanks to Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Brightkite, etc….
Check out more comics at www.xkcd.com
Over the last few days, I have heard talk about a new film. Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is not your typical big-screen, feature film. Starring Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, and Felicia Day, this movie was made strictly for the internet. The movie is presented by Mutant Enemy Productions, and directed by Joss Whedon.
The movie was released in three acts, making it a “serial movie.” I was able to watch all three acts today on the Dr. Horrible website, free of charge. Unfortunately, I learned that they will only be available on their website until midnight, July 20, Eastern time. That means tonight, folks. However, the good news is that they can be purchased and downloaded from itunes after July 20th. They are sold as 3 separate acts for $1.99 each, making them similar to buying individual tv show episodes.
What I loved about Dr. Horrible, is that this movie breaks the traditional super-villain / super-hero mold. Dr. Horrible, as played by Harris, comes across as passionate and sincere, though misguided. On the other hand, the super-hero, Captain Hammer, is portrayed as shallow, insincere, and without a heart. I also enjoyed the cheesiness of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. I miss the cheesy super-heroes of the ’70s and ’80s. I grew up on Electra-Woman and Dyna-Girl, Christopher Reeve as Superman, The Last American Hero, and the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It seems to me that the superhero movies today are rather dark and gloomy. While not all of them are this way, I just can’t get into the dramatic, dark superhero films. Super-heroes are meant to be fun!
Dr Horrible has proven to be an internet blockbuster. It has quickly become a fast-spreading viral video across the web. I have to wonder it this medium just might be the wave of the future. Let’s face it, ticket prices have risen considerably, as have prices on other items. Ticket sales have gone down, while prices of other necessities, such as food and gas, continue to skyrocket. Though I do not bill myself as an economic analyst, I see this as a sign that ticket sales will continue to go down.
Another factor is the high costs to filmmaker’s themselves. Surely it would cost less to make an internet movie. In addition, the internet and new social media offer the opportunity for viral marketing, much of it free or low-cost.
I am looking forward to see if other internet movies make such a dramatic splash across the world wide web. I am also curious to see just how this could eventually impact the movie industry.
In the meantime, check out Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. You just might be thoroughly entertained!
Visit the Dr. Horrible website.
An Unreal Recipe for Western Spaghetti
July 17, 2008
This is a fun and clever short film. It is brought to you by the folks at PES Films. Man, do I wish I could cook like that!
If you visit their website, you will discover even more funky, short videos.
Justin Timberlake + Medical School = StudyBack
May 3, 2008
What do you get when a group of medical students remix Justin Timberlake’s Sexyback?
Why, you get StudyBack, of course!
Grand Central Freeze
May 3, 2008
Someone came up with a really neat idea for a youtube video. It is a clever, but harmless, practical joke involving around 200 people.
Earthworm Pie– Is This for Real???
October 26, 2007
Today, I was browsing through some of my grandmother’s old cookbooks. I have been wanting to find some great, but easy recipes for Halloween and fall. I was perusing the Community Cookbook (1978) from the tiny town of Doland, South Dakota. I don’t know what the population of Doland was in 1978, but in July of 2006, it was an estimated 269 residents. WOW!!! That is small! Actually, I love cookbooks from small communities, churches, etc. They have recipes from real folks like you and me. They are not “expert” level recipes from Emeril or Julia Child.
Today, as I was looking through this particular cookbook, I came across this recipe called Earthworm Pie. At first glance, I thought it was something like Grasshopper Pie which is a legitimate pie made with Oreo Cookies, lime Jello, and evaporated milk among other ingredients. To my surprise, Earthworm Pie was not the same. Here is the recipe, taken straight from the Doland Community Cookbook in 1978:
1 egg
1 pie crust bottom
1 C evaporated milk
1 C Swiss cheese, grated
earthworms
bacon bits
chopped onion
To prepare earthworms: Boil 3 times in clean water each time then bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes, to crisp. Then crumble. Sprinkle onions in pie crust. Cover with egg, evaporated milk and cheese mixed together. Add bacon bits and top all with earthworms.
This is a joke, right? Or is this for real???
I have a Spanish-Speaking/Computer-Geek Cat
August 4, 2007
I recently made a new discovery about my cat, Fiona. Last night I decided to watch a movie when I went to bed. I put the dvd of the 80′s classic, Some Kind of Wonderful in my computer and was able to watch about 1/2 hour of the flick before I fell asleep. Imagine my surprise,when I woke up and the movie was playing in Spanish!!! Fiona loves to mess with my computer by walking all over the keyboard and mouse. Apparently, the cursor was in just the right spot, so that when my cat walked on the mouse, she somehow clicked on it and changed the language to Spanish. How cool is that?
That reminds me of another incident in the not too distant past. At that time, Fiona proved herself to be a total computer geek! Again, she walked on the mouse. Again, the cursor was in just the right position, so that when she walked on the mouse and clicked on it, she renamed a computer file. Now, thankfully it was a bunch of gibberish since she then just walked all over the keyboard. If an actual word had been spelled out, I would have freaked out! That is part of the reason, I nick named her Cujo Kitty!
