It's been a long time since my original man cave post, and we've acquired some new stuff and done some redecorating, so I figured I'd take some snaps and try posting some panoramic photos.
Although there are a few artifacts and jaggies if you look closely, I think the panoramas came out decent, and they give you a pretty good feel for the space.
You see, I've been a little distracted.
But I'm almost done with The Pacific, and there's only 2 more episodes of The Walking Dead left to go, so I should be back to my normal semi-regular bloviating before you know it.
Damn... If Big Government says it's the sci-fi equivalent of a Michael Moore film then it will probably piss me off more than entertain.
[...] The result is “Avatar,” a sanctimonious thud of a movie so infested with one-dimensional characters and PC clichés that not a single plot turn – small or large – surprises. I call it the “liberal tell,” where the early and obvious politics of the film gives away the entire story before the second act begins, and “Avatar” might be the sorriest example of this yet. For all the time and money and technology that went into its making, the thing that matters most – character and story – are strictly Afterschool Special.
[...] Within 15 minutes, the “liberal tell” spoils every story beat of Sully’s character arc. He’s as dull a protagonist as you’ll ever see. Sigourney Weaver plays a gruff-talking, cigarette smoking scientist with … wait for it, wait for it … a heart of gold. Giovanni Ribisi’s sweaty weasel of a corporate executive never moves beyond that and Col. Quaritch is all ‘roid rage, no humanity and his Big Speech about the necessity of “a pre-emptive attack to fight terror with terror” was as surprising as Cameron‘s use of a military “shock and awe” campaign to level the Na’Vi’s precious “Home Tree” as a tacky metaphor for the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
Oh yeah, he went there…
[...] Think of “Avatar” as “Death Wish 5” for leftists. A simplistic, revisionist revenge fantasy where if you freakin’ hate the bad guys (America), you’re able to forgive the by-the-numbers predictability of it all and still get off watching them get what they got coming.
Well that sucks... I was really looking forward to this one, but now I'm not even sure I should see it. It would seem a shame to reward an arrogant Hollywood liberal for bashing America yet again.
UPDATE: I went to see Avatar Sunday night (couldn't resist the pointy eared hottie). Everything the reviewer said was true, but way overblown. Overall I'd say it's a great ride and worth seeing, even more than once. Lot's of fun!
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It's been over a year since I built my man cave , and I've been getting anxious to put the finishing touches on it. After a year and a half of weekends spent cutting, drilling and nailing, I felt like I'd dropped the ball on the 5 yard line.
You see, the home theater is the centerpiece of any self respecting man cave, but cashflow issues meant that I had to settle for a dinky 27" flatscreen and an old Sony surround sound system... and it was a little underwhelming to say the least.
Now, at long last, I've picked that ball back up again... and here's the result:
My home theater is now fully realized, thanks in part to my 2009 income tax refund that I am taking an advance on (courtesy of my savings account).
Looks phenomenal. Can't wait.
Break out the Kleenex.
Colby Curtin, a 10-year-old with a rare form of cancer, was staying alive for one thing – a movie.
From the minute Colby saw the previews to the Disney-Pixar movie Up, she was desperate to see it. Colby had been diagnosed with vascular cancer about three years ago, said her mother, Lisa Curtin, and at the beginning of this month it became apparent that she would die soon and was too ill to be moved to a theater to see the film.
[...] Pixar officials listened to Colby’s story and agreed to send someone to Colby’s house the next day with a DVD of "Up," Orum recalled.
She immediately called Lisa Curtin, who told Colby.
“Do you think you can hang on?” Colby’s mother said.
“I’m ready (to die), but I’m going to wait for the movie,” the girl replied.
[...] Colby died about seven hours after seeing the film.
Pixar declined to comment on the story. More details at the OC Register.
Colby sure was a cutie. I'm glad she got her final wish. Classy move by Pixar to make it happen and then not toot their horn or anything.
I was fortunate enough to be invited to an advance screening of Pixar's new movie "Up" this evening, and I can say without hesitation that this is one of the best, if not the very best, Pixar movies ever produced. Go see it, you will not be disappointed. Cross my heart.
The trailer for the upcoming Sherlock Holmes movie has just been released.
Looks pretty promising.
I can remember hearing about "The Kingdom" when it first hit the theaters and thinking to myself "what's the chance they made a straightforward thriller set in Saudi Arabia without being politically correct and making the bad guys Americans, or businessmen like Halliburton? ... ZERO chance." so I never bothered to go see it. After all, just look at the cinematic abortion they'd just made of Tom Clancy's book "The Sum Of All Fears", changing the Arab nuclear terrorists into an insane neo-Nazi cabal. How ridiculous, and how insulting coming right after 3,000 of our fellow citizens had been slaughtered by real terrorists, not crazy Hitler groupies.
Fast forward a year or so and I'm hearing good things on the blogs about how this movie "The Kingdom" was the real deal, and that the director didn't pull any punches. Well, I picked it up on DVD today and just finished watching it, and I'm echoing those same sentiments. "The Kingdom" rocked my socks off.
How refreshing to watch a movie with terrorists that are actually like the real ones... you know, Muslim. How refreshing to see Muslim heroes fighting alongside our own to stop the terrorists and bring peace to their own homeland, just like in Iraq. This movie hit all the right notes. Great action, great plot, some twists and curves to keep you guessing. Go get it. You won't be sorry.
Oh jeez... Oliver Stone and Michael Douglas are going to make a sequel to Wall Street.
"I think it's time to take another hard look at trading and the economy and what went wrong in the last few years," said Douglas Monday night during the premiere of Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. "Everybody's talking about the economy and people are scrutinizing it. Whenever I mention Wall Street 2, everybody goes, 'Yeah. Interesting. I'd see that.'"
Great... two left wingers taking a "hard look" at what went wrong during the "Bush years".
You wanna bet they focus on so-called corporate greed and completely ignore the government meddling that is the genuine root cause of the housing bubble? I can't imagine a Hollywood movie about the evils of "affordable housing", can you? I guess we have our answer. They haven't even written a script and we know exactly what this film will be all about. I hope it flops.
UPDATE: I'm no scriptwriter, but here's my take on how they could make an accurate version of Wall Street 2:
[Scene opens with Michael Douglas's character sitting in his plush office talking across the desk to a government bureaucrat]
MICHAEL DOUGLAS: [angry] What do you mean I have to approve their mortgage?! They've got NO fucking credit!
BUREAUCRAT: According the the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act you must meet your quota for low income and minority lending if you want federal approval for your bank merger proposal... [smirks]
MICHAEL DOUGLAS: Are you kidding me?
BUREAUCRAT: No sir, I'm deadly serious. However the federal government HAS created some investment vehicles whereby we will purchase these loans that we are forcing you to make and then repackage them for sale to investment banks and hedge funds.
MICHAEL DOUGLAS: So you're forcing me to make a loan to somebody who is unlikely to repay it, but the federal government is going to back the loan so I can't lose any money? Is that what I'm hearing?
BUREAUCRAT: Yes, that's it exactly.
MICHAEL DOUGLAS: And if the shit hits the fan?
BUREAUCRAT: It will be all your fault of course, but the Fed will make sure you are taken care of with hundreds of billions in bailouts.
MICHAEL DOUGLAS: [sly grin] Well, what have I got to lose?
"Taking Chance" is the true story of Lt. Colonel Michael Strobl, who volunteered to escort the body of Lance Corporal Chance Phelps home to his family after he'd been killed in Iraq.
Wow. Even just watching the trailer brought tears to my eye. I will be picking this up on DVD when it comes out in May... along with several boxes of Kleenex. Good stuff.
This is a trailer for a Japanese animated movie called Cat Shit One... Yes, that's the real title. I'm assuming it sounded really badass in Japanese.
Okay.. I'm confused. Part of me is thinking "wow, that was actually kinda cool", but the other part of me is thinking "Cute bunny snipers? WTF? I want no part of this Japanese insanity".
UPDATE: I think I might have figured this out somewhat. Why make the movie with bunnies and muslim-looking camels? Because political correctness would make doing it with people a real hassle. This way the filmakers can say "What do you mean you are offended? Are you a camel?"
Wow... this looks absolutely amazing. I can't wait.
Click on the pic to see the rest.
UPDATE: Here is the trailer!
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My home was built in 2000 and had a large unfinished basement with decent ceiling height. In late 2007, after years of putting it off, my wife and I finally decided to turn it into finished living space. We did most of the work ourselves with the assistance of my father-in-law Bob and his huge colection of power tools.
Now, after a year and a half of weekends and evenings, it's about 90% finished. The bathroom is incomplete and there's much more decorating to be done, but it's close enough to be enjoyed and finally looks good enough for me to share some pics with my blog buddies, so here goes.
THE GAME ROOM - This is the main room you enter when coming down the steps. There's a foosball table, an arcade game, some pinball machines, a slot machine, a dartboard and a variety of fun and funky decorations.
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