Happy New Year

We'll be back on Monday with tons of new material. I've been keeping it all for Monday's post. Until then, let me and the Almighty Evan Cat Choir meow in the New Year.




PS. If you're in Times Square, please please please let P. Diddy pay for your cab.

Vermont

xtranormal.com

Thanks to my good friend Adam I have become obsessed with this site, xtranormal.com. Here's a quick thing I did on this cool site.

Happy Holidays

Wishing you and your families the happiest of holidays!!! We will return on January 5, 2009!

Thanks!

A big thank you to all of you who sent Birthday greetings my way!



Now that I'm 28, there a bunch of things I need to cross off my list. And I know how much you enjoy checking things off of your To-Do list.

Leave it to TMZ to get a shirtless photo of Barack while vacationing in Hawaii.

Let me leave you with a recipe for a Quince Tart. If you need Quince, come by my house where we've got a huge Quince bush.

Let's Fly Away

Late night karaoke on a NEW karaoke site! Uh-oh

28 and feeling great!

Snow Day?

What's this business of closing schools the day before we even see any snow??? I don't remember that happening as a kid, but then again maybe I was too happy to have a day off to think about it. I'm thinking about all of the teachers I know still in bed dreaming about pleasant things in their comfortable down blankets... I always hate the whole commuting thing on days when it snows. It's the worst. Most likely, punches will be thrown on the train home.

I miss getting early morning calls from the "Snow Chain", a group of school parents who were on alert and when they would get "the call" they would call your house to let you know the good news. They should do this for more things, not just snow days.

Mrs. Sniter: Hello is this Mrs. Nisenson?
Mrs. Nisenson: Yes
Mrs. S: Hi, it's Debbie.
Mrs. N: Hi Debbie.
Mrs. S: I'm calling to tell you that...
Mrs. N: Snow day? Thanks for ca...
Mrs. S: No, not a snow day. I wanted to let you know that Mrs. Roberts son, Michael just got an A on his spelling paper.
Mrs. N: Why did you wake me up at 6:00am to tell me this?
Mrs. S: Oh, it's the PTA's new plan to let parents know how kids are doing in our public school system.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the snow. If you're a teacher, I hope you are still having to do some sort of work at home. No, I'm not bitter. I'm sure my ex-girlfriend of a teacher was squealing when she found out last night that Madison Junior School would be closed and she's probably out galavanting as I write this. My high school drama teacher is home in his pajamas reading the NYTimes and just finishing up the cross word puzzle. Mrs. MacDonald, my first grade teacher is now, well, I'm not even sure she is still with us. But either way, she also gets a snow day.

Enough about the snow.

Oh Charlie, you smell so Beefy today. Is that the new Burger King body spray?

Piven out, William Macy in, Speed-The-Plow due to an illness.

Have you seen the new Google Earth 3D New York City? Pretty amazing stuff.

I think I have decided that for my wedding, I want to do a video invitation as well...


Invitation for our Wedding from msai.nl on Vimeo.

I am off for two weeks from work for Winter Break so let me be the first, or second to wish you Happy Holidays. I might post some things next week but don't expect anything too exciting. In addition to playing some Raving Rabbids for Wii, reading, watching movies, seeing family, moving into the apartment, I won't be that busy. The fun starts tomorrow as I turn the big 2-8. Yikes. Where have the years gone? What will the new year hold? Who is the man standing next to me? Why does my right shoe feel heavier than my left. Oh good, the man behind me walked away.

My wonderful co-workers at work took me out to lunch yesterday at Otto where I was able to say "hi" to Stanley Tucci. I'm a fan. Apparently Mario Batali and his wife were in the kitchen as well. It was very good.

Have a great day.

Two Days to go!

Two days until my winter break which I am very excited about. Kicks off with my birthday on Saturday, then Vermont and the holidays, then moving into the apartment. Going to be busy but fun. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Santa Claus is real! That's right, an NYU alumnus legally changed him name to Santa Claus and here's his website!

In case you didn't see this Top Ten last night, I thought it was funny:



Mark was nice enough to send in two links for me to share with you today... the first is this one. The next time someone asks you a question that can be answered by going to Google, send them this link.

Here's a really bizarre story for you. I would try to explain it briefly here but I'm not sure I can do it justice so just read the article and stop being lazy.

The Birdman of Berlin, shared a place with 1700 Budgies. When asked to vacate the premises, the man exclaimed, "I'm not Budgie-ing".

Who's excited about tonight's muppet special, Letters To Santa!!!??? I know I am.

Jim Carrey Top Ten

If you missed it, check out the recent Jim Carrey Top Ten List from a hot tub. It's classic..

http://lateshow.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/

Snow sow now

That's right! It snowed in NJ last night and total accumulations were around 2 inches! I'm surprised they didn't close the schools because usually NJ freaks out when there is the least bit of white stuff on the ground. Thanks to the white stuff, my commute home took 2 hours last night but I didn't care. You know why? That's right, I got the lease back from my landlord signed which means I will be moving to Hoboken in January. I'm really looking forward to having you come visit and having a get together for all of my readers.

I want to make sure I direct you to my friend Adam's post yesterday about our movie experience the other night. He captures the evening perfectly. I saw a huge jump in readership yesterday thanks to his linking to my Yes Man review. Thanks Adam!

Okay, let me share this video with you, it's bizarre and wonderful all at the same time.



And for another animal holiday video, check out Barney, the White House Dog as he bids farewell to the White House. It's worth watching just to see the Bush family attempt to act.



Big news today, a man on The Price Is Right, for the first time since the 70's, guessed the exact amount of his showcase showdown! Amazing!

Wanted to make sure you saw Bill Carter's piece on Leno in the New York Times yesterday. Dave has been making many Leno zingers lately.

Have a great day!

Yes Man: A Review

I recently took a film financing course where I learned what investors look for when investing in a film. My top two criteria were an excellent idea and great creative talent. I probably would have invested some money in Yes Man then.

Some of you may think you have seen this movie before but I assure you that you are thinking of The Yes Men, the 2003 film in which anti-corporate activists travel from conference to conference, impersonating member of the World Trade Organization. This is a different film.

Yes Man welcomes the rubberfaced Jim Carrey back to the big screen after a hiatus and teams him up with the extremely oh-so-adorable Zooey Deschanel.

Carl Allen (Carrey) is a "no man". He never accepts invitations, ignores his phone calls, and rejects anyone applying for a loan at the bank where he works. He appears miserable and even misses his best friend's engagement party. But things are going to soon change. Carl signs up for a self-help program (think Tony Robbins on crack) based on one simple covenant: he must say yes to everything. Immediately, Carl's life changes in amazing ways. He meets a woman, learns Korean, how to fly an airplane, and even gets promoted at his job after he begins to give out loans to anybody and everybody, an act ripped right from the headlines.

An awkward encounter with his elderly neighbor, a Turkish bride, and a bridal shower later, Carl has fallen in love with Allison (Deschanel) and by the end realizes he doesn't have to say "yes" to everything. And everyone lives happily ever after. Sounds nice doesn't it?

The movie is just another one of those nicely packaged romantic comedies. There is some gross out sexual humor and I think Jim Carrey balances out his multiple personalities nicely. An excellent blend of serious Jim and crazy Jim. Zoey Deschanel is just so adorable and we even get the treat of hearing her sing. If you haven't heard her band, She and Him, go out and get the CD. It's enjoyable to listen to. I will say however that something seemed off with the chemistry between Allison and Carl. Maybe it's just difficult for me to believe Jim Carrey when he switches to romantic mode.

I was extremely delighted to see Rhys Darby in this film playing yet another boss role. You may know him as the flighty boss Murray in Flight of the Conchords. He is very funny and there is a great scene in which he and Jim Carrey have a wacky facial expression face-off. There are some other pretty funny scenes as well but I won't give those away here.

The premise of Yes Man is really good and in different hands, this movie could have been excellent. The movie is based on the book by Danny Wallace, which I am going to read now because I really enjoyed his other book, Join Me. I think one of the main reasons why I enjoyed this film is because I would consider myself a No Man and I could benefit from saying "yes" more often. Will I try it? Perhaps.

One more thought: I get invited to these All Media screenings and sometimes they will invite the public in to see the film. When they do this, and they did it last night, there is hooting and hollering, people talking back to the actors and telling them out loud what they should be doing or if they did something wrong. It's quite humorous but also really really annoying, especially when you are watching a film with heavy material. Luckily this one wasn't such a film.

So go ahead, ask me for something, ask me to come to your holiday party, ask me to carry your umbrella, ask me to take Rover for a walk in the rain...

Yes Man opens in theaters on December 19, 2008.

Right Heeere, We've got an excellent Shoooe

By now you have all seen this video of George Bush being attacked by a pair of size 10 shoes. Nice to see his reflexes are still good.



10,456...10,457...10,458...

So I was always very careful with my electronic devices especially when it came to getting them wet. That is, until last night. I emptied out all my pockets but must have missed my gym shorts. My iPod was in the pocket and there was a look of horror when I was unloading the wet clothes to see my iPod at the bottom of the washing machine. Sorry little buddy. Well, not quite as bad as the time I put Muffles in the dryer. I'm just kidding.

Have you finished all your holiday shopping? Have your cards been mailed? Hard to believe we are well into December and that winter break starts next week!

I want one of these!

and one of these...

I should start hanging out at Chuck E. Cheese more often.

Have a great day! Going to see a screening of YesMan tonight so most likely a review will appear tomorrow.

Karaoke

You know by now that I'm a huge fan of this online karaoke site, SingShot. It's a lot of fun and every now and then I'll come across a singer who just has something special about them...here's my current favorite.

The Holiday Party

It's that time of year, time to grab a toy to bring to the annual office holiday party. Time to put on your red ruffled shirt with green sequined trees, your wreath earrings and head over to the place where anything and everything goes. The Holiday Party. Look at Lila, over by the cheese table, wrapping up cheese in napkins and gently placing them in her over sized bag, labeling each napkin to reflect the type of cheese. Over by the band, Matthew is swaying to the beat with a glass of Cabernet in one hand and a cracker in the other. The Holiday Party.

Why can't people be as fun and nice as they are at holiday parties, everyday? Do we need to start serving alcohol at the work place and hire a band? Maybe it's worth it. *This is just a general observation and does not have anything to do with the people I work with. They ARE just as fun and nice on a daily basis as they are at parties*

I love the servers that come around with trays filled with different hors d'oeuvre. How great would it be to hire someone to do that during the day at the office. Every half hour he/she comes into your office with a different food. I think they need to start having some sort of label on the food that comes around so that people don't have to ask. Let me break down the typical exchange:

Server: Would you like one?
Me: What are they?
Server: Fresh sea scallops wrapped in bacon and stuffed with a lemon infused goat cheese.
Me: Why thank you

I mean, how great would it be to just have this person in the office??? I think I might have just struck oil with this idea.

The Holiday Party. I'll never forget one of the office parties we had when I worked at Columbia Pictures. Sam and I took a limo to McDonalds because that's what the boss was craving then we came back and there was a food fight with apple pie everywhere. (I didn't participate and only wish I had taken video). I hope you are having some fun already this holiday season. I sure am. And the real party begins on December 20th, when I turn the big 28.


I don't understand why fast food employees are obsessed with filling up sinks at work and taking baths. This happened once before and now again. I never eat KFC and I don't think I ever will.

It's Friday and after a rainy day I hope you are drying off and have some nice weekend plans.

Roseanne Bar Look Alike

Another day, another dollar, a holiday party, cold rain, a haircut and maybe, just maybe, an apartment.

I hope you are having an enjoyable week. I may have mentioned this before but every morning on my walk from the subway to work I see a woman walking with two small kids and she is a dead ringer for Roseanne Bar. Seriously. One of these days I will stop her and ask for a picture although that would probably freak her out. Evan Leibovitz. Now all I have to do is find a Tom Arnold look alike and I'm all set. In the meantime, I'm also going to look for a guy that looks like Obama.

Is there a hot holiday toy this year or did the economy put the kibbosh on that. Tickle me Ernie?

*GULP* NPR layoffs...

I'd like to know who filmed this confrontation on the Q train.

We all remember the plastic bag scene from American Beauty. Well check this out:


Flying from Sam Fuller on Vimeo.

Oh, and there's something going on next door at The Lemyins house:

The Morning After The Storm

I am much calmer this morning after an anger storm last night having found out that the owner of the apartment I had signed the lease for decided to continue to look for people who would pay more than me. Everything flashed before my eyes last night, the washer/dryer, updated kitchen, central air,...all gone. All thanks to the owner Peter DeCarlo, an insurance adjuster. Insurance guys.

Today's a new day. It's 60 degrees out, the birds are chirping and I'm ready to find a better apartment. Onwards and upwards.

Weird story from The Sun involving man and his robot. Real life Lars and the Real Girl.

Broadway isn't doing well...15 shows to close.

Big News, Oprah is a human being! She gains weight like the rest of us! Woohoo. Now that is one of My Favorite Things. Elves, bring out the liposuuuuucccctiiiooooonnnnn.

Very cool windows.

This is appropriate for today:

The Apartment Search Continues Thanks To Peter DeCarlo, 161 main Street, 3rd Floor Hackensack NJ 07601

I sit at my computer tonight just having been told that the apartment I was convinced I was renting was going to be rented to someone else. When I handed in my checks and signed my portion of the lease I figured the owner would sign it as he had made a verbal agreement with my real estate agent at BrianDavid Realtors in Hoboken. Tonight I received a call from my agent letting me know that the owner, Peter DeCarlo, had found renters who were going to pay him more than me. And those people would be getting the apartment. I am fuming mad and although I'm sure I'll find a nicer and larger place, it wasn't a fair thing to do. I know, I know...life's not fair, Evan. So here's what I want you to do. And I'm serious. Write to Peter DeCarlo and let him know what a big mistake he made. Let him know that he could have had one great tenant. You can really say anything you want to him. I've provided his information below. Am I now completely 100% turned off by real estate agents? Perhaps. So...now the hunt continues. And while I continue my search, you send your letters in to Peter. I want him inundated with letters from my readers.

Peter DeCarlo
161 Main Street, 3rd Floor
Hackensack, NJ 07601
http://www.dcadjusters.com/

The Back-Up

Today's entry is dedicated to The Back-Up. Thanks to Mark and Meredith for passing this one on to me. Don't want to shield your home with the Slomin's Shield? No worries, just buy yourself a shotgun and The Back-Up!



Many customers are buying one for each side of the bed, so hurry before they're all gone!


The world's oldest new mother!

I'd like to be in the courtroom for this.

Jay Leno gets a new show! 10:00PM.

Hoboken, Here I Come

It's true, I signed a lease for an apartment in Hoboken. I'm really excited and happy about the find. Move in date is December 15th so I better start packing and I think I'm going to play the mega millions this week. Because, you never know.

Saw two dead rats on the walk to work this morning. It's always when it gets cold that the dead rats appear on the sidewalk, two of them together. Who wants breakfast?

Bill Murray rocks!

"Help feed the homeless! Help make a difference! A nickel, penny, dime or quarter will help feed a hungry mouth". These were the exact words I used to hear every day walking by one of these guys with a water cooler money collector. I never gave money to them and apparently the whole thing is a scam. Of course, it is the NY Post reporting so who knows. Hey, wanna buy some candy to support my basketball team? No? No? Well let me follow you a block and then ask you again because maybe you'll want some candy then, in a block... Wanna buy some M&Ms?

I don't think there's anyone who dislikes wrapping presents more than me. So when I heard there was a gift wrapping contest I kept far away.



Even Alton's hair looks like it's gift-wrapped.

You know how much I like Sacha Baron Cohen, right? Well it turns out his brother, Erran Baron Cohen has a new album out called Songs In The Key of Hanukkah, and after giving it a listen, let's just say I never rocked out to the Dreidel Song on the bus like I did this morning.

The Perfect Gift for the fisherman in your life

This has been going around the internet..it's the Wunder Boner. Make sure the fish is dead at least 6 hours before using it. It's Vunderful!

Genius

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I don't really think there's been a movie in awhile that I have wanted to see as badly as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I'm hoping I can get into a screening of it. For those of you who read Daily Variety, the cover featured an amazing photo yesterday ,a For Your Consideration ad for the film. I couldn't find the image anywhere online.

Here's a trailer for the film:



While we're on the topic of movies, the National Board of Review has named "Slumdog Millionaire" best film of the year.

You're under arrest, kid.

Happiness, is, tying your shoe, and, eating a lollipop, and reading a book and...contagious

Another Lip Sync video on this Friday...


Lip Dub - Flagpole Sitta by Harvey Danger from amandalynferri on Vimeo.

Have a great weekend!

The Next Hanson

MMMMMMM...BOP!

So I was in Hoboken last night scouting out apartments and I observed the following scene: An older man pulls an SUV up to the curb in front of a bank. He and 4 kids get out and start setting up amps and mics and the kids have their instruments in hand. They range from 7-13 and they start rocking out. The man walks across the street to observe what happens. Now, it's not like they were any good. It sounded awful. So I'm curious what the whole thing was? Anyone out there know? Allen Funt Jr. Jr.?

You know my affection for Vermont by now, well check it out! VT named the healthiest state. Must be the maple syrup.

Here's a somewhat bizarre program for the Google Phone. I don't really want to know how many people in my area have colds and flu.

Here's a "hair raising" story...guess they weren't dating too long if she could only remember the first letter of his last name.


There is a Saigon Grill restaurant on University by work and there are always people standing outside with signs protesting. I've never been in there but apparently the owners have been arrested for cooking the books and not the noodles.

If you can't afford NYU go to CUNY? It's a fake ad according to John Beckman.

Here's my Vimeo film of the day...who wants a hot dog?


NOTCOT: Banksy's Village Petstore & Charcoal Grill from Jean Aw on Vimeo.

My New Friend, Moby

As you know, I have begun a search for an apartment. It started in Hoboken but I'm also going to be looking in the city. If you know of anyone looking to rent out their place, let me know. Having been in the real estate business for a little while I know there are a plethora of scams, phony pictures, fake ads, etc. We'll see what happens. In the meantime, I'd like to thank my new friend, Moby.

So I've been working on this science video for work and I needed some music for it. Moby started this great site called Moby Gratis in which there is a huge list of his songs. You choose one and fill out an online form about what sort of project you will be using the music for (can't use it for a project that is for-profit). About a week later, they will either approve or reject your request and if they approve, you can download the song for free and you have permission to use it in your film. Thanks, Moby!

This is a horrible story. Now, fork over your lunch money so I can git me some tater tots.

Have you seen these Whopper Virgin Trailers?





And now for a Belated Halloween Video:


The Carved Pumpkin from Carrotkid on Vimeo.

Have a fun day!

All I Want For Christmakwanakkah Is Another Lip Synching Video

Davey Dance Blog -38- ROCKEFELLER CENTER - Mariah Carey - "All I Want for Xmas is You" from Pheasant Plucker on Vimeo.

It's Tuesday, December 2nd and here's what's happening:

Ever wonder how many regular sandwiches you can make with one Carnegie Deli Pastrami Sandwich? Me neither, but here it is.

Are you on Twitter? I mean, even SHAQ is twittering.

One Word: Creepy.

The day immediately following Thanksgiving I began receiving emails about presents. People want to know what to get the man/woman who has everything. What makes you think that I know? Well, I do have a suggestion. *drumroll* Here is my 2008 gift suggestion.

1)

Who wouldn't love that?

Have a great day.

Cyber Monday

First black friday and now, Cyber Monday! Quick, go online and get the bargains while the last. Bargains? We don't need no stinkin bargains. I was disgusted and appalled to hear about the man trampled to death when a restless Walmart crowd broke down the doors so they could try to get their little hands on the newest Turbo Man. I mean, we seriously need to take a look at this awful picture. Businesses started this whole Black Friday gimmick to get people into their stores. Advertise a $3oo laptop and the people will come. What about the fact that they greatly limit the number of $300 laptops to, I don't know, 3 or 5! What kind of bargains could they possibly be offering at Walmart that would make people line up the night before and would end in the death of an innocent man trying to make a living? Well I went to a Wallmart in NJ on Saturday to pick up a cell phone charger and I saw no great deals unless you consider a Robin Hood: Men In Tights DVD for $2 something to camp overnight for. I hope they are able to find all those people who stormed the gates at that Walmart. There are so many disturbing parts to this story including the fact that when they tried clearing the store after the man died, people were complaining. You should be ashamed.

Another equally disturbing story is one that Jon shared with me. Two men duking it out in a Toys R'Us, both had guns and both ran down the aisles shooting. They ended up killing each other.

Every year at this time, I reunite with my evening radio girlfriend on Lite 106.7 where she serenades me with holiday music, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Before I sat down to write this post I googled Delilah and came up with her page at 106.7. I never knew what she looked like until today.

I hope you and your families had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Now comes the mad holiday rush. The lights are up, the inflatables inflated. On Saturday night I went with some friends to see funnyman Jim Gaffigan at Town Hall. It was a lot of fun and he made us laugh with his food observations and such. But the real comedy took place after the show. You see, Jim locked the keys in the car so we were locked out, stranded in a car garage. Luckily, the garage attendant was armed with a hanger and after an hour and a half of trying to open the lock, he did it! Pleasant music was being piped into the garage while we stood around and cheered the jovial attendant with a wire who was so persistent, determined to get the door unlocked.

If you aren't familiar with Jim Gaffigan, here's a clip:



What a beautiful morning! Happy December...my favorite month!

Awareness Test

Please Pass The Tofurkey

Please do yourself a favor and watch the new Harry Potter trailer!



I think I'll be having Tofurkey this Thanksgiving:

The Rehearsal

As I made a mad cab dash to catch my bus after class last night I was happy to pass the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade rehearsal. There were bright lights, holiday music, and a bunch of people dancing. It was the cherry on top of my evening.

I love Thanksgiving and am very much looking forward to spending time with family and making some delicious food. I'm not much of a turkey fan, perhaps because when I was a kid. Well, I remember it like it was just yesterday....



What was missing from Quantum of Solace you ask? Well, this...


I interviewed Robert Kamen yesterday and really found him to be an interesting guy. In addition to writing many screenplays including the Karate Kid movies, Robert has his own vineyard and produces some of the best organic wine in Sonoma County. His newest film, Transporter 3 comes out tomorrow. The podcast will be up soon.

Synecdoche, New York

I hope you had a great weekend. I have seen very few movies recently that have made me think and have stayed with me for many days. Synecdoche,New York, the new film written and directed by genius Charlie Kaufman is quite excellent and I have been thinking about it most of the weekend. I'm not going to attempt to provide a review or summary of the film but I will post the trailer for you.



Kaufman writes the smartest and most interesting stories. I was completely drawn into this film and its characters. By far one of the better films I have seen over the past couple of years.


Did you hear about the huge meteorite that was witnessed in Canada eh?

Where's Kevin Costner when you need him? (Waterworld reference for you non-movie buffs)

What? Santa? That's right, I had the good fortune of going to the Short Hills Mall yesterday and after fighting with furry Louis Vuitton clad plastic women, I got myself a spot in the parking lot. The Short Hills Mall is a weird place. It really is. Just go there one day and walk around and take a look at a majority of the people there. You'll notice something. I'm not going to say what but you'll see. Well, I'll say one thing. Everyone checks each other out. I noticed people doing it to me, I noticed myself doing it to others and I noticed other people doing it to people around me.

That's enough ranting for today. Oh wait, one more thing. The old whiskey down the pants trick.

Interview with Charles Milling

I sat down with musician Charles Milling for a podcast interview for NYU.

Powered by Podbean.com

One Christmas Will Do

Christmas regurgitates early this year with the the new film, Four Christmases. Directed by Seth Gordon(The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters) and written by Matt R. Allen, Caleb Wilson, Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. The amiable Vince Vaughn (Brad) and Reese Witherspoon (Kate) star along with a myriad of familiar faces in this over-the-top silly and at times funny film.

Brad and Kate are a couple who enjoy traveling to tropical locales, role playing at the bar and avoiding their dysfunctional (to say the least) families. We are twice hit with the line, "There is no way to spell families without lies" and there are quite a few as we later find out. When their Christmas vacation getaway plan is ruined because of fog and an intrusive reporter, the couple is forced to visit each of their four divorced parents, hence the Four Christmases. We are set up for disaster and boy do we get it. The plot, if any, is very weak and the film felt a little too separated into sections. Okay, now we saw one crazy family, how will the next one top it? It felt like there were too many ideas thrown into the pot when the writers (and there were four) came up with as many ways to make the families as dysfunctional as they could. And they used all of them in the film.

I found myself laughing during parts of this film and there are definitely some scenes that steal the show, along with Vince Vaughn who really carries this film. He plays his usual character but does have some wonderful lines and we even get to see him team up with his pal Jon Favreau for a few scenes. Reese Witherspoon's performance can't compare.

When I wasn't laughing, I was thinking about how bad the movie was as a whole. The filmmakers went too far with it and scenes could have been toned down but perhaps this is what they were going for. The viewer has no emotional feelings towards Brad and Kate until possibly the end (cue the dramatic music,Sam)

If you're looking for goofy fun you'll enjoy this film and Vince Vaughn is worth the price of admission. In theaters November 26th.

Speaking of movies, I am tired of hearing about Twilight. All these tweens screaming about vampire star Robert Pattinson. Is the movie even supposed to be any good? I won't be seeing the film but if you do, please post a review.

When the weather channel starts laying off staff, people should start to worry.

A dog drove a '92 Ford van into a coffee shop in Long Island and when asked what happened the dog replied, "I wanted an iced cawfee becawse I was a hawt dawg."

Have a great weekend everyone!

It's a boy!

My congrats go out to Heather and Andrew who welcomed Jacob Anthony into this world. YAY!!!!!

Flurries

There was a light white coating of flurries on my windshield this morning. As my hand flicked the windshield wiper controls, the rubber wands quickly made the white flakes disappear. I'm going to a screening of Four Christmases tonight and will put a brief review up tomorrow. It's that new Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon flick.

This is scary, eh?

Um, where's Jack Sparrow when you need him?

I have to start going to the UCB theater more often.

Okay, it's a short post today. Here's a video on how to make a pumpkin pie with real pumpkin:

Meh

"“Do you know what it means to come home at night to a woman who'll give you a little love, a little affection, a little tenderness? It means you're in the wrong house, that's what it means. Goodnight Ladies and Germs, you've been a wonderful audience"


Did you hear? "Meh" has finally made it into the Dictionary! The origins of "meh" are murky, but the term grew in popularity after being used in a 2001 episode of "The Simpsons" in which Homer suggests a day trip to his children Bart and Lisa.

Everytime I mention the word "Twilight" the ladies go crazy...




Weird Science...science...science...science...

If they can fit it in, you and I can fit it in.

And now, today's Thanksgiving Recipe:

Sweet Potato & Chestnut Pudding
by Ryan Angulo, Buttermilk Channel
[6 -8 servings]
4 sweet potatoes
1 ½ cups peeled chestnuts, chopped coarsely
2 cups fresh orange juice
1 cup orange segments
2 cups crème fraiche, whipped
1 cup coconut milk
1 bag mini marshmallows
1/2 cup dried cranberries, presoaked in ¼ cup boiling water and drained
salt to taste

Roast sweet potatoes in their skins until soft. Let cool slightly, peel off skin and whip sweet potato with the coconut milk and salt. Let cool to room temperature. Place chestnuts, orange juice and dried cranberries in a pot and bring to a boil; let cool.

Spread marshmallows in a single layer on a cookie sheet and toast quickly under broiler. Use a silcone baking mat (such as a Silpat) in order to prevent the marshmallows from sticking to the tray. Place alternating layers of sweet potato puree, cranberry/chestnut mixture, crème fraiche, and toasted marshmallows in your favorite glass serving dish. Heat in 375 degree oven until warm, add marshmallows, and broil for 5 minutes at 400 degrees until marshmallows start to brown. Top with orange segments and serve immediately.

I Haven't Complained About Commuting In A While So....

That's right, today is a complaining about commuting day. I had to schlep all of this lighting equipment with me on the bus today because I am filming some interviews for this science video I am trying to coordinate for work. So I have a huge duffel bag filled with tripods and umbrellas and I put it under my bus seat but it barely fits so I wait until everyone gets on the bus and I then I slid it next to me on the empty seat. The guy in front of me reclines his chair. I close my eyes. The bus starts movings. The guy hops up and then asks if he can sit next to me. His chair is still reclined. I lift my heavy bags to let him in and then angrily press the chair button which brings the seat in front of me back to its upright position. It is my hope that as of Jan 1, 2009, I will no longer be taking the bus or the train from NJ.

In Sacha Baron Cohen News...an unruly extra on the set of NBC's Medium? Oh, it's just Bruno.

Astroland may be saved! Hooray!

So there is this game for Nintendo Wii that is great. It's called Cooking Mama and I have plugged it on this blog before. I actually haven't played it in awhile but Mark sent me this link yesterday. Amazing stuff.

Enjoy your snow flurries today.

Bond, James Bond

I hope you had a great weekend with such wacky weather. 70 degrees one day, freezing the next. Saturday night I had dinner with friends at a trendy Jersey City eatery called Ox. The atmosphere was nice and the food was very good although the portions were on the small side. I ordered a mixed green salad with roasted asian pears,blue cheese, pomegranate seeds tossed with a champagne vinaigrette. Very tasty. For my main course, I chose the crab and shrimp roll which was delicious. After dinner, we rushed to the 9:00pm screening of Quantum of Solace, the new James Bond flick. It was crowded and we were forced to sit in the front row. The chase scenes were hard to watch that close up but I didn't have a problem with the other scenes. Despite hearing a bad review of the film yesterday, I very much enjoyed the movie. There were things I didn't like and I really wish there were more scenes like the Opera scene in this film. The Opera scene was by far my favorite scene. Gone are the gadgets, the one-liners...Bond is out of control.

More bad, late-night karaoke:

Rate this performance at The Sims On Stage

I've been seeing so many commercials for Wii Music, I'm wondering if it's any good.

Time to start getting ready for Thanksgiving..

Google Video Chat Has Arrived

I'm sure by now, many of you Gchat addicts have seen a little green video camera icon next to your buddies. Soon you will be video chatting with those buddies while you check your email. I was checking my email last night and all of a sudden Greg called me on video chat from Brooklyn. It was a lot of fun and I got him to give me a tour of the apartment. Adrienne was there as well which was a pleasant surprise. I encourage you to join Google Video!

Bye Bye Nude Seattle Parks!

I'd like to go check out the Showtime house.

Short post today. Have a great weekend! Another fun video for you to ponder:

Behind on my movie watching

I've become very busy lately and haven't had time to catch up on any movies. I had the same two Netflix DVDs sitting on my desk for about a month now. I'm planning on seeing Quantum of Solace this weekend however. I never miss a Bond movie. I have also not had time to watch any trailers for upcoming films like Up, Pixar's next flick which looks incredible.



MadTv is cancelled. FrankTV is sooooooo bad.

Another freaky humanoid robot...



I really want a copy of the Fake New York Times...

Attention all CONEY ISLAND FANS!! Be sure to read this document put together by the Center for an Urban Future where they asked thinkers from a variety of fields to share their vision for Coney Island.

It's Thursday so that means it's time for the CLIP OF THE WEEK!!! Yee-ha!

Online Tutorials

I got my flu shot yesterday and because I couldn't roll up my sleeve high enough I got to step behind the special curtain. It was a huge unnecessary production. I like to compare the experience of getting a flu shot at NYU to the Drive-Through window at McDonalds the only difference being everyone getting the flu shot was ordering the same thing. So there was a line of people for one woman with a needle. You step up, she sticks you, and then you move on. Everyone behind you is watching and impatiently awaiting their turn. Would you like ketchup in the bag? Well my order took a little longer because I had to step behind the curtain and everyone saw me waiting back there. It was like I was the Wizard of Flu-Oz. She told me to scream out when I was ready. Um, all I had to do was unbutton my shirt a little and pull down my sleeve. She was acting like I had to go get ready for a colonoscopy. I mean, really. Then of course she says, "I'm not used to doing this without my table next to me". Oh just wonderful lady. It was very quick and then I got my dum dum lollipop and was on my way. If you're getting a flu shot, try to get behind the curtain.

**Cue music so this transition isn't as awkward**

You can find a tutorial on anything on YouTube. Really. Last night I was curious to find out how to create a light saber effect using Final Cut Express. Sure enough, there is a kid who looks like he is 16 years old and has all of these Final Cut Tutorial videos. It's quite funny. This kid should be outside playing ball with his friends. I then started checking out all of the other video tutorials. I learned how to use chroma key, how to clone and how to create other effects. It got me thinking about what other types of tutorials people are posting.

For example, here's one on how to parallel park:



Okay, okay...I could go on all day posting these. Here's one more:



Now if only there's a tutorial on how to prevent Pink Eye. It's been going around the office and since the air circulation is poor I'm afraid I might be next. So far, 4 people have caught it.

I'm sorry, I just thought this story was funny, only because it was on a Virgin train.

Nice...how to avoid the monsters.

Well, have a great day! Happy Hump Day!

Boaz Almighty

Today's blog post is dedicated to Mr. Boaz Frankel. My good friend Boaz will be starting a new adventure and I'm sure it's going to be excellent. Now I just need to figure out a way to take some vacation days so that I can somehow be involved. I miss having him as a creative partner in crime. Anyway, I have a special treat for you. I watched this numerous times because it is just so excellent. I hope you will do the same.


Un-Road Trip: The Trailer (with Matt Lauer) from Boaz Frankel on Vimeo.

House Hunter

Nothing is ever as simple as it looks on TV, period. I enjoy watching House Hunters, an HGTV show that follows around a buyer looking for a new home. The real estate agent shows them three places and one of them is bought by the buyer. Of course the whole thing is staged but it makes for entertaining television. I usually find myself saying, "oh I could get that in Ohio for that price?...wowwww" or guessing what the future homeowner is not going to like about the place: "I'm not crazy about the wall to wall carpet in the kitchen". The reason I bring up house hunters is because I am currently one. I spent most of the weekend trekking through new jersey looking at many apartments. I must admit, it's fun but after awhile you just want to find the right place.

Only in New Jersey will a councilman pee on a crowd in public. Ooooo...urine big trouble mister.

I introduce to you the nation's first transgender mayor.

Don't like avocado? Try banana guacamole!

Banana Guacamole
4 ripe bananas
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 small hot pepper, seeds and ribs removed, minced (or to taste)
2 tbsp red palm oil
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
juice of 2 limes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mash the ingredients together with a mortar and pestle. Adjust seasonings to taste.

You could blend them instead if you prefer, but using the cruder tools gives you a chunkier, more satisfying texture.

Crazy Cat:


Have a great day!

Interview with Anne Slowey

Listen to this episode

It's the weekend...who's your role model?

Ready for a great weekend? I hope so. I'll be heading to the theater to see David Wain's new film, Role Models. I've mentioned before how supportive David has been with previous projects Boaz and I have worked on together and I'm really looking forward to seeing the movie. It's been getting good reviews too! I encourage you to go see it as well and then submit your review to me so I can post it.

Being a reporter for 60 Minutes isn't as easy as you might think.

Getting Naked for Obama!

For all of you Q-tip fans!

I'll be looking at some apartments in Jersey City tomorrow if you care to join me in some excellent fun. Other than that and going to see Role Models, I'm pretty free. Give me a call and we'll do dinner.

Well, We Haven't Done THIS in Awhile

Happy Thursday everyone. So I couldn't go to sleep early last night because I got sucked into an episode of Ghost Hunters. I've seen this show a few times and usually they don't find anything or the creaky steps are coming from a rabid raccoon in the homeowner's attic. But last night's show was crazy! Doors were slamming on their own and hangers were flying off a clothes rack. It made for excellent tv.

This gives new definition to "Fox Trot".

I'm having sushi for lunch! Check this out!

And now it's time for something we have not done in awhile here on Evan Almighty. Fan Mail. I get so much fan mail that I needed to start renting pods to put the mail in. Currently, I am looking for more interns to sort through the mail. If anyone is interested in applying please let me know. Okay...I've got a few here so let's read them.


Hi Evan! I read your blog everyday and just think it's fab. I'm going to be in the city on vacation next month and I was hoping we might grab a cup o'joe. My office is pretty drab, any suggestions on how I can make it more exciting for myself and all the other employees. Your fan, Tracy Spiro, Gallsboro, Wyoming.

Tracy, thanks so much for the kind words. Unfortunately I won't be able to meet up with you for coffee when you are in NYC but I do have an answer to your question. Why not turn your workspace into a partyspace with the Limbo String. That's right, Tracy..Now you can limbo at any time, anywhere and you don't even have to take the time to find a big stick for everyone to dance under.

It doesn't get more exciting than this:



My next letter comes from Mitch Hastings who resides in Spring Lake, NJ. I love Spring Lake! Thanks so much for writing to me! Mitch writes:

Evan, I read your blog first thing every morning before I even look at the NY Times. It starts my day off right, that and a nice bowl of oat bran. Hey, what do you eat for breakfast?


Funny you should ask, Mitch. For the longest time I actually didn't eat breakfast. I know, I know...it's the most important meal of the day. Recently though, I have become addicted to this breakfast treat:



Our last letter actually comes from a reader in Peru. Amaro writes:

Evan, I read your blog but just out of habit. I don't think it's particularly good or funny and I'm tired of hearing about your corn maze adventures and seeing cheesy videos you just pluck from YouTube. How about some quality material?

Hi Amaro! Thanks for your comment! I'm sorry if you don't find my blog interesting or funny. I like to please everyone so I'm going to show you something that I posted to YouTube myself which is very educational and something which I would hope you would consider to be "quality material".

Wow! What a night it was! I get chills every time I see the front page of a newspaper. I don't think there's really much more to say on the topic. Thanks to everyone who came out to vote. And thanks to Facebook, which I believe really helped get younger people out to the polls and made it THE thing to be doing yesterday. Way to go FB!

I have a few other matters of business...umm, the hologram interview? Hellooo! This was totally bizarre but so cool. I want to start doing hologram interviews.




One last thing... Debra reminded me of this arcade game I used to love...does anyone else remember this? Memories of my youth flooded back to me..

Voting? Use Gym Door

I snapped the above photo on my way to vote this morning. No lines, no waiting, it was quite pleasant. There is the most amazing feeling of excitement in the air this morning. Everyone is feeling it and it's really incredible. Everyone is thinking about it, talking about it, writing about it, blogging about it, podcasting about it...you get the idea. It's the excitement we feel during the holidays when we get a surprise gift from a loved one and don't know what's in the box. We might be able to open this gift tonight or perhaps we'll have to wait until the morning. Either way, I sure hope it's the gift we've been waiting for.

Education Lesson:



I'm really looking forward to meeting Walt Disney's clone.

GPS is great, but I'm not so sure about this.

A nudist group in, get this, Land O'Lakes, Florida wants to establish the first ever clothing-optional polling site. Those opposed to the group worry that this will give new meaning to "pulling the lever" and will tarnish their "buttery" town image.

WHhhaaaaa?

Addendum:

I forgot to mention in this blog post that my bus was pulled into the police check area to be searched. It delayed us about 10 minutes while the police used their fancy gadgets to check under the bus and do a background check on the bus driver.

Spooktacular Weekend

Goood morning! Hope you remembered to turn your clocks back because if not, you probably got to work super early this morning. Did you have a great weekend? I sure did. Halloween was a lot of fun. A bunch of us journeyed over an hour and half to Ulster County to the one of the best Haunted Attractions in the US. You can visit their website by clicking here. I'll explain the evening briefly so you get an idea of what this experience is all about. It began as we hopped onto the hayride. A flatbed with hay everyone sat around the edge with their feet dangling. Seated at the front was our guide. She narrated as we traveled down a dark path under the starry night. Along the way we would come to sets, the ride would stop and we would watch the action that was taking place. During many points of the ride, people would come out of the darkness to frighten us. And the headless horseman came up behind us at one point on his horse. The hayride was definitely my favorite part of the evening and I could have stayed on there for an hour. The hayride dropped us off at the first Haunted House. Once through this house we were in the haunted Corn Maze. It was a beautiful night and the breeze rustled the corn stalks. We made our way through with the occasional animated or real person jumping out at us. Once through the corn maze we went through the second Haunted house. After being chased out by chainsaw wielding clowns we grabbed a bite to eat and watched John Shaw's sideshow. I wasn't impressed with his material but it was a great way to kill some time before heading into the last haunted house. The evening was definitely fun and a great way to spend Halloween.

YESSS! You know how much I love it when Sacha Baron Cohen makes headlines.

Picketing brides? You betcha...the comments are highly amusing.

I went to see some apartments in Hoboken on Saturday and it was great fun! I love the area and hope to be a resident in the near future.

I've been promoting Project Bueller for quite some time now. I was hoping there would be a video of the performance but this was all I could find. I wish the person filming this had known that "Shake it up baby now" was not directed towards him/her.



Okay, I wasn't going to post this next video. I don't think I'll be buying hot dog buns anytime soon and if I do, I'll be checking them over very carefully. **WARNING: THIS VIDEO IS SORT OF GROSS**



Have a great day!

Today Show kid not a happy camper..wonder why?

Watch the first few minutes of this clip. I wouldn't be happy if my dad tried putting me in this costume and paraded me in front of millions of television viewers. Cruel.

HAPPYY HALLLOOOOWWEEEEN!

Hey Ghouls! I hope you have a happy and safe Halloween this year. Don't forget the long johns because it's going to be cold out there. Many people have been asking what I am doing for Halloween and I knew I was going somewhere but didn't know the name of it. Now I do. I am going to Ulster County! The place we are going to looks really really cool. Check it out here. Hours of fun and screams, I'm sure. Plus, and I was really excited about this. There's a SIDESHOW!!


I love pumpkin ice cream, but corn ice cream? I'm not so sure about.


It's a special halloween for this homeowner in Hollywood.




Okay so I was going to leave you with Jerry Seinfeld's Halloween routine but I found something better. A kid, doing the Jerry Seinfeld Halloween routine. Enjoy!