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!