Sad Panda

Have you seen the Sad Panda? I haven't but I've seen the photos (thanks Gothamist).

All I can say is, this guy or gal has a gimmick. And it's working. Although I'm still not quite sure what the motive is.

First peanuts, now pistachios? Aww, nuts.

Who doesn't love a good Second Life story. Well today, CNN reports that Second Life is teaching docs how treat patients.

I miss the days of big lectures, wacky professors and desks that were too small to write on. I know you miss this too, so grab a pad and pen and join me as we go back to school.



And lastly, I loved the book Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs as a kid. I am surprised it took them this long to turn it into a movie. But they have. Oh yes, they have.

Sick

Here are a few things that made me feel just a bit better, I think.

1) Ernie and Cookie Monster help me to better understand the Madoff ponzi scheme.



2) Make sure you clean up after scanning your lunch on the office copy machine

3) And last, but not least, a new way to use sheep.



Brilliant.

Waiting

Here's the music video I filmed with my uber talented friends, Mitch and Adam.


Waiting from Mitch Maguire on Vimeo.

For more information about Mitch Maguire, visit his website at www.mitchmaguire.com

Spring Is Here

Today is going to be a beautiful day and to top it off, it's Friday! Sometimes I get the idea in my head for a song and I start writing it. Well, I told Erin about this the other day and we decided to just go ahead and finish the song together. So after work the other night we came up with a finished product. It needs work and I am hoping to be able to upload it soon for you to hear.

See, there's CA again, and check out this electric car. I want one!

Here's a touching story, a woman and her husband have moved in with the woman's ex. Really????

You may have heard that the NYU Bobcat has been missing. But good news this morning, he's been found!



I love infomercials, so I was very happy to find this compilation of some of the best..errr..worst...errr..funniest.



Have a great weekend!

Deer Crossing

Our favorite morning newsman extraordinaire, Matt Lauer had a run in with a deer when he was biking in Long Island and injured his shoulder. He had his arm in a sling this morning and the crew thought it would be funny to all wear deer antlers. Well, at least it wasn't a Moose.

I get really excited when the trailer is released for a movie I cannot wait to see. Spike Jonze is a genius, the book is a classic...dim the lights, turn up the sound and enjoy Where The Wild Things Are.

Click here (sorry, the embed code wasn't working)

I really can't top that clip with better material.

Time for more California photo fun!

They Check In But They Don't Check Out

We all know NYC has a major rat problem. When the rats are eating at Taco Bell, it's time to do something. So the MTA and the City have built a better rat trap which they are testing out. Why not just hire these guys to trap the rats?



All hail Jason Segel. He's going to bring the Muppets back to the big screen and do it right. Are you as excited as I am????

I'm staying away from Komodo dragons for now.

I always love stories about 2 year olds who can read shakespeare, drive a car...so this story caught my attention.



And now, some photos from the CA trip:

California Dreamin

As I commute into the city this morning I try to picture myself in San Francisco but I am shoved out of the way by a fellow commuter and my day dream is interrupted. I am back. Here's something I don't quite understand. California is really big on saving the environment. In San Francisco just about all the buses, taxis, delivery vans, all run on CNG (compressed natural gas). Why haven't we seen a switchover in NYC? If we're so "Green" why hasn't this happened? Why aren't more people driving hybrids? Over there, just about every other car is a hybrid. Do we just like saying we are trying to be "Green". Seems like California and a lot of the West Coast has gotten it right. (I don't want to leave out Portland in fear that Boaz will get angry).

I was glad I stayed up to watch Letterman last night because I so enjoyed hearing him tell America that he got hitched.



Dave, you are still a real gunslinger in my eyes.

Well, May is fast approaching which means the NYU graduation is right around the corner. In case you missed it, this year's speaker will be Hillary Clinton. That's right. Get excited.

I have a fear of bed bugs so as you can imagine, just having come back from California, this grossed me out.

Did you hear about this hot dog story? Yeah, I'll have some kraut with that.

United's Economy Plus-Size

NOTE TO SELF: The next time you are offered a $300 voucher and first class upgrade due to an overbooked flight. TAKE IT.

In addition to United no longer serving any type of snack, you now have to pay for extra leg room, up to 5 inches of free space for your knees. This includes the emergency exit rows. For someone as tall as me, it is definitely worth it. But tonight, I would pay to see my face when I stepped on the plane and saw my middle seat, 10B, surrounded by two very large men. I couldn't believe it. Who put these men in the same row? Was I going to fit in the middle, more importantly, would I be able to breathe? I'm still not quite sure how I made it through the flight. It was a lot of changing positions so that I could not feel the bodies of the men rubbing against me. I lost the use of both of my armrests which wouldn't even go all the way down because the men had their legs underneath. I just wish that trainer Jillian from The Biggest Loser had been there. I must say the guys were aware that I was being made uncomfortable and tried to be accommodating, like when I needed to turn up the volume on my headphone controls I had to move the man's stomach aside a little bit to find the volume increase button. Okay, I'll stop talking about this now. I made it back safely and that's what matters. So now I have a day to gather myself and get back into the swing of things before going back to work, which I'm actually looking forward to. Now if only I could somehow get a palm tree into the office...

Last Night in C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A

I just got back from a delicious dinner at Piazza D'Angelo in Mill Valley. The food is delicious and the atmosphere is great. I highly recommend it. It's hard to believe that my vacation here has come to an end. I had a wonderful time and really grew fond of it out here. The pace of life seems much healthier, the air is filled with smells of the ocean, the trees, the hills...everyone is overly friendly. I was just standing outside of a store today and a man comes up and starts talking to me about this antique Mercedes on the street. He was waiting for his wife who was shopping and was very knowledgeable about cars.

This hotel is really funny. Every night there is some offbeat event going on and it's quite amusing. Last night was a Singles Night Dance and I had to scope it out to see what the scene was like. It was straight out of a sitcom. A weird mix of people, all older, walking around, dancing and mingling. There were regulars, guys who knew each other and come to all of these functions. One of them entered the lobby and had a conversation with a woman he had met previously. She asked him how his chickens were doing only to find out that the chickens had died. He now has a bunny. There were Russian women all dolled up and trying to walk in heels that were way too tall. Believe me, I wanted to pretend I was the event photographer and gather up some of the people to photograph. I didn't.

I'm definitely coming back to CA soon and if you want to come along for the ride. Let me know!

See y'all back in NJ.

The California Adventure Continues

I am now sitting in a new hotel in San Rafael, CA. I am watching, well, trying to sit through the Will Ferrel broadway show filmed for HBO. I cannot believe how bad it is. Maybe it was better in person. I'm just not feeling it.

The weather here has been just perfect the past couple of days and the strawberries are delicious. There's nothing like getting locally grown fresh fruit. This hotel has free Wifi, candy and an outdoor fireplace! In California! Actually, it gets a bit chilly here at night.

I haven't been to Muir Woods since I was a kid and I went again today, armed with a camera. Walking through Muir Woods is a magical experience. If you haven't been, I highly recommend it. While snapping away I came across a snake resting on a dead tree limb. We traveled up the side of a hill to get to a lookout point where we had lunch. The winding roads here can make you nauseas if you aren't used to it. They remind me of James Bond car chase scenes.

Here's a helmet cam from Mount. Tam, where I was earlier today:



We finished up the evening with a delicious dinner in Mill Valley. I'm tired and have no idea what I just wrote. Time for bed. Goodnight.

I Think I'm In Love

In only a few days, I must say I have really grown fond of San Francisco. The air is fresh, the people are really nice, and it's beautiful.

I got an early start this morning, hopped on the cable car (I sure got a lot of use out of my three day pass) and got off at Lombard Street. On the way I met a guy who was visiting for a convention (Yes, gym equipment conventions do exist). I actually thought he was with his wife and daughter but realized he wasn't when I offered to take a picture of the three of them. I walked down Lombard Street and headed to Telegraph Hill and Coit Tower. If you like documentaries and parrots, I highly recommend The Parrots of Telegraph Hill. I reached Coit Tower, took a deep breathe and enjoyed the view, then proceeded to walk back exploring Little Italy and Chinatown on the way. There are so many cool neighborhoods, I am especially fascinated with the ornate doorways and signs in this city. Very cool. I stopped for an early lunch at Nanking, a place that is always packed thanks to Rachel Ray and the good food. I was quite pleased with my meal and would recommend it. I walked the streets of Chinatown with two specific stops in mind, the Golden Gate Bakery and the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory. The good news is that I found both, although I walked by the alley where the fortune cookie place was a few times before finding it. Mark told me what to expect. It was dirty looking, hot, really hot, and dark. The man reached into a bin and handed me some unshaped cookies to try. Pretty good. I snapped a few photos which came out blurry. The workers were there inserting fortunes and folding cookies. I'm glad I saw it because I will now appreciate fortune cookies more when I go out for Chinese food.

After a rest at the hotel I headed back down to the Fisherman's wharf. I thought I was going to walk to the Exploratorium from there but decided not to and instead took the 2 1/2 mile walk from the Wharf to my hotel. It was a great walk and a great way to see the city. Later on, believe it or not, I went back to the Wharf to try to catch a sunset but just missed it. I did meet a really nice woman and her friend who was visiting. Her friend mentioned the nobby trees but she didn't know whether they bloom or not. She was really nice and pointed out some places that I should check out. People here are super friendly. And they are laid back and not in a rush to get everywhere. It's great.

It's hard to believe tonight is my last night in the city. I am definitely coming back.

San Francisco: Day 2

Well it started as a drizzly day and apparently cleared up and got sunny because I'm a bit red. Now it's drizzling again.

I took an early trip to the Wharf again this morning and by the time I got down there the weather was just clearing up and the sun emerged from behind the thick clouds. On my way to the Pier from which the Alcatraz Cruise leaves I passed by Boudin Bakery and stopped to see what that was all about. I have been looking for a great bread place and this screamed "Tourist Trap", but I decided to get a sandwich there made with their sourdough bread. They had these breads made in the shape of animals. I didn't see anyone buying any Teddy Bear bread, but they had that. Thanks to Mark, who recommended some of his favorite San Fran hot spots, I then headed to see the infamous Sea Lions. That was definitely fun to see and hear. They are extremely vocal! Mark also mentioned the Bushman, who I saw yesterday scaring some guy's girlfriend. I couldn't find him today.

I am amazed at how every place around here makes a small bottle of water $2.95. Seriously? What happened to $1.00 waters? Are they bottling the water from some special spring?

I was then on the ferry to Alcatraz, oh, but before you board they pose you in front of a fake background with Alcatraz. Weird, when you can take a photo with the real Alcatraz behind you but they'll do anything for a buck around here. The ferry ride was really great and we were soon at Alcatraz. I enjoyed Alcatraz and was glad I did it. Do I ever have to go back? Nope. I'll post my photos of Alcatraz soon. The audio tour of the cell building was interesting and I think my favorite thing was going to the rec yard. Very cool.

A trip to CA isn't complete without stopping off for an In and Out Burger, which is exactly what I did after Alcatraz. It was raining at this point so I headed to check out Ghiradelli Square and then waited for a cable car. Tomorrow I plan on walking the city, no cable cars.

Tonight I walked to Chinatown to check it out in the rain. The streets were pretty deserted. I passed by a Chinese beauty parlor, there were wigs everywhere and I man was sitting inside with the door open, playing the violin. I should have just snapped the photo. It was an unbelievable shot of this man playing in the dark salon. Like a fool, I asked him if I could take his photo and he said no. Next time, I'm snapping it and not asking. I learned my lesson. The rain started to pick up so I caught the cable car on Powell and headed back to the hotel. All of a sudden, the cable car operator slams on the breaks. People go flying. The rear break operator jumped off and started running after a white car, which cut the cable car off and caused this mess. Everyone had to get off. This made my wonder how many people, if any, have been killed while riding a cable car. Here's an article that shines some light on the topic.

By the way, are there supermarkets in San Francisco? I haven't seen one yet.

I'm looking forward to exploring the city more tomorrow, my last day before I head to San Rafael.

San Francisco: Day 1

You thought I wasn't going to be blogging while I was on vacation, didn't you? Well, I can't help it anymore. It has become a part of me, something I have to do on a daily basis. We'll see how long it lasts. Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to upload the photos I took but I'll get around to it eventually.

Wow, it's hard to believe that I was in NJ this morning. It feels like a really long day. The flight was on time and I even got an emergency row seat with no seat in front of me, which meant I had my own little area to stretch my legs. It was really great, except for the two really loud kids behind me. It was a mother and her two kids and I knew they were trouble because she had them both on a leash. She should have also had a muzzle for them (did I really just write that?) Don't get me wrong, I love kids, I do. But when they are talking non-stop and kicking the back of your chair you can just love them for so long. So despite the kids, a bad movie (The Day the Earth Stood Still-yes, I definitely think the earth stood still when this movie was put on), and no snacks (now you have to buy your snack-$9 for a box o'calories, the flight was on time and not bad at all.

By the way, I'm currently sitting in a plush red chair in the Hilton Lobby. My hotel is very nice and I'm loving people watching.

I took a cable car down to Fisherman's Wharf and we had some wacky operator who pushed a guy onto the car and closed the door. They started to fight and he asked for his badge number to report him, then as the guy was stepping off the operator started the car full speed ahead. Then he didn't acknowledge another woman who wanted to get off and she started yelling at him. I was sure he was going to let the car roll into traffic. We made it safely however and it started to drizzle.

I ducked under an overhang where vendors were selling large crabs and bread bowls of chowder. I bought one and it hit the spot. I walked around a bit and then headed back downtown, standing on the back platform of the cable car, snapping photos. Then the cable cars stopped due to some malfunction, so I walked the rest of the way home. I had a blast.

The amount of homeless people here is quite shocking. Every block you'll see them and some of them really get in your face. Most of the time they stand outside of stores but I saw one guy in the Ride Aide knocking bags of candy off the shelves and cursing at shoppers next to him. I just happened to follow him out and watched as he screamed at people walking by him in the opposite direction. I'm looking forward to more fun adventures tomorrow. Hope you'll follow my journey.

-Evan
PS. Let me apologize in advance for any spelling or grammatical errors.

Popcorn Time

Okay, so you're in the move theater craving some popcorn but you are lazy and don't feel like getting up to go to the concession stand or you just used your last dollar to purchase an extra large cherry Slushie. No worries. All you need are a few cell phones and some kernels and you can pop your corn at your seat.



Okay, okay. So when I saw this (thanks to Claudia) I said to myself, if for some reason this is real, I'm not going to use a cell phone any more. But alas, this is not real. Sorry, kids.

Did you happen to see the Jon Stewart/Jim Cramer talk last night? I thought it was really great and Stewart really gave it to him. Apparently they edited some footage out but the unedited version can be seen on the Comedy Central Website. Here's a taste:



I can't even imagine...

Looks like the Hoboken St. Patty's Day Parade might not happen next year. (Sorry, Elise).

Have a great weekend everyone. I'm headed out to San Fran for the week so stay tuned for some posts from CA!!! Maybe I'll recreate the opening to Full House.

It Must Be Nice...

Every morning I get off the PATH and journey down a quiet city tree-lined street on which one side are a bunch of cars waiting with tinted windows, breathes of exhaust blowing in the morning breeze, awaiting their fur clad riders to emerge from their million dollar cocoons. Wouldn't it be nice?

Wouldn't it be nice to have someone drive you to work every morning?
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to eat anything you want and not worry about fat and calories?
Wouldn't it be nice if we still had nap time at work?
Wouldn't it be nice if we were all wealthy and could spend time traveling the world?
Wouldn't it be nice if we could teleport?

It would be nice wouldn't it? Come on, now add your own!

I don't know how I feel about Spiderman The Musical with music by U2.... I guess it could go either way: be really bad or pretty awesome. We'll just have to wait with anticipation.

Mel Gibson is back at it:


:-)

Online Dating

That's right, I did it. I joined an online dating site. I along with thousands of others have cast out our bait and await a catch. I know everyone has beat the topic of Online Dating to a pulp but it does really make me laugh. People post some of the most ridiculous photos and some of the profiles are just horrible. Finding someone on an online site could be a full time job. You have to search through the database and then craft a witty email which caters to each person's profile, or you can take the cheap way and just wink. Who came up with this stuff? There are some other awkward things about online dating. For example, going to the gym and seeing someone else who is on the same dating site.

Evan: Hey, isn't that fungirl over there on the elliptical? yeahhh, I think it is. She's the one that obsessively goes to the gym and mentioned that she has 10 cats and is 6'0, there's no way she's 6'0, and she's definitely not 25.


Ten minutes later I'm in line at the supermarket and I see Juliecoolie staring me down. She winked at me and but now she's really winking at me. I turn to the right, pretending to read the calorie count on the nearest package of brownies, I reach out and drop my strawberry yogurt which splatters on the left pant leg of the woman in front of me, she turns around, it's Stephanie12345. She recognizes me for a second and says not to worry about her pants. That it was nice to see me again. I walk home, everywhere I look I see people from this online dating site.

All this talk about fish in the sea, I've gotta share this with you:


(via YesButNoButYes)

How incredible was that?

And now, 5 failed McDonald's items.

Kraut is no longer just for hotdogs:

Time For An Air Purifier

Last night I attended Project Footlight, which was really an interesting production and experiment in which a bunch of talent came together and in 20 hours, put together a production. It's appropriate that I am blogging about this show because the subject matter focused on our cyber-crazed culture.

Does anyone know how to test indoor office air quality? I have noticed that I have experienced coughing, eye burning, and congestion and I'm pretty sure it's because of the air in our office. A combination of dust and who knows what other particles we are breathing in. Any suggestions?

So believe it or not, even retailers in Second Life are suffering because of the economy.

Honey, could you run to the store to get some ice? Oh wait, nevermind:


Have you seen this site? Debra shared this site with me a few weeks ago and I realized I didn't mention it. It's pretty gross unless a donut and bacon sandwich appeals to you.

And now, although somewhat dated, here is an abbreviated reenactment of Forrest Gump.

Cupcakes

I totally forgot to mention that Meredith and Heather teamed up to make really delicious cupcakes which we ate outside of the movie theater, littering the sidewalk with chocolate crumbs. I don't know which recipe they used but here's one I found online.

Who Watches The Watchmen? Well, now I know.

I hope you enjoyed yourselves this past weekend. I went to go see The Watchmen and despite the pretty bad reviews, I enjoyed the flick. Clocking in at just under 3 hours the film is paced very well and I didn't look at my watch once. Good sign. Now to answer the question of who watches the Watchmen? I'll tell you who, seven year old kids. That's right, for some reason parents brought their kids to see this movie which is very violent and includes a pretty drawn out sex scene. When ever someone was killed or had their arms sawed off, the kids shrieked in horror and Mark and I just started laughing during the sex scene because these kids were just in front of us staring with their mouths open. Great parenting huh? Don't parents look at ratings? Just because it's based on a comic book doesn't mean it's for kids, folks. "Hey honey, let's take the kids to go see this movie called Showgirls, it must be okay for the kids to see, right? I think it's about some girls. Kids, get in the car we're going to the movies."

Next week I'm heading out to San Francisco and I'm wondering if there's going to be any flash mob activity.

See, the bible is hole-y.

Okay, Here's some fun to start off your day. Enjoy!

I'm a Banana...Ma Spoon's Too Big

I am in the mood for some Don Hertzfeldt magic this morning. I'm sure many of those who know of Don's work have seen Rejected. For those of you who haven't, I hope you'll enjoy. When Boaz and I covered Sundance we went to the animation short program and Don was there with one of his more recent works. He seems like a cool guy. Enjoy.



Have you heard about project Eyeborg? Well you better read up because you might be being filmed right now. This brings documentaries and well, nanny cams into a entirely new realm. Kids, dad and I are heading out for dinner but Mrs. Spindersoon will take good care of you. Oh, I almost forgot, lets put on your secret camera contact lenses in case Mrs. Spindersoon forgot to take her medicine. We'll have it all on camera. Love you. Good night.

You've been slimed, Lord Mandelson. Double Dare.


Another building super going through a tenant's underwear drawer? What's the big deal? It happens in hotels all the time with the cleaning staff.

The creeped out 22-year-old says, "My unmentionables were moved, I felt dirty knowing they had been handled by strangers."

Unmentionables? Can't we say underwear,panties, whatever you want to call them? If you read further down in the article we find out, the super was just being nice.

Meller contends that 79-year-old super Ilona Biro rearranged her belongings, rolled up a tube of toothpaste, opened care packages from her mom and folded her panties without permission.

See? It's like having mom living with you. How sweet.

Have a great weekend! The weather is supposed to reach into the 60's here in NYC.

I Want One!!!

Okay, so I'm a gadget guy. I love cool stuff. So you can imagine how much I wanted to hug the British scientists who devised this virtual reality helmet that recreates the sights, smells, sounds and even tastes of far-flung destinations.

"A tube connected to a box of chemicals releases smells under the wearer's nose, while a similar device can spray flavours directly into the mouth and provide a texture sensation. The heat and humidity can be changed using a fan and heater, while surround-sound speakers recreate ambient noise."

If you're reading this, my british scientist pals, I am volunteering to test this out for you. So call me!


These are the stories that really get me going in the morning. So let me get this straight, there was a nudist colony and they were having a swinger sex party, a clothed tourist wouldn't take his clothes off and was eyeing some women so they taunted him and told him he should remove his clothes then the tourist threatened to hurt them. I'm just curious what made this guy vacation at this nudist location. Hmmm....

Martha Stewart is on Twitter...

have a great day

I Could Really Go For...

Some fresh squeezed orange juice right about now.

I'm going to get you up out of your chair and dancing this morning along with these crazy Nets fans. I feel like Ben Stiller should appear in this clip at some point. But he doesn't.



You don't say, Joe Versus the Volcano The Musical is next?

I walked by Blockbuster the other day and noticed they have redesigned the interior, adding comfortable places to sit and a food area. They also changed the signs outside which now read "Blockbuster Media". Well, apparently they are filing for Bankruptcy.

It must be nice...

Did you hear about this Florida woman who called 911 because she was angered that her McDonalds was out of chicken nuggets. We at EvanAlmighty managed to obtain a transcript of the call thanks to our friends at the Fort Pierce Police Department.

911 Operator: 911, what seems to be the problem
McNugget Lady: Heeeeelp...they're out of nuggets again.
Op: Just calm down lady, everything is going to be okay. Can I have your location?
McNugget: McDonalds, they are out of chicken nuggets.
911: Please remain calm, someone will be there to help you out shortly.
McNugget: No one's going to be able to help me. They are out, damnit. Out of those fried nuggets. How do you run out of nuggets??
911: Ma'am, I'm going to need you to take a deep breath. Are there any Burger Kings near by that might have nuggets?
McNugget: I DON'T WANT F*#$&%&% A$*#%* Nuggets from no *#@$#$ Burger King. I want my McNuggets. Why the hell don't they have my McNuggets?
911: Please, ma'am, watch your mouth. How about a Roy Rogers?
McNugget: *click* *dial tone*

Turns out, she got a McMug Shot. *rimshot*

John Leguizamo: Work in Progress

I had the pleasure of seeing John Leguizamo's one man show which is currently a work in progress. Having seen his other one man shows on Broadway, it was really interesting seeing him in a tiny venue (Barrow Street Theatre) using a script and at points, just ad-libbing and speaking directly to the audience. It was a great time. The show is basically a look at his career in the entertainment business. Along the way, he tells us stories about Bob Hoskins on the set of Super Mario Brothers (yes, I was a huge fan of this movie as a kid) and numerous other gossipy details about everyone from Kevin Costner to Robert Deniro, and he does impressions too!

It was a very intimate space, and it was really cool to see him work-shopping a new show.

Anyone catch Jimmy Fallon's debut show? I should have DVR'd it but forgot to.

Did you see this making-of-a-Vanity-Fair-Cover video?



Have you always wanted to make a castle cake? Yesterday was my friend Erin's birthday and our other friend, Elise baked a castle cake. Elise was headed to work yesterday morning and as she was on the way out of her apartment, a neighbor's dog ran up the stairs tripping her and the castle cake splattered on the ground. Anyway, if you want to make a castle cake, here's how!