It's not Saturday? Darn.

I am still readjusting to my new sleep schedule since the move to Hoboken. I no longer have to wake up at 5:55am although occasionally I will wake up and then realize I have another hour and a half. Well today, not that you really care, I woke up and thought it was Saturday. Probably thought it was Saturday for a good 5 seconds. Then the reality set in. It wasn't Saturday. Why the heck did I think it was Saturday? It's only Thursday, but today is going to be fun. Work then Piccola Cosi!

Then I saw David Wain on the street this morning. I was going to say hi but he was listening to his music so I didn't stop him. I recently watched Role Models again and if you haven't seen it, go out and rent it. It made me laugh out loud. David and Paul Rudd were so nice to Boaz and me granting us interviews and even coming to our small NYU-TV studio during the days of On The Cusp.

So would you want Mr. T on your jury? You be the judge.

Last night was the 100th episode of LOST and it's still going strong. I can't get enough.

Take out your bathing suits...well, not until 2011. McCarren Park Pool looks like it's going to be really nice. Water concerts anyone?

Have a great day! And now, a word from Mr. Wizard:

Knock Knock

Who's there?
Evan.
Evan who?
Evan and Earth

I came across this horrible knock knock joke page which uses peoples names and tries to make it work. So bad.

Ben Folds has a new album out, but he's not singing. Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella is in stores now and features university a cappella groups covering Ben Folds songs. I've listened to the CD and being that I'm into acappella, I really enjoyed it.

Did you hear about Honda's Robotic Legs?! They actually look pretty cool and will be of much use to the elderly and disabled. Now watch the video:



This video sounds more exciting from the description...I was thinking Die Hard but somehow it disappoints until he jumps off.



For all of you who keep on asking me when the big apartment warming or cooling party is, please know that planning is in the works...

Speaking of the apartment, I might have mentioned that I recently found out our building is for sale. This means that the realtor is going to be bringing people into the apartment and it's starting to annoy me. Do I have to be worried that someone is going to steal something now? Will they use my bathroom? Part of me wants to set up hidden camera's for fun.

Enjoy your hump day.

Nothing Like A Good Scare

Maybe it's me, but I'm still not entirely clear why this airplane scare happened yesterday. The papers are reporting that the White House Military Office told the Federal Aviation Administration that it periodically updates file photos of Air Force One near national landmarks, like the statute in New York harbor and the Grand Canyon. So yesterday's scare was to update the file photo of AF One near the Statue of Liberty. So was this a training mission or just a photo shoot? Between this and the swine flu, I think we should just stay home this week. Have you been wearing a surgical mask at work to protect yourself? I wanted to get one but Duane Reade, believe it or not, was sold out!

At work, I share an office with another person. The quarters is tight for two people especially when it's 90 degrees outside and the building is still pumping hot air in. Not to mention there is no air circulation whatsoever. Here's a video shot yesterday in our office:



They have been filming this Nic Cage movie all over town and are coming back to film at NYU in May. I'm still trying to land an extra role. They were having some fun filming in China Town though.



Okay, one more shameless plug for Aja's one woman show, Piccola Cosi, this Thursday night at The Triad in NYC. Aja recounts her journey to Italy playing all the Italian men she encountered when she sang at some of Italy's most famous jazz clubs.

A-Choo

Well the trees and flowers are in full bloom and that means allergies. People are sneezing and wheezing left and right. I found myself going to garage sales on Saturday morning, one of the things I love to do. I've mentioned on here before that I have a documentary currently put on hold that looks at collectors, a project I'm hoping to work on for my thesis. Anyway, I didn't get much except for six seasons of Scrubs on DVD which will probably take me a year to get through.

This made me laugh because I have been wanting to write a post not about the tanenites, but about the "pucker". Having recently moved to Hoboken I have noticed a lot of guys with this pucker face in the morning on the PATH train. Do they think this makes them look cool? Along with the pucker, these guys will stare down any female that walks onto the train to the point where they are made uncomfortable and usually walk away from the puckerer. This past weekend I popped my collar and went out with a pucker...just for fun.

Why, why, why didn't somebody tell me about the light saber battle that took place last night?

Jesus Christ, Super Tax.

I thought this video was cool and it will make me look at things differently now.


The Lost Tribes of New York City from Carolyn London on Vimeo.

I Love The Sound of a Protest In The Morning

Nothing like a good protest to get you going in the morning. Realizing I hadn't posted any pics on here from my phone, I decided to snap the above photo of the loud protesters, and I mean loud. They were singing and yelling. Two black suburbans pulled up and the protesters went crazy. The thing about these protests are, how the heck are the "others" supposed to know what they are protesting about? It sounded like a jumbled mess when I stopped to try to figure out what they were saying. And why are the signs so small? I couldn't read them from across the street. So I managed to hear someone say "CWA"...CWA...hmm.., Concerned Women for America? Christian World Adoption? Clean Water Act? Creative Website Awards? California Waterfowl Association? No, it must have been the Communications Workers of America. By why were they outside of an apartment building on 5th Ave and 9th. The only thing I can think of is that someone lives in that apartment who the union protesters wanted to speak with. Yikes! Put down the torches and pitchforks.

My coworkers keep on talking about going to the Bronx Zoo...well, they better hurry up.

This made the news this morning: Bo likes Toes.

Did anyone attend the TMNT Drive-In event?

I heard that Jay Leno had to cancel his show last night because he admitted himself to the hospital. Hope he's doing okay.

After seeing this next video I realized I have been taking the beauty of oil and water for granted. Check this out.


Oil in Water from Shawn Knol on Vimeo.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend. I might even go garage saling...

It's Going To Be An 80's Weekend

If you haven't heard already this weekend is going to be in the mid 80's so break out the shorts and sunscreen. I am really looking forward to the summer. People out and about, weekend trips to Vermont, summer vacation, lemonade, garage sales, BBQs, the beach...

Okay, so high schoolers are breaking up with each other over text messages. But how about this story, about a guy who divorced his wife over a text message.



Just another reason to love Fox News...

I haven't been keeping up with American Idol but watched the other night. I haven't read what people are saying nor do I really care but I do think Adam Lambert is my pick to win.

Here's another extremely entertaining video courtesy of Vimeo.


subprime from beeple on Vimeo.

I love coming upon odd products, well Vibram now has five toed shoes??!!

Happy Nerf Day!

Oh wait, what's that? Ohhh, Earth Day. I got excited for a moment because I thought you said it was Nerf Day. There should be such a day. President Obama, can you please get on that? Thanks.

Well I guess since it's Earth Day and I'm not planting a tree, I will give another plug to something Earth Day related, Boaz Frankel's Un-Road Trip. Boaz left Oregon a few days ago and it seems as though he is making great progress. I caught a segment on a CA Fox affiliate station yesterday which was really great and they will be following him again today. He has already taken 15 modes of transportation and has gotten much support from the generous people in the towns he has visited. You can read all about his journey here.

Here's a fun project for a rainy day and you can tell all your friends how "Green" you are...ok wiseguys, I'm not talking about kermit-the-frog green.



Cops can be our friends, but sometimes they can think they can do anything they like. Take a look at this:



I have really gotten into Craig Ferguson lately, he is hilarious. I have his show now set on my DVR because I can't stay up that late and have been cracking up with his recent lip syncing openings. If you haven't seen them, here they are:





You should tune in and watch him, he's great and doesn't get nearly enough credit.

And while we're on the topic of funny, I am very excited about this:

On The Set of Martha!

Last night, I along with some other NYU students got a tour of the Martha set and had a discussion about the production of the show as well as the editing process. It was really fascinating. Unlike most sets, everything you see on the Martha Set is real and usable. The drawers are even stocked full of supplies. The plants in the green house are real, the dishes are real, the snozzberries taste like snozzberries. It's pretty impressive. You can take a virtual tour here.

What will Gov. Paterson do next??


Paterson's LCA Response from Elizabeth Benjamin on Vimeo.

Did you hear about Bill Murray's golfing accident? He hit a woman in the head with a ball. Who you gonna call?



The blog is video heavy today. Here's another great video from Vimeo. It reminds me of this Alfred Hitchcock Rear Window thing I saw at Disney World as a kid. I can't find anything about it online though.


HBO/Movie from Kenky on Vimeo.

What A Weekend

What a beautiful weekend it was. It feels so good to be able to go outside in a t-shirt. The rest of the week is supposed to be really nice as well.
Tonight, I am going to get a tour of The Martha Stewart Show set and entire operation. I'm looking forward to seeing how her empire is run.

Well, Boaz Frankel has officially begun his Un-Road Trip. You can follow him and read the blog at http://www.unroadtrip.com/. In June, I will be meeting up with Boaz to shoot some footage and I'm looking forward to it.

Yesterday I went to this Nikon class that went through all the features of my camera so now I have a better understanding of what all the menu buttons do. I bought my camera at Unique Photo and I highly recommend them. They have a classroom attached to their showroom in NJ where they hold excellent classes, everything from photo 101 to shooting nature. They range in price from $20-$45 and you get a $10 gift card. Can't beat that.

I missed the Snuggie Pub Crawl, but a Snuggie does not sound appealing in 78 degree weather unless, well, it's the only thing you are wearing.

Lesson #1, don't eat the food in Honduras.

Business a little slow? Why not get your own scantily clad mannequin?

Friday and the sun is shining

Let's start out with this video to get your morning going..


Fun with Extreme Slow Shutter in Currumbin Valley from Geoff A Charters on Vimeo.

It's going to be a beautiful day and the great weather is going to last throughout the weekend. Everyone is in such a better mood when the weather gets warm. Maybe that's why people in California are so friendly?

Many of you know that I am constantly coming up with ideas for different tv shows,musicals, movies, businesses...well guess what? I've got a new idea for a screenplay and I think I'm going to just go ahead and start writing. I had to purchase Final Draft for class which automatically formats the script for you but I really think having a writing partner would be much more fun. Who wants to help? I think the premise is funny and this thing could be picked up and we can move to Hollywood and live in luxury...for awhile. Then we could write a sequel and then turn it into a reality show and have merchandise through the roof. I can see it all now...ok, who wants to be my writing partner?

In an effort to save money, the New York Times has announced that they will be eliminating and consolidating sections.

Okay, who's going on the Titanic Memorial Cruise?

I'm gobsmacked, are you gobsmacked? We are a gobsmacked nation full of gobsmacked people.

A Tree in a lung?


Suffering from a tension headache? No worries...


Have a great weekend.

Domino-no's

By now you have seen the video footage of those punks at Dominoes one of whom is seen smearing mucus on food and sticking cheese up his nose. These two jokesters could bring down the company even though they claim they never actually served the food to anyone. I guess Dominoes was bound to fall one of these days. It'll be interesting to see what kind of damage control they can do.

Remember my post about my flight back from CA? Well it looks like somebody is doing something about it. That's right, United is starting to charge overweight passengers for two seats. I'm not sure this is the right solution to the problem. What about a section in the plane for overweight people? Are they going to start putting people on the scale after they check their luggage to see how much they weigh?

Here's something sort of fun:



So, I received an email from writer and author Kristen Kemp who writes a blog called BaristaKids saying she had read my post on Kal Penn asked me if I could answer a few questions about Montclair. I obliged and she gave us a shoutout. For more info on Kristen and her blog click here.

My classmate, Kati entered a film contest and won with this short. I don't remember the name of the contest or any details but I believe they had to put this together really quickly. Congrats Kati!



Have a great day!

FOTC Take On Radio City

Let me start off by saying I had a lot of fun last night seeing Flight of the Conchords play Radio City, but it would have been a lot more fun if Ticketmaster had let me get seats together so I could sit with my friends. But no, we all had single seats peppered throughout the massive room. Thanks to BBM we chatted before the show started but I would have much preferred sitting next to them than next to the giddy girl who was bouncing in her seat.

Kristen Schaal who you may know as Mel on the show opened the show with some of her stand-up material which was pretty funny.

Then Bret and Jemaine took the stage to a thunderous crowd. They made banter and played then made more banter most of which had to do with the audience (many fans kept screaming out songs they wanted the duo to play). They were funny and they played some of my personal favorites but they seemed tired. They made a point of saying that the night before they played in Washington DC using a certain set list and the show was awful. Maybe they were joking but for some reason I don't think they were. They had been given the same set list again last night. With the exception of Carol Brown and Hurt Feelings, I'm not too crazy about the songs from Season Two. Some of the songs just don't translate well from tv version to live acoustic version. Sounds and melodies are missing and vocally it just wasn't as enjoyable to listen to. But I could watch the two of them for hours. They are amazing comedians and really great musicians. I'd go see them again.

Ok, it's business time...gotta run.

A 3D Printer and sexting...

Occasionally I will hear a story on the radio that will make me jot it down so that I can share it with you on this very blog. Well I heard one such story this morning. It has to do with a 3D printer. That's right.

A 3D printer is exactly what it sounds like. A plain old 2D printer prints letters. This spits out objects you can hold in your hand. Toys, door knobs, jewelry. A couple of these guys have quit their day jobs so they can sell 3D printer kits to people interested in building their own. These people are building objects that build other objects.

The people they are referring to belong to the hacker space in NYC called NYC Resistor.

this hacker space is like the MIT media lab without the academic reputation. It draws the best talent in computer engineering and the innovation that emerges in highly valuable. But NYC Resistor - or any other hacker space - does not have the institutional burdens of academia or the profit demands of a company. The main goal is to tinker. Take in people's old ipods and make new machines out of them. Rip out the resistors of discarded monitors and make a box that plays high or low-pitched music based on the weather of the city you select. Point the powerful antenna in the right direction and talk to ham radio users on the other side of the planet. Bounce the signals off the International space station and if you're lucky, you may get a response from the astronauts on board.

Crazy, right? For more information be sure to go here. And here's a little video piece.



So if you are looking for something to do one Thursday night, why not stop by NYC Resistor where every night, is a party.


Did you see this:


Ahoy, well now that Vermont Captain Richard Phillips is safe, Vermont is looking to legalize "sexting". I had no idea they had a term for sending explicit photos of yourself to someone else's mobile device and if I had known this, I would have arrested the guy sitting in front of me at Xanadu The Musical. But good old Vermont wants to legalize it. I bet the guys over at NYC Resistor sext message.

Here's another story I heard on the radio this morning. It has to do with this new Burger King ad. Have you seen it? The Texican burger. "The taste of Texas with a little tiny Mexican"...that's how they describe the burger. The ad features a cowboy and well, a tiny Mexican wrestler.



I'm really excited to see Flight of the Conchords tonight at Radio City. Full report tomorrow.

Shoe Discrimination

I may have ranted and raved about this before and if I have, please excuse me but for most of my life, I have never been able to go into a shoe store, find a pair of shoes I really like and buy them. Why you ask? Because no one ever had the shoes I liked in my size. I would walk into a store and this is how the conversation would go:

Clerk: Can I help you find something?
Me: Yeah, do you have anything in a size 15?
Clerk: ooof, that might be a problem...well let me see what we have in the back
Me: Something maybe that looks like this (I point to a shoe I really like)
Clerk: Be right back.

15 minutes later- Clerk comes out with three boxes.

Clerk: You're in luck, I found two in a size 15 and one 14 I thought you might want to try.
Me: Thanks.

I would get excited, images danced in my head of a really hip, cool shoe and these images would disappear when the clerk opened the box to reveal the most god awful shoes I had ever seen. This happened every time. When sneakers came out they would either be all white or all black. While the shoe selection has gotten somewhat better over the years, I am still basically forced to choose certain shoes because I don't have any other choice. If you ever see me in a shoe store where they have the shoe boxes out, you'll see me walking down each aisle, looking for my size.


Meet Bo, the new White House dog. I think I want one.

Chloe Sevigny recently hosted a celebration at the Kiehls on third avenue. Apparently she doesn't like NYU students.

This morning I went downstairs to get a bagel and I thought it would be funny to scream "oh my god, Robert Pattinson". I will never, ever do that again:


Who doesn't love Winnie the Pooh...well check this out.

Photoshopping Magic

It's Friday, Good Friday, which means a lot less pedestrian traffic this morning. I was up later than I should have been once again last night obsessing over Photoshop. I know what you're thinking. But let me explain. Last night I was looking at some photographs that were touched up digitally to make the models and actors look younger and thinner. The addiction came when I typed in "Photoshop touch up" into YouTube that I started going crazy. Out of all the "How to" videos I watched this was definitely by far the one I enjoyed most:



So Dan Aykroyd came to my local Bottle King yesterday to promote Crystal Head Vodka. I just think this is so bizarre but I really enjoyed the video The Daily Record got. Click here to watch.

Those who missed meeting Aykroyd will get another chance Saturday, when he'll sign his $41-dollar-a-bottle vodka at Gary's Wine and Marketplace in Wayne from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hmmm...I wonder if I should go.

A whale has been spotted in the Hudson.

Have a great weekend.

This is Great

Mr. Penn Goes To Washington

Take it away Chef Jake:




Kal Penn, who has played Kumar in the Harold and Kumar films and most recently has appeared on the hit Fox show House, has landed a new role with the White House. That's right, he has been hired as an associate director at the Office of Public Liaison, where he will help the Obama administration connect with arts and entertainment groups as well as the Asian and Pacific Islander communities. And this is why they had to kill him off on House.

I feel as though I have somewhat of a connection to Mr. Penn, and if you're reading this, please get in contact with me. Like me, he is originally from Montclair, NJ and he attended The NJ Governor's School of the Arts at The College of New Jersey the year after me. And now look at him, the White House! Way to go Kal.

It was only a matter of time before our favorite transgender mayor got a reality show.

And now, the moment you've been waiting for. Here's the Segway P.U.M.A. in action. Want one? For some reason, this video makes me laugh. Rev up your engines...

Observe and Report

When genitals upstage the lead actor in a film, I pretty much deem the film a flop (no pun intended). Such is the case in Observe and Report, the new flick written and directed by Jody Hill (Eastbound and Down, The Foot Fist Way) starring the always likable Seth Rogen in what is the second mall cop comedy of the year. Although perhaps this one is darker than Paul Blart.

There's a pervert on the loose, flashing female mall shoppers in the parking lot and Ronnie Barnhardt (Seth Rogen) and his mall security posse are determined to catch him and protect the object of Ronnie's affection, Brandi (Anna Faris). But when Detective Harrison (Ray Liotta) is put on the case, Ronnie must show him who's boss and capture the flasher before the cops do.

Throw in your typical shtick...the drunk mother who tells her son his dad left because of him and numerous others including a "f*ck you" mouth-off which may seem familiar to you and a chase scene that you will have to scrub from memory.

When you compare this film to the work of Judd Apatow, you really see what a genius Mr. Apatow is especially when it comes to dialogue. Seth Rogen and Ray Liotta are fun to watch on screen especially in their scenes together while Anna Faris plays her now signature role which I've grown quite tired of.

I don't know what else to write or how to end this on a funny note. I guess this is appropriate.

Piccola Cosi Returns

Aja Nisenson's one woman show, Piccola Cosi will take over the Triad Theatre on April 30th for one night. After a sold out run at the 2008 NY International Fringe Festival, she is now taking her show to different venues and other festivals. If you have the opportunity to see the show, I highly recommend it.
Who wants to take a ride in the Dollar Van with me?

Sometimes, you just need a news blooper to make your day brighter. Here it is:


When I first heard about Chia Obama, I thought it was hilarious. Well, apparently some stores don't want anything to do with it.



I bet they wouldn't have a problem selling a Chia Don King.

I will be observing and reporting on Observe and Report, the new Seth Rogen flick tomorrow. Have a good one.

Twitter-ific

Before I go on about Twitter let me first present you with this (Thanks Sam).



So everyone has been trying to get me to use Twitter more often. I still am not addicted to it but I have been spending more time on there and I think following the celebrities on there is a lot of fun, although I'm curious who is really updating Jimmy Fallon's or Demi Moore's. Definitely an interesting way to communicate and share information.

I realize that I posted the Waiting video on here one weekend and never really wrote anything about it. Let me start with a photo that was taken in Adam's shower, that's right, immediately following the completion of editing the video.



Don't we look happy? We worked long and hard on the video and I had a blast. I'm hoping to work on another project soon.

Here again is the video for you watch, comment on, and share with your friends:

Waiting from Mitch Maguire on Vimeo.

This past weekend was the annual New York City Pillow fight. I wasn't able to attend but this gave me some idea of what I missed:



It's like a multimedia extravaganza here today.

Bye Bye Balducci's

Like duct tape? Need an outfit for prom? Well, maybe you should get creative with some duct tape. That's right, first the duct tape wallet, now this.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Yes it is indeed true, rain helps the flowers and grass grow, and everything look nice and green, so I'm sort of enjoying this rainy Friday. Or maybe, it's because I'm on a heavy dose of antibiotics? I caught a few minutes of the Martha Stewart Show yesterday and a segment on Compost Tea. I know you are curious. Martha at one point said it would probably be alright to drink to which her guest said, I wouldn't recommend anyone drink this tea. Here's the idea. Take some fresh compost and put it in a container (the tea bag) which floats in a large tub of water which is agitated for 24 hours until the water is saturated with the nutrients from the compost. Then you can water plants with the tea and even spray plants with the tea. The plants grow healthier and taller and that, my friends, is compost tea. Isn't that right Dirt Dr.?



NOBODY says "No" to Leno...

I posted a link for the Brüno trailer yesterday but wanted to make it easier for you to watch. Can't wait.



Well, here's something Andrea is going to be excited about. Coney Island getting another freak show? Rumor has it that Bernie Madoff will be the star attraction.

In White House news, what happened when journalists called in to a White House conference? They got a sex-line of course! Umm..hello, Hillary?

So they've been filming the Jerry Bruckheimer produced film The Sorcerer's Apprentice here at NYU this week. You can see photos of Nicholas Cage playing the Sorcerer here. Sounds like the film is going to be a huge NYU advertisement adding to the list of such films as The Freshman, The Family Man, The Visitor, Loser, and many many others. For some reason those are the ones that immediately come to mind.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Brüno

This will bring a smile to your face:

http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/bruno/international-red-band-trailer

Thanks to Echowood for posting this.

I Don't Want To Go To The Doctor

Just when I thought I was getting over whatever bug I got, I'm feeling pretty crappy again. Maybe it's because it's 80 something degrees in my office and the air is so stale and dry filled with dust and god knows what else. The airducts are probably just blowing around recycled asbestos air. What do I need to do? Call Arnold Diaz?

Apparently they can't get the heating/cooling system down. One day it feels nice and cold and people start complaining that they are too cold. Well, I'm sorry. If you are too cold you can easily put on a jacket and a sweater and a hat and gloves and a heater and those hand heating pads. But when it's too damn hot in here to think or breathe do you want me to strap ice packs to my body and walk around in my boxers? Is that what you want? I'll do it. And no, the Sharper Image personal neck cooler does not work. So today, I wore a t-shirt to work.

Improv Everywhere is at it again except this time, the mission was fake. But they fooled the CW11 into thinking it was real. Silly CW, tricks are for kids.





Did you hear that the Obama's gave the Queen an inscripted video ipod loaded with
songs and a bunch of other stuff?

April Fools!

Hard to believe it's April already, and one of my favorite days of the year (well, not really). Are you okay? Did you get attacked by the Conficker virus? For some reason I just heard about this yesterday so I assumed it wasn't all that big a deal or is it? Is this just one big April Fool's joke to distract us from some of the other things going on in the world? Maybe.

The big news today, Ashton Kutcher got his chest waxed for his new movie. CNN has the CRAZY video.


Do you love your Snuggie? Well if you do, and you have a baby or you just like carrying around babies, here's the Peekaru!

Fox's Michael Sheehan was arrested after an accident involving a police officer on a horse. After refusing a breathalyzer test, Sheehan shouted "That's a load of horse sh*t" at which point the officer looked down and said, "Yes, yes it is".

I never really watched Live with Emeril except at the gym. Once he stopped screaming *Wham* *Bam* the show just got boring and I never had an urge to make any of the recipes he was making. But now Emeril has a new show which is awesome. It's called Emeril Green. He takes someone shopping at Whole Foods they buy simple ingredients and then he cooks with them right in the store. The recipes are healthy and easy and look delicious. Here's something he made last night.

I leave you with this...