It's The Holiday Season...

I had a really nice Thanksgiving break and hope you did as well. I got off the elevator with some co-workers this morning and came up with a new line. They asked me where I was for Thanksgiving, I said New Jersey, they made a sour face and then I said, "the only place where the turkey talks back to you". They laughed. I laughed. Feel free to use that one.

I'd like to briefly talk about two products this morning: Hippie Chips and Zhu Zhu Pets. So I was in CVS last night just browsing when I came across these Zhu Zhu hamsters. I had read about these toys and how hard they are to find and saw a couple piling them into their cart. So I went home, looked them up and quickly went back to CVS and bought the rest of them. So now I am in possession of a bunch of these hamsters. Go figure.

Perhaps you have seen these new baked chips in stores, Hippie Chips? Baked, because hippies like their chips baked, I guess? I just thought I would mention it.

I'd like to go back to talking about Thanksgiving again. I really enjoyed being with the family this Thanksgiving and it's always like pulling teeth trying to get people to say what they are thankful for, and no, I wasn't only thankful for the pumpkin pie. Good food, good times. I'm ready to enjoy the holiday season.

And what better way to kickoff the holiday season than with ELF YOURSELF!! That's right. It's back. And better than ever.

Clips and Quips Vault

One of my all time favorite segments from our Clips and Quips days was The Family Guy piece. Spending a day at Family Guy headquarters in CA was surreal. Many of you have seen this already, but for those who haven't enjoy. And for those who have, enjoy it again.

Happy Thanksgiving

Taking a few days off

Okay, I'm going to be a turkey for the next few days and take some time off from blogging. I want to wish you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving. Boaz made another Thanksgiving short this year which I wanted to share with you.

A Thanksgiving Story from Boaz Frankel on Vimeo.

I am especially thankful this Thanksgiving and I hope you will take a moment to reflect upon the things you are most thankful for this year.

The Lonesome Sax Player

There was a man playing sax on the corner of Washington Square Park this morning and unlike many of the sax players who can usually be found uptown, this guy was good. He was really good. And as he laid down a track to the scene in which I was a part, I took note of everything happening around me and envisioned myself in a movie scene. Am I an extra in this great movie? Perhaps. It was a nice start to my morning.

Everyone is filled with Thanksgiving joy so why not bring it down a notch and see if you can count the number of turkeys in this ad:



I'd love to jet away somewhere for the weekend but I will most likely stick around and keep a low profile. Although Travelzoo likes to tempt us all.

You might not find Harrison Ford inside, but perhaps you've always wondered what it's like to fly on Air Force One. Here are some interior shots you might enjoy.

Hey, all you swine flu vaccine recipients, read this.

Here's a Thanksgiving story and recipes from NPR.

Many of you have asked me if I will be going to see the Tim Burton exhibit at MOMA and the answer is, yes, I will be going. If you haven't seen the MOMA Tim Burton animation, check it out here.

The Most Wonderful Week

I am so happy right now. A great weekend, a short week and then the official kick off to the holiday season. That means, holiday songs 24/7 on the radio, snow, birthdays, Christmas trees, lights..oh my!

Introducing....Motoman!



For those of us who clean our ears out with Q-Tips, you might want to read this.

I saw Wes Anderson this past weekend and being a fan of his work it was exciting to see him. He was wearing a green suit which I believe is the same one he was wearing in this interview with Charlie Rose:



I have not yet seen The Fantastic Mr. Fox but am very much looking forward to seeing it soon.

My mom's birthday was yesterday and my parents were in the city so I had the chance to see them which was really nice. The weather was so beautiful that walking around the city was the perfect thing to do this weekend. So now that Thanksgiving is coming up I want all of you to tell me what you are thankful for. And while you think about that, let's kickoff Thanksgiving week with this:

Happyyyy Friday

It's a beautiful day today and the forecast is looking good for this weekend. I don't have much for you today.

Jude is irked by NYU students and throws oranges??

Don't worry ladies, she will never go away for good. She'll always be around.

If this doesn't prevent you from getting popcorn the next time you go to a movie, I don't know what will.

I hope you have a great weekend. I'm looking forward to fun in the city with friends and family and hopefully will not be hooked up to a polygraph machine.

Sad Panda Revealed

I want to open up with this video which, reveals the mystery of the Sad Panda...



The world famous Radio City Rockettes are starting to do all their usual promotional stunts to promote the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Kicking at the top of the empire state building with King Kong and this morning, riding the Nostalgia Train, a 1930's era IND Nostalgia Train that will leave the Chambers Street E platform at about 10 a.m. and end up at the Rockefeller Center station.

Don't you just love fast food stories? Like this one. Here's my favorite line:

"He also allegedly put the vegetables from the burger in his mouth and rubbed the bun on his body."

Ever wonder what you should do with all those extra Styrofoam peanuts? How about doing this?

Tim Burton's exhibit opens this weekend at MOMA and yes, I will go at some point to see the show. When I was working at Columbia Pictures, one of my best memories was the Big Fish Premiere after party. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I only wish I had pictures of it. They recreated the town, had circus and sideshow performers, and the most incredible displays of food and candy you have ever seen. It really felt like you were in a Tim Burton film and of course, Tim was there along with the entire cast.

Hope you have a great day!

On A New York City Corner

I was standing on the corner of fifth ave and 9th street this morning thinking about an idea for a new book. Hopefully you won't take it. There are some great New York City corner scenes. A mixture of people and actions and colors that all work together to make a picture perfect photograph, each and every corner unique in its own way. Perhaps I will start taking photos of street corners and people waiting to cross the street, hailing a cab, looking at their watch while waiting for a girlfriend or boyfriend, tossing trash into a can, or just looking up at the sky.

There is a gross video circulating the Internet and believe it or not, I decided not to post it here. Mostly because if you watch it, you might never eat sushi again. It shows Chinese diners eating a fish that is still alive. That's all I'm saying about that.

Want to be semi-famous...well, not famous at all really. Then try out for Under The Arch!

Noise is all around us. In the city that never sleeps, noise is constant and it's one of the things that I don't miss when I escape to the country, to the quiet. Noise isn't healthy and believe it or not, guys like Benjamin Sachwald go out and measure noise. He says, "Studies show exposure to noise can lead to certain health problems like high blood pressure, stress, anxiety.”

Reminds me of this film Noise with Tim Robbins:



And now, I present to you... How To Make A Baby:

How to Make a Baby from Cassidy Curtis on Vimeo.

What Are Other People Reading?

It's Tuesday and I've decided to start a new feature on this blog called....What Are Other People Reading? I am going to start to write down what people are reading on the subway, bus and PATH and then give you a report. This will give us some idea of what's popular but maybe also even introduce us to a book we wouldn't have read otherwise. I'm not too happy with today's book, but it was the only cover I could see. So what are other people reading today? THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE. I know Adam liked it, so why not take it for a spin?

Here's one woman you might not want to invite to your wedding:


The Wedding Crasher - Watch more Funny Videos

And the Oxford Dictionary's Word of the Year goes to...*drumroll please** "UNFRIEND" Now, please use it in a sentence.

Who's excited about the Leonid Meteor Shower? Whenever I hear about Meteor Showers I remember being in Vermont, the family taking a blanket outside and laying in the Orchard watching the sky. There is indeed something magical about the Vermont sky at night, especially during a meteor shower. The peak was this morning.

Monday Music

I'm opening today's blog entry with a video, sent in by Pam, of an amazing music machine. I could watch this all day long. Looks like this machine will soon find it's way to The Smithsonian. Check it out.



Did you see the Water Main break on Bleeker last night?

Gotta love this article in the NY Times about words that can be said on television shows these days. Here's the opening line:

On many nights this fall, it has been possible to tune in to broadcast network television during prime time and hear a character call someone else a “douche.”

All you superheroes out there, you are in luck!

I saw A Christmas Carol in Imax 3-D yesterday and they showed the 3D trailer for Alice in Wonderland. Here's a new poster:



I have always enjoyed A Christmas Carol and Bill Murray's comedic version, Scrooged, and while I haven't seen it but have to bring it into this rant, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past...I sort of hope they don't make another version of A Christmas Carol. There are good ones out there and why not come up with a new Christmas classic? I enjoyed this one, the animation is very similar to The Polar Express which will most likely be brought back into Imax theaters once Thanksgiving has passed and Jim Carrey makes an excellent Scrooge. Some of the scenes in which the characters fly are a lot of fun especially since you really feel like you are flying with them.

Monday is here. Time to party hardy.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas...

That's right, those are cupcake cars. I just happened to come upon this photo and naturally became curious. I made my way to the Neiman Marcus site and saw that anyone, for a mere $25,000 can own a cupcake car. Check this out:

Put on your matching hat, slip under the muffin top of your Cupcake Car, and let the world figure itself out for awhile. Get (or give) the sheer, joyful chaos of a gift that is mind-blowing, triple-dog-dare, double-infinity forever cool. Make the kids or grandkids literally squeal with joy. Bring it to work and buzz the breakroom. Crash parades! Putter about the ‘hood. Ever had a crowd of kids chasing after you just for the crazy gleeful heck of it? (No worries, the top speed is a comfy-safe 7 mph.) What’s it made of? A 24-volt electric motor, a heavy-duty battery, sheet metal, wire, fabric, wood…and mad genius. Launched at Burning ManSM as a cooperative art car project, the Cupcake Car sprang from the fevered mind of Bay Area artist Lisa Pongrace and her less-rules-more-laughs posse of artists and techno geeks. Yours will be tricked out with your favorite topping, so start thinking flavors.

Call 1.877.9NM.GIFT for details.

Now, I'm just curious how many people have actually ordered this item. I'm just wondering where people take these besides a parade and to tease fat kids around the neighborhood. Honey, hop in, we're taking a ride to Montauk in good 'ole red velvet.

Still obsessed over these cupcake cars, I looked on YouTube and of course, found footage.



Maybe everyone knows about these and that they are actually sold at Neiman Marcus. I wonder if they have any on display. And what else is this store selling>??? How about an aircraft for two? Romantic. Check their Christmas Book to find out.



Here's a reason you might not want to bring a Beaver into a television studio. Urine for a surprise.

We've heard of these sneezing cases before where someone can't stop sneezing. Well now it's Lauren Johnson. 12,000 times a day. I can't even ima..a...achoo.

Does someone see a theme today? Well, now you will.

I wonder what Brent has to say about today's blog, Brent?

Morning Routine

I've been contemplating for some time now switching up my workout routine and doing it in the morning rather than at night a few hours after I get home from work. This would mean I would have to start forcing myself out of bed earlier but in the long run, it will be worth it. Why do you care? Well, you probably don't but if I put my new plan out there, I'm more likely to stick to it. And with that, let's get this party started.



Thoughts about the new NY license plate?

Um, yeah I'll go see this film.

Time to pick a destination and book a flight. Do it!



Have a great Thursday..

You've Got To Be Kittying Me

For those of you keeping score, this is post number 888.

There are cat lovers and then there are crazy cat lovers. Would you feed your cat with chopsticks? Well this woman did and it's making me want sushi.
(Courtesy of Dolce Designs)



And what's the deal with kittens and wigs? Check this site out.

Today is Veteran's Day so please take a moment to hug a Vet today and explain to your bratty kids the difference between a Veteran, a Veterinarian, and a Vegetarian. Thank you.

If you've been walking by NYU lately you'll notice an art exhibition set up on Washington Place called Journey. The installation will be hosted by Emma Thompson, Sam Roddick, Helen Bamber OBE, and other members of the Journey team.

This is for all of you coffee drinkers.

I like ping pong, but something tells me I wouldn't want to play against this guy:



With the heavy emphasis on cats today, I'd like to leave you with this:

The Mountain Man

Last night, I had the pleasure of going to see Ray Lamontagne live at the Beacon Theater. It was an extremely mellow show but awesome. His voice is very soothing even though it reminds me of someone playing a washboard. I don't know why. The few moments during the show when Ray spoke to us, his words were muffled and he was frequently interrupted by some woman who thought it was cute to shout out "I love you" at which point he veered off from whatever story he was telling us about Elvis Costello and Lyle Lovett and had some banter about how you could put anything in front of this woman and she would love it. Carrot Cake? I looove carrot cake. He has one of those voices that they should really put on a sound machine. I could have easily fallen asleep at the concert last night, but luckily the Gladiator-esque decor prevented me from resting my eyes. It was a great evening and I have to start going to more concerts. One of the most interesting moments last night was when he played "You Are The Best Thing". But he played it the way he originally wrote it and not the way it was performed on the album. It was very different, style wise and beat wise. The man has the voice of a mountain and he seems like a cool guy which doesn't hurt.

Here's one film I most likely will not be seeing.

Porsche is suing Crocs..funny because I heard Mario Batali was jetting around in his orange Porsche this morning.

Ces't tout!

Birthday Post

I really enjoy birthdays and would like to take this opportunity to wish LE a very happy birthday! May the celebration continue far into November.

Did you have a good weekend? Do anything fun? See any good movies? It was such a beautiful day yesterday here in NYC and today is going to be amazing as well.

Don't have room for a garden, why not try a window farm?

Short post today, but it's a good day and so we deserve a treat. Here's the opening to Arnold's Carnival in Rio. Might not want to watch this one at work but save it for home. There are some scantily clad women but it's hilarious. Oh Governor.

Mailbag Friday

Yes, it's that time again, time to go through some of the millions of letters that flood my mailbox and while it's hard to choose which ones to answer, I've selected a few. So let's take a look at our fans writing in. The first letter comes from Carl Ridgeon of Blue Ridge, Arkansas.

Carl writes:

Dear EvanAlmighty,

You have a huge following here in Blue Ridge and this is really more of a submission than a question, but was wondering if you had seen this article in our paper? I scanned in part of it for you and am including it below. Thanks for entertaining us on a daily basis.



Our next real question comes from Stacy Went in San Francisco, CA. Stacy writes:

Dear Evan,

Greetings from San Fran! Not sure if you remember me but we rode the Trolley together and I was the one who basically fell off just before we got to the Fisherman's Wharf. Do you remember me? I wanted to know what you did for Halloween!

Thanks,
Stacy

Thanks for writing in Stacy, and no, I don't remember you. Halloween was a lot of fun, probably one of the best I can remember. Here are some highlights from the fun I had.




One more question before I need to jet...this one is international! Hans Leland from Sweden (hey that rhymes) says:

Evan,
The Swedes love you! You rock. I am coming to New York City and want to know what sort of things you would recommend I do. I want see Times Square and other attractions but was wondering if there's some off the beaten track attraction I need to see.

-Hans

Hans, I have always wanted to go to Sweden and I hope to make it there soon. This is a tough question. There are so many great things to do in NYC, broadway show, television tapings, Central Park, the museums, buildings, so much! But, if you have a chance, I highly recommend checking this out:



Hope you have a great weekend!

The air horn sounds, and my day begins

It's Thursday, and that means the weekend is almost here. Stores have already switched over to holiday mode and it's only a matter of time before the sweet pine can be smelled on the NYC sidewalks, one of my favorite smells especially when mixed with freshly fallen snow. Despite the days I have to battle the streets to get to work, I love winter in NYC. The holidays, the lights, the color, the crisp air, spending time with friends and family, sitting inside and staring out at the snow. I'm looking forward to it. But first, I guess we have to make it through Thanksgiving. I don't really have anything to talk about this morning as you most likely already observed. So here are some newsworthy links to start your day off with. I also have not edited anything typed here because my editor will be looking it over later.


It's only a bear. The bare necessities of life will come to you.

This guy's obviously been watching too many movies.

A man shows up to his own funeral, no really.

7-Eleven is now getting into the wine business but my question is, wine slurpee?

Even Michelle Obama is an Iron Chef fan!

You can even control a car with an iPhone...I'm impressed.

In case you missed the 2009 ING NYC Marathon, here's a recap:

2009 NYC Marathon Timelapse from mdkmc on Vimeo.

Dirty Laundry

Can I tell you a brief story about my laundry experience last night? Well, I guess you don't really have a choice here although you could just click on the x at the top and close out of this page. I have never had the luxury of dropping off my laundry-- having someone else wash and fold it for me and then just being able to pick it up. Since I moved to Hoboken almost a year ago, I have been bringing my laundry to the same place. It's sort of out of the way but I like the guy so I've stayed loyal. The other night, I ran into my neighbors who mentioned that they drop their laundry off a few doors down at this small laundromat aptly named, Garden Laundry (it's on Garden Street). I figured I would give this new place a shot. I was excited to pick up my laundry last night but something was wrong. Very wrong. First, they bring out my laundry in the wrong laundry bag. It's a green tattered looking thing.

"Are you sure", the woman says to me when I told her that the bag wasn't mine.

Like I didn't remember what kind of bag I had. I looked in and saw my shirt on top. I walked around the counter and found my real bag inside of which were also my clothes, but it was all labeled wrong. Upon pulling out my clothes from the wrong bag I noticed that my clothes had been mixed in with some other guy's clothes. So while I worked to sort out my clothes from this other guy's, the woman called the woman who took my clothes in the night before. She explained that she must have been distracted because her boyfriend was there. This led to a conversation, much of which I couldn't understand about how this only happened two times before and how she screwed up my laundry. Now I know where Seinfeld gets his material.

Despite the mishap, I was pleased with the job they did on my clothes. They smelled good and were folded perfectly. In fact, they were folded better than the other place which folds too many times and wrinkles everything.

Brilliant move by the Academy to choose Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin as a host team for the Oscars!

If you take away anything from reading this blog today, I hope it's this: Don't ever flip a judge the bird because you will go to jail.

Battling the flu? How about some home remedies?

Here's what happens when you strap a camera onto the front bumper of a Ferrari and stroll through the streets of Paris. So Cool.

C'ÉTAIT UN RENDEZ-VOUS - short film by Claude Lelouch (ORIGINAL HQ) from Vahe A on Vimeo.

I forgot to mention that I made a trip to Costco when I was home the other weekend and I had to get a gigantic box of cereal which was way up out of arms reach. Here's what happened next:

Nanowrimo

It completely escaped me that this month is National Novel Writing Month. It's not too late to start your novel. Head over to the official site and sign up!

I never like getting sentimental on this blog, but I was thinking this morning about how lucky I really am. Sure I'll win a raffle here or there but life is good, no not good, great. And that, my friends, is about all the sentiment you are getting from me today.

A recent conversation got me thinking about car rides to Vermont as a kid. We spent most friday nights hopping in the car and heading up to Vermont. I was always tired after school and would be able to sleep in the back while my parents sat up front listening to the radio, tapes and then cds, talking and singing. I have such a clear memory of them singing along to certain songs and cds and harmonizing. Upon hearing a Tracy Chapman song in the car the other night, I pictured myself listening to my parents singing from the back seat, except this time, I found myself in the drivers seat, singing along and harmonizing just as they used to do. It was a special moment for me and... shoot, I'm getting all sentimental again.

Hear-ye Hear-ye, Cocoa Krispies will protect you from the Swine Flu!

Have a great day :-)

I Love A Parade

What is it that makes us love parades? The music? the floats? the happiness? There are many aspects of a parade that can leave us cheering, waving our non-existent batons in the air. Seventy-Six trombones did not lead the NYC Halloween Parade, a glorious sight this year, down Sixth Ave in the rain. I hadn't been to the parade since college and it was a great time. Securing a spot on sixth ave was pretty easy and the costumes were most enjoyable. Thriller was big this year as was The Wizard of Oz. I was, however, disappointed that there were no tipsy Ewoks.

Friday night, a bunch of us went up North to exit 18 off the NY State Thruway to the Headless Horseman Tours. According to them, they are America's #1 haunted attraction, and I'll believe it. They have quite a production going on. Just make sure you don't loose anything on the hayride and thanks to Levon Helm Studois. (spelling mistake is on purpose, but you had to be there.)

I hope you had a great Halloween and now I guess, the countdown to Thanksgiving has begun.

Adam, I'd like to hear your thoughts about this.

Oh, hey kid. Can you make some calls for us? - love Barack.



Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs, waved goodbye already. Only open a week, the show was forced to close due to low ticket sales.

Last night I went to my first test/research screening for a movie. It was very cool because we got to see a rough cut of the film and then give our opinions after by filling out a long questionnaire and talking with the producers. There were things I really liked about this film but some of the plotlines just didn't work for me. And that's why they have these screenings. So they can get honest feedback and fix it the best they can. The cast was great and I can definitely see this film making it's way to Sundance. It'll be interesting to see what happens to it.