Thanks

AFK

So, updates will be sporadic and not the typical 1 post per day this blog has somehow kept up over the last year or so. When bandwidth returns to a reasonable level, regular updates will resume, but for now, the repository of ramblings you've enjoyed here has run dry. Here's hoping to being snowed in again this year so the crazy can stock up again. It seems like everything is on allocation this season. Good luck fellow shoppers...

The Screen Name Strikes Back

THE SCENE: A Barnes and Noble bookstore at a local mall. Ken, a 29-year-old working stiff and self-professed pop culture geek, stands in line to purchase a magazine. When he reaches the front of the line, he encounters CHECKOUT GIRL, a twentysomething woman running the register...

CHECKOUT GIRL: Are you a Rewards Club member, sir?

Ken: Yes, but I don’t have my membership card on me.

CHECKOUT GIRL: That’s not a problem; we can look it up. Can I have your phone number, please?

Ken: Sure. It’s 555-6789.

CHECKOUT GIRL: Alright, there you are. Okay, just let me confirm the e-mail address. Are you…Mr. Gnome Cop?

Ken: Um, yeah. That’s me.

CHECKOUT GIRL: Is that short for something?

Ken: Nope, it's pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It’s just a silly Internet nickname from ten years ago.

CHECKOUT GIRL: I see. Well, your receipt is in the bag. Have a great day, Mr. Cop!

Ken: Thanks.

Awesome...

Strange thing is, I can't remember the last time the widget displayed this...

Modern Warfare 2 > Modern War

If you don't know what "Modern Warfare 2" is then its time to crawl out from under that rock you've been living under. No it is not because you're not a nerd, because "Modern Warfare 2" is already the bestselling game in history. Not only that it has become the biggest entertainment release in history. That's right, bigger than any book, movie, or music release. You MUST have heard of the game, even if it was on accident.

/via Flickr

SALT ....Really?

The trailer for the Angelina Jolie thriller Salt has been released onto the web. The story follows Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) a CIA officer who swore an oath to duty, honor, and country. When she is accused by a defector of being a Russian sleeper spy, Salt goes on the run to clear her name and ultimately prove she is a patriot. Using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative, she must elude capture and protect her husband or the world’s most powerful forces will erase any trace of her existence. (Roll your eyes now)
Tom Cruise was initially signed on to play the lead but dropped out. The different angle of having a woman playing the lead might make it a more interesting and original prospect though. Phillip Noyce (The Patriot Games, The Bone Collector) is directing and the cast includes actors Chiwetel Ejiofor (Children of Men) and Liev Schrieber (X-Men Origins: Wolverine). A solid cast, I have to admit.

The premise at least, vaguely reminds me of the classic Harrison Ford thriller The Fugitive. But with a name like SALT, it's a lot less appetizing. Let's hope they aren't hoping to make a franchise character out of this film.

Wingman

A good wingman says “no problem” when you ask him to go somewhere with you, and takes it as an opportunity to hang out.

listens and commiserates and backs you up on your situations when you’re catching him up.

keeps a lookout in the sea of people so he can provide valuable information.

stands facing the door so you can have your back to it when talking to him, and won’t be caught off guard.

develops a level of telepathy with you when drinking in places too loud to talk.

leads when you’re too nervous or self-conscious to do anything, and he follows without question when you take action.

has a great time, and thanks you for the night.

Mr. Sadman

Just found out about this movie called Mr. Sadman and I can’t wait to watch it. Here is the synopsis:

In 1990, before the First Gulf War, Mounir, an impressionable and sheltered Saddam Hussein body-double, loses his job and moves to Los Angeles in search of a new start. But once the real Saddam invades Kuwait and makes international headlines, Mounir learns the truth about the Iraqi dictator and vows to shed his Saddam persona forever. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know how to be anyone else.

Here is the link to the Mr. Sadman website where you can buy and download the movie for just $8. [Link]

These Monsters

Lets say Explosions In The Sky and Pelican dropped acid, conceived a baby that was neglected throughout the pregnancy and was then sung lullabies every night by a level sixty, Dungeons and Dragons playing, Dwarven Ranger father who loved The Mars Volta and John Coltrane. This my friends would be the beautiful incarnation of the newest Artists To Watch, These Monsters.

Descending from Leeds, UK, this ambitious jazz flecked post-rock quintet summons greatness into their instruments, taking the listener on an extensive melodic battle over the seas of sentiment. One immediate thing you might hear that sets These Monsters apart from any other warrior is their distinctive wielding of the saxophone. Lunging from a harmonious coating that soothes the daily wounds to a hasty, reckless discharge garnishing the stringed steel sonata, it’s truly a remarkable experience. The compositions swell and calm to a lull as each territory is explored and reaped of any inspiration that can help while leading into the closing encounter.

Having only a handful of songs and yet to release a full length LP, These Monsters are truly a band to watch and show an enormous amount of promise.

Man the call and take a listen off of the following sites:

These Monsters on MySpace

These Monsters on XFM

Battle of Branchage