Wednesday, November 12, 2008
TOP 5 ALL-TIME BREAKFAST CEREALS
5. Honeycomb : Although many of you will disagree with me, allow me to explain. Honeycomb has the perfect "cereal" texture - smooth, light, crispy, doesn't get too soggy. Sure, it's not packed with flavor, but that's one of its more endearing qualities.
I can eat at least seven bowls of honeycomb before I realize what I've done.
Honeycomb never disappoints me.
4. Honey Smacks : Much alike unto the aforementioned Honeycomb, Honey Smacks (and not to be redundant with another honey-themed cereal) is another one of those cereals you can eat way too much of well before you are aware of the consequences. Sugar Smacks do indeed go soggy, but sogginess doesn't slow these bastards down - they taste almost better when they are soggy! By no means are they extravagant; however, they continue on as an unassuming powerhouse among breakfast cereals. Rock on, diggum.
3. Fruit Loops : Here, I have departed from the "easy-to-swallow" realm of breakfast cereals. IF YOU DO NOT GIVE FRUIT LOOPS SOME TIME TO SOAK, be warned, for your mouth will most likely result in bleeding and/or battle scars. In this regard they are very closely related to the Cap'n Crunch family (which narrowly missed making my list, I'll have you know.)
2. Frosted Mini-Wheats : I could imagine no greater a cereal that could satisfy both the mature adult and the 6-year old brat inside of me than Frosted Mini-Wheats. What propelled Frosted Mini-Wheats so high up on my list is its snackability factor. Sure you can eat almost any cereal without milk and its delicious, but FMW (as I like to call them) is undeniably delicious on its own. And, the fact that you get sugary sweetness along with a healthy dose of dietary fiber is both responsible and irresistibly naughty.
1. (TIE) Cracklin' Oat Bran - Cinnamon Toast Crunch : It was just too difficult for me to pick a winner in this battle, as each of these cereals is so uniquely qualified to win best all-time breakfast cereal. While Cracklin' Oat Bran is deliciously healthy while delivering a mouthful of flavor that even Achmadinejad is jealous of, Cinnamon Toast Crunch is so deliciously juvenile that George W. Bush will probably assume that your box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch is packed with enriched-uranium and will have it confiscated by the U.S. Military. He won't get in trouble, either, because as soon as he shares your Cinnamon Toast Crunch with Harry Reid, you're SOL on getting your cereal back.
So while you're enjoying your bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and trying not to dry heave at the thought of sharing your Grandma's bowl of Cracklin' Oat Bran, think twice. Cracklin' Oat Bran is not to be underestimated, as it is most definitely Cracklin'.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Separated at birth: Jim Adkins and Franklin Pierce?
*And no, I'm not referring to the creator of the Atkins diet, Mr. Robert Atkins - we have him to thank for driving millions of helpless children into the illusory clutches of vegetarianism? There's nothing better than convincing people that stuffing their faces with pork and cheese and then washing it down with beef jerky and bacon grease is going to help them lose weight.
I'm referring to Jim, the Jimmy that is (or once was) Jimmy Eat World, the band that got us all through the depression/repeat identity crises that is adolescence. And although Franklin Pierce did me no such favors, I'm inclined to believe that he'd probably be more fun to hang out with (at least go to for fashion advice.)
They look like they're both pretty good at working up a sweat and then fossilizing their hair. And frankly I would like to have seen Franklin Pierce sporting the denim.
Why would I choose Franklin Pierce you ask? Because I have a complex that involves remember all of the U.S. Presidents in chronological order. Why would I do that? Because I have an insatiable hunger for complexes. I think I'm going to name it the "Manticore Nutrition Approach: A Complex Weight Loss Program."
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
One Minute Review: the iPod Touch
I have since used it profusely and have come to the conclusion that I have really don't know whether to love it or hate it. Here is my list of the pros and cons of the iPod Touch
Pros:
Beautiful resolution
Crisp glass touch screen that stays clean
Amazing interface with lots of polish
Applications to manage calendar, get on the internet etc
It is small and slim
The videos come out in widescreen and are watchable
Cons:
Audio issues - for some reason the controls on music are horrible - to scan ahead in a song you have to drag your finger on some microscopic song bar, it doesn't let you shuffle the songs without hitting the shuffle song button, it puts podcasts off in a different section of the menu, the touch controls don't react the first time you touch them.
Storage issues - obviously, Apple was aware that their first batch of ipod touches were not worth the money - so they gave them away for free. The 8 GB hard drive is abhorrently insufficient. You can't even have any music if you want to have videos, or vice versa, or so it feels at least. In a day and age where hard drives are growing to gargantuan proportions, it is hard to have patience while they digress a decade in flash drive storage space. I say bring out the big guns and you will sell some crap.
Application usability - yes the ipod has a bunch of applications, but they are almost impossible to use. The keypad is such a pain to use, you have to sit there and punch each letter like a doofus; even more you have to concentrate like a ninja to not get a wrong letter. The internet application works, but it is weird to scan pages in microversion and then inflate small chunks of the page at a time. I guess you have to get used to it, but I'm not that desperate to get on the internet. Probably the biggest limitation of the ipod touch is its dependence on an outside network to connect to the network. That is why you buy an iphone - it unleashes all of the maps, mail, calendar, and browsing potential of the device.
Bottom Line: Its a good thing I got one for free, cause I still could never conceive of shelling out the money they want for an iphone or ipod touch. Apple just has to offer more to make it worthwhile.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Separated at Birth: Zooey Deschanel and Katy Perry?
Apparently Katy Perry is using her uber-conservative upbringing and Zooey Deschanel-cloned genes to sell albums about her "equivocal" sexuality. And if she ever decides to kiss a girl again, she should give Zooey a call. But perhaps that's a bit too narcissistic.
While compiling these 2 photos together, i'm pretty sure I forgot which was which. So if you run into either of them, you can discuss music, acting, good looks, sexual preferences, and/or suntan lotion.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Movie Review: The Dark Knight
After receiving a free pass to see a Tuesday night screening of The Dark Knight at the IMAX theater, I nearly vomited and fell into a jubilee-induced coma. Let that set the stage for how excited I have been, for the past year, to see this film.
I'm a big Christopher Nolan fan. Memento is one of the best, most original films, I have ever seen. I even rented a movie called "Following" from Netflix just to support the Nolan cause. And Batman Begins far exceeded any expectation I could ever have had regarding a batman film, after the onslaught of over-the-top acting, leather, and batsuit nipples I had endured throughout the previous 5 or 6 batman films...
Most reviews say that this movie is terrific. They are correct. A few say that this film is: too dark; too long; too action-packed (seriously?); and too out-of-the-ordinary for a "superhero" film.
I say they're morons.
This was the best movie I have ever seen. Every element was outstanding. The acting was brilliant on all parts (not to mention how believably creepy and real Ledger portrayed the Joker), the music was dramatic but not too noticeable, the cinematography was perfectly dark, and the story was flawless.
And I'm not just saying this - go see it for yourself.
Every scene Ledger is in is transcended to a new level of intensity and is blessed with a poignant creepiness. It is impossible to ignore the Joker's lines; he is mezmerizingly insane and yet arousingly sympathetic as a character. He is mysterious at times, and perfectly justified at others. Needless to say, Ledger has given the performance of a lifetime here. And, on a side note, some reviewers have said that if Ledger receives an oscar for his performance, that it would be based on sentiment rather than on merit. I say prove it. Tell me who outdid Ledger. And tell me that you will not have a hard time forgetting those piercing images of his smeared makeup and maniacal smile out of your head.
The film is 152 minutes long (2.5 hours), but when it ends you will be left neither hungry nor replete. The plot development is perfectly appropriate, and at no point in the film do you stop to wonder when it will be over, as I do in so many films, even films I really enjoy.
The beauty of The Dark Knight is the realism of the characters - Bale plays a flawed man struggling with the needs of a dying city. That's who batman is. That's why this film works. None of the characters are superhuman. Batman tries new things, fails, and fixes his errors. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are perfectly cast and give outstanding performances (yet again), providing the perfect comic relief during a seemingly gloomy film.
Sure, this film is dark, but that's the whole point. Batman is not about being faster than a speeding bullet, nor does he turn into a 40-foot tall green CGI beast when he gets upset.
Yes, I'm a nerd.
Go see this film.
I've seen it twice already.
And I'm glad it will beat Spiderman 3's record; that movie was an embarrassment.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Tektonik brings the traffic
Monday, April 21, 2008
Brief review: Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Slug Review: Cursed
Monday, March 24, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Separated at birth: Carl Newman & Bobby Flay
Friday, February 29, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
questions for the makers of Corn Pops...
googling megavore .....
if you meant to search for megastore and actually typed megavore ... you deserve to look at MEGAVORE
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
A Fine Frenzy - how can a band with a singer like this not get gigs?
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Peddar Zasquez predicts TV in 2008
Lost (ABC) The maniacal, ubiquitous series is back. The first two episodes mark a shift in perception as the show now flashes into the future instead of the past. There is much more intensity, less respite for the viewer because of the strangeness of the future lives of “the six”.
Prediction: Lost will lose steam halfway through this season and will become missing in its own delicious confusion.
Prediction: In Treatment will soon have a cult following, especially to anyone interested in the craft of acting.
Prediction: Anthony Bourdain will continue to make enlightening and culture bending entertainment until he dies from eating Japanese blowfish or from liver disease.
Prediction: Bret will finally find that special combination of stripper/nurse/MILF that the network wants him to find.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Movie Review: There Will Be Blood
Usually I go to the movies to be entertained. The way I see it, as long as a movie keeps me entertained for a couple of hours, job well done; however, when a movie like "There Will Be Blood" comes along, it is hard to ignore. Only showing at select theaters, and rated R even though there's really nothing out of the PG-13 realm, TWBB definitely appeals to an older, more mature audience. Daniel Day-Lewis plays a blood-thirsty (pardon the pun) oil entrepreneur who doesn't care much for the trivialities of every-day life, and frankly doesn't give a crap about anyone else other than himself. The movie really captures his descent into complete and utter bastardom, which is brilliantly portrayed and impeccably acted. Seriously I don't think I've ever seen a more convincing acting job than Day-Lewis does in TWBB. If he does not get the oscar for best actor I will personally go to the house of each and every member of the academy and karate chop him or her in his or her throat. Paul Dano's portrayal of a zealous preacher is a tad over-the-top but appropriately so.
This film is also visually stunning, nailing the intensity of the oil-drilling business while capturing the subtleties of rural life. Jonny Greenwood deserves the highest honors as well for his OST; his compositions were brilliant and perfectly followed the themes in the film. The unorthodox sounds used to create tension and uneasiness were a welcome change.
I know it's 2.5 hours long but it will feel like you hopped in the delorean and took a quick stroll around the parking lot. Stupid reference? Yes.
Go out and see this movie right now.