Guess The Google

Here's something fun to pass the time...

http://grant.robinson.name/projects/guess-the-google/

Here's To You, Maggie Gyllenhaal

(from cnn.com)

Maggie Gyllenhaal has waded into sensitive political waters by raising questions about September 11 and American foreign policy.

The 27-year-old actress, who stars in a new film about the 2001 terror attacks on the World Trade Center, said in an interview last week that the United States "is responsible in some way" for the attacks.

A fan Web site devoted to Gyllenhaal was overwhelmed with criticism, forcing the site's editor to remove the ability to post messages "because it's gotten too outta hand."

In a statement issued Monday by her publicist, Gyllenhaal said September 11 was "an occasion to be brave enough to ask some serious questions about America's role in the world. Because it is always useful as individuals or nations to ask how we may have knowingly or unknowingly contributed to this conflict.

"Not to have the courage to ask these questions of ourselves is to betray the victims of 9/11."

She also expressed her grief for "everyone who suffered and everyone who died in the catastrophe."

Gyllenhall stars in "The Great New Wonderful," which features stories about people living in New York in the aftermath of the terror attacks. The movie is being shown at the Tribeca Film Festival, which was founded by Robert De Niro to help revitalize downtown Manhattan after September 11.

Her screen credits also include "Secretary," "Mona Lisa Smile" and "Donnie Darko." She is the older sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal. She lives in Manhattan.

Blogger's Note: It drives me crazy that some people still think we need to tip-toe around the events of 9/11. Celebrities are still people; they are citizens of this country and they have every much a right to have an opinion on something as the rest of us. Awhile back Johnny Depp took some heat for making a comment that the United States was like an untrained puppy with big teeth. I think Ms. Gyllenhaal was absolutely correct in saying that we are betraying the victims of September 11 by not asking questions as to why those terrorist attacks happened. Anyone who thinks that we didn't have something like 9/11 coming to us has blinders on to the world. I always hate to use a sports-related analogy, but do you know why so many people hate the New York Yankees? Because they have money and power and they aren't afraid to flaunt it. But how could anyone hate America?

Ammo For The Potheads

(from cnn.com)

Workers distracted by phone calls, e-mails and text messages suffer a greater loss of IQ than a person smoking marijuana, a British study shows. The constant interruptions reduce productivity and leave people feeling tired and lethargic, according to a survey carried out by TNS Research and commissioned by Hewlett Packard.

The survey of 1,100 Britons showed:

• Almost two out of three people check their messages out of office hours and when on holiday.
• Half of all workers respond to an e-mail within 60 minutes of receiving one.
• One in five will break off from a business or social engagement to respond to a message.
• Nine out of 10 people thought colleagues who answered messages during face-to-face meetings were rude, while three out of 10 believed it was not only acceptable, but a sign of diligence and efficiency.

The mental impact of trying to balance a steady inflow of messages while getting on with normal work took its toll, the UK's Press Association reported.

In 80 clinical trials, a psychiatrist at King's College London University, monitored the IQ of workers throughout the day. He found the IQ of those who tried to juggle messages and work fell by 10 points -- the equivalent to missing a whole night's sleep and more than double the 4-point fall seen after smoking marijuana.

"This is a very real and widespread phenomenon," Wilson said. "We have found that this obsession with looking at messages, if unchecked, will damage a worker's performance by reducing their mental sharpness. Companies should encourage a more balanced and appropriate way of working." He said the IQ drop was even more significant in the men who took part in the tests.

"The research suggests that we are in danger of being caught up in a 24-hour 'always on' society," said a spokesman for Hewlett Packard. "This is more worrying when you consider the potential impairment on performance and concentration for workers, and the consequent impact on businesses."

Search Your Feelings; You Know This To Be True

(from Mike D'Angelo of Esquire Magazine)

So this ordinary, middle-class American male walks into a bar. "Gimme a beer, whatever you have on tap," he says, slapping down a fiver. The bartender, smiling, reaches below the bar, audibly unzips his fly, and a moment later produces a tall glass that looks suspiciously as if it might be full of warm urine. But our guy is a trusting soul, and he gulps it down anyway. Big mistake. He retches, curses, and then storms out, furious.

Three years later, the same guy walks into the same bar and asks the same bartender for a beer. No problemo , says the barkeep. Zzzzip . Handed what again looks like something better suited to a specimen jar, the guy barely even hesitates. Down the hatch it goes, and then halfway back up the hatch again. Tears of rage are shed; a lawsuit is threatened. Exit the dude, livid.

Three years later, the same guy walks into the same bar and asks the same bartender for a beer.

You're waiting for the punch line. It's not a joke, I'm afraid. It's a parable. The guy is you, the bar is the neighborhood multiplex, and the third steaming glass of piss you're about to be served with a smile is called Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith.

DMB Insight

Some hokey Dave Matthews Band advertising for a forth-coming album that came in at work spawned what I am calling the "Quote of the Week" from Chris, a delightful chap who works in home audio:

"Fans of Dave Matthews are largely made up of frat boys who like to think they're emotional."

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of various iced teas on the market, but recently I've discovered a particular tea made by Arizona that has my taste buds dancing! It's a delicious mix of green tea and black tea that goes down smooth leaving you feeling satisfied and apparently less stressed. I'm not sure about how that herbal mumbo-jumbo works but I do know what tastes great, and that's Arizona Rx Stress Herbal Iced Tea! A special thanks to Sarah for introducing me to this wonderous beverage during our last poker night.

Ladies and Gentlemen,Your New Pope...

(from Reuters)

Joseph Ratzinger, elected Roman Catholic pope on Tuesday, served in the Hitler Youth during World War Two when membership was compulsory, according to his autobiography.

Blogger's Note: Well it sounds like the new guy will feel right at home continuing John Paul's messages of bigotry and intolerance.

Everyone should own this album (if you don't already)

Oh, the innocence of the 1950's...

This picture speaks for itself, but the short story behind it is that I found Revenge of the Sith toys on clearance at Target before the movie has even come out. I was pleased for two reason...Number one, it's an insult to George Lucas and the over-blown hype he creates and Number two, I finally found a use for the stupid camera on my cellphone.

Keep Your Plastic Hangers!

Why is it when you buy clothes at Old Navy they never take the hangers off? Why don't they keep them to re-use with other pieces of apparel? I get home and just throw the hangers away. People aren't going to keep them for home use because no one wants to be reminded that their pants are two sizes bigger than they should be. Perhaps this bothers me more than it should...I just find it incredibly wasteful.

You Can't Fool All Of The People All The Time

After Bush was re-elected for a second term, I said that he was going to be in for a struggle. The second term is more challenging for any President, but when you are as incompetent as GW you better be ready for an up-hill climb the entire way. Since shortly after his re-election, Bush's approval rating has been on the decline. The Gallup Organization reported Bush as having the lowest approval rating compared to any other President since WWII. All others who served a second term had approval ratings above 50% in the March following their re-election.

Bush's current rating is 45%. The next lowest was Reagan with 56% in March 1985. Only 38% expressed satisfaction with the "state of the country" while 59% are "dissatisfied." Gallup's survey showed that One in Three Americans feel the economy is Excellent or Good, while the rest consider it Fair or Poor. The Gallup Folks also pointed out that more challenges lie ahead for Bush, such as public doubts regarding Social Security and Iraq policies.

Approval Ratings for Presidents as recorded by Gallup
(March following re-election)

1949 - Truman 57%
1957 - Eisenhower 65%
1965 - Johnson 69%
1973 - Nixon 57%
1985 - Reagan 56%
1997 - Clinton 59%
2005 - Bush 45%

I'll close this post with some words by the late Hunter S. Thompson...

This is not the time to have a bogus rich kid in charge of the White House. Which is, after all, our house. That is our headquarters--it is where the heart of America lives. So if the president lies and acts giddy about other people's lives--if he wantonly and stupidly endorses mass murder as a logical plan to make sure that we are still Number One--he is a Jackass by definition--a loud and meaningless animal with no fundamental intelligence and no balls. To say that this goofy child president is looking more and more like Richard Nixon in the summer of 1974 would be a flagrant insult to Nixon. Is it even vaguely possible that some New Age Republican whore-beast of a false president could actually make Richard Nixon look like a liberal?

des·per·a·do n. -A bold or desperate outlaw, especially of the American frontier.

Yet another reason why I'll always respect Robert Rodriguez...

(from CNN.com)
So Rodriguez convinced Miller of his dedication to faithfully re-creating "Sin City." He even wanted to co-direct it with Miller -- a move that made him drop out of the Directors Guild of America since it forbids multiple directors.

Rodriguez says the decision was easy -- even though he sacrificed insurance, residuals, a chance for a directing Oscar and his next scheduled project (for Paramount Pictures, which hires only DGA members).

"What's the alternative? I won't be able to make this movie? That's why you get into this business -- to make really cool, new, challenging cinema, not to be in a club."

Sin City Review

I've been looking forward to Sin City for a long time now and I thankfully wasn't disappointed. I figured anything Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino collaborated on would be a safe bet, but you never know. People thought a romantic comedy starring Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts would be a home run and look how that turned out. The fact-of-the-matter is, there may never be a more faithful translation of a graphic novel-to-film done again- what they've managed to put together is unlike anything I've ever seen in a movie. It's beautiful, horrifying, humorous and unforgettable.

The characters are brilliantly portrayed, with outstanding performances from Bruce Willis, Benicio Del Toro and...Mickey Rourke?? Yes that's right, Mr. Rourke is terrific as the kindly yet moderately sadistic Marv. In kind of a twisted way, it's like he was tailor-made for the part. And following the topic of smart career moves, Bruce Willis has taken what is probably his best role since John McClane in playing the ill-fated Detective Hartigan. Also, Nick Stahl further proves what I've been saying for years...He is a young actor destined to make some waves.

So much can be said about Sin City's visuals, but they really have to be seen to even begin to be appreciated. So much care was taken in shooting this film; I'm really in awe of it. Following the path forged by Sky Captain, the entire film was shot in front of green screens on very minimal sets. The results are so believable that you won't even spend time trying to distinguish what's real from what's digital. It's really a flawless presentation.

Oh, one other point worth mentioning. Everything about this film, every theme presented, completely stands in the face of every ideal Bush's America has tried to cram down our throats. You could almost call it a big F-U to the Christian Right-Wingers. I'd love to see reactions to Sin City from folks in the Bible Belt.

While I certainly have a lot of praise for Sin City, I can't with good conscience give it a 'Strong Recommendation' because this simply isn't a film for the general public. If you were intrigued by the trailer or if you're familiar with Rodriguez/Tarantino/Miller's work, then yes by all means I'd strongly recommend checking it out. But this movie is very hardcore at times, so much so that certain images are still vividly etched in my head 24 hours later. This isn't a movie you take your mom to.

Torrey's Opinion:
5- Strongly Recommended
4- Recommended
3- A Mixed Bag
2- Sub-par
1- Don't Bother

Random Related Fact: Robert Rodriguez scored Kill Bill Vol: 2 for $1. To repay him, Quentin Tarantino directed a segment of Sin City for $1.

For anyone needing proof that Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will be more faithful to the book than the 1971 version. The golden goose is out and the squirrels are in- as it was written in the book.

MCD Confirms What We All Suspected

(from contactmusic.com)

Hollywood hunk Ben Affleck might have been named the sexiest man alive, but his former co-star Michael Clarke Duncan warns Affleck's female fans that the star is not at all impressive if you see him naked.

"Don't get me wrong, ladies, Ben is cool, but I've seen the guy naked in Armageddon and c'mon, man! I was not impressed at all, man! I was like, 'This is it, huh? This is it right here?' Contactmusic.com quoted Duncan as saying.