Did Somebody Ask For Three More Polls?

Final Results (5/3/07):

It's Olde Timey Photo time! Let's dress up like we're in...

The Civil War - 25%
1920s Chicago - 42%
Victorian England - 8%
The Wild West - 25%


Window or Aisle?

Window - 90%
Aisle - 10%


I have 5 party games in my closet. What's your pick?

Cranium - 0%
Pictionary - 36%
Scattergories - 27%
Taboo - 18%
Trivial Pursuit - 18%

Thanks to all who participated!

Hot Fuzz Review

HIGHS

• Hot Fuzz shares many of the same qualities as Shaun of the Dead while being different enough to stand on its own merits. The writing is just as sharp but the content is different enough that both films can be enjoyed in their own right.
• Hot Fuzz is more of a tribute to over-the-top action movies than a parody. Similar to how Galaxy Quest was a tribute to Star Trek. With so many lame attempts made by flicks like Date Movie and anything by a Wayans Brother, it's refreshing to see something smartly done.
• Basically every cast member from Shaun of the Dead shows up in the film at some point.
• The movie has a fantastic pay-off at the end.
• It also has one of the goriest deaths I've seen in a film. Is that a high? I guess so.
• Timothy Dalton finally gets what he had coming to him.
  

LOWS

• The movie does start off kind of slow but eventually you'll realize that it's all setting up for the huge pay-off that I mentioned above.
• Much like Children of Men, Hot Fuzz isn't showing on nearly as many screens as it should be.
  

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

Random related fact: At a Q&A session following a screening of the film in Newcastle Upon Tyne, Edgar Wright revealed that the film featured disguised cameos by two Oscar winners: Cate Blanchett and Peter Jackson. Jackson appears as the Santa Claus who stabs Nick Angel through the hand during the opening montage and Blanchett appears masked as Angel's ex-girlfriend CSI agent.

It's Nighy, Not Nye.

The following is a brief conversation I had with a lady at work recently. This isn't verbatim, but it's pretty darn close.

Lady: Excuse me, I'm looking for the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
Me: Sure, it's right over here.
(I walk the lady over and hand her the DVD.)
Lady: Oh, wonderful! I just love these movies. My sister hasn't seen them yet so I want to get them for her before the third one comes out.
Me: Yeah, they are a lot of fun.
Lady: (pointing at Davy Jones on the cover) And didn't that guy look real!
Me: Yeah, that was some amazing CG they used on him.
Lady: Can you believe that's Bill Nye The Science Guy in there? My kids used to watch him!
(At this point I politely smile and the conversation trails off. You have to choose your battles.)

Gen Y's Most Trusted Brands

(from The Consumerist)

Reader Plaid sent us an interesting list of the top 15 most trusted brands among new consumers aged 21-27. According to the research firm that put together the survey, the youngish are drawn to brands that speak to them in a "straightforward and stripped-down way, use plain packaging, and avoid excess," Personally, we don't find this surprising as we (and most of the people we know ) are suffering from some sort of extreme marketing exhaustion as a result of being young during the 80s and 90s.

Plaid says, "I have to admit, I do prefer many of the brands on the list. However, as a marketing minor in undergrad, I'm kinda appalled that I've fallen for their marketing schemes." It's OK, buddy. Those Red Stripe commercials are too awesome to resist. Plus, the beer is good. Brand list inside.

The 15 Most Trusted Brands named by the surveyed trendsetters were:

Apple
Trader Joe's
Jet Blue
In-N-Out Burger
Ben & Jerry's
Whole Foods
Adidas
American Apparel
Target
H&M Clothing
Levi's
Volkswagen
Converse
Vitamin Water
Red Stripe Jamaican Beer

Tearin' Through The Mushroom Kingdom

Andrew Gardikis now holds the record for completing Super Mario Bros. in five minutes. Click on the picture below for impressive video proof.

More Pointless Polling? You got it!

Final Results (4/26/07):

Would you give up the Internet for life in exchange for $1 million?

Yes - 20%
No - 80%


Which is your preferred highlighter color?

Blue - 20%
Green - 20%
Pink - 0%
Purple - 0%
Yellow - 60%


When you set your alarm clock, which sound do you wake up to?

Buzzer - 55%
Radio - 9%
CD/MP3s - 36%

Thanks to all who participated!

Enough Already!

What the fuck is wrong with Jamie Kennedy?

I Like Creative Ads

What a genius bit of advertising this is...

Rocking The Polls

Final Results (4/18/07):

There are 3 options for your birthday party. Which do you choose?

Bowling - 20%
Miniature Golf - 60%
Rollerskating - 20%


Which of these Pixar films most deserves a sequel?

A Bug's Life - 0%
Monsters INC. - 11%
Finding Nemo - 33%
The Incredibles - 56%
Cars - 0%


Which type of chocolate do you prefer?

Milk Chocolate - 30%
Dark Chocolate - 50%
White Chocolate - 20%

Thanks to all who participated!

Bumper Sticker Of The Week

DK Art

Ten folks spent five hours creating this 4-story re-creation of Donkey Kong using 6,400 Post-It Notes. If you happen to live near UC Santa Cruz, it will be on display at the E2 Building until May 1.

If You Know Cookie, This Situation Is Hilarious

Cookie: so my rental car for tomorrow for work is a fucking chevy uplander

Cookie: its huge

Cookie: and i hate it

Torrey: what the hell is an uplander?

Cookie: it took 50 bucks to fill up the tank

Torrey: there can be only one!

Cookie: Click here for a picture of the "The Uplander"

Cookie: its a mini van almost

Torrey: aaahahahaa

Cookie: haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate it

Torrey: I CANNOT see you driving that

Torrey: hilarious

Cookie: me either

Torrey: it's like a minivan SUV

Torrey: I didn't even know it existed

Cookie: its just so... meh!!!!

Cookie: hate it!

Torrey: you know what that is? Republican transportation

Cookie: i KNOW

Cookie: its as big as an elephant

Torrey: lol

And Something About Bunnies, Too

Hey everyone, keep your eyes peeled today for Zombie Jesus!

Smoke Screens

The MPAA is considering banning smoking from all films accessible to minors. Essentially, this would mean scenes with cigarette smoking would only be allowed in R-Rated movies. Anyone agree/disagree/care to comment on this?

Someone Take A Letter

Dear Life Cereal,

Where do you get off? Part of a balanced breakfast and delicious? Who do you think you are?

By now you may have guessed I'm speaking ironically and have nothing but good things to say about what you do. Life Cereal, do not change a thing.

-Peter Griffin

I couldn't agree more.

It's So Obvious!

Why didn't I think of this? Rodrigo Piwonka suggests using your old CD-R spindle as a means of transporting your delicious bagel sandwich while maintaining freshness.

This Silver Spoon Needs Some Polish

I don't want to sound mean, but I feel this needs to be said... Ricky Schroeder has not aged well.

Is This Beating A Dead Horse Yet?

But I really dislike the horse...

Turning Tides And Such

The Pew Research Center tells us that only 35% of Americans now identify as Republican. This is down from 43% just five years ago.

They obviously know what they are talking about because they have graphs:

The Browncoats Have Spoken

The UK's SFX Magazine recently polled its readers on their favorite sci-fi films of all time. Here are the winners:

1. Serenity
2. Star Wars
3. Blade Runner
4. Planet of the Apes (1968)
5. The Matrix
6. Alien
7. Forbidden Planet
8. 2001: A Space Odyssey
9. The Terminator
10. Back To The Future
    

From the magazine:

Serenity, about the crew of a spaceship of the same name, was a spin-off from a short-lived US TV series.

SFX magazine editor Dave Bradley said: "Seeing Serenity topple Star Wars as the UK's favourite sci-fi movie is a massive surprise.

"The TV show may have been cancelled, yet the Serenity universe clearly struck a chord with fans, thanks to its likeable characters, witty dialogue and amazing special effects.

"Our list features some really classic movies, many of which, like Serenity, launched to no praise or applause at the box office, but have lived on for many years thanks to the fans, and continue to influence today's films and TV."

Who Started This Holiday, Anyway?

Some of the World's best April Fool's Day hoaxes:

• In 1996, American fast-food chain Taco Bell announced that it had bought Philadelphia's Liberty Bell, a historic symbol of American independence, from the federal government and was renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell. Outraged citizens called to express their anger before Taco Bell revealed the hoax. Then-White House press secretary Mike McCurry was asked about the sale and said the Lincoln Memorial in Washington had also been sold and was to be renamed the Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial after the automotive giant.

• In 1957, a BBC television show announced that thanks to a mild winter and the virtual elimination of the spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. Footage of Swiss farmers pulling strands of spaghetti from trees prompted a barrage of calls from people wanting to know how to grow their own spaghetti at home.

• In 1992, US National Public Radio announced that Richard Nixon was running for president again. His new campaign slogan was, "I didn't do anything wrong, and I won't do it again." They even had clips of Nixon announcing his candidacy. Listeners flooded the show with calls expressing their outrage. Nixon's voice actually turned out to be that of impersonator Rich Little.

• Discover Magazine announced in 1995 that a highly respected biologist, Aprile Pazzo (Italian for April Fool), had discovered a new species in Antarctica: the hotheaded naked ice borer. The creatures were described as having bony plates on their heads that became burning hot, allowing the animals to bore through ice at high speed -- a technique they used to hunt penguins.

• Burger King, another American fast-food chain, published a full-page advertisement in USA Today in 1998 announcing the introduction of the "Left-Handed Whopper," specially designed for the 32 million left-handed Americans. According to the advertisement, the new burger included the same ingredients as the original, but the condiments were rotated 180 degrees. The chain said it received thousands of requests for the new burger, as well as orders for the original "right-handed" version.

• Noted British astronomer Patrick Moore announced on the radio in 1976 that at 9:47 am, a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event, in which Pluto would pass behind Jupiter, would cause a gravitational alignment that would reduce the Earth's gravity. Moore told listeners that if they jumped in the air at the exact moment of the planetary alignment, they would experience a floating sensation. Hundreds of people called in to report feeling the sensation.

(info from Brietbart)