tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612205121525867922024-03-13T22:03:59.724-05:00Before the FallRandom rantings on how I view the world. Some funny, some personal and some nonsensical.sammaelsunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01084250433722364468noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661220512152586792.post-50798155268598346902008-03-30T08:35:00.001-05:002008-03-30T09:08:20.984-05:00New Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull spot!A new spot aired last night for, <a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" href="http://www.indianajones.com/site/index.html" target="_self">Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull</a>. I thought it was much better than the teaser trailer that came out last month. If for no other reason because it wasn’t just quick MTV edits from one action shot to another. <br> It is hard not to get a little jazzed when the John Williams score begins to play. That translates into me immediately liking the ads until I stop to think about them.This tactic also worked effectively on <a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0348150/" target="_self">Superman Returns</a> in 2006. Only this time Williams will actually be doing the new score whereas with <a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0348150/" target="_self">Superman</a> it was some other person doing variations on a theme.<br> All of the ads for <a style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.indianajones.com/site/index.html" target="_self">Crystal Skull</a> haven’t given me a , "Oh yeah...I’m gonna plunk down my $8 for that," yet. Just from the trailers alone I know that I’m going to see <a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" href="http://www.thedarkknight.com/" target="_self">The Dark Knight</a> and <a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" href="http://ironmanmovie.marvel.com/" target="_self">Iron Man</a> within their opening weeks and buy them when they come out on DVD., but we’ll see what happens. <br> Anyway, on to the clip....<br><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EZh-Uu_D17c&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EZh-Uu_D17c&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span>sammaelsunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01084250433722364468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661220512152586792.post-35936986831845356982008-03-18T21:32:00.001-05:002008-03-18T21:33:44.970-05:00Gotta Get Me Some of That Cat CoffeeI’ve really gotta try this stuff.<br><br>from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwak" target="_self">wikipedia</a>....<br><br><h1 class="firstHeading">Kopi Luwak</h1> <h3 id="siteSub">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</h3> <div id="jump-to-nav">Jump to: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwakcolumn-one">navigation</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_LuwaksearchInput">search</a></div> <!-- start content --> <div class="thumb tright"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 202px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:SUC58185.JPG" class="image" title="Excreted luwak coffee berries, East Java"><img alt="Excreted luwak coffee berries, East Java" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/33/SUC58185.JPG/200px-SUC58185.JPG" class="thumbimage" border="0" height="267" width="200"></a> <div class="thumbcaption"> <div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:SUC58185.JPG" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" height="11" width="15"></a></div> Excreted luwak coffee berries, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Java" title="East Java">East Java</a></div> </div> </div> <p><b>Kopi Luwak</b> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA" title="Help:IPA">pronounced</a> <span title="Pronunciation in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)" class="IPA">[ˈkopi ˈluwak]</span>) or <b>Civet coffee</b> is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee" title="Coffee">coffee</a> made from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffea" title="Coffea">coffee berries</a> which have been eaten by and passed through the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digestive_tract" class="mw-redirect" title="Digestive tract">digestive tract</a> of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Palm_Civet" title="Asian Palm Civet">Asian Palm Civet</a> (<i>Paradoxurus hermaphroditus</i>). The civets eat the berries, but the beans inside pass through their system undigested. This process takes place on the islands of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumatra" title="Sumatra">Sumatra</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_%28island%29" class="mw-redirect" title="Java (island)">Java</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulawesi" title="Sulawesi">Sulawesi</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesia" title="Indonesia">Indonesian</a> Archipelago, and in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines" title="Philippines">Philippines</a> (where the product is called <i>Kape Alamid</i>). <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam" title="Vietnam">Vietnam</a> has a similar type of coffee, called <b>weasel coffee</b>, which are coffee berries which have been defecated by local <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weasel" title="Weasel">weasels</a>. In actuality the "weasel" is just the local version of the Asian Palm Civet.</p> <p>Kopi Luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world, selling for between $120 and $600 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_dollar" title="United States dollar">USD</a> per pound, and is sold mainly in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan" title="Japan">Japan</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a>. It is increasingly becoming available elsewhere, though supplies are limited: only 1,000 pounds (450 kg) at most make it into the world market each year (Pg 23, The Gospel According to Starbucks; Sweet). One small cafe, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herveys_Range_Heritage_Tea_Rooms" title="Herveys Range Heritage Tea Rooms">Heritage Tea Rooms</a>, in the hills outside <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Townsville%2C_Queensland" title="Townsville, Queensland">Townsville</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensland" title="Queensland">Queensland</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia" title="Australia">Australia</a> has Kopi Luwak coffee on the menu at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_dollar" title="Australian dollar">A$</a>50.00 (=US$46.00) per cup, and approximately 4 people a week are up for it, which has gained nationwide Australian press.<a href="http://www.heritagetearooms.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=31" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.heritagetearooms.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=31" rel="nofollow">[1]</a></p> <p>A 2004 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severe_Acute_Respiratory_Syndrome" class="mw-redirect" title="Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome">Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome</a> (SARS) scare led to thousands of these civets in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China" title="China">China</a> being exterminated, <sup id="_ref-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwak_note-0" title="">[1]</a></sup><sup id="_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwak_note-1" title="">[2]</a></sup> but the demand for the coffee was not affected.</p> <p><i>Kopi</i> is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesian_language" title="Indonesian language">Indonesian</a> word for coffee, and <i>luwak</i> is a local name of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Palm_Civet" title="Asian Palm Civet">Asian Palm Civet</a>. The raw, red coffee berries are part of its normal diet, along with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect" title="Insect">insects</a>, small <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammal" title="Mammal">mammals</a>, small <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reptile" title="Reptile">reptiles</a>, eggs and nestlings of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird" title="Bird">birds</a>, and other <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit" title="Fruit">fruit</a>. The inner bean of the berry is not digested, but it has been proposed that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzyme" title="Enzyme">enzymes</a> in the stomach of the civet add to the coffee’s flavor by breaking down the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein" title="Protein">proteins</a> that give coffee its bitter taste. The beans are excreted still covered in some inner layers of the berry. The beans are washed, and given only a light roast so as to not destroy the complex flavors that develop through the process. Some sources claim that the beans may be regurgitated instead of defecated.</p> <p>In early days, the beans would be collected in the wild from a ’latrine’, or a specific place where the civet would defecate as a means to mark its territory, and these latrines would be a predictable place for local gatherers to find the beans. More commonly today, captured civets are fed raw berries, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feces" title="Feces">feces</a> produced are then processed and the coffee beans offered for sale.<sup class="noprint Template-Fact"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources since March 2008" style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a></i>]</span></sup> A newly-developed synthetic process intended to simulate the civet’s digestive system may decrease the demand for farmed beans. The creator of this process is Trung Nguyen, one of the dominant coffee producers of Vietnam. Synthetic civet coffee is significantly less expensive, and suitable for those who do not wish to ingest true civet coffee.</p> <p>A hypothesis to justify this coffee’s reputation proposes that the beans are of superior quality before they are even ingested. At any given point during a harvest, some coffee berries are not quite- or over-ripe, while others are just right. The palm civet evolved as an omnivore that naturally eats fruit and passes undigested material as a natural link to disperse seeds in a forest ecosystem. Where coffee plants have been introduced into their habitat, civets only forage on the most ripe berries, digest fleshy outer layer, and later excrete the seeds eventually used for human consumption. Thus, when the fruit is at its peak, the seeds (or beans) within are equally so, with the expectation that this will come through in the taste of a freshly-brewed cup. As this may be true for the beans derived from wild-collected civet feces, farm raised civets are likely fed beans of varying quality and ripeness, so one would expect the taste of farm-raised beans to be less.</p> <i>Kopi Muncak</i> (also <i>Kopi Muntjak</i>) is a similar type of coffee produced from the feces of several species of barking deer, or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muntjac" title="Muntjac">Muntjac</a>, that are found throughout <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_Asia" title="Southeast Asia">Southeast Asia</a>. Unlike civet or "weasel" coffee, this type is usually not produced from captive deer and most commonly collected in the wild, especially in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia" title="Malaysia">Malaysia</a> and in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesia" title="Indonesia">Indonesian</a> Archipelago.<br>sammaelsunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01084250433722364468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661220512152586792.post-39889046292913767392008-03-18T20:10:00.000-05:002008-03-18T20:16:32.061-05:00Arthur C. ClarkBad news in the world of Sci Fi. <br><blockquote> <p>"Legendary British science fiction writer Sir Arthur C Clarke has died in Sri Lanka at the age of 90.</p> <p><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7304004.stm">BBC NEWS | UK | Writer Arthur C Clarke dies at 90</a> </p> </blockquote><br>sammaelsunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01084250433722364468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661220512152586792.post-901045390070670882008-03-13T17:27:00.002-05:002008-03-13T18:12:41.354-05:00More Comic Book Movies of 2008Also out this summer is the newly revamped, <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vaW5jcmVkaWJsZWh1bGsubWFydmVsLmNvbS8=" target="_self">The Incredible Hulk</a>. This time out <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vaW5jcmVkaWJsZWh1bGsubWFydmVsLmNvbS9UaGUgSW5jcmVkaWJsZSBIdWxrPC9BPi4gIFRoaXMgdGltZSBvdXQgPEEgSFJFRj0=" http:="" www.marvel.com="">Marvel</a> wants sequels. This is supposed to be a less cerebral enterprise then Ang Lee’s Hulk movie. With more emphasis on the action rather then how Bruce Banner becomes the Hulk, and how he deals with it. Starring: <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmltZGIuY29tL25hbWUvbm0wMDAxNTcwLw==">Edward Norton</a> as Dr. <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmltZGIuY29tL2NoYXJhY3Rlci9jaDAwMDcwOTkv">Bruce Banner</a>, <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmltZGIuY29tL25hbWUvbm0wMDAwMjM5Lw==">Liv Tyler</a> as the long suffering <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmltZGIuY29tL2NoYXJhY3Rlci9jaDAwMDcwOTYv">Betty Ross</a>, <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmltZGIuY29tL25hbWUvbm0wMDAwNjE5Lw==">Tim Roth</a> as former KGB agent (wouldn’t he be a hulla lot older if they stick with this origin?) and present day adversary <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmltZGIuY29tL2NoYXJhY3Rlci9jaDAwMzA1Mjgv">Emil Blonsky</a> (aka The Abomination) and <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmltZGIuY29tL25hbWUvbm0wMDAwNDU4Lw==">William Hurt</a> playing Betty’s dad and Hulk hunter <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmltZGIuY29tL2NoYXJhY3Rlci9jaDAwMjk2Mzcv">Gen. Thaddeus ’Thunderbolt’ Ross</a>. <br>Here’s the trailer:<br><br /><div style="margin:0; background-color:#212121; width:423px;"><embed src="http://www.mtv.com/player/embed/" width="423" height="318" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" FlashVars="CONFIG_URL=http://www.mtv.com/player/embed/configuration.jhtml%3Fid%3D1583143%26vid%3D215625&allowFullScreen=true" allowFullScreen="true" base="." allowScriptAccess="always" ></embed><div style="background-color:#212121; margin:0 0 0 0; padding:0 0 2px 0; width:423px; text-align:center; overflow:auto; min-width:423px;"><ul style="margin:0; padding:0; list-style:none line-height: 1.2em;"><li style="margin-right:4px; display:inline;"><a style="padding:0px 4px 0px 10px; font-family:Verdana,sans-serif; color:#439CD8; font-size:10px; text-decoration:none; background:url(http://www.mtv.com/sitewide/images/u/arrow-links.gif) 2px 2px no-repeat;" href="http://www.mtv.com/" onmouseover="this.style.textDecoration='underline'"onmouseout="this.style.textDecoration='none'" target="_blank">MTV</a></li><li style="margin-right:4px; display:inline;"><a style="padding:0px 4px 0px 10px; font-family:Verdana,sans-serif; color:#439CD8; font-size:10px; text-decoration:none; background:url(http://www.mtv.com/sitewide/images/u/arrow-links.gif) 2px 2px no-repeat;" href="http://www.mtv.com/music/video/index.jhtml" onmouseover="this.style.textDecoration='underline'" onmouseout="this.style.textDecoration='none'" target="_blank">Music Videos</a></li><li style="margin-right:4px; display:inline;"><a style="padding:0px 4px 0px 10px; font-family:Verdana,sans-serif; color:#439CD8; font-size:10px; text-decoration:none; background:url(http://www.mtv.com/sitewide/images/u/arrow-links.gif) 2px 2px no-repeat;" href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/" onmouseover="this.style.textDecoration='underline'" onmouseout="this.style.textDecoration='none'" target="_blank">MTV Shows</a></li><li style="margin-right:4px; display:inline;"><a style="padding:0px 4px 0px 10px; font-family:Verdana,sans-serif; color:#439CD8; font-size:10px; text-decoration:none; background:url(http://www.mtv.com/sitewide/images/u/arrow-links.gif) 2px 2px no-repeat;" href="http://www.mtv.com/news/" onmouseover="this.style.textDecoration='underline'" onmouseout="this.style.textDecoration='none'" target="_blank">Entertainment News</a></li></ul></div></div><br /><br>The really important bit about this is where it’s leading. <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vZW4ud2lraXBlZGlhLm9yZy93aWtpL01hcnZlbF9TdHVkaW9z" title="Marvel Studios">Marvel Studios</a> is keen to have Norton reprise the role in an adaptation of <i><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vZW4ud2lraXBlZGlhLm9yZy93aWtpL0F2ZW5nZXJzXyUyOGNvbWljcyUyOUZpbG0=" title="Avengers (comics)">The Avengers</a></i>. <i><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vZW4ud2lraXBlZGlhLm9yZy93aWtpL0lyb25fTWFuXyUyOGZpbG0lMjk=" title="Iron Man (film)">Iron Man</a></i> director <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vZW4ud2lraXBlZGlhLm9yZy93aWtpL0pvbl9GYXZyZWF1" title="Jon Favreau">Jon Favreau</a> said "[Marvel is] pretty clear on wanting to do it with the actors who’ve established the roles or to not do it at all." <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmltZGIuY29tL25hbWUvbm0wMDAwMzc1Lw==">Robert Downey Jr.</a> as <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmltZGIuY29tL2NoYXJhY3Rlci9jaDAwMjA3NDkv">Tony Stark</a> ,aka <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmltZGIuY29tL3RpdGxlL3R0MDM3MTc0Ni8=">Iron Man</a>, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>is doing a cameo in the film opposite <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmltZGIuY29tL2NoYXJhY3Rlci9jaDAwMjk2Mzcv">Gen. Ross.</a><br><br>And, not actually a comic book movie but me showing my age, is <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmltZGIuY29tL3RpdGxlL3R0MTAzMTI1NC8=">Lost Boys: The Tribe</a>. With returning <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmltZGIuY29tL25hbWUvbm0wMDAwMzk3Lw==">Corey Feldman</a> and <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmltZGIuY29tL25hbWUvbm0wMDAwNDMzLw==">Corey Haim</a>. This trailer made me at least want to see this on video, or on HBO in a few years. Here’s the trailer:<br><br /><div style="margin:0; background-color:#212121; width:423px;"><embed src="http://www.mtv.com/player/embed/" width="423" height="318" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" FlashVars="CONFIG_URL=http://www.mtv.com/player/embed/configuration.jhtml%3Fid%3D1583143%26vid%3D215372&allowFullScreen=true" allowFullScreen="true" base="." allowScriptAccess="always" ></embed><div style="background-color:#212121; margin:0 0 0 0; padding:0 0 2px 0; width:423px; text-align:center; overflow:auto; min-width:423px;"><ul style="margin:0; padding:0; list-style:none line-height: 1.2em;"><li style="margin-right:4px; display:inline;"><a style="padding:0px 4px 0px 10px; font-family:Verdana,sans-serif; color:#439CD8; font-size:10px; text-decoration:none; background:url(http://www.mtv.com/sitewide/images/u/arrow-links.gif) 2px 2px no-repeat;" href="http://www.mtv.com/" onmouseover="this.style.textDecoration='underline'"onmouseout="this.style.textDecoration='none'" target="_blank">MTV</a></li><li style="margin-right:4px; display:inline;"><a style="padding:0px 4px 0px 10px; font-family:Verdana,sans-serif; color:#439CD8; font-size:10px; text-decoration:none; background:url(http://www.mtv.com/sitewide/images/u/arrow-links.gif) 2px 2px no-repeat;" href="http://www.mtv.com/music/video/index.jhtml" onmouseover="this.style.textDecoration='underline'" onmouseout="this.style.textDecoration='none'" target="_blank">Music Videos</a></li><li style="margin-right:4px; display:inline;"><a style="padding:0px 4px 0px 10px; font-family:Verdana,sans-serif; color:#439CD8; font-size:10px; text-decoration:none; background:url(http://www.mtv.com/sitewide/images/u/arrow-links.gif) 2px 2px no-repeat;" href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/" onmouseover="this.style.textDecoration='underline'" onmouseout="this.style.textDecoration='none'" target="_blank">MTV Shows</a></li><li style="margin-right:4px; display:inline;"><a style="padding:0px 4px 0px 10px; font-family:Verdana,sans-serif; color:#439CD8; font-size:10px; text-decoration:none; background:url(http://www.mtv.com/sitewide/images/u/arrow-links.gif) 2px 2px no-repeat;" href="http://www.mtv.com/news/" onmouseover="this.style.textDecoration='underline'" onmouseout="this.style.textDecoration='none'" target="_blank">Entertainment News</a></li></ul></div></div>sammaelsunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01084250433722364468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661220512152586792.post-77942686516475002072008-03-13T14:38:00.000-05:002008-03-13T14:39:24.483-05:00Radiotelepathy Go, Houston....<a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vdGVjaG5vbG9neS5uZXdzY2llbnRpc3QuY29tL2NoYW5uZWwvdGVjaC9kbjEzNDQ5LW5lcnZldGFwcGluZy1uZWNrYmFuZC1hbGxvd3MtdGVsZXBhdGhpYy1jaGF0Lmh0bWw/ZmVlZElkPW9ubGluZS1uZXdzX3JzczIw">"This video shows the system being used to place the first public voiceless phone call on stage at a recent conference held by microchip manufacturer Texas Instruments. Michael Callahan, co-founder of Ambient Corporation, which developed the neckband, demonstrates the device, called the Audeo."</a><br><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/xyN4ViZ21N0&hl=en" height="355" width="425"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never"> <param name="allowNetworking" value="internal"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xyN4ViZ21N0&hl=en"></object><br><br><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LndhcnJlbmVsbGlzLmNvbS8/cD01NzEz" target="_self">nicked from Warrenellis.com</a><br>sammaelsunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01084250433722364468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661220512152586792.post-47072831869663238012008-03-13T14:21:00.001-05:002008-03-13T14:23:24.403-05:00Hulu.com One of the coolest things to get going on the net is finally open to the public. <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3Lmh1bGEuY29tLw==" target="_self">Hulu.com</a> is now up and running. The site hosts about 250 TV shows, including recent shows like "The Office, "30 Rock," "House," "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," and "Heroes," Also new are a slew of free movies, including: The Big Lebowski," "Dude, Where’s My Car," "Mulholland Drive," "Sideways," and "The Usual Suspects." <br> Meanwhile, the standard TV and movie streams look OK, if not great. TV streams look a bit pixilated, but the video itself looks smooth enough, with a minimum of stuttering. Movie quality on Hulu is pretty variable—some of the movies I saw were in their original aspect ratios, some were panned-and-scanned, while others were actually windowboxed (that is, big black bars surrounding the video). That said, all the films—even the rated-R ones—are uncut.<br> Everything is free, and you can even edit clips from the show and embed them onto your own Web site—that way, you get the video, and Hulu gets credit (and presumably, revenue) for the traffic.<br> Here’s an example of one of my favourite series, the pilot episode of "Firefly."<br><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal" data="http://www.hulu.com/embed/yzmXPHGF2qwNqIsmx3o4cg" height="295" width="510"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never"> <param name="allowNetworking" value="internal"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.hulu.com/embed/yzmXPHGF2qwNqIsmx3o4cg"></object><br>Check it out and see what you think for yourself.<br><br>sammaelsunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01084250433722364468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661220512152586792.post-17937502878729897812008-03-13T02:21:00.002-05:002008-03-13T02:24:39.804-05:00And Most of the Dogs I know Can Barely Fetch...My ex's dog was so terrified of the world that she had problems coming to you if you called her...<br /><BR><br /><object width="512" height="323"><param name="movie" value="http://d.yimg.com/static.video.yahoo.com/yep/YV_YEP.swf?ver=2.0.45" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="flashVars" value="id=6773682&vid=2143880&lang=en-US&intl=us&thumbUrl=http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/sch/cn/video00/2143880_rndd16b7431_19.jpg" /><embed src="http://d.yimg.com/static.video.yahoo.com/yep/YV_YEP.swf?ver=2.0.45" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512" height="323" allowFullScreen="true" flashVars="id=6773682&vid=2143880&lang=en-US&intl=us&thumbUrl=http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/sch/cn/video00/2143880_rndd16b7431_19.jpg" ></embed></object>sammaelsunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01084250433722364468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661220512152586792.post-1668286963571955742008-03-12T14:06:00.002-05:002008-03-12T21:09:56.720-05:00The Forbidden KingdomI’m such an easy touch when it comes to <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vaW1kYi5jb20vbmFtZS9ubTAwMDE0NzIv" target="_self">Jet Li</a> movies. I even went to go see <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vaW1kYi5jb20vdGl0bGUvdHQwNDQ2MDU5Lw==" target="_self">Huo Yuan Jia</a> or <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vaW1kYi5jb20vdGl0bGUvdHQwNDQ2MDU5Lw==" target="_self">Jet Li’s Fearless</a>, which was reported to be the last martial arts movie that he’d make. That was a disappointing thought since the movie sucked like a black hole. Rejoice though, he returns along with <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vaW1kYi5jb20vbmFtZS9ubTAwMDAzMjkv" target="_self">Jackie Chan</a> in a new martial arts extravaganza, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vaW1kYi5jb20vdGl0bGUvdHQwODY1NTU2Lw==" target="_self">The Forbidden Kingdom</a>...<br /><center><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal" height="355" width="425" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/e66Og0lOCcE&hl=en"><br /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never"><br /> <param name="allowNetworking" value="internal"><br /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/e66Og0lOCcE&hl=en"><br /></object><br /></center><br />Plus, it has an actress with the name of <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vaW1kYi5jb20vbmFtZS9ubTA1MDgzNTYv" target="_self">Li Bingbing</a> in it, and if anyone thinks they’re special enough to go with the name Bingbing....I’ve just gotta see one of their movies.sammaelsunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01084250433722364468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661220512152586792.post-62594156852608866632008-03-10T13:21:00.002-05:002008-03-12T21:12:58.400-05:00I Found Myself Agreeing With Her....(nicked from <a href="http://jwz.livejournal.com/848736.html">jwz</a>)<br /><center><br /><object enablejsurl="false" enablehref="false" saveembedtags="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/wmRSuYIL1zc" height="355" width="425"><br /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never"><br /> <param name="allowNetworking" value="internal"><br /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wmRSuYIL1zc"><br /></object><br /><br /><br />The funniest response back was made by<span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/zendulo">Zendulo</a>...well worth your time.<br /><object enablejsurl="false" enablehref="false" saveembedtags="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/JJZ6JJN_ON4" height="355" width="425"><br /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never"><br /> <param name="allowNetworking" value="internal"><br /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JJZ6JJN_ON4"><br /></object><br /></center>sammaelsunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01084250433722364468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661220512152586792.post-59246648977794809432008-03-06T22:10:00.003-06:002008-03-12T21:55:16.079-05:00Wha? Angelina Jolie Shooting at People...Not counting the <i>Tomb Raider</i> flicks, and counting <i>Mr. & Mrs. Smith</i> twice, Angelina Jolie shooting at people is one of the world's sexiest things. I'll plunk down my 8 bucks for this too...<br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=661220512152586792&postID=5924664897779480943" fuseaction="vids.individual=" 29668983=""> Wanted Exclusive Trailer</a><br /><object enablejsurl="false" enablehref="false" saveembedtags="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal" data="http://lads.myspace.com/videos/vplayer.swf" height="234" width="484"><br /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never"><br /><param name="allowNetworking" value="all"><br /><param name="movie" value="http://lads.myspace.com/videos/vplayer.swf"><br /><param name="flashvars" value="m=29668983&v=2&type=video"><br /></object><br /><br /><br /><br />Also, on my last subject of "Best Comic Book Movies of 2008," I'd also like to enter <i>Hellboy II: The Golden Army</i> in the running. That Del Toro guy is none too shabby at making movies....<br /><a href="http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=24351523">Hellboy II: The Golden Army trailer</a><br /><object enablejsurl="false" enablehref="false" saveembedtags="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal" data="http://lads.myspace.com/videos/vplayer.swf" height="346" width="430"><br /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never"><br /><param name="allowNetworking" value="all"><br /><param name="movie" value="http://lads.myspace.com/videos/vplayer.swf"><br /><param name="flashvars" value="m=24351523&v=2&type=video"><br /></object>sammaelsunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01084250433722364468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661220512152586792.post-37861924600333597192008-02-29T11:50:00.001-06:002008-03-12T21:03:24.831-05:00Best Comic Book Movie of the Summer?Could this be the best comic book movie of the summer? Robert Downey, Jr as Tony Stark, Gywneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Terrence Howard as Jim "Rhodey" Rhodes, with Jon Favreau directing? Okay, maybe with Favreau it'll look like Tony's drunk and listening to Sinatra all the time, but the character does drink a lot. I think it'll be worth my 8 bucks...<BR><br><a href="http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=29294971">Iron Man Exclusive Trailer</a><br><object enableJSURL="false" enableHREF="false" saveEmbedTags="true" allowScriptAccess="never" allownetworking="internal" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="never" allownetworking="internal" height="346" width="430" data="http://lads.myspace.com/videos/vplayer.swf"><br /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /><br /> <param name="allowNetworking" value="all" /><br /> <param name="movie" value="http://lads.myspace.com/videos/vplayer.swf" /><br /> <param name="flashvars" value="m=29294971&v=2&type=video" /><br /></object><br>Although the movie in the lead right now has to be, <I>The Dark Knight</I>. Christian Bale returning as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Heath Ledger as the Joker and Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two Face. Christopher Nolan, of <i>The Prestige, Memento, </i> and <i>Batman Begins</i>, is back directing/co-writing. With help from David S. Goyer, who writes comics (Blade, JSA, Starman) as well as movies (<i><a name="writerinp" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499519/">X-Men Origins: Magneto</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0439572/">The Flash</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372784/">Batman Begins</a></i>, and all three <i>Blade</i> movies, I'm all over this one.<br><a href="http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=24162159">THE DARK KNIGHT OFFICIAL TRAILER</a><br><object enableJSURL="false" enableHREF="false" saveEmbedTags="true" allowScriptAccess="never" allownetworking="internal" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="never" allownetworking="internal" height="346" width="430" data="http://lads.myspace.com/videos/vplayer.swf"><br /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /><br /> <param name="allowNetworking" value="all" /><br /> <param name="movie" value="http://lads.myspace.com/videos/vplayer.swf" /><br /> <param name="flashvars" value="m=24162159&v=2&type=video" /><br /></object><br>sammaelsunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01084250433722364468noreply@blogger.com0