Author: Ryan Dunn
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Why Haven’t I Already Read This?
(MOUSE GUARD)
I haven’t read a ton of comic books in my life so far. But that might change with this new series called Mouse Guard. It’s an indie comic series exploring a mouse’s microcosm as seen through the lens of medieval England times, and it’s receiving rave reviews from various reputable sources. Oh, and it looks pretty dang cool too.
Check out some more art from David Petersen, creator of Mouse Guard.
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Quote of the Week #009
“CAPS LOCK IS THE CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL.” –Anonymous -
Dark Knight, Meet White Knight (2)
Virgin Galactic is getting ready for its maiden voyage with its mothership, the White Knight 2. The flight will last about 2 and a half hours, and spend about 5 minutes in space. The tickets are going for $200,000 a pop, and I don’t think you’ll have to pay a surcharge for checking luggage.
If you get a ticket, look forward to sharing your seats with Sigourney Weaver, Bryan Singer, Moby, Stephen Hawking, Paris Hilton, Philippe Starck, and Dave Navarro, amongst others.
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“Who Watches the Watchmen?”
“The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown.” -Rorschach
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TOP 5 FAMOUS MENSA MEMBERS
(MENSA, FOR REAL!)
5. Norman Swarzkopf – Retired Army General
4. Natalie Portman – Actress
3. Shakira – Pop Singer
2. Dolph Lundgren – Actor/Karateka
1. Chino XL – Rapper
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Addicted to PREFAB HOMES
A prefabricated home is a modular home made in part or entirely from components made beforehand in a factory. The idea and allure behind prefabricated homes, however, is multi-faceted.
First, there is the mass-production aspect, wherein certain types of prefab homes can be built off-site, and sometimes even completely so, meaning you could have a new home in under 3 months, fully built and ready to live in.
Another aspect is the green factor. It is possible to be creative with the prebuilt elements, using shipping crates, recycled woods, etc. to create a home that is eco-friendly.
Finally, from a design standpoint, prefab lives predominately in the modern arena. This is a good and a bad thing, because while I am a personal fan of the general aesthetic of prefab, many are not. What would be great would be a wider palette that more of middle-America can get into, so then we can replace all of the horrific monstrosities you see on your way out of any major metropolis as you head to Ikea to get a new filler coffee table.
There are some great resources out there about prefab homes and how to become a proud owner. Check out fabprefab, prefabs, and Prefabcosm for a start.
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Bad Word Pairs #010
“Paper Cut”
The only thing that scares me more than a shark attack is a paper cut. Something about the razor thin incision something as innocent as paper can make just makes my skin crawl thinking about it.
When I’m at a restaurant with paper tablecloth, I immediately fold the exposed edge so as to marginalize the risk of any potential damage.
Paper cutting someone to death would be a worse method of torture than water boarding in my opinion.
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Quote of the Week #008
“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here. This is the War Room!” –Dr. Strangelove -
TOP 5 MOST VERSATILE ACTORS
(PAST AND PRESENT)
5. Ben Kingsley – For his role as Ghandi alone, Sir Ben Kingsley is on this list. His character Don Logan in Sexy Beast was also bald, but on the opposite side of the karmic spectrum. An all around great actor who absorbs himself in every role, like House of Sand and Fog.
4. Gary Oldman – He’s played roles ranging from Sid Vicious to Sirius Black, and just about everything in between. He scared us in Dracula and Hannibal, and is known for playing the bad guy. But in films like The Professional and Batman Begins, we see that he is not so one dimensional, and can take on the role of protagonist with ease.
3. Johnny Depp – This guy might have everyone on this list beat for sheer scope of fun characters. Though he had acted in Platoon and 21 Jump Street beforehand, it was his role as Edward Scissorhands that made people take note. Since then he’s played everybody from Ichabod Crane to Hunter S. Thompson to Willy Wonka to Donnie Brasco. It’s good to be Jack Sparrow . . . I mean, Johnny Depp.
2. Peter Sellers – One of the greats, though no longer with us. He gave us Inspector Clouseau. He gave us Captain Lionel Mandrake, President Merkin Muffley, and Dr. Strangelove. He gave us Hrundi V. Bakshi in The Party (“Birdie Num Num”). His role as Chance, the Magritte-like gardner in the film Being There, nearly won him an Oscar. Oh, and he may be one of the greatest comedians every to act in front of the camera.
1. Daniel Day Lewis – His resumé may not be as deep as some of the others on this list, but I do believe Daniel Day Lewis to be the single most versatile actor ever to grace the big screen. He is like the Olympic athlete of acting, the one who no-one can beat. I can imagine he inspires as many actors as he frustrates, simply out of sheer talent. He pops on the scene every few years to collect more accolade, and perhaps an Oscar or two. And Daniel Plainview was every bit as gripping as any leading role I’ve seen to date.
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The Traffic Sea
A book I started, and never finished. I’ll finish it one day. It’s 150 pages complete, though still very first draft-ish. You can view a twenty page sample, if you like.
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Quote of the Week #007
“Starving men take a hard view of priests too fat to walk.” –Tyrion the Imp -
The Failure of Sarcasm
Sometimes there aren’t words. But if the attempt was to make light of the opposition’s opinion of Obama, I’m afraid it didn’t work out the way it was planned.
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Bad Word Pairs #009
“Ownable Look”
This is a mostly trite and redundant term used by those in the creative field who maybe wish they could have been stars in the advertising world.
It’s some sort of buzz word which suggests to your client that you understand them better than they do, and that you want to make something stand-out, something that pairs a unique aesthetic with the brand.
But, isn’t that the very point of creative advertising? To make something that stands out, that people will remember, that will sell more product?
It’s kind of like telling a customer at a bakery that you’re going to make the bread tasty and doughy.
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TOP 5 FILM DIRECTORS
(UNDER THE AGE OF 50)
5. Christopher Nolan
Anyone able to resurrect the Batman franchise and show us how it’s done deserves my respect. Plus Memento was a marvelous feat, and Insomnia was also great. While I didn’t LOVE The Prestige, I still felt that Nolan’s presence could be felt in the style.4. Alfonso Cuarón
One word: CHILDREN OF MEN. He is on this list for two reasons: consistency and style. Since Great Expectations, I love just about all of his films. He made the best Harry Potter film, and I think he should have been the one doing The Hobbit.3. David Fincher
I’ll give him a pass for Panic Room, because he made Fight Club. Fincher’s style has been something I’ve loved ever since I first saw Se7en. His grit and realism is just one-of-a-kind, you know you’re watching a Fincher film.2. Paul Thomas Anderson
Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love, and There Will Be Blood. The resumé speaks for itself, but I will say that for someone that has been compared to Scorsese, he has carved out his own niche for films that put the character before all else, and tell stories in intimate ways that (I think) inspired other great achievements like Six Feet Under.1. The Coen Brothers
Since Blood Simple, it has been clear that The Coen Brothers know how to make a movie. Fargo is one of my favorite movies of all time, and No Country for Old Men (while not as good as There Will Be Blood) was another awesome example of their signature sparse style.
