Sean Connery INNNNN SPAAAAAACE...

When most people think of space travel, they tend to veer towards the Star Wars/Star Trek spectrum (nothing wrong with that...). The flashing laser blasts, exotic worlds, creatures beyond out contemplation; all of it displayed for our viewing pleasure. But there is far more out there (movie-wise...) for us to enjoy, often times forgotten when there are most comfortable, flashy franchises to be had. Consider the first two Alien movies: very un-flashy, understated sci-fi flicks. No laser blasts or beam swords, no magical elements what so ever and a general grounding in futurealism (Dig it...). They gave us a dirty or 'used' universe, rather than the utopia of Star Trek. Even Star Wars has a certain utopia-esque feel to it, despite the conflict (everything felt very bright and clean, even on sandy Tatooine or murky Dagobah...). But I digress. The movie in question for today is a movie from 1981 starring Sean Connery called Outland...

Apparently (I found this out after seeing the movie...), the storyline is a variation on the western High Noon. I've never seen High Noon. However, I will say that the story is very much like many western movies you might have come across; a sheriff rolls into to town (Sean Connery as a Interplanetary Marshall on Io [a moon of Jupiter...]...), finds some shady business going down (the manager is dealing narcotics that causes mining workers to work harder but make them psychotic...), vows to stop it at all cost (his family does not approve and he could get killed...), has a big gun fight near the end (both hit men explode in the lack of atmosphere of space...), and basically shuts down the bad guys for the good of the land (The Marshall rejoins his family, mentioned in a space age post-movie scroll...). While very linear, the story is well paced and does keep the interest of the audience over the entire film. You want to see just how The Marshall will get out of this sticky situation...

Now, the way the film is shot and the setting that it takes place in would feel very comfortable within the confines of the Alien universe (at least up to the second movie...). The style of rooms, the overall grittiness of general setting, the lack of the fantastical elements in many other franchises, the reliance on fairly modern implements such as modified shotguns, florescent lights, and obviously clunky mechanical machines for jobs rather than streamlined...anything really. Also, the use of green computer displays and early 80's graphics and fonts lends itself to the idea of what space travel might have been like if we had not progressed beyond the technology of the 80's. Combined, it makes it an easy leap from this movie to Alien; I was halfway expecting to see something specifically related to the aforementioned franchise appear in the background...

Further, unlike some more modern sci-fi movies, we actually build an emotional attachment to the characters, as they are normal people (similar to Vasquez, Hicks, and Hudson...). Flawed, human, and actually complex. Connery is not some superman character who never misses and doesn't get hurt. He's an aging Marshall, he gets shot and bleeds, and he can't just take a hit and get over it. By the end, he's been put through the wringer and seems to win by sheer will alone. The lead 'heavy' is just a man who wants to control his colony and make a lot of money doing it. He's no sinister archvillain out to kill everyone; the stress of not being able to have business as usual and not being able to get rid of the Marshall takes a noticeable toll on the character. The Marshall's lieutenant is a corrupt cop, but wants to do right by the Marshall. He agrees to help the Marshall be a spy and even shows a decent amount of shame (at least before he gets bumped off...). Even the female doctor (Connery's foil who almost acts like a western deputy...), while wooden at times, actually manages to grow as a character by the end and realize that things don't need to be as they are...

Among the great many pieces of crap sci-fi movies of the 80's (I'm looking at you, Masters of the Universe, Earth Girls are Easy, and Howard the Duck...), I'd rank this one very high. It's not the epic that Star Wars is, nor is it the rip roaring action event that Aliens is; what it is a solid story built upon a simple concept and executed seriously. And therein lies the key; the entire staff of this film (the actors, the writers, the director, all of them...) treat this movie with a seriousness that occasionally seems lost to modern day film makers. The setting could be anywhere and I believe it would have been presented in a manner that I would find appealing. It seems that modern science fiction are two concerned with how much money to throw at the effects, rather than developing good stories and characters (I'm looking at you, Battlefield: Earth, Pandorum, and The Fountain...). Hollywood could take a page or ten from this oft forgotten sci-fi tale...

Grade: Solid A-

...And she don't care...

I love me some board games. This is as much a fact as my hair is brown or favorite color is green (most of the time...). Barring most 'children's' board games (Chutes & Ladders, Candyland, and the like...), I'll play anyone, anytime. Don't misread this statement; I'm not the King of Board Games. I have been known to lose give or take as much as I win. I just love to play. One particular board game of interest is a rather tricky one for me to get a handle on strategically. I rarely win at this one at all, but I still will jump in (lightly begrudging, of course...) when there are others who are better at it or enjoy it more than I. The game in question is: Ticket to Ride...

The setting is...set in the turn of the century America. The players represent a club of travelling tycoons with a wager on who could travel the furthest by rail (insert your favorite blustery, vaugely british/rich drivel...). The game play is very simple (almost deceptively so...): You pull your routes (Random 3, keep at least 2...), then you can do 1 of 2 things on your turn. Either draw train cards (only one that's face up if it's a locomotive/rainbow...) or play enough train cards to make a route (from 1 track up to 8...). You get different points per amount of trains played, as well as points for completed routes and if you have the longest continuous connected route. That was longer than I originally anticipated. But, once you get into the game it is crazy, crazy simple to play and replay...

I may have stumbled up why I am not as good at Ticket to Ride as I am at other games (partially thanks to my lovely wife Tara's insight...). Consider: I'm very damn good at Small World (another game for another day...). There are few games that I have played that have more player on player interaction than Small World. It holds the game together, at least for a guy like me. Now, back to Ticket to Ride; there is very little to no player on player interaction from game to game. What Ticket to Ride DOES have is great player on player TENSION, and this is important to making Ticket to Ride unique. In essence, TtR gives each player their own puzzle to complete and they must complete it faster than the other player else too many obstacles get in the way. However, one player cannot do anything PROactive about what the other players do (other than guessing what the other players will do next and taking the cards the other players might want [poker-type players might be quite good at TtR...]...), but must be REactive to the board state as it changes...

It is here where I lose my game playing mojo. I am better (mayhaps even excel at times...) at games where I can pit my skills directly against another player(s...) skills and have sort of a battle of wits and wills during the game. But, in a game where you can do so little against the other players, my skills founder and it shows. I get frustrated that an area can get locked away by the other players and there is NOTHING to be done about it except adapt. Don't get me wrong, adapting strategies is cool with me. I find it to be a necessary skill for a good game player to have. But, when the only thing you can do to 'adapt' is just find a new route to your destination, adaptation doesn't help as much as it would in a game like Settlers of Catan...

Now, you may imagine that this is an overly scathing review of TtR, but I find it to be one of the most frustrating games I've ever played and still not figured out yet. It's the challenge that brings me back to it each time. It is so simple in execution; and that is the exact reason of my frustration. I'm at a point in my board gaming career (yeah, chew on that idea...) that a game such as this should be more easily beaten than the luck I've been having. But, this is a game for anyone who has, or wants to, venture out into the wide world of grown-up board games. It's simple to grasp, it's not cutesy, it appeals to many different kinds of people. I recommend this game highly; I just may not want to play it with you all the time...

Grade: A...

In brightest day\In blackest night...

The hobby of comic book collecting has been quite the passion of mine for many years now. In fact, I have deep, close friendships that haven't lasted as long as my love for comic books (scary...). The art, the stories, the characters, all of it; I can't get enough of the good stuff. In amongst my collection is an unremarkable issue of Tales of the Green Lantern Corps. It is not a number one issue, there was no new or breakthrough characters introduced (at least not for roughly two decades...); it's just a standard 80's comic and it's one of my most cherished. I've had it forever and it shows. Let's have a read...

Here we have it; Tales of the Green Lantern Corps No. 3 for a mere 50 cents 25 years (or so...) ago. Long before Paralax Hal Jordan, decades before Spectre Hal Jordan, we just had plain old GL Hal Jordan, an everyman leader of the GL Corps. He's a brave warrior who wants nothing more than to serve like the rest of the Corps (not original, but we buy it...). This was back when Hal walked the line between badass space warrior and silly hero who creates boxing gloves with his power ring. In this particular issue, there is definitely more of the badass Hal going on. We start with part of the Corps returning to Oa and finding the other half of the Corps recently trounced by an evil Gaurdian of the Universe and an army of pseudo-undead. After a short convalessence, the remaining Corps members (realizing they have very little of their 24 hour ring charge left...), fly off to fight their enemy head on...

Along with the evil Guardian, Krona, is a personification of death known as Nekron. He wants to enter the world of the living and make it more deathlike, I suppose (also not terribly new, but always a popular villain goal...). He returns the rogue Guardians mortal form to him and, in return, Krona leads the undead army into the land of the living in a bid to take over the universe. Here's the readers digest version (ask me to borrow the issue some time...): the Corps shows up to stop the undead army, some die in combat. Realizing that Nekron has near limitless forces to send out, Hal wants to shut down the portal to Nekron's realm, so the rest of the Corps charge Hal up with extra power and he jets into the dead realm. Instead of just blasting the crap out of Nekron (too easy a jump...), Hal reactivates all dead GLs in Nekron's realm, who distract him while the good Guardians finish shutting the portal. The spirit of Hal's ring's previous owner (wrap your head around that one...) pushes Hal out and the day is won...

This piece of a comic book is great. It's everything I want in most comic books, a clearly defined good and evil, virtuous heroes, dedicated villains, colorful art (a definite influence on my CosMick story...) and a generally happy ending. It's very contained within one or two issues and it doesn't cross over with any other books/characters needlessly. If you ever see my copy of it, the pages have grown slightly yellowed and soft due to years of reading over and over. It's a very solid issue and I never get tired of flipping through it...

Grade: A...

With all the convenience of the 80's...

It has been stated that I highly enjoy the preparing of foodstuffs. So it should be no surprise that I have a few choice cooking gadgets to aid in the process. Over Christmas, I added a vintage, brand new device to my repertoire; one I've been wanting since I was a kid (if you can believe that...). Thankfully, now I don't have to wait for my mother to die to get one. Ladies und Gentlemen, I give unto thee - The Kabob-It...

When I was a kid, my family would occasionally bust out the Kabob-It and have some bite sized food for dinner. As a kid, I thought the Kabob-It was way cool; not a whole lot has changed since then. Mom would cut up some meat and veggies, skewer them up, and each of us would get two sticks of food for dinner (plus some filler dish, like potatoes or rice...). It was a ball, at least for a kid growing up in the mid 80's through the mid 90's. We didn't use the Kabob-It that often, though. I imagine that it was because it was a little bulky and cumbersome and even too fragile to keep out on a regular basis. As I got older, I made Mom promise me that I would get the Kabob in the will (understand: I was a teenager telling a 30 something mother about what I wanted upon her demise...). She would laugh and usually say yes. I hadn't thought about the Kabob-It much in a long time, until...

My family is a huge fan of yard sales (future blog post...) and we have pretty good luck finding great deals on interesting items. I nearly bought a 5 foot iron wrench for 30 bucks cause I thought it was cool (Tara thanked me later by not not marrying me...). Occasionally, my family is also great at keeping secrets, especially around the holidays. For Christmas, I unwrapped a fairly big box that contained a mint condition Kabob-It. The skewers were still in the original plastic, the wire was tied together with the original twist tie, even the manual was cherry. I can only imagine someone received this as a wedding gift or a college present or something and didn't think they would ever use it. Suckers. Well, their loss is my gain and I am now the proud owner of a working Kabob-It in fantastic condition...

This very evening, I used the Kabob-It for the second time and made beef with pirate sauce and Italian peppers (my own concoctions...) for our standard Thursday night dinner with friends. Coupled with this was white rice and some red beans w/ rice (protein for the vegetarians...). We cracked some wine (a Riesling, a Tugboat Red, and the rest of the Rosa Regale...) and made a meal of it. It seemed to go over well. It did, however, enforce some facts about the Kabob-It; it is only really good for dinners for 4 max or hors devors (say it phonetically; it's fun...) for a party. There is too much prep to do for more than a 4 person dinner, especially breaking it up between vegetarians and carnivores. It'd just be quicker to use a skillet or grill. It certainly wouldn't be cooler, though. I highly recommend finding a Kabob-It or buying a modern day equivalent. I love using it, and I think you will too...

More money = More wins (usually...)...

It's no secret that I am a Magic the Gathering fan. I've been playing the game since middle school (read: mid-90's...), and have enjoyed the game on a variety of levels. It's great fantasy fodder, the game play is unique and has great variety to it, and it's easy to get into and teach (given enough time...). I applaud Richard Garfield for coming up with the bare bones of the game as well as the scores of MtG design teams who, 4ish times a year, give us new cards to play with. However, there is one aspect of the game I don't think I'll ever really become a part of: the Pro-Tour crowd. Let me explain...


I used to keep up on the most current sets of Magic. A new set would come out and I'd rush to any store that would sell them to crack open some new cards (and Oh! that new card smell...). It's part of the reason I have such a large collection. But after a while (say, post Mirrodin...), I stopped buying so many cards. Not surprising, really; about that time, I was in college for a while, no real job, no more allowance from Mom and Dad, then I started bouncing from place to place (don't ask...), so buying Magic cards had to take a back seat until I got my act together. In fact, I really didn't start purchasing cards again until Time Spiral came out, and did I love the ever-loving hell out of that set/block. But even then, I have never gotten back to my old buying habits. In the end, it's probably for the best...

The previous paragraph was for the following statement: Pro-Tour players buy specific, powerful cards to make specific, powerful decks to compete against specific, powerful decks. Despite previous dreams to the contrary, I have never been nor will I ever be amongst this group of Magic players. I have neither the time nor the resources nor the desire anymore to become that obsessed with Magic. To win at the tournaments, you gotta have the best strategies and the best deck with the best cards, regardless of cost. I love the game, don't get me wrong. But I don't love the game like this. Case and point: when I go to prereleases (the only Magic tournament I ever frequent...), I look out for the dollar rare box for fun and exciting cards to round out my collection or to make a quirky deck idea I've been kicking around. I will not spend dealer price for Magic cards (150.00 dollars for a Bird of Paradise [a couple years ago] is just ridiculous...). Once I saw a guy trade a huge stack (probably well over 100...) of cards AND drop 30 bucks for one card. In this game, I'll always take quantity over quality, thank you very much...

BUT (there is always a but...), I would be remiss if I did not mention a moment in my life that I did indeed pay merchant price for an individual card. The card in question is pictured: Force of Nature. As a youngling, I felt a very visceral reaction to the card itself; The name is killer, he looks like the Hulk with a Predator head, he's a huge trampling creature with a unique cost (I'm a sucker for huge uniqeness...). In the late 90's, I paid 8.00 dollars American for that piece of cardboard. I doubt I've even played with it 10 times because the actual execution of the card in game is not so good. He requires too much dedication in a deck that I don't normally build. I keep the card, though, as a reminder: Don't waste your money on cards with little practical application. Magic, in the end, is merely a game and you have to get more out of it than what you pay for it. Buy the Force of Nature is one of the few times I can say that I have not gotten what I've paid for. Lesson learned...

You take the high road and I'll take the low road...

Verily and well met, ye travelers. I had the unique opportunity a while back to take a trip to a place I'd always wanted to see someday. For graduation from Cornell, Tara's parents funded her a trip to Ireland and decided to have me join her part of the way through (I think it was a security measure in the end...). We had a blast and a half in those green hills, let me tell you. Actually, I will do just that. While over there, I kept a journal (a classy gift from TJ...) of what we did and saw each day I was there. So, now it's 2011 and once a week I'll be posting one day of my journal on this blog as well as some choice pictures. So...

Day 0

Flight day! Finally, the stress is ending, at least for the moment. Moving was...an experience. Despite the fact that nothing felt right about it and there were set backs aplenty, it was all completed with relatively few hitches. It also proved what stellar friends I have, especially Jon. I honestly could not have done it without him in every sense of the word. Props to Nick & Kate too. They really made up for the past (don't ask...). But if it weren't for Brian & Tj, Jon would be a best man. Bar none. I owe him BIG after this...

As far as the rest of the day(s...) went, a paraphrase will suffice: Load the cars, do the last errands, drive down, switch the cars, drive again, unload the truck, sleep, unload part of Tara's, (re..)pack, drive to Philly, and here we are. As I write this, the plane is trafficking on the runway and we will be on our way to Birmingham; stop 1 of this magical mystery tour...

(Shortly later...)

Something needs to be said still. Those two bottles of wine for Tara? Yeah, I semi-forgot to mention their existence. No duty was levied even if they were discovered. So, that leaves us with the following:
-The wine was NOT discovered in the process of loading the baggage, meaning no duty AND raises concerns about the security of Philly International...
-The wine WAS discovered, but has no duty attached for whatever reason (This is preferable...)...
-The wine WAS discovered, but no one really cared to do anything about it. Troublesome...
-The wine WAS discovered and subsequently taken out of my bag, for any one of multiple reasons, pre-boarding. Disappointing, but understandable...

This raises a concern (potentially...) about the safety of shipped goods. If the win was indeed not found, then it falls into the category of the wine I sent Mom for Mother's Day. Wrapped in a folded beach towel, the USPS were none the wiser. Hopefully, that is not the case with US Airways. Otherwise, yours' truly could in Biiig trouble ::shudder, shudder::. Don't dwell on it, don't dwell on it, damn it! Ok, good...

The time has come to sign off Day 0. Take off has commenced and I've unloaded all that I wish (for now...). Shortly, I shall ascend and be graced with England's shores. It's my first time so I'm stoked. Journalling will be regular, if haphazardly timed. Ah, there we go. Engines are at maximum thrust as of ..................(it was a fake out...)...............................(we are so going to be late...).......................................................(bunch of assholes...)......Screw it. I'm reading Skymall. See you in the UK!

June 12, 2009
Nicholas C. Witte

Mashups and a surpise guest...

Good morning, music lovers. Originally, this post was going to only feature two artists and explore the pros and cons of each. Turns out there is a third entry to this particular interest of mine that needs exploring. The interest in question is the lovely and complicated art of the mash-up. For those not in the know, doing a mash-up involves taking two or more songs and editting them together to form something new and different. Some of them are good; others, not so much. I myself have even attempted a mash-up or two (don't ask; they were awful...). But the following breakdowns will explore three such artists who (in my most humblest of opinions...) are truly great at the mash-up style...

First up is the guy that caused me to realize just how much power and versility mash-ups could have (TJ introduced me to this artist first, so mad props to him too...). This guy goes by the moniker Girl Talk. His style of mash-ups is definitely more chaotic and frenetic, but he manages to find pieces of music that fit together in ways you would never have imagined. His albums are designed to be listened to as a whole (as he is more of a DJ and thus give the full club experience...), which is interesting because I find him to be a master of epic moments. His type of mash-ups contain a heavy use of rap and r&b (not for everybody...), but add a nice dose of classic rock, metal, and alternative for the rock kids to enjoy. I find his songs to be very freeformed and flowing, with each piece of a recognizable song either meshing with or crashing into the next. This method of creating a mash-up also tends to lead to less cohesion between tracks, which presents less of a full story per album, but just a hodgepodge of interesting blends of styles and songs. Click here and here to see just some of GT at work. Keep your eye out for the Kanye West/Blackstreet moment and Busta Ryhmes/The Police moment(NSFW...)...

We move from the chaotic to the coherent and take a look at a gentleman who goes by the name DJ Earworm. A California-based DJ, he has come into a certain amount of fame by taking the 25 top pop songs of the year and creating a new song with bits and pieces of them. Not just a song, mind you, but a piece of music where the lyrics and music line up to tell a different story than any of the artists may have originally intended. He brands the project 'The United States of Pop' and it is an appropriate title. Each USofP is a slice of our year long interest into pop music. If Girl Talk is the indy, ecclectic friend that spends most of the time living in the basement, then DJ Earworm is his more social acceptable brother that his parents are more visably proud of. Not that it makes him better or worse than GT; it is, however, different. DJ Earworm's focus on songwriting within a mash-up allows him to create music that actually shows an interesting psychological insight to our musical taste from one year to the next. Recurring themes (such as putting your hands up, dancing, etc...) show what we wanted to hear for that particular year in pop music. Beyond the enjoyment of the mash-up, this insight to the American music consumer was fascinating to me. Click here and here for the 2010 and 2008 for the better (to me...) mixes that DJ Earworm has given unto us...


And finally, a recent (and awesome...)find for me: Rock Sugar. I cannot stop listening to what these four guys are creating. These dudes take 80's pop music and 80's rock/metal and fuse them into glorious, powerful songs that would never had occurred to the normal among us. Largely parodic (seeing as the lead singer is the voice of Wakko from the Animaniacs...), I am affectionately going to refer to them as a spiritual successor to Spinal Tap in what they do and how they are doing it. Even though the band has a false background (they were stranded on a desert island with nothing but a 13 year old's cd collection from the 80's and tons of batteries [true story...]...), the musicians involved with this little crazy project have some serious chops. What I like about these guys, almost more so than Earworm or GT, is that they do this stuff live rather than take samples and make something new of them. They needed to actually sit down, figure out chord progressions, assemble the lyrics to match parts of the songs, and probably tons of other details that I don't understand (being that I am relatively less than a musician...). I am absolutely purchasing the cd from Amazon the moment it goes down from 100.00. Click here and here for a little taste of Rock Sugar...

It's elementary...

I recently watched the newest version of Sherlock Holmes with my lovely wife, Tara, who hadn't seen it yet. We both enjoyed it very much and I doubly enjoyed watching it with her since I got to see her reaction to it and discuss the movie with her finally. I find it to be a delightful interpretation of this very old franchise and it definitely is a Holmes for a newer generation. I shall digress below...



Story wise, it was very linear but still very intriguing (potential SPOILERS...): We begin with Holmes and Watson concluding a case against a man, Lord Blackwood, about to sacrifice a woman for some sort of nefarious purpose. He is caught and sent to prison. Here's where we actually begin to learn more about the person that is Holmes, rather than the character (if that makes any sense...). We find he is a sad and lonely genius with little social tact (or just ignores it, dealers choice...), while Watson is shockingly normal, about to become married, but is still impressed, intimidated and fascinated by Holmes. So much so that he runs around London with Holmes, disregarding plans with his fiancé to help solve an even bigger case. Lord Blackwood is scheduled to be executed, but mysteriously survives the execution, despite Watson verifying his 'death'. Holmes is eventually contacted by a secret society that believes in magic and is afraid of Lord Blackwood, who practices 'dark arts'. Further added into this mix is Irene Adler, a former romantic interest and female rogue who constantly vexes Holmes. Without giving any more away, Holmes and Watson run about London, getting in and out of danger, look for clues and eventually figure out Blackwood’s endgame scheme and prevent it from occurring...

Robert Downey Jr. is very excellent in this role, especially since it is a Sherlock we are not used to seeing. In the past, we have seen Holmes as a tall, thin English gentleman with a penchant for the violin and a high class demeanor. However, RDJ gives us an extremely disheveled, abrasive Holmes who is not afraid of throwing his incredible knowledge about. This Holmes is actually a lot like a Victorian version of House, M.D. in this manner. Instead of the typical hunting for clues and putting the pieces together in relative safety, this Holmes gets into the fray, gets into fights (and takes his hits like a man...), and is a much more hands on version of the detective. It is very much like they took equal parts James Bond, Batman, and a dash of Tony Stark and came up with a delightful riff on the stuffier version given to us in the past...

The portrayal of Watson by Jude Law also deserves lauding. The old way we have seen Watson (in some of the more memorable versions...) is the fat, bumbling version that misidentifies clues, to which Holmes then corrects him and informs the reader/viewer what's REALLY going on. Law's Watson is much like a more stable but less risky version of Holmes himself; he loves the adventurousness of Holmes' life, but without Holmes, Watson may well have turned into just another doctor. Watson may not know as much about 'everything' as Holmes seems to, but never comes across as bumbling or foolish, nor does Holmes treat him in this manner. Law's Watson can hold his own in a fight and comes across more of Holmes' equal instead of a mere sidekick and glory-spewer. The way Jude played Watson is more along what we would see from the old Holmes (perfect posture, sharp looks, respectful, and EXTREMELY English...), but used this character type to balance the kind of Holmes played by Downey...

To condense the rest into a paragraph does not do it justice, but I will try my best. The side characters (Lord Blackwood, Irene Adler, the Chief Inspector, even the thugs...) are all very dynamic, even if they are all completely original. I will say that none of their performances are stale, wooden, or otherwise unenjoyable. This shows great choices by the director, Guy Ritchie, and his casting team, as well as the script that was used. The story itself was definitely your standard mystery, but was very fun to watch it play out. 'Whodunits' have been, and are always, very popular over the decades we've seen them, and this is no exception. It keeps you interested to see just how Holmes and Watson are going solve the case and just how far the villains (and even the heroes...) are willing to go to meet their goals. The setting is fantastic and even trendy, as Steam Punk-esque settings and scenarios are certain at least on the verge on being IN right now. Victorian-era ANYTHING seems to be very popular as it lends itself to a certain kind of class not seen in other eras...

I cannot think of anyone I would not recommend this movie to. It has appeal on so many levels that you would honestly just have to hate watching movies to not like something in it. The characters are great, the story is fun, the action is believable AND dynamic; it's all around good time. I especially appreciate the work that Robert Downey Jr. has been giving us as of late. It's nice to see that, despite his troubled past, he still has the ability to entertain...

Grade: A+ and waiting patiently for the sequel...

Food for thought (and your belly...)...

How's about a recipe? One of my favorite things to do is cook, especially for those I am closest to (you know who you are...). I try to make all sorts of delights to tantalize taste buds for others. If the food were just for me, I'd make it super damn simple. However, I might as well use all those classes and years of experience and give of myself to those I love. The following is one of my favorite full meals to make and do so quite often...

Caribbean Cola Chicken

Ingredients/amounts:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts - 1 per person...
Bacon, thick-cut - 1 to 2 strips per breast...
Mushrooms, sliced - 2 - 4 slices per breast...
Monterey Jack cheese - 2 - 3 slices per breast (about 3 in. long and less than 1/4 in. thick...)...
Ham, deli/thin-sliced - 2 - 3 pieces per breast...
Two liter bottle of Coca-Cola...
Garlic, salt, pepper...

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees...
2) Spray a 9X9 pan with non-stick coating (good for 4 to 5 people...)...
3) Filet the breasts and open like a book. Tenderize with a meat hammer...
4) Sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic to taste...
5) Wrap mushrooms and cheese in the ham slices. Place at the top of the breast...
6) Roll up the chicken breast and tuck the ends underneath. Seal with bacon...
7) Place each roll-up in the pan. Pour the Coca-Cola over the breasts until the tops are just covered...
8) Bake for 40 minutes. Done when the edges of the bacon are just crispy black. The cola in the pan will become translucent...
9) Lift out with tongs and enjoy...

Two nice dishes for this extravagance range from simple to slightly complex. The easy: purchase some fresh green beans, cut off the stems and steam. The flavor and texture give a nice counter point to the main dish as well as the following other side dish...

Coconut Pineapple Rice with Lemon Grass

Ingredients/amounts:
Coconut milk - 2 cups...
Jasmine rice - 1 cups...
Lemon grass - 1 to 2 stalks...
Pineapple, chunked - Half a can, drained...
Coconut, shredded - Optional...

1) Lightly smash the lemon grass with a rolling pin or other heavy object...
2) Place in the pan with the coconut milk and rice and bring the mixture to a boil...
3) Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and simmer gently.
4) After 15 minutes, check to see if the liquid has been absorbed. Check every 5 minutes until you have the desired consistency...
5) Remove from heat and fluff the rice with a fork...
6) Remove the lemon grass and add pineapple. Let sit for a few minutes before serving
7) Serve with the shredded coconut on top if desired...

Finally, to top off the meal with just a dash of sophistication, I like to serve a crisp, tart white wine with the meal. My preference: The Blues from the Lucas vineyard in Ithaca, NY. The citrusy tartness and clean aftertaste allow the flavors of the food to mingle together with the wine without being overwhelmed or underwhelmed. The Blues is one of my favorite wines of all time, so it should not be a surprise I like it with one of my favorite meals to both prepare and serve. There is no adequate desert to accompany this meal; the foods are so rich and heavy that by the time I'm done eating, I am far too full to think about any sweet treats.

If you choose to use these recipes and have a delightful evening with someone (or some ones...) special, let me know. The art of making food for friends and family is something I hold near and dear to me and sharing the wealth with others, strangers or otherwise, only increases my enjoyment. Until next time, food lovers...

I am a Dreamland Champion...

For today, I'm going over my thoughts on one of my favorite original NES games: Kirby's Adventure. Long before I beat Super Mario Bros., Adventures in the Magic Kingdom (my family is a bunch of Disney-philes...), or any other one player game (M.U.L.E. doesn't count...), I distinctly remember beating Kirby. My buddy Brian got it for Christmas one year and we played the hell out of it. It was awesome. Let's get started...

In a nutshell, you play as Kirby: a light pink roundyman with flippers and dark pink shoes. You can fly, suck up enemies, and take their powers (if they have any...) for yourself. The mission: play through multiple levels to find the boss and retrieve the pieces of the Star Rod. After you defeat King Dedede for the last piece and you think you're done, out pops the villain Nightmare for a showdown in space. Once Nightmare has been defeated, all is returned to normal in Dreamland....

This game absolutely rocks all the way around and back again. It is easily one of the tops games to be released for the NES and it was also one of the last. The SNES had already been released, so Nintendo had to up their game (literally and figuratively...) to get as much life out of the NES they could. The graphics are top notch, containing all the elements that made 8-bit gaming great, while hinting at what 16-bit games were then doing. The music was as advanced as the NES could muster, containing complex melodies and beats that never grew tired. The render of all the different animation levels put many NES games to shame...

As far as gameplay goes, the word 'versitile' does not do it justice. The standard game play has you flying, running, swimming, jumping, getting new powers every other minute, spitting out bad guys, looking for secret doors and puzzles. On top of that, it gives you dexterity games for extra lives(the Claw Game, a western Shoot-Out, and an Egg Swallowing game...), warp zones, a museum and an arena for easier access to certain powers. And the powers! You can grow spikes, spew fire, make ice cubes, turn into a stone, get a UFO, explode across the screen, turn into a wheel, scream into the mike; the list goes on and on. And you may think playing a cute pink blob would be emasculating. It's not at all. Everything about this game is enticing, addicting and all around a good time...

If you have never played this Kirby game (I can't comment on the others...), you are missing out on a truly great experience. Beyond the love of Nintendo, beyond nostalgia itself even, Kirby's Adventure stands out amongst it's peers of the 8-bit era like a king. Few games have given me as much pleasure (or even continued pleasure...) as this game does. I never thought I'd utter these words: I love that cute pink blob thingy...

Grade: A+ and fingers crossed for the Megaman 9 treatment for Kirby...