Saturday, January 30, 2010

Tuper Tario Tros

click to see the creators
Super Mario Brothers meet Tetris

If you like those two games then you'll have fun with this. Use the spacebar to toggle between 'Mario' mode and 'Tetris' mode. You'll be making points either way, as you help Mario travel to the castle.

fyi: This little version is just two levels long, so you'll be able to finish it without spending all day. (thank heavens)

You can play Tuper Tario Tros here online.
Thanks! to kongregate.com & SwingSwingSubmarine.com

Here's someone working on level 1:
{3 min}
Like those old SNES games, but shorter, thank God.



Not to brag but lets just say I did much better on this game than on that other mini Tetris game...

 6-th Place !

Ta da! ... that was fun.

Friday, January 29, 2010

nubile Brezhnev


Wait, come back! - No funky history lesson, honest.
And no pics of that Ruskie as a young man either, because, 'Ew'.

The image above is just a screen-cap of the oddest captcha (word verification) that I ran into this week.

But since nowadays, it seems like the chosen words are more closely linked to the content of what I'm viewing - Where did this one come from?

I assure you I wasn't browsing bloomin' bushy-browed Bolsheviks.

I was actually looking at blogs w/ clips of quirky pets.

So unless a lot of people named their pups, or maybe their platypii, after past Soviet leaders, I'm stumped. Anyone?

p.s.

Isn't there a site that collects strange captchas?...





Hm. No. Not even if said pet had giant eyebrows.



Imagine yelling 'Yasser! or Brezhie! out the front door...

* of course, they won't come... they're dead

info credit, Wikipedia and Wiktionary, thanks!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Fabio Sticks It

{Save Me!}O Fabio! I will read more to you now, yes?
... Fabio? ... FABIO!?


Lol'd reading about Fabio's 'Cafe Firenze'/'Taste!' tour.


The article writer swoons for Fabio & his co-author:

"Like a whirlwind storm, their presence changed the atmosphere and their cologne scented it..."

"Fabio Viviani was hot before he starting cooking on Season 5 of Top Chef. Women loved the handsome Italian with the spiked, short tendrils of black hair..."

"...the people confuse me with Fabio," said Falleni, who smelled of Opium cologne and wore a charcoal Armani suit."

Meanwhile the only recipe of theirs that she mentions?... the balsamic martini. Probably because of this quote:

"It is made with strawberries, vanilla rum, lime, simple syrup and balsamic vinegar," Falleni said. "It's a little acidic, and it's sweet. So, the women go for it of course, and I go for the women..."
(Those were the best bits, to read all, click the pic)


She must write romance novels on the side.

Wanna bet she Tivo'd all his moments on TC too?



p.s.

AARP member?
You could always check out some 'Top Chef Seniors'... Nah.

Seattle calls Kathy Griffin

click to article
...with the siren song of hot mini-donuts?

{seattlepi interview}

Q: Are there any places you visit regularly while in town?

Kathy: My favorite place is at Pike Place Market, you know where they sell the doughnuts. It's a small hippie kiosk where they sell these little sacks of doughnuts. They're amazing. They actually fall down from heaven. That was 90 percent of the reason I visited there. Whoever's running the board of tourism should just say, "Come to Seattle, where there are little sacks of doughnuts."
Now there's a thought.
Heaven probably does have donuts.
Bet the French part has those powder-sugar things too.

Yum. But I"m getting off track here...

KG will be in Seattle through Sunday.


Stroll to her book-signing tonight at 7 p.m. (U of W bookstore, 4326 University Way), or try getting tickets for her 8 p.m. Fri/Sat shows. (Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St)

But remember, if those don't work out, stalk her here:

{55 sec} 'Daily Dozen Doughnut Company'

Love how this video person notes 'dirty glass', but still orders.


And the Pike's Place Pig has duct tape on his neck?
Hm. A band-aid for a bronze boar boosting beignets?

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Monday, January 25, 2010

The Dead Will Tell

And sometimes you need to know.

click to enlarge

Made the chart above as a public service...

All because I was stuck on a train, reading a book that I *thought* was a mystery. Then suddenly an odd character with pointy ears shows up. Uh-oh.

Did I pick up some dreadful fairy tale or a 'Trek', or 'Twilight' knock-off from that grab & go newstand? As I read further I realized that there is a way to tell what you're in for as you dig through that unknown novel. Note how the dead guys are doing, and follow the chart.

Then you'll know if its time to look for the nearest recycling bin. (Sorry to anyone who thinks "Court of the Air" is great stuff.)

* And don't trust newsboys for book recommendations.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

New New York Art

NY demon?<

Floats like a butterfly... made of trash bags.

Caught in a still image, it looks like it could be made of bronze.

* She's looking away because, though he looks like a demon-centaur, he's really just a big windbag. A politician, no doubt.

The video:
{2 min}

I'm glad somebody uploaded this to youtube.

After all, if you're going to have a city full of hot air that smells bad, then dang it! - you might as well dress it up and make it look good!



orig link from: NYmag.com

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Top Bid = Top Chef

la TOUR

Get your bids in!


The NY Drama League's annual Benefit Gala Auction has begun, and one item is a Tour of Top Chef:

#-139 This 'priceless' VIP package includes:

4 VIP tickets to a Top Chef Tour show
(* pick any 2010 Tour stop)
Meet and greet with TC chefs
Tour of the Top Chef Tour Kitchen
Top Chef gift bag, including items such as
an autographed Quickfire cookbook,
Top Chef t-shirt
Top Chef apron
etc...

Highest bid so far is $ 650

Woo, its getting expensive. But not as expensive as going to the auction in person. Tickets to the event start at $750, going up to $1,995, or $7,500 to reserve a table. And add to that whatever ca$h you plan to spend on drinks or the auction itself...

Online auction is here: Bidding For Good .


* Just 2 weeks left to bid - I'm wondering how high it will go, because the online bids are just the beginning. They will continue to allow additional bids at the gala event itself.

Are drama geeks also foodies? - Guess we'll find out.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Chicken ala Craig

;-)
On the 10th anniversary of food maven Craig Claiborne's passing... here's my favorite chicken recipe of his:

Tarragon Chicken Crepes
2 cups cooked chicken cut into 'dice' cubes
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup heavy cream
Salt to taste, if desired
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tb chopped fresh tarragon or 1/2 tsp dried
8 crepes (use your favorite recipe)
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley.
1. Cut chicken, and set aside.
* reserve the cooking liquid (if homemade)

2. Heat butter in a pan and add the flour, whisk together.
When blended and smooth, add the broth, stirring rapidly with the whisk. Add the cream, salt and pepper to taste, cayenne pepper, nutmeg and tarragon.

3. Add half of the sauce to the chicken and stir to blend.

4. Use equal portions of the chicken filling to fill each of eight crepes. Fold the crepes as desired, two per plate.

5. Spoon the remaining cream sauce over each serving, and sprinkle with chopped parsley for garnish and flavor.

Yield: Four servings.

And its very 'Yum' !


Thursday, January 21, 2010

First Person Tetris

some quick fun
New twist on an old game: You look at the screen and realize that this '1st person tetris' has your active piece always in dead center.

So how do you add each new piece in? You must use the spacebar to 'rotate the screen'. Then when the pile slides to the center to meet its newest piece it all fits together. Easy, right?...

Well, lets just say my High Score is Not-So-High.

So, when it snows again,
or when you have insomnia...
stay indoors for a bit and
go play online here:

FirstPersonTetris.com





eta: one guy's video of his attempt:
{90 sec}

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Awesome Ad-libs

With Indiana Jones & Marion, and Hannibal Lecter

SpikeTv listed Classic Movie Moments You Didn't Know Were Improv. I've never seen Full Metal Jacket, Taxi Driver, or Clockwork Orange so I skipped theirs. And the 'Here's Johnny!' (The Shining) and 'Play it Again, Sam' (Casablanca) are already well known.
So below are just my favorites from their list.

First, from 'Raiders of the Lost Ark':

''Egypt was absolute hell to shoot, with cast and crew frequently becoming ill and injured. At one point Harrison Ford tore a ligament and John Rhys-Davis actually crapped his pants during filming. Much of it was pushed through and indeed the entire scene with Marion (Karen Allen) and Belloq getting drunk in a tent was also completely improvised.

The sequence with the swordsman was originally meant to involve Indy running around with the swordsman in pursuit, but Ford had come down with dysentery and wasn't in the mood to do much running when his bowels were doing enough of that already. So he suggested they just shoot the bastard and be done, resulting in one of the most entertaining scenes in the entire film.''

Indy Whips Up An Ad-lib ;-)
{12 sec}

Raiders: Marion and evil Belloq get drunk
{4 min}



Teeth-sucking Cannibal Hannibal

''While this line was in fact in the script, his hissing after was not, and surprised everyone on set particularly Jodie Foster. That disturbed look on her face there? That wasn't acting - she was genuinely creeped out.''

{16 sec}

Congrats, Anthony Hopkins...

That scene is still creepy to me too.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Just One King

not a photo!
and, um, who are those other two?...


Dang! Today the trio was removed, and I realized that I forgot my camera. Now we won't see them again til next fall.

I'm sorry you all missed it. Each December the 4-year-olds in a nearby nursery school get to set up the three wise men. They love doing it, and its pretty simple; the big round heads go on the colorful triangle bodies.

And then you put on the crowns and the beards and 'Voila'! Except these small kids always have a problem hanging the chin toupees onto those round heads. So, because the beards slip, the kids hike them higher so they stay up...

And I always smile when I drive by each year to see that the child in the manger will again be visited by his one king, and two masked bandits.

Next year I'll remember the camera, 'k?

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Puppy Panic

Eek!
Some people have dogs that are scaredy-cats.

It started off with Jason E: 'Our dog Bailey’s fears seem fairly rational: thunder & lightning, the vacuum. But we discovered a new one last weekend:
The process of putting batteries in the Wii remote just terrifies her'

And then he asked:

'What's the most inexplicable thing your pet is afraid of?'

Some of the many replies to his query:


My friend files his Doberman’s claws with a dremel, but the dog can’t watch. It has to look away while he does it. -Randy

We came upon a worker in a drain so only the top half of his body was showing. This freaked my dog out so bad she wouldn’t walk past -June

My friend's dog was afraid of his own farts. We’d hear a soft eruption and his head would snap up, he’d sniff his rear end and sprint away - all the while looking behind him to see if it was following. wonderful entertainment for two 12 year olds! -Jarrod

My badass-looking Shepherd is afraid of frail elderly people -Steve

I have the most laid-back horse ever, til a baby buggy rolls by -LT

My corgi, Snickers, chases after the vacuum, protects my nephew during storms, and barks at strange dogs five times her size. But yesterday, during a leisurely drive, my fearless corgi dove under the seat in terror when a maple leaf blew in the car window. - Danielle

My cat is afraid of fat people. She broke her leash once, when trying to run away from our large neighbour. embarrassing… hard to explain tactfully why my cat suddenly had to run for her life when he left his apartment -Mimi

My dog is afraid of plates. She will only eat from one if it has sat on the floor long enough for her to believe that it won’t move. If it moves while she's eating? she runs away. - LAM

My cat appears to be disgusted by waffles. Toast and butter a couple of waffles, and he will flee the room with claws extended -Jaime

Our Sheltie, Ace, barks hysterically at toast...
& the word “toast” (because it means “toast”).
& butter (because it goes on toast).
& jelly (see “Butter”)... Ace is very anti-toast. -Chris

Our lab was terrified of a snowman in our neighborhood. I walked her (read: dragged her) over to the snowman to show her that it was harmless. Thereafter, every day we had to visit the snowman. -jane

Wood floors. The dog leaps between rugs to get around -Megan

My bf's dog is afraid of empty pizza boxes. -Christina

Our cat is scared of bananas. She’ll run if she hears you tearing one off the bunch, and if you come up to her with a peeled one, she hisses and bats at you -Donna

My dog is terrified of rain. She’ll beg to go outside to potty, but the second she feels a drop of rain, she runs back in. Which is a problem, cuz we live in Seattle! -kl

Spot was afraid of wind – he’d hear it thru the window and run into the bathtub! The only other thing which scared him was when my ex would make Thai curry -Spiro

My Jack Russell loves the hair dryer, vacuum, fireworks, and anything loud (his favorite being tiny girls as they scream when he chases them) But he is deathly afraid of bubble gum bubbles. It’s straight under a pillow if you blow one his direction -Dez

My bunny is terrified of the sound of foil, panics and bolts -Bonnie

Dog refused to use the front door when we replaced the doormat -Barb

My cat’s afraid of tupperware. - Kat H

My lab mix developed a fear of pasta. If you’re boiling it or even shake the box at him, he hides behind the couch - mee

My dog loves to watch TV, but absolutely LOSES it when animals talk like people (eg. Salem the cat on Sabrina) not sure how much is fear and how much is jealousy, however - Alyssa

My dog is afraid of things with antlers, & me on Halloween - Susan

Our dog was afraid of cameras, remote control cars, & lighters. My parents lined these things up on the couch when they went out so he'd stay off of it -Rissa

My dog is afraid of getting his hair/nails cut and of snow. A few weeks ago we gave him a trim and then there was a blizzard. poor guy didn’t stop shaking for days -vegeb

My dog is terrified of paper plates. every time he sees me eating off of one, he shies away and shakes until I throw it out -RS

Our lab is afraid of unlit candles. Show one to her and she runs away like a mad thing, but comes back for more -Brooke

Mine is afraid of my 16 oz. chinchilla. Laughed so hard at the dog being chased around the kitchen by the tiny chinchilla -Caroline

My dog is terrified of Jesus, Mary & Joseph (plastic xmas ones) -Carrie

Both my dog and cat are afraid of aerosol sprays, or even if I just make a “sssspt!” at them (guess I’m mean since I find it hysterical) -Miss T

my poor doggie is afraid of guitars. unfortunately, i’m gonna have to take blame for that one since i used to chase him around the house with one when he was a puppy -mariaaa

My dog is afraid of the words “Dorito” and “burrito.” -Tiffani

my dog is afraid of the toaster, it pops up she wigs out -Julia

*these anti-toast pets?... dogs -love- toast, yes?*


Too bad those dogs & cats can't talk - wouldn't you like to know what's really going on in their minds, and in those houses?



JE's orig link @ Mental Floss

Saturday, January 16, 2010

The Met Next Door

click to see
My local cinema is turning into Lincoln Center today, courtesy of a digital-streaming simulcast from The Met. Its a cool use of this new technology; now everyone can see their favorite big shows on a big screen.

But I think I'll pass on this particular one.

The music will be memorable I'm sure, but the plot?... well, just in case you don't know it:
'Carmen', the opera, (in 50 words)

Trashy hot cigarette gal entices soldier boy.
She flees justice, he takes the rap, sings.

She feels guilty, sings, thinks she loves him.
He's released; they 'smuggle' away together.

She tires of him, picks bullfighter instead.
boy: "If I can't have her no one will..!"
(big song) Stabbity-stabbity-stab. (the end)


Not exactly a PC tale for today.

Maybe we'd prefer Tom & Jerry's version:

(complete w/ cartoon Lincoln Center!)


{7 min}

Friday, January 15, 2010

Twoddlers Twitter




TweedleDum and TweedleDee
can go high Twech


{20 sec}

Yes, you heard that right, a Belgian university group set up a toddler toy so every touch on its board sends a 'tweet' to the web. Are the Belgian taxpayers proud, or what?

Love that the newsies decided that Jr's tweets were:
'I miss you'...
....'I wanna play'...
...'I'm having a tantrum !'

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Bridal Bon Mots

For newbies planning nuptials...
advice !?
Mags n Dags Bride Dish

...
DEAR MAGS + DAGS:
Growing up, I considered myself a pioneer. You know, the girl who tended to go all-out. The theater kid who wore full La Boheme garb one year, then convinced my boyfriend to do Puck alongside my Hippolyta the next.

So my wedding date is set for this Halloween. Friends and family are wary of my bridal selections. One question for you: are candy corn centerpieces gauche?

signed - Acting The Part Of Bride


MAGS: Yikes, you are too much! This is a column for BRIDES, and some brides don't lose it till their wedding night. Well, that's what I read in an old book that smelled funny. Why was I looking inside an old book that smelled funny? Trying to seduce the hot guy in the bookshop! Do my flirtations work? Do old books smell funny? Yes, of course they do. What was all this about again?

Oh right, your perverted letter to our fabulous advice column! Look, just because you're fully down with La Boheme (to be totally honest I've only just skimmed the Kama Sutra for the sexy sketches) doesn't mean you have to look down at the more innocent brides. So what if you lost it in high school by letting some guy "do Puck" to your "Hippolyta" (your naughty words, not mine!)? BRIDES read this column with their MOTHERS. Then they go to bridal salons and drink complimentary champagne. MMMMMMM. Makes you want to almost pretend to get married, doesn't it? Oh right, that's what you're doing, "Acting the part" right? Or is that some joke about faking orgasms I'm not totally understanding?

And in answer to your question: No, I'm sorry, but candy corn centerpieces are not ghosts. Can candy corn centerpieces become haunted? In theory, I suppose. But if you are so fired up about getting ghosts to haunt your tables this Halloween night, then you're going to have to discuss it with your wedding coordinator (who may or may not be able to work that into the budget).

P.S. In response to what you wrote earlier: No, I don't know "the girl who tended to go all-out." Was she in Busty Baronesses 4: Royally Nasty?

P.P.S. I mean, because I am a lady, (who writes for a respectable column and LOOOOVES her job) I do not get those channels. So my answer is still no.

...
DAGS: In short, I never cared for theater dorks. Seems you lost the costume and kept with the drama. How gauche (the only thing you have going for you is that you aren't as clueless as Mags).

The appropriate wedding reception centerpieces, my dear, are flowers. In lieu of flowers, you can set out candles. Candy corn should be reserved for what the guests get to pelt you with.
(my thoughts exactly ;-)


Since you love period costumes so darn much, why not skip the wedding gown altogether? Instead, dress as Paul Revere, and run through the reception hall screaming, "The guests are coming! The guests are coming!" Scream your empty little head off. Your guests are entitled to a ghoulish treat. It is Halloween, after all. Mwahahahahaaaaa!

Just click their images (above) to get even more priceless pointers for your baffled brides and befuddled bridegrooms.

* Hey, they're cheaper than eloping... or therapy.




{4 min}

Monday, January 11, 2010

Cash Cab Clues

NOT mine, but its real
Coming courtesy confirmed contestants! :

1. No, no, it’s not rigged... but
2. Some NY players were pre-screened...
...via a come-on for a 'NYC travel show'.
3. Your check, not cash, arrives weeks later. Sorry.
4. host Ben Bailey is actually a comedian... but
5. He has taken and passed the NYC cabbie exam.
6. If you lose, you get the t-shirt above.
7. In 'real' pickups, they stop the cab, explain rules.
8. You can't reveal if you won before your ep airs.
9. There are many Cash Cabs, in 20+ countries.
(chilly Calgary CA could be CCCCCab!.. ;-)
10. A production van follows CCab. In NY its white.
a quote: 'hot sh*t was it a fun time!'...

... I bet !



click to go therethese tidbits from Reddit, & wiki, &:




lastly...

{70 sec}

FYI: There's no crying in Cash Cab!

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Jon, the Moe-ron

Jon, go away
(Jon's twin? - Moe of The Simpsons)



NEWS: 'Reality' celebutard, Jon Gosselin, is unhappy.

Jon & Morgan Christie source: zimbio.com
(cry us a river, Jon-boy...)

He's mad the paparazzi found out about his newest gf
.



Meanwhile, Jon's eHarmony profile:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[x]... Crabby
[x]... Fickle
[x]... Immature
w/... Debts piling up
& ... 8 kids under eight
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How does he get even one date, much less a girlfriend?



So, is this today's 'hot male' ?

just go away, Jon
Or have fems under-26 gone dumb & blind?...

Or maybe the entire U.S. turning into 'Jersey Shore'?

Someone please explain. Sigh.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Big Zoomen

{30 sec}*
A video of zoomen, really.

Actually, its not guys who clean up after elephants.
'Zoomen' is German for 'Zoom'; just watch the video.

''Hei''! ('Wow'!)


'Ist das noch ein auto'?... ha!


*first loop of video shows just final run - click again to see all


Wish winter moved that quick... it'd be spring already.

;-)

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Oh Genevieve, St. Genevieve

Today is Saint Genevieve's Day,
and she's the Patron Saint of Paris...

...because my pop-up calendar told me so.

The only time I heard about her was in Camelot:
{3 min}

In 'The Simple Joys of Maidenhood',
with those pure & innocent lyrics:

St. Genevieve! St. Genevieve!
It's Guenevere, remember me?

St. Genevieve! St. Genevieve!
I'm over here beneath this tree
You know how faithful and devout I am
You must admit I've always been a lamb
But, Genevieve, St. Genevieve

I won't obey you any more
You've gone a bit too far
I won't be bid and bargain'd for
Like beads in a bazaar

St. Genevieve, I've run away
Eluded them and fled
And from now on I intend to pray
To someone else instead!

Oh, Genevieve, St. Genevieve
Where were you when my youth was sold?
Dear Genevieve, sweet Genevieve
Shan't I be young before I'm old?

Where are the simple joys of maidenhood?
Where are all those adoring, daring boys?
Where's the knight pining so for me
He leaps to death in woe for me?
Oh, where are a maiden's simple joys?

Shan't I have the normal life a maiden should?
Shall I never be rescued in the wood?
Shall two knights never tilt for me
And let their blood be spilt for me?
Oh, where are the simple joys of maidenhood?

Shall I not be on a pedestal
Worshipped and competed for?
Not be carried off, or better st'll
Cause a little war?

Where are the simple joys of maidenhood?
Are those sweet, gentle pleasures gone for good?

Shall a feud not begin for me?
Shall kith not kill their kin for me?
Oh, where are the trivial joys
Harmless, convivial joys
Where are the simple joys of maidenhood?

LOL - Where indeed?


Luckily St. G.'s also the Patron Saint Against Disaster.


FYI: for you Harry Potter fans, you'll be thrilled to know that her dad was the original 'Severus'.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Celebrity Reveal

go to 'Visual Thesaurus'

Knew I wouldn't be back til Sunday, so I collected these celebrity bon mots for 2010 in advance. (here & here) Enjoy!

Resolutions from the glitterati...
Big Lo, rapper: I hope to get married and settle down this year. Aside from that, my plan for this year is to take over the Hip-Hop scene in Nigeria

Blackky, reggae artist: I pray that the will of Jah be fulfilled

Etcetera, singer: to continue to be the person I am in 2010

Illbliss, rapper: My plan for 2010 is to make a lot of money

Terry Tha Rapman, rapper:
It was basically a year of sowing seeds for me,
so I expect 2010 to be a year of bountiful harvesting

Tobey Maguire: To spend more time with my family.

Hugh Grant: To go west.

Maggie Gyllenhaal: To be the best mother I can be.

Jeff Bridges: To be more alert.

James Franco: To walk more.

Ellen Burstyn: To lose some weight.

Emily Blunt: To not make any resolutions.
Perhaps Emily has the right idea...


Hope y'all have a great 2010!



Now where'd I leave my aspirin & that mimosa?