I Got Smurfed

Planned for a 2011 release, Sony Picture presents the epic saga, The Smurfs - in 3D. I thought the Smurf movie already came out and it was called, Avatar. I mean those silly creatures looked like Smurfs.

In my generation there was nothing more hated and loathed than the Smurfs. Smurf were a mixture of a lawn gnome and demonic imp. They embodied cultural happiness to the point to extreme Xenophobia. As a species were comprised of all men with only one girl and command by a  Jim Jones character called Papa Smurf.

They lived in their own private clutches - kind of a "Blue Flight" from the rest of the intelligent creature of the land. Worse they had this kind of "Martyr Complex". The outside world was destined to destroy them. Smurfs were never proactive - for example, taking out Gargamel in his sleep.

Last but not least. the Smurfs were damn, pinko Communists.

I'm not looking forward to the movie and I will not be spending good American money on it. That is unless my daughter wants to see it ... then all bets are off

Links:

The Smurfs - IMDb
Smurfs Official Movie site
Smurfs Communist Leanings
Avatar Official site.
Threadless t-shirts
Avatar/Smurf Artist
Avatar is Smurf meets Dances with Wolves

I have sinned

Today, I gave my liberty to a video game. May the gods have mercy upon one of my three remaining lives.

StarCraft II - Blizzard Entertainment.

Take Me to the River: A poem in honor of EMB

The Mighty Kmuzu has commissioned a poem be created in honor and homage of Elvis in My Basement. The poem was written by the esteemed rhapsodist, Michael Nicholas Hunt. Enjoy my friends .. enjoy

Take me to the River

by Michael Nicholas Hunt

The Strip; Amazon of the desert

draining a rain forest of torrential light

In its psychedelic foliage, I glimpse

glowing, falling then floating down river

a glistening Sun God cape

and flaring rhinestone slacks

billowing in the funky heat

It pumps my adrenalin

like a camera flash

Juiced; I haunt the river bank

rolling dem bones in the jungle

chips rasping like crickets

gilded mosquito swarms humming

exotic birds chiming in

Compulsively I probe, push, and search

in a ritual of rolling sound and vision

It electrifies me with jolts

then shorts out

when bleary eyes

and a bitter taste on tongue

break my trance

And as I float away from the main river

with my headlights pointed for home

towards the dark desert

My radio streams to me 

Memphis Mississippi

Kissing cousin of the Nile

source spring of Cash and Kings

reaching out to me in the darkness

In my dark room

I feel as if I’m underground

groping for a light switch

searching vacantly

nursing a void

like I need to stumble blindly over

Elvis in my basement

and touch his regal mantle

as he rests eternally,

a Southern Pharaoh

in contemplation of afterlife

I would brush my hand over his chops

His lips would curl against the palm of my hand

He would clear his throat

and with an unmistakable Southern Huh!

The King lives

****** 

Copyright 2010 Michael Nicholas Hunt

This poem may not be copied, published or modified without the written consent from  Michael Nicholas Hunt. 

******

If you're interested in commissioning a poem from Mr. Hunt you can contact him through Fiverr at Balkanverse. 

Two New Cameras

I love funky cameras. It all started with my purchase of a Chinese camera called the Holga 120 FN. I purchased the 35mm kit - who wants to use 120 film and it took wonderfully strange pictures.

Then I purchased a Olympus OM-1 camera. This camera was made in the early 70's and it works great. I'm sure in the days before digital this camera cost a couple hundred bucks, but I got it off Ebay for less than fifteen.

My next purchase was an Agfa Optima 200. It was built in the early 70's. As of yet have not taken any pictures with this camera.

Then I came across two really cool toy cameras: A Lomography Fisheye lens and Lomography 4 Lens Action Sampler.

The Fisheye is a very cool camera. It takes regular 35mm film and loads like any other traditional film camera. The lens will capture light 170 degrees from end to end. The lens compacts this wide-view onto a standard 35mm shot on the film.

The camera was less than forty bucks in-the-box new and came with a flash. For that price it was a no brainer. I was surprised at the quality of the camera. It seems pretty rugged with the door and all the latches fitting tightly together. The view finder was useless, but it's best to shoot-from-the-hip anyway. There is a switch on the front for the flash - requires one AA battery.

It was easy to shoot - I used 400 speed film. The camera works best in full sunlight with an expansive setting. Indoors the pictures tend to have a carnival mirror look.

The next camera, the LOMO 4 Lens Action Sampler is a standard 35mm camera with four lenses in a square shape. Each lens fires off in a series at 1/4 a second apart. The end result is a picture with four pictures on it. Each picture captures a moment in a series.

I purchased this camera for about twelve dollars and it is not as nicely constructed as the fisheye. The camera is lightweight and the latches and doors do not feel like they latch together tight and secure. The film was also pretty difficult to load and the view finder - a plastic square is all but unusable.

I recommend using high speed film for this camera. I used 800 speed. The lenses are small and require a lot of light. There is no flash on this camera and it's just as well.

Still for a toy camera that costs 12 bucks how can you wrong and as you can see the pictures are fun and exciting. 

Ultimate Elvis Weekend

July 23 - 24 at the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas.

It's everything Elvis this weekend in Las Vegas. Over twenty Elvis impersonators will compete in a Blue Suede Shoes contest. There will be a mass wedding ceremony conducted by the King. Karaoke singing and dancing and a parade down Fremont Street led by Elvis in a pink Cadillac. 

Who knows maybe the real Elvis will show up? You know Yours-Truly will be looking  for him.

Schedule of Events:

Friday, July 23
· 8:00 p.m. – Parade of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Contestants led by a Pink Cadillac
· 8:10 p.m. – Elvis Contestants walk the Red Carpet to the stage
· 8:15 p.m.– Midnight – Ultimate Elvis Tribute Competition, 1st Street Stage
· Midnight – Midnight Mass – Wedding Vow Renewal, 1st Street Stage
· Midnight–2 a.m. – Elvis Karaoke, Main Street Stage (open to the public)

Saturday, July 24
· 8:00 p.m. – Parade of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Contestants led by a Pink Cadillac
· 8:10 p.m. – Elvis Contestants walk the Red Carpet to the stage
· 8:15 p.m.– Midnight – Ultimate Elvis Tribute Competition, 1st Street Stage
· Midnight – Midnight Mass – Wedding Vow Renewal, 1st Street Stage
· Midnight–2 a.m. – Elvis Karaoke, Main Street Stage (open to the public

 Source: Easy Las Vegas Deals

Snuggie is not a good fit

I was in the bathroom. It seems at my age that I spend a lot more time in there than I like. Anyway, I was in the bathroom reading the latest addition of Bed Bath & Beyond - We Love College. Why I was reading this is another story - one I will not tell.

I came across this advertisement for Snuggie. Remember Suggie? It was an infomercial rage a few years ago. The Snuggie is basically a fleece hospital gown.

This ad has some disturbing elements. Am I wrong but doesn't XXL stand for double extra-large? Is this an appropriate gift to give a female graduate? What exactly is the gift giver saying about the giftee?

Furthermore, what kind graduation gift is a Sunggie in the first place? As you can see in the ad, graduations happen at the beginning of summer, way too hot for the Snuggie.  I mean is it like: "Here's a Snuggie my Honey Pie. It's an XXL so it's sure to fit and you can use it oh - eight months from now."

"Great Dad; this is better than a car or a laptop could ever be."

I also noticed that apparently you're supposed to wear your underwear when going out in a Snuggie. I don't think this is advisable especially as you can plainly see in the picture the back is completely exposed. I can't stress enough that wearing a thong would be just as bad; maybe even a little worse.

To wrap this up - Snuggies are bad graduations gifts. It's better just to give cash. Everyone loves and appreciates cash. Snuggies are just bad gifts for any occasion - other than Christmas in Minnesota. Next, if you do wear a Snuggie, it is advisable to wear at least pajama bottoms underneath. Please don't go outside the house in your Snuggie. The Snuggie is not meant for public display.

I do not own the rights to the picture shown in this post. I am using this picture under the "Fair Use" copyright law.

Adventure Time

My new favorite kid's cartoon is Adventure Time and it's on the Cartoon Network on Mondays at 8pm. I feel a little shame watching a kid's cartoon, but this one is so good. I'm not sure why .. I think it's because the cartoon is so unexpectedly violent and anarchic that makes it so much addicting to watch. My daughter put on the cartoon and I thought well this is just silly, but then I got lost in the mayhem - almost hypnotized.

There are real twists in the plot and the characters are deterministic, yet vibrant and chaotic. It's just really cool okay.

The cartoon focuses on two main protagonist. Finn (a 12 year old boy) and his dog Jake (28 years old - dog years).

Finn is a kind of Peter Pan character. He is a maverick and dramatic and above all chivalrous. Finn is skilled in all kinds of combat, including the psych attack where he looks like he's going to kick but at the last moment does an upper cut.

Jake is wise, at times apathetic and the moral compass for the team. Jake also has magical powers such as growing super large, long stretching appendages (including nose). And to top it off the dog speaks fluent Korean.


Together they go on wild and adventurous quests. Their goal is to defeat and vanquish the main antagonist the Ice King.


The Ice King and his disembodied heart are the only antagonist so far. The Ice King is old and corrupt. He lusts after the Bubblegum Princess. He has magical powers in his frozen kingdom. He can throw ice-lightning bolts and freeze characters and objects in ice.


Sound interesting? Here is a trailer for the cartoon.

Adventure Time Epic Trailer

The setting and characters do remind me somewhat of Homestar Runner. Maybe it's that Princess Bubblegum and the Ice King in Adventure Time remind me of King of Town and Marzipan in Homestar.

As you can see in the trailer the cartooning is excellent. The character are so fluid and the animator have a way of breaking every boundary but still keeping it real. I especially the rubber hose arms and legs.
 Like Ren and Stimpy from time to time there is a close up / freeze frame to show more detail or the convey a strong emotion.

Adventure Time takes absurd to a whole new level and I like it.

The last word on Star Wars

I just recently watched Mark Edlitz's documentary, Jedi Junkies. What I liked about the film is Editz's has a fundamental respect for the people involved in Star Wars fandom. It doesn't try to psychologically over-analyze the subculture nor is it sarcastic or demeaning.

The film honestly shows the good, the bad and certainly the ugly of the Star Wars fans. Jedi Junkies depicts ordinary people who live Star Wars every day. The documentary shows compulsive collectors, including Edwardo Sanchez of Blair Witch fame, people who design and dress in unbelievably realistic costumes and film reenactments - the most popular being Chad Vader-Day Shift Manager.

Okay I am now going to slip into my own kind of geekness. Unlike the Star Trek fans who seem overly occupied with establishing some kind of management structure and then ordering each other around, Star Wars fans seem to be much more carefree. From what I saw it was like a SciFi Renaissance fair, if that makes any sense. Star Wars fans also seem adept at reinventing the genre. They don't stick so closely to the script - Maybe because the last Star Wars three movies (which are the first three movies) are so horrible.

Junkies is good fun and surprisingly imaginative. It makes you almost want to be a Star Wars fan .. almost. So I would recommend seeing this documentary. You can find it on iTunes (which is where I rented it) or Amazon.com.

Jedi Junkies 
Jedi Costumes
SciFi Mafia Review
Interview with Mark Edlitz
Star Wars Insider

More Star Wars

Source: Star Wars A to Z

Star Wars Facts

[Via: Online PhD]

Phone Books

Ninja say what

There's a difference between Ninja and Ninjer. Find out what it is.



I wonder what it is for 1/4 Jew?

Speaking of Death

Harvey Pekar died yesterday (July 12, 2010). Harvey Pekar was a cartoonist and writer who worked with such comic greats as R. Crumb. He is most famous for his autobiographical comic, American Splendor.

Paul Giamatti played Pekar in the movie American Splendor. Pekar appeared eight times on the David Letterman's Late Show on NBC. However, his crude style and abrasive criticism of General Electric (company that owns NBC) got Pekar banned from the show.

Giamatti said of Pekar,"Harvey was one of the most compassionate and empathetic human beings I've ever met. He had a huge brain and an even bigger soul. And he was hilarious. He was a great artist, a true American poet, and there is no one to replace him."

Goodbye Harvey - you were never a disappointment.





Cleveland.com
Wikipedia Harvey
The National Post

George Steinbrenner (1930-2010): Life In PHOTOS

The legend George Steinbrenner died of a massive heart attack.  He brought a lot of success and failure to the Yankees. But no one will forget his impact on the team - or the Seinfeld episodes
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Welcome to EMB

This is the very first post and like all first posts it's difficult to exactly know what to say, other than, "Hello" or "Welcome to my blog". I'm filled with such hate and self-loathing thinking about starting that way.

Okay - EMB is going to be about video games, entertainment, comedy, weird news and (my favorite) conspiracy theories. Oh there may be some art and music thrown in.

Why the Elvis? Because I'm on an journey - really a vision quest to find Elvis. I know he's alive somewhere .. some how.

So there it is ..