New Flickr pics and...

I've added some Technorati tags to this blog, but need to change them up. I'll get to it by this weekend. Also, I've posted more pics up to my Flickr photo galleries, please come visit!

I'll be tweaking this blog a bit here and there over the next few days. But it should not affect page loading or anything else... Mostly adding a few badge links for blog traffic, and re-defining tags for blog search engines.

Ladies, if you're looking to splurge on something kinda lavish this weekend, jewelry designer Robyn Rhodes is offering a 25% off everything coupon for Splendora customers (code: SPLENDORA). FYI, Rhodes site won't navigate in Firefox, so use IE. Cheers. Have a great weekend.

image credit: Robyn Rhodes pic from Splendora.com

San Francisco Events Sept. 1-4

Actually, my event page is gonna start getting crowded as I find more and more happenings of interest. Yes, I've blogged many of these before, but those are ongoing and noteworthy.

I'd like to say thanks to Richard at zpub.com and The San Francisco Times for featuring and posting a link to this blog. They've got gazillions of links and great content and been in the game for a long time already covering SF.

Also, many thanks to Sean for informing me of his site with extensive listings for Open Mic events all over the entire San Francisco Bay Area. Long ago, I participated (when I had something more real to say, now I just blog... hahaha) and his list is incredible, lots of great work in compiling the open mic spots. Cheers.

Don't forget free Firsts of the month:
The first Tuesday of each month is free at many local SF places:
SFMOMA, De Young Museum, Legion of Honor, Asian Art Museum, and the Conservatory of Flowers. Free the first Wednesday each month: SF Zoo. Personally, I think the Monet in Normandy (at the Legion) should not be missed (if you at all appreciate Calude Monet's work) and it's closing Sept. 17th.

Tonight (yeah, last minute):
Ferry Building Night Market with organic farmers, and street performers, starts at 4 pm (until 8-ish) on Thursdays.
There's jazz tonight at Union Square with Jesus Diaz, a Cuban-born percussionist leading Afro-Cuban funk, jazz, and rumba, 6-7:30 pm (ooops, very last minute!).

Kenny Neal (New Orleans Blues) is performing on Fillmore Fridays, Fri sept. 1 from 5-7 pm on a stage at Fillmore and O'farrell. It's free and outdoor in the plaza.

First Friday Book Sale at the Main SF Library on Larkin. Every First Friday, weather permitting, 11-2 weather permitting.

Architecture And The City is a month-long event sponsored by The SF chapter of the American Institute of Architecture. I'd opt for their opening gala on Friday, Sept. 1st at Zinc; free admission, but MUST RSVP.

$5 Fridays after 5 pm at the De Young Museum offers a cash bar, live music, and special programs, open until 8 pm.

There's more jazz percussions on Saturday Sept. 2 from 12-4 pm at Yerba Buena Gardens, featuring Chuchito Valdes Afro-Cuban Ensemble and the Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble.

Need something delish to bring to a picnic or outing? How about this Lemon Curd Pie To Die For, from the blog If I Can Do It You Can. Yummmmmm.

Style Scout's Outlet added new markdowns (for ex: you can find a Juicy Couture T-shirts for $12 or a D & G black corset for 80% off).

Sausalito Art Festival is happening all weekend. Especially with the great weather, this should be a very popular event.

Torso Vintages Sale runs 9/1-15 and offers savings on lots of vintage clothing and accessories.

Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema, Sat. Sept 2nd, screening starts at 7:30-ish pm, with a diverse line-up. Bring a picnic and a blanket (or three).

Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers is having a silent auction this weekend and Romeo & Juliet performed by the Avalon Players.

A really cool thing for kids is the SF Giants Animation Contest. If you've got a youth that is claymation inclined, it could win baseball tickets and get the animation screened on the jumbotron at AT & T Park. How knows how many agents might be in the crowd? Howcoolisthat?

Also including the younger set, The First Tee golf organization is having its 2006 Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, Sept 1-3. Walk the course and watch as one junior gets paired with a Champions Tour player and two amateurs. Will air on Golf Channel as well.

Wed 9/6 Dr. Zhi Gang Sha is at Books, Inc in Laurel Village talking about his book Soul, Mind, Body, Medicine: A Complete Healing System for Optimum Health and Vitality. Supposed to be a very engaging speaker, and should get crowded with Pacific Heights, Presidio, and other neighborhood locals. I think it's only for those interested in health and longevity... hmmm.

Also on Wednesday, Sept 6th, the San Francisco Symphony is holding its annual Opening Gala. This is one of the big social events in San Francisco, so if you're a symphony fan, save the date!

If you're more of a fringe fan than a symphony fan, well perfect! The Fringe Festival starts Sept 6th and runs through the 17th at the Exit Theatre. Too many things to list, but hey... something here for everybody... I mean everybody here.

A short notice about an upcoming event. Kronos Quartet will play on Monday, September 11th at the Herbst Theatre. A musical meditation on the Fifth Anniversary of 9/11. What a nice offering for all us transplated New Yawkers. Cheers peeps.

image credits: Jesus Diaz from sfjazz.org, Wal-Mart Open from thefirsttee.org, Kronos Quartet pic from performances.org

Some Serious Swag and Sites

In this ever-changing world of technological know-how, there are still things that stand out... Things that are even outstanding. Take for example the long awaited release of the Optimus keyboard. This is no ordinary keyboard. What with LED light pads inside each key, it's got a drool factor higher than peanut butter does to dogs. Maybe it will actually be available by the holidays, but who really knows.

You know what the prollem with Labor Day is? Yeah, exactly... I can't blend margaritas on a backpacking trip. Huh? Well, this site Gearlog has a solution on its list of Ten Labor Day Weekend Gadgets. Talk about life of the party, this Cabela rechargeable blender would be a good call.

Now, if you're looking for a sweet new ride to get you to Point BE, there are a few stylish new four-banger convertibles on the road. I haven't loved any american automotive design this much since, well... uh.... ummmm... the '65 Corvette convertible coupe. And that was well before my time.

The Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky are both sweet rides that fetch $25K or thereabouts. Kudos for making new american cars that don't look like cabs or unmarked police cruisers. I have from a good inside source (who recently received a package detailing GM's project pipeline for the next few years) that GM is gonna have some sweet new rides coming soon to a dealer near you- well within a few years.

If you prefer even faster company, than you're prolly the jet setting type. And this QSST, the newest supersonic jet, allows you to continent hop in a stunning two hours by reaching speeds up to Mach 1.8. They're selling for $80 million, but you know what they say, 'if you have to look at the price tag, you prolly can't afford it.' Whether it's the coolness, the speed, or the price tag, I think we've found a new definition of air sickness.

If jet-setting the stratosphere is your thing, then you'll need to read this article from Gridskipper: Things to Eat Before You Die. Otherwise, how else could you keep with the conversations of all your foodie friends?

Oh, back to life, back to reality. If you commute on AC Transit you might be getting Wi-Fi on your bus soon. Apparently, AC Transit is going to start testing free Bus-Fi on some of their longer bus routes (79 buses total). I can't see how this is a priority worth $340K.

Alright, what about pet gadgets you ask? Why haven't I ever covered them before? Well, here is the one pet product you may really, really want. The Pet Loo. It's synthetic grass, and may help reduce 'accidents' from your dog whilest you're out making a living in order to support your dog's squeaky ball and liver treat habits.

Engadget reported that Universal Music Group is supposedly going to offer free music downloads with SpiralFrog. What is a 'spiral frog' and can I get one tattooed on the back of my shoulder? Oh sorry, anyways... I guess this is the new thing, free downloads if you're ammendable to listening to some ads. I'm also guessing they're time-share ads; no, just kidding.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for weekend events around San Francisco. Cheers.

image credits: Optimus keyboard from artlebedev.com, Saturn Sky from Edmunds.com, QSST blueprint from asia.cnet.com, The Pet Loo from thepetloo.com.

Great Technology Sources, Tips, and Tricks

I'm always trying to learn... In fact this is one of my favorite mantras: "Always learning." Here are some useful sites I've come across, that may help to improve your blog, digital photography skills, and some useful general reference sites.

First, about blogging. Most who blog know there are over 50 million blogs out in the blogosphere (stat from Technorati's founder David Sifry), with two new blogs started every second, and the blog population doubling every six months. So, what to do to promote your blog?

Well, I've been using some methods that have increased my visibility tremendously in the past few weeks. I've been getting 500-750 unique visits a day since implementing these following factors. Granted, these stats may include search engine webcrawlers, spiders, and bots; which are virtually impossible to separate from actual human visits. Even with Google Analytics, StatCounter or my own domain WebStatistics (I'm now tracking all three for stats). And of course, most peeps (like myself) deny "tracking cookies" which would give more accurate counts, so take these numbers as you will.

I still use Blogger for blogging, but some seem to say WordPress is better. I'm beginning to consider switching, in fact, because of some additional features WP offers. Of course, the new Blogger Beta offers many of these features, but seems to still have a few kinks to work out before offering the stability and ease of the current Blogger application.

While I'm on the subject of resources, have you ever checked the "More Google Products" page? It is full of available offerings from the global internet search leader. I had no idea. Definitely recommend a visit.

While I'm on the subject of recommendations, the blog Recommended (that I've blogged before) has a few recent article links worth a look. First, an article about picking colors for websites and blogs. Which are the most effective background colors for text? What to use to pick colors? It's all there. Also, 10 helpful tips to improve your digital photography, a great article that may truly help inspire better snapping.

Now back to some stats and facts. Pew Internet & American Life Project has some great resources about internet users, blogging, and other technology-based articles. I know, the name ain't very sexy, but the website is pretty meaty (a great Hollywood buzzword, I'll add).

This About.com article has 10 tips on promoting your blog. Pretty much it's the standard fare you'd expect, but the list is comprehensive and also specific. I'd say without a doubt, pinging your blog to several sources is going to offer the best exposure without costing anything. I use Ping-O-Matic and FeedBurner, which cover a wide range of engines between the two.

I've written more about my blog resources here and here if you're looking for even more deets. The most important factors (I'm noticing) are to have some sort of focus that identifies your blog. I, personally, would not ever visit a blog just to get current news articles. The major news networks do that already.

I try to offer a bit of everything that encompasses my life here in San Francisco: fashion, movie news, technology, events, and other art subjects. Obviously, I am not a believer in a blog having to remain on only ONE specific topic. If you're that focused, that's okay too... Really I figure, if something interesting intersects my life, others may find this helpful or interesteing...

But as much as anything else, this blog is still a resource for me to use to save pages and links I like. Lastly, I try to blog every day. When I don't post, I don't get as many visitors... If I didn't post regularly, I doubt I would have any return visitors, I figure. There's my rant. Thanks for visiting. Remember, every Thursday I post upcoming weekend events in SF. Cheers.

Film News: The Good and the Very Bad.

My SBC DSL line keeps dropping every 20 seconds all day and I can't seem to log-in to Blogger, so forgive my inability to post. What's up with Blogger? Yeah, I know this all bites worse than deer ticks. Anyways, I've got more and more sites I'm always finding on my radar, some of which I've known and not posted, some of which I don't know how it's taken me so long to find.

Ain't It Cool News is a site many film fans consider essential in their daily online investigations. For me, it's too cluttered and I have a hard time reading the san serif font in all its many variations of jumbledness. Still, it has great news, right up there with Rotten Tomatoes.

I dunno the story about monkeypeaches.com, but mostly the film news here focuses on Hong Kong film and american cinema with asian actors/directors. Nice site, with lots of news and pics that other sources pull from.

Cinematical.com is another site that has varying articles and news about upcoming films. I'd say that some of the content differs enough from the others to make a visit worthwhile. Especially if you are searching for news on a specific project, you never know if they might have it first.

And on the other side of cool, there is the not cool list. Fametracker is yet another of the gaggle of movie sites, but every year they produce a list of the top 10 least essential films for the upcoming holiday season. To be sure, I've only even heard of The Black Dahlia project on their entire list. Granted I could be even a further cynic and proclaim that they prolly have a long list from which to choose 10 films (with the wayward formulaic films from Holywood these days), but that would just be too easy. C'mon, Rocky Balboa (release 12/22/2006)? Are you serious? I thought I'd listed some films (here and here) that oughtta go straight-to-dvd, but this maybe... should only go straight-to-VHS. ouch. yeah.

image credits: Rogue Jet Li pic from monkeypeaches.com

Different San Francisco Links.

Well, it's been nearly two days since my last post, please forgive me. First day I've not posted since two weeks ago. Well, usually I feel like customer service (CS) departments don't really care about me- I don't matter to their big corporate engines. Luckily, I've got a few great experiences to share.

First, Technorati. I wrote a couple weeks ago about my posts not refreshing on their link lists and in their engine. After e-mails during two weeks, I called. I got a live person and transferred to a live tech rep. Wow, great start. She promptly requested I forward me e-mails which I did. Problem fixed that same day. And a nice e-mail apology with detailed explanations about prob and fix. Gives me great confidence in their integrity. Technorati link, search box, and badge will go back up here soon.

Pretty much the same issue with BlogDigger, a search engine I really like. They responded to my e-mail within 36 hours, and it was fixed. Again, acknowledging there was a problem- and a personal e-mail (not computer generated) saying thanks for using them and notifying them.

CS surveys are very clear in proving that customer loyalty is not based on the smooth transactions, rather how a company resolves a problem. I am indeed very pleased with both services now.

I want to write about the Treasure Island proposal, since I've been hearing fireworks here in SF several nights (supposedly from T.I.), I don't know the occassion. The newest proposal that is moving ahead involves a "self-sustaining residential neighborhood of about 5,500 housing units, 20 acres of organic farmland, and a ferry building on the west (San Francisco-facing) waterfront.

Now, not to get up on my soapbox (oh, alright, if you insist- hey this is me own blog, eh?)... Is still think T.I. should be the next great casino resort area. Could outdo Las Vegas in a matter of years (or not). I mean, it's already even appropriately named. Just think, the BILLIONs (well, lots of cheddar anyways) it could generate could actually pay for our bridge project, our Central Subway project, help our school system, and maybe even give a few bucks to get the 49ers outta (I dare say) astlay aceplay. Okay, maybe not the last one, but the rest. I say cah-seen-ohs baby! Oh well, I had my meeting with Gavin a whiles back and somehow this slipped my mind. doh!

Now, I started searching Technorati's blogs focused on San Francisco and found some clear winners that I like. Here are a few. Maybe more next time.

Burritophile.com. With a name like that, burritos become a serious business. And the ratings seem fair, accurate, and highly descriptive. Hey, I just went to Taqueria Los Coyotes tonight and had a great burrito. The guy made it so big, he couldn't wrap it- had to use two extra sheets of foil. It was very, very good. Maybe not my fave but right up at the top. Last week I went to Ocean Taqueria on Divisadero based on the review and also the recommendations of several peeps I know. Maybe not the greatest, but convenient enough that I'd have no problem going back for another. And hey, when I walked in the guy was actually scrubbing stainless steel food containers... I thought they were closing, nope not even close. So bonus points for cleanliness there.

SFist.com has more about San Francisco online than I think San Francisco actually has live in person. I mean, it's packed with SF news, events, topics, and goodness. Great site, worth a looksee.

LifewithoutBuildings.net has an ecclectic mixture of modern architecture- mixed in with a bit of industrial design. Some wonderful pics pulled from other top mags and sites. Can keep you in the know pretty quickly with some burning topics. Really not SF based topics, but worth a look.

I'm not sure where MAKEzine.com is located, but they came up in my search. This site is pretty unique (I do know there are others though). Learn how to MAKE all sorts of gadgets and projects, like McGuyver would've ... uhhhh... if he was a domestic husband instead of a day-worker (well, mayyy-be). This site reminds me of hack a day which deals pretty much exclusively with technology products for all you techies. Also a very cool site. 'Specially if you are looking for something specific, chances are one of these two has it!

Alright, I'm gonna add a blurb about a film project I am excited about. The Brazilian Job is in production now, the sequel to the 2003 hit The Italian Job. I loved the Italian Job for its use of music, characters, and overall direction by F. Gary Gray. Who said music video directors can't cross over into films? And don't e-v-e-r say he looks like Gary Coleman, he'll never invite you on set (okay, ... I made that up, but I'm willing to bet it's true). I know Italian Job was based (somewhat) on the 1969 classic starring Michael Caine, but that's not the topic here. The Brazilian Job has been slated to hit theatres late 2007 (wide release), but I am also seeing a 2008 release date on various sites. Cheers.

image credits: F. Gary Gray and Gary Coleman pics from imdb.com

Quick post, various links

Just a quick post here, with a few links of interest. Various topics.

Apparently NASA categorizes the immense online resource Wikipedia as "General Pornography." Wow, that's a little extremist, even for a government agency, dontchathink?

Throughout this weekend, Yerba Buena Gardens is having their ongoing ChoreoFest 2006, a week-long celebration of dynamic dance. Hip hop dancing and beat boxing this weekend.

There's an Art Rummage Sale going on now through Sunday at The Lab on 16th Street. This event promotes recycling materials and offers great deals to artists on many supplies. $5 First Dibs admission today, or free over the weekend.

I was talking with a friend yesterday about our Senator Dianne Feinstein and Richard Blum's new home in San Francisco. We both readily agreed the purchase price prolly fell around the $30 million mark. Obviously they got a deal, since they coulda almost bought two of them (at $16.5 million) for our estimate.

I guess peeps have pretty much all heard about Tom being jobless (uh, Tom Cruise), since Paramount Pictures has kinda released him. Here at Worth 1000, they have submissions for Tom's new job. Take a look.

I've blogged this site before, simply because of its coolness factor and elegant website design, but rad-e8.com has some new desktop images that can help make your puter desktop look the freshest! And Mac users, there are some nice icons too.

Have a great weekend. Cheers.

image credits: Feinstein's new home from counterpunch.org- original image from The San Francisco Chronicle, desktop image from rad-e8.com.

Fun Site Links

If you haven't found anything interesting to do in my last post (I post weekend events for SF every Thursday), then maybe you just oughtta stay in. Here are a few ways to whittle away your spare time. Wow, I wonder if that's the first time I've ever typed the word 'whittle'. Maybe I should get out more often.

Spell with Flickr: a new way to look at the alphabet. Enter any word(s) or phrase into the text box and Lo! and Behold! It shows up in text images using only Flickr photos for its database.

Fastr- a flickr game. I am amazed that my blog stats program still shows peeps (visitors) using things like Firebird 0.6, Firefox 1.0, Internet Explorer 5.5, and Windows 95, 98, and 2000. Anywho... If you're still old skool like that and need a game other than Tetris to fill your spare time, this is an idea. Fastr uses photo tags from flickr photos and shows you various images while you try to guess the common tag.

If you're in need of a cool $2k and can whip up a killer website in a jiffy, well... Overheard in New York is prolly looking for you. Design their new site by September 1st and get paid $2,000. Speaking of overheardinnewyork.com, what's not to like? Funny stuff, really. (Really funny stuff).

About three whiles ago, I blogged this Highway Sign Generator website. An absolute favorite site of mine, The Style Invitational from the Washington Post, finally has their submissions up for this contest (Report from week 672). My gosh, these are some sickly funny highway signs.

REPORT
PHONE-USING-DRIVERS
CALL-202-555-3147
Mike Connaghan, Alexandria

HONK IF YOU'RE
AM IMPATIENT MORON
Art Grinath, Takoma Park

IF YOU LIVED
IN YOUR CAR YOU'D
BE HOME BY NOW
Elwood Fitzner, Valley City, N.D.

HAVE YOU
BELTED YOUR KIDS
Bird Waring, NY

DETOUR AHEAD:
HARBOR TUNNEL
UNDER WATER
Marty McCullen, Gettysburg, PA

ALL LANES
EXACT CHANGE
TOLL 1.95
David Kleinbard, Jersey City

DAYS SINCE LAST
SIGN-FALLING
ACCIDENT: 02
Mike Connaghan

EXITING DC
KEEP FAR RIGHT
NEXT 2500 MI
Kevin Dopart

image credits: d3velop from Spell with Flickr, Highway Sign from The Style Invitational and atom.smasher.org

SF: Weekend Events August 24-27

Calling all fashionistas and fashionistos (-toes?). Summer season is pretty much done, with fall styles already here for back-to-school. That means sales!

• Flight 001 is a cool travel accessories store that first grabbed my attention from the moment I stepped into their store on Greenwich Ave (at Jane St) in New York. Their summer sale (thru 9/6) has product flying out at 30-75% off.
• Flicka Sale: Flicka is a fashionable women's clothing and home decor boutique, now with prices up to 50% off thru 9/2.
• Behind the Post Office Clearance Sale: with a name that is just about as long as the eight days you have to save, it should be well worth the visit to Upper Haight. Now thru the end of Aug, save on what others might've paid full price for from the great BTPO boutique.
• Her Big Summer Sale: now thru Sunday 8/26 save up to 70% at Her on Fillmore Street.
• McCaulou's Summer Clearance. I thought McC's had long gone the way of Emporium (or Emporium-Capwell's, or Capwell's), I. Magnin, and other large department stores. Get to Oakland for savings up to 75% off (thru Aug).
• Courtoue Closing Sale:on Geary Blvd, thru the end of Aug. They've specialized in fine menswear: sportcoats, shirts, shoes, trousers, and ties.
• Feria Urbana is an urban fair with some local artists selling their wares. Where? At Canvas Gallery, 9th & Lincoln, Sat 8/26 12-5 pm, free admission.
  
• Linen Outlet Closing Sale on Polk St (at Jackson St), thru end of Aug: this location was vacant for a long time before Linen Outlet took it just over a year ago. An "outlet" "closeout", gee isn't that redundant?

Now, onto SF Events.

Revenge of the Book Eaters: A benefit for (local author Dave Egger's) 826 Valencia (writer's workshop) with feature musical appearances by some well known artists like Aimee Mann. Mon 8/28 8 pm, tix are $35.

Skye at the Independent Sat 8/26. Skye was originally the voice of Morcheeba, now an independent musical artist with her own material. Ethereal, sweet, and unique.

Def Leppard and Journey are at the Concord Pavillion tomorrow, Fri 8/25 at 7 pm. I blogged this before with other upcoming SF Bay Area concerts. So c'mon 'mirror queen, mannequin, rhythm of love; sweet dream, saccharine, loosen up.' You know.

Da Vinci Code is playing tonite (8/24) at the Red Vic on Haight. Fri & Sat District 13 (Banlieue 13) is screening. I've blogged these before, but there you go.

Oh, if you can plan ahead enough... The Castro Theatre is having it's First Annual Canine Film Festival October 7th & 8th. Cheers.

image credits: Skye pic from independentsf.com, Wallace & Grommit from caninefilmfest.org

The New Bridge and Tunnel crowd

The few conversations I've had with others about the Central Subway project in San Francisco , lead me to believe many San Franciscans are not aware of this complete undertaking. And, yes, it is taking SF under. The news yesterday about $2.9 million in additional BART funding for Homeland Security reminded me about how we will have a new bridge and tunnel eventually.

Basically, The Central Subway project (to be completed in 2015) is comprised of three phases: light rail along Third Street to Visitacion Valley (nearly complete), light rail connection to CalTrain station, and a new tunnel from SOMA to Chinatown. So far the total cost of the light rail extension is about $700 million to date. The estimated cost of the Central Subway tunnel is $700 million per mile (1.7 miles)... But if you believe that, well... I've got a bridge to sell ya.

Remember my Bay Bridge blog post, the estimated build cost was $780 million and in actuality, the cost keeps rising but is estimated at $6.3 billion now (and time to completion is prolly 24 years from the starting date of 1989). The Boston Big Dig took over 13 years to complete, and cost $14.6 billion for 7.8 miles of underground tunnels.

The Central Subway is planned to connect the AT & T Park in SOMA with Chinatown by tunnel. Completion is projected for 2015, but that's 9 years away and it really hasn't even started yet. The $14.6 billion Big Dig project was the most expensive public works project in U.S. history. If the Bay Bridge is any indication, the Central Subway may take the longest. The Central Subway should open (I'm speculating) sometime around late 2019, you read it here first.

Back to the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge... Everyone (yes, everyone) seems to compare the Viaduct de Millau bridge in France, to the disarray that is the bridge in the bizzay. Completed in just over three years (ahead of schedule), for about $522 million (half the estimated cost). It's only four lanes (vs our ten lanes) and not as long a span (1.6 miles vs. our 2.2 mile span). Just because it cost 8% of the cost of our new bridge and finished in 1/8th of the time, what's the big deal? huh.

Historically, most bridges take about 5 years to build. From the Golden Gate Bridge to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay. Us here in SF, let's just take our time.

Today is Thursday; and as such, I'll get my post up a bit later for this weekend's events around SF. Plus I've got a few fun links to put up. Cheers.

image credits: Third St at 20th projected view from sfcityscape.com, Viaduct de Millau construction pic from abelard.org

Honda F1: Hot Dog Wheels

The definition of cool has never been so simple... The Cool Hunter... It's a website. I blogged it before. Virtually every page is overloaded with kewlness. Warning, you might be able to spend all day there, browsing; so be forewarned- and practice in the safety of your own home... Well, I could spend all day browsing anyways. Here are a few pages I like.

Hot Dog Hoodies. I'm still not really sure if dogs are supposed to wear clothing. I mean... all but the hairless chihuahua and chinese crested (that I know of) have tres chic fur coats already. But these do add a cuddle-factor and are the pinnacle of doggy duds (meaning clothes, not failures).

If you ever dreamt of owning a Honda F1 race car, I doubt you ever dreamt it would look like this. If you win the next Lotto or Powerball or Mega Millions and get an F1, it may be best to keep Dutch artist Paul Veroude away from your pit crew. But, props to Veroude from an installation nothing short of spectacular, in an exploded-view-sorta-way.

Kiddie Castors may be... uhhh... for kids, but I just don't know. Contrary to their name, I think ultimateness in cool is achieved by bucking the norm. I say plop these babies (not literal babies, I'm not that sicko) onto a Knoll Eero Saarinen Womb Chair and Ottoman ($6,000 to $12,000-ish for set, depending on upholstery choice) and you'll be the most sylin' of persons that are thousands lighter in their wallet.

Not cool enough for you? What about fixing yer home up with fireproof paint then? There are several brands available- guaranteed to stop fire and flame if a building were to (try to) burn. There are vid clips here. And it reduces smoke in fires to amazingly low levels. Wow.

Oh, I see... You want hip. Like, disasterously hip. Well, Rooftop Films has screened like a gad-zillion films (wellllll, uhlmost)... Literally on rooftops in Manhattan (and now other cities with brick and mortar). Don't be too fashionably late, their Summer Series ends September 22nd. Cheers. stay cool.

image credits: dog hoodies, Honda F1, and kiddie castors all from TheCoolHunter.net, Knoll chair from knoll.com

June 2006 Archives

I've just updated my template to show only the past 5 days. I had 14 days before... But I'm sure some with slower connections speeds (I'm at 1.5-3.0 Mbps DSL) may never return if I left that settig as is. Plus I'm posting at least daily now.

If you are so inclined, you may check my del.icio.us page to search my entire blog by category. I plan on shifting to Blogger Beta soon; so I'll be able to have dynamic searchable labels throughout my blog.

I am enjoying the experience of writing daily, certainly as a great exercise. My flickr page is over 1,600 views since I started four months ago, and my new dogster page is over 130 views in barely threee days.

Inevitably, some visitors here seem to check my home page, d3velop.com. I blogged several whiles back about it: it's basically artworks I like, the inspiration for some of my current painting projects. None of it is my original work. Maybe eventually I'll switch my blog to the main page and move the art to a specific page. Indexing sure would be simpler for the blog pages.

• 6/26/2006: Upcoming Movies. My rant about my appreciation for film, favorites (Brazil, Pi), and upcoming projects I'm excited for: Sin City 2, Dark City 2, Spiderman 3.
• 6/22/2006: Are any of these movies noteworthy? Die Hard 4: Die Hardest, X-Files 2, Casino Royale, Banlieue 13, my rant about 007 and former Bond films.
• En-joy the Week-end. Some former internet deals, music concerts, and info about Costco's photo calibration through DryCreek.com.
• 6/21/2006: My New Tires are s-t-i-c-k-y! I got new rubber on the rims of my Acura RSX. Thanks Tire Rack, J & K Auto Repair in Daly City, Pat's Garage, and my Kumho Ecsta ASX 225/50's.
• 6/19/2006: Oil Paints reviewed. I've run a wide gamut of oil paints and supplies in my painting commission. Tri-Art, Grumbacher, Williamsburg, Sennelier, Shminke Mussini, Gamblin, Lascaux.
• Newer news than last time. Woot! Logitech bluetooth headphones, NetMagazines, Trend Micro's PC-cillin, and my experience with photo printing at Costco.
• 6/17/2006: Uh-oh... Look out, I'm starting to rant... Some of my good and horrible stories of customer service. Amazon.com, Callaway Golf, Golfsmith, Verizon Wireless, Cingular.
• Some New Happenings. ACWLP closing, Stern Grove concerts, Mozilla Sunbird, The Conformist movie description.
• 6/8/2006: This Weekend's Events. Savion Glover and SF Jazz, and the W Hotel with Bark Magazine.
• 6/5/2006: Some New Links I Like. Washington Post's: Style Invitational is a great article each week. Plus, I've linked an article to the girl of my dreams from The Post.
  
• 6/1/2006: Champagne Events on a Kool-Aid Budget. My initial listing of FREE events each month in SanFrancisco: Stern Grove, SF MOMA, De Young, Legion of Honor, Asian Art Museum, Conservatory of Flowers, and SF Zoo. North Beach Jazz Festival and free Wi-Fi coming to SF.

Day 100: May 2006 Archives

When I started blogging one hundred days ago, I hadn't any idea what kind of traffic I might generate. The week of July 30th- August 5th this blog had 132 unique visitors. On Friday 8/11 I made a comment that based on July's stats, I figured on maybe 600+ visitors in August. 9 days ago, there were 28 visitors for that Sunday.

Yesterday saw 391 unique visitors here for 486 page views (so far: nearly 1,800 and exactly 3,000 respectively for August). If you'd prefer, you can also subscribe to my blog via e-mail in the box at the right sidebar. I do this myself to test it, and am not getting spam, and it works like a charm. E-mails arrive about 3 am each morn (pacific time), with all my daily posts- images et al. Thank you all for taking time to visit, it helps me feel justification for my efforts- if others can also find a use for this here blog.

• 5/31/2006: Some Stats and Facts. X-Men 3 movie news, Ferrari Enzo, Lamborgini Murcielago, my flickr stats.
• 5/30/2006: More pics uploaded to flickr. A large, diverse group of new pics uploaded.
• 5/29/2006: Things you NEED. My favorite Firefox extensions list with links, DiscountMags site link.
• 5/27/2006: Snappy new pics up. Uninstaller, Tweak XP, Run MacOS on a PC, new box-office earnings.
• 5/26/2006: Some kewl links. Netflix (and competitors), imdb, Neville's Financial Blog, Mac icons, StumbleUpon, dog-friendly San Francisco.
• 5/25/2006: Dubious Activities... and SF Happenings. Various good & bad customer service experiences, 50 free song downloads.
• 5/19/2006: Internet Deals... Where to go to get hooked up. Rechargeable batteries, my Canon S3 IS digital camera, a list of internet deals websites, ResellerRatings, Epinions, Aes Dana music info.
• 5/16/2006: What's this all about anyways? My first real post, some internet deals, dpreview.com, photo sharing websites list, a few website links.
• 5/15/2006: tap...tap...uh...hello... Is this thing on? Where I started: 32 words, four sentences; my maiden blog post.
  

Starck, Raving, Mad

I'm gonna really need to catalogue my archives soon, since I myself am constantly looking back at previous posts for content (that is why I started blogging in the first place, to save content and not overflow my bookmarks). Here are a few more sites.

Digital World is a fantastic resource for content about technology, innovation, and gadgets. I like a significant amount of their content (can't really link to artciles 'cuz they use frames, bummer). Giving new interpretations to "whatchulookinat," the new Egokast LCD-screened belt buckle, uh... could be a raving conversation piece. Downloadable movies for a buck at Guba.com? The new Samsung e280 8 GB iPod-killing mp3 playa? Have a visit.

If you're in the mood to browse some industrial design content, Philippe-Starck.com may be just the place. Sleek and modern lines always theme his work, and I've loved his work since before picking up an original table for $50 years back. Also has some of his work in all categories, like architecture and clothing.

Lastly, I am a big fan of the comedian Steven Wright. You've prolly all heard some of his infamous one-line quips or read 'em in an e-mail. This blog by Randall has a nice collection of Wright's quotes. Randall hails from Trinidad, and his photo blog is also worth a look. Cheers.

image credits: Egokast LCD belt from musicgizmos.com, Starck juicer from philippe-starck.com

A Few Deals and Rants

I've found a few internet deals that can help you spend money... er... save money... uhh... save money by spending money. Yeah, that's it.

I can't suggest strongly enough to keep checking Woot! everyday (okay, maybe not today). They've got a new dealio every single day and whatever they are selling is usually at a really amazing price.

Some peeps that have read this blog for a while may know I've had a few bad buying experiences with Amazon. Try out alibris.com for your book needs, they have coupons for $4 off $40 (code: TEXTBOOK4) and a $8 off $80 (code: TEXTBOOK8) with your purchase, both expire 9/20/2006. Thanks dealcatcher.com for the codes.

This DVD-player deal comes with my personal warning. Circuit City has the Philips DVP642 progressive scan dvd player for $39.99 after rebate (expires 8/26). The warning? I own it and had to solder in a new capacitor after less than 9 months. A very not uncommon problem with this model. My old amazon.com review (somehow I'm in the the top 7,000 reviewers at amazon even without posting a review in nearly two years!?) explains the player in all its glory. So, why post a deal I wouldn't buy? At $40, it's about zee-cheapEST way to play all video formats.

Here is a site I've never used before, but makes a good promise: buy one DVD box-set and get a second free. With some old faves like Greatest American Hero, Highlander, Hunter, Macross (Robotech), Three's Company, and Agatha Christie Mystery Series; you may find two worth having. Just a quick DYK... Fred Dryer (from Hunter tv show fame) was the original first choice for Sam Mallone on Cheers? Yup, he was scripted as a former NFL player, but when Ted Danson was cast it was re-written as a former Sox pitcher.

I bought DVD's from eBay and SunDevilDVD.com and I have a word of warning. It seems many peeps are selling copies, and even color inkjet printing the dvds. Definitely NOT original DVD's. I know, everyone knows this. I just dint think they'd have websites and full e-stores. Granted, I spent about $7 a piece for the dvd's, but I'm willing to forego a few and pay a realistic $10 a piece for real discs. It's my own integrity, belief in supporting the artists, and perpetuating the industry. Don't buy from SunDevil.

I know OCZ mostly for their computer memory. But they've started making sD flash memory cards and Fry's Outpost.com has the 2 GB 150x sD card for $24 w/ free shipping. I use OCZ 2 x 1 GB platinum mem sticks (yes, they are 250 MHz) and the Powerstream 520W power supply unit. I never even considered a different brand for a psu when I built my pc.

Lastly, of the entire list of Time Magazines' Top 50 Coolest Websites, I think they need a new judging panel if only one or two of theirs make my list. Of those, Cute Overload is one worth checking out. I mean, The Human Clock is interesting but not "TOP FITY" kewl. I mean, MySpace made the cut (prolly just out of sheer volume of usership), but interestingness on flickr and StumbleUpon dint. I mean, what'd they do at Time Mag? Vote in Oh-hi-oh and take their ballot boxes to Flor-eee-duh. SIX news sites make the top fity list of kewl? Uhmmm, ... not. Cheers.

image credit: kitten pic from cuteoverload.com

Remarkable/Unremarkable Movies

Just a quick post as I get my day started here. A few things I found yesterday, that I thought a bit remarkable...
First, I'll start by saying I find I like so many of the photos in kaito_380's flickr photo gallery. Kaito's work reminds me of one of my favorite design mantras: "simple is the hardest." Excellent work.

Okay, on to the movie stuff. First, I've had a few conversations of late about Woody Allen films, from his more recent Match Point to an Allen fave of mine, The Purple Rose of Cairo (starring Mia Farrow).

DYK that a new Woody Allen film opened on July 28th? Sure, you prolly did, I'm usually the last person in the world to find out anything (slow learner?). Well, I'm guessing you didn't see it. How Allen can make a film, Scoop, on a $4 million budget with both Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johansson is kinda beyond me. Someone recently told me Allen's admittedly used the same font for credits in every one of his films- to save on licensing. I guess it's the little things.

Okay, but what I really don't get is how anybody can release a picture with those two that grosses a scant $9.18 million in its first three weeks. I mean, sure, it only opened in 538 theatres and will likely be just above the water line of 200 theatres after this weekend. All of that is just hard to imagine.

Okay, next. Miami Vice. Michael Mann made a very successful tv show over 20 years ago with a buddy cop action-drama set onto a pastel palette that we know as Miami. I guess twenty years is plenty of time for him to forget what was right about Miami Vice? It's documented he went way over-budget in the film's production (total reported at $135 million but speculated to be over $150 million).

Vice also released on July 28th and has a US gross $59.85 million. I blogged this tragedy-waiting-to-happen whiles back. And the really tough part? It's still in over 2,600 theaters (prolly due to a thinner opening schedule as back-to-school hits).

What about good news you may ask? Okay. Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest is still absolutely stellar after nearly seven weeks (opened 7/7). A total US gross of $401.2 million and $924 million worldwide on a production budget of $150 million. It will almost undoubtedly climb to fourth in all-time record top-grosses after this weekend; surpassing Star Wars: Phantom Menace and Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Of course, I blogged about Pirates before also.

Don't forget the upcoming movies in our local theatres, tonight is Playtime at the Castro, which will also release on dvd on Sept 5th. I've blogged some notable upcoming films in recent posts, here and here. Cheers.

image credits: flapping of wings from kaito_380's flickr gallery, Scoop from imdb.com, Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest from allposters.com.

Sites that Inform and Inspire

Since I started blogging, I have found many great websites and have learned a bit along the way. Now, since I have a blog, I don't have to let those interesting sites become forgotten. Usually, I used to view a site, and prolly not bookmark it, and prolly not be able to find it again.

This blog is my own archive, and it's growing all the time. If I get more ambitious, I may even categorize my previous posts for easier searching. No promises there.

This blog: Parenthetical has a great article about fashion branding. From Nike to Dior the "unexpected buying subversions" of customers is truly remarkable... And from my own experience working as a fashion designer, I can tell you this stuff does not go unnoticed by the design houses... And this article is very accurate. This blog is quickly becoming a new fave, and the newest post about Time Magazines' 50 Coolest Websites will be part of my post tomorrow.

Speaking of cool... A word of advice for all you bloggers and website developers out there... If your website is titled "The Cool Hunter" I think you'd better be able to walk some serious talk. And this site truly does. From the category links at the top, their content is all top-notch.

Popagadget is a site focused on technology products for women. They really have their act together, and the site looks good. Obviously, I'm not in their target demographic, but nonetheless I think it's worth a look, it's got lots of great swag and info. (Did I just say nonetheless? I did huh? They even have this tie which has a message for your boss in binary.

I became a fan of this magazine publication: Hacker Quarterly 2600 after buying an issue at the Sarasota, Florida Barnes & Noble store back in 2002. Yup, that's right... As much as I don't want to get myself on any NSA watchlist for having "hacker" show up on my blog (which is titled in l337, mind you); I've gotta say this mag is an interesting read- and I am no subversive.

2600 mostly stays above ground, dealing with white hat stuff. I remember articles from the 'zine that crossed into gray, but it mostly was just informative. I find it a unique opportunity to see how hackers work on their process (which is very elaborate at times), and offers insight into how to keep yourself safe from invasive threats on your puter. (Great, now I've used both: subversions and subversive in the same post as: target, go unnoticed, ambitious, walk some serious talk, tomorrow, invasive threats, and the use of the word hacker three times. I'm doomed, LOL). Make that four now.

This person's travel blog has some really interesting finds from Japan. Like the fountain that is a clock, and the picture of the Kanazawa Station. Some interesting historical facts too, like the tiles made of lead so they could be melted for munitions.

Lastly, I've tried making notes as I've cooked, to write down some recipes for things I've created... and found it no simple chore. So, my respect goes to peeps like this one at: If I Can Do It You Can, that actually put all their recipes down, and 'specially take the time to share them on their blog. Did I mention all the nice pics to go with the deliciousnesses? Yup, she has kept this blog going for a while and has a lot of archives, so look around for something to suit your taste. (note to self: add travel, munitions, clock, and recipe to this post; good going, smart thinking). Cheers.

Image credits: The Saints from The Cool Hunter, binary tie from popagadget, Kanazawa Station from Hokysushi's blog, blueberry ricotta pancakes from sososimples' blog.

Gadgets and Sites

Just a fast post of some new things I've seen in the world.

I'm a fan of Malcolm Gladwell's book The Tipping Point (which I own); well written, a simple read, with lots of anecdotes to support his theory. Well, I just found his blog, and some of the content is interesting. Like his opinion about the Dog Whisperer, it seems he did an extensive amount of homework, and is open-minded (meaning he is NOT ill-intended and not trying to blast Cesar).

Anybody who knows me is likely to know my affinity for quotes. I think they can offer great insight into peoples' thoughts and ideas in somewhat concise phrases. Well, The Quotations Page is a great site to see. The site offers a "Quotes of the Day" on their home page. I even tried searching for Bertrand Russell and their search engine came back with very accurate results. How excellent!

Director Michael Bay talks about his work on the upcoming film Transformers on his blog. Some details and a list of which Transformers made the cut through casting calls.

What's the world coming to? I know, dvd vending machines aren't new... Several companies are doing it already. In fact, some New York hotels and large residential buildings have had them installed for about a year already... One of those companies was a prospective client that ran me around for months getting a product deal set up, to not order anything; so I'll refrain from naming any names (or links to DVDstation). But the Tokyo metro will install 10 dvd vending machines in subways stations. It's the next new thing. Put it next to a soda vending machine, and a popcorn vending machine (huh?)... and your next "Drive-In" movie theatre experience could be at Grand Central Terminal on platform "B" or whatever (bring your own portable dvd player please). But, I could be wrong.

The BBC reported UK researchers have increased the speed on transistors, setting a new record of 110 GHz compared to the old world record of 70 GHz. What's that mean to us consumers? Well, according to the article, complete circuits operate at about a tenth of the speed... could allow engineers to build chips that operate at a speed of about 11 GHz... [compared to] circuit speed of 7 GHz... At present mobile phone circuits operate at speeds of about 1 GHz. Sounds like our new cellys might be mad breezy fer sheezy.

This USB sim card multi-reader might be a good buy. I've long thought landline phone manufacturers need to catch up with the times and at least offer a sD or CF slot for address book compiling. The idea of inputting 300 phone listings into each phone (varying brands) in my home by keypad sucks like raw eggs through a thin straw. I know there is a service out there that you can pay to do this through, but I couldn't find the site right now.

Is a USB-powered seat cooler a good idea? I dunno yet, but Thanko seems to think so. I guess if you're in a hot weather climate and desk-sit all day, maybe... It should help limit some clingy situations, I suppose. It might also be able to double as a blow drier for my pup after getting bathed. Hmmm.

A few gadgets for the ladies, and I'm not blogging about fashionable iPod sleeves... Well, there is the Monster Laptop Sleeve that looks a bit like cookie moster. Cookie Monster rules! Okay, anyways. A tres chique Click & Blink eyelash curler, that you might actually show off? And, of course, some swank earring-like Earmecca earphones.

image credits: Transformer image from MichaelBay.com, transistor pic from BBC.co.uk, Rubis Click and Blink from GizmoDiva.com.

More Blog News and Links

Let me start by saying thanks to all who have visited my blog and flickr galleries. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started blogging (kinda on a whim) 3 months back. To date I've had over 1,900 unique visitors and over 3,500 page views on this here modest blog. One-third of each of those totals are from the last FIVE DAYS. My flickr photos have been viewed 1,490 times since starting nearly 4 months ago. Wow, I'm grateful if anybody finds things of use here. Feel free to drop me a comment if there is a focus you are visiting for.

I decided to finally register with MySpace for a page. Granted, I don't know how much I'll use it, but I've got prodesma for my page. I also registered with Dogster for my dog Kira. Gosh, what an active group those Dogster'ers is, er... are. A bunch of pup pals already? Gosh, aw shucks. Thanks all.

Okay, enough shamelessness. I've been debating whether I should link this page, because I want my content to be "consumable by all," if you get my meaning. Well, overheardinnewyork is flat out funny. Example: from the Whole Foods on 7th Ave"woman #1: Oh my god, it looks just like a peach without the fur! Woman #2: That's called a nectarine." wow.

Speaking of nectar... I went to Nectar Wine Lounge a whiles back and had a great Petite Sirah (I love Petite Sirahs and Ports). I tried to find it on their online wine list (well, you actually have to download their list, bummer), without success. Don't think they still offer it, but it was yummy. Place gets packed to the gills, and tables are about as scarce as shoelaces on a velcro wall (?huh?). It's a nice spot though in The Marina.

Speaking of drinking.... Ever wonder about the history of the margarita? Yeah, I know, I know... It's a topic I've lost sleep over for the last few weeks too. Here you go, now you should be able to take a long blink without any trouble ('specially after a few).

Isn't this quote attributed to Virginia Woolf?
"I like a martini, two at the most;
Three, I'm under the table;
Four... I'm under the host!"

Let's see, I can't figure a smooth segue into this one (uh, maybe after a few and then a few more margaritas? or martini's?)... Ever dream of becoming invisible? This blog post purports that Duke University is working on it. Hey, it could happen to you. Or maybe just to help them clinch the NCAA Championships. ha ha.

That reminds me, Wonder Woman is a film set to be in pre-production, uh... As soon as they cast the principal role. So, if you have an invisible jet... Fly on over to casting calls, just don't forget to wear your stunning bracelets. Yeah, and when you touchdown on your return flight, I've got a ummmm "doctor" I could recommend.

For all you bloggers out there, here are the deets on my current blogging toolkit:

• Pretty much I'm using Ice Rocket for blog searching, and quite happy.
• Feedburner is great for customizing feeds and syndication stuff, I also ping through them.
• Feedblitz is my choice for e-mail syndication (works great). Subscribe to my feed by e-mail using the box in the right sidebar, it's fast, safe, and easy.
• Ping-o-Matic is still my general ping'ing site.
• Blogdigger and Technorati have really fallen off, and suck at updating- so they're off my lists.
• Alexa.com (the list engine for Technorati) seems to not have me listed yet, so that's a no go.
• BlogPulse (a Nielsen subsid) also isn't up to speed it seems.
• Again, blo.gs isn't allowing searches as they fix a problem (again! again!).
• I'm registered with BlogRolling, but haven't started using it yet.
• BlogTopSites is not the easiest to navigate or search, yuck.
• Feedster seems to (sometimes) take a lot longer to update pings/blogs.
• I have yet to find a single topic that PubSub actually has any matches for, any topic. (That's very not good).
• Syndic8 flat out isn't happening, doesn't happen, won't happen.
• Blogrankings doesn't navigate too easily, so I doubt I'll be using it... ever.
• I might start using Google Analytics soon, but haven't yet.
• I'm also not yet using Digg, Furl, or del.icio.us but I'm sure that, given time, that will change.

Heck, I even tried A2B location search and had to get my GPS position from an outside map site (maporama), register, then manually input coordinates... to find out some of the 25 closest places to me are The Great American Music Hall, City Hall, the SF Archdiocese, and the SF Public Library. Gee thanks... not!

I'll need to update my blog buttons (in the sidebar) to utilize my favored search engines, tools, and blog sites. I'll get to it, um, ummmm... soon.

Okay, I am still motivated to get my oil paintings done (one close to done posted here), so off I go to get some serious hours in today. Cheers.

image credits: Dogster pic is my own original photo, wine racks from NectarWineLounge, margarita from margarita-mama's blog

Aug Movie News

I've got some interesting tidbits I've found.

First, I was wrong about the release date of Pursuit of Happyness being October-ish (I guessed this because I'd read they had test screenings as early as March!). Release is scheduled for December 15th. It's a strong role for Will Smith to flex some serious acting skills, and the critics seem pleased with it. There may be no "I " in team, apparently there is no "I" in Happyness either.

Inside Man, directed by Spike Lee; starring Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster and Clive Owen just released on dvd last week. Should be worth a watch, haven't seen it.

Rotten Tomatoes has some great news stuff this week (as usual). Jackie Chan and Jet Li are planned to star in a film together, possibly directed by Peter Jackson?

More about some asian stars on the set of the 2007 film "Rogue." An interview with Jet Li, Devon Aoki, and Cory Yuen. Oh yeah, and with the director Phillip G. Atwell too. This could be interesting. DYK that Devon Aoki's father is the Benihana restaurateur Rocky Aoki? Devon is also in a film DOA: Dead or Alive (directed by Cory Yuen) set to release on September 8th and Jet Li in Fearless, releasing September 22nd.

I'd already blogged about the idea of a fourth X-Men movie, now it looks... um ... still possible. No saying if it'll go (the main X-Men cast would need to be signed), but my feeling is the box-office potential makes it a good bet. Wolverine is already planned for early next year shooting. Hmm, maybe that would be a good time to finally sell my Wolverine stuff (like first appearance Hulk #181, original signed drawing by Bill Sienkiewicz, and two copies of the limited-edition mini-series).

Did you ever watch the cartoon Pinky & the Brain on the Animaniacs show? Face it, in the comfort of your own home you can admit it... I thought those little quips, "Are you pondering what I'm pondering" were always hilarious. Here's a site that has most of them (AYPWIP's) as audio files (you can just read them and not play them too).

Don't forget, next week Da Vinci Code and District B 13 (Banlieue 13) at The Red Vic Moviehouse. The Castro Theatre has Playtime, Titanic, and Weird Science all coming soon! Thanks for visiting. Cheers.

image credits: Will Smith trailer image from RottenTomatoes.com, Hulk #181 image from wikipedia.org, Da Vinci Code from The Red Vic Moviehouse site