Meet TED

My dear saltinies,

If you have not met Ted- you're missing out. Please. People are doing amazing things, and you need to hear about it. It's for your own good.

Fondly,

Salty

Human feats

This is really long but play it in the background while you check your email and just remind yourself from time to time that these are people... not machines making these noises.

I really need to learn a skill... stat.

Inspiracity

Lisa Hannigan - Lille from ATO Records on Vimeo.

I can't wait to have kids

If you promise I can take them to the dentist.



I wish Mr.Mr. had been even one fifth this loopy when he got his wisdom teeth out. Sadly, he was just a bloody, gauze-stuffed mess of limbs. I did, however, have to school him regularly on not smiling or talking, much like David's dad tells him not to touch the stitches. I think this should win best webernets video of the year. And they should send it in to America's Funniest Home Videos. I can't stand that show but the kid could easily get a year's worth of college tuition out of his narcotic-induced episode.

Dancing Queen

Why is it that I've never been recruited to take part in this type of AWESOMENESS?

Musical stylings from across the pond

...And they say the British have no sense of humor.



Courtesy of Mary the awesome.

This...

Just totally changed my mood for the better. All adults should learn foreign languages from children. Their imagination and excitement makes the language all the better for translation.


Once upon a time... from Capucha on Vimeo. (Thanks to Beefy for this tiny treat.)

Feel good music

Just try not to dance to this... I dare you.

From the mouths of babes

Just a quick note that if you're in need of a pick me up and can enjoy the not-so-subtle humor of a six year old dropping the f bomb- you should check out Role Models with Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott. Normally I'd have difficulty endorsing any film with the latter in a starring role (or supporting, for that matter) but SWS manages to not play a total chump while executing ridiculous lines about KISS and getting it on with the ladies. Paul Rudd plays a convincing burnt out sales rep who thinks the answer to his unhappiness lies in doing an about-face in his flat lining relationship with his girlfriend. Both Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Bobb'e J. Thompson steal the show as any kids will with foul mouths and geeky costumes. All in all- it's worth the price of a Saturday matinee to escape the woes of our sad, sad economy. And spring for a freezy drink- the sugar rush makes everything just a little bit funnier.

Jet setting with Salty (Part III)

Day three of San Francisco brought in the characteristic fog of the city. Getting a late start to the day after a lazy morning and delicious breakfast of cranberry clafoutis, we headed south on Route 1 to Pescadero.

We pulled into the parking lot at San Gregorio beach to check our map when we realized we were on empty- and quite possibly miles from the nearest gas station. This cozy couple hid from the drizzle under their umbrella as they walked the path watching the waves roll.

Unable to discern our exact distance from our destination, we popped into the San Gregorio Post Office. We didn't stay long but this cute little all-in-one bar and general store was absolutely charming. As icing on the cake, there was a four piece band playing to a small audience of bundled up locals enjoying beer, coffee, and snacks. With a few twirling kids peppering the audience, I think this is exactly the kind of place I'd want to be on a foggy fall day.


Destination: Harley Farms. American Cheese Society award winners for the last five years, Harley Farms offers a variety of tasty and attractive goat cheeses in their small shop adjacent to the farm. Since we took a while to get there, we missed our opportunity to get a tour of the farm and cheese-making process. But that didn't stop us... okay, me from sampling as much sweet, sweet, goat cheese as humanly possible in the last twenty minutes before the shop closed. I enjoyed their edible flower-adorned, tomato basil, cranberry walnut, and apricot pistachio "tortes." I also tasted their herbes de provence, peppercorn, and dill versions.


Sadly, I missed my opportunity to try their feta and chevre in oil but I did get a few toothpicks of their subtle, dry ricotta salata. We considered buying some to add to the subsequent night's dinner menu of fresh pasta and roasted chicken, but ultimately decided a small tub of their pumpkin spread and a log of their chive chevre would suit us well for pre-dinner noshing. And did it ever! The pumpkin spread was delicious with plain water crackers and would have made an excellent ravioli filling on its own.


Dinner brought us to Ebisu, a favorite sushi joint of Mr.Mr.'s and his brother, conveniently located only a few blocks from the latter's apartment. Sitting away from the bustle of the sushi bar, we enjoyed our meal in the tatami room, sitting cross-legged, shoe-less on small, soft pads. Given that Mr.Mr. and I eat a majority of our meals at the living room coffee table, the casual style of the tatami room feels a bit like home to us. While he and his brother indulged in such oddities as fresh scallop, spider rolls, and things with eels in them- I stuck to a tempura vegetable and california roll. If you look closely, you can read Mr.Mr.'s brother's t-shirt from 826 Valencia. It reads, "Canons don't sink ships. Pirates with canons sink ships." So ridiculously clever.

After dinner we rented a couple of movies from the local video store and sat down together in the glow of an 11" laptop screen (Mr.Mr.'s brother has no tv) to enjoy Mrs. Pettigrew Lives for a Day. Described on the case as a "delightful, champagne of a comedy" or some such nonsense- I worried it might be too fluffy for my male cohorts... and my concerns were confirmed when, forty minutes in, I was voted off the island and we began In the Valley of Elah instead.

The former was, (just as described), a pure sno-cone type treat of a movie with lush interiors, fabulous wardrobes and a perfect portrayal of fictitious movie star of the minute, Delysia Lafosse by Amy Adams. In stark contrast, the latter was a dark, raw, and disturbing perspective on the war in Iraq and the reach of its destructive, malignant wake. What struck me most about In the Valley of Elah was its portrayal of the veterans of war and how the violence experienced, first hand or otherwise, becomes an unshakable memory. Worse, how sometimes that memory becomes ghost-like... completely separate or removed from the actual act and the implication(s) of participation in those acts.

... Part IV to follow shortly.

Oh yeah

If Seattle is so excited that they break out into spontaneous dancing in the street... that's got to be a good sign. Right?

Care of Mary via Facebook. Thanks!

Ellen Degeneres school of dancing

Well. In a dance off with me, he would totally lose. He's got the foundation but perhaps needs to spend some time with a master like myself to really hone those skillz.* However, I have yet to see John McCain step out and shake his money maker so I'm thinking it's Obama: 1, McCain: 0 at this point- just on dance credentials alone.



Regardless of who's the better dancer- don't forget to vote by November 4th.

*Sometimes when I'm watching video of people dancing and they're really struggling to find the rhythm or just look plain awkward, I actually find myself dancing a little bit in my seat like somehow I can will them to be better dancers.

Un Be Lievable

This is the type of game I could get completely lost in.

The Unfinished Swan - Tech Demo 9/2008 from Ian Dallas on Vimeo.

Only available as a demo for the time being, I could see this totally kicking Myst's ASS.

(Via the always bleeding edge, Kottke.org. How does one man do it?)

I heart Robert Downey, Jr.

Just a quick note to suggest this film. If you liked the slapstick comrade-kitsch of Lethal Weapon (admit it, you did) or the self-aware narrator-style of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, I promise you'll love it. And, Val Kilmer manages to pull off deadpan like you've never seen it before.

Seriously. Just go. Your queue is calling.

Oh, and watch it twice- it's even better the second time...

Call me grandma

...because I can hardly make it past 10pm these nights. I'm definitely struggling on this new schedule and as an eight hours-a-nighter, I'm in bed at 10:30 and up again just before 7 to make it into the office by 8. But when I was forwarded this link to Saturday's SNL opener, I couldn't resist passing it along.

No one can deny how dead on Tina Fey is as Sarah Palin. Hold your applause until the end but feel free to laugh until you cry. It's so good. Oh so good.

The Biggest Loser

Seriously? How much do you love it?

I am so completely addicted and I love watching people completely transform themselves. I'd take that over some McMansion Factory show any day. Not to mention Ty Pennington is totally made of plastic. (For the record I find it really odd that he went from Trading Spaces hottie to over-tanned, empowered handy man in the space of like, three years.)

I can even get past the obscene level of endorsement from 24 hour fitness by way of their ubiquitous corporate logo and fervent foisting of the bodybugg on their overweight contestants. Because ultimately it's an opportunity of a lifetime to get some to beat your butt so hard that you drop an average of 10+ pounds weekly. Oh, and there's that gagnormous monetary prize too. That should at least cover the cost of a year's worth of continued support from a personal trainer, which, let's be honest- is basically what it requires to lose and maintain the loss of that substantial an amount of weight.

I myself have been trying to work out more regularly and can't imagine what kind of dedication it must take to keep up with that type of regimen when I can hardly drag myself onto the elliptical machine more than a few times a week. But god bless 'em for getting up there in front of the entire nation (and anybody else with fantastic satellite signals), wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and the occasional ill-fitting sports bra. I'll be watching every week, guilty pleasures be damned.

The Last Lecture

Randy Pausch passed away on Friday, July 25th of pancreatic cancer, a ruthless killer.

He's most well known as the Carnegie Mellon University professor who doled out a hefty dose of life advice on pursuing childhood dreams as part of his final lecture to students and peers before he retired from teaching. His sense of humor, timing, and delivery are amazing. Not to mention his candor regarding his illness at the start of the presentation is simultaneously humbling and inspiring. His courage in the face of certain death is exemplary.

Please check it out. It's the best seventy-six minutes you'll spend this week.

Astounding

I'll never look at a Picasso the same way again.


By Lena Gieseke.
Found thanks to bad banana.

Batman: the official review

-Christian Bale's "Batman" voice has become noticeably (and annoyingly) more gruff.  Dumb.

-Gary Oldham isn't actually aging.  Is it me or does he actually look better than he did 10 years ago?

-Nestor Carbonell needs to quit using eyeliner.  Honey, I know stage makeup and you can't find eyelashes that thick anywhere.

-Heath Ledger is amazing,  Sadly.

-Maggie Gyllenhaal is kind of just there.  Eating space.

-Michael Caine is still awesome.  Say it with me in a slight cockney accent, "Precious stones."  

-Aaron Eckhart is still devisihly handsome.

-Morgan Freeman plays Morgan Freeman.  Er, Lucius Fox.

Oh, and on the way home from the theater, Mr.Mr. and I got a ride from our good friend Kent.  We hopped into his white Saab (which always smells wonderfully of leather) and immediately cracked up at the sight of this bumper sticker on the car in front of us.  Too hilarious.  

It's my new favorite expression.

Photo courtesy of  Cute Overload's Cafe Press site.

Good vs. Evil

Mr.Mr. and I recently rented The King of Kong: a Fistful of Quarters on the recommendation of a friequaintance (that's a half friend, half acquaintance) and man, do you HAVE to see this movie. The documentary revolves around a series of events in arcade gaming history in 2003 when average-joe, Steve Weibe challenged old school super-geek, Billy Mitchell to a Donkey Kong duel for the Guinness Book of World Records title of Top Scorer.

Suffice to say I haven't seen a bad guy like Billy Mitchell in a long time. He manages to pull off a cocky swagger despite his manly mullet and conspires to thrash the hopes of Wiebe at every turn; stooping to manipulative and calculated maneuvers that will make your stomach turn. His uberAmerican attitude is rivaled in strangeness only by his peculiar line of business selling hot sauces under someone else's name. Totally weird.

Weibe on the other hand is the clear underdog cum hero. He is honest, hard-working, and supported by an adorable family of wife and kids whose desire to see him succeed is unrivaled even by Steve's own ambitions. Plus, I love that he's a local.  I've been fighting the urge to send him a postcard that reads, "Billy Mitchell is a douche bag.  You rule."