Monthly Archives: February 2015

February 27, 2015 · 3:16 pm

Spray Bottle

A spray bottle is a bottle that sprays liquids. They are also commonly called squirt bottles. They do more than just pray and squirt. They also mist. You see spray bottles all over the place. They dispense Febreze and Windex and other household chemicals. They help you style your hair. They keep you cool on a hot day. They keep cats and dogs in line with a single spritz of water. They are great makeshift squirt guns when spontaneous water fights break out. I could live without spray bottles. I just don’t want to.

Critically Rated at 12/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

Squirt Bottle

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February 27, 2015 · 3:12 pm

Leonard Nimoy

February 27th, 2015 is a sad day for nerds everywhere. It’s the day that we lost Leonard Nimoy, best known for portraying Spock in Star Trek. Now, I’m not much of a trekkie, but there is no denying Leonard Nimoy a spot in the Pop Culture Hall of Fame. I didn’t grow up watching Star Trek. I grew up watching The Simpsons and Nimoy made a guest appearance in an episode called “Marge vs. the Monorail” as a caricaturized version of himself. That was my first memory of him and it was a good one, one that will forever be etched into the happy part of my brain.

Leonard Nimoy will forever be linked to Spock and Star Trek, but he did a lot of other memorable things. He directed Three Men and a Baby. He sang a song about Bilbo Baggins decades before The Lord of the Rings trilogy was released. He wrote two conflicting autobiographies called I Am Not Spock and I Am Spock. I still don’t know which to believe.

A celebrity death is a shared death. We may not have known them personally, but you still feel like you know them. They made a mark on your life in some way. Leonard Nimoy portrayed one of the most recognized and respected fictional characters of all time. He deserves to be remembered. And you should feel like you lost somebody you care about because you did.

Critically Rated at 15/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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February 26, 2015 · 7:06 pm

Wrapping Coins

I had the day off today. It was the middle of the week, I was bored, and I had no plans. I started wrapping coins. It was my big task for the day, my only errand to run. I put on Netflix and I went through my change jar. I would grab a handful of coins and sort them. Quarters over here, dimes here, nickels go there, pennies there, half-dollars and dollar coins go together here, and all imposters (like Canadian coins) go into the reject pile there. After they were sorted I would go through each denomination and count out how many coins were needs to fill the wrap. A wrap for quarters is ten dollars. That’s forty quarters. A wrap for dimes is five dollars. That’s fifty quarters. A wrap for nickels is two dollars. That’s forty nickels. A wrap for pennies is fifty cents. That’s fifty pennies. I didn’t bother counting out the pennies though. That can go to charity if they are willing to wrap them up and haul them to the bank. All in all, my quarters, nickels, and dimes were worth a grand total of $228. Not bad for a year’s worth of loose change and a few hours to sort through it. I could always use extra money. Now I have it and all it cost me was caving into my OCD.

Critically Rated at 12/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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February 26, 2015 · 7:04 pm

Knights of Badassdom

Knights of Badassdom is 2013 comedy horror film. It stars Ryan Kwanten (best known from True Blood), Steve Zahn, and Peter Dinklage as three best friends with a passion for live action role-playing games. They go on a weekend-long medieval LARP in the woods, but accidently end up summoning a succubus that goes on a murderous rampage. If that sounds awesome, that’s because it is. Any nerd would love it.

This movie was not successful at the box office. It hardly made any money. It only made $123,854 in its initial run. Baby Geniuses 2 made $9,448,644 for comparison. Knights of Badassdom is a much better movie, but it didn’t get any advertising or respect. I only know about it because I saw it on Netflix. I wouldn’t have watched it, but my friend was insistent that I check it out sometime. Today was that sometime. And I was pleasantly surprised at how good it is.

The film has heart. The characters are funny, wacky, and still manage to be relatable. Peter Dinklage’s character is a great example of that. He’s a little person but that has no bearing on the plot whatsoever. There are no midget jokes or offensive sight gags. He’s just one of the main characters and he happens to be short. They don’t talk about it and they don’t exploit it.

There are quite a few actors that you recognize, which is kind of cool considering the lack of budget the film had. That means that Summer Glau, Danny Pudi, and Brian Posehn wanted to do the movie because they wanted to be apart of it. It’s not a great movie, but it’s solid and better than most of the crap you see in theaters today. Add it to your Netflix queue and watch it the next time you can’t decide what to watch.

Critically Rated at 13/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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February 25, 2015 · 1:07 pm

Watching Netflix

There used to be a time when people would relax at home by watching TV. That time has passed. Now we relax at home by watching Netflix. It’s so much better than TV. It streams instantly, there are no commercials, and you can binge-watch an entire season at once. Netflix has tons of shows, movies, documentaries, and original content. Most people would say goodbye to cable forever if Netflix had a sports package. I’m already ahead of the trend. I stopped paying for cable a few years ago. It wasn’t that much of a change. It sucks not being up to date on current shows like The Walking Dead, but I know that it will come out on Netflix eventually. I miss watching sports, but I’m primarily a baseball fan so I’ll throw on the radio and watch the MLB Gamecast, or I’ll catch it at the bar, or I’ll mosey on down to the ballpark and see it in person. I don’t miss cable. Netflix is easier, cheaper, and more convenient. I can watch it on my phone, iPad, or laptop any time and any place. Netflix is taking over the world for a reason, and it’s DiGiornofied the way we talk. It’s not delivery, it’s DiGiorno. I’m not watching TV, I’m watching Netflix.

Critically Rated at 15/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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February 24, 2015 · 12:50 pm

Acquired Taste

An acquired taste is a slowly developed appreciation for a beverage or food. For instance, most people don’t enjoy alcohol the first time they try it. They have to force it down. The more they drink it, the more used to the taste they get, and gradually they start to enjoy it. It’s kind of dumb in a funny sort of way. I don’t like this. This is gross. But I’m going to keep drinking it regardless. Ugh, let me choke down another sip. Blah. Another sip. You know what? It’s not so bad. Not good, but not terrible. Another sip. It’s growing on me. Sip, sip, sip. Mmm, this is good. I wonder if it comes in other flavors. Before you know it, you’re a connoisseur of sorts trying to get other people to try what you once hated.

Critically Rated at 14/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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February 24, 2015 · 12:48 pm

The Birth of Big Air

The Birth of Big Air is a 2010 documentary about professional BMX star Mat Hoffman. It’s directed by Jeff Tremaine and produced by Spike Jonze and Johnny Knoxville as part of ESPN’s 30 for 30 series. You might recognize Jeff Tremaine, Spike Jonze, and Johnny Knoxville from their work on MTV’s Jackass. All three of them were so impressed with Hoffman’s badassery that they decided to make a movie about him. Hoffman was a pioneer in the sport. He was always creating new tricks, getting more and more big air, and pushing the sport into the mainstream. He partially saved the sport in the early ‘90s when sponsors and contests dried up. He created his own company, organized his own events, and kept on developing new tricks. He wasn’t doing it for money. He was doing it for himself.

The filmmakers stress that Hoffman is more than an athlete. He is a gladiator. He punishes his body. He’s broken practically all his bones, he ruptured his spleen, he’s been in a couple of comas, and he’s almost died several times. But he always gets back up and gets back on his bike. It’s what he does. It’s who he is. Along the way he inspired thousands of kids to get on a bike and go outside.

The documentary explores Hoffman’s influence on BMX and the X Games lifestyle. He was building his own megaramps years and getting twenty feet of air years before anyone else was brave enough to try it. He showed people that it was possible. He paved the way for the spectacle that the X Games have become. Mat Hoffman is a different breed of human. If Charlie Sheen has tiger blood, Mat Hoffman has liger blood. And yes, I just referenced Charlie Sheen’s #Winning phase and Napoleon Dynamite.

Critically Rated at 13/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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February 23, 2015 · 12:59 pm

Wrong Name

Calling someone by the wrong name is one of the worst things that you can do. It makes you look like a dick and feel like an asshole. You’re telling the other person that they aren’t important enough to remember, or that they remind you of someone else who you would prefer to be talking to. I’ve been on both ends of the situation. I don’t mind being the victim. I just correct them, laugh it off, and forget about it. It’s much worse to be the guy who does it. It can lead to trouble. Ever call a girl the wrong name? It leads to crying, arguments, and never any sex. Ever confuse a set of twins and say the wrong twin’s name? It doesn’t matter if it was an accident if you’ve known them for years. You said the wrong name. You are a terrible person. Don’t say the wrong name. Definitely don’t say it more than once.

Critically Rated at 4/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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February 23, 2015 · 12:58 pm

We Cause Scenes: The Rise of Improv Everywhere

We Cause Scenes: The Rise of Improv Everywhere is a 2013 documentary about Improv Everywhere and its founder Charlie Todd. If you’ve been on the internet in the last five years, you’re probably familiar with Improv Everywhere. They are the comedy/performance art group known for performing elaborate pranks in public places. They never break character to create a moment of amusing bewilderment for anyone who happens to be in the area. They are the guys that froze in place in Grand Central Terminal for five minutes, the organizers of the No Pants Subway Ride, and raiding Best Buy with an army of people wearing blue shirts and khaki pants.

Director Matt Adams takes you behind the scenes of Improv Everywhere and introduces you to Charlie Todd, the creator and founder of the group. Todd talks about his inspiration for Improv Everywhere. It started with him impersonating Ben Folds in a bar one night. A couple of girls bought into it and he wanted to share his story with as many people as possible, but he didn’t have an outlet to do it. So he wrote it down and created a website. He started thinking of more and more pranks and they got bigger and bigger. Improv Everywhere also had connections to Upright Citizens Brigade, which have proved very influential to their performances. Todd is quick to point out that Improv Everywhere was started two years before flash mobs were a thing and that the two have very little in common. Flash mobs are a trend. Improv Everywhere is art.

The documentary also explores some of the group’s most famous pranks. You find out how they came up with the idea, how they pulled it off, and reflections of the aftermath. It’s a very interesting film and you can find it on Netflix. It’s hard to grab the attention of the internet and go viral. It’s even harder to do it on a consistent basis. Improv Everywhere deserves all their YouTube glory. Watch this documentary and find out why.

Critically Rated at 14/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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February 22, 2015 · 3:23 pm

Random Mutual Friends

Every now and then I cave into Facebook’s demands and check the list of people I may know to see if there is anyone worth adding to my friends list. Facebook will display a name, a profile picture, and a list of the mutual friends that you have in common. It’s a small world so you’ll often find out that you have some truly random mutual friends. My cousin knows one of my coworkers even though they live on opposite sides of the country. I have friends from my elementary school who know friends from my college. It makes you wonder how they met each other. Checking random mutual friends is like playing Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon and you’re Kevin Bacon.

Critically Rated at 14/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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February 22, 2015 · 3:22 pm

Bacon

I’ve been blogging for more than three years now and I’ve somehow neglected to write about bacon. I’ve written about Canadian bacon. I’ve written about bacon jerky. But this is the first post about real bacon. Real bacon is officially known as side bacon or streaky bacon, and it comes from pig belly meat. The USDA defines bacon as the cured belly of a swine carcass. Don’t let that definition dissuade you from trying bacon. It’s delicious. It’s a wonder food. It’s amazing by itself and it makes everything else better. Try it with eggs. Try it with lettuce and tomato. Try it wrapped around fried chicken. Turn a cheeseburger into a bacon cheeseburger. Take that Bloody Mary to another level. Bacon is a four billion dollar industry in the United States alone. Jews and vegetarians have no idea what they are missing out on. I don’t care what they say, eating bacon is totally kosher.

Critically Rated at 17/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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February 20, 2015 · 11:13 pm

Solar-Powered Calculator

A solar-powered calculator is a calculator that’s powered by solar energy. That means it uses light to run. They first came out in the ‘70s. I was born in 1985. I was brought up with them. They were the standard calculator in math class when I was growing up. You can take your abacus and shove it, grandpa (I’m half Asian so that’s not racist by the way). Solar-powered calculators have the same mathematical capabilities and functions as your standard battery-powered calculator. 2 + 2 = 4 and 80085 spells BOOBS on both. One just runs on the sun. Make sure you turn it off when you’re done using it. You don’t want to waste solar electricity.

Critically Rated at 13/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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February 19, 2015 · 4:44 pm

Rubik’s Cube

A Rubik’s Cube is the most frustrating toy ever created. When it’s completed it has six sides, each side has it’s own color, and each color has nine pieces. The cube has an internal pivoting mechanism that allows you to move the pieces around. You jumble it up and try to get the cube back to the original form so that each side is a solid color again. It sounds easy. It’s not. The twenty-six pieces can be rearranged approximately 519 quintillion different ways. There are all kinds of formulas and mathematical tricks to complete the Rubik’s cube and it’s possible to learn how to solve it in under ten seconds, but most people will never complete a Rubik’s Cube unless they peel off the stickers and rearrange them. Some people call it cheating; I call it thinking outside the box. Besides, I don’t have the patience to finish one, I just want people to think I do.

Critically Rated at 12/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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February 19, 2015 · 4:42 pm

Straight Outta L.A.

Straight Outta L.A. is an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary directed and narrated by Ice Cube. It’s about the Los Angeles Raiders and the rise of gangster rap in the ‘80s and early ‘90s. This was a tumultuous time in L.A. The crack epidemic was going on, police brutality was common, gangs and violence were rampant. The Raiders were a team that was a little rough around the edges and played a little dirty, but they won games and the city of Los Angeles quickly adopted them as their own. Among those fans was a young Ice Cube and the other founding members of NWA. They were pioneers in hip-hop and brought a new, raw style of rapping that came to be called gangster rap.

Ice Cube and the rest of NWA chose to use Raiders gear as part as their image. The iconic pirate logo and powerful silver and black colors became synonymous with gangster rap, and the two became linked for better or for worse. Ice Cube’s film features interviews with Raiders legends like Al Davis, Howie Long, and Marcus Allen as well as hip-hop legends like Ice T and Snoop Dogg to tell the story of how the Raiders influenced rap music and a city, changing the world in the process.

I know a few Raiders fans. I respect them a lot more after watching this documentary.

Critically Rated at 13/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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February 18, 2015 · 12:33 pm

Borrow a Quarter

I was hanging out with my friend and we decided to get some food. I drove to a burrito place, found a parking spot on the street, parked there, and asked my friend if I could borrow a quarter for the meter. He gave it to me without any hesitation, which was a huge mistake on his part. I wasn’t really going to borrow the quarter. I had no intention of ever giving him a quarter back. I was just going to put it in the meter and forget all about it. If he raised a fuss, I would tell him that he owed me a dollar for gas. Borrow a quarter is the same thing as give me a quarter. He should know that. And if he didn’t, he does now.

Critically Rated at 12/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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February 18, 2015 · 12:32 pm

Whatzupwitu

Eddie Murphy has had a pretty successful comedy and acting career. You might also recall that he tried to use his popularity to launch a musical career. He collaborated with Rick James on the single “Party All the Time.” That was actually a decent song. But success went to Eddie Murphy’s head and he continued unleashing terrible music upon the world, like when he collaborated with Michael Jackson for a little ditty called “Whatzupwitu.” It’s bad song with an awful accompanying music video. Eddie and Michael walk around a green-screened sky while they are bombarded by poorly animated music notes, flowers, and peace signs. It seems like there was script for filming. The director just told them to dance around awkwardly with each other and reassured them that they will fix everything in postproduction. They didn’t. The end result speaks for itself. You can watch it below. And I’m sorry if the song gets stuck in your head, I promise that wasn’t my intention.

Critically Rated at 5/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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February 17, 2015 · 10:01 pm

Dredd (film)

Dredd is a 2012 sci-fi action film based on the comic Judge Dredd. It has nothing to do with the 1995 Sylvester Stallone flick. I was pretty weary of this film when it came out. It seemed like just another reboot. I didn’t have any expectations for this movie. In that regard, it was much better than I thought it would be. It stars Karl Urban (best known as Éomer, the horseback warrior in The Lord of the Rings or as Bones in the Star Trek reboot) as Judge Dredd and Lena Headey as the main villain.

Dredd is set in Mega-City One in a dystopic future. Crime is rampant. The only solution are Judges. They are judge, jury, and executioner. They are the law. Dredd is a Judge. He’s the main character. He’s tasted with seeing if a new recruit is worthy of being a Judge. They go out to investigate a triple homicide that’s part of a bigger scheme involving drugs and gangs and end up trapped in a giant skyscraper battling a powerful and eccentric villain. The plot is kind of like Training Day meets Die Hard, but with more explosions and less likeable characters.

Dredd is not a great film, however it’s still a solid action flick. It’s enjoyable. I would put it on the same level as Equilibrium. It’s not a game changer, but it deserves to be a cult classic. I liked it. I wouldn’t buy it or pay much money to watch it, but I wouldn’t change the channel if it was playing on TV.

Critically Rated at 12/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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