Video of the Day - Kittens Inspired by Kittens

A friend of mine from work pointed this little number out to me yesterday. It's a bit cute, and with a few laughs. And who doesn't like a kitten now and then?

I prefer mine with a bit of Gulden's Spicy Brown Mustard, adds just the right flavor, but with a kick.

And now, I present Kittens, inspired by Kittens.

A Week in the Life - Steady as We Go

Ahh, another week starting, another story to tell.

This last weekend as you may remember, I was in Roswell for a concert with the Roswell Symphony. It doubled as a visit with my sister, and some away time for Crystal, Caitlyn, and myself.

Valentine's Day, as Elwood so eloquently puts it, is in fact "weaksauce." Nevertheless, Crystal and I celebrated it with a stop by Sonic™ for a shake and some cheese tots.

Probably more significant a reason for us to celebrate Valentine's Day is the fact that exactly one year ago on Valentine's Day, Crystal and I found out that we were expecting. I remember it well, mostly because it plays out like most other days, with me on the computer.

I was just sitting online in the "computer room" (now the "nursery"), Crystal came in just ever so teary, equal parts shock and happiness. We had at the time, recently hit our self appointed deadline. We had been trying for about three months or so and we're ready to wait another year or so to start trying again. It's not to say that we were officially trying (i.e. tracking Crystal's ovulation, that sort of thing), but Crystal was getting impatient, and each negative readout ever so slightly chipped away at our perception of how easy the idea was of conceiving. Negative indeed...

Lo and behold, later that October Caitlyn popped out cute as could be. The rest, as they say, is history ... recent history, but history nevertheless.

This week is a cookie cutter week. Work, no concerts.

On Saturday we'll be attending a wedding for our friends Adam and Maria. A long time coming, it's good to see these two finally tying the knot, as they've seemed destined to be together for some time. Crystal knew both Adam and Maria in high school, and I've known them both through my time with Peter Piper Pizza. At one point or another they were both Team Leaders with the company. This Saturday should be fun, and we wish the best to them both.

Anyway, that's pretty much the coming week. I've succeeded in my first scheduled post, as "A Week in the Life" is the first in what I hope will be specific themed posts for specific days. If all goes well every Monday you'll see the usual weekly compendium of all things Jimmy. Stay tuned the rest of this week for the new format.

I lieu of sappy Valentine's Day drivel about true love, soul mates, and other assorted relationship buzz words ... instead I leave you with a clip of DMB.

In particular, our wedding song. You may love or hate Dave Matthew's Band, but the song succeeds in being sincere, fitting, and not overplayed in the mainstream.

Have a good week,
Jimmy

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - A JRTW Review.

Greetings all, and welcome to another rare yet insightful look into what I'm watching. This week it's Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Starring Michael Cera of Superbad and Arrested Development fame, and Kat Dennings, who is most memorable from her role as Catherine Keener's daughter Marla from The 40 Year Old Virgin. The movie follows a group of teens as they traverse the indie music scene in New York, with Cera and Dennings finding love along the way.

Directed by relative unknown Peter Sollett, who drew much of the film's elements from his own childhood as a youth in New Jersey, the film tells an all too familiar story; yet it manages to present this story with characters both tangible and sincere. Nick (played by Cera) is nursing the wounds of love lost, while Nora (Dennings) unknowingly picks up the pieces of Nick's unrequited love for his now ex Tris (Alexis Dzenia in an ideal role) in the form of disposed mix CD's meant to remind Tris of her past relationship with Nick. Tris, having since moved on, finds Nick's attempts to reconnect laughable. Enter supporting cast....

Nick plays base in The Jerkoffs, a drumless gay band. His bandmates Thom and Dev, played by Aaron Yoo and Rafi Gavron respectively, drag Nick out of his depressed state and out to play a gig with the promise of possibly seeing Where's Fluffy, the film's elusive yet wildly popular indie group. Nora and her best friend Caroline, played by Ari Graynor, are at the show, as is Tris and her flavor of the month. When Tris harasses Nora about being alone, Nora quickly feigns that Nick is her boyfriend and approaches him in hopes he will reciprocate her ruse. The movie follows the teens on their overnight quest to find Fluffy, all the while exploring Nick and Nora's new friendship and coping with both Tris's mindgames and Caroline's drunken antics.

This movie, in the wrong hands, could have been horrible.

It is, in fact, outstanding.

Sollett channels his own knowledge of cruising the indie music scene as a child alongside a screenplay based on a novel by Rachel Cohn. Sollett personally describes Nick as "not unlike" himself at that age, almost a bystander in the fast paced world around him. Cera's character is household by now, yet he asserts more comedic presence, confidence, and charm than in some of his previous roles. Given how popular and memorable some of those roles have been, I'm actually saying alot there. Dennings is in the limelight here, having played mostly supporting roles in the past. As Nora she handles the role well, downplaying the character's celebrity while never denying her namesake. Her sarcasm and reserved aggressivness assert her position as the girl we want Cera's Nick to end up with. Dzenia plays Tris with a bitchiness that is almost out of bounds, but stays true to the role. Had she amplified the role any more the premise that Nick would want to be with her in the first place would be less palpable. Later in the film, however, she displays her manipulative nature well, allowing us to truly believe she is both wrong for Nick and someone he would still have strong feelings for. Thom and Dev, Nick's gay bandmates, are both sincere and comedic. Not a scene is wasted with Thom and Dev, each moment with them increasing our immersion in the film and our empathy for its' characters. Ari Graynor, as Caroline, absolutely steals the show with her spot on performance of Norah's drunk friend. We immediately relate to Caroline, as each of us has had first hand experience babysitting drunk friends. Graynor is excellent in her portrayal, again serving only to further our connection with the players. Jay Baruchel as Tal, Norah's would be ex-boyfreind-slash-friend, adds an additional element to the film later on, all leading to the films climax in early morning Manhattan.

The movie does many other things very well. Thom and Dev are presented as Nick's friends, and their homosexuality is approached nonchalantly. We know they are gay, we don't care, and neither does the film. The issue of homosexuality is touched on several times throughout the film, and is done so beautifully. Truly, the world Thom touches on when he is talking to Nick is the world we want to live in.

In addition, the adolescents in the film take every shape and size. There are those who drink, but many who do not. Those who are sexually active, and those who abstain. All too often a good film is ruined by the presumption that everyone is doing it. It is a breath of fresh air when a film about teenagers realizes that many lifestyle preferences can exist together in the same social situation without groupthink taking over.

Lastly, if inanimate objects could be nominated for awards. The Oscar would go to the chewing gum. Hands down.

The film does have one or two bumps in the road. Norah is fully aware of Tris' infidelity toward Nick during the time they were dating, yet she never discloses this to Nick. Perhaps to avoid hurting him, or out of loyalty to Tris. It was a bit unusual to me, as Norah is clearly not a fan of Tris from the start. Either way this point is never really developed enough in the film, and as such, its' mention early on in the film should have sufficed. Especially if it wasn't going to be influential later on.

Later in the film as well, Nick and Norah share a mildly sexual intimate moment. This is a sincerely romantic scene, but I felt it was just the tiniest bit awkward. Again this scene hints back at a conversation midway through the film between Tris and Norah in which her infidelity is brought to light once again. If and when you see the movie, maybe you can give me your take on it. Still, it's nice to see a movie present the idea that even at a young age, mature and romantic sexuality can exist ... and without intercourse.



Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist playfully draws you in for a night of friendship, music, laughter, and love and takes you back to late nights with friends when you loved and laughed the same. Outstanding acting by the entire cast coupled with a genuine love story surrounded by an awesome soundtrack makes for a movie that, while it may not be up for best picture, can be popped in the DVD player anytime like an old home movie. Watching the movie feels like watching ourselves, and who doesn't like remeniscing about a crazy night with their friends?

Five out of five stars.

A Week in the Life - Yes ... again... part 2.... the Quickening.

Welcome back to those of you who tuned in earlier only to discover that I had postponed my usual weekly postponement for a later time. I do apologize for the incovenience. But I'm back again to finish out my weekly summary of all things Jimmy.

This week starts out uneventful, although the weather here is fucking things up temperature wise. One day sunny and 75° and the next hella windy, overcast, and a balmy 50°. What gives, Jesus? Is it a sign of the impending apocalypse? Is Stone Cold coming back to professional wrestling? Did we forget to flip over the Mayan calendar to see the 5126 year period on the backside? Either way, it's funny weather regardless of the inconvenience of the truth.

The parents were in town on Monday and again today. Various doctor's appointments bring them over from Alamogordo to Las Cruces every now and again. Both nights we ordered in for pizza and just sat around shootin' the shit. Monday was TV and conversation, Wednesday was a screening of Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist, and more on that later.

Tomorrow, as soon as I sneak out of work we're off to Roswell for another concert with the Roswell Symphony Orchestra. We'll be playing some of the more popular arias from Verdi's opera La Traviata, which you'll recall from this post back in November when I played the whole opera with the Juarez Symphony Orchestra. If you need a refresher, I believe the post has a link to some information on the opera, or you can click here.

A clip of Brindisi "The Drinking Song" from the opera.



We'll return from Roswell on Sunday, and it's off to our friend Daniel's house for a good ol' Daytona 500 party. I can't say I'm the biggest NASCAR fan in the world, but even the smallest appreciation for the challenge of the sport is multiplied by the presence of a friend who knows the ins and outs of it. This goes for you CJ_ATC and LaCrosse as well.

And that's the upcoming week. I'll be stuck in a small hotel room in Roswell as of tomorrow night, and won't have to be at work by 7am on Friday so tomorrow I'll try to start stacking up some entries and saving them for the purpose of future posting. That is, if the laptop can't handle the latest World of Wacraft expansion.

Love and Cheez-its,
Jimmy

A Week in the Life - Yes ... again.

Now usually "A Week in the Life" is an intermittent, weekly series that basically sums up the goings on and current events in the realm of JRTW. And by intermittent, I mean it should interrupt the regular flow of brain droppings one would normally find in a joint like this. Instead, here we are, three in a row with no funny filler. And what's worse, this is just the precursor to the actual post. I just need to finish up some schoolwork and then I'll be right back... no really.

More to come,
Jimmy

P.S. Here's a pointless clip to tide you over.

A Week in the Life - Nothing short of perfect.

It's not what you think. I just meant that this post is nothing.... and that it is short of perfect. Greetings on an otherwise uneventful Friday night. Another busy week come and gone in a flash.

First off, hello again, and I hope you've all had a great week.

Now, this week like the many to follow was a Symphony week. The locals this time, as the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra presents is 4th Classics concert of the current season. An absolute ordeal for violinists, the two orchestral pieces demand an exhausting level of play and concentration from those fortunate enough to play at a professional level. Coupled with a fine piano concerto, it makes for quite an epic music experience... if that' s your thing.

The Symphony opens with Rimsky-Korsokov's Russian Easter Overture.

Followed by Liszt's 1st Piano Concerto which can be heard here.

And last but not least.

Brahms Symphony No. 2., 4th movement.

So while you're browsing the net in another tab, feel free to give a listen to the above, and you'll get a rough idea of my week, 78 glorious minutes of violin madness!

Otherwise, work is work, fatherhood is great. Caitlyn and Crystal are good. Next week is more of the same as I'll be in Roswell for Valentine's Day weekend playing with the Rosewell Symphony Orchestra and visiting my sister and her family.

Blog wise, some big things in the works as I try to hammer out a weekly post pattern... you know one thing every Monday, another every Tuesday.. and so on.

Enough for now, I've got to play some video games, write a friend or two, hang out with the kid and set the timer on my VCR.

Much love,
Jimmy

A Week in the Life - The Life of the Weak

Bleh, trust me when I say nobody is more annoyed by the diminishing frequency of my posts. In a week when by all accounts I should have time for these sorts of things, I simply don't. Anxious for that 3rd chunk of television related anger, me too. Heck at this point, even an over linked youtube video would be more than enough.

Excuses? None. Work is work, family is family, school is school, and symphony is ... you guessed it. While none of these individual horses is completely responsible for my lack of blog related time, on the whole I'm sure you can see where things get a little bit drawn and quartered, time wise.

Still, here I am. Arriving home from work around 4pm, spent some quality time with Caitlyn. Washed the dishes and helped the wife with dinner. Cracked open a bottle of Belle de Brillet, which we received as a gift from my sister on Valentine's day a year or two ago.

I had no idea the intensity of this stuff. According to the bottle it takes about 20 pounds of pears to create each bottle. Upon first pour, the cognac smelled more strongly of alcohol, almost like a whiskey. However, the moment it touched the tongue, a sweet syrup of natural pear flavor overtook the senses. Strong presence, sweet flavor, and ounce for ounce quite remarkable. Highly recommended for a dessert or after dinner drink.

Anyway, sips of cognac aside, we ate dinner and then watched the usual Thursday night lineup on NBC, albeit everything was a repeat. I promptly crashed, falling asleep for the next three hours. Whether this is a result of cumulative exhaustion or the calming effect of the alcohol, the world may never know.

For what it's worth, I haven't played any video games all week, so don't jump to any conclusions. Normally the vice of World of Warcraft would be just as culpable as any distraction. Realize that I, more than anybody, would be satisfied if this were the case. But alas, no. There just aren't enough hours in the day.

But rest assured, loyal viewers, I have not forgotten you. Elwood will surely get his meme fix. CJ_ATC will catch the bait for a "you've been in college too long" sucker punch. All will be well in the LC.

So enjoy this unlikely post. I woke up around 10:30pm just to write it out of guilt. Fortunately tomorrow is Friday and the weekend approaches. No guilt or worry from staying up too late. Should make for a good night on the blog and in the intangible world of Azeroth.

WTF! - The Old Switcheroo

The 2nd in this weeks series of television related rants.

If there's one thing we've learned these past few months, it's that what's old is new again. From grassroots presidents to the Not So Great Depression, Americans everywhere are experiencing a rebirth of ideas.

What we have on television is, instead, an afterbirth of ideas.

Again this particular take on the degrading quality of television has nothing at all to do with actual programming, which for the most part has taken stride with a happy medium of sitcoms, drama, and reality tv. Nay, this declaration involves advertising once more. Today's subject, the old switcheroo.

Here's a comedic taste of what I speak of by our beloved Farley.

Just golden, rest in peace my chubby friend.

Anyway, back to business. This particular skit mocks a popular advertising tool from the time, swapping out real brewed coffee for instant coffee crystals. Hidden cameras revealing that normal everyday people can't tell the difference. The clever little bastards behind the scenes reveal themselves and everybody has a good laugh. Farley notwithstanding, it's a cute trick that exploits the assumed power of assumption. In that half of believing something to be is not knowing there's a chance it isn't.

On a side not, I'm almost positive that somewhere somebody just defended a masters thesis on this concept ... a testament to my wasted genius.



So, again back to bad marketing. And by bad I mean Pastamania bad. Don't know? I think you can figure it out for yourself.

So in today's day and age what do we get for our marketing dollar? The same old bullshit, with the clean fresh 21st century smell of Febreeze™.

Only this time it's Pizza Hut. Purveyors of gimmick pizza after gimmick pizza (i.e. The 14-cheese 2-layer chicken wing lasagna pizza bordered by cheese-filled chocolate-dipped tear-n-share bread sticks with buffalo ranch dipping sauce).

Yes Pizza Hut is regurgitating the ads of old. Taking unsuspecting everyday people and replacing the shitty pasta they ordered with an entirely different shitty pasta transported from all points foreign. Enter the viewer, in a staged upscale dining establishment.

Now far be it for me to say that when you're opening an "upscale" restaurant you should probably spice up the menu beyond say... two dishes with the culinary complexity of a bread sandwich, but that's neither here nor there.

Ok, whatever, pasta at a pizza place. Feign excitement, roll eyes, continue watching The Office.

Now, I'm ok with the repetitive advertising, as there have been at least two to three tangible generations born and raised with no concept of the concept. It happens all the time I know, as do you, for I'm sure you as well as I have watched most of our beloved childhood toys re-released. And what's worse re-released, politically corrected, modernized, and mass-produced as though they were collectible before they were imagined on paper.

I don't want a neon green water gun. When I'm squirting water at my wife-beating step father I want the satisfaction of imagining I'm actually killing him. Neon green does not a weapon make. I want a jet black water gun molded from the same mold as the 9mm pistol the cops will inevitably kill me with after mistaking my water gun for an actual gun. If you want to rob a vending maching and don't want the cops shooting you, paint your own gun green!*

*It should be noted that the cops may still shoot you based on ethnicity, fashion, or neighborhood. This chance is multiplied by one order of magnitude for every jelly doughnut in your possession at the time. Also, Jimmy Rules the World in no way supports the use of fake weapons as real weapons. Opinions in this blog are solely those of Jimmy and should in no way be misconstrued as the opinions of Jimmy, Jimmy Rules the World, or it's parent companies or subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Not valid in AK or HI. See rules for details.

But I digress!!!

This isn't about me this is about shitty advertising. The old switcheroo as it were. I was willing to take it once but not a second time. And what do we get from Pizza Hut?

"The Natural"

Please sweet Jesus not again.

So here we are watching some douche of a chef preparing a fancy-ass pizza with "all natural" ingredients. Only to surprise an unsuspecting room of even douchey-er people with mouths agape at the concept that the pizza they've eaten came from a restuarant and not from an actress in chef's clothing.

Last time I checked the utilization of a chef was the only way for a restaurant chain to mass produce a dish. Do you think this shit just falls out of the air? Pizza Hut no doubt has dozens of people researching recipes and cooking full time, looking for that new gimmick or local favorite to rip-off. Even if the idea is simply ripped from pop culture, like The Natural, it still requires months of work to streamline for mass production and marketing. Why so shocked you moron, a shitty pizza is a shitty pizza, be it from a staged cooking show or a staged pizza delivery. It's all fake, get used to it. Cut, wrap, print.

And another thing! Thanks for reiterating the fact that every Pizza Hut pizza I've ever eaten was the polar opposite of "natural".

Natural pepperoni? What the fuck was in the original pepperoni? Newspaper clippings and old gym mats (bonus points for the reference).

Wow, tomato sauce made from tomatoes. Unreal!

And that whole grain crust. Bread made from whole grain wheat? Holy shit, stop the presses!

And the cheese? Actual mozzarella!! I'll be damned!

Well butter my butt and call me bread. Pizza Hut... you've almost made a pizza.

Now stop while your ahead.


Again, thank you and goodnight.
Jimmy.

P.S. Next month at Pizza Hut for $11.99. Oh yeah, they'll make it look like a large in the commercials but it's really a medium.

WTF - Pretentious Cat Food!

Ok, ladies and gentlemen, birthday week is over. Back to business. And by business I mean bitching about things I have neither the resources nor wherewithal to change.

So here we are in the first of a series of television related rants. I felt the need to split these up seeing as how I can't seem to make enough time in the day to publish a nice long juicy post. Couple that with the fact that each of these little TV nuisances provides me with a full day's worth of frustration, nudging me ever-closer to spending the remainder of my days with just my wife, my baby, and my computer; relinquishing myself from the indentured servitude of commercial and/or pay television. Anyway, on with the show.

FYI, the trademarks (i.e. ™) were gumming up the works, so they're omitted. I'd appreciate it if the two of you still reading this blog would be so kind as to not report my infringement.

Now here's a small test for you.

Which of these delectable meals was manufactured for cats, and which one was manufactured for human consumption.




Answer: The food item on the left is cat food... on the right is risotto primavera.


My point being this, at which point did we decide that our cats should eat better than we do? Are they not prone to tongue-bathing their own asses? Do they not mate like rabid furr-banshees, making noises akin to a stuck pig in salt water? How did the cat go from the preferred "I can leave it home by itself" animal, to the Mooby of pets?
Don't ask him. He doesn't know.

Now I'm all for good pet nutrition. I've bought my fair share of Free Range Organic Hill's Science-Diet where applicable to any given pet. I can appreciate the complexity necessary to balance a diet of hair, white dog shit, and small Peruvian lizards.

But lavish and extravagant vittles for an animal who'd kill it's own mother to grasp laser light? It just doesn't add up.

Why in this day and age is there still a vast global famine, yet we feel compelled to dish up restaurant quality meals for ol' Boots here?

It's not to say that I can't appreciate cats, or the need to spoil them like children. But it all has a sort of Douglas Adams stink to it, in that someday, when it's all said and done and we're on the brink of Armageddon. The cats will leave us with a nice "so long, and thanks for all the fish".

Maybe it's just me, maybe I'm just being jealous.
After all, I eat goddamn Chef Boyardee. No! Scratch that. I eat whatever bastardized version of Chef Boyardee I can afford at Wal-Mart for 97¢ a can. And it sucks. But it's cheap, and you can survive off of it. In fact, it's probably closer to actual cat food than that hoity-toity bullshit pictured above.

Christ, I just can't take it anymore.



The real crotch-kicker here is that I love cats!?!! So the only people left to blame are the money-grubbing bastards at Purina. It's like they're preying on little old ladies who have personified their pets to the point of Waterford Crystal collars and self-scooping robotic litter boxes. So knock it off Purina! Leave the exploitation of the elderly to organized religion, the Hoveround, and CBS.


Jimmy out!

P.S. Next time: The ol' switcheroo! For now, a souffle.




Oh yeah.

That's right.

It's cat food.....

A Week in the Life - Another year older!

Well, to say the least my cake was not quite as cool as this one. Still, yesterday (11th) was my birthday. A fun time was had by all, and by all I mean myself, Crystal, Caitlyn, and my parents. We spent the day having pastries and coffee while watching the Eagles/Giants game. I played a pops concert with Steve Lippia and the LCSO. Got home around 5:30 and then it was off to Texas Roadhouse for a nice thick ribeye, medium rare of course. Saw the parents off to Alamogordo, then settled in for a cup of coffe before hitting the sack at a relatively decent hour (midnight to be exact, far from my 2am average).

Fun day, and lots of well wishers made it one of the best. Looking forward to another grand year. And hey, maybe I'll make it out of college...

More to come,
Jimmy