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Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson returns to Middle-Earth in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the exciting and visually stunning first installment of a three-part trilogy adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece, The Hobbit. Jackson will expand the originally slender children's story into a larger prequel and companion piece to his earlier The Lord of the Rings, while also drawing on the Appendices from The Return of the King.
At the New York press day, Jackson revealed how he plans to weave it all together into an exciting cinematic experience that fans can one day watch back to back with his Lord of the Rings trilogy. He talked about why he decided to direct after Guillermo del Toro withdrew, the creative way he accommodated Martin Freeman's commitment to the Sherlock series so he could play the critical role of Bilbo Baggins, how recent technological advancements altered his approach to the film, which parts of the story he enjoyed expanding, why shooting 48 frames per second created a greater sense of reality and immersion in 3D, and how he feels about post-converting the original trilogy into 3D.
Question: It's a slender children's story, the Tolkien Road. The movie is going to be three parts. Why?
Peter Jackson: It's a very good question, and it surprised us a bit too, I have to say, because we were originally doing two films. But, it's really a question of what you leave out. It's a misleading book. It's written in a very breathless pace so that pretty major events in the story are covered in only two or three pages by Tolkien. It's written almost like a children's bedtime story. Once you start to develop the scenes, and plus you want to do a little bit more character development and character conflict than what was in the original book, plus the fact that we can also adapt the Appendices from The Return of the King, which is a hundred odd pages of material that Tolkien developed, so it takes place around the time of The Hobbit, we want to actually expand the story of The Hobbit a little bit more. Tolkien himself wrote that material to tie events a little bit more into The Lord of the Rings, which is a book he wrote 17 or 18 years after The Hobbit. So, all those factors combined give us the material to do it. Also, it goes back to the Appendices.
We can adapt not just The Hobbit, but we can also take these Appendices which are at the end of The Return of the King, which has material that Tolkien was developing for I think what he was considering to be an expanded version of The Hobbit. He wrote The Hobbit in 1937 and then The Lord of the Rings came out in the early 50s which was supposedly supposed to be a sequel to The Hobbit, but it obviously developed and expanded into something much more apocalyptic and the tone was different. And so, I think he was intending to go back and actually revise The Hobbit or write a companion novel to The Hobbit that was going to tie it all together more, and he never did publish that book or even finish it, but a lot of the material his son published in the back of The Return of the King. They talk about the White Council and the Necromancer and they refer to the attack on Dol Guldur and various plotting limits, and it's that type of plot that we are developing into The Hobbit. It's all still part of the Tolkien myth.
How did you settle upon Martin Freeman for the role of Bilbo Baggins and what was the casting process like?
Jackson: The story with Martin really was ultimately simple but it had complexities. I mean, Martin was the only person that we ever wanted for that role. Even before we met Martin, we knew him from The Office and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. We just felt that he had qualities that would be perfect for Bilbo, sort of that very essential, fussy English, slightly repressed quality. We thought he'd be very good at playing that. He's a dramatic actor. He's not a comedian, but he is a dramatic actor that has a very rare, comedic skill that was going to be important because there was a lot more comedy in "The Hobbit" than there was in The Lord of the Rings film, and it's comedy of a 'fish-out-of-water' nature, too. It's Bilbo reacting in a very reluctant way to the adventures that he finds himself in.
We thought Martin would be great for those, and we met him early in pre-production, and we really locked into him for the role. And then, with the delays that happened, which were mainly due to the MGM financial situation, the delays were 18 months' worth of us developing the movie but not being able to get a green light, and so we couldn't offer the role to anybody. We couldn't do anything contractually, and by the time we were able to offer Martin the role, he had committed to the Sherlock TV series. He shot the first season, but the second season of Sherlock was going to fall right into the middle of our shoot. And so, he said, "Listen, I just can't do it, unfortunately." He had already done this prior commitment. We were in trouble. I was really panicking. We all were. We looked at other actors possibly, but at least we got this bit of casting right. We knew we were going to be in enormous trouble, and we literally couldn't think of anyone else that we thought would be as good as Martin, and I was having sleepless nights.
We were probably about six weeks away from the beginning of the shoot and still hadn't settled on anyone else. I was tormenting myself by watching Sherlock on an iPad at about 4:00 o'clock in the morning. The second episode of the first season had just come out on iTunes, and I downloaded that because I love the show. I was sitting there and I was looking at Martin and thinking, "God, there is nobody better. We are insane. This is a nightmare situation to find ourselves in." So, when I got up that morning, I called Martin's agent in London, and I asked if we could find a way to accommodate Martin's schedule for Sherlock for our shoot. Would Martin be prepared to still come down to New Zealand to do Bilbo? Fortunately, the answer was yes, he'd love that if it could work out. What we did, with the studio's approval because they felt as strongly as we did about Martin, is we did something very unusual which was we started shooting The Hobbit. We shot for about four or five months, and then Martin had to go and do his second season of Sherlock, and then we literally stopped the shoot for two months or about 8 weeks, and then, when Martin came back, we carried on again. And actually, it was a blessing for us in some respects. Apart from having Martin in the film, I also got time to edit the first four months of shooting, and we got time to prepare for the next batch of shooting because it was 266 days of shooting. It was 18 months shooting these movies, so that little break was very welcome, I have to say. It was quite a civilized way to make a movie at the end of the day and we got Martin Freeman.
This is a gorgeous looking movie. Can you talk a little bit about getting everything to look so real — the hair, the make-up and the sets – using 3D, high definition that seems to see everything?
Jackson: The levels of detail in the movie are similar to The Lord of the Rings. I mean, with the high definition cameras, you see more, so I think we have an apparent sense of more detail, but fortunately the team that we have in New Zealand, Weta Workshop, who designed a lot of the make-up and the effects and our wardrobe department and our art department, we've always wanted to put in a lot of detail. A lot of detail never gets seen by the cameras. To me, fantasy should be as real as possible. I don't buy into the notion that because it's fantastic, it should be unrealistic, because I think you have to have a sense of believing the world that you're going into. The levels of detail in that are very important. It's interesting because 65mm films that people used to shoot were virtually high definition in the film world.
It was like HD in a way because it was very fine grained film stock. I've always been fascinated by that. When we were setting out to do Lord of the Rings back in the late 1990s, we explored the idea of shooting that in 65mm. There hadn't been very many films shot in 65mm for a long time. I think maybe Far and Away, the Ron Howard movie, the cowboy film, was about the last film that was shot in 65mm at that stage. The camera equipment was very cumbersome and we were going to have to develop the film in America, even though we were shooting it in New Zealand. We'd have to send the negative to America and then back again. It ended up being not a good idea for us to shoot, but it was something that I wanted to do at that time, because I think with a big screen epic experience, the more detail, and the sharper and clearer you can make things, the more real, the more immersive, is exactly the sort of thing I like.
You weren't always involved as director of this project. Why weren't you interested in directing it at first?
Jackson: That's a very good question. I guess I thought that I wouldn't enjoy it is the truth, because I thought I'd be competing against myself to some degree, and I thought it would be interesting to have another director. Guillermo del Toro was involved for a while, for over a year probably. But after Guillermo left because of the delays we were facing with MGM, it was still about six months or so before we had a green light after he left, and during that period of time, I just thought I am actually enjoying this more. We'd been working on the script with Guillermo all that period of time and we were producing it for him. Also, I'd come to realize something which I hadn't really put my head there, but I'd come to realize that there's a lot of charm and a lot of humor in The Hobbit that The Lord of the Rings didn't have. I thought, returning to Middle-Earth and telling a completely different story in a different tone, this is not The Lord of the Rings. I'm not going to try to make another film exactly like that. This gives me an opportunity to do something a little different. That was the reason why I thought it'd be fun. And as it was, after all the trials and tribulations we had during post, the first day we started shooting I was incredibly happy that I was there. It was a great deal of fun to shoot.
As a second unit director, to what extent was Andy Serkis involved in the editing and visual effects process for Gollum this time around?
Jackson: Andy didn't start work as a second unit director until after the Gollum scene was finished. The Gollum sequence was the first thing we shot. We filmed that, the Bilbo-Gollum material, in the first ten days of shooting. We didn't bring the second unit in until two or three weeks into the shoot, so Andy was literally just starting work as an actor with Gollum. But that was a great scene to start with, in a way, because we had a lot of logistical issues on the film to deal with, with 13 dwarves and heavy prosthetics and costumes and a lot of work. They had to be in make-up for three hours a day. It was going to be a very difficult film to make from a logistics point of view, and so, starting the shoot, we were at the foot of a mountain that felt very steep. It was a long, big climb at that stage when you're at the beginning of an 18-month shoot, but that first week or so of shooting, just having two actors was good. It allowed us to find our feet. It was also Martin's first week of shooting so, he had to explore the character of Bilbo. It was literally the first time and the first day he had ever played that character when we started shooting that scene, so it was a really great way to start.
I felt sorry for Martin because he had Andy Serkis coming at him with full energy, and here was Martin trying to figure out, "Who's this character I'm playing? How would he react to this?" It was good for me and Martin that we were able to work together and actually work our way through different ideas for how Bilbo would deal with Gollum. It's tricky when you're shooting a scene in the middle of a film to make sure you get the tone right, because you've got to think of everything before then that you haven't shot yet. I decided to give Martin and Andy a chance to develop both the scene and the characters by shooting a lot of the takes. A lot of the camera angles and a lot of the takes we shot the entire scene all the way through. It was twelve pages long, so it was nine or ten minutes worth, and we just lit the camera around them and let them do the entire scene. We didn't break it up into little tiny bits and pieces as you often do. I did that again for Martin's sake more than anything just to let him be able to sort of run this through over and over again. We shot many different camera angles on it, but each angle we ran through the whole scene, so it was a week of shooting.
In terms of the screenwriting process, what parts of The Hobbit did you enjoy expanding on the most in this movie that weren't in the original book?
Jackson: A lot of it was from the book. We've expanded stuff, like the Mountain Giants. The Stone-giants that are mentioned is like a paragraph in the book by Tolkien. They're going through the Misty Mountains, and he refers to a thunder storm created by this fight between giants and doesn't really dwell on it particularly, so those sorts of things were fun. That scene was an incredibly visual scene out of the book that we could develop and expand on. So we did different expansions with the Goblins and other things.
There's a speech that Gandalf gives about simple acts of kindness versus great heroism that's similar to a theme you were developing in The Lord of the Rings. Can you talk about how you carried that theme through in this film?
Jackson: One of the things that I really like and this is what made this film a joy for me was being able to almost connect little pieces from "The Lord of the Rings" to The Hobbit. There was a scene in The Lord of the Rings in The Fellowship of the Rings, the first film, where they're in the Mines of Moria and they're stopped at a crossroads, and there's a quiet moment where Gandalf is talking to Frodo about the events in The Hobbit and how the pity of Bilbo rules the fate of all, meaning that Bilbo had a chance to kill Gollum but he didn't, and the fact that he didn't is now directing the story. It's now created the story of The Lord of the Rings, for good or for bad. It was really interesting that 10 or probably 12 years after we shot that scene originally to come back and actually show the moment when Bilbo stays his hand. And also, the reason why he doesn't kill Gollum at that stage where he's got the opportunity to and he's invisible and he's standing over Gollum is because Gandalf has said to him that true courage is deciding when not to kill rather than when to kill.
And so, just completing those little loops and circles was one of the really interesting things whilst you're dealing with a different story and a different tone. I really like the fact, in a way, that if we hadn't shot the films in this order, we might not really have been able to do that quite as effectively. I'm pretty much aware that once these three movies are done and they've had their theatrical life, we're really looking at a six-movie sit which is the way that it will all exist from that point on. I am very conscious in wanting to make it feel like a very organic story with synergy and everything connecting with each other. It wouldn't have been that easy if we had shot The Hobbit first, because it is such a different tone of a book. We might have just locked into that much more fairytale tone which would have made The Lord of the Rings, if that had happened second, a much more difficult adaptation in a way, because it would have been hard for the two to talk to each other. So, doing it this way around has actually been a blessing really.
What was it like coming back to Middle-Earth a decade later given all the technological advances since The Lord of the Rings?
Jackson: In The Lord of the Rings, Andy would perform Gollum on a motion capture stage sometimes six months, sometimes a year, after the live action was shot. He would always be there on set for Elijah (Wood) and Sean (Astin), and the cameras were filming them reacting to Gollum and playing the scene, but what Andy was doing wasn't getting captured in any way. And then, much later, he had to go [back] and recreate it. Elijah and Sean weren't there anymore, because it was in post-production, and he was all by himself having to recreate the energy of the first time around. But this time, on The Hobbit, we recorded and the motion capture was being captured while we were filming the principal photography, so when Andy and Martin were acting together, Martin was being filmed with the cameras and Andy was being captured by the motion capture cameras, and all of his performance that he did on that day is in the film. So, it was a much more organic process. The muscles on Gollum's face are a lot more detailed and accurate this time around, which means all the nuances that Andy does as an actor can be accurately one-to-one captured and translated onto Gollum. Even though we want Gollum to look exactly the same and to sound the same, the technical side of it is quite a lot more advanced.
When did 48 frames enter into the picture and what do you feel it added to the product? What did you learn from people's reactions to it?
Jackson: Well just to start at the back end, I'm fascinated by the reactions. I'm tending to see that anyone under the age of 20 or so doesn't really care and thinks it looks cool, but doesn't even really understand it. They often just say the 3D looks really cool. I think 3D at 24 frames is interesting, but it's the 48 that actually allows 3D to achieve the potential that it can achieve, because it's less eye strain and you have a sharper picture which creates more of a 3-dimensional world. It's interesting how the frame rate actually changes the perception of the 3D as well as making it more comfortable to watch. As to the history of it, I had seen a couple of high frame rate movies. I'd seen a Showscan movie when I was young in New Zealand. We had a tourist film that was playing in a ski resort which I saw and I was pretty impressed by that. I remember going to Disneyland and seeing the Star Tours ride that George Lucas did for Disneyland, which is a high frame rate film where you're speeding in the Star Wars spaceship. And then, I had a direct experience with it about three or four years ago. I directed a King Kong attraction for Universal Studios in California which was 60 frames-per-second 3D, like a 7 or 8-minute surround film that's playing in the tram ride there. And I just thought, "Wow, this is so cool. I wish we could do a feature film like this."
But, of course, while there were mechanical projectors in the cinemas around the world, they were locked into 24 frames. It was an infrastructure that had existed since the 1920s that was never going to change. But it's the advent of digital projectors that allowed all this development to happen. Jabez Olssen, the editor that I worked with, went to NAB (National Association of Broadcasters), which is a technical convention, the year we were in development on The Hobbit, and he came back and said, "You know what, if you're interested in a high frame rate, I think the moment in time has arrived because the projector manufacturers can probably do it, and the cameras are going to be able to do it." So we decided to take the plunge. Warner Bros. was very supportive. They just wanted us to prove that the 24 frame version would look absolutely normal, which it does, but once they were happy with that, they were very happy for us. On the first day of photography, we had to push that button and say 48 frames, even though the first day we started shooting The Hobbit at 48 frames, you could probably say that there wasn't a single cinema in the world that could project the movie in that format, so it was a little bit of a leap of faith. The thing to realize about it too is it is not an attempt to change the film industry. It's another choice. The projectors that can run at 48 frames can run at 24 frames. It doesn't have to be one thing or the other. You can shoot a movie at 24 frames and have sequences at 48 frames or 60 frames within the body of the film. You can still do all of the shuttering and the effects, the Saving Private Ryan sort of strobing effects are still capable whether you're at 24 or 48. It doesn't necessarily change the way films are going to be made, but it's another choice that filmmakers have got. And, for me, it gives that sense of reality, of immersiveness, that I love. It makes you feel like you are leaving the cinema seat and actually becoming part of the experience of the adventures of the film.
How do you find the experience of watching the film in 3D at a higher frame rate?
Jackson: I've been watching it for 18 months now, watching hours and hours and hours of it with the rushes and the dailies and then obviously the various assemblies of the film. With 3D, your left and right eye, both of your eyes are seeing a different picture because the two cameras are filming two different pictures from different angles, and with 24 frames, you're getting strobing and motion blur and the add effects of 24 frames, and those are being shot separately with two cameras being fit into separate eyes, and your brain is trying to put this stuff together. The more add effects and the capture, like when you're panning or things are moving or strobing, you brain is struggling to try and resolve these two pictures and 48 reduces all of the add effects, and so it does make for a smoother experience. But it's different, and as human beings, we always have resistance against things that are different and there's always suspicion. I'm a Beatles fan, and I remember in the mid-1980s, when CDs first came out, there was a sound of vinyl and the sound of the needle on it that people loved, and suddenly CDs were threatening.
I remember reading something saying that the Beatles would never have their albums on CD, because it was just too clear, and all the bum notes that they played and all the bad playing would be exposed, and they would never be happy with that, so you're never going to hear a Beatles tune on CD. There was all this hysteria. It's just that at the last few minutes we don't like change. The one thing with 3D presentations is I think that 3D itself, whether it's 24 or 48, is at a very interesting point in time. I don't like putting glasses on and watching 3D. I don't mind wearing glasses, but it's the dimness of the light and the fact that you're filtering the light. Whatever 3D process is being used is a filtration of light, which means it's blocking some of the light. But those days are about to end, and they can't come soon enough. Laser projectors are on the horizon. And then, in New Zealand, at the premiere of The Hobbit, we took two Christie Projectors, we stacked them up, and we projected the movie with two projectors both onto the screen, and we got the picture as bright as 2D. It was the first time I'd ever seen 3D at the light level of 2D. It was super bright, and you put the glasses on, and it brings it to the same light level as you would get with 2D, and it looked fantastic. I can't wait for those days to come and we just get away from this dumb 3D, because that's what's sort of giving it a stigma right now, and it doesn't need to be like that. Hopefully, within a year, it won't be. It's just that the technology needs to get a little bit more advanced with the projection.
How did 3D change your approach to the visual effects and how you directed scenes?
Jackson: It didn't change my style of directing, and I didn't want it to. That was the beauty. We used RED Epic cameras and 3ality Rigs. I didn't want to convert it. I wanted to shoot it in 3D because I think that's much more realistic. But fortunately, we had really great support from those companies who worked with us, and they made the equipment as light and small as they possibly could. The 3ality Rigs were originally made in steel, and they made them for us out of carbon fibers so that we could put them on steadicams and use handheld cameras. I really wanted to be the same filmmaker going back into the Middle-Earth, thinking of that six-film series. I didn't want, because this was 3D, to suddenly shoot in a different style. I don't believe in the concept that 3D should be shot separately. I mean, every director has their own style, sure, but I don't think any of that is really an issue with 3D. For me, it was important to not even worry about the 3D and I didn't. I didn't even think about it half the time. I was directing like I would normally direct, and the cameras could do what they normally do, and for me, it was a comfortable experience.
Would you ever go back and post-convert the original trilogy into 3D?
Jackson: Just to talk about the dimensionalization of the Rings, it's not really a question for me particularly, because it's a studio issue, and they would have to pay for it, and it's expensive and things. I'd be happy to do it and be part of it if they decided. That's really a marketplace thing. I think that whole idea of dimensionalizing older films is something that the studios are still unsure of. I know that Jim (James Cameron) did a long Titanic and it was very successful, and then George Lucas did it with the Star Wars and it was not so successful financially, so I think the studios are not quite sure at the moment just where that market is going to finally land. I guess, as time goes on and 3D establishes itself more in people's homes, and the cost of conversion and of converting it comes down, things have to move on, but at the moment, it's not being discussed.
Peruse all our recent coverage of The Hobbit below:
- First image from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
- Dave's review of the film.
- 6 clips from the film.
- 20-minutes of behind-the-scenes footage.
- First Image from The Hobbit: There and Back Again Features Orlando Bloom and Luke Evans
- Steve's set visit round-up and 70 things to know about the film.
- Peter Jackson on-set interview.
- Ian McKellan on-set interview.
- Martin Freeman on-set interview.
- Richard Armitage on-set interview.
- Weta Workshop head Richard Taylor on-set interview.


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Thomas Esmeralda
Office: ART 225
TR 11:00-11:30AM by appointment
Thomas Esmeralda comes to the Animation/Illustration program with sixteen years of experience in the Feature Animation, Visual Effects, and Video Game industries. He has served in numerous creative roles, ranging from Art Director to Visual Development Artist to Matte Painter for world-renowned studios such as Dreamworks, Industrial Light & Magic, Digital Domain, Framestore, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Electronic Arts, and Blizzard Entertainment. He also remains an active member of The Visual Effects Society. Shortly after earning his BFA in Illustration from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Professor Esmeralda received his first film credit for background painting on the critically acclaimed Prince of Egypt. His more recent credits include The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Big Miracle, and Diablo III: The Black Soulstone.
Professor Esmeralda's immersive experience, accumulated from such varied production roles within numerous studio settings, has gained him invaluable insight into modern image creation methodologies utilized in today's screen arts. While he continues to provide concept art and matte paintings on a limited basis, Professor Esmeralda now focuses most of his time on teaching, where he enjoys sharing his knowledge to inform, nurture, and mentor future animators and illustrators.

subset: commoncrawl


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I wouldn't worry about contamination. Do your beers go bad after 3 months? You're going to have fewer viable cells but I don't believe Mr. Malty's doom and gloom estimate. I just built up a starter from some 4 month old slurrry and it was active as any starter I've ever made. I estimated 10% viability and made a 2 step starter, and the cell count showed significantly more yeast than the Mr. Malty prediction, almost double.
Paul,What did you end up doing? I may be in this situation soon....Dave


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7 Budget-friendly Tips to Maximize a Small Space & An AmEx Gift Card Giveaway~
As some of you may know...we are currently renting a home. And although it is a great home, and we like it very much, it is - how shall I put this? - cozy. And if you know realtor-speak at all, you know that cozy is a code word for small. And that's okay because it is perfect for our family at this time. But, that said, there are some challenges that come along with living in a small-ish space. But I believe that challenges are just opportunities in disguise. So today I wanted to share 7 tips for maximizing your small space...for turning those challenges into decorating opportunities!
1. Find furniture that serves multiple purposes. And when I say multiple purposes, I'm usually referring to STORAGE. Storage is almost always an issue in smaller homes, and anything that can add extra storage is a bonus. A dresser makes a great console table AND adds extra storage. Using a trunk as a coffee table can do the same. Of course, furniture such as sleeper sofas or chairs are also great because they are functional during the day, but can accomodate guests at night. You get the idea.
2. Use small scale furniture. Now, I'm not always a fan of following "the rules" of decorating. However, this is one of those rules that will really help to visually enlarge a small space. Large furniture can be used in a small space, of course. And it makes the space feel cozy. But remember what the word "cozy" is code for? Yep. Small. So if you want to visually enlarge a small space, choose furniture that is in scale with that space. It really does work.
3. Control clutter. Remember my post from yesterday? When it comes to small space decorating, especially, remember to edit, edit, edit. Simple accessories and concealed storage are your friends in a small space.
4. Add mirrors. I am a HUGE fan of mirrors! I love them!! And small spaces especially benefit from the addition of mirrors. Not only do mirrors visually enlarge a space by reflecting it back at you, but they also reflect light, and light helps to make a space feel larger as well. So add mirrors...everywhere.
5. Use glass-topped furniture. I am, of course, primarily referring to coffee and end tables. Because glass-topped tables make a space appear larger by receding into the background. They allow the space around them to be seen. They visually appear smaller, so they make the room seem larger.
6. Use similar wall and fabric colors. This is one of those rules of decorating that - again - really works in a small space. By choosing a wall color and similar drapery or upholstery colors, you create a visual continuity that enlarges a space. It is the same concept as clothing...if you wear all one color from head to toe, you will appear taller and thinner because the eye won't "stop" at the change in colors. If you paint a wall blue and then continue with the same shade of blue curtains, your eye will move over the whole space uninterrupted and it will appear larger. And don't worry about this making the space boring..that's what accessories are for, remember?
7. Hang curtains as close to the ceiling as possible. I'm sure you've heard the decorating trick that hanging curtains higher and wider than a window visually enlarges the window. Well, the same idea works for ceiling height. Hanging curtains as close to the ceiling as possible will give the illusion of higher ceilings. Try this trick...it really works!
So if you, like me, are living in a cozy space...try incorporating a few of these tricks and check out the difference it makes. You'll be amazed!
And now, I have a fun giveaway for you. The good people of Apartment Guide have offered to give one reader of The Shabby Nest a $100 AmEx gift card!
To enter:
1. Leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite small space decorating trick (and even if you live in a large space...I bet you have one of these up your sleeve.)
2. For an extra entry, you can follow Apartment Guide on Twitter @AptGuide for tips and updates on making the most of your space and then leave an additional comment to let me know that you are following.
Giveaway will be open until Saturday, March 10 at 11:59 pm MST. I will choose a winner via Random.org. Good luck~
- "Like" Apartment Guide on Facebook at Facebook.com/apartmentguide, follow them on Twitter @AptGuideand "circle" them on Google+for real-time tips and updates on making the most of your space and living on a budget.
- If you're ready for a whole new space or are looking to move, Apartment Guide has the photos, floor plans, features and tips to help you find the perfect apartment community.
- Whether you're living, looking or moving, Apartment Guide offers how-to tips for making the most of a space on a budget on http://www.movingtoday.comand http://www.apartmentguide.com/blog/.


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Check out our flagged ONS jobs below!
JOB TITLE: Registered Nurse
LOCATION: Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center
DEPARTMENT: Medical Surgical 3 Oncology Float
WORK SCHEDULE: Days/Evenings 7am-7:30pm; Every other weekend/holiday rotation
WORK TYPE: Full Time (.9 FTE) - 72 Hours Bi-Weekly; 40 W Overtime
Assesses patient needs and plans, organizes, performs and evaluates nursing activities
to meet those needs. Meets the qualifications to provide care for patients in the specific age range of their assigned nursing unit.
Performs duties to provide the highest level of patient care and maximize patient
satisfaction in accordance with the goals and objectives of the Geisinger Health System.
Demonstrates strong organizational and interpersonal skills.
Demonstrates effective written and oral communication skills.
Demonstrates a high regard for confidentiality.
Demonstrates flexibility, tact and the ability to perform both independently and as a team member.
For Registered Nurses with less than five (5) years work experience as an RN, a BSN degree is required or enrollment in a BSN
program within 12 months of hire date with BSN degree completed within 4 years of hire date is required.
For Registered Nurses with more than 5 years of work experience as an RN in an acute/inpatient capacity, a BSN degree is not required.
For current Geisinger Registered Nurses who transfer into this position, BSN degree is preferred.
Pennsylvania Registered Nurse license in good standing required.
Chemotherapy training within 6 months of hire.
BLS certification preferred.
Duration of on-the-job training to become familiar with job duties varies with individual department.
Work is typically performed in a clinical environment.
The specific statements shown in each section of this description are not intended to be all-inclusive. They represent typical elements considered necessary to successfully perform the job.
OUR PURPOSE & VALUES: Everything we do is about caring for our patients, our members, our students, our Geisinger family and our communities. KINDNESS: We strive to treat everyone as we would hope to be treated ourselves. EXCELLENCE: We treasure colleagues who humbly strive for excellence. LEARNING: We share our knowledge with the best and brightest to better prepare the caregivers for tomorrow. INNOVATION: We constantly seek new and better ways to care for our patients, our members, our community, and the nation.
GEISINGER WYOMING VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER: (GWV), located in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., is an acute care hospital that is licensed for 274 beds, and houses the only Level II Trauma center in Luzerne County. The campus includes the Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Cancer Center, The Richard and Marion Pearsall Heart Hospital, the Janet Weis Children's Hospital Pediatric Unit, a transplant program and the Brain & Spine Tumor Institute. Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre is GWV's ambulatory campus.
About Geisinger
One of the nation's most innovative health services organizations, Geisinger serves more than 1.5 million patients in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The system includes 13 hospital campuses, a nearly 600,000-member health plan, two research centers and the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. A physician-led organization, with approximately 32,000 employees and more than 1,800 employed physicians, Geisinger leverages an estimated $12.7 billion positive annual impact on the Pennsylvania and New Jersey economies. Repeatedly recognized nationally for integration, quality and service, Geisinger has a long-standing commitment to patient care, medical education, research and community service. For more information, visit geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
** Does not qualify for J-1 waiver. We are an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer Women and Minorities are Encouraged to Apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability or their protected veteran status.
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It's that time of the week again. I don't know about you, but the last three weeks I've been sweating bullets. Show last weekend, show this weekend, performing at Art Chicago. Jesus, does it never end? But really, for all my bitching, I wouldn't have it any other way. I love Chicago and all its bat-ass crazy art-ness. And now, for my picks for the weekend…
1. Vers10n Festival at Co-Prosperity Sphere (and the surrounding Bridgeport art community)
You can't not love the Co-Pro Sphere for this shit! Ten years running, and the insanity continues.
Vers10n Festival in located (primary) in Bridgeport at the Co-Prosperity Sphere, The Benton House, Zhou B, and many, many more places. Opening party Friday at Co-Prosperity Sphere, 3219 S. Morgan St. from 8pm-2am.
2. The Black Panthers: Making Sense of History at DuSable Museum of African American History
Get a helping of history during your gallery crawl. Photographs by Stephen Shames.
The DuSable Museum of African American History is located at 740 E. 56th Pl. Show begins April 23rd and ends August 8th.
3. VictoryLand (you, I shall answer your letter) at Threewalls
Chicago bad-ass and revolutionary Claire Pentecost struts her stuff at Threewalls. An event not to be missed.
Threewalls is located at 119 N. Peoria St., #2A. Opening reception Friday at 6pm. Artist talk May 6th at 6pm. Show runs 'till May 22nd.
4. OPENING at The Part Time Gallery
A new space, who knows what you'll find. Remember, new experiences are good for you!
The Part Time Gallery is located at 5219 N. Clark St. Reception is Saturday from 7-10pm.
5. Transitions and Translations at Concertina Gallery
Theory, anyone? Work by Amanda Brinkman, Maureen A. Burns, Joel Kuennen, Susan Morelock, Jorge Mujica, Benjamin Pearson, and Brian Wallace.
Concertina Gallery – 2351 N. Milwaukee Ave., 2nd fl. Reception is Saturday from 7-10pm.
- 10 Shows to See Friday After EXPO - September 17, 2015
- Top 10 Weekend Picks! (9/4-9/6) - September 3, 2015
- Top 5 Weekend Picks! (8/21-8/23) - August 20, 2015


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the past few days
...have been more of a blur than any days I can remember. Lots of hustle getting orders out, Christmas Eve Guatemalan tamales made by my Grandma, Christmas morning, and making time for our new family member. She doesn't have a name yet but she was my sister's (and mine too) favorite Christmas present.
Trail mix was a thoughtful gift from my friend Jessica!
Other Stories
20 comments:
- AnonymousDecember 27, 2011
Lovely pictures, thank you for sharing with us. The image of your son opening his christmas present, where we see part of a little excited face is so sweet it brought tears to my eyes.ReplyDelete
p.s 'Welcome to the world' little lady!
Anonymous-Aww, thank you! That's the best part of Christmas morning, his little face. And then my niece's little face...for different reasons though.ReplyDelete
Hi Jen,ReplyDelete
These pictures are so lovely, of your boy and the new wee one- hand made indeed. Thank you for sharing- we have had such a special Christmas with the kiddos. Bring it on 2012 and I can't wait to see what you create next year with your jewellary, it will be amazing, Jo x
It all looks just wonderful! Where can you get those cute Home Made cookie tools?ReplyDelete
That table is so cool. Lucky you.ReplyDelete
Beautiful pictures!ReplyDelete
Would love to know where you found your homemade cookie press? LOVE it!
MODsquad, I bought the cookie press right hereReplyDelete
wow. that is a lot of packages!!!!!!ReplyDelete
and i am going to buy that cookie press right now. love it!!!
happy holidays!
xo samantha
Obsessed with the cookie press! What a brilliant idea.ReplyDelete
I love that biscuit press!ReplyDelete
Everything looks great, your son look so adorable with he's presents and your niece is beautiful, congrats!, oh! and nice table : ) . Have a lovely day.ReplyDelete
precious! every one. beautiful photos!ReplyDelete
I love the "home-made" cookie stamp.. Your little guy looks like he had a fun Christmas!ReplyDelete
your photos are gorgeous!! looks like you had a beautiful Christmas :)ReplyDelete
just lovely! happy new year!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 30, 2011
:) Glad it arrived (unbroken) + hope you guys enjoy it! xReplyDelete
What a lovely pictures, makes me smile!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 01, 2012
looks like you had an amazing Christmas:)ReplyDelete
happy new years, Jenn!
Found your blog today, must say: I love it!ReplyDelete
I love that table, Normann Copenhagen. How is that table, can you show more pictures of it? I want to know more about it.ReplyDelete
I might want to buy one or two like the one you´ve got. What size do you have ? Sorry, that was alot of questions. Hope that´s okay. Haven´t seen any other bloggers that got it. Hope you will answer at my blog :)
have a nice evening :)
hugs Mari
Thank you for your comments, I love hearing from you!
Questions, comments or sponsorship inquires, please contact me via the 'contact' link.


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One of my readers recently wrote to me, telling me about the "family dinner night" they host. Here's how it works.
Once a month, on a set day that everyone knows about (they do it on the second Friday of each month), they have a "family dinner night." Once you're invited to this event, you're always invited. "Family," to them, includes everyone important to them, regardless of whether they're
About a week beforehand, they send out an email to everyone who is invited and whose address they have, announcing the theme and asking for help in preparation. Attendance is not required; it's just something available for those who want to attend.
Those who can help will show up about an hour before the meal to assist in dealing with the meal prep and often bring an item or two to pitch in.
The meals themselves are "assembly line" meals – tacos, grilling, salad night, soup night, finger food night – which means that as people arrive, they can go through the "buffet line" and fill up their plate.
They usually put extra effort into a few specific elements of the meal, like making fresh salsa for the taco night or carefully marinating a pork loin on grilling night or making a great from-scratch dressing on salad night or from-scratch breadsticks for soup night. You get the idea.
This provides a social evening for the hosts without an incredible cost (yes, there's the food cost, but it's often reduced by people showing up early and bringing stuff). Even better, a few of their friends have started hosting their own "family dinner night" on different nights during the month.
I think this is a spectacular idea in many, many ways.
It's a great way to add a low-intensity regular social event to your calendar. These are the kinds of things that build bonds long-term with your friends and acquaintances.
It allows you to mix social circles. You likely have valued friends and family from different "circles" who have never met each other and interacted. Having them meet in a very casual environment like this is a very good thing, as you can often bring about new connections, friendships, and even (sometimes) deeper relationships.
It's inexpensive. Such buffet-style meals are usually fairly inexpensive on their own and they get cheaper if you have friends that bring pieces of the buffet, too.
It's replicable. It often spawns similar events from other friends and family members on other nights during the week. Obviously, you have a very high likelihood of being invited.
In fact, my wife and I are considering starting our own "family dinner night" in June or July, once our child has arrived. We have hosted dinner parties before, but this moves the whole thing into a more casual domain.


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DC Universe Online Gets Release Date, Subscription Details, CGI Trailer
[Update: 08:54] In reality, PS Plus subscribers will pay a subscription. Our apologies. [Original] Sony Online Entertainm
[Original] Sony Online Entertainment's superhero MMORPG DC Universe Online will launch on November 2, a Comic-Con 2010 panel attended by Newsarama revealed.
A free month of playtime is included, after which the subscription fee is $14.99 per month on PC or PlayStation 3--a fee which is waived for PlayStation Plus subscribers.
A variety of pre-order bonuses are on offer, as is a Collector's Edition with a Batman statue. You can sign up now for a beta test that will run until launch on November 2.
The news is all celebrated by a new cinematic trailer from CGI masters Blur, revealing that you'll actually be taking part in a tiresome and convoluted grand story as you run around wearing your underwear on top of your trousers and zapping people.


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1979Damian reacted to a post in a topic: Rattle,tapping,clicking,knocking Noise Brakes Maybe
1979Damian reacted to a post in a topic: Help On Fault Code P024A, P024B & P024F
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Mk6 Fiesta Tdci
Mike77 replied to PacMan292's topic in Ford Fiesta Club^^^ The above problem was fixed when they introduced the mk7 ^^^
Want To Buy A Mondeo But Advised Against Automatic Box?
Mike77 replied to FocusHunter's topic in Ford Mondeo / Vignale ClubAre the mondeo and your current box not the same ? Seems a bit odd that they would change the box on what is essentially the same engine ?
Hi guys, currently residing in the fiesta section. But spotted a 2.2 mondeo tit x on the auto trader today, was tempted to go and have a peek. Anyone know anything about these, especially the engine area, known problems etc etc, any help would be appreciated.
Phil 87 reacted to a post in a topic: Help Hard-Wiring Dashcam
Help Hard-Wiring Dashcam
Mike77 replied to Phil 87's topic in Ford Fiesta ClubCannot for the life of me work out how to copy and paste a link from ebay onto here from my phone, but ive just bought a dash cam, and hard wired it into place. Its a Mio Mivue 538 Deluxe, the Deluxe model comes with free lifetime fixed speed camera updates. Done a few miles with it. And got to say its very impressive. The picture when viewed on a laptop or tv is VERY good. Easily able to read number plates, road signs etc. Not the cheapest model on the market. Seen it in halfords at £150 but secured one on ebay for £122, it's a very neat looking unit and very capable to. Didn't want to plump for a cheaper one off ebay as my dad has one fitted in his car. But even though his 'says' HD 1080p recording, when viewing them both on a laptop, the difference is worlds apart. Even has its own software to view your recordings with GPS, showing time/date/speed. All in all, an excellent bit of kit amd it my opinion, worth every penny......
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Refuelling Problem
Mike77 replied to matt1981's topic in Ford Fiesta ClubTry pulling the nozzle of the pump out a fraction... should cure it. You'll get to the point where you know exactly where it needs to be.
Oh No Did I Buy A Bad One??
Mike77 replied to Radhadee's topic in Ford Fiesta ClubThe beige stuff is normal, its a kind of sealant. The wer boot floor is a common problem and can be a nightmare to locate. I had a swimming pool where my spare wheel went... And it all stemmed from a pin hole under one of the rubber roof gutters !!! But others report the same from round the hinge that holds the tailgate on.
Fiesta Problem Help Please
Mike77 replied to Radhadee's topic in Ford Fiesta ClubThe twitchy feeling is normal in any car if you are touching two different surfaces. And you will feel it more if running low profile tyres. As far as the voice controls, I think the way your having to input the information is the only way you can do it... may be corrected, but I've had to do this on mine. I guess the general idea is MOST people would only want a few contacts to be used on voice dial. IE, regularly dialled numbers.
This is not always the cure. It would obviously be the first port of call. But in my case, the system was bled, problem still there, then it was pressure bled at a garage, still the same. Then ford diagnosed the ABS control module, replaced it, pressure bled it again and its been fine ever since....
Had this on mine on the test drive, garage said they would sort it before I picked it up. Few days later after their mechanics were left scratching their heads it ended up in fords. Turned out to be the ABS unit, apparently its quite a common problem ? But it cost the garage nearly £300 to put right... but did solve the problem.
2013 1.6Tdci Econetic Fiesta Fan Problem?
Mike77 replied to rosielx's topic in Ford Fiesta ClubDoes it on mine to, but its nothing to do with DPF regeneration, as mine doesn't have one.
Ford Fiesta Zetec 2006 Mk5 - Tail Light Not Working
Mike77 replied to CKRAMS's topic in Ford Fiesta ClubFirst thing to do is check the fuses. Although it uses a twin element bulb, the wiring to each light will be different. So look for rear tail light fuse, and see if that helps.
Fiesta Sometimes Beeping As I Turn The Ignition Off?
Mike77 replied to stargirl170's topic in Ford Fiesta ClubThis was covered a week or so ago. Plenty of people (myself included ) are experiencing the same symptoms as you are. But nobody was actually able to shed any light as to what causes it. Irritates the life out of me just not knowing.........?
Warning Beeps When Turning Engine Off
Mike77 replied to mtg138's topic in Ford Fiesta ClubI also get this happen on occasions. Still for the life of me ain't got a clue what it is?
Should Indicators Make Tick Tick Sound When On?
Mike77 replied to Merikiito's topic in Ford Fiesta ClubYes there should be an audible noise to accompany the flashing. Very much doubt there will be anything in the settings on the car as its a base model mk6 and that kind of trickery wasn't really around back then. Probably a relay problem or something similar.
Removing Plastic Cover Surrounding Base Of Gear Stick
Mike77 replied to John14's topic in Ford Fiesta ClubIt does indeed just pull off, try starting from the side closest to the handbrake. Pull hard on each corner left and right and it should pull free, approach with more caution the other 2 clips closer to the heater controls, as I managed to break one of mine on first time removal. ( can't tell once put back together, but either way, I now its there lol ) then you should be able to gain access to the bits required.


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Gov. Rod Blagojevich might deny selling the state's U. S. Senate seat, but "Al the Jeweler" is hopeful the public will want to buy plenty from him.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich might deny selling the state's U. S. Senate seat, but "Al the Jeweler" is hopeful the public will want to buy plenty from him.
Brad Pettet, owner of Pettet Jewelry Designs at the Metro Centre, is selling 3/4-inch tall charms for necklaces and bracelets shaped as a U. S. Senate seat.
"The whole point of this is to have a little bit of fun," Pettet said Tuesday about the governor's scandal. "People say they are embarrassed to be from Illinois. I'm not embarrassed. It's Chicago politics. You ought to be used to it by now."
Pettet is selling the charms in three forms: sterling silver for $35 each, 14-karat gold for $175 and in platinum, which will go at market prices.
Proceeds from the sales are being referred to as "donations," which will go toward the Al the Jeweler's retirement fund, Pettet said.
Pettet, who turns 60 in February, said he came up with idea of the unique charms after the Metro Centre released an advertisement before Christmas simply stating, "We Sell Everything but Senate Seats."
This got Pettet thinking, and on Christmas Day, he came up with the idea of selling a Senate seat charm.
On Friday, Pettet returned to work and started on his idea. A jewelry craftsman for 25 years, Pettet designed the chair, but the first rendition didn't look so much like a Senate seat as it did a bar stool.
After some refinement, a more visually accurate Senate seat was created out of wax. He has several of the wax creations at the jewelry store; they are no bigger than a "Monopoly" game piece.
With the prototype design completed, Pettet said he is now ready to mass produce the charms. He's unsure how many he will sell in the coming days, but he has the capability to make five to 10 charms per mold.
"One caller said, 'Will you limit it to 100 pieces?'" said Pettet, describing the callers' reference to the U.S. Senate's 100 seats. "I said, 'No, this is Illinois politics. We can oversell.'"
While this is the first "political satire" project Pettet has done professionally, the jeweler is no stranger to unique creations.
Displayed in the front of his small jewelry shop are a number of examples of his craftsmanship, ranging from earrings made from Chinese writing stone to jewelry made from Illinois River clams.
But nothing he's done before will garner the attention he's likely to receive from the Senate seat charms.
On Friday, employee Charity Schierer took three orders for the charms to be done in silver. One call came from Canada. Another was from a radio station in St. Louis wanting more information.
Pettet anticipates plenty of the charms to be sold, but he predicts if Blagojevich is impeached by February, demand for them will slow.
Schierer disagrees.
"That's probably when it will be most popular," she said.
And what if U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald finds out Pettet is selling Senate seats?
"I could be in big trouble," he said jokingly, adding that some of the proceeds could go to a local charity. "But I will be collecting sales tax on each one of these."
John Sharp can be reached at email@example.com.


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Review Roundup: PICNIC Opens on Broadway - All the Reviews!
Roundabout Theatre Company's new Broadway production of Picnic, in association with Darren Bagert and Martin Massman, opens officially today, Sunday, January 13, 2013, at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway (227 West 42nd Street).Picnic stars Reed Birney, Maggie Grace, Elizabeth Marvel, Sebastian Stan, Mare Winningham and Ellen Burstyn, with Madeleine Martin, Ben Rappaport, Cassie Beck, Maddie Corman, Lizbeth MacKay and Chris Perfetti.
The creative team includes Andrew Lieberman (Sets), David Zinn (Costumes), Jane Cox (Lights), Jill BC Du Boff (Sound) and Chase Brock (Choreography).
It's a balmy Labor Day in the American Heartland, and a group of women are preparing for a Picnic... but when a handsome young drifter named Hal (Stan) arrives, his combination of uncouth manners and titillating charm sends the women reeling, especially the beautiful Madge (Grace).
Let's see what the critics had to say...
Ben Brantley, The New York Times: More than any version of "Picnic" I've seen this one, which has been designed with period exactitude by Andrew Lieberman (set) and David Zinn (costumes), highlights the role of prettiness as both a burden and an aspiration...Mr. Stan...mostly registers as more of an objet d'art than a sex object. Ms. Grace...embodies Madge's small-town self-consciousness with an appealing ease...But except for in one dance sequence (nicely staged by Chase Brock), when Madge and Hal discover a shared rhythm, there's not much chemistry flowing between these two. Even clawing at each other's clothes, they somehow seem to be lost in their own, isolating thoughts. The same might be said of the cast as a whole. Which means that, lacking an electric current to invisibly connect its characters, this "Picnic" remains little more than a billboard for prettiness.Jennifer Farrar, Associated Press: Inge might be amazed that his bittersweet examination of life's disappointments is here presented as a broader comedy, but director Sam Gold and the seasoned cast members mostly make it work...Gold has overlaid humorous interpretations onto Inge's stilted and dated dialogue, often to good effect, while still keeping the period feel. If this technique doesn't help amp up the tension that should be building throughout the play, it makes for good entertainment on the handsomely detailed set of scuffed-up houses with a claustrophobic rusty-looking wall towering above.David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter: While the heat between the central couple in director Sam Gold's Broadway revival could have been turned up a notch, the veil of melancholy hanging over the play's characters generates a quiet poignancy...Despite producing four popular and critical successes in the 1950s, Inge's work has proven less durable than that of some of his contemporaries. His plays lack the thematic expansiveness of Arthur Miller, or the sad poetry of Tennessee Williams. But as a snapshot of a time and place that shows the solitude of small-town life for so many people, women especially, Picnic yields gentle rewards. And if Gold's staging muffles some of them, it nonetheless finds resonance in the play's bruised cynicism about love.
Scott Brown, Vulture: That's a lot of traffic, stylistically, and performances that don't match seem not to collide so much as move through each other, like ghosts. That's not to say the energies never align...As it stands, this Picnic is an ad hoc smorgasbord, where not all dishes are guaranteed to palate in perfect harmony. Not everything goes down smoothly, and one wonders if a bit more salt might've tied the whole thing together.
Jeremy Gerard, Bloomberg: The voltage is more palpable in Joshua Logan's 1955 film starring a smoldering Kim Novak and a feral William Holden than it is in this earnestly detailed but sexless revival. Sebastian and Grace look the parts, but an essential element of palpable desire is missing...Still, if there's any justice in the world, a special Tony Award for most intense duet would go to Reed Birney and Elizabeth Marvel, who play Howard and Rosemary, the owner of a dry-goods store and a school teacher.
Steve Parks, Newsday: It's been 60 years since "Picnic" premiered on Broadway. But as Roundabout Theatre's anniversary revival proves, art, like life, isn't fair. Some of us age better than others. Though William Inge won a Pulitzer Prize for "Picnic," it's never been successfully revived. Director Sam Gold and a plausible cast gamely attempt to recapture the traumas of small-town life that anchored Inge's four acclaimed plays...As if the art of conversation was as obsolete as the theater-lobby pay phones, Act I's idle chatter reveals an actor-to-actor inability to connect. Only when yelling commences does the cast wake up and smell the roles. And do they ever. Acts II and III give us a hint of why Inge, who committed suicide in 1973, was considered a literary lion.
Michael Musto, Village Voice: Sam Gold's new production is a mixed-bag stab at the play, pumping up the comedy in the first half, then going for slower, more somber tones in the second...But for this play to work--for it to be an American answer to Chekhov, with Tulsa standing in for Moscow--it's got to have a burning attraction at the center of it. Unfortunately, while Sebastian Stan has the glistening body for Hal...his performance is too posturey...And while Maggie Grace is lovely as Madge, she doesn't carve a distinctive figure, and certainly not one who seems fated to run off with Hal and gamble with the rest of her life. So the play about dashed hopes colliding with awakened desires isn't nearly as electric as it could be, but it's still a vintage trip back to muddled 1950s morality and the poetic hopes that rose up in spite of it.
Joe Dziemianowicz, NY Daily News: Stan ("Gossip Girl," "Captain America") has the right rugged looks for Hal, played by William Holden in the '55 film. He's a character built to be objectified as beefcake and to sizzle in shirtless scenes. Beefy Stan rivals the porterhouses at Peter Luger's and he brings out Hal's vulnerable side. Even better is Grace, a coltish blonde known for movies, including "Taken" and "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn." She's a natural onstage. Her work is assured and understated and brings an air of introspection to Madge.
Elisabeth Vincentelli, NY Post: Maggie Grace ("The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn," "Taken") has a coltish, leggy elegance as Madge Owens. Sebastian Stan ("Captain America"), the dreamy outsider Hal Carter, isn't shy about showing off his chiselled torso, which is good because Hal's keeps losing his shirt or having it torn off him. Too bad they share youth and good looks, but no sizzle - there's more sexual chemistry among the cast of "Old Jews Telling Jokes."
Brendan Lemon, Financial Times: A stripped-down approach to match a stripped-down central character may one day restore Picnic's lustre; the setting here, a hulking house and porches designed by Andrew Lieberman, tends to overwhelm the performances, even when the interiors furnish an almost "American Gothic" glimpse of domesticity. This is a shame, because the play's central theme - how youthful beauty can be emotionally isolating - retains a certain potency. Maggie Grace, who plays 18-year-old Madge Owens, the pretty girl drawn into Hal's aura, gracefully registers the character's misfit quality, even as her chemistry with him doesn't greatly ignite.
Robert Feldberg, Bergen Record: My one quibble is with Stan's performance. Physique aside, it's sometimes hard to perceive Hal's mesmerizing appeal. The character remains blurry, and is too often played as a goofball. All in all, though, the production is theater you can sink your teeth into. Old-fashioned can be good.
Matt Windman, amNY: Director Sam Gold, who recently secured a spot on the A-list thanks to an association with playwright Annie Baker ("Circle Mirror Transformation"), provides a very enjoyable production that successfully combines the play's lighthearted, sadder and sensual aspects.
Erik haagensen, Backstage: The best work comes from Ben Rappaport, as Alan; Ellen Burstyn, as widowed neighbor Helen Potts; and especially the terrific Mare Winningham, as Madge and Millie's anxious mother, Flo. Rappaport ably captures Alan's light self-confidence and straight-arrow wholesomeness alongside his unappealing but unconscious objectification of Madge. Burstyn's Helen is appropriately self-effacing and sweetly rejuvenated as Hal's presence reminds her that she can still experience feelings she thought were gone forever.
From This Author Review Roundups
Check out BroadwayWorld.com's Review Roundups featuring ALL the reviews from Broadway, Off-Broadway, National Tours, the West End and Beyond!
- Review Roundup: THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7, Written and Directed by Aaron Sorkin
- Review Roundup: The Old Vic's FAITH HEALER, with Michael Sheen, Indira Varma and More
- Review Roundup: Andrew Scott in THREE KINGS as Part of Old Vic: In Camera - What Did the Critics Think?
- Review Roundup: Did The Critics Fall In Love With SLEEPLESS: A MUSICAL ROMANCE?
- Review Roundup: Equity-Approved HARRY CLARKE at Barrington Stage - What Did the Critics Think?
- Review Roundup: Berkshire Theatre Group's GODSPELL - The First Equity-Approved Production Since March


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It takes a lot to stand out in the "runner" category of games these days. There are so many of these games, and only so many different ways a player can run, jump, and dodge their way to victory. That said, style goes a long way—and the new runner The Button Affair has got more than its share of style.
You can download The Button Affair for Mac or PC through the official site—it's technically free, though I'd say it's worth throwing the developers a couple bucks, since the game is pretty cool. The art style evokes the opening credits of Mad Men (which itself evokes the clean art style of 1960s advertisements), while the story is pure Archer, with a hint of No One Lives Forever. Through a series of tongue-in-cheek cutscenes, we learn the story of the dashing rogue Enzo, who is determined to steal a jewel called "The Button." He's got the requisite lady love interests and arch enemy, and most all of his adventures end with him making a daring escape.
That's where the game picks up—the game gives you three controls—you can jump, roll, and go faster or slower. If you don't move quickly enough, Enzo meets his unceremonious end in a number of stylish, humorously violent ways—he's shot through the heart by a guard, or zapped by an electric fence, or vivisected by a glass door.
It's also different from most endless runners in that it's not actually endless—each level is the same every time, and there are even checkpoints you'll hit throughout. There's a real story, and the developers, Ollie Clarke, Jonathan Mann, Helana Santos and Chris Randle want you to see all of it.
Of note: I had some trouble getting the Mac version to unzip, but eventually got it to work by using the torrent file provided on the site. But however you download it, The Button Affair is worth your time. I mean, hey: I just described this game by saying "Archer" "Mad Men" "Canabalt" and "No One Lives Forever." Give it a play!


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The US Defense Department is fast-tracking deployment of an Israeli-designed, stair-climbing micro robot to support special operations and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) forces.
Designed by Roboteam, a small start-up firm based here, the Micro Tactical Ground Robot (MTGR) is being rapidly deployed to special operations forces, the US Department of Homeland Security and other users in parallel to ongoing operational tests by the Pentagon's Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office (CTTSO).
CTTSO, the authority managing the interagency program on behalf of the US assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, said it has earmarked 100 robots for « priority fielding » to special ops forces and EOD war fighters, while another 35 are destined for domestic use by interagency tactical units.
According to Roboteam executives, the MTGR weighs less than 20 pounds, carries its weight in payload and is built to clear obstacles, climb stairs and conduct complex maneuvers in extreme terrain.
Its five onboard cameras, internal microphone and infrared laser pointers generate intelligence and targeting data 360 degrees around the vehicle, while an encrypted radio streams secure voice and video to tactical operators and higher command staff.
« MTGR provides dismounted operators with capabilities to conduct dismounted [intelligence, surÂveillance and reconnaissance] and to identify IED threats in the field and urban multi-surface environments from safe standoff range, » according to the CTTSO website.
Fast-tracked testing and fielding of the Israeli-designed system is part of a 40-month CTTSO effort that extends through 2015 and is estimated to cost $15.7 million. Produced in the US by Roboteam's McLean, Va.-based subsidiary, CTTSO-projected end-users include Army Special Operations Command, Naval Special Warfare Command, the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team and the Marine Corps combat engineer schoolhouse.
Family of Ground Robots
MTGR is the first of a family of tactical ground robots developed by Roboteam, established in 2009 as a boutique provider of optronics, robotics and intuitive imaging. Billed by the firm as the world's lightest EOD platform, MTGR can be carried by a single soldier, travels at 2 miles per hour, climbs 8-inch stairs and has a line-of-sight operating range of 1,600 feet.
The platform, manipulator arm and various payloads are controlled by Roboteam's Ruggedized Operator Control Unit, which it offers as a two-handed 7-inch Windows-based unit (ROCU-7) and a single-handed, 5-inch Android-based device (ROCU-5).
Yosi Wolf, co-founder and co-chief executive, said Roboteam is mass producing ROCU-7 and is finalizing development of ROCU-5, each of which will allow a single operator to control several unmanned systems simultaneously.
« Our controllers are generic, intuitively designed and simple to operate, » said Wolf, a six-year veteran of an Israel Air Force special ops unit. « Based on feedback from friends in the Israeli special forces, we made sure our touch screens could be operated while wearing gloves and night-vision devices. For day operations, we also made sure our displays are clearly visible in the brightest sunshine. »
Aside from the operational MTGR, Roboteam has developed a 2.5-pound, pocket-carried robot designed to work alone or within a team, with each interlinked through a secure, mobile network. Designed as a bodyless, hyper-maneuverable, hand-sized four-wheel-drive vehicle, the Individual Robotic Intelligence System (IRIS) generates 360-degree video while traveling at 3 miles per hour.
Company video shows forces dropping it through air vents and into tight underground passageways or tossing it into overhead balconies, where its video streaming provides situational awareness. It can operate for four hours within a 700-foot line of sight on replaceable AA batteries.
Shahar Abuhazira, chief executive at Roboteam North America, said the firm has already secured orders for IRIS from customers in Israel and abroad.
In an early October interview, Wolf cited smuggling tunnels and other underground threats as ideal missions for IRIS and MTGR, which can maneuver in tight spaces and uncertain domains where forces or even canine units cannot.
« A big challenge of ground robotics is operator perception. We need to understand what the robot sees because it is not intuitive, » Wolf said. « With IRIS, one robot is talking to the next by way of 360-degree zooming video, and we have a patented means of providing operators the full situational picture they need. »
The firm's latest addition to its ground robot portfolio is Probot (Professional Robot), a 264-pound 4-by-4 that carries nearly double its weight in payload. Designed for logistics delivery, medical evacuation, ISR and a spectrum of public safety missions, Probot is deployed by a two-man crew and operates at 7.5 miles per hour at a line-of-sight communication range of 3,000 feet.
« It's like having an additional two warriors as part of the squad, » Wolf said. « Two soldiers carry it off Hummers or other light vehicles, and it autonomously follows them on the mission. »
Grandma's House
Launched in late 2009 by Wolf and Elad Levy, former junior commanders of an Air Force special unit, Roboteam began business out of a small apartment owned by Levy's grandmother in the suburbs here.
In less than four years, the firm has grown to 40 full-time engineers, with parallel production lines in the US and Israel supported by some 100 subcontractors from both countries. The young executives recruited as company chairman retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Uzzi Rozzen, a former executive at Israel Aerospace Industries with decades of experience in unmanned systems.
« We operate like a technological Seyeret Matkal, » Wolf said of Israel's elite special operations unit. « Some 90 percent of our workforce has an operational background, with access to the Israel Defense Forces as our backyard for testing. »
In an Oct. 8 interview, Wolf and Rozzen said the firm operates against extreme development cycles aimed at translating ideas into production in less than a year.
« Our added value is the speed at which we can develop software and integrate technologies into ruggedized, reliable and very low-cost ground robots, » Rozzen said.
Roboteam is certified as an exporter by Israel's Ministry of Defense, and works closely with the ministry's Mafat research and development authority to design systems optimized for Israeli requireÂments.
Udi Gal is a former MoD research and development official who brought Wolf and Levy to work with him at ODF Optronics, an imaging firm based here. He credited Roboteam for translating technological vision into a solid business base.
« I'm proud of any small role I may have played in their emerging success, » Gal said. « After only two years, [Wolf] became head of my robotics department. He has consistently proven his capability, integrity and technological drive. »
You can see the article from the source here.


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Her name was Lola: The ailing Maria Sharapova sat out this 2009 Australian Open to give her shoulder enough time to heal (she's back next month). And a version of the Spring Maria Day Dress, a ruffled number whose tiers fade from liquid lime to charcoal grey, might have been the defending champ's on-court outfit.
Cover-up: And this charcoal grey warmup is the season's variation on the oversized collar that's been around for a few seasons now. Use the drawstrings for a dramatic gathered-neck effect.
Buy: Nike Maria Tennis Dress, liquid lime/charcoal, $96, prodirecttennis.com; Woven Cover-Up, charcoal/white, $80; Open Skort, white/light photo blue, $60; Cover-Up and Skort via Tennis Warehouse.
(images via prodirecttennis and TW)


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Capitalism is the Crisis: Radical Politics in the Age of Austerity is a new film about how people are now being forced to pay for the looting and fraud which led to the 2008 "financial crisis." Here is a brief intro from the Capitalism is the Crisis website and a link to the movie.
The 2008 "financial crisis" in the United States was a systemic fraud in which the wealthy finance capitalists stole trillions of public dollars. No one was jailed for this crime, the largest theft of public money in history.
Instead, the rich forced working people across the globe to pay for their "crisis" through punitive "austerity" programs that gutted public services and repealed workers' rights.
Austerity was named "Word of the Year" for 2010.
This documentary explains the nature of capitalist crisis, visits the protests against austerity measures, and recommends revolutionary paths for the future.
Special attention is devoted to the crisis in Greece, the 2010 G20 Summit protest in Toronto, Canada, and the remarkable surge of solidarity in Madison, Wisconsin.
It may be their crisis, but it's our problem.


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BENEFITING: Mothers Against Drunk Driving
ORGANIZER: Natasha
EVENT: Mercedez-Benz Stadium 5K / Walk Like MADD
EVENT DATE: Aug 03, 2018
Natasha Mitchell wrote -
On July 22, 2012, Michael D. Kennedy Jr. was killed by a drunk Driver. It was a day none of us will ever forget. The day I lost my first born son, no parent should ever have to bury their child, especially by such an avoidable and irresponsible act. I am inviting you to walk with me and my family during the Walk Like MADD 5K in Atlanta, GA. In honor of Michael D. Kennedy Jr, and so many other victims, we will be raising money to save lives and to help victims. Although Michael is no longer with us, I refuse to allow his death to be in vain. Michael was only 19 years old, full of life, and full of potential. Sadly, another family experiences the devastating effects of drunk driving every nine minutes, and one in three people will be involved in an alcohol-related crash in their lifetime. My goal is to build a legacy for Michael, to use my pain to raise awareness and to save lives. To do everything in my power to make sure that no other family is affected by the tragedy of drunk driving. No more offenders, no more VICTIMS, no more mothers burying their children. Then my son's death would not be in vain. Help me save lives! If you cannot join us in person, you can also be a virtual walker, or you can just make a donation to the Team. The smallest amount will help! Together we make a difference. Mathew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven"


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Why are you looking this up, nobody follows the rules on Urban Dictionary including the editors.
"Let me make a definitions about my crush and how sexy she is"
Looks at the rules
"Fuck that everybody needs to know how hot she is"
Looks at the rules
"Fuck that everybody needs to know how hot she is"
by LolCringe August 17, 2019
by niggaliciouszor April 29, 2007
Something that is higher in quality than all other things.
by Katie March 30, 2004
Black Sabbath rules!
Bon Jovi sucks shit.
Bon Jovi sucks shit.
by Assweepay October 31, 2003
I walked into my Catholic School class, breaking as many "rules" as I could. I had a hat on (twisted halfway to the left), chomping on gum and blowing big pink bubbles, shirt untucked, no belt underneath, shoe laces undone, and to top it off I walked in five minutes after the bell. My teacher nearly had a heart attack when she saw me slouching in my seat and in this state of so-called "disrepair." She shrieked at me. "You know the rules! No gum, shirt tucked in, a belt, and your shoes MUST.BE.TIED! Get to class on time next time, or instead of a tardy I'll send you to the principal. Now get out your homework!" I nonchalantly asked, "What homework?" She screamed, "You know the rules, do your homework." And I responded deadpan, "Rules are things that are made to be broken."
by I listen to Indie Music February 02, 2007
1. v. to succede, dominate, or do exceptionally.
2. v. to be better than the rest.
2. v. to be better than the rest.
by O'Doyle April 05, 2005
A statement which denies people what they might want to do. Normally written after the event has happened. Does not stop people ignoring it, called breaking the rule, as most people are unaware of it, or think the rule is wrong. Breaking the rule usually incurs some penalty if caught doing so.
by TONY BEATTY September 05, 2007
Sep 28 trending
- 1. Watermelon Sugar
- 2. Ghetto Spread
- 3. Girls who eat carrots
- 4. sorority squat
- 5. Durk
- 6. Momala
- 7. knocking
- 8. Dog shot
- 9. sputnik
- 10. guvy
- 11. knockin'
- 12. nuke the fridge
- 13. obnoxion
- 14. Eee-o eleven
- 15. edward 40 hands
- 16. heels up
- 17. columbus
- 18. ain't got
- 19. UrbDic
- 20. yak shaving
- 21. Rush B Cyka Blyat
- 22. Pimp Nails
- 23. Backpedaling
- 24. Anol
- 25. got that
- 26. by the way
- 27. Wetter than an otter's pocket
- 28. soy face
- 30. georgia rose


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ASIC is a microchip, designed for a specific application or purpose. ASICs are manufactured with custom designs as per the device configuration or end-user specification. The different microprocessors and memory cores are being included in an ASIC, which enables the limited software programmability with the software algorithm performed on the device. An ASIC is found in all the electronic devices, and its uses can range from custom rendering of images to sound conversion. Digital circuits are a common form of ASIC.
Publisher's analysts forecast the global application specific IC market to grow at a CAGR of 17.01% during the period 2017-2021.
Complete Report Available at http://www.reportsweb.com/global-application-specific-ic-asic-market-2017-2021 .
Covered in this report
The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global application specific IC market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report estimates include the sales of ASICs in several products, including augmented reality (AR) and VR, automobiles, laptops, PC monitors, smart bands, smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, and TVs.
The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:
– Americas
Publisher's report, Global Application Specific IC Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.
Key vendors
– Analog Devices
– Infineon Technologies
– STMicroelectronics
– Texas Instruments
Get Sample of the Report at: http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001723459/sample .
Other prominent vendors
– Linear Technology
– Maxim Integrated
– NXP Semiconductors
– ON Semiconductors
– Renesas Electronics
– Skyworks Solutions
Market driver
– Increased use in consumer electronics.
– For a full, detailed list, view our report
Market challenge
– Fluctuations in foreign currency.
– For a full, detailed list, view our report
Market trend
– Rising penetration of ASICs in electric vehicles.
– For a full, detailed list, view our report
Inquire about Report at: http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001723459/buying .
Table of Contents:
PART 01: Executive summary
PART 02: Scope of the report
PART 03: Market research methodology
PART 04: Introduction
PART 05: Market landscape
PART 06: Market segmentation by design
PART 07: Market segmentation by product
PART 08: Geographical segmentation
PART 09: Key leading countries
PART 10: Decision framework
PART 11: Drivers and challenges
PART 12: Market trends
PART 13: Vendor landscape
PART 14: Key vendor analysis
PART 15: Appendix
Purchase this Premium Research Report at: http://www.reportsweb.com/buy&RW0001723459/buy/3500 . (Priced at US$ 3500).
Media Contact
Company Name: ReportsWeb
Contact Person: Rajat Sahni
Email: email@example.com
Phone: +1-646-491-9876
Country: India
Website: http://www.reportsweb.com/global-application-specific-ic-asic-market-2017-2021


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Meh, not her best, and I am a Tyler fan. The first half of this, her latest novel, was typical Tyler–easy and recognisable descriptions of everyday life. The second half was predictable and bland. Julie Myerson from the Guardian says it best, "The Baltimore author's 22nd book has familiar comforts, but lacks narrative drive."
Willa has always let life happen to her. We see Willa in the novel at ages 11, 21, 41, and 61. One day she receives a phone call and flies across the country to help someone she has never met and isn't even related to. This impulsive decision is, of course, the catalyst to examining her own life and choices (or lack thereof).
The novel starts strong with Willa and her friend trying to sell chocolate bars for charity in the neighbourhood. The angst around knocking on doors brought me right back to my own childhood, which is what this author does best. Later there's an odd scene about a man threatening Willa with a gun on an airplane that flirts with danger and intrigue, but soon deflates like a popped balloon and leaves Willa once again seeming weak and wimpish–a brilliant point made about Willa, however, after that, lively scenes disappear altogether and the novel flatlines. Even the conclusion which should have been ground breaking and earth shattering (since her whole life had been leading up to this point) sadly lacked luster. Oh well, it's not unusual to enjoy some books from a favourite author less well than some others–this, is just that.


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You can also sell it to a third party and use the money to put towards a down payment when you apply for financing. You can also get the appraisal just to know -- there's nothing wrong with being curious. Let the experts at Ed Napleton Auto Center help you get in the know today.


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Glamour and gloom, war and peace – several centuries of world history are reflected in the fate of the town of Speyer and its cathedral, which was consecrated in 1061. Emperors and kings have been laid to rest here, and its architecture is unique. So much so that it has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List and classed as a protected cultural asset.
According to the chronicles, Emperor Conrad II wanted to build the largest church in the Western world – a major project for such a small town. That was in 1030. The cathedral, which is now considered the world's largest preserved Romanesque church, was consecrated just 30 years later. The crypt, which opened in 1041, is the oldest part of the cathedral. The baptismal font in front of the high altar dates back to 1100. Eight emperors and kings, four queens and a number of bishops are laid to rest in this cathedral. Even non-historians can tell that major events in history took place here.
The Swedes, French and Spanish were all here. They turned the cathedral into a storage facility and military hospital; they looted it and set it ablaze. And more recently, it became the venue for important historic events, for example when Charles de Gaulle led a military parade past the cathedral in 1945. The imperial cathedral defied them all by surviving all of this. It is still a prominent landmark in the town today. It is both a keeper and an admonisher, and houses art treasures dating back around 1,000 years, major sculptures spanning seven centuries and prominent frescos such as the "Coronation of the Virgin" in the newly restored Emperor's Hall. Spectacular, powerful: Speyer Cathedral has seen many events play out throughout history. And visitors who come to the cathedral say they can sense it.
Opening hours: November to March: 9am to 5pm; April to October: 9am to 7pm
Entry: free
Nearest train station: Heidelberg
Accessible tourist attraction; an International Music Festival with an organ competition is held every year from August to October; www.speyer.de
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This was a brutally mixed week on Saturday Night Live. I either heartily enjoyed sketches, or they did absolutely nothing for me. Steve Buscemi, an odd but perfectly competent choice of host, blended into the background of a lot of sketches (he was often given roles amounting to bit parts), so there wasn't really a strong through-line to follow. We got a fair amount of returning characters, but B-listers you had sort of forgotten about, like Kristen Wiig's surprise-loving Sue and Vanessa Bayer's Miley Cyrus Show.
Also, there was the return of that funny ol' character Barack Obama, whom we have not seen at all this year. It's not surprising that he's rarely appeared in political sketches this year. This show knows its strength, it knows what gets big laughs, and Fred Armisen's impression has reached the point where it's just him reading fairly limp political satire from the cue cards. There's still a hint of that very specific diction, but the voice is all wrong, and Armisen's energy is painfully low in the role, which is not something I'd usually accuse him of.
Things picked up with Buscemi's monologue, which went to an obvious place (his status as a character actor) but had some fun with it, bringing up increasingly specific "types" of bit parts quite suited to their portrayers, like Jay Pharoah as a sassy female judge who "cannot stand nonsense in my courtroom. But I will allow it." Buscemi's energy was fine the whole time, but he wasn't exactly amped; he just seemed pleasant and happy to be on the show. Which is maybe why I found him so strange, since I don't think I've ever seen Buscemi play someone who's pleasant and happy.
Weirdly, though, that's a role he got handed in pretty much every sketch. In Miley Cyrus, he was a blissed-out Burning Man attendee; his murderer in the Dateline spoof was fairly affable; the creepy coach he played in the crowning sketch of the night was maybe a little pathetic, but the crux of the joke was that he was an okay guy. I was a little surprised we didn't at least get a Boardwalk Empire spoof (why the hell else did they think to have him on the show?) but maybe the budget for such a thing was just too much to consider.
I want to end this review on a positive note, so let's start by running down everything that sucked. I wasn't miserable at the return of Miley Cyrus, not because it's a good sketch, it isn't, but at least they had a reason to do it (she's been in the news with her Bob Marley cake and her Occupy Wall Street song, the latter of which did not merit mention). Things quickly went to the most obvious place possible, with Buscemi showing up from Burning Man, before taking a sharp left turn and bringing in Maya Rudolph's Whitney Houston impression, which was definitely welcome, if a little out of nowhere. Still, the whole thing felt pretty aimless.
Bill Hader's Keith Morrison impression, also back from a long hiatus, is as spot-on as ever. He's always been good at pinpointing obscure personalities to skewer. But then the sketch revolving around those impressions is usually a pretty strict formula every week, and the Dateline thing felt as stretched-out and overlong as Morrison joked that it was. Finally, I have very little to say about Sue, except that I must applaud Wiig's manic physicality in the role and I appreciated when she started smashing things, partly because it meant the sketch was over, but also just because it meant something was happening on screen.
But there were some real gems here too. Coach Burt was a fun way to take on the Penn State scandal (they already succeeded in the more direct approach with the Devil's monologue a few weeks back) and a perfect use of Steve Buscemi's face (although, of course, they slapped on a mustache and slicked back his hair to make him look as creepy as possible). Even though it was in a typically staid SNL format, the press conference where multiple characters get up and do a bit, the sketch was well-written and developed nicely. First, Burt was just a put-upon coach who looked weird, but then Kenan's investigator gets furious at him for never washing his hands, and then Pharoah plays a tape of Burt singing about his alter ego "Burtman," who has a million friends (including Brett Favre and Chewbacca). Everything just clicked here: Buscemi's increasingly pathetic indignation, Sudeikis' baffled boss who was sure he was a child molester, Hader as a local chapter president of NAMBLA.
The other terrific sketch was the last of the night, also done in simple, staid SNL style: Buscemi just reaching into a bag, bringing out a Christmas decoration, and saying something increasingly weird about it. At first, I was frustrated with how low-energy it was, but it brought me around, at the point where he picked up a laptop and makes "beep boop" sounds on it, and then picked up a pinecone and does the same. The strangeness then multiplies faster and faster (Wiig as his seemingly drugged or blissed-out wife was doing her best work of the night), and I was laughing out loud by the point he said, "I wouldn't want to live in there. Just kidding. I'd like to own any home," of his igloo decoration.
The shorts were all fine too. Okay, the Mexican dinner was one very old joke, but at least it was told quickly. Samberg's Christian Bale spoof in the digital short is well-worn territory at this point, but it was also quick and to-the-point. Paul Brittan also dominated this week, with the return of his Sex Ed seminar an improvement on the funny first go-round. Of all the new players, he's probably been the least featured (it's a runoff between him and Pharoah), but it's been fun to see him star in sketches more and more this year, because he obviously has talent and he's usually lending himself to weirder material.
Weird material is what SNL should always be lending itself to, in my humble opinion. Look at this week; most of the repeat sketches were busts. Almost all of the strange stuff worked great. Take more risks, guys! Who've you got coming up next week? …Katy Perry? Okay. Maybe take risks the week after that, then.
Stray observations:
- Obama's influence list: not funny. But I did chuckle at him being barely above Pippa Middleton and the KIA gerbils.
- Props to the props department on that frozen Mexican dinner, which was truly gross-looking.
- Kenan's magical African-American Chance wants to have a movie where he chews on a straw and chuckles to himself.
- Keith Morrison explained: "When I was 4-years-old I saw a birthday clown drown in a pool. He just… floated."
- Kenan's Herman Cain impression at least made an effort to get his accent right this time. An improvement, just as he drops out of the race. Real missed opportunity with that guy.
- Moynihan's drunken uncle was one of those things where you got the idea after 30 seconds, but it worked.
- The Christmas decoration guy hadn't heard of Christmas til 2008. "I just had never heard of it. It never came up!"