Then pick up The Complete Manual of Things That Might Kill You: A Guide to Self-Diagnosis for Hypochondriacs.
Filled with symptoms that you probably have right now (or as I like to call them, warning signs) this book will make sure no runny nose goes unchecked, no upset stomach gets ignored, and no headache is experienced without a clear understanding of their direct link to measles, mumps, and/or the plague.
Plus, there are plenty of cute illustrations for the kiddies.
Then you’re probably the type of person that would like the SomethingStore, a website that sends you “something, an item selected randomly among many things from our inventory, for $10 (free shipping) and you will find out what your something is when you receive it”.
What could this something be?
It may be something you need, something you want or something you desire. (Though it also may be total crap.)
Yours may be a cool gadget, rare book, table game, handmade necklace, reverse clock, box of gourmet chocolates, set of shiny shower curtains, popular video game, big-box retailer gift card, the latest version of a software, a set of kitchen knives, a pair of designer jeans, garden tool, kitchen appliance, unique home decor item, electronic equipment, magazine subscription, office supply item, or…
Your something will most likely be brand new, though it may also be refurbished or antique.
So SomethingStore can send you anything?
Well, besides “items or services that are illegal to trade in United States”, yes!
I thought Stuart Carlson’s political cartoon about the current struggle to boycott the Beijing Olympics was a pretty accurate take on the real issue: It’s hard to honestly boycott something that we rely so heavily upon.
Perhaps the we need to start a little closer to home?
I Am Legend felt like a good idea that no one knew what to do with.
There were a few shining stars:
Will Smith’s acting was superb, in a Tom Hanks on an island sort of way, and you really feel for him as he navigates the empty streets of New York with Sam, his devoted dog, and his slowly fading sanity as he tries his best to cure the zombied world around him.
The CGI work was also superb, and you will easily believe that New York was stripped bare and left to sit for a few years to give it that true, hasn’t seen humans in a while look and feel.
However, there were also a few disappointments:
The story was…less than superb. It starts out slow, which is fine, since Will is, after all, alone, except for his dog, so he doesn’t exactly have a lot to do. He spends his time driving around the emptied streets in abandoned sports cars, hunting for deer that now roam those streets, teeing off on the back of an aircraft carrier, and, when he has a few spare moments, trying to cure the zombie disease that has killed off the rest of the world. And hiding from darkness. This takes up most of his time, and most of the first half of the movie is spent setting this groundwork for the story that you think will come.
Unfortunately, the second half of the film doesn’t do much better. There are a few moments when the pace picks up, and you begin to feel as if something is actually going to happen, but they’re few and far between, and you’re soon lulled into a sedated state as you begin to simply watch Will live. Then, the end of the film arrives, and it comes so abruptly that you hardly have time to comprehend what’s going on. Just as quickly as it began, the lights flick back and on you’re left sitting in your chair with a strong feeling of “Meh.”
The story also suffers from the problem of “Well, isn’t that convenient.” Every time something needs to happen, it does, and every time you see a movie cliché building, it doesn’t fail to disappoint. I can only think of one twist that I didn’t see coming, but even that twist seemed forced and didn’t make much sense when you consider what was discussed during the preceding parts of the movie. The ending basically rounded out the whole film, as it managed to be both conveniently timed and cliché filled.
I Am Legend just feels like a film that relied on a lot of CGI and Will Smith to cover up a thin plot and poor, cliché details. It lacked the scare that it needed to be a good horror film, the emotion that it needed to be a good ‘man on an island’ film, and the twists and turns it needed to be a good action/adventure film. Instead, it forces its way through a butchering of Richard Matheson’s story, and avoids anything that could have made this a great film.
When I heard the words ‘fixed gear bikes’ and ‘DVD’ used together, I had my doubts about how good a movie about the somewhat artsy bikes could be, but after watching the trailer, I will humbly accept defeat.
Despite a lack of gears, pegs, shocks, or comfort of any kind normally associated with trick bikes, the Mash SF crew manages to make this sport look like a ton of fun.
The DVD includes their hour-long feature film, an extra hour of outtakes, and a 120-page book of project photos and explanations.
Shelfari is a social media site for the book lover. Users create their own “personal shelf”, fill it with their own books, and can then use that data to see what friends are reading, give and get recommendations, create book lists, share opinions, and more.
Once you’re there, discover new books by seeing what your friends are reading, what others with similar tastes are reading, or by receiving a recommendation, and talk it up by connecting with new and old friends to talk about books, joining groups devoted to your favorite authors, or by bringing your book club online with you.
Showing off and sharing your shelf has never seemed so satisfying.
Last week’s Stockpile Saturday was a success, so this week, I’m bringing you 20 more links that I’ve been saving for some time now. Enjoy.
The Amateur Gourmet is a great food blog that does the occasional review in comic book style. It’s a refreshing look at alternative ways of displaying content.
Locksport International has put together a Guide To Lock Picking that serves as the perfect primer for anyone that’s looking to get into the sport. It’s done in graphic novel form, and gives great step-by-step information about lock picking, re-pinning, making tools, and more.
Jeff Thomas loves Nixie tubes (glass tubes that are filled with gas and can display numerals or other information). Most people are content with clocks that feature the technology, but Jeff wanted a watch, so he designed his own. Sadly, he only made 20, and they’re already sold out, but hopefully another company picks up where Jeff left off.
Extra Tasty is a site devoted to inebriation, thought the design is clearly attributed to the more sober, as drink recipes, drink possibilities, tips and tricks, and a soothing color scheme are all easy to access. Get your buzz on.
Su Blackwell cuts amazing sculptures right out of the pages of well-known books. Each design ties into the plot, and the results bring the story to life.
Toss ‘N’ Track is a Frisbee that can be tracked on the Internet. Each disc has a unique number printed on it, and after playing with it for a while, you simply toss it in the disc’s intended direction, and let someone else find it. They can then log the disc into the site, and you can see how far it travels.
Steve ‘The Grape Guy’ Spalding is currently The World’s Fastest Grape Catcher with his record 67 grapes in one minute from 15 feet. And you thought your talent was worthless.
Reuters has an amazing video of the current world record for most dominoes toppled, 4,079,381, being set by an international team of 90 builders from 13 countries. I’ll bet they were glad no one sneezed.
My Monopoly lets you create your own unique and personalized Monopoly game. You can choose a theme, and then add your own names to all of your favorite places. Want to call Boardwalk ‘Your Mom’? Go ahead, the world is yours.
Evere wonder what words your bartender hates hearing? Thankfully, Jeffrey Morgenthaler, bartender extraordinaire, has created a list of the Eight Things You Should Never Say To Your Bartender. If you want to get served up right, make sure you follow the list.
9 to 5 Paintings record what you do on your computer during the day and turn it into art. The site gives examples of the final result, as well as a tutorial for setting up your own double mouse feature so that you can make 9 to 5s of your own.
If you’re a blog writer, there’s no better place to go for advice than ProBlogger; which is why the list of ProBlogger’s best posts for 2006 is an indispensable resource for all online authors.
Mark Lowrie has a great idea for that homemade gift giving type person. He uses hollowed out books that he fills with interesting contents such as The Vice Control book, filled with vices; or the vintage pulp book filled with journals and writing supplies. Hollow out a copy of the Kama Sutra, fill it with appropriate supplies, and you’ve got yourself one creative and original V Day gift. Plus, the surprise of opening a gift to find a book but then opening the book to find a gift would definitely be the best part of giving something like this.
Looking for a bit of light summer reading?
I Am Legend felt like a good idea that no one knew what to do with.
With the Kindle, Amazon hopes to revolutionize (and digitize) the book.
