Rats in the kitchen
Pixar has strung together 7 consecutive box-office winners. Ratatouille is no exception.
As a big fan of the studio’s work, I had some pretty high expectations going into the movie tonight. In the end, I was not disappointed. Was it the best Pixar movie? No. Was it better than almost all of the garbage coming out of Hollywood these days? Yes. The combination of incredible animation and solid storyline along with intelligent and humorous writing make this movie a hit.
Instead of being predominantly for children, Ratatouille (like the rest of Pixar’s projects) appeals to “grown-ups” first, knowing that kids will love the animation and characters as well. If you are looking for mindless eye candy for children, check out the Shrek series. However, if you are interested in seeing an entertaining, witty, and worthwhile movie, definitely check out Ratatouille.
rating: 4.25 | 5
A wonderful, magical animal
It’s funny…for someone who doesn’t eat breakfast on a regular basis, I sure love breakfast foods!
A few weeks ago I was out in the Mission looking for somewhere to have brunch/lunch. We ended up choosing the Pork Store Cafe, on a whim. This place, while maybe not the best ever, definitely knows how to serve up breakfast/brunch. I had the “Bird’s Nest” which was basically a scramble of eggs, bacon, cheese, and onions served on top of the “nest” (hash browns) with avocado on top and a side of toast.
There were plenty of choices, including vegetarian options (kinda ironic given the name of the joint) and very generous portions. Overall, if you find yourself in the Mission (or in the Haight) and in the mood for breakfast foods at any time of the day, check out the Pork Store Cafe.
rating: 4 | 5
Homer: Wait a minute wait a minute wait a minute. Lisa honey, are you saying you’re *never* going to eat any animal again? What about bacon?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Ham?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Pork chops?
Lisa: Dad! Those all come from the same animal!
Homer: [Chuckles] Yeah, right Lisa. A wonderful, magical animal.
Good Times, Bad Times
T-Mobile has just rolled out a new service: HotSpot @Home. This service allows their customers’ cellphones to automatically switch from the T-Mobile cellular network onto their specially configured home wi-fi network seamlessly.
What’s the big deal you ask? Well for one thing, once you have jumped onto your (or any other authorized) wi-fi network, the company stops deducting usage, saving you money and minutes. More importantly, for many people this will effectively create a much “stronger” connection in areas of low to no cellular service because of the strong signal of their local wi-fi network.
Why am I writing about this? Basically, as a tech/gadget enthusiast, it can be frustrating to watch the U.S. sit on the sidelines watching other countries (T-Mobile is based in Germany) embrace and take advantage of really incredible technologies such as the one discussed here. This same service was offered in the UK over six months ago (read). Not to mention, phones that can take advantage of these technologies (generally referred to as UMA - Unlicensed Mobile Access) have been in the world marketplace since at least 2005 (also here).
The good = the technology is finally here; the bad = the U.S. continues to fall behind Asia and Europe in adopting new, useful consumer technologies.
(sources: Engadget, CNET News)
@ World’s End
What can I say…I happen to enjoy the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. I generally go into movies with zero expectations and remember being pleasantly surprised by The Curse of the Black Pearl. It was rather entertaining with all the pirate humor, incredible scenery, and sword fighting. The 2nd, Dead Man’s Chest, was somewhat disappointing and more of an “appetizer” to setup the main dish, At World’s End.
The 3rd Pirates, and possibly not the last, was a bit long, but overall captured the fun and excitement from the original. In the same way that Keanu Reeves is Ted “Theodore” Logan, Johnny Depp is Captain Jack Sparrow.
rating: 3.5 | 5
