Instant Product Review

So, I'm working the overnight shift right now, even though I haven't seen a soul in hours and told myself I was going to read a lot but haven't.

By the way, in another installment of "What Phil's Reading"

Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich is the true(ish) story of the MIT 6, six students who, with the help of some older investors and predecessors, developed a way to win at Blackjack...guaranteed. I wish I could explain it, but it all has to do with the way cards are stacked together.

They brought a team aspect to counting cards, something which had, before, been just something for gambling addicts who thought they could score really quickly.

I'm about halfway through the book right now. It eventually became the movie 21, but, from everything I've heard, due to it being untrue to the real story and being a crappy movie, it should be avoided at all costs.

Well, on to why I posted. I went to get a bottle of water and out of the machine came my regular bottle of Dasani...

...and also got a new beverage...Dasani Plus Refresh+Revive w/ Vitamin B13 + Vitamin B6 + Vitamin B12+ Chromium (which I didn't think was good for you, but whatever) Kiwi Strawberry flavor

So, I figured I would give you, my blogging audience, my first reaction to this new beverage.

Here we go.

Honestly, it's not bad. It's like a flat, watered down fruit punch, which is what a lot of these flavored waters taste like, other than Vitamin Water which is just pure awesome.

According to the back, this bottle has 25% of all of those vitamins for the rest of my day. Which means I just have to...well...eat normally, I guess. Then, Dasani does me the favor of comparing how much of everything is in their water as opposed to "Unfortified Water Beverages"

What, beverages like, oh, I don't know...DASANI? No crap water doesn't have anything in it. That's why I, acting as a hypothetical yuppie consumer, decided to buy this, since I'm just living too much of an on-the-go lifestyle to deal with hydration that isn't flavored and "fortified".

That's all for now. Only one half-hour left and then a few hours of sleep are up ahead.

www.twitter.com/philwrighthouse
philwrighthouse.blogspot.com
philattheolympics.blogspot.com (I don't update it anymore, but it's awesome just the same)
www.givememyremote.com (search for "Philboy" to see all of my posts.)

Thoughts on...Hancock

So, today, I found myself, after a delicious Fazoli's lunch with KittyMarie, Husband and Fuller, with a dilemma. Do I feed my Madden addiction even more...

...or watch Hancock, which was coming on BTV, the local movie channel here at Purdue. I went with the latter because I didn't feel like getting my ass handed to me again until later tonight, after I got my studying done.

Hancock for those who don't know, is the story of...well...Hancock, played by Will Smith, who is a superhero who doesn't care about saving people. He's the only one of his kind and he therefore has become a misanthrope, hating humanity and not caring about the way he is perceived in the public. Enter Jason Bateman, who plays the PR expert who actually wants to save the world and sees Hancock as the perfect way to do that.

When it was coming out last summer I was really looking forward to this for a number of reasons...

1) Jason Bateman. I love the guy, anything he's in. Hell, I'm halfway tempted to watch Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium because he's in it.
2) Peter Berg. This guy has directed some killer movies. The Rundown. Friday Night Lights (He also came up with the kickass TV version) The Kingdom. And, one of the most underrated films ever Very Bad Things.
3) Will Smith. Yeah, I still like him. Sue me.
4) A different take on a superhero story. I'm such a movie geek and a comic book geek that when something new is proposed, I'm sure to at least give it a try.

But, alas, I was disappointed by the film, to say the least. It took a really weird shift halfway through and then never really followed through on it. It felt like maybe 20 minutes of the movie was missing somewhere and, while all of the questions were answered, I would have cared a whole lot more if the lost time had been in there somewhere.

I'll put the spoiler below if anyone cares Highlight it if you want to know.

Charlize Theron plays Bateman's wife. But, she is also a superhero who is fatefully matched with Hancock. They've been together for thousands of years.

So, in the middle of this comedic take on a superhero, all of a sudden, things take a really weird and serious turn.

I think the reason I and so many people didn't respond as well to the movie was that we were not expecting this twist and shift in tone. It was jarring. You couldn't respect the second half of the movie because you felt like you had been hit by a truck.

But, alas, on today's second viewing, I felt a whole lot better about the flick. Sure, I still wish the twist was developed a little bit more after it was dropped on us, but, honestly, the movie works.

So, what's the moral of the story? Watch Hancock again, if you have already. And if you haven't, check it out with this in mind: don't go in with anything in mind about what's going to happen. Just let it happen. I hope you'll be glad you did.

Work Live Blog

First of all, I'm blown away about the fact that three people read this blog. Thanks Kath, Kat (Yeah I know it's weird) and Mo(jito) for commenting and keep it up.

I'm at work right now, which is ever-so-exciting.

So, I'll be live blogging the experience until 7:00 til I sign off.

5:10- Watching HIMYM, "The Fight" I think that, if I was facing the prospect of going to jail, I would have the same reaction that Ted did. "I could get a lot of reading done. Maybe write some short stories. Work out A LOT!"

5:11- LAWYERED! Marshall gets his just desserts.

5:13- Harsh words from Doug. Ted's speech at Lilly's class is classic! I will be looking after Christmas for a sale at the wuss market.

5:15- http://www.cbs.com/thunder/player/thunder.php?pid=BPuicDuj8pb8VELFcRZAwsBym69MTlJW Here's the link to the episode, if you haven't
seen it yet. Couldn't embed it...sorry. Now, I'm starting "Little Minnesota"

5:19- Kath, I'm so glad I didn't look at the post about Barney's Christmas songs. Amazing!

5:20- Barney chair turn...in his own chair. I aspire to be him one day. If I see this damned ad for the Buttertons!

5:22- Something smells like pizza and it's really annoying.

5:25- I loved Barney leaning into the scene to stage whisper to Ted's sister.

5:29- Everyone has a friend like Lilly who can't keep a secret.

5:32- MEEET THE BUTTERTONS!

5:33- It's been snowing like something fierce out there all day. Horrible. Anyone have a job opening in a warmer climate that will accept me a semester early?

5:35- Robin's a panderer bear. She would make a good politician.

5:37- Possible KILL SCREEN! I love the fact that the King of Kong has infiltrated society.



5:44- I love Christmas episodes to shows. There was nothing explicitly Christmas-ey...OMG! Marshall doing Karaoke to "Let's Go to the Mall" could be my favorite moment since Slapsgiving!

http://www.cbs.com/thunder/player/thunder.php?pid=4PjOSMoynbUHsdLLQUvB1Til_8CjQxr0 Here's the link to "Little Minnesota"

5:50- Now I'm catching up on two weeks of "The Office"

5:54- I just bought Arrested Development, all three seasons, for less than 30 bucks on Amazon. Yeah, impluse buying!

5:59- Michael Scott is a pitiful person. I just want to give him a hug.

6:02- It's official. I want a butter sculpture at my wedding...or really at any point in my life.

6:05- MMM Brownies!

6:18- MMM More brownies!

6:19- DONT CALL DAVID WALLACE! Nothing good ever comes from it!

6:20- Hershey's has been using that damn Kisses ad for years now. Seriously, spend some cash!

6:26- Adding Sugar to Diet Coke...genius!

6:28- And, as it should be, Jim wins in the end. Off to "Moroccan Christmas"

6:33- I thought for years that my favorite drink was a Screwdriver, but now I learned it's a Orange Vodjuiceka. You learn something new every day.

6:37- Intervention for Meredith. She should have been at this one.

Intervention with Kristin Chenoweth by Kristin Chenoweth

6:44- Well, my replacement's here, so I'm off to grab some food and play some Madden. NIGHT, KIDS!

www.twitter.com/philwrighthouse
philwrighthouse.blogspot.com
philattheolympics.blogspot.com (I don't update it anymore, but it's awesome just the same)www.givememyremote.com (search for "Philboy" to see all of my posts.)

It's Over!

So, I'm done with the semester, and I finally get a bit of a chance to blog for all one of you who read this.

This semester has been an interesting one. It's been really busy at times with a lot of crap, good and bad, thrown in the mix. I'm glad to be over, but, as my final semester nears, I'm really starting to worry about the job market.

But, we shall see.

Here's a mass update on how you can keep track with minor updates in my life.

1. Twitter. I've become an addict and find that it's the easiest way to keep people up to date on my life. You can check me out at www.twitter.com/philwrighthouse. I update it often. From my phone, from my Firefox Extension...definitely post all of my musings and goings on. Also, if you are the Facecreeping type, my Twitter posts, known as tweets, become my Facebook status, so YOU CANNOT ESCAPE!

2. Facebook. Facebook me if you haven't.

3. AIM. philboy37. Yeah, I'm always online.

4. GMMR. I haven't really talked much about my job over at Give Me My Remote (www.givememyremote.com) blogging about Dexter every week. But as the finale occurs this Sunday, I'll start just blogging about anything TV related that occurs in my head until something regular comes along.

5. This blog! I know I say this all the time, but I really want to get into a regular routine with this. Hopefully I'll find a good balance.

With that, I'll let you go. Here's a great video from Straight No Chaser, a great a capella group out of IU who became an internet sensation with this video and subsequently got back together and recorded a Christmas album!



Here's all the links, one more time, just to keep them together.

www.twitter.com/philwrighthouse
philwrighthouse.blogspot.com
philattheolympics.blogspot.com (I don't update it anymore, but it's awesome just the same)
www.givememyremote.com (search for "Philboy" to see all of my posts.)

See you next time, kids!

Music Live Blog

So, tonight I'm working on my Dexter review for www.givememyremote.com and trying to finish up an Italian Film paper. So, I've decided, to keep track of the random music/stand-up my iPod plays this evening. I hope it's in any way interesting, as it's just a random idea I'm trying out.

11:30- Jimmy Buffet, "We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us About"

11:33- Stephen Lynch, "What if That Guy from Smashing Pumpkins Lost His Car Keys?"

11:34- Purdue Varsity Glee Club, "Purdue Hymn"

11:36- Christopher Titus, "Normal vs. Screwed Up"

11:37- Jimmy Buffet, "One Particular Harbor"

11:43- The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, "I'm Not that Smart (Reprise)"

11:44- Patton Oswalt, "Your Moment of Irony"

11:45- Eels, "I Need Some Sleep"

11:48- Patton Oswalt, "A Man Shaves His Balls"

11:49- Moulin Rouge, "Spectacular Spectacular"

11:52- Franz Ferdinand, "Take Me Out"

11:55- Lee Ann Womack, "The Weight"

12:01- Rent, "Today 4 U"

12:04- Bowling for Soup, "A-Hole"

12:08- Eric Bibb, "I'll Never Lose You"

Pausing, Taking a Bathroom Break
Finished Dexter Review

Starting Italian Paper

12:13- Patty Griffin, "Long Ride Home"

12:16- Jon McLaughlin, "So Close"

12:21- Rockapella, "Keep on Smilin'"

12:23- Barenaked Ladies, "Get in Line"

12:27- Bowling for Soup, "On and On"

12:30- Montgomery Gentry, "Some People Change"

12:33- The Wedding Singer (Musical), "A Note from Linda"

12:35- Hairspray (Film), "The Nicest Kids in Town"

12:38- Lou Reed, "Satellite of Love"

12:42- Hanson, "Yearbook"

12:47- Barenaked Ladies, "Wind it Up"

12:52- Taylor Swift, "Teardrops on My Guitar"

12:55- Elton John, "Salvation"

12:59- Hammell on Trial, "Coulter's Snatch"

1:02- The Wedding Singer (Musical), "Not That Kind of Thing"

1:05- Hammell on Trial, "Worry Wart"

1:07- Patton Oswalt, "Wackity Schmackity Doo!"

1:10- Avril Lavigne, "Things I'll Never Say"

1:13- Ben Folds, "Hiroshima (B B B Benny Hits His Head)"

Bathroom Break

1:22- Moulin Rouge, "Sparkling Diamonds"

1:24- Taylor Swift, "Tied Together With a Smile"

1:28- Christopher Titus, "Insanity Genetic"

1:37- Stephen Lynch, "Albino"

1:39- The 25th Putnam County Spelling Bee, "Prayer of the Comfort Counselor"

1:41- Jimmy Buffet, "Margaritaville"

Paper Done!

Late Night Work Post

So, I'm here working the overnighter at the office. Last time I blogged during work, I'm not going to lie, it was incredibly boring. But, I thought I would give everyone an update on my crazy life, or as much as I can without incriminating myself too much.

And, no, I'm not kidding.

Let's say where there was zero a month ago, there are two now. One is a rose with thorn and the other is...well i don't know yet. Anyone who needs to know can ask...most likely.

In other news...well there isn't any other news. I saw three movies last week, including Nick and Nora.

There was "Flash of Genius".

This is the real story of Bob Kearns, who invented the intermittent windshield wiper. Yes, I know, from that line alone, you've stopped reading this blog and gotten online to see where it's playing near you, but why don't you just hear me out?

"Flash of Genius" is really about Kearns' legal struggle after the Ford Motor Company stole his patent for the intermittent wiper.

It's a story you've seen beofre, and honestly, you've seen it done better. But it's a fun David and Goliath tale that plays out well.

Then, there was "The Express".

Anyone who knows me will not be shocked by the fact that I saw two "Based on a True Story" films in three days. And, those same people will be even LESS shocked by the fact that one of them was a film where a character overcomes adversity through the medium of sport.

"The Express" is the true story of the man who invented the intermittent windshield wiper.

Kidding.

"The Express is the true story of Ernie Davis, the Syracuse graduate who became the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. Again, like in "Flash of Genius", you've seen it before, but you don't really care. It's a fun fun ride.

Then, some things happened. Again, ask and you might receive.

Well, that's what's happening on this front. Sorry I had to be so cryptic, but eyes are watching all over.

Uggh. What Comes Up Must Come Down.

So, I know I haven't posted in a while. But, things, to my credit, have been busy. But, since I've been getting crap from one of my good friends (you know who you are) and cannot sleep right now, I figured I might as well not.

Things are going well for me right now. I'm on the precipice of something very cool and if it all works out, it could be HUGE! It could literally change the face of this blog and its contents.

Let's see what else...

Follow me on twitter. www.twitter.com/philwrighthouse That's where I'm writing a lot lately, to be honest, since I can tweet on my phone from the convenience of class.

Also, something big for me is my new spot as a blogger/reviewer for Give Me My Remote. www.givememyremote.com I'm reviewing Dexter every Monday and will be posting some other things that I've got floating around in my head about television on there, so stay tuned. For my stuff, just search for Philboy or "Dexter" and you'll find it. Gimme your thoughts.

I've put my screenplay on the shelf for right now. I'm finding out that I'm not really good at screenwriting. I'm too direct with things, am focusing on the wrong stuff, etc. Plus, I can't write jokes in dialogue form. Instead, I've been working on a mystery/thriller short story/novel/something. I'm hoping to get it put online soon, as there are some sites that are specifically for that sort of thing. If anyone would like to read the first couple chapters and gimme their thoughts, I'd be more than happy to send them your way.

As my TV reviewing moves elsewhere, I'll reassure you that my movie reviewing, for the time being, is staying right here.

Tonight, I saw "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist"



Michael Cera plays Michael Cera. Kat Dennings plays The Love of My Life. But, I digress.

Cera plays Nick, an emo kid in New York who plays in a band of all gay kids and is having a hard time getting over Triss played by Alexis Dziena.


Yeah, I'd have a hard time getting over her too. Let's not kid ourselves.

But, alas, his gay band friends push him out of his slump in an attempt to try to find an exclusive punk show in New York. Along the way, Nick meets Norah played by the wonderfully awesome Kat Dennings.


I'm gonna go with upgrade.

Norah and Nick end up on a nightlong adventure trying to find the show and, in turn, fall in love with each other, mainly through the love of music.

"Infinite Playlist" ,on paper, is familiar territory. But, the way it's done, the way the characters are drawn and the turns that are thrown in between make it a fun romantic comedy that I think everyone will find something to relate to. It also brings back parts of New York that I loved, like early morning New York and 24 Hour Diners. A great soundtrack backs up a unique take on teenage love and getting over the one you thought you HAD to be meant for. Definitely go and check it out!

Well, kids, the old eyes are startin to droop, so ta-ta for now.

Phil

For my video of the day, I wanted to post something about Kat Dennings, since I've been in love with her for a while now. Here's the trailer of a flick I LOVED with her and the God Amongst Men, RDJ (that's Robert Downey, Jr. for those not in the know) called "Charlie Bartlett". Definitely check out the movie if you didn't see it in theatres, which means you probably just blinked or something.