The object of my affection.Months ago, I said I'd write about Stuff again. So, just in time for your holiday shopping, here is my Top Ten list of outdoor gear. It's not a list of the ten essentials recommended for survival nor the hottest, coolest, most unaffordable equipment. It's just a random collection of some of my ol' faves and a few things on my wishlist, David Letterman style:
Black Friday: Only 27 shopping says ’til Christmas!
Posted inCulture
Gears of War 2: Grinding through another shooter sequel
War! What is it good for?When the Xbox 360 was put into the hands of gamers, the one title that
was to ride its wave was Halo 3. That was true for the most part, but
another shooter has made a lot of gamers happy, the original Gears of
War, which was released back in the fall of 2006. The game sold more
than five million copies and garnered a huge following. The fact that
so many gamers continue to play the original Gears online despite a lot
of competition from newer games in the same genre says a lot about the
game's strengths.
Posted inCulture
Vampire Love: Twilight is another case of book’s better, but still not bad
Besides bloodlust, we have great hearing and a keen fashion sense. "Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of someone I loved. Noble even. That ought to count for something."
Thus begins the new movie, Twilight, inspired by the first of four books about a young girl and her vampire boyfriend by Stephanie Meyers, and in the hands of virtually every young girl aged 11 to 20 in America right now. Four novels, seventeen million copies - get the picture?
I have to admit, I didn't read the book and went in cold. And I was mesmerized. The story involves a sixteen-year-old high school student, Bella Swan (Kristin Stewart), who leaves her single mom in Arizona to go and live with her policeman dad in Forks, Washington. It's a gorgeous setting for this film: grey, perpetually foggy, green, mossy, mysterious, and, most importantly for vampires, sunless.
Posted inCulture
Look What Happens: A mild-mannered skewering of Hollywood big shots
Cry it out. This fun little movie is actually a light-hearted look at Hollywood
back stabbings and financial dealings. In other words, this could have
been a scathing expose on Hollywood corruption, but What Just Happened
just lets it happen and allows us to be the judge.
Robert De Niro
plays Ben (yes, just "Ben"), a producer trying to balance his work
while juggling a messed-up life involving two ex-wives and kids to go
with them. Ben has two big deals in the works: one is a Cannes entry
entitled, "Fiercely," starring Sean Penn (as himself), directed by
indie filmmaker Jeremy Brunell (a superb Michael Wincott). We only see
snippets of the cruel and violent ending scene of "Fiercely," which the
producers insist should hit the editing floor. Jeremy takes it badly,
promoting tension between producers and himself. The second deal is an
action picture starring Bruce Willis (as himself). Here, the dilemma is
that Willis, contrary to all advice, has put on weight and grown a
Grizzly Adams beard, adding extra girth for his concept of the role
then refuses to shave his beard.
Posted inFood & Drink
Happy Hour: Bistro Corlise
To anyone who has been there, Bistro Corlise happy hour may sound like an oxymoron or some sort of ruse. It's hard to imagine enjoying such a pedestrian tradition as happy hour at a place that is the epitome of fine dining.
Posted inFood & Drink
Bend Fish Company: Choosing substance over style
Fish and a smile, what else can you ask for?At Bend Fish Company, no energy is squandered on the superficial. It’s
all about the food. Besides the stylized fish in the logo, the only
other decorative touches in the place are a plastic blue marlin mounted
on the wall and a small collection of toy dinosaurs displayed in the
window of the sushi counter. Instead of fine china and candles, you get
red-checkered paper and fluorescent lights. If it’s warm enough, you
can opt out of the cafeteria-like interior and take a table on the
patio, but even then you’ll have to settle for a view of the
Blockbuster across the street. However, if you love seafood, you won’t
mind the lack of ambience. You may hardly even notice. Your eyes will
be immediately drawn to the extensive and rather eclectic menu of
seafood favorites from around the world, and for those who prefer their
own preparations, the beautiful filets of fresh fish, shrimp, scallops,
and other delicacies are for sale behind the glass in the front.
Posted inFood & Drink
Bend Fish Company: Choosing substance over style
Fish and a smile, what else can you ask for?At Bend Fish Company, no energy is squandered on the superficial. It's
all about the food. Besides the stylized fish in the logo, the only
other decorative touches in the place are a plastic blue marlin mounted
on the wall and a small collection of toy dinosaurs displayed in the
window of the sushi counter. Instead of fine china and candles, you get
red-checkered paper and fluorescent lights. If it's warm enough, you
can opt out of the cafeteria-like interior and take a table on the
patio, but even then you'll have to settle for a view of the
Blockbuster across the street. However, if you love seafood, you won't
mind the lack of ambience. You may hardly even notice. Your eyes will
be immediately drawn to the extensive and rather eclectic menu of
seafood favorites from around the world, and for those who prefer their
own preparations, the beautiful filets of fresh fish, shrimp, scallops,
and other delicacies are for sale behind the glass in the front.
Posted inMusic
The Source/FFE Films Music Video Contest
Tim Cash: he could be your future music video director.Hey you there! Yes you, the one holding the newspaper.
Posted inMusic
Trying Out This Whole Charity Fad
There was plenty to do on Saturday night with Tentareign's big rock show at the Tower, music at both martini bars and the Silver Moon, but still, there was a big crowd at the Tulen Center. And where the big crowds go, so does Sound Check (for the most part) which is why we found ourselves among a horde of well-meaning folks at the benefit show for Britt Leis and Lia Koehn, the Bend couple who was attacked while traveling through Ecuador.
Posted inMusic
This Week in Rap: Cramming big hip-hop names into a single week
Insert ego-stroking self reference. The phenomenon of the multi-platinum, mega-famous rap star is somewhat
of a dying trend, but you wouldn't know it by what's on the marquee at
Midtown for next week. The venue is host to not just one large-scale
rap show, but two in a row. It's former G-Unit member Young Buck
headlining a "Hip-hop Comedy Jam" on Tuesday night, then three members
of the storied rap group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony taking to the stage on
Thursday night.
We've spilled a good amount of ink in the past couple
of months about the influx in indie hip-hop making its way through
town, we haven't done the same for the big-name, commercial acts like
Young Buck and the Bone Thugs guys. This is largely because mainstream
hip-hop acts don't stop off in town too often. But this isn't to say
there isn't a want for these sort of tours. Hell, even if we're not all
that urban, we can still get all crunked up when we find it necessary.