the thoughts on this blog are about to get much shallower

X-Men Wolverine movie trailer leaked

I'm not a huge nerd but this got me really antsy.  I didn't even realize they were doing a Wolverine spin off from the popular X-Men movies.  I had thought that after X-Men III, they blew it and we weren't going to see anymore.  Luckily I was wrong.

Someone was (surely illegally) recording this at the "Comic Con" convention where they show trailers like this one for true comic book fans.  After watching, I read up on some other things and found out that Ryan Reynolds is playing a character called Deadpool, which should be amazing.  If you're cool enough to watch the whole clip and cool enough to know who the character Gambit is, you should be pretty excited to see the new take on the card-slinging Cajun.  (He was my favorite as a kid)  It looks sweet.  Enjoy.  

(Sorry if it gets deleted, the producers probably don't want it being seen yet so they'll probably delete it from youtube.  Hopefully you're a loyal Shallow Thoughts follower)

 

Book Buy Backs

It's time to sell your books back.  "Put a little green in your stocking" and a lot in the bookstore.  I hate this system.  Buy a book from the bookstore for $100.  Sell it back for $50.  They hold onto it for a few weeks and sell it for $100 again.

I have a better idea.  Everyone give me your books.  I'll hold onto them until the next semester and sell them to your friends for double the money.

This year, they pissed me off on a deeper level than usual.  Last Friday, I went to the bookstore to sell my books before the flood of students going in after finals.  I needed to hold on to two books for my piano final, but I asked the lady how much I could get for them anyway.  "Ok this one is $9 and this one is $6."  Before she put them on the stack, I stopped her.  "Oh I'm not selling those I just wanted to figure out their worth."  I told her...  

Well its five days later and I go into the store and after I wait through the 30 minute line, they tell me it can't be done.  Why? Oh, they have a list of excuses to throw at you.  "It's not being offered next semester" (yes it is).  "We only accept first editions" (there's no new edition).  "We don't know why it wont show up in our computer" (figure it out).  "AHA! You've written some answers on the pages" (got me).  I filled in the blanks on 5 pages so I could read the music.  

So what can I do?  I could go through each page and do an immaculate job of whiting out the ink marks and then come back and stand in the thursday edition of the bookstore line to see what they say then.  Nope.  Not worth $15.  I hate the bookstore.  I'm starting my own.

Top 3 Halloween Costumes of 2008 #3

This one was pretty funny.  Kind of a throwback to childhood.  My friend, Paul went out on halloween dressed as Ash Ketchum - the main character from Pokémon.  Pretty funny.  He just bought a Pokéball toy, gloves with fingers cut off, a red hat and I don't know where he got the jacket but the illusion works.  Plus it's a good costume because you can obviously party in it.

Top 3 Halloween Costumes of 2008 #2

The second is one my friend did.  Jermaine from "Flight of the Conchords" was in a movie called Eagle vs. Shark.  My buddy, Beau made that his costume.  I helped him put it together.  We used yellow cardboard and stapled it together for the beak.  Then a white hat from a hobby lobby kind of store.  Brown cloth cut into triangles and we stapled it to an undershirt collar.  I thought it looked good.

Top 3 Halloween Costumes of 2008 #1

I never did a halloween costume blog but I want to share the best ones I saw this year.

The first, I got from Break.com - an iPod Commercial.  I find myself showing this to a lot of people because I think it's the most clever costume I've ever seen.

Cool Cat Trick - get shot play dead

Something cute for you.

I'm not a cat person but if my cat could do this, I would get over the fact that I was allergic to it.

Cat Plays Dead When Shot - Watch more Animal Videos

2 Races: Lights of Love 5k

This year was the first "Lights of Love 5k."  It's a race that benefits Austin's Ronald McDonald House Charities.  A really cute idea.  Friday December 5th at 7:30, the race began - without me.  As soon as my finals are over I am writing a 2 page complaint to whoever was in charge of the directions for this event.  The complaint is going to be single-spaced.  Oh yes.  

We got there 30 minutes early to make sure that we would get a decent spot in the race, not knowing how many people were going to turn out.  The race was located at Mueller Hangar - 4550 Mueller Blvd.  Can you find it? because my GPS couldn't.  It said those roads didn't exist.  It was in one of those little shopping mall areas where the street names are there for aesthetics but aren't really roads.   Their map deserves an F.  PLEASE CLICK THE IMAGE I SCANNED AND SEE FOR YOURSELF.  They failed so hard unless the race was supposed to be in lego land.  You can't even read the names of anything in the image.  

I dare say I might have found it if the cops weren't blocking off every street.  When I say this, I don't exaggerate.  There was only one way into the place and it wasn't the way the directions on the brochure said to go.  I seriously asked 5 different cops where to go and they all told me I was going the right way.  I wasn't.

Of course at the end of all of this we were quite late.  So what did we do?  We ran alone for 2 miles before we caught up to grandmothers walking the 5k.  No seriously, they were handing out cookies and water at the first water checkpoint.  At the second one, they were handing out only hot chocolate because it was freezing outside.  So we drank hot chocolate and walked through a neighborhood that reminded me of the one from Shotime's "Weeds."  At least we gave money to a good cause.

2 Races: The Dallas Turkey Trot

The Turkey Trot is a race in Dallas that takes place on Thanksgiving morning every year benefiting the YMCA.  My family has been doing it since before I was born so every Thanksgiving, I find myself, usually cold, forced to go 3 miles.  When I was younger I did the 8 mile because I had no concept of exhaustion.  After a few years in college, I've gotten so out of shape that I feel accomplished knowing that i "trained" hard enough to do the 3 mile in 25 minutes.

The race is the biggest Thanksgiving event of its kind in the country.  This year, it had over 50,000 runners turn out.  The crowd is massive.  I would have probably won the race if there weren't so many people clogging the streets of downtown Dallas.  Win or lose, it's a great way to start Thanksgiving.  Lose a few pounds in the morning, then add them and a few more back at dinner.

Amazing Grace (New Christmas Lights Display)

Here's a new one.

"Go big or go home" it seems.

Happy Holidays.

Amazing Christmas Lights Display - Watch more Free Videos

Wizards of Winter (That Old Chrismas Lights Video)

Christmas is right around the corner.

In the holiday spirit, here's a throwback.

Remember this?

Wizards Of Winter - Watch the top videos of the week here

5 Restaurants: Baby Greens

I guess this isn't really a restaurant.  It's more of a fast food salad joint.  It was really pretty cool.  Just a tiny green building on the corner of Oltorf and South First.  I found myself pressed for time while driving by so I pulled in and ordered a chicken ceasar.  

It was just like being at any fast food place but you leave with something healthy... fast.  The salad was delicious and not expensive.  Baby Greens is going to be one of those places I hit up regularly from now on.

5 Restaurants: Wahoo's

This place was... what's the word, Michael? Unique.  

I almost felt like I needed to wear a BMX, surf, skateboard or snowboard uniform.  I mean look, they even discriminate states - located only in Alaska, California, Colorado and this ONE location in Austin.  It looked like someone went to the X-Games and stole 100 stacks of those free stickers with the different snowboard brand logos.  They then covered the walls of Wahoo's Fish Taco with those stickers.  The TV's must all be playing Fuel TV - the channel with all these "extreme" sports.

I'd say the food reminded me of a much tastier version of Chipotle, but with almost all fish; the kinds of fish you've never heard of (Bonzai, Wahoo).  I've been twice and I'd say you should order the Bonzai Bowl or the Bonzai Burrito.  This is another place you can order dry or wet.  Order the burrito wet and they cover it in melted cheese and a delicious green sauce making your burrito look like a giant enchilada. mmmm.  Try it, you'll be surprised.

5 Restaurants: Boticelli's

A couple weeks ago, Romeo's was a success so I tried again with Boticelli's.  Last night, I was less impressed by this Italian joint located in the heart of SoCo (On the East side close to that Amy's Ice Cream).

The dining room is almost claustrophobic.  There may have been 10 parties eating in that room.  They make up for it by having a more open area in the back - the "beer garden."  One of those half outdoors kind of things with a bar and a stage for live music.  Could have been a good place to eat if it weren't freezing outside.

The food was good but I'm not going to suggest it to someone looking for good Italian in Austin.  Granted, I ordered the Chicago style roast beef sandwich (Order it dry or wet.  Wet - they dip the whole sandwich in the roast beef's juices or something.  I wish more places would do that.)  She had butternut squash ravioli - if you go there, get that.

5 Restaurants: Romeo's

Romeo's was the day before Imperia.  Slightly less expensive but infinitely more delicious.  I took a date and enjoyed this rustic Italian ambiance on Barton Springs Road.  

The walls, adorned with white columns in between rooms, reminded me of a deteriorating building in Sicily.  Lighting was just dark enough to let you remember that there is a candle in front of you.  Music is low enough so you didn't have to talk loud.  Service is great.  Appetizers are appetizing.  

I had some kind of chicken with capers and angel hair pasta.  She had some kind of chicken with mushrooms and tomato sauce.  I think you could order by throwing a dart at that menu and not be disappointed.  

By my experience, Romeo's is Austin's finest Italian candle light.

5 Restaurants: Imperia

I went in a party of 8 for a friend's birthday party.  She used to go to St. Ed's but moved after freshmen year.  She likes to come back to Austin for birthdays.  This year she kicked it up a notch.  

Imperia is an upscale sushi restaurant downtown.  A place with a dark colored theme and very low light.  I remember a lot of black red and gold.  My guess is fancy restaurants keep the lights dim so that ladies look prettier all dressed up.  When I say upscale, I mean drinks were about as expensive if not more than entrées.

My problem with upscale sushi is that if you were to go to Japan - you know that place that made sushi first - its not upscale like this.  Its in a simple cafe with a rotating track that has a bunch of rolls on it.  Imperia lost me somewhere in the fancy presentation.  It's a roll of rice and fish in seaweed and there isn't enough on my plate.  I didn't really mind.  I knew it was gonna be expensive.  If you are a on a college kid budget, the better sushi may be somewhere less fancy.  If you have to go, order "the Bank."  In the picture, I'm having a Kung Fu Cosmopolitan.

3 Movies: The Fall

You probably haven't heard of this one.  It's presented by Spike Jonze and directed by visionary director, Tarsem (the guy that made "The Cell" with JLo).

"The Fall" is the story of a stunt man in a 1920's California hospital bed.  He meets a young girl there with a healing broken arm.  They develop a friendship as he tells her fantasy stories about five heros who are all trying to kill "Governor Odius."  The story he makes up reflects his current state of mind - happy, sad, angry, drugged (here's where having the guy who made "The Cell" comes in handy).

Roger Ebert calls it "Magnificent."  It is indeed, both visually and because of a couple of surprisingly powerful performances.  This movie is worth watching just for the scenery and (literally) colorful characters.  

Watch it with subtitles because the young girl's character is really cute but her accent is hard to understand much of the time.

Have a taste.  You'll want more.

3 Movies: Quantum of Solace

My problem with the new Daniel Craig James Bond is that they are doing away with some of our favorite characteristics of the old 007 persona.  He used to be all charm and class.  Gadgets and goofily-named villains.  Now they're turning him into Jason Bourne.

While the old James Bond was fornicating with a new "Bond girl" (whom we forget about by the next movie) at the end of each film, the new Bond is alone at the end of each adventure, acting like it doesn't bother him.  He kills quickly and ruthlessly.  And Daniel Craig's Bond doesn't sleep, he just drinks nameless martinis?

That said, it was good.  The action takes off so fast at points, there's not even enough time to get to know who Bond is fighting.  Bond will be walking through a hotel in a foreign country one moment.  A split second later, he and another guy are throwing each other out a window of that building.  5 seconds after that split second, he is in another country doing something similar.

Lots of gunshots, lots of beautiful scenery, a couple scantily clad beautiful women, swift justice to some bad guys... I'd watch it again.

3 Movies: Zach & Miri Make a Porno

Seems like Seth Rogen is gushing out movies a little too quickly.  Hollywood thinks he just lays golden eggs right now but I'm thinking the Seth Rogen fad is gonna calm down soon.

I did find myself laughing during almost the entire movie.  This is mostly because of the potty-humor througout (it is about a group of people making a porno). 

I know you shouldn't complain about this kind of stuff in slap-stick comedies but.. The characters were NOT well developed.  There were a lot of those moments where two characters' relationship is supposed to make you think "Aw.. they're buddies"  but it just didn't work.  

There's no doubt it was funny, just less appealing to all audiences the way "Knocked Up" and "Superbad" were.  I just want Seth to think longer and harder about the plots in which he puts himself as the same character he always plays.

Yards Are Fun

When I went home for Thanksgiving, there weren't all these beautiful leaves in my yard...

I make quick work of them in this exciting Shallow Thoughts exclusive video!

Ricky Lake Can't Believe She Was Fat

I feel like I haven't heard or seen anything about Ricky Lake since I was in the third grade on a day off watching basic television with one of my friend's moms at like 10:00 in the morning. Apparently she's still famous though.

People Magzine reports that she has gone from 270 to 140 lbs. No surgery. No unhealthy methods. She just watches what she eats. Unfortunately, she is having trouble accepting the last decade or so of her life as a reality. "I can't believe I was a fat person for most of my life" she told People Magazine.

Not one to feed her devoted fans pipe dreams, Lake added, "Something tragic in my life could happen and I could balloon and gain weight. I can't promise I'll be like this forever." So don't hold your breath, World.

Tina Fey's Scar

Have you ever noticed the scar on Tina Fey's left cheek? I hadn't either until my brother pointed it out to me. After that, I couldn't look at anything else.

Today, People.com told her story.

I had always assumed she had had some kind of accident. Nothing like the way Heath Ledger's "Joker" described getting his scars... Unfortunately, that's not so different from Fey's version.

Fey says that when she was 5, she was playing in the yard in Pennsylvania when an unknown man, somehow or another, approached her and cut her cheek. Luckily for all of us, the traumatic experience hasn't hindered this gifted woman's life or career. While many would probably buckle under the pressure of such a handicap, Fey didn't grow up as one of those camera-shy self-conscious people. Pretty inspiring, really.

Hilary Duff

I was talking to my cousin who lives in Durango the other day via ichat.  

Durango is a small city in Colorado where my uncle and his family lives.  She was saying that Hilary Duff is in town.  

So if you find yourself on the ski slopes of Durango Mountain Resort in the next few days, keep a watchful eye out for Lizzie McGuire.

I'm not sure what's going on with Hilary but here is a new video People Magazine made of her fashion on red carpets over the years.