The Ribbon Master

Filling in this week for my roommate who is in LA at the X games. I'm running the LED boards, also known as ribbon lights at the St Pete Times Forum (the Ice Palace).

Yesterday, I had to replace a bad power supply in one of the upper lights. This involved balancing on the third row and leaning over to take out a bad power supply, reattach all the connections and put the new power supply in. It felt like the first real challenge I've had at a job in years, and it was wildly fulfilling to finish.

The three shows I'm doing are American Idol, Demi Lovato and Green Day. I'm not really crazy about any of the shows, but it's always cool to acquire new job skills.

Meanderings on a Grey Towel

I bought this towel at Target today for $11.99. It's a Fieldcrest Luxury Bath Towel and it says "100% Supima hygro cotton loops". I have no idea what any of that means, and am too lazy to look it up.

Upon purchasing, it seemed like just another item. But afterwards, something different happened-- I couldn't stop thinking about it. I wanted to touch it in the car-- I couldn't wait to get home and hang it up. For some reason, it became the perfect towel.

I seriously doubt that I've ever owned a grey towel before, so maybe there is some magical combination of grey + towel that equals perfection. Or maybe there is just some artful beauty in the utilitarian items that we have to use everyday, and I caught some special glimpse of it.

More than likely though, I'm just a little nuts.

The Tiger Woods of Poker

The Amazing Phil Ivey made the final table of World Series of Poker main event last night, to be held in November.

Each Final Tablist is guaranteed at least $1 million, and the winner will take home over $8 million.

Phil Ivey, you da man!

Harry Potter and the Artist Formerly Half Blooded

Afer seeing a 98 rating on Rotten Tomatoes yesterday, and an 89 rating today, my expectations for this were extremely high. Maybe I'm just getting older, but 2 hours and 33 minutes for a movie is just too damned long.

The scenes with Slugworth were very slow, and had too many "Merlin's Beard"s. The major final scene was extremely anticlimactic and not well pulled off, and the lake scene where Harry and Dumbledore go to find the horcrux did not keep my attention.

There were some good points-- the scene where Harry tricks Ron into thinking he's given him Felix Felicis during a Quidditch match was excellent and thrilling. All of the death eater scenes (besides the final) were impressive, and I loved an opening flying through the city Imax style. Speaking of which, it makes no sense that the movie would open one day and not open in Imax until two weeks later.

For a film with a $150 million budget, I would give it somewhere around a B- to C+. If anyone's interested, I loved the third, fifth and second films. I hated the first one, and the fourth one was extremely mediocre, even though it was probably the best book.

Sea Monsters and some old Jane Austen book

After the success of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, they're continuing the trend with "Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters."

I like their choice for the next one of Emma and El Chupacabra, and I would nominate Northanger Abbey and Nosferatu myself.

It's On like Donkey Kong

This is quite possibly one of the greatest acts ever performed. The characters are all made out of post-it notes too.

Muppets All Through the Night

So awesome.

Hadouken!

Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell

Blown away is all I can say about this track. The Wallpaper remix that is, which is far superior to any of the others.

It's so simple, so stupid, and yet so ridiculously catchy, I can't get it out of my head. Must....listen....again....

Not sure which is worse..

Rays All Stars

A big congratulations are in order for Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, as he becomes the first ever Tampa Bay all star game starter.

Other Rays making the all star team include Ben Zobrist at second base, Jason Bartlett at shortstop and Carl Crawford in the outfield.

Meanwhile, a huge boo goes out for not having J.P. Howell, the Rays best reliever, not making the team, despite a 1.63 ERA and ridiculously good numbers.