The problem with sequels is that nobody reflects on why the original was good.  Instead, they just make everything bigger.

Of all the super hero movies, Iron Man 1 has been my favorite for three reasons:

1. Gadgets – Gizmodo calls the first Iron Man, “126 Minutes of Gadget Porn.” The second Iron Man is no exception.
2. Tony Stark – The guy is a loose cannon, and his relationship with Pepper is brilliantly complicated.
3. Action – The action was everything I wanted without sacrificing plot.

And Iron Man 2 got all of these things right, making it a great movie.

10 / 10

Better CSS Font Stacks via Smashing Magazine

p – balanced for paragraphs or body copy
t – balanced for headlines or titles

Arial, “Helvetica Neue”, Helvetica, sans-serif – p, t
Baskerville, “Times New Roman”, Times, serif – p
Baskerville, Times, “Times New Roman”, serif – t
Cambria, Georgia, Times, “Times New Roman”, serif – p, t
“Century Gothic”, “Apple Gothic”, sans-serif – p, t
Consolas, “Lucida Console”, Monaco, monospace – p, t
“Copperplate Light”, “Copperplate Gothic Light”, serif – p, t
“Courier New”, Courier, monospace – p, t
“Franklin Gothic Medium”, “Arial Narrow Bold”, Arial, sans-serif – p, t
Futura, “Century Gothic”, AppleGothic, sans-serif – p, t
Garamond, “Hoefler Text”, Times New Roman, Times, serif – p
Garamond, “Hoefler Text”, Palatino, “Palatino Linotype”, serif – t
Geneva, “Lucida Sans”, “Lucida Grande”, “Lucida Sans Unicode”, Verdana, sans-serif – p
Geneva, Verdana, “Lucida Sans”, “Lucida Grande”, “Lucida Sans Unicode”, sans-serif – t
Georgia, Palatino, “Palatino Linotype”, Times, “Times New Roman”, serif – p
Georgia, Times, “Times New Roman”, serif – t
“Gill Sans”, Calibri, “Trebuchet MS”, sans-serif – p
“Gill Sans”, “Trebuchet MS”, Calibri, sans-serif – t
“Helvetica Neue”, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif – p
Helvetica, “Helvetica Neue”, Arial, sans-serif – t
Impact, Haettenschweiler, “Arial Narrow Bold”, sans-serif – p, t
“Lucida Sans”, “Lucida Grande”, “Lucida Sans Unicode”, sans-serif – p, t
Palatino, “Palatino Linotype”, Georgia, Times, “Times New Roman”, serif – p
Palatino, “Palatino Linotype”, “Hoefler Text”, Times, “Times New Roman”, serif – t
Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana – p
Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva – t
Times, “Times New Roman”, Georgia, serif – p, t
“Trebuchet MS”, “Lucida Sans Unicode”, “Lucida Grande”, “Lucida Sans”, Arial, sans-serif – p
“Trebuchet MS”, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif – t
Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif – p
Verdana, Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif – t

3 backup solutions:

1. Buy an external drive and copy everything to it religiously.
2. If you have Windows 7, check out its backup utility.
3. Do it automatically with an online service such as Dropbox.

I hate telling people that their photos and work cannot be restored.  Don’t be that guy.

I hadn’t paid much attention to the hype, because the previews looked animated and childish.  Perhaps those were early renderings, because the eye candy in Avatar was amazing.  It’s the first CGI world that really wrapped me in.

Some of the characters were campy, but their realism made them endearing.  The plot had a couple of turns which kept me interested.

I didn’t appreciate the New Age theme, and the environmental agenda was a little heavy handed.  Otherwise, it was a great story, and I’m excited about taking the girlfriend.

9 / 10

Next up is Sherlock Holmes on Christmas day.

This is Doug Sayers.  Words cannot describe how this man juggles.  He’s a machine. This year, Doug won the IJA, which is the biggest juggling competition in the United States. He’s a professional and all-around nice guy.

I met him at a juggling festival outside of Chicago. We hung out all night in the hotel lobby. He kept saying, “Name a trick.” We’d come up with the impossible, and he’d attempt it a couple times and then do it.  That was years ago, and he’s gotten much better.

Seriously, just what the video.

whatsup juggling [via Facebook]

I rest my case.  “Business Time” is also pretty good, closely followed by “A Kiss is Not a Contract.”  I find Flight of the Conchords to be a little hit and miss, but when they’re funny, they’re really funny.  What do you think?  Are there any other songs that should be considered?

The Five Greatest Flight of the Conchords Songs via Digg

1) Case Logic Canvas Duffel ($30 – $45)

2) Case Logic Canvas Backpack ($30 – $60)

These look more like book bags than laptop cases, which will hopefully discourage would-be thieves.  Not only are they stylish, but they also feature a bottle opener.  There’s one more after the jump…

3) Speck Pinstripe Backpack ($52)

How sweet are those pinstripes?!  It’s a tough decision, but the Case Logic bags appear to be made better.

24 more after the jump…

Office Supplies (Continued)

2) Bacon Stamps

Unfortunately not bacon flavored. 

3) What Would Bacon Do? Folder

“D” is for “diploma”!

4) Bacon Mousepad

Your mouse deserves high cholesterol too.

Clothing and Accessories

5) Bacon Tie

You’re a professional.

6) (Woman’s) Bacon Shoes

I have nothing witty to say here.

7) Bacon Belt

Your belt is supposed to match your shoes.

Bacon Wallet

You bring home the bacon.

9) Bacon iPhone Case

For the guy who has everything.

10) Tasty Wristwatch

You need to know when it’s time for bacon. (Hint: It’s always time for bacon.)

11) Skull and Cross Bacon Apron

Arr, that Roger be Jolly.

12) I Love Meat Wristbands

Because it really pisses off vegetarians.

Hygiene Items

13) Bacon Flavored Toothpicks

Wood flavored toothpicks are so 2008.

14) Bacon Flavored Floss

Dental hygiene never tasted so good.

15) Bacon Mints

Bacon is the new mint-o-green.

16) Bacon Soap

Guaranteed to get the dog to play with you.

17) Bacon Flavored Lip Balm

“Grease up those lips!”

18) Bacon Band-Aids

Don’t waste a steak on a black eye.

Home Decor

19) Bacon Placemats

Bacon placemats compliment any kitchen.

20) Bacon Candle

Because you’re classy!

Random

21) Bacon Skateboard Deck

Tasty wheels not included.

22) Bacon Lunchbox

Because the outside should match the inside.

23) Bacon Air Freshener

For use in pickup trucks with testicles.

Gift Wrapping

24) Bacon Tuxedo Gift Box

Because there’s nothing funnier than the disappointment of your friends when they realize they didn’t get a bacon tuxedo.

25) Bacon Gift Wrap

I couldn’t find a bacon gift bag. (I’m lazy.)

Bacon Food

26) Squeeze Bacon

This is why you’re fat.

27) Bacon Gum

You can see the bits of bacon.

28) Bacon Sucker

Note the bits of actual bacon in the sucker.

29) Gummy Bacon

The other white meat.

30) Bacon Chocolate

I’ve actually eaten bacon chocolate, and it’s not bad.

31) Bacon Coffee
Bacon and caffeine – breakfast of champions. [via YesButNoButYes]

32) Bacon Vodka

Because alcohol tastes nasty, and bacon taste good.

Honorable Mentions

33) Bacon Salt

34) Bacon Jam

35) Bacon Toilet Paper

1. “The Difference” by Philamont
2. “Fire It Up” by Thousand Foot Krutch
3. “Again” by Flyleaf

Get $3 in MP3s on Us via Lifehacker

Unrelated but awesome! My new hobby is using the advanced search on eBay to find auctions that end in 1 hour, cost less than $1, and ship for free.  I found a couple cool steel rings.  This is the most fun at 3:00 AM, but limit yourself to $3.

This chart is almost spot-on, but here’s a couple they forgot:

• Does your car need gas?  7-Eleven
• Do you need gas?  Waffle House

What I need is a flowchart for sit-down restaurants, so I know where to take the girlfriend.  We always frequent the same three places.

Where Should I Eat? Fast Food Edition (Flowchart) via Grub Street