Nonsense

Who Will Win? My Predictions For the 84th Annual Academy Awards

Robert Svihla — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:01:16 +0000

The Shorts I failed this category miserably. I haven’t seen a one of them. As of right now, you can see 9 of the 10 live action and animated shorts via iTunes or OnDemand with most cable providers La Luna … Continue reading →

The Artist

Robert Svihla — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:25:43 +0000

I guess I’m supposed to love The Artist. It’s a movie about movies. About silent movies and the transition to sound movies and how that destroyed the lives of the silent film era stars who refused to jump on board … Continue reading →

OMG The Oscars Are Coming!

Robert Svihla — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:14:07 +0000

The nominees are out. That means it’s time to start reviewing all the movies I’ve missed in 2011 and making a plan to see as many of the nominated films as I can before the winners are announced on February … Continue reading →

Rihanna Samples The xx

Robert Svihla — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:20:17 +0000

I keep hearing about this Rihanna lady and I guess I’ve heard a song or two, but I never really paid much attention. Can’t say that this will necessarily change that, but it’s a pretty damn good step in the … Continue reading →

Celebration Time!

Robert Svihla — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:49:24 +0000

I’m not usually one to pat myself on the back for a job well done, but I’m far too elated to concern myself with modesty right at this moment. What has me so pleased, you ask? Today, for the first … Continue reading →

Siri

Robert Svihla — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 01:24:00 +0000

There’s more where this came from, though this is by far my favorite.

The Name Of This Album Is El Camino

Robert Svihla — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:08:29 +0000

Be still my beating heart: The Black Keys have a new album coming out on December 6th. Inexplicably, I was lukewarm on last year’s Brothers when it came out.1 It took me a few months to realize just how wrong I had … Continue reading →

The Story Changes

Robert Svihla — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 01:42:34 +0000

Charlie Kaufman is undisputedly awesome.1 He never writes a boring movie and even when the movie itself is a little underwhelming, it always feels more like it’s my fault for not “getting it” than it is Kaufman’s for being inscrutable. … Continue reading →

Always Remember

Robert Svihla — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:33:02 +0000

If it’s it’s it is. If it’s its it’s mine.

Vladimir Is Putin On The… Oh Forget It

Robert Svihla — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 02:45:31 +0000

Action man! Those might not be the first words that come to mind when you think of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, but that’s only because you haven’t check this gem for flaws. That’s right. Flawless. Eyewitness reports1 say that … Continue reading →

Dolphin Ipsum

Robert Svihla — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:30:23 +0000

So, yeah. I made this.

Republiclones

Robert Svihla — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:54:20 +0000

I’m going to go ahead and let my co-worker Bob do the talking on this one: Jeepers! Do they have a factory somewhere turning these guys out? I’m told that this is two different people, but it’s not that easy … Continue reading →

Your Terms of Service Suck

Robert Svihla — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:48:34 +0000

The ubiquitous Terms of Service screen, that shit shine benchmark of poor design and poor communication skills: unless you’re John Irving, writing in the voice of Owen Meany, all caps are never a good idea. You’ve seen these walls of text, … Continue reading →

Present/Past

Robert Svihla — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 22:36:45 +0000

An excellent flickr gallery of images juxtaposing the present and the past.

What Is The FIFA World Cup Draw and How Does It Work?

Robert Svihla — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 22:00:49 +0000

Saturday is the big draw, so I figured I’d spend a little time explaining exactly what that means. I’ll use UEFA1 as an example. Using the updated rankings released today2, FIFA will separate the 53 competing nations of Europe into six pots; … Continue reading →

Risk: Metal Gear Solid

Robert Svihla — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 03:22:39 +0000

I usually poo-poo licensed versions of classic board games, but Risk: Metal Gear Solid definitely intrigues. Staying true to MGS canon, you’ll play with private military corporations instead of countries as you divvy the world.

My Enemy Is Perspective

Robert Svihla — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 23:12:39 +0000

Intruded is a great little flash game where your avatar is trying to escape a mysterious place. There’s no shooting, no jumping. In fact, all you can do is move around with tank-like WASD controls (think old school Resident Evil; left and … Continue reading →

I Need These Lights

Robert Svihla — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:12:18 +0000

Okay, “need” may be pushing it. But I do really want these PC gaming lights. I’m a sucker for ambient lighting as it is, but ambient lighting that reacts to things on your computer? Yes, please.

The World Cup 2014 Draw

Robert Svihla — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:25:14 +0000

No, you didn’t read that wrong. Most people associate the World Cup with the month-long finals that take place with great fanfare every four years. It was only last year that South Africa hosted the 2010 World Cup, but July … Continue reading →

“No Budget Film”

Robert Svihla — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:19:20 +0000

How the Polish Brothers Are Raking It In With a Stealth, No Budget Movie | The Wrap Movies. To be fair, Michael Polish does point out that they still had to pay for accommodations and food in Paris while filming, … Continue reading →

“You’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!”

Robert Svihla — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:12:59 +0000

This clip comes from The Trip, a BBC series that’s been made into Michael Winterbottom’s most recent feature film, starring the always brilliant Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, who I am completely unfamiliar with. These two pals go on a … Continue reading →

This is what happens when you blog about an OK Cupid date.

Robert Svihla — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 20:15:16 +0000

The Day I Discovered That I’m an OK Cupid Asshole.

Dos Santos’ Scrumptious Goal

Robert Svihla — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 21:52:17 +0000

Last night’s Gold Cup final was pretty entertaining all around, but Giovani dos Santos’ 76th minute goal will likely go down as one of the most brilliant goals scored in all of 2011. Mexico intercepts a ground clearance from the … Continue reading →

Breakfast At A BBQ Joint

Robert Svihla — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 18:48:46 +0000

That’s a pretty creative way of getting around a silly rule.

Bend It Like Friberg

Robert Svihla — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:44:29 +0000

Erik Friberg, the Swedish midfielder who joined the Seattle Sounders this year, scored a seriously impressive goal last night against the New York Red Bulls. Intercepting a header off a corner kick, Friberg winds his left foot back to kick. … Continue reading →

Excellence In Interpretative Dance

Robert Svihla — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 02:57:15 +0000

This is a totally serviceable and entertaining cover of a Whitney Houston classic. I would have greatly enjoyed being there at the Pyramid Lounge, enjoying it live, dancing poorly. I do not, however, think I could have had nearly as … Continue reading →

Lavezzi Shows Determination

Robert Svihla — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 16:34:42 +0000

Paolo Bandini at the Guardian UK calls this the best Serie A goal of the 2010/2011 season. I’m inclined to agree. Ezequiel Lavezzi receives a terrific through-ball from the midfield, but Milan defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos closes him down pretty quickly. Everyone … Continue reading →

Hacked Ms. Pac-Man Arcade Machine

Robert Svihla — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 08:41:00 +0000

One of my favorite bars has a couple of sit down arcade machines in lieu of tables. After letting Ms. Pac-Man milk me of all my quarters, I drank my beer and watched the demo screens for awhile before realizing … Continue reading →

Pics or it didn’t happen

Robert Svihla — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 23:51:00 +0000

Maybe those jetpackin’ kitties were just too fast to capture on film?

And Winners Will Be: My Oscar Picks for 2011

Robert Svihla — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 04:01:38 +0000

It’s Oscar time! I’d hoped to get my picks posted up earlier, but I’ve only just finished catching up with all the major nominees this afternoon, so you’ll have to settle for some hastily written commentary along with my picks … Continue reading →

Get An Extra Gig of Dropbox Space

Robert Svihla — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 10:34:00 +0000

Dropbox is a definite must have for anyone who uses more than one computer. I won’t bother extolling the virtues of Dropbox, only to suggest that you should sign up for it and watch as it slowly seeps its way … Continue reading →

The Girl Who Fixed the Umlaut

Robert Svihla — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 03:30:00 +0000

I can’t really go on without an umlaut,” he said. “We’re in Sweden. - Nora Ephron via newyorker.com Despite being largely unimpressed with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I’m having a grand ‘ole time with it’s sequel, The Girl Who Played … Continue reading →

25 Pixels is Plenty

Robert Svihla — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 19:19:00 +0000

Carrie’s been wanting to make something in the flavor of this very cool 8-bit Seuratesque Princess Peach. As a result, I’ve been playing around with pixelating various video game characters. I’ve struck upon a pretty cool one, though it needs … Continue reading →

A Vacation Package for the Mayor of Moby Dick

Robert Svihla — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 02:23:40 +0000

Moby Dick, a DC area chain specializing in yummy Persian kabobs, is offering up a vacation package for the mayor of the future. This is easily the most impressive Foursquare mayor prize I’ve seen yet. Seen any other neat Foursquare … Continue reading →

As far as labor disputes go…

Robert Svihla — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 23:46:40 +0000

This one doesn’t seem to be gaining much momentum.

A Minecraft Tutorial Gone Horribly Wrong

Robert Svihla — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 07:40:57 +0000

My heart goes out to the guy and all… but that was fucking funny!

Facebook Creator Chats Up Star of The Social Network

Robert Svihla — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 01:02:00 +0000

That’s right, Mark. Zombieland most definitely did not suck.

Guitar Center Customer Loses Fight With Elmo

Robert Svihla — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 20:49:00 +0000

The Elmo character told the local news station WFTV that after he felt the punch, he took off his head and gloves and threw them down, which in mascot culture means “Oh it’s on,” and then: ELMO FIGHT! via consumerist.com

The Birth of a Meme

Robert Svihla — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 00:10:00 +0000

It all started with a comment to a Gizmodo post about Angry Birds on a BlackBerry. what’s the deal with angry birds anyway? i played it once. then i analyzed the game mechanics, deduced that the rest of the game … Continue reading →

Making Stock

Robert Svihla — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 22:20:00 +0000

Carrie and I are having braised fresh “bacon” for dinner tonight. I’m following Tom Colicchio’s recipe, published in his book Think Like A Chef. The dish calls for brown chicken stock, for which the recipe is provided. Of course, to … Continue reading →

How to Dance the Moscow

Robert Svihla — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 23:45:00 +0000

You know, in case you were curious!

R.U.S.E. Promo Leverages Double Rainbow Fever

Robert Svihla — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:32:00 +0000

I usually archive promo emails right away, but this one got my attention. The small print is particularly adorable!

A Tour of the Creepy NH Brugge

Robert Svihla — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:39:25 +0000

Our hotel in Bruges was nothing special. Still, I figured a quick tour of the hallways was in order because they’re, well, a little creepy.

Waiting in Brussels

Robert Svihla — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:38:27 +0000

Carrie and I were waiting outside the Brussels central train station to catch a quick ride over to Bruges for two nights. We’d partaken of mussels and frites and bought enough chocolate to indulge ourselves for a few days. We … Continue reading →

How do you make Skittles?

Robert Svihla — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:23:49 +0000

It makes sense, when you think about it!

Rapture In The Sky

Robert Svihla — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:26:00 +0000

What a great trailer. It starts off underwater, looking very much like another… well, you know the name. But before you get too cozy in Andrew Ryan’s familiar little kingdom under the sea, you’re ripped out from a little fish … Continue reading →

If getting to make an argument like that isn’t reason enough to be an Italian lawyer, I don’t know what is.

Robert Svihla — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 01:05:00 +0000

Let’s be clear my client is tall, brunette and has an ample breast and is therefore going to naturally be sensuous when she applies cream to her chest. Topless sunbather reported to police by mother of two for ‘troubling’ her … Continue reading →

Does Telling Someone to “Click Here” Work?

Robert Svihla — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:13:00 +0000

Click here. In writing web copy (mostly for work), I spend a lot of time getting hung up on what sort of anchor text I should use to entice people to click. I’ve always felt that “Click Here” is just … Continue reading →

Fed-Up Flight Attendant for Jet Blue Lets Curses Fly, Then Makes Sliding Exit

Robert Svihla — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:35:00 +0000

And grabs a beer on the way out!

The End

Robert Svihla — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 20:49:00 +0000

Everything is going to be OK in the end. If it is not OK, it is not the end.