Cool Shit 5/31

Elon Musk is one nuclear device theft away from being a Bond villain. And I think I'm ok with that. Especially if he makes a super train. Also, by invoking the concept of a super train, I can now post this...



Sweethome is a cool website that offers visitors a breakdown of what the best home products are. I guess it's like a Consumer Reports but in web form, and easily searchable.

I guess I thought a time machine would look more sophisticated and less like a bike. But I also am not an expert in Quantum physics.

Stephen King's novel Under the Dome was good, so the series based on it has some potential. Here are 10 things that you might want to know about it before watching.

The Killing is back for season 3. And while I hate watched most of the first two seasons, and thought it really got melodramatic and stupid toward the end, I'm sure I'll hate watch this season. Even though early reviews aren't great.

New trailer for Machete 2. Something about killing or something. I'm going to be honest here...while I appreciate Robert Rodriguez's contribution to independent film and his DIY attitude, I'm not a big fan of his films. I think forcing the exploitation into modern exploitation films doesn't work and everyone being in on the joke softens the experience. Plus, I'll never forgive Trejo for selling out DeNiro and the crew in Heat. Inexcusable.

However, I'm sure there are people out there excited for this movie so...



Exciting and surprising news, especially since just about every show I begin watching immediately gets cancelled (RIP Rubicon), but Hannibal gets to live another season! (If you're not watching Hannibal, do yourself a favor and catch up, especially if you enjoyed Silence of the Lambs.)

Cool Shit 5/30

If you're into food these destinations better be on your bucket list.

The rise and fall - and potential rise again (with the help of hair weaves) of an L.A. crack dealer.

There doesn't seem to be much of a prize (other than cheese) and the potential for injury is great, but people still seem enthralled by running down a hill over in England.

I never knew this about the movie Airplane! but apparently it's a "remake" of a 50s movie called Zero Hour. Take a look at this video that compares the two...



Great idea for a website: cataloging truly awful products that you can actually buy. Now I just need to know someone that got breast enhancement surgery and I've got the perfect gift!

This interview with Wil and Jaden Smith is uh...interesting. Like multi-dimensional mathematics interesting.

Cool Shit 5/29

I don't like to think of this Holy Land amusement park as going out of business, I like to think all the employees vanished because of the Rapture.

In case you had a burning desire to see what it's like to sit in the middle of the tornado:



So it seems the Star Wars prequels COULD have been better.

All you diet soda drinkers. From this link I can only deduce that you should be doing meth as well.

What's it like to work with Bill O'Reilly?

Cool Shit 5/28

Like waterfalls? Here's a look at some of the cooler ones from around the world.

We're coming to the end of Summit season on Everest. Here are 60 facts about the mountain to get you to the end.

Sure these look like cool inventions, but maybe the inventors should have spent at least a little more time with them. You know, so they may have been around to invent something else?

Stephen King has a new book out, and he gave one a rare interview.

So, apparently John McTiernan, famous director of movies such as Diehard and Predator (let's just forget the Rollerball remake ever happened) lied to an FBI agent and is now in jail? I don't think this story has all the details.

Writing about the Federer/Nadal rivalry (in Tennis, you neanderthals) and it seems like Mr. Jenkins has a distinct Nadal bias.

Arrested Development

Well, it's pretty much here. The new season of Arrested Development. Yes, it's almost impossible to live up to the hype that has been built. It's inevitable to be a disappointment. Like Christmas Eve, it's much more exciting before we all sit down to watch it.

Still, once you look at the current landscape of television (particularly comedy), it's hard to imagine that it won't immediately be better than 90% of what's out there right now. And honestly, I don't believe that's a lofty goal (seriously - other than Parks and Recreation and Happy Endings (which yeah got cancelled, so forget it unless it comes back on another channel), what is funny on television right now?)

So enjoy the following links and I'll see you on the other side...

Interview with Mitch Hurwitz.

Learn how to do a proper, improper chicken imitation.



Arrested Development is notorious for hidden jokes. Did you catch all these the first time around?

Obviously, there is a drinking game for the new series. Get your scorecard here.

Just how psychological is Arrested Development?

A look at how food occasionally plays an important part in the series.

Wil Arnett gives us all a preview of the new Arrested Development season.

Cool Shit 5/24

Look for a whole Arrested Development post coming a bit later today...

Looking for something to do this weekend? How about enjoying a television marathon with these underrated shows you most likely have never heard of.

Seems like Gillian Anderson is having a bit of a resurgence.

Steven Soderbergh, retired film director turned internet entrepreneur? (Seriously, his website is weird, and not what you'd expect from an award winning director. I especially enjoy the "booze" section.)

Oh good lord, this After Earth movie seems WAY too involved to be any good.

Hmmm, I wonder if the location of the next Winter Olympic games will affect my ebay bidding on event tickets.

This look at what former stars of Lost are doing now isn't just interesting to see what the actors are doing, it's fun to try and remember what happened to their characters on Lost. And then you can relive the hatred you had for the series finale.

Cool Shit 5/23

Arrested Development week continues! Today, enjoy some set dec photos from the new season and read about the influences David Cross used for Tobias. Plus, care to find out how the stars are getting paid for this unique series? Or maybe you're excitement is already waning for the new season, and you want some news about the possible Arrested Development movie?

An amazing look back at the 2003 World Series of Poker - as told by the participants. It's crazy to hear from the people involved and realize that their personas they had on television are exactly the same in real life. Phil Helmuth is still a bragger; Moneymaker is still humble and not quite sure he belongs and Sam Farha is...well he's more awesome than ever, even if he still refuses to give Moneymaker credit. I think I like him more now.

Well this snuck up on me. An HBO movie with Larry David! Here's a brief teaser...



I'm so past the concept of regional sandwiches. Too much going on. Bring me a list of hyper-regional sandwiches!

This list of car chases from a stunt man is woefully incomplete. No French Connection? No The Seven Ups? Oh, never saw the car chase from The Seven Ups?



YOU'RE GODDAMMED RIGHT THAT'S ROY SCHEIDER.

Sure the movie was great, but what happened after it ended?

Cool Shit 5/22

Private space travel is about to begin. And that's just the beginning. Of the beginning of space travel.

So this happened yesterday. A twitter "fight" between Marc Maron and Michael Ian Black. While MIB took the first shot (it's not clear if it was a simple joke or something more pointed, since it's Twitter and all) I still think he handled himself funnier than Maron. Maron seemed to be defensive and run out of steam there. And I can't believe I've just analyzed what boils down to two people yelling at each other.

Arrested Development Week continues here at the Popcorn Trick. First, Jeffery Tambor discusses the show. Then we have Michael Cera adding his two cents. And finally, let's hear what Jessica Walters has to say about everything.

I understand the desire to want to know what we put in our bodies, but I don't understand the outrage over horse meat, or any type of meat for that matter. Aside from taste, I don't think there's a way to rank animal meats when it comes to food.

Here's the Vanity Fair World War Z article everyone is/was talking about. I still hold out hope for this since I have A. recently successfully divorced the movie from the book in my head; and B. can't resist a zombie movie. Just because it isn't the book doesn't mean it won't work.

I assume I'll be eating crow in a few weeks.

New trailer for Man of Steel. I offer this because I had no idea Lawrence Fishburne was in this movie...and now this gives me a chance to tell you to watch Hannibal if you aren't already.

Cool Shit 5/21

It's "Gear Up for Arrested Development Week here at the Popcorn Trick! Today, learn more about the cult that has kept this show going, and how it's created the desire/need for new episodes.

Here's another interview with Damon Lindelof...and I'm conflicted. On one hand, I'm of the mind that the creator gets to write the story he wants and who are we to complain? But on the other, have you seen Prometheus? Seriously though, I appreciate the author's right to do what he/she wants with his/her story, but all bets are off when they speak about it beforehand in a misleading way. Lindelof touches on that a little here, but not the dangers he creates by whipping up the fan base of projects he comes on to simply because he likes to be coy about things. And don't get me started on the end of Lost.

And speaking of Lindelof and misleading viewers, here's a very spoiler heavy FAQ for the latest movie he wrote, Star Trek Into Darkness. Seriously, only read it if you've seen the movie or don't care about seeing the movie. And honestly, it's funny enough regardless if you're a trekkie or not. (I guess we should have had some inclination about the movie's quality when the title was leaked. That's worse than the B-Sharps).

You're about to get...Reggie Watts-rolled?



It's Summiting Everest season. Here's a look at just how crazy it is up there on the mountain. Pretty soon I'm going to be in the minority of people who haven't climbed it.

Before reading this, I had never heard of Ben Saunders, but he sounds like a bad ass.

Cool Shit 5/20

I hope no one is surprised by the differences between the advertisement photos and the real products of fast food places. If you are you should live your life with this one mantra: Advertising lies.

It seems like the Coen Brothers have another potential classic on their hands with their latest film, Inside  Llewyn Davis. Of course you might need a literary degree to get through this review of it.

The question on everyone's mind, what's it like to get eaten by a grizzly bear? finally gets answered with video!

Ever wonder how much it would cost to actually build the Starship Enterprise?

We're less than a week away from new Arrested Development. Here's an interview with its creator, Mitch Hurwitz.

Do you always chuckle at the antics that go on at the stadium when Kiss Cam comes up on the Jumbotron? Then you will probably enjoy these.

Remember that Patton Oswalt filibuster cut from Parks and Recreation, talking about the crazy Star Wars sequel? Well here it is again, only animated into an actual movie. Sorta.

Cool Shit 5/17

Sure this guide of upcoming Fall television is set up in a best/worst format, but honestly, nothing truly sounds that good.

I post a lot of nature time lapse videos here, so it's quite possible I've posted this one before, but even if I have, it's worth checking out again. Yosemite is this cool.



Being a dominatrix ain't easy.

Which ship is faster - the Millenium Falcon or the Starship Enterprise? Being fictional ships, you have to get over the concept that at the end of the day, the creators of said ship could just say "mine's faster," and technically be right.

A look at the ups (and downs) and whats to comes from JJ Abrams.

A pharmaceutical con man.

Cool Shit 5/16

This article brings up some decent points. Edible underwear is difficult to bring up during the sexy time. And that of course is just the beginning.

I wonder if Ricky Gervais is simply becoming too saturated in the market. I want to love him and everything he does, but recently he's been making it rather difficult. This interview is just one example of that. And I see where he's coming from - he's trying desperately hard to show that his fame and success hasn't changed him. But I don't think that's the problem. Not that it's cool if it didn't change him, but that is absolutely should have changed him. And his audience would/does understand that change. No one can go from a simple, steady, boring life to hanging out with David Bowie and not have that affect their personality. And Gervais seems to be in denial of that.

Yesterday I offered up a link to help you with the different beer terminologies out there. Today I have a link that will help you use that knowledge to find beer recommendations based on what you like. In a cool visual way.

Not great when there is a mysterious, oozing liquid coming up out of the ground. Even worse when the government tries to suggest its completely harmless when in fact you just know it's the kind of thing that will devour your insides. Oh, you think that's crazy? Well I guess you've never seen this:



(If there's one rule I live my life by, it's "Listen whenever Garrett Morris is saying something.")

Yesterday I also posted some of Bill Hader's great turns as game show hosts. Well today, here's a look at some of his better sketches.

A Tobias Funke audition reel? Sent to Ron Howard? Yes please.

Cool Shit 5/15

This is a lot of thought put into the time travel conceit of Back to the Future.

While probably not a definitive list of the top 10 funniest Arrested Development recurring jokes, it's still fun watching them all.

Well I didn't think I was going to read a personal account of getting swallowed by a hippo today.

Sadly, Bill Hader won't be returning to Saturday Night Live next year. Fortunately, we have all his gameshow hosts he left behind.

The fact that Dan Brown has a new book out crept up on me. Not that I'm going to read it, but I will enjoy some of the reviews its getting.

If you like car chases, you'll enjoy this mashup of them...Suspiciously absent? the mind blowing car chase from the cult favorite System to Get Down.

Cool Shit 5/14

Ordering a beer these days can be an adventure, especially if you don't know the terminology. Fortunately, that doesn't have to be the case anymore.

As a writer, I'm excited for Damon Lindelof's success, since it's not too often writers get a lot of credit. And I enjoyed Lost up until the point I realized it wasn't going to have a coherent ending. And then I saw Prometheus and well...let's just say sometimes Lindelof is better decent; sometimes he's shitastic. I mean seriously, does Prometheus make an ounce of sense for anyone? Don't get me started.

I'm listening to the new Daft Punk album right now. And if you have iTunes, you can too.

Apparently the Costa Rican jungles do strange things to couples. Well, at least this couple.

Famous authors visualize their stories.

Ok, it's only a matter of time before we're all killed off by some super virus. As in, there are 3 strains of some crazy flu out there RIGHT NOW plotting our destruction. Take a look here and see if you've been potentially exposed. Happy Tuesday!

While I am not a math geek by any means, the idea of complex math equations/theories fascinates me. It's like unlocking a mystery (to get to more mysteries, but still). This article, about a man who may have solved the ABC Conjecture (in itself a crazy theory that I have no hope of understanding), a puzzle that has been troubling mathematicians for awhile now, is awesome in the sense that his solution wasn't even understood by mathematicians. And he of course simply posted them on the Internet and walked away. Basically he said, as many kids on the playground do, "I'm sorry you're not smart enough to understand me."

Cool Shit 5/13

Cool photos of the airplane graveyard out in the Mojave Desert. Apparently no one is allowed to explore it anymore, but still we have these pictures.

These days, it takes a back seat to Sriracha Sauce, but back in the day, if you wanted heat in your food, your first reach was for Tabasco Sauce. Here's a short video to show you how it's made.



So wait, maybe World War Z...is good?

So, Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis wanted Paul McCartney to come play bass on things they were recording. Wait, what?

Cool photos of food cut in half. Like eggs, jelly donuts and coffee, cans of soup, ramen noodles...

Secret restaurants around the country. Not because people don't know about them. Well, yes because people don't know about them, but also because it takes some effort to actually find and get in them. Though of course to be on this list seems contradictory to the subject matter, especially since the list seems to be sponsored by USA Today, but what do I know?

And finally, would a trailer for the upcoming Arrested Development season interest you?

Cool Shit 5/10

Alfonso Cuaron, the director of Children of Men (go rent it if you haven't seen it yet) has a new movie coming out, called Gravity. It stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, and looks fairly intense...



Need to fulfill your dreams of being a spy but only have a computer at your disposal? No problem, since the NSA has put together a document teaching people how to use the internet to do your spying.

It's time to take a journey back into the past, to simpler times, when people didn't wear so many logos on their clothes, irony was used the proper amount, and Michael Jordan challenged Charlie and Martin Sheen to a series of basketball related contests on national television. Hosted by Dick Van Patten.



It's rare that a project with Michael Bay's name attached intrigues me. But apparently it does happen. Check out the trailer for the television show The Last Ship, airing this summer on TNT.



The short essay "Coyote vs. Acme," by Ian Frazier, should at least make you smile today. And if you enjoyed it, you can get his book of the same name, Coyote V. Acme.

Take a look at the celebrities Anchorman 2 has lined up for cameos. If you don't care about spoilers, that is.

Here's a look at what you could be watching, and you'll be missing this fall when it comes to science fiction programming. 

Cool Shit 5/9

It's nice to know our government will turn the other cheek when it comes to our food safety. Much more so than Europe, it sounds.

Get bumped from a flight? Before you accept that voucher, did you know you could get cash for your inconvenience? Works for lost luggage as well!

Sigh. Rolling Stone put out a list of the best albums from the 90s. A terrible, incomplete list, that overlooks some great albums.

I've linked to a couple summer movie previews concerning the blockbusters, but here's a look at some of the "quieter" films to be released this summer.

Have you read Stephen King's Under the Dome? If not, I recommend it. While (predictably) the ending is rather abrupt and comes out of left field, the characters and richness of the world King creates is fantastic.

Anyway, I'm not the only one who thought it was good, as CBS has gone and developed it as a series (not sure if its a limited run or it will continue on - hopefully it has a finite ending). Here's the trailer. Looks decent, even with the tacky All Along the Watchtower cover that plays over it...



This "break up" filmed on a kiss cam montage at a minor league baseball game (where promotional stunts to get more attention are de rigueur) is obviously fake; however the Hall and Oates soundtrack compelled me to include it here.

Cool Shit 5/8

Well this guy seems like a badass. Look, murder is bad, and this guy killed two people so I guess he should be incarcerated. But he also swam in some arms trafficking circles, so if the murders were related, then maybe we can overlook some thing. I guess what I'm trying to say is if you break out of a notorious Russian prison with a spoon, you should probably get something for the effort.

None of these series that we're likely going to see next year inspire me with too much excitement. I guess I'll check out Blacklist if I have nothing better to do. And I've always had a soft spot for Gillian Anderson, so there's that.

I'm glad at least someone is asking the question whether it's a good idea to be actively seeking out alien contact. I mean, Independence Day did not look like it was fun.

Even if you're unfamiliar with the name "John Titor," you'll enjoy this story of a time traveler.

It's heartwarming to hear when companies eschew building their plants overseas and instead decide to keep the business in the United States. Even when that business is producing sex toys. (Warning: This may be considered NSFW. Though if you need this warning after reading "sex toys" in the description, well...)

Anyone excited for the Ender's Game? It's a classic science fiction novel that I read about 20 years ago in college. So my ship has sailed on it. After all, once you know the ending, it kind of loses something. Also,

Cool Shit 5/7

Just your average, run-of-the-mill story about an illegal restaurant on a college campus run by two guys who have no experience. I'll be honest - the fact that the term "speakeasy" was used, is 90% of the reason I linked to it.

Wylie Dufresne would probably be in the Mt. Rushmore of molecular gastronomic cooking. His WD-50 is a NY hotspot, and he has just opened up a gastro pub named Alder. Here's a photo diary (taken by him) of the days leading up to the opening, and some of the food offerings.

If you're a Boba Fett fan, I believe you'll enjoy this art project of Boba Fett in different Icelandic landscapes.

Check out what food your state is most famous for! (Honestly, some of these are spectacularly lame. California...Texas...I'm pretty sure people were grasping for straws on some of these.

Written over 18 years ago, no one realized until then that Steve Carlton was a little more than odd, and quite possibly the inspiration for Alex Jones.

Time Lapse Time! This is the Cerro Paranal - a European Observatory in Chile. Mindbending!

Atacama Starry Nights: Episode I from Babak Tafreshi on Vimeo.

Cool Shit 5/6

You do realize some of the greatest pieces museums have are the ones they're not showing.

I'm sure everything mentioned in this article about the difficulties of self-publishing for a published author is true. And yet, that's the current landscape of publishing, and that's what the majority of authors have to do. It's not as though it's a hardship just for this specific individual. It's not as though authors had an easy time before the self-publishing industry arose.

Not only does it seem as though there's a Kickstarter for everything, it seems a lot of are actually meeting their goals. Including these 4, which...yeah.

Some science fiction is actually based on fact. More fact than you know.

Big Star Wars fan? Then you must take a look at these items!

Another summer movie preview. What are you anticipating?

Oh no. This exists.



I guarantee there's a moment (near the end) when someone looks at Channing Tatum and says, "You've got the job."

Cool Shit 5/3

Being Jewish in prison. It doesn't sound like too much fun.

Tequila! It's not just for sucking down a briny, cured worm.

And speaking of tequila (and alcohol in general), here's a list of 25 cocktails you should know about to be a sophisticated gentleman or lady.

Fridays are the perfect days for websites like these - websites to waste your time.

Remember Hurricane Sandy? Here's a look at what's going on 6 months after the Hurricane hit NJ/NY.

Attempted murder on Mt. Everest?

Cool Shit 5/2

The power behind conspiracy theories and why we choose to believe in them.

Awesome water slides!

Well, I guess this gives us some hope as a species when the next mass extinction comes.

Here's a list of the 50 best restaurants in the world, as suggested by Restaurant Magazine. Looking it over it seems I've been to...0 of them.

Get ready for the Kentucky Derby by reading Hunter S. Thompson's famous take on the race.

It's amazing Hollywood makes any money at all. And after reading about these 6 examples of movies that didn't start out as they were intended, it seems the only way it does is by accident.

Cool Shit 5/1

Here are some pictures that may make your stomach drop.

A transcript of Steven Soderbergh's "State of the Cinema" opening/rant at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Coupled with the news of his retirement from filmmaking, this screams midlife crisis.

I'm shocked a sit com heavily involving Hitler didn't garner a larger audience.

Here's a track-by-track review of the new Daft Punk album.

Time Lapse! This time of Death Valley...



There are plenty of terrorists out there still just as dangerous as Osama Bin Laden was...

Here'a cool photo set of things rockstars have listed in their riders. To visualize it gives it some unexpected humor.