In recent years, I've come to appreciate Frosted Mini-Wheats more so than when I was a child, which was not at all. That whole grain stuff's not so bad. The Strawberry flavored edition is especially good in my opinion. I've always kinda wondered why they're called "mini" wheats, though, cause they're kinda big. So I was pondering that thought whilst looking at Frosted Mini-Wheats in the grocery store last night, when I came upon a confusingly fantastic sight: mini Frosted Mini-Wheats. That's right: mini Mini-Wheats; twice tiny'd; small to a 2. Then came the best part: CHOCOLATE? Surely this must be the cereal God eats (when he watches cartoons), I thought.
Got a bowl, poured 'em in. Even though I knew they were gonna be smaller than normal, it caught me by surprise. They're so damn bite-size! The first thing I noticed about these Chocolate "Little Bites" Mini-Wheats was that the chocolate flavor and Mini-Wheat texture created a pretty confusing disparity. The taste is just so different from what I'm used to when it comes to Mini-Wheats. The chocolate flavor itself reminds me of Oreo O's and Chocolatey Delight Special K, but weaker. No, not weaker; more subtle. Even when it gets soggy, the flavor is mostly there.
This is, I think, the first chocolate cereal I've ever eaten that actually doesn't turn your milk chocolatey. Which probably says something about the quality of the "chocolate" used, though I'm not sure what. It is a great source of fiber, being whole wheat and all. Unfortunately, it has the drawbacks of normal Frosted Mini-Wheats: soggyness, frosting melts off, and there'll be a bunch of shredded wheat floating around your mouth for the next 4 or so hours. But I can dig it. It's not incredible like I was hoping, but hey, variety is the spice of life.
4/7
1.12.2009
Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP
Coming off their extraordinarily acclaimed debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago, Bon Iver announced that they would release a four song EP in January. For those of you, like myself, wondering if the basis of Bon Iver's greatness lied in the unique atmosphere in which it was recorded, or that, perhaps that cathartic experience may have slightly withered the man's (Mr. Vernon's) blossoming creativity, leading to an easy sophomore release of little musical value, I think we can collectively breathe easy.
Jagjaguwar, the label through which Bon Iver supplies their music, released a statement saying that as cold as For Emma, Forever Ago was, Blood Bank EP would be "about the warmth that gets you through it". Musically, for me it's about half and half. Lyrically, that statement makes a lot more sense. Blood Bank EP contains four songs that are as different as they possibly could be, yet they all have the distinct feel of Bon Iver, even if they sound like nothing they've done before.
"Blood Bank", the title track, is an absolutely outstanding song. In every way possible. Soft and hushed, yet emotionally in-your-face, this is the "warm"est song on the EP, though it reminds me of a chilly winter night. The lyrics are so succinct and intimate that you feel like you're the other person in the story. And you love it. This song EASILY ranks up there with anything from For Emma, Forever Ago. It wins the award for best, least cryptic Bon Iver lyrics. Hauntingly beautiful, melodic, catchy, affecting ... this is absolutely the centerpiece of the EP. After this, you might want to take a break, because compared to the raw emotional power that "Blood Bank" has, the other songs pale in comparison. They are, however, still very high quality songs, which is why I'd advise a break, not to stop listening. "Beach Baby" is the musical equivalent to watching a sunset on the beach from one of those awesome chairs you can only find on the beach. The only catch is, it's just you, and it's a rather bittersweet sunset, but perhaps that only acts to enhance it. The incessant, glittery piano of "Babys" is perhaps the strangest way to make a "summer love tribute". This is my least favorite song on the EP, because it's super repetitive and there's not much to it. The way the piano is played, the structure it creates musically, is fascinating, but by putting this on the same album as "Blood Bank", you unintentionally draw attention away from it. Last is "Woods", which will almost definitely catch you off-guard. The whole song is done with a vocoder, which some of you might know as auto-tune, but I guarantee you've never heard it used like this. It's as if you handed pro-tools to a secluded group of monks, and they all had just finished listening to 808s and Heartbreak. This song might annoy a lot of people, especially since it's just four lines repeated over and over again, but the growing intensity, the ever-so-layered vocals, and the melody of it all makes this the second best song on the album for me. So to recap, the "awesomeness" order is:
1. Blood Bank
2. Woods
3. Beach Baby
4. Babys
I don't really like the disparity between this album and For Emma, Forever Ago. I'm gonna suggest that instead of looking at Blood Bank EP as a sequel to Bon Iver's debut, you see it as a supplement to it; two sides of the same coin. That said, I have to wonder whether in Justin Vernon's mind, this EP is an afterthought to For Emma, or an attempted departure. Either way, it's definitely a quality release, but I wouldn't have minded a 1 song EP, only containing "Blood Bank" either.
5/7
Jagjaguwar, the label through which Bon Iver supplies their music, released a statement saying that as cold as For Emma, Forever Ago was, Blood Bank EP would be "about the warmth that gets you through it". Musically, for me it's about half and half. Lyrically, that statement makes a lot more sense. Blood Bank EP contains four songs that are as different as they possibly could be, yet they all have the distinct feel of Bon Iver, even if they sound like nothing they've done before.
"Blood Bank", the title track, is an absolutely outstanding song. In every way possible. Soft and hushed, yet emotionally in-your-face, this is the "warm"est song on the EP, though it reminds me of a chilly winter night. The lyrics are so succinct and intimate that you feel like you're the other person in the story. And you love it. This song EASILY ranks up there with anything from For Emma, Forever Ago. It wins the award for best, least cryptic Bon Iver lyrics. Hauntingly beautiful, melodic, catchy, affecting ... this is absolutely the centerpiece of the EP. After this, you might want to take a break, because compared to the raw emotional power that "Blood Bank" has, the other songs pale in comparison. They are, however, still very high quality songs, which is why I'd advise a break, not to stop listening. "Beach Baby" is the musical equivalent to watching a sunset on the beach from one of those awesome chairs you can only find on the beach. The only catch is, it's just you, and it's a rather bittersweet sunset, but perhaps that only acts to enhance it. The incessant, glittery piano of "Babys" is perhaps the strangest way to make a "summer love tribute". This is my least favorite song on the EP, because it's super repetitive and there's not much to it. The way the piano is played, the structure it creates musically, is fascinating, but by putting this on the same album as "Blood Bank", you unintentionally draw attention away from it. Last is "Woods", which will almost definitely catch you off-guard. The whole song is done with a vocoder, which some of you might know as auto-tune, but I guarantee you've never heard it used like this. It's as if you handed pro-tools to a secluded group of monks, and they all had just finished listening to 808s and Heartbreak. This song might annoy a lot of people, especially since it's just four lines repeated over and over again, but the growing intensity, the ever-so-layered vocals, and the melody of it all makes this the second best song on the album for me. So to recap, the "awesomeness" order is:
1. Blood Bank
2. Woods
3. Beach Baby
4. Babys
I don't really like the disparity between this album and For Emma, Forever Ago. I'm gonna suggest that instead of looking at Blood Bank EP as a sequel to Bon Iver's debut, you see it as a supplement to it; two sides of the same coin. That said, I have to wonder whether in Justin Vernon's mind, this EP is an afterthought to For Emma, or an attempted departure. Either way, it's definitely a quality release, but I wouldn't have minded a 1 song EP, only containing "Blood Bank" either.
5/7
1.01.2009
Finally, someone that SHOULD'VE died did.
Christine Maggiore, an AIDS skeptic, died last Saturday.
I could not be happier to hear this :)
This woman is (was!) an utterly ignorant, severely sick person. She denied the (exceedingly, impossibly obvious) link between HIV and AIDS, claiming that HIV did not always lead to AIDS, and that scientifically proven tests are incorrect. She personally traveled to South Africa to persuade the ruling person to DENY what turned into 330,000 people treatment for AIDS, because she personally didn't believe the connection was real. She was successful. 330,000 actually died because of this woman! Not to mention the obstacles she posed for the anti-AIDS movement in general. I sincerely hope this woman burns in hell, and I would personally shit on her grave, should I ever come across it. The world is a worse place now that she's come and gone through it.
I could not be happier to hear this :)
This woman is (was!) an utterly ignorant, severely sick person. She denied the (exceedingly, impossibly obvious) link between HIV and AIDS, claiming that HIV did not always lead to AIDS, and that scientifically proven tests are incorrect. She personally traveled to South Africa to persuade the ruling person to DENY what turned into 330,000 people treatment for AIDS, because she personally didn't believe the connection was real. She was successful. 330,000 actually died because of this woman! Not to mention the obstacles she posed for the anti-AIDS movement in general. I sincerely hope this woman burns in hell, and I would personally shit on her grave, should I ever come across it. The world is a worse place now that she's come and gone through it.
12.25.2008
Valkyrie
If you read any movie sites/blogs, you probably didn't have exceedingly high hopes for Valkyrie, Tom Cruise and Bryan Singer's WWII film about Claus von Stauffenberg, the man who committed the most significant attempt on die Führer, Adolf Hitler's life. There was a flurry of bad press a month or two ago, ranging from extras suing the studio due to injuries, an edited picture of the real von Stauffenberg used in a media comparison with Tom Cruise, Germany's Finance Ministry denying filming privileges, and even Claus von Stauffenberg's son objecting to Cruise portraying his father.
The movie seems to have powered through, though, to a relatively successful opening on Christmas day. I've read reviews that the movie is somewhat factually inaccurate, but then again, that's why it says based on a true story. Apparently von Stauffenberg actually did support Nazi ideals, and only later sought to usurp Hitler mostly due to his inefficiency during wartime. Important to note for general knowledge, but as far as the film goes, it's obviously contorted a bit to make most associated parties seem a bit more noble and correct in their views. And who knows, maybe their reasons truly were noble; these things often become more and more gray throughout the years. The movie doesn't show or even mention anything in von Stauffenberg's life before talks of Operation Valkyrie begin, so it works out pretty conveniently.
Now, Tom Cruise is practically a pariah outside of Hollywood at this point, further alienating himself from normal people through his Scientological endeavors. But that doesn't stop him from consistently churning out quality performances (with the exception of Tropic Thunder -- wtf? Well, I guess he knows better than me how studio heads act.) The same holds true for Valkyrie. Sure, he was a little robotic, but that's pretty much the role the movie called for. The movie, not the story. I was extremely put off at first at Cruise's lack of AT LEAST a German accent, but they kinda made it work with the movie, starting out the narration in German with subtitles, which quickly fades to Cruise speaking English.
As far as the actual movie goes, I was pretty impressed. They do a good job of portraying how historically significant this whole plot was, and an even better job at making the movie adequately tense and intense. The supporting cast performed perhaps equally as Cruise, if not better, and most of the high ranking German officials are played by familiar faces (to adults, at least). I loved how the movie seemed like it was filmed in a past era, giving it a softened, warm feel.
I thought that this movie would be a letdown, but I honestly loved this movie. It played out perfectly, and, factually accurate or not, it's a damned remarkable story. I don't think it marks a return for Tom Cruise to his legendary status, but it's undeniably a step in the right direction.
6/7
The movie seems to have powered through, though, to a relatively successful opening on Christmas day. I've read reviews that the movie is somewhat factually inaccurate, but then again, that's why it says based on a true story. Apparently von Stauffenberg actually did support Nazi ideals, and only later sought to usurp Hitler mostly due to his inefficiency during wartime. Important to note for general knowledge, but as far as the film goes, it's obviously contorted a bit to make most associated parties seem a bit more noble and correct in their views. And who knows, maybe their reasons truly were noble; these things often become more and more gray throughout the years. The movie doesn't show or even mention anything in von Stauffenberg's life before talks of Operation Valkyrie begin, so it works out pretty conveniently.
Now, Tom Cruise is practically a pariah outside of Hollywood at this point, further alienating himself from normal people through his Scientological endeavors. But that doesn't stop him from consistently churning out quality performances (with the exception of Tropic Thunder -- wtf? Well, I guess he knows better than me how studio heads act.) The same holds true for Valkyrie. Sure, he was a little robotic, but that's pretty much the role the movie called for. The movie, not the story. I was extremely put off at first at Cruise's lack of AT LEAST a German accent, but they kinda made it work with the movie, starting out the narration in German with subtitles, which quickly fades to Cruise speaking English.
As far as the actual movie goes, I was pretty impressed. They do a good job of portraying how historically significant this whole plot was, and an even better job at making the movie adequately tense and intense. The supporting cast performed perhaps equally as Cruise, if not better, and most of the high ranking German officials are played by familiar faces (to adults, at least). I loved how the movie seemed like it was filmed in a past era, giving it a softened, warm feel.
I thought that this movie would be a letdown, but I honestly loved this movie. It played out perfectly, and, factually accurate or not, it's a damned remarkable story. I don't think it marks a return for Tom Cruise to his legendary status, but it's undeniably a step in the right direction.
6/7
12.19.2008
Pomegranate 7-Up
I actually did some research in order to review this product. I had to, because I'd never tasted a Pomegranate, which is the newest fruit craze, especially amongst health buffs due to its many beneficial properties. Coincidentally enough, or because my grandparents are in town, I happened to find one no further than my kitchen counter.
If you've never eaten a Pomegranate, let me tell you, it's an exceedingly strange fruit. In fact, you don't even eat it. You (kinda) eat the seeds, which make up probably 80% of the fruit itself. The seeds are surrounded by juice and an outer case called an 'aril'. You can eat both the aril and the seed, or just break the aril and suck out the juice. But the seeds are one of the best sources of fiber.
Anyway, back to this drink. After three cans of this stuff, and endless wondering whether or not it's just me, as far as I can tell, there is no discernible flavor to this drink. I've now experienced the Pomegranate flavor, and I really can't pick it out of the crowd in this case. In fact, I can barely even get the normal 7-up flavor, which they pride themselves on.
That being said, it's a decent drink. Whatever flavor it has, it's not disagreeable. Not great, but not disagreeable. It is very carbonated, though, so you get more bubbles than liquid. It's sweet, and if I had to describe the actual flavor of the drink, it'd just be 'slightly red'. I have to say, I think I a completely neutral opinion of this drink. That's a first.
3/7
If you've never eaten a Pomegranate, let me tell you, it's an exceedingly strange fruit. In fact, you don't even eat it. You (kinda) eat the seeds, which make up probably 80% of the fruit itself. The seeds are surrounded by juice and an outer case called an 'aril'. You can eat both the aril and the seed, or just break the aril and suck out the juice. But the seeds are one of the best sources of fiber.
Anyway, back to this drink. After three cans of this stuff, and endless wondering whether or not it's just me, as far as I can tell, there is no discernible flavor to this drink. I've now experienced the Pomegranate flavor, and I really can't pick it out of the crowd in this case. In fact, I can barely even get the normal 7-up flavor, which they pride themselves on.
That being said, it's a decent drink. Whatever flavor it has, it's not disagreeable. Not great, but not disagreeable. It is very carbonated, though, so you get more bubbles than liquid. It's sweet, and if I had to describe the actual flavor of the drink, it'd just be 'slightly red'. I have to say, I think I a completely neutral opinion of this drink. That's a first.
3/7
12.18.2008
Flight of the Conchords - Season 2 Premier
Last time we saw Bret and Jemaine, they were being neglected by longtime manager Murray, in favor of his new clients, The Crazy Dogggz, whose single "Doggy Bounce" is number one in 24 countries. Needless to say, Murray's raking in cash, and the Conchords are not. Flight of the Conchords usually turn in their best performances when they're down, but the second season premier is just pretty good.
I can't really complain, though; they released the premier online more than a month before it airs on HBO, which is nothing short of fucking awesome.
The first episode of what is likely the final season starts out with a band meeting. Something's different, though... perhaps it's the fact that they're in an enormous, luxurious office that belongs to none other than Murray himself. Quite a drastic change from the claustrophobic wooden box that was Murray's old office. After accidentally reading them a few of the Crazy Dogggz' news items ("Your CD has made double-platinum in America."), the Conchords do something that many would argue they should've done long ago: fire Murray. They want to manage themselves. At this point, we get a treat that was probably inevitable after the first: another song by Murray. Or, at least partially.
They manage (see what I did?) to get a gig of their own (in which they're playing a funky song that I hope we might hear more of), and it actually goes well. A man from Great Expectations, a NY agency, played by Whose Line favorite Greg Proops, approaches them after the show to write a jingle for women's (only!) toothpaste. Thus, their first Murray-free band meeting ensues. Unsurprisingly, it's much shorter than usual. They take the deal, which is revealed to have been offered to them because they 'look like two guys who understand how women feel'.
All the classic Conchords characters make a return in this episode. Mel, as extreme in her fandom as ever, is found burning a bunch of Crazy Dogggz merchandise bossing around Doug, for reasons that I will not specify. Dave is there, as always, with sage advice on how to negotiate a deal with the Great Expectations representatives.
The show itself has obviously gotten a bigger budget, and the vibe is more grand, but it still retains that indie comedy feel to it. The jokes are still as dry and awkward and clever, including one especially brilliant joke about Women's Rights that I absolutely loved. There were a few recurring jokes. The episode's songs weren't the greatest -- Murray's song isn't exceedingly humorous, and the other song is actually a pretty old one called "Angels", but it's still good. Overall, it's a quality episode, good, but not great. It doesn't really surpass most of the first season episodes in terms of comedy, music, or concept, yet thankfully it manages to feel as fresh and unique as the first season. I have a feeling the second episode and on will be much better.
4/7
I can't really complain, though; they released the premier online more than a month before it airs on HBO, which is nothing short of fucking awesome.
The first episode of what is likely the final season starts out with a band meeting. Something's different, though... perhaps it's the fact that they're in an enormous, luxurious office that belongs to none other than Murray himself. Quite a drastic change from the claustrophobic wooden box that was Murray's old office. After accidentally reading them a few of the Crazy Dogggz' news items ("Your CD has made double-platinum in America."), the Conchords do something that many would argue they should've done long ago: fire Murray. They want to manage themselves. At this point, we get a treat that was probably inevitable after the first: another song by Murray. Or, at least partially.
They manage (see what I did?) to get a gig of their own (in which they're playing a funky song that I hope we might hear more of), and it actually goes well. A man from Great Expectations, a NY agency, played by Whose Line favorite Greg Proops, approaches them after the show to write a jingle for women's (only!) toothpaste. Thus, their first Murray-free band meeting ensues. Unsurprisingly, it's much shorter than usual. They take the deal, which is revealed to have been offered to them because they 'look like two guys who understand how women feel'.
All the classic Conchords characters make a return in this episode. Mel, as extreme in her fandom as ever, is found burning a bunch of Crazy Dogggz merchandise bossing around Doug, for reasons that I will not specify. Dave is there, as always, with sage advice on how to negotiate a deal with the Great Expectations representatives.
The show itself has obviously gotten a bigger budget, and the vibe is more grand, but it still retains that indie comedy feel to it. The jokes are still as dry and awkward and clever, including one especially brilliant joke about Women's Rights that I absolutely loved. There were a few recurring jokes. The episode's songs weren't the greatest -- Murray's song isn't exceedingly humorous, and the other song is actually a pretty old one called "Angels", but it's still good. Overall, it's a quality episode, good, but not great. It doesn't really surpass most of the first season episodes in terms of comedy, music, or concept, yet thankfully it manages to feel as fresh and unique as the first season. I have a feeling the second episode and on will be much better.
4/7
12.11.2008
Frosted Flakes Gold
One time when I was like 12 years old, I was pouring myself some Frosted Flakes when a large, black, disgusting flake made its way out of the bag and into my bowl. I didn't know what to do, so I dumped the entire bowl in the trash and proceeded to avoid Frosted Flakes for the next few years. It was pretty traumatizing. Eventually, though, I overcame my disdain for Frosted Flakes and came around to 'em again, though not without lots and lots of therapy.
So then yesterday, I opened up my pantry, and what do I see, but Frosted Flakes Gold? I had absolutely no idea what was going on. Turns out it was based on Golden Grahams, in that they had removed the creme flavored icing and replaced it with honey. It occurred to me that Golden Grahams are great, so I grabbed a bowl.
I took a bite. The first thing that hit me was the flavor; it was actually pretty intense. But it wasn't overpowering, you could still taste the 'flake' of it. The honey was definitely there, and I think I tasted a hint of vanilla as well. The texture is different to normal Frosted Flakes also; they feel thicker and crunchier, which is great. Over time I realized that the milk wasn't really taking away the honey flavor, and that the flakes tended to stay crunchy for longer than most other cereals. Five minutes in I was scooping flakes off the bottom of the bowl, submerged completely in milk, and they probably had 80% crunchiness still. My theory is that the honey is so sticky and dense that it serves as a delicious barrier to the milk, thus protecting the flavor AND the crunch of the cereal. Brilliant.
6/7
So then yesterday, I opened up my pantry, and what do I see, but Frosted Flakes Gold? I had absolutely no idea what was going on. Turns out it was based on Golden Grahams, in that they had removed the creme flavored icing and replaced it with honey. It occurred to me that Golden Grahams are great, so I grabbed a bowl.
I took a bite. The first thing that hit me was the flavor; it was actually pretty intense. But it wasn't overpowering, you could still taste the 'flake' of it. The honey was definitely there, and I think I tasted a hint of vanilla as well. The texture is different to normal Frosted Flakes also; they feel thicker and crunchier, which is great. Over time I realized that the milk wasn't really taking away the honey flavor, and that the flakes tended to stay crunchy for longer than most other cereals. Five minutes in I was scooping flakes off the bottom of the bowl, submerged completely in milk, and they probably had 80% crunchiness still. My theory is that the honey is so sticky and dense that it serves as a delicious barrier to the milk, thus protecting the flavor AND the crunch of the cereal. Brilliant.
6/7
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