Tuesday's Tunes: Come All Ye Faithful

O come let us adore Him!

Merry Christmas!

Song of encouragement: "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus"

I faced the unenviable task of choosing songs for worship this past Sunday morning that would compliment the theme of "Joy" for our Advent series, a task complicated by those in our congregation (and our nation as a whole) still in shock and grieving for all those affected by the tragedy in Newtown, CT. In my head, I knew that the level of participation of the congregants would run from "I'll sing anything that's put on the screen" to "I want to smash that guitar over your head for forcing me to sing these happy sounding songs when I'm anything but..." and everything in between.

I struggled to find an appropriate response song that would both point to the Lord to be our Comforter and Keeper in our time of confusion and need, as well as touch up what is the heart of this season of Advent: the expectation and preparation for Jesus' coming, and stumbled upon the hymn Come Thou Long Expected Jesus:

   

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Big monsters on the big screen

I don't know how I missed the trailer for the movie Pacific Rim in my last post, but Guillermo Del Toro is directing a giant-monster flick that is sure to look amazing given his past films:

   

I came across this trailer from MTV Geek's article "Know Your Kaiju: Preparing For The 'Pacific Rim' Giant Monster Invasion" if you're curious for more info on the movie and a bit of history on the "kaiju" phenomenon.

Trailers galore!

Some great trailers floating around this past week or so:

Star Trek Into Darkness with BBC Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch as the as-yet-unnamed-antagonist? Sign me up:


Man of Steel looks simply stunning:


And a very clever mash-up with the Street Fighter x Mega Man trailer, fan-created to celebrate anniversaries for both franchises:

TV Time

I thought I'd share some quick bullets and what I've been watching lately:

The Walking Dead: The fast pace of this past half-season has totally made up for all the time WASTED on Hershel's farm last season.  

Revolution: In my ever-failing quest in finding a Lost-like show, main protagonist Charlie is a Katniss-wannabe that makes you want to pull your hair out. We tried it for three episodes, but couldn't take it anymore. For your reading pleasure, I submit to you 23 Stupid Things Charlie Has Done on Revolution.

 
Food shows: I haven't watched any food-related shows in awhile, but recently added The Next Iron Chef and Top Chef to the DVR. I was also recommended a new show on PBS featuring David Chang and Anthony Bourdain called The Mind of a Chef.

Through Netflix, I went back and finished up season 2 of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse, and I'm really glad I did! There were a lot of great twists and the plot and action was fast-paced as the show was not being renewed for another season. I'm thoroughly convinced some writers need a set finish date and that television shows should not be allowed to just linger for all eternity.  

Key and Peele: My favorite new sketch comedy show. I eagerly await each new episode, although I need to go back and watch season one. I crack up every time I think of this skit:

Zombie rom-com

Warm Bodies: It's a zombie romantic comedy...and it doesn't look bad:

Team Coco and the Walking Dead

Zombie drama The Walking Dead has been tearing it up (heh heh...) this season, and much to my delight, was featured on Conan recently:

Tuesday's tunes: Christmas Time is Here (Instrumental)

Christmas Time is Here...and that means the play count goes up on all of my Vince Guaraldi Trio tracks in iTunes :) What, no one else obsseses over their music listening stats?

*crickets*

Old Super Mario

This is the saddest/tenderest video game-based comic I have ever seen:

Old Super Mario (Tiny Cartridge)

Pew pew

I can't believe November is over already. Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

Iron Man 3 and Race

The Iron Man 3 trailer was recently released and it looks fantastic! I can't wait for it's release next May. However, one particular interesting question being raised: Isn't the main villain, who's named The Mandarin, isn't he supposed to be Chinese? Marvel Studios Says Iron Man 3 Villain The Mandarin Isn't Chinese, He's International (MTV News).

Race and casting is a tricky business. There was outcry over casting in the live action Avatar: the Last Airbender movie a few years ago, and some rumblings over Johnny Depp being cast as Tonto in the upcoming Lone Ranger movie. And while I want to see more choice roles for Asian actors in American cinema, and love to read articles on the topic...all I can keep thinking of is Robert Downey Jr's character in Tropic Thunder which perhaps acts as a very poignant parody:

He's not a Bad Guy

I was extremely pleased by Disney's Wreck-It Ralph, a wonderfully tender and introspective animated tale. Here are my highlights:

• Top-notch voice casting
• Good balance for an "all-age movie", something Pixar's recent movie "Brave" didn't have
• As an older viewer, a healthy dose of nostalgic video game characters: everything from Pac-Man to Street Fighter 2
• For an animated movie, it hits on the more mature themes of identity and self-image
• *sniff*...What? No, I'm not crying during a cartoon...I just have something in my eyes... *sniff* It's so touching, pass the tissues...

I definitely recommend it if you can catch in the theater, or once it comes out on DVD.

Alicia Keys covers Disney's "Gummi Bears" theme song

Seriously, only on Jimmy Fallon could this happen:

Alicia Keys Breaks Hearts With 'Adventures of the Gummi Bears' Cover (MTV Geek)


What a brilliantly quirky piece of promotion Alicia, and kudos to you for reminding me of my addiction to the Disney Afternoon block of cartoons from my childhood. RIP Gummi Bears. Next I want a soulful rendition of the Duck Tales theme song by Hall & Oates...oh wait...

Tuesday's Tunes: Glory in the Highest

Thanksgiving is typically the time I dust off my Christmas playlist, and upload it for the car ride down to my family in NY. Let's ease into the Christmas music season with Glory in the Highest, from Chris Tomlin's Christmas worship album of the same name. It's a song that really works any time of the year, I hope you enjoy it:

Tuesday's Tunes: Midnight City

Today's selection "Midnight City" by M83 is a little more outside of scope of the music I normally listen to, but nonetheless enjoy. The music video itself is reminiscent of the iconic 80's anime film Akira, and M83's music in general made for some great background music during a recent board game session.

A trip to the comic shop with author Junot Diaz

For those who have read The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, you undoubtedly noticed author Junot Diaz's peppering of comic book references (whether you understood them or not). As a fellow comic book fan, it was great get a peak behind the scenes and see Diaz geek out in the video below, which I first came across from the Comics Alliance article Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Junot Diaz Discusses His Love Of Comics:


If you are even a casual fan of the medium, I wholeheartedly approve of every comic/graphic novel featured in the article.

An extended taste of the Bay Area

Blog entries haven't come as easy since I've been playing "catch up" with life after being stuck for an extra five days in San Francisco unexpectedly thanks to super storm Sandy. Luckily for us, one of T's close high school friends was kind enough to host us for all but one of our extra days and was an extremely gracious hostess!

We made the most of the trip and got to explore the city and some of the surrounding area during our forced vacation. The weather was gorgeous as well: mid 50's and a little foggy in the morning, but sunny and 70 degrees by noon! This really redeems my last few trips to SF, where I had to drive in an unfamiliar city amidst pouring rain.

Ok, now the part you probably are waiting for: the food. Amongst all the delicious things we ate, we really enjoyed the wealth of coffee options in the Bay Area:

Pour over from "Jane," near our hotel in Japan town.

A cute siphon pot from Blue Bottle Coffee

The Mrs. enjoying some coffee from Philz

Philz Coffee in particular won us over, seeing as how we visited the local chain three times. I brought home a pound of their Tessora beans, and with my trusty french press, have been able to recapture a bit of that coffee heaven at home.

Now onto the food: here's a quick bullet list of highlights of the some of the restaurants we hit up:

Obligatory In-N-Out visit

• O-Toro Sushi - super fresh
• Mission Chinese Food - spicy and full-flavored Chinese food. This is the original, and I heard they opened one in NYC as well.
• Koi Palace - delicious dim sum
• Bi-Rite Creamery - really enjoyed the salted caramel ice cream
• Golden Gate Bakery - for their egg tart
• In-N-Out - double-double animal style, check!
• R&G Lounge - repeat these words after me: "salt and pepper crab"

"Eat me, I'm delicious!"

All in all, it was a really great trip, but the next time I visit the Bay Area, we will hopefully have the opportunity to plan (and pack) accordingly!

Tuesday's Tunes: All the Poor and Powerless

I'm always excited to find a solid contemporary worship album, especially if it has multiple songs that are appropriate to small or medium sized churches. Take that as a critique on the recent Hillsong and Passion albums, which have great inspirational songs to listen to, performance pieces if you will, but don't translate well to a smaller band setting, or are downright unsingable to the average congregant.

Anyhow, I can't recommend enough All Sons & Daughters album Season One, where today's selections "All the Poor and Powerless" come from:

Disney's Voltron

 So THAT'S what would happen if Disney and Voltron made a baby! See more pictures, including shots of each individual robot, at Toy Nippon.

Chinese-American Fried Goodness

I love this list because it both acknowledges REAL Chinese cuisine and the very REAL craving I have for Chinese-American fried goodies...crab rangoons, I'm looking at you, you delicious bastard:

The Top 7 Gutbustingly Greasy, Shamefully Succulent Pu-Pu Platters (GrubStreet Boston)
 

Realistic Pokemon critters

These realistic Pokemon are simultaneously fascinating AND horrifying...

I was always a Squirtle man...but now I can never look at the little guy the same way again. Also, you can check out artist arvalis' deviantART page for more realistic Pokemon.

Tuesday's Tunes: She's Gone

Now, I love me some Hall & Oates, but words fail me in how to set up this video of their hit "She's Gone," so you'll just have to watch it yourselves and we can then debate what is the most ridiculous part of this early music video...

Link: Recycled "Pop" Icons

All Empty Can Recycling Should Be As Awesome As Makaon's Superhero Sculptures

Japanese site Empty Can Craft took recyclying to a new level by whipping up some amazing sculptures from empty beverage cans. I recognize the cans of Asahi used in the Batman and Totoro pieces, but check out the article above to see many of the other can creations.

We can shoot a Russian Unicorn

Although this was originally released back in July 2011, I was only recently exposed to the wonder of Bad Lip Reading's "Russian Unicorn" and haven't been able to stop listening to this song. While I am not a fan of Michael Buble's "Haven't Met You Yet," they somehow created something that better matches the video footage:


If you watch it in YouTube, be sure to turn the captions ON to get all the badly lipread lyrical goodness. The song is also available on iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify. A big thank you to WD for pointing me to this stellar music video.

Infograph to help understand "Looper"

I stumbled upon this helpful infograph for Looper for those left a bit stumped by the excellent time travel movie. Be warned that the graph contains spoilers for the actual plot, in case you are planning to see the movie...which you totally should.

Ok, so you've been warned...

...Ready...

...Set...

...SPOILER ALERT...

I'm kind of biased toward geeky films and things in general, so I'm curious how the average moviegoer found this movie. Did you find the chart helpful in understanding Looper?

Tuesday's Tunes: All My Days

I came across this song by Alexi Murdoch recently in a Sprint commercial, which lead to a bunch of repeat plays. I hope you enjoy this acoustic offering.


All My Days 
By: Alexi Murdoch

Even Batman is frustrated by the new Maps app

See what happens when Batman tries to use his Apple Maps App to navigate Gotham on his way to save Rachel in The Dark Knight. 


Thanks for sharing this video JC, I couldn't stop laughing after hearing Batman's grubmlings.

I love New England in the Fall

I was fortunate enough to have Columbus Day off this past weekend and the timing of the long weekend was perfect as I really needed sometime to recharge the 'ol batteries. While a relaxing weekend, the Mrs. and I were able to partake in the great New England Fall tradition of apple picking. Besides getting a huge bagful of apples from Bolton Spring Farm, we were recommended this tasty treat:

Pulled pork over a cider donut! This photo stirred quite a reaction when I initially posted it on Facebook :) While a bit sweet for my tastes, it was a clever pairing and also prompted me to buy a half dozen cider donuts for the ride.

I also have to plug the movie Looper which I saw Monday at the Somerville Theater. I was blown away with their prices: $6 for any movie before 6PM! I am definitely catching more movies here in the future.

Anyhow, I'm terrible at movie reviews, but I have to say it is one of my favorites of the year. Dealing with a plot that includes time travel can often be headache-inducing, however the way Looper handles the plot device is both clever and tongue-in-cheek, encouraging viewers to not think about it too much and just enjoy the ride. On top of a great story, the movie is also beautifully shot and I think you get some great performances from the entire cast, both major and minor characters. Bottom line: Looper is a smart sci-fi film that is definitely worth checking out.

Lastly, it's almost time for Halloween, and I stumbled upon these lovelies:

If any old school Transformers is willing to shell out $60 for these hoodies, then you too can play out your Optimus Prime or Grimlock fantasies this Halloween.

Tuesday's Tunes: High Road

Cover songs are a tricky business: an artist must put their own spin on an already established song, be respectful of the original artist, but not provide a simple karaoke re-hash. So I'm always impressed by Joss Stone's efforts in providing soulful covers of songs often outside of her genre. I wrote about her new album, "Soul Sessions Vol. 2" a few weeks ago, in particular, her cover of Broken Bells' "High Road". First, here's the original version of the song:


Now here's Joss Stone's version:


Music and art is a highly subjective matter, so, how does Joss' version stack up? Tell me what you think in the comments section below!

Winter is coming...

...and is looking adorable! POP! has made adorable figures of pop culture icons ranging from Michael Jackson, to the Avengers, so a series of figures for Game of Thrones is hardly a surprise.

To see the rest of the figures, or to check preorder, check out BigBadToyStore.com!

Hot drinks really get you going

I had no idea that the Wendy's fast food chain had the secret talent of creating catchy music videos...this is truly bizarre:

   

I love when music, food, and humor get together to have a party!

Tuesday's Tunes: Queen of California

I'll admit to buying John Mayer's "Born and Raised" album  the week it came in...wait for it...COMPACT DISC FORMAT! While my favorite Mayer album is the bluesy "Continuum", I think the folksy sensibilities of his newest album match perfectly with the crisp September air, music that's a little more mellow than the tunes I was rocking with the blistering heatof the summer, but nonetheless compliment my surroundings.

Queen of California
By: John Mayer

If Superman were to start going senile...

Courtesy of threadless

If Superman were to start going senile, it would probably look a little like the above.

I've been a delinquent blogger

This past week felt like it both whizzed by AND moved with glacier-like speed. Regardless, this is what I deserve for not posting all week:

COMICS
Since I have comic books on the brain, for those of you who read your comics digitally, Comixology is running a Thanos Sale ending next Thursday, 9/27 at 11pm EST:

You may remember him as the villain that sent geek hearts aflutter when he appeared at the end of the Avengers movie this summer. Now, you can see what all the fuss is about. I recommend the Infinity Gauntlet mini-series, where Thanos goes on to kill half of the population of the universe (?!?) and the Marvel heroes have to unite to stop him.

MUSIC
This week I've been listening to The Legend of Johnny Cash and found myself recognizing more songs than I thought I would. I'm also really liking Joss Stone's new album, The Soul Sessions, Vol. 2, which is worth checking out just for her cover of Broken Bells' "High Road".

ART
Lastly, friends and readers in NY, do yourself a favor and check out the gallery showing for one of my favorite artists, Phil Noto. In addition to comics, he often illustrates characters from pop culture like Mad Men or Downton Abbey. Check out the poster for the showing:

I hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoys this stretch of nice weather for New Englanders.

In honor of NY Fashion Week

I present to you...BLUE STEEL...

 ...and a dance off judged by David Bowie...

...with commentary by famous designer MUGATU...

...your welcome.

Rain boots

With all the rain that New England gets every year, I had been wanting to add a pair of solid rain boots to my arsenal. Enter my infatuation with the ruggedly handsome and iconic L.L. Bean signature Bean Boots. While these boots would likely make the laziest of couch potatoes ("Ooh, that's me!") want to adventure in the woods or climb a mountain, I really just need something that will keep my feet dry on the streets of Boston, and if you look at the picture above, nothing about the Bean Boots really screams "urban".

Putting my thoughts of romping in the forest on the shelf, a friend of mine suggested checking out Tretorn, adding that his pair felt as comfortable as a a pair of sneakers...which had me instantly sold. I wound up purchasing a pair of the Tretorn Strala boots from Bonobos (who incidentally make a great pair of pants) and after a few summer showers, found my new best friends to combat the rain!

Tuesday's Tunes: September

I guess I will go ahead and continue the trend of posting some choice vintage pop tunes. Though I only recently saw this trippy video from the 70's (if you couldn't tell), I've been a long time fan of Earth, Wind and Fire, and specifically, their song "September," a perfect way to usher in the Fall.

September
By Earth, Wind and Fire

Suggested Reading: Atomic Robo

Atomic Robo and the Fightin' Scientists of Tesladyne (Vol. 1)
Written by Brian Clevinger
Art by Scott Wegener

"In 1923, Nikola Tesla's career is in its twilight... until he unveils a robot with automatic intelligence - ATOMIC ROBO! After decades of dealing with all manner of weirdness, Atomic Robo and the so-called Action Scientists of Tesladyne become the go-to defense force against the unexplained! See ROBO take on Nazis, giant ants, clockwork mummies, walking pyramids, Mars, cyborgs, and his nemesis, Baron von Helsingard, in his first trade paperback graphic novel."

One word  sums up this book: FUNTASTIC! Ok, that's not a real word...but it should be.

With the comics industry focusing their attention on an increasingly older readership, titles like Atomic Robo remembers a key ingredient to reading comics: fun! Atomic Robo is fifty percent Indiana Jones and fifty percent Hellboy, which translates to a healthy amount of Nazis getting beaten up. The first volume in the series is a rollicking adventure and where Hellboy is steeped in myth and magic, Atomic Robo gives us a world a rich world of comic book science: brains in jars controlling giant robots, gigantic radioactive ants, and so much more.

After borrowing the first volume from the library, this became my first electronic comic purchase via the Comixology app on my iPad. Check out the gruff but lovable Atomic Robo on whatever medium you like to read your funny books!

hsiehdy on Pinterest

Hello readers,
I signed up for Pinterest back in the Spring on a whim...and have actually continued to use it. It's eclectic (just like this blog), but some of you might get a kick out of it:

http://pinterest.com/hsiehdy/

If you do check it out, be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you think of my Pinterest cultivating skills, or lack thereof.

Taiwan Through Pictures: Part 2

For the first part of this post, check out Taiwan Through Pictures: Part 1.

Wow, it's been 5 months since my trip to Taiwan. That will teach me to wait too long to post about my trips in the future! Unfortunately my memory is getting fuzzier and fuzzier, but hey, that's what pictures are for!

The favorite stop on the trip for both me and T was Sun Moon Lake. A lot of natural beauty here, although it rained the hardest on our way to the lake. This is how I found out my jacket that I packed for the trip was water resistant, as opposed to waterPROOF. You live and you learn. But the thunderstorm finally broke over night, lending us the beautiful view form our hotel room above.

We had the opportunity to visit a Hakka village, enjoy their cuisine, and even make some Hakka tea, which was a mix of green tea powder, black sesame, white sesame, puffed rice, and a couple of items I can't quite remember (in the baggie has either pine nuts or peanuts). Suffice to say, it was all very tasty.

At one of the rest stops, there was signage for one of my favorite Taiwanese soft drinks, Apple Sidra, a caramel-colored apple soda. My other favorite is Hey Song Sarsaparilla, which I guess is like a more medicine-y tasting root beer. Perhaps more of an acquired taste, T is unfortunately not a fan.

For the rest of this post, I will merely share the rest of my pictures, with the occasional caption. This will hopefully teach me the importance of writing things to down during or shortly after my future trips.

Outside the Beitou Hot Spring Museum

Best. Pork. Ever.

We had some delicious mango and strawberry snow from this place, but not as much fun as posing with their mascot.

While I don't know when our next trip will be to Taiwan, I'm so thankful for the opportunity to go with my family, and to show my wife a bit of the motherland!