COKE IS BAD FOR YOU

WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BODY
IF YOU DRINK A COKE RIGHT NOW?

Have you ever wondered why Coke comes with a smile? It’s because it gets you high. They took the cocaine out almost a hundred years ago. You know why? It was redundant.

• In The First 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your recommended daily intake.) You don’t immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor allowing you to keep it down.
• 20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get it’s hands on into fat. (There’s plenty of that at this particular moment)
• 40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dialate, your blood pressure rises, as a response your livers dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked preventing drowsiness.
• 45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works, by the way.
• >60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary excretion of calcium.
• >60 Minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (It makes you have to pee.) It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the bonded calcium, magnesium and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium, electrolyte and water.
• >60 minutes: As the rave inside of you dies down you’ll start to have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You’ve also now, literally, pissed away all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like even having the ability to hydrate your system or build strong bones and teeth.

(original)

RIP: JOE BARBERA

More sad news....
JOE BARBERA, of Hanna-Barbera, died today of natural causes. He was 95.

Like so many others, I grew up on Hanna-Barbera Toons. Along with partner, Bill Hanna, Joe found his first success with TOM & JERRY! What I always loved about Tom & Jerry was at first glance you think Tom is the bad guy; the vile villain chasing Jerry. But then you realize that its usually because Jerry always starts shit! hahaha. Hanna, who died in 2001, once said he was never a good artist but his partner could “capture mood and expression in a quick sketch better than anyone I’ve ever known.”

Other infamous creations co-created by Barbera include "The Flintstones,” “The Jetsons,” “Yogi Bear,” “Scooby-Doo” and “Huckleberry Hound and Friends.”

Thank you for all the laughs, Joe!
You had a tremndous, positive impact on all our lives!

ALIENS CLIX

Check out some better pics of the upcoming assortment of Clix based on AVP. Yeah, the movie was an attack on all things good in the world, but this set still looks neat. Manly because the sculpts are so small, you can't really tell they are the crappy "Pumpkinhead" alien designs of the movie. Also, there's no lame looking AVP Predators or annoying bad actors (ok, there's 1). Anyway, they look like the cool ALIENS to me (more or less - squint) and I plan on buying this bad boy in Jan 2007! More info.

SW: LEGACY #6

Cover to Star Wars: Legacy #6.
I dig the costumes; a mix of Vader and Crimson Guards.
(I haven't read this new series yet... but just picked em up today.)

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*"SW Legacy takes place 137 years after Return of the Jedi. Since then, Luke Skywalker has unified the Jedi order into a cohesive group of powerful Jedi Knights. It is a time of relative peace, yet darkness approaches on the horizon. Skywalker's descendants face new and resurgent threats to the galaxy, and to the balance of the Force."

10 BEST THINGS ABOUT CHRISTMAS VACATION

SQUIRREL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*(pic should be animated gif... if not, click on it)

Click here for
The 10 BEST THINGS ABOUT CHRISTMAS VACATION

DOUCHEBAG OF THE DAY: HACK TRAILER MAKERS

Last night I saw a commercial for the dvd release of LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE and I wanted to cock-punch somebody. What an absolute abyssmally assembled commercial to sell a movie. If I hadn't already seen the movie, I would have thought it was a direct-to-dvd piece of shit with barely an ounce of humor or merit. Jesus, people! Your jobs are to PROMOTE the film and make people want to not only WATCH it but go out and spend their hard earned cash on the goddamn dvd. Quit your day jobs and stay away from any form of storytelling, please!! Or, perhaps next time WATCH the fucking movie?? Maybe that would aid in putting together a dvd trailer? I'm sorry, but it really irks me to see talentless people impairing the potential success of a movie made by talented people.

So yeah, please DISREGARD the shitty commercial now airing and rent the film. It's a lot of fun and one of my favorites this year.

Earlier quick review.
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*apologies for the hostilities... just found out I have to work this weekend.

BAKEOFF ANNOUNCEMENT

The list of films that made it into this year's Visual Effects "Bakeoff" have been released. Sadly, FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS did not make it in. The seven films are:

Poseidon
Eragon
Casino Royale
Night at the Museum
Pirates 2
Superman Returns
X-Men the last stand

Last year's Bakeoff post
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*The Bakeoff: Every year, 7 films are considered for Oscar nomination in Visual Effects. Then, in february(?), those members of the Academy who are IN visual fx, and anyone who would like to attend, go to "the Bakeoff", where each fx crew from each movie pre-nominated presents a 15minute reel of their best work from the movie, followed by Q&A. At the end of the evening, the visual fx academy members then vote for the 3 films that will actually be nominated.

MAN-THING FRIDAY

MAN-THING!*Upcoming comic and badass statue I'd like to have.

STAR TREK ANIMATED SHOULD LOOK LIKE . . .

So the Star Trek Animated news got me thinkin' and geekin' (shocking, eh?). And I'd like to see an animated show that looks very similar to the old school Gold Key Star Trek comics!! As they look now.... same "muted" color scheme and "texture" about it... very painterly. Think 60s/70s Heavy Metal Magazine art. Psychedelic and cosmic.

Check out the covers here!

STAR TREK: ANIMATED SERIES ! !

Looks like STAR TREK may get another incarnation, but this time on the web and animated. The new pitched series, which hasn't been green-lit yet, would be similar to the Star Wars: Clone Wars series, running about 6min each episode. Here's the plan and article. In the right hands (mine), this could be fucking rad!! However, if history is any indication, it will suck greasy Ferengi balls.

Oh, and they are actually taking submissions for 2D work!
Inquiries can be sent to zeroroomprods@gmail.com

HOSTEL II POSTER IS TASTY

Here's the new poster for
HOSTEL 2.

Yummy!

I never saw Hostel 1.

DIE HARD 4 TRAILER

Here's the trailer for DIE HARD 4. Is it just me, or does McCLANE simply not work with the shaved head? Bruce Willis, ok. But not John McClane. Oh well, I guess a hair piece would have been worse. This part 4 in a series that had no reason to have even a part 2. Therefore I think this looks awesome! Lots of popcorn fun, lame title.

COLBERT DICTIONARY PAGE

Here is the NEW improved dictionary page from the COLBERT REPORT that includes the worth "TRUTHINESS." If you saw the show the other day, he went off that Webster recently stated that "Truthiness" was the word of the year, yet didn't include it in their latest edition. So print this out and paste it into YOUR dictionary. As Stephen emphasised, this fun activity is only for your copy... don't go pasting in your library's copy or stores.

*Click image to enlarge & print*

SOUNDWAVE REISSUE

Man, that STARSCREAM got my geeky Cybertronian blood pumping!!! Check out the reissue SOUNDWAVE now available!!!! He comes with LASERBEAK and RAVAGE. Sweet. But would it have killed them to also include RUMBLE? I'd get one, but I still have my ORIGINAL, baby!!!! But if you want one, its $70 here.
*(Toys R Us carries them, too, I believe).

TAKARA'S STARSCREAM

"Hello. I'm STARSCREAM. I'm 12inches tall!

Could I BE any cooler? Buy me for Jimmy."More pics here.

NEW NIN DVD

NINE INCH NAILS is coming out with a new live DVD on Feb 27 (US). And according to Neil's rad SOULKILLER site, Trent will begin mixing the new studio album in January 2007. Here's the dvd set list:

NORTH AMERICAN WINTER TOUR 2006:
01: LOVE IS NOT ENOUGH
02: YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE?
03: TERRIBLE LIE
04: THE LINE BEGINS TO BLUR
05: MARCH OF THE PIGS
06: SOMETHING I CAN NEVER HAVE
07: CLOSER
08: BURN
09: GAVE UP
10: ERASER
11: RIGHT WHERE IT BELONGS
12: BESIDE YOU IN TIME
13: WITH TEETH
14: WISH
15: ONLY
16: THE BIG COME DOWN
17: HURT
18: THE HAND THAT FEEDS
19: HEAD LIKE A HOLE
...and some additional content (other shows, videos, etc)
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*Check it out! He's not opening with Terrible Lie anymore? That's been a staple first song for 15 yrs! Um, holy crap, its been 15 years since I first heard them. yikes.

GHOST RIDER TRANSFORMATION

DAVID X. COHEN TALKS FUTURAMA

David X. Cohen, producer of FUTURAMA, discusses the upcoming new episodes with JIMSMASH:

JIMSMASH: How long after the last “series finale” does the new season take place? And what can we expect for the Fry and Leela relationship?

COHEN: When our story resumes, two long years have passed. As for the Fry/Leela relationship, we will be visiting that subject right away, so I refuse to tell you where it will lead on the grounds that I want you to buy the DVD.

JIMSMASH: How much continuity will the new season feature?

COHEN: Within the new season, we will definitely feature more continuity than in the past. We will also be shedding light on several lingering questions from the original run, including hitherto unknown facts about Nibbler, dark matter and Seymour the dog. By the way, that was my first use of the word “hitherto” in an interview. I think it went well.

JIMSMASH: [Laughs] Nice. How much of the original cast and crew were you able to put together?

COHEN: We have the entire cast back, as well as a good chunk of the writing staff. We also have Rough Draft Studios animating once again, and they seem determined to top even their own amazing work from the first time around. To complete the reunion of our original crack team, it looks like we will also have Chris Tyng back to work his magic on the musical score.

JIMSMASH: Are there any guest voices lined up yet?

COHEN: We will have a number, yes, but I can only officially report on the one we have already recorded—up-and-coming voice-over star Al Gore. For the first time, we are going to show what really determined the outcome of the 2000 Presidential election.
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Ok, I didn't do the inteview, TOYFARE did.
But I thought it'd give the ole blog some pizazz.
Thanks, Toyfare!

TWILIGHT FOR THE KIMONO

KYOTO, Japan. His fingers muscled from almost a century of weaving, Yasujiro Yamaguchi, like Japan's signature kimono, is slipping into winter. At 102, he is among the last master weavers of Nishijin, the country's most celebrated kimono district, and his pace has slowed. He rubbed the morning chill from his knuckles, fitted his hunched shoulders deeper inside his indigo jacket and resolutely pushed on.

This kimono -- for the role of a willowy beauty in a classical Noh play, withering from the loss of her lover -- will take him a full year to make. If Yamaguchi doesn't finish it, there are few weavers left in Japan skilled enough to take over. "This kimono must be beautiful, but there is also sorrow in the weave," Yamaguchi said, eyes trained on his stitch. "The audience will see this and immediately understand that the character is mourning for something precious, for something lost."

More here.

PETER BOYLE PASSES AWAY

Aw, man! PETER BOYLE passed away today. I loved Boyle. This is really upsetting news. I'll always remember him from his brilliant, hilarious contribution to YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN and now, more recent, his great portrayel of Frank on "Everybody Loves Raymond." He will be missed. If there is a Heaven, I'd like to grab a beer with him up there when the time comes. He seemed like a really cool, standup guy. Rest In Peace, Peter. And thank you for all the great work - it was truly enjoyed and appreciated!