Tuesdays with Muerte

Okay, folks.  That last game was ridiculously easy for most of you.  (Everyone got it in within the first 2 or 3 quotes—even the kids.) So now, THE KID GLOVES ARE COMING OFF!  You want to go toe-to-toe with Bryan, the single man who has probably seen more movies than all 5 of you (who follow my blog) combined—here's your chance to truly prove yourselves.  Since this is only round one, I'll still be pulling punches. (e.g. If I were going all out, I would have only shown you the image of the goat costume below, instead of all three.  You'll have to ask yourself, "given the 90s fantasy hint from last week, would I have gotten it?"  That's the kind of mental pain I'll be bringing in weeks to come.) Rules: Pop culture references ONLY. (No cult stuff that only I have seen.) Nothing R-rated. (G — PG-13, including things like NOT RATED popular documentaries.) Let's start off by saying, I have to own it.  (This includes digital videos, but they must h...

Adam and Dog (2012) Full Short Animated Film Director: Minkyu Lee Oscar Nominated Short Click to reveal synopsis This hand-drawn animation explores the possible origins of the close-knit relationship of man and canine, for which Disney animation artist, Minkyu Lee, won the Annie award for Best Animated Short Subject. Lee created this independent film with friends from Disney, Dreamworks and Pixar. Click to reveal Moral of the story I think he's trying to say that even when God turns his back on you (hyperbole), your dog will still be there. (False, but moving all the same. A very accessible message.) *Read Interview with Minkyu Lee on Adam and Dog *See other Oscar-Nominated Shorts

Shawn Achor's book, The Happiness Advantage , outlines seven interventions you can do to adopt a more positive, grateful outlook in your own life.  If this sounds interesting, you might want to check out  Hapyr.com , a journaling website, based on Achor's research, that helps people permanently change their brain chemistry.  This begs the question, "will simply repeating these seven activities really make people happy?"  A look at Achor's research might give us a better understanding. Personal Example of Positive Psychology When I was with my family over Christmas break, we conducted an "informal test" on the effect of increased testosterone and decreased cortisol on human performance.  My brother-in-law was at a pivotal point during a team board game and needed to respond faster than my sister.  Before the trivia question was read, he called for a "time out," stood up, put his fists on his hips, stuck his chest out (like Superman minus...

I think laptop stands are invaluable! I want to buy an mStand , by Rain Design, to use with an external keyboard and mouse. The stand serves several purposes: Lifts the height of the display which makes working more comfortable. Helps cooling as you get lots of airflow around the laptop Gives you more desk space! I plan on resting text books in the gap between the base of the stand and where the laptop is elevated. Organizes cords and keeps them from falling back behind your desk. (Possibly the best reason), it keeps the laptop out of the way of drinks spillage. I'd feel a lot more comfortable eating and drinking around my MBP if it were safely out the way!

It's time for round 2 of a fun game I like to call, "GUESS THAT MOVIE CHARACTER!"  We played on this blog a couple of years ago ! To make this game fun: Read the quotes in order. (I tried to order the 10 quotes with the most difficult ones first.) When you think you know the name of the character, make your guess in the comment section below.  (Share how quickly you got it.) Then go back and check to see if you got the correct answer. The game ends Sunday, Feb. 24th, at which point I will post your replies and you can see how you all did. Movie Character Quotes: Quote #1 "It's true that Mavis and Sybil have ways that are winning, and Prudence and Gwendolyn set your heart spinning! Phoebe's delightful, Maude is disarming..." Quote #2 "You know, begging your pardon, but the one my heart goes out to is your father. There he is in that cold, heartless bank day after day, hemmed in by mounds of cold, heartless money. I don'...

I first witnessed this brilliant marketing strategy at the Little Caesar's Pizza in Spokane, WA over Christmas break.  I think the main reason why execs haven't swapped in robots here in Provo is because humans here are still better sign-shakers...for now...

Infinity Blade  ($5.99 → Free, 595.2 MB) Journey to the Dark Citadel to battle powerful Titans and free your people from an endless legacy of darkness in this visually stunning combat game. Swipe across the screen to perform attacks, dodge blades, block hits, and cast devastating spells. As you make your way deeper into the castle realm, you’ll have a chance to upgrade your knight and collect new weapons and armor. The game includes gorgeous 3-D graphics powered by the Unreal engine, online multiplayer, and achievements and leaderboards via Game Center. Infinity Blade   is available for free for the next 7 days (Feb. 14 - 21, 2013). It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 16500 ratings. This might be the GREATEST iOS game of all time! Do yourself a favor—clear some memory and dl this app asap.