vs.

Who's handier to have around the house?

Hey look, the new issue of Softpaw is out!

from "This Just In"

"Ocean's Thirteen" *** (out of four): Third time's a charm for the Soderbergh-Clooney heist series, with this extended caper flick that never stops long enough for anything but a knowing wink.

Continuing an unexpected trend started by "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End", “Ocean’s Thirteen”, the third in the numerically troublesome “Ocean’s” series, proves to be the best of the bunch. Like “Pirates 3”, “Thirteen” learns from its past. 2001’s remake, “Ocean’s Eleven”, was at best a mugging attempt to capitalize on the kitsch of Rat Pack nostalgia. 2004’s disappointing “Ocean’s Twelve” took the series into “meta” territory and away from its heist roots. “Thirteen” goes back to the basics. It is, in essence, one long caper from start to finish. And while it makes almost no sense (and never pauses for a minute to think about it), everyone’s having a ball – and this time, the audience is included.

Read more on BigPictureBigSound...

"Surf's Up" *** (out of four): This amusing animated "documentary" about the penguin surfing community (yep, you read that right) is more than just a "Happy Feet with surfing" rip-off.

What is it about penguins? It might be time to make them the official mascot of planet Earth; it seems that there’s nothing humans won’t watch penguins do. Of course, we have the success of “March of the Penguins” to blame. More children’s movie than documentary, 2005’s award-winner brought our flippered friends to the fore and paved the way for the startling success of the otherwise absurd “Happy Feet”. While that animated crowd-pleaser was essentially “Footloose” for the Antarctic set, it proved that flightless waterfowl are a box office draw. So it should be no surprise that “Surf’s Up” is about surfing penguins. The surprise is that it’s a pretty amusing movie.

Read more on BigPictureBigSound...

Wednesdays are matinée days in the city. That means that the population of the city increases as little old women from the suburbs make their way into the city for an afternoon of Jersey Boys. They are fearful of the city, they don’t understand its nuances and shortcuts. It’s as if they travel into the city hoping to cheat death a little. These women assume a day spent in Manhattan is like living life on the edge. And of course, they don’t drive in, as they assume driving in the city is equal to wrestling cougars. No, they take the train. They take MY train.

Subtitles NSFW.

(Thanks, Bill!)

Today on the veg - Muppet foolishness

I was highly amused at Angry About Nothing’s posts on things she hates about working.

See, I deal with none of that. I surf the net for a living. Yes, I blog part time for several sites (mine is not too profitable). One of Stanley Bling’s 50 Bulls**t Jobs. The kind of job you’ve dreamed of. I’m not going to get rich, but so far, I’m getting by. And I get to work at home. The advantages are 1. I set my own schedule, 2. I don’t have to interact with bosses or co-workers, 3. I don’t have to dress up or drive, 4. I don’t have to pay for daycare, and 5. I get to play on the internet all day.

There are some disadvantages, though.

- Know how the guys dropped their guns after hey hit Bobby Baccala? Was that smart?
- Sure, Jenna Elfman might be pregnant, but she can still school your weak ass, bitch.
- New York's getting another Gehry to add to the IAC Building and the Brooklyn arena.
- Here's one complaint they didn't think they'd get. New Olympics logo causes seizures.
- And check out what's it's like to be a cat for one day, via CatCam. This is pretty cool.

Don McMillan explains what’s wrong with every PowerPoint presentation you’ve ever seen.