tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33639382012-02-16T14:44:10.052-05:00Talking to yourself is a sign of impending mental collapse.Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.comBlogger3811100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-62977811297727755512011-01-03T10:35:00.003-05:002011-01-03T10:53:29.396-05:00

Managed to score some Harry Potter love over the last few months, but 'tis all. Maybe I'll manage to ditch the kid with the grandparents this coming weekend and catch The King's Speech with the lil' lady. She's up for it. More often than not, though, movies drop off my list without being seen, unfortunately.Per my standard operating procedure, here are my top 10 or so movies in/to be in theaters

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-17456767777599169962010-11-03T17:10:00.002-04:002010-11-03T17:32:17.184-04:00

Spending 3 weeks travelling 18000 miles at 36000 feet allowed ample time to catch up on some movie goodness. Additionally a few weeks away from the fam actually gave me the chance to see the inside of a movie theatre (twice!) for the first time since August. Over the last few weeks, I saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (fun and a nice, if heavily abridged, adaptation of the novel), Wall Street

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-34724490057714776722010-08-06T14:46:00.003-04:002010-08-06T15:19:25.908-04:00

What a difference two months make. Saw a bunch of movies over the last 8 weeks, three in an actual theatre, although none on a REAL bigass IMAX screen. Toy Story 3 3D was nearly unbearably sad, but still a masterpiece. I could've seen Inception IMAX at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, but didn't want to pay $10 for parking, so I caught it in a very nice stadium theatre in a double-feature

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-45491897072263836312010-06-11T11:11:00.003-04:002010-06-16T15:21:56.023-04:00

Okay, so Hot Tub Time Machine wasn't terrible, but it was a missed opportunity for greatness. Even The Onion agrees. The Brothers Bloom, however, was terribly disappointing, and doesn't at all help the contention that indie films are better than blockbuster ones. The sad thing is that most movies in the theaters aren't worth seeing at all, and the ones that may be worth watching aren't worth $10

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-75396702907585787562010-04-07T16:57:00.003-04:002010-04-07T17:13:05.361-04:00

I've had a moderately successful start to 2010, having seen three flicks on my January list: The Invention of Lying (shockingly dull), Sherlock Holmes (unshockingly kinetic and disappointingly uncerebral), and Avatar (in 2D, basically a derivative pile of shit). In the spirit of catching Hot Tub Time Machine tomorrow night, here's my top 10 or so movies in/to be in theaters or on DVD to see, with

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-86623163988436124962010-03-24T22:37:00.000-04:002011-09-16T15:00:29.154-04:00

As I finally worked my way through the entirety of Arrested Development last night, I realized my previous lists of decadal superlatives did not include TV shows. This is a pretty glaring omission, as 2000-2009, in my opinion, had the best quality television of the first four decades of my life. This was due, to a large extent, of a maturing of the medium through more cinematic styles and topics;

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-77562415395688174002009-12-28T13:20:00.020-05:002010-03-10T16:32:30.959-05:00

Ah, a new year. Not much on my radar for the coming months, and all sequels: Iron Man 2 (7 May), Toy Story 3 (18 June), Harry Potter 7 (19 Nov), and Tron 2 (17 Dec). Hopefully something else will pique my interest (Hot Tub Time Machine?), or this could be a year of catching up on Dexter, Weeds, Wire in the Blood, and Deadwood. I've also been meaning to watch The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-45648005481086709542009-12-18T15:21:00.004-05:002009-12-23T17:18:41.991-05:00

I saw a lot of movies over the last 10 years. That number has declined considerably since my son was born, but I still manage to see most things worth seeing (although there are a few inexplicable outliers like The Departed that have slipped through the cracks). After several weeks of careful consideration, these are the top 10 movies of the Aughts:1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)2.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-66072334645019769182009-12-18T13:48:00.006-05:002009-12-21T17:31:29.749-05:00

I know you've all been waiting for this, so I'm not going to keep you in suspense any longer. After an exhaustive review of my music collection from the last 9 years and 50 weeks, these are the top 10 albums released during the Aughts:1. Dandy Warhols - thirteen tales from urban bohemia (2000)2. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)3. Lily Allen - Alright, Still (2006)4. Jimmy Eat World - Bleed

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-32089507052737551572009-10-02T10:23:00.004-04:002009-10-02T22:18:28.616-04:00

Two months pass; two movies off my list. Inglorious Basterds was a fine film, if not in the league of Tarantino's best (Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown). I imagine a director's cut DVD will reveal the fates of the Basterds who seemingly just disappeared (Samm Levine, etc.). The Hangover suffered from overhype, and it was more ridiculous than funny. It's possible that I've run out of time to see Harry

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-70985230785211478372009-09-01T11:02:00.000-04:002009-09-01T23:05:28.171-04:00

I didn't appreciate how much more Ed Brubaker I had in store for me during my plunge into Batman. Not that I minded, as between Brubaker, Greg Rucka, and Chuck Dixon, I had a veritable bevy of all-star writers spinning the tales of the Dark Knight. That reminds me to be sure to get to Rucka's Whiteout series before TYoGN comes to an end. I also need to score Volume 4 of Queen and Country for the

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-50196562549138919092009-08-13T12:36:00.002-04:002009-08-13T12:46:33.839-04:00

Progress! Managed to actually see 2 movies on my list last month: Quantum of Solace and Children of Men. QoS was ridiculous. I still couldn't tell you what the hell happened in that movie. I watched Goldfinger on the flight back from LA last week. Now that was a Bond movie. I loved the new Casino Royale despite the switch from baccarat to poker, but QoS was an awful misfire. CoM was very

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-19249039523839417842009-07-13T09:46:00.009-04:002009-10-14T08:55:58.581-04:00

First, I'm under no illusions that virtually anyone who knows me will care the slightest bit about this, but I'm putting in this blog entry for my own records as much as to inform.So it turns out that while the marketing folks at Sony have left something to be desired with regard to their flagship gaming console, their hardware folks have created a virtually peerless system which continues to be

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-69267716583352070262009-07-01T23:05:00.000-04:002009-07-01T23:00:47.841-04:00

Finally caught In Bruges and Up, so figured I'd update my list. Here's my top 10 or so movies I want to see right now, some still unreleased, some increasingly ancient. The starred ones I've got on DVD or Blu Ray yet still haven't found the time to watch. A few movies have dropped of the list from last time just because I don't much care about them anymore.1. Inglorious Basterds2. Moon3. Harry

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-56735301621908193462009-06-09T12:58:00.002-04:002009-06-09T14:20:12.331-04:00

It's kind of a pain to check out this new homemade Ticket To Ride map of Africa (well, new is relative, since it's a year old, but I just came across it today), but it's snazzy as all get-out. I'll have to play-test it to be sure, but it'll likely make it into my TTR rotation with France and Asia, which I reviewed on BoardGameGeek awhile back.Check out the goodness in these very-reduced samples:

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-4439842173403014402009-06-02T11:24:00.002-04:002009-06-02T11:54:42.524-04:00

I'm not exactly blazing through these novels lately, but I'm doing my best. I finished up Ed Brubaker's Catwoman run the other day while battling the flu, and I'll give credit where credit is due...the dude can write noir comics with the best of 'em. He might well be the best of them, to be honest. The best of people in his books are morally ambiguous, and the worst are downright sadistic

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-84193675941554872262009-05-15T09:45:00.002-04:002009-05-18T12:20:59.458-04:00

Finally watched the Scrubs series finale on the DVR -- a fine end for a show whose claim to fame was a phenomenally talented gallery of minor characters handling the comedy while the top-billed cast steered the show's considerable dramatic aspect. This season's addition of the Brain Trust (primary membership: The Janitor, The Todd, Ted, and Doug) was particularly inspired comedy. Nice work, folks

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-73670211960113886442009-05-06T14:58:00.005-04:002009-05-10T18:42:24.862-04:00

How about that? I finally saw a damned movie! Star Trek on the IMAX in Century City, which, to be honest, is an IMAX in technology only, not scale. Frankly, if the screen isn't 5 stories tall, it shouldn't be able to call itself a true IMAX. Anyone know of a list of IMAXes with truly giant screens?By the way, Star Trek was awesome.It's been awhile since I last posted my list of movies on my list

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-57037777566178859922009-04-22T22:28:00.000-04:002009-04-22T23:14:14.490-04:00

As I noted earlier, I'm attempting to burn through 104 of my unread graphic novels this year. I started with Warren Ellis' Planetary and Stormwatch series, and now I've plowed through The Authority, also started by Warren Ellis.11. The Authority Vol. 1: Relentless by Warren Ellis12. The Authority Vol. 2: Under New Management by Warren EllisThis first incarnation of The Authority was pretty

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-67917688741409569702009-03-24T23:53:00.001-04:002009-03-24T23:55:56.131-04:00

Dear Mr Howe:I find it difficult to express in words how ridiculous your decision to go from The Sci Fi Network to "SyFy" is, but I'm going to try.First of all, let's start with brand recognition. You know what you're getting when you see the Sci Fi network. Sci Fi is a long-established abbreviation for the genre of Science Fiction, and despite your inexplicable decision to air wrestling from

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-63603763015836798282009-03-12T16:45:00.001-04:002009-03-12T16:45:34.207-04:00

Talk about entertainment for me and Alex....well, me mostly.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-6651691286620423202009-03-10T11:43:00.006-04:002009-03-10T17:15:17.322-04:00

Well, I'm glad that's been settled. After the IAU's demotion of Pluto a few years back, I've been waiting for this. The floodgates of formal opposition have opened. The dam has burst.First up was the trailblazing New Mexico Legislature, back in 2007, which passed the following:WHEREAS, the state of New Mexico is a global center for astronomy, astrophysics and planetary science; andWHEREAS, New

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-33947069396364781202009-02-27T11:13:00.003-05:002009-02-27T11:47:21.921-05:00

I've been collecting graphic novels for the better part of two decades now, and, for the first 10 years or so, I managed to read them at roughly the pace I was acquiring them. However, over the 2000s thus far, they've been stacking up, unread, at a fairly brisk pace. It doesn't help that my wife the librarian has biannual conferences where I usually get a stack of 15-20 of them gratis (or for a

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-81007945723898178112009-02-04T15:26:00.007-05:002009-02-04T15:50:05.848-05:00

When I saw that the White House had a new blog/RSS feed, I signed up to see what little tidbits the Obama administration would be touting. Imagine my surprise when Carol Browner, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change, indicated that she really thinks wall-socket power is emission free. In discussing the benefits of electric vehicles like the Chevy Volt, she says:Because nearly

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-60656435533476461242009-01-12T09:48:00.002-05:002009-01-12T10:04:45.617-05:00

It's no secret to friends and family that I strongly believe that, after 1 November, there should be no outdoor NFL games north of Tennessee that start after 1pm local time. It's cold enough for the fans with the sun up in northern climes later in the season.So next Sunday, Eagles-Cardinals will be played indoors, in Phoenix, at 3pm Eastern time, while Ravens-Steelers is outdoors at 6:30pm

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-35702451472342754792009-01-12T09:33:00.003-05:002009-01-12T15:54:56.783-05:00

My dad was livid when McNabb picked up the phone. I thought it was hysterical. It was almost as funny as when he mock-ran back Tarvaris Jackson's last pass (which landed in his arms) last week.I wish more players played with the joy that McNabb does. There's plenty of over-the-top intense players like Brian Dawkins and Ray Lewis. McNabb, except when he's playing poorly, is always smiling on the

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-38535577345381965442009-01-05T13:18:00.002-05:002009-01-05T13:44:32.424-05:00

I've been a regular Ben Goldacre reader for years. His regular Guardian column on the pitfalls, pratfalls, and outright dangers of bad scientists, crony scientists, pseudoscientists, and nonscientists is not-to-be-missed.His piece last Saturday, though, just made me sad. A pregnant, HIV-positive woman was told by an idiot scientist that anti-retroviral drugs and breastfeeding were bad for her and

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-58362002469748702552009-01-02T23:44:00.003-05:002009-01-02T23:56:25.812-05:00

Best Movie: Wall-EHonorable Mention: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective AgencyBest Album (that I heard for the first time in 2008): Lily Allen, "Alright, Still"Honorable Mention: Lyle Lovett, "The Road to Ensenada"Best Book (that I read in 2008): I read 26 non-board books this year, and none really blew me away. I really enjoyed the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud, though, so I'll give that the

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-12525314715518483422008-12-16T16:36:00.002-05:002008-12-16T16:46:18.375-05:00

While most films that Criterion releases are a bit too avant-garde for my taste, the release today of Bottle Rocket Criterion on Blu Ray is a welcome addition to their Wes Anderson line, and the first in the Blu Ray format. Since Amazon has the Blu version at $10 cheaper the standard DVD version, you know which one I'm getting.This marks the first DVD of any sort that I've bought in forever, and

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-26720592569120114552008-11-21T11:52:00.001-05:002008-11-21T12:09:12.895-05:00

Yeah, you read that right. How sweet is this?

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-88886162218225510552008-11-13T20:22:00.001-05:002008-11-13T22:22:13.275-05:00

(Updated from original post on 27 January 2008. Current count: 25/56 after 47 weeks.)In the interest of making the sacrifice of those trees who died to fill my bookcases not in vain, I've decided to kick my reading up a notch this year by attempting the Triple-8 Challenge. Basically it's 8 lists of 8 books each, with 8 overlaps. Total annual consumption: 56 books. Books will be struck through

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-58606027319991042972008-11-09T02:46:00.001-05:002008-11-09T02:47:49.580-05:00

Colbert in prime form. Best part is at 1:58. Enjoy...

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-91839494970084623972008-11-03T16:35:00.002-05:002008-11-03T16:37:25.595-05:00

With a little effort, 6 sheets of 20x30 foam core presentation board, some spray adhesive, an Xacto knife, clear tape, a really nice scroll-fed printer, and the efforts of a really bored Dane, I bring you TTR: Asia and TTR: London Tube. They're not perfect, but they're sweet.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-55897945589131546202008-10-30T23:26:00.002-04:002008-10-30T23:32:01.494-04:00

I don't know what I like more about Halloween, carving the pumpkin or roasting the seeds. Both have their own rewards. I'm not exactly an artiste, mind you, but I think I do alright. Check out last year's dog and smiley for comparison.This year I went with a dead-eyed, tongue-waggin' smiley and a Phillies "P" to celebrate the World Series victory.Pictures with Alex in costume will be on the

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-90418676743808972882008-10-30T13:26:00.003-04:002008-10-30T13:31:20.397-04:00

Sweet.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-14092144077129451842008-10-28T10:26:00.003-04:002008-10-28T10:38:07.451-04:00

Those who know me know I'm a huge fan of the various flavors of the Ticket to Ride board game. Pretty much since the game came out there have been folks putting together alternate maps for home play. Well, Jens Tønnesen has gone above and beyond the call of duty not only by cataloging what's out there in a clear and intuitive interface, but by designing some wonderful, professional-quality maps

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-18450295342144927392008-10-06T16:46:00.000-04:002008-10-07T16:45:56.226-04:00

I am starting to wonder if one of the downsides of having a DVR (or two), is that you never seem to want to bother watching DVDs anymore, Blu Ray or otherwise. That probably explains why I haven't bought one in ages (although as soon as I get a 40% off coupon at Borders, I'm buying The Fall on Blu-Ray). The latest seasons of The Closer, Burn Notice, Monk, and Psych have all just finished up. The

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-7662410525254564862008-09-25T15:43:00.001-04:002008-09-25T15:43:35.742-04:00

So I was watching the Emmys on Sunday Night, and I was so amazed by Christina Hendricks, one of the stars of Mad Men, and her enormous pair of Golden Globes, that I looked her up on IMDB:Turns out she played the memorable Saffron in a couple episodes of Firefly. Barb and I caught the first few episodes of Mad Men and weren't all that impressed, but I can't believe I didn't recognize her.How do

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-6446362711235721492008-09-05T13:27:00.003-04:002008-09-05T13:44:39.188-04:00

So Barb's conveniently-relocated Uncle Gary returned to the US last week with a specially-obtained copy of Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries (that's Menolippu Pohjoismaat in Finnish) for us. Awesome game. So awesome that they didn't release it in the US when it came out almost 2 years ago. Then, they promised some copies for release in the US market (this was after Uncle Gary had succeeded in

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-30003756464094046792008-08-05T13:39:00.003-04:002008-08-05T13:45:35.882-04:00

Lots of good stuff coming out in the theatres, but I ain't seeing any of it.... Ah, the joys of fatherhood. On the bright side, there will be lots of DVDs coming out this fall of films I've not seen.Here's my top 20 or so movies to see right now, some still unreleased. The starred ones I've got on DVD or Blu-Ray yet still haven't found the time to watch.1. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-21019624782923285342008-07-10T09:51:00.001-04:002008-07-10T09:51:58.086-04:00

As I've said before, this dude is my hero. His 2008 video is as stellar as his previous efforts. Be sure to watch it in Hi-Def.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-20243549479091465262008-07-04T18:59:00.001-04:002008-07-04T18:59:19.891-04:00

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-79205144135791246242008-06-23T12:30:00.006-04:002008-07-09T13:39:45.846-04:00

Realized I forgot to do this for June, so here's an early July list. I saw a bunch of movies lately, including Talledega Nights, Semi-Pro, The Grand, and (finally) Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End. The first three were forgettable. Pirates 3 started off slow and somewhat ridiculous, but eventually it turned into a fine, if overlong, entry into the trilogy.Here's my top 20 or so movies

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-74254380484515749332008-06-13T11:49:00.002-04:002008-06-13T12:00:55.184-04:00

So now Pluto is not even a dwarf planet, but a "plutoid?" According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), plutoids are defined as:celestial bodies in orbit around the sun at a distance greater than that ofNeptune that have sufficient mass for their self-gravity to overcome rigidbody forces so that they assume a hydrostatic equilibrium (near-spherical)shape, and that have not cleared the

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-30435385634151754482008-05-29T13:03:00.001-04:002008-05-29T13:03:44.921-04:00

Awesome. Just awesome.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-84490625118578816802008-05-28T13:03:00.004-04:002008-05-28T13:10:59.779-04:00

As entertaining as the PS3 demo for Overlord: Raising Hell is, I can't help but think that I could get the same game for my PC for $9 at Amazon:How am I supposed to justify a $60 purchase for the PS3 game? And yes, it's the same game with additional, previously downloadable, add-on content for the PC and XBox360 versions.When the price drops down to, say, $30, I may reconsider.Maybe.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-28840389963182591032008-05-26T21:51:00.002-04:002008-05-26T22:06:00.695-04:00

So apparently two of the stars of the most recent season of Desperate Housewives were Gary Cole and Nathan Fillion. I find this interesting because they are both stars of cancelled-too-soon science fiction TV shows. Gary Cole was the maverick Captain Matthew Gideon of the Babylon 5 spinoff Crusade. Nathan Fillion was the renegade Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds on the phenomenal Firefly.I find

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-76802431763085009712008-05-18T09:45:00.002-04:002008-05-18T09:48:03.986-04:00

Found this beautiful doggie this morning playing with Roscoe on the front lawn. It looks like he's the lost Raleigh of this Craigslist post. Posting his picture here so his owners can see him.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-91451118967819675322008-05-05T12:38:00.004-04:002008-05-21T11:02:50.132-04:00

Had a good weekend knocking two more titles off of my list. First up was The Golden Compass, an adaptation of the brilliant Philip Pullman novel (originally published as Northern Lights in the UK), first in the His Dark Materials series. It was a decent movie, but it felt like they were trying to squeeze too much source material into a 2-hour running time. They also didn't end the movie where the

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-91681735784625085592008-05-02T00:03:00.001-04:002008-05-02T00:03:32.579-04:00

Just give it one minute and twenty five seconds, and you'll know you've spent your time wisely.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-68650263269860965712008-04-30T11:11:00.006-04:002008-04-30T16:58:12.318-04:00

I gave the game a spin last night...my first impression was that I was a bit disappointed in the antialiasing (i.e. there's still a bit of choppiness at the edges of moving characters/cars, etc, but that may be because I've got 1080i rather than 1080p) and there was a hiccup in the rendering of the opening cutscene. I immediately switched my controls back to "classic" GTA ones (I'm not about to

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-63127503455822736512008-04-18T15:13:00.003-04:002008-04-18T15:29:06.487-04:00

Frankly, I don't know anyone who would find this interesting except me, but isn't that the ideal thing to write about in this most-narcissistic of oeuvres?So, once upon a time, there was a company called Infocom. Most of you over the age of 20 will probably heard of it. Most of you, period, will have at least heard of their most famous product, Zork.Back when I was in my pre-to-mid-teens, $50 at

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-10246049891638773412008-04-18T10:53:00.003-04:002008-04-18T11:15:13.437-04:00

I'll freely admit that I pretty much stopped watching hockey after the work stoppage a few years back. As far as I'm concerned, the Flyers are only behind Eagles Football, Illini Basketball, and Illini Football in my canon of favorite teams, but once I went a year without the puck, I didn't really feel any urgency to start watching it again (and given the ratings, lots of other folks agree). I

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-23396890991091199672008-04-16T16:50:00.001-04:002008-04-16T16:50:15.754-04:00

Back in the Woodbine Palace in snowy Rochester, NY, we'd spend most nights playing Euchre and watching Beavis and Butthead at 11pm and Alternative Nation at midnight. When this video came on, all play stopped. It was my first introduction to Milla Jovovich, before the craptacular Fifth Element and the surprisingly solid Resident Evil trilogy. I still listen to this album (The Divine Comedy)

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-21449131046490866882008-04-05T13:11:00.003-04:002008-04-10T13:20:49.515-04:00

Battlestar's premiere was lackluster. I'm still wondering how they're going to explain how Cylon Tigh has managed to grow old with Adama. Do Cylon skin jobs age? Also, how did Starbuck survive? Where'd she get that shiny new ship?Methinks the writers have bitten off more than they can chew.On the bright side, Torchwood has been surprisingly solid this season and Doctor Who is coming back in a

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-24031075075377127932008-04-03T10:23:00.004-04:002008-04-03T10:26:22.955-04:00

If you are in any sort of way in communication with me, you know this already, but for the rare visitor who's not, on 15 March 2008, Alexander Evan Bushman was born.You can see more pics of Alex as he grows up at the new family blog: the_bushmans.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-2674266119980853452008-04-01T10:13:00.004-04:002008-04-18T11:17:54.803-04:00

Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.The best of TV's coming back in the next 7 days, but I managed a free Redbox rental yesterday to finally catch Stardust, which I thought was great, if a bit predictable. I'm sure it tanked at the box office because everything fantasy not named Harry Potter tanks at the box office.Still, a great, funny, well-done film from a superlative source.I also caught

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-19272448269819842452008-03-14T12:55:00.007-04:002008-05-29T17:22:26.668-04:00

Since I got my PS3 last summer, I've finished up a few PS2 holdovers (GTA: San Andreas, Bully) and a couple of new games (The Godfather: The Don's Edition, Portal). So what's up for this year?Already-Bought:The Orange BoxLego Star Wars -The Complete SagaMust-Buy:Grand Theft Auto 4 (Preordered already)Lego Indiana JonesLittle Big PlanetBionic Commando Rearmed (Download)May-Buy:Bionic

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-86321620007903902662008-03-13T11:05:00.002-04:002008-03-13T11:21:39.948-04:00

I dragged the tremendously-pregnant wife to Capitol Hill on Sunday for a matinee production of Macbeth at the Folger Theatre. Why would I do such a thing to my beloved? Well, first I've never seen Macbeth (Yes, I know. Hard to believe. I've seen Measure for Measure four times yet never managed to catch Macbeth on stage or screen unless you count Scotland, PA). Second, it was co-directed by

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-90766580585724737452008-03-12T15:24:00.004-04:002008-03-13T10:57:37.192-04:00

Sign Shaun Alexander, who is sure to be released from Seattle in a few weeks.Line Brian Westbrook up as a WR. Every play.If Alexander is healthy enough to run like the former Pro Bowl player that he is, it'd be an offensive formation sure to give defensive coordinators nightmares.Then, bring in a dozen or so BIG WRs (6'2" or taller), mostly late rounders or undrafted rookies and find one who can

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-27302940265165323502008-03-04T09:40:00.005-05:002008-03-25T13:37:54.466-04:00

FINALLY saw The Darjeeling Limited last night! Loved it. I hope they do an extended cut SE or Criterion release someday with tons of extras to enjoy.The writers strike gave me and Barb the rare opportunity to catch up on some TV that we had missed over the last year or two or three. We plowed through Season 1 of Dexter (not the edited CBS version, thank you very much) and Seasons 2 and 3 of

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-56537367288020788002008-03-01T11:39:00.005-05:002008-03-01T11:44:49.738-05:00

If G-d really didn't want Jews to eat bacon, he wouldn't've made it so darned tasty.I'm sure I could down a few of these tasty breadless BLTs. Thanks to Burnt Fat for the tip.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-39636529477545208392008-02-26T11:55:00.002-05:002008-02-26T12:07:59.772-05:00

So I'm reading this little nugget about the Lions putting the kibosh on rumors that they'd consider trading Roy Williams. The first thing I thought was, "Of course they won't trade him. With RW and Calvin Williams, they've got one of the best receiving tandems in the league."Just like Arizona (Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin).And Cincinnati (Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh*). Last year

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-64013067109766408022008-02-20T16:44:00.001-05:002008-02-20T16:46:25.746-05:00

I'm not much of the Cracked reader now that I'm well into my thirties, but once in awhile, something good comes up that I just have to share. I don't want to spoil the fun. Go and read about The 5 Most Badass Presidents of All Time.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-6441862844950387602008-02-18T10:57:00.005-05:002008-02-20T17:36:50.282-05:00

Here's my top 20 or so movies to see right now. The ones in red are still in the theatres or haven't been released yet. The ones in orange I've got on DVD or Blu-Ray yet still haven't found the time to watch.1. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull2. The Dark Knight3. The Darjeeling Limited4. Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End5. Sweeney Todd6. National Treasure II7. No

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-18831850661082936742008-02-12T14:38:00.000-05:002008-02-12T14:47:27.814-05:00

While I'm not normally a reader of features on men's websites (although I do, from time to time, flip through the pictures), after reading a story about Eat This, Not That, I saw that it was the result of a series in Men's Health Magazine. Clicking that link will take you to an all-out information session on the best and worst options at most major national food chains (fast, sit-down, beverage,

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-22231728938734716192008-01-29T15:15:00.000-05:002008-01-29T15:35:37.075-05:00

From today's IMDB:Despite encountering outrage from the American Academy of Pediatrics, ABC said Monday that it plans to go ahead with the planned broadcast of an episode of the new legal drama Eli Stone in which the title character convinces a jury that mercury in a vaccine was responsible for a child's autism. The Academy and numerous health authorities, including the Centers for Disease

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-72642782715154154522008-01-24T17:11:00.001-05:002008-01-24T17:25:08.008-05:00

Breaking Bad: Damn, what a pilot. While most folks know Bryan Cranston as the dad from Malcolm in the Middle, he'll always be the moody Buzz Aldrin in From the Earth to the Moon to me. At least until now. He plays a dying, broke chemistry teacher who decides to supplement his income by cooking crystal meth out in the New Mexico desert with one of his old miscreant students. He's phenomenal.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-4941947822084500222008-01-23T12:58:00.000-05:002008-01-24T17:26:06.613-05:00

Thanks to another free DVD rental from RedBox, we finally saw Ocean's 13, which was better than 12, but not as good as 11. Very much style over substance. Call it 2.75 stars.Also caught Spidey 3 via RedBox. Awful film. The only reason to watch it is Bruce Campbell. And the effects, which are admittedly amazing.Here's my top 20-or-so. The ones in bold are still in the theatres or haven't been

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-33055487590827186692008-01-18T15:26:00.001-05:002008-01-18T15:39:45.439-05:00

Just attended a colloquium by Robert Strom, author of Hot House, a comprehensive overview of Global Warming, Climate Change, and essentially how screwed we are. Or, rather, our kids and grandkids are.Items I gleaned from the talk:1. Small planet-average temperature changes can result in large climate changes.2. Atmospheric CO2 increases track almost directly with temperature increases.3.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-61021327278707991312008-01-02T16:14:00.000-05:002008-01-02T16:19:27.275-05:00

Finally caught up on the fantastic adventures of Bret and Jemaine over Christmas. What a great, great show. Nice work, HBO.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-12622042330130407652007-12-27T13:11:00.000-05:002007-12-27T13:18:27.185-05:00

Want to wonder why no one watches CNN anymore? Look no further than today's coverage of Benazir Bhutto's assassination. We've got two options for streaming web video here at work: CNN and Fox News. So far, I've tuned in four times to see the latest news.On Fox News, it's wall-to-wall Bhutto.On CNN, it was the weather twice, then a story on Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, and, just a minute

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-18885750828532419612007-12-27T10:34:00.000-05:002007-12-27T10:48:38.743-05:00

discreet: prudent, especially capable of preserving prudent silencediscrete: constituting a separate entity, individually distinct Learn the difference, people. Yes, I'm talking about you, Scott Adams.While I'm at it:principal: most important, consequential, or influential principle: a comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumptionI'm sure there are other frequently misused

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-59975414359553757682007-12-19T13:31:00.000-05:002007-12-19T12:42:54.541-05:00

Well, I never caught The Darjeeling Limited...it closed at the local Muvico the day before I could use my passes. Still no movies seen since Harry Potter V. I'm starting to wonder if I've fallen so far behind that I'm just going to give up and wait for everything to come out on cable or DVD. Even The Golden Compass has such bad buzz that it doesn't seem worth the trip.Anyhow, here's my top 20-

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-63254606312300437692007-12-13T22:44:00.000-05:002007-12-17T16:11:18.546-05:00

How Well Do You Know Your World?It's like Jeopardy meets Ticket to Ride.Best score: 485,913 points. Took me 20 tries to get to Level 11. I don't think I have the skills to get to Level 12.Josh Rovner, I hate you.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-58055550981836599702007-12-13T15:26:00.000-05:002007-12-13T15:29:33.167-05:00

I always seem to read about people "battling" drug addiction. How come I never see articles about people "embracing" drug addiction?Just wondering, since it seems there's far more of the latter.Oh, and Andy Reid should stay.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-15203836258490083372007-12-11T11:47:00.001-05:002007-12-11T11:53:24.115-05:00

Somehow I don't think they're going to screw this up.Now, my only question is will they update Lego Indiana Jones to include the 4th movie?Somehow, I doubt it. I may have to wait for Lego Indy: The Complete Saga.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-9170621579952556002007-12-03T16:40:00.000-05:002007-12-03T17:41:22.650-05:00

I'd hoped with the rise of the internet that buying a car would prove to be a fairly democratized process. I had envisioned a stress-free process where I would tell a bunch of local dealers what car we wanted, and with what extras, and they would come back with a price. Then I'd see if anyone would beat that price. Then I'd buy the car. Pretty simple, right?Well...mostly. It turns out that

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-56386773446978732952007-10-30T19:56:00.001-04:002007-10-30T20:09:33.547-04:00

I had a little extra fun this year with the pumpkin carving. I downloaded templates, taped 'em to the pumpkin, poked out the design using corn-holders (my own idea...you are able to stabilize the next point by putting the other corn-holder spoke into the previous hole), and cut it out with a cheapie pumpkin-carving knife I got for a dollar at some orchard last year.Spooky Roscoe:Lights out:Better

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-86896422100142347642007-10-29T12:47:00.000-04:002007-12-10T13:31:25.004-05:00

I had a post earlier this year listing all the movies I wanted to see this summer.I watched 4. One was great (Ratatouille); one was good (IMAX Night at the Museum), one was mediocre (IMAX Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix); and one was dreadful (Transformers). They're pretty much all out of the theatres by now...some have even made it to DVD already.I've noticed that since I've gotten a

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-31871271855204648082007-10-29T12:24:00.000-04:002007-10-29T12:32:04.581-04:00

In the little free time I had over the weekend, I deleted my MySpace, Friendster, and Livejournal accounts. I never used them...in fact, the only reason I got them in the first place was because my friends got them. For the same reason I got Facebook and LinkedIn accounts. To be honest, I never really use those, either, but I see no reason to leave any useless open Social Networking accounts.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-27561634028627020562007-10-12T13:46:00.000-04:002007-10-12T13:53:10.696-04:00

Neat article in the NYTimes the other day about how, in science, the "general consensus" can be self-perpetuating, even if fallacious. How well this applies to sacrosanct items is still to be determined, and the author, probably wisely, chose not to go there.Since the NYT tends to pull articles after a week or so, I'll just violate a little copyright and post the text here:Diet and Fat: A Severe

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-25870764408211845212007-10-08T21:22:00.000-04:002007-10-09T10:45:53.455-04:00

Clearly the folks at ESPN were about as impressed with Romo as the Bills were...for the first quarter, anyway:

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-1977142950279288012007-10-06T17:15:00.000-04:002007-10-29T17:18:08.367-04:00

Robbie Williams took the stage on October 3rd to sing The Only One I Know, his and Mark Ronson's cover of the Charlatans UK song. Sometimes I really miss L.A.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-25716915205786943502007-10-05T15:51:00.000-04:002007-10-05T16:04:44.428-04:00

So I read that McDonalds has to pay $6.1M to a Kentucky girl who, when she was 18, was strip-searched and ultimately sexually assaulted by her manager and others on the orders of a phone caller pretending to be a police officer. Intrigued, I wanted to find out just what exactly happened. The Louisville Courier-Journal had the scoop. I've just finished reading the article, and I still can't

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-63224986915538398472007-09-17T14:51:00.000-04:002007-09-17T15:24:26.959-04:00

In Autumn 1998 I attended a Robert Jordan book signing of The Path of Daggers at Pages for All Ages in Savoy, IL. He was duly impressed with my first edition oversized softcover copy of The Eye of The World, the first book in The Wheel of Time series. TPoD was book 8. I was a huge fan of the series after I finally got around to reading TEotW (then, as now, I acquire books with no timetable

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-50251521824453393512007-09-12T09:22:00.001-04:002007-09-12T14:42:26.975-04:00

I've never really mentioned here my lifelong abiding love for board games. I suppose it started with Scrabble, Chess, Monopoly and Risk with my dad and brothers when I was in my pre-teens. There were dozens of other games, but mostly flavors of those four (Hotels, Solarquest, Sorry, Castle Risk, Dead Stop, Trivial Pursuit, Clue, and Save the Whales were highlights). Once I hit twelve or thirteen,

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-35106733813406227912007-08-06T16:43:00.000-04:002007-08-06T17:15:00.431-04:00

Let's be clear here, the book wasn't too long. I just think that JK backed herself into a corner with the whole "yearlong" structure of the first 6 books, so she felt that she had to have Harry et al. spend their 7th year of school defeating Voldemort. Furthermore, by having Hogwarts being no longer a safe haven, she had no choice but to stage virtually the entire book away from Hogwarts.Having

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-4406672066327563662007-07-13T10:25:00.000-04:002007-07-13T10:41:26.854-04:00

Until I read this article, I thought the best iced coffee I could get my hands on was from Dunkin' Donuts (mind you, they still make some tasty iced java), but it turns out it's pretty simple to make some amazing iced coffee at home. I tried this with some Cafe du Monde Chicory Coffee and haven't gone a day without a tall glass of iced coffee with a splash of milk since. (Interesting fact: the

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-51970007641645483262007-07-06T11:04:00.001-04:002007-07-06T11:17:34.904-04:00

I really hope I get my copy of HPatDH next Saturday, but as it'll be on the way across the pond from Amazon.uk (I prefer my Britishisms intact, thank you very much)., I fully expect not to receive it until Monday. That means I'll have to willfully ignore all TV, newspapers, and internet (especially RSS feeds) until I get the book and plow through it in a single sitting.Predictions:1. Neville

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-43065490283364498612007-06-08T13:45:00.000-04:002007-08-10T09:45:10.170-04:00

Another summer of blockbusters has arrived. Considering I haven't seen a film in the theatres since 300, perhaps I'm being a little ambitious here, but in order of how much I want to see them are my top summer flicks:1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix2. Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End3. Live Free or Die Hard4. The Bourne Ultimatum5. Ratatouille A6. Spider-Man 37. Stardust8.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-39346473978954243232007-05-17T14:48:00.000-04:002007-05-17T14:51:16.602-04:00

Fascinating. Clearly I have a new book to buy.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-31900022273497304612007-05-03T10:26:00.000-04:002007-05-03T10:31:58.804-04:00

So I'm going to be in Brooklyn on May 19-20 for my sister-in-law's sister's wedding on the 20th. Yesterday I read that Ricky Gervais was going to be performing at Madison Square Garden on the 19th. Despite this image's (courtesy of RickyGervais.com) assertion, Ticketmaster came through for me, and I got 2 seats in the center mezzanine. I guess they released some new ones. Rock on.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-16829015990604350542007-04-14T00:36:00.000-04:002007-04-14T00:57:16.153-04:00

Okay, maybe that lede was a bit deceiving, but hear me out here. One of the things I've always had a huge problem with was the idea that heating anything with electricity was a good idea. For the uninitiated, electricity is generated by rotating a copper coil around a magnet (or a magnet inside a coil, same difference). In practice, this is usually accomplished by using steam to turn a turbine.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-7400337013917862412007-03-22T10:23:00.000-04:002007-03-22T10:32:01.162-04:00

We had what was likely the last good snowstorm of the winter on February 25th (a Sunday of course...heaven forbid we get a day off during the week). We went out and made Barb's (and Roscoe's) first snowman. Enjoy.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-26814856023778146572007-03-04T09:12:00.000-05:002007-03-05T07:09:55.992-05:00

Okay, I'll keep the spoilers to a minimum here, but I've got to celebrate the end of one of the best TV shows of the season. The 13-episode Day Break was a great dramatic, noir twist on Groundhog Day. Unfortunately only six episodes actually aired, so the rest had to be watched via ABC.com.To sum up: Brett Hopper (Taye Diggs) is framed of murder, and he keeps reliving the day until he exposes the

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-76337869098991680222007-03-02T16:21:00.000-05:002007-03-02T16:31:42.712-05:00

Here's a snazzy little photo of Io taken by New Horizons. The visible plume (at roughly 11 o'clock) is effluent from the active volcano Tvashtar. Earlier photos required the plume and the surface to be taken with different exposure times to ascertain the features of both, but this is one single, 75 ms exposure.Cool.

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-78801099698779872742007-03-01T15:14:00.000-05:002007-03-08T14:40:05.260-05:00

New Horizons made its closest approach to Jupiter yesterday, part of its gravity assist maneuver that will boost its speed by roughly 4 km/s.They'll be posting pics from the hundreds of Jupiter observations here. To whet your appetite, check out this Long Range Reconaissance Imager (LORRI) image of the Little Red Spot:

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-19751344527396937342007-02-27T23:25:00.000-05:002007-02-27T23:32:36.644-05:00

Got these stickers at the Bethesda Borders on Saturday night. I found out later that there's quite an online hubbub about them, as you're supposed to get one free by preordering Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. There was just two stacks of them on the info counter, though, so I assumed they were gratis.Fun stuff. Snape's sure to wind up a good guy, but I like the promotion nonetheless. Of

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363938.post-1747190751925659712007-02-25T11:03:00.000-05:002007-02-26T11:06:02.042-05:00

Today, on the snowy eve of the Academy Awards, I caught the Jeffrey Ross documentary, Patriot Act: A Jeffrey Ross Home Movie, which is based on his weeklong USO tour of Iraq back in 2003. It's a fascinating, presumably uncensored, voyage into the midst of the troops deployed in Baghdad, Tikrit, and other Iraqi cities. I have no idea why this fine film didn't get more play, bigger press, and

Stewart Bushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800951891323816319noreply@blogger.com0