A Part of Him

Community SPOILERS

2012-01-25T16:38:00.001-07:00

Star Wars: The Old Republic - Beating A Dead Gungan

2012-01-24T16:25:00.001-07:00

The official #NetHeads SWTOR guild has a home on the world wide web! Thanks to the Router Ninja!

The Cast Of Community As The X-Men

2012-01-19T17:12:00.000-07:00

The Cast Of Community As The X-Men

Aviv Or has really blown my mind!

The Bark Side of the Force

2012-01-19T13:13:00.001-07:00

Special Monday Morning Tape

2012-01-16T01:34:00.000-07:00

One of my desert island top ten books and movies is High Fidelity. If you haven't seen the film and read the book, stop whatever you are doing right this instant, and correct your error.

NetHeads PSA

2012-01-15T22:43:00.001-07:00

Nerd Command Center

2012-01-14T22:42:00.000-07:00

Top 10 Most Listened to Songs of 2011

2012-01-03T13:25:00.002-07:00

What dThese are Trent's top 10 most listened to songs according to iTunes. Yes, I know... a few of these songs weren't release in 2011. That's not what this list is about.

What did you listen to most in '11?

Top 10 TV Shows of 2011

2012-01-01T14:27:00.001-07:00

1. Breaking Bad (AMC)
2. Homeland (Showtime)
3. Louie (FX)
4. American Horror Story (FX)
5. Sons of Anarchy (FX)
6. Wilfred (FX)
7. Grimm (NBC)
8. Parks & Rec (NBC)
9. Portlandia (IFC)
10. Dexter (Showtime)

2011 "Wha Happened?"

2011-12-30T22:19:00.001-07:00

So I am using Facebook's TimeLine to remind me of
"wha happened" in the life of T-Hun during the past year.

I had a lot of podcasting going on early in the year with A Part of Him, Radio Askew, and Ska Show (however there hasn't been a whole lot done with APoH recently, while RA and SS have been put on indefinite hiatus).

I joined and retired from the Beam Me Up Ska-T's.

I started my Marvel figure collection that has quickly grown to more than 40 pieces.

I dated someone though it ended, albeit amicably.

I have been able to join my good friend Will Wilkins on Smodcast Internet Radio on our show NetHeads.

I vistited San Antonio and Chicago on business (only two trips out of the state for work, which I like compared to the 10+ in 2010).

While in a comic shop in Chicago, I was recognized for being on NetHeads.

I started and failed on three different diets.

My stand-up had some great leaps, opening for Dave Ackerman, Ricky Hacking, Pete Lee, and regular open mic nights.

I started and finished Stephen King's Dark Tower series; I cried when Oy died.

I became the father of a beautiful 140 lb Bernese Moutain Dog, Sherman.

My life was completed by seeing Captain America: The First Avenger.

I went to lunch at Este's with Jill, Eric, and Anne (seemingly like a small event, but it was a highlight of 2011).

I was able to be with my nephew at his first Aggie game.

I uncovered a hidden talent for pumkin super hero carving.

My heart was touched when Joe Simon, creator of Captain America, passed away at 98.

I was honored as roast master for my friends bachelor party roast.

Sherman and I started our journey to backcountry surfing extraordinaires.

Marry Christmas?

2011-12-23T15:12:00.003-07:00

Yeah, you sure showed those liberals what's up, didn't you?!

Joe Simon Passes at 98

2011-12-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

This man has had quite the legacy. He and Jack Kirby came up with the super hero who has impacted my life more than anyone one else, save my father. I hope that we can all look back on his work and realize the love we have for comics is all because of this humble son of an immigrant.

From Big Shiny Robot!'s interview in 2010:

Over the years I’ve been told more than once that comics are dying,

which led me to say that comics have been“dying” for fifty years. As

long as there are people pushing to try new things with the medium,

there will be comics.

Thanks Joe, “We shall call you CAPTAINAMERICA, son! Because, like you—America shall gain the strength and thewill to safeguard our shores!” Captain America Comics #1

Samsung Hits Apple right in the apples

2011-11-23T14:05:00.001-07:00

I could never get a Samsung, I'm creative.

Dude, you're a barista.

How Should We Remember Joe Shuster?

2011-11-18T16:21:00.001-07:00

The following is my reply to an article on the LA Times Hero Complex website. The article talks about the fetish art by Superman's co-creator that has recently been published postmortem. Please make sure to read the full article by Geoff Bucher.

I really appreciate Jerry's comments (especially since I imagine that is the legendary Jerry Robinson). While I have yet to open the cover of the survey, I hope that the publication of the book doesn't add even more insult to the injury that Shuster's career endured.
Jerry was classy when he said, "Occasionally, a hard up movie star has taken work waiting tables." I am less classy and will say they end up doing porn. If Sylvester Stallion's stinit in adult films was never made public until after he died, we would look at "Rocky" in a whole different light. But, he had time to change that image; show that sometimes a job is just a job, even if it is fun at the time. We all know of the Italian Stallion, but that is over shadowed by Rocky and Rambo. Let's let 'The Flesh Merchants" stand in the shadow of "Superman."

Trent Hunsaker

MARVEL Pumpkins

2011-10-31T00:56:00.001-06:00

Trent got a wild hare up his ass and made a Nova, Deadpool, Captain America, and Iron Man craved pumpkins.

Happy Halloween!

Will Calls #2

2011-10-22T02:17:00.001-06:00

Trent's Current Holds

2011-10-19T11:27:00.000-06:00

A date? With a girl? Why?

VERTIGO - American Vampire

VERTIGO - American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest
MARVEL - Annihilators: Earthfall

Top Cow - Artifacts
MARVEL - The Amazing Spider-Man

DC - Batgirl

DC - Batman The Dark Knight

MARVEL - Captain America
Image - Chew

MARVEL - Daredevil

MARVEL - Deadpool MAX
DC - Deathstroke
MARVEL - FF

DC - Fury of Firestorm

IDW - GI Joe A Real American Hero

DC - Grifter

Image - Hack Slash

Image - Haunt

MARVEL - Incredible Hulk

ICON - Kick Ass 2

Top Cow - Magdalena
MARVEL - Moon Knight

MARVEL - Punisher

DC - Red Hood & The Outlaws
MARVEL - Red Skull Incarnate

MARVEL - SHIELD Infinity

BOOM - The Traveler

DC - Suicide Squad
MARVEL - Venom

Podcast #47 Ketchup > Lotion

2011-10-06T02:14:00.001-06:00

Skip to 3:00, that is where the show really starts.

Video streaming by Ustream

Podcast #46 Pod Solo

2011-09-22T12:08:00.001-06:00

Thor: Whack-a-Mole

2011-08-20T15:59:00.001-06:00

Cool vs Stool - Fright Night

2011-08-18T06:06:00.003-06:00

Fright Night is frightfully a boo-bless let down.

If there is one thing I look forward to in a "R" rated horror flick it is getting to see some no-name B actress' breasts. If there are two things I look forward to in a "R" rated horror flick, the first is some no-name B actress' breasts, and the second is scenes that make me jump with unexpected startlements; Fright Night delivers neither of these things.

Based on Tom Holland's 1985 film of the same name, Fright Night tells the story of the vampire next door who is slowly killing off the neighborhood, and it is up to a teenage boy to gather a rag-tag group of would-be vampire slayers to save the day, and hopefully still make it to the prom in time.

Anton Yelchin (Star Trek, Terminator Salvation) plays the teenage protagonist in a role fit for any teen angst film. He has recently been accepted by the "cool kids" in school and left his monster loving dweeb friend behind in the dust of LARPing. Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad, Kick-Ass) plays the dweeb friend who first has suspicions about Jerry, played by Collin Ferrell (Horrible Bosses, Phone Booth), the attractively pale next-door neighbor who only comes out at night.

Yes, the film is as predictable as it sounds, but it has its moments. When watched in the vein of an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, the film makes for a great laugh. Shot in 3-D, there is some fun with blood spattering and flying arrows, and axes, and stakes, oh my!

All of the lead actors in this film are capable of better, something they've all shown before. Fright Night shackles good actors to a poorly written script with a more-than predictable plot.

See this film if you liked Disturbia, post Joss Whedon episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or My Super Psycho Sweet 16.

Cool vs Stool = STOOL

Cool vs Stool - An Orgy of Laughter

2011-08-16T13:23:00.003-06:00

One of our favorite books of 2011 is Lost at the Con, and it is featured in a three pack of humour books for the nook and Kindle called 'An Orgy of Laughter!' $10 gets you all three books!

Lost at the Con, written by Bryan Young, tells the tale of a drunk political journalist in the mold of Hunter Thompson assigned to cover a sci-fi convention.

Turds in the Punch Bowl is bestseller Jen Ashton's first foray into comedy writing and documents her best friends quest to get laid.

The Warlizard Chronicles are true stories from a guy who never said no to any opportunity in his life. From his time in the first Gulf War to a girlfriend who had her first orgasm at the hands of a dog. It's a very fun read.

Cool vs Stool Rating = COOL

Cool vs Stool - Cowboys & Aliens

2011-07-28T03:58:00.002-06:00

Cowboys & Aliens - Welcome to Earth, pilgrim. Now it's time to die.

What happens when the kick assery of James Bond (the good one, Casino Royale) is focused by proven comic book-action direction and driven by masterful sci-fi story telling? Oh, I know! (pick me, pick me) You get Cowboys & Aliens.

The obvious players in this film are Daniel Craig (Casino Royale) and Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones), and both deliver performances worthy of the best westerns (Unforgiven, High Noon, True Grit). Add Sam Rockwell (Iron Man 2) for some comic relief and a super sexy (bra-less) Olivia Wilde (Tron) into the mix, and you have a fantastic western.

But a great western isn't enough for director Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Iron Man 2). Drawing from a writing team with credits including ABC's Lost, Star Trek, and Children of Men, Favreau takes audiences through an old west that has been infested with gold mining aliens, who if not stopped, will wipe out all of humanity.

I know the premise sounds... well... like a Saturday night SyFy movie. But the writing, acting, and special effects are done so well, I kept thinking, "Sure, of course aliens and cowboys could fight. This makes obvious sense."

In a year that had multiple blockbusters featuring aliens (Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Super 8, I Am Number Four) Cowboys & Aliens is the only film that gave me what I yearn for in an alien movie: disgusting and terrifying aliens getting their asses kicked by humans.

This flick delivers solid big-budget-production fun, even in the waning of the summer blockbuster season. See this film if you liked Aliens, Iron Man, Star Trek.

Cool vs Stool = Cool

HYDRA or COBRA?

2011-07-11T17:15:00.002-06:00

In the new Captain America: The First Avenger, the Nazi group HYDRA has a futuristic airship. Does it remind you of anyone else's airship?

Cool VS Stool - Transformers: Dark of the Moon

2011-06-29T12:53:00.001-06:00

Transformers: Dark of the Moon – Enough lens flares to make J.J. Abrams jealous.

If you loved Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, you’ll love the latest installment in the Transformers franchise. But what does it mean for a sequel when the director doesn’t even like its preceding film?

“It was kind of a mess, wasn’t it?” Michael Bay told the LA Times in reference to Revenge of the Fallen.

Bay claimed that the 2nd film suffered from poor writing, and that Dark of the Moon would rectify that error. Why then did Bay use the same writer for the 3rd film, Ehren Kruger? Dark of the Moon’s biggest flaws lie in the story.

The ongoing saga of the Autobots and Decepticons plays out in a full-out invasion of Earth (which doesn’t even start until 90 minutes into the film). Presumably legions of the alien robots have been hibernating buried in the moon. Presumably, because only one ship is actually described as being there and suddenly Earth is being held hostage by throngs of bad bots. It is up to the handful of Autobots and recent college grad Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) to save humanity.

The film has some of the best 3D effects seen in a film. But that is like saying it is the skinniest kids at fat camp, as 3D is still a gimmicky tactic. However the added shade from the 3D glasses is helpful to shield viewers from the unnecessary lens flares used in the film. And the over-use of bullet time shots makes each fight scene painfully slow and the already exhaustingly long movie feel even longer.

Sadly, great talent was sucked in to this cash cow in minor roles played by Ken Jeong (The Hangover) and John Malkovich (Red); who I’m sure will make their way into trailers for the film in a week or so to draw fence sitters to the theater.

This movie is painfully long and spoon feeds the audience obnoxiously obvious plotlines with nonstop on the nose dialog. See this film if you liked Transformers: Rise of the Fallen, Bad Boys 2, or Armageddon.

Cool VS Stool Rating = Stool

QUESTION OF THE DAY

2011-06-28T12:01:00.001-06:00

Who wins this battle?

Deathstroke (DC) - Taskmaster (Marvel)

Cool VS Stool - Green Lantern

2011-06-17T02:52:00.004-06:00

Green Lantern - $300 Million of Green!

Today, Warner Bros. releases its first super hero film since last summers colossal flop, Jonah Hex. But unlike Jonah Hex, Green Lantern is actually worth seeing.

Ryan Reynolds (The Proposal, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) plays Hal Jordan, the overly confident test pilot who is ironically reluctant to take on the mantel of the super hero, Green Lantern. Reynold's performance is what you would expect: sarcastically funny, endearing, and... well... heroic. With rock-hard abs, a defined chin, and perfect line delivery, Reynolds is the ideal comic book hero.

The special effects in Green Lantern are well done. Compared to the rushed CG effects in X-Men: First Class, it is obvious that Lantern benefited from longer production time and multiple screen tests (but I'm not sure who approved some of the campy choices of ring projections). As great as the SFXs are, they are not enhanced by 3-D (don't waste the extra money if you don't have to). Though with a $300 million budget one would expect eye popping SFXs and maybe even some equally fantastic writing.

The film spends 2/3s of it's time developing Hal Jordan's character and setting the stage for a conflict that is disappointingly quick to be resolved. A fellow critic came into the film 45 minutes late and didn't miss a thing having watched the trailers. But the film is obviously setting the stage for another comic book movie franchise, so it spends extra time spoon feeding the audience for the next film's conflict (and if you aren't sharp enough to see what that is, just stick around for the credits).

It's a fun film worth seeing. But I eat the words from my review of Super 8, when I told viewers who if pressed for cash should just see Green Lantern. See this film if you liked Super Man Returns, I Am Number Four, or Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

Cool VS Stool Rating = Cool

Cool VS Stool - Super 8

2011-06-09T17:27:00.003-06:00

Super 8, combining E.T., Cloverfield, and The Goonies.

Paramount releases its 3rd "summer blockbuster" this weekend with Super 8. This film brought out the big guns with Exec. Producer Steven Spielberg and Writer/Director J.J. Abrams. Abrams, an accomplished screen writer (e.g., Armageddon, ABC's Lost), is perhaps most known for his 2009 directorial take on Star Trek.

The film pays homage to what I can only think was Abrams' childhood with dreams of becoming a film maker, and obviously to E.T. and Close Encounters.The title refers to the use of a "Super 8" video camera. The film is the story of a group of middle schoolers who inadvertently witness an Air Force train wreck while making a film with a Super 8 camera, and the subsequent happenings there after.

Kyle Chandler (NBC's Friday Nigh Lights) plays the deputy sheriff in the small town of Lilian, who must make sense of all the strange events that are taking place in the town soon after the near by train wreck. Joel Courtney plays the deputy's son, Joe, and is the lead role in the film. The film follows Joe as he makes the heroic journey from insecure shy preteen to assertive life saving hero (all within the diegetic time of less than a week).

There is a monster / alien in the film. You've probably already heard that. The suspense that leads to the unveiling of the creature could be described as, well, loud. The film relies on sudden explosions / surprises and shrill scoring in the soundtrack to heighten intensity, and succeeds masterfully.

The visual aspects of the film are fantastic. The acting is superb. The only place where the film actually falls short should have been its forte: the writing. The film falls to classic cliches that make it rather predictable and suffers from multiple inconsistencies that pull the viewer out of the film. Perhaps those flaws wouldn't be so noticeable if 20 minutes were trimmed from the film productions... That said, the film is entertaining and worth seeing versus the other films released this week (e.g., Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer, Trollhunter). But if you are tight on cash, wait and save your money for next week's Green Lantern.

This film is a B- to B, and could have easily been a solid B to B+. See this film if you like E.T., Cloverfield, ABC's Lost.

Cool VS Stool Rating: Cool

XBOX 360 Kinect Star Wars

2011-06-07T13:54:00.000-06:00

Now geeks can be less fat while gaming!

Crossbones & Red Skull

2011-06-06T22:25:00.001-06:00

Below are Crossbones and Red Skull. Read up, Cap' is released on July 22! (Picked these up at the Hastings)

Podcast #42 "Puro"

2011-05-31T00:48:00.004-06:00

Head over to www.apartofhim.com to listen to the whole show!

Podcast #42 "Puro"

Cool VS Stool - The Hangover Part 2

2011-05-25T15:12:00.007-06:00

The Hangover Part 2: It's like The Hangover but with a monkey and trannies!

The Todd Philips directed, Warner Bros. squeal to 2009's The Hangover (the largest grossing 'R' rated movie, ever), is the steroid-injected brother to its predecessor. There is nothing "new" in Part 2 as far as the plot line is concerned. The wolf pack is back, but instead of losing Doug (Justin Bartha -National Treasure) the guys misplace Teddy (Mason Lee -Son of director Ang Lee), the future brother in-law of Stu (Ed Helms -NBC's The Office).

What differentiates Part 2 from The Hangover is location: Bangcock, Thailand. The city itself takes on the persona of a character in the story. All the problems the wolf pack encounters are simply scapegoated on the city. In Bangcock, anything goes. For a film whose precursor was known for its extreme crudeness, even in Las Vegas, a setting that is even more no-holds-barred was necessary for the follow-up film. This setting allows the cast to go bigger than they did in 2009.

The writers obviously followed the play-by-play story board from the first film. In fact, Part 2's strict adherence to the sequences of The Hangover build comedic tension for anyone who as seen the wolf pack's first outing. Scene to scene, the Hangover savvy audience will anticipate the ebb and flow of the film's familiar conflicts. This familiarity will have movie goers laughing at otherwise non-humors parts of the movie, as they just know Alan (Zach Galifianakis -Due Date) is about to do something funny.

The film, much like 2010's Due Date (also directed by Philips) has side splitting moments of hilarity and segments of abeyancy as the story shifts to its next gag. But unlike Due Date, Part 2 has a quiver of characters from which to draw, making the formulaic humor seem less structured.

The Hangover Part 2 is a much harder 'R' rating than the first. For those whose limits may have been pushed by the first film, the line from crude to obscene may be over stepped. If the viewer makes it past the introductory scene of Chow (Ken Jeong -NBC's Community), then he or she will be OK for the rest of the flick; and you'll get to see a whole lot more of Chow than in part 1.

See this movie if you liked The Hangover, Due Date, or Old School.

Cool Vs Stool Rating: Cool

Are You Listening?

2011-05-22T01:51:00.004-06:00

Cool VS Stool - Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

2011-05-20T17:05:00.002-06:00

Jack Sparrow looks better with the new boob-job.

How could Disney get people to spend money to see yet another Pirates of the Caribbean film? Give them what they want, another Jack Sparrow; but this time, can he have luscious lips and a great rack?

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Caribbean, Bad Boys II) unleashed his latest addition to the Pirates franchise this week. Unlike the "Kraken" unleashed in the previous two films, the 4th addition to the saga keeps the conflict focused and coherent from beginning to end. An end that doesn't come until an exhausting 137 minutes after it begins.

Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is at it again. This time in search of the fountain of youth. This time he is accompanied by a female version of himself (figuratively speaking), Angelica, played by the busty Penelope Cruz (Blow). Crowd favorites: Captain Barbosa (Jeffery Rush, The King's Speech), First Mate Gibbs (Kevin McNally), and Captain Teague (Keith Richards) also join in the adventure. However, this time the antagonist is the infamous Black Beard, played by Ian McShane (44 Inch Chest, Kung Fu Panda).

While the writers for this film have obviously switched to decaf (from meth) after the last two Pirates films, and it does tell a complete story, I wish I was telling you how different this film was than the first Pirates movie. But it's not.

Bruckheimer's formula (franchised characters + CGI + (action x comedy) + compelling score) works with the Pirates saga -according to the box office- even though it hasn't worked with other films (Prince of Persia). I wonder how long people will keep buying in to the same film over and over. I've already seen Jack Sparrow drunkenly running from soldiers and swinging on ropes. I guess audiences are to believe that by adding mermaids and a few tongue and cheek innuendos it's something new and exciting.

See this film if you enjoyed Pirates of the Caribbean: At Word's End, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, or The Sorcerer's Apprentice.

Cool VS Stool Rating: Stool

Cool VS Stool - Bridesmaids

2011-05-19T11:15:00.003-06:00

Are you the type of girl who sees The Hangover and thinks, "Girls can be this funny. When do we get The Ladies' Hangover?" Well Producer Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, Superbad) and Director Paul Feig (Arrested Development) are those type of girls... err... guys.

Kristen Wiig (SNL) stars as Annie in this non-traditional Rom-Com that she co-wrote with Annie Mumolo. The film is non-traditional to its genre because, in classic Apatow fashion, it doesn't shy from blatant vulgarity. But the film can still be seen as a traditional Rom-Com as it deals with the coming together of middle and high socio-economic classes via marriage.

Annie's best friend Lillian, played by Maya Rudolph (Away We Go), is getting married and Annie is asked to be the maid of honor. However, Lillian's new friend and spouse to her finance's boss, played by Rose Byrne (Get Him to the Greek) begins competing for the top spot in the bridesmaids' lineup.

What makes Bridesmaids different from the cookie cutter Rom-Com, besides the dick-and-fart jokes, is that the conflict within the film isn't between genders. As typical Rom-Com has to do with a boy and a girl overcoming their socio-economic class issues to be together, Bridesmaids deals with issues of class as they affect women when marriage separates them into separate tax brackets.

Look for laugh-til-your-ribs-hurt performances from Melissa McCarthy (Gilmore Girls), Wendi McLendon-Covey (Reno 911!), and of course Wiig. In fact, Wiig's performance could be compared to the love child of Tina Fey and the combined sperm of Paul Rudd and Jason Segel.

See this film if you like Knocked UP, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, or Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Cool VS Stool rating: COOL

It's about time!

2011-05-02T10:55:00.000-06:00

After all of these years of the entire Galactic Empire looking for just one man, it only took one bounty hunter to do the job.

Do Gingers Have Souls?

2011-04-29T03:54:00.001-06:00

In case you don't like the interenets, we thought we'd just let you in on this little piece of viral hilarity.

Free Comic Book Day: May 7

2011-04-26T13:21:00.001-06:00

Trent's favorite local shop is The Android's Dungeon

Be sure to stop by your local comic book shop for free comic book day! It's just like crack; your first hit is always free!

Cool vs Stool - Hanna

2011-04-25T11:14:00.002-06:00

Cool vs Stool = Cool
This film is a perfect example of how skewed the MMPA rating system is. This film is extremely violent, but it's all good, the MMPA sees violence more suitable for adolescents than sex or swears. MMPA Rating: PG-13

Podcast #41 "Quijamitos" Part 4

2011-04-25T00:31:00.002-06:00

Government Customer Service - City of Logan, Utah

2011-04-23T11:21:00.002-06:00

See both civil servants?

Today I was pulled over and issued a citation for having out of date registration. That's ok. I get that. Yes I was driving to the Local Harley-Davidson dealer to get a safety inspection so I could register the motorcycle, but I'm not upset about the ticket.

I am, however, upset at the lack of knowledge the (in all reality very cordial) officer had in actual procedures. He wasn't sure on the processes of temporary registration, being able to change registration due dates, among a slew of other registration-specific questions I had. He was very nice, but simply told me, you'll have to talk to the DMV.

Now, you may say, this isn't his job. Yes, he did know the law needed to issue me a ticket. Just as clerk running the cash register at the grocery store knows what it takes to scan items and provide the service of exchanging money. However, if I were to ask the clerk when the sale was to end on watermelon, on which aisle the peanut butter was located, or even how long it took to place a special case-order he/she could answer me. It's called customer service.

I beg the City of Logan, to train its employees for better customer service. It's not the fault of this very nice officer. It's his supervisor's fault for not seeing the importance of organizational cross training.

If you've had similar expericences with poor customer service, let city officials know via Twitter (http://twitter.com/cityoflogan).

Greendale's Dean Pelton's Cartoon - Cool VS Stool

2011-04-22T22:50:00.000-06:00

Cool VS Stoll = COOL!

Cos Play Bowlers

2011-04-22T17:35:00.000-06:00

Utah State University Campus Cos Players go bowling. Obviously, Trent gets excited.

Podcast #41 Part 4

2011-04-21T12:58:00.000-06:00

Podcast #41Quijamitos Part 3

2011-04-12T22:03:00.000-06:00

Podcast #41 Part 1

2011-04-08T16:55:00.000-06:00

Podcast #41 Part 2

2011-04-06T09:59:00.003-06:00

Sucker Punch - Cool or Stool

2011-04-01T10:13:00.000-06:00

The Kids Are All Right - Cool or Stool

2011-03-27T01:29:00.000-06:00

Podcast #40 Cheetah Spray

2011-03-26T14:24:00.002-06:00

The Rick King Music Disaster - On The facebooks

2011-03-24T12:32:00.000-06:00

Make sure to like The Rick King Music Disaster on facebook for free downloads!

Stand Up Advice From Some Of The Best!

2011-03-22T09:21:00.000-06:00

Cap' Says Come See Ricky Hacking (and Trent)

2011-03-18T15:13:00.000-06:00

Come See the Beam Me Up Ska T's in Ska'Gden

2011-03-17T16:58:00.000-06:00

Original Music by The Rick King Music Disaster

2011-03-16T13:29:00.000-06:00

APoH Advice: Stay Seated

2011-03-15T16:05:00.000-06:00

Cool Vs Stool - Rango

2011-03-13T23:07:00.003-06:00

Best Folksy Rock of 2010

2011-03-11T12:42:00.002-07:00

Trentavisionist: Portlandia

2011-03-10T17:29:00.002-07:00

Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein are Portlandians

Do you remember the 90s? Sounds like the tag line for yet another round of VH1’s decade remembered series. Fred Armisen, of SNL fame, answers this question and proves that “the dream of the 90s is alive in Portland” through a slew of character driven sketches in his new IFC show, Portlandia.

Joined with friend Carrie Brownstein, of the all-woman indie rock band Sleater-Kinney, Armisen, himself an accomplished musician, sets out to dually pay homage and riff on the city that has meant so much to him.

“I love Portlandia. It really represents so much of what I love culturally, musically and in so many other ways,” said Fred Armisen in the IFC press release for the show. “This started as just a fun summer activity for Carrie and me. We’d be hanging out in Portland and shooting whatever made us laugh, and that evolved into Portlandia.”

Armisen representing the East Coast, and Brownstein hailing from the West, the team hope to have fun showing the cultural collisions that take place in Portland.

“The ideals and philosophy that are in the show, and in Portland, are present in a lot of other cities, whether it’s Austin or Williamsburg [Brooklyn] or Silver Lake [Los Angeles] or Boulder, Colorado,” said Brownstein in an interview with IFC’s Melissa Locker. “So a lot of the ideology in the show is present in a lot of states. If a state doesn't have a Portland, there are subsets of the population that are striving to be Portland. Pittsburgh is trying to get on the Portland thing. There may not be entire cities who get it, but there are certain populations that will find the material relatable.”

The early union of this comedic dynamic duo was manifest as Thunderant, “a compilation of online videos that combined their unique music styles and comedic sensibilities.” Thunderant was the developing ground for many of the characters that are now featured in Portlandia.

Expect to see multiple cameos in Portlandia. In the short six-part first season, the show boasts appearances from Aubrey Plaza, Kyle MacLachlan, Jason Sudeikis, Heather Graham and Selma Blair, just to name a handful on the long list.

If you missed the first round of the show, don’t worry. IFC has made entire episodes as well as the individuals shorts available online. Want more Portalandia? IFC renewed the show for a second season after the first three episodes aired.

IFC has definitely caught the dream of the 90s, especially if that means a television comedy set to dominate all others. We’ll see if Portlandia can stand up to the ultimate dream of any television program that was molded in the 90s, Seinfeld.

Portlandia airs Fridays at 10:30/9:30C on the Independent Film Channel (IFC).

Podcast #37 BYU Police Blotter

2011-03-09T17:42:00.003-07:00

Trentavisionist: I’ll Have Bob’s Burgers with a Side of Dialogue

2011-01-09T15:10:00.003-07:00

Is Bob's Burgers too Smart for Fox?

Originally posted on TheTelevisionist.com

On Jan. 9, Fox will add yet another animated sitcom to their “Animation Domination.”

Bob’s Burgers makes its debut serving up a familiar yet not recognizable by name cast. The first reaction you may have when hearing Bob, will be one of a “Where have I heard him before?!” Jon Benjamin has a resume that reads like a laundry-list of brilliant unknown comdey. From episodes of “Parks & Recreation” to a regular role on FX’s “Archer,” not to mention a whole slough of shows under his writer’s hat, there is no doubt you unknowingly are familiar with his work.

Also included in the cast are Flight of the Conchords’ Eugene Mirman, Modern Family’s Kristen Schaal, and Every Body Loves Raymond’s Andy Kindler.

The inception of Loren Bouchard, Bob’s Burgers is hoping to add more to Fox’s Sunday night line up than the current Seth MacFarlane onslaught (Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, American Dad). And if B.B. is a reflection of Bouchard’s earlier work, it will be a 180 to any show currently airing on Fox.

Bouchard, the creative genius behind Dr. Katz and Home Movies, uses “retroscripting” as the driving force in telling his stories. Retroscripting provides a loose plot structure as the model for the voice actors to shape each episode through their own improvisation. This style lends to dialogue driven comedy, which couldn’t be farther away from the MacFarlane Flashback/Cutaway animation.

However, such a dialogue driven style may prove too taxing on Fox’s general audience, and the show could steer away from its Comedy Central and Cartoon Network siblings. Sadly, if Bouchard holds to his style, Bob’s Burgers could quickly go the way of Arrested Development.

Ironically, Bob’s Burgers is about a failing family-run burger joint. Let’s hope the show will serves more laughs than the restaurant is meals.

Bob’s Burgers premieres Sunday, Jan. 9, at 7:30 p.m. MST.

APoH Advice: Bathroom Phone Calls

2010-12-30T11:46:00.002-07:00

15 Goals for 2011

2010-12-28T15:23:00.002-07:00

I am publicly posting these goals in the hopes that this will hold me somewhat accountable to them. So if you ever read this, please feel free to hit me up and ask how they are going. These are in random order:

2011 is gonna make 2010 her BITCH!

Get back in my kayak. (not that I don't fit, but to do one river run would be a success)
Go to the dentist once. (I haven't been to the dentist since 2002)
Participate in and finish LOTOJA. (208 miles in one day, may be the hardest physical feet of my life)
Ride my motorcycle to a coast. (It doesn't matter what coast)
Ride six track days at Miller Motorsports Park. (APEX track days has about 10 available days, I can do at least six)
Lose 40 lbs and maintain that weight. (That weight would be 190 lbs... you do the math for what I weigh now)
Write for fun at least once a week. (This could be on my blog or even for http://thetelevisionist.com/, but it should be published)
Brush my teeth everyday. (OK... So I struggle with this... LAY OFF!)
Join a band. (This one is already in the works, but won't take place until 2011)
Justify my gym membership by actually going and lifting weights at least twice a week. (I've had the membership for a year, and only gone a handful of times, that's an expensive handful of times)
Go on a motorcycle trip with my mom and dad. (We usually make this happen, but it didn't last year and I will never let that happen again)
Use up all of the days on my Jackson Hole Ski Pass (I bought one last year, and only went once, that was a very expensive day of skiing)
Sturgis. (Could be with my folks, or on my way to a coast, or a trip of its own)
Attend a "CON". (It could be a Comicon, Dragoncon, E3, Nerdtacular, ETC)
Date someone. (I realize that this is A-Lame, B-Pathetic, and C-Technically not a good goal because I can't control if a girl will date me or not, but I think I'm to a point in my life where I could be a pretty good boyfriend)

APoH Advice: Thanks, But I'm Still Fat

2010-12-25T02:36:00.001-07:00

Trent Takes Another Stab At Stand Up

2010-12-05T16:03:00.002-07:00

Rick and DJ Thor Reach for the Stars

2010-11-29T11:45:00.002-07:00

www.apartofhim.com

Dating Advice From Trent

2010-11-26T00:40:00.000-07:00

"I Don't Wanna Do This Anymore"

2010-11-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

Lallymonster Studio

2010-11-19T21:59:00.001-07:00

Dave Ackerman Is Coming Back To Logan!

2010-11-13T09:08:00.000-07:00

Make sure to come see Dave Ackerman and a host of his funny friends at the Logan Art House on December 3rd! Hosted by www.apartofhim.com's own T-Rent!

Giant Hamburgers - Mesa's Huge Secret!

2010-09-26T21:07:00.004-06:00

It is what it is.

Classic burgers and crispy/greasy fries

Long time friend of the show Chad Bowman introduced me to a strip mall burger joint that lives up to its name: Giant Hamburgers. The menu consists not just over sized burgers either. A full range menu from omelets to cheesecake is available for the hearty eater. Also, if you aren't sure of what the menu items look like, there is a full LCD screen which displays the food stuffs, breaking it down to the very basics like hamburger patty and fried egg. I had a bacon cheeseburger that believe it or not filled me full (coupled with some of the best crispy, greasy fries I've had since I stopped tempura battering/frying Carl's Jr. fries at home in my Fry-Daddy). If you are in the Mesa, Arizona area, I would highly suggest sinking into this Giant Hamburgers! Cool VS Stool rating = Cool

Not for the weak heart.

Friend of the show, Chad Bowman!

Support Your Local Geeks (Geek Show at Dr. Volts Comic Connection)

2010-09-18T21:53:00.000-06:00

Just How Engaged Are You?

2010-09-13T16:10:00.001-06:00

Resident Evil: Afterlife's only life comes from Soul Calibur (Stool)

2010-09-11T00:02:00.003-06:00

Afterlife's "Executioner" Zombie

If the newest film in the Resident Evil saga, was actually a video game, I would have turned it off after ten minuets of playing. I would then go sit on my front porch and wait for a dog to shit on my front lawn. The time spent waiting for a dog would move faster than the Resident Evil: Afterlife.

The film picks up right where the last one left off. While the opening 5 minuets is an against all odds fight scene of multiple Alices (Milla Jovovich) vs what's left of the Umbrella Corporation, there isn't even a good zombie attack until the film is at least 3/4 of the way over.

Which brings up an interesting point. The video game company Namco may want to look into the source material for the "main zombie" of the film (an executioner type mega zombie). While the film is based on the hit video game series by Capcom, the executioner zombie looks just like a character from Namco's Soul Calibur, Astaroth.

Soul Calibur's Astaroth

This was my very first 3-D experience. After the initial fight scene, I pulled the glasses off periodically during the movie, and realized there really wasn't much 3-D to the film. I definitely wouldn't say that this is a must see in 3-D.

All said, Jovovich still looks just as amazing as she did in the first Resident Evil film (2002). The film does find comic relief in Kim Coates, playing a whiny movie producer, but his character isn't introduced until the film is nearly over.

This films final grade: D+ (Stool)

I Take a Dump on Steve Jobs

2010-09-06T15:27:00.005-06:00

iTunes won't let you listen to the whole song...

Sunday night heading into Labor Day, and I was with nothing to do in particular. I grabbed the local newspaper and thumbed through the advertisements, noticing one for the Hastings Entertainment (think FYE with more books on a regional scale). Obviously the "buy one comic book get on free" coupon tickled my geek sack, but there was also a 30% off all used music discount. Promptly I walked the two blocks to annex my comics and music.

I must have spent two hours browsing the used C.D's after I selected my comics. Having made three music selections I was nearing the end of what was left to peruse, when I stepped into the Soundtrack section. Soundtracks have always been a guilty pleasure of mine, and are usually amazing or terrible, but all have at least one that is worth listening to. Some of my favorites include "Pulp Fiction," "The Crow," and "O' Brother Where Art Thou." I was amused to see the soundtrack to one of my favorite dark comedies of the '90's "The Cable Guy." My astonishment quickly surpassed my amusement when I saw the price: 97¢.

The song that I most remembered from the 1996 film was Primitive Radio Gods' "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth..." One of those songs that gets in your head, and doesn't annoy you, but you seem to word it unknowingly (do do, do, do do, do, do do do do). There also turned out to be some gems that I didn't remember; Filter, Porno For Pyros, and even Cypress Hill. With the 30% discount, my cost for the album was .68¢.

When I got back to my place, I check the price for just the Primitive Radio Gods song: $1.29. This just goes to show, that iTunes isn't always your cheapest option. So please, support your local economy and not Steve Jobs' war on Adobe.

What does 10.5 hours of gaming look like?

2010-08-27T20:31:00.007-06:00

NEW WEBSITE

2010-05-24T23:45:00.000-06:00

It's been a good run on Blogger, but we've moved on! Catch us out at our new home: www.apartofhim.com

Podcast #15 The Box

2010-05-24T10:56:00.000-06:00

Show sans Rick :( , Empire Strikes Back, Chris rocked the Walk-Man in High School, The Box, Aggie Refugees, Taco Bell $2 Meals, Fry Sauce, Vidgeo Games
We are working things out with our Web Hosting so you can only download the podcast from here for now. Sorry for the inconvenience.
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minicast #8 Funny Boobs

2010-05-20T18:39:00.001-06:00

Contest winner Molly, joins Trent to talk about the live filming of Comedian Marcus' DVD/TV special.

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Podcast #14 Marissa Miller

2010-05-18T10:43:00.001-06:00

Chris joins the "A Part of Him" crew, Trent announces the Comedian Marcus ticket winner, Jared Christiansen is performing in Blackfoot, Marissa Miller, NES on DROID, burrito/pizza roll, Taco Bell = Dathomir.

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Podcast #13 Body Spray

2010-05-10T01:38:00.019-06:00

Rick is getting married, Iron Man 2, Body Spray replaces bathing, what TV you should be watching, the furry craze, Buck Double, Kai Kai speaks, Free Ticket to Comedy Show!

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Podcast #12 Nougatastic!

2010-05-04T02:47:00.002-06:00

Trent and Rick welcome their biggest fan as a guest on the show, yjenerator, nougat makes everything better, even Drew Barrymore, Iron Man 2, Oregon is a form of Japanese paper and Salt Lake City!!!!

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minicast #7 Free Comic Book Day

2010-04-30T19:58:00.009-06:00

Trent talks about Free Comic Book Day, his shout-out on The Mediocre Show, the explicit content label on "A Part of Him" in the iTunes, and his SF4 freak out.

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Thursday Mix Tape - 8 Bit Loading.............

2010-04-30T00:17:00.000-06:00

Remember those tunes from your NES or SEGA Master System games? Well, now enjoy the simple fun of 8 Bit music in a contemporary style!

"A Straight View Out Of The Closet" Part #1

2010-04-28T02:12:00.007-06:00

Trent speaks with token gay Nick, Trent takes the "What kind of gay are you?" quiz, Nick describes the different types of gays and the respective bars/clubs where these gays can be found in Utah. Podcast Contains Adult Material!

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Podcast #11 Double Down

2010-04-26T01:53:00.003-06:00

Trent and Rick discuss the Double Down experience, bacon wrapped naughty bits, top 5 movies of the past decade, Danny Glover, and the rage of Street Fighter 4 (Link to Trent's Voice Mail to Rick).

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Trent Goes Down... Double Down!

2010-04-26T01:08:00.000-06:00

minicast #6 No Pants minicast

2010-04-23T23:49:00.005-06:00

Trent decides he's too cool for pants and talks about his second appearance on the Radio Askew Podcast, and he also tells about two new ways you can contact the "A Part of Him" podcast!

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Thursday Mix Tape - Guy Ritchie Fight Scene Songs

2010-04-23T22:29:00.000-06:00

We all know a Guy Ritchie fight scene when we see one. These songs you could place into any of his fights and think to yourself "Damn! That Rocks!"

Marvel Vs Capcom 3 - Get Excited!

2010-04-20T17:29:00.000-06:00

Due out in the Spring of 2011

Podcast #10 Kick Ass / Oregon Trail

2010-04-18T21:55:00.013-06:00

The "A Part of Him" crew talks about Kick Ass, Rick selling his WoW account, Trent sweats while his iPod gets destroyed, and Rick will start playing Oregon Trail in anticipation of moving to the west.

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Thursday Mix Tape - Johnny Cash

2010-04-17T20:58:00.001-06:00

There is no such thing as "The Top 10 Johnny Cash Songs of All Time." They are all just too good. But here is a good start for those who may not be familiar with the Legend.

Tony Burgers: "One burger to rule them all"

2010-04-15T14:33:00.003-06:00

Tony Burgers of Centerville, Utah claims that they have "one burger to rule them all." I'd like to think that in my stomach, I shall bind them.
The "all fresh, never frozen" craze is hitting the Utah burger market hard, with chains like In-N-Out and 5 Guys stepping up to bat in the Wasatch Front, I'm sure we'll be seeing many local versions of these chains popping up. Tony's follows the patterns for these popular burger establishments with a simple menu featuring fresh hand made patties in 1/4, 1/3, and 1/2 lb sizes.

I really like the paper sleeve that the burger is served in! It allows one to eat the entire burger without having to get their hands greasy or unwrap extra paper (like at In-N-Out). While the burger is quite good, what really surprised me were the fries. These twice fried shoe string fries, really feel like they are melting in your mouth. That said, you may want to eat them first or at least chow down on a few before your burger, as they mushify the colder they get. They also serve salads, but the thought of a salad just pisses me off.

The bathroom is sadly just a one lunger, so if you need to go, you might be in trouble. But it was clean and easily accessible. They share a parking lot with a Wal-Mart so there is plenty of parking. And they also offer free Wi-Fi (in fact, I'm finishing posting this from Tony's Burgers).

Check out their website and give this place a try. I was very impressed. Not quite a food boner, but maybe in the future it could be one.

Burger: B (Tri-Beef Blend, Hand Formed Patty)
Fries: A (Twice Fried)
Beverage: Coke Fountain
Ice: Rabbit Poop Style
Bathroom: B (One Lunger)
Toilet Paper: C+
Seating: 48 indoor, 20 outdoor
Dipping Sauces: B- (Fry Sauce, Fry Sauce w/ BBQ, Ketchup)
Overall Rating: B

minicast #5 Look Mom, We're On The iTunes / The Girl That Got Away

2010-04-14T00:33:00.006-06:00

A Part of Him is now on the iTunes! Trent is also searching for that special someone he met on a flight to Salt Lake City.

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Interactive Trailer for Iron Man 2

2010-04-12T16:46:00.003-06:00

apartofhim podcast#9 In-N-Out Filling the Emptiness that Xbox Live Can't

2010-04-12T01:06:00.009-06:00

Jon Holmes Joins the A Part of Him Crew, 5 layer vs 7 layer burrito, 3 Best Fast Food Chains in C.A., Breaking up on Twitter, Trent claims that Xbox Live fills the social void in his life, and did Rick sell his WoW account?

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Cool vs Stool - Movie Remakes

2010-04-08T18:21:00.004-06:00

Cool
Oceans 11 (2001)
While this is a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film, that I’m pretty sure anyone reading this hasn’t seen (please comment and prove me wrong), there is no need to be familiar with the original to appreciate the absolute Cool of this flick.
Dawn of the Dead (2004) pictured
The 1978 original Dawn of the Dead was the stand alone sequel to Night of the Living Dead, which lead to an eventual four sequels. The original is fantastic, and the 2004 remake was done in a way that captures many of the same themes and feel of the original, but lays out more of a “re-imagining” of the 1978 version. A must see for any zombie lover.
Captain America (201?)
This film hasn’t even been filmed yet. In fact, casting hasn’t even finished. That said, I feel that even Jon Peters could take on this task, and still come out ahead of the 1990 original.

The Saint (1997)
Much like Oceans 11, I’m pretty sure that no one reading this has seen the original 1960’s TV action spy series, The Saint , starring Roger Moore. However, like Oceans 11, this film rocks even if you haven’t read the series of novels of the same title or the seen the TV series. Although, I would love to see Val Kilmer go up against Roger Moore in his prime in a no holds barred cage match.
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
I guess you could say that this is a remake of a remake of a comic book character. Hulk was first a TV series in the 1970s, then Marvel studios took a failed crack at a blockbuster in 2003. The CGI of the 2003 version is definitely the worst to ever come out of the Marvel Studios. They did remake Hulk in 2008 when they cast Edward Norton in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, and totally redeemed themselves!

Stool
Karate Kid (2010) pictured
As far as I’m concerned, there is no remake of the original 1984 masterpiece.
Clash of the Titans (2010)
Was the 1981 original film very good? No. Given the circumstances, is the 2010 version worse? Absolutley.
Godzilla (1998)
It’s pretty sad when a Sci/Fi film with a budget of over $125 million, can’t do better than the 1954 original
Aeon Flux (2005)
Like Clash of the Titans (2010), the equation of attractive people + well done CGI ≠ a well done film. Sadly, not even Charlize Theron was enough top this film above the 1991, 1992, and 1995 animated series.
Avatar (2009)
I liked this film better when it was Dances with Wolves, or Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest, or even Gorillas in the Mist.

apartofhim podcast#8 -Autistic Performance at the Kentucky Opry

2010-04-05T23:29:00.008-06:00

Trent tells the true story of an autistic child capturing a troll, and Rick tells about is experience at the Kentucky Opry, no, not the Grand Ole Opry.

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Thursday Mix Tape -Top 10 Sitcom Theme Songs from the 90's

2010-04-02T20:10:00.006-06:00

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Drew Carey Show

Saved By The Bell

3rd Rock From The Sun

Home Improvement

Seinfeld

Fraiser

Blossom

Family Matters

The Wonder Years

Cinematic Genius! (EXPLICIT)

2010-04-01T01:56:00.001-06:00

Sometimes a scene from a movie comes along and completely transforms your whole way of viewing the world; this is one of those scenes.