The Smarmy Carny

Buy "Picture Book"

You have likely seen the HP Photo commercial where the guy takes pictures and waves them in front of his face, at which point the previously cut-out picture matches his face . . . or vice versa. All right, I guess that's not easy to explain.

Some guy made a similar commercial like this on his own, and he did a pretty good job. It's definitely worth checking out.

Make haste. Go and watch The HP Photo Commercial Remake.

FYI: I know many people want to know more about the music used in the commercial. Despite the current pop sound, the song is The Kinks' "Picture Book." Buy the album that includes "Picture Book" at Amazon.com by clicking the link on the right.

Merry Christmas!

Well, a bit over a week ago, I finally received credit for my fifth referral! I immediately submitted my application for approval.

Within the allotted timeframe, my referrals were approved, and I placed my order on the evening of September 6. I ordered the 20GB Color iPod, which includes a 2 inch color LCD screen, earbud headphones, AC adapter, and a USB 2.0 cable. Of course, it is podcast ready, can hold about 5,000 songs, and can last up to 15 hours for music playback or 5 hours of slideshows with music.

Once I placed my order, it currently went to a "Processing" status and will likely stay there for a couple weeks. Hey, for a free iPod, I'm willing to wait!

If you are interested in getting your free iPod, check out my article titled "Are Free iPods a Scam or Not?" Cheers!

Shopgirl tells the story the lives of three people on diverse paths in search of the same thing. Mirabelle is a small town girl and struggling artist overseeing the glove counter at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. She is swept off her feet by a rich, handsome fifty-something. At the same time, she is also being pursued by a struggling musician who offers kindness, but lacks passion, culture, and success. When fate steps in, Mirabelle is forced to choose between accepting financial security in exchange for the sacrifice of her heart or to take a shot on a late bloomer recently showing some unexpected potential.

The movie stars Steve Martin, Claire Danes, and Jason Schwartzman. Jimmy Fallon was originally slated to play Schwartzman's role, but he pulled out before filming began. No matter, as I think Schwartzman can play this sort of role better than Fallon, anyway.

Steve Martin apparently pulled a "Woody Allen" by writing a screenplay where a young girl falls for an older guy . . . and then starring as the older guy.

Watch the trailer at apple.com or the trailer at the official Touchstone site.

For the Americans who don't know much about European cars, there's a new model out on the market that is supposed to get 125 mpg (roughly, according to my conversions) and ride even quieter than an electric car. K-fee put out this commercial detailing its shape, design, and function. I know, I know . . . the video is a bit small, but if you pay close attention, you can see the details of the car as it drives along the distant road.

When you watch, be sure to listen closely to the music, too. It's a peaceful, traditional-sounding song, but if you listen carefully, you might recognize it as a recent popular American song, remade for the laid-back European folk. At least on my system, the music was a bit soft, so I had to turn it up before I was able to clearly recognize what the original was.

Turn your speakers up so you can hear the music!

Once you've seen that commercial (and if you enjoyed it), you can see the other K-fee commercials, too. There are six commercials in all, including the K-fee Car commercial.

As a side note, the phrase at the end of the commercials translate roughly as "You've never been this awake." K-fee is, of course, "is freshly brewed roasted coffee with whole milk that you can enjoy easily and everywhere."

Apple has a teaser for Thumbsucker available now.

Will it be any good? Excellent question. Since this is a teaser, it's difficult to tell even how good it might or might not be.

According to various synopses, Thumbsucker is "an honest and funny look at the struggles of people who feel deeply flawed, both those in youth and middle age." 17-year-old Justin Cobb attempts to break his thumbsucking habit, but he resorts to pills, girls, and (of course) new age orthodontistry. Justin's search for "normal" leads him further away from his goal. None of the ancillary characters fare much better in their search, either.

Vince Vaughn plays Justin's debate coach and Keanu Reeves plays his new age orthodontist. I'm guessing that, if this movie is any good, it will be able to transcend that which is Keanu Reeves. Perhaps the role is written to be bland in that Keanu-esque way.

Who's Your Daddy?

Paramount Pictures has bought the rights to make not one, but three movies of The Smurfs.

Since kids these days don't know anything of The Smurfs we loved and grew up to, this movie will likely be a 3-D CGI flick.

Don't get too excited, though. The first movie is scheduled to be released on the 50th anniversary of Peyo (Pierre) Culliford's Belgian comic strip, started in 1958. For those who aren't that great with math, that means that the first movie is slated for 2008.

This week, Progress for America released a video highlighting Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's fair treatment during her 1993 confirmation hearings.

Watch the Ginsburg Precident video put out by PFA.

The PFA has begun a "Precedent, Not Politics" Roberts Confirmation Tour.