Pixar's "Up" Being a movie buff, I love the summer movie season, when all of the big popcorn flicks are released, which usually includes the following: a superhero film, a major sequel, some kind of TV show adaptation, and a Pixar movie. With all those goodies to choose from, I actually look forward to the new Pixar movie the most. Unlike some of those big superhero flicks or summer sequels, I have never been let down by a Pixar film, and judging by the reviews so far, it looks like this year's film "Up" will be no exception. If that remains true, "Up" will give the company a 10-for-10 score for critically-acclaimed feature films -- an impressive track record not matched by any other animation studio (except, maybe Disney during their heyday in the '50s and '60s). Excluding "Up," Pixar's nine feature films have grossed over $4.8 billion worldwide and have been nominated for 30 Academy Awards, winning the Best Animated Feature Oscar four out of the six times since the award's inauguration in 2002, as well as a Special Achievement Award for "Toy Story" being the world's first feature-length computer-animated movie. All together, the company has won over 200 awards, and that's just for their feature films. Almost all of their short films -- what they were first known for -- have received awards and nominations, as well. So what is it about Pixar's movies that make them stand out above the rest? The animation? The voice actors? The gags? Nope. It's the story. Above all, the brilliant minds at Pixar are all about telling a compelling story with interesting characters. With most animated films, I can see the actor behind the voice of the character up on the screen -- I recognize the voice, and then I can't get the actor out of my head. But with Pixar's films, it's the opposite. When I see the actor after the movie (in an interview or other TV appearance, for example), I think of the Pixar character they played. Their stories are so rich in detail, I forget that I'm watching an animated movie. And who doesn't get at least a little emotional at some point during their films? Moments like the "When She Loved Me" montage in "Toy Story 2," or the last frame of "Monsters Inc.," when Boo cries out, "Kitty!," or how about when EVE says goodbye to WALL-E after she unsuccessfully tries to rebuild his memory, very quietly humming a song from "Hello Dolly" to him? These are not just "cartoons;" this is great storytelling. Suggested Sites... Pixar Animation Studios - official site of the studio. Provides a sneak peek of their feature and short films, and info about the company. The Pixar Blog - provides news updates about current and upcoming projects. Disney Blog: Pixar Articles - all Pixar-tagged articles from the popular Disney Blog. The Pixar Story: A Leslie Iwerks Film - wonderful documentary about the history of Pixar Studios. Wikipedia: Pixar - detailed history about the company.

Directory categories: Pixar, Pixar Movies, Summer Movies, Animation, Computer Animation

Archived under: Animation, Disney, Entertainment, Movies, Oscars, Pixar, Summer

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Fresh farm food like this nearby? (Courtesy of USDA.gov Photo by Scott Bauer) When you're cooking dinner, you probably consider the tastiness of the meal, the healthiness of the ingredients, the calories, and the cost -- but do you consider the mileage? The local food movement is all about eating closer to home. The philosophy is simple: Food that is shipped long distances isn't as fresh, and therefore isn't as flavorful or healthy. Such foods also have a bigger carbon footprint than those produced locally. Each ingredient on a North American's plate typically travels 1,500 miles to get from field to table. To help reverse that trend, and to get more in tune with the local ecosystem, local food advocates -- or locavores -- look closer to home: often a 100-mile radius from where they live and eat. The movement is also about community responsibility. Buying from local farmers and food producers supports local economies instead of corporations that run factory farms and long-haul shipping lines. Many shoppers also find big discounts at local farmers' markets -- or save even more by eating homegrown veggies from backyard gardens. And foodies know that the fresher the ingredients, the tastier the meal. Gourmet restaurants featuring local menus are cropping up all over. Obviously, there are challenges and limitations to eating local produce. You're not likely to grow avocados in Alberta or produce maple syrup in Arizona. Some locavores make exceptions for region-specific foods, or to supplement limited midwinter diets. In the spirit of health and moral spending, they'll pick organic non-local foods if they can't buy local, family farm products over corporate, and local retailers over supermarket chains. Whether you're a hippie, a foodie, or just a frugal shopper, making an effort to put more local products on your table can have a positive impact on your community, the environment -- and your taste buds. Suggested Sites... 10 Reasons to Eat Local Food - from the environmental to the epicurean. Locavores - a group of Bay Area foodies and environmentalists who attempt to eat only foods produced within a 100-mile radius of San Francisco. Seeing Red: Eating Locally and Debunking the Red-Blue Divide - Barbara Kingsolver, author and avid gardener, recounts her family's efforts to eat only local food for a year. Local Harvest - find local and organic foods close to home.

Directory categories: Local Food, Bioregionalism, Environmental Movements and Philosophies, Sustainable Eating, Sustainable Development

Archived under: Cooking, Environment, Food and Drink, Global Warming, Health, Issues and Causes, Locavores, Recipes, Sustainability

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Dashiell Hammett poses as "The Thin Man" If you don’t know anything about Dashiell Hammett, just dive into "The Maltese Falcon" or any of his numerous pulp magazine stories, and you'll get a glimpse of his real life. But everything you read will be either partially true or flat-out wrong, depending on where you stand. Born on a Maryland farm on May 27, 1894, Samuel Dashiell Hammett soon dropped out of school and into a series of low-paying jobs. In 1915, he was hired as an operative -- a "private eye" -- by the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. While driving an ambulance during World War I, he contracted tuberculosis, forcing him to choose a post-war career that was less strenuous than tailing deadbeat husbands: writing. His inspiration wasn't hard to find: using his experience as a Pinkerton, he started writing short detective stories for the pulp magazine "Black Mask," becoming one of the fathers of "hard-boiled" fiction: a genre that revels in stories of violence, sex, and money that take place in the meanest streets and shabbiest alleys of urban America. (Raymond Chandler -- no mean writer himself -- said that not only did Hammett create a new American language for fiction, but also "gave murder back to the kind of people that commit it for reasons, not just to provide a corpse.") Hammett's first major creation was the otherwise-unnamed "Continental Op." In 1934, he wrote the blockbuster novel "The Thin Man," which introduced retired detective Nick Charles and his socialite wife Nora (based on his real-life longtime partner Lillian Hellman). Later that year, a blockbuster film was made of the novel, catapulting stars William Powell and Myrna Loy into stardom and sparking a series of six films featuring the Charleses. But Hammett's most enduring creation was detective Samuel Spade, who roamed the mean streets of pre-war San Francisco, where Hammett himself lived. John Huston's 1941 film adaptation of the "Falcon" made a superstar of Humphrey Bogart and turned San Francisco into the epitome of the noir city, with its rolling fog adding to the mystery to the plot. Hammett’s writing career was short but lucrative. Although he wrote only between 1922 and 1934, he turned out numerous short stories, and all of his five novels ("Red Harvest," "The Dain Curse," "The Maltese Falcon," The Glass Key," and "The Thin Man") were turned into successful films -- some more than once. After years of drinking and womanizing in Hollywood, Hammett embraced left-wing activism and joined the Communist Party in 1937. During World War II, he pulled strings to enlist as a private in the U.S. Army, but his political convictions led him to prison for five months in 1951, when he refused to testify at the trial of four Communists accused of conspiring against the U.S. government. He was blacklisted during the McCarthy era, chased by the IRS for back taxes, and died of lung cancer in 1961, in alcoholic poverty. Ironically enough, despite being called an enemy of his country for his Communist views, the veteran of two World Wars was awarded a burial plot at Arlington National Cemetery. Suggested Sites... Shadowing Dashiell Hammett - every clue you need to solve Hammett's life mystery The Dashiell Hammett tour - fans of the author can stride along his footsteps by exploring some of San Francisco noir landmarks. John's Grill Marks Its Centennial - one of Hammett's -- and Sam Spade's -- favorite restaurants. Dashiell Hammett - Mike Grost examines Hammett's writing style, themes, and plots. NPR: Hammett's Maltese Falcon, 75 Years Later - audio report about the legacy of Hammett's most famous novel.

Directory categories: Dashiell Hammett, Harboiled Fiction, Pulp Fiction, Mystery Writers, The Maltese Falcon

Archived under: 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, American History, Authors, Biographies, Birthdays, Communism, Communists, Crime, Detectives, Fiction, Murder, Mysteries, San Francisco, WWI, WWII, Writers, Writing

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Even if you're a nerd, you don't have to make your poor dog suffer (Photo by Felipe Ibanez Guzman) There's a moment in everyone's life when they come out of the closet -- not necessarily that closet -- but rather when they realize that that thing they’ve always been interested in and fascinated by isn't something to be embarrassed about, but is something to be acknowledged and celebrated. In my own case, it was (and is) comic books. Even though I've been reading them for half a century, when I was in high school, it was worst sort of social embarrassment to admit that not only did you read and enjoy them, but you also collected them. When I got to college, I met men and women who were smart, funny, and who actually read comics -- and admitted it. Since then, I've been more than proud of my fanboy status -- even if some of my fellows are still stereotypically geeky. May 25th is Nerd Pride Day, a holiday that started (in Spain, of all places) in 2006, and is dedicated to allowing all of us the freedom to be geeks or nerds about anything we like -- no, not just like, but are really into. With that in mind, I polled my fellow Sparksters to find out what floats their particular boats. Robert: As far as nerdy and geeky interests, there's too much to choose from, so I’ll just go with role-playing games -- "Dungeons and Dragons" in particular; a game that even nerds call nerdy. I used to play "Dungeons and Dragons" back in the '90s when TSR was still around and supported the "Ravenloft" (gothic horror) and "Dark Sun" (kind of like "Mad Max") campaign settings. These days my D&D lust is satisfied by war games like "Warhammer" and board games (especially horror games) like "Arkham Horror," which is a perfect meld of board games and another nerdy interest of mine: H.P. Lovecraft and the Cthulhu mythos. But, still loyal to my old passion, I keep a bad-ass "Dragons of Krynn" painting I got way back in high school hanging in my room. Sarah: I am a total history junkie. I will read, watch, or listen to anything involving history (as you can probably tell from my Sparks). I'm partial to European history, especially anything weird, corrupt, or scandalous -- and it’s even better if it involves the monarchy. But surprisingly, I've never been to a Renaissance Faire. Suzi: This Memorial Day, I hope to be sitting by the pool, soaking up the sun, enjoying a bevy of tunes from my iPod Classic, whilst reading some lovely literary selection on my Kindle. I'm sure I'll be in contact with loved ones, as my Blackberry Pearl never leaves my side. Yes, folks, I am an unabashed gadget girl. I wear my Nerd Pride badge, well, proudly. Richard: I became painfully aware of my status as a gay nerd while creating a spreadsheet of "Golden Girls" episodes that I wanted to rip to my iPhone, organized by season, disc, and featured musical number (where applicable.) Jessica: I am nerdy about snowboard construction. My own snowboard has a Kevlar core for strength and flexibility (and in case bad guys are after me on the slopes, a la James Bond). It's pretty new, but the latest in board tech is bamboo veneer, which, in addition to being sustainable and looking very board-like indeed, reduces vibrations on icy snow and at high speeds. So cool. Adrienne: I collect Japanese toys. Okay, I'm not a master collector, but I still spend too much money of ugly vinyl monsters and fanciful plastic windup toys. Source of neurotic nerdiness: Crying over Gamera's apparent demise ("Don't die, Gamera! Don’t die!") in a fellow 3-year-old’s Gaithersburg, Maryland basement. It's one of my earliest memories. Do manicured lawns spawn escapist fantasies? Chris: I am an unapologetic sci-fi nerd. A good sci-fi novel/movie inspires you to think deeply, often forcing you to consider possibilities that never occurred to you. The prescription for all closed-minded individuals who just can't show any empathy or sympathize with any unknown point of view is an assigned list of the best sci-fi. Mike: I am a Disneyland nerd and proud of it! Since I was 10 years old, I’ve been going there at least once a year. After my first son was born, I have shared my poison, I mean passion, for it with my family -- my eight-year-old son has been there 15 times. I know ... it's nuts. And that’s why it's the nerdiest thing about me. Suggested Sites... Wikipedia: Geek Pride Day - we call them nerds, they call them geeks -- and there's probably a subculture dedicated to determining the differences. Nerd Country - "your complete nerd resource." Wikipedia: Trekkies - for some, these are the ultimate of geekdom. 501st Legion - for me, it doesn't get any lower than this, though. Okay, you think Boba Fett is cool; we get it, already! Kelly's World of Airsickness Bags - see, there's nothing that doesn't have afficionados.

Directory categories: Comic Books, Consumer Electronics, The Golden Girls, Collectible Toys, Disneyland

Archived under: Authors, Board Games, Books, Celebrations, Collectibles, Comic Books, Comics, Counterculture, Cultures, Disney, Disneyland, Entertainment, European History, Extreme Sports, Fanatics, Fiction, Gadgets, Games, Gay Pride, History, Hobbies, Holidays, In Character, James Bond, Japan, Literature, Monsters and Creatures, Parenting, Royalty, Science Fiction, Sitcoms, Society and Culture, Sports, Star Trek, Star Wars, TV, Technology, The Spark, Toys, Winter Sports, Yahoo! Directory

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William "Captain" Kidd When we envision a pirate, we usually have the fictional variety in mind. In books and movies, the pirate is typically a romantic hero; a noble (and often wrongfully accused) freedom fighter -- or an effeminate eye-liner loving prankster. But we often forget that pirates were (and are) real people, far different from the ideal we imagine. Yes, they sailed ships and some even buried treasure, but the original pirates were often just men (and women) caught up in the politics of the day, but without the connections (or the right PR) to back them up. The most infamous example of this kind of pirate was Captain Kidd. Born in Scotland in the mid-17th century, William Kidd gained success as a sailor and officially became a privateer during the Nine Year's War, conducting raids for the British on the French in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean. In 1696, the Whig-led English government asked Kidd to lead an attack on a group of pirates suspected of aiding the enemy French. However, this expedition was a failure, as Kidd faced constant threats of mutiny from his crew and was branded a pirate by the Royal Navy, due to his refusal to follow orders. He was arrested and sent to London (where a new Tory ministry was in power) to stand trial for piracy and murder. Kidd was found guilty and was executed by hanging on May 23, 1701. His body was then hung in an iron cage overlooking the River Thames as a warning to future pirates. There are many who view Kidd’s death as mistake of political fortune, with Kidd as the unlucky pawn caught in a power struggle between Tories and Whigs in Parliament. While Kidd certainly committed acts of piracy, privateering was a legal and realistic part of maritime warfare during the 17th and 18th centuries. And the English government certainly reaped the benefits of his early activities, and declared Kidd a pirate only after he had ceased being a useful military weapon. Kidd's fate was similar to other sailors and soldiers, many of whom turned to piracy only to survive tumultuous economic and political times. And as we confront modern piracy today, the legacy of William Kidd should not be forgotten. Suggested Sites... Captain Kidd: The Movie - watch the 1945 film starring Charles Laughton online. Shipwreck! - National Geographic special about Kidd's adventures. Oak Island Money Pit - visit (one of) the supposed burial grounds of Kidd's treasure. Sid Meier's Pirates! - video game featuring Captain Kidd.

Directory categories: Captain William Kidd, Piracy, Pirates and Buccaneers, Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean", 17th Century

Archived under: 17th Century, Adventure, Anniversaries, Crime, Criminals, England, History, Military, Mythology and Folklore, Pirates, Sailing, U.K. History, United Kingdom

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