I could not have said it better myself so I will let Lauren’s post speak for itself. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful wife and a wonderful life together! Happy Anniversary sweetheart.

You may have noticed my site looks a little different than the last time you visited. Well I made a couple changes. Nothing to drastic, just a way to better organize the flood of information. There are now tabs along the top of the site to help navigate to just the content you are interested in.

The site defaults to the “Latest Posts” tab which serves as my home page. This lets you quickly see what the latest blog post is and the date it was last posted. Below this are four more sections for the latest pictures and videos I have uploaded. Also my recent status updates from Twitter and Facebook and finally any links I have shared. Each of these sections can be viewed in more detail on their own by following their respective links.

I like this new design because it organizes the information better and helps make it easier to find things on my site. I also realize there are many different people who come to the site for different information. Some of you only care about my full blog posts that are filled with lots of details but posted less frequently. This section now has its own tab. Others may not take the time to read my full posts but enjoy keeping up with my frequent status updates. While most of the people in this category probably already follow me on Twitter or Facebook there are some others who have no other way of accessing this information (parents, grandparents, etc…) If you enjoyed the site the way it was and can handle the flood of updates I have kept the “All Posts” tab. The “Photos” tab is a new way to watch a slideshow of my photos from various sources on the web in one central place.

The last thing to make you aware of. If you subscribe to my RSS feed it will continue working as always by showing everything that is posted on the site. There is also an option to subscribe just to the Blog posts or the Photos if you choose. I hope everyone likes the new design and your feedback is always welcome.

Growing up as a teen of the early 90s I quickly became a fan of the new sounds coming from Seattle. Bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains and one that is still with us today… Pearl Jam. While their music has changed with the times over the years Pearl Jam is still by far one of my favorite bands of all times. I have all their studio albums and most of their B-sides and live material. I have been to several of their concerts as they have passed near here. When I heard that they were celebrating their 20th anniversary I felt really old but also psyched in what was to come.

The debut Pearl Jam album “Ten”, originally released in 1991, will be reissued in four new and expanded editions today. The original album was one of the 90s first big hits and sold over 12 million copies worldwide. The reissue of Ten serves as the launch of a planned two-year catalogue re-release campaign leading up to the band’s 20th anniversary in 2011. Its hard to believe it has been nearly two decades since Pearl Jam first hit the scene.

“The band loved the original mix of Ten, but were also interested in what it would sound like if I were to deconstruct and remix it,” says producer Brendan O’Brien. “The original Ten sound is what millions of people bought, dug and loved, so I was initially hesitant to mess around with that.After years of persistent nudging from the band, I was able to wrap my head around the idea of offering it as a companion piece to the original - giving a fresh take on it,a more direct sound.”

Each Ten package will include two versions of the album: the remastered version of the original album PLUS an accompanying remixed version done by the band’s long-time producer, Brendan O’Brien (Bruce Springsteen,AC/DC, Audioslave). From what I have heard in my first listen through of the album the remixed songs are not a drastic change. They are really no better or worse than the originals, just different. More like a Director’s Cut of a movie than a complete overhaul. The result leaves Ten Legacy Edition feeling and sounding more like the bands second album Vs. It has a less polished, mainstream tune leaving it more raw and gritty than the original. If you were ever a fan of their old songs you should definitely check it out. Especially considering they have added 5 new bonus tracks of previously unreleased material. The star track of this new bunch being “Brother”. For the really hardcore fans (me) with a lot of money to blow (not me) their is also this collector’s edition.

While I am always glad to have new music to listen to I think I am most excited about playing along with that music. In addition to the legacy album released today I can also download the whole Ten album from the Rock Band store. Now I can drum along, strum along, hammer-on-guitar-solos, and sing/scream/grunt along with Eddie Vedder and the gang in Rock Band. Maybe this new Legacy release from Pearl Jam can help introduce them to a new generation of fans who weren’t even around during the grunge era. Listen to the tracks and watch some interviews with the band below.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10cJim Cramer Pt. 1

The saga continues. Representing the CNBC network Jim Cramer agreed to appear on the Daily Show Thursday night. Jon Stewart completely drilled Cramer for “playing games” with peoples 401k and other longterm investments in order to fund Wall Streets greed in backroom business practices. Stewart continues to press Cramer beyond the point of uncomfortable with a series of clips from an unaired Cramer interview in 2006 admitting to his own shady business practices. One of the most serious interviews I have seen from Stewart in a long time. If looks could kill… If this embedded video cuts short you can watch the entire uncensored video at The Daily Show.

The parody entertainment company The Onion produces another great video today just in time for March Madness. This is really funny stuff.

Watchmen is like no superhero movie you have ever seen. In fact it could be described as the anti-superhero movie. You would never know this ahead of time judging by the deceptively flashy trailers that were released to promote the film to a wide audience. That is of course unless you have read the highly acclaimed 12 part graphic novel Watchmen that was released in 1986. TIME magazine even included the four hundred page series in its Top 100 english novels of the 20th century. An honor rarely seen for a medium of its kind. Some have even referred to it as the “Citizen Kane of comic books”. As pretentious as that claim may seem the source material really does carry with it a lot of weight. This explains its continued popularity over the past twenty years.

Since the turn of the century the “superhero” movie genre has grown in such popularity to the point of blockbuster summer titles becoming almost expected annually. Most of these movies can be classified into two categories. The first and simplest form is the kid friendly one filled with brightly colored scenes that tell a very linear, easily predictable story. Take a superhero and explain how he/she became super. Introduce a villain complete with backstory and add one damsel in distress for good measure. (a.k.a. Spider-Man). The second form is a more mature take on the first formula but is set in a darker, grimier world. (a.k.a. The Dark Knight). Watchmen can not be classified under either of those two categories and for better or worse, rightfully stands on its own.

The film does an incredible job introducing us to the complex world the story is set in with a title sequence that can only be described as brilliant. (spoiler warning: watch it here). The audience is quickly taken on a journey through the Minutemen’s history that illustrates their effects on memorable historic events of the mid 20th century world. This is accomplished through a series of slow motion snapshots that spans 4 decades in just five minutes time. The result grabs you by surprise and clearly sets the stage for the rest of the story to unfold over the next 2 hours and 40 minutes. While that may seem like a long time, considering the amount of complex dialog and backstories of the six major characters, the time goes by quickly and sometimes leaves you feeling parts of it were rushed.

The year is 1985. The US won the Vietnam War thanks to our secret weapon Dr. Manhattan. The only super hero of the Watchmen that has any true super powers. Thanks to the success in Vietnam, President Nixon has been re-elected for his fifth term and faces a tough decision. The USA and USSR are at the brink of nuclear war in the form of WWIII. Masked vigilantes like the Watchmen have been outlawed by the government since 1977 leaving the streets worn and suffering from years of crime that has escalated beyond law enforcements control. One of the few remaining Watchmen from the original group, named The Comedian, was just murdered. This spreads fear amongst the rest of the group who has been in retirement for years. They begin to realize their days may also be numbered and if their true identities are revealed it will surely be lights out for them. They must reunite and work together to find out who is behind this murder and do anything to stop him.

Over the next two hours of the film you are introduced to all of the main characters who are 2nd generation masked vigilantes. You are exposed to their origin stories through rapid flashbacks that occur in random, non-linear fashions just like the graphic novel. These layers upon layers of story overlap with other characters showing their relationship to one another. You also learn of the parent’s roles in the first generation of Minutemen. The two characters that stand out the most in these segments are the previously mentioned Dr. Manhattan with his god-like powers and Rorschach who is dark and twisted enough to make The Dark Knight’s Joker look like a Disney character (slight exaggeration). This leaves Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II’s characters somewhat overshadowed by the others.

As everyone’s stories unfold you witness bursts of violence from time to time. Each character has their own fighting style that you have plenty of time to study thanks to the super slow motion editing by the director, Zack Snyder. He was made famous for this same technique in his last movie’s over the top battle scenes in “300”. The violence ranges from your standard hand to hand combat (Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II) to more extreme and graphic forms (Rorschack). There are times during many of Rorschacks scenes that are so excessive with gruesome and grisly images that you may find yourself wanting to look away. Think of the car scene in Pulp Fiction times 1000 and you will get the idea. Lots of blood and guts dripping everywhere.

On the opposite end of the spectrum there are eerily quiet scenes. Most notable of which is Dr Manhattan in the solitude of space on Mars as he gathers his thoughts and contemplates the fate of humanity and life in general. This epic scene in particular brought similar feelings that I experienced watching Stanley Kubricks 2001: A Space Odyssey. While the pacing of the film overall can feel a bit uneven and sometimes jarring, it is this constant contrast from one scene to the next that kept me interested for the duration. This was certainly aided by the appropriate soundtrack and great cinematography that cohesively mixed everything together.

Longtime fans of the novel will undoubtedly enjoy Watchmen the movie and be pleased to see it is a faithful recreation of the source material (with the exception of the ending). For those who are unfamiliar with the story, like myself, there will be mixed feelings. If you enter the theater with an open mind and don’t try to compare Watchmen to other comic book movies you will probably enjoy its surprising level of sophistication. Especially if you are a sci-fi fan and not squeamish about gore or nudity. However, if you buy a ticket expecting to see 3 hours of non-stop, tag team superhero battles done X-Men style you will undoubtedly leave the theater early in disappointment.

Whether Watchmen has what it takes to become a mainstream commercial success remains to be seen. Judging by the mixed reviews its doubtful. Regardless, it is destined to become a cult favorite for years to come. Thanks to the complex dialog and extreme attention to detail in every scene this makes it the type of film that rewards repeated viewings. There is always something new to be discovered. Overall Watchmen is a thought provoking film that has no clear good guy or bad guy. That is just part of what helps make it special.

If you are like me and have not read the graphic novel yet you may enjoy the new motion comic just released recently. It retells the original story in a standard comic book panel format with minimal animation. Weighing in at over 5 hours of video it clearly offers a more complete look at the world of Watchmen than the movie can.

If you have seen Watchmen let me know your thoughts.