Funemployment Corner: Comic Con 2012

Another San Diego Comic con has come and gone. For those who have never been or refuse to go on Google, Comic-con is a week on the scenic shores of San Diego where over 200,000 nerds from all walks of life gather without fear of persecution or swirlies. The last eight years of the show have seen a 15% yearly growth of attendees and an influx of movie studios, TV networks and other things trying to get a piece of the mass media spotlight. Some years, these seemingly outside forces can take away from the celebration of the art that is comic books, but I found a lot to be excited over this year. So IEC is going to run down the top 5 announcements from comic con, after these 3 tips for anyone who remains on the fence about attending comic-con in the future.

 1. Just go, I know it goes against what I said before, but honestly the crowds will never get smaller and everyone should do it at least once.

2. It can actually be inexpensive. The amount of free stuff given at the con to fill the giveaway bag that can hold toddlers and medium sized animals is enough to make you look like you spent a small fortune. If you have a knack for preplanning you can even eat and drink for free at the various parties around the convention area. We had a blast hanging out with LA Times Hero Complex and crew.

3. Tickets too expensive? Volunteer. Honestly, you can save yourself about $200 on the ticket price by donating 2.5 hours of your comic con day to the show and if you do this right all the free giveaways come to you. (Check Comic-con.org site for more details)

Now on to the top 5 announcements from Comic-con 2012

5. Legendary Pictures makes bid to be #1 comic publisher: The studio behind movies like The Dark Knight threw a boulder in the comic book pond by teaming up with A-List talent like J.Michael Strazinsky, Mark Waid and Superman Earth One artist Shane Davis. Waid and Davis pair up to do a book called Shadow Walk, about a group of special-ops soldiers -- armed with the skull of John the Baptist and a piece of the True Cross -- searching for the real-life "shadow of death."

 4. Quienten Tarantino comes to DC Comics: Only comic legend Jim Lee has the clout to interrupt his own company's panel to bring the audience a special announcement that just couldn't wait. He introduced acclaimed film director Quienten Tarantino who took the stage, jittery mannerisms and all, to announce his new movie Django Unchained, would also be a comic book to be published by DC.

3. Marvel 2nd wave of movies: Riding off the comet dust of Avengers, Marvel packed hall H on saturday and gave the 3 year movie plan that will hopefully lead to Avengers 2 Electric Boogaloo. Though Warner Bros got people talking with the Man of Steel presentation, it just couldn't compare with the announcement of Captain America "The Winter Solider". (Typing that last sentence made me drool) Edgar Wright showing his Ant-Man test reel was just Boba in the tea. Also my favorite con moment happened here when Robert Downey Jr danced through the crowd as only Chaplin could.

2. Neil Gaiman returns to Sandman: With the upcoming 25th anniversary of the character coming up, it seemed like a no brainer that one of literature's most prolific writers gives the fans that one last story he always wanted to tell. When this news came out I'm sure goth kids around the world and Robert Smith of the Cure peed their pants. If you've never read Sandman, please stop cheating yourself and get it. Sandman is a great tale about what Death really thinks of us and is one of those books that comes off your shelf again and again when you're looking for entertainment.

 1.More Happy and the announcement of Oliver: Friday 24hrs before his big announcement, I had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with Darick Robertson to talk about his up coming book Happy from Image Comics. I was also treated to a tidbit of information about his friendship with Gary Whitta, writer of the film Book of Eli, in which he told me the two are now in production on a book they've been working on for the last nine years. Oliver, is a post apocalyptic steam punk styled take on the classic Oliver Twist. As Darick flipped through page after page for me on his iPhone, I couldn't help but realize this wasn't just another comic book, instead I was looking at a world being created like Halo or Lord of the Rings. Why is this number 1 in my view? Because I was already going to the Marvel movies and Gaiman's return to Sandman is awesome but not unexpected, the news of Oliver was the curve ball that struck me out looking.

There you have it now enjoy some Robert Downey Jr video and pictures

FFZ - Freelancer Fun Zone

Let’s start with a new thing. The name of this column is on longer Unemployment Fun Zone. We have now made the switch to Freelancer Fun Zone. Now all our events will be 15% less fun, however you will still get the best in free and cheap entertainment southern California has to offer. Including at the end of this column, five ways to get into E3.

After a one-year hiatus, yours truly was back in the saddle last week hobnobbing with celebrities and getting pushed around by foreign media just like it always was. E3 itself felt like a rebuilding year for the New York Yankees, there is still some talent there but nowhere near World Series level, in fact it seems as though 2012 will be a stale year for gaming.

For the remainder of 2012, Playstation and Xbox will most likely be relying on Black Ops 2 for driving sales, while Nintendo Wii U will try to capture the magic the Wii had at launch. Yes there is a Halo on the way but in all honesty it doesn’t feel fresh just updated.

Look ahead at 2013, Gears of War and Bioshock both have new games, Playstation will try to copy Nintendo’s Smash Bros with Playstation All Stars Battle Royal.

Only three games at the entire show caught my attention, Ubisoft’s Watch Dog looks bold. Finally, a game where machines talk to me and I can talk right back, seems as if it was right out of a science fiction story.  Though not being a fighting game fan, Injustice from the makers of Mortal Kombat caught me like a Liu Kang fireball.  The game has an instant appeal to comic fans, during the demo I caught a glimpse of Superman tossing Flash into the atmosphere and spiking him back down to the pavement. Injustice definitely earns a penned in spot on my want list. Best of show went to Naughty Dog studio’s The Last Of Us. A post apocalyptic thrill ride combining intense action with very good character driven story telling = innovation.

Ok now that the show is over you might be asking, how do I get into one of these industry only shows?

There are many different ways to get in that won’t get you arrested or ripped off by craigslist:

1)   Work for the industry in any capacity, while retail attendees are being denied there are still hundreds of positions that qualify, even career college students can go.

2)   Xbox live has contest for guest passes to the show, see Xbox live for details next year

3)   Most of the people at the booths do not work for the companies directly. Models, brand ambassadors, and people willing to dress up in costumes are hired weeks before the show every year, check casting sites and craigslist.

4)   Start a media channel in a blog and you tube, there were so many media badges with names I’ve never heard of it made me nauseous. One group of foreigners was filming an interview with an Iphone.

5)   Goes with number 1, freelance in any capacity for the companies and make friends. These companies have hundreds of guest passes for people they work with throughout the year.

There it is E32012 in five minutes. Next year, I’ll be getting an additional twenty people into the show be sure to tune into the blog for details. 

- David

The Avengers: Early Review Exclusive

And then there came a day unlike any other, when Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, and Thor would be on screen together. While it’s every fanboy’s dream, the harsh reality is that more often than not this can go very wrong, however every once in a great while a movie comes along and becomes the blueprint of what a blockbuster movie should be.

Let’s save the suspense, this was gigantic scale action on steroids. Avengers is every awesome two page spread you've ever seen in comics come to life. I’ll try to keep out major spoilers but in order to fully explain a film with so many volatile elements something has to give. The movie picks up where Thor and Captain America left off; S.H.I.E.LD has the cube and is trying to turn it into a weapon. Loki’s reappearance and attack cause it to fall in the wrong hands, we also loose Hawkeye for a bit but fear not. Nick Fury has to rally his troops, but each is less than thrilled to be working for S.H.I.E.L.D.

We get one awesome fight after another, Cap/Ironman vs Loki, Ironman vs Thor, Captain America vs Thor, Black Widow vs Hulk, Hulk vs Thor, Thor vs Loki, Hulk vs Loki. The battle against Loki’s army is the best mega battle scene since Two Towers or Braveheart, it clocks in at a little over 30 minutes alone.

My concern was Mark Ruffalo as Hulk/Bruce Banner, while he plays the role to hold his own on screen, one could not help but wonder what an Edward Norton Hulk would have been like in this film.

Also certain parts of the movie require you to have at least watched Thor and Captain America, but if you haven't it really won't take away from your enjoyment of this film.

There were only two things Avengers did which were not wrong, just a bit odd. First there was never an “Avengers Assemble!” battle cry (hope this is the scene that was filmed the night of the premiere). Second the death of one of the characters seemed like just a plot moving device and I really liked that character.

No doubt you were going to see this movie regardless of what my opinion would have been. All my intent here is to get you to brave the crowd on opening weekend and see this movie on day 1, it’s just that good.

Note: at the time only the Thanos mid credits scene (possibility of a sequel based on the Infinity Gauntlet story) was shown, there is word another post credits scene will be included in the May 4^th release.

5 out of 5 Thank you Joss!!

- David N.

Wondercon and IEC giveaway

[Editor's Note: I haven't updated in a while, eat me. Also, enjoy this post and the next from David.]

Last weekend Wondercon in Anahiem did not attract Albert Puljos but it did attract these two and was awesome none the less. Here's just a few shots:

St. Patty's Day was not ignored by the cosplayers

Best Joker Ever

The rock was not here promoting G.I Joe

Super professional and one of my favorite writers Brian Buccellato

I had no expectations for this show but ended up loving it. If you're intimidated by the hustle and bustle of Sandiego check out Wondercon, a lot of fun with half the hassle. This was also a reminder of what the purpose of comics is, to pass on these awesome stories. In keeping with this tradition we're giving away this handful of #1's given by DC comics. This giveaway includes signed copies of Captain Atom by J.T Krul and Savage Hawkman and Demon Knights signed by Tony Daniel.

All you have to do is caption this pic in the comments section below by April 20th, 2012, the best one selected by the editor will win the prize. Have fun!





- David N.

John Carter of Burbank

Last night Disney treated a select few to an early screening of its latest feature film John Carter. For the benefit of those without WIKIpedia, John Carter is based on the Edgar Rice Burros character, which has been around since 1912. After so many incarnations in comics and a few movies that never came to be, this is John Carter’s first appearance on the big screen.

But you’ve already seen this story.

Some did it very well; I’m talking to you Daniel Day Lewis. While some didn’t do it justice, I’m talking to you James Cameron. The story is in fact one of the earliest versions of the cliché: Man travels to foreign land, sheds skin, becomes one of the people of said land and finds unlikely love in that land.

Even though in many ways it’s the original version of that tale, John Carter could have been a victim of cliché. Instead Andrew Stanton, the Pixar visionary behind great stories like Toy Story and Finding Nemo reminded the audience that something becomes cliché because it’s originally worth repeating over and over again.

John Carter won’t take you on a lot of twist and turns story wise, however the plot remains solid without surrendering to the action. We get a great John Carter in former Gambit Taylor Kitsch and another super animated performance from Boondock Saint Willem Dafoe. Each important role in the film could have been a lesson for writers on how to give characters voice.

The visual of transforming Utah into Mars, creatures and all is the skeletal support of this film. Without drowning the viewer in dry red everything, Mars becomes a believable world on the brink of death. CG characters are so true to the actors and material, personally Dafoe is now my favorite Martian. Kitsch on screen superpowers make me believe this is what we’re all like when we become superman and get superpowers by going to an alien planet. Well choreographed action with complementary score, seems basic but still manages to go beyond film 101.

Bottom line, to all the skeptics like myself, relax this is John Carter of Mars.

Overall I give the movie a 4 out of 5 but the true importance of John Carter is to our current age of cinema. Beginning with the dark tone of Batman Begins, then that moment where we saw the first Watchmen trailer and now seeing a movie that some fans have waited more than twenty years for. John Carter solidifies this age of cinema as the age of the movie we thought we’d never get to see.

Thank you to L.A Times, and Geoff Boucher for hosting these events, it’s probably a lot of fun for you guys, but it can’t be easy. Hats off to you! Though I will not pay to read it online for $5.

- David N.

World Series Game 2 - Live Blogging the 9th

@7:51pm - Top of the 9th inning, Game 2 is tied with one out. Commercial for Tower Heist almost made me throw up the Fiber One cereal I've been eating without milk.

@7:57pm - Sac fly by Michael Young, Texas takes the lead. No matter how hard I try to pretend these Fiber One cereal pieces are still not Dorritos.

@7:59pm - Another commercial break. That Pepsi commercial montage of all the past music icons that have endorsed their fizz falls flat. Just show the Ray Charles ad in its entirety for the right one, baby.

@8:02pm - Texas, with a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the 9th, gives up a lead off walk. That's the equivalent of Mario sales leading without a clipboard, Abel picking a dot-com order before checking RSS, David drawing the Joker in complete ink before using pencil, Daniel pouring a bowl of Frankenberry before checking to see if there's milk, or me buying a tie at Ross when the Wednesday shipment hasn't even arrived. There are some things you just don't do.

@8:11pm - Furcal popped out to right to end the inning, series tied at 1 game a piece.

Fox's coverage gets progressively worse each year. I'm tired of the fan close-ups. Stop interrupting the game with shots of moms biting the cuffs of their sweaters and old dudes with a gleam in their eye. Let the drama evolve organically and quit showing us how tight each fan is holding their ass in anticipation for the next pitch. Enough!

UFZ: He's the Got No Green Lantern

Hype, it's the single greatest force in the universe, even more so than the willpower of Green Lantern Hal Jordan. Hype has the power to crush dreams or make days, it can pick us up when there's nothing left to look forward to or it can kick us in the metaphorical testicles.

For months this movie was built up as Star Wars for a new generation, I hate that statement. Star Wars is Star Wars, it has it's own place ( no where near and dear to my heart mind you). Green Lantern is an awesome story, rich in it's own mythology and at it's core all good Green Lantern stories are about overcoming fear and that's something we can all relate to. There's more than enough good material to tell a Green Lantern story and get people hooked without comparing it to anything.

Everyone that said this movie looks terrible can bite me, it's certainly not a revolutionary look but the look being translated to the big screen certainly was uncanny. The look of the movie is not an issue. Ryan Reynolds was great as Hal Jordan and that's who he's suppose to be the entire time. Green Lantern doesn't take on a different persona like Christian Bale in the bat suit nor should he. The breakaway performance was Mark Strong as Sinestro, he nailed the dictator like composure of the character.

The adapted for mass audience story in Green Lantern never really hits that emotional connection that the comics have. While it's probably not the worst story that could have been told on screen, you can tell this movie was not made for a comic audience, it's meant more to be a family adventure. I doubt DC will get any new readers based on this movie.

I would have liked to have seen Sinestro begin to make his transition to Hal Jordan's nemesis and possibly introduce the idea of the yellow lanterns. If there is another movie, I opt to replace director Martin Campbell, "Quantum of Solace" was a piece of crap but I gave him the benefit to the doubt. I wish he would stick to making independent films about gay cowboys eating pudding. He just seemed to not pick the right moments in this movie, I could draw better angles than he picked for some shots.

So far my favorite of the summer movies is X-Men, I have high hopes for Horrible Bosses. Green Lantern is a good movie but it's just not the emotionally gripping books brought to life. Warner Bros, DC comics and Green Lantern scribe Geoff Johns (who we all trusted because there are very few better writers in comics, I can only think of one) promised the world something epic and hopefully next time they'll realize you don't have to make something for everyone to be a success coughdarkknightcough.

I enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed Super 8, so 3 out of 5.

now to go see the angry lemons

- David N.

UFZ: Super 8 - Neither a Hotel Chain Nor a Type of Film Endorsed by Bill Cosby

Have you ever had a dream that made you not want to sleep, because of the possibility of reliving it?

This was the feeling I had before tonights preview screening of J.J Abrams newest film "Super 8". See I hated his previous original film "Cloverfield", almost as much as I hate Best Buy; both only seem to serve the purpose of wasting two hours of your life and giving you motion sickness. I'm sure I was the least excited person in line to see this new movie, in a way it makes me the perfect person to review it for you and help decide if it's worth your hard earned $11.

Just a word of warning, while I will try not to include spoilers, I can't review this movie without giving away some plot; but don't worry the good stuff will all be new to you.

To put people in the seats, Super 8 sells it self as a monster/ suspense movie along the lines of the classic Jaws franchise. Thankfully, there are several good character developing layers to this movie that make it soo much more than just another monster flick. After being witness to a train hijacking, a group of kids trying to make a film to enter in their local film festival are caught in the middle of an intriguing mystery. Sounds simple enough right? It is, but from the opening credit, this movie gives you several questions to answer outside of the monster and how they all tie in together is very intelligent writing. The kids are very compelling characters, and instead of that being a slave to the monster theme, the monster angle only serves to make the other characters the focus of the movie. I love good character driven story telling and this movie was full of it.

Visually the movie did leave something to be desired. While you do see the monster clearly in this movie, you never really get that one epic feeling shot of it. In fact the full reveal of the monster left something to be desired. The train sequence was the awe inspiring sequence of the movie and it did not show the monster once.

Also don't get attached to any black characters you see in the film, they all get killed right after you meet them. You would think this would be a spoiler but trust me, the way these deaths happen, you can't be prepared for them even if I gave you the exact times. J.J Abrams apparently hates black people. That's one of the things I didn't understand. The other is why the kids listen to the fattest one instead of giving him to the monster.

Simply to sum it up, the government pumps E.T full of aids and steroids, slaps him around a bit and you have the monster from Super 8. No one hated E.T and you don't hate this monster.

Because I think Cloverfield was the biggest piece of crap ever made, I really wanted to hate this movie. I don't, I bought into this as just another popcorn flick and was treated to a very enthralling story. While I won't buy this movie and watch it over and over, it is a great one time see. That is really the movies only downfall, after the mystery is gone, there isn't much to keep you coming back to it.

I give this a 3 out of 5.

If you see one movie this weekend, make it X-men: First Class. If you see two movies this weekend see Super 8.

- David N.

UFZ: Road to Comic Con

I should be a hundred times more excited but I'm not. San Diego Comic Con is six weeks away, it's almost time for street re-routing traffic, people who for some reason feel that the need for daily bathing should be put on hold for 4 days, and 3 hour lines to catch a glimpse of Angelina Jolie or other celebrities that have no business being there. That very reason is why I've decided this will be my last SDCC (even if I ever become a pro).

When I was twelve years old , I hitched a ride to my first comic con with my older cousins and some not so savory characters. In those days this show was only about comic books, you didn't have to buy tickets a year in advance and the only fat girls in softball uniforms played for San Diego state. It was back then, comic book companies had the biggest booths and I could see videos of upcoming events set to "For whom the bell tolls." Good free stuff would flow like chocolate from a fountain, and exclusive toys were available to everyone. Professional artist use to love being at the one place where everyone knew who they were and were treated like celebrities. These guys and gals use to drop vacation plans just to be there, today they are just as annoyed as us comic fans. I found out today, one of my favorite artist wasn't going to be there, that was the last straw for yours truly. Yes San Diego once was about comic books, seeing as it will never be that way again it's time to find new shows, however in my sarcastic generosity, I've decided to prepare anyone thinking about going for the first time or people that often go and never learn. My experiences will save you a ton of cash to boot.

First you need to understand the scope of the event, picture the biggest event you've seen in person; the Dodger game at the Coliseum, E3, Laker parade? All these events pale in comparison to what you are about to walk into. Over 200,000 people from all over the world, their are small countries that don't even have that population living there. These rabid fan-people and bandwagoneers gather here and every year that goes by this number will only grow exponentially.

So lets start off, where your thoughts will begin. "If I go there later, there will be fewer people!" NO, this is a misconception based on, your holiday shopping experiences; as the day progresses crowds only get bigger. The only thing that thought will save you is time in the badge pick up line. You should however, not be discouraged by that line if you arrive in the morning; because of the fact that there are almost 100 convention employees specifically assigned to speed this process along, this will be the most painless line during the course of your experience.

Why did I give that part of the tour first? Because that is the thought you will have when you think about preparing for the show. Let's move on to Los Angelinos favorite subject, traffic. No matter how early you think you can leave, you will never beat all of the traffic. The best you can do here is to beat the traffic going to the city. For those dumb enough to think once I get off the freeway my iphone will find a way around, I say this; unless you reach the city by 5am, you will be stuck no matter what. Streets are often blocked to optimize traffic in the city, a GPS is about as good as navigating by the stars at 7am. Getting from the freeway to the convention center is the worst experience a person can have, it can only be compared to delivering a baby through a vagina that only expands to the diameter of a garden hose, while watching a TV stuck on the directv preview channel. How does one get around this? The answer is actually very simple, if you've got an inch of patience and can read a color map, San Diego has one of the best mass transit systems in the world. The trolley runs from 6am to midnight during comic con, making this a great way to avoid the hassle of feeling like you have to leave right after. Last I checked you could ride it all day for a mere five dollars. In my personal experience I've found the stop in the Fashion Valley Mall to be the most convenient. It's location is far enough away from the convention center to give you multiple freeway options for the drive home. You can find all the info here http://www.sdmts.com/Trolley/ComicCon.asp. This is also great for seeing sights like this, I think that's my friend Rhiannon in the far side.

That will also take care of another massive elephant in the room, parking. Parking at the convention center is actually reasonably priced at 12 dollars, however if you don't arrive to the convention center by 6am, chances are there wont be any left. This year people were given the option to prepay for parking but like paying for your college's parking pass, it doesn't mean you wont end up parking in the farthest part of the lot, if your lucky enough to even find a space. There are numerous parking structures around the area and Petco Park, I've been told however that those parking lots can go upwards of $20. If you take the trolley, in some stations you may find free parking, if you take if from a hotel you can park in their lot, usually for a reasonable fee.

Note if you're feeling very adventurous and feel that 50 bucks is worth saving your driving sanity, Amtrak has trains that go from Fullerton to San Diego. I'm not entirely sure how that works, when I looked in to it, round trip just seemed to expensive and I wouldn't want to be left in San Diego without a way to get home. http://tickets.amtrak.com/itd/amtrak#

"So I should get a hotel?" No, unless you've been racking up the unemployment cash like this guy. A hotel is the worst option, the nice hotels around the convention center fill up in March, well before the show. Often times these rooms go for $200 a night, Super 8's and Best Westerns can be found in the out skirts about 10 minutes down the freeway. My first year coming back to Comic Con, I stayed at a Super 8 in San Yisidro just 5 minutes from the US/ Tijuana border. This was bad, and your hearing this from a guy (who thanks to Best Buy) stayed at a hotel in Seattle once, where people slept in the hallway waiting for the person they were going to buy drugs from. If you're lucky, you can split a nice room amongst a group of four people for about $50 a person.

Normally even on a Saturday when you go to Disneyland, you don't make an itinerary the night before of all the rides you want to get on and at what time you have to get on exactly. This however is not Disneyland, with at least a hundred thousand attendees a day, all going for the few capacity things you are trying to see, planning ahead is a must. There's an unspoken rule that I just came up with ten seconds ago, if you really want something you'll wait 3hrs for it. This includes panels to see upcoming movies, exclusive toys, free stuff and autograph signings. The phrase "cool this ends at this time and we can go to this right after," does not apply. There will be people there who in some cases have camped out the night before, just to be the first to get on the Internet and spoil Robert Downey Jr's appearance for people. Accept that you aren't going to beat these people to anything. Look at the program online, pick what you want to see and at least two back up things. Don't be afraid to sit through things you've never heard of, last year in order to see the Walking Dead, Monica and I sat through Hawaii five-0 (why that was at comic con I do not know), it wasn't the worst experience of my life and it ensured that I would be in the ballroom when the Walking Dead premiere panel came on right after.

"Eating?" The only words of advice on this subject, bring food! Don't be afraid to lug around an entire lunch, food places in and around the convention center are few and far between, unless you really love pretzels and apple juice. There are a few restaurants, but you often times walk 6-10 blocks up the street and face an hour wait sometimes just to sit down. There's not a Mc D's or Burger King anywhere near there. Save your big appetite for after the show and go to this place, http://www.philsbbq.net/ , best BBQ you've ever had. Myself and Man Vs Food can not be wrong about this. If you feel the need to ignore any of this, but don't want to starve to death; the week before the show follow every movie and production studio on twitter. There are hundreds of sub events outside the convention center, that are within walking distance and almost always have free shirts and food for people. It's a great way to eat for free, that won't take up a ton of time from your convention going. Last year's Scott Pilgrim vs the world event was a huge one and Flynn's arcade filled me and my bag with a weeks supply of free coke zero.

One last thing about the show you can not stress enough. WALK EVERYTHING! This is the biggest event of the year and sets up many of the things you will see for the rest of the year. Comic con is how I saw "the Dark Knight" for free a week early and how I made 150 bucks from selling a tron disc (I got for free) to some dork on eBay. This year, I'd be willing to bet if you searched hard enough you will get something cool from the new "Dark Knight Rising" film that you can sell to someone for 100% profit.

Finally the drive home. It's like a giant scale version of a Dodger game, if you leave in the 7th inning you will beat the traffic, but you may miss something awesome. (Well at least in the times when Either was hitting all those walk off HR's) Leave when the exhibit hall closes and you will face a traffic storm that I guarantee you've never encountered. Best option don't take the 5 freeway, second best (excluding Sunday), I did say only the exhibit hall closes at 7pm, stay and enjoy some of the after hours activities at and around the show. There are always free movies screened at the convention center, last year we saw "Batman: Under the Red Hood" a month before it's release. If you've followed the movie companies you can find lots of great free events to see. Best option for avoiding Sunday traffic, don't go to Comic Con on Sunday or if you have to leave by 3pm (unless Danny DeVito is there doing "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" Panel, shit is hilarious).

There you have it, hopefully some of this will save you from the horrible side of Woodstock.....errr I mean Comic Con.

- David N.

UFZ: Return from Stranger Unemployment checks

Well here we are with another money saving experience. Yes I brave long two hour waits and douchey people dressed as pirates with jeans to bring you a few thoughts on Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

Pirates has officially joined the annoyance level of twilight, never before have I been so disgusted at human beings dressing like pirates this far from Halloween. Your all right up there on the all time assclown list with those fat chicks that wear softball jerseys to comic con as if they would ever make it to first base both physically and figuratively. Sorry for the angry tone, bad weekend for this reporter.

Alright back to business, I will admit to being one of those people who believes the glory days of this franchise has come and gone, namely when the second movie was released. While the character of Captain Jack is enough to win me over on it's own, it's horrendously overshadowed by how much you will hate Penelope Cruz love interest character of Angelica. I didn't buy there being any chemistry between her and Depp. She single handedly set back anyone named Cruz twenty years. How did she even get famous? Geoffrey Rush and Ian McShane turn in solid performances as Barbosa and Blackbeard. While were on the subject, please note that the only cool part of the movie is the mermaid scene. It's also the most racially ignorant scene, only one black mermaid among all the white ones. Where's the racial harmony, no hispanic mermaids? You know they can swim. No Asian mermaids? Were they all busy doing math and playing tennis for their school? Except for the question of how can such a powerful historic relic depend on a few measly rocks? The plot is fun and simple to follow if you need to use the can during the movie.

Stay after the credits if you want to waste more time, there is an after credits moment with Penelope Cruz that doesn't lead to anything interesting. This movie doesn't do anything to move the franchise forward, but it also doesn't stay in the past, almost as if it was just a season premiere of a television show after losing one of it's characters. All in all it's a perfect afternoon wasting action flick, anything full price and you will have the buyers remorse. If you can see it in 3D, do so, this is one of the few rare movies where visuals are noticeably improved.

If you looking for the best in free movie going experiences follow the LA Times Hero complex, unlike campus circle and gofobo the screenings are not shared with other media outlets. This means few seats go to VIP's, plus you get a free large popcorn and soda. So there you have it a so so movie made better with a few free things.

Here's something more enjoyable than Penelope Cruz

- David N.

UFZ: Tax Edition

So I'm not in jail and as of this morning the government deposited $4,750 into my bank. So up yours anyone who said I'd have to work again by January.

How did I do it? How can you do it and not go to jail?

After reviewing my return and seeing that my student credit for not actually attending in 2010 was 1,250 on top of my standard deduction. In addition there's a little known law that went into effect that anyone can cash in on. I can sell you the secret through my new dvd series ($49.99) or you can get a true professional to do your taxes. No not Morty from H&R block, I'm talking about the shadiest person you can find. A guy that makes you go to his hidden office with two boats parked out in front of it and a columbian drug lord exiting as you pull up. I remember telling my accountant how afraid I was that I would owe the government money and he looked at me and said " I will never let that happen." Now here I am debating on what to spend my money on, perhaps a second lava lamp?

Keep in mind that you have to pay for results, someone who will bend the rules and keep you out of jail is not cheap, but the return on investment is a killing. See you in the Dodgers suite.

Turning 29 But Looking 23

Turning 29 is a lot scarier than hitting 30, starting today my entire year is a race to do all the things I said I would do before I hit the milestone. Thankfully having kids or being married was not on that list. To be honest I can't remember everything that was on that list, either mad cow disease or early senile is kicking in. I'm pretty sure either Karate or swimming were on that list, we'll see. A year ago, I wrote one of these blogs with a small hope that I'd meet my final reward at same the age Heath Ledger and Brandon Lee tragically died.

Today it's a different story, life seems like a challenge worth doing again. It's amazing how much you can get done when you don't hate your life. However if my number does come up within the next 365 days, I'll only be joining one famous person to die at the age of 29. That person being legendary pioneer and founder of real country music Hank Williams. No, not the guy who asked us if we were ready for some football? This Hank Williams was the creator of legendary songs like " Your Cheatin Heart" and "Jambalaya". So let's all wish Paris Hilton a happy 30th birthday and eat some alligator in honor of the guy who didn't sing about the football commentary skill of Al Michaels and Frank Gifford.

- David N.

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[Editor's Note: Happy Birthay, David! May your disillusioned thoughts about how young you look carry you into next year.]

Vote for Abraham by George Acevedo

Shameless plug time. IEC contributor David has asked all of you to vote for his cousin's submission, Abraham, to the Create A Superhero For Stan Lee Foundation. Click here to vote.

Here's the description: Abraham is the sole survivor of an alien race comparable to humans. Mechanical body has replaced most of the tissue that was damaged due to disease. Has the power of psycho kinesis and telepathy. He cannot speak nor hear. His chest emblem originates from a West African Adinkra symbol, Siamese crocodiles, which stands for democracy and unity.

And, because this post is comic book related, here is the 'Reception' portion listed on Wikipedia for the movie Steel:

Reception

Steel was received negatively by American critics on its original release. The film ranking website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 13% of critics had given the film positive reviews, based upon a sample of 23.^[2] Leonard Kladly of Variety wrote that the film is "too broad and episodic to attract anything other than the most undemanding crowd".^[8] Peter Stack of the San Francisco Chronicle described it as a "tolerable stinker of a film" that "plays like a Saturday morning cartoon".^[9] Lawrence Van Gelder of The New York Times stated that the film is "slow to gather momentum and generates little excitement or tension".^[10]

Despite negative reception of the film, critics praised Annabeth Gish in the role of the wheelchair-using Susan Sparks. The New York Times called Gish's role a "strong performance".^[10] The San Francisco Chronicle noted that she "becomes the first woman-in-wheelchair action hero in a Hollywood movie, too. Gotta give Steel some credit for that."

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Goodnight everyone!

Unemployment Fun Zone: The Return (Double Whammy Edition)

Much like a movie you didn't want a sequel to, I'm back. For the three people that wondered what happened to my column, let's just say my editor doesn't expect much from me.

Where have I been? When I wasn't at the drawing board doing cards and portfolio sketches, I was scouring the globe of course for the best food trucks around and running into fellow IEC contributor Abel L. I fully expect a new post from him about the Frysmith and The Grilled Cheese Truck, no doubt he's coming up with new synonyms for the word delicious; perhaps something like scrulumptious.

Don't think for one second I've abandoned my search for all things free and cheap in fact, this Tuesday I'll bring you a review of Liam Neeson's Unknown. This April we'll be bringing you UFZ: Anahiem comic con Volunteer Edition where I see how many professional artist give me art to sell on Ebay.

For now in honor of my birthday in four days, I'll be giving you tips on who still let's you eat like a king on your special day. Tonight I took a trip to the mecca of the 605 freeway, the Cerritos mall so I could dine at the Red Robin. If you've never had Red Robin, you either are dating the wrong person or you live in a city where good taste is forbidden. If you sign up for their free Red Royal rewards club you get a free burger on your birthday. You might be saying to yourself, " I still have to pay for fries and a drink though!" That is only a half truth my friend, tonight yours truly walked in, sat at the bar, gave the bartender my printed email; then like magic a bacon burger with unlimited steak fries was laid before me. After $2.62 cents for my root beer, my full meal was devoured and there was no room for anymore. I'm giving this deal a 5 out of 5.

Other free things you can still get within the two weeks that encompass your birthday include, Fuddruckers free burger, $10 towards food at Roadhouse (no purchase necessary), and Ben and Jerry's Ice cream. Check their respective websites for all the details.

Now for the double whammy! Like a black video game salesperson's wet dream, I made $80 dollars today playing an unreleased video game for 2 hrs and stating all the things I hated about it. When I first answered this ad, I was skeptical of being raped or having to give up my credit card. Turned out to be a legitimate marketing company hired to conduct this kind for research. This beats jury duty hands down for the simple reason that even if you aren't selected for a panel you still get $50 just for showing up and your on your way home. In jury duty the judge just calls you racist, gives you a lecture one why you should want to be part of jury duty and sends you back to the waiting room. Because I signed a non disclosure agreement, I can not talk too much detail, but I will say it was an exclusive for a game system that has a blu-ray player built in and the name of the game rhymes with Fisted Yental. What am I going to do with my 80 bucks? Yep you guessed it, lottery tickets.

We'll be back in 4 days for my " 29, I think I'm turning 29, I really think so" blog. In 30 days we'll be back with last minute tax tips, including how I got $4,250.00 back and so can you. Plus coming soon for any birthdays after may, IEC will be hosting my "you name it, I draw it" blog where one person will get an actual Image comics bristol board sketch by me, of the most off the wall thing they can think of.

As always it's been your pleasure (or total waste of time),

David

December Rain: You Are Not Axl Rose

This is dedicated to everyone who suddenly turns into Shakespeare at the slightest drops of rain.

Stop!

I hate going on facebook, twitter or any sight where people are bombastically putting up useless rain forecast or failed attempts at haiku's about the "storm watch". Thanks to the recent invention of the window, I am able to see the weather conditions as they happen without being in it. I hope Johnny Mountain punches you all in the ovaries for trying to usurp his job. In addition I don't need your status update laying in bed "listening to the rain". What exactly am I suppose to do with this information? Stop talking about how the rain makes you think deeply, remember you were not the person in Gun's and Roses November Rain video. Please understand if the rain is the only thing that can turn you into Hemingway, then chances are you suck at putting your thoughts into words on a regular basis. If you don't understand the last reference then point proven. Listening to your rain gutters clog is not going to fix that, make some soup or turn on a TV. A change in weather is not going to help you redeem yourself from that D- you got in your 3rd grade English book report on Judy Blume's Runaway Ralph. Stop talking about how much you love the rain if your just on your phone and not willing to venture out in it. There are a lot of people that have to go out in this weather and your sudden deep insights won't stop them from skidding across two intersections on MLK or Atlantic. If your going to express yourself do it on a daily basis, not because you decided to pretend to seize the day and curl up in your blankets. Even if it's only to give this post the finger

UFZ: The Green Hornet Strikes

Like the courageous Britt Reid, my personal Kato and I braved the apocalyptic sprinkle outside to watch Seth Rogen's adaptation of The Green Hornet.

For those too lazy to open a new tab and google Green Hornet, it's a tale of disgruntled underachieving bad ass Britt Reid. In a similar manner to DC comics Bruce Wayne, he inherits his fathers empire after a suspicious family murder. In an attempt to prove he's not a waste of skill he becomes the crime fighter known as (over exaggerated voice here) Greeeeen Horrrnet. This was not what was thespianized on the screen tonight

After seeing the comic con footage, reading the awesome Kevin Smith version of the story and being disappointed by Carls Jr's chicken tenders needless to say my expectations for this movie were not high by any means. Especially when your tag line is, Written by the team that brought you such dynamic action films as Knocked Up, Superbad, and the FortyYear Old Virgin?

From the beginning I wanted to hate Seth Rogen's portrayal of antagonist Britt Reid. In fact I hated the fat kid that portrayed the young Britt Reid in the movies opening flashback. Let's move on, it's now and Britt is a slacker / playboy who continues to piss his father off. After his fathers death, he's somehow forced to take over the family business. (Let this be a lesson make a will) Around this time we're introduced to his fathers mechanic/ coffee maker Kato. In order to piss off his father even more the two become the comedic crime duo Green Hornet and the nameless sidekick. Insert mob plot that intersects with his fathers death and add a Kato Green hornet fight with conflict resolution. Finish it off with an ingenious plan to take down the mob and ice it with a very entertaining blues brothers like car chase and you have the green hornet in 30 seconds.

The best part of the movie and the star in my opinion, is the Black Beauty itself. A 57 Chrysler that would make anyone feel like a bad ass and makes me want to go to Carl's Jr and buy a large drink so I can win it. I can't do it justice you just have to see it to believe it.

The best way to describe the portrayal of Britt Reid is Seth basically made the guy from Pinapple express into a millionaires son, that's the extent of the character. In a stupid way it's genius, he doesn't stretch himself into another character instead Seth Rogen makes the character into himself because hey, if your old enough to remember the Green Hornet radio show your either dead or a head in a cryogenic freezer. Cameron Diaz is barley worth mentioning, I kept waiting for Edward James Olmos to say Cal culus. The only great performance was Kato who constantly walked the line between broken English Asian and total bad ass. James Franco makes a cameo early on that I hope he was paid more for than Cameron or Edward James got combined.

In the end, this movie doesn't hurt or elevate the comic book hero genre. It's simple to follow plot, over piled on comedy and well choreographed action scenes make it entertaining, that is if you know nothing previous of the characters. It's not a movie that's going to be in any ones top ten it's just going to entertain you for a little over 90 min. ( Not don't be fooled by 3D, it doesn't make a difference here)

Unemployment FUN Zone factor 3 out of 5 ( movie free, 2 bucks parking, 10 dollar cooks torta)

This movie 3 out of 5.

Fear of hydroplaning on the freeway 1 out of 5.

If your looking for a campy movie to take a date to see this. If you want the definitive Green Hornet story go read Kevin Smith's comic book version which still contains plenty of dick jokes.

- David N.

Unemployment Fun Zone: Early Tron Review

Twenty years ago a movie was released that changed.........absolutely nothing. The original Tron was boring to anyone who ever had sex with a girl.

Today I got to see the sequel Tron Legacy and I got the same feeling all over again. After seeing the previews and taking part in the marketing games, I had hopes for this new tron movie to out do it's predecessor by leaps and bounds. On some levels it accomplishes this, the look of the world of tron alone is a win. However this movie really did not make great use of 3D effects, simply changing the angles on the light cycles or better cameras on the disc games would have been a hundred times more immerse than the bland "commin at cha vision" that plagued it's effects. The one redeeming thing about the movie was it's music. Former KROQ DJ Jason Bentley and Daft Punk do an amazing score that stays true to the feel from start to finish. In fact the best part of the movie is watching Daft Punk at the end of the line club. One major bright spot Olivia Wilde is awesome and the only actress in Hollywood that I think is Hot!

I won't spoil much but the story lacks any kind of emotional tie, I just don't ever believe that Kevin and Sam are happy to see each other. Too many plot holes especially when it comes to the character of Tron. The end of the movie is too predictable and for a movie that's suppose to spawn more sequels it's leaves nothing for any of the protagonist to build on. Come on Disney, there was no need for a pirates 2 or 3, a third mighty ducks, or a second tron.

Want to see better movies watch The Dark Knight and Inception again. Tron doesn't need your money, it will be number one this weekend no matter what. I saw this movie for free tonight and I still want my money back and not to mention the six hours of my life overhearing fat nerd girls and gay computer dweebs talk about their favorite family guy moments and how they would write a tron themed episode of Futurama. This was the only point in my life I envied the deaf.

Movie itself 2 out of 5.

Pre screening Fun zone factor 1 out of 5.

- David N.

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[Editor's Note: I honestly can't wait to see Tron: Legacy. Obviously I'll have to judge for myself and be held to an "I told you so" if things go sour, but those neon jumpsuits are too much to pass up. I don't plan on seeing it in 3D although that might change considering everything I've read about the plot. Add to this that I've never seen the original Tron. The first I heard of it was via The Simpsons Halloween special years ago. Let the onscreen laser tagging begin!]

Unemployment Fun Zone : Come on Down!

The place: Television City Ca at the Bob Barker Studio

The when: Yesterday (Editor's Note: David means Monday December 6th and not Friday the 10th but I've been busy so eat it. David also refused to include a picture so I picked one out that we'd all enjoy.)

One of the things I've always wanted to do was be on a game show. In my kick about living life, it occurred to me, if not now, when? The experience was what I expected to get out of it, but there were so many details the TV fools people on. First the studio is no bigger than an average AMC theater and Drew Carey is thinner than me in person. As far a replacing Bob barker goes, he is an uncanny choice. When the cameras aren't rolling, he spent every spare moment getting to know his audience, even going as far as to compliment me on my "Austin Powers like crushed velvet blazer". I made a fool of my self for mediocre prizes that could easily fit in the trunk of my car, with the hope that I'll hear the phrase " a new car" or boat.

One poor people use for price is right that I stumbled across was, how great a scenario it is for a first date with someone. Crazy right? Hear me out, you spend a good two hours before the show talking to your date getting to know her. This is because that's how long it takes the show to process and interview the audience. You don't have to buy her dinner because there's no food allowed past the first gate. In this time you realize if there's a connection or if this is a one time thing. The date also includes a free 90 minute show, this consist of the actual taping, it is a lot of fun just watching this whole production and everyone should do it at least once. If by chance your called, you have a personal cheering section and hey if you win you'll probably score at the end of the date too because, lets face it chicks dig guys who win boats.

There you have it, a memorable date for the cost of fifteen bucks parking. I'd say that's an awesome thing to do for free.

Did I win you might be asking? Guess you'll all find out a month and a half from now when my episode airs.

- David N.

U.F.Z: This is my kinda place, my kinda crowd - By David

In my short time on this earth, I've had the privilege of seeing some of the best bands ever play. Some even nothing short of legendary, from watching Warren from the Vandals climb the main stage at the warped tour in 2000 to watching Travis barker drum it out with DJ/AM about a year ago. I've seen my share of some great moments in music.

This past Saturday was another badge in this sash of awesomeness, I saw the Bouncing Souls play at the House of Blues in Anaheim. Who are the Bouncing Souls you ask? They started as a punk rock band in New Jersey almost 25 years ago and have been pioneers in the do it yourself record business ever since. They've never been on Los Angeles paid by advertisers radio or MTV because they simply don't believe in buying your fame.

Out of all the amazing acts I've seen like Rancid, Dropkick Murphy's, The Damned, Manic Hispanic and The Reverend Horton heat just to name a few, the souls remain my favorite band live. The difference between a live band and a band live is the experience you get, any group of musicians can play their music live but few acts and bring their music to life. I've been fortunate enough to see this band play live eleven times in three states and they get better each time I watch them perform.

Saturday, after a warm up performance from an aging Adolescents, the moment the Bouncing Souls took the stage, the music grabbed me for an hour and it didn't let go. For a band that's been around this long, they move like teenagers playing at a friends back yard. Greg's voice has come a long way since the first time I saw them play ten years ago, and hearing them play the old songs now compared to early recordings makes it feel new, like hearing them for the first time all over again. Overall this was a great performance but concert venues will never have the organized chaos like at the Alex's bar show in Long Beach a few years back, personally I didn't hear classics like Joe lies or any acoustic songs.

Why does this show mean so much to me and why does this show qualify for Unemployment Fun Zone. First reason being the price, seeing two awesome bands for 13 bucks can't be beat. To understand the second reason, you have to understand the last six years of my life. I've lived my whole life afraid of the world and afraid of pursuing the things I wanted to do like writing, drawing and working in production. Much of that reason is because I was always told not to leave the secure situation of having a sixty hour a week job and health care, even if it killed me everyday. Out of everyone in my family none of us even attempted to become what we wanted to in life because once we got into a job that seemed good enough we were afraid to be without it. My situation of getting up at 4am everyday to go to a job where nothing you did was ever good enough and your bosses hated you because you refused to act like a tool was killing me with the worst headaches of my life, then being diagnosed with anxiety disorder by my doctor and hating my life to the point where suicide or killing spree was an option. Self destructive behavior affected me even when I wasn't at work, costing me countless relationships with friends and loved ones. Knowing full well I never intended for my life to turn out that way, it was an unbearable situation that I put myself in. Before you say it, yes I know there are people out there in worse situations, but I've always wanted more for my life than a stupid shirt with someone else's name on it.

Sitting in my room three weeks ago, while contemplating my life one of my books fell off the shelf and it opened on an excerpt from a fortune cookie that said " Find release from your concerns and have a good time". It was something a fallen friend and mentor carried till he lost his eight year long battle with cancer in 2007. A man who never once gave in to self loathing which many in that situation do. I stared at that line for what seemed like hours and I thought to myself, if tonight was my last night on earth I haven't lived a single day the way I wanted to. The day after that, I was in a meeting where the only people I cared about at work were bashed unfairly for their work ethic. To me they had never been anything but the best, but when your not the head cheese your opinion doesn't mean jack. I was given an ultimatum either give up the money you make or they were gonna take it from me. I remember looking into the eyes of those two assholes who had made this whole situation unbearable, and thinking to myself I have a 3rd option. I can go see the bouncing souls play in two weeks and I can chose to live life without fear for once. I decided in the moment, it was finally time to let go of my concerns and fears and have a good time. On what quickly became my final day of work, I strutted out for the last time saying my good byes to few. My being was full of fear but I remember turning on my car and hearing Gone by the bouncing souls, at that point my doubts were turned to hope. It's the same feeling I got on Saturday night when I heard them play it, there wasn't a doubt in my mind I knew my decision to start living life, facing my fear of the world was the right choice. No one was ever gonna pull me out of my situation, so I had to do it for myself. As I got older these last few years, I'd been living this cloud of lies thinking that my life's sole concern should be paying bills and not about experiencing the world to find what your passionate about. How could anyone lead a full filled life that way?

That's the second reason this show qualifies for this blog, because it was the first show I got to see as a free man. For the first time, it felt amazing seeing the clock strike midnight on a Saturday night and not have to feel an anxiety about how I was gonna hate my life the next day. This band has a way of making each person in the crowd feel like they are playing just for them. Which was highlighted when lead singer Greg dove in the crowd to do a couple of songs.

What they did for me that night was put all my worries aside for an hour and gave me a reason to sing like nothing was wrong in the world. That night I sent the band's bass player Bryan a message because I left that show with a sense that following my dreams wasn't impossible, after all if four punks from New Jersey could grow up to play music in front of thousands of people all over the world, then maybe just maybe I could live a life that didn't make me hate myself. So i had to say thank you, but unlike most rock bands, he actually wrote back. Nothing long winded just a couple of encouraging words that get a person through the tough days (and I know there will be a few), in fact it was just two encouraging words "fuck yeah".

So not only did I see a great show, I got some reassurance that the only thing I got from living the comfort I drowned in the last six years was the fear of losing it. For practically nothing that's an awesome way to spend an unemployed night. Have a great Thanks Giving for the first time in a very long time my dinner will be after 3pm and I will be asleep Friday morning ( for you Abel).

Unemployment Fun Zone: The Whirling Derby

So far in the fourteen days I've been without a job, I've taken up the guitar, re learned drawing techniques, been to Magic Mountain, and sat in the audience of a Kevin Smith podcast. My latest adventure in the jolly life of the jobless took me to a tiny market in Anahiem California. Perhaps rooting through dumpsters? No not yet.

My Friday adventure had me participate in an event thrown by the Lottery. Now I'd never been much for playing the lottery, the only tickets I would ever buy were during huge jackpots. Not like when I was a child and my parents bought me scratchers, apparently I used up all my luck back then. Today, after trading in all my families saved up winning tickets, I got twenty more lottery scratchers and this gave me the option of stepping inside a giant plastic snow globe for twenty seconds. That twenty second period was among the most fun, I've ever had in that short an amount of time. Spinning around like an idiot, and trying to punch out papers whirling around me. With a small crowd cheering for me and after I got over my fear of paper cuts, I managed to grab my fair share of prizes which netted me a cool twenty bucks more than I had spent. Apparently with my natural charisma, I will also be featured on the Orange County Registers website. I'll save the highlights from that interview for you guys to search.

One thing I noticed being the youngest person there and one of only five people there with a grasp on the English language, was a glimmer everyone had in their eyes in that line. It occurred to me some of these people aren't so different from some of my family. At that point it dawned on me, sure every so often the lottery makes a few millionaires but what it gives everyone is a little bit of hope. Most of the people who wait in lines at rat hole convenience stores and either drown a quarter of their pay check or a spare buck they had in their pocket, are people who have settled in jobs they never imagined themselves in or are forced to stay at. The majority of these people realize they will probably never be able to retire on their own or aren't fortunate enough to get the opportunity to save for it, so they invest in different opportunity to trade one dollar for millions. I can't count how many times my friends and I talked about the ridiculously selfish things we would do with that money, including paying someone to talk for us for a year.

No longer will I look down on big Hispanic families, Caucasian alcoholics, and old Japanese couples who played the lottery every week. To me they may not be doing a lot of things right but something they are doing is dreaming. I see even my own dad has realized he will probably have to work until the last possible retirement age but that hasn't stopped him from bringing my mom the occasional lottery ticket. It might seem like a dream but he's happy working and having the attitude "if it happens it happens". You may not be able to give your kids the best life but as long as you can show them your still dreaming, when they grow up they just might grow up with the idea that anything is possible and the point doesn't lie in a giant check it resides in that thought.

- David N.

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Link: http://www.ocregister.com/video/?videoId=681567525001&lineupId=31180453001