Jim Henson's Birthday

Today would have been Jim Henson's 75th birthday. I was very saddened by his passing in 1990 because the Muppets meant so much to me as a child and even now as an adult. It is a great tribute to his memory that the Muppets still live on and that a new movie is coming on in November. Looking forward to it.

Artwork Project 1

I finally got the chance to install Ubuntu Studio this weekend on an old computer. It contains LOTS of software to do audio, video and graphics projects. I added the program MyPaint to it and gave it a try last night. MyPaint is an open-source clone of Corel Painter, ArtRage and other art packages.

I also used the Wacom Bamboo tablet that my wife gave me as a present 2.5 years ago. It was a blast to try it all out. It felt really natural to be drawing with the stylus while concentrating on the computer monitor.

Below is a drawing inspired by the Caribbean islands that my family have visited on various vacations. I used digital pastels to create the image with some layering effects such as opacity.

I hope you like it...

To boldly go...

Well, this past weekend was the 45th anniversary of The Original Series of Star Trek. What a ride it has been. Nobody could have predicted the impact or popularity of a little sci-fi show back then but I thank the impact it has had on my life.

Kudos to Gene, Bill, Leonard and all the rest of the group for what they did back then and ever since.

Live Long and Prosper!

My Top 5 Superhero Movies

I saw Green Lantern this week and the reviews were mostly bad. I liked it. It is not my favorite superhero movie nor is it the best but as long as you have fun watching it, that's what matters.

My top 5 all time is this (listed chronologically):

• Superman with Christopher Reeve
• Batman with Michael Keaton
• Batman Begins with Christian Bale
• Iron Man with Robert Downey Jr.
• The Dark Knight with Christian Bale

These movies were well written, well directed and had a great cast. Obvious things to have a great movie. Thor and Green Lantern (the 2011 movies) have been lauded by fans as awful, crappy, unworthy films. GET A LIFE!!! These movies aren't Gone With The Wind or The Godfather. They are over the top characters that exemplify aspects of the human condition (Thor is arrogant and Green Lantern must overcome fear).

Green Lantern

The reviews were bad for the most part but I liked it. It is NOT as good as many other superhero movies but it was still a fun movie to watch. The special effects were cool and hopefully, the 3D version added to the fun.

The crappy reviews and the way the movie was lauded by the press do not detract from learning about Green Lantern, a 2nd tier superhero. While not as well known as Batman, Superman and Spider-man, he is still part of the DC mythos and Ryan Reynolds did a good job of playing a selfish, brash thrill seeker who realizes that his greatest ability (Hal Jordan's) is to be able to overcome fear and use his willpower in a way that the Green Lantern Corps has never seen.

The Hangover Part 2

This afternoon, I dropped by the movie theater and watched The Hangover Part 2. A great funny movie!!! What made both movies great to me is the depth of the mystery about what happened that crazy night and the cast of characters.

I was puzzled as to the choice for the cameo. I won't spoil it for anyone but I was left puzzled. I laughed of course all the way through.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

On Tuesday night, I got the chance to see the new Jack Sparrow adventure. I have not seen the 3rd installment but the 4th one is very good. Johnny Depp is a great actor and has the best role. He nails a complex funny character with such ease. The supporting cast is very good as well.

On Wikipedia, the synopsis makes it sound like a sequel to the 4th movie. I felt (without seeing the 3rd one) that is felt like a prequel. I will try to see watch the entire trilogy this summer and formulate a better theory.

All in all, a great summer movie!