Usher S-520 Speakers, Big in Japan

Well, well... aren't you a fine lookin' pair of bookshelf speakers? I think I want to take you home, love. Make you my own. $479 for a pair? I guess those good looks don't come cheap...

Mac Lethal Drops Another Love Potion

Rhymesayers rule. Mac Lethal kills it on this one. Come to think of it, I've dug almost every single album this guy has dropped. Ch-Ch-Check it out!

Adventureland Review

Mismarketed as teen sex romp, this smart, tender romance that's a bit heavy on the sentimental side. Yes, it is quite sappy at times, especially if you're not into that sorta thing. But don't confuse it as just another summer love story - Adventureland is a personal journey through the eyes of a recent college grad (which can be highly relevant or not at all), which is timed surprisingly well, hitting many of today's relevant themes such as the recent recession, adultery, and drug use. What the film doesn't excel in is creating anything that'll jump off the page. No, what you'll find here is something truer to life. Call it "ordinary" and even "dull," if you may, but that's wonderful, I think. It's about capturing life as it happens, with all of its ups and downs; executing that with such emotional poignancy without filling it with Hollywood fluff - that can be a beautiful thing. 8.1/10.

Poliform Life in 80m²

I've long dreamed of owning such a fabulous flat. Especially lovin' the attention to detail with the eye-ball light fixtures in the bedroom, sexy mix of modern and natural materials throughout, and a living room area designed for community! More here.

Xuman Brings the Disco Love

Absolutely lovin' these Russian disco studs. This is some serious stuff, ya'll.

Xuman - Panic (MP3)

The Hangover Review

Most great comedies are based on fundamental truths - we find a deal of humour in the illumination of our own human tragedy. Like how Office Space is funny because we've all worked that type of dead-end job, put up with that type of boss, and suffered that type of monotonous everyday boredom. The Hangover, aptly titled, does exactly that - in strides. It's also funnier due to the fact that the plot works backwards, without tacky flashbacks, and much of everything is left for the viewer's imagination. All in all, genuinely one of the funnier comedies in my recent memory. 8.9/10.

Honey Teriyaki Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe

I haven't written one of my yummy recipes in a long while, so here goes a traditional Chinese mash-up I'm sure you'll love.

• 1/2 c. light soy sauce
• 1/2 c. orange juice
• 4 tbsp. honey (substitute with brown sugar if needed)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 1/2 lb. chicken (cut in bite-size pieces)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 bunch broccoli
• 1 lg. onion

Combine first 6 ingredients with 1/4 cup water in bowl, mixing well. Put about a cup of the marinade aside. Marinate the chicken in remaining honey teriyaki sauce for 10 minutes or longer. Drain chicken, tossing used marinade. Heat oil in skillet. Add chicken in small amounts to prevent crowding. Stir-fry until brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Add broccoli and onion to hot skillet. Stir-fry 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup water, cover and steam for 3 minutes or until broccoli is tender-crisp. Return chicken to skillet, adding marinade. heat through, stirring constantly. Serve over rice with a fried egg.

Parting is Never Goodbye

Like most families, mine had a Thanksgiving tradition we kept up until I began college. For my entire childhood I remember it like this: Our Thursday nights were spent driving around every corner of San Jose, trekking across the town until we finally reached our grandparents' house off McLaughlin Blvd.

When we arrived, hugs were passed around until the adults would adjourn to the family room to have beers and begin conversations about the weather, jobs, their kids, and whatever else adults talked about. Meanwhile, the cousins would collect in the living room and catch up on our lives while munching on some array of Asian dishes either homemade or ordered from one of the family friends. Outside, it was pitch black; the late autumn skies cold and starless.

Things began to change as college came around the corner. I don't even remember my last Thanksgiving when everyone was still around. Had I known there was a "last Thanksgiving" together, perhaps I would have tried to appreciate it more. But then again, life always seems to enjoy playing that little game with us. You never know what you have until it's waving 'goodbye' from a hilltop as you careen down a foreign highway in the opposite direction.

As I grow older, things start to pass with flying colors. People get married. People die. I start to say that really annoying thing that old people hate: "I remember back in the day..." People succeed. They fall. I've seen people get so occupied with their own agendas that they forget about the ones around them. This disconnect often leads to hate and misunderstanding - and hate doesn't feel very good - on either side. But hopefully, in the end, you start to realize and appreciate life for what it really is; a set of traditions between people.

I will admit I'm in quite the hypocritical stance, as I am still thousands of miles away this Thanksgiving from anyone I hold dear, I'm still hopeful that someday I'll have the opportunity to create and sustain this sort of tradition on my own. Maybe after fifteen or twenty years of holding this tradition, I'll have my own kids move out and hopefully start their own families, with their own traditions. Ones that include coming home at the end of each November to see the faces of interact with the people we call family, enjoying a delicious meal together one more time.

Of course this sort of spiel doesn't work very well without good music, so I've selected a few of my favorites from the last decade or so below:

Modest Mouse - 3rd Planet (MP3)
The Flaming Lips - Fight Test (MP3)
My Morning Jacket - Burmuda Highway (MP3)

All My Colours

Calling it just "cute" may be understating this fine and colorful backyard design courtesy of JJ Locations over in London. Definitely diggin' the traditional serenity mixed with the urban and new.

Keepin' It Real, Real

Nothing like some troubled youth remixes to start up your Wednesday morning. This time around, Cassius gets their tossed around with Radioslave, the Subs, and Don Diablo...

Cassius – Youth Speed Trouble Cigarettes (RESET TROUBLE Remix) (MP3)

Danish Modern Me!

Ah, I can't emphasize enough how much I love these mid-century modern Danish pieces. Saw a few exquisite pieces on Craigslist the other day. Couldn't get myself to pull the trigger, though. Must be due to this haunting little debt I've started to gradually accumulate since I started graduate school...

District 9 Review

Sometimes I believe the best reviews are ones that leave me in the same boat as I was coming in watching it. So I'm going to leave out all the details on plot for now. Let's just say while watching District 9, I immediately got that same feeling as when I saw 28 Days Later for the very first time. It was intriguing, highly entertaining, and with a dynamic cast of characters - both rich in humor and action. They obviously got the cinematography down to the nitty gritty details and it's quite apparent how much work went into orchestrating the crescendo of events up until the very final scene. Cue the cliché; this film is guaranteed to stick with you long after you leave the theaters. 9.3/10.