And you thought mapping the human genome was tough...

Try analyzing the 39 ingredients that make up the components of a Twinkie.

A new book due out deconstructs all the tasty chemicals that go into making one of America's favorite snack cakes:

At the heart of the book is the fundamental question: why is it you can bake a cake at home with as few as six ingredients, but Twinkies require 39? And why do many of them seem to bear so little resemblance to actual food? The answer: To stay fresh on a grocery-store shelf, Twinkies can't contain anything that might spoil, like milk, cream or butter. Once you remove such real ingredients, something has to take their place—and cellulose gum, lecithin and sodium stearoyl lactylate are a good start. Add the fact that industrial quantities of batter have to pump easily through automated tubes into cake molds, and you begin to get the idea.

How utterly scrumptious!!! Now I remember why I haven't had a Twinkie in at least a decade. I'm probably still processing the one I ate back in 1997.

When the human race has long left this earth, and the only things left are the cockroaches and spiders, there will be a Twinkie sitting there in the midst of all the carnage, ready to eat...

C'mon now

I've been listening to the saga of Anna Nicole Smith's death and dead body for a least a couple of weeks now, and after this horribly cheesy attempt to delay the process even further this is my decree: just bury the poor girl's remains in the Bahamas next to her son, whom she deeply loved, and let us all move on with our lives as well as for all those actually have a vested interest in this affair.

I don't agree with the life that she lived, but this is just horrible to have such a media circus and all these arguments after she is dead. Especially as her body decays in the morgue. No open casket funeral for Ms. Smith...

Her example makes a real good case for a current, up to date will with exact details and wishes outlined.

Steamboy

Whereas I wasn't real impressed with "The Departed", Steamboy filled the good movie void this week. From the official site:

From the leader in animé Katsuhiro Otomo (Osamu Tezuka’s Metropolis, Memories), comes his first feature- length directorial project since his breakthrough film (Akira). A retro science-fiction epic set in Victorian England, Steamboy features an inventor prodigy named Ray Steam, who receives a mysterious metal ball containing a new form of energy capable of powering an entire nation, the Steam Ball. Young Ray Steam must use the Steam Ball to fight evil, redeem his family, and save London from destruction. Ten years in the making, a total budget of $22 Million and with more than 180,000 drawings and 400 CG cuts, Steamboy is one of the most elaborate animated features ever created. Steamboy will be brought to life with an outstanding ensemble voiceover cast including Academy Award® Winner Best Actress in a Supporting Role 1994 Anna Paquin (X-Men), Patrick Stewart (X-Men), and Alfred Molina (Spider-man 2).

Who knew Anna Paquin would do such an amazing job playing the voice of a 13 year old boy! Patrick Stewart always impresses. Alfred Molina was amazing as well. But here is the really interesting thing: all three played in Marvel movies. Hmm...

This movie was visually stunning and actually had a plot that was very understandable. Sometimes I find Anime movies hard to follow. A lot of Eastern (not Maine that is) themes that don't always connect with my Western way of thinking.

A great movie overall. Worth the full price of admission if anyone around here had the wherewithal to actually bring it to our local theater...

This stupid thing itches...

TLC for the masses. That is Tastes Like Chicken.

This is how I feel when I haven't shaved for a couple of days...

Holy Squid, Bat Man...

990 pound squid caught off the coast of New Zealand, perhaps the biggest squid ever caught.

If calamari rings were made, expert says, they'd be size of tractor tires.

It'd probably taste like tractor tires as well.

Currently playing in iTunes...

Demon Hunter- The Triptych

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace, the story of William Wilberforce and his fight to abolish the slave trade in Britain, is opening tomorrow, February 23rd, and looks totally amazing. Not only is it a story of huge historical significance, but a story driven by Wilberforce's faith in God.

Here is the link to the movie site. You'll find there information about the movie, an educational resource and a study guide.

I found a link on John Piper's website that has a PDF version of a book that Piper's ministry has written to go along with the movie. Here is the link for the book and the free PDF download.

Enjoy and go see this amazing story!

The Departed

I just watched The Departed, and that is 2 1/2 hours of my life I can't get back. I hated it. I've had a ton of people I know recommend it because they thought it was awesome. I am so disappointed.

But, I think I now why I hated it. It wasn't Scorsese, even though I think he is overrated. It definitely wasn't Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg or Matt Damon. It might have been DiCaprio (or as I call him "De"Crap"rio), but I doubt it.

It was the script. The story was actually very good. It kept you guessing to the very end. But it was very disjointed. There was no sense of time, except when they told you how much time had passed. One minute Leo's starting his undercover thing, and then suddenly a year passed.

But my biggest complaint was the language. Now, those who know me know I'm no prude and have been known to throw around a colorful word here or there, but this was just nonstop vulgarness. There was some very nasty references to other races and about women as well, which I feel were unnecessary because they certainly didn't enhance or move the story along. This is definitely a film for adults and mature teens.

I won't pan the thing entirely, but I am only gonna give it a two out of four stars. Not worth admission, but a rental, especially if you can get it for free.

Sunday Morning Music Set

After having a discussion with my friend Reese this morning at church, I've decided that I am going to try and post our Sunday morning worship sets here on the blog. I know that I am always looking for new songs to do on a Sunday morning, so hopefully this will help someone somewhere in worshiping our God and King.

A little background to start. We are a small church in Hampden, Maine, with about 250 attendees. We have two worship groups, of which I am the "leader" of one. Our first service group, the one I play in, has a twin Les Paul powered attack with a full compliment of drums, piano, bass and several singers. We can be a huge wall of sound. But, while our goal is always to sound good and play the best we can for God, we always strive to not be the focal point. We strive for invisibility, so the focus and goal is worshiping the Lord Most High, not us as musicians.

Here is the worship set for this Sunday:

1. Adonai- (Paul Wilbur)
2. Be Unto Your Name
3. Your Love, Your Mercy
4. Lead Me to Calvary
5. Light the Fire
6. From My Heart to Yours (offering)
7. Your Love O Lord
8. Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)/Doxology

A couple people in our group had the idea to do the "Doxology" a cappella at the end of "My Chains are Gone" and it turned out to be amazing. God really did an amazing work with this song combination. Now, the doxology is not a song we have ever done, and in my ignorance, didn't even know what it was not growing up in a church that ever sang it, but it was perfect to end the service on.

Okay, I've rambled on long enough to now. More to come later.

This would make me really happy

Oh to be having an ice cream sundae with the Master Chief...

Thanks to my buddy Scott and Pat for the pic!

Nature themed blogging ensues...

Animal Kingdom 1, Humans 0

The stupid things people do when they are drunk...

If your a drinkin' buddy with this guy, you might want to rethink that:

CANBERRA - A fisherman fueled by vodka caught a 4-foot shark and wrestled it onto a jetty on Australia’s south coast, suffering only small tear marks in his trousers, media reports said on Friday.

Phillip Kerkhof, 41, caught the bronze whaler shark by hand on Monday after he spotted it chasing squid lures near the jetty at the tiny seaside town of Louth Bay in the South Australia state.

“I just snuck up behind him and eventually I went for the big grab and I fluked it and got him,” Kerkhof told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Animal Kingdom 1, Humans 1

What's that you say?

New Mexico is hoping to keep drunks off the road by lecturing them at the last place they usually stop before getting behind the wheel: the urinal.

The state recently paid $21 each for about 500 talking urinal deodorizer cakes and has put them in men's rooms in bars and restaurants across the state.

When a man steps up, the motion-sensitive plastic device says, in a woman's voice that is flirty, then stern: "Hey, big guy. Having a few drinks? Think you had one too many? Then it's time to call a cab or call a sober friend for a ride home."

Are you serious? A talking urinal? Well, if it gets some drunkard off the roads because he just had a religious experience because he heard a voice from the urinal, so be it.

I just hope nobody finds a shark to wrestle...

"Is your marriage in trouble?"

The question asked by my beloved high school students when I said I was going on a marriage retreat. And often if you say "marriage retreat" to the public at large, this is also their question.

And my response is, "Heck no!" There are ways to improve an already stellar marriage, and that is what the Mrs. and I did this weekend, with our friends Scott and Esther. We headed down country a ways to Camden, Maine, to stay at the Country Inn and attend the 2007 marriage retreat headed up the Russ and Lorie. And what a great time is was.

At the risk of plagiarizing Esther's post, here we go. We left after work on Friday and drove down to Camden and ate at this great restaurant at the Cedar Crest Hotel (aptly named the "Restaurant at the Cedar Crest") and had the most amazing burger and got to watch live jazz, as well as drool over the Gibson Les Paul one of the old gents was playing. Please wipe the drool now...

Then back to the hotel for the first session of the weekend, which dealt with living in the N.O.W. or Nourishment, Observation and Work, which are the big three in having a great relationship with your spouse. Also being able to hit the "reset" button when things get a bit dicey helps as well, because as most of you know now, most fights are about the stupidest things.

Saturday night brought about date night, and while we were tempted to double date with someone despite instructions not to, we ended up at Su Casa, a Mexican restaurant near the inn, almost by ourselves, but a couple we had just met this weekend decided to eat there as well and I resisted the urge to go sit with them and have some Nachos and a Corona. The food was amazing and the owner was even visiting each of the tables to see how peoples' meals were. Incredible! If you are in Camden and want some authentic Mexican, this is the place.

The weekend also featured some videos by Mark Gungor. He has a great insight into marriage and is an absolute riot. He takes the edge of potentially serious topics by adding very timely and appropriate humor. Check out his website here. I would recommend his seminars to anyone. He had too much info to really post here, but if you check out his stuff, I have to say my "Nothing Box" is about the size of the Grand Canyon...

A great weekend!!!

The Dead of Winter in Maine

It took awhile to get here, but winter has finally arrived in our beloved state of Maine. December saw us having 40's and 50's, but during that last week we have often woken up to negative temps. And much to our chagrin, not much snow. Tomorrow's forecast is for a couple inches of snow, which will me nice for my buddy J.R. Mitchell and the Pine Tree Camp's Egg Ride.

The Mrs. is currently playing her new game in attempt to pass a cold winter's night. While being a complete button-masher, the voice talents of Elijah Wood, David Spade and Gary Oldman keep this one entertaining.

Norah Jones' new album, Not Too Late, is playing on the laptop as I write this. She could be singing jibberish and she would still be so amazingly talented. My favorite so far is "Sinkin' Soon". Interesting sound for this one.

School is going well. I survived the first semester with only a moderate amount of stress, anger and frustration. Me and the boys have made some great changes for this semester to reduce our stress as well as give the kids a better chance of success. Out of our class of 36 we have 20 seniors, and right now we hope to see most of them graduate. I'm very glad to be done with teaching Earth Science and Psy/Soc. I'm now on the Health, Pre-Algebra and Guitar. Never a dull moment.

Alright, I'm about to go pass some time reading this incredible novel. I am amazed so far and can't wait for the rest of the story to unfold.