You Spilled the Salt

I'm a word guy, not a graphics guy. Drawing pictures has never been my strong point. So I always have to stand back in awe at the men and women of this world who can create amazing visuals using whatever medium they can. And since I'm also a big fan of food, when you can create art using something edible, that's all the more impressive to me.

That's why this video, sent in by, alert reader, Brad, caught my eye. An artist named Bashir Sultani has taken to creating very elaborate drawings with salt. And yes, this is way more intricate than those drawings I used to make in elementary school using only lines of glue and glitter. Check it out:



As Brad put it, this is a hobby for people who never sneeze, and I couldn't agree more. My hand and my nose are not steady enough for work like this.

This drawing of The Joker took him 60 minutes to complete in real time and, if you noticed, he used a playing card to draw The Joker's card. Plus, this is just the tip of the iceberg -- Mr. Sultani has a number of impressive pieces created with salt (some even in color) and, for all you environmentally conscious types out there, he reuses the salt each time.

And although I wish him much success in his endeavors, I think I'll keep my salt as a condiment . .or a spice, depending on which side of the aisle you land on THAT old debate.

NanaNanaNanaNana BATMAN!

So. . .The Dark Knight -



I just saw it this morning, and can't stop thinking about it.

Here's my spoiler-free review:

This was one powerful movie. I mean, it's intense! My palms were sweating for the majority of the film.

I'd like to point out that despite the tremendous amount of violence in this film, there is surprisingly little-to-no gore or blood. This does not, however, mean that it's in any way family-friendly. This is not a comic book movie for kids - this is a gritty crime drama that happens to have people dressing up in costumes. My wife is still disturbed by the Joker and his antics and isn't allowing me to do my impression of him around the house. . .for now.

I'm not saying it's the greatest movie in the world, because it's not. It has flaws in both story and acting (though by no fault Heath Ledger. . .but I'll get to that), but it's right up there in my favorite movies of the summer so far. I really liked how it dealt with the idea of escalation and the morals of society. There were many layers to this film and I'm looking forward to discovering more and more.

Now, Heath Ledger -



I was worried when there began to be buzz about him getting an Academy Award that it would be a "pity Oscar" and I didn't think that was fair to him or the film industry. However, I was floored by his performance. The Joker is horrifying, yet endearing, violent, yet funny and entertaining. It's a character that you're not going to forget and it is DEFINITELY worthy of all the praise and an Academy Award.

I would definitely see this movie in the theaters again. And I would pay full evening price to do so. If I like it as much as I do now after multiple viewings, I plan to add it to my home movie collection.