Thursday, November 29, 2007

Guest Blog: The many faces of Johnny Depp

Today I'd like to welcome a guest author -- someone near and dear to me: my wife, Jamie! :-)

Haven't yet got her own blog going, so for now, I'll present her writings here. They won't necessarily be travel-related, so it should make for a nice change of pace.

So, without further interruption: The many faces of Johnny Depp


Johnny Depp, undoubtedly one of the most versatile actors in today’s Hollywood, is blessed with the ability to not only portray any role placed in front of him, but can also find humor in spoofing himself. Some of his most notable and memorable roles stem from his collaborations with Tim Burton.

Two to date come to mind when I think of Johnny Depp. The first of these was his portrayal of Ichabod Crane in “Sleepy Hollow”. Ichabod is a most memorable performance showcasing the awkward literary legend as only awkward in behavior, not appearance. I loved how Depp was able to capture the passion of the magistrate’s love of science, along with his instability in doing so. As when he goes to “operate” on the late Widow Winship, he clearly can understand like no other what he is looking for but seems to hardly stomach it.

Another notable collaboration with Burton is that of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” as the eccentric Willy Wonka. Depp captures the naïve boy in Wonka, while learning what he’s been missing in a family for so long. But who can truly not laugh when the excited Wonka declares he “has transportation!” and turns to slam face first in the glass elevator? Self humor at its best!

The soon to premier “Sweeney Todd” showcases yet another collaboration between Depp and Burton, and promises to please for all who love the team! I know I’m excited to grasp this new eccentric character so masterfully portrayed by Johnny Depp, being led by Burton, on another adventure! To learn the quirks of Sweeney Todd that can only be conveyed by the masters of the craft!

Bring it on Johnny and Tim!!



Editor's note: You can visit Sweeney Todd on MySpace or visit the official Sweeney Todd movie site.



Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Google gadget mania!

Howdy, folks!

I know I've only had some "From around the web" posts lately, but we have been busy here at Resideo, so I'm sure you'll forgive me!

One thing I have been working on is creating some unique and useful Google Gadgets. Now, Google Gadgets are pretty nifty, and allow designers to include all sorts of interesting things that can be included on your Google customized home page and any other site you maintain.

So far, I've created 3 fairly simple gadgets:

Hotel/Destination/Activity Search
Allows you to search for a hotel name, city and/or activity ("Snow Ski Vail", "London hotels", etc.). We return the most relevant results right there in the gadget box.

Random Hotel
Admittedly, not very useful, but pretty darn cool if you ask me. This gadget displays a different property each time it's loaded -- randomly from over 30,000 hotels and resorts from all over the world.

Recent Hotel Q&A
My very first Google Gadget, this widget displays the most recent questions that have been posted by site visitors.

Anywho, feel free to take a look, add them to your site and/or Google homepage, and let me know what you think!

Until next time...