December 2009 – Bui4Ever

CAO MX2 Robusto Cigar Review

When I had first tried the CAO MX2 Toro, I was impressed at how much I liked it despite being a very strong medium-to-full-bodied smoke. The MX2 line looks very intimidating because of its black Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper, but looks are certainly deceiving. If you’ve been a big fan of medium bodied, medium-full bodied cigar, add the CAO MX2 to your must try list; you never know, you might end up liking it.

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CAO MX2 Robusto

Origin:	Nicaragua
Format:	Robusto
Size:	5
Ring:	52
Wrapper:	Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Filler:	Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Peru
Binder:	Brazilian Maduro
Made:	Handmade
Smoke Time:	~60 minutes
Price:	Famous-Smoke.com: $6.50 for single or $5.15 each in box of 20, CigarsDirect.com: $32 for a 5-pack or $4.95 each in a box of 20 ($99)

Construction

20091229-CAO-MX2-Robusto-Bui4Ever-002 While the CAO MX2 Robusto isn’t the best looking cigar, it is very well-built without any soft spots when squeezed throughout. Present are some minimal veins that runs throughout the oily sheen maduro wrapper. While most maduro cigars have a maduro wrapper, the MX2 has both a maduro wrapper and binder, thus the MX2 designation, Maduro x 2.

The CAO MX2 Robusto is slightly larger than the standard size Robusto being 5 inches long with a 52mm ring instead of 4.8 inches long with a 50mm ring. The slightly longer length and thicker ring gauge makes for a longer smoke. Because of the great build quality, it required no burn corrections as the cigar burned evenly throughout, leaving a dark solid gray ash. The draw was very smooth with just about the right amount of resistance enabling you to draw in good amounts of smoke.

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As one of the online blogs had mentioned, the CAO MX2 band is reminiscent of a tuxedo with a faux-dual band and silver lettering of the brand’s logo, CAO, on one band and the MX2 designation on the second. I had no trouble removing the dual band.

Flavor

20091229-CAO-MX2-Robusto-Bui4Ever-006 So what does this cigar taste like? Dark chocolate, coffee, and pepper are dominate tastes I get throughout, all of which are quite pleasing to the palate. The Mx2 leaves a nice spicy tingling feel on my tongue each time I take a draw. The unique flavor has to do with the four different fillers blended with the maduro wrapper and binder.

The cigar starts out mellow and creamy and then gets stronger and stronger and less creamy until you’re close to the nub where the taste starts becoming harsh. I was able to almost nub it, but decided to put it down before I got sick from the very strong taste. A number of other reviews I read have the same conclusion that near the last third, the cigar loses its creaminess and becomes harsher to the taste.

Value

At $4.95 for the Robusto, this is quite a good value for about an hour-long smoke. You can buy a box of 20 for $99 from CigarsDirect.com. If you’re not sure if you will like this cigar or not, I would recommend picking up a 5-pack from CigarsDirect.com for only $32 to try before buying an entire box. You could also pick up a couple or few sticks from your local tobacconist.

Conclusion

I purchased this stick from my local store, Cigar Loft and Lounge and it sit for a few days in my humidor before I couldn’t resist smoking it any longer. The last CAO MX2 had been aged 2 years before I had it and I can say aging does nothing for them. Typically aging a medium-full to full-bodied cigar will take some of the bite out of the taste, but the 2-year-old MX2 Toro I had still had plenty of bite. The Robusto tasted identical to the Toro, same chocolate and spicy pepper taste.

I can’t say this cigar is for everyone, but I think it’s a definite must try. If you’re used to the lighter smokes, this guy will have some kick. Definitely an after dinner cigar. This has certainly become my favorite non-Cuban cigar and I would definitely pick up a box.

Be sure to read these other reviews on this cigar:

CAO MX2 Robusto Gallery Pictures

Debunking the Undeserved Criticism: The Zippo Blu Butane Lighter Review

Zippo is an iconic company for the last 77 years producing nothing but lighters and is proud to still be manufactured in Bradford, Pennsylvania. Owning a Zippo is more than just owning a lighter, but rather an heirloom or a piece of jewelry to be passed down from generation to generation like a Rolex is more than a just a time-telling instrument. It’s more than a lighter for smokers, but a tool with a rich heritage of being at one time used by the U.S. military, the Boy Scouts, campers/backpackers, and so forth for many reasons including the ability to stay lit in harsh weathers. The distinctive Zippo click when opened or closed, the flint wheel, and all the cool Zippo tricks adds to the appeal of the Zippo.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpogpiOCTqU[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9rRkgnMVNg[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOHwjDzUDnE[/youtube]

Unfortunately for cigar aficionados, using a Zippo to light a cigar is not ideal as it introduces a gas taste to the cigar. Fortunately, Zippo offers us a wonderful alternative: the Zippo Blu butane lighter, a gorgeous butane lighter but does it live up to the Zippo name? Having read many online reviews about the lack of reliability, the answer seems to be no, and it certainly discouraged me from picking one up. I ended up doing the Zippo/Z-Plus Blazer conversion, but had a number of frustrating issues such as inconsistent lighting, so I ended up rarely using it. Fortunately I didn’t give up on owning a Blu and with enough digging online I found these positive reviews which changed my mind enough that I bit the bullet and did it. And I’m glad I did!

Construction

The pictures do not do the Zippo Blu any justice whatsoever. The moment I held one in person, I was sold. It feels incredibly solid and looks amazing. Originally I wasn’t feeling the modern design of the Blu compared to the simple iconic Zippos, but it’s really starting to grow on me now. With the lid closed, it’s smooth, sleek, and modern looking but still retains the Zippo look and feel.

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If there are any complaints to have about the Zippo, then there are four (semi-minor) things. First, the lid doesn’t always close fully. About 8 out of 10 times it works fine, but sometimes you sometimes have to nudge the lid to the side slightly to get it to fully close securely. Second, there is no way to adjust to the flame height. One trick I’ve found is to press down on the flint wheel and let some gas out before spinning the flint wheel to ignite the butane which works. Third, the gas tank indicator is a nice touch, but you can only see it clearly in bright light. Finally, the refill slot isn’t your average size meaning those cheap butane refill kits you buy from the gas station won’t fit correctly, which is good because you shouldn’t use cheap butane for such a great lighter as the Zippo Blu. If you use quality butane gas such as Vector, it comes with a handy adapter that lets you easily refill the butane gas tank.

Another thing I like about the Zippo Blu over other lighters such as my Blazer Venture dual-torch is the large capacity fuel tank. I’ve lit up some 4 Robusto size cigars, did numerous burn corrections on those cigars, I’ve played around with it by igniting it for fun and the tank is still showing 3/4 full! Typically with my Blazer Venture, I’m out of gas by the 4th cigar.

There are a number of attractive finishes of the Zippo Blu that you can buy. My local store only had two and I chose the better finish in my opinion.

Usage (Read The Damn Directions)

I’m like most people, just give me the damn thing and I’ll figure it out. If you decide to take that approach and it doesn’t work, don’t blame it on the product until you’re sure you’re doing it right. I’m sure when the Zippo Blu was first released, there might have been problems as you would expect with anything new. But what I know is, when I purchased my Zippo BLU Shadow Lighter Dark Chrome from Cigar Loft and Lounge, it has worked perfectly. Sure, it doesn’t always light 100% of the time, but I’ve never had a lighter that did. What I’ve found with the Zippo Blu is that it’s a different kind of butane lighter. The flint system on the Blu is a bit tricky, but once you get it down, you’ll find it works great. I, too, was hesitant about how well the butane flint system would work, but when people see me using it and try it out, they love it.

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I have not found the Zippo Blu is any less reliable than my Blazer dual-torch butane lighter, which was my most reliable lighter to date. There are a number of reasons why the Blu might not light and like computer troubleshooting, it’s best to do a process of elimination. First, make sure you’re using either Zippo Premium Butane Fuel, Vector Quintuple Refined Butane Gas Fuel Refill, or some other high-quality butane gas. The cheap stuff can cause clogs or weak flames. Second, did you refill the gas correctly? Remember that to refill a butane lighter, the lighter has to be completely upside down and not at an angle or you might get air which will cause the lighter not to light. Third, did you know that cold butane doesn’t light very well? If you just refilled your lighter, let it warm up to room temperature before attempting to light. If the lighter is already filled or has adequate supply, make sure it’s not cold by wrapping it in your hands for a minute or so to warm it up. Finally, with the Blu’s unique flint system, you have to press down and let some gas expel before spinning the flint to light it up. If you spin the flint as you’re pressing down, you’ll get horribly inconsistent lights and weak flames. The longer that you let the gas expel, the higher and more intense the burn will be, to a point. If all that still doesn’t work for you, let someone else try it and if they have the same problems as you, then it might be time to send the lighter in for repair. Fortunately all Zippos carry a lifetime warranty.

Value

I purchased my Zippo Blu in-store at Cigar Loft and Lounge for a little over $54 plus tax. I could have purchased the same exact lighter on Amazon for $34.95, but I wanted to see it and feel it in person. At $34.95, it is a steal compared to other crappier lighters such as Colibri that you can easily pay hundreds for. I would purchase another at $54 without hesitation.

Conclusion

The Zippo Blu is one of the best looking lighters I’ve seen, period. It’s neat, it’s sleek, has a large tank, fits beautifully flat in your pockets, and the build quality of Zippo. People who see me using the Blu are always asking about it and once they try it, they are quite impressed. Sure it takes some getting used to, but if you give it a chance, I think you’ll find this is the lighter you’re most likely to carry with you daily. The cost is quite reasonable compared to other high-end lighters, but I like the shape and feel of the Blu best.

Also another thing to remember about the Zippo Blu is that you will have to occasionally replace the flint because of wear. The flint replacements aren’t terribly expensive and are fairly easy to do yourself. The Zippo website has excellent directions on how to replace the flint yourself and not void your lifetime warranty. You can also read more Zippo Blu FAQ on their website here.

I’ll leave you with one last video, a pretty good Zippo Blu review by CutleryLover. The only issue I have with the video is that he is lighting it wrong. Make sure you hold down the flint wheel for about a second before spinning it!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw5mwpwll08[/youtube]

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Zippo Blu Gallery Pictures

Paranormal Activity Movie Review

Andrea and I were given an advanced copy of Paranormal Activity to watch. I had heard a lot of claims by friends about how scary this movie is from those who saw it in theaters and we had been meaning to check it out, but never got a chance to before it was out of circulation in theaters.

You can watch the offical movie trailer here:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_UxLEqd074[/youtube]

Paranormal_Activity_poster The story is about a couple: Micah (Micah Sloat), a day trader, and his girlfriend Katie (Katie Featherston), a student, who live together in Micah’s house in San Diego, CA. They have a fairly normal life with the exception of Katie being haunted by a ghost. Micah, skeptical, buys a video camera to see if he can record any paranormal activity. The entire movie is presented from the perspective of the video camera that Micah purchases, much like the The Blair Witch Project but without the nauseating shakiness. At some point, Katie contacts Dr. Fredrichs, a self-professed physic, to help them when is unable to deal with the haunting any further and just wants to end it once and for all. He meets with the couple and offers advice along the lines that they should make no attempt to communicate or anger the entity and running away would not help Katie either as the entity would just follow her. Micah dismisses Dr. Fredrichs and his advice as quackery and begins to antagonize the entity who is haunting Katie which leads to some very shocking and disturbing consequences.

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While generally not easily scared, by the end of the movie, let’s just say I made sure all the doors to our house was locked extra secure. The movie starts out slow which is designed to let us, the viewers, get to know Micah and Katie and their normal life with the small exception of their unwelcomed guest. It took us a bit of patience to watch through the character development, but once things start taking off, it’s hard to stop watching and waiting in eager anticipation of what comes next. As you watch Paranormal Activity, there is no doubt of it’s low budget compared to what you are normally accustomed to seeing, but that effect lends itself very much to the believability of this movie. After a while, you start getting a sense that you are actually watching a real life couple as they experience their worst nightmares. I found the movie very impressing in the story written by director Oren Peli, the chemistry between Micah and Katie as an everyday couple, and the simplicity of the story being told through a home video camera. The movie has grossed $150 million to the paltry $15,000 it cost to make the film proving that good old fashioned story telling trumps fancy, expensive Hollywood special effects any day.

Paranormal Activity screen shot — © About.com/Paramount

The movie was first released on October 14, 2007 at the Screamfest Film Festival and eventually to wide audiences on October 16, 2009 with a total run time of 86 minutes.

Verdict: DEFINITE rent.

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Underworld: Rise of the Lycans Movie Review

We watched Underworld: Rise of the Lycans and it was an entertaining movie. This movie review has very limited, non-consequential spoilers. Continue reading Underworld: Rise of the Lycans Movie Review

NUB 460 Cameroon Cigar Review

Since I’ve heard about NUB Cigars by Sam Leccia, I’ve been wanting to try it out. For those who have never heard of NUB, the concept is simple: create a cigar which packs a lot of flavor in a short size. Why the short size? Because the best flavors of the cigars generally come out near the final 1/3rd of a cigar and because Leccia’s “natural impatience he wanted a high quality cigar that developed it’s optimum flavor extremely quickly” and so NUB was born.

20091221-NUB-460-Cameroon-Bui4Ever-001

Fortunately my local brick-and-mortar, Cigar Loft and Lounge, happens to be one of the few places in San Francisco/Peninsula Bay Area to stock all the various NUB blends and vitolas, I was in luck. I picked up a NUB 460 Cameroon, a medium-bodied smoke, to try out and here are my thoughts.

NUB 460 Cameroon Cigar Details

Origin:	Nicaragua
Format:	460
Length:	4.0
Ring:	60
Wrapper:	Cameroon
Filler:	Nicaragua
Binder:	Nicaragua
Made:	Handmade
Smoke Time:	~36 minutes
Price:	$4.65 single/$110.99 box

Construction

20091221-NUB-460-Cameroon-Bui4Ever-003

The first thing I noticed about the NUB 460 Cameroon is that it’s beautifully constructed. There aren’t really any flaws and it’s solid with no soft spots when squeezed. It feels quite large due to the 60 ring size and stubby being only 4.0 inches long. It has a slight oily sheen to it with some small veins throughout with a nice double-cap at the end. The Cameroon wrapper is a nice rustic green/brown color that is pretty consistent all over. The cigar comes wrapped in cellophane.

The cigar band is plain, simple, and elegant adorned with gold, white, and blue. In the middle is the NUB logo with Cameroon written below it. Of all the cigar bands I’ve seen and tried (Cuban and non-Cuban), this is by far the easiest to remove without damaging the wrapper.

20091221-NUB-460-Cameroon-Bui4Ever-005

The NUB Cameroon I tried for this review had a slight loose pre-light draw and continued up until the beginning of the second-third of the cigar. It wasn’t bad, but a bit annoying. Once the draw issues are out of the way, it starts really getting very good. The Cameroon is nicely packed with tobacco and rolled very well. The ash stayed on solid all the way up until the final 1/3rd when it broke off and fell to the ground and broke into flaky pieces. I only had to do one minor burn correction, otherwise the NUB burned quite well.

Flavor and Taste

The flavors come right out at the very beginning and hits you like a medium-bodied cigar with the flavors of spiciness, leather, a touch of sweetness, and coffee. It’s very buttery/creamy smooth all the way down to the nub. About 2/3rds of the way in I was shocked to suddenly taste pepper and nuts with a very nice aftertaste. The pepper taste started letting up near the final 1/3rd.

Overall I found the NUB 460 Cameroon to be very good, but the taste a bit lacking. It might be that Im starting to develop a taste for stronger bodied cigars or this could have been a fluke and I’ll need to try another one, but I think I may step it up and try the NUB Maduro next time out.

Value

I purchased the NUB 460 Cameroon from my local cigar store, Cigar Loft and Lounge, for $6.83 plus tax making this a decent value. If you purchase from online from stores such as Famous-Smoke, the price is certainly cheaper. I do urge that you try and buy from a local store when possible for a number of reasons: support the local economy, if there is something wrong with the cigar you can easily switch it, no worries about damage to the cigar because of shipping, and we need more local cigar lounges. I can’t tell you how annoying it is when you buy a sampler or a single and it has loose draw or a cracked wrapper. That extra couple of dollars goes a long way.

I try to base what I perceive as value on smoke time and the flavors of a cigar. This is definitely a “shorter” smoke, as it took me ~36 minutes to enjoy it, but I’ve heard you can smoke the NUB in ~15 minutes with constant and consistently puffs.

Conclusion

Sam Leccia doesn’t disappoint with his creation: NUB. I definitely can see picking up a box or having at least a handful in the humidor as this would be a great smoke for the winter months or even an after lunch smoke year round. The flavors are good, the construction is very good, and the price is not bad.

I’ll definitely be trying more of the NUB cigars. If you live in the San Francisco/Peninsula Bay Area and looking for an authorized NUB dealer, be sure to checkout Cigar Loft and Lounge for their great prices, great service, and a gorgeous cigar lounge.

Be sure to checkout these other great reviews:

NUB 460 Cameroon Gallery Pictures

Happy Holidays Everyone

Christmas. Christ’s Mass. Jesus’ birthday. Andrea and I aren’t really religious, but we do believe in a higher power and that not everything can be explained through science. We don’t question the theory of evolution and we don’t believe that on some random day we appeared as we are today: homo sapien.

But we celebrate this day as do millions of others. We give gifts to our family and friends, although this year we can’t give as generous as we have a house and a child on the way. And after Christmas is over, there is only a week before we start a new year.

This year the family (my parents and extended family of uncles, aunts, and grandparents) will be converging on my aunt’s house in the East Bay to eat, mingle, pass out gifts, and open gifts. Pretty much the same thing we did the year before.

But next year will be different. Next year will be our child’s very first Christmas. We’ll be doing things we keep saying we’ll do but never get around to doing it: decorating, getting a Christmas tree, and sending out Christmas cards. But with a child, it’s different. You want your child to experience these holidays and have fond and fun memories to look back upon.

So enjoy the time and memories with you friends and family today. I know we will.

Merry Christmas!

Best Cigar Lounge in the San Francisco Bay Area: Cigar Loft and Lounge

With all the anti-smoking legislation and laws in effect, it has become increasingly difficult to find a safe haven where one can legally light-up and enjoy a smoke. And with my wife expecting our first child, I definitely don’t want to expose either to any second-hand smoke, so I’ve been looking for cigar lounges around San Francisco and the Peninsula and I’ve found some places thanks to CigarGroup.com. Unfortunately it seems like the information on CigarGroup.com hasn’t been updated in a while, but it still did offer a great starting point.

From the list, I selected four locations to try and I called each looking for a few things: cigar lounge, cost to use their lounge, do they carry the Zippo Blu butane lighter, and do they carry any NUB cigars. Of the four places I called, only one place fit everything I was looking for: Cigar Loft and Lounge (Yelp review) in San Mateo, CA. With two other stores in the East Bay, I decided to pay the San Mateo store a visit after my dentist appointment and not only was I not disappointed, but I met a few new cigar buddies.

20091219-Cigar-Loft-and-Lounge-San-Mateo-Bui4Ever-001

Cigar Loft and Lounge (650-312-1141) is located at 106 W. 25th Avenue, San Mateo, CA across from Lucetti’s Italian Restaurant (an excellent Italian restaurant from what I’ve been told) along with a number of other stores. Parking is decent, with many 1-to-2-hour metered parking spots on 25th Avenue and be-careful not to make a u-turn on 25th because it’s prohibited and is a costly ticket according to one cigar aficionado who got a $300 fine.

My first impression upon entering Cigar Loft and Lounge was how nice a setup this place is. They have a number of large floor-to-ceiling humidor cabinets filled with a huge selection of premium cigars from many brands such as Opus X, Padron, AVO, Olivia, Fuente, Rocky Patel, Ashton, NUB, and so on. One brand I couldn’t find there that I’ve really been anxious to try was Pete Johnson’s Tatuaje brand (Wiki article), but with their selection so huge, I’m sure there are plenty of other brands that I can try. [2009-12-30 UPDATE: Further proof that I am blind, turns out that Cigar Loft and Lounge does in fact carry Pete Johnson’s Tatuaje brand cigars. Will clarified this in email to me. ] I also found the prices to very reasonable for a brick-and-mortar store. A number of the Opus X cigars was priced at ~$28, which is a great in-store price considering I’ve seen other places sell them for as high as $50 or more because of how limited and hard to find the cigars are. Although I usually buy my cigars online, I’ve been making an effort to support my local b&m store for a number of reasons including supporting the local economy and fellow BOTLs (Brothers of the Leaf).

20091219-Cigar-Loft-and-Lounge-San-Mateo-Bui4Ever-002 I found Will Shekaib (store owner) and “Z”, Will’s cousin, very personable, professional, friendly and knowledgeable especially in helping me, a NUB noob, select the right NUB cigar for me, the NUB 460 Cameroon for $6.83 (review here). They were also the only store in the San Francisco/Peninsula area that carried the Zippo Blu butane lighter, which I’ve been looking to buy. There were two to select from: Zippo BLU Shadow Lighter Dark Chrome or Zippo Blu Sable Lighter; I selected the Shadow Lighter Dark ($54.95) as the Sable ($51.95) had a plastic cover cheap feel to it. I also purchased a large can of Vector premium refined gas that is “Quintuplus filtered 5+ times” for ~$7, as the cheap butane refill gas that I’ve using are crap and causing my lighters to perform less than satisfactory. A testament to their service, I had a bit of a struggle in filling my newly purchased Zippo Blu and Z took the initiative to help and spent the time to show me how to properly fill it.

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After completing my purchase, I decided to partake in their cigar lounge. While there is no cost to use the lounge, you do have to purchase at least a cigar, though you don’t have to smoke what you just purchased and are welcome to smoke anything you may have bought with you. I find it rude when some people come to a cigar lounge, don’t buy anything, and expect to use the lounge for free. That would be like going to Starbucks drinking home brought coffee sitting at the tables. The cigar lounge at the Cigar Loft and Lounge is quite generous taking up half, if not more, the size of the store in the back with plenty of large, over-sized, comfortable leather single-seat couches, a large wall-mounted Plasma T.V. complete with a microwave and a fridge. I joined two other BOTL (regulars there) who were already watching the football game and they were very personable, friendly, and inviting. Before long, we were joined by other regulars, all of which were extremely friendly and welcoming. With the relaxed atmosphere, comfortable couches, and friendly cigar aficionados, we discussed everything from favorite cigars to the football game to life in general. Who could ask for more.

This is a very friendly and relaxing atmosphere where you can bring your significant other, provided that he/she enjoys cigar smoking or can tolerate the smoke, and a bunch of friends. While the store has great ventilation, because of the enclosed room, you will end up smelling like cigar smoke after you leave. It’s like eating at Hot Pot City, food is good, but you smell like it afterward. You get people from all walks of life: retired/active police officers, teachers, engineers, CHP, and so forth. There are many great conversations to be had and shared over a fine stogie.

The lounge complete with microwave, mini fridge with beer, and big screen flat panel — The lounge complete with microwave, comfy leather seats, mini-fridge with beer, and big screen flat panel

The Cigar Loft and Lounge has a number of private humidors for rent for $25/month. Renting one gives you certain perks such as invitations to all their events, special discounts (anywhere from 10-25% depending on the cigar) and more. The group I was with there all had a private humidor.

I will definitely be back every couple of week or so. San Mateo is a bit more of a drive for me, but the ambiance, friendliness, fair prices, and great service is worth the drive for me. I didn’t really get a chance to take any snaps, but next time I’m there I’ll be sure to get more pictures. Will was generous enough to let me snap some pictures.

Cigar Loft & Lounge
106 W. 25th Avenue
San Mateo, CA 94403
(650) 312-1141
Hours: Monday to Saturday: 10 AM – 8 PM, Sundays: 10 AM – 6 PM

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Taken, An Adrenaline Packed Rescue Movie

We recently watched Taken (written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen) staring Liam Neeson (Star Wars: Phantom Menace, Batman Begins, The Chronicles of Narnia), Famke Jannsen (GoldenEye, Nip/Tuck, X-Men), and Maggie Grace (The Fog, Lost). I actually didn’t know what to expect, I was figuring this was another one of those lame hostage/rescue movies, but it actually turned out very entertaining for the run-time of 91 minutes.

Liam Neeson from Taken — © Image from TimeOutSydney.com.au

The general premise of the movie is retired-CIA clandestine agent, Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) has recently retired and moved closer to his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), and ex-wife (Lenore, played by Famke Jannsen) who lives with her new wealthy husband (Stuart, played by Xander Berkley) to try an reconcile and make up for the lost time with his daughter when he was busy serving his county. His daughter and ex-wife meet with him for lunch one-day where his daughter Kim is seeking his permission, because she is a minor, for a trip to Paris with her friend and her friend’s cousins. He eventually grudgingly agrees, but in a twist, learns that she is in-fact not just going to Paris but all over Europe. Mills being extremely paranoid from his years as a clandestine agent is about to call it off, but his ex-wife manages to convince him to let her go never-the-less. She goes, but ends up getting kidnapped and starts off a whirlwind rescue mission by Mills in which he only has 96-hours to rescue her.

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I think what makes this movie so good and entertaining are two elements: Liam Neesom and the lack of heavy special effects.

takenmovie Liam Neeson is a great actor who takes Mills and makes him feel like an everyday person despite being a secret agent. Mills is far from rich, he has his flaws, and has no depth to where he would go to save his child from danger. He’s the super-dad without being the Hollywood super-dad where he jumps building-to-building, get shot at but never wounded, or captured. Mills kicks major ass in this movie, fueled by the unstoppable raison d’être to rescue his daughter before she’s lost forever. He doesn’t have an army, special forces, fancy James Bond technology, or even “inside” help for that matter. It’s just one man against many, risking his life to save his daughter.

I love special effects as much as any other guy but only if the special effects compliments the scene or the movie and not used to overshadow a crappy storyline. Take the case of the last few Bond movies prior to Casino Royale. Invisible cars, cars that drive themselves, a wrist-band grappling hook, the list goes on. On the other hand, in Taken, Mills has to rely on “..a very particular set of skills..” to rescue his daughter. There were some scenes where I thought, oh no, here comes those Hollywood special effects, but rather Pierre Morel (the director) resist the urge and goes the other way, effectively.

Parts of the movie require the willing suspension of disbelief such as the numerous coincidences that just seem to work out a bit too perfectly. I don’t want to list them as that would ruin the interest of the movie, but never-the-less, we found it quite a good watch. Here’s a site with some interesting reads about Taken, be-careful as it may contain spoilers.

Verdict: Definite Rent.

Recommended Vendors

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iFrames in WordPress Post Editor Using Shortcodes and Custom Fields

I was looking for a way to embed a Google Map into one of my Reviews, but the FCKEditor, otherwise known as the Visual (or pretty) Editor, would remove any iFrame code. Posting it via the HTML tab works so long as you don’t click to the Visual tab, as it will strip the iFrame code. This can get pretty frustrating. I didn’t want to have to install another plugin to do iFrames either. Fortunately through a quick Google search I found Walt had a very elegant solution using WordPress Shortcodes and Custom Fields.

His technique worked out quite nicely and will allow me to post other iFrame content while still using the Visual Editor and not worry about the iFrame code getting stripped out. So I’m reposting his technique here for future reference.

You need to have a functions.php file in your theme for this to work. If it doesn’t exist, just create one and drop this line of code into it, making sure it is wrapped by <?php and ?> (thanks to Smick for reminding me):

[sourcecode language=”php”]
function field_func($atts) {
global $post;
$name = $atts[‘name’];
if (empty($name)) return;

return get_post_meta($post->ID, $name, true);
}

add_shortcode(‘field’, ‘field_func’);
[/sourcecode]

Upload that file into the theme folder that you are using or want to enable iFrames for.

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Now any anytime you want to embed a Google Map iFrame, all you have to do in your Post Editor is decide where you want the iFrame to appear and put:

[field name=iframe]

Then scroll down to the Custom Fields box and under Name write iframe and under Value paste in the exact code. Here’s an example:

WordPress-iframe-shortcode-functions-example

Make sure you click Add Custom Field to save the entry or it won’t show up in your post when you publish or update the changes. Now you can easily edit the existing post using the Visual Editor and not have to worry about losing any of your iFrame code.

Also note that unlike a plugin where you can switch themes and the code will continue to work, once you switch to a new theme, the iFrame code will no longer appear in any of your posts so make sure to include this line of code in your new theme. You could also save yourself the headache and make this function into a WordPress plugin.

How to Remote Desktop on Mac OS 10.5 Leopard to Windows 7

I do a lot of my work on my MacBook Pro and occasionally I need to access resources, files, or check something on my home desktop which is running Windows 7. One solution is to use VNC, which is great, but I rather install as few software on the machines as possible. Previously on Windows XP, it was really easy to enable Remote Desktop. On Windows 7 and Windows Vista, the way to enable Remote Desktop is a bit more buried in the newly redesigned Control Panel. I struggled with it for a bit, searching Microsoft’s support site, I came about the post to my answer. So here’s how you can connect from a Mac OS 10.5 Leopard machine to a Windows 7 machine via Remote Desktop.

Configure Windows 7

These directions are copied verbatim from the Microsoft site and reprinted here for future reference. These directions will work for Windows Vista also.

Open System by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Security (System and Maintenance on Vista), and then clicking System.
In the left pane, click Remote settings. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
Select one of the “allow” options under Remote Desktop. For more information about these options, see What types of Remote Desktop connections should I allow? [Note: To be able to Remote Desktop into a Windows 7 machine from a Mac, you need to select “Allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop (less secure).]
Click Select Users.
In the Remote Desktop Users dialog box, click Add.
In the Select Users or Groups dialog box, do one or more of the following:
- To specify the search location, click Locations.
- To specify the types of objects (user names) that you want to search for, click Object Types.
- In Enter the object names to select, type the user name that you want to search for.
When you find the correct name, click OK. The name will be displayed in the list of users in the Remote Desktop Users dialog box.

Connect via the Mac

Make sure you’ve installed either Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Client for the Mac or CoRD, which is what I use. I’ve used both, but I prefer CoRD for its simplicity and easier GUI.

Type in the IP Address or computer name and connect.

CoRD-Mac-OS-Remote-Desktop

CoRD-Mac-OS-Remote-Desktop-Connect-to-Windows-7