The Hulk question is, I think, answered by the end of The Incredible Hulk and what Banner says in this film: he is always controlling himself and so can turn into the Hulk at will, in which case he can point the Hulk in the direction of the bad guys or even NOT smash things, which is what he was about to demonstrate when everyone freaked out that he had picked up Loki's scepter. But if something makes him lose control, he Hulks out involuntarily and attacks it, as he did when Black Widow lied to him again when they were under attack.

Small note: Brian says Cap's shield is adamantium. This version (from his movie) is vibranium. It kind of bothered me that it made a ringing noise. It shouldn't vibrate.

I'm pretty sure the revolution was televised. I think I've got it on DVD somewhere.

In all seriousness, when I was in college in 1989, my roommates asked me, "Why do you watch the evening news on one channel and then switch to another network and watch THAT evening news?" And I said, "Because THEY'RE TEARING DOWN THE BERLIN WALL, YOU IDIOTS. THE WHOLE FUCKING EASTERN BLOC IS CRUMBLING."

It was goddamned exciting if you were paying attention.

Yeah, I honestly don't think he could identify with something like Revenge of the Nerds. I think the world has just completely changed. Plus, he's the star quarterback AND star pitcher of the our small town high school, so I like to occasionally give him a little shit.

Recently, I asked him what he's doing to create the next Angry Birds or Draw This. Aren't all 16-y-os Web-savvy h@ckerz or whatever? But I also lamented that I myself have no excuse for not being an Internet billionaire. I honestly don't know how I failed at that. I was on the leading edge, man. It's like I lived next door to Sutter's Mill in 1849 and one day went, "What? People are finding gold around here?"

I also once gave him the sobering career advice to become either a cartoon voice actor or a California weather man, the two easiest jobs I could think of—which he brought up again, so obviously he's taken it to heart.

Subjective yes. Random no.

But, whether it's broccoli or the Barbarian Brothers, there's no accounting for taste.

And it wasn't so much that they GOT him (because, remember, he practically invited himself when they ran into him when he was getting an iced coffee. He was like "Hey, I want to see that! I can't find it anywhere!"), but the amazing thing was how FUNNY he was right from the start.

Well, the supervised custody thing only comes around once a year. And they grow up so fast.

Fun discussion, but all these words have long-held definitions, and the new kid in town fits in pretty easily.

Art is anything made primarily to entertain rather than to educate or have other utilitarian purpose. Most art ever made was sold for commercial gain, so that has nothing to do with it. Interactivity has been a goal of artists for decades if not centuries, so that has nothing to do with it.

Therefore, video games ARE art—but that DOESN'T include Pong or computer chess or checkers because those things primarily take their form in order to play the game, which is to say they have utility. But most modern video games primarily take the form they do because that's what the makers wanted for the overall entertainment experience.

By why get hung up on "art"? Why isn't it enough for something to be a fine piece of "craftsmanship"? Craftsmen produce things that primarily have utilitarian purpose but which require artistic sensibility in addition to technical know-how (separating it from a "tradegood" made by tradesmen). Examples are technical illustrations, furniture, fine knives and handguns, and fancy clocks. Even acting is called a craft because it takes its form primarily in service to the overall work of art.

People seem to think that if something is not "art" then it's a dull, mundane tool because the vast majority of things we encounter take their form only in order to work. Being the exception to that is probably the main reason that Apple has so many fans.

Don't give in, Kyle! You can almost smell the Brooks Brothers coming off Teague already. One group project, and he's already a faceless suit, demanding people compromise their artistic integrity to meet an arbitrary deadline!

And talk about faceless suits: look at Dave's avatar!

EDIT: Dave has since changed his avatar from a skeleton in a suit to a man in a suit.

I look forward to how you guys resolve the right-hand-drive vs left-hand-drive issue and other oddities.

I cannot wait to see the results.

In Putin Russia, new boss is same as old boss. Just slightly funkier.

I think that's Michael Collins. He stayed in the lunar orbiter. Unsung hero.

Guy in the middle... probably trailer salesman.

Bane is after my time, so I have a hard time ginning up any feeling for the character, but this is movie 3 and it's the right time for Batman to be taken down a peg physically after the second movie, where Batman could have been replaced with John McClane—or, for that matter, Thomas Magnum.

/AND JUST WHERE IS MY MAGNUM PI MOVIE, HOLLYWOOD? HAVEN"T YOU SEEN THIS????

Well, looks like there's a-gonna be all kinds of fightin' here today....