So I'm hanging out at Target the other day... I mean, who doesn't hang out there? Retail stores are typically bare after Xmas, but it appears that all the recalled Chinese crap has made the stores even barer than usual.
I was just there to get some dog food, but I ended up impulse-buying a radio controlled car for 7 bucks and the Heroes DVD set for 19 bucks. The remote controlled car is more fun that it has any right to be....mainly because I have hardwood floors and the thing just hauls buns on those. Growing up, I'd always see remote controlled cars, wind-up cars, and even Stompers on TV and thought they looked awesome. The commercials would always show kids playing with this crap on hardwood floors. I never picked up on that, back then. So I'd harass my folks to buy me some Stompers, then I'd get 'em home, open up and the things would just sink into the floors of my carpetted home, with no traction. This was back in the early 80's, when many homes still had shag carpetting. Try playing with your Stompers on that...they don't move. Hell, even my GI Joe MOBAT would sink into the shag.
Now, over 25 years later, I can finally open up a battery operated toy car and have the thing zip around my house.
I've watched the first few episodes of the Heroes DVD and it's allright, I suppose. People have been recommending the series to me over the past year, simply because I like LOST and comic books. It's not intriguing me, yet...but I've got a long ways to go.
What ticked me off was the first disc in the set. I popped it in and saw three options available to me: episode 1, episode 2 and a "director's cut" of episode 1. Having never seen the show, I figured I should start with the "director's cut" of episode 1...since it should have nifty stuff that fans have been clamoring for, right? But it turned out that it was quite different from the "official" episode 1 and had roughly two additional subplots that had no consequences in future episodes. Basically I filled up my brain with some crap I shouldn't have been paying attention to: like a terrorist subplot (including some guy called "The Engineer" who can emit radiation from his hand) and a prisoner in Moab, Utah. Plus, the "psychic cop guy plot" and the "precog art guy plot" were both significantly different. Only after watching the full second episode, did I realize some stuff didn't line up. So I had to go back and FF through the "official" episode 1. For instance, I realized: "hey, I thought that art guy had hacked off his hand, last episode?!"
I was a little miffed at how you had to have already seen the entire season before buying the "Season One" DVD. That kind of restricts any potential new viewers from purchasing the DVD. *Fart*
Monday, December 31, 2007
Thursday, December 13, 2007
EPSN Classic late nights!
I stumbled upon ESPN Classic's (late)weeknight schedule the other week. They were running American Gladiators from 1990. The second season of Gladiators that ran in early 1990 with a revamped look. New look to the fields, better production quality and new commentator in Todd Christensen.
Pretty sure this was the start of Christensen's shitty broadcasting career. He criticizes everything, including the way contestants can't properly aim the Big Bazooka that Fires Nerf Darts. Very condescending tone, as it the average joe should know how to fire one of those things. Christensen apparently impressed somebody with his analysis of the Wall, Breakthrough & Conquer and The Eliminator, though. Later in the year, he was hired by the NFL to call regional games. So he took the same path to the NFL booth that his AG predecessor, Joe Theisman, did. Both sucked. Larry Csonka succeeded Christensen in the AG booth, but surprisingly he never made it to the NFL booth. (If he did, it was in very limited exposure). Kind of a shame, because I think a bulldozing Dolphins runningback who dented opponents' helmets would have more credibility than a Gimpy Redskins QB or a Raiders Tight End with Long Curly Hair.
The actual Gladiators show is enjoyable. This season featured Titan, a big powerlifter dude who never appeared again. He kinda' resembled WCW's Ice Train (aka "I.M. Smooth"). They also dumped the goofy "judge" with the executioner's hood from 1989 and went to retired NFL refs wearing standard zebra uniforms. Basically, they re-tooled the show away from the strange "kinda'/sorta' pro wrestling vibe" that it had in the first season.
ESPN's "Cheap Seats" follows American Gladiators, nightly. Hosted by two nerdy guys, it's like a sports version of Mystery Science Theater 3000. On Tuesday night, they goofed on some old IWA wrestling, circa 1981. Fun stuff, as they pondered just what IS the proper definition of a "Mexican Surfboard".
Goofy crap like this is why I loved cable in the 80's and early 90's: quirky late night stuff. Since about 2002, the late night quirky-ness seems to have died down, with the closest thing being old re-runs of "Twilight Zone" on SciFi channel. Glad I found something.
Pretty sure this was the start of Christensen's shitty broadcasting career. He criticizes everything, including the way contestants can't properly aim the Big Bazooka that Fires Nerf Darts. Very condescending tone, as it the average joe should know how to fire one of those things. Christensen apparently impressed somebody with his analysis of the Wall, Breakthrough & Conquer and The Eliminator, though. Later in the year, he was hired by the NFL to call regional games. So he took the same path to the NFL booth that his AG predecessor, Joe Theisman, did. Both sucked. Larry Csonka succeeded Christensen in the AG booth, but surprisingly he never made it to the NFL booth. (If he did, it was in very limited exposure). Kind of a shame, because I think a bulldozing Dolphins runningback who dented opponents' helmets would have more credibility than a Gimpy Redskins QB or a Raiders Tight End with Long Curly Hair.
The actual Gladiators show is enjoyable. This season featured Titan, a big powerlifter dude who never appeared again. He kinda' resembled WCW's Ice Train (aka "I.M. Smooth"). They also dumped the goofy "judge" with the executioner's hood from 1989 and went to retired NFL refs wearing standard zebra uniforms. Basically, they re-tooled the show away from the strange "kinda'/sorta' pro wrestling vibe" that it had in the first season.
ESPN's "Cheap Seats" follows American Gladiators, nightly. Hosted by two nerdy guys, it's like a sports version of Mystery Science Theater 3000. On Tuesday night, they goofed on some old IWA wrestling, circa 1981. Fun stuff, as they pondered just what IS the proper definition of a "Mexican Surfboard".
Goofy crap like this is why I loved cable in the 80's and early 90's: quirky late night stuff. Since about 2002, the late night quirky-ness seems to have died down, with the closest thing being old re-runs of "Twilight Zone" on SciFi channel. Glad I found something.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
TNT - March 14, 1985
Lately I haven't enjoyed the WWE 24/7 episodes of Tuesday Night Titans. But this latest episode contained some decent promos and hype for WrestleMania 2. Most significant, they only did ONE "Lord Alfred Hayes is so darn goofy" joke: a little bit where Vince McMahon kids him about never going higher than the first rope.
The recently arrived Jake "the Snake" Roberts makes his first TNT appearance and turns in a noteworthy performance. He mentions why he doesn't have to shout in his promos (he's confident enough that he doesn't feel the need) and how he relates to snakes ("they don't have or need any friends"). In his in-ring highlight clip, he hits the DDT (to no pop) then tosses Damien out on his opponent. But in the TNT studio, Jake has brought along Lucifer-- Damien's big brother. Neat trivia, since I always thought Lucifer didn't appear until Damien "died" at the hands of Earthquake in 1991. Was this 1986 Lucifer the same snake as the 1991 version? Or did one snake play all three parts? Suckas gots ta' know.
Smokin' Joe Frazier also comes on to promote the Roddy Piper- Mr. T WrestleMania 2 match (Frazier will be in T's corner). Frazier does some ...strange... promo work by messing around with a rubber chicken dressed up like Piper. They cut to the WrestleMania 2 Press Conference, where Piper cuts an awesome promo on Mr. T, citing the way he perms the middle of his mohawk. Lou Duva then comes up to add to the promo. Piper concludes with a semi-rascist bit about "I DO play Sun City". Definitely a contemporary reference, right there. If I remember correctly, Sun City is/was a casino town in South Africa that was strict anti-black. Alot of US performers refused to play there, as a way to protest Apartheid. Steven Van Zandt (Silvio from "The Sopranos") even organized an all-star jam track called "I ain't gonna' play Sun City".
Anyways, TNT ties up with some quality segments with the Funk Brothers, Big John Studd and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. For more trivia, they announce Dino Bravo as a particpant in the WrestleMania 2 Battle Royal (I don't think Bravo was even on the card). There's also a weird video on NFL'er Russ Franics. But darn if Steamboat doesn't seem like the nicest guy in the world. He slips in a lttle foreshadowing, too. Steamer's segment follows Roberts' and Vince asks him if he'd ever bring a dragon to the ring, like Damien or Lucifer. Steamboat energetically mentions that he's "looking for one!" I think the Roberts/Steamboat feud would begin right after WrestleMania 2.
The recently arrived Jake "the Snake" Roberts makes his first TNT appearance and turns in a noteworthy performance. He mentions why he doesn't have to shout in his promos (he's confident enough that he doesn't feel the need) and how he relates to snakes ("they don't have or need any friends"). In his in-ring highlight clip, he hits the DDT (to no pop) then tosses Damien out on his opponent. But in the TNT studio, Jake has brought along Lucifer-- Damien's big brother. Neat trivia, since I always thought Lucifer didn't appear until Damien "died" at the hands of Earthquake in 1991. Was this 1986 Lucifer the same snake as the 1991 version? Or did one snake play all three parts? Suckas gots ta' know.
Smokin' Joe Frazier also comes on to promote the Roddy Piper- Mr. T WrestleMania 2 match (Frazier will be in T's corner). Frazier does some ...strange... promo work by messing around with a rubber chicken dressed up like Piper. They cut to the WrestleMania 2 Press Conference, where Piper cuts an awesome promo on Mr. T, citing the way he perms the middle of his mohawk. Lou Duva then comes up to add to the promo. Piper concludes with a semi-rascist bit about "I DO play Sun City". Definitely a contemporary reference, right there. If I remember correctly, Sun City is/was a casino town in South Africa that was strict anti-black. Alot of US performers refused to play there, as a way to protest Apartheid. Steven Van Zandt (Silvio from "The Sopranos") even organized an all-star jam track called "I ain't gonna' play Sun City".
Anyways, TNT ties up with some quality segments with the Funk Brothers, Big John Studd and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. For more trivia, they announce Dino Bravo as a particpant in the WrestleMania 2 Battle Royal (I don't think Bravo was even on the card). There's also a weird video on NFL'er Russ Franics. But darn if Steamboat doesn't seem like the nicest guy in the world. He slips in a lttle foreshadowing, too. Steamer's segment follows Roberts' and Vince asks him if he'd ever bring a dragon to the ring, like Damien or Lucifer. Steamboat energetically mentions that he's "looking for one!" I think the Roberts/Steamboat feud would begin right after WrestleMania 2.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Slut-o-ween
So I went out to Denver's busiest meat market with some friends for Halloween. It's a country bar out in Aurora, well known for it's Wednesday's Ladies Night. In fact, over the years, several of my "chick friends" have given me dating advice consisting solely of: "go out there on Wednesdays, you'll meet someone".
On Halloween night it resembled a Vegas sex convention. Or at least a convention for fetishes. All of the standard slutty outfits were there: dirty cop, Pocahontas, farmer's daughter, school girl, Wonder Woman, etc (regretfully, I didn't see anybody dressed up as the Baroness. Dammit). Although some broads had passed the Legal Weight Limit for certain costumes. It's a little telling that all of the adult stores around town have been advertising themselves as "your Halloween Headquarters". So Halloween is now a chance for women to slut it up. Not that I'm complaining, mind you.
On the male side, I was mildly thrilled that the wretched "Pimp Daddy" costumes have died down. Only saw three of 'em. From about 2001 to 2005, that seemed to be the favorite costume among schmucks in their 20's. The joke's old and wasn't funny to begin with, but it looks like most of the populace has moved past it.
Oh, since this is a wrestling site; I saw one guy dressed up as Macho Man, with the cowboy hat, glasses, tassles and everything. When he walked by, I yelled "snap into a Slim Jim", but he looked at me like I was a mutant. Also saw a guy in a Rey Mysterio mask. But his height ruined it-- he was about 5'9". I like how luchador masks are becoming more abundant and accepted into pop culture. I even saw a guy in an Ultimo Dragon mask in Lodo on Saturday night.
I was going to wear my Chippendale's Dancer costume...but I get tired of wearing my old work clothes and wanted something more whimsical.
On Halloween night it resembled a Vegas sex convention. Or at least a convention for fetishes. All of the standard slutty outfits were there: dirty cop, Pocahontas, farmer's daughter, school girl, Wonder Woman, etc (regretfully, I didn't see anybody dressed up as the Baroness. Dammit). Although some broads had passed the Legal Weight Limit for certain costumes. It's a little telling that all of the adult stores around town have been advertising themselves as "your Halloween Headquarters". So Halloween is now a chance for women to slut it up. Not that I'm complaining, mind you.
On the male side, I was mildly thrilled that the wretched "Pimp Daddy" costumes have died down. Only saw three of 'em. From about 2001 to 2005, that seemed to be the favorite costume among schmucks in their 20's. The joke's old and wasn't funny to begin with, but it looks like most of the populace has moved past it.
Oh, since this is a wrestling site; I saw one guy dressed up as Macho Man, with the cowboy hat, glasses, tassles and everything. When he walked by, I yelled "snap into a Slim Jim", but he looked at me like I was a mutant. Also saw a guy in a Rey Mysterio mask. But his height ruined it-- he was about 5'9". I like how luchador masks are becoming more abundant and accepted into pop culture. I even saw a guy in an Ultimo Dragon mask in Lodo on Saturday night.
I was going to wear my Chippendale's Dancer costume...but I get tired of wearing my old work clothes and wanted something more whimsical.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Sad State of the Work Force
One of the reasons I rarely carry cash nowadays: I'm out at lunch today and the total is $5.39. So I hand the guy a 20 dollar bill and 40 cents. He's okay with the 20, but he stops and can't figure out the coinage issue. He stammers a little bit and tells me: "wait...is not enough". I tell him that is it. He still can't figure it out.
So I have to count out the quarter, dime and nickel to him. I have to tell him that a quarter is 25, the dime is 10 cents, and that the nickel is 5 cents. Grand total: 40 cents!! He seems boggled by the nickel, since it's larger than the dime, yet worth less.
Basically, they had a full-grown first grader running the register. Unless I'm at a bar and need to tip a hot waitress in cash (or a strip club for that matter), there's no reason not to whip out the plastic and charge everything.
So I have to count out the quarter, dime and nickel to him. I have to tell him that a quarter is 25, the dime is 10 cents, and that the nickel is 5 cents. Grand total: 40 cents!! He seems boggled by the nickel, since it's larger than the dime, yet worth less.
Basically, they had a full-grown first grader running the register. Unless I'm at a bar and need to tip a hot waitress in cash (or a strip club for that matter), there's no reason not to whip out the plastic and charge everything.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Bill Romanowski: Professional Jackass
Bill Romanowski's football career was usually controversial, but now that he's retired and off the field, he's found his latest calling in life as a Professional Jackass.
I'm not sure WHAT Romanowski does nowadays, but about once a week, he appears on Denver radio, babbling about something. Keyword: "babbling". He'll call in to some radio show and talk about a book he's writing, how he's playing a gay cowboy in some movie, or just about football. People seem to give him a free pass, since he played on the back-to-back Donkey Super Bowl teams.
His football "analysis" is usually something like this: "they... PLAY well. And right now, they're EXECUTING well. Those are two things to being ...a GOOD team". He has those little pauses in his speech, too. It's also not helping that his voice sounds about two steps above a mentally challenged mongoloid. Every Romanowski segment should be introduced as a "Very Special" segment. In other words, if they had a Special Olympics for pill-popping, jaw-breaking and spearing, he'd be a Very Special Winner.
I'm not sure WHAT Romanowski does nowadays, but about once a week, he appears on Denver radio, babbling about something. Keyword: "babbling". He'll call in to some radio show and talk about a book he's writing, how he's playing a gay cowboy in some movie, or just about football. People seem to give him a free pass, since he played on the back-to-back Donkey Super Bowl teams.
His football "analysis" is usually something like this: "they... PLAY well. And right now, they're EXECUTING well. Those are two things to being ...a GOOD team". He has those little pauses in his speech, too. It's also not helping that his voice sounds about two steps above a mentally challenged mongoloid. Every Romanowski segment should be introduced as a "Very Special" segment. In other words, if they had a Special Olympics for pill-popping, jaw-breaking and spearing, he'd be a Very Special Winner.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
It was (roughly) 20 Years Ago Today...
With the Rockies now in the World Series, I'm kinda' hoping the Indians make it on the AL side. Reason: it's been about 20 years and Cleveland needs a new reason to hate Denver. Rich Karlis and Jeremiah Castille are now likely forgotten by the current generation of Clevelanders.
When the Rockies open at home with Game 3--and if it's against Cleveland-- it's a no-brainer who they should get for the ceremonial opening pitch. Hint: he has a bad haircut, a gimpy knee, used to sell cars, and does commercial for Arena Football.
Oh yeah-- after the Rockies won the NLCS, TBS wrapped things up with their studio crew and signed off. Local news stations cut in, showing the drunken mob that was rambling outside Coors Field. Just a buncha' stupid college kids psuedo gang signs and hollering into the camera. I don't know why any reporter thought it'd be good to interview these tools, but it went like this:
Drunk Tool: "Woooo, Rockies!!! Yeahh...Woooo"
Reporter: "How does this feel to have the Rockies win?!"
Drunk Tool: "yeah... Woooooo! Rockieeeeees! I jush turn 21, man... wooooo!"
(Repeat)
A small mob got up on top of a police cruiser and dented the hood. That's just asking for trouble. But these pussies soon dispersed after the cops yelled at them. Although one kid was yanked off and probably hit some blacktop. No tear gas or Soylent Green Scoops, either. Darnit.
When the Rockies open at home with Game 3--and if it's against Cleveland-- it's a no-brainer who they should get for the ceremonial opening pitch. Hint: he has a bad haircut, a gimpy knee, used to sell cars, and does commercial for Arena Football.
Oh yeah-- after the Rockies won the NLCS, TBS wrapped things up with their studio crew and signed off. Local news stations cut in, showing the drunken mob that was rambling outside Coors Field. Just a buncha' stupid college kids psuedo gang signs and hollering into the camera. I don't know why any reporter thought it'd be good to interview these tools, but it went like this:
Drunk Tool: "Woooo, Rockies!!! Yeahh...Woooo"
Reporter: "How does this feel to have the Rockies win?!"
Drunk Tool: "yeah... Woooooo! Rockieeeeees! I jush turn 21, man... wooooo!"
(Repeat)
A small mob got up on top of a police cruiser and dented the hood. That's just asking for trouble. But these pussies soon dispersed after the cops yelled at them. Although one kid was yanked off and probably hit some blacktop. No tear gas or Soylent Green Scoops, either. Darnit.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Hippies of 1983 Represent!
Every now and then, I'm reminded of why I was never into baseball until 1990. My geographic location had something to do with it, but alot of the players from the 80's never appealed to me. Mostly because they all looked like old men from a Boston concert (the band, not the city).
Last week, I picked up a cheapie "Ralston-Purina" baseball card set on eBay. It features 33 cards from 1984 (stats & pics from the 1983 season), with a good selection of Hall of Famers: like Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer, George Brett, Ozzie Smith and Steve Carlton. Plus some of the forgotten stars of that era: guys like Dan Quisenberry or Ron Guidry. Sort of like an All-Star Team selection process, they make sure to pick a guy from every team, which explains how Dave Concepcion or Greg Luzinski got included. I figured I could've spent 10-20 bucks to get "real" cards of the Hall of Famers...or the two bucks I spent here, to get all of them plus their forgotten contemporaries.
But check out Eddie Murray, rockin' the bushy fro' and Harley Race mustache:
Here's an example of Bruce Sutter rockin' the "Old guys at a Boston Concert" look.
Mr. Sutter, please schedule an appointment with Mr. Norelco at your earliest convenience.
Now, when I think "Purina", I think of dog food. I had forgotten that they had a line of kiddie cereal back in the 80's. Dog food...and kiddie cereal. Hmmm. The back of each card includes a line that tells kids to look for more cards in boxes of Cookie Crisp or Donkey Kong Cereal. Wow. Another thing I had forgotten about: Donkey Kong Cereal.
Last week, I picked up a cheapie "Ralston-Purina" baseball card set on eBay. It features 33 cards from 1984 (stats & pics from the 1983 season), with a good selection of Hall of Famers: like Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer, George Brett, Ozzie Smith and Steve Carlton. Plus some of the forgotten stars of that era: guys like Dan Quisenberry or Ron Guidry. Sort of like an All-Star Team selection process, they make sure to pick a guy from every team, which explains how Dave Concepcion or Greg Luzinski got included. I figured I could've spent 10-20 bucks to get "real" cards of the Hall of Famers...or the two bucks I spent here, to get all of them plus their forgotten contemporaries.
But check out Eddie Murray, rockin' the bushy fro' and Harley Race mustache:
Here's an example of Bruce Sutter rockin' the "Old guys at a Boston Concert" look.
Mr. Sutter, please schedule an appointment with Mr. Norelco at your earliest convenience.
Now, when I think "Purina", I think of dog food. I had forgotten that they had a line of kiddie cereal back in the 80's. Dog food...and kiddie cereal. Hmmm. The back of each card includes a line that tells kids to look for more cards in boxes of Cookie Crisp or Donkey Kong Cereal. Wow. Another thing I had forgotten about: Donkey Kong Cereal.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Garage Space: $1.60 per year
For the past year I've been saving aluminum beer and pop cans in my garage. Roughly, I'd say that they take up the same space as two trash cans. They've been getting in my way recently, so yesterday I decided to take 'em to the "Recycling Center" at my local grocer.
I thought I could just drop 'em off at the big "Recycling" sign at the back of the store. But nope, I had to haul all my cans into the front door and bug the main clerk. Getting a hysdirectomy would've been easier..and I'm not even female. They weighed the cans and it wasn't quiet at all. Everyone in the store knew that I was there with a gigantic load of empty Diet Coke with Lime and Bud Light cans.
Then the big pay off: $1.60.
After keeping this crap in my garage for a year, hauling it to the store and making an ass of myself, I get a dollar, two quarters and a dime.
Fuck my carbon footprint.
If I want to keep cans anymore, I'll do what I used to do. Fill up one plastic grocery bag and toss it in the back of my truck. When I get to my parking lot downtown, I'll grab the bag and leave it by a trashcan. Some homeless hobo will find it within the hour and appreciate it more than I ever would. So in a roundabout way, panhandlers will be cleaning out my garage.
I thought I could just drop 'em off at the big "Recycling" sign at the back of the store. But nope, I had to haul all my cans into the front door and bug the main clerk. Getting a hysdirectomy would've been easier..and I'm not even female. They weighed the cans and it wasn't quiet at all. Everyone in the store knew that I was there with a gigantic load of empty Diet Coke with Lime and Bud Light cans.
Then the big pay off: $1.60.
After keeping this crap in my garage for a year, hauling it to the store and making an ass of myself, I get a dollar, two quarters and a dime.
Fuck my carbon footprint.
If I want to keep cans anymore, I'll do what I used to do. Fill up one plastic grocery bag and toss it in the back of my truck. When I get to my parking lot downtown, I'll grab the bag and leave it by a trashcan. Some homeless hobo will find it within the hour and appreciate it more than I ever would. So in a roundabout way, panhandlers will be cleaning out my garage.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Would You Say That I Have ... a Plethora?
Checked out the log files on my site today (not DWS, not this blog...but my main site) and I'm starting to get them: the Stupid Denver Broncos Website Referrals.
I shouldn't complain, since I've been #1 on Google for awhile with the term "Denver Broncos 3 Amigos". As expected, around this time of the year I get lots of football referrals. Most are for cheerleaders, though. Those I don't like.
I've had a fun summer away from football and it's getting harder to keep it away. I opened my newspaper this morning and it had a full page picture of Jay Cutler's grill. I enjoyed my quality time watching baseball games and reading comic books this summer. But now it's time to go back. Another season of interviews from overrated douchebags talking about all the "talent" on the team. People in the office are already dropping by my desk to ask ol' "Coach E" what he thinks about Simeon Rice or Travis Henry's 9 children from 9 wives.
I'm sure by Halloween I'll be absorbed in another season of this junk. I'll miss my nights of pondering worthless stuff--- like trying to remember the name of the villain who kept wanting to freeze the world on "General Hospital". Now I'll spend my nights wondering whether or not that third-and-goal play was the best option.
Aww hell... March is only about six months away.
I shouldn't complain, since I've been #1 on Google for awhile with the term "Denver Broncos 3 Amigos". As expected, around this time of the year I get lots of football referrals. Most are for cheerleaders, though. Those I don't like.
I've had a fun summer away from football and it's getting harder to keep it away. I opened my newspaper this morning and it had a full page picture of Jay Cutler's grill. I enjoyed my quality time watching baseball games and reading comic books this summer. But now it's time to go back. Another season of interviews from overrated douchebags talking about all the "talent" on the team. People in the office are already dropping by my desk to ask ol' "Coach E" what he thinks about Simeon Rice or Travis Henry's 9 children from 9 wives.
I'm sure by Halloween I'll be absorbed in another season of this junk. I'll miss my nights of pondering worthless stuff--- like trying to remember the name of the villain who kept wanting to freeze the world on "General Hospital". Now I'll spend my nights wondering whether or not that third-and-goal play was the best option.
Aww hell... March is only about six months away.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Evil Airport!!
Westword, the local "alternative press" freebie rag published an interesting read on Denver International Airport. Here's the link, but I'm not sure how long it'll be archived on the site.
Basically, the story talks about all the weird conspiracies theories that have sprung up since DIA was opened in 1995. Symbolism from the Freemasons and weird murals that warn of an upcoming collapse in civilization. The airport is said to have a cavernous basement that will be the center of the New World Order (not Hogan, Hall and Nash). Some even insist that reptilian aliens live under the airport. Aliens who have their insidious talons in every level of Western government. The story also mentions one conspiracy theorist who tied the airport to the Denver Broncos (no exact citation of this theory, but there's my GoogleQuest for the week).
Great stuff. If Denver really is slated to be the center of the world, then I suppose my property value will increase dramatically (for those arriving late: I live just south of Denver). Too bad it's all a buncha' BS.
I've been to the airport countless times and while its giant canopy and removed location are weird, its ubiquitous theories are based on the sheer oddity of everything. Especially the art in the baggage terminals. It was a joke when I was going through art school in downtown Denver: how the city dished out grants to random artists. Artists who developed their works independently. When it all came together and the "art" was installed in the terminals, it looked disjointed and haphazard. This led many to believe that there HAD to be a theme to all this random weirdness.
Stuff like stone gargoyles sitting in open luggage, or an 18 foot mural of distorted "multicultural" kids looking over a big leafy thing. It's really just crappy art.
The subterranean commuter trains of DIA were a shock to many. I was freaked out when I found out I couldn't walk to the outer concourses, I had to go to the basement and take a train. A train that played goofy flute music to announce arrivals and departures. Inside the tunnels were weird "wind art" sculptures that would twinkle or twirl as the train went by. Add that on top of the unconventional canvas terminal, the removed location from Denver and the countless delays in the airport's opening, and people were just freaked out to be at DIA. The airport's opening was delayed by roughly two years and way over budget. So people figured all that money had to go somewhere---why not an underground complex to house aliens?
I really wish some of the theories were true. It'd make driving 40 miles out of my way to catch a flight seem like an adventure. Instead it's an inconvenient sojourn just short of the Kansas border.
Basically, the story talks about all the weird conspiracies theories that have sprung up since DIA was opened in 1995. Symbolism from the Freemasons and weird murals that warn of an upcoming collapse in civilization. The airport is said to have a cavernous basement that will be the center of the New World Order (not Hogan, Hall and Nash). Some even insist that reptilian aliens live under the airport. Aliens who have their insidious talons in every level of Western government. The story also mentions one conspiracy theorist who tied the airport to the Denver Broncos (no exact citation of this theory, but there's my GoogleQuest for the week).
Great stuff. If Denver really is slated to be the center of the world, then I suppose my property value will increase dramatically (for those arriving late: I live just south of Denver). Too bad it's all a buncha' BS.
I've been to the airport countless times and while its giant canopy and removed location are weird, its ubiquitous theories are based on the sheer oddity of everything. Especially the art in the baggage terminals. It was a joke when I was going through art school in downtown Denver: how the city dished out grants to random artists. Artists who developed their works independently. When it all came together and the "art" was installed in the terminals, it looked disjointed and haphazard. This led many to believe that there HAD to be a theme to all this random weirdness.
Stuff like stone gargoyles sitting in open luggage, or an 18 foot mural of distorted "multicultural" kids looking over a big leafy thing. It's really just crappy art.
The subterranean commuter trains of DIA were a shock to many. I was freaked out when I found out I couldn't walk to the outer concourses, I had to go to the basement and take a train. A train that played goofy flute music to announce arrivals and departures. Inside the tunnels were weird "wind art" sculptures that would twinkle or twirl as the train went by. Add that on top of the unconventional canvas terminal, the removed location from Denver and the countless delays in the airport's opening, and people were just freaked out to be at DIA. The airport's opening was delayed by roughly two years and way over budget. So people figured all that money had to go somewhere---why not an underground complex to house aliens?
I really wish some of the theories were true. It'd make driving 40 miles out of my way to catch a flight seem like an adventure. Instead it's an inconvenient sojourn just short of the Kansas border.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Batman #667 (DC, 2007)
I thought this was acceptable. They're re-visiting an old 1950's concept with the "International Club of Heroes"-- a buncha' foreign heroes similar to Batman and Robin. Right now, they're being played up as comic relief (including a guy named "Wingman" who claims to have invented the Batman concept), so next issue will be key, as that's presumably when they'll flesh these losers out. Seems like a tough challenge to take the 50's/60's cheese and make it relevant, or at least in continuity.
Right now I'm liking this, even if the plot is a complete rip-off of old mystery movies (a mysterious figure appears via radio, tv or letter and says something like: "I've invited all you gentleman here to my mansion. Now, prepare to explore my house and be hunted!"). Or, if you remember the "Seven Little Superheroes" episode of "Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends"--it's like that. Or, to prove that I didn't waste all my time in high school doodling in the margins and thinking about which cheerleader I'd jerk off to: it's like Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None".
Oh, here's the aforementioned Spidey episode:
Right now I'm liking this, even if the plot is a complete rip-off of old mystery movies (a mysterious figure appears via radio, tv or letter and says something like: "I've invited all you gentleman here to my mansion. Now, prepare to explore my house and be hunted!"). Or, if you remember the "Seven Little Superheroes" episode of "Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends"--it's like that. Or, to prove that I didn't waste all my time in high school doodling in the margins and thinking about which cheerleader I'd jerk off to: it's like Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None".
Oh, here's the aforementioned Spidey episode:
Friday, August 3, 2007
Leading the AL West in CPS
After two days at Comic-Con, I went up to Anaheim and saw an Angels game. It was a Sunday night stinker, with the Angels blowing out the Detroit Tigers 13-4. Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman gave up something like 10 earnies in less than 3 innings. The sun was blasting my seat out in right field, so it wasn't until about the 5th inning that the shadows moved in and I was able to pick up the ball.
I thought it was amusing that the Angels retired numbers are displayed on a bathroom wall in the right field concourse. I figured Bobby Grich would've been one of the retirees, but they had Nolan Ryan, Rod Carew, Gene Autry, Jimmie Reese, Jim Fregosi and Jackie Robinson. I like the local "Ring of Fame" or retired numbers, since they usually honor someone who is virtually unknown to visiting fan. I had never heard of Jimmie Reese until Sunday night. The Angels' official website has this to say about Reese:
During his 23 years, he built a reputation for being the most prolific fungo hitter in baseball.
Well there ya' go.
Angel Stadium also leads the league in the all-important CPS category. That's "Cleavage Per Seat". They've passed Oakland A's spring training games for having the hottest female fans per square foot. A little odd, since it was "Kids' Night" and the place was full of hot broads in their 20's, walking around, showing off the goods. Even during a 13-4 laugher, there's still something to see in Angel Stadium.
The Angels have been doing quite well since Mike Scioscia took over in 2001, but if they ever begin to falter and attendance starts to lag, some savvy marketing would save them. All they have to do is make their traditional nickname more prominent: The Halos. They could market themselves as "HALOs: Baseball Evolved".
Another thing I learned at Comic-Con is that video games are extremely popular. I'll bet that "Halo Guy" is probably more well-known and popular among males 16-30 than "Vladimir Guerrero". The Angels would have to modify their uniforms a bit, but it'd be a huge merchandising cash cow for them.
I thought it was amusing that the Angels retired numbers are displayed on a bathroom wall in the right field concourse. I figured Bobby Grich would've been one of the retirees, but they had Nolan Ryan, Rod Carew, Gene Autry, Jimmie Reese, Jim Fregosi and Jackie Robinson. I like the local "Ring of Fame" or retired numbers, since they usually honor someone who is virtually unknown to visiting fan. I had never heard of Jimmie Reese until Sunday night. The Angels' official website has this to say about Reese:
During his 23 years, he built a reputation for being the most prolific fungo hitter in baseball.
Well there ya' go.
Angel Stadium also leads the league in the all-important CPS category. That's "Cleavage Per Seat". They've passed Oakland A's spring training games for having the hottest female fans per square foot. A little odd, since it was "Kids' Night" and the place was full of hot broads in their 20's, walking around, showing off the goods. Even during a 13-4 laugher, there's still something to see in Angel Stadium.
The Angels have been doing quite well since Mike Scioscia took over in 2001, but if they ever begin to falter and attendance starts to lag, some savvy marketing would save them. All they have to do is make their traditional nickname more prominent: The Halos. They could market themselves as "HALOs: Baseball Evolved".Another thing I learned at Comic-Con is that video games are extremely popular. I'll bet that "Halo Guy" is probably more well-known and popular among males 16-30 than "Vladimir Guerrero". The Angels would have to modify their uniforms a bit, but it'd be a huge merchandising cash cow for them.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
38th Annual Black T-Shirt Convention (San Diego Comic Con)
I know...you've all been so damn concerned about where I've been (I know who all THREE of you are). From last Thursday to Monday I was out in California to see the San Diego Comic Con. I really hate using the term "Con" for anything, but it's a widely used term out there. Say "Comic Con" and all the locals know what you're talking about.
If you've been reading Da' Board, you might have read some of my ramblings. I threw some pictures and stuff up there, but here's some more for you lazy clickers:
--If you ever go to Comic Con, don't try to act "normal" or "cool". The Convention Center is about six square city blocks of geeks and all things geeky. Don't worry about being embarrassed by going. You're there. Enjoy it. I'm pretty sure that the shirtless scrawny guy dressed up like a video game character is feeling more vulnerable than you.
--It's the one weekend of the year where comic professionals get to feel like rockstars. Imagine the broads who leaked in their pants over the Beatles, circa 1962 and you'll get the vibe. I don't follow creators, just characters.... so the idea of waiting in line for an hour to get a shitty promo poster signed by the writer of Teen Titans didn't appeal to me.
--I got three custom sketches of Green Arrow by 3 different artists. Didn't wait more than 5 minutes for each. My first choice of subject was, obviously, Ace the Bat-Hound, the namesake of my pooch. But they all had no idea who I was talking about. So I went with GA....but they still weren't sure how to draw him. One guy (I think he was Rod Reis) seemed to have a real struggle with Green Arrow. So he drew a basic character head, scribbled a goatee and some backpack arrows on it. Weak. I haven't seriously attempted any figure or superhero drawing since about 1996, but watching them up-close inspired me a little bit.
--I was a little disappointed that most seminars/ presentations /dog n' pony shows would run small trailers for their movie. Stuff like that I could've waited to watch on YouTube in a week. Example: I was in line for Rob Zombie's new "Halloween" movie, but became bummed when it was just a trailer. Zombie himself came out and babbled for a little bit, afterwards. In that regard, it was kinda' cool to think "Hey, I just saw Rob Zombie pump up his new movie".
--However, I did manage to see full showings of the new "Doctor Strange" animated movie and the new "Bionic Woman" pilot. I enjoyed "Strange", but "Bionic Woman" was a little tough for me to digest. It's apparently done by the crew of the "Battlestar Galactica" remake and featured several cast members from that show. I don't know the actors' names, so I called them: "Chick Who Plays Starbuck", "Guy Who Plays Chief" and "Guy Who Plays Baltar's Lawyer". Whenever one would show up on screen, fans in the audience would immediately whooping and holler.
--Coincedentally, I saw "Guy Who Plays Chief" in some booth on the main floor. He was wearing an Anthrax "I am the Law" Judge Dredd shirt, so I thought I'd drop in and maybe get his autograph for my big bro. But...he would only sign autographs on crappy action figures being sold by that company. Oh well. Overall, the autograph thing was creepy. A lot of c-level "celebrities" selling stuff. I felt bad for some of them. Mostly Virgil (yes, THAT Virgil) and someone named Crystal Allen, who apparently played a Green Chick on a Star Trek episode. Marc Singer (Beastmaster) was there and he was hella' creepy.
--Best seminar I attended was "Quick Draw", hosted by Mark Evanier. It was a bit like "Whose Line is it Anyway" with three artists: Sergio Aragones (GROO), Scott Shaw (Capt. Carrot and POST cereal) and some other guy who I forget (stuff I forget). Evanier would present a question or gag and each of the artists would draw their answer to it, on a big screen. Funny stuff. Final gag was "smarter than George W. Bush". The other guys drew a dunce and Alfred E. Neuman. Sergio drew a simple two-celled amoeba. Anything Evanier hosts is worth checking out. He's very knowledgeable about pop culture and comics and is quite witty.
--If you do, don't expect to find good deals on comics. Last time I attended Comic Con was in 1995. It was about 85% comics. Now it's maybe 25% comics. You can still find dealers, but the majority of the crowd is there for the Hollywood, video game and TV stuff. Spike TV, Best Buy, Paramount, Capcom and Sony kinda' crowd out "Joe's Comic Barn". I bought maybe 8 comics, total.
--Nothing's really "free" anymore. At Marvel's booth, you had to fill out a survey, sign up for their mailing list and get your badge punched to receive ONE promo comic. I don't want to sound like an Old Man, but in '95 I could walk into any booth and come away with 10 free comics. This year, everybody was selling stuff. 25 bucks seemed to be the going rate for anything. Even promo posters were for sale, or else you'd get one free after a long wait in line. I get tons of free promo crap every week for all kinds of stuff (t-shirts, posters, hats, preview DVDs, you name it). So I guess I was numb at the chance to get some "free" advertising material.
-- Cool purchase: bought Usagi Yojimbo #1 from Stan Sakai himself, for the very reasonable price of five bucks. Also found Avengers #66 for the over-priced tag of 14 bucks. I took it over to Roy Thomas, who was signing stuff at the Alter Ego booth. Thomas seemed like he could ramble on all day about old comics. Good for him.
--LOTS of tourists go for the Hollywood stuff and to get free crap. That's good, since it spreads awareness of comic crap to the public.... but rather sad because nobody knows who Clint Barton or Piotr Rasputin are. They're there to see Gwyneth Paltrow or Robert Downey Jr (by the way, I was jazzed about Marvel Studios' "Iron Man" and "Incredible Hulk" preview session)
--You know what the best part was? The people. I'd be waiting for something and start talking to the people around me. Think of the "single serving friend" from Fight Club. Met all kinds of interesting peeps. Just bullshittin', cracking jokes and telling stories. I'm usually a rather shy guy, but the entire trip I was talking to everyone. I met a graphic designer from New Zealand, a psychic medium, an MST junkie from Minneapolis, a wrestling fan from LA...all sorts of people. When I think back on this trip, that's what I'll remember most.
--All in all, it's a good time to be a nerd.
If you've been reading Da' Board, you might have read some of my ramblings. I threw some pictures and stuff up there, but here's some more for you lazy clickers:
--If you ever go to Comic Con, don't try to act "normal" or "cool". The Convention Center is about six square city blocks of geeks and all things geeky. Don't worry about being embarrassed by going. You're there. Enjoy it. I'm pretty sure that the shirtless scrawny guy dressed up like a video game character is feeling more vulnerable than you.
--It's the one weekend of the year where comic professionals get to feel like rockstars. Imagine the broads who leaked in their pants over the Beatles, circa 1962 and you'll get the vibe. I don't follow creators, just characters.... so the idea of waiting in line for an hour to get a shitty promo poster signed by the writer of Teen Titans didn't appeal to me.
--I got three custom sketches of Green Arrow by 3 different artists. Didn't wait more than 5 minutes for each. My first choice of subject was, obviously, Ace the Bat-Hound, the namesake of my pooch. But they all had no idea who I was talking about. So I went with GA....but they still weren't sure how to draw him. One guy (I think he was Rod Reis) seemed to have a real struggle with Green Arrow. So he drew a basic character head, scribbled a goatee and some backpack arrows on it. Weak. I haven't seriously attempted any figure or superhero drawing since about 1996, but watching them up-close inspired me a little bit.
--I was a little disappointed that most seminars/ presentations /dog n' pony shows would run small trailers for their movie. Stuff like that I could've waited to watch on YouTube in a week. Example: I was in line for Rob Zombie's new "Halloween" movie, but became bummed when it was just a trailer. Zombie himself came out and babbled for a little bit, afterwards. In that regard, it was kinda' cool to think "Hey, I just saw Rob Zombie pump up his new movie".
--However, I did manage to see full showings of the new "Doctor Strange" animated movie and the new "Bionic Woman" pilot. I enjoyed "Strange", but "Bionic Woman" was a little tough for me to digest. It's apparently done by the crew of the "Battlestar Galactica" remake and featured several cast members from that show. I don't know the actors' names, so I called them: "Chick Who Plays Starbuck", "Guy Who Plays Chief" and "Guy Who Plays Baltar's Lawyer". Whenever one would show up on screen, fans in the audience would immediately whooping and holler.
--Coincedentally, I saw "Guy Who Plays Chief" in some booth on the main floor. He was wearing an Anthrax "I am the Law" Judge Dredd shirt, so I thought I'd drop in and maybe get his autograph for my big bro. But...he would only sign autographs on crappy action figures being sold by that company. Oh well. Overall, the autograph thing was creepy. A lot of c-level "celebrities" selling stuff. I felt bad for some of them. Mostly Virgil (yes, THAT Virgil) and someone named Crystal Allen, who apparently played a Green Chick on a Star Trek episode. Marc Singer (Beastmaster) was there and he was hella' creepy.
--Best seminar I attended was "Quick Draw", hosted by Mark Evanier. It was a bit like "Whose Line is it Anyway" with three artists: Sergio Aragones (GROO), Scott Shaw (Capt. Carrot and POST cereal) and some other guy who I forget (stuff I forget). Evanier would present a question or gag and each of the artists would draw their answer to it, on a big screen. Funny stuff. Final gag was "smarter than George W. Bush". The other guys drew a dunce and Alfred E. Neuman. Sergio drew a simple two-celled amoeba. Anything Evanier hosts is worth checking out. He's very knowledgeable about pop culture and comics and is quite witty.
--If you do, don't expect to find good deals on comics. Last time I attended Comic Con was in 1995. It was about 85% comics. Now it's maybe 25% comics. You can still find dealers, but the majority of the crowd is there for the Hollywood, video game and TV stuff. Spike TV, Best Buy, Paramount, Capcom and Sony kinda' crowd out "Joe's Comic Barn". I bought maybe 8 comics, total.
--Nothing's really "free" anymore. At Marvel's booth, you had to fill out a survey, sign up for their mailing list and get your badge punched to receive ONE promo comic. I don't want to sound like an Old Man, but in '95 I could walk into any booth and come away with 10 free comics. This year, everybody was selling stuff. 25 bucks seemed to be the going rate for anything. Even promo posters were for sale, or else you'd get one free after a long wait in line. I get tons of free promo crap every week for all kinds of stuff (t-shirts, posters, hats, preview DVDs, you name it). So I guess I was numb at the chance to get some "free" advertising material.
-- Cool purchase: bought Usagi Yojimbo #1 from Stan Sakai himself, for the very reasonable price of five bucks. Also found Avengers #66 for the over-priced tag of 14 bucks. I took it over to Roy Thomas, who was signing stuff at the Alter Ego booth. Thomas seemed like he could ramble on all day about old comics. Good for him.
--LOTS of tourists go for the Hollywood stuff and to get free crap. That's good, since it spreads awareness of comic crap to the public.... but rather sad because nobody knows who Clint Barton or Piotr Rasputin are. They're there to see Gwyneth Paltrow or Robert Downey Jr (by the way, I was jazzed about Marvel Studios' "Iron Man" and "Incredible Hulk" preview session)
--You know what the best part was? The people. I'd be waiting for something and start talking to the people around me. Think of the "single serving friend" from Fight Club. Met all kinds of interesting peeps. Just bullshittin', cracking jokes and telling stories. I'm usually a rather shy guy, but the entire trip I was talking to everyone. I met a graphic designer from New Zealand, a psychic medium, an MST junkie from Minneapolis, a wrestling fan from LA...all sorts of people. When I think back on this trip, that's what I'll remember most.
--All in all, it's a good time to be a nerd.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Sonic Boom?
I'm a big fast food fan. Coast-to-coast, border-to-border, around the world, I know I can walk into a Wendy's and order the #4 Big bacon Classic Combo. And I'm good.
Burger King, Carl's Jr, Chick-Fil-A, Steak Escape--- hell, even KFC and Taco Bell--- are haunts that I frequent. I'll even eat at Checkers or Hardee's when I'm on vacation. But I don't get Sonic at all.
That's the one fast-food joint I've been to where I've never been able to finish a meal. Seriously, their stuff is fucking gross. I gave 'em a chance about two years ago and ordered some fancy-dan burger for lunch. Ended up up-chucking it into the garbage can. Embarassing. For both Sonic and me. My Stomach of Adamantium has tolerated just about everything. Except for Sonic.
But everybody else seems to love Sonic. We'll be cruising along, pass a Sonic and someone will excitedly say" "ooo! Sonic! Let's go there!" People who rag on me for my Burger King love are mysteriously drawn to Sonic.
So I'll pull in and see $3 hotdog platters on their menu. Plus tater tots with chili on 'em. And milkshakes in styrofoam cups. The mere mention (plus the included PICTURE) of said items sends me to the little boy's room, searching for the porcelain altar. I mean-- Tater Tots? Sonic must be single-handedly keeping Ore Ida in business. I've had a jones for some good ol' fast food french fries or onion rings at times. But I've never gotten a telegram from my tummy saying: "Hey E, how'bout we go out and get me some fuckin' tater tots!! Mmm mmm mmm!"
I like Sonic's commercials. Two guys sitting in a car. One guy says "whoa, this is a good burger! I'm gonna' tell all my friends about this!". The other guy says: "umm...I think you just did". That's hella' funny.
I like the setting and gimmick of Sonic. Pull into this quirky looking joint, then order at your window and eat in your car, like a 50's burger shop. That's cool.
But the food? Fuckin' awful. I just don't get it.
Burger King, Carl's Jr, Chick-Fil-A, Steak Escape--- hell, even KFC and Taco Bell--- are haunts that I frequent. I'll even eat at Checkers or Hardee's when I'm on vacation. But I don't get Sonic at all.
That's the one fast-food joint I've been to where I've never been able to finish a meal. Seriously, their stuff is fucking gross. I gave 'em a chance about two years ago and ordered some fancy-dan burger for lunch. Ended up up-chucking it into the garbage can. Embarassing. For both Sonic and me. My Stomach of Adamantium has tolerated just about everything. Except for Sonic.
But everybody else seems to love Sonic. We'll be cruising along, pass a Sonic and someone will excitedly say" "ooo! Sonic! Let's go there!" People who rag on me for my Burger King love are mysteriously drawn to Sonic.
So I'll pull in and see $3 hotdog platters on their menu. Plus tater tots with chili on 'em. And milkshakes in styrofoam cups. The mere mention (plus the included PICTURE) of said items sends me to the little boy's room, searching for the porcelain altar. I mean-- Tater Tots? Sonic must be single-handedly keeping Ore Ida in business. I've had a jones for some good ol' fast food french fries or onion rings at times. But I've never gotten a telegram from my tummy saying: "Hey E, how'bout we go out and get me some fuckin' tater tots!! Mmm mmm mmm!"
I like Sonic's commercials. Two guys sitting in a car. One guy says "whoa, this is a good burger! I'm gonna' tell all my friends about this!". The other guy says: "umm...I think you just did". That's hella' funny.
I like the setting and gimmick of Sonic. Pull into this quirky looking joint, then order at your window and eat in your car, like a 50's burger shop. That's cool.
But the food? Fuckin' awful. I just don't get it.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Seemed like a good idea at the time...
About a month ago my mouse died. The computer kind, not the rodent kind. I strolled through the electronics stores and couldn't find a typical $5 old school mouse, so I went ahead and purchased a cordless optical type. I figured that'd be a slight upgrade and one less wire on my cluttered desk.
The friggin' thing eats batteries at an insane pace. It ran 18 bucks and I've already spent 8 bucks on double A batteries. I haven't blown through batteries at this rate since I used my Walkman on my newspaper route in eighth grade.
I'm not certain that this is "good technololgy". A wireless mouse is a spiffy idea, but becoming reliant on batteries is an enormous deterrent. I'd like to see the roller in the mouse generate power as it moves. Like those "crank 'em up" flashlights they sell as impulse-buys at retail stores. So I'm sure someplace like Sharper Image or Brookstone has such an animal. Retailing for 84.95, natually.
The friggin' thing eats batteries at an insane pace. It ran 18 bucks and I've already spent 8 bucks on double A batteries. I haven't blown through batteries at this rate since I used my Walkman on my newspaper route in eighth grade.
I'm not certain that this is "good technololgy". A wireless mouse is a spiffy idea, but becoming reliant on batteries is an enormous deterrent. I'd like to see the roller in the mouse generate power as it moves. Like those "crank 'em up" flashlights they sell as impulse-buys at retail stores. So I'm sure someplace like Sharper Image or Brookstone has such an animal. Retailing for 84.95, natually.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
| Okay, so it's very easy to make fun of this movie. It's just not... what're the words?--very good. This reminds me of the FOX Marvel TV movies that were around in the late 90's. Generation X, Nick Fury and whatever else they did. Felt more like an episode of a syndicated FF TV series than an actual movie. Two things I found silly: 1-- in ALL movies, the alien invaders always make sure to fly past scenic landmarks of the world. Like, the pyramids, the Washington Monument or the Great Wall of China. So I guess all aliens are really tourists at heart. "Zeb, destroy the earth!" "Well, before we do, let's cruise by the scenic sights and snap a few pictures". 2-- This is scraping, sure. But it seems goofy to title it "RISE" of the Silver Surfer. He's flying in from outer space, so he's not really rising from anything. I imagine the marketing department sat around and that was the best they could come up with. I mean, "the Coming of the Silver Surfer" would've been closer to the comics, but you know that name wouldn't fly at all. The FF, to me, have never been straight-up superheroes. They're more like "Lost in Space" or the 1970's "GI Joe Adventure Team". So alot of online fanboys are slamming this movie because it lacks depth, meaning, symbolism, etc. C'mon...it's the frickin' Fantastic Four, not Citizen Kane. The FF has always been stupid and this movie is, expectedly, stupid. Minor spoilers: Galactus is never shown (a 30 foot tall purple n' pink Shogun Warrior wouldn't seem too menacing to the non-fanboy movie audiecne), Jessica Alba wears wayyy too much makeup and while Dr. Doom's characterization is correct (think: "If there is power to be had, DOOM must have it!!"), his personality is still goofy (example, he says: "oooh..that's nice" when testing out new powers). Johnny Storm seems to get alot of screentime and there's even a new version of Frankie Raye. It's okay for 90 minutes...basically like watching a cartoon. Don't expect much and you'll be okay. |
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
TNT December 12, 1985
Tuesday Night Titans (TNT) is something I'd recap more often, if the show's formula wasn't always the same. But I liked last week's episode on WWE 24/7. Main reason: Magnificent Muraco.
He gets better everytime I see him. If he was around today, he'd be over, huge, me thinks.
I liked how he was introducing the cast of "Fuji Chan"...and completely skipped over and no-sold Mel Phillips, deliberately. Muraco had a great egotistical/arrogant slant to his character and his promos are usually decent.
Four matches are seeded throughout the talk show segments. Scott McGhee pins Les Thornton, Hercules Hernandez beats Mario Mancini, Magnificent Muraco pins a jobber in a JIP match, plus Fabulous Moolah (wrestling as "The Spider Lady") pins WWF Women's Champion, Wendi Richter to win the title. Controversial bout, as Richter's shoulders didn't appear to be down. Rumor is that the WWF screwed Richter out of the title, similar to the way they did with Bret Hart in 1997. Richter's post-match antics add to this: she tries to "attack" Moolah, but Moolah suddenly begins no-selling and walks away. Richter then acts all pissy and tries to grab the belt back from the ref and Moolah.
The Herc match may have been one of his first TV appearances in the WWF. His in-studio segment is kinda' sloppy. Fred Blassie accompanies him as his manager and does most of the talking. Blassie calls Herc a "Latin" and goes into a rambling mode about how he discovered him in Mexico, beating up people. Vince and Herc both seem to be cracking up while Blassie is ranting. Blassie didn't have the funny zingers like Bobby Heenan did, but his delivery always came off as humorous.
Oh yeah, was there some connection between Moolah and Fred Blassie? They always seem super-friendly with each other whenever they're on-screen. In this show, Blassie plants a big smooch on Moolah, then has his arm around her while they're sitting on the TNT couch for the rest of the show. It's prefectly understandable that they'd be good platonic buddies.. but did they ever get it on, back in the day?
He gets better everytime I see him. If he was around today, he'd be over, huge, me thinks.
I liked how he was introducing the cast of "Fuji Chan"...and completely skipped over and no-sold Mel Phillips, deliberately. Muraco had a great egotistical/arrogant slant to his character and his promos are usually decent.
Four matches are seeded throughout the talk show segments. Scott McGhee pins Les Thornton, Hercules Hernandez beats Mario Mancini, Magnificent Muraco pins a jobber in a JIP match, plus Fabulous Moolah (wrestling as "The Spider Lady") pins WWF Women's Champion, Wendi Richter to win the title. Controversial bout, as Richter's shoulders didn't appear to be down. Rumor is that the WWF screwed Richter out of the title, similar to the way they did with Bret Hart in 1997. Richter's post-match antics add to this: she tries to "attack" Moolah, but Moolah suddenly begins no-selling and walks away. Richter then acts all pissy and tries to grab the belt back from the ref and Moolah.
The Herc match may have been one of his first TV appearances in the WWF. His in-studio segment is kinda' sloppy. Fred Blassie accompanies him as his manager and does most of the talking. Blassie calls Herc a "Latin" and goes into a rambling mode about how he discovered him in Mexico, beating up people. Vince and Herc both seem to be cracking up while Blassie is ranting. Blassie didn't have the funny zingers like Bobby Heenan did, but his delivery always came off as humorous.
Oh yeah, was there some connection between Moolah and Fred Blassie? They always seem super-friendly with each other whenever they're on-screen. In this show, Blassie plants a big smooch on Moolah, then has his arm around her while they're sitting on the TNT couch for the rest of the show. It's prefectly understandable that they'd be good platonic buddies.. but did they ever get it on, back in the day?
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Lick my StubHub
I have to wonder: does anybody actually buy tickets from StubHub?
Their Google ads are all over the place, but if you actually visit the site, the prices are insane. We're talking 55 bucks for a Kansas City Royals game in mid-August. Their business model is sorta' like "eBay for sports tickets", allowing regular schmoes to post tickets for sale. But I've never seen prices below face value there. eBay's become synonymous for finding neat crap for cheap. StubHub looks like its target market is the CEO who drops a couple grand on sports tickets to schmooze someone.
Look, your Royals, Grand Rapids Rampage or even Dodgers tickets are not Hot Commodities. Unless you have tickets to some sort of championship game (and one that doesn't involve the Cleveland Cavaliers), your tickets-- probably not worth much.
Their Google ads are all over the place, but if you actually visit the site, the prices are insane. We're talking 55 bucks for a Kansas City Royals game in mid-August. Their business model is sorta' like "eBay for sports tickets", allowing regular schmoes to post tickets for sale. But I've never seen prices below face value there. eBay's become synonymous for finding neat crap for cheap. StubHub looks like its target market is the CEO who drops a couple grand on sports tickets to schmooze someone.
Look, your Royals, Grand Rapids Rampage or even Dodgers tickets are not Hot Commodities. Unless you have tickets to some sort of championship game (and one that doesn't involve the Cleveland Cavaliers), your tickets-- probably not worth much.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Karaoke Kurse
Ever since I moved in September '05, I've had trouble finding a good neighborhood bar. My old 'hood sucked and was full of drive-bys and murders, but at least I had a good bar out there. Within walking distance, decent prices, hot female bartenders, trivia on Saturday nights, big enough to seat about 300 people and the DJ would play Clutch when he saw me.
Over here, it's a nicer 'hood, but the bars absolutely suck. Main reason: every bar around here has fucking KARAOKE about every night. In my quest to find a new bar, I tried another a new one on Saturday. Guess what, it was Karaoke night....again. This was probably the bottom of the barrel for me, since the bar wasn't within walking distance, had dumpy/skanky bartenders and was full of people in their 40's and 50's.
Now, I can't sing due to this Old Football Injury, but you haven't really reached hell until you've heard some vocally challenged douche sing "Your Momma Don't Dance" while you drink watered down Bud Light. "Highlight" of the night was some Mario-lookin' muthafucker singing "Careefree Highway" by Gordon Lightfoot.
Next time I feel the need to go out and drink on a Saturday, I'm taking the risk by driving across town to my old bar. It takes awhile to get to it and I might get shot... but at least there's no Karaoke.
Over here, it's a nicer 'hood, but the bars absolutely suck. Main reason: every bar around here has fucking KARAOKE about every night. In my quest to find a new bar, I tried another a new one on Saturday. Guess what, it was Karaoke night....again. This was probably the bottom of the barrel for me, since the bar wasn't within walking distance, had dumpy/skanky bartenders and was full of people in their 40's and 50's.
Now, I can't sing due to this Old Football Injury, but you haven't really reached hell until you've heard some vocally challenged douche sing "Your Momma Don't Dance" while you drink watered down Bud Light. "Highlight" of the night was some Mario-lookin' muthafucker singing "Careefree Highway" by Gordon Lightfoot.
Next time I feel the need to go out and drink on a Saturday, I'm taking the risk by driving across town to my old bar. It takes awhile to get to it and I might get shot... but at least there's no Karaoke.
Friday, June 1, 2007
ATM fight
Almost got in a fight at the ATM today. I'm sitting there for a few minutes, in the empty hallway, filling out my deposit envelopes and endorsing checks on the table right next to the ATM. Nobody has walked past me for the entire time. Then, when I'm ready to use the ATM, some douche pops out of nowhere and is SURPRISED that I'm going to use the ATM.
"Oh..you're going to use this?! pfft"
I said: "yeah...sorry. Think I beat ya' by a few seconds" as I open my wallet and take my ATM card out.
He says: "I don't know if you did! Yuk yuk!"
My Asshole Alarm goes off and I cock my head to one side. I step back, right as I'm about to insert my card, I pack up my wallet, and say "ya' know what..." . He gets all nervous and says "I was just giving you a hard time, heh heh". I say "it's yours" and leave.
That was my passive aggressive moment for the day.
"Oh..you're going to use this?! pfft"
I said: "yeah...sorry. Think I beat ya' by a few seconds" as I open my wallet and take my ATM card out.
He says: "I don't know if you did! Yuk yuk!"
My Asshole Alarm goes off and I cock my head to one side. I step back, right as I'm about to insert my card, I pack up my wallet, and say "ya' know what..." . He gets all nervous and says "I was just giving you a hard time, heh heh". I say "it's yours" and leave.
That was my passive aggressive moment for the day.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
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