Tuesday, July 14, 2009

See you on Sunday night (maybe)

Time for The League to kick back, relax and maybe have a few cocktails.



We're headed out.

You guys take care.

HSN is really, really ready for the Yuletide

The Home Shopping Network is selling Christmas decorations. It is 07/14. Only 5.3 months until CHRISTMAS.

I bought this toy



Not just because its Ryan Choi, The Atom. But because he's got a weapon that hits people with PROTONS.

I like my Atom with more science than whatever the last run was (or most runs, meaning I kind of like The Atom as utility science guy). Science-ish fiction.

Nice to have a toy based maybe something on the LHC.

His little widget/rod thing is kind of a mace. Maybe a mini-LHC. And, of course, the LHC "is intended to play exceptionally violent and scientific games of sub-atomic curveball billiards, in which protons will barrel round corners and smack into one another at close to light speed. This will cause them to explode, hurling various kinds of mysterious sub-subatomic gubbins in all directions." Just about what you'd expect The Atom to be doing in the comics, really.

So, basically, he's smacking people with protons, as if their face were yet another proton. And that is awesome.

Monday, July 13, 2009

A few Items

Short post, and then probably no post tomorrow night. And then none for a while as Jamie and I head out for San Francisco (don't tell anyone, but we hear there's gold out in Californie! GOLD!!!).

Wolfman Reshoots

So, remember when I was asking last week about where the Wolfman movie was? Ask and ye shall receive.

Sounds like reshoots. Lots and lots of reshoots. Which... well, it explains why the things isn't here now.

1) Sounds like Rick Baker's company is involved. So... I'm sort of surprised that there's any creature design problems.

2) I kind of want to give Joe Johnston credit, because he was responsible for some movies I've enjoyed (Rocketeer, and, uhm...). But his stuff is also mostly painfully formulaic stuff.

So... not exactly sure what went wrong, but if they want to make the creatures more awesome... The League can wait.

I enjoy the original Wolfman movie. Its got its own brand of pathos that all good monster movies are really about. One day I need to spend some time overthinking the movie, and make postulations about how its really about race or the rise of fascism or some such. But its mostly just about a guy who becomes a werewolf-guy, and he really doesn't want to BE a werewolf guy (it totally screws with his love life).

What to do while The League is Gone?

I dunno. Go to Facebook and goof around on The League's Facebook page.

Why not try out that whole "Discussions" tabs.

Surely you people have something to talk about when I'm not here?

Blackest Night - Comic Book Stuff

Rumor has it that DC is giving away a Black Lantern ring as a promotional item this Wednesday. I'll be on a plane instead of grabbing my ring. Why did I agree to fly on a Wednesday again?

Someone get The League a ring.

Maybe if I say "Austin Books" here, Brad will get a Google alert and grab me a ring? Especially if I talk about what a great place Austin Books is and how much I enjoy their down home comicky hospitality and wide array of comics? And how you'd be a damn fool to buy your comics anywhere else?

Well, a man's got to try.

Astronauts

I've been wanting to watch The Right Stuff again lately. Not sure why.

And then I turned around in someone's office at work today and they had a picture of Sam Shepard in their office. Apparently he gave a whole mess of his stuff to the UT Libraries. There's a "Right Stuff" display at the Benson Collection. Huh.



Apollo 13 is a good movie and all, but...

Pals

Thanks to folks we spontaneously got together with this weekend. It was fun. I sort of thought I was going to be watching TV all weekend.

Ya'll Take Care

I'm going to be posting pics to Facebook and stuff while we're gone. So keep up with me there, I think.

I've got the damn Blackberry now, so e-mail me if you have a Superman emergency or whatnot.

Because I can't take the high road

Apparently I was slightly off. Jon of "Jon & Kate" did not head to Tahiti with a stripper. He went to St. Tropez with Kate's plastic surgeon's daughter.

Which... Man.

Here. And, yes, the situation is a mess and I'm ashamed. Blah blah blah. But who called it?

The website sums up exactly how I feel:

He left the confines of his marriage with a stentorian control freak for the nearest party girl. It’s so predictable and awful that I can’t help but feel an immense schadenfreude that makes me want to dance down the street and wave to strangers.

See you in hell, everyone!


Thanks to Randy for keeping me neck deep in my shame.

Pleadings Watch Party

Hey, Leaguers!

I've recently obtained an official copy of the movie "Pleadings" written by the League's own JimD and Alistair. So, I'm thinking "Austin Area Pleadings Watch Party".

I've seen the movie, and it is hilarious.



Actually, it's really, really not. But why not watch the movie together? I'll make popcorn.

I can't do it any time in the next two weeks (we're in San Francisco, and then I got a thing the next week), so let's look at August 1.

E-mail me or comment if you're interested in attending.

Here's a whole bunch more about Pleadings at Facebook.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

In the News

Superman and Batman arrested in New York.

The best thing about this whole Bush surveillance deal? You choose!
(a) we'll never really know what happened
(b) someone thought this @#$% was a good idea
(c) now that someone went ahead and put this thing together, its not going to go away
(d) you just know that absolutely nobody is going to actually have to go to jail over all this
(e) someone is going to tell me that I shouldn't be concerned about this sort of thing

We thought we were going to be witness to some bad stuff at Barton Springs yesterday, but all ended well.
Jamie discusses here.
Here's the news report.

And the Dems demonstrate, once again, why they appear to be completely ineffective at government when they should be able to push just about anything through. A claim I'm finding, once again, difficult to dispute. I predict 2010 will be a repeat of '94 (popular prez, congressional dems decide to sabotage everything that got the guy voted into office. I might need to put on my Docs and start wearing flannel plaid).

While Fox News demonstrates, once again, that there are some uncomfortable undercurrents to the messaging and standpoints of their mouthpieces.

Dick's Classic Garage in San Marcos

There's a new car museum in San Marcos very close to Jamie's folks' house.

It's a surprisingly good museum which just opened yesterday.


Me in front of the elusive Tucker. One of 51 made. One of 48 in existence. This one has never really been driven. Something like .04 miles on the dial. It's tough to gauge the value on such a thing, but it's an extremely rare car.

Yes, that's a poster from the movie. There was also a TV showing the movie or clips from the movie.



Jamie and her dad with a 57' Chevy. American classic.



I completely forgot which car this was. But Jamie improves every shot she's in.



Back when cars had style... a beautifully restored Duesenberg. Steampunk was apparently a bit real in the 1920's.

Austinites will be glad to know the place is only about a 25 minute drive from our door, so do your math from there.