Thanks to Randy for forwarding the first poster for the upcoming movie "The Dark Knight".
Cesar Romero this is not.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Why So Serious?
Thanks to Randy for forwarding the first poster for the upcoming movie "The Dark Knight".
Cesar Romero this is not.
I have nothing to write about
Hey, Leaguers!
I have ABSOLUTELY nothing to report. Last night I ate catfish for dinner, some slaw and baked beans. Then I read comics while Jamie did crosswords.
Whoopdie-doo!
Hope you Leaguers had an exciting evening.
I think, if anything, I was a bit confused by the ending to JLA #15, which seemed like it should have been just Superman opening a can of Super Whoop-Ass on the In-Justice League. Instead, McDuffie and Benes let the rest of the JLA do all the lifting.
Also, I KNOW that back in the day the evil equivalent of the Justice League was called the In-Justice League. But even the writers of SuperFriends, a show meant for 3-8 year olds, knew that name was too hokey and re-named them The Legion of Doom.
Luthor is supposed to be one of the smartest guys on Earth. I think he could cook up something a little better and perhaps more menacing.
I dunno. I'm sort on the fence about the whole thing. After all, I do like the legacy aspect to DC Comics publishing and iterations of various ideas. And it does add a certain zest of fun to the JLA title when your villains are just jerks enough to declare themselves your evil opposites.
Next we'll see the resurgence of the Superman Revenge Squad. Or the Anti-Superman Gang. All great ideas for their time and audience, but...
Anyhow, once Firestorm was back (and I am so glad to see McDuffie handling the new Firestorm once again), I sort of thought Superman + heat vision + fast than speeding bullet + more powerful than a locomotive might have been able to clean that mess up. But that would have denied me the enjoyment of a good chunk of the rest of the issue.
Sounds like Firestorm is now on the team, and that's a good thing. They need some newer characters.
And as an aside... The Rebirth of Ra's Al Ghul storyline in the Batbooks? Not so good. Good idea. Questionable execution.
I have ABSOLUTELY nothing to report. Last night I ate catfish for dinner, some slaw and baked beans. Then I read comics while Jamie did crosswords.
Whoopdie-doo!
Hope you Leaguers had an exciting evening.
I think, if anything, I was a bit confused by the ending to JLA #15, which seemed like it should have been just Superman opening a can of Super Whoop-Ass on the In-Justice League. Instead, McDuffie and Benes let the rest of the JLA do all the lifting.
Also, I KNOW that back in the day the evil equivalent of the Justice League was called the In-Justice League. But even the writers of SuperFriends, a show meant for 3-8 year olds, knew that name was too hokey and re-named them The Legion of Doom.
Luthor is supposed to be one of the smartest guys on Earth. I think he could cook up something a little better and perhaps more menacing.
I dunno. I'm sort on the fence about the whole thing. After all, I do like the legacy aspect to DC Comics publishing and iterations of various ideas. And it does add a certain zest of fun to the JLA title when your villains are just jerks enough to declare themselves your evil opposites.
Next we'll see the resurgence of the Superman Revenge Squad. Or the Anti-Superman Gang. All great ideas for their time and audience, but...
Anyhow, once Firestorm was back (and I am so glad to see McDuffie handling the new Firestorm once again), I sort of thought Superman + heat vision + fast than speeding bullet + more powerful than a locomotive might have been able to clean that mess up. But that would have denied me the enjoyment of a good chunk of the rest of the issue.
Sounds like Firestorm is now on the team, and that's a good thing. They need some newer characters.
And as an aside... The Rebirth of Ra's Al Ghul storyline in the Batbooks? Not so good. Good idea. Questionable execution.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Cookies/ Tin-Man/ Santa's Intolerant Voice
Here's an interview with Jim Parsons, who I knew once upon a time, and who is experiencing some much deserved success on the sitcom "Big Bang Theory".
A quick reminder, The League of Melbotis Holiday Heckstravaganza 2007 is scheduled for Saturday the 8th at 8:00 PM.
As global warming officially ruins the Holiday Season, it's going to be around 80 degrees on that day, so be prepared for a balmy Holiday party. Thanks, evil scientists.
To prepare for the party, we spent our Tuesday evening frosting cookies which Jamie had made from scratch. The frosting was also from scratch, so, seriously... these cookies are a whole bag of effort. If you do eat one, you'd best LOVE these frikkin' cookies. Like, bringing tears to your eyes love them. I counted this morning, and I frosted 22 cookies, each displaying less detail and attempt at cuteness than the one before it.
We also tried to watch the first part of Sci-Fi Channel's 6 hour Wizard of Oz re-mix called "Tin Man", and didn't make it past the first half-hour. One would assume that hiring Alan Cumming and a Deschanel sister would mean that the director would take some time to come up with a decent script that doesn't FORCE Kathleen Robertson into some awkward scenery chewing.
The weirdest thing about the movie was that the writer and directors sort of jumped right in and refused to find a point of view. Rather than gradually discovering the world through the eyes of DG (this is a re-mix. Dorothy Gale is replaced with "DG"), they just toss in scenes of events in The O.Z. (no longer Oz in our re-mix, it's The Outer Zone!) before Dorothy ever makes her way to the woods of Endor. Further, the writers spent no time getting the audience familiar with DG's world and why she's want to escape (other than that she lives on a farm and is artsy, which must be obvious to these writers that such circumstances necessarily make one unhappy).
The thing was pretty bad, with clunky dialog and what was beginning to look like a "chosen one" plot to explain DG's arrival in The OZ (as well as why her "parents" were hiding her in Kansas. So we turned it off. I really couldn't foresee spending another 5+ hours with the show.
I don't really get what went wrong, other than that the writers weren't terribly good and the director was more caught up in dreaming up creepier analogs to the familiar Oz characters and plot points than he was in pacing his story. One doesn't generally expect quality TV from Sci-Fi, but every minute of the show just felt like a missed opportunity. There was much to be learned from the BSG mini-series, and it seems that none of those lessons for creating an engaging series were applied. Build up your characters, build up the scenario. Give a clear point of view (even if its through several characters' eyes), and pace the thing. You've got six hours to fill. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
We wound up watching new Holiday perennial "Elf", which still has its good moments and a Deschanel sister, but has an ending steeped more in 3rd generation Hollywood interpretations of Christmas than in anything actually having to do with Christmas.
And then, because I do not own a copy of Miracle on 34th Street, we watched Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas, a 70's era Henson production with music by none other than 70's TV music staple, Paul Williams.
And, of course, we watched part of Rudolph on CBS. I believe I've opined before upon the deeply unsettling undertones of the Rudolph special regarding the North Pole's insistence on conformity and intolerance. And I realized, all year round Jamie and I imitate Santa's voice when we're making fun of people we find to be jerks, both on TV and in life. There's a certain broadness and obviousness to Santa's intonation when he's condemning characters for having red-noses or being "a dentist", that you can apply to pretty much anything.
I need to bust out a copy of Miracle on 34th Street to get my Holiday Movie Mojo going again.
A quick reminder, The League of Melbotis Holiday Heckstravaganza 2007 is scheduled for Saturday the 8th at 8:00 PM.
As global warming officially ruins the Holiday Season, it's going to be around 80 degrees on that day, so be prepared for a balmy Holiday party. Thanks, evil scientists.
To prepare for the party, we spent our Tuesday evening frosting cookies which Jamie had made from scratch. The frosting was also from scratch, so, seriously... these cookies are a whole bag of effort. If you do eat one, you'd best LOVE these frikkin' cookies. Like, bringing tears to your eyes love them. I counted this morning, and I frosted 22 cookies, each displaying less detail and attempt at cuteness than the one before it.
We also tried to watch the first part of Sci-Fi Channel's 6 hour Wizard of Oz re-mix called "Tin Man", and didn't make it past the first half-hour. One would assume that hiring Alan Cumming and a Deschanel sister would mean that the director would take some time to come up with a decent script that doesn't FORCE Kathleen Robertson into some awkward scenery chewing.
The weirdest thing about the movie was that the writer and directors sort of jumped right in and refused to find a point of view. Rather than gradually discovering the world through the eyes of DG (this is a re-mix. Dorothy Gale is replaced with "DG"), they just toss in scenes of events in The O.Z. (no longer Oz in our re-mix, it's The Outer Zone!) before Dorothy ever makes her way to the woods of Endor. Further, the writers spent no time getting the audience familiar with DG's world and why she's want to escape (other than that she lives on a farm and is artsy, which must be obvious to these writers that such circumstances necessarily make one unhappy).
The thing was pretty bad, with clunky dialog and what was beginning to look like a "chosen one" plot to explain DG's arrival in The OZ (as well as why her "parents" were hiding her in Kansas. So we turned it off. I really couldn't foresee spending another 5+ hours with the show.
I don't really get what went wrong, other than that the writers weren't terribly good and the director was more caught up in dreaming up creepier analogs to the familiar Oz characters and plot points than he was in pacing his story. One doesn't generally expect quality TV from Sci-Fi, but every minute of the show just felt like a missed opportunity. There was much to be learned from the BSG mini-series, and it seems that none of those lessons for creating an engaging series were applied. Build up your characters, build up the scenario. Give a clear point of view (even if its through several characters' eyes), and pace the thing. You've got six hours to fill. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
We wound up watching new Holiday perennial "Elf", which still has its good moments and a Deschanel sister, but has an ending steeped more in 3rd generation Hollywood interpretations of Christmas than in anything actually having to do with Christmas.
And then, because I do not own a copy of Miracle on 34th Street, we watched Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas, a 70's era Henson production with music by none other than 70's TV music staple, Paul Williams.
And, of course, we watched part of Rudolph on CBS. I believe I've opined before upon the deeply unsettling undertones of the Rudolph special regarding the North Pole's insistence on conformity and intolerance. And I realized, all year round Jamie and I imitate Santa's voice when we're making fun of people we find to be jerks, both on TV and in life. There's a certain broadness and obviousness to Santa's intonation when he's condemning characters for having red-noses or being "a dentist", that you can apply to pretty much anything.
I need to bust out a copy of Miracle on 34th Street to get my Holiday Movie Mojo going again.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Shauna 911
Old pal of The League, Shauna C. is a screen writer in LA. She's got one picture being produced right now and is working on a few other projects. Or, she should be.
Anyhoo... she's on strike. It seems one benefit of the strike is the opportunity to meet folks you might not otherwise meet. Here, Shauna meets Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon of Reno 911! fame who, curiously, are picketing in costume. Shauna is not in costume. or is she?
We at The League support the WGA in their efforts, even if it leads to really crappy TV until the strike is over and cameras are once again rolling.
Anyhoo... she's on strike. It seems one benefit of the strike is the opportunity to meet folks you might not otherwise meet. Here, Shauna meets Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon of Reno 911! fame who, curiously, are picketing in costume. Shauna is not in costume. or is she?
We at The League support the WGA in their efforts, even if it leads to really crappy TV until the strike is over and cameras are once again rolling.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Sensational Spider-Man #41
IF YOU ARE AVOIDING SPIDER-MAN COMICS SPOILERS, DO NOT READ THIS POST
Probably the worst kept secret/ most telegraphed play in comics of late has been Marvel's long pondered method of ending Peter Parker's 20-year marriage to Mary Jane Watson.
How does one end a marriage and manage to keep everyone smelling like roses? How does one split up two characters incredibly popular across all of comic fandom? Especially after all the craziness Peter Parker and Mary Jane have supposedly endured together and always come up totally pleased as punch with one another?
Fortunately, superhero universes, especially SHARED superhero universes, tend to be littered with all-powerful mystical whatzits and whatnots. And while Spider-Man is mostly famous for containing his adventures to the sky-scraper canyons of the Big Apple, fighting a string of animal-themed cretins, he does live in the same fictional vision of NYC that contains the Fantastic Four, Dr. Strange and the Avengers.
It's probably worth noting: at the conclusion of Civil War (like, a year ago...), dear old Aunt May took a bullet meant for Peter. She was just standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. In order to save Aunt May's life, Peter and MJ have been given an opportunity for a possible deal, literally with the devil. In order to save May's life, Mephisto wants... (wait for it...) THEIR MARRIAGE.
Because Peter and MJ are supposed to be all-around good folk, we know that they'll make the deal and Joe Quesada will have his swingin' bachelor Peter Parker he's been wanting since taking over as EIC a few years back. We know that neither Peter nor MJ would allow May to die. I'm not disputing this point as some bloggers have done. I'll accept it as a believable character decision.
Supposedly the Devil Mephisto gets something out of the knowledge that Peter was happy, and now he will be less-so. EXCEPT that Peter won't remember that he was ever married, so its some teeny-tiny part of his brain that can remember, but, really... no. Neither Peter nor MJ will remember. So... Really, Mephisto seems much more interested in confusing 20+ years of comics continuity.
Here's what's bugging me, Leaguers: Rather than writing a story that reflects the grim realities that a tense time can put on a marriage and end it in the ugly, not-terribly-fun way that marriages actually end, they've created a Magical Divorce Machine.
To this reader, the method of dissolving the marriage is editorial cowardice.
Comics readers are big boys and girls, and as much as we don't like it when Mommy and Daddy fight, having the devil steal Spider-Man's marriage makes no sense. This sort of plot doesn't seem true to forty years of comics. It isn't in keeping with the street-level tone Spider-man has maintained for the vast, vast duration of its run. It's not true to the Spider-Man we've seen lift up a 100 ton undersea machine. It's not Spider-Man. It's a deus ex machina plot point and a fairly lazy one at that.
If he was any sort of devil, wouldn't Mephisto ask Peter to kill a random person and remember it? Or do something else hopelessly heinous? Maybe turn the past twenty years of Parker's life into one in which Spider-Man is a horrible criminal? Not that forgetting your marriage is a bad thing, but if neither of you remember it... I dunno.
I guess I'm just casting aspersions on Mephisto's ability to be actually evil and not just a nuisance.
It's interesting to note that Marvel has apparently come to an executive decision that, despite fans responses of "don't do it!" and "meh" when asked about a bachelor Peter Parker... they've resorted to a plot contrivance like Mephisto in order to make it work. This path, I guess, keeps Parker's nose clean as a face to put on lunchpails, etc... and I can appreciate the business necessity of such a decision. After all, some editors have tried to find a path to divorce Superman and Lois, but nobody could come up with anything not involving a Crisis Wave. Plus, really, the Magical Divorce Machine is going to give editorial a "get out of Jail" card if the fans do revolt. After all, writers can turn to that greatest of Spider Wish Granters, Dr. Strange, and make it all go away.
It is interesting that comics will show, in detail, all sorts of physical hurts and injuries that most readers will never experience. What they will not show, however, are the fairly mundane aspects of everyday life. And that's just weird. I know, I know... escapism. Whatever.
Perhaps the readership can't actually handle their Spider-Hero getting a divorce, but can handle grim destruction and violence as the idea of a building coming down around one's ears. Unlike divorce, the Scorpion coming at you with his deadly tail is so foreign an idea, its nothing but an abstraction. Perhaps the image of Mommy and Daddy agreeing that they'd be happier apart than together hits a little too close to home. But it's certainly not the sign of mature storytelling to avoid such a common topic as divorce and believe only the devil can make two good people go their separate ways.
As I said. Editorial cowardice.
I'm not sure if I'll actually drop Spider-Man. I'm not outraged. And I've seen plenty worse. I'm mostly just disappointed that Marvel couldn't continue down the organic path of the story of Peter Parker and, if they felt the need to dissolve the marriage, simply do so in a way that would make sense in context of the past forty years of comics.
The next and final issue of "One More Day" is coming out soon, and we'll find out if Petey and MJ give up a life of wedded bliss for a nice old lady to have a few more years. So far the decision isn't made. Marvel has a chance to actually do something interesting here. And, in the hands of the right writers and editors, anything could happen.
Probably the worst kept secret/ most telegraphed play in comics of late has been Marvel's long pondered method of ending Peter Parker's 20-year marriage to Mary Jane Watson.
How does one end a marriage and manage to keep everyone smelling like roses? How does one split up two characters incredibly popular across all of comic fandom? Especially after all the craziness Peter Parker and Mary Jane have supposedly endured together and always come up totally pleased as punch with one another?
Fortunately, superhero universes, especially SHARED superhero universes, tend to be littered with all-powerful mystical whatzits and whatnots. And while Spider-Man is mostly famous for containing his adventures to the sky-scraper canyons of the Big Apple, fighting a string of animal-themed cretins, he does live in the same fictional vision of NYC that contains the Fantastic Four, Dr. Strange and the Avengers.
It's probably worth noting: at the conclusion of Civil War (like, a year ago...), dear old Aunt May took a bullet meant for Peter. She was just standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. In order to save Aunt May's life, Peter and MJ have been given an opportunity for a possible deal, literally with the devil. In order to save May's life, Mephisto wants... (wait for it...) THEIR MARRIAGE.
Because Peter and MJ are supposed to be all-around good folk, we know that they'll make the deal and Joe Quesada will have his swingin' bachelor Peter Parker he's been wanting since taking over as EIC a few years back. We know that neither Peter nor MJ would allow May to die. I'm not disputing this point as some bloggers have done. I'll accept it as a believable character decision.
Supposedly the Devil Mephisto gets something out of the knowledge that Peter was happy, and now he will be less-so. EXCEPT that Peter won't remember that he was ever married, so its some teeny-tiny part of his brain that can remember, but, really... no. Neither Peter nor MJ will remember. So... Really, Mephisto seems much more interested in confusing 20+ years of comics continuity.
Here's what's bugging me, Leaguers: Rather than writing a story that reflects the grim realities that a tense time can put on a marriage and end it in the ugly, not-terribly-fun way that marriages actually end, they've created a Magical Divorce Machine.
To this reader, the method of dissolving the marriage is editorial cowardice.
Comics readers are big boys and girls, and as much as we don't like it when Mommy and Daddy fight, having the devil steal Spider-Man's marriage makes no sense. This sort of plot doesn't seem true to forty years of comics. It isn't in keeping with the street-level tone Spider-man has maintained for the vast, vast duration of its run. It's not true to the Spider-Man we've seen lift up a 100 ton undersea machine. It's not Spider-Man. It's a deus ex machina plot point and a fairly lazy one at that.
If he was any sort of devil, wouldn't Mephisto ask Peter to kill a random person and remember it? Or do something else hopelessly heinous? Maybe turn the past twenty years of Parker's life into one in which Spider-Man is a horrible criminal? Not that forgetting your marriage is a bad thing, but if neither of you remember it... I dunno.
I guess I'm just casting aspersions on Mephisto's ability to be actually evil and not just a nuisance.
It's interesting to note that Marvel has apparently come to an executive decision that, despite fans responses of "don't do it!" and "meh" when asked about a bachelor Peter Parker... they've resorted to a plot contrivance like Mephisto in order to make it work. This path, I guess, keeps Parker's nose clean as a face to put on lunchpails, etc... and I can appreciate the business necessity of such a decision. After all, some editors have tried to find a path to divorce Superman and Lois, but nobody could come up with anything not involving a Crisis Wave. Plus, really, the Magical Divorce Machine is going to give editorial a "get out of Jail" card if the fans do revolt. After all, writers can turn to that greatest of Spider Wish Granters, Dr. Strange, and make it all go away.
It is interesting that comics will show, in detail, all sorts of physical hurts and injuries that most readers will never experience. What they will not show, however, are the fairly mundane aspects of everyday life. And that's just weird. I know, I know... escapism. Whatever.
Perhaps the readership can't actually handle their Spider-Hero getting a divorce, but can handle grim destruction and violence as the idea of a building coming down around one's ears. Unlike divorce, the Scorpion coming at you with his deadly tail is so foreign an idea, its nothing but an abstraction. Perhaps the image of Mommy and Daddy agreeing that they'd be happier apart than together hits a little too close to home. But it's certainly not the sign of mature storytelling to avoid such a common topic as divorce and believe only the devil can make two good people go their separate ways.
As I said. Editorial cowardice.
I'm not sure if I'll actually drop Spider-Man. I'm not outraged. And I've seen plenty worse. I'm mostly just disappointed that Marvel couldn't continue down the organic path of the story of Peter Parker and, if they felt the need to dissolve the marriage, simply do so in a way that would make sense in context of the past forty years of comics.
The next and final issue of "One More Day" is coming out soon, and we'll find out if Petey and MJ give up a life of wedded bliss for a nice old lady to have a few more years. So far the decision isn't made. Marvel has a chance to actually do something interesting here. And, in the hands of the right writers and editors, anything could happen.
RIP Knievel
Jesus. They killed Evel.
When I was a kid Evel Knievel was past his heyday of jumping the Snake River Canyon, breaking hundreds of bones and generally making an American Hero out of himself.
It wasn't so much that I remember actually watching Knievel on TV. I don't think I ever did. But I was familiar with the jumpsuit (and occasional cape), and I was familiar with the man's deeds. Including the fact that the mad would occasionally do time. Tate, the kid down the street, had a Knievel motorcycle toy we relentlessly drove into his wall.
Later, I heard the jail time was for hitting his wife, which may or may not be true. I don't know. Facts about this kind of stuff were impossible to come by in 1981 or so. It was the same way we all thought Mikey from Life cereal had died from a spider bite or Pop Rocks or something.
But if one performed a stunt of any kind, be it jumping off the dresser or hopping your big wheel off a curb, at my house you were labeled Evel Knievel.
Knievel would do time and later more or less disappear from the public eye as he had no bones left to break. Robby Knievel would take his spot as a motorcycle jumping daredevil, and I hear most of Knievel Sr.'s records have been broken in the past thirty years. But Evel Knievel will be the one they remember.
I dunno.
He was sort of one of those mythological figures you build up in your head as a kid. Someone with steely determination and grit you wish you had. It's kind of sad when you begin to tie the notion that he lived his life recklessly to the fact that he was also living it selfishly.
Also, The Admiral's tendency to refer to folks like Knievel as "that idiot". The Admiral knows keeping your bones intact and not being in jail is where its at.
But even then you hold some grudging admiration for the man, maybe the same way you admire the boozy old singers who made up the Flatlanders. Clearly nobody was telling Knievel what to do, just like you couldn't tell those old cowboys. Not a surgeon, health insurance company nor gravity could convince Knievel not to jump over a GD canyon in a rocket cycle if that's what he was going to do. And, dammit, people would pay to see that, so there was something to it.
There's only so many lands left uncharted and unexplored, I suppose, and then they're all mapped. Then you find yourself figuring out what a man can do with high octane gas and some good shock absorbers.
To be clear, nobody killed Knievel. Perhaps Knievel's own lifestyle killed him, but he managed to squeeze a lot of living into those years.
He's been out of the public eye so long, its questionable if anyone will really miss him.
Surely that is not how Knievel saw himself going out, though. How many times did he sit on a ramp, wondering if he was going to wake up in a hotel room somewhere tomorrow, or maybe in a hospital room, or just not be around at all.
When I was a kid Evel Knievel was past his heyday of jumping the Snake River Canyon, breaking hundreds of bones and generally making an American Hero out of himself.
It wasn't so much that I remember actually watching Knievel on TV. I don't think I ever did. But I was familiar with the jumpsuit (and occasional cape), and I was familiar with the man's deeds. Including the fact that the mad would occasionally do time. Tate, the kid down the street, had a Knievel motorcycle toy we relentlessly drove into his wall.
Later, I heard the jail time was for hitting his wife, which may or may not be true. I don't know. Facts about this kind of stuff were impossible to come by in 1981 or so. It was the same way we all thought Mikey from Life cereal had died from a spider bite or Pop Rocks or something.
But if one performed a stunt of any kind, be it jumping off the dresser or hopping your big wheel off a curb, at my house you were labeled Evel Knievel.
Knievel would do time and later more or less disappear from the public eye as he had no bones left to break. Robby Knievel would take his spot as a motorcycle jumping daredevil, and I hear most of Knievel Sr.'s records have been broken in the past thirty years. But Evel Knievel will be the one they remember.
I dunno.
He was sort of one of those mythological figures you build up in your head as a kid. Someone with steely determination and grit you wish you had. It's kind of sad when you begin to tie the notion that he lived his life recklessly to the fact that he was also living it selfishly.
Also, The Admiral's tendency to refer to folks like Knievel as "that idiot". The Admiral knows keeping your bones intact and not being in jail is where its at.
But even then you hold some grudging admiration for the man, maybe the same way you admire the boozy old singers who made up the Flatlanders. Clearly nobody was telling Knievel what to do, just like you couldn't tell those old cowboys. Not a surgeon, health insurance company nor gravity could convince Knievel not to jump over a GD canyon in a rocket cycle if that's what he was going to do. And, dammit, people would pay to see that, so there was something to it.
There's only so many lands left uncharted and unexplored, I suppose, and then they're all mapped. Then you find yourself figuring out what a man can do with high octane gas and some good shock absorbers.
To be clear, nobody killed Knievel. Perhaps Knievel's own lifestyle killed him, but he managed to squeeze a lot of living into those years.
He's been out of the public eye so long, its questionable if anyone will really miss him.
Surely that is not how Knievel saw himself going out, though. How many times did he sit on a ramp, wondering if he was going to wake up in a hotel room somewhere tomorrow, or maybe in a hospital room, or just not be around at all.
IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME!!!!
Leaguers, it's December. Which means I can now insist that you be in the Christmas spirit. To that end, here are a few videos to get your Holiday juices flowing.
From the under-rated "Invader Zim"
J'onn has a Christmas in Smallville
Christmas with Flash and Ultra-Humanite
From the under-rated "Invader Zim"
J'onn has a Christmas in Smallville
Christmas with Flash and Ultra-Humanite
Sunday, December 02, 2007
May the League Recommend...
No Country for Old Men
It's been a while since I thought the Coens were making a movie that I wanted to see.
I did not enjoy "The Man Who Wasn't There". I skipped the Tom Hanks heist movie and the George Clooney/ Catherine Zeta Jones flick.
But I did manage to make it out for No Country for Old Men.
Honestly, I don't even really want to talk about it, but the movie will defy many movie-goers' expectations, and that's either going to work for you, or it isn't. It worked for The League.
Also, performances were uniformly sharp, and the setting of West Texas makes sense not just in the context of the story, but is the perfect backdrop for the grander themes of the story.
I have not read any Cormac McCarthy book, but I know his fans were probably a bit nervous about the translation to screen. I've no idea how close it might have been to the book, but Jason, who had read the book, seemed fairly pleased.
We the movie at the new Alamo DraftHouse, which is where the Ritz once stood on Sixth Street. Technically, its still the Ritz, complete with sign, but the interior is unrecognizable. A very small part of my twenties has been compromised.
Parking isn't so much an issue as it is expensive if you don't want to walk several blocks back to your car. On top of ticket price and food, its an expensive night out.
Fortunately, the movie was good enough that expense didn't play into the equation. However, had the movie been a dud...
It's been a while since I thought the Coens were making a movie that I wanted to see.
I did not enjoy "The Man Who Wasn't There". I skipped the Tom Hanks heist movie and the George Clooney/ Catherine Zeta Jones flick.
But I did manage to make it out for No Country for Old Men.
Honestly, I don't even really want to talk about it, but the movie will defy many movie-goers' expectations, and that's either going to work for you, or it isn't. It worked for The League.
Also, performances were uniformly sharp, and the setting of West Texas makes sense not just in the context of the story, but is the perfect backdrop for the grander themes of the story.
I have not read any Cormac McCarthy book, but I know his fans were probably a bit nervous about the translation to screen. I've no idea how close it might have been to the book, but Jason, who had read the book, seemed fairly pleased.
We the movie at the new Alamo DraftHouse, which is where the Ritz once stood on Sixth Street. Technically, its still the Ritz, complete with sign, but the interior is unrecognizable. A very small part of my twenties has been compromised.
Parking isn't so much an issue as it is expensive if you don't want to walk several blocks back to your car. On top of ticket price and food, its an expensive night out.
Fortunately, the movie was good enough that expense didn't play into the equation. However, had the movie been a dud...
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Wild Zero: Greatest Movie Ever or simply Most Amazing Thing Your Eyes Will Ever Behold?
A while back I read a review at Chris's Invincible Superblog for the movie film "Wild Zero", and, immediately, I added the movie to my Netflix queue.
This movie doesn't just have a little something for every audience imaginable, it was as if someone took everything that would be cool in a movie, and then went and made that movie.
It's not enough that this is a movie featuring rockin' Japanese Punk/Rock'a'Billy outfit, Guitar Wolf. Mere words may not convey the rocking perfection of Guitar Wolf, and this post is not ready to contain my maserplan to henceforth shape my life to be like unto either Bass Wolf or Drum Wolf, the two best supporting characters in filmdom. Really, any scene featuring the heroic trio of Guitar Wolf is filmic perfection, from their flaming microphones to their coif-maintenance in the most dire of circumstances.
Also, icy-cool, leggy, weapons-dealing soldiers-of-fortune in curiously hounds-tooth-printed one-piece outfits are always (I repeat: ALWAYS) a must for your perfect movie. Especially when they take out zombie home invaders who surprise them in the shower.
Wild Zero is also a superhero/zombie/UFO/romantic/musical/action movie. And it believes in Rock 'n Roll in a way I have not seen in a movie in decades. Also, UFO's and blue, shambling zombies. And true love.
If, at this point, you were having doubts about the movie, the inexplicable ending of the movie (which i refuse to give away) has the most awesomest scene ever committed to film. Ever.
I dare you to find a better ending.
Anyhoo... Wild Zero.
Rock'n'Roll!!!!!!!
And now a trailer:
If you want a bit more spoiler: a clip
This movie doesn't just have a little something for every audience imaginable, it was as if someone took everything that would be cool in a movie, and then went and made that movie.
It's not enough that this is a movie featuring rockin' Japanese Punk/Rock'a'Billy outfit, Guitar Wolf. Mere words may not convey the rocking perfection of Guitar Wolf, and this post is not ready to contain my maserplan to henceforth shape my life to be like unto either Bass Wolf or Drum Wolf, the two best supporting characters in filmdom. Really, any scene featuring the heroic trio of Guitar Wolf is filmic perfection, from their flaming microphones to their coif-maintenance in the most dire of circumstances.
Also, icy-cool, leggy, weapons-dealing soldiers-of-fortune in curiously hounds-tooth-printed one-piece outfits are always (I repeat: ALWAYS) a must for your perfect movie. Especially when they take out zombie home invaders who surprise them in the shower.
Wild Zero is also a superhero/zombie/UFO/romantic/musical/action movie. And it believes in Rock 'n Roll in a way I have not seen in a movie in decades. Also, UFO's and blue, shambling zombies. And true love.
If, at this point, you were having doubts about the movie, the inexplicable ending of the movie (which i refuse to give away) has the most awesomest scene ever committed to film. Ever.
I dare you to find a better ending.
Anyhoo... Wild Zero.
Rock'n'Roll!!!!!!!
And now a trailer:
If you want a bit more spoiler: a clip
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Thursday
'twas a busy day for The League.
I go to work an hour early, and could have probably used more time than that for the crazy day I had. Included two photoshoots, a release, and all sorts of additional mayhem.
We use actors for certain parts of our work at my company, as well as photographers and lights and a green screen and stuff. It's all very exciting and technical and exactly why I went to college. But today we were down a talent, and so I was asked to step in not just as a producer, but as Angry Customer. So, The League got pose. And be hugged by one of the talent who was having, perhaps, too good of a time working on my project.
Look, you work on one of my projects, and you're just going to want to hug me. That's how it works. That's the sort of project manager I am.
Anyhow, I'm contacting my lawyer to see who I can sue. Keep that in mind, Leaguers. Anyone touches you or looks at you funny at work... retain an attorney.
Immediately after work, Steven and Lauren popped in and we all headed out for some dinner at a place that used to be Mars, but is now an Italian place with a name I cannot recall. The food was good. The staff friendly. And I assume we were annoying other diners with our loud conversation about how sitcoms rely on scatological humor vis-a-vis the writer's strike.
It seems the writer's strike is a hot topic. And will be affecting us in weird ways. Today I heard that we may not see many new commercials as writers won't be around to write those. Also, one of the actors we used today usually lives in LA, but she's hanging out at her mother's in Austin because she knows she can work here, but probably can't in LA right now.
It was also new comic day on Thursday this week. And DC put out about a month's worth of comics in one day. I assume they are trying to get stuff out before Year's End. Anyhow, I have too much to read. But I lived the wrap-up to the Superman "Camelot Falls" story, even if it wasn't what I expected (more Subjekt 17, please). And I am getting a real kick out of the Sinestro Corps War storyline in GL and Gl Corps.
I will also be re-engaging in "Blogging Countdown" here and at another blog in coming days. Countdown has taken a few bizarre turns of late, including what I think may have been a mass dumping of the writing staff and a replacement crew. Crazy stuff, but after 25 weeks of going absolutely nowhere, the series seems to be richoteing off in an entirely new direction. Whether anyone cares at this point... I've no idea.
It is late. I am tired. Good night, Leaguers.
I go to work an hour early, and could have probably used more time than that for the crazy day I had. Included two photoshoots, a release, and all sorts of additional mayhem.
We use actors for certain parts of our work at my company, as well as photographers and lights and a green screen and stuff. It's all very exciting and technical and exactly why I went to college. But today we were down a talent, and so I was asked to step in not just as a producer, but as Angry Customer. So, The League got pose. And be hugged by one of the talent who was having, perhaps, too good of a time working on my project.
Look, you work on one of my projects, and you're just going to want to hug me. That's how it works. That's the sort of project manager I am.
Anyhow, I'm contacting my lawyer to see who I can sue. Keep that in mind, Leaguers. Anyone touches you or looks at you funny at work... retain an attorney.
Immediately after work, Steven and Lauren popped in and we all headed out for some dinner at a place that used to be Mars, but is now an Italian place with a name I cannot recall. The food was good. The staff friendly. And I assume we were annoying other diners with our loud conversation about how sitcoms rely on scatological humor vis-a-vis the writer's strike.
It seems the writer's strike is a hot topic. And will be affecting us in weird ways. Today I heard that we may not see many new commercials as writers won't be around to write those. Also, one of the actors we used today usually lives in LA, but she's hanging out at her mother's in Austin because she knows she can work here, but probably can't in LA right now.
It was also new comic day on Thursday this week. And DC put out about a month's worth of comics in one day. I assume they are trying to get stuff out before Year's End. Anyhow, I have too much to read. But I lived the wrap-up to the Superman "Camelot Falls" story, even if it wasn't what I expected (more Subjekt 17, please). And I am getting a real kick out of the Sinestro Corps War storyline in GL and Gl Corps.
I will also be re-engaging in "Blogging Countdown" here and at another blog in coming days. Countdown has taken a few bizarre turns of late, including what I think may have been a mass dumping of the writing staff and a replacement crew. Crazy stuff, but after 25 weeks of going absolutely nowhere, the series seems to be richoteing off in an entirely new direction. Whether anyone cares at this point... I've no idea.
It is late. I am tired. Good night, Leaguers.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Pictures from Upcoming Movies
WATCHMEN pics.
Yes, that's probaby an un-CGI'd Rorschach.
The JOKER from the upcoming Batman Begins sequel: The Dark Knight
Thanks to Randy for the forward.
And INDY IV
Some people have complained that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is too long of a title, but I dig the pulp, Doc Savage feel of the name.
I still am not sure if we get Karen Allen back in this one.
And the upcoming Justice League: New Frontier had a press release with some stills and images of box art-work. This was a great, self-contained comic and I think it'll be a great movie.
Yes, that's probaby an un-CGI'd Rorschach.
The JOKER from the upcoming Batman Begins sequel: The Dark Knight
Thanks to Randy for the forward.
And INDY IV
Some people have complained that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is too long of a title, but I dig the pulp, Doc Savage feel of the name.
I still am not sure if we get Karen Allen back in this one.
And the upcoming Justice League: New Frontier had a press release with some stills and images of box art-work. This was a great, self-contained comic and I think it'll be a great movie.
Keep the Car Running = Thunder Road?
This morning I was driving into work and listening to Springsteen's "Thunder Road" and it struck me how much parts of the new Arcade Fire album (or, rather, latest Arcade Fire album) sound like Springsteen when Springsteen is at his rocking best.
It must have been something nigh-tangible in the zeitgeist.
Check out this post on Stereogum.
Yeah, that's the E Street Band with Win and Regine playing "Keep the Car Running". Holy smokes.
Apparently I was very late in making the comparison, but as I don't think I've read an actual music or album review since college, I missed out on the comparisons at the time of the release of Arcade Fire's "Neon Bible".
An article in SPIN.
It must have been something nigh-tangible in the zeitgeist.
Check out this post on Stereogum.
Yeah, that's the E Street Band with Win and Regine playing "Keep the Car Running". Holy smokes.
Apparently I was very late in making the comparison, but as I don't think I've read an actual music or album review since college, I missed out on the comparisons at the time of the release of Arcade Fire's "Neon Bible".
An article in SPIN.
Monday, November 26, 2007
New Blog Featuring the Baby-Growing Talents of Denise!
Hey, Leaguers!
Our own Denise is about to have kids. No, not a pair of goats, but a pair of babies.
And, for once, there is a slight chance one may be named Ryan II. You see, Denise's husband is also named Ryan. So while she may lead him to believe that she is naming the babies after that guy, we at League of Melbotis know the truth.
Check out the Bambino Blog!
Our own Denise is about to have kids. No, not a pair of goats, but a pair of babies.
And, for once, there is a slight chance one may be named Ryan II. You see, Denise's husband is also named Ryan. So while she may lead him to believe that she is naming the babies after that guy, we at League of Melbotis know the truth.
Check out the Bambino Blog!
Day Off
I had today off, sort of. Technically, I had the day off, but the world of eLearning never sleeps, and so I had to get online and do some work in the afternoon, as well as call a client.
Mostly, I just hung Christmas lights.
When we bought our house, I knew that the two-tiered porch and columns meant we'd be lighting the whole front of the house. Fortunately, this year, I didn't have to figure out how this was going to work, and I more or less repeated from last year, with a few extra items and ideas I got walking around the neighborhood last year.
I also managed to get the tree up, but we didn't decorate it yet. Perhaps tomorrow night. We'll also need to figure out our floor plan for the 2007 Holiday Heckstravaganza and think a bit about getting out the rest of the decorations.
Tomorrow is back to the office for a short week, and cramming in the last few weeks before everyone disappears for Christmas, including me.
Jamie slept a lot.
When one is on dialysis, the body does not adjust terribly well to temperature changes, and so, with fall-like weather now upon us, Jamie is getting cold quite easily. I actually woke up last night to her shivering and covered her with a few blankets. I give her a hard time for getting cold during winter, but I know she really does get chilled to the bone. So I don't think she slept terribly well last night until I located the blankets.
The dogs, still recovering from their respective Thanksgiving weekends, also spent most of the day asleep.
It was nice having a day off and getting some sun and enjoying the cool weather.
Mostly, I just hung Christmas lights.
When we bought our house, I knew that the two-tiered porch and columns meant we'd be lighting the whole front of the house. Fortunately, this year, I didn't have to figure out how this was going to work, and I more or less repeated from last year, with a few extra items and ideas I got walking around the neighborhood last year.
I also managed to get the tree up, but we didn't decorate it yet. Perhaps tomorrow night. We'll also need to figure out our floor plan for the 2007 Holiday Heckstravaganza and think a bit about getting out the rest of the decorations.
Tomorrow is back to the office for a short week, and cramming in the last few weeks before everyone disappears for Christmas, including me.
Jamie slept a lot.
When one is on dialysis, the body does not adjust terribly well to temperature changes, and so, with fall-like weather now upon us, Jamie is getting cold quite easily. I actually woke up last night to her shivering and covered her with a few blankets. I give her a hard time for getting cold during winter, but I know she really does get chilled to the bone. So I don't think she slept terribly well last night until I located the blankets.
The dogs, still recovering from their respective Thanksgiving weekends, also spent most of the day asleep.
It was nice having a day off and getting some sun and enjoying the cool weather.
Writers Strike = Return of Best Show Ever
Do I even need to tell you what that show is?
That's right, NBC is doing The League a big favor and bringing 90's late-night viewing fave "American Gladiators" back on the air.
American Gladiators was a staple of my TV viewing during my high school years, which can be accurately reflected in the list below:
1) MST3K
2) Tale Spin
3) Tiny Toons
4) USA's "Up All Night"
5) 120 Minutes
6) Cheers
7) Headline News (with the always amazing Lynne Russell)
8) Saved By the Bell
9) American Gladiators
10) Ren & Stimpy
American Gladiators featured a colorful cast of 'roid freaks doing sportsman-like battle with steroidless athlete-types. Sometimes this included pummeling one another with huge q-tips. Sometimes it entailed the Gladiators shooting tennis balls from a gun at the contestants as they tried to make it through a maze, or climb up a rock wall.
Basically it was Malibu beach freaks beating the snot out of one another in games designed to favor the Gladiators. And they wore sort of superheroish costumes.
This was back before there was a sort of backlash against competitive women's fitness. Younger readers may not recall, but in the 80's, women joined in with body-building, which meant that the women competitors took on the same, weird muscleliness that the men were aiming for. In recent years, the Ms. Fitness competition took a turn towards being less... uh... about huge muscles and more about being in really good shape.
My favorite Gladiator? Zap.
I guess as a high school dude, you feel like you have to pick a favorite.
So, anyway: American Gladiators returns in 2008. Be prepared to see 'roid freaks totally wail on one another.
And some blasts from the past
That's right, NBC is doing The League a big favor and bringing 90's late-night viewing fave "American Gladiators" back on the air.
American Gladiators was a staple of my TV viewing during my high school years, which can be accurately reflected in the list below:
1) MST3K
2) Tale Spin
3) Tiny Toons
4) USA's "Up All Night"
5) 120 Minutes
6) Cheers
7) Headline News (with the always amazing Lynne Russell)
8) Saved By the Bell
9) American Gladiators
10) Ren & Stimpy
American Gladiators featured a colorful cast of 'roid freaks doing sportsman-like battle with steroidless athlete-types. Sometimes this included pummeling one another with huge q-tips. Sometimes it entailed the Gladiators shooting tennis balls from a gun at the contestants as they tried to make it through a maze, or climb up a rock wall.
Basically it was Malibu beach freaks beating the snot out of one another in games designed to favor the Gladiators. And they wore sort of superheroish costumes.
This was back before there was a sort of backlash against competitive women's fitness. Younger readers may not recall, but in the 80's, women joined in with body-building, which meant that the women competitors took on the same, weird muscleliness that the men were aiming for. In recent years, the Ms. Fitness competition took a turn towards being less... uh... about huge muscles and more about being in really good shape.
My favorite Gladiator? Zap.
I guess as a high school dude, you feel like you have to pick a favorite.
So, anyway: American Gladiators returns in 2008. Be prepared to see 'roid freaks totally wail on one another.
And some blasts from the past
A (musical) note on food
CB's latest Musical Recipe is up at Dessert Lounge!
Also, Scan My Recipes is now LIVE! And if you haven't been there yet, remember to check out Key Ingredient (not a bad thing to try out as you head into the holidays, Leaguers...)
Also, Scan My Recipes is now LIVE! And if you haven't been there yet, remember to check out Key Ingredient (not a bad thing to try out as you head into the holidays, Leaguers...)
Saturday, November 24, 2007
I should probably be getting to bed.
It's Saturday night at the end of a few days stay here at Jamie's parents' house, and, as I understand it, this could be the final holiday we spend in Lawton. Jamie's parents recently purchased a home in San Marcos and will be moving there in the not-too-distant future. It's going to greatly change things, which I think came to a stunning conclusion in my head during dinner when Jamie suggested that my desire to consider Wisconsin or Minnesota as a destination when we were looking and wound up in Arizona was something that would no longer apply. Not sure of where she came to this conclusion, I stated that I would, in fact, go to Wisconsin now.
This was met with a "You better not" by the in-laws who have recently made plans to live closer to their daughter by buying the aforementioned house. Luckily, I have no plans to leave Austin, so all is well. But it does illustrate a point as to where I am in the game of life.
Fortunately, the point I was trying to make vis-a-vis the Wisconsin conversation was that I still don't mind the cold. When you are of the unconventional size of a Steans Bros., and tend to sweat when you just think about a hot day, places like Arizona lose some of their je ne sais quo. Even Austin on a humid day in August loses some of its charm.
Today we visited the new Comanche Nation Museum in Lawton, as well as the Great Plains Museum. The past which is reflected in both museums is not necessarily long-forgotten history, but of people who have lived during my parents' lifetime. Oklahoma is only now celebrating its Centennial of Statehood, and as much as one would like to imagine that the range wars are of the ancient past, they most assuredly are not. The inhumane treatment of Native Americans continued through much of the 20th Century, well after the Comanche were on reservations and the paternal Federal government took children from their families and placed them in Indian Schools.
As much as that recent history continues to live on in the language and memory of the people who've established and run the museums, its too infrequent we look away from our laptops and iPods and remember that 100 years ago, the machines we used to till the soil were pushed by hands and pulled by animals. It's the dates on photos of men busting horses and pulling steer to the ground with their bare hands that now is left as mostly a sport, when, once, that was s kill that put meat on the tables of millions across the US. Maybe we haven't grown soft, but it reminded me that I am.
Perhaps we weren't meant to sit behind desks and push icons around on a screen of glowing liquid crystal, or maybe that's where we're headed. Maybe that's why we try to invent $100 laptops for starving kids in Africa, because we haven't got a clue what those kids need to make food as readily available as a Lunchable for them, but maybe if they can blog about it..?
There was a time in our grandparents' and great-grandparents' lives when they could live in Indian Territory, at the edge of the world as maybe they'd known it. When a day of work meant pushing the seed tiller and hoping it didn't break today because you had how many acres to plant, and you had no animal behind which to pull the damn seed spreader.
It's an odd thing to realize you could not survive in your great-grandparent's shoes, and wouldn't begin to know how to put in the effort that was expected daily of people for the past 60,000 years. But, hey, you know how to freeze a pane in Excel, so that's something, right?
I have an idea how to carve something out of nothing, but we're an odd people now, we are. Brilliant leaps as we've touched the moon and done the math that tells us the Universe is expanding and collapsing. We've got the ability to store our food endlessly and the ability to chat with someone via voice and picture as a basic add-on to our Power Mac. But, really, we can't feed or clothe ourselves.
I dunno. I'm going to bed.
Hope you're well, Leaguers.
It's Saturday night at the end of a few days stay here at Jamie's parents' house, and, as I understand it, this could be the final holiday we spend in Lawton. Jamie's parents recently purchased a home in San Marcos and will be moving there in the not-too-distant future. It's going to greatly change things, which I think came to a stunning conclusion in my head during dinner when Jamie suggested that my desire to consider Wisconsin or Minnesota as a destination when we were looking and wound up in Arizona was something that would no longer apply. Not sure of where she came to this conclusion, I stated that I would, in fact, go to Wisconsin now.
This was met with a "You better not" by the in-laws who have recently made plans to live closer to their daughter by buying the aforementioned house. Luckily, I have no plans to leave Austin, so all is well. But it does illustrate a point as to where I am in the game of life.
Fortunately, the point I was trying to make vis-a-vis the Wisconsin conversation was that I still don't mind the cold. When you are of the unconventional size of a Steans Bros., and tend to sweat when you just think about a hot day, places like Arizona lose some of their je ne sais quo. Even Austin on a humid day in August loses some of its charm.
Today we visited the new Comanche Nation Museum in Lawton, as well as the Great Plains Museum. The past which is reflected in both museums is not necessarily long-forgotten history, but of people who have lived during my parents' lifetime. Oklahoma is only now celebrating its Centennial of Statehood, and as much as one would like to imagine that the range wars are of the ancient past, they most assuredly are not. The inhumane treatment of Native Americans continued through much of the 20th Century, well after the Comanche were on reservations and the paternal Federal government took children from their families and placed them in Indian Schools.
As much as that recent history continues to live on in the language and memory of the people who've established and run the museums, its too infrequent we look away from our laptops and iPods and remember that 100 years ago, the machines we used to till the soil were pushed by hands and pulled by animals. It's the dates on photos of men busting horses and pulling steer to the ground with their bare hands that now is left as mostly a sport, when, once, that was s kill that put meat on the tables of millions across the US. Maybe we haven't grown soft, but it reminded me that I am.
Perhaps we weren't meant to sit behind desks and push icons around on a screen of glowing liquid crystal, or maybe that's where we're headed. Maybe that's why we try to invent $100 laptops for starving kids in Africa, because we haven't got a clue what those kids need to make food as readily available as a Lunchable for them, but maybe if they can blog about it..?
There was a time in our grandparents' and great-grandparents' lives when they could live in Indian Territory, at the edge of the world as maybe they'd known it. When a day of work meant pushing the seed tiller and hoping it didn't break today because you had how many acres to plant, and you had no animal behind which to pull the damn seed spreader.
It's an odd thing to realize you could not survive in your great-grandparent's shoes, and wouldn't begin to know how to put in the effort that was expected daily of people for the past 60,000 years. But, hey, you know how to freeze a pane in Excel, so that's something, right?
I have an idea how to carve something out of nothing, but we're an odd people now, we are. Brilliant leaps as we've touched the moon and done the math that tells us the Universe is expanding and collapsing. We've got the ability to store our food endlessly and the ability to chat with someone via voice and picture as a basic add-on to our Power Mac. But, really, we can't feed or clothe ourselves.
I dunno. I'm going to bed.
Hope you're well, Leaguers.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Post-Thanksgiving
It is into the fourth quarter of the UT/ A&M game, and, goodness, UT's offense has not actually played a lick of football yet this game. Any doubts I've had about UT's offense have been completely confirmed as they look towards being stomped for the second year in a row by the sheep romancers of College Station.
Sigh.
Thanksgiving has thus far been lovely. Yesterday we had a very nice Turkey Dinner complete with yams, green beans, homemade rolls, and several other items. Dallas handily won their game and Green Bay also went to 10-1.
It's now 37-17. Our defense just rolled over and died. Because Colt McCoy will not keep the offense on the field for more than three plays.
Yurgh.
Today we dropped Jamie off at a dialysis unit in downtown Lawton and then Doug, Kristen and myself hit the two comic shops here in Lawton. One shop was in a former house and completely filled, wall-to-wall with back issues in absolutely no organizational order. I lucked into finding some of Jack Kirby's "Captain Victory" issues from his Pacific Comics days when he went indie, and some back issues of Airboy, The Spirit and a few DC comics which looked kind of interesting.
If this guy who owned the shop cleaned it up a bit, bagged and boarded his stuff, actually inventoried his comics, and got rid of the mountain of 90's-era refuse clogging the shelves, he might actually have a really interesting store on his hands. In the meantime, I suffered through an allergy attack after leaving the store, my stack of comics in hand.
At the second shop I found some Superman comics that are probably worth exactly what I paid for them, but were good finds for me, anyway. This shop was obviously a lot newer, and was very tidy inside, even if the selection was not as wildly varied. I mostly grabbed what 70's and 80's Superman stuff they had that I didn't (with an eye toward trying to keep the cost down), and then stumbled into the original Superman Red/ Superman Blue issue up by the counter (Superman #162).
It's been very chilly here in Lawton, although thus far no precipitation has come down. It's just cold and dry. Austin was warm when we left, but it won't be that way when we return Sunday and I'm supposed to be hanging Christmas lights.
Mel came with us for the trip. Jeff is staying home under Nicole's watchful eye, and Lucy has been dropped off out in Driftwood at a place called "The Austin Pet Ranch". I do not like leaving Lucy behind, but the guilt evaporated when I saw Doggy Fantasy Camp when we arrived. The place sits on a couple of acres, and she'll be able to run around and play with other dogs all day. The people running the joint were also really nice. I look forward to seeing her roll over and go to sleep from so many days in a row of excitement.
I hope your Thanksgiving Holiday is going well.
We'll be back in a few days.
Sigh.
Thanksgiving has thus far been lovely. Yesterday we had a very nice Turkey Dinner complete with yams, green beans, homemade rolls, and several other items. Dallas handily won their game and Green Bay also went to 10-1.
It's now 37-17. Our defense just rolled over and died. Because Colt McCoy will not keep the offense on the field for more than three plays.
Yurgh.
Today we dropped Jamie off at a dialysis unit in downtown Lawton and then Doug, Kristen and myself hit the two comic shops here in Lawton. One shop was in a former house and completely filled, wall-to-wall with back issues in absolutely no organizational order. I lucked into finding some of Jack Kirby's "Captain Victory" issues from his Pacific Comics days when he went indie, and some back issues of Airboy, The Spirit and a few DC comics which looked kind of interesting.
If this guy who owned the shop cleaned it up a bit, bagged and boarded his stuff, actually inventoried his comics, and got rid of the mountain of 90's-era refuse clogging the shelves, he might actually have a really interesting store on his hands. In the meantime, I suffered through an allergy attack after leaving the store, my stack of comics in hand.
At the second shop I found some Superman comics that are probably worth exactly what I paid for them, but were good finds for me, anyway. This shop was obviously a lot newer, and was very tidy inside, even if the selection was not as wildly varied. I mostly grabbed what 70's and 80's Superman stuff they had that I didn't (with an eye toward trying to keep the cost down), and then stumbled into the original Superman Red/ Superman Blue issue up by the counter (Superman #162).
It's been very chilly here in Lawton, although thus far no precipitation has come down. It's just cold and dry. Austin was warm when we left, but it won't be that way when we return Sunday and I'm supposed to be hanging Christmas lights.
Mel came with us for the trip. Jeff is staying home under Nicole's watchful eye, and Lucy has been dropped off out in Driftwood at a place called "The Austin Pet Ranch". I do not like leaving Lucy behind, but the guilt evaporated when I saw Doggy Fantasy Camp when we arrived. The place sits on a couple of acres, and she'll be able to run around and play with other dogs all day. The people running the joint were also really nice. I look forward to seeing her roll over and go to sleep from so many days in a row of excitement.
I hope your Thanksgiving Holiday is going well.
We'll be back in a few days.
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