Monday, July 26, 2004

Upon Randy's advice, I have switched from Squawkbox to Haloscan.

All is going swimmingly.

All my old comments are gone.  Hope you wrote down and saved anything you said you found particularly clever.

I shouldn't admit this, but I'm watching the early 80's movie of Annie with Aileen Quinn.  What the heck ever happened to Aileen Quinn?  And if I am not mistaken, FDR just leapt out of his wheelchair to sing "Tomorrow" with Annie, Eleanor and Daddy Warbucks.

This movie rules.

Oh, Randy.  I bought that Eightball comic.  It was pretty good.

May I recommend Napolean Dynamite?

I leave Leaguers to go off and discover this one on their own, but I seriously don't think I ever quit laughing during the entire length of this movie from the opening credits until the last frame.

And I don't know who the actors are who played Napolean and Pedro, but these guys are geniuses.   And watching this film, once again, I was forced to say it:

there, but for the Grace of God, go I...


This movie is sweet.

It's SHARK WEEK on Discovery.

Damn.  I haven't kept up with Shark Week in years, but there was a time (in the early 90's...  must have been late high school or early college...) when I tuned in to every night of Shark Week for several years in a row. 

I drifted away at some point as they began to recycle old docs from previous years...  but now I'm watching Primal Scream, and this show is freaking me out. 

I took Scuba lessons in middle-school and did some diving between middle-school and early college.  And ever since I started diving, one of my two or three recurring anxiety dreams has involved being trapped in an enclosed structure with a scuba tank, very little air, and a large shark who hasn't yet realized I'm hiding in the corner.  Lately, the dream takes place in open water (which is, coincidentally, the name of a new scary movie about this exact topic). 

I don't think that I ever die in the dream, but who knows? 

What does the dream symbolize?  I think it's my fear that the Austin Public Library will come find me for not returning that book on trains I checked out in 1996.

The 2004 Mellies!  Day Numero Four!

Sorry for the break in Melly postings.  We've had some recent turns of events in La Familia which were unfortunate, unavoidable and not a lot of fun.  This has also interrupted my workout schedule.  Which meant that tonight was my frist trip back in a week.  Tonight sucked.  It's like starting all over.

Must never miss a whole week again.

I may be switching to Haloscan as per the recommendation of RHPT.com.  RHPT.com is wise like Papa Smurf.

Anyway, on with the show!


Best television commercial

Jim D.

The trailer for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Jamie

The ING commercial with the talking kitties.  Because one of them is wearing a monacle

Jilly

the master card ads with the dog that looks like my dog

Randy

No answer

Maxwell

The Six Feet Under Promo featuring the amazing Nina Simone, the Red-hot Lauren Ambrose on roller skates, and Peter Krause x 2. 

Scaljon

isn't there a good one with monkeys out there now? if not, then we'll go old school with the Mssr. Cheppy e-trade ad.

Harms

iPod ads. They have defined a whole decor motif, launched a thousand parodies, and launched the careers of several artists. Even if you don't like them they have been incredibly influential.

Valdez

This Honda commerical. According to numerous websites, this ad was shot in one take. Not true. My sister works for The Mill, who did the post-production effects.

Nord

a.  http://www.fuckallyall.com/article2007.html  b. The Screaming Kid in the Grocery Store Birth Control Commercial

The League watches TV, too...

and yet a single commerical from the past six months doesn't really pop into my mind.  I mean, the Quizno's Sponge Monkeys had a certain je ne sais quoi, but those commercials appeared terribly ineefectual, and weren't my favorite ads. 

I guess the Dennis Haybert Allstate ads qualify as pretty high up there, as they did lead The League to throw our endorsement behind the man for POTUS.  But, again...  not my favorite ads.

Go here to see my favorite commercials.

Oh, and, uh...  since there's no plurality or anything for a winner, I say that Scaljon's answer wins as it shows not his desire for an actual product, but his desire for a certain, chimpy, form of salesmanship.

Clearest, bluest day

Jim D.

Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - At 4:45 p.m. CST, on this day, my niece, Olivia Alexandra Dedman, was born in Columbia, South Carolina

Jamie

May 8.  Because it was so clear that I almost passed out at the animal park

Jilly

The day I realized that, indeed, Ryan 2 would be the perfect name for our child. In fact, the name will be Ryan 2 Jamie Steans Hermann-Wilmarth. Regardless of sex, of course.

Randy

No answer

Maxwell

June 8, 2004. For Art and Mudpies out of the clear blue sky

Scaljon

day after i was accepted to law school

Harms

In Northern California all the days ending with "day" are clear and blue.  A day that was particularly good was the day at Bondi when I caught my first real wave and rode it all the way to the shore with a few sweet turns. 

Valdez

No Answer

Nord

a. April 3, 2004. Although it was a bit cloudy in Central Park, 'tis a day that will shine forever.  b. Sunday, May 31, 2004. A wonderful 2 hour round of golf. 

It's always blue in Arizona...  and The League thinks that's half the trouble...

Sunshine has come to mean grueling heat in the mind of The League.  It means it's hot as hell between May and October (although I might say that, as I type this, it just began to rain).

My clearest, bluest day...?  I dunno.  But every day is clear and blue when Jamie is around.

 
Best candy

Jim D.

Tear Jerker Sour Gumballs

Jamie

Hot Tamales

Jilly

sweet tarts--satisfy all of my pregnancy cravings

Randy

No answer

Maxwell

Jason Lewis. Yummy.

Scaljon

jujy fruit.

Harms

Sour gummy peaches - so tangy, so sweet, so citric.  Keeps scurvy away - Arr!

Valdez

No Answer

Nord

a. M&Ms.  b. Whatchamacalit 

The League

Hot Tamales, fool! 

But I gotta say, this inspires me to try the few on this list I haven't yet tried.

Especially Gummy Peaches, which sound like either they'd be real good or real bad.

 

Friday, July 23, 2004

I loves me some Watchmen

This seminal 80's comic (by comic legend Alan Moore and artist extraordinaire Dave Gibbons) is one of the two or three comics that journalistas trot out each time they want to point to the fact that, once and for all, comics have matured since 1955.

I pulled this from Superhero Hype!

The Hollywood Reporter says Watchmen is moving ahead with some big names at Paramount..."Watchmen," the seminal DC Comics limited series, has landed at Paramount Pictures. Darren Aronofsky will develop and direct the project, which is being written by David Hayter. Aronofsky's producing partner Eric Watson will produce with Larry Gordon and Lloyd Levin. "Watchmen," created by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, was released as a 12-issue comic book in 1986 and is one of the most critically acclaimed series in the genre. It is a crime-conspiracy story that provided the first realistic look at the behind-the-heroics lives of superhero archetypes.
 
Watchmen is a phenomenal comic book, but...

Watchmen is about retired superheroes.  It has absolutely no action to speak of.   I think there are five or six fights in 12 issues.  And only one of the characters has any "super-powers." 

Like any decently dense reading, I don't begin to see how they can condense this into a 2 hour movie.  At one point, Jim D. suggested to me it might make for an excellent mini-series for TV.  And I think that's probably a much, much better idea. 

The story criss-crosses about forty years, is deeply embedded in Cold War issues, and covers topics from quantum physics to McCarthyism to pirate comics to troubled marriages.  Not exactly "We must defeat the Masked Menace!"  This is not to mention how curious I am about how they would handle the conclusion of the story.

Film adaptations of Moore's work tend to fail.  From Hell was a slightly interesting movie, but failed to capture Moore's densely layered investigation into the period and environment surrounding the Jack the Ripper slayings.  From all accounts, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was a tragic mistake.  I loved the comic, and thusly avoided the movie (which has nothing to do with the comic, from what I hear). 

Cartoon Network is adapting the classic Superman story "For the Man who has Everything" for one of the first episodes of the new Justice League Unlimited series.  I certainly look forward to their treatment.

I have no faith in Paramount's ability to actually bring anything remotely faithful regarding Watchmen to the screen (just watch...  they're going to make Dr. Manhattan wear clothes...).  Nonetheless, I am deadly curious about how they plan to present Dr. Manhattan and Rorschach. 

But, hey, Paramount!  Given my physical fitness, sign me up to play Nite-Owl!  I'll do it for scale!


Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Looks like Squawkbox has decided to turn a pig's ear and watch 'em squeal. 

Curious thing...  Squawkbox only takes payment by PayPal, and my credit card company won't let me sign up with PayPal.  Curious, no?

I'll figure something out. 

on with the show...

Mellies 2004, Day Numero Three

Most loathsome band/album/ song

Jim D.

Inspiration by William Hung. Is there really any competition for Hung in this category? Somehow, Hung has taken his fifteen minutes of fame and stretched it out far beyond what was previously imaginable. It is astonishing that he has released not only one album but will release another in the fall (which will include his rendition of Queen's "We Are the Champions"). Hung was, of coure, amusing during his initial appearance on American Idol, but the fact that he is still in the public eye after so many months illustrates that his handlers and his "record company" are attempting to milk him for every penny. His sincerity, which was at first intriguing, now just seems depressingly silly.

Jamie

'Hey Ya' as blasphemously manipulated by the Golden Globes to note the arrivals of celebrities and their bling-bling.

Jilly

stopped listening to the radio when I got a CD player in my car

Randy

No answer

Maxwell

I don't know. Probably something by one of those American Idol kids or Toby Keith

Scaljon

Tie. Nickleback, whatever Fred Durst is involved with, whatever Axl Rose is passing off as Guns N Roses

Harms

Nickelback - in the words of Jeaneane Garofalo back when she was doing comedy central ads, "mediocrity is evil".

Valdez

No Answer

Nord

a. Every band on the radio that isn't Outkast  b. Anything by former mouseketeers. I thought we moved past that with Beach Blanket Bingo.

The League Chimes in:

Well, I guess Nickelback wins.  Unfortunately, the only radio I listen to is the local public radio station, and until Renee Montagne decides to do a duet, I don't think think I'll be hearing them.

I pretty much don't hear anything new until it's months and months and months too old.  Today I saw a video on VH1's bizarre 90's nostalgia show in which they make reference to a band called "LFO" who enjoys girls in Abercrombie & Fitch (famous for catalogs in which people wear next to nothing, which I can onboard with), who was apparently really big in the 90's.  I had never, ever heard of LFO.  In the 90's, I was just discovering Roxy Music, so in 20+ years, I should catch up and really dig LFO.


Worst idea of the past 6 months

Jim D.

John McCain as John Kerry's Vice Presidential Nominee - I have never understood McCain's appeal, and the reputation of Republican maverick (which he foisted upon himself using "campaign finance reform" as a vehicle to free himself from the entanglements of the Keating Five scandal). McCain is an egomaniac, and the press only adores him because of his occasional tendency to stick it to his own party. I find McCain particularly distasteful as both a senator and a candidate, and I was pleased as punch when he was defeated in the 2000 presidential primaries by President Bush. Although McCain would likely do anything for the sake of self-aggrandizement, the prospect of his switching parties to join Senator Kerry (though unlikely) is a terrible, terrible idea.

Jamie

The intro of the 'roundabout' concept to the city of Mesa.  Imagine 5 very old people sitting in their cars waiting for each other to go

Jilly

take digital pictures of yourself abusing prisoners

Randy

No answer

Maxwell

Besides renewing the patriot act? Buying stamps to send email.

Scaljon

re-setting my tivo and ending up erasing everything. f direct tv customer service. DAMN YOU TO HELL!

Harms

MS-Windows perenially takes the cake

Valdez

No Answer

Nord

a. The kid in Lubbock who drank poison.   B.  This radio promo.

So Speaketh the League

Yeah.  So many ideas we manage to jack ourselves up with.  I think my bioggest mistake was having too many categories and THEN allowing everybody to have two answers.  Or perhaps the mistake was in not building an Excel file as the noms were coming in. 

I dunno.  This is turning into real work.

It also occurs to me that if I delay anymore, Jill might have her baby without the input of The Loyal Leaguers.

Best Name for Jill's Forthcoming Child

Jim D.

Male:  Filo,  Female:  Aphrodite

Jamie

C3 - designation of cube a cat Jamie and I were going to adopt, and we referred to the cat so often as "C3", we determined if we got the cat, we would name it "C3".  The cat was adopted, and we ended up with Jeff The Cat instead.

Jilly

Ryan 2 on both counts (male or female)

Randy

No answer

Maxwell

Boy: Ryan   Girl: Jamie

Come on, who is running this award thing anyway? 

Scaljon

i don't know jill or her child. but Seven is good. as is Napster.

Harms

Boy: Calvin  Girl: Ravenna

Valdez

No Answer

Nord

a. Atreyu - boy  b. Evangeline - girl  (the League has to give props to Atreyu.  Because the next step is to get an oversized dog named "Falkor.")

League sticks its nose in

I'm fairly certain Jill will be able to name her child without our help.  But that doesn't mean we can't help.  And I by help, I mean browbeat Jill into naming her child "Ryan 2". 

Jilly,  I am certain you will select a wonderful name for that kid.   Keep us posted with any news.   The League wants to publish the first internet photos.

Monday, July 19, 2004

Hey, if Maxwell can make herself into a Superhero, so can I.
 
Check out this link to make yourself a superhero.