Sunday, December 10, 2006

HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR: A SUPER EVENING

Well, I'm feeling a little tired and foggy today (it's nowhere close to morning anymore). I didn't really drink that much egg nog, but I also didn't eat anything between lunch and about 12:30 AM. We received our first guests around 7:40 when Stuart and Hilary made an appearance, and Shoemaker drifted out the door sometime around quarter to three.

The evening was full of old and new friends, Loyal Leaguers, olives, dogs, elves and lots of good cheer. There were surprise guests, surprise turns of events, heartfelt moments and Andy S. wearing an oven mit.

You have to understand, The League of Melbotis last hosted a big party as a mid-day sort of affair about six years ago. Prior to that, we did some bar-b-q's, and that's about it. We, traditionally, don't do a lot of entertaining. So, yes, mistakes were made. But when we moved back to Austin, I was not about to let the Holidays go by without some demonstration of our appreciation for our pals.

We also have an insane amount of booze still left at our house, so if you can send over about eight frat-boys, have we got a treat for them... Otherwise, Jamie and I are just going to have to drink all this stuff before it goes bad.

Next year, a more focused BYOB.

Stuart and Hilary appeared first, and we scarcely had a few minutes to chat (ask Hilary about the Budweiser room at SeaWorld) before the flood gates opened and my house became full of all sorts of guests. Zoomy. Jason and Elena from down the street. Justin and Tanya from back in the day (Monarch Soccer '84 rules!), Peabo and Adriana, to name just a few.

We handed out some door prizes. Several attendees won bottles from the Jones Soda 2006 Holiday Dessert Pack. We sampled some of Tanya's Cherry Pie Soda, and it was surprisingly good. A marked change from last year's debacle with Jones Soda. Pez dispensers, M&M's and other Holiday surprises were handed out to a lucky few.

"It's not just a party," remarked Steanso, "It's a game show."

Winner for surprise guest of the evening: Well, I sort of knew they might come, but John and Julie B. drove in all the way from the N. Houston area. Julie said they were a definite maybe, but Julie's in school and John works a lot of hours, so, you know, if they didn't come, nobody was going to get bent out of shape. Anyhow, I have no idea what time it was, but I looked up and said in my head, "Oh, there's Julie." And then it sort of clicked "Julie lives in Houston". So, anyway, kudos to the B's.

Winner for surprise info of the evening: It took a minute to click thanks to Mr. Eggnog, but Mr. Shoemaker described his lovely girlfriend as his "fiancee"... so Shoemaker is getting married. I can scarce believe it. Sadly, Keora wasn't there for reasons which Mr. Eggnog has wiped from my memory bank.

Winner for heart-tugging reunion: The League and Mr. Eggnog. No, Mel's original owner, Jenny, came by with her husband. Mel freaked out and went all puppyish for a while, and proceeded to follow Jenny around for a good chunk of the evening. Jenny informed me that she is now going to write a Lifetime movie about women who give up their dogs, only to be reunited with them.

Winner for defeating The League and Steanso's best efforts: The firepit. John B. gets an ingenuity award for finally getting the fire started with an emergency run to the store and the purchase of a Duraflame log. Kudos to John B.

Winner for best food item: Goes to Cousin Sue's pumpkin dip. When I asked, "Was this good?" upon seeing the empty dish (when I finally got a chance to go try some), was met with a resounding response in the affirmative. So, Susan, you need to make more.

No Win: I could not get Peabo and Adriana to name their soon-to-arrive child "Lil' Ryan". Apparently, it does not translate well into Spanish. They claim that, phonetically, it sounds a bit like "to laugh at" or something along those lines.

Endurance Award: Steven and Lauren may have clocked the most minutes at the party. Arriving with the first herd and departing with the second, we enjoyed the heck out of having these cats at our house.

Winner for name I caught, but failed to pronounce correctly all evening: Elena? Helena? She lives three houses down, so I sort of better figure this out.

Most ignored: The two ice-cream cakes (which are really cool and look like Yule Logs) we bought and promptly forgot about that are now sitting in the freezer.

Most-discussed: The League's "shrine" (as many called it). I had many people come to me after visiting upstairs to say "I have never seen anything like that before". I am not certain that is good or bad.

Best Elf: Rami. Hands down.

Best-effort: to Pat for, reportedly, knocking down several of my action figures and then trying to get them standing again. Only to knock down several more plastic heroes. Repeat.

Best footwear: Jamie, for giving up on her skirt and boots and switching to jeans and her sock-monkey slippers around 11:30.

Overall thank you: To the many party-goers who worked so hard to wear out the dogs. From Justin's initial game of fetch, to Shoemaker tossing the ball for Lucy at 2:30, the dogs are totally crashed out today. That's a rare treat, and we thank you.



All in all, a grand evening. I forgot to take pictures. I think Jason snapped some pics. If I can get some photos to post, or can link over to his site at some point, I shall do so.

We want to send out a thank you to everyone who attended and even those folks who couldn't attend. It's tough to demonstrate your appreciation for your friends, en masse, so this is my best effort. Sure, we may not have loved every moment of our time in Arizona, but it really led us to appreciate the value of good folks like you Leaguers.


We plan to repeat in the second Saturday of December, 2007. Mark your calendars now.
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INFORMATION ON THE LoM 2006 HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR: HERE

additional info can be found here

Friday, December 08, 2006

DEAR SANTA


Dear Santa,

I feel funny writing to an illusory idyllic personification of the spirit of giving. But then again, I once voted Green Party.

You know, when I was a kid, I remember writing letters to you and feeling absolutely paralyzed at the beginning of each letter, knowing I had to make with the idle chatter and dream up some chit-chat before getting to my greedy-little-kid wish list of the gimme-gimme’s. Now, Santa, I’ve grown up some, but not a whole lot, so you know I’ve still got a list. But, up until recently, I also had an income, so now I mostly go ahead and pick up the items I’d like, rather than making a list and hoping you, Mom and the Sears Wish Book come through for me. Them’s the facts. And it goes a long way to explaining why Dad always got so many ties and socks for Christmas.

One of the things I remember asking about in that preamble to my wish list was something about the welfare of Mrs. Claus and the reindeer. I don’t recall worrying too much about the elves.

I also remember (with 35mm quality image and Dolby sound) the conversation I had with The Admiral vis-à-vis the likelihood of your existence, back when I was a wee kid in flannel pajamas. Quite an evening, that. And I credit The Admiral with handling our conversation regarding the nature of illusion, the spirit versus corporeal reality, and the disappointment of deconstructed fairy tales better than he handled dating advice (which boiled down to: hold the door and chew with your mouth closed).

So we’re now 2006 solar cycles Anno Domini. Christmas has more or less been celebrated for a good chunk of the last 1000 cycles, with no signs of slowing, so I have to think that’s good for business up at The North Pole. Hope the reindeer and Mrs. Clause are doing real well.

I confess, Christmas this year has reminded me what a contradiction the Holiday can be. All signs point to League HQ having their merriest Christmas in years, but we’re also acutely aware of what this year has taken, not just from us, but from friends and family. And although there are lights in abundance and carols playing through every PA in town, sometimes it hits us like a tidal wave that some friends are bravely fighting sickness. And some are just working toward making it to tomorrow.

But that’s what Christmas is, I think, when you pass from being the kid in the flannel pajamas to the guy in his boxers, paying the mortgage.

You bundle up and sing a few carols, and try not to think too hard about who we're missing, and what it might have been in years past. And you look up at the tree and try not to ponder too hard on what a whacked out world we've carved out for ourselves. So, I try to remember: no matter your creed, the spirit of the season is giving. And that giving is done out of hope for a better tomorrow.

You’ll pardon me, Santa, if I don’t mind terribly much if you skip my house this year. You know, even though I sort of think of you as that illusory idyllic personification of the spirit of giving, sometimes, this year I'm reminded that I may count on you to take it a step beyond merely existing as an ideological construct, and instead ask you to physically manifest and take care of those things which I should probably do.

Wow. That really wasn’t the direction I meant to go, Santa. But as you’re an omniscient spectator of sorts (like Uatu, the Watcher!), I guess you would have figured it out sooner or later.

I’m going to leave the ball in your court whether I’ve been a good boy this year. I paid my taxes. I voted. I helped old ladies pull items off the shelf in the grocery aisle. I tried to keep the evil to a minimum. So if you're not going to skip my house...

This year, I would like the following:

1) Continued livelihood of my car’s air conditioning system
2) Socks. Mine are all old.
3) To find my green shirt (which is probably in the same dimensional vortex in our house as Lucy’s collar and the old coffee pot)
4) To see a Rockets or Spurs game
5) Size 14, outdoor quad roller skates
6) Action Comics #252 in VF+ condition or better
7) Jamie’s continued patience
8) A red cape, tall size (uh… no special reason)
9) Caterina Murino
10) A complete run of Vol. 1 of New Gods and Forever People
11) A better year for my friends and family in 2007
12) the usual for Jamie. Thanks.

So, thanks, Santa. I know some of these are tall orders. Especially that run on Forever People. But you’re Santa, and I know you’ll do your best.


Merry Christmas, Sir. We’ll leave out some nog and cookies for you.


Best,

Ryan (aka: The League)

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Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Comic Stuff


JUSTICE SOCIETY of AMERICA #1

I don't have much blogworthy at the moment. But I did want to recommend Justice Society of America #1. If you haven't hit a comic shop this week, or if you have and DIDN'T pick up Justice Society of America... anyway, this relaunch is a perfect opportunity to start reading a new book by a terrific creative team.

Plus, this is The League's second favorite superhero team (no points to whomever guesses my first favorite super-team, but my third favorite... there's a good question. Answer it, and you get a Mellie)


Justice Society of America #1

Also, while I'm bugging you...


Absolute DC: The New Frontier

I just received DC's "New Frontier Absolute Edition" in the mail. One of the most underappreciated comics in years. Obviously DC knew what it had, and set about getting an Absolute Edition on the shelves.

I understand a lot of readers dismissed the series when it was initially released as "too cartoony". I was actually shocked at my LCS in Phoenix that the guys behind the counter had never even HEARD of the series (way to keep up with product, fellas). The folks who dismissed Darwyn Cooke's art as cartoony missed the point. Cooke was doing retro-stylized stuff well before The Incredibles brought it to the big screen, utilizing the stylistic trappings to capture the essence of an era.

One heck of a book.

More here...

For folks looking for a Right Stuff meets superheroes...


Absolute DC: The New Frontier


Superman Classified #2

And because I'm feeling good about Darwyn Cooke, why not mention the Superman comic he's currently writing (and the amazing Tim Sale is drawing). This new series tells tales from any period in Superman's career prior to whatever qualifies as The Present.

Cooke and Sale absolutely nail an early-career Superman and the Planet staff. Also, their depiction of Lois is the rarely glimpsed version which reminds readers what sort of person would interest The Man of Steel.

here

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

SEVERAL ITEMS IN BRIEF:

I do not post everything that comes my way. People who send me links know this. I don't even post a lot of the really funny and good stuff that comes my way. Sometimes I mean to post something and forget.

Anyway, RHPT sent me something the other day that just really stuck with me.

Tokyo should design a skyskraper in the shape of Godzilla: HERE

Truly an idea of unrivaled genius. And, I tell you this: as much as I've always wanted to do a multie-week trip to the Pacific Rim, this would be a deal-closer for me. To stay in the hotel in Godzilla's belly or leg would rival any other experience of my life.


Nathan Cone of TPR San Antonio has sent me his review (upon my request, though I also take unsolicited reviews, Leaguers) of the Richard Donner cut of Superman II.

Nathan is a connoisseur of all kinds of film, so I take his opinion very seriously. That said, Jamie, Jason and I watched the movie the other day, and I am in almost 100% agreement with Nathan.

Super News for Super Fans
by Nathan Cone

Director's cuts are a dime a dozen on DVD these days. Packaging boasts of "five extra minutes" of footage or "uncensored scenes." More often than not, the extra footage inserted into a film is unnecessary. But occasionally there is a DVD with extra footage that stands out as something special, and "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut" fits that description.


READ THE REST HERE

No, really. Go read it and then you can come back.

I confess to finding the Jor-El scenes far more powerful in the Donner version, and especially the manner in which Superman must make his choice to "become mortal" (which doesn't have a clearly stated logic in the Lester version). The scene is far more heart-breaking, as is the follow-up scene when Clark returns to the fortress.

I need to review the movie again with the director's commentary before I say much more.


Jim D, what hast though wrought...?

This evening Steven Harms (whom I met through JimD) invited Jamie and I out for a night of trivia competition at Mother Egan's. In the mix were Alfredo Garcia, a gentlemen I did not know, but who, apparently knows Jason from the Travis County Courthouse (where he works as a prosecutor, not because he's frequently arrested). Later, a young woman and gentleman sat down at the table, and after introductions, I learned this was Molly of the now defunct "Osakatomebaby.com", one of the earliest blogs of the now defunct JimD blogring.

Go figure.

So, despite Steven's early departure, I ended up having a great deal of fun with four people I didn't really know. Such is the nature of a good beer and trivia (the answer was Daisy Hill Puppy Farm, not Sunny Dale Puppy Farm. My apologies.).

It turns out Molly's beau (Andy, I think. It was loud in there, and I'm totally deaf thanks to NIN, circa 1991) works at Channel 8 here in Austin. I LOVE Channel 8 and watch it constantly. And as we spoke, I realized I'd seen Andy on TV doing on of Channel 8's "Web Sightings" segments just a few days ago. Also, he was with Amy Hadley (the hardest working woman in the news business) when Amy was forced to stand in the cold the other day when it was like 20 degrees out and windy.

He also promised to slip my name in next time he has to host the "Web Sightings" segment. Whoo-hoo! It's the little things.

So I've invited all the folks from Trivia to the Holiday Party.

If that doesn't work out, post-Christmas we'll do something. In the menatime, I need to get my head cleared so I'm ready for Trivia Night once again. Oh, and NEVER fold the paper. That's a 1-point deduction.

Anyway, all of this got me thinking: JimD, move to Austin. What are you doing? Why are you so far away? Move to Austin. We'll buy you a beer. This night never would have happened without JimD. So where is he? He's not at trivia night. I tell you that much.


2006 HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR PARTY STATUS UPDATE

We have napkins. I think I have 60 napkins. I probably need to buy more. I also have paper plates. But, for some reason, no cups. I need to buy booze and egg nog.

We have put in orders for the following:

-2 Baskin Robbin Yule Log Ice Cream Cake Rolls. 1 Mint, 1 Chocolate Chip.
-1 Cheeses platter. Apparently one of the cheeses comes in the shape of border outline of the Great State of Texas. We shall also buy crackers to go with that
-1 tray of small sandwiches.
-Jamie will be providing cookies. Delicious cookies.
-We will probably have out some chips
-I will buy some olives at the HEB, because I learned the expensive way at Central Market that I like olives.

If you would like to provide any additional food, please feel free to do so. BYOB is not required, but HIGHLY recommended.

I have also obtained a stainless steel firepit, for which I need to obtain some fuel. Smokers banished to the back porch will now have a heat source. And a very large lighter.

Also, all signs point to an appearance by Rami. And that's just good news for everyone.

Hope to see you there.