Your Simpsons League
Your Simpsons Jamie
Make your own, Leaguers! If you do, send 'em in.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Hey, Leaguers.
It's been a fun weekend. Yesterday we finally used the Element for the task which I had in mind when I picked it out. You can take the back seats out of the Element, so I took one out for more space. We loaded up the dogs (including Cassidy), and Jason, Jamie and I headed to the Barton Springs spill-over.
I admit, I'm a total worry wart about the dogs, so I think I spent the whole time trying to corral my dogs, who aren't that used to water and who tend to spaz out when other dogs are around. I am sure the other folks were tired of my constant calling to all of the three dogs, so I feel a bit like a heel. I feel even worse because I think my insistence that we leave (because Lucy kept pestering a tiny dog) interrupted Jason talking to some cute girl who was hanging out with her dog. That's me. The League: Scene Killer.
Now here's the other pro-dog thing about the Element: rubber floors. The floors are still dirty, but all I need to do is get a wet rag and clean them up. It's kind of cool.
Or would be. I hadn't initially put on my suit, so I went back to the car to put it on. Lucy jumped over a four foot wall and followed me back to the car. It was both heart warming and a bit weird to see my girl abandon the water and fun just to help me change pants. Anyhow, dripping wet she jumped in the car and shook herself dry.
Let us hope the talk about the sturdy material of the seats was not just a sales pitch.
Saturday night we went to see "Sicko" with Carla and David. We also had a nice dinner at Chinatown. Always a good evening with CB and David.
I had spent some time writing up a bunch about Sicko, but I also don't feel like moderating a comments section which would surely go into meltdown. Suffice it to say, with our personal situation, I am well aware of the issues in the film and I have some personal feelings wrapped up in the topic I'd rather not get into.
I've also come to peace with Michael Moore as a filmmaker. Once you know what to look for, you know...?
Sunday was mostly chores, some comic blogging, lawn mowing, and then Jason and Reed came by for a pizza and some Wii.
Jamie smoked me in bowling, but I am the grand champion of boxing.
Hope everyone had a good weekend.
It's been a fun weekend. Yesterday we finally used the Element for the task which I had in mind when I picked it out. You can take the back seats out of the Element, so I took one out for more space. We loaded up the dogs (including Cassidy), and Jason, Jamie and I headed to the Barton Springs spill-over.
I admit, I'm a total worry wart about the dogs, so I think I spent the whole time trying to corral my dogs, who aren't that used to water and who tend to spaz out when other dogs are around. I am sure the other folks were tired of my constant calling to all of the three dogs, so I feel a bit like a heel. I feel even worse because I think my insistence that we leave (because Lucy kept pestering a tiny dog) interrupted Jason talking to some cute girl who was hanging out with her dog. That's me. The League: Scene Killer.
Now here's the other pro-dog thing about the Element: rubber floors. The floors are still dirty, but all I need to do is get a wet rag and clean them up. It's kind of cool.
Or would be. I hadn't initially put on my suit, so I went back to the car to put it on. Lucy jumped over a four foot wall and followed me back to the car. It was both heart warming and a bit weird to see my girl abandon the water and fun just to help me change pants. Anyhow, dripping wet she jumped in the car and shook herself dry.
Let us hope the talk about the sturdy material of the seats was not just a sales pitch.
Saturday night we went to see "Sicko" with Carla and David. We also had a nice dinner at Chinatown. Always a good evening with CB and David.
I had spent some time writing up a bunch about Sicko, but I also don't feel like moderating a comments section which would surely go into meltdown. Suffice it to say, with our personal situation, I am well aware of the issues in the film and I have some personal feelings wrapped up in the topic I'd rather not get into.
I've also come to peace with Michael Moore as a filmmaker. Once you know what to look for, you know...?
Sunday was mostly chores, some comic blogging, lawn mowing, and then Jason and Reed came by for a pizza and some Wii.
Jamie smoked me in bowling, but I am the grand champion of boxing.
Hope everyone had a good weekend.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Friday, July 06, 2007
I Heart Robocop
I do.
I saw Robocop for the first time during one of our annual family vacation trips to Upper Michigan. Mom was cool enough to take us to the theater (1 screen, of course) in Ispheming, Michigan. To this day I recall that one of the trailers they showed prior to the movie was for a re-release of Disney's "Snow White". And then they showed one of the most intensely violent movies I had seen in my young life.
The movie has aged a little oddly. Some of the fashions thought no further than 1988. A good chunk of the technology barely surpasses 1990. But the movie's wink-and-a-nod look at corporate control of public trusts and the interstitial TV bits feel a little bit on the nose... Especially the Yamaha artificial heart commercial which seemed absurd in 1987, but now...
I also dig the story about Murphy recovering himself despite what's been done to him by crooks, OCP R&D, and what befalls him when he tries to move beyond his programming.
Robocop shoots a ton of people in this movie
The action sequences were cool if not a bit pre-dated by Terminator's equally nuts robot stop-motion and crazy gunplay sequences. The villains were some seriously evil, evil dudes, played by guys who would go on to star as Eric's dad on "That 70's Show" and another guy who wound up as a doctor on ER for a while (Jamie informs me his character lost an arm to a helicopter. I'm not clear on the specifics.) Plus, a young Miguel Ferrer, one of my favorite guys in any TV show or movie.
Dead or alive, you're going with Robocop
Peter Weller rocks as Robocop/ Murphy, and manages to make the transition from man to machine and back again in a way a lesser actor might have stumbled. And, darn it, why doesn't Nancy (Officer Anne Lewis) Allen get more parts? The last time I saw her was in "Out of Sight", I think, playing a supporting part. (And speaking of Allen's... why don't we see more Karen Allen? I know she isn't in Robocop, but I like Karen Allen, too).
Plus, you know, ED-209. Oh yes, ED-209.
You have 20 seconds to agree that ED-209 is totally awesome
Like many Verhoeven movies, Robocop is exceedingly violent. Not Wild Bunch violent, but its got its moments. So if you've just seen the movie once, and all you remember is a lot of squibs bursting open... I suggest you check the movie out again and note that there's a very sci-fi but kind of sad story about a dead cop, corporate corruption and a world slowly going nuts beneath the heaped upon layers of smoke and bullets.
Verhoeven also directed Total Recall, another sci-fi action flick/ satire that ALSO becomes more enjoyable on multiple viewings (and, to a lesser extent, Starship Troopers. A movie which always makes me cackle.). Total Recall also throws in a heaping dose of Arnie, so it's just a big stew of the stuff I loved in the late 80's.
Anyhow, I salute you, Robocop! Your sequels and TV shows got steadily goofier, but the first movie is still a good movie to stumble upon on a Friday night.
I dunno. I just really like Robocop. I thought I'd share.
Still, it is no R.O.T.O.R.
I saw Robocop for the first time during one of our annual family vacation trips to Upper Michigan. Mom was cool enough to take us to the theater (1 screen, of course) in Ispheming, Michigan. To this day I recall that one of the trailers they showed prior to the movie was for a re-release of Disney's "Snow White". And then they showed one of the most intensely violent movies I had seen in my young life.
The movie has aged a little oddly. Some of the fashions thought no further than 1988. A good chunk of the technology barely surpasses 1990. But the movie's wink-and-a-nod look at corporate control of public trusts and the interstitial TV bits feel a little bit on the nose... Especially the Yamaha artificial heart commercial which seemed absurd in 1987, but now...
I also dig the story about Murphy recovering himself despite what's been done to him by crooks, OCP R&D, and what befalls him when he tries to move beyond his programming.
Robocop shoots a ton of people in this movie
The action sequences were cool if not a bit pre-dated by Terminator's equally nuts robot stop-motion and crazy gunplay sequences. The villains were some seriously evil, evil dudes, played by guys who would go on to star as Eric's dad on "That 70's Show" and another guy who wound up as a doctor on ER for a while (Jamie informs me his character lost an arm to a helicopter. I'm not clear on the specifics.) Plus, a young Miguel Ferrer, one of my favorite guys in any TV show or movie.
Dead or alive, you're going with Robocop
Peter Weller rocks as Robocop/ Murphy, and manages to make the transition from man to machine and back again in a way a lesser actor might have stumbled. And, darn it, why doesn't Nancy (Officer Anne Lewis) Allen get more parts? The last time I saw her was in "Out of Sight", I think, playing a supporting part. (And speaking of Allen's... why don't we see more Karen Allen? I know she isn't in Robocop, but I like Karen Allen, too).
Plus, you know, ED-209. Oh yes, ED-209.
You have 20 seconds to agree that ED-209 is totally awesome
Like many Verhoeven movies, Robocop is exceedingly violent. Not Wild Bunch violent, but its got its moments. So if you've just seen the movie once, and all you remember is a lot of squibs bursting open... I suggest you check the movie out again and note that there's a very sci-fi but kind of sad story about a dead cop, corporate corruption and a world slowly going nuts beneath the heaped upon layers of smoke and bullets.
Verhoeven also directed Total Recall, another sci-fi action flick/ satire that ALSO becomes more enjoyable on multiple viewings (and, to a lesser extent, Starship Troopers. A movie which always makes me cackle.). Total Recall also throws in a heaping dose of Arnie, so it's just a big stew of the stuff I loved in the late 80's.
Anyhow, I salute you, Robocop! Your sequels and TV shows got steadily goofier, but the first movie is still a good movie to stumble upon on a Friday night.
I dunno. I just really like Robocop. I thought I'd share.
Still, it is no R.O.T.O.R.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Jeff Wilson
Jeff Wilson was hit by a car driven by Mary Dodgen on the night of July 3rd, 2006. Jason found out in the early hours of July the 4th and returned to Austin. He was not at the concert when Jeff was hit as he was visiting with Jamie and me at our parents' house in Spring. We were supposed to be coming into town to tell my folks we were moving back to Texas, but had let it slip beforehand.
Kim and Sigmund Bloom were also struck, as well as two other men. Jeff passed on July 10th, 2006.
There's an article in today's Statesman about the current status of the case.
It's been a long year for Mandy, Jeff's parents (Don and Jajuan), Kim, Sigmund, Jason and a whole lot of people in Austin.
Jeff occasionally commented on these pages. He maintained his own blog. He assisted with the briefly lived media blog "Nanostalgia", with which many a-Leaguer participated. I knew Jeff mostly through e-mail, online, and a few times we'd visited while I was in Austin.
I didn't know Jeff as well as most folks, but I know Jeff is missed profoundly by all.
Kim and Sigmund Bloom were also struck, as well as two other men. Jeff passed on July 10th, 2006.
There's an article in today's Statesman about the current status of the case.
It's been a long year for Mandy, Jeff's parents (Don and Jajuan), Kim, Sigmund, Jason and a whole lot of people in Austin.
Jeff occasionally commented on these pages. He maintained his own blog. He assisted with the briefly lived media blog "Nanostalgia", with which many a-Leaguer participated. I knew Jeff mostly through e-mail, online, and a few times we'd visited while I was in Austin.
I didn't know Jeff as well as most folks, but I know Jeff is missed profoundly by all.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
July the 4th, EoD
I've run this once before, but in the spirit of the holiday...
Beware, this video has naughty, naughty words.
We didn't do much. I slept late, did some stuff for work, it rained, went to the store. Returned a clock/weather radio I'd bought as (a) it wouldn't tune in to the weather frequency, and (b) if it lost power, despite battery back-up, the radio would turn off (but it would keep the time). It's a weather radio. Seriously, Timex... what the hell? What, exactly, were the criteria you assigned the engineers working on this piece of junk?
I'm not 100% positive I need a weather radio, but I'm also not 100% certain I DON'T need one.
Anyhow, we cooked some burgers with Matt. He ate my hotdog without permission, but we had plenty of food, so no big deal.
Went and bought fireworks and set them off in Buda. Never buy 48 jumping jacks, even if they are only $4. Do buy the artillery shells. Matt put on quite a show.
More dull days need to end with fireworks.
Beware, this video has naughty, naughty words.
We didn't do much. I slept late, did some stuff for work, it rained, went to the store. Returned a clock/weather radio I'd bought as (a) it wouldn't tune in to the weather frequency, and (b) if it lost power, despite battery back-up, the radio would turn off (but it would keep the time). It's a weather radio. Seriously, Timex... what the hell? What, exactly, were the criteria you assigned the engineers working on this piece of junk?
I'm not 100% positive I need a weather radio, but I'm also not 100% certain I DON'T need one.
Anyhow, we cooked some burgers with Matt. He ate my hotdog without permission, but we had plenty of food, so no big deal.
Went and bought fireworks and set them off in Buda. Never buy 48 jumping jacks, even if they are only $4. Do buy the artillery shells. Matt put on quite a show.
More dull days need to end with fireworks.
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!
I actually grew up with this picture hanging in our hallway. I have no idea what happened to it.
Hey, Leaguers! Happy 4th of July!
Today's the day 231 years ago when we threw off the shackles of King George and went full tilt towards becoming the Robosaurus loving nation we would one day become.
The League of Melbotis salutes our nation, our troops, our first responders and, of course, the Red, White and Blue.
I hope everyone has a fantastic 4th!
And, if you get an opportunity, punch an Englishman in the face for not just giving us our independence when we asked for it.
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