Recycling Robots from Outer Space

Back in August, I opined that I was not excited by the remake of the Robert Wise directed sci-fi classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still". Well, apparently audiences weren't too jazzed about a re-make, either, as it grossed a less-than-hoped-for $30 millionish in its first weekend.

I've heard that message of the movie is environmental, which, despite new effects and what seems to be a massive shift in the events of the original... Basically, Kneau comes from space to tell us all to recycle or he's going to sick his robot on us.

If you've seen the original, you know that Klaatu's concern isn't so much clean air and water, but the threat of nuclear annihilation (on Earth, as well as should humans set their eyes skyward). We kind of take this sort of story for granted as an artifact of the opening days of the Cold War, but as a message to humanity not just of anti-nuclear proliferation, but a condemnation of war on the heels of WWII and during the Korean War.

Sci-Fi's strength is often in its allegorical nature, or attempts to explore ethical and moral issues we haven't really faced yet. And I think its laudable to tuck the evergreen message of not trashing the planet into a movie where aliens and robots WILL KILL YOU IF YOU DO NOT SWITCH TO LOW FLOW TOILETS. But I think I'm a bit more fascinated with the idea of what mankind would do if faced down with the threat of annihilation if they didn't get their act together and quit killing one another.

Anyhow, I still kind of want to see the re-make out of some sense of morbid curiosity.

Big Bang Theory

I don't know if you saw this week's episode but... It's a bizarre pleasure to see characters on a TV show pondering the imponderables of Superman fandom. I know they're playing it for laughs, but I think us Superman fans have a good sense of humor about the conundrums of the rules and regulations they set up in Superman comics. And it all felt oddly... accurate.

Also, the ending was gold.

Late

I gotta go to bed

Marshall's Top 10 Musical Selections of 2008

Leaguers, Marshall is an old, old pal of The League's. He's a bit of a rock and roller and also an attorney, and today he's here to share with us his favorite musical picks of 2008.

Here you go.

Feel free to debate the man.

Short hiatus!

I've been in a @#$% mood since yesterday, and I'm coming up short on this blogging business for you guys.

Keep sending in end of year lists, and/ or talk amongst yourselves.

When inspiration strikes, I shall be back.

In the meantime, I leave you in Wonder Woman's capable hands.

Simon's Year End Lists for 2008

It's not too late to send in Year End lists to LoM!

Simon sends his list from the far off land of Ontario. We are lucky to get any correspondence from our brothers in the British controlled territories of Canada. Let us cherish these words he's sent to us in the free land of America and wish them well in their struggle for freedom under the jackboot of the Queen.

One day you will taste the bacony flavor that is freedom, my friend.

With no further ado, here's Simon's take on 2008:

*Top 5 Books I've Read*


1. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon: I
was very late to the party on this one but it is an amazing story and
you can see how it won the Pulitzer Prize.
2. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow: subversive, entertaining and
educating fiction by my favorite of the new breed of SF writers.
3. Influence - The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B Cialdini: A
great book that can be used for good so that you can understand how
people can talk you into doing things you don't want to do and for
evil by using the tricks within to turn people into your mindless
minions. This book is probably on Lex Luthor's bookshelf.
4. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch: I'm a Dad now so I worry
about this type of stuff. It's Randy Pausch's advice to his kids that
he wrote after he was diagnosed with incurable cancer.
5. Playing for Keeps by Mur Lafferty: I "read" it as an audio book
which was a novelty for me. This is a hilarious novel about also ran
super-heroes who need to step up and save the world.


*Top 5 Comics I've Read*


1. All Star Superman by Grant Morrison: The absolute best Superman
story ever told bar none.
2. Planetary Vol. 1: All Over the World and Other Stories by Warren
Ellis: I'm such a sucker for multi-layered stories with tons of
literary and pop culture references. See 5 for more evidence.
3. Welcome to Tranquility: Volume 1 by Gail Simone: What does
happen to retired super-heroes? Gail Simone answers this with her
customary humor and pathos.
4. Astro City Vol. 2: Confession by Kurt Busiek: My favourite of
all the Astro City volumes where he explores what it truly means to be
human using an analogy to Batman and Robin.
5. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier by Alan
Moore: While I did not like it as much as the first mini series this
book is filled with so much information that you literally need a
compendieum website to fill in the blanks


I wish I could give you a top 5 movies I've seen this year but I've only
really seen Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, The Dark Knight and Wall-E. I
was aiming for quality not quantity this year.

$25 from Salvation Army Goal

Okay, you cheapskates.

We're having tremendous success here at The League of Melbotis in almost reaching our goal of $300. We're only $25 shy of my goal.

Give here.

What's interesting is that we've had the opposite effect I had assumed the Red Kettle was intended to have. Rather than a bunch of smaller donations, we've had a handful of generous contributions.

Why, the League's own JimD threw back the curtain yesterday morning after being visited by the miserable, un-giving spirit of Randy, called out to a street urchin as to what days it was, and gave himself over to the spirit of Christmas and giving which swelled in his heart. Yes, that Scroogiest of Scrooges, Jim D, made a generous contribution.

Other generous givers include:

The in-laws, Dick and Judy.
The KareBear
The Admiral
Jason (aka: Steanso)
Doug
Heather Wagner

Heather "I'm in grad school debt up to my eyeballs" Wagner gave. But you didn't...

Well. I think we all know who Santa will favor this year.

It's not too late to give. With a measley $25 deficit, obviously anything you can give will make a major difference. It's as easy as buying junk off Amazon, only rather than blowing $25 on an "hilarious" white elephant gift, why not toss a few bones to a worthy cause like The Salvation Army?

If you can swing it, The Salvation Army would greatly appreciate your contribution.

Hey Leaguers.

Hope your weekend was a quality weekend.

Saturday was supposed to be a two-party Saturday. We were to meet some friends in N. Austin for Letty's 30th birthday, and then head into town to hit another friend's party. Unfortunately, the first party was at a wine bar and Juan D. and I split a couple bottles of wine, and...

The wine bar itself was nice. I was a bit more confused by my first trip to Austin's "The Domain", a high end shopping center/ residence that's oddly like Main Street USA at Disneyland, right down to the music blasting over the PA as you're wandering around. I guess the major difference is that The Domain is for people looking to buy status symbols instead of overpriced Disney tsotchkes and lemon freezes.

I wouldn't be bugged by the place so much, but its a reminder of the ever growing change in Austin culture as people move here claiming to love Austin, but do everything they can to make it more like Dallas or the suburbs outside of Houston. Also, there was some odd real estate deal when they decided to put in the domain. Despite the fact its basically a mall for over-priced, chain stores selling needless luxury items, (there's a Tiffany's, for example) the developers brokered some major deal on what taxes they do and do not pay. It's kind of a big "screw you" to the rest of Austin, and especially local retailers of all stripes who pay those taxes without complaint while struggling to make it.

That's one of those things, though. I swore I'd never spend money at The Domain, but then your good pals announce that's where they're hosting their party, and I'm kind of past the point in my life where I would have skipped out on the party for some abstract principle or just been a jerk about it (and there was a period). But, honestly, the place was pretty nice and the service was very good.

Needless to say, the wine had taken its hold, and I felt either Jamie or myself driving would be an issue, so I decided not to try to make the second party.

Rather, folks started talking about going to grab a bite to eat. In order to wash the taste out, I talked everyone into going to Jim's, up off McNeil and 183. And if you want to find a place that's the antithesis of everything that The Domain stands for, it is the Jim's chain of family restaurants. This particular location is up near where I grew up in N. Austin, and I don't think they've changed, literally, anything, since the last time I was there, which would have been the spring of 1994.

And they make a surprisingly good cup of coffee and tortilla soup.


Had breakfast this morning with our good pal Heather W. Then I rearranged my office. Not a terribly exciting day, but it was great to see Heather for a bit (she lives in Lubbock at the moment for grad school).

Colt does not get the Heisman

College football is a fickle mistress.

I am not surprised that Colt McCoy did not win the Heisman trophy this year. The Longhorns were not in the Big 12 Championship game (although OU, who we beat, was), which means that he didn't have a shot at getting TV time as recently as Bradford, which means the attention-deficit-disordered voters of the BCS/ Harris Poll/ AP/ what-have-you... didn't recall McCoy's multi-record breaking season.

At the end of the day, UT wasn't in the championship, and that's that. I don't want to take away from OU's season because... seriously... the Big 12 South was a bear this year.

Do I think Colt is a better quarterback than Bradford? Uhhhmmmm. Yeah. Can he throw as far as accurately as often? No. But play for play, he is a better all-around player. Again, TV time means a lot for the BCS voters (the same voters who may have put OU in the championship just because they played Saturday instead of Thursday before votes came out Sunday), so what are you gonna do?

But I guess that's why there's always next year. Plus, of course, a face-off with Ohio State in Glendale, AZ at the Fiesta Bowl.

Colt is not, by the way, going pro as was rumored. So its not too early to start making insane predictions NOW.