My Precious....
So, yesterday while I was lathering up with some irish Spring in the ol' shower Jamie announced that she had lost her engagement ring.
For some reason I can't ever remember a time when Jamie's wedding band and engagement rings actually fit her fingers (my ring fits great, thanks for asking) and she spends all day doing two things:
1. Taking her rings on and off or switching them around on her fingers.
2. Using copious amounts of hand lotion to fight off the debilitating desert air.
I'd pretty much decided about 5 years ago Jamie would lose her rings at some point, and so when she announced she'd lost the ring I don't think I displayed the proper panic.
I did finish my shower, comb my hair and put on some undies in hopes of assisting, but was, instead, shoo'd out the door. Still, while I knew I was now going to have to save up to buy an all new engagement ring, I still don't think I ever really went overboard about the whole incident.
That, and it wasn't one of Jamie's two daily activities that had led to the whole debacle. Apparently she'd taken off her rings to eat ribs, and we'd gone to the ribs place because I like to go there and watch basketball on their giant TV. So Jamie was humoring me just by being there.
The ring, itself, is a copy of a family heirloom and actually has the diamonds FROM the family heirloom embedded in it. So, you know, you're really not supposed to lose completely irraplaceable family jewelry. And buying a new ring would have been a nice thing to do, but it wouldn't have resolved that issue.
Anyhoo, 9:30 last night they called and someone found the ring at Damon's. Hooray! Tonight we're stapling the ring to Jamie's finger.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Thursday, January 26, 2006
THE LEAGUE DISPENSES PARENTING ADVICE
This lady is really, really smart.
Do you know why I get to say this? Because I worked at the Disney Store for three summers and 1 summer at Chuck E. Cheese.
There's something about having kids under the age of 5 that makes some people convinced that Satan himself is trying to somehow corrupt your kid. 9 out of 10 times, it's nothing the kid would have ever noticed if the parent hadn't misinterpreted it and then made a big deal out of it.
About once every two weeks when I was a Disney employee making $5.00/ hr, somebody would locate me and start telling me how some tower in Little Mermaid looked too much like a penis, or they'd have to tell me how aghast they were at the famous "SEX" in the clouds in Lion King. The common denominator was that it was invariably something their stupid kid never would have noticed if Mommy wasn't getting her panties in a bunch about it. (How they thought their 2 year old child knew what an erect penis looked like was a bit of a mystery best left unexplored.)
I usually would humor these angry guests for a minute and then point out a manager. If a manager wasn't readily available, I would ask "Was your child upset by this?" which was probably not what Disney wanted me to do, but I figured I could probably find another $5.00/ hr job if push came to shove. Without fail, the child now only knew that the Disney Store was now suddenly a "bad" place full of wicked $5.00/ hr clock watchers but wasn't sure what the hubbub was really about.
Look, there is SOME stuff in Disney movies that shouldn't probably be there. The priest's erection in Little Mermaid comes to mind. That's no urban myth. The supposed one frame of Jessica Rabbit I've also seen confirmed. However... That stuff is fairly well hidden. If the two frames of filth have forever warped your child, you're a terrible parent and you're doing an awful job of preparing your kid for life. These are not the messages you get to relay when you don the polyester sweater and form fitting pants.
If the 1/24th of second of obscenity is bugging you that much, Disney has a policy that you can, at any time, return any Disney product to a Disney Store and receive some sort of refund. I am sure by offering up this info that I just broke a non-disclosure agreement, but it's true. If Mickey or Goofy are on the item, you can drop it there and get some sort of reimbursement.
The flipside of this is, of course, that for every one of these parents who is trying to shelter their kids from the storm, there's 5 of the "throw 'em in the deep end" variety dropping the f-bomb because they can't find the right size princess dress for their kid.
The League is not wholly convinced that these parents aren't usually one and the same. It all sort of depends on their mood and who they want to blame today that their kid is a little hooligan.
But this isn't Disney we're talking about. These are the post-Jim Henson muppets who speak in freakish falsettos and act like morons day after day and sell damned-near anywhere. But since he's a Muppet and not a Disney character, you can't return Elmo to the Disney Store. So...Before you jump in the Excursion to demand your money back at Wal-Mart, The League suggests you consider the following:
-If Elmo's weird little friend's garbled squeakings sound to you like "Who wants to die?" let's think of it as a Rorshach test, mommy. Maybe it's time for you to take a look around the house and see what needs changing.
-If Elmo's weird little friend is, in fact, asking "Who wants to die?", you gotta look at the bright side. Maybe your kid is just learning about goth kids at an early age.
-Finally, if you're reading your kid an electronic talking book about how to take a pee, The League would suggest you need to sit back and take a good, long, hard assessment of your life.
Look, if you want to be concerned about your kids learning how human beings are, I highly suggest locking them in a box until they're 18. Then let them out. As an adult with adult experiences, you may read all kinds of stuff into works which were never intended to be all that filthy. Further, calling CNN because there's bad audio in your Elmo read-a-long book is a cry for help.
Sometimes bad audio compression is just bad audio compression.
And that's the advice today from Uncle League.
This lady is really, really smart.
Do you know why I get to say this? Because I worked at the Disney Store for three summers and 1 summer at Chuck E. Cheese.
There's something about having kids under the age of 5 that makes some people convinced that Satan himself is trying to somehow corrupt your kid. 9 out of 10 times, it's nothing the kid would have ever noticed if the parent hadn't misinterpreted it and then made a big deal out of it.
About once every two weeks when I was a Disney employee making $5.00/ hr, somebody would locate me and start telling me how some tower in Little Mermaid looked too much like a penis, or they'd have to tell me how aghast they were at the famous "SEX" in the clouds in Lion King. The common denominator was that it was invariably something their stupid kid never would have noticed if Mommy wasn't getting her panties in a bunch about it. (How they thought their 2 year old child knew what an erect penis looked like was a bit of a mystery best left unexplored.)
I usually would humor these angry guests for a minute and then point out a manager. If a manager wasn't readily available, I would ask "Was your child upset by this?" which was probably not what Disney wanted me to do, but I figured I could probably find another $5.00/ hr job if push came to shove. Without fail, the child now only knew that the Disney Store was now suddenly a "bad" place full of wicked $5.00/ hr clock watchers but wasn't sure what the hubbub was really about.
Look, there is SOME stuff in Disney movies that shouldn't probably be there. The priest's erection in Little Mermaid comes to mind. That's no urban myth. The supposed one frame of Jessica Rabbit I've also seen confirmed. However... That stuff is fairly well hidden. If the two frames of filth have forever warped your child, you're a terrible parent and you're doing an awful job of preparing your kid for life. These are not the messages you get to relay when you don the polyester sweater and form fitting pants.
If the 1/24th of second of obscenity is bugging you that much, Disney has a policy that you can, at any time, return any Disney product to a Disney Store and receive some sort of refund. I am sure by offering up this info that I just broke a non-disclosure agreement, but it's true. If Mickey or Goofy are on the item, you can drop it there and get some sort of reimbursement.
The flipside of this is, of course, that for every one of these parents who is trying to shelter their kids from the storm, there's 5 of the "throw 'em in the deep end" variety dropping the f-bomb because they can't find the right size princess dress for their kid.
The League is not wholly convinced that these parents aren't usually one and the same. It all sort of depends on their mood and who they want to blame today that their kid is a little hooligan.
But this isn't Disney we're talking about. These are the post-Jim Henson muppets who speak in freakish falsettos and act like morons day after day and sell damned-near anywhere. But since he's a Muppet and not a Disney character, you can't return Elmo to the Disney Store. So...Before you jump in the Excursion to demand your money back at Wal-Mart, The League suggests you consider the following:
-If Elmo's weird little friend's garbled squeakings sound to you like "Who wants to die?" let's think of it as a Rorshach test, mommy. Maybe it's time for you to take a look around the house and see what needs changing.
-If Elmo's weird little friend is, in fact, asking "Who wants to die?", you gotta look at the bright side. Maybe your kid is just learning about goth kids at an early age.
-Finally, if you're reading your kid an electronic talking book about how to take a pee, The League would suggest you need to sit back and take a good, long, hard assessment of your life.
Look, if you want to be concerned about your kids learning how human beings are, I highly suggest locking them in a box until they're 18. Then let them out. As an adult with adult experiences, you may read all kinds of stuff into works which were never intended to be all that filthy. Further, calling CNN because there's bad audio in your Elmo read-a-long book is a cry for help.
Sometimes bad audio compression is just bad audio compression.
And that's the advice today from Uncle League.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
A Few Quick Items
A) Hey, look! It's Carla Beth! Carla was my roommate in college and a collaborator throughout film school. She's a peach of a girl, now living in North Carolina, and she's got her own blog.
For those of you wondering what Carla is up to, check it out.
B) I've posted an opinion on the Disney/ Pixar deal at Nanostalgia.com.
C) For a whole, wide array of Toys That Should Not Be, go here.
D) "Flava of Love" makes me weep for the Public Enemy of my youth. Yet I cannot look away.
E) I feel like I need a fifth item, but I can't think of one. Uhm. The new sandwich place I tried the other day promised my sandwich came with fries. What they did not say was that the fries were IN the sandwich. That was not good.
A) Hey, look! It's Carla Beth! Carla was my roommate in college and a collaborator throughout film school. She's a peach of a girl, now living in North Carolina, and she's got her own blog.
For those of you wondering what Carla is up to, check it out.
B) I've posted an opinion on the Disney/ Pixar deal at Nanostalgia.com.
C) For a whole, wide array of Toys That Should Not Be, go here.
D) "Flava of Love" makes me weep for the Public Enemy of my youth. Yet I cannot look away.
E) I feel like I need a fifth item, but I can't think of one. Uhm. The new sandwich place I tried the other day promised my sandwich came with fries. What they did not say was that the fries were IN the sandwich. That was not good.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Real Life Superheroes File: Mr. Silent/ Doktor DiscorD
Ah, it wouldn't be The League of Melbotis if we weren't supporting anti-social and possibly dangerous behavior.
You'll note that The League doesn't hesitate to post little blurbs here and there along the way about folks in costume trying to get things done. Grant Morrison called it, saying we'd start to see superheroes in the next few years. And I think we will. I don't think they're going to look a lot like Superman or Green Lantern (and I guarantee you, no Wonder Woman), but I do think people are going to put on masks and leap into action. I just hope it looks more like this and less like this.
And this brings us to the real-life case of real-life superheroes Mr. Silent and Doktor DiscorD. The comic blog-o-sphere has been ablaze of late chatting about the duo (calling themselves the Justice League of Justice) and their unsolicited attempts to clean up the streets of Indianapolis.
Mr. Silent, Doktor DiscorD and, I believe, "Doom Bunny"
Now, a lot of that chat has been about how these two guys are probably going to end up getting killed. I hope not. The League thinks we're in the 21st Century, and Real-Life superheroes are an idea whose time has come. We more or less already have supervillains (Bin Laden. Kim Jong Il. Kevin Federline.), and nobody to thwart them. Well, we have Condoleeza Rice, but that's the worst superhero name ever. It sounds less like a menacing avenger of justice and more like an undiscovered (but delicious!) version of the San Francisco Treat. And if you think that here in the U.S. of A. that we don't have nutjobs in costumes running around in masks who could use a good beat-down, I submit this.
Read an interview with Mr. Silent here and Doktor DiscorD here. And I guess this whole thing started over with Warren Ellis here.
Can we expect to see Supervillains? Well, Superman didn't come out of the gate fighting supervillains, and neither did Batman. The supervillains came along later.
The League isn't sure he's in good enough shape to actually stop any crime, and usually has to get up early for work, so we're not sure tights and a mask are in our future. A cape? Well, it'll depend on the weather...
Hopefully, all of this will go better than Jim D's ill-fated journey into costumed vigilantism.
Ah, it wouldn't be The League of Melbotis if we weren't supporting anti-social and possibly dangerous behavior.
You'll note that The League doesn't hesitate to post little blurbs here and there along the way about folks in costume trying to get things done. Grant Morrison called it, saying we'd start to see superheroes in the next few years. And I think we will. I don't think they're going to look a lot like Superman or Green Lantern (and I guarantee you, no Wonder Woman), but I do think people are going to put on masks and leap into action. I just hope it looks more like this and less like this.
And this brings us to the real-life case of real-life superheroes Mr. Silent and Doktor DiscorD. The comic blog-o-sphere has been ablaze of late chatting about the duo (calling themselves the Justice League of Justice) and their unsolicited attempts to clean up the streets of Indianapolis.
Mr. Silent, Doktor DiscorD and, I believe, "Doom Bunny"
Now, a lot of that chat has been about how these two guys are probably going to end up getting killed. I hope not. The League thinks we're in the 21st Century, and Real-Life superheroes are an idea whose time has come. We more or less already have supervillains (Bin Laden. Kim Jong Il. Kevin Federline.), and nobody to thwart them. Well, we have Condoleeza Rice, but that's the worst superhero name ever. It sounds less like a menacing avenger of justice and more like an undiscovered (but delicious!) version of the San Francisco Treat. And if you think that here in the U.S. of A. that we don't have nutjobs in costumes running around in masks who could use a good beat-down, I submit this.
Read an interview with Mr. Silent here and Doktor DiscorD here. And I guess this whole thing started over with Warren Ellis here.
Can we expect to see Supervillains? Well, Superman didn't come out of the gate fighting supervillains, and neither did Batman. The supervillains came along later.
The League isn't sure he's in good enough shape to actually stop any crime, and usually has to get up early for work, so we're not sure tights and a mask are in our future. A cape? Well, it'll depend on the weather...
Hopefully, all of this will go better than Jim D's ill-fated journey into costumed vigilantism.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Oh, Leaguers. The Suns almost went into triple overtime again this evening, but Allen from the Sonics hit a 3-pointer with only 1.5 seconds left. Nerves of steel on that guy. Anyway, one of the highest scoring games in NBA history.152-149. Yowza.
I watched most of the Seahawks-Panthers game. I was cheering for the Seahawks, but mostly because I was cheering for Mike Holmgren. And I cheer for Mike Holmgren because I look at the man and I know what I'll look like in 15 years. I also like Shaun Alexander, but how can you not be impressed with that guy even if you're not a fan?
Jamie's brother went to high school with Mike Minter on the Panthers, so we need to cheer for him, if not the whole team.
Editor's note: Jamie says "I went to high school with him, too - he was two years ahead of me and one behind Doug."
I really didn't care who won the Steelers/ Broncos game, except that I sort of admire Jake Plummer's whole "I really need professional help, but as long as I can throw a ball they give me money" thing. I hope to have all of my insanity forgiven one day because I have some money-making skill. Hey, who ever filled the void left by Wesley Willis, anyway?
I'm still coming down from a busy week of work. In FACT I was at work today for a while. Technical support doesn't just go on M-F, 8-5, occasionally on Sundays people expect service, too.
Jim D. sent me his copy of "Superman meets He-Man", and Leaguers, you can expect a review of that little gem just as soon as I can bear to relive the comic in that sort of detail. Despite my promise to purge my life of unwanted comics, I also recently picked up some back issues of Mister Miracle. I also picked up issues of "My Monkey's Name is Jennifer". I don't know why this comic makes me laugh, but, man...
This week may be full of wonder and surprises. If what I think may happen occurs, you people will be the first to know..
I watched most of the Seahawks-Panthers game. I was cheering for the Seahawks, but mostly because I was cheering for Mike Holmgren. And I cheer for Mike Holmgren because I look at the man and I know what I'll look like in 15 years. I also like Shaun Alexander, but how can you not be impressed with that guy even if you're not a fan?
Jamie's brother went to high school with Mike Minter on the Panthers, so we need to cheer for him, if not the whole team.
Editor's note: Jamie says "I went to high school with him, too - he was two years ahead of me and one behind Doug."
I really didn't care who won the Steelers/ Broncos game, except that I sort of admire Jake Plummer's whole "I really need professional help, but as long as I can throw a ball they give me money" thing. I hope to have all of my insanity forgiven one day because I have some money-making skill. Hey, who ever filled the void left by Wesley Willis, anyway?
I'm still coming down from a busy week of work. In FACT I was at work today for a while. Technical support doesn't just go on M-F, 8-5, occasionally on Sundays people expect service, too.
Jim D. sent me his copy of "Superman meets He-Man", and Leaguers, you can expect a review of that little gem just as soon as I can bear to relive the comic in that sort of detail. Despite my promise to purge my life of unwanted comics, I also recently picked up some back issues of Mister Miracle. I also picked up issues of "My Monkey's Name is Jennifer". I don't know why this comic makes me laugh, but, man...
This week may be full of wonder and surprises. If what I think may happen occurs, you people will be the first to know..
Happy Birthday to Reed T. Shaw!
Reed is now old and reportedly has a kid. Sure, he's keeping her in an igloo cooler with an iguana named "Rex" and feeding her only fish food, so I'm not sure what kind of father he is, but he's no longer care-free twenty-ish Reed T. Shaw.
In honor of Reed-O's birthday and to commemorate Reed's glory days, I provide us with the cover image of Lita Ford's 1983 album, "Out for Blood".
Enjoy.
Reed is now old and reportedly has a kid. Sure, he's keeping her in an igloo cooler with an iguana named "Rex" and feeding her only fish food, so I'm not sure what kind of father he is, but he's no longer care-free twenty-ish Reed T. Shaw.
In honor of Reed-O's birthday and to commemorate Reed's glory days, I provide us with the cover image of Lita Ford's 1983 album, "Out for Blood".
Enjoy.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Friday, January 20, 2006
Sorry about the pathetic lack of updates. It's one of my two or three seasonal super-busy times at work. That means lots of work during the day, some late hours, and then getting home and feeling sleepy. Indeed, too sleepy to blog.
For former KOers, Julie Parsons and her husband just had their first baby (Michael Joseph Pruski). I think he looks like Jim Parsons, but time will tell if that bears out. Speaking of Jim, he's in a new Carraba's ad. Keep your eyes peeled.
Uh, what else...?
There are some heated debates of no consequence going on over at Nanostalgia.com. I highly recommend you pop over there.
And, look, an iPod cover with the Superman logo! And I know a certain Superman fan who has a birthday coming up.
Yeah, really, I got nothing.
For former KOers, Julie Parsons and her husband just had their first baby (Michael Joseph Pruski). I think he looks like Jim Parsons, but time will tell if that bears out. Speaking of Jim, he's in a new Carraba's ad. Keep your eyes peeled.
Uh, what else...?
There are some heated debates of no consequence going on over at Nanostalgia.com. I highly recommend you pop over there.
And, look, an iPod cover with the Superman logo! And I know a certain Superman fan who has a birthday coming up.
Yeah, really, I got nothing.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
So Long, Hobbes
It's never fun to have to say good-bye to one of your own. Hobbes the ferret, a Loyal Leaguer and steadfast member of the Hop-a-Long Lounge (League Austin branch), has merged with the infinite.
Hobbes was a bright, fun, funny guy, and I'll miss the little sock. He was part of a duo, the aptly named Calvin & Hobbes, that saw Steanso through law school. He was also an excellent companion through Steanso's first years of practice.
Hobbes is survived by Steanso and Hopalong Cassidy.
For more about Hobbes, I recommend going to:
here
and
here
Via con dios, little buddy.
It's never fun to have to say good-bye to one of your own. Hobbes the ferret, a Loyal Leaguer and steadfast member of the Hop-a-Long Lounge (League Austin branch), has merged with the infinite.
Hobbes was a bright, fun, funny guy, and I'll miss the little sock. He was part of a duo, the aptly named Calvin & Hobbes, that saw Steanso through law school. He was also an excellent companion through Steanso's first years of practice.
Hobbes is survived by Steanso and Hopalong Cassidy.
For more about Hobbes, I recommend going to:
here
and
here
Via con dios, little buddy.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C., August 28, 1963.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.
Spider-Man to once again temporarily get new costume/ possibly be a clone
I haven't been following SPider-Man's "The Other" storyline. It looks like he came out the other side much redder and shinier. I haven't read teh story, but right now it's most famous for (a) a dozen cover variants, one of which was Spider-Ham, and (b) Iron man was going to give Spidey a new costume. Which pretty much meant it had to be red and yellow.
Spidey covers himself in reflective surfaces
May this costume last less time than the Super-Mullet, and may it spawn a thousand toys for Marvel.
I haven't been following SPider-Man's "The Other" storyline. It looks like he came out the other side much redder and shinier. I haven't read teh story, but right now it's most famous for (a) a dozen cover variants, one of which was Spider-Ham, and (b) Iron man was going to give Spidey a new costume. Which pretty much meant it had to be red and yellow.
Spidey covers himself in reflective surfaces
May this costume last less time than the Super-Mullet, and may it spawn a thousand toys for Marvel.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
The Weekend in Review
Howdy, Leaguers. And what a weekend it has been. Whoo. E.
Friday night we went to IHOP, and I can't recall much aside from that. I think I worked on an item I'll bring up in a bit that was for Nanostalgia.com.
Saturday was errands. We also went to go see "The Ringer" on the recommendation of my cousin who works with Special Ed kids in Pflugerville. Apparently some of the kids she knows from her work (I wasn't clear if they were her students or not) are in the movie in the background Special Olympics scenes.
Without going into a full review (which is now the realm of Nanostalgia.com), "The Ringer" is different from what was advertised. It's not an overly complicated movie, but it's certainly not what was advertised. I don't know how laugh-out-loud funny the movie is, but it also wasn't a syrupy-sweet after school special, either.
Uh, what else. We watched the Suns play the Cavs on TV. And, uhmmm..
Today I got up and headed down to Tempe to watch my buddy, Octavio, complete the PF Chang's Marathon. I have no idea what his time was, but he finished after some people and before a lot of other people. It was amazing to watch all of these crazy people crossing the finish line having had run 26 miles. We, uh... we walked like half a mile from the parking garage to the finish line to meet up with Octavio. Jamie kept saying things like "Oh, you have to mention that on The League." The only item I can recall is that I loaned my cell to some guy as he finished so he could call his wife. The guy had qualified for the Boston Marathon, which is pretty neat, but he made my phone sweaty.
Anyhoo, poor Octavio runs like 26 miles and the first face he sees is my ugly mug hooting and hollering. That's no reward.
I washed the dogs today, which is becoming a lot trickier with Lucy. She does not like the loud bathroom and being confined to the tub. She's bigger and stronger these days, so it's a lot of fun trying to do the job.
Hey, remember when The League wrote about the Star Wars Christmas album and Meco showed up in the comments section? That was weird, right?
I've been living in the comments section of "Return to Comics", and had recently shared my wisdom with Kurt, the guy who runs the joint. I had, in passing, mentioned a creator as a case in point as she had been in the comic web-o-sphere of late. The Beat had mentioned something I thought assisted an argument, and I used it.
Anyhoo, I thought I was writing about the Sony Reader and the future of electronic comics. Things haven't really degenerated into anything all that crazy, but, nonetheless, The League was quite surprised to get someone who is actually mentioned pop up. (Where was the dude who made Aliens v. Predator? That guy I would have given the business...). The creator I'd mentioned suddenly popped up in the comments like an HOUR after I'd put up the initial post.
Read here.
Because The League doesn't really expect for you to click on the link and follow the whole deal, it went sort of like this...
The League: Boy, that escalated quickly... I mean, that really got out of hand fast!
Jim D: It jumped up a notch!
The League: It did, didn't it?
RHPT: Yeah, I stabbed a man in the heart!
The League: I saw that! RHPT killed a guy! Did you throw a trident?
RHPT: Yeah, there were horses, and a man on fire, and I killed a guy with a trident!
The League: RHPT, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. You should find yourself a safehouse or a relative close by. Lay low for a while, because you're probably wanted for murder.
Howdy, Leaguers. And what a weekend it has been. Whoo. E.
Friday night we went to IHOP, and I can't recall much aside from that. I think I worked on an item I'll bring up in a bit that was for Nanostalgia.com.
Saturday was errands. We also went to go see "The Ringer" on the recommendation of my cousin who works with Special Ed kids in Pflugerville. Apparently some of the kids she knows from her work (I wasn't clear if they were her students or not) are in the movie in the background Special Olympics scenes.
Without going into a full review (which is now the realm of Nanostalgia.com), "The Ringer" is different from what was advertised. It's not an overly complicated movie, but it's certainly not what was advertised. I don't know how laugh-out-loud funny the movie is, but it also wasn't a syrupy-sweet after school special, either.
Uh, what else. We watched the Suns play the Cavs on TV. And, uhmmm..
Today I got up and headed down to Tempe to watch my buddy, Octavio, complete the PF Chang's Marathon. I have no idea what his time was, but he finished after some people and before a lot of other people. It was amazing to watch all of these crazy people crossing the finish line having had run 26 miles. We, uh... we walked like half a mile from the parking garage to the finish line to meet up with Octavio. Jamie kept saying things like "Oh, you have to mention that on The League." The only item I can recall is that I loaned my cell to some guy as he finished so he could call his wife. The guy had qualified for the Boston Marathon, which is pretty neat, but he made my phone sweaty.
Anyhoo, poor Octavio runs like 26 miles and the first face he sees is my ugly mug hooting and hollering. That's no reward.
I washed the dogs today, which is becoming a lot trickier with Lucy. She does not like the loud bathroom and being confined to the tub. She's bigger and stronger these days, so it's a lot of fun trying to do the job.
Hey, remember when The League wrote about the Star Wars Christmas album and Meco showed up in the comments section? That was weird, right?
I've been living in the comments section of "Return to Comics", and had recently shared my wisdom with Kurt, the guy who runs the joint. I had, in passing, mentioned a creator as a case in point as she had been in the comic web-o-sphere of late. The Beat had mentioned something I thought assisted an argument, and I used it.
Anyhoo, I thought I was writing about the Sony Reader and the future of electronic comics. Things haven't really degenerated into anything all that crazy, but, nonetheless, The League was quite surprised to get someone who is actually mentioned pop up. (Where was the dude who made Aliens v. Predator? That guy I would have given the business...). The creator I'd mentioned suddenly popped up in the comments like an HOUR after I'd put up the initial post.
Read here.
Because The League doesn't really expect for you to click on the link and follow the whole deal, it went sort of like this...
The League: Boy, that escalated quickly... I mean, that really got out of hand fast!
Jim D: It jumped up a notch!
The League: It did, didn't it?
RHPT: Yeah, I stabbed a man in the heart!
The League: I saw that! RHPT killed a guy! Did you throw a trident?
RHPT: Yeah, there were horses, and a man on fire, and I killed a guy with a trident!
The League: RHPT, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. You should find yourself a safehouse or a relative close by. Lay low for a while, because you're probably wanted for murder.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Ughh... I already know I will probably nerd-out over this show.
I was such a sucker for the first two Blade movies (although the 3rd one wasn't my favorite). I'm not even one of these guys who likes to dress in all black and thinks vampires are super cool. I just liked the Blade movies a heck of a lot. Well, again, maybe not the third one.
Blade TV series.
I was such a sucker for the first two Blade movies (although the 3rd one wasn't my favorite). I'm not even one of these guys who likes to dress in all black and thinks vampires are super cool. I just liked the Blade movies a heck of a lot. Well, again, maybe not the third one.
Blade TV series.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Sometimes real-life imitates comics
Such was the fate of Captain Jackson of Jackson, Michigan.
Read the article here.
I'm curious how much of the story was crafted to sound like a comic-read, and how much of it just naturally evolved in the research for the article. The whole thing sounds like a Daniel Clowes written superhero story.
But there's something so post-Watchmen about the whole thing, so very, very revealing about people through the events of the whole incident.
And do these not sound like a few panels from DKR?
Some locals said they were relieved to know Captain Jackson's true identity. Laurie Searing, 45, paused from her downtown shopping this week to question Captain Jackson's authority.
"I would like to be his nemesis," she said. "His clothes should be more loose-fitting. He's a self-appointed superhero. I don't think you should do that."
His nemesis? Although badly dressed, Cap was raising money for charities. He was helping grannies across the street. But his pants were too tight?
As odd a fixture as The League believes Captain Jackson might have been on the streets of Jackson, MI, The League is fairly sure there were worse things Captain Jackson could have been doing than trying to inspire people with acts of kindness and generosity.
We all talk a good game, but when it comes down to it, it drives us crazy to see someone actually try to do something unusual, even if its helping out others.
Of interest perhaps only to The League, this all has a familiar ring to it. Dark Knight Returns? Watchmen? JSA? Captain Carrot and his Zoo Crew? All contained heroes being disgraced and forced into retirement, usually because the heroes were eventually revealed to actually be human.
We at The League of Melbotis can can only sit idly by. Life imitates comics.
Also, it should be noted that Michigan is now down a superhero.
Ahem. Jill. Ahem.
Look, all I'm saying is "Captain Kalamazoo" has a certain ring to it.
See Captain Jackson's own website here.
Story originally found at The Beat.
For movies about folks who decide to become unlikely superheroes, see
George Washington
Blankman
Condorman
Mystery Men
Such was the fate of Captain Jackson of Jackson, Michigan.
Read the article here.
I'm curious how much of the story was crafted to sound like a comic-read, and how much of it just naturally evolved in the research for the article. The whole thing sounds like a Daniel Clowes written superhero story.
But there's something so post-Watchmen about the whole thing, so very, very revealing about people through the events of the whole incident.
And do these not sound like a few panels from DKR?
Some locals said they were relieved to know Captain Jackson's true identity. Laurie Searing, 45, paused from her downtown shopping this week to question Captain Jackson's authority.
"I would like to be his nemesis," she said. "His clothes should be more loose-fitting. He's a self-appointed superhero. I don't think you should do that."
His nemesis? Although badly dressed, Cap was raising money for charities. He was helping grannies across the street. But his pants were too tight?
As odd a fixture as The League believes Captain Jackson might have been on the streets of Jackson, MI, The League is fairly sure there were worse things Captain Jackson could have been doing than trying to inspire people with acts of kindness and generosity.
We all talk a good game, but when it comes down to it, it drives us crazy to see someone actually try to do something unusual, even if its helping out others.
Of interest perhaps only to The League, this all has a familiar ring to it. Dark Knight Returns? Watchmen? JSA? Captain Carrot and his Zoo Crew? All contained heroes being disgraced and forced into retirement, usually because the heroes were eventually revealed to actually be human.
We at The League of Melbotis can can only sit idly by. Life imitates comics.
Also, it should be noted that Michigan is now down a superhero.
Ahem. Jill. Ahem.
Look, all I'm saying is "Captain Kalamazoo" has a certain ring to it.
See Captain Jackson's own website here.
Story originally found at The Beat.
For movies about folks who decide to become unlikely superheroes, see
George Washington
Blankman
Condorman
Mystery Men
No post tonight.
Here's a link to Nanostalgia.com, The League's joint-venture with Jim D., RHPT, Steanso and a host of other media-minded morons.
Also, what will surely be a future "Toys That Should Not Be", I have a special announcement that Denise will appreciate.
Someone is going to make Gwar action figures.
That's going to be a fun item for under the Christmas tree.
Here's a link to Nanostalgia.com, The League's joint-venture with Jim D., RHPT, Steanso and a host of other media-minded morons.
Also, what will surely be a future "Toys That Should Not Be", I have a special announcement that Denise will appreciate.
Someone is going to make Gwar action figures.
That's going to be a fun item for under the Christmas tree.
Monday, January 09, 2006
Vince Young opts out of public university education, decides to be rich
This should come as a surprise to approximately no one. Vince Young has announced his intention to submit his name for the NFL draft. Following in a long line of successful UT dropouts, including Michael Dell, Robert Rodriguez and Walter Cronkite, UT Football's own Vincent Young has decided to forego his senior year at The University of Texas at Austin to make some serious bank.
Read more about all of this here.
Speculation is running wild as to which team will grab Young and in what round. Of course, these guys are as reliable as a Central Texas seven day weather forecast, and most recently spent a week predicting USC would stomp UT at the Rose Bowl.
I'm open for speculation as long as everyone adds the caveat that they are pretty much making stuff up and have no idea what will happen in the several months before the draft.
Congrats to Vince. Those maroons didn't give you the Heisman, but you beat two Heisman winners, didn't you? There's gotta be a trophy for that, too.
Oh, yeah. It looks like this.
This should come as a surprise to approximately no one. Vince Young has announced his intention to submit his name for the NFL draft. Following in a long line of successful UT dropouts, including Michael Dell, Robert Rodriguez and Walter Cronkite, UT Football's own Vincent Young has decided to forego his senior year at The University of Texas at Austin to make some serious bank.
Read more about all of this here.
Speculation is running wild as to which team will grab Young and in what round. Of course, these guys are as reliable as a Central Texas seven day weather forecast, and most recently spent a week predicting USC would stomp UT at the Rose Bowl.
I'm open for speculation as long as everyone adds the caveat that they are pretty much making stuff up and have no idea what will happen in the several months before the draft.
Congrats to Vince. Those maroons didn't give you the Heisman, but you beat two Heisman winners, didn't you? There's gotta be a trophy for that, too.
Oh, yeah. It looks like this.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
SUNS BEAT SPURS (and The League was there!!!)
Last night The League abandoned League HQ to travel to the recently renamed "US Airways Center". The contest: Your Phoenix Suns v. The Mighty San Antonio Spurs.
Tickets were provided courtesy Judy and Dick McBride via Santa.
Look, I love the Spurs. I started watching them in earnest around 1996 or so after abandoing the post-Championship Houston Rockets. I used to enjoy pretty much everybody but Vinnie Del Negro. I was a fan of David Robinson and Avery Johnson, and with the rest of the rotating cast they were a fun team to watch. And then, all of a sudden, they started winning Championship games.
Jamie and I moved out here to the Valley of the Sun, and initially I wouldn't watch The Suns. I was always scrambling up and down the dial for Spurs and Rockets games, but despite the popularity of the Spurs, they just didn't show many Spurs games out here. I watched a few Suns games, but wasn't too engaged. However, I'd really gotten to miss watching basketball in the evening as had become my habit in Austin once they launched Fox Sports Southwest.
I wasn't a Mavs fan. I can't stand Dirk Nowitzki (whiny prima donna) but I liked Nash, so once The Suns got Nash, I tuned in. Now that's a committment as every single game played is shown on one channel or another out here. SOme games, like the game on Friday night, was shown on two channels.
This season has been weird as only Nash and the highly underrated Shawn Marion are left in this season's line-up (Stoudemire is returning from surgery in February). But Mike D'Antoni is a heck of a coach, and he took a bunch of second and third stringers from other teams this year and has made them #1 in the Pacific Division.
Anyway, when you have tickets to see the Suns v. Spurs, it's hard to go wrong.
We stopped off at Majerle's before the game, then headed over to US Airways Center a little early. I wanted to go see the Paseo where they do the local pre, mid and post-game broadacasts, as well as the new "Jungle", which is sort of a mini Chuck E. Cheese's for kids up on the second level.
I'm not sure if it's because they're the current reigning champs, or some sort of Southwestern solidarity, but there were a heck of a lot of Spurs fans in attendance. Including the couple sitting next to us. Who weren't very friendly and didn't take kindly to a snip I took at Fabricio Oberto (who shares a name with a delicious brand of beef jerky).
Anyhoo, it was good and bad. We had to be on our best behavior with so many in Spurs fans in attendance, and as I'm a Spurs fan, too, I wasn't as inclined to spend the game on my feet screaming obscenities at the opposing team. Early on, Spurs looked like they were coming out strong against the Suns, but the Suns quickly caught up, and the Spurs never took the lead again despite a 4th quarter surge.
Manu Ginobili is a great player, but he's very frustrating to watch play live. I don't think the Suns have really forgiven him for falling over on Leandro Barbosa and effectively taking him out for the season with a knee injury. Everytime he hit the court, he was boo'd by Suns fans. Not that it really seemed to distract him. Once you decide a guy is a shady player, you start to notice a lot of little things he does that are kind of, goofy. Apparently the refs noticed it too, and by the 4th quarter the refs quit calling fouls on anyone around Manu. Which, of course, drove him insane. Anyway, Pop took him out and it wasn't an issue.
It wasn't a great game for either team. Both teams were playing beyond what I would describe as "competitively", and seemed kind of like they were out to beat each other up a little as much as score points. Except for Duncan. Duncan was just being Duncan.
We had a great time, and I walked out with an official Phoenix Suns Gorilla (that's our mascot. A gorilla. I have no idea why.) Jamie got a nice cap.
Will the Suns make the play-offs? Absolutely. Once Grant, Barbosa and Stoudemire come back, we're going to be better than #1 in our division. We're going to be fighting for a top slot in our conference.
But the Spurs are going to be the team to beat as long as they retain their current line-up.
Oh, and the half-time entertainment was hip-hop violist Miri Ben-Ari. That was really odd, but still a lot of fun. Much more so than the "Showstoppers Live!" Casino Entertainment we saw last year.
Last night The League abandoned League HQ to travel to the recently renamed "US Airways Center". The contest: Your Phoenix Suns v. The Mighty San Antonio Spurs.
Tickets were provided courtesy Judy and Dick McBride via Santa.
Look, I love the Spurs. I started watching them in earnest around 1996 or so after abandoing the post-Championship Houston Rockets. I used to enjoy pretty much everybody but Vinnie Del Negro. I was a fan of David Robinson and Avery Johnson, and with the rest of the rotating cast they were a fun team to watch. And then, all of a sudden, they started winning Championship games.
Jamie and I moved out here to the Valley of the Sun, and initially I wouldn't watch The Suns. I was always scrambling up and down the dial for Spurs and Rockets games, but despite the popularity of the Spurs, they just didn't show many Spurs games out here. I watched a few Suns games, but wasn't too engaged. However, I'd really gotten to miss watching basketball in the evening as had become my habit in Austin once they launched Fox Sports Southwest.
I wasn't a Mavs fan. I can't stand Dirk Nowitzki (whiny prima donna) but I liked Nash, so once The Suns got Nash, I tuned in. Now that's a committment as every single game played is shown on one channel or another out here. SOme games, like the game on Friday night, was shown on two channels.
This season has been weird as only Nash and the highly underrated Shawn Marion are left in this season's line-up (Stoudemire is returning from surgery in February). But Mike D'Antoni is a heck of a coach, and he took a bunch of second and third stringers from other teams this year and has made them #1 in the Pacific Division.
Anyway, when you have tickets to see the Suns v. Spurs, it's hard to go wrong.
We stopped off at Majerle's before the game, then headed over to US Airways Center a little early. I wanted to go see the Paseo where they do the local pre, mid and post-game broadacasts, as well as the new "Jungle", which is sort of a mini Chuck E. Cheese's for kids up on the second level.
I'm not sure if it's because they're the current reigning champs, or some sort of Southwestern solidarity, but there were a heck of a lot of Spurs fans in attendance. Including the couple sitting next to us. Who weren't very friendly and didn't take kindly to a snip I took at Fabricio Oberto (who shares a name with a delicious brand of beef jerky).
Anyhoo, it was good and bad. We had to be on our best behavior with so many in Spurs fans in attendance, and as I'm a Spurs fan, too, I wasn't as inclined to spend the game on my feet screaming obscenities at the opposing team. Early on, Spurs looked like they were coming out strong against the Suns, but the Suns quickly caught up, and the Spurs never took the lead again despite a 4th quarter surge.
Manu Ginobili is a great player, but he's very frustrating to watch play live. I don't think the Suns have really forgiven him for falling over on Leandro Barbosa and effectively taking him out for the season with a knee injury. Everytime he hit the court, he was boo'd by Suns fans. Not that it really seemed to distract him. Once you decide a guy is a shady player, you start to notice a lot of little things he does that are kind of, goofy. Apparently the refs noticed it too, and by the 4th quarter the refs quit calling fouls on anyone around Manu. Which, of course, drove him insane. Anyway, Pop took him out and it wasn't an issue.
It wasn't a great game for either team. Both teams were playing beyond what I would describe as "competitively", and seemed kind of like they were out to beat each other up a little as much as score points. Except for Duncan. Duncan was just being Duncan.
We had a great time, and I walked out with an official Phoenix Suns Gorilla (that's our mascot. A gorilla. I have no idea why.) Jamie got a nice cap.
Will the Suns make the play-offs? Absolutely. Once Grant, Barbosa and Stoudemire come back, we're going to be better than #1 in our division. We're going to be fighting for a top slot in our conference.
But the Spurs are going to be the team to beat as long as they retain their current line-up.
Oh, and the half-time entertainment was hip-hop violist Miri Ben-Ari. That was really odd, but still a lot of fun. Much more so than the "Showstoppers Live!" Casino Entertainment we saw last year.
Friday, January 06, 2006
Rosebowl Cont'd...
How can we cheer up the USC Trojans after their miserable defeat at the hands of the Mighty Longhorns of the University of Texas?
With SONG AND DANCE.
Thanks to RHPT for the link.
Also, from Reed-o...
Up is down, black is white...
How can we cheer up the USC Trojans after their miserable defeat at the hands of the Mighty Longhorns of the University of Texas?
With SONG AND DANCE.
Thanks to RHPT for the link.
Also, from Reed-o...
Up is down, black is white...
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