Zombie Week Continues...

Zombie or Supermodel...you make the call!

For a larger easier to read version head over to Eatliver.com

Best and Worst of Zombies...

Just a few pro's and con's of dealing with, being, and watching the Undead!

Pro's

*No need for a job! -- Let's face it, you are not going to get hired to do a damn thing if you come back from the dead. I don't care how great your CV was prior

*There doesn't seem like there is going to be a big need for cash for anything. -- What with the running (or fast walking) around and eating of brains and all.

*You usually don't see a lot of Zombie on Zombie violence. -- Think about that one. When was the last time you watched a zombie movie that had one Zombie attack another, unprovoked.
*Life span, such as it is, seems to be pretty decent as long as you can get some brains!
*Pretty much everyone knows how to kill a zombie...so even the dummies among us shouldn't have a steep learning curve on how to battle their way to freedom (or at least help their smarter friends survive a little longer).
*Finally those fencing lessons, baseball swing coach sessions and redneck bow hunting sessions will come in handy.


Con's
*You're Fucking un-dead. -- enough said
*Communication skills seem to revert back to grunts and groans with no discernible vocal structure-- On the bright side --> I'll never have to hear a new Justin Beiber song on the radio!!!
*A ton of walking. -- Apparently zombies don't remember how to drive cars so there is a lot of walking and staggering from A to B.
*No sex...at least as far as we know.--  What's the point of living forever as a grumpy flesh eater if, you know, you can't get it on, or even rub one off, without the risk of vital parts just falling off?
*Let's face it, at a certain point we are going to run out of ammo.
Best and worst of the Zombie culture

Best:
World War Z -- Max Brooks
Zombie Survival Guide -- Max Brooks
Shaun of the Dead
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
The Walking Dead
Fido -- tragically under seen zombie movie in my opinion. It's a touching story about a boy...and his pet zombie (p.s. Billy Connelly is Awesome)
Everything George Romero

Worst:
Zombie Strippers
Zombies of Mass Destruction
Most TV zombies prior to The Walking Dead
Running Zombies -- as the motivational picture at the top says, Running Zombies -- Now we're fucked.

Too Close to call:
Internet Zombie Fan fiction-- now I'm not one to begrudge a growing writer...my own blog is no prize winner. But, there has a to be a point where someone says enough is enough. Some of these writers have to have at least one friend who can say "dude, maybe you should just keep that one for yourself." Really this extends out to the whole fan fiction sub genre.  Don't get me wrong. Some is actually really good. There are also some underground zombie fanfic graphic novels that are both well written and well drawn. And as zombie art goes...the Internet is filled with bad ass Zombie art. Take this guy for instance who has been tattooed to look like the undead. Over Kill? Yes. Bad Ass? Hell Yes!

While trying to think where my love of the living dead started I would have to say it was one of the many original Night of the Living Dead movies. Which transitioned me nicely into video games like Resident Evil and then back into movies like Shaun of the Dead, Resident Evil, Night/Dawn/Day of the dead.

More Zombies....

I'm starting to think this is Zombie theme week for me!  I can't seem to shake thoughts of the undead. Most of which are the normal thoughts:

Where do I go when the undead rise?
How many weapons are too many weapons to carry around when fending off the flesh eaters?
If I get bitten, do I want to turn of be popped in the head?
Would I kill my best friend if he turned into a zombie? Or keep him in a shed in the back yard chained to a post so we could play Playstation? (thank you Shaun of the Dead for making that an option!)

But, the real mind benders are the thoughts that, as George Carlin once stated, "are the ones that kept me out of the good schools!"

If the dead return...would the Beatles get back together?
What would zombie Jimi Hendrix sound like?
Who would be the first person to get a Zombie reality show?
Who (and you know this would happen) would be the first celebrity caught with a zombie hooker? -- even money is on Charlie Sheen at the present time. Hell, he may actually be a zombie when the revolution comes!

See what I have to deal with when I let my mind wander on a topic??

Zombies, Zombies and More Zombies (with a little Donald Duck too)

Apparently I've had zombies on the brain for the last few days. I had a dream last night that I had to fight off the zombie attack with nothing more than a broad sword and the help of Donald Duck. I swear I was doing no drugs before I went to bed...I have no idea where Donald came from. Also, it's sadly not the first time I've had that dream!

On a side note -- Donald Duck sucks at killing zombies. His height is an advantage to eluding zombies, but does tend to decrease his accuracy at acheiving proper zombie kill shots (he has to shot them in the knees then the head, not very practical).

Apparently, in my dream state zombie dream world there are no rules. The dead rise, robots are on the side of the zombies, cats lay with dogs, and cartoon characters have joined the fight to stop the revolt. Yeah, there were robots too...and some pretty witty dialogue if I remember correctly.  I'm pretty sure if I cold rememebr all my jacked up dreams I would be able to pull a killer movie out of the ramblings. Or, at least a good graphic novel.

Not to toot my own horn...but I have some awesome freaking dreams. Maybe I should keep a note pad near my bed, or a tape recorder to save these nuggets of awesomeness. If you are into dream analysis I beg you to tell me what this is all about. The big book of dreams I got at Boarders about 10 years ago covers 10,000 dreams and nothing comes close to covering this one!!

Nutter Radio -- the follow up

This is the first time I am actively setting time aside to listen to Coast to Coast AM.  I usually find it on the way home...or when my Pandora app doesn't want to work (iHeartRadio also a fine app). But, for tonight...I am eagerly waiting for my Coast to Coast AM Show.

What topic has be all excited? Aliens...nope! Economics...nope! Ghosts...Nope!  The answer is politics.  That's right politics....with a twist.


Vote or Die! or could it be
Die and Vote!


Zombies baby...zombies!

Tonight on Coast to Coast AM...the ramifications of the coming zombie Apocalypse on world government. Specifically, what if they get organized and take control of government. Awe--wait for it--SOME!!!

Apparently there have been some "serious" studies that have been done on the subject that have dealt with the ramifications of the dead returning to this world and possibly holding a majority vote advantage over the living.

This may be the finest few hours of radio EVER broadcast. Forget "War of the Worlds", forget charity concerts, politics in a world over populated by zombies = best ever!

For a good read check out this pdf file that, a few years back, was up on the University of Florida's website. It lays out the student guidelines for a zombie outbreak on campus. It has all the important info: where to go, how and when classes would be cancelled. Most important of all it answers the age old questions of, "When does it become acceptable to kill you teacher/roommate?". All around good info to have!

Nutter Radio

God Bless AM radio!!

AM radio...especially late night AM radio is by far the best form of free entertainment. Nothing beats a no holds barred call in show that is on at like 12:30-4:00am. This is when you can hear what the "local expert" has to say about everything from: your favorite sports teams, to the hot political debate of the day.

Then you have my personal favorite of all late night programs: Coast to Coast AM with your host George Noory  Never has there been a finer collection of crack-pot theories, absolute wack-jobs and truly interesting discussions.

On the show you will hear "experts" talk about everything from the global impact of the Gulf Oil Spill and the Japanese Tsunami to UFO sightings, Ghost hunting and Mayan doomsday predictions. Then you get a few hours of callers either on topic or calling in on the "Wild Card Line" where anything goes!!

The best part of the show is that George is the most even keeled, honest, respectful host I have ever heard. I really don't know how much of the topics on the show that he personally believe. But, he has never talked down to a guest or caller, belittled a point of view, or laughed at someone.

What really gets me laughing is that out here in Phoenix he is on 550am KFYI (a Fox radio station). The slogan for KFYI is "Fair and balanced"....I guess there is some truth in advertising. At least George fits that bill. Not sure if the same can be said for Michael Savage, Rush Limbaugh or most of the other show hosts!

Keep going George. I love the fact that one day I am sitting in my car mocking and laughing at people's crazy ass stories. I said that George never mocks...I on the other hand mock the crap out of most of these people! The next day I am amazed at what I am actually learning. Either way I remember what is said...and that's the mark of a good entertainer.

The Times They Are a Changin'

Pretty sure Bob Dylan never saw this one coming....

Libyan plane destroyed by French jet

I can fondly remember a time, just a few months ago, when the French were simply a bunch of  "cheese eating surrender monkeys" (thank you Simpson's for forever etching that phrase into my mind!) Now they are bona fide warriors...striking fear (or at least mild confusion) into the hearts of the Libyan Air Force.
 
Which brings up another thought.... Was I the only one shocked to find out that Libya had an Air Force?
 
I know, I know, I'm not all that up-to-date on the status of other countries armed forces. But, for some reason that kind of shocked me.
 
Maybe it has something to do with the news reports that showed Libyan rebels who were heading to the front lines and didn't even know how to load their guns!! I get the fact that those are rebels with found guns. Essentially, the modern day equivalent of a peasant uprising with pitchforks. Still, that's kinda of sad, it also colours my view of their actual armed forces.
 
Now, I'm not a big gun nut but let's face it. How hard is it to figure out that you need to slide the clip with the bullets into the gun from the large hole in the bottom of the grip.  I'd say that's something that really needs to be worked out before you jump into your ass old Toyota and head to the front lines!
 
That's almost as funny to me as the report a month or so back where Chinese State television used a clip from the movie Top Gun and claimed it was news footage of their Air Force doing practice maneuvers. Pay no attention to the fact that their 2011 Air Force was made up of 80's era F-14a Tomcats and 80's era Soviet MiG-28 fighters! (those are just details).
 
I don't point these things out to make light of what is a very serious situation in Libya...but it does make you step back and realize that there are people out there who have issues that may or may not far out weigh you and your problems.

Slow down, you move to fast!

I never realized how much I enjoyed going to the gym! I try to go a few times a week. Usually after work around 12:30am. It wasn't until the other day that I realized how much I must really enjoy going to work out in the late night hours.

How excited was I? Well....I'm glad you asked.

I was so excited that I got to have a personal chat with a friendly Arizona DPS officer after he pulled me over for speeding!

Apparently I was traveling at about 75mph in a 65mph zone. Now, I will be the first to admit that I was going above the posted speed limit. But, I really don't think that I was tooling along at 75! But, who am I to argue with "The Man"!??

So now thanks to my over eagerness to get to the gym, and the first DPS officer I have seen on that stretch of road in two years, I get the joy of attending traffic school for the first time since about 1998. On the bright side things have changed since last I selected to attend this type of schooling!

1-It's no longer an 8 hour class (thank God)
2-It can now be completed in 4 hours via the internet
3-I have the option of attending the class via The Improv (comedy traffic school...hell yes!)

So I now have to block out 4 hours to sit back relax and pretend to (re)learn stuff I already know. They claim that they have never had anyone fail the quiz...so that's a plus.

Oh, and I get to spend $164 for the privilege.

Work from Home....

So, I may have the opportunity to start working from home in the near future. But, I am a little unsure about if I want to make this kind of change!?

I'm a big fan of Pro -vs- Con so I thought I'd just put this out there as a list.

Work from Home PRO's:

No travel time means more time to sleep!
No travel distance means less money spent on gas!
Working from home means No Dress Code (take that one how you want!)
During the summer I can go to my parents house less than a mile away to take a swim on my lunch hour!
During the summer, and other times really, I can go to the Gym during my lunch hour rather than having to go when i get off work at 12:30am!
Probably would spend a lot less on food since I wouldn't find myself eating a few meals a week out!

Work from Home CON's:

Wouldn't get face to face time with leadership and coach's.
Wouldn't get to see work peeps with the exception of once a month
When the dog barks he may not stop for a LONG time.
Would really need to invest a little money in office furniture type objects...like a desk, chair, Cat 6 cable to connect to internet!
Seems that work from home computers have a tendency to get "buggy" and I already get frustrated enough when my desktop goes down!

Everyone who works from home seems to love it. There is almost never a request to return from work at home to working back in the office. Anyone have any suggestions on what to do or what to look for if I do decide to take the leap and request the move home?

Jessie J -- Do It Like a Dude, Price Tag (feat. B.O.B)

Last round of video's for the day...may just start a week of videos for fun next month!!

Tinie Tempah feat Ellie Goulding -- Wonderman

Noah and the Whale - L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N

Skepta -- Amnesia

Wretch 32 -- Traktor

New (to me) Artists

So thanks in equal parts to my sister and BBC radio 1 I am now hooked on a host of new bands. The Script, Skepta, Wretch 32, Noah & the Whale just to name a few.

There is always a pro and con to situations like this.

Pro:  New music to listen to!!
Con: Not a lot of the music is available in the states if they are just big overseas!
Pro:  If you like the new stuff there is usually a back log of old albums to listen to
Con: Not a lot of the old stuff is available in the states! (Pattern)

In these cases the are a few avenues to turn to...you can download the music from an illegal source (BOO!!!) or you can turn your hard earn money over to Amazon.co.uk (Yeah) or you can fire up the Pandora Radio and Sirius app (both good options).

As of right now I was able to buy the Script and all three Noah and the Whale albums at the local record store--Winning! I was able to legally download a few of the choice tracks I was looking for--Winning! I have new Pandora stations set up for Noah and the Whale and Skepta!! But, I still can't get my hands actually on a CD for Wretch 32 (which is because album isn't out). 

I had a chance a few weeks back to pick up a copy of Noah and the Whale's "Peaceful, the Wold Lays me Down" at a used book store. But, at the time I had no clue who they were!! I only remember because my sister was talking about them and lets face it...the name will stick with you! Lucky for me I was able to find the albums the other day at Zia Records.

For now I will just have to live with Pandora, BBC1 and a handful of songs!! My current favs for those guys are:

Skepta (feat Diddy Dirty Money) -- Hello, Good Morning (Grime remix)

Skepta -- Rescue Me

Skepta -- Amnesia

Wretch 32 -- Traktor
Noah and the Whale -- L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N



other favs that you may want to keep an ear out for are:

Jessie J (feat. B.O.B)  -- Price Tag
Jessie J -- Do it like a Dude
Katy Perry (feat. Tinie Tempah) -- E.T. (remix)
Tinie Tempah (feat. Ellie Goulding) -- Wonderman
Twista (feat. Chrs Brown) -- Make a Movie  ...Just the other day I was wondering "What the heck is Twista doing right now?"

There are also two songs that I am kinda ashamed to admit that I like...but what else is the Internet for other than making bold crazy statements and professions of like/love!? Those two songs are:

Willow Smith (feat. Tinie Tempah) -- Whip My Hair .... seriously, I have no right liking this song!
Brittney Spears (feat. Flo Rida) -- Hold it Against Me

Both songs I attribute to the featuring artist that helps pull me in...even though I am not really a fan of Flo Rida. But, Tinie will get me to listen to any track. I mean come on, I listened to Willow Smith!!

Best Job Ever (pt2)

Just a follow up thought...

Wonder if Shigeo Takuda has missed anytime at work due to the quake and tsunami? Or if he has powered through and kept his job going.

Because remember Mr Takuda...if you don't go to work...the terrorists win! (terrorists...mother nature...whomever!)

Best Job Ever...

Remember....Respect your Elders.

They may just be secret Japanese porn stars! Seriously, you can't make this stuff up! I

According to a LA Times story by John M. Glionna,  "For years, a Tokyo grandfather kept a dirty little secret from his family. Longtime travel agent Shigeo Tokuda, who resembles countless older men who ride the Tokyo subway each day, admitted to his wife and daughter that he sometimes performed cameos in small-budget films."

By far my favorite part of the story is a quote by Tokuda which states, "I'm a role model for a lot of men...I do my best."

Bravo to you sir! Don't let the strict culture and ageism of today keep you from doing what you love. (even if that is much MUCH younger girls!)

It's stories like this that make me think about revisiting a few past favorites of the blog.

Crazy story of the week/Dumb Criminal activity  and  Douchebag of the Week. May have to give it some serious thought.

Crazy unproductive...

Best part of not doing a NCAA March Madness bracket...being able to enjoy the crazy upsets and random stories of the tourney.

In the past I've gone a little crazy with March Madness. Well...crazy is a relative term I guess. I would go so far as to say that at one point I may have been closing in on Charlie Sheen levels of crazy. Granted that was college and what else is a guy going to do but fill out like 40 different brackets between classes, friends, online, family, coworkers, friends of friends...etc! It was out of control.

But, over the last few years I have narrowed it down to maybe 1 bracket if I find the time (1-2min) to fill it out online. Thankfully that has allowed me to be able to enjoy the last few years of games without having a aneurysm when there is an upset that will knock me out of the money round somewhere. Believe me, when you do upwards of 20 brackets at a time....every game has the ability to "take you out of the money".

This year has already been marked by a few upsets...most notably being Louisville losing in the first round. Which did kill the one bracket that I was doing! But, lucky for me it was on Facebook and there was no money involved.

You know what else comes with no bracket? More time spent working and less time spent watching ESPN score tracker or CBSsportsline.com!!  The most time I will lose to the tournament this year will be on my days off and the one half day of work I put in for so that I could watch Illinois play tomorrow!

I-L-L             I-N-I     

Go orange and blue!!

(untitled)

I got a moment to ponder things last night at work. Seems people finally decided that late night wasn't the right time to be calling a customer service oriented job. Fingers crossed that the same goes for today with people getting drunk/lucky or both!!

What I got to thinking was the following...God I'm glad I have an unlimited data plan with my iPhone. While spending most of the day listening to Pandora Internet Radio, then most of the night watching episodes of Man-Vs-Food and Futurama on my phone I realized that if I was tied down to a set limit of 2gb I would be going broke pretty damn fast!

Which leads to to another problem for down the road...cell plans for while I am in Europe later this year.  I know that I can purchase international minutes and an international roaming plan. But, I live on the web with my phone. I text and play games, listen to music and watch movies. All using a data plan that I won't be able to use for the 10 days I am out of country.

So, I guess my options are try to curtail my data usage as we get closer to travel time. Or, and this may not be a smart idea, try to go cold turkey!  Once I'm out of the country I'm off the web with the exception of at the hotel or Wi-Fi hot spot!

While cold turkey can be fine. It can also cause more problems then it's worth. Case in point when I tried to stop drinking caffeine cold turkey (not that data usage and a substance dependency is the same) but I ended up sick for a few days and just gave in and chugged a Dew and drank some coffee. Falling off the cold turkey wagon in this case could lead to a cell phone bill that only teenagers have achieved before!

I know I don't want to leave my phone at home and just pick up a European burner! I can only imagine how much fun that would be!

Long story short...I love my unlimited data and if AT&T ever decides that I am no longer "grandfather" eligible and have pay for a data tier I'll probably bitch and moan and consider changing carriers (but probably won't). Until then I will enjoy my unlimited data during a month where I use close to 12gb of data!! Thanks in small part to MLB2011, Netflix, Pandora, Sirius and a host of games!

App addiction

I am always amazed at the price of apps in the iTunes app store! There is always that one app that is like $999 and does essentially nothing. But, somehow got approved by the Apple App deptartment. I always see those as the great in joke around the Apple office.

Employee 1: "Let's see what the most over priced piece of crap is that we can push out and actually have someone buy."
Employee 2: "Yeah, useless and at a price point that people will have to believe it's awesome. How about just under $1000...let's say $999!!"
#1: "Awesome, I just made the first one!!"

That's the only way I can justify some of the crappy apps I have seen in the past. Essentially my phone is filled with a ton of free apps and only a handful of things that I have paid for. There is a large grouping of games that were all purchased for $.99 with the most expensive one being the $4.99 I spent on Press Your Luck.

Year in and year out though there is one app that is worth it's weight in gold, MLB's  "At Bat" app is a steal at $14.99

For the year you will get every home and away radio broadcast, news, video highlights, the occasional free MLB.TV game. Every displaced home fan should look into this app. The only down side is that if you listten to multiple games a week or if you watch one of the free games/videos then you can chew through your data plan pretty quick!

Pretty damn awesome though if you have unlimited data and a need to listen to every Cubs radio broadcast during the regular season and spring training.

Robin Hood -- A look back

So, if you've looked over some of my old posts you will realize that I am a huge fan of all things BBC. Especially their dramas.

MI:5, Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes, Dr. Who, Primeval, Chris Ryan's Strikeback, and of course Robin Hood.

BBC Dramas for some reason just seem to have better acting, better story telling, and a much cleaner look than their American cousins (some being Bastard cousins in the case of the Life on Mars remake). Not sure if you can attribute that to a severely reduced number of episodes per "series" or the fact that in many cases you don't have a team of writes kicking out stories, but rather one or two really good writers who can craft a series' arc and development.

Robin Hood is a great example. With three series and only 40 episodes the show accomplished pulling off a sweeping tale of intrigue in what would amount to not even two full US seasons. The best part was there were still stories to tell. But, thanks to the lead actor Jonas Armstrong wanting to branch out and do other projects it was ended after three series with a rather unique spin on the Robin Hood tale.

That got me thinking what are some of my favorite band of merry men doing with their post RH acting careers?

Jonas Armstrong -- Robin Hood -- Wanted to end the series so he could focus on other projects. According to IMDB there haven't been a whole lot of others since Robin Hood ended in 2009. He has done the Clive Barker film "Book of Blood" which was pretty good for what it was. 3 episodes of the show The Street, and two movies one in post production and one in pre production. So, right now it looks like that next big project hasn't come.

Sam Troughton -- Much -- Sadly, nothing since Robin Hood ended. But, if you need a fix you can always pick up movies like Vera Drake and Alien -Vs-  Predator or Messiah: The Promise, a mini-series that is a personal favorite of mine,

Gordon Kennedy -- Little John -- Again not a whole lot. According to IMDB Gordon has done a handful on one off appearances in TV shows like Skins and Doctors. Plus, he has a TV movie Red Faction: Origins in pre-production that will also star T2 star Robert Patrick and one of my favorite people on the planet -- Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto from Torchwood)

Joe Armstrong -- Alan A Dale -- I know it's only been two years since the show ended but this seems to be a trend amongst the cast....only a few TV guest spots. The most notable of which is an appearance on Hustle sometime this year.

Richard Armitage -- Guy of Gisborne -- Hands down the best post Robin Hood career of anyone in the cast. 25 episodes of MI-5, 6 episodes of Strikeback (with a 2nd series being ordered). Plus his movie career looks to be in pretty good shape since he is going to be in Captain America: The First Avenger and the two film adaptation of The Hobbit.  Gotta say things look pretty good for Guy.

Lucy Griffith (Marion), Keith Allen (The Sheriff), and Harry Lloyd (Wil Scarlett) all have series appearances under their belt with Harry Lloyd being the only one with a "regular" appearance with 5 episodes of Taking the Flak.

All in all the post Robin Hood haze seems to have cleared with Richard Armitage being the clear cut winner! It's sad though since I loved the group as a whole...oh!! lets not forget Anjali Jay (Djaq) who only has one episode of a show called the Fixer. :-(

Uncle Charlie

Sorry kids, I have some bad news to tell you. Are you sitting down? Good....

Uncle Charlie has gone crazy!

Now I know, you thought he was just a little strange, eccentric maybe. What with his cocaine and hooker fixation. But now he has gone over to a new level of crazy. I'd say I have to add a new level to my current scale of crazy.

As it sits the scale is as follows (from Lowest level to Highest):

Slightly off-- Run of the mill everyday insanity. Example: job has you frantic, kids won't shut up, life seems to be ganging up on you.

Nuts-- A little more than slightly off...there may actually be some emotional issues at play here. Example: these are the people who claim to talk to aliens, see portals to other worlds, and generally creep you out when you see them talking to themselves in public

Crazy-- Here you have serious lapses in judgement. Usually followed by a period of "normal" activity. Example: Nick Nolte, Mel Gibson and most other celebrities.

Nic Cage Bat Shit Crazy-- Not actually saying that Mr. Cage is crazy...but he does play a crazy person in the movies...and rather well too! Example: Gone in 60 Seconds, Snake Eyes....pretty much anything done in the last 15 years!

That is where the chart used to cut off. But, now...thanks to Uncle Charlie we have added a new level. Bat Shit Nic Cage Crazy is no longer the gold standard. Now I unveil....(Drum roll please.....)

Charlie "Tiger Blood" Sheen out of your fucking mind, Mel Gibson is thankful he isn't you, Balls Ass Crazy!!! -- This is some next level shit! Example: Charlie "Tiger Blood, Adonis DNA, Winning, Warlock, Vatican Assassin" Sheen.  Granted I may need to find a shorter title or an abbreviation for this one as it doesn't roll of the tongue quite as nice as Nic Cage Bat Shit Crazy does..

Hopefully Uncle Charlie gets his act together before he ends up another tragic Hollywood footnote like John Belushi, James Dean and Marilyn Monroe. There is still hope though that he could come out on the other side of this thing like only a handful really have.  This is very similar to the start of the road that Robert Downey Jr. was heading down about 11 years ago! Fingers crossed!!

On a side note if you are enthralled by all things Charlie Sheen you can catch him on the road! That's right... Charlie is taking his show on the road! "My Violent Torpedo of Truth / Defeat Is Not an Option Show." Opens with a show in Detroit and one in Chicago and possible future dates TBD.  Sign up now if in the area $35 gets you a ringside seat to this three ring circus/train wreck!!

Reading list...

Take a Look, it's in a Book...
Reading Rainbow.

I really need to read more! Just noticed that I haven't really read a book in while. The last being "Heat Wave" by Richard Castle. Yes, that Richard Castle (aka: Nathan Fillion, aka: a novel tie in to a tv show)!

While Heat Wave was a fun read it wasn't very much of a challenge. It essentially was an extension of the series. Which means it was dead on target! Some of the gags and situations were lifted right from season one. Which makes sense since Castle was shadowing Det. Beckett during the time leading up to the book! So, it pays off on what I thought it would be.

Before Heat Wave the last book I read was "Assholes Finish First" by Tucker Max. While funny, it was a re-hash of the same stuff that appeared in his first book, "I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell".  Granted there were some truely funny moments I kinda of lost interest by the end of the book.

Other titles in the last year are a collection of novels based on the TV show 24 and Dr. Who. So, what I am trying to say is that I need some substance in my reading life!  I have a copy of Chuck Klosterman's "Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs" just mocking me. A biography of Gram Parsons that has been screaming to be read for about 2 years now. A few Christopher Moore books tha I still haven't finished ("Coyote Blue" and "Fluke") and a novel by Jimmy Carter called "The Hornet's Nest" that I bought right when it came out in 2003!

The moral of the story so far is that I suck at finding time to read!

I have a ton of recomendations for books and authors to read: Dave Eggers, Nick Hornsby, more Klosterman, and a second Richard Castle novel!!  The sad fact is that I just don't find the time to sit and relax with a book. Usually, relaxing at my house involves TV shows that have been on my DVR for months, a movie, or a drive around town.

I think I need to find an excuse to read more. Or maybe I should channel my reading in another direction...how about learning another language? Nah, not worth my time...three days in Paris isn't enough of a reason to learn French!

Childhood memories

Watching Community the other day got me thinking about Reading Rainbow (Levar Burton is awesome) and a few of my other childhood memories.  Some things and people, outside of your immediate family, have a lasting impressino on you. Some of my childhood favorites are....

Levar Burton -- Don't listen to the kids who taunted you for liking Star Trek the Next Generation. Just blame in on an extension of the awesomeness that was the long running show Reading Rainbow.  Levar Burton made reading cool. Whenever this show came on as a youth you knew it was time to have fun, learn something, have fun, uh...and have fun. Kids shows didn't get a whole lot cooler than this. PBS back in the day was a goldmine of great children's programming. Seems sad that we may soon have a generation of kids who don't know what public broadcasting (on a national level) is. If it wasn't for PBS I wouldnt' be the person I am today, a friendly guy who loves reading and enjoys the comedy of Monty Python and Are You Being Served. Yeah, PBS did that and Levar Burton helped!

Fred Rogers --  That's Mr. Rogers to you!! Remember when you were a kid and all that mattered was getting up, watching some cartoons, playing with friends and finding out what was going on in this man's neighborhood? It was a simpler time. Even to this day I have to smile when I seem some random old man in a red sweater.  Mr. Rogers was not only a role model for kids to look up to he was the kind of guy who was a role model to all types (and ages) of people, Next time you are in your local book store look for the books that have the wisdom of Mr. Rogers. There is still a great deal he can teach you about being a grown up, or for finding the kid still inside us all.

OG Readmore -- Yeah that just happened. Not sure why he makes the list. As Saturday Morning Cartoon PSA spokesmen go I think he ranks well below Smokey Bear and...well...I can't really think of another one! But, I still love this book loving nautical cat. I seriously almost went as OG to a Halloween party a few years back. But, after further thought realized that I would spend most of the night trying to get people to figure out a costume for a character that I probably have no right remembering myself. So I think OG Readmore was dumped for just some random O.G.

Bill Cosby -- The man was America's dad for god sake! Funny guy, strict dad, devoted husband. Lover of all things jazz and grilled. Bill showed America that just because a family looked different that you...that didn't mean that they were different than you. I'm pretty sure that his comedy and TV dad style rubbed off on my own father. Looking at the picture to the right I would say that if he didn't have that exact sweater in his closet he had it's near clone.  Funny without ever being vulgar or degrading, Cosby set the standard for wholesome funny. Even his 8:15 12:15 album which was supposed to have a more adult oriented second disk was tame by today's standards. Not afraid to speak his mind on a host of topics today, Bill remains one of my favorite, non-family, people who have been in my life in some form since I was a youngster.

Bob Ross -- How can you not like a guy who makes painting seem cool. Cool catchphrase "Happy little trees"!! A giant white Afro! The man had it all! Again another product of PBS being a big draw at our house. Still have to watch anytime it's on in re-runs. Sadly, I tend to fall fast asleep every time I watch it. Bob's soothing voice is like a lullaby from my youth!!

The Event

Well, looks like I may be walking down a familiar path real soon. As I said the other day when talking about The Cape getting pulled by NBC...things unfortunately do not look strong for my other favorite new show, The Event.

According to the Syfy news forum Blastr, " The series returned from its three-month mid-season hiatus with two back-to-back episodes that could only score a 1.4/4 rating, with 5.53 million total vies in the first hour and 4.59 in the second, or a shocking drop of 25 percent."

When will networks learn that what a show NEVER needs is three months off the air when it's trying to find an audience.  A week here and there is bad enough to screw with the most loyal watcher of a new show. But, three months off in mid-season is a killer!

Blaster went on to quote show executive producer Evan Katz (who previously worked on Fox's 24) about the down time. "I think the mistake was not starting us in January to begin with. I mean, as a serialized show. It was like, we need to run these episodes straight through."

I agree with Katz. One of the great things about 24 was that once it started it hit the ground running and you knew that, baring a national event, there was going to be no break in episodes. 24 even had the added bonus of running episodes on back-to-back nights to increase the pull.

The Event is a good show, with a great cast. I personally love serialized drama like this.

Another point the Blastr artricle brought up was that DVR numbers are another story for the show. When the last episode aired in November it got an almost 53 percent boost in DVR numbers. I think it's about time the networks realized that the traditional TV view who sits down and watches a show as it airs, on the night it airs has become a thing of the past.  The family that sits down around the TV every Monday night at 8pm to watch their favorite show is dead...long live the new king...and that king is the DVR.

Fingers crossed that the network gets the message and waits until all the information is in and doesn't make a knee jerk reaction and cut the order or can The Event all together.

European Bucket List.

With my impending travel to Europe (you know...where History comes from) I have decided to think about the few things that will be readily available to be added to my to do list. I was thinking of amending my actual bucket list. But, now that travel plans have been made and the actual trips is in sight I feel like that may be cheating. So some of these will be lifted from my original bucket list of a while back, while others will be new and improved. Right now the plan is to visit England, Ireland, France and maybe a few other countries.I think I'll break them up into a few sections. -- submissions are welcomed, encouraged even!

Section I: food and beverage.
1. Drink a pint of Guiness in an actual Irish pub.
2. Slam down some Absinthe in France
3. Fish and Chips in England...possibly from a lunch van..
4. Eat TRADITIONAL Haggis (not from a can)
5. Try at least one traditional dish in each country that I can't get in the states.
6. When possible eat local. Skip eating anywhere that I can find at home (unless desperate and/or broke)

Section II: Locations and events
1. Hit as many nerdy Dr. Who spots as possible...including a trip to Cardiff
2. Some sort of Ripper tour
3. The Louvre
4. Buckingham palace
5. Stonehenge (the greatest henge of them all)
6. South Shields
7. Eiffel Tower
8. Try to find some sort of local concert to go to...up and coming bands or established acts, comedy...whatever!
9. Visit a Castle....check the tapestry! (get it? get it?)

Section III: Unk
-- this is the section that I will leave open for suggestions and late arrivals to my brain!

The Cape....a good show gone wrong.

Seems like NBC is killing it's super hero drama "The Cape". Which is kind of a bummer for me. I have always had a soft spot for the super hero genre.

It would appear that the exploits of The Cape and his fight against the evil ARC Corporation and it's chairman Peter Flemming AKA: CHESS haven't really caught on with the fans. Some saw the show as a low rent Batman. Other apparently just had no time to give to a new show that never really developed its footing right off the bat.

For those who may have skipped the show the premise goes a little something like this.

Former cop Vince Faraday (David Lyons), after being framed as the evil genius Chess, takes matters into his own hands to bring down ARC and win back his family who think he's dead. In a world of crazy comic book bad guys the only thing Vince can do to regain his good name (and family) is to become his son Trip's favorite comic book hero....The Cape.  With the guidance of Orwell (the always lovely Summer Glau) and  the aide of the Carnival of Crime, Ringleader- Max Malini (Keith David), midget strongman- Rollo (Martin Klebba), acrobat- Raia (Izabella Miko) and hypnotist- Ruvi (Anil Kumar). Vince fights the good fight to bring the coruption in Palm City down to a resonable level and hopefully expose Peter Flemming (James Frain) and the ruthless psycho that he truely is.

Throw in Vinnie Jones, Richard Schiff, and other guest stars it was starting to shape up to be a fun show.

Viewers knew the end was near when NBC decided to cut the season order of episodes from 13 down to 10. Then came word that the final episode of the season (series?) probably won't even air. Seems NBC has decided to run the final episode as a special event...online only.  While no official word has been given yet if that final episode with wrap the story up or leave viewers hanging....I'm not holding my breath. This is the reason I don't like to get too invested in new shows. I gave this a shot since it seemed like a fun concept, had Summer Glau, was getting a good deal of publicity on the run up and oh yeah...it wasn't gonna be on FOX!

Now I just need to cross my fingers that my other favorite new show doesn't get canned early. Bring on the return of The Event!

Spring training 2011

Below are a selection of the photos that I took at the Cubs vs. Dodgers game on 3/6/11.  Tickets were gifted to me through Steve's Dream. If you are looking for a great and unique charity to donate to I would highly encourage you to check out their website for more information on what they do and how you can help.

View from our seats!!

It was close...but he was safe at third.

So glad to see Kid K back in Cubbie blue.

Matt Garza, Mike Quade, Ryan Dempster

Game winning HR in the bottom of the 10th.

Len and Bob with my cousin and her friend. Two great guys.

Len and Bob working the 10th inning post game show.

Celebration after the walk off!

More Baseball...

So last Sunday I was "forced" to endure the opening game of spring training for the Cubs. They lost to Oakland which sucked. But, on the bright side I did get to spend time with good people and have a few Old Styles so the crappy game was washed out by beer and company!

Now this Sunday I am again finding myself forced into attending another Cubs game! Needless to say my life has hit a bit of a rough patch right now. Come to think of it...this is what I will be doing next Sunday too!

Maybe I will find some time to upload some of the pictures I took last week...and the shots I will be taking today. We'll see.

Life is good. Go Cubs -- Next year is here.

Um...what?

Saw this on Amazon...Um....What?

Could you have choosen a stranger picture?

Random Quotes on/about Baseball...

I feel safe in saying that the MLB season has officially started. Pitchers and catchers have reported. Games have been played. My dad has tickets to the All-Star Game (and Weekly activities). So with that in mind I started to think about great quotes about Baseball, from baseball players, or just referencing baseball.

Here are my personal favorites.

"How did that conversation go from you talking about your vibrator, to him talking about baseball?" -- Yours truly (very proud of this one!)

"I'm too much speed in my mouth!" -- Ricky Henderson, on why he says the crazy things his does.

"The day I become a good loser, I'm quitting baseball. I always had a temper. I think it's nothing to be ashamed of. If you know how to use it, it can help. Temper is something the good Lord gave me and I can't just throw it out the window." - Billy Martin in the Sporting News (10/26/1968)

For the next few they are all the gems of a great man. Catcher and quote machine Yogi Berra:

"All pitchers are liars or crybabies."
"Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't come to yours."
"I'm not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did."
"Baseball is ninety percent mental, the other half is physical."
"Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded."
"So I'm ugly. So What? I never saw anyone hit with his face."

Move quotes about baseball:

A good friend of mine used to say, 'This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.' Think about that for a while." -- Bull Durham

"There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. And there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance." -- Bull Durham


"The one constant through all the years has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past. It reminds us of all that once was good, and what could be again" -- Field of Dreams

Serrano: "Ahh, Jesus, I like him very much, but He no help with curveball." .
Haris: "Are you trying to say Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball?"" -- Major League

Needless to say....I am so glad it's baseball season again!  Go Cubs!

Thundercats....Hoooooo!

One of my all time favorite childhood cartoons is getting the reboot treatment. Thundercats is coming back, but this isn't your mid 1980's Saturday morning cartoon!

From what I can find on the internet it's the same basic story with a little darker feel! It's still going to be aimed at young kids (can't miss out on the toy market!)...but will have a little more depth than it's 80's predecessor.

The first official images have been released by the studio and you can see that there is a stark change in the look of Lion-O. Seems he's slimmed down since his last TV appearance. Panthro looks a little meaner, Cheetara is also a little sleeker and Tygra looks pretty much the same. The only bad news, in my opinion, to come out of the reboot stories is that while Snarf will probably be in the series...he will be mute. So no witty remarks and quips and no "Snarf Snarf". Essentially they have removed the JarJar Binks factor from the new series. It's kinda bums be out since I was a big fan of Snarf!

Looking back on the original it has lost some of it's luster. It wasn't until just a few years ago that I rewatched some of those old episodes. While still fun, they don't really hold up. Mostly, it's the voice work that kinda killed it for me. Panthro was too dull, Lion-O had no depth, Snarf -- was AWESOME though! Just kidding. It is actually the childhood standard bearer for disappointment for me! If I watch a favorite childhood show or movie and it doesn't match my memories I say it suffers from "Thundercats Syndrome". Another example of that is the Disney movie "The Black Hole"...really not good!

Here's what the gang looked like back in the 80's. So you can see there has been a changing of the guard in looks. The older HeMan like look has been replaced with a more Anime style look for Lion-O and friends.

Still no word that I can find on if Wily-Kit and Wily-Kat will be in the series. Damn kids were always getting in trouble!!

So fond memories of the original are leading the way for me to get sucked into the new series. All I can hope is that they decide to give Snarf his due and let the best character in the whole show shine like he should. Heck, the show was going to be called Snarf and Friends .... but people thought it was too close to Smurf (really!...no not really!...really!....nope)

Cartoon Network will be airing the new series which is a collaboration between Warner Brothers Animation and Studio4c of Japan.

Plans Change

"The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men..." --Robert Burns

Needless to say one of the grand things about making plans 5-6 months in advance is that they are most likely going to change! Sucks when they do change, but it can't really be avoided.  

The plans for my summer trip to Amsterdam have already changed!

The original plan was to meet my buddy Ryan and his wife in Amsterdam for about a week of crazy fun and tourist-y type actions.  Now, I have had to push the trip by a few months. The big reason being cost!

When you are trying to coordinate a trip and make accommodations and budgets it's helpful to know when you are going to be able to go! Sadly, Ryan and Elizabeth are kind of at the mercy of her college program and don't know exactly when their trip is going to be. Which means I can't find out until they do! Sadly, that leaves me with a wide hole in my summer schedule and an even bigger question mark on my bank account.

Case in point-- If I go in June or mid to late July then I will be shelling out close to $1700 in airfare alone.  While not a horrible price (or a great price). It's about what I was thinking the price would be for airfare. That means I am going to have to come up with a ton more extra cash for hotel, transportation, food, etc..

Now if I delay until October I can branch out a little more. By going in mid to late October I can pay around $2300 and that will include round trip airfare, 11 nights stay in hotels and a car rental. Plus, that will allow me to widen my travel area to probably include the UK, Ireland, France and the Netherlands.

So, I won't be able to hang with Ryan and his lovely wife...but that doesn't mean I will be traveling alone. In addition to a wider travel area I have picked up a new travel companion. My father!

Most people would say, "Travel with you dad instead of your best bud! How's that a fair trade?"  To which i will say, "My dad is a Rock Star!"

Well, maybe not a rock star...but he is a ton of fun. I know I can ignore him for long periods of time without hurting his feelings too much. Plus, if I get in trouble in a foreign country it always pays to have a parent and their bank account around to bail you out before you have to spend too much time in a French or Irish prison!

So we'll see how "Summer Plans 2011...rd. 2" turns out as we get further along in the year! Once we nail down dates I can start looking a making specific plans...that's where the true fun begins. I can start planning around local events, maybe map out a cool concert or two. That's when I'll start getting excited. Until then I'm just mildly enamored with my plans. Later on is when I get excited/giddy!!

Movie Review -- Quick Hits -- Kevin Smith

I kinda had fun the other day when I put up a few quick rundowns of some romantic comedy selections for Valentine's Day. So I decided to do it again. This time with a focus on the collective works of Kevin Smith. I think I will stay as a purest and not include Cop Out since it wasn't a Kevin Smith film in the truest sense of the word...

Clerks -- 1994

The low budget sensation that opened the door for audiences to learn the inner workings of the Quick-Stop. Here we get to enjoy the black and white adventures of Dante and Randall, as they navigate life, death, and sex all while trying to refrain from killing their customers. For about two years I lived by Dante's mantra of "I'm not supposed to be here today!" Kevin Smith fans can quote this film up and down and it's probably the film that let low budget film makers think they had a chance. Smith reportedly had to max out all his credit cards, sell some stuff and borrow big time to get this made. If you are a fan of witty banter, jokes about drugs and sex and tons of curse words. Or maybe you've always wondered what was up with Jay and Silent Bob...then this is as good a place to start as any.

Mallrats -- 1995

Based on the low budget success of Clerks, Miramax gave Smith a little more money to do this follow up. With a stellar cast that included: Jason Lee, Jeremy London, Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, Shannon Doherty, Claire Forlani, Michael Rooker, and of course Jason Mewes and Smith himself as Jay and Siletn Bob. Mallrats was let down to many. Personally I love the film. Jason Lee is a great anti-hero as he tries to help his best bud TS win back his ex-girlfriend Brandi (Forlani) at the same time trying to figure out what the deal is going to be with his ex Rene (Doherty). Filled with jokes that range from anal sex to "man of steel coital debates". This is another example of Smith knowing his audience is smart enough to get the good back and forth...and also still laughs at the lowest of lowbrow humor!

Next in line was 1997's Chasing Amy which I touched on with the Valentine's Day movies. Probably the most critically accepted of all Smith's movies. Hell, it got a Criterion Collection release.

Dogma -- 1999

Most of Smiths' previous films were attacked for being juvenile and crude. But, in Dogma he found a whole new level of haters. The Catholic church!! Dogma is the story of two Angels, Loki and Bartleby (played by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck), who were expelled from Heaven..but have found a loop hole in Catholic Dogma that would allow them to re-enter The Kingdom. Tasked with stopping them is lapse Catholic, and current abortion clinic worker, Bethany (Linda Fiorentino). Lost apostle Rufus (Chris Rock) who was kept out of the bible because he was black. And of course, the two prophets Jay and Silent Bob (Mewes and Smith). Throw in Jason Lee as Demon Azrael, Selma Hayek as Serendipity (a muse), George Carlin as Cardinal Glick, and Alan Rickman as the Metatron...."Anytime some guy claimed to be speaking with God he was talking to me...or he was just crazy!" At heart this isn't an anti-religion movie. But, it does make you think a little.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back -- 2001

This one was made for the fan boys. Smith swore that he was done with the Jay and Silent Bob...but, he bowed to the pressure and finally wrote a whole movie that had them as the main feature. Sure they had a big part in Dogma and passing parts in the other films. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back was their movie though. If you were a fan of the due in the past you will love this movie. If you couldn't stand them or thought they were just haha funny then you should probably stay away. Plot goes a little something like this. Comic book guy Banky and Brodie sell the rights to their comic "Bluntman & Chronic" to a Hollywood studio to be made into a big budget superhero movie. Our favorite stoner buds don't feel as though they were properly paid for their likeness so they set out to stop the movie from being made. Pretty straight forward plot that is made hilarious by the cast. Along with the return of a ton of View Askew favorites you also get: Carrie Fisher as a nun, George Carlin as hitch hiker who knows "the rules of the road", Will Ferral as Marshal Willenholley (a nod to Land of the Lost in which Ferral would later star). The film cast rounds out with a bunch of hotties in the form of Eliza Dusky, Ali Larter, Shannon Elizabeth and Smith's own wife Jennifer Schwalback Smith and Mark Hamill as "Cocknocker".

Clerks II -- 2006

Here we get a return to the characters that started it all. Dante and Randall are back. They've grown up...kind of. While not working at the Quick Stop (because it burnt down) they have now moved on to the fast food industry and jobs at Mooby's (featured shortly in Dogma). Not my favorite of all the movies. But, i am a fan of the characters so I was down for this one. Essentially a coming of age tale for two guys who are in their mid 30's. Clerks II focus' on what happens when you wake up one day and realize that you really haven't done a lot. Don't have a ton of hopes and dreams...and are desperate for a change.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno -- 2008

What would you do if you were down on your luck,struggling to pay your bills and living with your best friend (who was of the opposite sex)? Money doesn't just grow on trees and the average everyday job doesn't always cut it. So Zack and Miri have the perfect solution...Porn! Seth Rogan and Elizabeth Banks play the affor-mentioned Zack and Miri. With the help of some friends they set off to make the porno that will save them from their financial problems. As with any comedies dealing with making a porno (are there others?) there are many bumps in the road. Hard as it may be to hear the biggest of which is....dealing with your feelings! Seems there may be a little more to these two friends than they first thought. Throw in full frontal nudity of Jason Mewes (deal breaker?) and another solid cast and you have a fun movie. Especially pay attention to the high school reunion scenes with Brandon Routh and Justin Long...that's all the warning you get!