Oh, Baby

I drooled on my keyboard a little bit ...

Check it out.

Worth A Look

Any of you guys know the story behind this? Richard Donner was filming Superman and Superman II simultaneously, but as the release date for Superman came and went, he stopped working on II to get the first movie out the door. Because of ongoing battles with the producers (Alexander and Ilya Salkind), he was not asked back to finish the job. Instead, Richard Lester (yes, THAT Richard Lester) was brought in. But in order to squeeze out Donner, 51% of the picture had to be Lester's, so perfectly good scenes were re-shot. Also, Marlon Brando was removed from the second film, as his contract would earn him something like 11% of the film's US gross!

25 years later, a fan put together a very rough version of Donner's Superman II and posted it on the internets. Warner Brothers issued a cease and desist, but that set the ball in motion, and the studio eventually gave the go-ahead to restore the film. Michael Thau, who worked as Donner's assistant on the Superman films (and others) sorted through six tons of film to complete the project.

Although there are several large chunks that the restoration shares with the original (Luthor's prison break, the fight with Zod & company, the truckstop scenes), major plot points have changed. But the main thing is that it feels more like the first Superman; the tone has completely changed. Unfortunately, to use the original scene where Lois learns the truth (it's better than the hand in the fire), they had to use test scene footage. Reeves' hair changes from shot to shot and his glasses are very different from those he wore in the rest of the movie ... It's jarring, but I guess they didn't have a choice. Otherwise, the film seems very well put together.

Marshall Crenshaw

I and about 45 other people caught the actor who played Buddy Holly and John Lennon last night in Asheville. The Reigning Sound played on Saturday, but I didn't find this out until yesterday. Marshall was good, even if it was just him and a guitar. And he had his left foot mic'd. That's the first time I've ever seen that. Obviously I didn't know a lot of the later stuff, and he did a couple of covers, including one by Holly and '19th Nervous Breakdown,' but stuff like 'Whenever You're on My Mind' and 'Someday, Somewhere' were delights even in the stripped down version. An added bonus was the local Asheville beers the club had on tap. Yummy yummy yummy.

This could very well be the last good show I see for awhile, or at least until Dave invites me up to see someone. Of course, there will probably be a Toby Keith show or two.

Suddenly ... Minivan!

Soozan picked up a 2007 Toyota Sienna this past Saturday. We're finally rid of our complete piece of shit Grand Cherokee, trading up for one of the most reliable vehicles on the road. It's the Cadillac of minivans!

(Now, if I can just find a Cramps sticker ...)

HL2DM: Last Night's Highlights

Lurker catches air.


A good opportunity to check the detail on my uniform.


Last kill of the night, resulting from mano y mano stunstick fight.

While We're on the Subject

Faces doing a cover by some obscure British songwriter.

Ooh La La

By all accounts, Ronnie Lane was a sweetheart of a guy. And dang it if he couldn't write songs that made the hair on your arms stand up.

Poor old granddad
I laughed at all his words
I thought he was a bitter man
He spoke of women's ways

They'll trap you, then they use you
Before you even know
For love is blind and you're far too kind
Don't ever let it show

I wish that I knew what I know now
When I was younger
I wish that I knew what I know now

The can can's such a pretty show
They'll steal your heart away
But backstage, back on earth again
The dressing rooms are grey

They come on strong and it ain't too long
Before they make you feel a man
But love is blind and you soon will find
You're just a boy again

When you want her lips, you get a cheek
Makes you wonder where you are
If you want it more then she's fast asleep
Means you're twinkling with the stars

Poor young grandson, there's nothing I can say
You'll have to learn, just like me
And that's the hardest way
Ooh la la

I wish that I knew what I know now
When I was younger
I wish that I knew what I know now
When I was stronger

Slow Day At Work = Busy Day At LBU

"Look! Up ahead! HOLY CRAP!"

"What's wrong?!?"

"Nothing! That's just the name of the club where they're going to be performing!"

Mmmmm.....Monica

Okay, I think I'll go see it. Sorry to get you in trouble at work, Lurker and Jay.

This is Painful...

I referred to this in a comment on Jay's post. The image / sound quality is pretty bad, but you get the picture. Get it? Get the picture!!

Almost Forgot ...

I pulled "The Incredible Bulk" from a set of CDs containing every issue of MAD magazine through 1998 or so. (Christmas present, circa 1999.)

Anybody have any requests that you can dredge up from your quickly evaporating childhood memories?

Shoot 'Em Up Unlikely To Suck

Monica Belluci? Paul Giamatti? Clive Owen? Guns? Motley Crue?

"Guns don't kill people ... but they sure help."

Blew Myself Up

I got bored exploring other HL2DM maps, so I started killing myself with explosives and capturing the moment with the F5 key. This was the best one.

Well, Jacksonville's a city with a hopeless streetlight

Sorry I've been an absentee bastardo lately, but here's the latest...

I applied for a job with a company called LSI (lisjax.com) for an Instructional Design position in Jacksonville, Florida. They got back to me rather promptly, set up a conference call which happened today, and got back, rather promptly again, and orfered me a job. It's a cool ass job doing CBT for the Marine's V22 Osprey - not sure what it all entails, but it would be a lot more interesting than working for an insurance company (the only other nibble I've gotten). Granted, it's not higher ed, but the well seems to have run dry on those types of jobs (JU has evidently lost my number). Anyway, everything about the job is great, except they filled the Florida position and offered me this one in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Which you of course know as the home of Camp LeJune and the birthplace of Ryan Adams.

Everything about the job is good - salary, bennies, relocation, all that. Only problem is it's up the coast a bit farther than I wanted. They're expecting an up or down vote by Monday. I foresee a bit of 'meditating' (read drinking) over the weekend. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

PS - By the time you read this, I'll be sucking on 39.

I Can't Stand the Quiet!

One of my favorite songs and my favorite scene from Simple Men, a fine Hal Hartley film. C'mon you bastards, dance!

Forward Thinking People....

.... will check out the Frosty Turnpike Patrol to hear the song I recorded for the Daniel Bull tribute album back in June. Danny was a New Orleans guy, a singer and songwriter who passed away from leukemia at a too-young age. His former partner Lauren is putting together a tribute to Danny and his songs, so we (myself, Dave Baker, Elzy Lindsey) chose 'Show No Concern' and gave it a good whacking in the studio. It was fun to play loud again.

The Incredible Bulk

Click to embiggen. These are HUGE.

I Used To Love This Show

Concerned

I was talking to Joe about Deathmatch and was reminded of this Half-Life 2 comic that a guy made using something called Garry's Mod. He poses the characters in-game, takes a screen shot, and then adds the dialog. (Sounds time consuming, no?) The comic follows Gordon Frohman, a bumbling idiot who is repeatedly mistaken for the game's hero, Gordon Freeman. Each new chapter in the comic is a different level in the game.

There are lots of these game-derived comics, but this is one of the best I've seen.

It's funnier if you've played Half-Life 2, but you'll get the gist ...

Read it here.

DOOM 3 Case Mod

I hate people this talented.

And if you have some time, here's the blow by blow ...

Steve Martin Weds

Surprise ceremony at a party. But the weird thing in this article is this:

"Martin delivered his vows sporting an Inspector Clouseau mustache he let grow in for his appearance in the upcoming sequel to 2006's "Pink Panther" remake.

His other movies include "Planes, Trains & Automobiles," "L.A. Story," "Parenthood," and "Father of the Bride.""

Now if you were going to summarize the movie career of the man who should win a Nobel prize for comedy, would you have chosen these films? What 4 films would you have selected?

Successful Deathmatch Test

Lurker and I successfully tested the listen server last week, and we're ready to kick it up a notch. Joe, are you still MIA until September, or could you squeeze in an hour or two one night this week?

Also, because the server shows up on a gigantic list of servers on the Steam Engine, we need a name. Anybody got a good one?

Your Monday Morning Comic Book Geek Update

Here's the first look at Hulk 2.0, featured prominently in The Incredible Hulk, coming out next June. It stars Edward Norton as Bruce Banner and Liv Tyler as Betty Ross; not to mention Tim Roth as the Abomination. Looks to be much better than the Ang Lee misfire a few years ago.

And although there's not much in the way of content yet, Iron Man now has an official site, as does Watchmen.

Crack! D'oh! Stupefy!

I have been an entertainment machine this weekend. Thursday, we went to a Durham Bulls game. Great fun, great ballpark, sad game! The Bulls were up, 1-0, when, in the top of the ninth, the Norfolk Tide had a series of hits that led to a 4-1 final. Rats. Friday = Simpsons Movie! I enjoyed the movie, with the first 30 minutes yielding by far the most laughs. Still, lots of rewards for long time fans, but not nearly enough of Mr. Burns. Saturday, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I finished the latest book while I was in Fucklanta last week, so I am very Potter-centric right now. The film, as all of them are, was enjoyable, but nothing will be able to compare to the first couple of films, because the corresponding books were so full of whimsy. The later books are more complex and interesting, but as films feel more like placemarkers for the final installment. This is what passes for culture in Durham these days.

Subteens Rock the House

Getting older but sounding sweeter, the lost and found Subteens were back on stage last night for a benefit show at the Gibson Lounge, at the guitar factory. With an 8-band lineup, it was a quick set, but they sounded terrific! Congrats on another successful gig, Jay.

Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer

Any of you read this new Strummer bio? I'd be sort of interested, maybe when it hits paperback, if it's really good. I guess what I'm saying is, why don't one of you read it first?

Stop Motion Drums & Piano

This guy plays neither.

You know what's great about Atlanta?

Nothing! What a boring ass, piece of shit town. Downtown blows, the bars and restaurants are far and few between, there are cops all over the place (never a good sign!) and the people are fat and dull. Homer, Alaska had far more action than this sorry excuse for a Metropolis. And if I see one more street called 'Peachtree' I'll crap myself. And oh yeah, Michael Vick, dog-torturer. Yecchh.

Robert Tilton Is An Asshole

And fart jokes never get old. Ever.

Flight of the Conchords

I caught one of the episodes while I was staying at my mother's house. It's damn funny. You get the impression that they can write these songs in their sleep. Once again, HBO is the best thing on TV.

Lower East Side Tenement Museum

Checking in from NYC - we had the good pleasure of staying at a very inexpensive and very funky hotel in Midtown, The Gershwin. One of the many highlights of the past couple of days was visiting the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. A lovingly maintained building on Orchard Street and Delancy allows you to see the squalor and tight spaces of immigrant life in the mid ninteenth to mid twentieth centuries. You have to book your tour in advance as the groups are small, but it is well worth it if you are going to be in the city. Add the sidewalk shopping and the many bars and restaurants of the area and it makes for a great day in the city.

Go With The Flow

Good one.

Maximo Park

Fiendish Teenage Pregnancy

The iPhone Is A Piece Of Shit, And So Is Your Face

From The Best Page In The Universe. This is the hardest I've laughed in weeks.

Read it here.

Everyone in this Picture is Dead

Even Jack Valenti (to the left of the guy with the bow-tie). Actually, Bill Moyers is in there somewhere, and he's not dead. Yet. Revision.

New Subteens Song

I'm speechless.

Tough Questions, Stupid Answers

I'm speechless.

Jake Johannsen

Saw this guy's HBO special years ago, funny. Saw him on Letterman recently, still is.

Any Takers For Half-Life 2: Deathmatch?

Besides Lurker, I mean? (He's already in.) A friend of mine at work thinks he can finagle a game server, so we could password protect and keep out the unwanted.

More than you ever wanted to know about HL2DM here. It's $9.95 from Steam ...

Killing and being killed by your friends is more fun than should be legally allowed. What do you say?

Lonely And Lame, Bush Agonises Over Legacy

From Guardian Unlimited:

With little positive to show from six years in office, Mr Bush has been talking up his transformation of the supreme court as his legacy. He has given it a strong rightwing bias, demonstrated by rulings on abortion, employment discrimination and rejection of death penalty appeals. That will please Republicans, at least.

But Prof Dallek remains unimpressed. Rating the worst presidents, he said: "Hoover was a disaster. Warren Harding rates very low in the pantheon of presidents and it is likely that Bush will be seen as a bottom feeder."

Read the whole enchilada here.

Homeless and Unemployed

Kara and the kids have left me alone here at my mother's house in Florida (see above) to get some work done on my dissertation. I basically have nine days of sitting out looking at the water and WORKING, with no valid excuse to not get this fucking thing almost done. I'll be unhooking the internets from the computer to lessen the distractions, but I'll check in later in the week.

Still nothing on the job front. The Uni in Jax has said they will start contacting people for interviews somewhere around the 19th of this month. It's a bit nerve-wracking. Kara's getting seriously anxious (there's the matter of getting a house and the kids in school and all that - details details), and it's keeping me awake at night. But what can you do. Don't know what's going on with Barbados.

Unemployment isn't half bad, especially when you've got lots of relatives with houses around Florida. I haven't worn shoes since June 15th. And I've basically been on a bender since around the 17th.

ps - we went out on my father-in-law's boat with the kids to watch fireworks. Right as the grand finale started, something went wrong and the whole thing went off on the beach. It was fucking amazing. We were about 200 yards away in a boat. It was scary, but it only lasted about 5 seconds. Watch!

Caterer Back in his Element

The Popes are Smoking again, finishing a new album and touring. They're going to be in DC on Aug 2 (Dave). Details here, along with 4 tracks that may be heard but not downloaded. Good songs, especially, I think, The Corner, but not really the grab-you-by-the-throat quality of the Born to Quit songs. Sadly, no Memphis or Jacksonville dates yet. Or Barbados dates, for that matter. The world is just so fucking imperfect.

Luke Learns The Truth

More Robot Chicken Star Wars Special here.

Mark Your Calendars, Bitches!

November 15, 2007, sees the release of an oral history about one of my all time favorite bands. Man, I love little surprises like this.

From the Inside Flap
“They were a mass of contradictions . . . they were kings of irony before irony was everywhere . . . they were an ongoing critique of absolutely everything, including themselves . . . and they hated rock stars, but loved rock.” —Author Jim Walsh, from his Preface

Formed in a Minneapolis basement in 1979, the Replacements were a notorious rock ’n’ roll circus, renowned for self-sabotage, cartoon shtick, stubborn contrarianism, stage-fright, Dionysian benders, heart-on-sleeve songwriting, and—ultimately—critical and popular acclaim. While rock then and now is lousy with superficial stars and glossy entertainment, the Replacements were as warts-and-all “real” as life itself.

In the first book to take on the jumble of facts, fictions, and contradictions behind the band, veteran Minneapolis music journalist Jim Walsh distills archival interviews with bandmembers and hundreds of hours of new interviews with their friends, families, fellow musicians, fans, and co-conspirators into an absorbing oral history worthy of the scruffy quartet that many have branded the most influential band to emerge from the ’80s. Former manager Peter Jesperson, Paul Stark and Dave Ayers of Twin/Tone Records, Bob Mould and Grant Hart of rivals Hüsker Dü, the legendary Curtiss A, Soul Asylum’s Dan Murphy, Lori Barbero of Babes in Toyland, R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, power-pop hero Alex Chilton, Craig Finn of The Hold Steady, and replacement Replacements Slim Dunlap and Steve Foley—among dozens of others—explain the scene that spawned the band, offer insights into the band’s workings, and explain the Replacements’ lasting influence more than fifteen years after their breakup. The story is illustrated with both rarely seen and classic photos, as well as archival materials.

Long overdue, here finally is the rollicking story behind the turbulent and celebrated band that came on fast and furious and finally flamed out, from one eyewitness who was always at the periphery of the storm, and often at its eye.

Replacements Pull Prank On Young Fresh Fellows

Another interview! This time it's the Replacements, circa 1984 1988 or so.

And from The Star-Tribune, an update on Westy's hand injury:

"I'm one-third of the way to being possibly 80 percent all better," he said the other day. Translation: Doctors say he will regain 80 percent use of his hand, but recovery will take 18 months. He's about six months into the process.

As for his left hand, he suffered nerve damage in the webbed area between the ring and pinkie fingers. "It still feels like I've got 12 pins in it. It feels like I have something in my hand and I want to put it down and I realize it's my finger," he said. "I cut an artery and severed 12 nerves. Half of the ring finger is numb and the other half is tingling like it's growing back the nerves. It's just another guitar player's injury. I used to have swelling in the elbows from playing guitar."

As for his recording career, the singer-songwriter recently sent 60 songs to his manager to try to figure out what to do with them. He said he's had offers from Universal and Sony to start his own label, but he's not interested. "I'm busy learning how to play guitar," he concluded. "It's like I'm 15 again. It's attached to my hip. I'm playing cleaner and my rhythm is better because I can't do as much with my left hand."

Chabon! Chabon! Chabon!

Damn fine Michael Chabon interview over to The Onion's A.V. Club.

Excerpt below:

AVC: Your website has seriously downgraded in content in the last year. Is there a reason?

MC: I have to limit the amount of time I spend at a keyboard. I have wrist problems and hand problems. Partly, I got bored with it. It was always stale, it was always getting out of date. I was not adding new stuff, nor did I really feel like adding new stuff, but I hate a stale website. Websites are just so early 21st century.

You know the drill.

Alaskan Adventures

OK, I'm not as cool as Steve McQueen (who got a DUI in Alaska and subsequently took the mug shot you see here), but I did get pretty wasted in our 49th state.

After 24 hours of travel across four time zones, we finally arrived in Homer at midnight (felt like 4 am to us) and proceeded to go to a bar called Charakters. After several pints of a local brew and listening to Jewel's brother's band (!), Mike and I decided it would be a good idea to play guitar and drink whiskey and champagne for another hour or so. Did I mention it never gets dark? My body was in complete disarray. The next day, I puked here, here, and here. Good times. I will say that Homer is very beautiful- everywhere in town you are surrounded by gorgeous mountains and fresh, cold water.

Recover was slow but I rallied on the third day in time to start prepping for the wedding. Frog's boss donated 30 lbs. each of scallops, shrimp, halibut, salmon, and crab legs. Caroline and I helped our friend from New Orleans, Chef Rob, turn all of it into the best wedding food of all time. It involved lots of shopping, running around, and driving cars with no brakes down precipitous, winding hills. Everyone in Alaska seems to own three or four cars, none of which run very well, and all of which have the keys left in them at all times for anyone to use.

The wedding itself was a huge success. It rained quite a lot that afternoon, but after some logistical shuffling, Frog came down the aisle to Mike and I playing and singing the V.U.'s "I'm Sticking With You". Sadly, the ceremony was not filmed, although there are plenty of pics (which I'll post when we get 'em back). The ceremony was brief and I am now a 'Wedding Commissioner' in the state of Alaska. Bride and groom danced to AC/DC and a swell time was had by all.

We flew from Homer to Anchorage in an 8 seat plane that cruised at about 2500 feet. Talk abour unvarnished beauty. All around there were no signs of human life at all: no roads, power lines, boats, nada. Just glaciers, lakes, mountains, and greenery. Absolutely stunning. As for Alaska itself, I can completely understand its appeal for certain people or for anyone wanting to get away from something or wanting to start fresh. Still, the 50 degree highs in mid-June convinced me it was not a place for me to be long term. Also, Alaskanas, while friendly, definitely are part of an exclusive 'club' and seem to carry that designation like a badge of honor. Pride of place and all that, but eccentricity can turn into boorishness at a pretty quick clip.

Women Now Empowered By Everything A Woman Does

From The Onion ...

"As recently as 15 years ago, a woman could only feel empowered by advancing in a male-dominated work world, asserting her own sexual wants and needs, or pushing for a stronger voice in politics. Today, a woman can empower herself through actions as seemingly inconsequential as driving her children to soccer practice or watching the Oxygen network."

Léalo aquí.

Second Life

I started playing with Second Life yesterday, and so far, it's not grabbing me. Maybe I just don't have enough free time, or maybe I can't stomach spending real money to buy pretend shit.

You can fly, though. That part's cool for the first 30 seconds or so.

Learn virtually (ha ha ha ha, get it?) everything you wanted to know about SL here.

And here's a mildly amusing parody site called Get A First Life. "Fornicate using your actual genitals!"

Nice Web Service

Do you use this convenient service to bypass all those pesky registration requirements? They now have a Firefox plug-in that makes it even easier to use. When a site pops up a login & password box, you can just right-click in them and let BugMeNot drop in a (usually) valid entry. They also have an email address you can use when some site wants yours.

Bushfoot: Man or Beast?

I've long felt that the sentence-commuter-in-chief had a primitive brain, but he's even starting to look like the old wookie of the Pacific northwest. Spooky, huh?

Here's Another One...

My old man took me to see this one. I remember thinking it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. John Boy's spaceship can only be described as testicular.

This Takes Me Back ...

William Eggleston

Here's an article about William Eggleston and the recent documentary, William Eggleston In The Real World. Somehow, the article is better than the documentary. (But from various clues in the documentary, I was able to determine where Mr. Eggleston lives.)

Check it here.

One For The Haters

Gentilemen, I present the iSmudginator 0.2.

As if we didn't already have enough worries with North Korea and Iran

Liechtenstein Successfully Tests Teeny Tiny Nuclear Bomb

Well this is a little scary..

"Look! Up in the sky!"

It's got to be one of the key catch phrases in the history of western civilization, but it actually makes no sense whatsoever. Why would anyone who thought they saw a bird or a plane point up in the air and start yelling? I'm guessing that phrase originated on radio or tv and not the comics. And by the way, in what sense was the S. man of tv a "strange visitor from another planet?" Who? George Reeves? Looking for all the world like a CPA in tights? Now maybe if they could've found someone with big coif and a Speedy Gonzalez smile.. or (much) better yet, someone like this Supergirl. Strange in the right way, wouldn't you agree?