Abject Conjecture

More Love For Craig Ferguson

2009-10-17T02:27:00.003-04:00

I just want to throw my own examples of why I make sure to never miss The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Mike Norton provided a few choice ones the other day, but I don't think we should stop until we convince everyone to watch this show. Craig is the true King of Late Night!! You cannot argue this point... He loves puppets and he's not afraid to use 'em.

By the way, he has the best damn opening theme of any late night show....ever.

In case you have any interest at all...

I managed to avoid getting fired long enough to get the transfer I had asked for. This coming Thursday will be my last day on the third shift and then I will take Fri-Sun off for O.C.'s birthday weekend before starting the new shift.

All I can say is... Mark Haris can bite my ass!

2009-10-10T15:49:00.004-04:00

In the new issue of Entertainment Weekly, Mark Harris frets and moans over the preview for 2012 and the orgy of mass-destruction that I enjoyed so much.

He wept for the millions of people who are dying, because what are they, in the grand scheme of things, but extras. Yes, it is a disaster movie of epic proportions and lots of unseen people die... I believe that is the definition of a disaster. The underlying thrill of the disaster movie (and horror) is that you are not one of those unlucky victims. Is that somehow immoral? I think not.

He goes on to bemoan the scene of the escape plane zipping between two parallel high-rise towers just seconds before those towers collapse into each other, presumably killing thousands of CGI flyspeck humans. OMFG!!! We can't show such a thing!! After 911, it is horribly inhuman to show such a thing in frivolous entertainments!

Bite me, Mark Harris. This movie is nothing but a thrill-ride of escapist entertainment much like the campy disaster flicks of the 70's. It is not a moral failing to derive enjoyment from such films. Tragedy strikes all over the world on a daily basis, but I don't think that should dictate what can or can't be included in books and films in deference to those that suffered and lost loved ones to such events. Most likely, they won't choose to see such films. Is it somehow insensitive that many do choose to see such films? Life is insensitive and it isn't about them or me for that matter it just is.

End of rant.

Annual Halloween PSA

2009-10-10T15:47:00.001-04:00

It's time for the Lewis Black candy corn rant....

Lewis Black Candy Corn

Dan|MySpace Videos

I will be in line on opening day...

2009-10-04T08:24:00.004-04:00

This clip just about makes me wet my pants. I'm not sure I can make it through the whole movie...

I'm thinking maybe Depends are in order for this film.

This is like Irwin Allen on crack!!

Mental Meandering and Blithering

2009-10-01T03:51:00.003-04:00

Work has been very stressful and tense for the last few months and I have been waiting for an opening on another shift. A spot has opened and I am supposed to be transferring... I got sent home tonight by the main reason for my current job dissatisfaction (for my bad attitude) and am not sure if I'm still employed or not. I will return to work tomorrow and see what my status is.

Enough of that stuff.

I want to apologize to Gordon for not telling him about the joy and wonder that is The Big Bang Theory. The reason for this lapse and the fact that it wasn't on my list of the best shows on TV, is that I don't watch it regularly. I came in late and had scheduling conflicts that kept me from recording it. Still, I loved the episodes that I did manage to see; so much that I have plans to buy the seasons on DVD.

Let me correct any oversights and slights to this fine show and tell everyone to WATCH IT!!! I also want to take time to tell everyone to check out How I Met Your Mother; it is another often missed but always loved sitcom from CBS.

Must go now and try not to think about my job insecurity.

The Best TV Out There

2009-09-28T08:33:00.009-04:00

Since I've felt the need to share my opinion on the best comics out there, I might as well share my list of fave current TV fare. Without a doubt, Glee tops my list of the best stuff on TV. It doesn't hurt that this week's episode will feature Kristen Chenoweth and a Queen song!!! The show is well written and the cast does a fantastic job with the musical performances. Check it out.

I caught the first episode of Flash Forward and was intrigued by the premise and interested in the characters. I am on board for the season.

Fringe continues to please and, although I haven't seen it (and apparently no one else watched either), I have faith that Dollhouse will continue to improve... until it is axed.

Dexter and Mad Men are both continuing their greatness and The Mentalist, Castle and Criminal Mind also continue to entertain.

That is my list of the best... so far this season.

The Best Comics Out There

2009-09-25T14:25:00.011-04:00

Inspired by Gordon's recent post, I thought I would give you my list of current faves on the comic rack.

Like Gordon, I too believe that Nova, Guardians Of The Galaxy and Blackest Night are not to be missed. Especially the Guardians; any book that features Rocket Raccoon is an automatic winner with me but most critics agree that both of Marvel's cosmic books are must reads. Blackest Night is turning out to be not just and epic event but another must read.

I also want to recommend the Incredible Hercules as a must-read. It is another well-reviewed but reader-impaired title.

My pick for the best comic currently on the racks has got to be The Unwritten from DC Comics/Vertigo. I was a big fan of Mike Carey's Lucifer, so I didn't hesitate to pick up his newest series (the $1 first issue didn't hurt either). After only a handful of issues, it shows the real promise of ranking up there with works like Sandman and Y: The Last Man. It is a book that exlores the blurry line between truth and fiction that surround the life of Tommy Taylor... Is he the son of the famous author of a fantasy series or his fictional creation? I urge you to rush out and get your hands on this book.

That's it for now.

The Emmy's

2009-09-21T10:48:00.004-04:00

Let me first say that Neil Patrick Harris is the best damn awards show host since Billy Crystal. They should be throwing money at him to do the Oscars. But enough about Neil...

The show was great and I'm sure every winner deserved their award (although I still don't understand the love for 30 Rock, but I wasn't paying that much attention after the first award was given. Kristen Chenoweth won for Best Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series for Pushing Daisies. The show deserved more recognition and at least another season to find an audience, and Kristen Chenoweth is a goddess of epic talent (but that's just my opinion/obsession)!!

It was great to see Dr. Horrible and the gang interrupt the proceedings!

Mad Men won for best drama and proved it witht he episode that ran opposite the awards. You should check out that episode even if you don't follow the show... it will be remembered as one of those memorable moments in TV history.

All in all, a great night for TV and TV fans... and Kristen Chenoweth worshippers.

Arrgh! It's Talk Like a Pirate Day.

2009-09-19T08:46:00.006-04:00

Yes, it is indeed that wonderful time of the year.... Talk Like A Pirate Day! This picture reminds us all of the long standing debate of Pirate vs. Ninja I tend to fall on the side of the ninjas.

This picture also makes me wonder just how Yoda would talk like a pirate... something like this I suppose...

Ye mateys, avast! The plank, I be makin' ye walk and the village we be plunderin'.

I guess Talk Like A Ninja Day wouldn't really be very fun, would it?

I tried to hero up but it made me feel like throwing up

2009-09-19T08:28:00.004-04:00

I managed to catch the first episode of Marvel Super Hero Squad and was torn between wanting to like it and wanting to hurl. I had to come to terms with the fact that it is obviously intended for a much, much younger audience that likes their heroes more dwarf-like and the occasional snot and fart jokes.

I will not be watching anymore episodes, but hope it has a long run and turns a new generation into comic readers and not just crappy TV fans.

DVR backlog

2009-09-19T08:12:00.003-04:00

Like Tony Collett, I am a victim of my DVR's ability to record anything and everything that catches my fancy. My DVR can record up to 150 hours of TV and I curently have about 50 hours of shows stored on it. I have just started watching the second season of Pushing Daisies, am waiting for Disney XD to get around to playing the 16the episode of The Spectacular Spider-Man so that I can watch all of the episodes of the 2nd season in order (I'm anal that way), and have all of the new Monk and Psych episodes to get through. I still have the final 2 episodes of Reaper and all of the 2nd season of Leverage mocking my lack of time and love of TV. There are also some of my favorite Static Shock episodes and other odds and ends still to be seen.

Now the new TV season is upon us and I still haven't got enough time to see everything... maybe 150 hours isn't so much after all.

Hi. My name is Mark and I have an addiction to TV.

Regarding Henry

2009-09-17T08:43:00.003-04:00

Yes, there have been far too many famous passings of late and I have refrained from commenting on them because I've been trying to not make every other post an obit.
Still, I could not let the death of Henry Gibson go unremarked.

Not a big star and certainly not a household name, Henry Gibson was one of those actors that everyone knows on sight even if they can't always place his name. I've been a fan of his since his days on Laugh-In
and his voice performance in the animated adaptation of Charlotte's Web was absolutely perfect; he will always be the voice of Wilbur in my head.

My sincerest condolences to his family, friends and fans.

Mobilehome Improvements

2009-09-15T04:38:00.003-04:00

The mobile home makeover is still going on. We've got a new porch. We had someone recoat the roof and replace the storm door and someone else replaced the skirting. We are looking at having them strip and paint the shed, shutters and front door. I would have attempted some of these things, but my carpal tunnel makes such major tasks near impossible. I am looking to have surgery to alleviate that in the spring. Not that I mind paying other people to do things which I would most likely screw up somehow.

We just got our car repaired and are starting to save for a newer one in the spring.

It is nice to have a bit of money for such real needs.

Frog Day Afternoon

2009-09-15T02:16:00.003-04:00

Last week, at work, one of the cleaning crew waved me over to see something that he was looking at on the floor. When I got over to where he was sweeping, I found the dried carcass of one of those Dwarf African Frogs that we sell in the pet department. Being me, I picked up the poor little critter only to find out that one tiny webbed foot was feebly moving. I quickly put in a container of water and in a short time the little thing was fit as a fiddle. Once again, me being me, I decided to buy a 1.5 gallon aquarium and make a home for the hardy little survivor.

I have since decided to get a bigger aquarium and a companion frog and spend too much time surfing the web for info on making the frog's life perfect. My wife and Only Child are sure I have lost my mind and I tend to agree....

The above picture was lifted from the web, as I couldn't get my frog to hold still for a non-blurry photo.

Village Idiots

2009-09-10T08:21:00.007-04:00

During President Obama's address to Congress last night, Congressman Joe Wilson made a fool of himself in front of the country by shouting out, You Lie! in response to the President's assertion that illegal immigrants would not be covered by the healthcare plan he proposes.

Sadly, it wasn't a lie and Joe immediately became the poster boy for all that is wrong with the republican party... it is clueless and classless. The entire party has become a mob of ignorant villagers screaming out against things they don't understand.

When September Comes

2009-09-08T02:43:00.002-04:00

Hey there! I'm back! Of course, that's only news if you noticed I was gone. Rehab was everything they said it would be and I don't even miss the drugs at all...
Okay. It wasn't rehab just laziness.

It has been a busy time since last we spoke. We have a change in our financial situation that now allows us to make some long-needed home improvements and buy food! Yeah! It isn't exactly winning the big lotto, but it certainly relieves me of the immense pressure I've been laboring under for the last few years. Let's hear it again...Yeah!

I see that while I stepped out, President Obama has continued his less than stellar descent into the uninspiring world of pathetic pandering to the republican minority. I also observed the republican party becoming more and more batshit crazy and overall moronic.... moreso than usual.

More in a bit.

Does not compute

2009-08-21T08:19:00.002-04:00

Haven't been able to get online as of late...we crashed and burned. In hopes of never losing all of our photos, music and other works, we bought a computer that has a mirror hard drive that automatically made a backup of all we did. Last week we had some problems with the computer and had to have a guy come out to look at it. Thankfully, it was still under warrenty (barely). The guy replace the power source and tweaked some other stuff but told us that the backup drive was bad and they would send a replacement out the next day... he told me that it was easy to replace and I could do it myself or call for assistance.

The drive came and I decided to be safe and call for technical assistance. Keep in mind that the computer was still running fine without the backup drive. I knew things weren't going to be that simple, when I told him I had the tower open and I needed to know which drive was the backup. His reply, Let's try the one on the right. After a couple of hours, it became apparent that the computer was not going to work with the assistance I received. The guy had to come out the next day and redo the job. After an attempt to get the backup drive intitialized and what have you, he came out and told us that the main drive was now dead.

We now have new drives and power source and none of our files. We have paid the local company that provides our internet service to attempt a salvage operation the bad drives to see if anything can recovered. Only Child is heartbroken that all of her files are gone... hopefully they aren't. I am now looking into buying an external drive to lessen any further losses... Of course, that is what the backup drive was supposed to do.

AAAAAAARRRRRGH!

Back from our weekend in Ft.Wayne

2009-08-14T08:36:00.003-04:00

Came back from our trip to Ft. Wayne to find that our computer had died while we were gone. It is back up to the point of allowing us access to the web but not yet fixed. Thankfully, it is still under warranty and all repairs are free.

Only Child had a wonderful time at the con and is hoping to attend many more. I wish I had a chance to attend more comic/SF conventions when I was her age. Such gatherings and the internet would have given me a much stronger feeling of fellowship with the rest of fandom.

The good news for O.C. is the inaugural gathering at the Anime Crossroads con this November. This might be one of those cons that she attends annually for the rest of her life... if it becomes successful. If you know anyone interested, let them know. I'm hoping it will have an impressive first year.

Recently got good news regarding our finances that will make life a little easier. More on that later.

Don't You... Forget About Him

2009-08-06T21:42:00.006-04:00

John Hughes, dead at 59. Wow. That really knocks the wind out of me. The man and his movies (either written or directed or both) helped make the 80's what they were. My love for the 80's is a great one. The music and the movies of that era are some of my favorites, and I owe a great thanks to John Hughes for a lot of that entertainment.

Mr. Mom, Vacation, 16 Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Pretty In Pink, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Some Kind of Wonderful, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, She's Having a Baby, The Great Outdoors, Uncle Buck, Career Opportunities and Dutch are some of my favorite movies from this unbelievably talented man. Oh, yeah, he made quite a few crappy movies too; but with the number of arguably classic ones included in the above list, those can be overlooked. No one gets it right every time.

If he had only done Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, that would been more than enough to make him a film legend.

No one gets it right every time.

He certainly got right enough times. Thank you, Mr. Hughes.

My sincerest condolences to his family, friends and many, many fans.

Ego Trips

2009-08-04T17:18:00.003-04:00

Former President Bill Clinton visited North Korea and managed to facilitate the release of the 2 journalist sentenced to 12 years in prison for alleged crimes against the country. Having Kim Jong Il's childish ego stroked by having a political rock-star, such as Clinton, personally come to negotiate their release was a savvy play by whoever set up the mission.

Conservative critics are already suggesting that Clinton's visit amounts to negotiating with terrorists. This is such a load of bullshit. Of course, the journalists were treated unfairly/harshly by the North Korean leader and his government. The problem was and is that, in spite of the complete infantile lunacy of Kim Jong Il, North Korea is a sovereign nation and the reporters were in the country illegally... by their laws. Is North Korea a terrorist nation? Is their behavior as a global citizen abhorrent? The answer to those questions are arguably yes. Still, they haven't actually attacked their neighbors nor did they kidnap the journalist from foreign soil and hold them hostage.

The U.S. wants North Korea to behave and put aside childish things (like nuclear weapons) and become a responsible adult. Unfortunately, North Korea, being an unruly child, thinks that if nuclear weapons are good enough for the U.S. then they are good enough for them. I'm not a diplomat (be very, very thankful) so I don't have to make the tough decision regarding how to handle the North Korea situation. I'm just an opinionated blogger who thinks that the Clinton visit was a perfect way to get the journalists released and a first step towards talks with the North Koreans.

We can all agree that Kim Jong Il is a childish twit. We just can't say it if we work for the White House. The problem is that he is a buffoon in charge of a sovereign nation and with nuclear capabilities. Getting the journalists released was a diplomatic coup for us and shouldn't have had anything to do with any other problems we are currently trying to work out with them.

Of course, I too am a buffoon, so I could be completely wrong.

Mini-Adventure

2009-08-04T04:38:00.004-04:00

Starting on Thursday, I will be taking another mini-vacation from work. I will be driving Only Child to Ft. Wayne for Ikasucon. She had plans to go for all 3 days with some friends, but as time grew short it looked like it would be too expensive for the stay. Since she had already bought a 3-day pass, I told her I would drive her up on Friday so she could get some use out of her pass; then thought that, if I could scrape up some cash for a hotel for one night, she could get in 2 days of the con. Found the cheapest hotel (I'm not holding out much hope for quality)and booked one night. That will give me someplace to hole up while she's at the con and I want to check out the new Half-Price Books that recently opened.

We are going to do this on the very, very cheap; I plan on taking the makings of PB&J's and some drinks in a cooler and spending nothing more than hotel and gas expenses. O.C. has some spending money for the con and I will take some books/comics and my MP3 Player for entertainment. It isn't luxury but it isn't work either.
Let's hope my car is up to the task. Everyone cross their fingers.

Birther Defects

2009-08-01T03:13:00.003-04:00

Wow. 58% of republicans polled either believe that President Obama was not born in the U.S. or aren't sure.

If this poll is accurate, it certainly explains their love of Sarah Palin... It's sort of like Desiderius Erasmus observed, In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

To these witless fools, a half-wit is a genius.

I know I didn't have to spell that out for most readers, but I did so in case a birther stopped by to try to read the post.

Looking to the Futurama!

2009-08-01T02:35:00.009-04:00

As the wise man known as Evanier predicted, it looks like the return of Futurama will not go on without the original voice cast.

Thanks to Tony for the heads up!

No, it isn't true that Fox execs and the cast settled it all over a cold can of Slurm with the president, or that the president was born on another planet.

The Pop-ulist Movement

2009-07-31T08:01:00.004-04:00

This ad always makes me laugh at how stupid the Americans are. It really doesn't matter which side of this issue you are on... it is amazingly stupid regardless.

Even thought I love them, I am absolutely fine with a tax on snacks and drinks that are bad for us. As long as their is a restriction that the tax can only be a certain percentage of the actual cost of the item is and can NEVER go above that. I do not want a case of the government getting a taste of the easy money and coming back for more of an easy fix like they do with cigarettes.

I think cigarettes are unfairly taxed. The tax on tobacco products should be lowered to a similar percentage (maybe a little higher) and never allowed to be raised. If the taxes were lowered on them, the smokers would buy more anyway and the money would keep on coming. I believe in everyone's right to lead an unhealthy lifestyle.

What makes this ad so damn funny/offensive is this line...

taxes have never made anyone healthy

You've got to love such simpleminded thinking. Of course, taxes don't make people healthy.... money to cover the cost of affordable/quality healthcare does!!!!

Now that they brought it up, taxes never stopped crime or fires either! We shouldn't be taxed for police and fire protection.

They should tell the truth. This ad wasn't brought to you by Americans Against Food Taxes... It was brought to you by Morons Who Think You're One Too.

Beer with me a moment

2009-07-31T07:06:00.004-04:00

I've been following the ongoing drama of Henry Louis Gates versus the white establishment.... also known as The Man without much real interest. Until President Obama took sides during a press conference and diminished himself just a tad. This is the man that is supposed to remain calm and collected during tense times and yet can't manage to keep a semblance of objectivity on the matter. Granted, I expected him to come down on one side or the other; and since Professor Gates is a friend, I was sure which side that might be. Unfortunately, the president can't afford the luxury of publicly taking sides. This situation was really not something requiring presidential input... especially at this stage. Being president means knowing when to hold your tongue or parse your words, and remembering the power your opinion might have.

He saved himself by admitting his error and setting up the, now famous, beer summit to help ease the tension between the arresting officer and the professor. Well done, President Mouth.

Which leads me to my opinion... Which I can give because I am not the president. Does anyone besides me see this whole drama as more about ego/pride and ego/testosterone than race? I understand the historical and social aspects behind Professor Gate's view of how things went down; I also understand the high risk of being a policeman. Still, it all seemed to be a case of Don't you know who I am! How dare you! versus If you keep giving me lip, I'm gonna haul your ass downtown!

I believe that not all policemen are racists. I do believe that they are in a high-stress job that often gives them a very short fuse when dealing with those that they are supposed to be serving and protecting. This might not have been the case with officer Crowley as I was not there.

I also believe that Professor Gates, as a black man, has lived his life with the reality of racism and is right to be suspect of authority (we all should be but he has far more reason to). Being confronted by such authority in his own home would make his fuse just as short.

Can't this be a case of short fuses rather than race? Maybe I am naive to hope that this was the case.