One of the best Homestar Runner Halloween cartoons ever--THE JIBBLIES 2!! A lot of inspiration was drawn from 1980's Nickelodeon with You Can't Do That on Television and Danger Mouse cameos. And how about the stick as one of my childhood favorites, Lowly Worm? Enjoy!
Happy Halloween!!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Well, thus wraps up another baseball season. Here in Colorado, we turn our attention to the Broncos, who frankly kind of stink this year. No matter what, the Rockies had one of the most amazing runs of all-time (maybe second only to the 2004 Red Sox).
I suppose at sometime I need to get some more outdoors posts up soon! This 400 year old clam is pretty cool---though it's kind of a bummer it died of something OTHER than old age! Maybe there's something to Pearl Cream, eh? Maybe clams are the Highlanders of the world except there can be MORE than one. Just think, when you indulge in clam strips you may be munching on ribbons of history.
Not too much else to report on a Monday. We are officially one month away from National Video Game Day, which will be celebrated with appropriate vigor. And if Pat Whittle is out there, I just picked up a complete copy of Startropics with UNDUNKED LETTER FROM UNCLE STEVE!!
As you can tell, my social life hasn't been too exciting lately...
I suppose at sometime I need to get some more outdoors posts up soon! This 400 year old clam is pretty cool---though it's kind of a bummer it died of something OTHER than old age! Maybe there's something to Pearl Cream, eh? Maybe clams are the Highlanders of the world except there can be MORE than one. Just think, when you indulge in clam strips you may be munching on ribbons of history.
Not too much else to report on a Monday. We are officially one month away from National Video Game Day, which will be celebrated with appropriate vigor. And if Pat Whittle is out there, I just picked up a complete copy of Startropics with UNDUNKED LETTER FROM UNCLE STEVE!!
As you can tell, my social life hasn't been too exciting lately...
Sunday, October 28, 2007
1. One stat that won't endure future analysis is HOW MANY FREAKIN' 4 PITCH WALKS ARE THE ROCKIES GOING TO GIVE JULIO LUGO!?! Why are they pitching around a paper-thin, .183 hitter with no power who is wearing pants two sizes too big (at least he proves not everyone in baseball is on steroids). Many of these Lugo walks have come with 2 outs and sustained or began a Red Sox rally-and it's not like Lugo is doing anything crafty, he's standing there like a terrified lamb, bat glued to shoulder.
2. Being on the other side has confirmed the horrible rumor: Red Sox fans are ALMOST as obnoxious and annoying as Yankee fans. Granted, the Sox don't have as many unlikable players the Yanks but when it comes to fans you'd like to punch in the face, they're up there.
3. Why Hurdle is pitching the bullpen like he's up 6-1 every game is beyond me. Herges is a perfectly capable horse, eating up innings-and he's just about the only player on the Rockies that doesn't look overwhelmed by the World Series. Fuentes sucks and has sucked all year-4 blown saves in a row and countless other close games he lost control of seem to be his calling card.
4. I have no explanation what happened to Brad Hawpe and Garret Atkins. These guys were clutch all year round and now they have all but disappeared. What's worse is that they are traditional fastball hitters and they are getting blown away by 89 MPH fastballs. Not good.
5. Another painful phenomenon to watch is the terrible contact most Rockies players are making at bat. I've never seen so many foul balls on pitches right over the plate. Last night I was yelling at the TV "LOOK FOR A FIRST PITCH CURVE (from Okajima)" and still, despite being down in the game and the series, bats firmly on the shoulders. A few weak foul balls, then the strikeout-I know Boston has some good pitchers but Colorado is making them all look like Cy Young winners.
6. Troy Tulowitski isn't a bad player, but he's not the sensation the media is making him out to be. He's sort of like a poor man's Michael Young with a stronger arm. As a young guy he has time to grow but the comparisons to Cal Ripken need to stop for now (unless you want to relate the fact they are big, slow white guys with an unexpected amount of agility). Anyone remember another Colorado player with this much buzz about 2 years ago, Clint Barmes? (Whose career was derailed when he fell down a flight of stairs carrying deer meat?)
7. The Rockies have been pressing the entire World Series while the Red Sox seem relaxed, confident and even having fun. Maybe it's the lasting image of David Ortiz in those silly little kid swim goggles that is putting a chuckle in their hearts.
8. Matt Holliday is a heck of a player-can you imagine if he was teamed up with Todd Helton when Helton was hitting .372 and 30+ HRs? Imagine the respect Helton might have if Barry Bonds + pals didn't juice up to action-figure type levels during those years?
9. I give the Rockies fans credit, they stayed in the game until the very end. See, unlike Boston, our bandwagon at least sticks with the team until the final out.
10. If Boston sweeps at least I can anticipate the return of $5 Rockies tickets in the middle of July 2008. Oh yeah, and Jacoby Ellsbury looks like an ugly girl.
2. Being on the other side has confirmed the horrible rumor: Red Sox fans are ALMOST as obnoxious and annoying as Yankee fans. Granted, the Sox don't have as many unlikable players the Yanks but when it comes to fans you'd like to punch in the face, they're up there.
3. Why Hurdle is pitching the bullpen like he's up 6-1 every game is beyond me. Herges is a perfectly capable horse, eating up innings-and he's just about the only player on the Rockies that doesn't look overwhelmed by the World Series. Fuentes sucks and has sucked all year-4 blown saves in a row and countless other close games he lost control of seem to be his calling card.
4. I have no explanation what happened to Brad Hawpe and Garret Atkins. These guys were clutch all year round and now they have all but disappeared. What's worse is that they are traditional fastball hitters and they are getting blown away by 89 MPH fastballs. Not good.
5. Another painful phenomenon to watch is the terrible contact most Rockies players are making at bat. I've never seen so many foul balls on pitches right over the plate. Last night I was yelling at the TV "LOOK FOR A FIRST PITCH CURVE (from Okajima)" and still, despite being down in the game and the series, bats firmly on the shoulders. A few weak foul balls, then the strikeout-I know Boston has some good pitchers but Colorado is making them all look like Cy Young winners.
6. Troy Tulowitski isn't a bad player, but he's not the sensation the media is making him out to be. He's sort of like a poor man's Michael Young with a stronger arm. As a young guy he has time to grow but the comparisons to Cal Ripken need to stop for now (unless you want to relate the fact they are big, slow white guys with an unexpected amount of agility). Anyone remember another Colorado player with this much buzz about 2 years ago, Clint Barmes? (Whose career was derailed when he fell down a flight of stairs carrying deer meat?)
7. The Rockies have been pressing the entire World Series while the Red Sox seem relaxed, confident and even having fun. Maybe it's the lasting image of David Ortiz in those silly little kid swim goggles that is putting a chuckle in their hearts.
8. Matt Holliday is a heck of a player-can you imagine if he was teamed up with Todd Helton when Helton was hitting .372 and 30+ HRs? Imagine the respect Helton might have if Barry Bonds + pals didn't juice up to action-figure type levels during those years?
9. I give the Rockies fans credit, they stayed in the game until the very end. See, unlike Boston, our bandwagon at least sticks with the team until the final out.
10. If Boston sweeps at least I can anticipate the return of $5 Rockies tickets in the middle of July 2008. Oh yeah, and Jacoby Ellsbury looks like an ugly girl.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Man, the Red Sox HAMMERED the poor Rockies last night. But turnabout is fairplay--we have at LEAST 2 games here at Coors Field, if the Rockies can get a split in Boston we'll be in good shape. Though 13 runs is a bit... concerning...
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
So what is it with those creepy guys in unmarked vans trying to sell stolen speakers? I always thought it was an isolated occurence but I've now been approached on at least 6 different occassions in three different states. I'd swear it's the same guys, but it simply can't be. Today on the Jim Rome show Jim went on a rant about those same dudes too, so this gives some creedence to the phenomenon.
Here's what happens: you're pumping gas, walking to your car at the supermarket, whatever, and some slick looking guys in a clean but unmarked van ask if you want to buy speakers because "the DJ who ordered these got too many and we need to get rid of them". Right. And then they bug you, trying to convince you of how lucky you are and what a great deal they can offer. You'll often notice one dude does all the talking while the other one is look out, nervously scanning traffic for police cars or perhaps the person whom they stole the speakers from. When you say no, they become somewhat aggressive in their tactics. Explaining to them what eBay is doesn't seem to work. Eventually they slowly drive off, looking for the next sucker.
Two thoughts.
1-My friend Ryan actually BOUGHT speakers from these guys once for like $300.00--can you believe it? He said they seemed like "a good deal" and while in fact they WERE good speakers, the fact he bought them out of the back of a van is a bit disturbing.
2-I wonder if this actually is a business, a nationwide network of vans/dudes who daily go around selling stereo equipment to naive young men getting gas (I assume they'd never approach a woman). Maybe they have a web site, ultracreepythugssellingstolenspeakers.com or something like that.
No matter what, hearing Jim Rome's take on this gives validity to my observation that this is a fairly common practice.
Here's what happens: you're pumping gas, walking to your car at the supermarket, whatever, and some slick looking guys in a clean but unmarked van ask if you want to buy speakers because "the DJ who ordered these got too many and we need to get rid of them". Right. And then they bug you, trying to convince you of how lucky you are and what a great deal they can offer. You'll often notice one dude does all the talking while the other one is look out, nervously scanning traffic for police cars or perhaps the person whom they stole the speakers from. When you say no, they become somewhat aggressive in their tactics. Explaining to them what eBay is doesn't seem to work. Eventually they slowly drive off, looking for the next sucker.
Two thoughts.
1-My friend Ryan actually BOUGHT speakers from these guys once for like $300.00--can you believe it? He said they seemed like "a good deal" and while in fact they WERE good speakers, the fact he bought them out of the back of a van is a bit disturbing.
2-I wonder if this actually is a business, a nationwide network of vans/dudes who daily go around selling stereo equipment to naive young men getting gas (I assume they'd never approach a woman). Maybe they have a web site, ultracreepythugssellingstolenspeakers.com or something like that.
No matter what, hearing Jim Rome's take on this gives validity to my observation that this is a fairly common practice.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Well, the unthinkable has happened... the Rox vs. Sox is a reality! I'm not sure if this a win-win or lose-lose situation, since I followed both teams closely all year. I'm pulling for the Rockies but if the Red Sox win, that's a nice consolation prize. The Rockies are such an amazing story and add to that, they are the underdogs AND a TV announcer already made the faux-pax of saying "no team that ever wore purple has ever won a championship in any major professional sports league". I bet the LA Lakers might have something to say about that.
But I digress-- here's my series breakdown for all you sports fans, which is probably nobody who actually reads this blog.
My pick: ROCKIES IN 5
Why?: The Rockies hit fastball/slider pitchers extremely well, which doesn't bode well for Beckett or Dice-K. Schilling may give them some trouble but it's Wakefield who would shut down the line up. All year, the Rockies have had trouble hitting off speed pitchers (which is why Jamie Moyer was a scary proposition against the Phils) but that solid hitting, along with great young pitching will get the job done!
The Break Down
First Base: Helton v Youkilis
Advantage: Rockies
Yook is certainly hotter than Helton this post season, but Helton is a patient and reliable veteran. Even though he doesn't boast a huge post season batting average, he's scored a lot of runs as a result of walks. Defensively, Helton is simply the best in the business and even though Youkilis is VERY good as well, Helton gets the nod.
Second Base: Matsui v Pedroia
Advantage: Red Sox
Defensively, again the nod goes to the Rockies but Pedroia is a better hitter with more power potential and slightly better speed. Add to that, Matsui has been slumping since his Grand Slam in the NLDS so it might not be uncalled for to platoon him with Jamey Carroll this WS.
Shortstop: Tulowitski v Lugo
Advantage: HUGE Rockies
Lugo is the weakest link of this Red Sox team (and alternate Alex Cora isn't much better). Tulo is stronger defensively and offensively and is playing with confidence. Lugo looked like he was going to cry every post season at-bat (though if you were batting .178, you'd be about to cry too).
Third Base: Atkins v Lowell
Advantage: Rockies
Garrett Atkins is simply one of the best players in baseball, bar none. His .329 batting average last year almost won the batting title and he led the majors in runs produced. He had another solid year this year, quietly putting up big numbers and getting many clutch hits. Lowell is almost as good, though Atkins is a better fielder and younger.
Left Field: Holliday v Ramirez
Advantage: Rockies
As good as Manny is, Holliday is having an MVP year. He's also more likely to be engaged in the game than Manny, especially with the thin air here in Colorado!
Center Field: Tavares v Crisp/Ellsbury
Advantage: Rockies
Tavares is a classic lead off hitter: .300 average, great speed, good instincts. He also covers a lot of ground in the field and has a good arm. Crisp is a liability at the plate and Ellsbury has yet to prove himself (though is probably a better choice in the Sox lineup).
Right Field: Hawpe v Drew
Advantage: Rockies
Brad Hawpe is yet another unheralded player is clutch hits for great power. Drew is a good player but on the schnide with Sox fans for his failure to come through in the clutch, including numerous non-swinging strike outs in the reguilar season.
Catcher: Torrealba v Varitek
Advantage: Red Sox
Varitek has experience and grit, not to mention a much stronger arm than Torrealba. Both hit for low average and average power, but that's par for the course for catchers not named "Mauer".
Starting Pitching
Advantage: Draw
Both teams have weaknesses in their batting line ups that pitchers can exploit. The Sox seem to flounder against inside, left handed sliders and the Rox have difficulty with off-speed stuff. Jiminez and Francis will give the Sox fits, and Schilling and Wakefield will frustrate the Rockies. Morales and Fogg are wildcards, but fearless. The Rocks will absolutely hammer Matsuzaka.
Middle Relief
Advantage: Red Sox
Fuentes is the weak link in the Rockies relief rotation, even though he is an 8th inning stalwart. Affeldt and Herges are much better choices for Colorado. Boston has experience in Timlin that may be key.
Closers
Advantage: Red Sox
Papelbon and Corpas are on par--when Corpas throws strikes. "Our Manny" has some real trouble throwing strikes, especially first pitch strikes while Papelbon goes right after hitters. Cringe as Corpas gets behind hitters in the 9th--and hope the defense can bail him out.
Bench Players
Advantage: Rockies
The Rockies bench is deep, with many players splitting playing time throughout the year. Carroll and Spilbourghs are solid while backup catcher Chris Ianetta has flashes of brilliance. The Sox are close behind with Bobby Kielty, Hinske and Ellsbury, but Cora stinks.
It's going to be a close series, but I expect the Rockies to squeak out wins thanks to their potent 2-6 hitters, especially Atkins and Hawpe. In the end, the Rocks big bats and young pitching is going to the win the day!
Thoughts, baseball fans?
Man, I feel like going home and playing with Legos all night. To hell with the "Ages 6-12" suggestion, I feel like taking all my classic Castle Series pieces and building an uber-fortress fit to combat the super cool blue Space Series vehicles from the late 80's. I don't understand why as adults, we stop playing (though I assume one reason people have kids is so they can play with their toys). Whenever I see an apartment like those inhabited by suave dudes in NYC, you know, with weird furniture and jazz albums it makes me shudder. Or, another example, the way a normally fun house would look after those energetic gay guys make it look like the lamps section of Home Depot. It's not that I want to live in a room that looks like a college dorm, but I think one's home should be a reflection of their personal tastes (Homestar Runner, SNES, etc.) and style (of which I technically have none).
I wonder if people really like that stuff or feel pressure (from Ikea?) to act like adults, or at least what they perceive to be all grown up. Sure, there's an appeal in a nice hip dwelling but why is that the overwhelming trend? Why aren't there more cool houses like the one here, designed as the ultimate feline dwelling? As I furnish my new apartment, I make sure my NES collection is front and center and I should get my legos out here soon!
But at least I can take comfort that my Uncle Tom (who is turning 40 this year by the way!) HAS to have legos somewhere in his house. If not legos, at least a Goofy toy or two in public view. If I got $20,000 to redesign my house, I'd have him be my interior designer (and it's gonna stay that way until Ethan Allan introduces their lego-based line of ottomans).
But I digress-- here's my series breakdown for all you sports fans, which is probably nobody who actually reads this blog.
My pick: ROCKIES IN 5
Why?: The Rockies hit fastball/slider pitchers extremely well, which doesn't bode well for Beckett or Dice-K. Schilling may give them some trouble but it's Wakefield who would shut down the line up. All year, the Rockies have had trouble hitting off speed pitchers (which is why Jamie Moyer was a scary proposition against the Phils) but that solid hitting, along with great young pitching will get the job done!
The Break Down
First Base: Helton v Youkilis
Advantage: Rockies
Yook is certainly hotter than Helton this post season, but Helton is a patient and reliable veteran. Even though he doesn't boast a huge post season batting average, he's scored a lot of runs as a result of walks. Defensively, Helton is simply the best in the business and even though Youkilis is VERY good as well, Helton gets the nod.
Second Base: Matsui v Pedroia
Advantage: Red Sox
Defensively, again the nod goes to the Rockies but Pedroia is a better hitter with more power potential and slightly better speed. Add to that, Matsui has been slumping since his Grand Slam in the NLDS so it might not be uncalled for to platoon him with Jamey Carroll this WS.
Shortstop: Tulowitski v Lugo
Advantage: HUGE Rockies
Lugo is the weakest link of this Red Sox team (and alternate Alex Cora isn't much better). Tulo is stronger defensively and offensively and is playing with confidence. Lugo looked like he was going to cry every post season at-bat (though if you were batting .178, you'd be about to cry too).
Third Base: Atkins v Lowell
Advantage: Rockies
Garrett Atkins is simply one of the best players in baseball, bar none. His .329 batting average last year almost won the batting title and he led the majors in runs produced. He had another solid year this year, quietly putting up big numbers and getting many clutch hits. Lowell is almost as good, though Atkins is a better fielder and younger.
Left Field: Holliday v Ramirez
Advantage: Rockies
As good as Manny is, Holliday is having an MVP year. He's also more likely to be engaged in the game than Manny, especially with the thin air here in Colorado!
Center Field: Tavares v Crisp/Ellsbury
Advantage: Rockies
Tavares is a classic lead off hitter: .300 average, great speed, good instincts. He also covers a lot of ground in the field and has a good arm. Crisp is a liability at the plate and Ellsbury has yet to prove himself (though is probably a better choice in the Sox lineup).
Right Field: Hawpe v Drew
Advantage: Rockies
Brad Hawpe is yet another unheralded player is clutch hits for great power. Drew is a good player but on the schnide with Sox fans for his failure to come through in the clutch, including numerous non-swinging strike outs in the reguilar season.
Catcher: Torrealba v Varitek
Advantage: Red Sox
Varitek has experience and grit, not to mention a much stronger arm than Torrealba. Both hit for low average and average power, but that's par for the course for catchers not named "Mauer".
Starting Pitching
Advantage: Draw
Both teams have weaknesses in their batting line ups that pitchers can exploit. The Sox seem to flounder against inside, left handed sliders and the Rox have difficulty with off-speed stuff. Jiminez and Francis will give the Sox fits, and Schilling and Wakefield will frustrate the Rockies. Morales and Fogg are wildcards, but fearless. The Rocks will absolutely hammer Matsuzaka.
Middle Relief
Advantage: Red Sox
Fuentes is the weak link in the Rockies relief rotation, even though he is an 8th inning stalwart. Affeldt and Herges are much better choices for Colorado. Boston has experience in Timlin that may be key.
Closers
Advantage: Red Sox
Papelbon and Corpas are on par--when Corpas throws strikes. "Our Manny" has some real trouble throwing strikes, especially first pitch strikes while Papelbon goes right after hitters. Cringe as Corpas gets behind hitters in the 9th--and hope the defense can bail him out.
Bench Players
Advantage: Rockies
The Rockies bench is deep, with many players splitting playing time throughout the year. Carroll and Spilbourghs are solid while backup catcher Chris Ianetta has flashes of brilliance. The Sox are close behind with Bobby Kielty, Hinske and Ellsbury, but Cora stinks.
It's going to be a close series, but I expect the Rockies to squeak out wins thanks to their potent 2-6 hitters, especially Atkins and Hawpe. In the end, the Rocks big bats and young pitching is going to the win the day!
Thoughts, baseball fans?
Friday, October 19, 2007
Man, I feel like going home and playing with Legos all night. To hell with the "Ages 6-12" suggestion, I feel like taking all my classic Castle Series pieces and building an uber-fortress fit to combat the super cool blue Space Series vehicles from the late 80's. I don't understand why as adults, we stop playing (though I assume one reason people have kids is so they can play with their toys). Whenever I see an apartment like those inhabited by suave dudes in NYC, you know, with weird furniture and jazz albums it makes me shudder. Or, another example, the way a normally fun house would look after those energetic gay guys make it look like the lamps section of Home Depot. It's not that I want to live in a room that looks like a college dorm, but I think one's home should be a reflection of their personal tastes (Homestar Runner, SNES, etc.) and style (of which I technically have none). I wonder if people really like that stuff or feel pressure (from Ikea?) to act like adults, or at least what they perceive to be all grown up. Sure, there's an appeal in a nice hip dwelling but why is that the overwhelming trend? Why aren't there more cool houses like the one here, designed as the ultimate feline dwelling? As I furnish my new apartment, I make sure my NES collection is front and center and I should get my legos out here soon! But at least I can take comfort that my Uncle Tom (who is turning 40 this year by the way!) HAS to have legos somewhere in his house. If not legos, at least a Goofy toy or two in public view. If I got $20,000 to redesign my house, I'd have him be my interior designer (and it's gonna stay that way until Ethan Allan introduces their lego-based line of ottomans).
Thursday, October 18, 2007
A local reporter friend of mine who works for the Daily Camera asked me today for my opinion on a controversial wildlife issue that has gotten some folks in these parts fairly heated. Here's what happened:
In the nearbyweirdo infested town of Nederland, a man shot and killed a mountain lion that was attacking his 8 month old puppy. Sounds fair enough, until you realize the man had chained the little dog in his backyard through the night and the attack occurred at 2:30 AM. Originally touted as an act of heroic protection now has animal rights folks furious. Adding to the ignorance was the quote by the man:
"I'm from Wisconsin, that's how we get things done."
The guy now faces not only an illegal killing charge for slaughtering the mountain lion but mutiple animal cruelty charges for leaving the puppy outside without shelter. I'm certain he isn't speaking for the whole state of Wisconsin, unless getting "it" done means ingesting a full jar of mayonaise in one sitting, but this guy is an idiot. Tying up a puppy in an area where mountain lions frequent is like setting the hot dog buffet table for Kobayahsi. Keeping a loaded shotgun on your back porch is also a fairly questionable practice, especially when most animal conflicts be avoided by simple precautions. In the end, his logic was a simple solution (violence) from a simple mind.
In the nearby
The guy now faces not only an illegal killing charge for slaughtering the mountain lion but mutiple animal cruelty charges for leaving the puppy outside without shelter. I'm certain he isn't speaking for the whole state of Wisconsin, unless getting "it" done means ingesting a full jar of mayonaise in one sitting, but this guy is an idiot. Tying up a puppy in an area where mountain lions frequent is like setting the hot dog buffet table for Kobayahsi. Keeping a loaded shotgun on your back porch is also a fairly questionable practice, especially when most animal conflicts be avoided by simple precautions. In the end, his logic was a simple solution (violence) from a simple mind.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Scroll down, my friends to my October 2004 archives--see at the bottom of the page, a picture of #17, Todd Helton looking fairly sad.
Now, this should make up for that (and the past 10 years).
GO ROCKIES!!!
Now, this should make up for that (and the past 10 years).
Monday, October 15, 2007
How about them Rockies, huh? Thanks to the new job, I may actually pull the trigger on a World Series Ticket if the Rockies can win one more game against the Diamondbacks. Those of you who have read my blog over the years know that my Rockies stories usually involve lots of losing OR me getting onto Sportscenter in the background. To actually talk about them winning is a wonderful novelty.
In other news, as soon as Comcast decides to switch over my Internet, I'll be fully engrained in my new place. I love that I can sit on my couch and see the sky and mountains from my windows. Xanadu likes it too, which of course is the most important thing.
This week I have another book signing, this time in Golden, Colorado at the Alpine Rescue Fundraiser. So I'm sure to have some stories from all that. Now, back to work!
I'm pretty certain I posted this BARTDOYOUWANTSOMEBROWNIESBEFOREYOUGOTOBED Remix before, but it still makes me laugh out loud! This, along with "not hailing to the chimp" may be my absolute favorite Simpsons moments. It's not very sophisticated humor but everytime it's on I still crack up. If you remember, Sideshow Bob was trying to kill Bart for the umpteenth time. As Bart lays awake in his bed, terrified at every little sound, Homer BURSTS in wielding a huge knife and yells BARTDOYOUWANTSOMEBROWNIESBEFOREYOUGOTOBED?!! After leaving the room, he re-enters the room with BARTDOYOUWANTSEEMYNEWCHAINSAWANDHOCKEYMASK?! Classic!
Anyone who has ever played through any of the classic Nintendo-made NES games should be familiar with the bizarre name "Ten-Ten" that frequently appeared in the ending credits of such games as The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario. Bros., Metroid and more. While it may appear that the thing behind the name could possibly be some kind of Madagascar-based primate, it's actually the code-name of long time Nintendo director/producer Takashi Tezuka. Tezuka has been involved in every major Nintendo release since 1984 (which is to say, pretty much all of them minus Donkey Kong)and is perhaps best known for creating the interactive world of Animal Forest (known in the US as Animal Crossing).
The nickname Ten-Ten comes from poor Japanese/English translations, probably at the hands of fabled Ninja Gaiden translators "Kevin and Daniel". Apparently, hiring two editors didn't do anything to prevent the garbled mess of Engrish that so famously plagues most early NES titles.
Oh, and thanks for nothing long term memory: reading the Wikipedia entry on Animal Crossing, it mentions the game is influenced by Sylvanian Families, the collectable animal figurines from the mid-80's. Despite not having heard ANY mention of Sylvanian Families since at least 1989, what instantly jumped into my head? The song for the commerical on Nickelodeon:
"Sylvanian Families...to collect and love!"
The human brain is a facinating thing, isn't it? I mean, it completely ignores certain information I feel is important, such as my blood type or the location of my work office, yet recalls with great accuracy the lyrics and melody from an obscure commericial about toys I never wanted.
Anyhow-- have a happy Ten-Ten day! And see you next!
In other news, as soon as Comcast decides to switch over my Internet, I'll be fully engrained in my new place. I love that I can sit on my couch and see the sky and mountains from my windows. Xanadu likes it too, which of course is the most important thing.
This week I have another book signing, this time in Golden, Colorado at the Alpine Rescue Fundraiser. So I'm sure to have some stories from all that. Now, back to work!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
I'm pretty certain I posted this BARTDOYOUWANTSOMEBROWNIESBEFOREYOUGOTOBED Remix before, but it still makes me laugh out loud! This, along with "not hailing to the chimp" may be my absolute favorite Simpsons moments. It's not very sophisticated humor but everytime it's on I still crack up. If you remember, Sideshow Bob was trying to kill Bart for the umpteenth time. As Bart lays awake in his bed, terrified at every little sound, Homer BURSTS in wielding a huge knife and yells BARTDOYOUWANTSOMEBROWNIESBEFOREYOUGOTOBED?!! After leaving the room, he re-enters the room with BARTDOYOUWANTSEEMYNEWCHAINSAWANDHOCKEYMASK?! Classic!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Anyone who has ever played through any of the classic Nintendo-made NES games should be familiar with the bizarre name "Ten-Ten" that frequently appeared in the ending credits of such games as The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario. Bros., Metroid and more. While it may appear that the thing behind the name could possibly be some kind of Madagascar-based primate, it's actually the code-name of long time Nintendo director/producer Takashi Tezuka. Tezuka has been involved in every major Nintendo release since 1984 (which is to say, pretty much all of them minus Donkey Kong)and is perhaps best known for creating the interactive world of Animal Forest (known in the US as Animal Crossing). The nickname Ten-Ten comes from poor Japanese/English translations, probably at the hands of fabled Ninja Gaiden translators "Kevin and Daniel". Apparently, hiring two editors didn't do anything to prevent the garbled mess of Engrish that so famously plagues most early NES titles.
Oh, and thanks for nothing long term memory: reading the Wikipedia entry on Animal Crossing, it mentions the game is influenced by Sylvanian Families, the collectable animal figurines from the mid-80's. Despite not having heard ANY mention of Sylvanian Families since at least 1989, what instantly jumped into my head? The song for the commerical on Nickelodeon:
The human brain is a facinating thing, isn't it? I mean, it completely ignores certain information I feel is important, such as my blood type or the location of my work office, yet recalls with great accuracy the lyrics and melody from an obscure commericial about toys I never wanted.
Anyhow-- have a happy Ten-Ten day! And see you next!
Monday, October 08, 2007
Well, two more days in my apartment and then I'll be completely moved into my new place. It's wild to think I've lived in the current place for 7 years--I believe it was October 2000 when I moved in with Jody. So much has happened in that time and as I'm packing, I'm uncovering little relics of former selves. There are good and bad things to uncover but it's definitely time to move on.
I have to say it really came down to the wire a while back... the thought of leaving Colorado was downright depressing. As much as I poke fun at New York City, that was my only previous viable offer and I think it would have smothered me to be there. It would have been great to be around my east coast friends and family, but beyond that--it would have not been good for the soul.
So now Xanadu and I will have a place to call our own for a while, with beautiful views of Marshall Mesa and an actual porch to look up at the stars. I'll be spending the next few months crawling out of debt but at the same time, I'll be pooling resources for book #2 and enjoying Colorado for some time to come.
Fare three well C103--who knows, if I ever become a famous author people will come from miles around to see the place where I wrote my first book!
I have to say it really came down to the wire a while back... the thought of leaving Colorado was downright depressing. As much as I poke fun at New York City, that was my only previous viable offer and I think it would have smothered me to be there. It would have been great to be around my east coast friends and family, but beyond that--it would have not been good for the soul.
So now Xanadu and I will have a place to call our own for a while, with beautiful views of Marshall Mesa and an actual porch to look up at the stars. I'll be spending the next few months crawling out of debt but at the same time, I'll be pooling resources for book #2 and enjoying Colorado for some time to come.
Fare three well C103--who knows, if I ever become a famous author people will come from miles around to see the place where I wrote my first book!
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Taken from a Yahoo! news article about the Chicago Marathon. Hint: there's a missing letter "m".
The duo traded leads on the stretch run down Columbus Avenue before Ivuti's final push at the line. The race was so close that it took organizers several minutes to determine the winner.
Njenga finished third and Cheruiyot fourth. Cheruiyot was in position to contend but stomach craps forced him to drop back after 22 miles. Cheruiyot, who last year slipped on the finish line and banged his head on the pavement as he raised his hands to celebrate, finished in 2:16:13.
Stories like this are fairly common in the news: some working-class schmoe finds a boatload of money and piously returns it, for no reward other than feeling all warm and tingly inside. I'm not gonna lie: if I found $65,000 on the side of the road, I'd slyly pick it up and vamoose out of there with nary a guilty pang. In fact, I have visualized the ideal situation where a suitcase of money is accidentally left on the top of a mobbed-up car and slides off into the woods, where yours truly happens to be looking for a lost frisbee. Thanks to the cover of the woods and the fact the car drove off without returning to search, I get home scott-free with a fat load of cash.
Now, being the upstanding citizen that I am, if there was ID with the money I'd return it (meh...probably not, unless it was a wallet). But assuming it was anonymous money (like those famous bags of dough with the "$" sign on them) I'd prudently stash the cash away. I would use it for small purchases, nothing crazy--food, new tires, nothing that would raise an eyebrow (unless I wanted a facelift, which would probably raise both eyebrows). I would not go out and buy meals of great-horned owl fillets encrusted in dodo egg shell powder, served in tangy manatee sauce, supplimented by snow leopard milk.
In my whole life, I've probably found something in the neighborhood of $9 in free money (including a sweet fiver in a parking lot), probably lost about $100. So I'm still down $91 but I can still dream of the rushed drug deal, where the strung out participants have no idea where that missing 3 million dollars went.
And somewhere in Boulder, a veteran postman barely notices the influx of NES games from eBay to a certain lucky frisbee player...
The duo traded leads on the stretch run down Columbus Avenue before Ivuti's final push at the line. The race was so close that it took organizers several minutes to determine the winner.
Njenga finished third and Cheruiyot fourth. Cheruiyot was in position to contend but stomach craps forced him to drop back after 22 miles. Cheruiyot, who last year slipped on the finish line and banged his head on the pavement as he raised his hands to celebrate, finished in 2:16:13.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Stories like this are fairly common in the news: some working-class schmoe finds a boatload of money and piously returns it, for no reward other than feeling all warm and tingly inside. I'm not gonna lie: if I found $65,000 on the side of the road, I'd slyly pick it up and vamoose out of there with nary a guilty pang. In fact, I have visualized the ideal situation where a suitcase of money is accidentally left on the top of a mobbed-up car and slides off into the woods, where yours truly happens to be looking for a lost frisbee. Thanks to the cover of the woods and the fact the car drove off without returning to search, I get home scott-free with a fat load of cash. Now, being the upstanding citizen that I am, if there was ID with the money I'd return it (meh...probably not, unless it was a wallet). But assuming it was anonymous money (like those famous bags of dough with the "$" sign on them) I'd prudently stash the cash away. I would use it for small purchases, nothing crazy--food, new tires, nothing that would raise an eyebrow (unless I wanted a facelift, which would probably raise both eyebrows). I would not go out and buy meals of great-horned owl fillets encrusted in dodo egg shell powder, served in tangy manatee sauce, supplimented by snow leopard milk.
In my whole life, I've probably found something in the neighborhood of $9 in free money (including a sweet fiver in a parking lot), probably lost about $100. So I'm still down $91 but I can still dream of the rushed drug deal, where the strung out participants have no idea where that missing 3 million dollars went.
And somewhere in Boulder, a veteran postman barely notices the influx of NES games from eBay to a certain lucky frisbee player...
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
My fabled 2 minutes dominating the Colorado cable/air waves was a success! The hardest part of the interview was finding the studio itself, tucked away like a lymph node in the circulatory network of downtown Denver. Once I got there, my mission was to basically babble about my book and how freakin' sweet Colorado's mountains are. Not that I take it as any kind of omen, but my watch died on the way to the studio which means I wasn't TECHNICALLY late as far as I know.
Anyhow, I did make it into the shiny studios with lots of well dressed people and plenty of mysterious locked doors behind which I assumed was an actual living Homer Simpson. Before going on air, I was escorted to the "Green Room", which was actually blue and didn't have any croissants but did have a 9.25 lb Nestle's Crunch Bar (which I initially mistook for Crunch!:The Board Game).
Morning news shows must be a weird environment to work in, since you basically have to block out any emotion and do the job. Before my piece, there was a cool adopt-a-pet feature about a ferret, then lots of sad frowny-face news about 5 dudes who died in a pipe explosion at a hydro-electric plant. Just before my piece, a guy went on talking about how he was staging a counter-protest to Boulder High School students who were protesting having to say "Under God" in the pledge. His summary was that Boulder's a bunch of godless, liberal freaks.
"And next up on our program, James Dziezynski from Boulder. This freak will be here talking about his godless book about hiking mountains built by Jesus! Tune in!"
Ok, it wasn't that bad, but a strange act to follow. As the staff shuffled the other guy off the set, I was ushered on and told to sit in a chair and before I could say "where should I look?" the interview was on live! I wasn't nervous but I didn't really know if I should gaze into the camera with dreamy abandon or stare into the eyes of my interviewer, which seemed a little weird. She (Crytsal Egger, meteorologist and Dr. Robotnik henchman) was actually very nice and professional. After talking about my favorite peak and a few other mountain related stories, my fleeting moment was over and I was escorted out, still croissantless. The whole thing took about as much time as an office restroom break.
I almost walked out with the little clippy microphone but caught it poking into my adam's apple right before getting in my car. I was thinking of poaching a cubit of the Crunch bar when I walked back in to return the mic, but it looks like it had been sitting there since 1997 so I opted to grab a sandwich on the way home instead.
Oh, if you get a second, please stroke John's paternal ego and vote for his post here. All of his posts are good to read and a vote for John is a vote against the horrifying HazYaz photoshop abomination he created, though I'm not 100% sure how that is. The best part is you don't have to sign up for anything to vote!
Anyhow, now that the interview is done I'll just sit back and wait for the fan mail to come pouring in! (Note: Much like John is trying to win votes for his blog, I'm hoping I get more fan mail than the ferret, though he really was an expert showman--talk about playing an audience into his paws!)
Anyhow, I did make it into the shiny studios with lots of well dressed people and plenty of mysterious locked doors behind which I assumed was an actual living Homer Simpson. Before going on air, I was escorted to the "Green Room", which was actually blue and didn't have any croissants but did have a 9.25 lb Nestle's Crunch Bar (which I initially mistook for Crunch!:The Board Game).
Morning news shows must be a weird environment to work in, since you basically have to block out any emotion and do the job. Before my piece, there was a cool adopt-a-pet feature about a ferret, then lots of sad frowny-face news about 5 dudes who died in a pipe explosion at a hydro-electric plant. Just before my piece, a guy went on talking about how he was staging a counter-protest to Boulder High School students who were protesting having to say "Under God" in the pledge. His summary was that Boulder's a bunch of godless, liberal freaks.
"And next up on our program, James Dziezynski from Boulder. This freak will be here talking about his godless book about hiking mountains built by Jesus! Tune in!"
Ok, it wasn't that bad, but a strange act to follow. As the staff shuffled the other guy off the set, I was ushered on and told to sit in a chair and before I could say "where should I look?" the interview was on live! I wasn't nervous but I didn't really know if I should gaze into the camera with dreamy abandon or stare into the eyes of my interviewer, which seemed a little weird. She (Crytsal Egger, meteorologist and Dr. Robotnik henchman) was actually very nice and professional. After talking about my favorite peak and a few other mountain related stories, my fleeting moment was over and I was escorted out, still croissantless. The whole thing took about as much time as an office restroom break.
I almost walked out with the little clippy microphone but caught it poking into my adam's apple right before getting in my car. I was thinking of poaching a cubit of the Crunch bar when I walked back in to return the mic, but it looks like it had been sitting there since 1997 so I opted to grab a sandwich on the way home instead.
Oh, if you get a second, please stroke John's paternal ego and vote for his post here. All of his posts are good to read and a vote for John is a vote against the horrifying HazYaz photoshop abomination he created, though I'm not 100% sure how that is. The best part is you don't have to sign up for anything to vote!
Anyhow, now that the interview is done I'll just sit back and wait for the fan mail to come pouring in! (Note: Much like John is trying to win votes for his blog, I'm hoping I get more fan mail than the ferret, though he really was an expert showman--talk about playing an audience into his paws!)
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Nothing says schmooze like going on TV to promote yourself! Tomorrow morning I'll be on Fox 31 doing an interview with the weather girl about my book. This marks at least the 5th time I'll have been on TV... let's see:
* I was on Kid's Writes, a show where actors acted out user contributed stories, on Nickelodeon when I was 8 or 9 for my first "published" work, the infamous Dog Party , a gripping drama of a young boy and the mysterious basement world where canines play guitar and dance.
* In an incident that pretty much negated any good-will I earned from Dog Party, I appeared on WTXX-20's kid's club with my cub scout troop. I held a weather map for Dr. Mel (good) but went on to pick the nostril of puppet TX Critter (bad) which won me everlasting acclaim from my peers, everlasting shame from my family.
* After a long hiatus I was on NBC news 30 when I worked at EMS saying, essentially, when it's cold you should wear a hat. An EMS hat!
* A second appearance on NBC for EMS, this time talking about ticks and how bad it is to have them on you. This was a shove in the face to all those tick loving enthusiasts out there.
* In a 20-10 victory by the Rockies over the Diamondbacks, my Uncle John and his friend + my friend Amy Kukla were all alone in the centerfield bleachers when 4 home runs came near us. You can clearly see us as they show the highlights!
* Documentary #1: On my Arctic trip, I was on board the ice breaker with a BBC film crew from Ireland/England working on a documentary about Sir John Franklin. I had a few on camera comments that may or may not have made it into the final product.
* Documentary #2: I was interviewed by the national TV station of Trinidad and Tobago for the adventure travel press trip I recently went on. Most of the interview consisted of me being sweaty and trying not to throw up after mountain biking in the 100+ degree heat.
Anyhow, tomorrow should be fun and for all of you not in Colorado, I should be able to have a clip to link from Fox at some point. I don't expect it to be earth shattering conversation-- heck, as long as I don't fart on air I'll consider it a success!
If you couldn't already tell from your links, I've finally moved my blog over to the mountainswords.com domain! PLEASE UPDATE YOUR LINKS!! It's much appreciated ( the new link is http://www.mountainouswords.com/blog )
Speaking of blogs, I was looking at my very old Oct. '04 posts-- at the very bottom is a sad phot of the Rockies losing a game in typical fashion and yet, here they are one win away from the post-season! Let's go Rocks--crush them Padres and then win the World Series. If it's a Sox/Rox series, I wonder who I would root for? Hmmm...
* I was on Kid's Writes, a show where actors acted out user contributed stories, on Nickelodeon when I was 8 or 9 for my first "published" work, the infamous Dog Party , a gripping drama of a young boy and the mysterious basement world where canines play guitar and dance.
* In an incident that pretty much negated any good-will I earned from Dog Party, I appeared on WTXX-20's kid's club with my cub scout troop. I held a weather map for Dr. Mel (good) but went on to pick the nostril of puppet TX Critter (bad) which won me everlasting acclaim from my peers, everlasting shame from my family.
* After a long hiatus I was on NBC news 30 when I worked at EMS saying, essentially, when it's cold you should wear a hat. An EMS hat!
* A second appearance on NBC for EMS, this time talking about ticks and how bad it is to have them on you. This was a shove in the face to all those tick loving enthusiasts out there.
* In a 20-10 victory by the Rockies over the Diamondbacks, my Uncle John and his friend + my friend Amy Kukla were all alone in the centerfield bleachers when 4 home runs came near us. You can clearly see us as they show the highlights!
* Documentary #1: On my Arctic trip, I was on board the ice breaker with a BBC film crew from Ireland/England working on a documentary about Sir John Franklin. I had a few on camera comments that may or may not have made it into the final product.
* Documentary #2: I was interviewed by the national TV station of Trinidad and Tobago for the adventure travel press trip I recently went on. Most of the interview consisted of me being sweaty and trying not to throw up after mountain biking in the 100+ degree heat.
Anyhow, tomorrow should be fun and for all of you not in Colorado, I should be able to have a clip to link from Fox at some point. I don't expect it to be earth shattering conversation-- heck, as long as I don't fart on air I'll consider it a success!
Monday, October 01, 2007
If you couldn't already tell from your links, I've finally moved my blog over to the mountainswords.com domain! PLEASE UPDATE YOUR LINKS!! It's much appreciated ( the new link is http://www.mountainouswords.com/blog )
Speaking of blogs, I was looking at my very old Oct. '04 posts-- at the very bottom is a sad phot of the Rockies losing a game in typical fashion and yet, here they are one win away from the post-season! Let's go Rocks--crush them Padres and then win the World Series. If it's a Sox/Rox series, I wonder who I would root for? Hmmm...
