November 2006

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Thursday November 30, 2006 11:08:55 PM #

Tuesday November 28, 2006 7:50:51 AM #

Random Non-Sequiters

» Six Months ago episode of Heroes, such a very very well done show. Good Stuff.

» Studio 60 I watch this show purposefully to be annoyed now.

» DC comics Previews Solicitations for February 2007 - DETECTIVE COMICS #828 • BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #3 • BATMAN #663 • CATWOMAN #64 • NIGHTWING #129 • ROBIN #159 • ACTION COMICS #847 • SUPERMAN #661 • SUPERGIRL #14 • 52: WEEKS 40-43 • THE ALL-NEW ATOM #8 • AQUAMAN: SWORD OF ATLANTIS #49 • BIRDS OF PREY #103 • BLUE BEETLE #12 • CRISIS ON MULTIPLE EARTHS: THE TEAM-UPS VOL. 2 TP • THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #1 - Bats and GL • FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MAN #33 - New Gods • THE FLASH: FASTEST MAN ALIVE #9 • GREEN ARROW #71 - Bats and Red Hood • CONNOR HAWKE: DRAGON'S BLOOD #4 • GREEN LANTERN CORPS #9 • GREEN LANTERN #17 - New Star Sapphire • ION #11 • JLA CLASSIFIED #34-35 • JUSTICE #10 • JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #6 • JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #3 • JSA CLASSIFIED #23 • MANHUNTER #28 • MARTIAN MANHUNTER #7 • MYSTERY IN SPACE #6 • OUTSIDERS #45 • THE SPIRIT #3 • SHADOWPACT #10 • SHOWCASE PRESENTS: HAWKMAN VOL. 1 TP • SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #27 • TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED #5 • TEEN TITANS #44 • TRIALS OF SHAZAM #6 • UNCLE SAM AND THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS #8 • WONDER WOMAN #5

DC Direct: Mini-Mates: Green Lantern with Star Sapphire

Marvel: THE ETERNALS #7 • MS. MARVEL #12 • NEWUNIVERSAL #3 • LEGION OF MONSTERS: WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #1

Let's Go Surfing

» British Documentary on Iraq. 48 min long, Google video.

» Superhero Old-Folks home

» Fox News to create their OWN Daily Show style fake news show. Try to wrap your head around the irony inside that concept.

» Neat Gamer Bus mobile Lan party.

» USB Butt warmer

Friday November 24, 2006 7:12:52 PM #

» I happened to flip on the television and catch the tail-end of a a movie called Mindwalk, (1990). Through the power of DVR, I hit record and the machine grabbed the program from the begining, from whence I commenced to view the program. Not a drama in the traditional sense and not a documentary, the film follows the conversation of a politician, played by a younger Law and Order's Sam Waterson, a Poet, John Heard, and a Physicist, actress Liv Ullmann. The film follows this trio as they walk through castles and picturesque beaches on a French island. They talk about many topics, most of which build toward a discussion on Systems Theory. Very much a relaxed walking intellectual conversation in the visual traditition of the West Wing or Studio 60, minus any of those shows franticness. Alot of the same ground as What the Bleep Do We know is covered in this film, although it is much more mainstream and nowhere near as new agey.

The movie aired on Flix when I watched it. Acording to MeeVee (A TV Guide-like website) it will air at the below times and channels over the next 12 days (3 days actually):

I did not see it on Netflix. It is available on Amazon, on VHS only, for $64 (Which is abit more than you'll want to pay unless you really have money to burn.) I'd try to catch it on one of the above showings over the next few days if you enjoy this sort of thing. It's good stuff.

» I got a basic surround sound speaker system at Meijer's Thanksgiving sale yesterday. Today I built some stands for the speakers. I was very suprized at the difference putting all the speakers at the same ear-level height made. Yesterday I had them on various counters and surfaces and I did not think the surround experience was very effective. Putting all the speakers at the proper height and properly spaced made a much bigger difference than I would have anticipated. Good Thing.

I'll post pictures of the wood stands at a future time after I stain them.

Friday November 24, 2006 2:22:58 AM #

Random Non-Sequiters

» I was going to do the Black Friday thing. I went to bed early, got up abit after midnight, took a quick shower, put on some extra socks, a heavy wool sweater and headed out to get in line in front of my local Best Buy. There's a good deal on a computer, a couple external harddrives, a camcorder, and I can always use an SD card or two. Anyway, I got there at 1am and forget-a-bout it. There was already a small tent city set-up. Tents! that's hardcore. I thought 1am and some extra socks was a little crazy as it was to save a couple hundred bucks. But tents? That was too much for my little shopping list. I'm going back to bed.

Video of the tent city below:

Let's Go Surfing

» Battle of the Planets Shockwave Game. Play it in your web browser.

» Download and Watch "The Corporation". Very good documentary. This is an official Bittorrent download. 1.75 GB.

» Cross a Religious Tract with the Fantastic Four and you get this little gem.

» You should watch zefrank's show on visiting family at Thanksgiving, it's a good one.

Sunday November 19, 2006 1:07:50 AM #

» Saw this on Comics Continuum, looks interesting:
* Kevin J. Anderson has signed a deal with DC Comics and HarperCollins Books to write Last Days of Krypton, a novel about the demise of Superman's home planet. Here's how HarperCollins describes the book: "The novel, reminiscent of The Last Days of Pompeii, shows the pomp and grandeur of a doomed world, the politics and struggles, brave heroes and traitors, and finally the escape of one baby. The story features Jor-El and Lara (Superman's parents), as well as famous villains General Zod and Brainiac, and how a whole planet came to be destroyed. In almost 70 years of Superman, this complete story has never been told." The book is targeted for a fall 2007 release. * A National Education Association online pol

Let's Go Surfing

» Cool Helmet Camcorder from Archnos for $149. (Unfortunately you're going to need an Archnos Media Player to go with it, that should bring the price up considerably higher.)

» New York Times article on videobloggers. The Ze Frank portion is on page 2

» Cool cartoon designs for a forthcoming "Tooned-up" Buffy the Vampire Slayer Maquette

» Six Minute Clip on Youtube: Top 5 Bond Car Chases. Clip is from a British TV series. Not bad.

» Interview with Tim Sale on his "Heroes" Artwork

Saturday November 18, 2006 2:19:04 PM #

Let's Go Surfing

» A PDA-like pocket magnifier. Pricey but an interesting looking gadget.

» OMG! what a cute kitten. via Cute Overload

» A Scanned-in 1960s pamphlet on Design Composition Fundamentals. Real good stuff. Read.

» This hotel room looks straight out of a cartoon.

» USB Electric Guitar for your PC $99.

» John Hodgeman, "I'm PC", on the Boing Boing Podcast. Direct link to MP3. Oh and apparently Justin Long is still the Mac guy contrary to previous reports.

» I haven't tried it, but this multiple network manager, Netsetman, looks like just the thing for promiscuous PC Laptops.

» Kneelbeforeblog has more action figure fun featuring: Spidey and Modok acting Hamlet and a possible ;) opening sequence for an Iron Man movie.

» For $58 I could see getting this multi-position convertable laptop desk

» Text "Encryption" on a Rubberband. This is a much better way to leave passwords on your desk than that post-it note you have under your keyboard now.

» Personalized Rubiks Cube. Upload your Pictures and for $30 they mail it out to you.

» Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, Robin layed an egg, Batmobile lost a Wheel... and you can buy the t-shirt.

» Below are some photos from p2wy. He takes and posts alot of photos. Sometimes 10 or more a day. I subscribe to his Flickr rss feed in my RSS reader, and it's always interesting to check that channel throughout the day. As to why I follow this particular feed, the photographer worked at the same office as mine a while back but mostly I just enjoy the constant updated stream of photos.

Saturday November 18, 2006 12:20:57 PM #

» Just watched the last two weeks worth of Smallville (with finger firmly planted on the fast forward button.) There was a cameo at the end of a tall, bald, slightly green tinged hero with red glowing eyes who can fly and appears to have a thing for Oreo Cookies. Oreos!

» I also just found out (old news, but new to me) that the character above will also be in the two-part Season 4 Finale episode, titled "The Joining" on the animated "The Batman" series. The episode is not scheduled yet but looks to be a few months away.

Saturday November 18, 2006 12:53:02 AM #

Saw Casino Royale, the new James Bond tonight. Very much enjoyed it. It's very much an Ultimate Bond in the Marvel Comics sense. The Bond formula is intact (minus one major and a couple minor missing beats). The camp has been largely stripped out. There are some dry, subtle bits of humor, and although I'm a fan of Bond camp in general, I didn't miss it in the context of this reimagined Bond. Downsides: The Ford scene, more 'naked' Bond than naked Bond girls and a certain missing letter of the alphabet. Overall, Good Stuff, Go See on the Big Screen.

Thursday November 16, 2006 9:27:28 PM #

» Picked-up the Marvel Legends Series 15 Modok wave, DC Reactivated's Lobo and Spider-man series' Electro, this week. Got to rip open lot's of plastic packaging... good times.

Marvel Legends Modok Series 15

Beta Ray Bill and Thor

Flightstand hole in the cape? might have to fill that in with sculpty.
(ML Moon Knight has the cape hole too)

Iron Men

Marvel Legend and Marvel Select Spider Woman.
Select clearly wins this comparison

So which one of these do you think Bendis favors?

Bad Paint ap. Did she sit in yellow paint?

Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel

Profile isn't the Captain's most photogenic side.

Marvel Legends and Marvel Select Moon Knight

I prefer the Marvel Legends figure.
I think I like the midnight grey suit better too.

Bzzzzzzzzz..... Wasp and and Ant-man.

Captain America vs. Modok.
Nice... Build-A-Figure.

Mojo and Modok
Marvel's got some wonderfully disgusting villains.

The Main Man: Lobo with Wolverine

Last sons

Any scene with these two is going to be a winner.

Electro vs. Spidey

Wednesday November 15, 2006 5:26:45 AM #

» Tina Fey was on Jon Stewart's Daily Show Monday night. It was not as electric an interview as I would have thought it to be. It did not seem that Jon Stewart was a fan of Fey. He asked her mostly about Alec Baldwin, didn't discuss her previous fake news anchorship at all, even when she brought it up. He also introduced her as an actress. It seemed odd that he didn't add writer to that intro. Fey was pretty good during the segment though and even with all that, it was still neat to see both at the same desk. Photos below.

Tuesday November 14, 2006 8:22:45 AM #

Random Non-Sequiters

» Pretty cool last night to see the actress who played the receptionist part in the British version of the The Office show up on Studio 60. Really the only highlight in this overly self-involved, self-important, talky-nothing-happening show. (Yeah it's really well written dialogue but NOTHING ever happens on the show, there is NO story.)

» I found this NBC news correspondent covering Darfur amusing in a Daily Show sort of way. She's covering a genocide in a light blue silk shirt, yet still putting on the Canvas Adventurers vest. Nice.

Let's Go Surfing

» Finally a DC Direct Action figure line so esoteric I can pass on it completely. Nice sculpts, but odd odd picks when there are so many more standard characters that could have been done.

Monday November 13, 2006 5:17:58 AM #

» This is just a brilliant toy, and yes I do want one in my size ;)

» Kneel Before Blog Featuring: Funny Sentry/Fantastic Four Action Figure Comic Strip and Slutty PEZ!.

Sunday November 12, 2006 8:23:03 PM #

» Voltron starts running tomorrow on Cartoon Network/Adult Swim Monday thru Friday at 5:30 a.m. Set your VCR's and Go Voltron Force. (Should be nostalgic for an episode or two anyway.)

Apparently you can also watch the episodes online. Find out more.

Sunday November 12, 2006 11:22:50 AM #

» I don't watch Lost. The reason I don't watch Lost is not because it didn't seem like it would be an interesting show. Not because the pilot didn't grab me. I didn't start watching Lost because I've been burned by this type of show before. The "grand mystery show" has only two endings in American television. Ending one, the show gets cancelled early with no mystery resolution or with a hastily constructed unsatisfing one. Ending two, the show becomes successful and the network prevents the writers from ever solving the mystery or significantly changing the status quo the show, or really altering the show formula in anyway until it has completely jumped the shark and noone cares anymore.

Currently I'm very much wondering along this track about the show Heroes. It very much looked like at first, that Heroes had a limited story with a begining, middle and end, but now Heroes is popular. You have to wonder if that popularity has caused any behind the scenes discussions along the lines of, "America really likes this show, don't change anything, keep them guessing, and try to focus more on the prettier characters." I hope that conversation hasn't occured but I bet it has.

Here's an article about Lost's problems in this area. Quote from that article below:

There is, however, a simple solution: Change the format, or at least reimagine it. When it so-called arc shows, we need something between a mini-series and an open-ended run. We need the TV equivalent of a novella: the limited-run show. Series driven by a central mystery (Twin Peaks, The X-Files) peter out precisely because they have indefinite life spans. The writers are forced to serve up red herrings until the shows choke on their own plot twists.
--snip--
Puzzles are meant to be solved, not prolonged. You can only tease viewers so long before they feel like they’re being mocked.

» I also caught completely up with What about Brian over the past week. I really enjoyed the first six-episode-season of this show. The first five episodes of this second season however, have been an exercise in rebuilding the show from the ground-up. There is a Melrose-ization of the series happening. They are dropping characters left and right, they have dismantled the two main character's non-soap friendly video game business and concocted a stupid plot to force Brian to join his father's business. Brian's father is now played by William Devane, Greg Sumner from frick'n Knot's Landing. The signs along the road have left drama town and are now firmly pointing the road to full-on Soapsville. Not the destination I had in mind when I started watching the show.

» Still hopelessly behind on reading comics. I'm now 8 weeks behind, even with reading a healthy stack on my vacation this week. But if you want to know where I am read on. (SPOILERS possibly below, but only if your'e more behind than I am.)

Saturday November 11, 2006 2:50:00 PM #

Random Non-Sequiters

» Clip from Jerry Seinfeld Comedian (Not funny, per se, but insightful.)

» Watched Battlestar Galactica last night. Very Very good episode. Very Very good show. Given some of the scenes in that series and last night in particular, the actor who plays Baltar is one guy who is not likely to look for another job anytime soon. Good Stuff.

Also saw the last 4 episodes of Smallville, but not the most recent one from this past Thursday. While the show itself jumped the shark a couple season's ago, I do think that Green Arrow has been handled very well. I'd love them to cancel Smallvile and do a spin-off with Ollie and Dinah. Did anyone else notice in the the Costume Ball episode that Oliver's sports car was yellow? Nice homage to the Arrowcar.

Finally watched Hellboy Sword of Storms, most of it anyway. Nice that they got Ron Pearlman and Selma Blair to do their movie voice roles. I thought the cartoon was ok overall. I would have enjoyed it more if it had a less asian mysticism influenced story. Hopefully the next one has a more European fire and brimstone influenced setting. Not bad. (Ain't No Justice League, but Sooooo much better than Ultimate Avengers.)

» 320 people stopped by the site yesterday to look at the Robin pictures. That's a flock of Robin fans.

» I have had most of the week off. It's been very nice to to unplug from the routine for a few days.

» Got a Sandisk SDMV1-R V-Mate. "works like a VCR", SD Card Memory Video Recorder. Paid $95 for it. Nice gadget. It's about the size of a Pocket PC. Plug it into your video source, use the remote to record and play back. Several different resolution settings. Records as MP4 video. Neat device especially with my double TV set-up. Only thing that I'm less than thrilled with is the remote control which although serviceable is a little wonky at times, hopefully I can set-up a learning remote or something to replace it. All and all, great way to capture video clips to play back on my TV, Pocket PC or Laptop.

Let's Go Surfing

» NBC created Comedy Clip site: dotcomedy.com. A fair amount of videos. Did anyone see the internet going toward so much video a few years ago?

» Very Nice Basic Color Tutorial

» Staple Free Stapler

» Interesting Battery Box that will Power/Charge your USB devices from AA's

» Open Files View. Useful little App that shows all the open files on your PC.

» Tree Copy- Useful freeware App that just copies a folder structure (not the files) from one place to another.

» David Bryne muses on an Evolutionary basis for Self-delusion.

» Very Cool Sea Horse. Apparently this was on eBay. Hopefully it ended up with an Aquaman Fan. via Boing Boing

» Very Cool Brando MP4 video Playing Watch. 1GB of Memory. $98. I carry a Pocket PC around with me all the time, so I can't think of a practical reason to get one. Still, this looks super cool and if I came across it in a store at this pricepoint, I'd have to stand there a while to talk myself out of getting one.

Thursday November 9, 2006 11:52:47 PM #

Action Figures

» Comparison pictures of DC Direct Robin's including the new Dark Victory Robin. I don't have the KC Red Robin :(

Let's Go Surfing

» Diamond Select to release Skrull/Brood 2-pack in 6" scale with Marvel Legends (*not* their usual 7" scale)

Thursday November 9, 2006 12:47:58 AM #

» This is a little old, but I took a quick look on Youtube and I didn't see it up there, so for those that are interested, below are the Green Lantern and Superhero References from Grey's Anatomy a couple weeks ago. (Comic fans aren't going to like Karev in this snippet. If you are unfamiliar with the show, Karev is pretty much always played as a jerk, so I wouldn't take his comments in the clip too personally.)

» Got a really good book on Figure sculpting from Amazon.com yesterday: Creating Life-Like Figures in Polymer Clay: A Step-By-Step Guide (Paperback) $18.48. I don't know much about the topic, but this book is filled with step by step photos and diagrams. As a book at least, it's very well put together. Good Stuff.

Sunday November 5, 2006 12:48:12 PM #

Random Non-Sequiters

» So, um, did anyone watch Meet the Press today? What was the deal with Elizabeth Dole? Aren't Senators supposed to be the deliberative body that let people talk in turns? Tim Russert was at a complete loss (although clearly amused at the absurdity of the situation) as to how to get her to stop talking. The Dems on the panel for the most part handled the situation with grace. Staying on message is one thing, but not even letting the moderator get a word in, is taking things abit far.

» Ordered some things on Amazon.com today. Played with their various shipping speed and delivery option combinations. Also noticed that it makes a difference what you put in your order, as one of the books I was getting would have delayed everything else by a month under most of their shipping options. Anyway, not a positive process, they would seem big enough to be able to streamline the situation abit. (Yeah I know they have 1-Click and all, but in my situation that would have pretty much been the worst option in price/delivery combination)

Let's Go Surfing

» Lace Wall Painting technique

» On My Desk is a facinating web site that profiles the desks, offices and studios of creatives. I particularly liked this Mighty Mouse image in their Tommy Kane profile.

» Remember, Remember the 5th of November. Edward Lee has some nice V for Vendetta Action Figure shots on his Flickr account.

Saturday November 4, 2006 4:53:42 PM #

» Picked-up DC Superheroes "Batman/Batgirl" and "Clark Kent/Superman" 2 packs a couple days ago.

In package shot

Very nice sculpts, much better than usual for this line

Comparisons of DC Direct and DC Superheroes Batgirls

From the side

From the back

Side by sides of DC Superhero and DC Direct Batman

DC Superhero and DC Direct Clark Kent

Clark Kent with DC Direct Lois Lane.
(I was going to take a photo of him with Perry and Jimmy from the Daily Planet wave, but he's not a good scale with those two figures, didn't seem worth the upload.)

Saturday November 4, 2006 3:55:05 PM #

Random Non-Sequiters

» I know this news is a couple days old, but to everyone who posted a negative post to their blog, made a negative comment somewhere on a message board, complained to a friend, or whatever, thank you for helping make this not happen. Internet, you're full of heroes and you've done good on this!

» Battlestar Galactica, very good last night, very good show. 30 Rock, surprisingly funnier each week; they did a great brief parody of Studio 60 this week: "Did we just walk in a circle?" "Good Walk and Talk". Heroes, still loving Heroes, good show.

» Pretty cool Drive-thru prank, bit, whatever?

Let's Go Surfing

» Hey alcoholic friends check out the Cost of Drinking Calculator

» What would happen if all people suddenly disapeared from the earth? Article and Chart
via boing Boing

» Dilberts Unified theory of everything financial

» I think this is a really fun idea, Ceramic versions of Plastic Tableware. A set of Red Ceramic Solo cups and ridge edged paper plates would really be cool. via Cool Hunting

» Composite Face made from 15 "attractive" images, from something called the Face Research Lab

» This roof monster tutorial is really slick. via Make

» One Click Butter Cutter. Sure this is a task that probably doesn't require this level of accuracy. Also every house in America is stocked with "butter" knives for this purpose, but this still looks neat. Perfect Pats of butter.

» Cool Cardboard Box Maze

» Really bad in a good way, custom Ice-man Costume.

» Neat looking USB Record Player/Ripper Turntable. $225, so a little on the pricey side, but if you have a gigantic record collection, looks like it would be very useful. via Gizmodo

I don't spell check and my grammar, sentence and paragraph structure on this site leave alot to be desired. Most times I forget to go back and reread a post to see if it makes sense. Sometimes I type the word "Fnck". Flip the "n" over... I don't have a problem with the word myself, I just type it that way to slip it past overzealous work censorship programs and for the benefit of those that are sensitive to that sort of thing.