Paul's journal

http://www.progressiveruin.com/2009_11_29_archive.html#6027349412248462508

And if there's anything the people want from this site, aside from nekkid pics of TV stars as per my Google referrals, it's buttons buttons buttons!


Hey, a button of the original Battlestar Galactica, in all its washed-out, possibly bootleg glory.


This movie will be 20 years old next year. That's something I probably didn't want to know. I haven't seen in in over a decade, and I primarily remember that they really ramped up the goofiness for this sequel. Also, there's the genius of the speech Phoebe Cates' character gives about a tragedy in her past, parodying the similar speech from the first flick.


I have two primary memories of this TV series. First, that the series' star, Roy Scheider, reportedly wasn't pleased about the existence of the comic book spin-off, and it only had one issue released. (No idea how true this story is...maybe one of you can confirm or deny.) Second, there was a stereotypical sci-fi nerd type in a Saturday Night Live sketch, and he was wearing a way-too-tight Seaquest shirt.

Never saw the actual show itself, aside from maybe five or ten minutes at one point.


Now, I keep seeing copies of the DVD of this in the $5 bin at my grocery store, and I'm tempted sometimes, until I remember just how dark and depressing this film was. I actually haven't seen it since I sat in that theatre back in '87, just shaking my head at it all, and I think I may just be better off sticking to the comic adaptation. At least that has Curt Swan art.


Boy, if it's one thing a guy who manages a comic shop knows, it's fitting into society.

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Elice in Tacoma, Wash.: Any news on The Office? Will there be any Jam moments to look forward to?
( Click for the answer )

http://www.progressiveruin.com/2009_11_29_archive.html#9159494338049309549

So as I've mentioned several times before on the site, I'm slowly working my way through Batman: The Animated Series DVD season sets thanks to the Netflix. In this episode from season three, "Trial," the Joker is presiding over a, well, trial in Arkham Asylum with a captive Batman as the defendant. And instead of paying attention to the equally-captive D.A. as she attempts her defense, the Joker is enjoying some reading material:


That of course is based on the classic DC Comics humor series The Adventures of Jerry Lewis, complete with the '60s go-go check design!


Okay, sure, the front cover is on the wrong side of the book, unless it's an advertisement for the next issue or something. Or hell, maybe the Joker just tore the cover off and glued it to the back. He is the Joker, he doesn't care about mint condition!

Here are a couple of closer looks at the cover, including a nice shot of the logo, a brief glimpse of a Jerry Lewis caricature, and a word balloon with the word "LADY" inside the comic:


And here's another time Jerry Lewis appeared on a Batman TV show:

http://paul79.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/other-passengers/

http://paul79.wordpress.com/?p=5774

http://paul79.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/one-more-month/

http://paul79.wordpress.com/?p=5772

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So, I just saw a commercial for Caltrate. It shows a baby with her mother, and then shows the baby now as an adult with a daughter of her own. She wraps a thin blanket over her daughter's shoulders as the voiceover goes on about "Tender Loving Caltrate".

The daughter with the blanket is totally Kelly/Erin.

Sorry, no video, and her imdb profile is sadly missing it. Shocking, I know.

Just... um... in case you cared I guess?

Edit: There's a video in the comments now. I know you guys really care about this! :)

--37 Mighty Boosh/Noel gifs
--06 The Office gifs

Teasers:


MOAR.

Sorry about that! I haven't slept in two days XD

Although he has undoubtedly written some of the finest episodes of the latest incarnation of Doctor Who, my personal favourite series of Steven Moffat remains his first - Press Gang. Based on those two pieces of work alone, it's amazing it has taken me almost a decade to catch up with his early naughties sitcom, Coupling.

The show plays very much like a British version of Friends - though the characters are more coarse, but generally more believable than their American counterparts. A US version of Coupling was tried a few years ago and suffered a lot of complaints about the frank sexual talk, but that's what separates most British shows from their neighbours across the pond.

That said, I am a huge fan of Friends and while its characters are less believable, they are more likable and more comforting. The characters of Coupling are sometimes a little hard to bear - possibly because they cut too close to the bone? Steve and Susan might be relatively normal - and its their relationship the show revolves around, but their friends are various degrees of crazy.

But is it funny? Yes, it's hilarious. It's also, very clearly, a Steven Moffat show. The episodes are tightly and cleverly plotted, the humour comes from character and builds from there. There's an almost stream-of-conciousness to much of the ridiculous verbal situations all these people find themselves in. And all of it is built around relationships and how we all wish we were more confident in them or approaching them or after they are over.

The cast is also very strong, particularly Jack Davenport - who I will watch in anything! And the characters are well defined for comedy. And the premise is very rich, so I look forward to progressing through the entire series pretty quickly - with only 24 half hours all up, I'll probably be done in a week!

http://www.progressiveruin.com/2009_11_29_archive.html#3871757723599134516

THE COOLEST GUY ON THE BEACH


HAS HIS EYES ON THE LADIES


AND HAS DECIDED THE BEST WAY


TO GET THE LADIES


IS TO WEAR THIS

Archie's Girls Betty and Veronica #164 (August 1969)

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http://paul79.wordpress.com/2009/11/30/rubbish-collection-postponed/

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http://paul79.wordpress.com/2009/11/30/dump-truck-backing-up/

http://paul79.wordpress.com/?p=5765

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http://www.progressiveruin.com/2009_11_29_archive.html#8036229140849867615

DELAYED BY ILLNESS, FORGED IN FIRE...it's the latest installment of the End of Civilization, my nearly five-year-long series of poking through each new issue of the Diamond Previews catalog and pointing out wonderful items you should order in enormous quantities, preferably though me. So whip out your copy of the December 2009 edition and follow along:

p. 61 - Blackest Night #7:


There are six full pages in the Previews book that essentially look just like that. Wonder how many trees could have been saved by putting all six solicitations on one page and saying "look, we're not going to show you the covers, so just order up, fanboy."

p. 130 - True Blood Busts:


So Employee Aaron couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the solicit for these busts, especially since it was used on the cover, and he pretty much insisted this make an appearance in this month's installment of EoC. Those would be the actors' faces Photoshopped onto mock-ups of the statues, it appears. It's a bit disturbing-looking.

BEHOLD:


For some reason I'm now imagining these busts with solid cast bodies and soft to the touch fleshy faces. That'd be weird.

p. 188 - President Evil Yes We Cannibal T-shirt:


So at what point do you think President Obama regretted ever admitting he was a comic book fan?

p. 188 - How to Draw Vampires:


1. Draw some pretentious guy (or gal).

2. Add pointy teeth.

3. Sprinkle some glitter (Twilight only).

4. Hide drawings in my tattered notebook and wish for a dark and mysterious creature of the night to come into my home and whisk me way into a foreboding yet romantic realm of forbidden desires. "COME WITH US, MIKE...JOIN THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF BLOOD AND FANG."

5. Er...disregard that.

p. 306 - Kryptonian at Heart T-shirt:


"Ma'am...I'm sorry, but I'm afraid the Superman 'S' shield is sticking directly into his aorta. We must operate immediately."

p. 309 - Super Trooper Red T-shirt:


Ever notice how Stormtroopers have little frowny-faces? "WHO'S A SAD CLONE?"

Also, does the red color of the shirt represent the blood of the countless victims crushed beneath the cruel heel of the despotic Empire? Do all the Star Wars aliens even have red blood? I bet there's a website somewhere that'll tell me. I bet Jawa blood looks like what you get when you squish a bug...all yellow and green and gooey.

p. 318 - Barbie Ladies of the '80s: Debbie Harry and Joan Jett Dolls:


I'm pretty sure Joan Jett and Debbie Harry would've kicked Barbie's plastic, copyright-stamped ass way back when.

However, if they're taking suggestions for future Ladies of the '80s, might I recommend Wendy O. Williams?

p. 323 - Living Dead Dolls Freddy Krueger 2010 Remake & A Nightmare on Elm Street Freddy Mez-Itz Figure:


That's what I want from my mass-murderer/child-killer toys: more cute.

p. 345 - Kubrick Disney Characters:


"This...this really hurts, guys. No, seriously, stop laughing, I'm not joking. I think my neck is very badly compressed. This isn't funny. I need someone to take me to a doctor right away. Oh God the pain"

p. 346 - Kubrick Be@rbrick Series 19 Mini-figures:


"Captain...I have tried to assimilate myself into their culture by disguising myself as one of them, but they still reject me. I believe it is the fact that I appear to have four ears which repels them."

p. 347 - Star Trek USS Enterprise USB Webcam:


You know, aside from warp drive and the transporter, a USB webcam is probably more technologically advanced than anything represented on the original show.

p. 350 - Star Wars R2-D2 Bobble Head:


What's wrong with just making that a plain ol' Artoo statue? Why make any part of it bobble at all? R2-D2 WILL NOT BOBBLE FOR YOUR AMUSEMENT, HU-MANS.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure his whole body bobbles, not his head, since giving R2 a giant headdome out of proportion to the rest of his body (like most other Bobbles) would be just this side of traumatizing.

p. 350 - Pac-Man Bonus Fruit Energy Drink:


I'd like to see a whole line of video game energy drinks. The Donkey Kong Flaming Barrel Energy Drink. The Defender Mutated Lander Energy Drink. The K.C. Munchkin Energy Drink That's Entirely Different from the Pac-Man Energy Drink. The Crazy Climber Condor "Eggs" (wink) Energy Drink. The Wizard of Wor Thorwor Energy Drink.

I might have to pass on the Custer's Revenge Engorged Arrow Energy Drink, however.

p. 355 - The Twilight Saga New Moon The Board Game:


"Whoever moons the most over the dreamy pictures of the cast wins!"

p. 357 - Star Wars R2-D2 Is in Trouble Board Game:


Given that R2 is the most competent character in the Star Wars saga, what kind of trouble is he going to get into that anyone else is going to get him out of? I mean, Jar Jar? Anakin? Threepio? C'mon.

Well, okay, maybe Chewie.

Marvel p. 20 - Deadpool Merc with a Mouth #7 2nd Printing Variant:


Oh, Rob Liefeld, you're the gift that keeps on giving.

Marvel p. 24 - Ultimate Comics X #1:

"...The all-new ULTIMATE X ongoing bi-monthly series from the superstar dream team of JEPH LOEB and ART ADAMS."

B...bi-monthly? Ongoing?

"But he's got high hopes
He's got high hopes
He's got high apple pie in the sky hopes...."

Marvel p. 85 - Iron Man 2 Marvel Select War Machine Action Figure:


They tried to hide it, but obviously the big spoiler for Iron Man 2 is that Jim Rhodes is killed by a giant wrench to the head. Sorry, kids.

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Okay, I haven't picked up the Season 5 DVD yet. But yesterday I heard Rich Sommer talking about the Alex storyline--that he was originally scheduled to be in three episodes (1) meet cute, (2) bar flirting, (3) confess love to Pam. But the fan reaction was so strongly negative that they cut his second appearance and re-wrote the third appearance to the "New York is better for you than Scranton" bit that we saw.

QUESTION: Did that cut flirting scene make the DVD?

NOTE: He was in Weight Loss and Customer Survey, so it would have been one of the four episodes between: Business Ethics, Baby Shower, Crime Aid, or Employee Transfer.