March 2005 Archives

William Zabka (sometimes credited as Billy Zabka) IS Greg Larsen (Python I)/Greg Larson (Python II)!!

Zabka may best be remembered as the black Gi wearing, on-the-beach bullying, bum leg kicking Johnny Lawrence in Karate Kid and Karate Kid Part Deux, but I think his work in these CGI snake epics is as good as anything he’s ever done.

What??? {you exclaim} Better than his quiet, noble resolve as Security Guard John in Falcon Down? More moving than his tour de force playing Joe (Rover driver) in Epoch? OK, you may have a point with that last one.

The thing I found most fascinating when reviewing Mr. Zabka’s career in that font of all tasty video trivia, IMDB.com, is his penchant for appearing in films with uncertain titles. For instance:

Python 2 aka Python II aka Pythons 2
Dark Descent, aka Descent Into Darkness
Mindstorm, aka Project: Human Weapon
The Power Within, aka Power Man

and, the big winner

Interceptors, aka Interceptor Force, aka The Last Line of Defense

Yep. The Internet. Adding value to our lives by loading up our brains with this kind of valuable information. Life’s good.

This is SO cool:

The largest piece, which he smuggled into the Brooklyn Museum, was a 2 foot by 1.5 foot (61cm by 46 cm) oil painting of a colonial-era admiral, to which the artist had added a can of spray paint in his hand and anti-war graffiti in the background.

"It was just an outsider's view of the modern American bug, bristling with listening devices and military hardware," he said.

In these times when news is dark, darker and Holy Shit dark, it's encouraging to see creative acts of civil disobedience and caustic social commentary. It's also damn funny.

OK. So yesterday I went through the indignity of filling out a TV rental application at Rent-a-Center. Jeez! Life for those without credit is dehumanizing. Doesn't matter if you have a wallet full of platinum cards, kids. You'll still need to provide four (FOUR!) personal references, your social, copies of your driver's license and SS Card (like I still have a hard copy), your vehicle make, model, and license number, and on and on. After turning over all this info, I started reconsidering my strategy on the way home. By the time I was parked in the garage, I'd decided to call the whole thing off.

For slightly more than the cost of renting a TV for a month, I just caved and bought a new TV for my bedroom. Sort of like Mexican ditch weed compared to a big bowl of Bubblegum, but it'll do.

Yep, I'm weak. I can live with that :)

Larry Lessig noted in this entry that News Hounds got flak from the Legions of O'Reilly for posting one of his hate spews. Even after NH pulled the text and posted a link, they were accused of "illegal linking." Oh yeah? Well, you can imagine LL couldn't post the link fast enough in his blog, and neither can I!

Here you go, Bill. Eat my link!

I'm weak. After entertaining constructive (albeit, induced by force) thoughts for the past few days about how this TV meltdown is actually an invitation to use my video-less state as a period of self-assessment and creative discovery, I found myself standing in front of Rent-a-Center this afternoon. Peering longingly in the windows at the widescreen TVs (yours for just $41 a week, no credit required!), I felt a twinge when I realized they were closed. Then I felt lame. Like a junkie pawing at the locked doors of the Methadone clinic.

I mean, come on. Is it really so frightening to be left with only books, music, writing, exercise, and socializing to entertain me for the next 30 days? Uh, hell yes!

Speaking of socializing, there were both ups and downs this weekend. The down was getting an email response to my lunch invitation from Match.com Guy 1. He thinks I'm "very attractive, well read, and smart," but "got a feeling that we're not a match." I think I’m keeping it in its proper perspective, but it's still amazing to set yourself up for rejection – and even paying for the privilege! Ah well. I sent him a pleasant, complimentary "good luck with your hunt" reply. Gee, that was fun.

On the up side, went to see Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at the Fox Theater in RWC last night. The boys were in fine form, and Scotty was scrumptious, as usual. One of the funniest moments was a segue in the middle of "So Long-Farewell-Goodbye" to "Sweet Home Alabama." The crowd went wild! A good time was had by all.

So, the degree of negative TV karma I have accumulated has been kicked up a notch. You know it's going to be bad when the TV repair guy calls and says "are you sitting down?"

TV Diagnosis: the "digital hyper module" is bad and has to be replaced.
The Punchline: the part is on back order and will not be available until the end of April.

That primal scream you hear? That would be me.

We believe in America's historic promise of liberty, justice and the expansion of opportunity for all people. These commitments to fundamental human dignity and a better nation for all animate the American spirit and give us a sense of common purpose. We honor these commitments by recognizing that with the great freedoms afforded us comes an even greater responsibility to see that those freedoms are extended to all people in all places.

We believe that this sense of shared responsibility -- for our families, our communities, our nation and our world -- strengthens our country and secures our future.

This is the from the latest draft Declaration of Progressive Principles by the Principles Project. Sounds like heretical stuff, eh?

OK. I admit it. I love my television. Not Television, that stinking sludge oozed into our homes courtesy of Comcast, but the device itself. I love movies, and movies in widescreen and 5.1 surround in the comfort of one's living room is, truly, one of the great technological joys of the 00's.

Today at work, I happened to mention my infatuation with this particular home electronic in front of a new acquaintance, who promptly encouraged me to "read a book sometime." Hey! I read three books last week, bucko, how many pages can you claim? Don't EVEN get me started about how many words my eyes ingest off the screen via the blogosphere and Shrook. Stop persecuting me!!!

OK. So I'm a little edgy. I was right in the middle of a "Kill Bill" fest last Sunday, happily buzzing from KBv1 and making good progress on KBv2. I looked away from the screen briefly to check my Gmail (hey, it's my Match.com account!), and when I looked back up, the screen was black.

AAAARRRRRGH!!

I pushed remote buttons, switched components on and off, even unplugged and plugged in the TV but, alas, it was not to recover. How wonderfully brilliant that the TV had it's first birthday only two weeks ago! Even more astonishing - I decided not to buy the extended warranty package. Whoo hoo!

Ah well. Once again, the Universe has decided I need to pay tuition to the School of Life. First of all, the physical twinge I felt when I realized I had no television was pretty disturbing. Seems like it's time to unplug for a bit anyway. Second of all, there are plenty of projects to do and books to read. Third, time to reassess whether or not the extended service plan is always a rip off.

My observation for today is that the TV provides a kind of artificial social buzz in the house. Without it, I feel a little more by myself. Not necessarily good or bad - it's what it is. More ponderings on this tomorrow, since I don't expect to see my sweet precious - I mean, my video monitor, for some time.

The tradition is "power hour," or "21 for 21," as it is known in some other places across the country: 21-year-olds go to a bar at midnight on their birthdays, flash newly legal identification and then try to down 21 shots in the hour or so before the bar closes, or as fast as possible.

*SIGH* Must I be the one to point out that if a 21 year old tried to do 21 bong hits in an hour, all they'd get is a cough and a good night's sleep?

In this weekend that saw me immobile on a couch watching the entire LOTR:EE within a 24 hour period (note: if you should choose to take on this challenge and manage the entire viewing in one day, I highly advise AGAINST playing the drinking game), how timely it is to get a look at the newest edition of The Two Towers, which includes these important scene updates.

Who knew?

Ever have those days that are so unbelievably weird (at least as compared to the "normal"), you're left just shaking your head?

Day's Major Event 1: Work bud is shown the door in the guise of a RIF, when in fact it was a clash of opposing viewpoints that could not find resolution. Woe all around.

Day's Major Event 2: Major piece of large spring event is unceremoniously cancelled, throwing into question the entire endeavor, which is currently rampaging forward at high velocity. Holy whiplash, Batman!

Day's Major Event 3: Given some sort of structural salary increase (to pay for the therapy, maybe?)

Day's Major Event 4: Current flirt on Match.com has sent me his phone number. Crap! Means the ball's in my court. Eeek.

Think I'll go to bed . . .