Rock Hall of Fame...AGAIN?!!! Will They EVER get it right?

Maybe I'm just uninspired but I seem to keep returning to the same well. What the hey...it's MY blog...

It's that time again. Woo Hoo! The deities on high at the Mock & Droll Hall of Fame have wielded their scepters & found more "worthy" acts for inclusion in their club. Such acts as Madonna, Beastie Boys, Donna Summer, John "Cougar" Mellencamp and Chic. The Ventures and The Dave Clark Five are also nominated but, most likely, won't make the cut because their not "hip" enough or perhaps Dave Clark stole Jann Whiner's lunch money.

I've covered the Monkees' dance card with the Hall...but, who else has gotten the Heisman?



This song is one of my favorites. Any reason for this group to be passed over is downright dumb. Of course, maybe it's because they don't have the toe-tapping catalog of say Afrika Bambaataa or, at any time, possessed a License To Ill.

Once again proving...the Hall is run by empty-headed elitists. Maybe it's time to depose 'Little Napoleon' Wenner and put someone in charge who actually knows something about music. Any kid who can play chopsticks on a piano has the edge over him. Just a Thought.

The Best Show You're Probably Not Watching...and Shame On You.

One of my previous posts singled out a practice in the world of film named "re-imagining". The target of my ire was one "Trash Gordon" television program. I've since given the show a few more opportunities to redeem itself. It failed miserably. Particularly when it re-imagined The Hawkmen as 1) the not so cleverly renamed Dactyls (as in Ptero...) and 2) without wings.

Uh huh. See ya.

Conversely, I am quite pleased with a show that continues to get better & better. It is a show that is currently turned 44.

Kinda.

Doctor Who premiered on the BBC in 1963. It ran uninterrupted until 1989. A few movies aired sporatically over the next few years. Then, in 2005, the Brits jump-started the show again &
it continues to this day.

The premise of the show is, basically, a Time Lord, known simply as The Doctor (the last survivor of his race), travels through time with a human companion (most often an attractive female) and adventure & hi jinks ensue. He travels through time in a machine called a TARDIS (the machine once possessed the capability to change it's look to blend into it's surroundings but has become stuck in it's current form...an old fashioned Police Call box). One of the clever aspects of a show with Doctor Who's longevity (737 episodes have been filmed to date), is that The Doctor can regenerate himself completely changing his appearance & mannerisms. Effectively transforming into a different person with the same memories. Brilliant. This creative device allowed The Doctor to be portrayed by 10 different actors over the years. No re-imagining. Just CLEVER writing.

The Doctor first came to my attention in the 70s. The Doctor at the...um...time...played by Tom Baker (he of the multi -colored scarf & brown messy mop of hair). Until recently, he was the most popular actor to inhabit the role and enjoyed quite a bit of success. I would catch it late nights on the local PBS station. The show had cheesy effects and occasional wooden acting but it was always well written. It was one of those British Sci-Fi havens of the 70s (like Space 1999...equally cheesy).

I began watching the recent incarnation when it began to show on...gasp!...the previously maligned Sci-Fi Channel. The show started slowly but the effects were no longer cheesy. Since it decided to embrace what came before...the hit & miss nature was understandable. Forty odd years of history gradually seeped it's way into the show culminating into an unforeseen Doctor change at the end of the return season.

Enter David Tennant.

Tennant is one of those actors who can be very funny one minute & become somber and introspective the next. As Jon Lovitz used to say..."It's called AC-TING!!!" Tennent was born to play this role.

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Over the next year, the show gained it's footing & delivered some really good episodes (powered by Tennant & companion Billie Piper's chemistry). They brought back classic Doctor Who villains like The Daleks & The Cybermen. Then, Piper decides to leave the show. Just when it was hitting it's stride.

It was barely a stumble.

The season currently showing on SciFi has been the best yet. Now paired with Freema Agyeman, Tennant made the role his own. Episodes "Human Nature/The Family of Blood (a two parter)" and "Blink" are EXCELLENT examples of how well acted & well written this show is. If you aren't currently watching it...give it a try.

Sure there is a lot of back story but they do a good job of filling in the uninitiated. The show is winding down the current season but it reruns frequently. Plus, in a world where "re-imagining" is ignoring the source material...it's nice to find a show that embraces it's rich history. The previous two seasons are on display on both BBC America & PBS. They are also available on DVD.

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You won't be sorry.

Flash! Ahhh-ahhh! Savior of...um...well...hmm...

Flash Gordon. A multi-media, multi-generational phenomenon. Well...at least he used to be.

A product of the funny pages in the late 30s, Flash was well-written & beautifully drawn by Alex Raymond. If you've never seen these strips, check em out. They are a four color window into the Depression with sharp allegories to the era. The chief villain, Ming the Merciless, was a dictator in the mold of the real-life growing threat of Adolf Hitler. Lavishly drawn, it was easily translated to the big screen in a series of Saturday morning serials starring Buster Crabbe.

For all their simplistic effects & ham-handed dialogue, the serials are fun to watch and, for the most part, exciting (which is the point behind these cliffhangers in general). There were also radio serials. In the days before TV, these were all the rage. From what my father has told me, he & his friends raced home to hear the latest adventures of the Lone Ranger, Superman and, yes, Flash Gordon. It's a lot like it was depicted in A Christmas Story with Ralphie & his devotion to the similar comics to radio show Little Orphan Annie.

As a kid in the 70s, I listened to a local radio station that broadcast various radio shows from the 30s & 40s as a cheap way of filling evening airtime. I was hooked. It was theater of the mind. It's my firm belief that, in those pre-Star Wars days, these dramas helped me build and cultivate a vivid imagination that aids me to this day in my career as a graphic designer.

Next, there were two, practically simultaneous versions. One was a well done Filmation Cartoon that used elements from all previous incarnations. It was presented in a Saturday Cliffhanger style. I recently picked these up on DVD and they hold up quite well (although skip the second season when a cute baby dragon was added for the "awwww factor".)

The second and most indelible of all is Dino DeLaurentis' 1980 adaptation. Cheesy (in a "we did it in our basement" effects style), Funny (both intentionally & unintentionally) and bizarre (thanks to the over the top "score" by Queen). Bad acting, Ham acting and, occasionally no acting, this movie was panned at the time and died...uh...mercilessly at the box office.

I loved it. Not because it was a great piece of art but probably because, even then, I appreciated the camp aspect. There are numerous filmed examples of camp such as Marx Brothers movies, Monty Python or the TV show Green Acres, But, arguably camp was not as finely executed as it was in the 1966 Adam West Batman series. The perfect blend of daring do & tongue in cheek. The show's script supervisor was a seasoned TV writer named Lorenzo Semple, Jr. Semple used the opportunity to run amuk using his imagination & bizarre sense of humor to bring about a unique and hilarious spin on the subject matter.

Why is this relevant? The writer of Flash Gordon was one Lorenzo Semple, Jr. The difference is...the producers of Batman knew about camp. I'm not entirely sure DeLaurentis got the memo. Either way...the movie left an impression on me. One that is apparently shared since Flash has grown in it's status as a cult classic. Deservedly so.

So what brought this whole subject up? As mentioned before, my mind is a microcosm of strange facts, irrelevant trivia and sarcasm. It's a place cartoon characters and political figure meet for happy hour. But, for once, I'm not directly to blame for this diatribe. If you want to blame someone...blame the Sci-Fi channel.

Recently, Sci-Fi premiered a...cough cough...re-imagining of Flash Gordon. How can something with such a great and storied history be condensed into such a boring and pointless show? The acting makes the 1980 movie look Oscar-worthy. Flash is bland, Dale is annoying and Zarkov looks like they found him at the local DeVry campus . Additionally, the villain should be re-named Ming the Mildly Annoyed. The guy looks like an out of work Golf Pro. He's a sinister as a can of Beeferoni.

No Hawkmen. No Lionmen. Not even a stinkin' Lizardman! No visible link to anything from the rich history of the character. The show could be called Ted Gordon. There's no...um...Flash. The show just stinks. The promos even use the Queen theme song to lead one to believe the two adaptations are related. Not so.

Attention all Film & TV producers: Anytime something is "re-imagined" you strip away most if not all of what make the character or property appealing. Occasionally, this can work (see: Battlestar Galactica ) but usually it fails miserably (see: well...pretty much every other re-imagining). Things can be updated with subtle changes but once you excise major elements willy nilly...you make something unrecognizable to existing fans. This is why, say James Bond can't be re-imagined as a woman. Ian Fleming created a specific character. Bond's success is based on the template Fleming created. If you want a lady spy...create something new. The same with Flash Gordon. You want to make some hodge podge, inter-dimensional sci fi saga. Use your own characters. Leave Raymond's Space Adventurer out of it.


Don't make me get the bore worms...

A Lament of the Summer Blockbuster...

I am a fan of the cinema. I always have been. I like all genres. Comedy, Sci-Fi, Action, even the occasional Romantic Comedy. I also have a soft spot for B-movies (often discussed at the fun & educational http://b-moviecat.blogspot.com/).

I vividly recall the days when I anxiously awaited the new releases. I'd scan the papers & TV for upcoming movies like a junkie needing a fix.

Summers like 1981, when I stood in line to see Raiders, Superman II, Stripes, Clash of the Titans...

Or 1989 with Batman, Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade, Lethal Weapon II, License To Kill ...even Ghostbusters II and Star Trek V (okay...those two I'd regret).

But it's been some time that I was compelled to the theater more than once in a given few months. Some would say...I'd grown up. Those that would say that, obviously don't know me very well. Maybe my tastes have changed? Ah...no. At 40 years old, I sit in my office looking across the room at a Batman mask circa 1966, a Klingon Bird of Prey and a football signed by the Atlanta Falcons. If anything...I'm regressing. So, the next guess would be...it's gotta be the movies.

So, Ok then ...Maybe it's the type of film. Sure, I've tried to get into art films. However, I found Lost in Translation ironically hard to follow. Punchdrunk Love gave me a headache for what seemed like days. I like parts of Magnolia/Royal Tenenbaums/Life Aquatic but, overall, just not my thing. The list could go on...

Truth be told...I have been and always will be a "Popcorn" movie kind of guy. There's always plenty of those movies. Well...at least there used to be. Movies like the ones from my childhood (before the dawn of the home VCR). Ones like The Mysterious Monsters , Godzilla VS Megalon or The Private Eyes. Throwaway movies like those usually go straight to video now. Sadly.

So, it's back to the Summer Blockbuster. They seem to get bigger and bigger...yet, the excitement is missing. I tried to muster up enthusiasm for a number of movies throughout the past few years...The Phantom Menace, Spider-Man(s), Superman Returns...While these all were commercially successful movies and I enjoyed them, they didn't leave me with the sense of excitement before seeing it or the sense of wonder after seeing them that I experienced in years past. There could be a number of issues but, I think I've narrowed it down.

It's CGI. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm becoming less & less of a fan. With CGI anything & everything is possible. Filmmakers no longer struggle to translate the page to the screen. Gone is the technically imperfect film of days gone by. It's similar to an article I read regarding photography. No longer do photo albums display the red-eye, occasionally blurry photos of old. Digital cameras have all but erased the imperfect photo. The same can be said for CGI. Sure, some optical shops are better than others. There are a number of examples of poor CGI. However, it's the practice as a whole & not it's individual execution that is at issue for me. The magic of old seems to have been replaced with micro processors & An Adobe Suite.

Imagine, if you will, Richard Donner taking on the first Superman film in 1976. He accepted the job without a clue as to what technique to use to make the man in the cape fly. But, with time & a number of creative minds, the feat was accomplished. Was every optical effect flawless? No. But, I will compare it to the CGI-laden Superman Returns and the latter pales by comparison. This story and many like them are often reflected in DVD commentaries or documentaries. I own at least a couple dozen where the effects supervisor starts out an overview by saying "Now, remember, these were the days before CGI...".

As with all blogs, I sure some of you will disagree. And, I will allow that CGI should have a place in film. But, in the modern world where James Bond's car can actually become INVISIBLE and Die Hard IV's John McClane can seemingly defy gravity, I'd say it's time to dial it back a bit and use it sparingly.

The complete irony of this piece is that I make my living as a Graphic Designer. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. Oh well...It's just a case of "do as I say & not as I do". That works, right?

Hopefully, one day, the magic will return. One can hope....

It's an honor just to be denigrated...errr...nominated.

I recently stumbled across an online article: http://www.petitiononline.com/Kretch07/petition.html regarding a petition for getting the Monkees into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. It got me to thinking. Dangerous...to be sure.

But I gotta say...What's the hold up?

Now granted, The Hall of Fame is a guilded dog & pony show. A chance for a board room of wannabes to sit around and pat themselves on the back for "rewarding" bands that they deem worthy. What's the criteria? How are bands or acts chosen over others? Is there lottery system or, perhaps, a huge hat? I'd like to think that there's a giant roulette wheel. But...I digress....

The Monkees have always been a particular favorite of mine. The group had many hits that are as recognizable today as they were in the 60s. Sure, there's the oft-printed "they didn't play their own instruments" diatribe which has a sliver of truth to it. When initially hired to be on the TV show, Micky, Davy, Mike & Peter were not given the opportunity to play on the groups' first two albums. Understandable since, not only were they recording tracks for albums, making personal appearances and promoting an uncharted marketing territory, they were also starring in a weekly TV show. Kinda time consuming dontcha think? They also didn't have the luxury of calling the shots. They were originally hired to do a job. It could easily have failed. But, the right elements were put into place and it succeeded.

Many music snobs & pundits derided the "manufactured" element of the bands origins to detract from their success. Yet, Steve Stills, Danny Hutton (of Three Dog Night) and countless as yet undiscovered musicians auditioned for the show. There is also the cries of "foul' with the group having a weekly venue to promote it's next single. However, it's ignored that the first single "Last Train To Clarksville" found itself at #1 on the charts before the show even debuted. How about some of the acts found worthy for Hall induction: Del Shannon? Gene Pitney? Patti Smith? Sure, each of these acts certainly have merit and accolades. But what makes them more worthy than the Monkees? Certainly none of those have had the number of hits the Monkees have. But perhaps chart success is irrelevant. Let's try & play devil's advocate:

• Didn't play on their first two albums. Session musicians were used on albums by The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beach Boys and The Byrds. A number of those same musicians worked on the Monkees first two albums.

• They were hired as actors and didn't "pay their dues". Nesmith & Tork both worked the folk circuit. The same one traveled by The Lovin Spoonful, Mama Cass and other Hall-approved artists.



• They didn't write their songs. Nesmith penned songs for both albums including Mary Mary which was covered years later by Run DMC. Other songs on the albums were written by Brill Building writing teams like Mann/Weil, Goffin/King and up and coming songwriters Boyce & Hart and Neil Diamond. Songs by these writers were also recorded by The Byrds, The Animals & the aforementioned Gene Pitney. From the Monkees' Third album on, the band members included more self penned content.



• They were fake Beatles. So were a number of other acts of the period. Every band copied what was successful. But, eventually, the Monkees branched off and experimented with their own ideas. The Beatles even viewed the Monkees as contemporaries. Nesmith was an in-studio guest of John Lennon's during the recording of Sgt. Pepper.
  


• They have no legacy. You mean other than songs that are still played 40 plus years later? Songs covered by Hall darlings like the Sex Pistols. How their contributions to the video music medium is still felt today? Nesmith, years later, was integral in the creation of MTV. This was a direct result of his experience creating promo clips for songs on the Monkees TV show. How about the marriage and expansion of music business and mass marketing? The use of video screens at a concert venue? The Monkees were one of the pioneers of the practice. And, there's also credit for being one of the first bands to use the Moog.

I'm sure there's more but I have the feeling that the group could have cured the plague but, since they didn't play on two of their nine 60s albums, they are banished by the "Rock Gods". As I said...a guilded Dog & Pony show. So, who cares? I'm sure Paul McCartney doesn't start each day by staring lovingly at the Hall induction bauble (what is it? a trophy? Plaque? Kazoo?). Plus, if by some miracle they did get inducted, Nesmith would bollocks it up by rambling on about the insanity of their induction. Then, Dolenz can make his over-used analogy to Star Trek actors becoming astronauts. Sigh. Hmmm...perhaps, things ARE just fine without their induction.

All the hullaballoo aside, For those out there who have discounted this band as "manufactured"or the 60s version of Backstreet Boys/N'Sync/American Idol, pick up their third album Headquarters (quite possibly one of the best garage band albums ever) or their fourth, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd. (a more polished and produced effort). You may have to re-evaluate your opinion.

And, for those who seek to engage in fruitless pursuits, sign the online petition for the Monkees induction: httpp://www.petitiononline.com/monkees1/petition.html. Hey...Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys signed it!

Who knows...Maybe a boardroom filled with self important wannabes can be swayed.

I'm just not holding my breath.

The Ballad of the Six Foot Rooster & The British Secret Service

Where to begin...

hmmm....

As it has been astutely said to me at one time or another, I retain in my head volumes of useless information. To be honest...there is a lot off stuff up there. In my minds' eye, I see it as one of those classic delis or your favorite laundromat. You know... where you take a number and wait till you're called. It's like that...only with cartoon folk, pop stars and movie characters.

And beer. There's gotta be beer.

A famous man once said..."I'd rather know a little about a lot of things than a lot a bout a few things." Who said that? It might have been me. Well...me or Foghorn Leghorn. I get the two of us mixed up sometimes. I can count the times, on at least one hand, that I've been confused with a 6 foot cartoon rooster. It happens.

When all else fails...start with what's at the front of the line...

Bond. James Bond.

For those who don't know, I'm a bit of an aficionado. I've seen the all movies (official and unofficial) multiple times, read most of the books (all of the Fleming, some of the Gardner)...you know...the usual fanboy schtick. The reason Bond is at the front of the line is due to the recent film Casino Royale. Excellent film. Very well done. Almost surprisingly so. Surprisingly, because it was made by the same folks who made the previous entry in the series Die Another Day. This film is my least favorite of all Bonds. A lot of peeople like this movie because they think it represents what Bond is. Not so. True, It starts out promising by trying to humanize Bond, then makes him a supporting character in his own movie. There's also waaay too much CGI. And don't get me started on the invisible car. I can suspend disbelief only so far. I...I...

See what I mean...fanboy.

Sigh.

However, for those who are interested...I know you're out there...Here is my list of best to worst of the Bond films:

• 1. Goldfinger-Just the right amount of gadgets, a great villain & Connery has hit his stride. Plus, Oddjob's lethal Bowler, a dead girl painted gold and the ever present Pussy Galore. Created the formula that most films after copied in one way or another.

• 2. From Russia With Love-Very much like the book. A time capsule of the Cold War. Plus...Rosa Klebb has a knife...IN HER SHOE!!! Genius! Plus Robert Shaw before he chased sharks and, in my opinion, the hottest of all Bond girls.

• 3. On Her Majesty's Secret Service-Also like the book. The only outing of George Lazenby (who actually does quite well), Diana Rigg (yes, please.), Telly Savalas and a huge downer ending. What's not to love? Also, this was the book my mother was reading while in the hospital hatching yours truly. Or was that Foghorn? Dammit!

• 4. Dr. No- a simple film. Not too flashy or fantastic. Bond is little more than a Private Eye in this one. Well crafted and iconic. Plus...there's Ursula Andress....

• 5. Casino Royale-Very much in the spirit of the Fleming books. More than most of the 21 "official" films. Bond was never a "pretty boy". I knew there was an anti-Craig groundswell before the film came out but I don't usually buy into those things. It was most likely started by Brosnan's press agent. I also like how, at the end, Bond earned his theme musc. Where the producers go from here is the worrisome issue.

• 6. Thunderball- Very large movie. Overly so at times but still a good Connery film. The Pacing has always been a problem for me. But it is beautifully filmed and well executed. Plus, in the pre-credits sequence, Bond has one of those cool Bell/Howell Jet Packs. When I was a kid, I thought we'd all have one of those by the year 2000. Ah, youth...

• 7. You Only Live Twice-Also large. Both in plot and scope. But I still get chills when the ninjas start descending from the volcano top. Also great wide angle fight scene on a rooftop. Crazy ambitious. Would have passed Thunderball if not for Donald Pleasence's weak Blofeld.

• 8. Live and Let Die-Not the world's most P.C. movie but no worse than Shaft or Scream Blacula Scream. Loved it when I was a kid. Geoffrey Holder's Samedi character scared the bejesus out of me. Still can't beat the McCartney theme, though.

• 9. The Spy Who Loved Me- Nice movie. Essentially the same plot as You Only Live Twice. Only without Blofeld. Painfully 70s but very solid. The Jaws character is one of the best henchman since Oddjob in Goldfinger. Really can't stand the Hamlish music, though. Also the first Bond I saw in a theater.

• 10. For Your Eyes Only- Solid Moore outing. Certainly one of his best. He's almost menacing in this. Almost. Of course, as we al know, he was evolving into the wise-cracking, gay uncle Bond.

• 11. The Living Daylights- A pretty much cookie cutter Bond. Written for Moore but, thankfully, he retired before embarassing himself much...uh...more. I like Dalton in the role. Although, I've been known to say that, at times, he looks like he's solving complex math problems in his head. Still, he didn't swagger which was certainly welcome.

• 12. The Man With The Golden Gun-It's grown on me over the years. The flying AMC Matador is a bit much. Plus, a henchman is defeated by locking him in a suitcase. Licence to Kill, indeed. More like License to mildly inconvenience. But, there are far worse entries. Trust me.

• 13. The World Is Not Enough- In my opinion, the best Brosnan Bond. A bit predictable but it has a killer extended pre-credit sequence & a solid cast. Kinda. Would have scored MUCH higher had we not been asked to accept Denise Richards as a scientist named Christmas Jones. The flying Matador was more believable.

• 14. Tomorrow Never Dies- Also a good Brosnan Bond. Some nice action scenes & stunt work. Comes a little close to making Bond a supporting character. Almost. Brosnan becomes more comfortable in the role for sure.

• 15. Goldeneye-Probably a little more solid than the two listed above but takes a few steps back for a HORRIBLE score by Eric Serra. Fingernails on a chalkboard bad. He avoided the Bond music theme like the plague (save for a few cues played on, of all things, the timpani). Another, uncredited composer had to come in & insert the theme into the tank chase. You gotta respect the history, man!

• 16. License to Kill- Bond goes Miami Vice. Promising revenge plot gets bogged down in pedestrian mid 80s trappings. Originally named the much cooler License Revoked but suffered a name change because American test groups had no idea what 'Revoked' meant. Let's hear it for the U.S. Education system!

• 17. Diamonds Are Forever-Connery's worst. The man is sleep-walking through most of it. The original "Show Me The Money" project. In addition, Charles Gray (later in Rocky Horror) as Blofeld makes the "Where's The Beef" Lady look menacing.

• 18. Moonraker-Bond in Space. Yeah. That makes sense. One of those that was good when I was a kid but is now painful to watch. Plus, writers try waaay too hard to be clever naming the Female protagonist Holly Goodhead. Also, Richard Kiel's Jaws character returns so he can become a nice guy. Awwww.....

• 19. Octopussy- Text book example of how to make a racy sounding movie as boring as Championship Solitare on ESPN 8 (The Ocho). Bond hides from the bad guys by dressing as...a circus clown! Plus, Moore is really starting to show his age. Which leads us to...

• 20. View To A Kill - Which should have been titled A group of stuntmen and, occasionally in closeup, Roger Moore as James Bond 007 in View To A Kill. Christopher Walken chews up scenery while Tanya Roberts tries not to bump into things. Used to be the absolute worst. Until...

• 21. Die Another Day- A paint by numbers on how NOT to do Bond. To recap what I stated previously: 1) Start out humanizing Bond by capturing & torturing him, 2) Create a convoluted plot, 3) Bring in a Big Star ( Halle Berry...really?) to relegate Bond to a Supporting character in his own movie, 4) Throw in a building made competely of ice (no hair dryers, please), 5) When written into a corner...create an invisible car. (Looks like someone attended Pablo's Screen Writing school & Taco Emporium) and 6) Top it off with a horrible theme song by Madonna that sounds like your CD is scratched and stuck in the player. Plus CGI abounds. So not what a Bond films should be. It's more like a video game. A bad video game. Bond for the A.D.D. generation. Up until Casino Royale, it was the highest grossing Bond film. Luckily, someone decided it was too over the top.
  

Obvious preferential treatment given to Connery. Such is the case when you are raised on Roger Moore as Bond and later find out that, with all apologies to Carly Simon, Somebody DOES do it better.

So there you have it. Geekdom rejoice! Dance in the streets if you must. If you disagree, fine. It's a point of view. But, you will always know, in your heart of hearts, that I'm right.

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Or, at least Foghorn is.

Dear Penthouse forum...You'll never believe what happened to me...

Okay...

First, I get locked out, for no apparent reason mind you, of posting privileges on ye old blogspot. Keep in mind that I've fought the inclination to start a blog. It's not that I don't have things to say. Sure I do. I just preferred to do it on someone else's blog. The White Whale was a particular favorite to display my wit and smarminess. I was happy just popping up intermittently, saying something, most likely off topic and moving along. No harm...no foul. But, nooooo. The wise folks at Google have given me the Heisman.

My mind is , on a good day, a hodgepodge of movie quotes, obscure songs & a heaping helping of sarcasm. Don't ask about the bad days. They're more like a Warner Brothers cartoon after a weekend bender.

So here it is, in all it's glory.

Basically, I fought the blogosphere and the blogosphere won.

So... In a thrilling turn of events, the Blog of Doob is now LIVE!!

I can't say with what frequency or determination I will update said blog. But, that's kind of the point, huh? Go where the wind or the endorphins take me.

Aint the internet a gas?