Friday, February 16, 2007

Fresno Friday...


In 1923, the burial chamber of King Tutankhamen's recently unearthed tomb was unsealed in Egypt by English archaeologist Howard Carter.

(In 1978, Steve Martin wrote a song about it, which I still LOVE to this day.)

Yep, gotta love the Steve. I have been a fan since the third grade. Not sure what that says about the parents...they certainly weren't permissive in our media exposure, but for some reason they really liked Steve. So I'm a fan...

Anyway, as you can tell, I have lots o' new links to add. If you read yesterday's post, please note that Ed H's link is in there as well, in the "P" section. If you tried to access his blog through the link in yesterday's post and it doesn't work, go to the blogroll, 'k?

What else can I tell ya? It's still cold, and my birthday flowers from last week are magically still alive. Whoa...some of the lilies look nasty, but for the most part they're OK. I have a gig tomorrow night, so that means I gotta shave my legs, curl my hair, and enter the process of transformation from sow's ear to silk purse. I'm up to the challenge, I think.

Also, with the winter weather, people around here are driving insanely. The schools here in Montgomery County, MD are all CLOSED, and have been closed almost all week. Then, they'll have an extra day off on Monday for President's Day and then they're back at school. I am really surprised they've been out this long...then again, I am a "hardy Midwesterner" (hahahahah) and I'm used to school not being cancelled unless the superintendent couldn't get his tractor out of the driveway. Ah - memories.

I
remember the winter of '82 (as in 1982, people...I'm not that old...) was so nasty. One weekend, my dad's eyelids froze shut while he was attempting to hook up a heat lamp to the pickup truck, and then the power went out in the house for about three to four hours. Grandma & Grandpa Dawson were out of town in Florida (with my aunt and uncle), so we were all by our lonesomes. I really regretted reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's The Long Winter at that time. Thank God I didn't know about the Donner Party or that "Silence of the Lambs" was not a film yet.

Well, I am pretty surprised that yesterday's "talking urinal cake" post was so popular. I guess when it comes to the men's room, men are pretty sensitive, eh? At Carlos' request, I will attempt to do a podcast this weekend to preview my own ideas for the talking urinal cake phrases. I'm sure I'll go far...folks will know me far and wide as the Urinal Cake Lady. Hey...if Sally Kellerman can be the voice of Hidden Valley Ranch, I can be the voice of a plastic thingie that guys pee on. Why not? Money is money. So watch for it.


Anyhoo...Got a couple of awards to give out today. The first one is a "Huh?" award, that I know you all just LOVE to death.


Recipient: writer Jeff Nathanson
Reason: It's almost painful to say. Let me just quote it from this article:

A movie about Milli Vanilli is in the pipeline, according to reports emerging from Hollywood.

The film will detail the rise and fall of the late-'80s duo, who became international stars only to be exposed as pop frauds.

Jeff Nathanson, writer of Catch Me If You Can, is understood to be behind the biopic, which has the backing of the group, claims the Daily Variety.

Yep...the two men who made bike shorts and clodhopper-style shoes with lug soles a fashion statement will be forever immortalized on film. I'm so happy my nieces and nephew didn't have to witness that particular brand of insanity. I remember their videos all too well.

Apparently, the surviving member of Milli Vanilli (not sure which guy is Milli and which guy is Vanilli, BTW) and the estate of the dead member are both cool with the project.

Judge's comments:

Yeah, who wouldn't be cool making yet another wad of cash based on deception? Hell, that's the story of MY life...pass the MasterCard, please.

You know, there are enough GOOD musicians out there (living and/or dead) that you can make movies out of. Marvin Gaye? HELLOOOOO! I've been hearing rumors flying around for years that a biopic of him will be coming out. What about Sam Cooke? Roy Rogers? Otis Redding? Jim Croce? Phil Ochs? Lots of dead musicians just waiting to be elevated to sainthood, y'all. Why glorify these two yahoos? Not fair!

Finally, I guess this is more of a "department" than an "award", but it's my blog and I'll do what I want, all right? I knew you'd see it my way. So ladies & gentlemen, I give you:


Why am I a nerd, you ask? Because I know too much about the Batman movies (yes, even the crappy ones with Val Kilmer and George Clooney. What is up with the nipples on the suits? Oh, wait, that's another entry.)

Let me be more specific. OK - for those of you who saw the first "Batman" film (which, in my opinion, was the second best one..."Batman Returns" with Michelle Pfeifer was the BEST one), WHO played Harvey Dent?

Billy Dee Williams, of course!

Last I heard, Billy Dee was an African-American. He's been nicknamed "the Black Clark Gable".

He played Harvey Dent in the first Batman movie, which was a fairly small part considering the history of the comic and the fact that he changes into Two Face.

Since I'm a mild Billy Dee fan (he does look fine, but I don't stalk him or anything because I'm lazy), I am aware of these things.

Apparently, I would not have been qualified to cast the latest Batman flick, which is directed by
Christopher Nolan ("Batman Begins", "Memento"). Why?

Because I believe in consistency, and I know it makes me sound like a nerd.

My awareness started with the third Batman flick, where Tommy Lee Jones
was cast as Harvey Dent/Two Face. I like Tommy Lee Jones, and I understand that in the comic book, Harvey/Two-Face is Caucasian. However, since they set a standard that only comic book nerds would catch from remembering the FIRST film, the effect of Two-Face's character was a bit jarring, and not in a good way.

Now...who is playing Harvey/Two-Face? ANOTHER WHITE GUY. Aaron Eckhart, from "Thank You For Smoking". Now I realize that since they've set precedent with a white guy playing this role, they can't very well stop.

I am not trying to be racist in my comments. I think any of these actors could play the role of Two-Face and play it well. However, I'm just trying to prepare the movie studio making this flick for any backlash from basement-dwelling, 45-year-old comic book nerds that will bombard the studio with constant e-mails of complaint.

Like the fact that the alter ego of the Joker was killed off in "Batman Begins", yet he's back? What's up with that?

Anyway, so much for that episode of "OK, So I'm A Nerd". I'm sure I'll have other nerdy examples to provide in the future.

In the meantime, insert nerd laugh here.

Smooches!