"Honey! You're Different!"

I just saw one of my favorite episodes of Space Ghost Coast to Coast where Bjork plays Space Ghost's wife. Bjork is just so cute and spacey in the show. She makes me wish she was my fictional wife. Plus Radiohead's Thom Yorke's eyes are so blinky!

Waterfowl

How I Spent My 4th of July: I worked on comic strips while watching a King of The Hill marathon on FX

Yesterday's Embarrassing Moment: While putting in one of my contact lenses, I dropped it and I thought it went down the sink's drain. Despite losing my contacts numerous times in the past, I went into panic mode. For three whiny minutes, I searched, gave up hope, and then searched again. Flinging my right hand in frustration, I heard a familiar sound. The sound of a contact lens making contact with a hard surface (An actual sound, believe me!). Looking down into the toilet, I saw my lens clinging to the bowl. I delicately retrieved it and gave it a through cleaning or three, As I type this, that same lens resides in my right eye.

The Picture Business: Less embarrassing for me was filming a brief scene at Prairie Creek reservoir for the film, Grove Lake. I basically had to wave good-bye to a car and then I was done. While at the shoot, a goose hissed at me. I guess I shouldn't have parked so close to it.

The Number of Ketchup Packets I Received at Lunch Yesterday: 7

Random TV Memory: I always enjoyed it when Tony Randall and Mandy Patinkin would run onto the set of Late Night with David Letterman, perform a number, and then run off the stage.

Jack the Giant Failure

The third season of Lost came to a close Wednesday night. Unlike a few million other viewers who dropped the show this year, I'm still enjoying life on the island. Things were slightly shaky the early part of the season and some things happened I wasn't too pleased with (I don't think I'll ever forgive them for killing Mr. Eko), but I think things got better as the season progressed and it ended with an excellent season finale. Like the last two season enders, here's some of my highlights (Spoilers alert!):

*Rose telling Jack not to give another "Live together, die alone" speech or she'll punch his face.

*Rousseau and Alex's reunion and the way the crazy French lady smacked tree-tied Ben.

*Charlie's heroic death

* By the way, just want does it need to take to kill that one-eyed Russian? And is he related to the one in Pine Barrens?

*A "close but no banana" reunion between Desmond and Penny (Forget the Jack-Kate-Sawyer-Juliet quadrangle, this is the true romance of the show).

*The return of Walt (Wearing the same clothes, but now going through puberty)!

*The Losties reclaiming the beach with Hurley driving his magic bus (Fact: HURLEY RULES!!!).

*Sayid plays footsie with someone's neck

*Sawyer kills Mr. Friendly with the great line: "That's for taking the kid off the raft".

* The Losties finally winning against the Others, but why do I think their victory may be short lived? Something tells me being rescued may not be that great.

*Added bonus: Any episode that can make Jack the biggest loser in the world is a keeper in my book.

New questions: Who was Naomi working for? The Hanso Foundation? Old Man Widmore?

Who besides Jack and Kate made it back off the island? And who didn't? What lie is Jack tired of lying about and why doesn't it seem to bother Kate?

Who's in that coffin? (Judging by the size, I say not Hurley. By the way, HURLEY RULES!!!) Speaking of the dead, perhaps Dr. Christian Shepard isn't really one of them.

Where did Richard disappear to? Is he in the Temple?

Old Questions: What about the four toed statue? What the heck is Jacob? Where the heck did Libby go? Wasn't she supposed to play a big role in future flashbacks? Apparently not in this season, brother.

Yup, I'll be back in February.

Vomit Free Since '93

Reading: I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This by Bob Newhart

Current TV Crush: How I Met Your Mother has charmed its way into my sitcom-loving heart, thanks to some smart writing and an engaging cast. Plus Jason Segel and Alyson Hannigan play the cutest couple on TV. The Office is still my favorite sitcom at the moment, but Mother is a close second.

Nicknames I Have Given to The Place I Work: The Fun Factory, The Pit, Loserville, Touchy Feely Fotos

Magazines I Would Subscribe to if I Had The Money: The New Yorker, Wired, Outside, Cricket

Trailer Trash: Will Farrell's Blades of Glory looks like something designed for Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, but they eventually turned it down. By the way, isn't Jon Heder's fifteen minutes over yet?

Question of The Day: Whatever happened to The Log Lady?

Good-bye, Larry:

Calvert DeForest, RIP

Oink!

Today's Holiday Greeting: Happy Chinese New Year! It's The Year of The Pig so break out the ribs and the pork chops!

Boob Tube: According to my friends Theresa and Joe, a commercial for the Muncie Civic is airing locally that features the cast of Moon Over Buffalo which includes me. I have yet to see it, but I remember it was filmed during one of our later rehearsals. Though I dread to see how I appear in the spot, it's kind of nice to know I'm back haunting the local airwaves. It's been a couple of years since I stop making my little public access show and I miss knowing my massive mug could be seen in someone's unsuspecting TV set every Thursday night at eleven. Glory days...

Cruel Nicknames I Have Given People at Work: Moose. Swamp Witch. King Zombie. Grandpa Woman. Little Frigidaire.

Question of The Day: Is it me or does prefecture sound more impressive than state?

Current TV Crush: Last week's episode of The Office involving the bat was chockfull of comic bliss. From the pandemonium of the bat "attack" (Especially Angela's roll on the floor) to Michael's candy bar lecture to Pam's heartbreaking art show turnout (I think we both painted the same cup), the episode had all its bases covered and hit a homerun. Bonus points for the great use of Creed and Meredith. All comedies should be this good.

Acting Up

Practice: Rehearsals continue for Moon Over Buffalo. For awhile we had to endure through some bouts of illness, but things are shaping up nicely as we plow towards our opening night next Friday. I've been rather rough on some of my clothing during the practices which is typical for me. Wednesday found me with a bloodied knee that bled through a new pair of slacks and Thursday was the day I found a slight tear in my shirt. I should really play it smart and wear cheap t-shirts and jogging pants during the rehearsal process.

I also seem to hurt people when I'm on stage. I guess I've been grabbing some of my co-stars rather roughly at times and leaving bruises in my wake. I guess I better work on that.

Bada Bleep!: I caught the first episode of The Sopranos on A&E a a few nights ago and it was strange to hear some of the language cleaned up. I don't know about anyone else, but I found it very distracting. I understand why they have to do it, but it really pulled me out of the episode so I flipped it off. I haven't seen any of the first season in years so it was funny to see how young the kids were (I had forgotten how AJ resembled Bobby Hill way back then) and James Gandolfini was practically slim and trim in the beginning. It was also great to see Nancy Marchard up and running as Livia, the true dark heart of the series. Great show, but stick to the DVDs.

Austin City Limits: I guess some ice and snow invaded Texas this past week which effected everybody at The Group Home West. According to an e-mail from Eric, the ice practically shut down Austin which would happen to a city that doesn't even own a snow plow. Thankfully the local news gave helpful hints about how to successfully walk on ice such as "Don't run!" and "Take small steps!".

The Cadillac of Worms

Work: 'Tis the season for lay offs at Touchy Feely Fotos though I survived the cut so far. I'm debating if that's a good thing or not.

Play: We had a great rehearsal last night. I actually think I found my character's voice after struggling with it the last couple of weeks. Though George Hay is in his fifties, I've decided to play the part younger and it seems to be working.

Today's Holiday Greeting: Happy Hanukkah!


The Most Played Christmas Song on The Radio: "I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas"

The Reason God Made DVDs: For Your Consideration was in town for two weeks and I never got a chance to see it. Dang it!

Living on The Air: Speaking of DVDs, the one show many thought would never come out on DVD is actually coming out soon. WKRP in Cincinnati is supposed to be out sometime next year. However, due to copyright issues, some of the music originally used on the show will be replaced with some other stuff so it will be interesting to see how they'll work around that. As a fan of the show, I'm just glad it will finally be available to own. In honor of that, here's some WKRP trivia: Which character was the highest paid employee at the station? The answer next time around!

Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration

Vote!: Today's the day, folks! Get out there and make your voice heard! And let's hope this year's results will not be as depressing as 2004! Vote!

Possible Career Path: Recently I was working on a composite for a high school faculty at Touchy Feely Fotos and I noticed they had a study hall monitor listed as a member of the staff. Can you actually make a living as a study hall monitor? If so, sign me up! If I remember all of my study hall experiences correctly, the job would just require me to sit at a desk, read a newspaper, and shush talky students every now and then. Piece of cake! Of course, my luck you would need a college degree in study hallology to apply.

Observation: There are a lot of short women running around at my dead end job. There must have been a surplus this year.

As Seen on TV (Good): I've been enjoying the second season of The Office the past couple of weeks. The show really found its wings this season and was able to fly out of the original's shadow to become its own show. Highlights for me include Michael tearing up after winning a yogurt lid medal for buying his condo ("Office Olympics"), the Yankee Swap ("Christmas Party"), Jim spraying water on the injured Dwight and Michael in Meredith's booze wagon ("The Injury"), Michael's amazing Photoshop abilities ("Conflict Resolution"), and whenever Jenna Fischer is on camera (I have mentioned before that I think she's a sweetie, right?). Thanks again for the loan of the dvd, Nick! Now I just have to buy my own copy.

As Seen on TV (Bad): Okay, I haven't seen the episode, but I know what happened: Lost killed off Mr. Eko. I know there were several reasons for the move, but it's pretty disappointing when a show kills off one of its most interesting characters. Despite this, I'm still enjoying the ride, but I'm more wary as well.

Remember: Vote!

One by One, I'll Knock You Out

Working Stiff: I've been working some overtime for the past couple of weeks which is always nice on the wallet. I've been helping out in the shipping department, packing orders into boxes and sending them on their way. It's basically a pretty simple job, but it does involve a lot of standing which can be difficult on a fat cartoonist's legs, but I'm adjusting.

My Pain (Non-Leg Related): It can be frustrating to have a quick wit and a slow mouth.

As Seen on TV (Good): I recently saw the first two episodes of Dexter and I enjoyed them immensely. Michael C. Hall plays a serial killer that targets other killers in Miami while working for the police department as a blood splatter expert. Hall is strangely likable as an emotionally hollow man. Finally Showtime has a show worth watching!

As Seen on TV (Bad): Charlotte Rae wearing a pink wig in a commercial for Trivial Pursuit.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow: Like the fabled Samson before him, Eric Whetsel recently had all his hair chopped off. Unlike Samson, a woman named Delilah wasn't responsible for the act. That duty went to a barber named Fred.

Programming Note: Though I promised Jughead blogging last time, I'm afraid that may have to wait for a bit. Sorry, Archie fans!

All Work and No Play

Work: I actually worked some major overtime this past week which makes me very happy. One of the sad things about Touchy Feely Fotos (and there are many!) is that the only time you can make real money is when you're working overtime and that doesn't happen very often. At least, in my department.

Alias: If I was a Harlem Globetrotter, I would call myself Meadowlark Cherry.

Pain: I had the misfortune of overhearing a couple of my fellow co-workers reenacting their favorite scenes from Madea's Family Reunion. Damn you, Tyler Perry!

As Seen on TV (Good): I just got done watching the season premieres of Veronica Mars and Lost (Thanks again, Nick!) and it was tasty TV fun. Looking forward to next week's episodes.

"Announcing your plans is a good way to hear God laugh"

Well, another long weekend came and went with little fanfare around these parts. True to nature, I spent my extra time off doing as little as possible. Besides doing my laundry, I did devour the first season of Deadwood, a marvelously rich and entertaining show. The generous Trent Reeder (a.k.a "Bob" of Bob's Comic Castle) loaned me his dvds and I spent the better part of two days watching them. Damn good television, folks! Do yourself a favor and check it out when you get a chance!

Lost Joys

I just saw the season finale of Lost (Thanks again, Eric!) and I thought it was a pretty decent ending for the season despite the fact...



SPOILERS!



we ended up with the shaft. A pretty long shaft that stretches to the beginning of the new season, of course. I guess I can wait. Here's some random thoughts:

*I enjoyed Artz's gripes concerning the star survivors. Too bad he went boom. However, in the words of John Candy and Joe Flaherty, "He blew up real good!".

*The Black Rock was a slave ship. Huh!

*Sayid sure has a killer way to cure a headache. Ouchie!

*Despite being loopy, Rousseau was out of the loop. Poor Walt.

*So "The Others" are basically modern day pirates? I guess we'll find out in a few months.

*Hurley looks good on a scooter and I should have known the comic book would be his. He's a fellow comic book geek! One of us! One of us!

*For a newborn, Claire's baby is fairly big, don't you think?

*Charlie and the Heroin Factory. Things don't look too promising for his new found sobriety. When seeing Mother Mary, he should have let it be.

*A potential power struggle between Jack and Locke next season? I know who Eric is pulling for.

Lost is such a fun show to watch. It truly had a killer first season and it'll be interesting to see how its second season will play out. Hopefully, the quality will continue. My fingers are crossed.

Early Exposure

Just caught an episode of Northern Exposure that featured Jack Black as a teenager (It's the one where Maggie is asked to be the homecoming queen and Ruth-Anne gets audited). I didn't remember him guest starring on the show before yet there he was thinner and unknown.

Northern Exposure is one of my favorite shows of all time. One of these days I'll have to write an appreciation, but I'll spare you that for the moment. I also need to buy the dvds, but they're sort of pricey. Not Sopranos pricey, but more than I'm willing to shell out at this time. One of these days I'll grab them up, but in the meanwhile I have the reruns on Hallmark to keep me satisfied.
By the way, whatever happened to John Falsey and Joshua Brand?

Incommunicado

Due to some annoying computer snafus, my presence on the world wide web has been limited. Thus I haven't had a chance to update my site or this humble blog in a week or two. Hopefully, things will get straightened out and I'll be more active soon.

Good news on the TV front: Arrested Development got renewed for a third season! It's nice to know some suits at Fox have some good sense!

TV Treasures

Well, those knuckleheads at Nickelodeon finally came to their senses and released The Adventures of Pete and Pete on dvd! The first season hits the streets on May 17. Excellente!

And here's a story that brought a smile to this Father Ted fan:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The race is on to succeed John Paul II as pope and bookmakers are already getting in on the act. But not all the candidates are quite what they seem.

According to The Washington Post on Tuesday, gamblers can back Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi of Italy at odds of 11 to 4. "Or they can take their chances on Father Dougal Maguire of Craggy Island, Ireland, a long shot at 1,000 to 1."

But the Post's reporter was unaware of a key detail that, generous odds aside, would make canny bettors take a pass on Father Dougal.

He is a fictional character.

More accurately spelled McGuire, he appears in the hit British television comedy "Father Ted," which follows the antics of an eccentric group of Catholic priests on a small island off the west coast of Ireland.

The clueless Dougal is described by Britain's Channel 4 television as "one of God's 'special' creatures," but even so, he is not thought likely to assume the throne of St. Peter.