Week 42: Pageant of the Transmundane

This story was just so Simpsonriffic, it has to be the lead for this Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award. Pickpockets in Somalia threw a feral cat into a crowd to make stealing from a group of worshippers outside of a mosque. Eleanor Abernathy and Jessica Lovejoy were not found at the scene.

Anyway, the winning entry this week comes from the excellent pop culture blog, Popped Culture. Jeremy has really stepped things up this week as he had two entries that were more than worthy of this award this week.

But since there were two worthy entries, I went with the one that initially wowed me. Therefore, the entry which has won the award this week, was simply entitled Rise and Fall of the Nazi Dinosaurs. It is stop motion animation, and the person who made it should be proud as it turned out to be a compelling bit of Youtube cinema.

And to recognize this achievement, well, naturally a picture of Homer Simpson as a World War II soldier will suffice. I could have went with Homer sneezing in a T. Rex's face from the Treehouse of Horror segment "Time and Punishment", but I thought this image suited the whole scene a lot better. After almost 20 years of shows and fan made homages, finding images for this contest is getting increasingly easier.



Congrats Jeremy on winning this award yet again.



The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogosphere to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.

Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.

Tags: homer simpson, pageant of the transmundane, jessica lovejoy, eleanor abernathy, popped culture, jeremy barker, rise and fall of the nazi dinosaurs, time and punishment, treehouse of horrors

Friday Favorites: Things I'd like to see in a zombie movie

When I wrote this, I hadn't seen a particular movie which sort of touches upon one of my ideas, so just sort of ignore it.

---
How come no one, when they are out of ammo, tries to bash a zombie's teeth out so they can no longer really bite or kneecap them so they can't walk anymore? Seems like a natural solution to the problem?

How about when zombies eat brains, they actually improve in health(so to speak), or get smarter(because really, that would make as much sense as zombies to begin with).

Or how about having a movie where there is an actual zombie culture and society which is parallel to our own(shopping malls excluded of course)?

4 words: Soylent Green for Zombies

Titles: The Zombie Crusade: The Pope's greatest mistake, Zombie House(with an animatronic John Belushi of course), Zombie Surf Beach, Zombies vs. Pedophiles, Caged Zombie in heat(Fire BAD!), The Zombie Menace eats the Beverly Hills Buffet, Debbie Does Zombies, Saving Zombie Ryan, Zombie vs. Zombie(a touching portrayal of undead divorce, where til Death do you part was only the beginning), Zombies of the Pac-10, It's a zombie, zombie, zombie, zombie world; Young Zombies in Love and of course, Zombie Fight at the OK Graveyard

Tags: zombies, undead, animal house, saving private ryan, kramer vs. kramer, debbie does dallas, soylent green, brains, evil dead, grindhouse, toothless, cult films, horror

Samuel L. Jackson signs nine picture deal

I remember a few weeks back when I was getting on my high horse about the fact that the producers of the Iron Man sequel were dicking around Mickey Rourke and Samuel L. Jackson about money.

Well, half of that equation has been resolved.

Jackson has signed a deal with to appear in 9 Marvel movies as Nick Fury.



NINE! Damn... that is commitment. Of course, I think they sort of had to pony up because let's just take a look at one of the more recent iterations of Nick Fury.



Looks familiar, doesn't it? And let's not forget how bad this road could have gotten...



*shudder*

Tags: samuel l jackson, david hasselhoff, mickey rourke, iron man, nick fury, shield, ultimate, s.h.i.e.l.d., marvel ultimate alliance

A Joke that was built to last

Some jokes a comedian can run with for a lifetime. This is one of those jokes.

Pablo Francisco has been running with this joke forever. A lot of people do Don LaFontaine, but he really worked a particular angle with the joke that made it his. I remember seeing him do this joke (Little Tortilla Boy) back on the Jerry Lewis Telethon over a decade ago, and every time I would see him after that, he was telling the same joke.

I don't think this one will ever truly disappear.

Tags: don lafontaine, pablo francisco, little tortilla boy

Richter and O'Brien a team once again

As you've probably read on every blog today (and even some yesterday), Andy Richter is returning to the warm, gingery embrace of Conan O'Brien when he takes over The Tonight Show in June.

Richter is being tapped for the announcer's job on the show, and I know some of you likely think that is a demotion from his previous work with O'Brien (though I think most of us wish his work on Andy Richter Controls The Universe was better appreciated in its time).



But the way I see it is, wasn't Ed McMahon also the announcer of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and he had a huge hand in how that show progressed?

It is going to be sweet. Really sweet I tells you.

Tags: andy richter, ed mcmahon, conan o'brien, johnny carson, tonight show, andy richter controls the universe

A Potential Cinematic Disaster of Epic Proportions

After a decent roundtable type discussion with Semaj over the weekend about crappy movies, we both discovered to our horror that there was a cinematic calamity that will engulf us all in 2010.

Uwe Boll is bringing a Wii Shooter to the big screen...

...a Wii shooter that has yet to be released. And one which has been described as, and I quote, "House of the Dead meets Crazy Taxi".

I think some of us remember the last time Uwe Boll and House of the Dead met in a dark alley in that grimy celluloid world of Hollywood.

The game and the cinematic epic trainwreck that will befall the movie going public in 2010 is called Zombie Massacre, which has one player drive a car while the other 3 shoot at zombies. If you are familiar with Wii gaming, you know that the games aren't the most in-depth narratively, which I guess will suit Uwe Boll's talents as a screenwriter just fine.

Now, before writing about this, I went looking for media surrounding this game. There are lots of videos from Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles online, but there isn't any video of this particular title, being developed by 1988 Games, online anywhere.

Come to think of it, I haven't even seen a screenshot of the game either.

It has been in production since 2007, and by now, I thought we'd actually see something by now.

But recently, it was announced that the game would feature a celebrity.

DMX



You know, the rapper who not only made a film career out of working with such luminaries as David Arquette, Steven Seagal and Lou Diamond Philips, but who is working the whole criminal angle for all its worth, including an arrests for driving without a license and attempted car jacking.

Basically he is Ol' Dirty Bastard without the humor or charm. And he is the character who is supposed to be driving the car!

So if I have this straight, Uwe Boll optioned the rights to a game that hasn't yet been released which is somewhat similar to another game he made a horrific movie from and features an rapper/actor whose best days were behind them in every conceivable way.

But you know, with all those things working against it, it could turn out. I mean, there is always a one in a million chance that if you threw a bunch of crap in a bowl, you'd discover pure platinum in there, but I doubt it.

The game may end up being fun, but this movie is going to be DOA. And so much worse than Dead Or Alive as well.

Tags: zombie massacre, 1988 games, nintendo wii, uwe boll, 2010, doa, dead or alive, resident evil, umbrella chronicles, david arquette, steven seagal, lou diamond philips, dmx, ol' dirty bastard, odb, house of the dead, crazy taxi, semaj

My First Swag

I remember back when I received my first press release... oh, what heady times those were back in late 2006. And like the borderline narcissist that I am, I made it all about me.

Well, another one of those times is here. I am sort of like Kathy Griffin that way.

You see, I finally got my first swag. So it basically took almost 2 and a half years for things to progress from press releases to someone actually wanting to send me something.

I have a feeling aside from some review copies, this may be the last time this happens, because this post is going to burn that bridge.

I made sure that the woman at the E-PR firm knew beforehand that I was all about disclosure. She said that was no problem.

I don't think she knew how much disclosure there was actually going to be. Truth be told, I probably didn't know either.

Now, if you hadn't realized it by now, I am cheap. Really cheap. So naturally I leapt at the chance to sample some free as-of-yet unnamed Doritos. (The naming process is part of the Doritos Guru contest that pays 25 grand and 1% of the future net sales of that flavor).



I remember back at the beginning of my sophomore year of high school, I was sitting in a class and we were supposed to introduce ourselves to our fellow classmates and being the epic wit that I am, I stated that I had eaten so many bags of Cool Ranch chips over the summer that I met Jay Leno. That's how much I've enjoyed them over the years.

OK, it seemed witty at the time.

So naturally when offered free snack food, I grabbed it. I mean, it was the first swag I'd ever been offered (which means that no, I haven't been a paragon of blogging ethics and virtue over here, merely I had never been given the chance to take anything period).

Now here is the funny thing: they sent the chips and the media kit to me overnight by courier service. I don't know how much that cost, but I admire the effort.

If I was a little more full of myself, I'd say they went to all that effort because I am super important and influential. But I am not any of those things, so it seemed a little extravagant to me.

But in the end, perhaps it was worth it... after all, I did mention the contest they wanted me to talk about. So it is official. My price for talking about anything is now one dollar and 29 cents retail. But turning that much swag into a blog post having much more to do with me with just a small dash of the actual work that the swag was supposed to produce. That is priceless.

(Now I wonder when Mastercard is going to give me that buck 29.)

Tags: doritos, swag, mastercard, integrity, doritos guru, kathy griffin, contest

Sunday Night Video: What's A Girl To Do

I found this video on the site GBH.TV during the week and it captivated me... so much so that I knew that it would be the Sunday Night Video tonight.

The band is Bat For Lashes, which is the alter ego of Natasha Khan. I know she looks surprisingly like Lily Allen in this video, but I've seen other pictures of her and it is only an illusion.

I am sort of reminded of the original version of The Wicker Man.

Tags: natasha khan, what's a girl to do, bats for lashes, lily allen, wicker man, gbh

Week 41: Pageant of the Transmundane

It seems that for a moment the game Gran Turismo had become reality as police in Greenville, New York pulled over a 1993 Honda Civic doing 137 MPH. Outside of that game, I thought the only way to get one up to that speed was to drop one from the sky. Wait, I think even then, it would top out at 120.

What can top real life? We shall soon see.

This week's winning entry comes from Kindertrauma, a repository of childhood terrors.

Now, there are any number of items at that site that qualify as transmundane, it's true, but this week, I've decided to reward a find they posted which was really topical: a parody of The Wrestler featuring an unlikely new lead character.

Now, I could find a picture which wrecked the surprise, but really, in this case, the surprise is half the fun. So I've chosen the cover of the Simpsons Wrestling game for the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award image. Appropriate, understated though I wouldn't say fun.



Congrats to you Uncle Lancifer for pulling off this win. Here is your badge.



The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogosphere to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.

Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.

Tags: homer simpson, simpsons wrestling, the wrestler, kindertrauma, greenville, new york, gran turismo, pageant of the transmundane, mickey rourke, honda civic

The Culture Kills Music Podcast Episode 2

Well, here we are, just two weeks after my first music podcast, and already I've completed a second one. Who'd have thunk it?

Granted, I recorded most of the audio for this podcast during the same session as the first podcast, so that helped a lot. I admit there are some rather noticeable edits and redubs, but the show must go on despite my occasional deficiencies as a public speaker.

The playlist for this show:

Ekho - Nocturne
Little Name - Orienteering
Patti Rothberg - Wavelength
Dare Dukes - Bakersfield
The Squarewaves - You Fell Asleep
Social Studies - Sparrow

You can listen to it on the embedded player below:


Of course, if you want to download it for future listening, it is also available in MP3 form (41 MB).

Perhaps next time I will only encode it at 128 rather than 160kbps and save some people some bandwidth.

The Podcast is also available at Mevio, which has an RSS feed and additional listening options.

The music was provided by Ariel Publicity, the Podsafe Music Network and The Squarewaves.

And if you are an independent musician or represent a publicity or record company that makes music available for podcast and you would like me to know about it, feel free to contact me at campybeaver@gmail.com.

Tags: culture kills music podcast, episode 2, patti rothberg, dare dukes, bakersfield, ariel publicity, wavelength, little name, orienteering, ekho, nocturne, squarewaves, you fell asleep, podsafe music network, social studies, mevio, sparrow, playlist, podsafe, precleared

I'm Sorry Mr. Rourke

I would just like to send Mickey Rourke some condolences. As someone who has lost a beloved pet relatively recently, I can truly sympathize with the loss of his beloved chihuahua Loki.

Of course, this loss comes just days before the Oscar ceremonies, so this week is likely going to be very bittersweet for him.

"Sometimes when a man's alone, that's all you got is your dog. And they've meant the world to me."

Nothing snarky here, just a lot of sympathy.

Tags: mickey rourke, loki, oscars, the wrestler

Now Leo's coming for Joshua

Leonardo DiCaprio has made me a sad little geekboy this morning.

Word is he is going to be producing a remake of the iconic 1983 film Wargames. It has been one of my favorite movies for a long time, and now, it too is going to be sullied by remake fever.

I mean, I had less than a day of relief after reading about the new The Thing movie and then this. I am having a hard enough time accepting that Robocop remake, and is like Hollywood is just kicking me while I am down.

My suggestion to DiCaprio for an alternate plan is to remake D.A.R.Y.L instead, though I am sure there are people out there who would be as upset about that as I am about this Wargames "reboot". But I am willing to bet there are less people who would be upset by that than a Wargames remake, because it has a good following in certain communities which are, how shall I put this, very adept at doing things with computers.

And correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't the word reboot in these cases generally apply to movies that had lots of sequels (Bond) and television show remakes? There are only two movies in the Wargames universe... how can you reboot that... I know it is a computer-based movie, but that pun is just unwarranted really.

So I am sort of doubly pissed by this whole thing this afternoon.

Tags: leonardo dicaprio, wargames, global thermonuclear war, remake, reboot, d.a.r.y.l., the thing, robocop, 1980's, hollywood, sad geekboy, joshua

I want to build one of these now

I've been playing a game called S.L.A.I (Steel Lancer Arena International) as of late, and so I've had a lot of Mech fighting on my mind. I mean, I even looked up the trailer to the awful 1989 movie Robot Jox (and does anyone think the game intro looks more realistic than the actual movie?)

Picture my astonishment over the weekend when I stumbled on the following image:



I found this image at SHNELLL, and it really got my geeky-sense tingling. Especially since I know what a Madcat is. (A Madcat is an awesome assault mech in Mechwarrior).

It just works on so many levels (the fact that it looks like the cat has its paws on the control levers is the icing on the cake). I know it isn't accurate, but for the materials involved, it is pretty cool.

Tags: battletech, mech warrior, slai, steel lancer arena international, madcat, shnell, assault mech, cat, robot jox

The New Thing is Going to Be a Prequel?

I've been really against the upcoming retread of The Thing for a long time, but I think I am finally ready to accept it.

Mainly I think the reason I've reached this point is because I've heard the concept, and in many ways, what is being planned almost enhances John Carpenter's movie.

Instead of remaking or reimagining The Thing, the new plan is apparently a prequel which takes place in the Norwegian camp in Antarctica during days and weeks preceding the events of the 1982 movie. Those of you who have seen The Thing will likely remember that film began with a dog being chased by Norwegians in a helicopter.

Now, there are movies that get sequels and prequels that don't really warrant them narratively, and I think a lot of you out there can think of more than one that fits that description. However, the Norwegian camp scenario does have some promise, and a movie that covers that storyline at least competently (and hopefully keeping the movie in the early 1980's) will add additional back story to the tale told by John Carpenter.

So until I hear something that makes me once again sour on the idea of a revisit to the frozen wastes of Antarctica circa 1982, I am now in a state of cautious optimism about this project. Especially since Ronald Moore is supposedly writing the script, and we all know how he worked his magic on Battlestar Galactica.

Honestly, I never thought I would have such feelings about Hollywood revisiting The Thing.

Tags: the thing, john carpenter, ronald moore, battlestar galactica, antarctica, norway, norwegians, prequel

Sunday Night Video: Once Around the Block

This song and video by Damon Gough, better known as Badly Drawn Boy, has been a favorite of mine since I heard it back in 2000. And the video is a perfect little play about young love.

It seemed like the perfect ending for this Valentine's Day Weekend.

Tags: badly drawn boy, damon gough, once around the block, 2000, valentine's day

Week 40: Pageant of the Transmundane

The Transmundane Headline of the week: China's Ugly Betty, Not that Ugly.

From someone who has seen America Ferrera in and out of that getup, allow me to just say: Well, Duh!

This week's Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award winner is the blog Krazy Korean.

This week's winning entry is a little silly, but it tickled my fancy. It is simple, yet effective at what it does. And to say what it is would ruin the fun, safe for work surprise.

Just click and enjoy.

And to not reveal the secret of this week's winning entry, I just picked a Homer moment that has stuck with me for years. I've always liked baby Homer with a slice of pizza, even going so far as to use it as a chat avatar for a while.



Congrats Krazy Korean... here is your badge (feel free to share it with your friend if you wish)



The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogosphere to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.

Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.

Tags: krazy korean, china, ugly betty, pageant of the transmundane, homer simpson, pizza, chat, america ferrera

Friday Favorites: Wacky Packages: Pop Cultural Goodness

I loved this entry when I wrote it, and I still do. And my love for Wacky Packages has never really abated. And since tomorrow is Valentine's Day, I thought I should go with something I loved.

Well, it makes sense to me at least.

--

I was doing a bit of stumblin' around the internet this weekend, and I found a site which brought back a lot of memories for me.

You see, it has been over 20 years since I had a set of Wacky Packages, and in retrospect, I've really missed their irreverent sense of humor. Of course, with the availability of Adobe Photoshop and other graphical packages, well, finding satirical takes on product packaging and advertisements is easier than ever, but there is just something magical about the Wacky Packages series.

Maybe it is the fact that the originals were being produced in the open by a company that was willing to take the risk of litigation to entertain millions of children and adults annually, though granted, the 1970's was probably not as litigious a time as today is, or perhaps it was because at the time I started buying them, there were very few places a child could see material like that... and they are probably one of the reasons I am slightly warped as an adult, but that is ok. And when I read that as recently as 2003 the Morton Salt Company had forced Ebay to restrict auctions of the parody "Moron Salt" sticker, well, that made my love for Wacky Packages grow anew.

They are just pure pop cultural and consumerist goodness. Even if as a kid I didn't get all the references, the artists and conceptualists at Topps didn't dumb things down for us, and in retrospect, I appreciate that. Cleverness is its own virtue after all, and while some of the humor was very low-brow, it did make me ask questions to myself, even if I couldn't yet answer them.

Thinking back, I got my first set of Wacky Packages back in 1985 was I was about 8 or 9 years old as part of the revival of the product line. (1985 seems to be a seminal year in my development, now doesn't it?), and I had the whole 1985 set and the reprint set of 77 cards in 1986. Of course, I wish I still had them(because I'd be feelthy rich then), but I still got a nice trip down memory lane and some odd product cravings too, mainly for some Hostess Cupcakes, but some other products came up too. And while I was also a fan of the Garbage Pail Kids, the Wacky Packages were always the king of my mid-80's sticker empire, and they were a lot better than anything Mad or Cracked Magazine was coming up with, that's for sure.

Now my question is: was anybody else a fan of these subversively sassy stickers?

Tags: wacky packages, morton salt, 1985, garbage pail kids, yicks, gulp oil, satire, topps, ebay, mad magazine, cracked magazine, pop culture, humor, consumerism

Eww... Damn 'Shippers

I happened to flip by a movie starring Alexandra Paul and Cynthia Gibb (so you know that was quality entertainment), and I noticed that the father from a tween-oriented television show was also in the movie, and having seen that actor in a few other things, I decided to look him up.

So I went to the imdb page for that show, Life with Derek, and I ended up down a rabbit hole that made me shudder and die a little bit inside.

The show, which airs on The Family Channel in Canada (where it is filmed) and on Disney Channels around the world, centers on the blended Venturi and MacDonald clan, who united in one house after marriage. It is a formula which was successful in the past, and it happens a lot, so it is good fodder for a television show.

Most of the plots revolve around the rivalry between the oldest children in the house, Derek Venturi, a slacking, semi-con artist and prankster and Casey MacDonald, a high strung, overachieving neurotic gal.

And in looking up that actor, I discovered that there are 'shippers rooting for these two step-siblings to get together as a couple. They call them Dasey. THEY MAKE VIDEOS!

What the hell is wrong with these people? Seriously! Of all the possible television relationships they want to see happen, they pick step siblings. *slow sarcastic applause* I know they aren't blood relations, but they are family, and it is sick. I am not a prude, but come on. I think most people would think that the idea of two step siblings having a relationship is weird and wrong (and thus the hilarious scenes with Greg and Marcia in A Very Brady Sequel and the bet in Cruel Intentions).

I mean, I know people who were grossed out that Michael C. Hall was dating and ultimately married his Dexter co-star, Jennifer Carpenter, who plays his foster sister. If that was bothering people, that whole mess above is so many shades worse than that.

Somewhere in the annals of the internet, there must be a corollary to rule 34 about this sort of thing, and when I find it, I will invoke it in this case.

Tags: shippers, life with derek, derek venturi, casey macdonald, dexter, michael c hall, jennifer carpenter, very brady sequel, cruel intentions, family channel, disney channel, alexandra paul, cynthia gibb

Dana Gould should have been bigger

Have you ever seen a stand up comedian and wondered why they didn't reach a level of fame you think they deserved?

I remember seeing Dana Gould all over the place when stand up comedy was television gold back in the late 1980's and into the 90's. He is so good, and yet I don't think he gets the recognition he rightly deserves in terms of media exposure, because he is a great performer and writer, and he really sells his jokes.

Take a look at this set from back in 1990 for instance:

Along with the other Los Angeles-based alternative comedians in the early 1990's, he helped pave the way for things like the Comedians of Comedy and the break out of so many other comedians who followed. (And given that I hand out a Simpsons-related award every week, I have to mention that he had a huge impact on that series as well).

I am not saying Gould was alone in that scene, far from it. However, even watching that almost 20 year old set, it is amazing to see how well that material has aged. It is a thing of beauty really.

So to you, Dana Gould, I salute you. And whenever I hear the word Waffle, I will think of you.

Tags: dana gould, los angeles, comedians of comedy, waffle, the simpsons, alternative comedy, stand up comedy

Scientology vs. Wikipedia

Over the weekend, I was discussing a certain celebrity's history and mental state and how information about them seemed to be removed from Wikipedia, and it made me think about a particular article in Wired Magazine I had read in 2007 about a tool called WikiScanner that could identify where edits were coming from. I decided to put a particular organization in just to see what they may or may not have been doing to the largest editable online encyclopedia in existence.

I am of course talking about the Church of Scientology.

Of course their various organizations have had a hand in reshaping the entries for the Church, L. Ron Hubbard, prominent members like Tom Cruise and David Miscavige and the like, which, while unethical, is likely common practice for many corporations and groups.

But there was something a little darker and low key in some of their edit attempts.

I had noticed there were the names of various celebrities and people of notoriety on that list... and there was a common thread... they had all committed suicide or due to mental illness had killed or been killed.

Someone at the Church of Scientology had at some time added links to the bottom of the entries for Kurt Cobain, Elliott Smith, Phil Hartman, Michael Hutchence and the Columbine Shooters to poorly written short articles at the domain cchr.org.

What is the CCHR? It is the Citizens Commission for Human Rights, which is a Church of Scientology non-profit (and admittedly so) which is a group dedicated to fighting the abuses of psychiatric medicine, which sounds like a noble cause.

But if you have seen Tom Cruise on the Today Show discussing psychiatry, you know that the Church publicly goes far beyond that CCHR mission statement.

Of course, the CCHR goes beyond that statement too. Don't believe me? Watch this video of Dr. Jeffery Schaler of American University giving an acceptance speech for winning an award from the group. I am not saying he is a Scientologist... but his speech and the reception it received demonstrate the true intentions of the CCHR.

In looking at the list of topics someone at the Church of Scientology had edited, I noticed that in many cases, they were topics on psychology and learning as well.

They dropped in links on depression, general anxiety disorder, active learning, parenting, postnatal depression, schizophrenia, school violence, ADHD, dyslexia, the American Psychiatric Association, bipolar disorder and anti-psychiatry (which whoever did that one did quite a bit of editing). It is sort of creepy when you think about it.

Luckily, given the nature of the community, most if not all of these attempts to hijack discussion in those subjects were quickly removed by other users. But after seeing the hundreds of entries listed from that search, it makes me really question the overall integrity of Wikipedia, so if it is a controversial subject, I will likely take a trip to WikiScanner to make sure certain organizations didn't totally co-op an entry. I can't be completely assured of that, but I can at least make the effort.

Tags: scientology, cchr, american psychiatric association, tom cruise, today show, jeffery schaler, american university, study tech, phil hartman, kurt cobain, elliott smith, mental illness, david miscavige, citizens commission for human rights

Comedy Gold: Again

Today's edition of Comedy Gold is about a single word as the title indicates, and it will be utilizing an example from the work of The Kids in the Hall.

That word is again.

Now I know what you are saying? How can a single word be funny?

Again is like salt. Judiciously applied, it enhances the underlying flavors of whatever it is put in.

The circumstances I am thinking of rely almost exclusively on physical comedy either explicitly shown or as described by character. It isn't just seeing or hearing about something truly strange. It is the implication that the event that has or is currently occurring has happened before, making it funnier by extension.

Example: If a character walked into a room and found his friend with both his hands glued to his face, and then remarked that Chuck had gotten his hands stuck to his face again, it would make that scene funnier than it otherwise would have been.

Again also serves as an explanation when uttered by a second character. For instance, if one character encountered another hanging by his underpants from a coat hook in a public restroom and after a short pause said something like "You were talking to The Incredible Hulk's girlfriend again, weren't you?" There was a sketch on the third season of The Kids in the Hall involving a burglar and a guy in the shower which ends with a naked Bruce McCullough passed out on top of a fully clothed, knocked out Scott Thompson which had the punchline, "Gary, are you gay again?" which also utilizes this effect.

There is a third variation which also comes into play in some situations... mainly when there is espionage, heist schemes, assassination or general business involved. While in the middle of a weird or difficult task, a member of the team mentioned that it is like that incident. Example: After a particularly grim set of events that have a lot of black humor (as well as some odd funny coincidences), a jaded ex-CIA man who got roped back into doing one last job might say "It is the Picabo job all over again".

So as you can see, again in comedy has a lot of range, and its place in the arsenal of any comedy writer should not be forgotten.

Tags: again, comedy gold, kids in the hall, burglar, superglue, physical comedy, writing, picabo

Sunday Night Video: Secret

I bought a cd that was put out to coincide with a local music festival in 2000 many months after said event had occurred. And out of all the tracks on that collection (one which featured many prominent Canadian acts like The Dears), this song by the Mean Red Spiders was the one I liked the best.

I recently discovered that someone had made a music video to the song, and despite not being official, it is still pretty sweet.

Shoegaze FTW.

Tags: mean red spiders, secret, the dears, shoegaze, music festival

Week 39: Pageant of the Transmundane

A dude robbed a couple of 7/11s with a mini Klingon Bat'leth in the Denver area. I guess he was stealing the money to buy a full sized one. I mean, really, who uses such an identifiable weapon.

Well, we know he is a bit of a geek, don't we?

Can this week's Homer Simpson Transmundanity winner top that? We shall see.

Now I saw the item that ultimately won at a couple of blogs this week, but I have to give the prize to the first place I saw it, which was over at Quit Your Day Job, a fine blogging establishment created by Lee Sargent.

It is a Batman related video... but maybe not the one you are thinking of.

And because this week's winning entry has to do with Batman, I thought that a picture of Homer running past the Batmobile (which in a later shot is beside Adam West) would be the most fitting tribute. There were other directions I could have went with the image, I admit, but to me, I think this is rock solid.



Congratulations Lee on your win. Here is your badge.



The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogosphere to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.

Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.

Tags: homer simpson, klingon, pageant of the transmundane, bat'leth, batman, batmobile, quit your day job

The Culture Kills Music Podcast Episode 1

After many days of toil, many hours of embarrassment and many minutes of frantic writing, I present the first Culture Kills Music Podcast (with an added cheesy opening which I will inevitably overhaul by the second episode).

I am a little rough (which is putting it mildly), but it was the best I could do, and in the end, it turned out a little better than I had originally thought. And personally, I think the music I chose was pretty sweet, and in the end, I think that is the most important part.

The podcast features the following songs:

The Pimps of Joytime - Street Sound
Triptic Winter - Rethinking Atlas
Val Emmich - Got a Habit Now
Betika - Bob Hope
Uma Floresta - Gunfight
The Squarewaves - Young

You can listen to it on the embedded player below:


Of course, if you want to download it for future listening, it is available in MP3 form.

The podcast is also available at Mevio, which also features an RSS feed and additional listening options.

I hope you enjoy it, and with any luck, the second episode should be up in two weeks.

And if you are an independent musician or represent a publicity or record company that makes music available for podcast, feel free to contact me at campybeaver@gmail.com.

Tags: culture kills music podcast, episode 1, pimps of joytime, street sound, betika, bob hope, triptic winter, rethinking atlas, uma floresta, gunfight, val emmich, got a habit now, squarewaves, young, mevio

I Don't Read Comics, But I Might Start Now

Longtime readers of this blog likely know that I was never really into comics at any point in my life, but I read news today which may make me reconsider that position.

You see, I learned that there is a comic being released that is based on The Warriors, Walter Hill's iconic 1979 adaptation of Sol Yurick's novel of the same name.

Given the fact that the source material was a retelling of the Anabasis and the rerelease of the movie was given some comic panel upgrades, moving the gang onto the canvas of comic books seems like a real winner to me.



I was very supportive of the Rockstar Games reinvention of the story because it not only utilized most of the talent from the original movie, but it added considerable value to the material with the addition of copious amounts of backstory. It made me appreciate the movie that much more on subsequent viewings.

And this new series of comic books looks to add to the legend of the little Coney Island gang which survived a brutal struggle to cross a city allied against them.

The first issue is scheduled to hit the shelves on February 18th, and MTV has a 10 page preview for those of you out there interested in taking a peak before then.

With all this attention being paid to the original movie, I can only hope that the remake fails utterly now.

Tags: the warriors, comic book, mtv, walter hill, rockstar games, coney island, baseball furies, anabasis, sol yurick, novel

De Niro for the New Nightmare on Elm Street series?

I read a story today at Starpulse that stated that one of the actors who may be up for the part of Freddy Krueger in the upcoming Nightmare on Elm Street remake is none other than Robert De Niro.

I have one picture which I think is a compelling argument for why De Niro shouldn't play Freddy Krueger.



I rest my case.

Tags: robert de niro, nightmare on elm street, remake, robert englund, freddy krueger, the adventures of rocky and bullwinkle

How the Podcasts are coming along

The podcast is coming along nicely. I think that is the most positive way I can say it really.

I mean, I've gotten the basic structure of the podcast together, with the songs not only chosen for the first two podcasts, but arranged in their respective project files that make the following step a little easier... which involves me doing the speaking parts.

And that is the point I am at now. I recorded it, and I am in the midst of editing it down... and after hearing it not only come out of my mouth, but digitally reproduced for editing, let's just say I am a little disheartened.

I honestly believe that I was really never meant to hear myself for that long or with such repetition (because cutting the uhs, ums, long pauses and various other little bits out takes a lot of time and patience). I am not a naturally-gifted speaker, and it takes every ounce of the post-production magic I have at my disposal to not sound like I have some form of mental disorder. But I fear that my kung fu may not be up to the task of completely eliminating my deficiencies as a podcaster.

I don't know how people become so prolific at this medium. Not having to do multiple takes of everything probably helps. But seriously, it shouldn't take me a month to get something like this off the ground, should it? I feel like I sort of suck. Well, scratch the "sort of" part.

But hopefully the first one will be up by the end of the week.

Tags: podcasting, i suck, I admit it, I know I do, that's why I am admitting it, music, digital sound editing

Sunday Night Video: The Things I Do For Money

There are songs that you hear when you were a kid that stick with you, and during my childhood, this song by the Canadian group The Northern Pikes was one of those for me.

I am sure there are a few Canadian readers out there of a certain age who remember this band for some of their other songs, notably She Ain't Pretty and Teenland. But to me, I think The Things I Do For Money is their best single. Maybe it is because it somehow matches my modern-day cynicism, or maybe I just like the sound, who knows, but I find myself compelled to listen to it whenever I find it.

Tags: things I do for money, northern pikes, she ain't pretty, teenland