All In The Cards

Derren Brown does a card trick for Stephen Fry. A must-see.

Astounding.

Pizza From Hell

This is fucking cool.

CageMatch Promo For 5-6-06

Here's the sneak peek of the new CageMatch promo exclusively for loyal Transmutation Effect readers. The YouTube version of the video will be posted on the DSI boards later today. This promo features a little tribute to the amazing four-time champs The Pride, a nice dramatic entrance of the new champs Siegel-Prov, and the introduction of the tough opponents for this week.

You can view it at Powerbomb.

PCQOTD : 5-4-06

Plebian:
"Lesson number one: don’t underestimate the other guy’s greed!"

Erudite:
"He's the highest paid lover in Beverly Hills."

Erudite Erudite (this has a Connection to the Erudite--it's a chain!):
"Under this garb, we're perfectly ordinary Americans."

They Seek Him Here, They Seek Him There

This is a fun little cutout animation about the invention of the colour red. It sort of reminds me of Terry Gilliam (although that might just be that I've been home sick for two days and watching "Monty Python's Flying Circus" non-stop.)

Now, if only John Rozum would do a cutout animation short...

PCQOTD : 5-3-06

Plebian:
"What we’re dealing with here is a complete lack of respect for the law."

Erudite:
"All the stars are here, waiting for you; couldn't have a show without ya."

PCQOTD : 5-2-06

Plebian:
"They’re the people that you meet when you’re walking down the street."

Erudite:
"Hassan CHOP!"

Last Week's CageMatch Promo

Better late than never!

I've finally gotten the promo for LAST week's CageMatch with The Pride vs Siegel-Prov uploaded. It was a hectic week for me, and I didn't finish the piece until about fifteen minutes before I had to leave for the theater on Saturday. We did get to play the video before the show, and the audience loved it. A host of Siegel-Prov supporters roared when they saw the first appearance of Dave (and I'm told that Bret roared at that moment as well, for the amusing scripture reference.)

It was a great episode of CageMatch. Dave and Dan put on an inspired show, The Pride rocked on even with three out of their seven members absent, and we have NEW CageMatch champions! Stay tuned later this week for a new promo video (hopefully on time this time!) and plan on showing up this Saturday for what promises to be an incredible explosion as Siegel-Prov takes on the challenge of Papa Fibonacci!


Download the promo on Powerbomb.

PCQOTD : 5-1-06

Plebian:
"You don't need to see his identification."

Erudite:
"The crops can be re-sown, the homes re-built. Within these walls... we will outlast them."

PCQOTD : 4-28-06

Plebian:
"Ho ho ho."
(no, NOT Santa Claus.)

Erudite:
"Sir, does this mean Ann-Margaret's not coming?"

Super CageMatch In Chicago

This week's CageMatch video will be delayed a day or two, as Zach asked me to make a promotional video for the Super CageMatch taking place this Friday at the Chicago Improv Festival. I'm pretty happy with the way this turned out.

Check it out on YouTube.
Downloadable version available on Powerbomb.

Stay tuned for the promo for this week's CageMatch at the DSI Comedy Theater, as champions The Pride take on the unified power of Siegel-Prov!

PCQOTD : 4-27-06

Two Erudites, no waiting. Each with their own Connection to the Plebe.

Plebian:
"Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into."

Erudite 1:
"We finally got a piece of the pie."

Erudite 2:
"Like a complete set of Shakespeare that you get in the corner drugstore for a dollar ninety-eight, we're Morocco bound."

PCQOTD : 4-26-06

Plebian:
"How do you spell relief?"

Erudite:
"A Monday night party."

Good Enough For Me

An amusing little parody trailer for V For Vendetta, entitled C Is For Cookie. It amused me.

The People Should Not Be Afraid Of Cookie...

PCQOTD : 4-25-06

Plebian:
"Sorry about that, Chief."

Erudite:
"Great Caesar's ghost!"

PCQOTD : 4-24-06

Sorry about the delay; had problems posting to Blogger this morn.

Plebian:
"You know what they call a Quarter Pounder With Cheese in Paris?"

Erudite:
"Snakes on a mutha..."

no, just kidding. Really, I meant to say:
Erudite:
"What kind of Mickey Mouse organization would name their team The Ducks?"

PCQOTD : 4-21-06

Plebian:
"57 Varieties"

Erudite:
"It's all-righta!"

CageMatch 4-22-06

As loyal "Transmutation Effect" readers, you have the first opportunity to see this week's CageMatch promotional video before Zach loads it up to YouTube and it gets posted on the DSI forum boards.

Get ready to enter the cage!.

HOOK THE LEG!!!

Last night, I went to see wrestling with Jennings, Lil' G, and Rossi. The show was put on by Count Grog, a guy I've worked with before, and this new group is all gimmick-related, full of cheesy characters and ridiculous situations. Grog calls it GOUGE, and it's a lighter-hearted wrestling experience. We had a blast, sitting right up against the ring and screaming and jeering. A couple of my friends were wrestling last night, Krazy K and Dexter Poindexter, and my old promoter from OMEGA, Thomas Simpson, debuted his new "Hard Gay" character, T-Dawg HG. We're down with the Klowns.

A good time was had by all. We'll be back. Check out the pix. Go through them one-by-one instead of a slideshow to see the comments.

PCQOTD : 4-20-06

Plebian:
"A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust."

Erudite:
"Nobody does it half as good as you. Baby, you're the best."

Queen To King's Level Ten Count

Chess Boxing. It's a real thing. I heard about it on NPR this morning, where they described it as "this bizarre sport in Germany that combines the thinking man's sport, chess, with the number-one fighting sport, boxing." Turns out there's a sanctioning organisation, the WCBO, and an entry on Wikipedia. The way it works is thusly: you start with a four minute round of chess, then the competitors have a one minute break, then a two minute round of boxing, then back to chess again, eleven rounds in all. The match can end by checkmate or knockout. Sweet.

I would like to take this opportunity to announce the formation of the WDWF, the World Dungeons-And-Dragons Wrestling Federation. We alternate three minutes of pro wrestling action with two hours of exciting role-playing and dice-rolling. Matches can end by pinfall, submission, or when you run out of Mountain Dew.

PCQOTD : 4-19-06

Plebian:
"The other white meat."

Erudite:
"Funky Chinamen from funky Chinatown."

Two Turntables, Fuck The Microphone

You wish you were as cool as DJ Kentaro.

Here and here and here. Lots more here.

PCQOTD : 4-17-06

Three quotes; one Connection. It's a game fit for a king! Enjoy!

Plebian:
"Cathy adores a minuet, the Ballets Russes, and Crêpes Suzette."

Erudite 1:
"Be excellent to each other. And... PARTY ON, DUDES!"

Erudite 2:
"Your powers are weak, old man."

Lightning In A Can

Every time I see this promotional image for "The DaVinci Code", I think Steven Seagal is the star of the movie.

PCQOTD : 4-17-06

Plebian:
"I'm an excellent driver."

Erudite:
"I do wish we could chat longer, but... I'm having an old friend for dinner."

I Won!

I bought my first North Carolina lottery ticket today. I took it back to my car and scratched it off to reveal that I had won a free ticket! A first-time winner! So I go back in and claim my ticket, take it back to my car to scratch it--and I won another free ticket! So I go back in and claim my ticket, scratch it off, and won nothing. I am a two-time winner!!!

First CageMatch Promo Video

So I'm the host of this little show at the DSI Comedy Theater that goes by the name of CageMatch. Basically, two improv teams square off against each other, and the audience votes who they like better. The champions move on to face a new challenge the next week. So this week, there's this one guy who is a member of both teams. The Artistic Director for the show made a ruling that he would have to decide which team he would play for this week, live on stage, to add some drama to the show. This, along with a comment from Tommy B, inspired me to create a PPV-style promotional video for this week's show. I enjoyed creating it so much, I may do this every week.

Chekkit out.
Available for download here.

Kit Is My Hero

flyingcircususus
Originally uploaded by TedHobgood.

Kit just got me the entire Monty Python's Flying Circus on dvd for $37, brand new. That's forty-five episodes and over 24 hours of British comedy goodness. Thank you, Kit FitzSimons.

Ten-HUT!

PCQOTD : 4-13-06

Plebian:
"I think I'll make a snappy new day."

Erudite:
"Are these the breasts of a forty year old?"
"No ma'am. They're very impressive... bordering on spectacular."

Secret Agent Beastie

I'm still trying to figure out this site, but it's amused me so far...

Basically, it's what would happen if the F.B.I. were global.
And were run by National Geographic.
And were animals.
Anthropomorphic animals.

Sweet.

PCQOTD 4-12-06

Plebian:
"The pump don’t work ‘cause the vandals took the handles."

Erudite:
"Kilt him a b'ar when he was only three."

Recartooned

I love this website. This guy invites people to draw their versions of Saturday Morning Cartoons, and then posts them on the site. Some drawings are close to the originals, some are creative interpretations, and some are just freaky. Shown here is a portion of Steve Hogan's jaded punk version of Josie (she of Pussycats fame). Go check out the site for bunches more.

PCQOTD : 4-11-06

Same rules as yesterday: two Erudites that share the same connection with the Plebian (only one connection today, though.)

Plebian:
"Laugh now, monkey-boy!"

Erudite 1:
"You're nothing but a drifter who found a bag of mail."

Erudite 2:
"Van Gogh and Rembrandt, don't be uptight, 'cause here comes Kid Dy-no-mite!"

A Has-Meme

Courtesy of Kit:
Go to Wikipedia and look up your birthday (excluding the year). List six events, four births and two deaths in your journal, including the year.

I've added reasons why I chose each item.

OCTOBER 16
Events:
* 1793 - Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI is guillotined at the height of the French Revolution. (I have a guillotine pin my dad brought me back from Bastille Day.)
* 1869 - Cardiff Giant, one of the most famous American hoaxes, discovered. (Hoaxes are cool.)
* 1968 - United States athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos are kicked out of the USA's team for performing a Black Power salute during a medal ceremony. (I used a picture of this as one of my Ethan Kaye Rocks Through History series.)
* 1978 - Karol Józef Wojtyła becomes Pope John Paul II (Eddie Murphy has a great routine about when the Pope got shot.)
* 1995 - The Million Man March occurs in Washington, DC. (Chris Rock has a great routine about Marion Barry at the Million Man March.)
* 2002 - Bibliotheca Alexandrina in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, a commemoration of the Library of Alexandria that was lost in antiquity, is officially inaugurated. (Libraries are cool.)

Births:
* 1758 - Noah Webster, American lexicographer (d. 1843) (Boring.)
* 1854 - Oscar Wilde, Irish writer (d. 1900) (Stephen Fry portrayed him. I still haven't watched the movie.)
* 1908 - Enver Hoxha, Albanian dictator (d.1985) (Long story.)
* 1925 - Angela Lansbury, English-born actress (Boring, she wrote.)
* 1946 - Suzanne Somers, American actress (I liked Joyce DeWitt better.)
* 1984 - Melissa Lauren, pornographic actress (Heh.)

Deaths:
* 1793 - Marie Antoinette, Queen of France (executed) (b. 1755) (She's famous. I've heard of her.)
* 1981 - Moshe Dayan, Israeli general (b. 1915) (On Laugh-In, Judy Carne walked up to Sammy Davis Jr and said "What's black and white and has two eyes?" Sammy D didn't know. Judy said "You and Moshe Dyan.")
* 1990 - Art Blakey, American jazz drummer (b. 1919) (I thought if I included some jazz guy, people would think I was hip.)
* 1994 - Raul Julia, American actor (b. 1940) (He's a'ight.)
* 2003 - Stu Hart, Canadian professional wrestler (b. 1915) (You should know why.)
* 2005 - "Len" Dresslar, American singer and voice actor (b. 1925) (I want to do voice acting.)

They also seemed to have executed a lot of Nazis on my birthday in 1946.

A search of IMDB also turns up the following lovely fact:
Hogan's Heroes stars Sigrid Valdis and Bob Crane were married on this day in 1970.

PCQOTD : 4-10-06

Plebian:
"To boldly go where no man has gone before."

I felt bad that this was too easy, so you have two Erudites today, but each one has the same two Connections to the Plebian quote.

Erudite 1:
"You rang?"

Erudite 2:
"Well, possum on a gumbush!"

Hey Rube!

Ever since I was a little kid, I've loved Rube Goldberg-esque devices. Goldberg was a guy who dreamed up these fanciful, overly-complicated systems to do simple activities, such as how to tee up a golf ball or something. The Goldberg machines interested me in the same way that domino tumbling does: the thrill of a chain of events happening from a single action that you initiate. When I was a kid, I had one of those wooden building block sets that had a series of tracks that let you make complicated systems that a marble would roll through; I loved that thing.

This video is a twelve minute compilation of various Golbergian machines made for a Japanese tv show. They're absolutely brilliant, using a plethora of mechinations and devices that connect together artistically to ultimately do one simple thing: reveal the tv show's catchphrase. Twelve minutes sounds like a long time to sit around looking at an internet video, but I loved every second of it.

PCQOTD : 4-7-06

Plebian:
"Come along, my fine feathered finks."

Erudite:
"Cherokee people, Cherokee tribe, so proud to live, so proud to die."

I'm Pretty! I'm A Bad Man!

Never ever forget who The Greatest is.

PCQOTD : 4-6-06

Plebian:
"If you won’t scold and dominate us we will never give you cause to hate us."

Erudite:
"Fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face."

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, DEATH!

So here's a stream of consciousness for you.

Today's PCQOTD featured a reference to the utterly crappy-looking Beverly Hillbillies movie. Ben mentioned that Dolly Parton was in it, a fact I did not know. So I looked it up on IMDB, and sure enough, there she is. I then noticed that Buddy Ebsen, Uncle Jed from the original tv series of The Beverly Hillbillies, had a cameo as his other tv character, Barnaby Jones. Well, says I, I like Barnaby Jones, maybe I should watch this film after all, if for no other reason than to enjoy a favourite character. So that got me to thinking about a web project I've had in the back of my mind for some time, a site celebrating the fabulous over-the-top detective/adventure tv series that were produced by Quinn Martin. So I look up ol' Quinn's biography just for the fun of it, and find that he was once married to a woman named Muffet Webb.

And her name amused me so much, I had to make this post about it. Enjoy.

PCQOTD : 4-5-6

Plebian:
"They just use your mind and they never give you credit; it’s enough to drive you crazy if you let it."

Erudite:
"I got to have a long talk with that boy."

No Picture Necessary

Some 98 year old guy just walked into where I work and said he was going to sue us for violating his democracy.

Good luck, buddy.

PCQOTD : 3-4-06

Plebian:
"Oh pooh.. I’m not afraid of you. Why, you’re nothing but a pack of cards."

Erudite:
"Who's Yehoodi?"

Manders vs El Gigante

Photo_040206_026
Originally uploaded by TedHobgood.

On 4/2/06, a bunch of us went out to Bandido's in Carrboro to get some dinner. Amanda Dorich announced that she was going to order El Gigante--and finish it! We, of course, didn't believe for a second that that would happen, so we put money on it. And we lost.

Click here for the gutbomb.

PCQOTD : 4-3-06

Plebian:
"Snakes...why did it have to be snakes?"

Erudite:
"May I have ten thousand marbles, please?"

I Love White Egg

This amuses me. You'll probably hate it. G'wan, CLICK IT!

PCQOTD : 3-31-06

Plebian:
"...that's the name, and away go troubles down the drain."

Erudite:
"What a gulla-bull. What a nin-cow-poop."

Could I Have A Farthing, Father?

Here's a cool little Wikipedia article on the history of British coinage. It's an interesting read for anybody that reads far too much Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie. Check out the section on pre-decimalization, where they explain shillings and pence and the many ways to write down denominations. The canonical list of coinage at the bottom is a fun read through. (I’ll gladly give you a Double Leopard on Tuesday for a hamburger today!)

PCQOTD : 3-30-06

Plebian:
"But square-cut or pear-shaped these rocks won’t lose their shape."

Erudite:
"Did the maid ever drop you on your head when you were a baby?"
"Don't be silly, George, we couldn't afford a maid. My mother had to do it."

I Am...Undefeatable!

This may be the worst martial arts fight scene ever filmed. The styles are bad, the execution is bad, the haircuts are cheesy, and the incessant "punch-scream"ing is annoying. Plus, what looks like a bad female impersonator shows up halfway through, which scared the shit out of me. i think it's actually Cynthia Rothrock, but boy does she look bad. She also apparently broke her arm, but since she's the only recognizable person in the movie, she fights anyway. Amazingly bad.

Toys For Your Kids

From famed kids' toymaker Ideal comes the Sure Shot Hover Blaster, also known as "Shoot The Menorah"! It's the perfect gift for the young anti-Semite in your household. Buy one today, and enjoy all the thrills that come from pointing a gun at a holy symbol of the Hebrew people.

PCQOTD : 3-29-06

Plebian:
"A spring, a spring, a marvelous thing."

Erudite:
"I'd better put on my patented Stuponitron helmet."

Holy Sound Effects!

Okay, this rules. Somebody has captured a whole bunch of screencaps of the illustrated sound effects from the fight scenes in the old Adam West Batman tv series. The page has the wonderfully Argentinian title of Las Onomatopeyas. Go by and check it out!

This page, on the same site, is hilarious too. It lists the sound effects used by episode: reading them in a list is almost like poetry.

PCQOTD : 3-28-06

Plebian:
"We would be warm below the storm in our little hideaway beneath the waves."

Erudite:
"Mmmm...gummy Venus de Milo."

Get your own Cyborg Name.

Lemonade: That Cool Refreshing Drink

I love stumbling across odd websites. I also love people who are overly obsessed with a particular subject. Today's discovery is elvisconcerts.com. This site catalogs 1,145 concerts that Elvis performed, with an amazing and ridiculous amount of minutia about each one, including attendance, showtime, and songs performed. You can search the concerts by date, location, song, and tour. All of that is pretty incredible, but it's not enough to get me to mention it here on my blog. No, what tipped elvisconcerts.com over the top is that you can search by jumpsuit. Yes, if you want to know when The King wore his Royal Blue Fireworks suit or Mad Tiger suit, or perhaps when he sported the lovely Blue Prehistoric Bird suit that you remember so fondly from 1976, you can easily find it at elvisconcerts.com. In all, they've catalogued some 85 jumpsuits in over a thousand colourful appearances. They've even gone so far as to indicate when he wore a belt from one jumpsuit with a different outfit. I love obsession.

(Pictured is the Darkblue Gypsy suit with the Red Armadillo belt, as worn in the Greensboro Colisseum on July 21, 1975. The concert began with "See See Rider" and ended with "Can't Help Falling In Love".)

For more Elvis action, be sure to check out the website I designed for the world's greatest Elvis impersonator, Keith Henderson.

PCQOTD : 3-27-06

Plebian:
"A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination."

Erudite:
"Separate the sorrow and collect up all the cream."

Creativity

I just re-stumbled over this little Flash animation, and wanted to share it with one and all. Even if you don't like the Saturday Night Live skit this was inspired by (The Roxbury Guys, aka "that What Is Love sketch"), this little thing is enjoyable. They took a loop from the car driving segment of the sketch, and redid it in seventeen different styles. I love this sort of creativity, and I'd really like to do something in this vein myself, especially if it involved collaborating with a group of people, each person doing their own version on a theme, and then combining them into one vehicle.

Anyway, enjoy this. I particularly loved the last one.

You Face The Fontmaster

I like comic books as much as the next geek, but I'm more of a DC man than a Marvel man, so I don't have as deep a knowledge of arcane Marvel characters as some people I know. Today I stumbled across a Marvel villain that amused the heck out of me. If you're a graphic designer, you may get an extra chuckle out of this guy as well. Meet Typeface.

PCQOTD : 3-24-06

Plebian:
"It takes a licking and keeps on ticking."

Erudite:
"We didn't need dialogue. We had faces!"

Videogaming Now...And Then

Amusing side-by-side comparison of videogames back in the day to the present. I still love me some pixellated goodness. Chekkit out.

PCQOTD : 3-23-06

Apologies for the lack of a PCQOTD for yesterday; I was home from work. Today's set is a good one.

Plebian:
"Made with seven kinds of fruit for a one of a kind fruit taste."

Erudite:
"Nippit! Nip-it-in-the-bud!"

PCQOTD : 3-21-06

Plebian:
"Lifts and separates."

Erudite:
"Men grow cold as girls grow old."

A Polar Bear Eating Vanilla Ice Cream

This amused the heck out of me for some reason. Comic book geekery meets kindergarten-level pictorial joke. Now I want to see Black Panther fight The Shadow Thief in a coal mine at midnight. Enjoy.

PCQOTD : 3-20-06

Plebian:
"No such person, no such zone."

Erudite:
"Don't take your love away from me, don't you leave my heart in misery."

Draining Away

Recently I won an audition for the central figure in a Stormwater PSA; I play a tough-talking storm drain. The spot will be playing in rotation on WCHL soon. Give it a listen here.

PCQOTD : 3-17-06

Plebian:
"I carry a badge."

Erudite:
"Say the secret word and divide a hundred dollars."

PCQOTD : 3-17-06

Plebian:
"Pleased to meet you; hope you guessed my name."

Erudite:
"All you need for a movie is a gun and a girl."

Crazy Birds

It's only like seven seconds. Watch it. It's good for a cheap giggle.

Oh Baby

So at the end of the work day, my friend Brantley sends me an email entitled "I found the next Mrs. Hobgood". Inside the email was the link to this video. He knows me far too well.

Wastin' Time, Kickin' Ass

I felt like posting something to the ol' blog, if for no other reason than to break up the string of PCQOTD back-to-back with PCQOTD, but couldn't find anything particularly earth-shattering to share with everybody. So for lack of any better subject, here's a few selections from the "games" category in my bookmarks. Start enjoying yourself, pronto.

Pictured, we have a lovely little selection entitled "Dropkick The Punks", from the Faint song of the same name. Basically, you control an angry mohawked fellow, riling him up in the parking lot until he has enough energy to charge into the club and dropkick some fool off the stage. It's in the same vein as the first Yeti game, but with a punk edge to it. It's amusing.

Bookworm is actually one of my all-time favourite little games. It combines Scrabble with Boggle with a hungry worm. You try and connect letters to spell words, but they're Scrabble tiles, so you score based on the labelled number on the tile. There are bonus tiles and bonus words, but the best part is the flaming tiles that appear when you repeatedly submit lameass words.

3D Minesweeper is the classic timewaster Minesweeper, but mapped to a huge sphere, so that you are playing the game in, yes, 3D.

I think we've covered Tobby Crane before on this blog. Horribly addictive.

Sticking with the wacky Japanese game theme, we find one of the oddest in a little thing I like to call Nanaca Crash. Actually, that's what the makers call the game. I call it "Anime Girl Smashes The Crap Out Of Pretty Boy And Sends Him Into The Stratosphere". It's in the same vein as Yeti or Dropkick The Punks, but with a rockin' musical track and the ability to warp in and keep whackin' the guy to make him go farther. Your timing on the warps either sends him higher or lower, and there are obstacles along the way in the form of people that may help or hinder your progress. Be ready for the Special Attack!

Six Feet Under is a twist on the popularity of the Yeti game. You're controlling a hearse driving to the graveyard. Frantically tap the right arrow to get your speed up. Before you hit the brick wall at the cemetary, press the space bar to brake, and send the coffin flying. I love the graphics and the animations in this one. There are different scenarios for different distances, so it pays to be a bad player occasionally.

These are just silly. Flash versions of classic games from tv shows. For some reason, I can play the Tic Tac Dough one over and over and still be amused. Or bemused.

How many balls can you destroy? In Chaos Theory, a series of blue balls move across the screen. You judge when and where to set off an explosion that will make each ball it touches explode, setting off a chain reaction. Surprisingly captivating.

PCQOTD : 3-15-06

Plebian:
"Reach out and touch someone."

Erudite:
"Read a bestseller every day."

PCQOTD : 3-14-06

Plebian:
"Stop, Snidely Whiplash, in the name of the law!"

Erudite:
"I want a happy ending, I'm tired of pretending, won't let 'em get the best of me. Whoa whoa whoa."

Erudite 2 (with Connection 2, and no, it's not that they're both cartoons. Here's a hint on the Connection: Kit corrected me on it once on a previous PCQOTD):
"Watch out for that tree!"

Photoshoppin'

Ethan Blast
Originally uploaded by TedHobgood.

I've had this stuck in my head for a while, and finally had to just sit down and do it. It's hard to photoedit with a mouse, but it had to be done. Feel the apocalyptic fury that is ethankaye.net!

Be sure to click the photo to see it bigger. I think this link might give you the biggest size.

PCQOTD : 3-13-06

Plebian:
"I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend, but I always thought that I’d see you again."

Erudite:
"When you find yourself in the thick of it, help yourself to a bit of what is all around you, silly girl."

Five Day Forecast

And on the fifth day, God said, "Fuck y'all, it's time for the Apocalypse."

PCQOTD : 3-10-06

Plebian:
"Let your fingers do the walking."

Erudite:
"All reactionaries are paper tigers."

PCQOTD : 3-9-06

Plebian:
"When I'm home, everything seems to be right. When I'm home, feeling you holding me tight."

Erudite:
"When the going gets rough, he's super tough!"

Don Is Coming

Don is coming. Prepare yourself for the greatness that is...Don.

The Four Meme

I have been "tagged" by Old Man FitzSimons in regards to the "Four Meme" that's floating about, and I am not one to shirk from a tag! Have at you!

Four Jobs I’ve Had
1. Pizzamaker, Domino's Pizza
2. Graphic Artist, City of Durham
3. Pro Wrestling Announcer/Commentator, OMEGA
4. Lowly Telephone Drone, Town of Chapel Hill

Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over Again
1. Star Wars (the real one, not this recent crap)
2. Batman Begins
3. The Thin Man
4. 1001 Erotic Nights

Four TV Shows I Love to Watch
1. NewsRadio
2. Hogan's Heroes
3. Match Game
4. QI (the current favourite)

Four Places I've Been on Vacation
1. Winchester, England, England
2. Philadelphia
3. My bedroom
4. Easton, PA

Four Favorite Dishes
1. Kung Pao Chicken and Shrimp, Charlie's Chinese
2. Kung Po Chicken (no green peppers), China Wok
3. NC pork barbecue and brunswick stew
4. sushi

Four Websites I Visit Daily
1. The Wrestling Observer
2. DSI Comedy Forums
3. BoingBoing
4. Scans Daily

Four Places I'd Rather Be
1. In the ring
2. In front of a copy of Flash, learning how to animate
3. Asleep
4. Laying next to Leesa (Oh, how I wish!)

Four Bloggers I'm Tagging
1. Manders
2. ethankaye.net
3. The Man of Renown, Corey Brown
4. PT Scarborough Is A Blogger

PCQOTD : 3-8-06

Plebian:
"You can't top the coppertop."

Erudite:
"Laughter, laughter, all I hear and see is laughter. Laughter, laughter, laughing at my cries."

The Historical Ethan Kaye, Part Deux

So apparently, the Historical Ethan Kaye was a big hit. The man himself tells me that loads of people on the Improve Resource Center are doing their own versions and posting them up there. Ethan has put a few up on his blog. (Check them out here, here, here,, here, here, and here.) Well, I rose to the challenge and did a second wave m'self. You can view 'em here.

Tossed Salad and Scrambled Genes

Okay, who is going to go watch this with me? Kit? Ethan? Anybody?

PCQOTD : 3-7-06

Plebian:
"Atomic batteries to power; turbines to speed."

Erudite:
"He doesn't know it's supposed to be a show! He thinks it's a damn fight!"

The Aristocrats!

It has been previously demonstrated that I likes me some magic. I particularly like card magic, especially if it involves dextrous manipulation and slight of hand. Now, in a different vein, I do not particularly like The Aristocrats, the "classic" off-colour joke told by comedians the world over and featured in a movie of the same name. That said, I offer you now a video that I found entertaining, namely a version of the Aristocrats told through card manipulation. Enjoy.

PCQOTD : 3-6-06

Plebian:
"Love is a burning thing."

Erudite:
"I turn the switch and check the number, I leave it on when in bed I slumber."

The Historical Ethan Kaye

So the other day I was checking out my friends' blogs, and came across this post on ethankaye.net. The post featured the picture of Ethan shown here, where the guitar master himself is rocking out during the DSI Festival 2006. I knew Ethan was pretty famous, so I checked Google Images for his name, and was amazed at just how famous he really was. It's astounding how many places Ethan Kaye has rocked out.

Check out what I discovered!

Brainie The Pooh

Here's a very amusing episode of "Pinky and the Brain" done in the style of "Winnie the Pooh", featuring Brainie and Pinklet. They plan to steal a motherlode of honey which is guarded by...

Brain: "...the scariest and most intimidating bee of all!"
Pinky: "Bee Arthur?"

Guest appearances include a very special jaguar in place of Tigger, and exactly who I hoped in place of Christopher Robin.

Geeky Music Video

Here's a club song that uses samples and video from Lord of the Rings.

I want to be creative like this.

No Prize Will Be Awarded

Just because I had fifteen minutes to waste before lunchtime, here's the tally for the PCQOTD for the month of February:

Mr. Birken: 2
Mr. FitzSimons: 3
Mr. Minter: 1
Mr. Moser: 4
Ms. Palmisano: 1
Mr. Scronce: 2

La Tecnico Sencacionalissimo!

I just came across this GREAT web page full of links to other sites about lucha libre. If you like Mexican masked wrestling, then this is definitely worth checking out. There's links to videos, biographies, comic books, and all sorts of lucha greatness.

I found this site through this site, which features a very interesting article entitled "Lucha Libre: The Global Adoption of a Mexican Symbol". A good read.

That site also led me to this site, which is about a wrestling mask exhibition at a museum in Arizona. Man, I wish I could go. (Did you know that several of *my* masks were featured in an art exhibition once? It's true!)

PCQOTD : 3-3-06

Plebian:
"Can you hear me now?"

Erudite:
"Come..."
"Stay..."
"Ouch..."
"Ouch..."

Sketch Hobgood

So recently, Johnny Fabulous asked me if I would perform one of the sketches he wrote for the class he just took. I said I'd be glad to; I like the idea of trying out sketch comedy, and Jon is a really nice guy--I was glad to help him out. So last night was the first rehearsal for the shindig, and it looks like it's going to be great fun. The bit I'm doing for Jon is a newsreader with joke headlines, in the tradition of SNL Weekend Update. It'll be yours truly alone on stage, sitting at a desk doing his fake news voice. Last night, Johnny Fabulous filmed me being spun 'round and 'round in a chair for the pretaped intro to the piece. I will say, Mr. Scott Jennings had the scariest gleeful look on his face when he volunteered to be the one to whip me around in circles on the chair. He enjoyed it far too much.

Then Bill (I'm a bad man and don't know Bill's last name. I'm ashamed.) Ferris asked me to sit in for a sketch he wrote, since The Man of Renown, Corey Brown couldn't make the practice. This one is a newspaper office sketch featuring Kif SitzTimons, who is hilarious in his delivery; great voice and physical bits. Well-written and funny sketch, too. Anyway, apparently they liked the reading I did, because Jennings suggested to Bill that he ask me to take the part. So boom, now I'm doing two sketches.

I'm really looking forward to this; I like the idea of doing sketches much more than doing straight improv. I feel much better when I have some vague grasp of what the material is about. I could do the improv necessary for my days in pro wrestling at the drop of a hat, because I know wrestling and am comfortable with it. I could do Match Game because I know Match Game and I know the Macho Man. But I think seat of the pants improv is too abstract for me, at least for the most part. If I'm in a comfortable situation with people I'm at ease with and am not intimidated by, I'm golden. In the situations I've come across where I don't know the people I'm playing with well, or feel that they're so far above me talent-wise, I just don't enjoy myself. I think this sketch experience is going to feel comfortable and creative and loads of fun.

In addition to being fun to play in, the sketch show will also going to be damn fun to watch. Here's one highlight: Johnny Fab also wrote a Charles Manson sketch that will be performed by ethankaye.net. This is damn funny. You must see this. Ethan made me laugh both uproariously and repeatedly. Kit and I had finished our rehearsal, and were going to leave and watch a movie, but we kept getting lured back into the theater to see Ethan do repeated takes. This will be a fun show, and I encourage you to come see it. It's Saturday, March 11, at 11:00, and is paired up with the show I'm always pushing people to come see, the ridiculously entertaining PT Scarborough Is A Movie. This is a double bill you will be glad you saw. Come and enjoy.

PCQOTD : 3-2-06

Plebian:
"All for one, and one for all!"

Erudite:
"I want the people to know that they still have 2 out of 3 branches of the government working for them, and that ain't bad."

Tricky connection here.

You're The Star!

The fine folks at somethingawful.com always come up with some hilarious ideas for Photoshop contests. If you haven't seen these before, basically they come up with a theme, and invite people to Photoshop up pictures based on the theme. This week, the theme is those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books that were all the rage for a couple of years. I still have one that features a wrestling vampire; it's a jewel in my ridiculous collection of pro wrestling books. In this Photoshop contest, people have altered and remixed the covers of many different Choose Your Own Adventure titles, and the results are hilarious. Click and enjoy page after page of parody fun.

PCQOTD : 3-1-06

Plebian:
"Do you recall what was revealed the day the music died?"

Erudite:
"You may be a lover, but you ain't no dancer."