It is April 1 after all. How old does one have to be to have criminal intent? Well, there were those ten-year-olds a few years ago who tossed a five-year-old off of a balcony, but how about eight or nine? And an actual plot to attack a teacher? Among not one, not two, but nine students? Read on…
Superhero teamups among characters of both DC and Marvel universes are quite common. In the 70s-lates 80s there was the “Superfriends.” More recently, a Justice League series was produced on Cartoon Network. Even crossovers between the rival comic franchises have occurred. Superman and Spider-Man have crossed paths in comic book form.
I just watched the new direct to DVD feature Justice League: New Frontier. It told the tale of one of the first times heroes such as the aforementioned Man of Steel, Batman, and Wonder Woman collaborated with other crimefighters like Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and the Flash.
What I appreciated most about the film is that it was set during the 1950-60s when the silver age of comic books was beginning. The costumes reflected the period (Superman’s crest was a red “S” on a black background and Wonder Woman wore a star-spangled skirt instead of the more familiar, without sounding too blunt, briefs). Some of the themes revealed in the movie also were indicative of the time: McCathyism, the Ku Klux Klan, communism, and fear of alien invasion were all issues portrayed.
I was also pleased with the role of the less familiar players. The Flash particularly felt that he would never be able to make as big a difference when put up alongside characters like Superman. However, the fastest man alive contributes in a huge way in combating the seemingly invincible force threatening to destroy humanity.
If there is a flaw with New Frontier, it is the choice of Jeremy Sisto to voice the Dark Knight. Each of the other characters had voices that fit but there was something strange about Batman’s. Also, something that has always bothered me about the Justice League series: can Wonder Woman fly or not? It would seem unnecessary for her to have an invisible jet (a la the live-action series and “Superfriends”) if that were the case. A friend also pointed out that when shapeshifter Jonn Jonnz is knocked unconscious would he not revert to his martian appearance? Discuss.
Since October, Drew Carey has done his best filling the shoes of Bob Barker as host of the longest-running gameshow in daytime history, The Price is Right. Six months later, he is still attempting to find his nitche. I do watch a few times a week. Today was one of those days.
The showcase was one of the most memorable ever. The first showcase had as the top prize a trip to Singapore which was passed on to contestant number two. The second showcase was a masterful stroke of foolishness.
The first prize was something known as a statointellicator. It appeared to be a prop box full of multicolored switches and doodads which also was useful as a jello mold.
Prize number two was a transrebounder. I have no idea what that device was even supposed to be used for but it looked ridiculous.
Finally, the piece de resistance was a trip to the country of Baguslovania. The contestant would be flown via OSD whose tagline is : The airline that gets you there…. although it may not be the cleanest. While in Baguslovania, the lucky winner would dine on hasty tripe tarts and take in breathtaking vistas such as short site tower and no where palace. I wonder if Baguslovania is anywhere near Liswathistan.
After the showcase was presented, Drew let everyone in on the joke by announcing that the show would be aired on April 1st and unveiled the real prize.
I attempted to find the clip to post but only was able to find the climax of the game. But little touches like this make for entertaining moments on any show.
catch the showcase here
Another April Fool’s Day is upon us unfortunately. I usually escape the day unscathed, but this year, that is not the case. Seems some clever “hacker” decided to “get” us tangents.org bloggers with false threats of blog erasures…
I did not think it was funny. Maybe I’m not a good sport, but the joke hit where it hurt – how many valuable documents; including pictures, diaries, even my oldest daughter’s electronic baby book, have I lost due to computer malfunctions? I’m not saying my blogs are valuable, but I have spent lots of time on them. They’ve also essentially replaced my family diary I was keeping since I now put most of my kids milestones in my blogs…
But I guess most people get a kick out of the day. Drew Carey even got into the spirit today on The Price is Right. They put in a joke showcase and were going to make some poor lady bid on a trip to Lebanon or someplace! I was half-watching, wish I had seen the whole thing, it seemed hilarious. But anyway, I hope others are better sports than I, and they find the blog prank funny. And I’m sorry to the gleeful jokester who really wanted to have some fun at my expense before I spoiled it. Maybe I’m just a spoiled sport because I can’t think of any good pranks myself. But now that I know the playing field is wide open and I have a whole year to think about it, stay away from me this year and WATCH OUT for me next year 😉
Came across this news story after linking to the one about the hugely tall spire they’re going to build in the Middle East:
First Wedding Dress Shop for Pregnant Brides ONLY Opens
I agree with the people who posted comments at the end of the article – what is the world coming to when maternity wedding dresses are seen as a normal need to fulfill in the buyer’s market? Should we be happy that these women are getting married rather than staying single? What about the fact that they might be rushing into marriage just for the sake of getting to buy a pretty dress, or more likely, because it’s becoming extremely socially acceptable, which will surely raise the already obscenely high divorce rate? And why are they bothering to make these maternity bridal gowns WHITE?
All I can say is, thank goodness this article isn’t about the good old USA – but then again, we probably have an American maternity bridal store chain or two or three already.
Since my first post about defunct tv was SO lengthy, I had to omit some of my favorite tv shows from yester-year which were so great they warrant a mention and another post.
The Bozo Show – If you grew up in Chicagoland, this show was an icon. Some people in Ohio have told me it was on tv here too, but I know it just wasn’t the same as growing up with Bozo next door. First of all, EVERYONE you knew went to see the Bozo show live. The girl I went with was put on the waiting list when she was in utero, and we were 9 or 10 years old before her mother finally got the tickets that allowed us entry into the show. But I’m just glad I got the experience, and I’m even more glad that I was old enough to remember seeing Bozo live – it was really neat. I was really scared of a character named Wizzo though, and I hoped he wouldn’t be there on the day I was… Ironically, I don’t remember if he was in that episode or not. My husband went to a Bozo show taping of course, since he was also a Chicagoland kid, but neither of us were on the Grand Prize Game. There were other characters on the show, mainly Bozo’s clown sidekick, Cookie, and also a puppet dog named Cuddly Duddly. I think I’m going to have to dig out the tape of the show I was on, just for memories… So was Bozo aired nationally? Since it was so hugely popular in our area, it’s hard to say; it’s not like there was an internet back then or like I traveled a lot or had pen pals as a kid to ask. I would guess so, since lots of people have heard of it, but I’m sure it was nothing like the phenomena it reached in Chicagoland.
Land of the Lost – Saturday morning tv at its finest. This was a live show about a family who was transported back in time to contend with all kinds of prehistoric creatures like dinosaurs, etc. While looking up the show on imdb, I learned that there were 2 versions. One that aired from 1974-76, and one from 1991-92. I will dismiss the 90’s remake since I wasn’t a big fan. But as for the original, I barely remember it but I know that I LOVED it! I must have watched it in syndication however, because I was not around to see it from ’74-’76. But, when I saw the photos and synopsis of the episodes, I know that’s the show I watched and loved. Interesting note – they are currently make a movie version due out next year starring Will Ferrell as the dad! I am a big fan of Will Ferrell’s. I think he is great in almost everything I’ve seen him in; he’s always funny and surprisingly versatile. He stars in one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time, Elf. So I am anxious to see what they do with this remake of a classic tv show for our generation. I think the movie is slated to be a comedy, but with Will Ferrell as its star, that’s no surprise. I wonder if they’ll do what they did with the Brady Bunch movies and make it a satire of the tv show? It was very effective and funny when they did it in the Brady Bunch movies, but it would seem difficult to pull off for many tv shows without being too over the top. With the cheesy sets and special effects and costumes of the ’70’s Land of the Lost, satire might be a good avenue to explore for the movie remake. It’d be cool to see the movie set in the 70’s – well, the family gets sent back in time, but if the family were still from the ’70’s… Guess we’ll just have to wait until 2009 to see!
The Littles – A catchy theme song which began, “We are the Littles…” It was an awesome Saturday morning cartoon (which of course spawned into toys, lunchboxes, books, and even a few movies) about a family of small people with pointy ears and tails who lived within the walls of a Bigg (literally, this was the surname of the family!) family’s house. The plots revolved around Tom and Lucy Little, a brother and sister who tried to keep their dopey aviator cousin Dinky out of trouble along with their Grandpa Little. The Littles had rigged up their own little world within the walls of the Bigg’s home which they entered through a light socket, and it was neat to see how they used normal size objects to make things they needed. They would often enlist the help of Henry Bigg, the human regular-size kid who lived in the house, since he was the only human to know about the Littles. Cute show – I could probably find it on youtube or somewhere like that if I looked.
Shirt Tales – Adorable little animal characters who began as a line of greeting cards were turned into a cartoon. Their shirts would display different sayings to express their feelings; such as Hug Me, Cuddly, or Dig Me (worn by a mole). A really cute cartoon which aired on the USA network as part of its Cartoon Express, of which Pac Man the cartoon was also a part; see below.
Pac Man – A cartoon based upon the popular video game. I don’t remember much about it, but I know I liked it, and it didn’t last long. I think if I were to see this cartoon today as an adult, it would be dumb, whereas Shirt Tales might be cute. I haven’t checked youtube, but they both just might be there; it seems likely.
It is about time to get some shuteye this evening, but unfortunately I’ve gotten my second wind. That never bodes well for getting a good nights sleep. While I was getting sleepy while watching a show with my daughter, just after the show ended, I’m wide awake.
I’m already getting sick and tired of the political season, and we aren’t out of the primaries yet. I’m might be physically ill by the time the general election rolls around.
Baseball news isn’t too good for the teams I follow.. Extra inning losses for both the Cubs and Tigers. While I’m a life long Tiger fan, I follow and root for the Cubs as long as they aren’t playing the Tigers. I guess you would call me a Cub convert.
A sunny warm day and warm evening would be wonderful. I think I’ve had enough snow, ice and rain to last for a while.
I think I learned my lesson about grocery shopping on an empty stomach. I just went in for some milk and potatoes for dinner this evening. I had everything else I needed. I picked up berries, a roasted chicken, some other odds and ends I didn’t need. Oh well, it shouldn’t go to waste. The chicken was very good.
I think I need to find a movie to watch for later this week. I’m not sure what I want to watch.
Oh well, I should try to sleep….
Nothing to do with teaching, but check this link out. Crazy.
Saudi prince promises £5bn desert spire TWICE as tall as nearest rival being built