Brief Comments...

Sorry about that, but I'm not creative enough right now for a better title[once you see what the post is about, you'll know why].

Am I the only one who finds themselves humming the 'Apple of my Eye' song from the Fruit of The Loom commercial?

And if you're unaware, click on this, and be prepared to get a little misty. I love the complete lack of irony and the total seriousness of the video.

I try not to be moved by advertising, but stuff like this and the Sonic commercials really work on me.

Heck, if I had a job, I might be tempted to purchase some of their products.

Courage,
Mike G.

With Apologies...

To Johnny Paycheck...

In about 12 hours, I'll be informing my superiors that the retail automotive industry will have to learn to get along without me.

I did not make this decision lightly; thinking about makes me a bit queasy. Of course, thinking about not doing it makes me want to vomit.

I'm not sure what I'll do next. I'd like to spend about a week savoring the fact I no longer have to answer this question:

So, what's your bottom line price on this?

But I don't have that luxury. I have a few leads, but if anyone out there has any high-paying positions that require little experience and even less actual talent, please drop me a line.

Oh, before I forget, I had my laser surgery on my other eye Friday. So far, everything looks ok. I'll go back in two weeks to make sure my interocular pressure's where it needs to be. And for those of you who might be curious as to what an argon laser might look like:



So to recap: things are changing.

I'll try and keep you updated. Here, over on my Myspace, and my new corner of the 'Net, The Amigos. Heck, I'm even on Twitter.

Things are about to get interesting.

Courage,
Mike G.

Shiny...

Wow.

Now that was a shindig.

CAN'T STOP THE SERENITY 2007 wrapped up in the wee hours of the morning, and the early returns indicate that this years total will demolish the mark set in 2006.

Massive thanks to everyone involved, from the special guests to the folks who lended a hand just because.

Pictures and video will be along shortly.

I'll also do a special link-filled post very soon.

Dev, Tara, Manda, April, Cedric, Jane, and too many more to list:

Thanks for everything. Thanks for making a difference. Thanks for making me a tiny part of something huge.

Thanks for doing the impossible.

Courage,
Mike G.

Inside Joke Alert!

"Now hooold on just a minute!!!!

Television?"

Touch Down...

I'm in Dallas, and at a computer in the lobby of my hotel.

How's that for an update?

I managed to get a little time off and thought, what better way to spend it than to be an unpaid volunteer for a charity movie showing?

In less than 24 hours, my good friend Devin will be hosting one of over 40 nationwide showings of the movie Serenity. All proceeds will benefit Equality Now, an organization dedicated to equal rights for women. You can learn more here.

So for me, it's a few hours sleep, and then back to work.

Courage,
Mike G.

P.S. Watch the Twitter box on the side of this page for updates throughout the day.

A Lack of Vision...

It was just supposed to be your average visit.

I'd been through the drill before:

"Which looks clearer, #1 or #2?"

"Better, or worse?"

My main concern was that my prescription would be so strong I'd be able to see a few minutes into the future.

But I didn't expect what happened next.

The doctor told me not to worry...the puff test concerned him a bit, so he was scheduling another test.

A few days later, I took the second test. The results...weren't comforting.

I got sent to a specialist. After some more futzing around with my eyes, the verdict was in.

Glaucoma.

[You can lean more about Glaucoma here and here.]


To my credit, I didn't immediately fall to my knees and curse my Creator; nor did I revert to the fetal position and go catatonic. My doctor, who had no doubt done this many times before, laid out my options.

I could go with eyedrops, which I would have to take for the rest of my days.

Or, I could undergo Selective Laser Trabeculectomy. The major advantage to the laser treatment is the fact the effects could last for up to five years.

In less than 48 hours, I'll be going in for the SLT.

I'm honestly not sure why I'm writing about this. It's not for the attention[I think]. I could have easily sent out an email to my friends. I guess I don't want anyone else going through that shock. If I hadn't gone in for new glasses, I wouldn't have ever found out, and since Glaucoma has no symptoms, by the time a person's vsion is truly affected, it might be too late. And it's not just the elderly who have it either. Bottom line: Get Tested.

Unfortunately, I have lost some peripheral vision, but the SLT will help me keep the vision I have. It's a good thing, too.

There's a bunch of stuff I haven't seen yet.

Courage,
Mike G.

Tinfoil Hat Alert...

So, earlier this evening I was enjoying some Nacho-y goodness[special thanks to the fine folks at Penzeys Spices and their excellent Bold Taco Seasoning]

As I reached for some more tortilla chips, I noticed something written on the bag: a statement declaring that these chips would go perfect with their brand of salsa[Tostitos].

At first, I just chalked it up to the crass commercialism/synergy/vertical integration we get blasted with on a daily basis.

But then[and this may have been a mistake], I started thinking.

Tostitos' parent company is Frito-Lay, makers of everything from Cheetos to Rold Gold pretzels. They've created flavors and color combinations that don't exist in nature.

Which brought me to my hypothetical question:

What if the reason Tostitos Salsa went perfect with Tostitos chips was because it was designed that way?

Look, there's all kinds of additives out there. Stuff to keep food fresher, stuff to keep cereal from getting soggy, stuff to keep seasonings from clumping together. Is it really that far a stretch to think that the idea hasn't crossed somebody's mind? I figure Chemical A gets sprayed on or mixed in the chips, and is set to react with Chemical B in the salsa. When they meet, maybe they add an extra hit of spice, or make the salsa a bit thicker.

I know this sounds insane, but I can't help but think this is the sort of thing marketers dream about.

You know, before blogging, I'd usually tell all of this stuff to my imaginary pirate friend.

Courage,
Mike G.

Locaton, Location, Location?

Sadly, Mr. Jenkins never understood why he never got any offers on his parcel of land:



Actually, I saw this outside our local mall the other day. Apparently there was some sort of Bounce House arms race that I was not aware of. Off to the side of this lizard was an even bigger giant lying on his back. Kids entered a gaping hole in his head . Cheery.

Also in the mix was the always appropriate Titanic-themed slide and one with some sort of tornado with a face.

Courage,
Mike G.

Free Food!

Sort of.

Even though I'm not there to join in, I wanted to send a quick reminder to my friends out in the DFW area.

The folks at Chipotle will be giving free burritos, tacos, or salads on June 5th when you bring a non-perishable food item for the North Texas and Tarrant County Food Banks.

And if you're not in Dallas, donate some stuff to your local food bank anyway. Karmically speaking, it's just a good idea.

Courage,
Mike G.

Film Thoughts...

First off...

Click here, if you please.

Then, skip to about the 1:31 mark.

I don't know if it's some carrot being tossed to the fans just for the trailer, but I approve.

Second, finally got to see Spider-Man 3 today.

I didn't not like it.

I just don't know. There wasn't anything completely bad about the film, but there was this sense that Raimi was trying to pack two movies into one.

And now, Some Questions:

I love Anchorman as much as the next guy, but a re-enactment of the whole 'jazz flute' scene seemed out of place.

I suppose he did it out of some sense of loyalty for the actors and the desire to bring back familiar elements, but why oh why did Raimi bring back the skinny blonde? All she does is provide Peter with baked goods and stumble around. I won't lie, she's pretty cute, but why is she there?

So you're the mentally askew son of a deranged super-villain. You want to fulfill your dead father's dreams of revenge, and have been given the means to do so. Your weapons and gear are finally ready. All that is left is to select a fearsome visage.

You pick a paintball mask.

Okay, fine. An Electric Sliding paintball mask.

Finally, I've read where the budget for this movie was astronomical. I can only guess how much money they had to pay for what must have been the World's Largest Shoehorn for Stan Lee's cameo.

Courage,
Mike G.

Recieving The Signal...

So I just got XM Radio today.

I know, XM has a bit of stodginess about it, but 9 months of free service and a 10 buck radio kind of made it an easy decision.

I do like the addition of XM Radio Online, since I'm at my PC a lot more often than in my car. Of course, getting into the world of satellite radio may be an ill-timed move, especially given the fact I correctly predicted the XM/Sirius merger.

Call me flighty.

In other news, way belated congrats to my close personal friend Dev, who has chosen a bride [for the 2nd or 3rd time, depending on who you ask] and will be wed later this month. Unfortunately, I don't believe I will be able to join them, as my personal path has taken me...somewhere else.

I do want to take this opportunity to publicly ask the bride and groom something...

The Vidalia chop Wizard?

REALLY?

REALLY.

Not to poke fun, but I have to know...are you two waiting for your 10th anniversary to bust out the Esteban Guitar or dare I say it-The Bedazzler?

Of course, I kid. Mainly because I love.

Courage,
Mike G.

Sweet Jebus Above...

Recently, I've been neglecting my blogging duties. Frankly, my current circumstances warrant that only the most extraordinary occurrences would get me to start typing.

Thanks to my pals at Toy News Intl, that occurrence has happened.

Optimash Prime.



May Xenu have mercy upon us all.

Courage,
Mike G.

Closure...

So that one guy who said he was the father of that lady's baby turned out to be telling the truth, and that other guy who said he was isn't.

Good thing we got that straight.

Courage,
Mike G.

More Stuff...

So I picked up Twitter, in the hopes that I'll be able to blog via my phone and update this thing more than once a month.

Let's see what happens.

Courage,
MIke G.

Ladies and Gentlemen...

I Give You...

Optimus. Prime.

Courage,
Mike G.


p.s. Megatron? I'm still sorting out my feelings on his look so far.

Not To Worry...

I'm still here.

A bit busy, but still here.

More entertainment soon.

Courage,
Mike G.

"24? More Like 1/24."

Please forgive the joke.

Before the next installment of the Gold Medal Flour Jack Bauer Hour of Power Hour, I'd like to note the recent announcement made at this years Toy Fair:



You can click here for more pics, and here for the press release.

A tip of the Churn hat to the folks at Toy News International.

Courage,
Mike G.

Only Four Months Off...

If only I could guess football games this well...

From January of last year...

From earlier this morning...

Of course, this isn't a done deal, and of course there's that whole monopoly thing to deal with.

It's nice to be right about something. For once.

Courage,
Mike G.

Desire...

Hey there gang.

Not much to post today, but a little something I found online.

Way way back in January of 2002, the WWF/E produced a video that summed up exactly why anyone is a professional wrestling fan. For a company that edits, ignores and even willfully forgets its own history, it was a powerful look back. A lot has changed in the last five years, but it still has much of the same impact as when it first aired.

Enjoy:



Courage,
Mike G.

Getting Sidetracked...

Wow.

First off, a huge thank you to everyone involved in making my trip to Dallas so memorable. Seeing old friends and getting back into the ol' announcer's booth was a real treat, and hopefully I'll be able to make it back very soon.

As for Devin's last post, I promise to have an adequate response very soon. Until then, since Churn is the place where Internet Memes go to die, I'd like to quote an article written a few years ago by Kieth Martin:

If we accept all the Star Wars films as the same canon, then a lot that happens in the original films has to be reinterpreted in the light of the prequels. As we now know, the rebel Alliance was founded by Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Bail Organa. What can readily be deduced is that their first recruit, who soon became their top field agent, was R2-D2.

What then follows is an inspired piece of writing that makes a little too much sense. You can read the rest of it here, if you haven't already.

Courage,
Mike G.

Jambox In Disguise

It was really great catching up with Mike G. when he came back to Dallas last weekend. After getting him his celebratory Jamba Juice, we tooled around a rainy city talking about ... well, damn near everything.

Over the course of the weekend, i busted out my iPod and played the Patton Oswalt bits from the "Last Laugh 2006" Comedy Central special, and he showed me some wrestling videos on his Creative Zen player. It was the first time I had screwed around with a Creative player, and I have one big problem with it: the interface. The buttons aren't uniform in how they... work. This button works to get you here, but its counterpart doesn't work to get you in the opposite direction. VERY non-intuitive.

However, I think I have the answer to get Mike to finally give up all of the imitators once and for all:

Meet the Convoy iPod Docking Bay.

It's a transforming iPod Dock that converts from tune-blasting robot into an 18-wheeler. The dock is licensed by Apple, and is available for pre-order now for $144.99 from BigBadToyStore.com.

Now, I know what Mike's thinking: the REAL reason he doesn't have an iPod is they're so damned expensive. Big deal. When will you ever see a Transformer dock for the Creative players? Or, bog help 'em, the Zune? That's right, you won't.