I don't usually follow much when it comes to celebrity gossip, and I'm not terribly worried about what is going on in the life of Elton John. (Unless he decides to unretire 'Candle in the Wind' and then I'm going to complain a lot.) However, I was a little curious about the reason that Elton John would be at the top of Yahoo's trending list. I was surprised enough with what I saw to convince me to put my lists on hold for a day so I could rant for a while about this topic.
So what is Sir Elton John up to in the news today? Well, I'm sure that you've heard that John is raising a child with his partner David Furnish via a surrogate mother. (I'm too lazy to find out who the Dad is, but you can comment below if you know the answer.) Anyway, the big story right now is that the couple plans on naming Lady Gaga as the baby's godmother. Let me repeat that for you, Lady Gaga is going to be some kid's godmother.
Let me step back a little bit and explain what I'm concerned about with this. These days, being a godparent isn't really that big of a deal. We don't treat it as anything whereas it used to be pretty significant. I'm sure Gaga won't be expected to do anything with the John/Furnish baby, but it still goes against the idea of godparents. Godparents are supposed to be connected to the family and someone that is significant in the lives of the parents. Is there really any kind of friendship between Elton John and Lady Gaga? Have they ever even met?
John states that the couple selected Lady Gaga because of her inclusiveness and tolerance. That's fine, I have no problem with that idea. Lady Gaga certainly reaches out to everyone to some extent, but is she really the best role model for being yourself? I didn't see her eggmobile, but it seems like she's always redefining herself which makes me wonder if she knows herself at all.
Well, that's my rant for now. More work on the top 12 lists coming up. Leave any comments or questions below.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Top Twelve Weird Al Parodies-Number 2
The Original-Smells like Teen Spirit by Nirvana
Smells like Teen Spirit was the song that really made Alternative Rock a legitimate form of music. There was certainly lots of confusion about what the song was about for a variety of reasons. First, there was not lyrics for the song on the lyric sheet. Second, Kurt Cobain isn't exactly easy to understand with the way he sings. Third, the song wasn't played as widely as it could have been because of the previous issues. The song still managed to top the charts and eventually the song was widely played after the lyric issue was cleared up.
I love this song (in either form) because it is so much of a theme song for the Alt Rock genre. The cord structure is compelling even if it is odd and even though I have no idea what words are coming out of Cobain's mouth I'm still compelled to mumble along. The video shows Nirvana playing at a high school pep rally with cheerleaders included. The video does a great job of recreating the feel of watching Nirvana play live (I'm not sure if this is completely true since I never did see the band live, but the video makes you wish you could.)
The Parody-Smells like Nirvana
There's a reason that Kurt Cobain was worried that this parody might be about food, but fortunately, Weird Al had a better idea for this song. As always, the band manages to recreate the Nirvana sound so it's hard to know which version is playing if you didn't hit play yourself. But what makes this song really great is the topic of the song. After hearing the song and all the controversy around it, Yankovic decided to make the song about how hard it is to understand the original song. There are great lines through the entire song. "all these marbles in my mouth," "Sing distinctly? We don't wanna. Buy our album, we're Nirvana."
The video looks like the same as the Nirvana version, at least at first look, but there are all sorts of bizarre things that pop up. There's a cow at one point and the cheerleaders have extremely hairy armpits. There's even a janitor in a tutu. At the time this was the best in Weird Al parody, but there is one that I'm putting above this. You'll have to tune in for the last part of this list to find out what it is though.
Leave some comments or questions and I'll get back to you.
Smells like Teen Spirit was the song that really made Alternative Rock a legitimate form of music. There was certainly lots of confusion about what the song was about for a variety of reasons. First, there was not lyrics for the song on the lyric sheet. Second, Kurt Cobain isn't exactly easy to understand with the way he sings. Third, the song wasn't played as widely as it could have been because of the previous issues. The song still managed to top the charts and eventually the song was widely played after the lyric issue was cleared up.
I love this song (in either form) because it is so much of a theme song for the Alt Rock genre. The cord structure is compelling even if it is odd and even though I have no idea what words are coming out of Cobain's mouth I'm still compelled to mumble along. The video shows Nirvana playing at a high school pep rally with cheerleaders included. The video does a great job of recreating the feel of watching Nirvana play live (I'm not sure if this is completely true since I never did see the band live, but the video makes you wish you could.)
The Parody-Smells like Nirvana
There's a reason that Kurt Cobain was worried that this parody might be about food, but fortunately, Weird Al had a better idea for this song. As always, the band manages to recreate the Nirvana sound so it's hard to know which version is playing if you didn't hit play yourself. But what makes this song really great is the topic of the song. After hearing the song and all the controversy around it, Yankovic decided to make the song about how hard it is to understand the original song. There are great lines through the entire song. "all these marbles in my mouth," "Sing distinctly? We don't wanna. Buy our album, we're Nirvana."
The video looks like the same as the Nirvana version, at least at first look, but there are all sorts of bizarre things that pop up. There's a cow at one point and the cheerleaders have extremely hairy armpits. There's even a janitor in a tutu. At the time this was the best in Weird Al parody, but there is one that I'm putting above this. You'll have to tune in for the last part of this list to find out what it is though.
Leave some comments or questions and I'll get back to you.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Top Twelve X-men (part IV)
I'm going to take one more break to talk about X-men that don't make the Top 12 so I can mention a few names of characters that didn't get a chance to show what they could do with the team for whatever reason. These are characters that had lots of potential, but left the team (or died unexpectedly) before they could get integrated into things.
The creative team wanted to diversify the team and give it some powers that were a little different from what the old team had. The creative team decided to draw some characters that had appeared throughout the Marvel Universe and create some others. Sunfire and Banshee had appeared in the pages of the X-men as villains and Wolverine had appeared in the Incredible Hulk.
Sunfire stormed out of the pages of the X-men shortly after the new team saved the old team. I do think it would have been interesting to see how the challenges the team faced would have been different with this Japanese hot head on the team.
It was decided that John Proudstar would see his own inadequacy and take it to heart. While the team is on it's second mission, Proudstar is denied opportunities to use his powers and is taken out of the battle early on. When he realizes that Count Nefaria is going to escape in a jet plane, Thunderbird jumps on the plane and destroys it even though it costs him his life. Even though Thunderbird is dead, his death is one of the most significant moments in X-men history. It is the first time a member of the team dies on a mission and his death leads to significant story lines for his younger brother, James, who has similar powers.
I do wonder what would have happened if Thunderbird had lived longer and been a part of the X-men or moved on to a different team. Thunderbird also has the unique distinction of being the only X-man to die and not come back from the dead. There have been some stories where there is a fake Thunderbird, and he has shown up in the book Exiles, but the original has never come back, and I don't think he ever will. His death is too important to take back.
OK so that's the end of my little side tracks. Next time you see the Top Twelve X-men list, it will be with #12. I decided to do each character separately so I can give them the write up they deserve. Excelsior and all that Stan Lee type stuff.
Sunfire
Sure Sunfire is still running around in the Marvel Universe, but his tenure with the X-men was very short. Shiro Yoshida is a mutant with the ability to generate superheated plasma and like most fire-based super-powered types can fly. He was born into an important Japanese family and has a lot of issues, both with his superiority complex and in playing well with others. Sunfire joins the X-men during a transitional period. (You may not have known this, but the X-men comic was actually canceled at one point during the 60's.)The creative team wanted to diversify the team and give it some powers that were a little different from what the old team had. The creative team decided to draw some characters that had appeared throughout the Marvel Universe and create some others. Sunfire and Banshee had appeared in the pages of the X-men as villains and Wolverine had appeared in the Incredible Hulk.
Sunfire stormed out of the pages of the X-men shortly after the new team saved the old team. I do think it would have been interesting to see how the challenges the team faced would have been different with this Japanese hot head on the team.
Thunderbird
Thunderbird was a part of the 'New X-men' I was just talking about in the section about Sunfire. He was an original creation put together for the reboot of the series. My guess is that the creative team put as many different ideas on paper and waited to see how the fans reacted. Thunderbird has a great back story. He's an Apache Indian who served in the Marines during the Vietnam War. He has super strength, durability, and speed, as well as enhanced senses that make him an excellent tracker. There's one small problem, he's redundant on the team. He's not as strong as Colossus, and Wolverine is just as good a tracker as Thunderbird. It didn't take the writers long to decide that Thunderbird would never be a major player on the X-men.It was decided that John Proudstar would see his own inadequacy and take it to heart. While the team is on it's second mission, Proudstar is denied opportunities to use his powers and is taken out of the battle early on. When he realizes that Count Nefaria is going to escape in a jet plane, Thunderbird jumps on the plane and destroys it even though it costs him his life. Even though Thunderbird is dead, his death is one of the most significant moments in X-men history. It is the first time a member of the team dies on a mission and his death leads to significant story lines for his younger brother, James, who has similar powers.
I do wonder what would have happened if Thunderbird had lived longer and been a part of the X-men or moved on to a different team. Thunderbird also has the unique distinction of being the only X-man to die and not come back from the dead. There have been some stories where there is a fake Thunderbird, and he has shown up in the book Exiles, but the original has never come back, and I don't think he ever will. His death is too important to take back.
Maggot
OK, I know what you're thinking. He's blue (not very original in the Marvel Universe) and he's hanging out with strange maggots, what's so great about that? Sure he has a very lame kind of power: his digestive track separates from his body and can eat anything. When they're gone he also becomes super strong and invulnerable. The real attraction I had to Maggot was his story. He's on this obsessive search for Magneto, but why? I think the X-men have overcome lamer powers in the past and the same could have been done with Maggot. [Examples of initially lame powers: Dazzler makes a hypnotic light show, Shadowcat walks through stuff, you get the idea.] 
Blink
I'll admit that this one is a bit of a cheat. Blink was never on the X-men. She didn't even live long enough to make it to Generation X. Even so, after seeing what Marvel did with the character in Exiles, I really wish she hadn't gotten the bum rush. I can see her being a major part of some of the story lines involving the X-men. Of course she probably would have ended up in a love square during the Angel-leading-a-team era. (Yeah, I'm going to complain about that a lot. It was just so bad.) Go check out Exiles and see what Blink is up to (assuming she's in the book at the moment, the teams changes quite a bit.)OK so that's the end of my little side tracks. Next time you see the Top Twelve X-men list, it will be with #12. I decided to do each character separately so I can give them the write up they deserve. Excelsior and all that Stan Lee type stuff.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Top Twelve Weird Al Parodies-Number 3
So this is a song based on a Stevie Wonder song called "Pastime Paradise." Both songs deal with situations that the singers have encountered in their own lives and the places they have seen. Gangster's Paradise pulls into question the 'gangsta' lifestyle and some of the tough choices that are made on the streets.
The music for this song is what really makes it an epic song. An orchestra and chorus lend to the hard rapping style that Coolio brings to the song. The message and the music work together to make the message stand out. Definitely a great song.
The Parody-Amish Paradise
This song takes the difficult life of the streets and turns it on it's ear. I'm not really sure how the conversation on this song went down. I can imagine Al sitting there with the band and saying "You guys know that Coolio song? I think we should do a parody that talks about how rough Amish life can be." It seems like the perfect idea now that it's been done, but I can't imagine trying to see it working without seeing it.
The video is what really makes this song work. Weird Al dressed in black with the big beard is classic. He came up with a lot of great visual gimmicks to sell the idea too. Amish men stomping on electronic devises, churning butter, and an Amish girly magazine all give an idea of the difficulties of the Amish life. The really interesting part of the song and the parody is that both the gangster and Amish lifestyles are a choice made by the individuals. (There aren't many outside options, but there is still a choice being made.)
Check out both songs and if you have any comments, leave them below.
So you want to start watching the 6th Doctor?
The Twin Dilemma is the first full story line with Colin Baker as the Doctor. We get to see him in the regeneration scene, but this is where we get our first opportunity to see that there's something not quite right with our favorite character. Sure the Doctor is usually disoriented and confused right after a regeneration. He has to figure out who he is not, but this is different. He doesn't just seem confused, he seems rather rude. This is when you discover the show was trying to go in a different direction.
Colin Baker's Doctor was supposed to be a darker character. He was going to provide a different perspective on the life that the Doctor has chosen. The Doctor has to make lots of hard choices and sometimes he's had to pay a price. (See Earthshock) Unfortunately, some idiot at the BBC made a decision that never happened before and hasn't happened since, Colin Baker was not allowed to have any input into his costume. He wanted a black suit, or something similar to what Eccleston wore as the ninth Doctor, instead he was put in an outfit that even a clown would think twice about.
The Two Doctors is a very unique story in the history of Doctor Who. There were certainly 'reunion' episodes in the past, but this is the first time we see just one Doctor meeting himself. They have always been all the Doctors. This is actually the episode that started the discussion about the Second Doctor after his trial. There's a camp of fans that think that after his trial the Second Doctor worked as a special agent for the Time Lords. Either way, this is a very good combination of Doctors. You also get to see Jamie McCrimmon again.
This is a bit confusing because there's a space station and a Sontaran, and the Second Doctor being turned into a strange omnivorous alien that just loves to cook up anything. It's still a very fun episode.
The Trial of a Time Lord is another unique time in the history of Doctor Who but this time it isn't a good thing. The BBC was thinking about ending the show and they were going to put the show on hiatus after this season. So the writers threw out all of the stuff they'd been working on and put together a story idea to try to keep the show from being taken off the air. This is where the Trial of a Time Lord comes from.
The concept is effective and a great change from what you would expect. These days, a show like this would be the chance for an extensive flash-back episode. Instead, the production staff decides to make the trial be about stories the audience hasn't seen. We also get to meet a character that most long-time fans hope has disappeared from the Doctor Who universe. The Valeyard is the prosecutor and it turns out that he is actually the Doctor's 12th and final regeneration. He also happens to be evil and trying to steal the earlier parts of the Doctor's life. In the end, the Doctor wins in the court and with the BBC. Colin Baker, however, didn't make out so well. He was fired from the role, but that didn't stop the BBC from asking him to come back for the regeneration scene. (He declined and this led to the most ridiculous regeneration with possibly the one from the Doctor Who movie with the Eighth Doctor.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Top Twelve X-men (part III)
Now before I start in with my honorable mentions and the list itself, I want to clarify how I'm trying to sort this whole process out. This list will be based on a combination of my love and appreciation of the character as well as the significance of their contribution to the Marvel Universe.
1. The Professor is a powerful mutant, that is for sure, but aside from a few story lines since the original run of the comic, his powers haven't been that important to the storyline. (And most of the early stories involved the professor doing things that telepathy aren't capable of doing-like disarming a bomb.)
2. Let's list a few of the bad guys that are a direct result of Professor X's past: Juggernaut, the Shadow King, Magneto, and the list goes on. If he's so great at creating a peaceful world, why does he have these bad guys in his past?
3. Onslaught-the evil monster created when Professor X wiped out Magneto's mind. Yeah the evil impulses of Professor X combined with the pure physical power of Magneto. Great idea.
OK in the Professor's defense, he was the first of his kind (well, at least he was when the X-men started-you've got to love retcons.) There wasn't a manual and there wasn't really anyone to turn to, but that doesn't change the fact that outside of his dream and his team, he hasn't been that big of a player.
Longshot had some fun and adventures with the X-men and there were all sorts of hints that he might actually be Mojo, but I'm not sure that question was ever resolved. He disappeared for a while and I'm not sure what's up with him. He'd probably be on the list if he were still around regularly.
Well those are the honorable mentions. I think for part III I'm going to do a tribute to characters that left too soon. I realized there are a few of them that deserve some attention so be on the look out for that.
Professor Charles Xavier
This is going to be the one that people are most likely to complain about. After all, if there weren't a Professor X, there wouldn't be the X-men. He's the one that started it all. This is true, but there are some good reasons why I counted him out of the top twelve.1. The Professor is a powerful mutant, that is for sure, but aside from a few story lines since the original run of the comic, his powers haven't been that important to the storyline. (And most of the early stories involved the professor doing things that telepathy aren't capable of doing-like disarming a bomb.)
2. Let's list a few of the bad guys that are a direct result of Professor X's past: Juggernaut, the Shadow King, Magneto, and the list goes on. If he's so great at creating a peaceful world, why does he have these bad guys in his past?
3. Onslaught-the evil monster created when Professor X wiped out Magneto's mind. Yeah the evil impulses of Professor X combined with the pure physical power of Magneto. Great idea.
OK in the Professor's defense, he was the first of his kind (well, at least he was when the X-men started-you've got to love retcons.) There wasn't a manual and there wasn't really anyone to turn to, but that doesn't change the fact that outside of his dream and his team, he hasn't been that big of a player.
Longshot
Longshot had the corner on the mystery market. He starts off with a mini series that raises more questions that provides answers, then he joins the X-men armed with a mysterious power that just makes him lucky, and has some unexplained ties to Mojo. (For those who don't know about Mojo, he is the spineless (literally, he has no spine) ruler of the Mojoverse a reality ruled by media. He wants to use the X-men for better ratings, but he hates all creatures with spines.) Longshot has a rope with a hook on the end and razor blades that he uses in battle and always seems to hit his mark thanks to his luck.Longshot had some fun and adventures with the X-men and there were all sorts of hints that he might actually be Mojo, but I'm not sure that question was ever resolved. He disappeared for a while and I'm not sure what's up with him. He'd probably be on the list if he were still around regularly.
Banshee
Sean Cassidy has a very interesting story. He started off as a part of Factor Three a group of evil mutants that were trying to take over the world, but then it turned out he was actually an undercover agent trying to stop the organization. He joined up with the X-men when the series rebooted with a new more diverse team, but his age started to catch up with him forcing him to retire for a while. Later it was revealed he had a daughter he never knew who just happened to have the exact same power, which is unusual in the comic book world. He popped up from time to time and then shared the responsibility for running the school with Emma Frost. After that he started an organization that used mind control of villains and butted heads with the X-men. At the moment he's dead, but how long does that last for anyone in the comics? I really do enjoy Sean, but he's not getting on the list.
Cypher
Poor Douglas Ramsey never had a chance in the comic book world. He started off as a character created in a fan promotional event. You know the kind of thing-create the next member of the New Mutants. Some kid out there thought him up and somehow won the contest and as a result one of the least significant mutants entered the Xavier Institute. Cypher has the super power to translate any language instantly. I'm not saying the power isn't useful, I could have used it in Spanish class, but it's not the kind of thing that will come in handy in a fight. (At least it's better than the guy that popped up in the X-men during my least favorite era with the superpower to remember everything he sees-yeah, photographic memory) Doug had delusions that he could be a hero and fight villains with the power he had, and the rest of his classmates were willing to bring him along when they got into fights even though he was more of a liability than an asset. This led to his untimely demise when he jumped in front of a bullet meant for Wolfsbane. He was a great character, he just had a bad power.Well those are the honorable mentions. I think for part III I'm going to do a tribute to characters that left too soon. I realized there are a few of them that deserve some attention so be on the look out for that.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Top Twelve Weird Al Parodies-Number 4
Now this isn't my favorite song by The Presidents of the United States of America, but it is a good one. (My favorite is of course Peaches.) The topic of the song isn't very happy, but the beat is fun to listen to and the band sort of keeps you from thinking to much about what the song is about.
We have an unclear subject referred to as Lump. We get scant details about her situation and her life, but it's hard to know what Lump's condition is at this point. Just check out the chorus:
She's lump, she's lump//She's in my head//She's lump, she's lump, she's lump//She might be dead
The Parody-Gump
Gump takes a different kind of twist from your typical Weird Al spoof. Sure he's done lots of pop culture cross overs. We've already seen I Love Lucy and Star Wars so what's the big deal about Forest Gump? Well this is one time where we don't see Yankovic playing the lead role. You'd think with a song parodying Forest Gump that he'd be Weird Al, but he also likes to be the lead singer as well so in this case, he decides to put on the bad cap and dance around in the swamp.
The video is what really makes this song work. You get to see the guy dressed up as a very close match to Tom Hanks trying to connect to the people around him. You of course get the box of chocolates offered to a variety of people including Ruth Buzzi in her famous Laugh-in character, Gladys Ormphby, who swats Gump with her purse. You also get to see Gump edited into scenes just like happens in the movie, but for comedic affect. This is another great combo to watch back to back so you can see the similarities and differences.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Top Twelve X-men (part II)
I was going to start writing about some honorable mentions that didn't make my list, but I realized that before I can do that, I really need to list a few characters that I really do not like. I'm sure there will be some disagreements with me on these, but please remember that this is my list. Feel free to express your opinions below if you want to though.
Mimic
Back in the early days of the X-men when it was just Cyclops, Angel, Beast, Iceman, and Marvel Girl working for Professor Xaviar, the writers knew they wanted Cyclops to be the leader, but for some reason they just couldn't write him the way they wanted to. So someone decided there should be a new member that could help the process of Scott 'Slim' Summers becoming the leader the team needed him to be. That was when Mimic was dreamed up. Even though he wasn't officially a mutant, he still had a power that justified bringing him into the team-he has the ability to copy the powers of any mutants within a certain range of himself. It was a good idea, but then he started going crazy and they had to write him out of the story. After all, who needs the X-men if you can have one guy that can do it all instead?
My problem with Mimic is more to do with his role in the books after his initial run. Most of his appearances are the 'crazy and maybe evil' bit. Also, it looks like he just has the original team's powers and doesn't branch out any more.
Marrow
I feel bad for Sarah, but she is such a waste as a character. The writers had a great idea. What if the Morlocks that disappeared with Calisto and Mikhail Rasputin didn't die, but were transported to another reality? That's where Marrow comes from. It is a harsh world that creates strong mutations and ruthless fighters. Marrow is not suited to the world of the X-men because of her history. This usually isn't such a big deal. It's not the first time the X-men have embraced a mutant that doesn't fit in well with others. (Wolverine is the most popular example, but there are plenty of others.) But there's a big problem with this type of character. It's hard to keep that outsider interesting when they start adapting to the team and the world. Marrow started to gain control of her powers and let go of some of her anger, and that wasn't good for the drama of the story, so the writers kept trying to come up with excuses for her to go back to the character she'd been. This upset a lot of readers who liked the progression of her story and didn't want to go back.
Eventually, Marrow got lost in the mix and disappeared during M Day.
Stacey X
Stacey X probably could have been a better character if she hadn't popped up in the era that she did. During a period of X-men history, there was way too much focus on Angel and who he could be sleeping with, which according to the storyline seemed to be everybody. Oh, I almost forgot the storyline where his blood is magical and can heal people. Sorry, that's a rant for another time. Stacey X is a mutant with the ability to secrete a variety of drugs from her skin that can distort perceptions, reduce pain, and I think just about anything else she can come up with. I was also intrigued by her back story. She is a mutant prostitute that uses her mutant abilities to give her clients false memories of wonderful sexual experiences. I probably would have liked Stacey X more if she'd been used in a different era, but she didn't stand of chance of being likable in the days when Nightcrawler was an unsuspecting part of a plot to make a mutant (Nightcrawler) the pope.
Northstar
I hated Northstar back before he joined the X-men. I started reading comics with Northstar in them back during the first run of Alpha Flight. He was a pompous jerk with little to no concern for anyone other than himself. He really hasn't gotten better over the years. I probably should have seen that he was gay way back in his story when he violently attacked the Purple Girl for entrancing him. It wasn't just the entrancing, it was the fact that it was a girl kissing him. Please don't take this the wrong way. I'm not anti gay, I'm anti Northstar. More issues I have with Northstar: he's controlling of his psychotic sister, overwhelmed with his Quebec background, and more than willing to use anyone if it will give him what he wants.
OK, next time we'll get into our honorable mentions which will give me a chance to decide who gets top billing on my top 12 X-men list.
Back in the early days of the X-men when it was just Cyclops, Angel, Beast, Iceman, and Marvel Girl working for Professor Xaviar, the writers knew they wanted Cyclops to be the leader, but for some reason they just couldn't write him the way they wanted to. So someone decided there should be a new member that could help the process of Scott 'Slim' Summers becoming the leader the team needed him to be. That was when Mimic was dreamed up. Even though he wasn't officially a mutant, he still had a power that justified bringing him into the team-he has the ability to copy the powers of any mutants within a certain range of himself. It was a good idea, but then he started going crazy and they had to write him out of the story. After all, who needs the X-men if you can have one guy that can do it all instead?
My problem with Mimic is more to do with his role in the books after his initial run. Most of his appearances are the 'crazy and maybe evil' bit. Also, it looks like he just has the original team's powers and doesn't branch out any more.
I feel bad for Sarah, but she is such a waste as a character. The writers had a great idea. What if the Morlocks that disappeared with Calisto and Mikhail Rasputin didn't die, but were transported to another reality? That's where Marrow comes from. It is a harsh world that creates strong mutations and ruthless fighters. Marrow is not suited to the world of the X-men because of her history. This usually isn't such a big deal. It's not the first time the X-men have embraced a mutant that doesn't fit in well with others. (Wolverine is the most popular example, but there are plenty of others.) But there's a big problem with this type of character. It's hard to keep that outsider interesting when they start adapting to the team and the world. Marrow started to gain control of her powers and let go of some of her anger, and that wasn't good for the drama of the story, so the writers kept trying to come up with excuses for her to go back to the character she'd been. This upset a lot of readers who liked the progression of her story and didn't want to go back.
Eventually, Marrow got lost in the mix and disappeared during M Day.
Stacey X probably could have been a better character if she hadn't popped up in the era that she did. During a period of X-men history, there was way too much focus on Angel and who he could be sleeping with, which according to the storyline seemed to be everybody. Oh, I almost forgot the storyline where his blood is magical and can heal people. Sorry, that's a rant for another time. Stacey X is a mutant with the ability to secrete a variety of drugs from her skin that can distort perceptions, reduce pain, and I think just about anything else she can come up with. I was also intrigued by her back story. She is a mutant prostitute that uses her mutant abilities to give her clients false memories of wonderful sexual experiences. I probably would have liked Stacey X more if she'd been used in a different era, but she didn't stand of chance of being likable in the days when Nightcrawler was an unsuspecting part of a plot to make a mutant (Nightcrawler) the pope.
I hated Northstar back before he joined the X-men. I started reading comics with Northstar in them back during the first run of Alpha Flight. He was a pompous jerk with little to no concern for anyone other than himself. He really hasn't gotten better over the years. I probably should have seen that he was gay way back in his story when he violently attacked the Purple Girl for entrancing him. It wasn't just the entrancing, it was the fact that it was a girl kissing him. Please don't take this the wrong way. I'm not anti gay, I'm anti Northstar. More issues I have with Northstar: he's controlling of his psychotic sister, overwhelmed with his Quebec background, and more than willing to use anyone if it will give him what he wants.
OK, next time we'll get into our honorable mentions which will give me a chance to decide who gets top billing on my top 12 X-men list.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Top Twelve Weird Al Parodies-Number 5
The Original-Pretty Fly for a White Guy-by The Offspring.
This is the anthem for wannabes. The subject of the song is trying so hard to be cool that he's obviously spotted as a faker by everyone around him. Everything this wannabe tries goes wrong. He gets the wrong number cut into his hair, and the store was out of Ice Cube so he has to settle for Vanilla Ice. The wannabe is obvious and he isn't fooling anybody.
I really enjoy the music of this song too. Even if I'm not following the lyrics, I'm enjoying the song. One of my favorite parts is count down to start the song. It's something different that I always have to think about when the song starts. "Uno, dos, tres, quatro, cinco, cinco, seis." How does it work in comparison to the "One, two, three, four" that is used traditionally? I'm still not sure, but I love to hear it. I also love this song because it reminds me of one of my best friends. It's like his own personal theme song.
The Parody-Pretty Fly for a Rabbi
I can't really decide which of the two versions of this song is better. I love the parody because it matches so well with the original. This song focuses more on the the life of a rabbi, but it's still focused on just how cool the subject can be given who he is. How cool can a rabbi be? I'm not really sure, but this song makes it sound pretty good.
In this case, I think that I just love the idea of a rabbi trying to be fly. I stumbled across this song and didn't realize what was going on with it the first time I heard it. That probably adds to the connection I have with it. I like both of them no matter the time or the setting. Go check them out back to back and see what you think about them.
That's all for now, feel free to leave a comment.
This is the anthem for wannabes. The subject of the song is trying so hard to be cool that he's obviously spotted as a faker by everyone around him. Everything this wannabe tries goes wrong. He gets the wrong number cut into his hair, and the store was out of Ice Cube so he has to settle for Vanilla Ice. The wannabe is obvious and he isn't fooling anybody.
I really enjoy the music of this song too. Even if I'm not following the lyrics, I'm enjoying the song. One of my favorite parts is count down to start the song. It's something different that I always have to think about when the song starts. "Uno, dos, tres, quatro, cinco, cinco, seis." How does it work in comparison to the "One, two, three, four" that is used traditionally? I'm still not sure, but I love to hear it. I also love this song because it reminds me of one of my best friends. It's like his own personal theme song.
The Parody-Pretty Fly for a Rabbi
I can't really decide which of the two versions of this song is better. I love the parody because it matches so well with the original. This song focuses more on the the life of a rabbi, but it's still focused on just how cool the subject can be given who he is. How cool can a rabbi be? I'm not really sure, but this song makes it sound pretty good.
In this case, I think that I just love the idea of a rabbi trying to be fly. I stumbled across this song and didn't realize what was going on with it the first time I heard it. That probably adds to the connection I have with it. I like both of them no matter the time or the setting. Go check them out back to back and see what you think about them.
That's all for now, feel free to leave a comment.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Top Twelve X-men (Part I)
So as I was getting ready to write this series of blogs, I realized why the connection between two things that I dearly love, the X-men and Doctor Who. Both ideas were first presented to the world in 1963. I certainly wasn't alive at the time that it all started, but I have been a fan of both the X-men and Doctor Who from the first time I encountered them. Both concepts take you into a world of pseudo science and give you plenty of opportunities to explore the what ifs of the world.
I have really enjoyed working on top twelve lists and I don't see any reason not to continue the trend with another universe that I have long enjoyed. I'm not as big a fan of the X-men as I was in the past. Every time I pick up a comic I find myself getting frustrated with the direction the book has taken so I usually put it back down. There are some newer characters that I really enjoy, but not enough to get me past the X-men moving to San Fransisco and building what basically is equal to a military force on Magneto's previously sunken island. So much for the dream of Professor Xaviar of a world where humans and mutants can live together. I'll save other rants like the death of Nightcrawler for further down the list.
I was going to do some honorable mentions before I got into the list, but at this point, I think I'll save that for part II and talk some more about why I love the X-men.
My first exposure to the X-men was in fifth grade we had a magazine that we'd gotten from somewhere that was talking all about mutations. It started off with real-world examples of mutations and then started talking about the X-men. It was simplified for the less than average fifth grader, but it really caught my attention. That weekend I decided to take the little money I had and ride my bike the 12-mile-each-way trip to see if I could find a comic book in the closest thing we had to a commercial center. I bought my first X-men comic and biked home with it wrapped around my handle bar because the bag kept getting in the way. (I know, it was horrible for a collector to do that, but what did I know back then?) I also stopped on the side of the road about halfway back to read it. That was the day I fell in love with Shadowcat.
Other things I love about the X-men? Well, I love the powers and adventures. I used to love to think about what kind of power I would have. (Let's be honest, I still do some times.) I loved the turmoil created by trying to do the difficult thing by using super human powers to help people that hate you. One of my favorite books from the X-men was Excalibur, and not the new book that is a waste of paper, but the original version with Kitty and Nightcrawler and Rachel. Those books were just so much fun. That's what I really miss in the X-men these days. It's all so serious.
Anyway, I'd better wrap it up for now. Be on the look out for part II where I'll list the honorable mentions before I get into the real list. Feel free to comment below.
I have really enjoyed working on top twelve lists and I don't see any reason not to continue the trend with another universe that I have long enjoyed. I'm not as big a fan of the X-men as I was in the past. Every time I pick up a comic I find myself getting frustrated with the direction the book has taken so I usually put it back down. There are some newer characters that I really enjoy, but not enough to get me past the X-men moving to San Fransisco and building what basically is equal to a military force on Magneto's previously sunken island. So much for the dream of Professor Xaviar of a world where humans and mutants can live together. I'll save other rants like the death of Nightcrawler for further down the list.
I was going to do some honorable mentions before I got into the list, but at this point, I think I'll save that for part II and talk some more about why I love the X-men.
My first exposure to the X-men was in fifth grade we had a magazine that we'd gotten from somewhere that was talking all about mutations. It started off with real-world examples of mutations and then started talking about the X-men. It was simplified for the less than average fifth grader, but it really caught my attention. That weekend I decided to take the little money I had and ride my bike the 12-mile-each-way trip to see if I could find a comic book in the closest thing we had to a commercial center. I bought my first X-men comic and biked home with it wrapped around my handle bar because the bag kept getting in the way. (I know, it was horrible for a collector to do that, but what did I know back then?) I also stopped on the side of the road about halfway back to read it. That was the day I fell in love with Shadowcat.
Other things I love about the X-men? Well, I love the powers and adventures. I used to love to think about what kind of power I would have. (Let's be honest, I still do some times.) I loved the turmoil created by trying to do the difficult thing by using super human powers to help people that hate you. One of my favorite books from the X-men was Excalibur, and not the new book that is a waste of paper, but the original version with Kitty and Nightcrawler and Rachel. Those books were just so much fun. That's what I really miss in the X-men these days. It's all so serious.
Anyway, I'd better wrap it up for now. Be on the look out for part II where I'll list the honorable mentions before I get into the real list. Feel free to comment below.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
So you want to start watching the Fifth Doctor episodes of Doctor Who
Castrovalva is obviously the best place to start watching the Fifth Doctor, it's where he got his start. Well actually, he technically made his first appearance in Logopolis, but I won't count that. All he really got there was a fade in shot of him dressed up in Tom Baker's get up and them him sitting up. Not really much to go on.
Just like most post regeneration episodes, the Doctor is very confused and disoriented. He doesn't know who he is yet, or what he even looks like. There is also some difficulty surrounding his regeneration because it isn't going completely smoothly. Throw the Master into the mix and things are going to get really complicated.
Castrovalva is a bit confusing because the writers are going in a direction that is new for the series and is mostly forgotten afterwards, but this is a great place to start in with Peter Davison.
Earthshock is one of the most momentous stories in Doctor Who history. For the most part it is just your typical Cyberman story, but there's more to it than that. Well, let me step back for a moment on this. At the end of Tom Baker's time as the Doctor, he had 3 Companions Adric, Nyssa, and Tegan, way too many for the show to work smoothly. The BBC decided that it was probably time for a change and decided to get rid of one of the companions.
That's not all there is to it either. This isn't one of those happy endings. No, this is the kind of moment that makes the end of "The Doctor Dances" make more sense. In this case, the companion isn't left behind, doesn't choose to go, instead this person makes a heroic decision to drive a space ship into a meteorite to save the Earth and his or her friends. I won't say more about it because I don't want to give away the ending, but this episode is big not just for the era, but for the show as a whole.
Black Orchid is one of the most bizarre adventures of the Davison era. It has a costume party with dancing, lots of confusion and the Doctor taking a break from saving the world to play a game of Cricket. That's right, the Doctor stopped in the middle of a world-ending threat to pitch the ball and take a swing. This is different from the Matt Smith story where the Doctor is trying to look normal and plays some football. This is a case of mistaken identity with a character who can't say no to a bit of cricket. His costume is even like a cricket uniform. It's a fun little romp and well worth checking out.
That's all for now. More to come soon with suggestions for the other Baker to play the Doctor.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Top Twelve Weird Al Parodies-Number 6
Money for Nothing by Dire Straights is one of the band's most popular songs. Part of the reason for that was the 'high tech' graphics. In Dire Straights' defense they were about as high tech as you could find at the time, but it's hard to see it that way these days. The song is from the perspective of a TV, appliance, everything kind of store who is talking about his perspective on life as a rock star.
The main gist of the song is that the main character/singer is jealous of the sweet con that rock stars are running. Think about how this works. The band travels around and puts on a show or two and then moves on. They don't do much but travel and play, but they get tons of money and plenty of women, providing the memorable line "money for nothing and the chicks for free." The song and video are fun even if it does get a little offense from time to time. Also listen closely for the "I love my MTV in the background."
The Parody-Money for Nothing/Beverly Hills
So what better way to put together a parody than to make it a crossover? Weird Al does it quite often and it usually works out pretty well. This one isn't Star Wars. Instead it ties in with the Beverly Hillbillies. It pretty heavily borrow the lyrics from the Beverly Hillbillies' theme song, and the video is almost the same as the Dire Straight's version with the exception of Weird Al watching the TV and the main speakers becoming Jed Clampett. It's just a lot of fun to hear such a great song with those familiar lyrics.
So why does this one rank as high as it does? I love both versions and I love being able to patch either set of lyrics into the music. I don't even care which is playing, I'll just sing the song I want it to be at the moment.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Top Twelve Weird Al Parodies-Number 7
The Original-American Idiot by Green Day
This song is a response to a song about red necks. Green Day decided the best way to fight red-neckism was to write a song trashing Americans. I don't take it personally. Some people just need to vent their frustrations and I'm more than willing to let the band do this in their music. There is, however, not much more to say about this song.
The Parody
There isn't much to say about Canadian Idiot either. It's basically the red-neck American knee jerk reaction to American Idiot, or at least the reaction that Yankovic imagines would come from the Green Day song. The singer includes lines like "Don't want to be a beer swilling hockey nut." The song also calls for a preemptive strike because the Canadians must be up to something. Like I said, the run down on this song is pretty short, but it's worth a listen, especially if you play the parody right after the original.
This song is a response to a song about red necks. Green Day decided the best way to fight red-neckism was to write a song trashing Americans. I don't take it personally. Some people just need to vent their frustrations and I'm more than willing to let the band do this in their music. There is, however, not much more to say about this song.
The Parody
There isn't much to say about Canadian Idiot either. It's basically the red-neck American knee jerk reaction to American Idiot, or at least the reaction that Yankovic imagines would come from the Green Day song. The singer includes lines like "Don't want to be a beer swilling hockey nut." The song also calls for a preemptive strike because the Canadians must be up to something. Like I said, the run down on this song is pretty short, but it's worth a listen, especially if you play the parody right after the original.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Cupcakes that don't have any cake in them?
I'm not too interested in advanced cupcake designs and all that. If I want a cupcake, I'd rather just have a simple one with a little frosting on top, and I certainly won't pay much to get a cupcake no matter how it looks.
Now we get to the really crazy part, the newest trend in cupcakes-cupcakes without the cake. That's right some crazy cook out there got the idea to use their cupcake trays for something a little different. According to the story I was reading, it started with dishing up macaroni and cheese into the dishes to make it look more appetizing and easier to serve. I'm not sure all the different dishes that are getting served up this way, but there is one that caught my attention-lasagna. I love to eat lasagna, but it's so much trouble to make it that I hardly ever do. I think I'm going to have to check this out a little more and see how to make these.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Top Twelve Characters from MASH (part IV)
Here we are in the next part of the Top Twelve list, but before we get started, let me review the people from the earlier list.
Number 12-Dr. Sydney Freeman
Number 11- Maxwell Klinger
Number 10- Father Mulcahy
Number 9-Radar O'Reilly
Number 8-Frank Burns
Number 7- Colonel Potter
Number 6-Charles Emerson Winchester III
Number 5- 'Hot lips' Houlihan
I spent a lot of time thinking about #2 and #3. I knew who was going to be the top choice early on, but which of the two best buddies comes out on top? Well, I picked B.J. for the number 3 spot. Both of these guys are great characters, and they add a lot to the show. B.J. comes in to replace Trapper and definitely has some big shoes to fill. (We'll talk more about that in a minute.) B.J. is definitely Hawkeye's best friend at the 4077, and the two of them have a lot of fun, but B.J. is a different man than Trapper John. B.J. is a married man whose whole life is focused on his wife and daughter.
So what about some moments for B.J. What about the episode where B.J. decides he's sick of being compared to Trapper? Yeah, everything that happens causes someone to mention that he's not as funny as Trapper, so B.J. decides to show just how good, or bad, he can be. B.J. manages to pull a prank on every person in the 4077, leaving Hawkeye for last just to let him get really paranoid. The other is another moment from the final episode of the show. B.J. refuses to say the words "good bye" because he is worried that either something bad will happen. He also doesn't want to admit that things are going to change. In the last moments of the show, Hawkeye and B.J. are standing by the helicopter that is set take Hawkeye away. B.J. is going to ride his motorcycle back. Hawkeye says good bye, but B.J. doesn't, but as the helicopter is flying away Hawkeye looks down and sees that B.J. has written "Good bye" with stones on the ground.
So where B.J. is the straight man to Hawkeye's crazy antics, Trapper is more like the comrade in the arms of comedy. I was rewatching the first season in an attempt to decide between the two and saw a scene that explains the relationship between the two men. Somebody decides that the 4077 is the perfect place to record a video showing how things are going in the war to help with the morale back home. The two decide that the original video is no good. They decide to make a better video to take it's place. In the video, the two of them go into the OR. As part of the gag, Hawkeye plays Groucho and Trapper plays Harpo. Trapper is just like Harpo in a lot of ways. He's looking for a good time, and likes to live in the moment, especially if that moment is going to get a laugh.
So what about some Trapper moments? Well, in the first season, Trapper agrees to fight in a boxing match against another MASH in order to keep an attractive nurse at the 4077. He ends up winning thanks to the judicious use of some ether on his glove. Probably the best-known moment is Trapper's departure from Korea. Wayne Rogers had decided to leave the role and rather than give him a send off, the writers sent him home off camera. Hawkeye missed the departure and only gets some words from Radar.
Number 8-Frank Burns
Number 7- Colonel Potter
Number 6-Charles Emerson Winchester III
Number 5- 'Hot lips' Houlihan
If you want more details on the characters, look to these links:
http://lockheed40.blogspot.com/2011/01/top-twelve-characters-from-mash-part.html
http://lockheed40.blogspot.com/2011/01/top-twelve-characters-from-mash-part-ii.html
http://lockheed40.blogspot.com/2011/01/top-twelve-characters-from-mash-part-i.html
Well, there's no point in delaying it. Let's find out who the top four characters are.
Number 4
 |
| McLean Stevenson played Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake. |
Henry Blake is not a man that was groomed for command. He was given the crash course and sent out to lead a MASH unit. It's not his fault he can't keep things under control at the 4077. He's definitely not ready for this responsibility, but he doesn't have a choice. It's the position he was given. Henry is a good surgeon and a good man. Henry may have his faults, but he tried his best.
I'll just go with one moment for Colonel Blake, and it's a big one. Henry gets his discharge and is finally heading for home. There are all sorts of significant moments in that episode as he says good bye to everyone. At the end of the episode Radar comes into the operating room with a terrible message. Henry Blake's helicopter was shot down and he didn't survive. This is one of the most significant moments on the show.
I'll just go with one moment for Colonel Blake, and it's a big one. Henry gets his discharge and is finally heading for home. There are all sorts of significant moments in that episode as he says good bye to everyone. At the end of the episode Radar comes into the operating room with a terrible message. Henry Blake's helicopter was shot down and he didn't survive. This is one of the most significant moments on the show.
Number 3
 |
| Mike Farrell was the actor behind B. J. Hunnicutt |
So what about some moments for B.J. What about the episode where B.J. decides he's sick of being compared to Trapper? Yeah, everything that happens causes someone to mention that he's not as funny as Trapper, so B.J. decides to show just how good, or bad, he can be. B.J. manages to pull a prank on every person in the 4077, leaving Hawkeye for last just to let him get really paranoid. The other is another moment from the final episode of the show. B.J. refuses to say the words "good bye" because he is worried that either something bad will happen. He also doesn't want to admit that things are going to change. In the last moments of the show, Hawkeye and B.J. are standing by the helicopter that is set take Hawkeye away. B.J. is going to ride his motorcycle back. Hawkeye says good bye, but B.J. doesn't, but as the helicopter is flying away Hawkeye looks down and sees that B.J. has written "Good bye" with stones on the ground.
Number 2
 |
| Wayne Rogers played Captain John Francis Xavier "Trapper" McIntyre. |
So what about some Trapper moments? Well, in the first season, Trapper agrees to fight in a boxing match against another MASH in order to keep an attractive nurse at the 4077. He ends up winning thanks to the judicious use of some ether on his glove. Probably the best-known moment is Trapper's departure from Korea. Wayne Rogers had decided to leave the role and rather than give him a send off, the writers sent him home off camera. Hawkeye missed the departure and only gets some words from Radar.
Number 1
 |
| Alan Alda played Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce. |
Sure there are lots of things going on around the 4077, but more than anyone else, this show is about Hawkeye. He's the top surgeon, and he gets the best lines, and has the most fun. While Hawkeye likes to have a drink, a laugh, and a good time with one of the nurses. He hates being a part of the war especially when his job is to put wounded soldiers back together enough to send them back where they got wounded in the first place. What gets him through most of the situations is his concern for individuals. He learns that a patient is actually a 15-year-old boy who used his brother's birth certificate to enlist and helps him understand he should go back home. In the pilot, Hawkeye and Trapper team up to get a young Korean enough money to go to America for medical school.
Hawkeye's character is basically filled with big moments. I've already gone over a lot of them with the other characters and in the last paragraph. I will mention one great moment from the first season. In order to help the local orphanage, Hawkeye creates a fake surgeon named Captain Tuttle. Somehow Hawkeye and Trapper manage to convince the camp that Captain Tuttle is real. All of his money is given to the orphanage which causes some trouble because the big brass outside of the 4077 decide to give him a medal. Hawkeye makes up a story that Tuttle died valiantly saving lives and has to give a eulogy for his imaginary friend. Of course his death benefits also go to the orphanage.
Well, that's the end of the list. I'm sure you have some thoughts on it, so feel free to leave them below.
Hawkeye's character is basically filled with big moments. I've already gone over a lot of them with the other characters and in the last paragraph. I will mention one great moment from the first season. In order to help the local orphanage, Hawkeye creates a fake surgeon named Captain Tuttle. Somehow Hawkeye and Trapper manage to convince the camp that Captain Tuttle is real. All of his money is given to the orphanage which causes some trouble because the big brass outside of the 4077 decide to give him a medal. Hawkeye makes up a story that Tuttle died valiantly saving lives and has to give a eulogy for his imaginary friend. Of course his death benefits also go to the orphanage.
Well, that's the end of the list. I'm sure you have some thoughts on it, so feel free to leave them below.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Top Twelve Weird Al Parodies-Number 8
The Original-Lola by the Kinks and American Pie by Don McLean.
Yes, I did put two songs in for this pick as well. For number 9 we had two songs by Michael Jackson, and this time we have two songs that are used to poke fun at Star Wars. But before we get to the parodies, let's look at the original songs.
Lola by the Kinks-So, I had to look this one up. I don't know if I'd ever actually listened to the original song, but as far as I can tell it has song is about a guy meeting a transvestite at a bar and having a romantic encounter. For the most part, the song is more well known because of the instrumental music.
American Pie by Don McLean-This is a classic song that has many interpretations. McLean has continued to deny any interpretations for the song, but there is a pretty strong impression that 'the day the music died' is a reference to the tragic plane crash that took the lives of Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, and The Big Bopper. I think most music fans will recognize the main theme of the song: "Bye Bye Miss American Pie."
The Parody
Yoda and The Saga Begins are both parodies of songs but also parodies of Star Wars. The best part is that these parodies are better connected than the movies they are based on. Yoda focuses on that little Muppet from Episode V and The Saga Begins takes us to the unfortunate events of Anakin being discovered in Episode I.
Yoda-This parody follows the story of Luke Skywalker meeting Yoda. If you've seen the movie, I don't have to tell you how that part goes. The real fun of this song comes at the end where Luke or more accurately Mark Hamill ponders his future as an actor. Here's a great example (that didn't quite come true): "The long-term contract I have just signed says I'll be making these movies til the end of time with my Yoda."This song is also a bit of a main theme for Weird Al's career. It has been a part of every concert since it's release, usually as a closing or final encore song.
The Saga Begins-This parody of "American Pie" is a brilliant retelling of the first movie in the Star Wars prequels. It is sung from the perspective of young Obi-Wan as he encounters young Anakin and all the adventures they face. It was written based on Internet rumors and then adjusted after Weird Al saw the movie, and that edit session was a minor one. This song, like most Yankovic parodies, is well liked by the original artist. In fact, McLean has reported that he will accidentally sing lines from the parody when performing his own song.
Well that's it for number 8. Leave a comment if you have one. Number 7 is on the way.
Yes, I did put two songs in for this pick as well. For number 9 we had two songs by Michael Jackson, and this time we have two songs that are used to poke fun at Star Wars. But before we get to the parodies, let's look at the original songs.
Lola by the Kinks-So, I had to look this one up. I don't know if I'd ever actually listened to the original song, but as far as I can tell it has song is about a guy meeting a transvestite at a bar and having a romantic encounter. For the most part, the song is more well known because of the instrumental music.
American Pie by Don McLean-This is a classic song that has many interpretations. McLean has continued to deny any interpretations for the song, but there is a pretty strong impression that 'the day the music died' is a reference to the tragic plane crash that took the lives of Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, and The Big Bopper. I think most music fans will recognize the main theme of the song: "Bye Bye Miss American Pie."
The Parody
Yoda and The Saga Begins are both parodies of songs but also parodies of Star Wars. The best part is that these parodies are better connected than the movies they are based on. Yoda focuses on that little Muppet from Episode V and The Saga Begins takes us to the unfortunate events of Anakin being discovered in Episode I.
Yoda-This parody follows the story of Luke Skywalker meeting Yoda. If you've seen the movie, I don't have to tell you how that part goes. The real fun of this song comes at the end where Luke or more accurately Mark Hamill ponders his future as an actor. Here's a great example (that didn't quite come true): "The long-term contract I have just signed says I'll be making these movies til the end of time with my Yoda."This song is also a bit of a main theme for Weird Al's career. It has been a part of every concert since it's release, usually as a closing or final encore song.
The Saga Begins-This parody of "American Pie" is a brilliant retelling of the first movie in the Star Wars prequels. It is sung from the perspective of young Obi-Wan as he encounters young Anakin and all the adventures they face. It was written based on Internet rumors and then adjusted after Weird Al saw the movie, and that edit session was a minor one. This song, like most Yankovic parodies, is well liked by the original artist. In fact, McLean has reported that he will accidentally sing lines from the parody when performing his own song.
Well that's it for number 8. Leave a comment if you have one. Number 7 is on the way.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Oh haiku
So, I have spread myself out quite a bit when it comes to blogging and writing. It all started when I was realizing I wasn't going to have a job in the fall after all my time at college and saw an article about a girl who took an ugly dress every day for a year and turn it into something she would wear. I'd also seen lots of other blogs like that and thought it would be fun to give something like that a try. I picked writing. I knew I couldn't turn out something worth reading every day, but opted for a short story, poem or play each week. I've had some success with it, but that was before I started this opinion blog which takes up some of my time too.
(This is a quick interruption for a shameless plug: http://storypoemplay-a-week.tumblr.com/ Here you will find lots of fun stuff including my series of poems based on Doctor Who, one for each Doctor. I'm currently working on #4)
Well today I had the brilliant idea to try out some Doctor Who haiku. What's a haiku you ask? Well, it's a traditional Japanese form of poetry that is very simple to understand, but hard to master. A haiku only has 3 line and just 17 syllables. The first line gets 5, the second 7 and the last 5. It can be very tricky to make a haiku work. More importantly, it is hard to produce a haiku that says something worth the effort.
Several years ago, I started a project to make a haiku every day for a year. By the time I got to the middle of February, I was out of ideas, and my haiku weren't worth anything. Then I looked back at the other haiku I'd written, and realized it was time to give up on that project. My first Doctor Who haiku is just a way to get started. Hopefully I will be able to develop some better ones as I go. It is a form I really enjoy, but I still need some work to get better at them.
And what about you?
Is there a haiku within
your soul looking out?
(This is a quick interruption for a shameless plug: http://storypoemplay-a-week.tumblr.com/ Here you will find lots of fun stuff including my series of poems based on Doctor Who, one for each Doctor. I'm currently working on #4)
Well today I had the brilliant idea to try out some Doctor Who haiku. What's a haiku you ask? Well, it's a traditional Japanese form of poetry that is very simple to understand, but hard to master. A haiku only has 3 line and just 17 syllables. The first line gets 5, the second 7 and the last 5. It can be very tricky to make a haiku work. More importantly, it is hard to produce a haiku that says something worth the effort.
Several years ago, I started a project to make a haiku every day for a year. By the time I got to the middle of February, I was out of ideas, and my haiku weren't worth anything. Then I looked back at the other haiku I'd written, and realized it was time to give up on that project. My first Doctor Who haiku is just a way to get started. Hopefully I will be able to develop some better ones as I go. It is a form I really enjoy, but I still need some work to get better at them.
And what about you?
Is there a haiku within
your soul looking out?
The 60th Anniversary edition of Alice in Wonderland?
I know that poor Alice and the strange folk of Wonderland and the Looking Glass have been done over and reimagined so many times that it makes your head ache just to think about it. (As a avid fan of Lewis Carroll, I am very aware of this situation.) But what this shows is that this story has a broad appeal and it is the kind of story that people wish that they could tell for themselves. That is the beauty of the world that Lewis Carroll created.
What got me going on this little ramble about the works of Lewis Carroll? Well, it turns out that this is the 60th anniversary of the release of the Disney animated movie Alice in Wonderland. I don't know about you, but I love this version of the story. It's not perfect, but there are many versions that do it worse. This movie does a great job of conveying the story and capturing some of the more significant moments. How can you not enjoy the Mad Hatter and March Hare singing "a very merry Unbirthday to you?" or the way the Disney artist work with the Cheshire Cat? These are just a few of the wonderful moments in this movie.
Now that it's the 60th anniversary, Disney has released a special anniversary DVD with all sorts of great features. The movie is now in high definition so it will look wonderful on your HDTVs out there. You can also watch lots of special features including video shots of the girl who did the voice acting for Alice as she does walk throughs for the artists to get a feel for how Alice should look and move. There are also interviews with Kathryn Beaumont (aka Alice) reflecting on her role in the movie.
This is just getting out there so I haven't seen it and can only go based on what I'm seeing online, but this looks like a great movie to either rent or buy, but I'm a little obsessed with Wonderland, so I may not be your best option for an impartial opinion.
What got me going on this little ramble about the works of Lewis Carroll? Well, it turns out that this is the 60th anniversary of the release of the Disney animated movie Alice in Wonderland. I don't know about you, but I love this version of the story. It's not perfect, but there are many versions that do it worse. This movie does a great job of conveying the story and capturing some of the more significant moments. How can you not enjoy the Mad Hatter and March Hare singing "a very merry Unbirthday to you?" or the way the Disney artist work with the Cheshire Cat? These are just a few of the wonderful moments in this movie.
Now that it's the 60th anniversary, Disney has released a special anniversary DVD with all sorts of great features. The movie is now in high definition so it will look wonderful on your HDTVs out there. You can also watch lots of special features including video shots of the girl who did the voice acting for Alice as she does walk throughs for the artists to get a feel for how Alice should look and move. There are also interviews with Kathryn Beaumont (aka Alice) reflecting on her role in the movie.
This is just getting out there so I haven't seen it and can only go based on what I'm seeing online, but this looks like a great movie to either rent or buy, but I'm a little obsessed with Wonderland, so I may not be your best option for an impartial opinion.
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