Comic-Con 2010 - Saturday: Cosplay & Effect

Saturday at Comic-Con is all about the big celebrity panels and the masquerade (and a reported nerd fight involving a stabbing in the face). BioShock costumes! Sid & Marty Kroftt! Billy Dee Williams! Chicks in skintight PVC outfits!

Keep an eye out for these pics (just don't stab yourself doing it) after the jump.

Comic-Con 2010 - Friday: Geeky Friday

Today's highlights from Comic-Con International: San Diego 2010 include panels for Yo Gabba Gabba! and 30 Days of Night: Dark Days along with Friday's exclusive Minimate giveaway, more toys and more movie props.

Check it all out after the jump!

Comic-Con 2010 - Thursday: The Nerdical Limit

Thursday morning I arrived in San Diego to attend Comic-Con International 2010, and let me tell you, my warp drive is exhausted! Nerd humor! I'll be here all weekend. Try the veal! No, really, I'll be here all weekend. Dunno about the veal, though.

Anyway, Day 1 of my annual trip to the San Diego Convention center culminated in reaching the nerdical limit of geekdom -- previewing movie props and new toys including merch sneaks from Monster High, Marvel Super Hero Squad, Super 7, Scott Pilgrim, Mez-Itz and Minimates, scoring bags full of freebies and exclusives, and attending a highlarious panel with Rob Corddry, Rob Huebel, Ken Marino and the rest of the cast of Adult Swim's Childrens Hospital.

Read more (and see almost 100 pics!) after the jump.

R.I.P. Harvey Pekar

Harvey Pekar

Comic Book Writer, American Splendor

October 8, 1939 - July 12, 2010

Tucking in the Children

Happy Birthday, Jerry Nelson

Today is the birthday of Muppeteer Jerry Nelson. He's the man behind Sesame Street's Herry Monster, Sherlock Hemlock, The Amazing Mumford and The Muppet Show's Floyd Pepper and Lew Zealand. It turns out this man is our jam -- Jerry is responsible for a lot of our favoritest Muppets, so to wish him a magical birthday a la peanut butter sandwiches, we'll do it in the style of one of his most popular characters, Count Von Count: Happy 1, 2, 3... 76th birthday, Jerry! Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!

Spoiler Theatre: Predators

Soundwave Vs. iPod: More Than Meets the Eye

The Nicolas Cage 360

After six long years in the making, I've finally been able to complete my most ambitious art project: The Nicolas Cage 360.

Since 2004, some of Nicolas Cage's biggest films have been promoted by posters that have him posed at various degrees of the Cage-o-sphere®. Now, with his upcoming film, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, the circle is complete.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets at 45 degrees, Kick-Ass at 180 degrees...

The many sides of Nicolas Cage.

You can "Cage" them into your Netflix queue here.

Put them all together, and behold: The Nicolas Cage 360:

Free Lindsay!

Lindsay Lohan was sentenced today to 90 days in jail for violating her probation. She claims, "I did the best I could," but I think she already used that excuse defending why Labor Pains premiered on cable instead of in theaters. (Watch the trailer for the movie release in Spain here! It's so much better en Español!)

So while the internet started out this morning buzzing about the Double Rainbow Dude, the pot o' gold ended up being that we're safe from the possibility of an I Know Who Killed Me sequel (I Still Know Who Killed Me, Too... Again) for at least 90 days.

And of course, violating probation is no joke, but it's worth a couple of insensitive tweets.

Comic-Com 2010 Exclusives

If you plan on leaving mom's basement to attend Comic-Con 2010 in San Diego from July 22 - 25, save your Mountain Dew and Doritos money and spend it on these convention exclusives that we're recommending.

More details after the jump.

My Boos

Y'all, I done lost my damn mind over these Monster High dolls.

Clawdeen Wolf, Draculaura, Frankie Stein, Deuce Gorgon, Cleo de Nile and Lagoona Blue

I've been obsessed with them since I first saw them online. Then the very next time I went to the toy store (full disclosure: we go to the toy store almost every week) Jason saw four of them and I bought them. On our next visit to the toy store I was able to get all the phase 1 dolls.

They're the cutest. Harajuku/gothic lolita fashions on some, Bratz-style silliness on others, and they're all adorable freakin' teenage monsters! It's like they made these dolls just for me.

So anyway, I took a few pictures. They're really fun to pose and stuff. I hope they come out with more fashions and accessories. I don't usually like to play dress-up with my dolls or whatevs but I dunno, I kind of want to with these. They should be able to have a lot of fun with the monsters in high school theme. Also, I hope they make a doll of the zombie character, Ghoulia. She's the smartest monster in school, after all. But I guess 'cause she's not the kid of a famous, name-brand monster, she didn't get a doll.

On the grown-up bizniz tip, this is Mattel's first original IP since Hot Wheels, and they're going all-in. They hired the Smallville guys to write a movie script, and are going after the Hairspray guys to write music for it (think about that, a high school monster musical--loves it), they are doing an animated thing for TV or DVD that appears to be different from the animation on their website and are also having a YA book series written, which itself seems to differ from the main Monster High doll/animated shorts storyline/universe they've already established.

I hope it does well because I really like it. Mattel has put a lot of thought and effort into the line. Each character has a personality and a backstory (Frankie Stein, my fave, is only 15 days old! Draculaura is a vegetarian for reals, not like them Twilight vamps! Lagoona Blue is a total zen-ass hippie!) and their outfits/accessories are super detailed, plus it looks like they each have a different head sculpt to match their specific type of monstrosity.

I'm so far out of their desired demo it's crazy, sort of like the Twilight Moms except I don't wanna bone any of the dolls. I'm guessing doll collectors will like these as much as I do. Hopefully kids will like them, too, so Mattel will expand the line. C'mon kids, help me out!

There are stuffed versions of Clawdeen Wolf, Frankie Stein and Draculaura, plus their pets. The Monster High kids all have pets, actually. I like the cobra, Hissette, the best. Tho the bat, Count Fabulous, has a cute name.

 

This is a terrible picture but laziness won out.

Happy Birthday, America!

Sequels, or "5equels"

It's sequel season, and everyone seems to be out seeing the latest Twilight movie.

Lurking in the shadow of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, a sequel to another successful film series has been announced -- the fifth installment of the Final Destination horror flicks, titled, um, 5nal Destination.

I don't know about you, but I'm with a lotta people who think 5nal Destination reads like it's supposed to say "Anal Destination," which could put a totally different spin on the franchise (I'm hoping the tagline is "Death screws you in the end"). Steve and I were thinking the movie could be all about death's design to create elaborate Rube Goldberg chain reactions that all result in fatalities up the 5hole. Sorta like the Mousetrap board game but with assplay.

Check out our other ideas for board games that should be movies here.

Now, there have been plenty of ill-conceived movie titles out there that have you questioning why a studio would put such a ridiculous name on the marquee (anything preceded by "M. Night Shyamalan's" immediately comes to mind), but this title just flat-out 5nally rapes all previous bad movie monikers.

I really hate these math-holes who come up with ridiculous names like Se7en and now 5nal Destination, because how do you even pronounce that? Fivenal? All I think of when you say Fivenal is this adorable little scamp:

2 Fast 2 Furious was another example of math-holery, but the Vin Diesel movie Jenni really wants a sequel for is The Pacifier, which she thinks they should title, Pacifaster. Or better yet, they should just combine his racing and nanny flicks into one uberfilm:

Of course, the studios would probably need to insert a number into the title if there ever was a second installment of The Pacifier, and that could lead to some confusion as to who's in it:

At any rate, the only sequel number I think that should be shoehorned into a movie titled would be for the next Twilight movie, Breaking Dawn. Cuz really, I just wanna see people pitching tents to wait in line for something called "4king Dawn." That'd be fourkin' awesome.

The iPhone Death Grip

From the Archives - The Firing of Our Fourth Blogger, McChristal

We're coming up on the 5th anniversary of our blog, so it's time to revisit our past.

One of the most common questions we get asked besides, "Are you a cop?" is "What happened to that fourth blogger and podcast host who used to be on your site?" The answer stems from an infamous Rolling Stone article.

Back in 2006, we did an interview and Chris, our Fourthblogger (© 2010 Taco Bell), made some inflammatory remarks that resulted in insubordination and his unceremonious firing (we had a "You're Shitcanned Ceremony!")

Basically, "McChristal" said some crazy-ass shit about Malcolm Jamal-Warner. We know! What a fucking monster! Theo friggin' Huxtable, or, that dude from Malcolm & Eddie who wasn't Eddie!

Anyway, the article is no longer available at the Rolling Stone site (or, Minimates Headquarters, for that matter), so we're reposting the complete article (along with some never-before-seen photos from behind the scenes):

 
November 2006

Minimates Headquarters: Let's start with the obvious question (and I'll pretend that I'm a journalist as we progress). Why are you called HANDS IN THE AIR? Is this a "look over here and listen to us" or are you throwing your hands up in desperation?

Steve: Yeah, the name is really about versatility. It’s about demanding attention because we’re attention whores. It’s about frustration. It’s about being the cool kids in the back of the class pointing out that a lot of what’s going on is absurd and funny or just plain stupid.

Chris: The idea for the name came from Jenni earlier this year (I saved the e-mail). All of our earlier ideas stunk and Jenni is a genius.

Jenni: It can mean a lot of things. Celebration, exasperation, surrender. When you have a question…or know the answer. That’s pretty deep. Damn, I’m pretty deep. For once, I agree wholeheartedly with Chris.

Jason: The name fit because we rant and rave about anything in pop culture, and that can elicit any number of hand-raising or finger-raising gestures. Plus, the hands-in-the-air pose is the easiest pose to put Minimates and other toys in.

Steve: It’s about a lot of things. I’m just hoping it’s never about what the feds say to us one day when they shut us down for excessive penis jokes. I’m looking at you, Jenni.

How did the decision to start this group come about? Was it a conscious decision to be both bloggers and podcasters?

Chris: Jenni and I kicked around the idea of having an Internet Radio show back around 2000 when we lived closer. The idea never died and RSS made it possible.

Jason: Chris wanted be a podcast celebrity, but no one wants to listen to him talking to himself.

Jenni: We wanted the blog because we think we’re funny.

Jason: And the podcast needed a home, so we created the blog which is the perfect outlet for Jenni, Steve and I since we’re all in the television industry with professional writing backgrounds. And Chris has an MBA so he always has a lot of opinions about stuff, but I don’t think he’s ever been published. A letter to Penthouse Forum doesn’t count, right?

Jenni: If it doesn’t, then I guess only Jason and Steve are published writers.

Steve: We came together pretty naturally. We’re all pretty creative people and we were kind of dying for an outlet but at the same time far, far too lazy to do anything that required real effort.


What was your initial vision for the site and how has that evolved over the 7 months that you have been up and running?

Jason: We knew we wanted an outlet to write funny commentary on pop culture, but photographing Minimates and other toys to illustrate the articles just sort of happened. Jenni, Steve and I are big toy collectors, and Jenni and I have always liked photographing them.

Steve: The initial vision of the site I think was actually a little more modest than what it’s become. I really only had in mind a very basic blog and it’s become a lot more than that. I think the biggest example of that is images, which I think we never actually stated should be all toy-based, but just ended up being that way and we’ve kind of run with it.

Jason: When the site first went up, Jenni kept asking the rest of us to hurry up and post something, so I threw together some Minimates, a Kubrick Babekub and a Mez-itz to represent us. So, we found our hook by the second blog posting, even though Jenni and I knew we always wanted an outlet for posting our toy photography. It probably should’ve come to us sooner, but it takes a while for things to sink into our plastic Minimate heads.

Steve: I don’t know too many smaller blog sites that take as much care or thought when it comes to imagery and making sure to include images with every post so that people have something to look at. It’s turned out much better and much more visually interesting than that, which is definitely a good thing and all of the credit for that goes to Jenni and Jason.


How does the multicultural (and bi-coastal) make-up of your group affect the way that you approach your articles and podcasts?

Jason: West coast writes and talks about funny stuff. The east coast (Chris) writes about Apple products and how great NYC is. That’s the running joke. Just search for “Apple” on our blog and you’ll bring up every single article that Chris has ever written. And he always somehow manages to make New York seem like the center of the world.

Chris: It’s funny that Jason said that about my limited blogging – it’s true but I never realized before now. I guess that I am not much of a writer but I love to talk so while the blog articles are primarily the strength of Jason, Jenni and Steve – I’m more of an uncensored talker which becomes a running joke on the podcast.

Steve: I’m not sure the multi-culti thing influences what we write about in any conscious way, but I think it does give each of us our own voice and viewpoint and I think that comes across both in the podcast and in blog posts.

Jason: The multicultural angle is nice because it makes us look like a Minimates Benetton ad.

Jenni: Yeah, we prove that geekiness knows no race or gender. And um, that really cool people can be into dorky-ass shit.

Steve: We’re approaching things from different angles and that is always is a good thing whether we’re talking about something serious, which is rare, or something completely frivolous, which is pretty much constant. I think it definitely sets our group apart from other blogs and podcasts.


Why have you chosen to represent yourselves as toys on your site? The most recent incarnation has three of you as Minimates and Chris as a PALZ figure. Does this stem from a desire to retain some form of anonymity or is this a hook to set your site apart, along the lines of the Gorillaz being represented as animated characters to the public?

Jenni: We’re so hot we thought that people wouldn’t pay attention to our words if they were distracted by our looks. And Chris believes that cameras steal your soul.

Jason: The alter ego and anonymity bit is a factor, though. But it’s just more fun to pose toys and photograph them. We have so many toys that we always joke that if someone broke into our place, they’d wonder why a bunch of 10-year-olds are living by themselves.

Jenni: That witness protection money pays for a lot of toys.


And is Chris, as a New Yorker, represented by a PALZ figure because he would hate to be confused with someone from LA or is this simply due to the fact that there weren't enough black minimates to choose from?

Jason: Well, Chris doesn’t look like Storm, Blade, Luke Cage or Bishop. But he does he look like the Family Matters cop from Die Hard, but in a business suit. And it is true that Chris doesn’t want to be associated with L.A.

Chris: Actually, most people say that I look like a combination of Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Turbo from Breakin II: Electric Boogaloo. They don’t have an action figure for that.

Steve: Yeah, I think it was just that the Minimate selection was a little low. Power Man’s not wearing a business suit, War Machine’s armor is running on Windows XP, not OS X, (I hear he’s getting a Vista upgrade early) and Bishop never got his MBA on account of him being hunted by Sentinels in a twisted version of the future of the Marvel Universe.

Jenni: Wait a minit, “most people” say you look like Malcolm-Jamal Warner combined with Turbo? Most people come up with that exact combination? Really?


Why do you think people are seeking alternative sources of information, like blogs instead of mainstream media? Is this due to programs like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report which expose what not only appears to be blatant misrepresentation by the media but information bordering on propaganda?

Jason: I think that’s a big part of it, but I also believe people are lazy and blogs are a convenient way for them to find real opinions on issues while they’re slacking off at work. And yes, I’m typing this at the office.

Steve: Well, I’m not sure anyone goes to blogs looking for too much genuine information--Lord knows we never give out any.

Jenni: I’m a blatant misrepresentationalist and an unapologetic propagandist. Am I working in the wrong medium here or what?

Steve: I don’t think people are looking for news on blogs because they’re not looking for news anywhere. Is that due to the mass media proving its inability to maintain high standards of investigative journalism in a post-9/11 America? I’d say “yes,” but that’s just my opinion. It’s much easier to take 10 minutes here and there at work and look at only the news/opinions that interest you. Unfortunately, when all you read is the stuff you want to see, that causes its own set of problems (hello, Fox News).


Is this desire for truth, this desire for "radio verite" as Chris put it in your first podcast, even attainable? Are we recognizing that there is no "objective truth" but only "observed truth"?

Jason: It is attainable… at the iTunes Music Store. But don’t search for the first episode. Really. The other ones are much better. How’s that for objectivity?

Chris: Wow! You actually listened to our first podcast? I tell most people to start at show #2. Show #1 is the only one that I actually edited which is why everyone thinks that it sucks. As far as the objective/observed thing – I am an engineer not a philosopher and we try to tell the truth as we see it.

Steve: Real, genuine truth does, in fact, exist, whether any of us realizes it or not. I think on a very general level, people want it and know when they’re not getting it. But we’re not really about that, honestly. We just like making fun of things and hearing ourselves talk, so to speak. If anything we say sends someone on a quest for genuine truth, I wish them the best but we’re probably not the best place to go for that kind of inspiration. I mean, we spent half an hour talking about “does the Hulk’s penis get bigger in proportion to the rest of his body,” for Christ’s sake. We voted, and the answer is a resounding “yes,” by the way.

Jenni: Finding the real, genuine truth is easy. I’m always right, therefore, my version of anything is the unassailable truth. Particularly when it comes to proportional penis size.


Is this proliferation of blogs which now comprise the Blogosphere a new revolution or are bloggers handing out pamphlets on the street corners of cyberspace? Have blogs become the soapbox of our generation?

Jenni: There’s actually a print version that we hand out on street corners. And once a month we stand on the corner of Sunset and Fairfax and do a live reading of the new articles from the blog. Steve crocheted us these beautiful robes, which Jason hand-painted with all-natural dyes. It’s quite a happening. What was the question again?

Chris: If you read the book The Long Tail you know that the proliferation of voices on the blogs and podcasts which cater to the unique and specific tastes of a few in aggregate have the power to exceed the popularity of the “dominant” media. Put another way, they are our generation’s soapbox and they are a revolution.

Jenni: Hence the popularity of Snakes on a Plane. Oh, wait.

And in this torrent of voices can anyone really be heard? If people are talking and no one is listening isn't the whole idea of the blog as a communication tool a red herring?

Jason: Is this some sort of zen “tree falling in a forest” question? It’s definitely TOO easy for everyone to have a voice through the internet. I really don’t need to read some Wiccan poet’s diary or see home movies about someone’s cat on YouTube.

Jenni: If you say “penis” enough, people will listen.

Steve: What?

Chris: To my earlier point, if the content is good and it has a particular niche then there is an audience that will listen. Our blog readers are increasing every day and people who aren’t related to us are listening to our podcast (we never thought that would happen).


Is it any easier to glean information from the Blogosphere where checks and balances aren't present or are bloggers by nature more concerned with truth than the mainstream media? Who's policing the police, so to speak?

Jenni: I dress as a sexy cop for Halloween every year, so I guess I’m the blog “po po.” This year, I’m going to be a sexy ZOMBIE cop. Sorry, a sexy ZOMBIE blog cop.

Chris: It is actually harder to get an “officially vetted” perspective in the Blogosphere but because you know that it is opinion then you can triangulate to get to the truth.

Jason: Bloggers have their own agendas, too, so people should still be seeking news from multiple sources to get the balanced picture. I’d hate to think someone gets the wrong idea about a news story just because we photographed the Minimate version of the person in a compromising position.

Steve: The blogosphere is more like trying to find out who’s sleeping with whom in the locker room in Junior High. It’s all rumor and speculation and way less people are getting any than are rumored to be. At least that’s what I always told myself in Junior High.

Jenni: Do you know how risky it is to sleep with someone in the locker room in junior high? Little known fact: you can get athlete’s foot ANYWHERE on your body. Let’s just say I “did” a lot of “time” in “detention” for my junior high locker room romps. And that’s why I lost my teaching certificate.


What do you see as the root of the West's obsession with celebrity? Is it based on an out-of-control American Dream where success is measured by how many zeros are in your pay-cheque or is this deifying due to the fact that we the Western culture have lost our myths? Is Hollywood literally the new land "far, far away"? And do bloggers, by commenting on this obsessiononly fuel the fire?

Jason: I hope we’re fueling the fire. I definitely think that us using a toy as a stand-in for a celebrity is a way of idolizing the person, and people in general seem to need those bigger-than-life personalities. Even though, technically, we’re making those personalities about an inch-and-a-half tall, which really isn’t that big unless you’re an Olsen twin.

Jenni: I don’t think it’s just the West. In Japan, they sell a Hello Kitty doll made to look like Paris Hilton.

Steve: I think the easy answer is that most of us lead dull lives full of pleasures that are simple at best. Celebrities get to do all of the fun things. They’re also a fun diversion from actual issues which are both boring and sometimes frightening, so when you don’t want to worry about the world going to hell in a handbasket, you can focus on calling Lindsay Lohan a junkie slut.

Jenni: Who else is proud of me for not making a “pussy” joke just now?


Where does Hands in the Air fit in all of this? What does your group bring to the 'sphere and what do you hope to achieve?

Steve: I think what we bring is another unique set of ideas and viewpoints and commentary. It’s just us, as unfiltered as we can be.

Chris: We hopefully are bringing lots of laughs as well as changing lives. Like on the blog for instance, I learn a lot about new music and new video games I might like.

Jenni: My mother thinks it’s only a matter of time before Jon Stewart or someone stumbles upon our blog/podcast and hires us to write for a hit TV show. Sadly, our hopes for future achievement, when we’re being honest, aren’t that far off from my mother’s prediction. Until then, if we can start just one awesome rumor or coin but a single stupid catchphrase, I think we’ll feel fulfilled.

Jason: Sadly, that hit TV show will be Two and a Half Men. And one of us is going to have to be that “Half Man.”


Did Matthew McConaughey take you guys up on the offer and end up playing Donkey Kong at your place while naked and stoned?

Jason: Yes, and he brought over his new biking buddy Lance Armstrong and we had a ball. We would’ve had more balls, but you know.

Jenni: Jason’s hands were definitely not in the air that day. And here I thought he was full o’crap about being able to juggle any kind of balls.

Jason: And it came out that Jenni is the “Half Man.”

Steve: I would like to take this opportunity to point out that after I called out the studio for how derivative the Failure to Launch poster was on our blog, the poster was quickly changed in future print ads to a different image. Coincidence? I think not.

 
Final words: What should everyone know about Jason, Jenni, Chris, Steve, and Hands in the Air?

Chris: That we appreciate all of the Minimate HQ fans who have checked out our blog and podcast. We really enjoy the idea that total strangers are amused by what we do.

Jason: That’s weird. Most total strangers aren’t amused by what I do to them. At least that’s what the spritzing of mace in my face would lead me to believe. Anyway, I hope all the toy fans enjoy our Minimate photography, and along the way I hope they end up enjoying our blog articles and podcast songs and conversations, too.

Steve: I’m nowhere near as deep as this interview makes me look, so bear that in mind if you visit the site or listen to the podcast. There’s really not that much going on up there, I promise.

Jenni: We are grateful to anyone who reads or listens to us. And maybe it’s not showing, but we are kinda funny, sometimes.


Thanks again for speaking with us!

Jenni: Oh no, thank you!

Jason: Thanks for supporting us and giving us the exposure! 

The Hands in the Air gang circa 2006 (from left to right):
Steve, Jenni, the now-departed McChristal and Jason (on floor).

From Now On, the Toddler Answers the Door

For some reason, people with the audacity to knock on your door and interrupt your home life with their bullshit, and it's pretty much always bullshit, really bother me. I basically hate them, which comes through when I open the door.

I generally use "What do you want?" as a greeting. I know. Just don't open the door. Maybe I like the confrontation. Maybe I want to teach some lessons about bothering assholes in their homes. Not sure.

So yesterday's visitor, he's got a completely unconvincing open about how he's new to the neighborhood, but he's not selling anything and he's not a Jehovah's Witness.

"So far so good," I said. "What do you want?" I repeated.

This prompted a long-winded speech, about how he works for some financial planning something and he has some dvds with info from Prudential but he's not from Prudential but anyway it's information to look at and then call them (?), they don't take your money (!) but they can help you in these uncertain financial times.  He pauses a couple times during this speech to ask if I'm ok or if he's offended me, probably because while the arms that opened the door are very polite, my face is another story altogether.

I'm about to say some shit to shut him down about how it's so likely that he's going door-to-door to help his "new neighbors" out of the goodness of his heart, no other incentive for him in these uncertain financial times...and I'm unsure how much acid is going to spill out of my mouth...

And then my two-year-old, Logan, walks up to the door, leans out through the gap between my leg and the door, peers at the man, and shows me how it's fucking done.

"Pizza?" he asks the guy.

"Oh, how cute!" the guy says.

"Pizza?" the kid repeats. "I want it, pizza. Pizza?" He looks at this dude with some real disappointment. "Pizza."

The man decidedly does not have any pizza, and says so.

"Pizza, I want pizza." my toddler tries again. "Piiiiiizzzzzzaaaaa."

The man tries to relaunch his spiel about the future and finances and whatever like I'm the biggest rube in the world. Come on, dude. Really? A real smooth operator would jump on this cute kid and ride that as his "in" to the obviously devoted mommy, standing amused at the door, mostly looking down at her kid, smiling for the first time since the whole thing started. He must be new at this.

Logan starts to close the door. I back away. The guy keeps talking.

"Pizza?" the kid asks, one last time.

"No pizza" the guy says.

Logan's heard enough. He closes the door. I help him push it all the way shut.

I fall down laughing. Jason and Steve have also watched this whole thing. They start laughing, too. Logan starts laughing because we're laughing. Then he asks for pizza again.

We feed Logan some leftover pizza. I could not be prouder. I tell him how proud I am, and that he's the best baby in the whole world. He's not a baby anymore, though. A baby wouldn't have asked for pizza. Maybe breadsticks.

Later that day, Jason found this under our doormat:

Which means this guy heard us laughing, among other things. Still, this note is easily the best thing he did the entire time.

Truly, though, the next time a solicitor shows up at the door, I'm going to ask for pizza.

Pour Some Sugar on Me

IMPORTANT NEWS UPDATE!!!

Today, not more than like, four or five hours ago, I performed a flawless Slurpee pour. One, smooth pull of the lever, no stops or extra little squeezes. Completely full cup AND cap, with no embarrassing overflow. Don't believe me?

BAM!

Seriously, when it happened, Stan Bush's "The Touch" started playing in the store. Okay, it might have just been in my head, but I'm 99% sure everyone heard it. When I checked out, the cashier guy and I locked eyes, then he looked down at the perfectly poured cup on the counter and gave me a nod of awe and respect. He knew what was up.

There's No "I" in A-Team

Lovin' it when a plan comes together - The A-Team in theaters Friday.

R.I.P. Rue McClanahan

Thank you for being a friend.

Rue McClanahan
Golden Girl
February 21, 1934 - June 3, 2010

Jenni says that if only the internet had shown as much love for Rue McClanahan as it did for Betty White, she might still be around (Facebook, you've got blood on your hands). And I say that even though there's only one Golden Girl left, I can take comfort that there are still three Designing Women out there.

Happy Birthday, Marilyn Monroe

Now Fortified with Iron

R.I.P. Dennis Hopper

I'll always remember him as the guy who played King Koopa in the Super Mario Bros. movie, but Dennis Hopper has been in everything, including Easy Rider, Speed, Cool Hand Luke, Waterworld, Rebel without a Cause, Blue Velvet and Season 1 of 24

Dennis Hopper
Actor, Director and Easy Rider
May 17, 1936 - May 29, 2010

Dennis Hopper was also in the influential DVD rental, Space Truckers. I think the tagline for that movie was "In space, no one can hear you, good buddy," but I'm not positive. Most recently, he starred in the TV series Crash, but I hated the movie it was based on and I think Starz should avoid making original programming because it just gets in the way when I all I wanna do is watch Step Brothers again.