Thursday, June 17, 2010
Television Thursday
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Nickelodeon 2005-2008(Wikipedia)
Well, I am finally down to the last episode of this series. I have thoroughly enjoyed the entire series, and I am looking forward to see how it all ends up. (All three seasons are currently streaming via Netflix.) The story revolves around the titular "Avatar" who must master the use of all four elements in order to rise up and defeat the baddies. The world in which this story takes place is highly influenced by our own Asian cultures. There are four lands and their respective peoples. Each land is based on one of the four elements and certain individuals are able to "bend" (manipulate) their peoples' element. It is essentially like using magic. Each culture also focuses on a specific style of martial arts. The creators of this show were fans and practitioners of martial arts, so that helped influence the direction of the show.
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the show when I first discovered it. There is a very good balance of comedy, action, and to some extent, drama. It never feels too heavy-handed in its approach. The characters are all well developed and not annoying. I would have to say that it is one of the few cartoons in recent years that actually succeeds in being fun for both kids and adults. I also really appreciated the art design. They spent some time and effort in designing each culture and it shows. The voicework is also impressive. The main antagonist is named Zuko and he is voiced by the actor who played Rufio in the classic film "Hook." Even more exciting for me was when I discovered that one of the recurring characters (Iroh) was voiced by Mako (who also voiced Aku in "Samurai Jack.") Sadly, Mako passed away between seasons two and three, and was therefore not featured very prominently in the last season. It has won several awards including a Peabody in 2008.
There will be a live-action feature film based on this franchise. It is directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It is scheduled to be released on July 2, 2010. I imagine I will see it, but I just hope that it holds up as well as the cartoon has.
Nickelodeon 2005-2008(Wikipedia)
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Book Wednesday
Jock of the Bushveld
By: Percy Fitzpatrick in 1907(wikipedia)
In honor of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, I thought I would feature this book. I was given this book when I was six or seven and our family was living in Germany. When we first arrived in Germany we had to stay at a guesthaus while we waited for our new home to become available. We did not speak German (or Dutch) at that time, so we became very close friends with the only other English speaking family staying at the guesthaus. The family was from South Africa, and we still stay in touch with them to this day.
The family made several trips back to South Africa while we were still in Germany, and they brought back a copy of this book for me after one of their trips. I recall that I enjoyed the book since it had to do with animals as well as taking place in an exotic foreign country. The downside to the book follows the same style of Where the Red Fern Grows, The Yearling, Old Yeller, etc. In short...the dog dies at the end. Sorry to reveal a spoiler, but I think you can kind of figure that is what would happen. (Random aside: I think I finally figured out why our classes would always have to watch The Yearling or Fern when it was too rainy to go outside for PE. They were depressing movies that would keep all of the kids quiet instead of being rambunctious while staying indoors. Ah, psychological warfare in its most basic form.)
I also seem to recall seeing a movie version of this way back in the day. I believe that there were some scenes of Jock bounding through the tall veld grasses chasing something. Our neighbors, in Germany, had a dog. There were also several farming fields behind our house. On occasion, the neighbor's dog would go out and play in the fields. I remember thinking that he looked a lot like Jock when he would bound through the crops that had been planted.
I still want to make it to South Africa for a visit. I loved hearing about all the exciting things that our family friends did when they would go back to visit. One day I intend to make the trip and maybe I will get to see the statue of Jock myself.
By: Percy Fitzpatrick in 1907(wikipedia)
In honor of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, I thought I would feature this book. I was given this book when I was six or seven and our family was living in Germany. When we first arrived in Germany we had to stay at a guesthaus while we waited for our new home to become available. We did not speak German (or Dutch) at that time, so we became very close friends with the only other English speaking family staying at the guesthaus. The family was from South Africa, and we still stay in touch with them to this day.
The family made several trips back to South Africa while we were still in Germany, and they brought back a copy of this book for me after one of their trips. I recall that I enjoyed the book since it had to do with animals as well as taking place in an exotic foreign country. The downside to the book follows the same style of Where the Red Fern Grows, The Yearling, Old Yeller, etc. In short...the dog dies at the end. Sorry to reveal a spoiler, but I think you can kind of figure that is what would happen. (Random aside: I think I finally figured out why our classes would always have to watch The Yearling or Fern when it was too rainy to go outside for PE. They were depressing movies that would keep all of the kids quiet instead of being rambunctious while staying indoors. Ah, psychological warfare in its most basic form.)
I also seem to recall seeing a movie version of this way back in the day. I believe that there were some scenes of Jock bounding through the tall veld grasses chasing something. Our neighbors, in Germany, had a dog. There were also several farming fields behind our house. On occasion, the neighbor's dog would go out and play in the fields. I remember thinking that he looked a lot like Jock when he would bound through the crops that had been planted.
I still want to make it to South Africa for a visit. I loved hearing about all the exciting things that our family friends did when they would go back to visit. One day I intend to make the trip and maybe I will get to see the statue of Jock myself.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Art Tuesday
Dan McCarthy
Official Page
I have been fascinated by his art for quite some time now. I cannot remember where I first discovered his work, but I believe it was via the Inside the Rock Poster Frame blog. My understanding is that Dan started to get recognition due to his gigart posters, and has now developed quite a following for his art prints. Every year he sets up an opportunity for collectors to sign up to his monthly subscription. This will let them receive his monthly print without having to worry about it selling out before they have a chance to buy one. The subscription also includes a unique print that is not available anywhere else (other than Ebay of course.) My favorite print of his is "The Biography of a Carbon Atom."
He screenprints his works by himself in his own studio. He has a Facebook page that he updates with info when he finishes new art. His art incorporates several themes that I have noted. Almost all of them relate to science in some form. (I wonder why I like it...) Some recurring motifs are: trees, dinosaurs, mountains, nightscapes, skeletons, snow, and building architecture. He also uses shadows very well. I am not as fond of his prints that involve buildings, but I know there are some people who like it. His most popular prints are those that involve dinosaurs, as well as those that glow in the dark. And who wouldn't like a dinosaur poster that glows in the dark?
I have been fortunate to purchase two of his prints. I own "The Fall" as well as "What Once Was 2." Both of these incorporate dinosaurs. "WOW2" is the glow in the dark print seen above (in the light/in the dark.) His two most lucrative prints are probably his submission to the LOST prints that were sold last year ("Rousseu's Transmission") and a print that he added to a collection of prints by various artists that was sold to raise money for a musician friend, Jason Nobel, that had been diagnosed with cancer ("The Rain had a Sound".) In fact, "The Rain" was voted Best Art Print of the Year 2009. It is pretty cool looking since the rain is metallic ink. Both of these prints are listed on Ebay periodically and they tend to go for between $300-$500. Thus, I will never own one :(
I am looking forward to see what else he produces.
Official Page
I have been fascinated by his art for quite some time now. I cannot remember where I first discovered his work, but I believe it was via the Inside the Rock Poster Frame blog. My understanding is that Dan started to get recognition due to his gigart posters, and has now developed quite a following for his art prints. Every year he sets up an opportunity for collectors to sign up to his monthly subscription. This will let them receive his monthly print without having to worry about it selling out before they have a chance to buy one. The subscription also includes a unique print that is not available anywhere else (other than Ebay of course.) My favorite print of his is "The Biography of a Carbon Atom."
I am looking forward to see what else he produces.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Weekly Theme: Cute Animals
This is one of my wife's favorite pictures. Baby sloths are just too adorable.
Movie Monday
The Land Before Time
Dir: Don Bluth (1988)
I was recently reminded of this movie when some of my students started talking about it. I was overjoyed to know that high school biology students still know about this film. My favorite lines during this conversation in the classroom were when one of the students all of a sudden exclaimed, "Cera was butch!" And one of the other students responded, "Yeah, but Spike was so cute. Awwww...Spike." I loved what they said because I felt the same way back in the day.
I remember seeing this movie in the theater back in 1988. My family was still living in Germany at that time and I went, with my dad, to the little theater on the Army base. I loved the characters and was terrified of Sharptooth the T-rex. I think I did get a little sad when Littlefoot's mother passes away. I hated Cera, the yellow Triceratops, but loved Petri, Ducky, and Spike. I even got the movie tie-in book from the Scholastic Book Club insert at my school. My fondest memory with this movie relates to some of the merchandise. Pizza Hut had a deal going where you could get rubber hand puppets of each of the main characters. The most vivid thing I remember about the puppets were their aroma. They had that unique smell that only rubber/vinyl toys have. Once you opened the plastic bag, you were buffeted by the smell. I think that I finally did succeed in getting the complete set. My parents were always willing to go the extra mile to complete sets.
As much as I love the original...I despise the sequels. The first sequel came out in 1994, well after the original. The new movies are horrendous. They added a bunch of sing-a-long musical numbers that detract from the story. The original was produced by Steven Spielberg. Needless to say the sequels are not. I just discovered that there are in fact 12, TWELVE, sequels out now. That is outrageous! I guess enough people buy them to keep it lucrative. Hopefully the series will end soon so that people can still remember the original fondly.
Dir: Don Bluth (1988)
I remember seeing this movie in the theater back in 1988. My family was still living in Germany at that time and I went, with my dad, to the little theater on the Army base. I loved the characters and was terrified of Sharptooth the T-rex. I think I did get a little sad when Littlefoot's mother passes away. I hated Cera, the yellow Triceratops, but loved Petri, Ducky, and Spike. I even got the movie tie-in book from the Scholastic Book Club insert at my school. My fondest memory with this movie relates to some of the merchandise. Pizza Hut had a deal going where you could get rubber hand puppets of each of the main characters. The most vivid thing I remember about the puppets were their aroma. They had that unique smell that only rubber/vinyl toys have. Once you opened the plastic bag, you were buffeted by the smell. I think that I finally did succeed in getting the complete set. My parents were always willing to go the extra mile to complete sets.
As much as I love the original...I despise the sequels. The first sequel came out in 1994, well after the original. The new movies are horrendous. They added a bunch of sing-a-long musical numbers that detract from the story. The original was produced by Steven Spielberg. Needless to say the sequels are not. I just discovered that there are in fact 12, TWELVE, sequels out now. That is outrageous! I guess enough people buy them to keep it lucrative. Hopefully the series will end soon so that people can still remember the original fondly.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Music Sunday
PUMA Hardchorus
covering Savage Garden - Truly Madly Deeply
I just discovered this video last week. It was made in honor of Valentine's Day by PUMA. PUMA wanted to create e-cards that futbol/soccer fans could send to their loved ones that would still reflect their manly-ness. The tagline for this campaign read, "They want to be in your arms. You want to be in the stands. What do you do when Valentine's Day falls on game day?"
Even though this is an ad of sorts, I still think it is wonderfully done. For one thing, the men actually harmonize! My favorite part is the brief shot of the old man sitting at a table and singing along. This cover is FAR better then the original. It avoids the sappy feel of Savage Garden, and replaces it with machismo. It does make me wonder how much practice and how many takes this video required. Congrats PUMA!
covering Savage Garden - Truly Madly Deeply
Even though this is an ad of sorts, I still think it is wonderfully done. For one thing, the men actually harmonize! My favorite part is the brief shot of the old man sitting at a table and singing along. This cover is FAR better then the original. It avoids the sappy feel of Savage Garden, and replaces it with machismo. It does make me wonder how much practice and how many takes this video required. Congrats PUMA!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Gaming Saturday
Botticelli
I had never heard of this game until I took a family car trip with my wife's family. It was a long drive so they suggested we give it a try. They had played many times since they had done cross-country treks in the past. It took a little while for me to get the hang of it, but then I really got into it. The rules are simple and it can really help pass the time.
The basic premise is that one person thinks of a famous person. One important thing to remember is that everyone who is playing needs to be familiar with the mystery person. The next step is that the individual who came up with the mystery person needs to announce what letter their name begins with. Then the other players pose yes/no questions. The trick to this is that these questions need to be about someone who also begins with the same letter. I don't think that I will be able to explain it very well in text, so I will let the Wikipedia page describe the rules for you.
Sometimes one round can last for many minutes. Other times it can go very quickly. One time I announced that I was thinking of someone who begins with the letter 'L' My sister-in-law then asked, "Are you someone who is very good at shooting arrows?" That was in fact who I had chosen so I had to announce, "Yes, I am Legolas." She guessed my person with the first question. Then it was her turn to come up with someone to try and stump us.
I really enjoy this game now, but it is important to try and play with people who have a similar knowledge base. If you don't, you run the risk that you are not thinking of a person that they will ever have a chance of guessing. Those games are not very fun since they last FOREVER! A good game will make a several hour car trip zoom right by.
The basic premise is that one person thinks of a famous person. One important thing to remember is that everyone who is playing needs to be familiar with the mystery person. The next step is that the individual who came up with the mystery person needs to announce what letter their name begins with. Then the other players pose yes/no questions. The trick to this is that these questions need to be about someone who also begins with the same letter. I don't think that I will be able to explain it very well in text, so I will let the Wikipedia page describe the rules for you.
Sometimes one round can last for many minutes. Other times it can go very quickly. One time I announced that I was thinking of someone who begins with the letter 'L' My sister-in-law then asked, "Are you someone who is very good at shooting arrows?" That was in fact who I had chosen so I had to announce, "Yes, I am Legolas." She guessed my person with the first question. Then it was her turn to come up with someone to try and stump us.
I really enjoy this game now, but it is important to try and play with people who have a similar knowledge base. If you don't, you run the risk that you are not thinking of a person that they will ever have a chance of guessing. Those games are not very fun since they last FOREVER! A good game will make a several hour car trip zoom right by.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Food Friday
Pittsburgh Pretzel Sandwich Shop
3531 Forbes Ave
Several years of my childhood were spent living in Germany. I currently live in Virginia. The reason I mention this is that my wife and I recently took a trip up to Pittsburgh, PA. There is one overriding reason that I want to move there now. Pittsburgh provided me with some of the best soft pretzels that I have had in many years, since Germany in fact.
I loved the pretzels I used to get when we went to Bavaria. They were just the right style. The German pretzels were firm on the outside with a warm, soft interior. They also had just a small amount of salt on the outside. Most of the pretzels you find in America are either stale and bland from the street vendors, or too buttery and squishy from shops in the mall. The Pittsburgh pretzels put all the other Virginia pretzels, I have tried, to shame.
I was very excited when I noticed this pretzel sandwich shop while walking down the street. I knew I was going to have to go there for lunch while we were visiting. I was not disappointed. I got the chicken salad sandwich. The salad was so-so, but the pretzel was super-yum. It is right in between Pitt and Carnegie Mellon. It seemed that the shop got a fair amount of college traffic and I hope it does well. Their website is designed so that you can order online and then pick-up in the shop. The employees were very friendly to me and provided me with inexpensive, fresh, tasty food. I really don't need much more than that in life.
Several years of my childhood were spent living in Germany. I currently live in Virginia. The reason I mention this is that my wife and I recently took a trip up to Pittsburgh, PA. There is one overriding reason that I want to move there now. Pittsburgh provided me with some of the best soft pretzels that I have had in many years, since Germany in fact.
I loved the pretzels I used to get when we went to Bavaria. They were just the right style. The German pretzels were firm on the outside with a warm, soft interior. They also had just a small amount of salt on the outside. Most of the pretzels you find in America are either stale and bland from the street vendors, or too buttery and squishy from shops in the mall. The Pittsburgh pretzels put all the other Virginia pretzels, I have tried, to shame.
Weekly Theme: 80's Toy Gimmicks
Neon
M.A.S.K. and Transformers
Gotta love how garish colors were in the 80's. Everything was bright and cheerful. Even your toys. Neon was used for many girl toys, but even some boy toys. And let's not forget the neon clothes :)
M.A.S.K. and Transformers
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Television Thursday
Better Off Ted
ABC (2009-present)
I must admit, I was very skeptical about this show to begin with. The TV ads really made it look derivative. I never watched it when Season 1 was actually broadcast. Then right before the second season began airing, Hulu put up the entirety of Season 1. Since there were not any other shows that I felt like watching at that time, I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised by what I discovered.
It is a sitcom that primarily takes place within the office building of Veridian Dynamics. The main cast are all part of the research & development wing of this company. Veridian is known for its development of weapons and other evil products. The cast often question the sense in making such products and try to find ways around it.
The plot sounds very trite, but somehow the show really works. I think it comes down to the quality of the writing and the acting. Portia de Rossi's character Veronica is by far my favorite character. She is Ted's supervisor and is ruthless. But, Portia delivers her lines very well and maintains a hilarious demeanor. Almost every episode has me laughing at certain lines the characters deliver. I don't know what else to say, other than to suggest people give it a try. It is cleverly written, has good actors, and had a Dalek cameo in one of the episodes. Need I say more?
ABC (2009-present)
It is a sitcom that primarily takes place within the office building of Veridian Dynamics. The main cast are all part of the research & development wing of this company. Veridian is known for its development of weapons and other evil products. The cast often question the sense in making such products and try to find ways around it.
The plot sounds very trite, but somehow the show really works. I think it comes down to the quality of the writing and the acting. Portia de Rossi's character Veronica is by far my favorite character. She is Ted's supervisor and is ruthless. But, Portia delivers her lines very well and maintains a hilarious demeanor. Almost every episode has me laughing at certain lines the characters deliver. I don't know what else to say, other than to suggest people give it a try. It is cleverly written, has good actors, and had a Dalek cameo in one of the episodes. Need I say more?
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Weekly Theme: 80's Toy Gimmicks
Color Change
Hot Wheels / G.I.Joe
I remember thinking just how cool it was that things could change color. They were solid toys, but for some reason they could change how they looked. Some were triggered by light, and others by temperature. Some of the toys that claimed to be altered by light were actually just altered by the heat from the sun. Those were kind of neat because you could get the same effect in the dark if you heated them up with your hands. I had several toys that could change. Sadly I don't remember exactly which car it was, but it was similar to those in the picture. Zartan would have his skin change color in the sun since that was what would happen to the character in the show. His vehicle had chameleon properties so the toy would change colors too.
Hot Wheels / G.I.Joe
I remember thinking just how cool it was that things could change color. They were solid toys, but for some reason they could change how they looked. Some were triggered by light, and others by temperature. Some of the toys that claimed to be altered by light were actually just altered by the heat from the sun. Those were kind of neat because you could get the same effect in the dark if you heated them up with your hands. I had several toys that could change. Sadly I don't remember exactly which car it was, but it was similar to those in the picture. Zartan would have his skin change color in the sun since that was what would happen to the character in the show. His vehicle had chameleon properties so the toy would change colors too.
Book Wednesday
The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho (1988)
I first discovered The Alchemist while spending a summer in Bangladesh. I was staying with a family of doctors who worked at a Christian Mission Hospital in one of the cities. It was a wonderful experience, and I was exposed to many new sights and insights. Since we did not have constant access to all the modern distractions of TVs, computers, and video games; we took advantage of the time to read. The doctors had quite an extensive collection of books at their home and they recommended I try out this book. I am very glad that they did.
This book is very difficult to describe. Its tag-line reads, "A Fable about Following your Dream." I would say that is a pretty accurate summation of the book's essence. The basic plot revolves around the conversations between a young shepherd and the enigmatic sage he meets while out in the desert. It is a pretty philosophical book that also dabbles in mysticism. I did not consider it too cheesy and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story and characters. It is a relatively short novel, and I suggest you take a day or two to read it.
Paulo Coelho wrote The Alchemist in Portuguese and it was his second published book. Since its initial publication it has been translated into 67 languages (netting it the Guinness World Record for most translated book by a living author) and sold more than 65 million copies. I have read a few of his other books, but this is the only one I actually enjoyed. His other books veer too far into New Agey cheesiness for my tastes. Coelho is a very intriguing author and it sounds like he has experienced life to its fullest. He has a unique outlook on the world and he is not afraid to express his views. He appears to be very tech savvy and his website has a multitude of multimedia offerings. You can even follow him on Twitter and Facebook. I suggest reading The Alchemist, but if you enjoy it, read his other books with caution.
Paulo Coelho (1988)
This book is very difficult to describe. Its tag-line reads, "A Fable about Following your Dream." I would say that is a pretty accurate summation of the book's essence. The basic plot revolves around the conversations between a young shepherd and the enigmatic sage he meets while out in the desert. It is a pretty philosophical book that also dabbles in mysticism. I did not consider it too cheesy and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story and characters. It is a relatively short novel, and I suggest you take a day or two to read it.
Paulo Coelho wrote The Alchemist in Portuguese and it was his second published book. Since its initial publication it has been translated into 67 languages (netting it the Guinness World Record for most translated book by a living author) and sold more than 65 million copies. I have read a few of his other books, but this is the only one I actually enjoyed. His other books veer too far into New Agey cheesiness for my tastes. Coelho is a very intriguing author and it sounds like he has experienced life to its fullest. He has a unique outlook on the world and he is not afraid to express his views. He appears to be very tech savvy and his website has a multitude of multimedia offerings. You can even follow him on Twitter and Facebook. I suggest reading The Alchemist, but if you enjoy it, read his other books with caution.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Weekly Theme: 80's Toy Gimmicks
Holograms
Visionaries and Super Naturals
Visionaries commercial / Super Naturals commercial
Visionaries and Super Naturals
Visionaries commercial / Super Naturals commercial
I never actually owned any of these toys, but I have vivid memories of seeing them in the toy stores and at friends' homes. I always wanted some, yet never got around to getting any. Holograms were the cool new thing in the 80's and these two toy-lines had some of the largest holograms. In the case of the Super Naturals, the holograms covered almost the entire toy. The commercials are typical 80's boy toy commercials. VERY EXCITING! I also think the names of all the characters are hilarious. I still think holograms are pretty nifty, and I think more toys should integrate them into their design again.
Art Tuesday
Bobby Chiu
Imaginism Studios
Bobby Chiu began work by designing toys for Disney, Star Wars, and Warner Bros. Now he tends to focus his efforts in digital art. More people will become familiar with his designs since he did character concepts for the new Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland. He also teaches online digital art classes.
I appreciate how all of his art is infused with humor. He draws his characters big and brash...quite cartoonish. Some of my favorite pieces of his are: Tobi and the Jellybean Tree, Carrot Run, First Line of Defense, Twins, and Beam Me Up Scotty.
Imaginism Studios
Bobby Chiu began work by designing toys for Disney, Star Wars, and Warner Bros. Now he tends to focus his efforts in digital art. More people will become familiar with his designs since he did character concepts for the new Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland. He also teaches online digital art classes.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Weekly Theme: 80's Toy Gimmicks
Slime
He-Man and The Real Ghostbusters
One of the trends in toys for the 80's was using some form of slime. Apparently boys thought it was cool to play with something goopy and messy. I definitely had some slime when I was growing up. I still remember the very distinctive aroma that it had. It didn't matter what color it was, it still smelled the same. The slime would always come packaged in a plastic barrel. He-man had a couple sets with the green slime, and The Real Ghostbusters had their red Ecto-Plazm. Toys sure were sticky back then.
He-Man and The Real Ghostbusters
One of the trends in toys for the 80's was using some form of slime. Apparently boys thought it was cool to play with something goopy and messy. I definitely had some slime when I was growing up. I still remember the very distinctive aroma that it had. It didn't matter what color it was, it still smelled the same. The slime would always come packaged in a plastic barrel. He-man had a couple sets with the green slime, and The Real Ghostbusters had their red Ecto-Plazm. Toys sure were sticky back then.
Movie Monday
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (1975)
Dir: Chuck Jones
Amazon / YouTube
I remember watching this on VHS way back when I was only about four years old. That was when my family lived near Indianapolis. We did not have a VHS player at the time, but one of our family friends did. I would always ask to watch this whenever we went over to visit them. For some reason the movie just resonated with me back then. I think I liked it because it had some action in it, it took place in an exotic location, and the main characters were animals. Seeing as I am now a biology teacher and majored in bio at undergrad, it should not be surprising for me to say that I loved animals growing up. I distinctly remember my frequent trips to the "dead amigo museum" (dead animal/natural history museum) outside of Indianapolis. I was also a member of the kids club at the zoo. Ring-tailed lemurs were by far my favorite animal. I thought that a movie about a mongoose was pretty awesome.
Chuck Jones directed and animated this adaptation. I find Chuck Jones' animation to be incredibly iconic. You always know when it is one of his pieces. He is most known for his work on the Looney Tunes cartoons. Some other memorable films with his animation are The Phantom Tollbooth, A Cricket in Times Square, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
This story is actually by Rudyard Kipling and is part of his The Jungle Book. Chuck Jones got Orson Welles to narrate the film, and his voices adds a certain level of gravitas to the proceedings. The plot of this tale focuses on Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, a mongoose. An English family is living in India, and their young son discovers the mongoose and keeps him as a pet. There are two cobras who want the human family to leave their estate, but Rikki protects the family from harm.
I was very pleased to find this on DVD a few years ago, and had a very fun time watching it again after all those years. The story is a classic and the animation is quintessential 70's. I found that someone has posted the film on YouTube so feel free to check it out. Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
Dir: Chuck Jones
Amazon / YouTube
Chuck Jones directed and animated this adaptation. I find Chuck Jones' animation to be incredibly iconic. You always know when it is one of his pieces. He is most known for his work on the Looney Tunes cartoons. Some other memorable films with his animation are The Phantom Tollbooth, A Cricket in Times Square, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
This story is actually by Rudyard Kipling and is part of his The Jungle Book. Chuck Jones got Orson Welles to narrate the film, and his voices adds a certain level of gravitas to the proceedings. The plot of this tale focuses on Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, a mongoose. An English family is living in India, and their young son discovers the mongoose and keeps him as a pet. There are two cobras who want the human family to leave their estate, but Rikki protects the family from harm.
I was very pleased to find this on DVD a few years ago, and had a very fun time watching it again after all those years. The story is a classic and the animation is quintessential 70's. I found that someone has posted the film on YouTube so feel free to check it out. Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Weekly Theme: T-shirt
"We are Made of Carbon" Design by Matthew J. Elliot via Threadless
(Yeah, I'm a science dork. What of it?)
Music Sunday: Valentine's Edition
Johnathan Coulton: "Skullcrusher Mountain"
mp3 Album: Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow
YouTube music video (Warcraft machinima) / mp3
I equate Johnathan Coulton with They Might Be Giants. Both bands write very odd, whimsical songs. The songs usually sound happy although the lyrics might in fact be quite strange and dark.
I posted this song for Valentine's (St. Zeno's) Day because it is a love song...of sorts. It tells of the unrequited love of a mad scientist who only wants his girlfriend to like him for who he is. I hope you enjoy this and that you have better luck with your Valentine than the protagonist of this song does. If you like this song, you can also download it for the video game Rock Band. He also wrote the song that plays at the end of the awesome video game, Portal.
mp3 Album: Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow
YouTube music video (Warcraft machinima) / mp3
I equate Johnathan Coulton with They Might Be Giants. Both bands write very odd, whimsical songs. The songs usually sound happy although the lyrics might in fact be quite strange and dark.
I posted this song for Valentine's (St. Zeno's) Day because it is a love song...of sorts. It tells of the unrequited love of a mad scientist who only wants his girlfriend to like him for who he is. I hope you enjoy this and that you have better luck with your Valentine than the protagonist of this song does. If you like this song, you can also download it for the video game Rock Band. He also wrote the song that plays at the end of the awesome video game, Portal.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Gaming Saturday
AD&D: Pool of Radiance
Commodore 64/128 SSI (1988)
My favorite type of game is the role playing game genre. Pool of Radiance is the first RPG I remember playing. It came out in 1988, and my two older brothers played it quite extensively. I was only six or seven at the time, but I would sit in the room and watch them play (much to their chagrin.) After a while, I began to try playing it myself. None of us ever got very far in the game, yet it was still impressive game play at the time.
This was the first video game that was made that used the Dungeons and Dragons rule set. It took place in the Forgotten Realms universe and centered around the town of Phlan. It adhered to the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons rules, which were the current rules being used for the tabletop dice version. The first step in the game was to create your party of six characters, roll for their stats, and name them. That took a long time! Then it was time to go and explore the town and the slums nearby.
We had the Commodore version for our old C-128. It used the old 5 1/4 inch floppy disks. Needless to say, these disks did not hold a great deal of information. Since this was an epic RPG it required six or seven disks to hold all the info. You would have to flip the disk almost every time you did anything. Each time you entered or left a zone, you would have to flip or insert a disk. The disks were also password protected so you would have to use the passcode wheel whenever you wanted to play. That was always a challenge since it could be difficult to line up the symbols and read the correct code in the windows.
This was the game that started my love of RPGs and I still keep a special place in my heart for it. I would love to try and play it again sometime and it appears that there are some emulators on the web that run it. Maybe I just will try it sometime...
Commodore 64/128 SSI (1988)
My favorite type of game is the role playing game genre. Pool of Radiance is the first RPG I remember playing. It came out in 1988, and my two older brothers played it quite extensively. I was only six or seven at the time, but I would sit in the room and watch them play (much to their chagrin.) After a while, I began to try playing it myself. None of us ever got very far in the game, yet it was still impressive game play at the time.
We had the Commodore version for our old C-128. It used the old 5 1/4 inch floppy disks. Needless to say, these disks did not hold a great deal of information. Since this was an epic RPG it required six or seven disks to hold all the info. You would have to flip the disk almost every time you did anything. Each time you entered or left a zone, you would have to flip or insert a disk. The disks were also password protected so you would have to use the passcode wheel whenever you wanted to play. That was always a challenge since it could be difficult to line up the symbols and read the correct code in the windows.
This was the game that started my love of RPGs and I still keep a special place in my heart for it. I would love to try and play it again sometime and it appears that there are some emulators on the web that run it. Maybe I just will try it sometime...
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