I LOVE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS!!!

My biggest joy, (well, not the biggest, but it's up there) is when Hallmark and Carlton Cards release their upcoming Christmas Ornaments. My Mom used to let us go through the book and pick out a couple every single year up until she passed away. With the 12th anniversary of her death coming up on Friday, I couldn't think of a more wonderful way to remember her than to take my son ornament shopping...

The loot we be gettin'...


Molly and I collect anything with foxes...the fact that it's Dr. Seuss is an added bonus!


We always argue about this set...is it a fox or a wolf? Who cares, it's adorable!!!


Penguins are the greatest!!!


Lex loves Bob the Builder! YES! HE! DOES! <--that's a joke if you know the silly theme song...


He also loves Shrek...and "kitty kitty."


Molly, Lex and Molly's parents have all seen this movie. I haven't because...well...I don't think they like me so much. (just kidding)


Even though Lex is only two, this will be his third Christmas. Yeah...wrap your head around that one.


If you had any idea just how many Simpsons Christmas ornaments we have on our tree...


...you'd think I'd have an addiction...


...or at least feel sorry for Molly having to put up with me...


...seriously, somebody get me some help...

LATEST MOVIE TRAILERS...

I'm kinda behind on this, so some of these you've probably already seen...


THE DEPARTED
Wow, for a Martin Scorsese trailer, it sure gave away way too much information and had horrible music choices. But, with that great cast, I'll still go see it...


BABEL
New movie by the director of 21 GRAMS. Let's hope this one doesn't need a fucking strategy guide in order to figure it out.


LUCKY YOU
Wow...what the fuck happened to Curtis Hanson?! He goes from LA CONFIDENTIAL and WONDER BOYS to IN HER SHOES and this?!


THE FOUNTAIN
It's going to come down to this or CHILDREN OF MEN as my favortie film of the year...I can just tell they're going to be that fucking incredible...


WORLD TRADE CENTER
RopeofSilicon added a nice collection of film clips from the upcoming Oliver Stone masterpiece. Seriously, from what I've read, it's not a "look at who didn't do this and who didn't do that" finger pointing affair...instead it's an amazing look at the story of two of the last people pulled from the rubble.


THE BLACK DAHLIA
Looks promising. I not the biggest fan of DePalma, but enjoy James Elroy's work very much.

SIFL & OLLIE!!!

God damn, I used to watch this show religously back in the day...

THE SIMPSONS MOVIE CLIPS...

Who knows how long these will be online before FOX shuts them down...

LATEST YOUTUBE FINDS...

I'm addicted, shut it...


JOSE GONZALEZ * HEARTBEATS (music video and Sony TV ad)
I wonder how long it took them to clean up all of the bouncy balls?!


ONE OF MY FAVORITE SCENES FROM THE BIG LEBOWSKI


THE LAST SONG WARREN ZEVON PERFORMED ON LETTERMAN
He died less than a year later and left Letterman with the following about facing the last few months of life..."Enjoy every sandwhich."

I GET MORE WORK...

Last strip for the Preview section. People often ask, "Are these stories real or just you making shit up?" Okay, no one actually asks that, but humor me...

Yes, the answer is yes. This really happened and yes, they're going to kick my ass if they find out that not only did I make a comic about them being superheroes, but that I also had it printed in a newspaper with hundreds of thousands of readers...oops.

WOW.

Words cannot describe how stupid I think this is. Not that I am dissing the idea of prayer, mind you, but the idea of the elected officials actually adopting resolutions to get their town to pray for rain. Just read the quote from the town preach...uh, I mean, MAYOR. Makes you realize why the Dixie Chicks rake the town over the coals on their last album. (Their lead singer is from Lubbock.)

*****
Lubbock, Texas, plans to pray for rain
LUBBOCK, Texas, July 24 (UPI) -- Public officials in Lubbock, Texas, are organizing a day to pray for rain.

"Nobody is going to tell God what to do and what not to do, but we are in a serious drought in West Texas and since he is the man who controls the rain clouds, we're asking him for his mercy and his help," Mayor David Miller told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

The City Council and the Lubbock County commissioners are expected to adopt resolutions this week asking local residents to both pray and fast for rain this Sunday.

So far this year, Lubbock has received about half of its normal 10 inches. In the weeks since June 1, the growing season for cotton, rainfall has been a scant .75 inches, far less than the normal 4.43 inches.

Officials have tried prayers before and say they were answered. In January 2004, after a year of drought, the city and county set aside a Sunday to pray for rain and got the second-wettest year since records have been kept.
*****

From Taking The Long Way:

LUBBOCK OR LEAVE IT

Dust bowl, Bible belt
Got more churches than trees
Raise me, praise me, couldn't save me
Couldn't keep me on my knees
Oh, boy, rave on down loop 289
That'll be the day you see me back
In this fool's paradise

Temptation's strong
(Salvation's gone)
I'm on my way
To hell's half acre
How will I ever
How will I ever
Get to heaven now

Throwing stones from the top of your rock
Thinking no one can see
The secrets you hide behind
Your southern hospitality
On the strip the kids get lit
So they can have a real good time
Come Sunday they can just take their pick
From the crucifix skyline

Temptation's strong
(Salvation's gone)
I'm on my way
To hell's half acre
How will I ever
How will I ever
Get to heaven now
Get to heaven now

International airport
A quarter after nine
Paris Texas, Athens Georgia's
Not what I had in mind
As I'm getting out I laugh to myself
Cause this is the only place
Where as you're getting on the plane
You see Buddy Holly's face

I hear they hate me now
Just like they hated you
Maybe when I'm dead and gone
I'm gonna get a statue too

Temptation's strong
(Salvation's gone)
I'm on my way
To hell's half acre
How will I ever
How will I ever
Get to heaven now
Get to heaven now
How will I ever

Get to heaven now

SHHHHHH...

Not that any of you "hipsters" care, but I discovered a nice MP3 of the first 30 seconds of every song on Bob Dylan's upcoming album MODERN TIMES.

Sony accidently released it today and quickly removed it...so you didn't get this from me.

BOB DYLAN-MODERN TIMES-30-SECOND-SAMPLER (MP3)

CHILDREN OF MEN

Wow. Never even heard of this film until today. But I imagine it'll end up being one of my favorites this year. Check out the trailer here.

I MIGHT NOT BE GAY...

But I'd totally fuck this dog...



See, James Dobson (nutball behind Focus On The Family) has created a new website to prove once and for all, that people aren't born gay. It's as simple as...ready...

"Dogs aren't born mooing, people aren't born gay."

Case closed.

SAN DIEGO COMIC CON

Not able to make it this year...but who needs to actually be there getting nerd sweat all over you when you can just get lovely updates from the internets?!

Take a looksee at these fuckin' amazing LOST figures...




Right now, aintitcool has posted a few updates and I'm sure IGN will post some more photos today.

NEW OFFICE WEBISODE...

Right here.

...for the record, I actually HATE Red Stripe...

RENO 911 CLIPS

With talk of a Reno 911: Miami movie coming soon, I figured I'd share some of my all time favorite clips with you...


MILKSHAKE MAN


CAT RESCUE


DOG WITH CANCER


MAGIC MISSILE


BIKE BET

SAM BROWNBACK, STEM CELL SAVIOR

...oh, and total douchebag. Check out this clip over at ThinkProgress.org. He holds up a sign that "Hannah," who he swears he JUST MET (even though he has photos and giant fucking drawings she did over a year ago) has made to remind us all of the horror of killing stem cells for research.


Talking about the embryos, he asks, "Are you going to kill me?!"

...nevermind that only 10% of the embryos he's talking about (the ones discussed in H.R. 810) are adopted. The rest...wait for it...are destroyed.

It's shit like this that infurrrrrrrrrrrates me. People are dying all around us. PEOPLE. Who have been LIVING for years. But fuck them, it's the poor embryos that need the saving. Or at least tossed in the trash WITHOUT some liberal scientist poking it with needles and shit...

RECENT MUSIC PURCHASES...AND WISHES

I haven't posted my weekly addiction lately, so this post should attempt to get us all caught up. I completely recommend each of these...






And shortly I will be picking up...

I GET MORE WORK...

This Thursday. Preview Section of the Kansas City Star. Be there, motherfuckers.

NEW BOB DYLAN...

August 29th cannot get here soon enough...

(a lil' side note: This cover was originally used inside Luna's 1995 "Penthouse" release. Does that mean anything? Is it a mere quinky-dink? Only time shall tell...)

THOM YORKE * CYMBAL RUSH

WORLD WAR III

Seriously. I have a reeeeeeeeeeally bad feeling about where these attacks are going to lead us as a Nation and us as a World in the next few days.

Luckily, I can take comfort that our President, our Commander-in-Chief, being totally concerned...


(Clip from last night's Daily Show)

THE COLBERT REPORT...

...has been on fire lately. Best two clips so far this week:


He interviews (and tumbles with) Amy Sedaris.


Then plays "Better Know A District" with Washington's Rep. Rick Larsen.

THE OFFICE: WEBISODES

I thought they just started today, but there's already TWO episodes online! Horray!!!

Oh, and season two is currently 35% off at amazon.

I CAN PUT UP WITH A LOT...

The Bush Administration invading my personal liberties, gas being three dollars a goddamn gallon, Jamie S Rich actually LIKING the new Justin Timberlake song...

BUT THIS CROSSES THE FUCKIN' LINE...

*****
July 12, 2006 - According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney will remake the 1987 teen comedy Adventures in Babysitting with Raven-Symone (That's So Raven) attached to star. Elisabeth Shue starred in the original film, which was directed by Chris Columbus.

One of the original film's producers, Lynda Obst, will also produce the remake. David Stem and David Weiss penned the script.

"The Disney Channel has made Raven into a household name, and we feel very lucky to be working with her to build a feature career," Disney production chief Nina Jacobson advised THR.

Adventures in Babysitting follows a high school senior whose quiet night of babysitting turns into a series of misadventures.
*****

No. That movie is one of my childhood favorites. Listen, I'll let you remake Short Circuit, or D.A.R.Y.L., or Gleaming The Cube...but hands off ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING!!!

"THE PRESIDENT IS ALWAYS RIGHT."

So says the head of the Justice Department's office of legal counsel, Steve Bradbury.

(via ThinkProgress.org)



Full transcript below:

LEAHY: The president has said very specifically, and he’s said it to our European allies, he’s waiting for the Supreme Court decision to tell him whether or not he was supposed to close Guantanamo or not. After, he said it upheld his position on Guantanamo, and in fact it said neither. Where did he get that impression? The President’s not a lawyer, you are, the Justice Department advised him. Did you give him such a cockamamie idea or what?

BRADBURY: Well, I try not to give anybody cockamamie ideas.

LEAHY: Well, where’d he get the idea?

BRADBURY: The Hamdan decision, senator, does implicitly recognize we’re in a war, that the President’s war powers were triggered by the attacks on the country, and that law of war paradigm applies. That’s what the whole case —

LEAHY: I don’t think the President was talking about the nuances of the law of war paradigm, he was saying this was going to tell him that he could keep Guantanamo open or not, after it said he could.

BRADBURY: Well, it’s not —

LEAHY: Was the President right or was he wrong?

BRABURY: It’s under the law of war –

LEAHY: Was the President right or was he wrong?

BRADBURY: The President is always right.

COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN

The NY Times has an interesting look into the best damn news show on television! (Real news, cause Stewart and Colbert totally win in the fake news department...)

I GET MORE WORK...

RENO 911

Tell me you watched this last nite...



"It's like the saying goes...Rape me once, shame on you. Rape me twice, shame on me!"

OH, J TIMB...

I read an article the other day that stated how Justin Timberlake was going to "Push the Boundaries of Pop..."

Then I actually HEARD the single...

Wow. Sounds like every other Timbaland song.

And was I the only one who thought of Mos Def when I saw this photo?!

STAY THE COURSE

I GET MORE WORK...

I'll be doing the Weekly Preview Comic for the entire month of July. Here's the first one...

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!

I threw that photo up there for a couple different reasons.

#1. He obviously loves America, therefore it's patriotic.
#2. I'm going to Texas for the rest of the week, so not much posting around these parts...
#4. It kinda looks like Dubya, doesn't it?!
#3. I wanted you to feel as dirty as I felt when I typed in "cowboy" into Yahoo's image search engine and that was one of the first images to appear.

On a totally different note, you can listen to Johnny Cash's new album (along with this week's new releases) right here. May I recommend his haunting version of Gordon Lightfoot's If You Could Read My Mind. God damn, that is music at it's finest.