Inspector Cumulus? Are you freakin kidding me?? How absolutely cool is this guy? He has a CLOUD FOR A HEAD! Look at him! And he smokes a pipe! Why I never thought of it myself is just killing me. Created by Barrington Chendy. Thanks to Super Punch for finding this gem.
I watched this movie today and I forgot how much it inspires me. As a young teacher I was lucky to teach in many schools where I could connect with many different mentors. Like a young padawan studying at the feet of the master Jedi I absorbed all that I could about classroom organization and discipline which I then incorporated into my own unique style. Stand and Deliver is the true story of one of my teaching heroes - Jaime Escalante. He was a computer engineer who quit to teach math at an inner city school (Garfield High School) in Los Angeles. After awhile he realized that 'students rise to the level of expectation' and that if he could teach them calculus that they would be able to challenge the A.P. (advanced placement) test and receive college credit. He would shoot for the moon to give his students the best opportunities in life which included attending college. This was something few of those barrio kids ever got the chance to do. Gangs, drugs, poverty, and the low expectations of their parents all conspired to keep these students from succeeding. But Jaime knew that with love, understanding, a bit of guilt and a whole lot of 'ganas' (desire) that they could accomplish anything. The real twist to the story comes when his first class to take the A.P. calculus exam are accused of cheating since they had many of the same wrong answers. The truth was that since they had the same teacher teaching them the same program (which he calls 'step by step') from the most basic math to calculus, of course they would have the same wrong answers. I won't give away the ending of the story but if you want to see a movie that sends the good kind of goose bumps throughout your body at the end then you must see 'Stand and Deliver'. Edward James Olmos of Battlestar Galactica fame plays Jaime Escalante and he is amazing. He more than adequately shows the charisma of the real life educator he is playing. Lou Diamond Phillips is a gang banger who can't seem to resist the pull of the gangs and the streets. All the students are excellent and hardly stereotypes. Every year that I teach I show this movie to my students early in the year to remind them that there are no obstacles that they can't overcome with just some 'ganas'. You can see a video of Jaime talking about teaching here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFMz8JRg8Y8
"In 1974, Escalante took a job at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, California. He found himself in a challenging situation: teaching math to troubled students in a rundown school known for violence and drugs. While some had dismissed the students as "unteachable," Escalante strove to reach his students and to get them to live up to their potential. He started an advanced mathematics program with a handful of students. In 1982 his largest class of students took and passed an advanced placement test in Calculus. Some of the students' test scores were invalidated by the testing company because it believed that the students had cheated. Escalante protested, saying that the students had been disqualified because they were Hispanic and from a poor school. A few months later many of the students retook the test and passed, proving that they knew the material and that the company was wrong."
I knew he wasn't staring at that young girls ass. He was looking for the gummy Venus de Milo, the rarest gummy of them all. Made by gummy artisans who work exclusively in the medium of gummy. And, NO, I won't stop saying gummy.
I love these cartoony X-men pictures by artist Katie Cook. They remind me of Tiny Titans - an all ages book I enjoy. Sometimes I wish that both Marvel and DC would get a number of these artists to supply the illustrations for an anthology book like 'Dark Horse Presents'. That way we could see whole new takes on our favorite heroes. Its easy to tire of the same old styles after a while. You can find more examples of these funky characters at the link below.
I am loving on 'Warehouse 13' the new show from SyFy (ugg). Sure it copies many elements from other shows like 'X-Files' and 'Friday the 13th - the Series' but I have a thing for these 'spooky artifact of the week shows'. The story begins with our Mulder and Scullyesque protagonists being attached to a little know part of the US government - Warehouse 13 - the repository of all things weird. Its like the warehouse at the end of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' only much larger. We have the feelings that this place called 'America's attic' has been around for a long, time. The main characters are two FBI agents. Of course, she is the uptight professional sceptic and he is the playful non conformist - she looks and he leaps. However, together, their skill set makes them a formidable investigation team. Add to that a wacky scientist caretaker named Arty (played by the always interesting Saul Rubinek)who has secrets of his own and is carrying guilt for losing agents in the past. I enjoy that we are like the newbies being introduced to this little know of world. I am kind of disappointed that they chose to make the relationship between Mikka and Pete adversarial to begin with. That has been done to death. I also think if the creators had reversed their character types it could have been a much fresher concept. But that is just me rewriting things in my head. Which reminds me, please don't have them fall in love...PLEASE. That stuff is always a bad idea. Their boss, Mrs Frederick, has secrets of her own and could possibly be immortal. In old pictures of her we see she hasn't aged a day. I like the mystery behind her role and the juice she has to get anything she wants or needs from the government. Even the owner of the bed and breakfast they stay at has something just 'off' about her. Much of the tech they use has a decidedly steam punk feel and you all know of my love for that type of design. I think I am going to enjoy this show if the strong pilot episode is any indication of what we can expect week after week. But can somebody tell me what is up with that cow?
Thanks to Wings for alerting me to a new star in the anti-octopus universe. She may in fact be a fan of the cephalopod but she is really doing a service by showing our enemy in its true grouchy light. Of all sea creatures the octopus is the only one in a perpetual foul mood and its this annoyance with all things (plus its belief in its own innate superiority) that make it our enemy. If it hates the chaos and disordered nature of the oceans then how do you think it feels about life on land? The creator is named Zoe and she is only eight years old. With the help of her Dad this is a summer cartoon project for her. I love the way each comic strip ends with an angry octopus annoyed at its world. Very cool.
I am in love. And its not with another person its with a sandwich. I wonder if they do take out like those sites who advertise mail order brides. I could bring that sandwich over the border and give it a nice home in my belly. Like Anthony Bourdain says, the 'Three Little Pigs' sandwich is the work of an evil genius. THIS is the way a supervillian needs to be spending his time. Thinking up sandwiches that can kill you. How can I make a baloney and cheese disappointment ever again when if I apply myself I can wallow in something greater. Its a lesson for all you kids out there.
This fall a new 'Stargate' series will premier and from these short trailers I can say I am intrigued by it. Having watched the original 'SG1' and 'Atlantis' I am a fan of the universe they created. The show is a great science fiction adventure with a strong concept that can easily lead to multiple storylines and story possibilities. This one appears to be much darker but I like stories where the characters have to worry for their survival week after week. They are forced to often make difficult choices when their lives are constantly at risk and that conflict is perfect fodder for series television. Being a hero under those circumstances is always a challenge and the balance between the needs of the group as opposed to the needs of the individual is fascinating to me. How will the characters interact when disciplined soldiers have to rely on erratic civilians? 'Star Trek Voyager' was a terrific idea -the goal of getting 'home' always being in the back of everyone's mind. The creators may not have executed that concept perfectly all the time but 'Voyager' was a solid show. For those reasons I have hopes for this. Its nice to see that the 'Stargate' franchise will continue. And it has Lou Diamond Phillips who I always enjoy (watch 'Stand and Deliver' if you doubt me). Good to see the brother working again after he won that stupid show, 'I am a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here'.
From the WTF? files of the Cave of Cool comes this...I don't know what to call it. Its part of our strange Michael Jackson memories. Forget that it was made at a time when prejudice against blacks was still pretty prevalent, especially on TV (the ghetto speak the boys do would be seen as racist today). Forget that the Jackson 5 have a talking pet snake named Rosie and two rats named Ray and Charles. Forget that they animated Diana Ross to lend to their street cred. Try to forget that she lives in house with a huge neon sign advertising which house is hers where the guard at her front gate charges five bucks for anyone to get into the compound (that would be like 50 dollars in 2010 money - she doesn't even have a petting zoo or carnival rides like Neverland to justify the charge). Try to forget the Freudian implications of Diana Ross autographing a snake. Just revel in this true tale of their origin and enjoy the funkified jive talking the characters do. For example:
"We gotta get that snake back before those CATS DO HIM A BAD." "Hey one of those cars is likely to LAY ONE ON THAT CAT."
I can only find part one of this riveting story. Sorry to leave you hanging.
I may be called a nancy boy for admitting this but if I needed a manly bag to carry all my superhero stuff and candy in I would totally go for these. The only thing that would make them better would be if the handles had blades that could telescope on demand. Or light sabre energy beams. Wouldn't a light sabre with a hilt like a calvary sword be deliciously steampunk?
I have a love for great design and this is one of the best movie posters I have ever seen from one of my all time favorite movies (Kurt Russel is the shit bitches). I wonder if it would bring people into the theatre for the first viewing since its pretty obscure but for anyone who had seen the film they would automatically understand the image and what it was portraying. Simple is always the best way to go when selling an idea. Thanks to Super Punch who finds these awesome things that are my bread and butter.
You ever find yourself licking the monitor screen after looking at pictures of cheeseburgers? No? Well me neither. Really...that is just dew. Yes, dew. Shut up. I gots me a powerful love for the cheeseburger and these examples prove that no matter who makes them it is pretty tough to screw them up. Check out the link below for more yummy examples.
Wendy's Triple Everything with Cheese
Hardee’s Double Bacon Cheese Thickburger
Hardee’s Monster Thickburger
Quadruple Bypass Burger (Heart Attack Grill in Tempe, Arizona)
Aside from always being vigilant and prepared for the attack of the aliens or the zombies or the alien zombies I try to learn all I can about every subject that interests me. I also fight the never ending struggle against the octopus scourge for YOU fool. So don't judge me like Ice Bear judges me... and boy does she judge me. This picture is my Carlos the Jackal picture. The one Interpol used to track me across Europe.
