More Chinese toys recalled

I don't know how regulators let this one slip by.



tagged: Chinese, toy, recall, humor, photo

View from the couch

There’s been a bit of a lack of substance here lately.

I haven’t felt inspired to blog about the books I’ve been reading (working my way through the Cormac McCarthy library. Up next: No Country for Old Men before the movie is released in November).

Politics lately is so much as usual that there’s really nothing new to say about it (is there ever?). And even my Larry Moore hate has subsided slightly since I haven’t watched the KMBC so-called news cast recently.

Luckily, there’s always pop culture to fall back on, and the new TV lineups provide a great opportunity to see what’s new and original on the small screen. With work letting up a little bit, I’ve had a chance to clear the DVR decks and collect some thoughts on some new fall shows:

• The Bionic Woman: Talk about original! Who would ever have thought to do a remake of a show from the ‘70s that was itself a spinoff of a show from the ‘70s? Brilliant!
  
  The series writers cleverly avoid overestimating the intellectual prowess of the viewing public by steering clear of serious subtext that could be raised with this show: What does it mean to be human in an age of technology. What are the moral limits of performance enhancement. How many times should Sci-Fi show actors be recycled?
  
  Instead, the writing team deftly opts to focus on what viewers really want, sexy cyborgs waging epic pseudo-lesbian wire-fighting battles. Sweeeet.


• JourneyMan: Another stroke of genius and originality. The premise is that a man suddenly begins to leap back and forth in time within his lifetime, assigned by some unknown force to solve problems for people from the past.
  
  I don’t know where these people come up with such original ideas!
  
  Anyway, I was bitterly disappointed when I watched the first episode and realized that this show has nothing at all to do with Steve Perry or a string of chart-topping power ballads from the late-70s to early 80s. But I’m still willing to give it a chance since it stars Kevin McKidd, my favorite Centurion.


• Chuck: A pocket-protected member of the nerd herd inexplicably gets the top secrets of the CIA and NSA stuck in his noggin. So it’s either be killed by your government or be forced to work as a spy for your government.
  
  The theme of this show seems to be "We have met the enemy, and he is us." Aside from a quick mention of the North Koreans, the bad guys in this show seem to be American secret agents. Have the PC police really become so bad that we can no longer bash on the Soviets, North Koreans, Chinese, Iraqis or even the Canadians (damn dirty Canadians!).
  
  The comedy seems to be based on the awkwardness of Chuck, played by Zachary Levi who is a genetic splice of Zack Braff and Jimmy Fallon. There’s that Hollywood originality again. Anyway, for lame premise and lackluster comedy, I predict this show will be cancelled within a few more weeks.


• Big Shots: In the same way that Maxim is Cosmo for men, Big Shots is Desperate Housewives for men. Or rather, its Desperate Housewives about men, but still for women. Instead of smokin’ hot ladies, you get smokin’ hot pretty boys, but all the character types are the same: the goofy one, the sexy one, the smart one and the organized one.
  
  Still, you gotta give credit to a show that kicks off its season featuring a truck stop encounter with a transvestite male prostitute. Another thing I like is that the writers blatantly name the country club (the place where much of the intra-gender dialog takes place) Firmwood, which in terms of not-so-subtle double entendre one-ups the great Bushwood of Caddyshack fame.

So that’s a quick roundup. There are more shows out there, but to be honest you really only need to know about The Office and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Of course as I’ve stated on other blogs, taking advice on pop culture from me is like taking table manner lessons from Andrew “Dice” Clay, so there’s that.

tagged: TV, television, Bionic Woman, Journeyman, Journey, Steve Perry, Kevin McKidd, Chuck, Zack Braff, Jimmy Fallon, Zachary Levi, Big Shots, The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Caddyshack

YouTube Tuesday: Put the smooth in smoothie

For some reason I feel like I need a cigarette after watching this.

It's the latest in a series of online short-form videos from your friendly neighborhood cell phone company. Edgy, no?



tagged: movie, YouTube, video, quickie, banana, peel, smoothie, blender

Monday morning quarterback

Okay. I know that there are certain segments of the readership who are coming here this morning to see me eat some crow.

From the many emails and a few comments I've received, the prevailing wind seems to be that I have some music to face. Well, when there's music to face I face it. If that's the way the wind is blowing, let no one say that I don't blow.

30-24

As anyone who cares knows, the KU Jayhawks squeaked by the K-State Wildcats 30-24 on Saturday. Congratulations 'Hawk fans.
As with many K-State fans, I'm suffering a little pain over this one. Though as disappointment in sporting events goes, Saturday's loss is pretty minor. And even though we fans weren't on the field, if you're going to associated yourself with a group, you gotta be there when it all goes to hell.


So here I am. The only things left to do are wait for The D to contribute and Awesome® post to pay off our wager and then start trash talking the Colorado Buffaloes.

tagged: crow, blow, mea culpa, sports, football, KSU, K-State, Lawrence, Mark Mangino, Jayhawks, Colorado, Buffaloes

FWD: To the K-Staters out there...

I just received this via email. Enjoy (it's all in good fun)...

It's that wonderful, magical time of the year
When we gather with those we consider most dear,
Our friends and our family, all folks whom we love,
The people for whom we thank God up above.
How special it is -- oh indeed, it is true --
To know you're with others who can't stand KU,
To be with those equally filled with abhorrence
Toward the snobs on the hill, in the hell known as Lawrence.
Now, I know that we all want our Wildcats to win,
But to ask for much more, tell me, is it a sin?
I, for one, want to see a great thrashing take place,
A beating so bad that they'll find not a trace
Of dignity left in that sad football team,
That they'll wish all day long that it's just a bad dream.
I say, "Beat them by forty, or fifty, or more!
Like 2002, let's put up sixty-four!"
Let's pummel the Jayhawks; let's tear them apart,
Let's surgically sever each liver and heart!
We'll drag their young men through the muck and the mud,
WE'LL CUT OFF THEIR HEADS AND THEN DRAIN OUT THEIR BLOOD!
WE'LL PILLAGE AND PLUNDER AND RAVAGE THE LAND!!
AND WE'LL.........
......Oh, I'm sorry.... um, things...just got out of hand.
I'm afraid that I simply got carried away;
After all, it's just a game young people play.
So I say to our 'Cats, Have a wonderful game!
Through the highs and the lows, you're our boys just the same!
And one more thing -- 'midst the "Go Team's" and "Good Luck's" --
Don't ever forget -- (altogether now) --

KU SUCKS!

tagged: K-State, KSU, Wildcats, KU, Kansas, Jayhawks, football

Friday Blogthing: Losing my religion

Today's blogthing is contributed by SmedRock, but its another blog quiz that gets it wrong.

Agnostic?!?! I don't think so.

I was born a snake handler, and I'll die a snake handler.

You are Agnostic

You're not sure if God exists, and you don't care. For you, there's no true way to figure out the divine. You rather focus on what you can control - your own life. And you tend to resent when others "sell" religion to you.

What's Your Religious Philosophy?

tagged: Friday, test, religion, agnostic, snake handler, meme, blog

Meet me in Brookside

Maybe it was just me, but it seemed last night's Blogoholics Anonymous meeting was a little more mellow than I'm used to.

Most of the usual suspects were there, though Erin ditched to watch (gag) Grey's Anatomy. I know, totally lame.

Anyway, XO has the roll call. The point is that most everyone had gone home by 9 p.m. I realize that it's a school night and all, but c'mon. I mean COME ON!

The three coolest people, Heather, The D and myself, kept the party going until Sponge showed up. It gave us a chance to learn the secret hand code Sponge has developed to make fun of all the people who left early.

But on to important things. As you know, The D has been all up in my hizzy about this K-State v. KU game tomorrow. He through down the gauntlet last night and challenged me to a wager.

So here it is: If KU wins (yeah, right), The D gets a free guest post on this blog. When K-State wins I get to write a guest post on his awesome blog.

That's the deal. I've never had a guest post on this page before, and I don't think I'm in jeopardy of having that happen after this weekend either. But you never know.

All you other KSU types should get in on this action, too

tagged: Kansas City, blogger, Charlie Hooper's, blog, meetup, Brookside, K-State, KSU, KU, football, wager, Grey's Anatomy

Not in MY Kansas

It's a big football rivalry weekend here in Kansas. The talented and battle-tested K-State Wildcats will host the untried and cream puff-filled KU Jayhawks in Manhattan on Saturday in a contest for bragging rights and a share of the divisional lead.

Obviously, I'm not fan of KU. The longtime reader of this blog is aware of that.

But I'd like to put all rivalry aside for the moment and focus on this tragic story from the local NBCActionNews affiliate.

It seems a callous, low-class businessman from Lawrence has been blatantly undermining the fragile economic state of the University of Kansas.

Larry Sinks, owner of Joe-College, a sports apparel store in downtown Lawrence, has been giving KU the bird for years, systematically ripping off the University's trademarks and copyrights.

The university has finally had enough and has rightly filed a 109-page lawsuit against the t-shirt bootlegger.

"Hawk Basketball," "Kansas Swim Team," or simply "Kansas" is printed on jerseys singled out by the University of Kansas in the lawsuit as examples of trademark infringement.

“We don't believe the word Kansas is a registered trademark,” said shop owner Larry Sinks.

Sinks has papered his store with signs warning don't shop here for licensed merchandise.

“We don't use the word Jayhawks. We don't use rock chalk Jayhawk. We don't use the bird. We don't use anything that KU has claimed they own,” said Sinks.

Sinks' attempts to slither through loopholes in the trademark laws haven't impressed the band of overworked lawyers from the small university. According to the story, the victims in the heinous crime hope that common sense will rule out in the end against the Big T-Shirt business interests.

KU has claimed even if the shirt does not have the Jayhawk or say Kansas University they can still make an argument that it's their property saying, "anyone with a mind knows what it means, and that's why we have it federally trademarked."

The little college on the hill is desperate to defend its trademarks because of the fiscal damage Sinks is causing.

Already Sinks' actions have cut into the budget so much, that KU has had to lay off three students who were being paid to take tests for KU football players. One of the students was at a loss for what to do next.

"That job was the only thing that allowed me to shop at J.Crew every weekend. I guess now I'll have to go work at the McDonald's with some of the KU alumni."

Sinks actions are also draining funds from the KU athletic budget. Last week, KU Athletic Director Lew Perkins announced a $40,000 cut in football coach Mark Mangino's food per diem. Already, Mangino has lost 150 pounds, drooping from 450 to 300.

Tragic.

Given these facts, I'm calling on all college football fans everywhere to band together to boycott Sinks' business with its diabolical practices. This must not be allowed to continue.

tagged: t-shirt, Sinks, Lew Perkins, sports, football, KSU, K-State, Lawrence, Mark Mangino, Jayhawks

I'm totally there

Actually, in my mind I'm already there.

Thursday Oct. 4 2007, 5pm

CHARLIE HOOPER'S BROOKSIDE BAR 816-361-8841
12 W 63rd St
Kansas City, MO 64113

Be there if you can. It should be a fun time, and hopefully The D won't show off his third testicle and ruin the party.

tagged: Kansas City, blogger, Charlie Hooper's, blog, meetup

YouTube Tuesday: The Ron Prince Stomp

Today's edition of YouTube Tuesday is in honor of a spectacular K-State win over the Texas Longhorns and in warning of the creampuff-filled Jayhawks of KU who come to Manhattan Saturday for a Sunflower State title tilt.


I also appreciate the dose of perspective Coach Prince provided later

Saturday, Prince explained his sideline celebration, saying, "If it was a dance, it's a bad one." He elaborated further Monday. "It's no fun just to stand there like a statue," he said. "It's a game. We're not curing cancer."

Beware the Prince Stomp. Let's just hope KU's Mark Mangino doesn't try something like this.

tagged: movie, YouTube, video, sports, football, KSU, K-State, Texas, Longhorns, Jayhawks