Go ahead Kirk Cameron, argue against this you Growing Pains clown.

My goodness, can you believe it? Even the “mighty smart” Homer Simpsons uses a BlackBerry, not an iPhone or Droid. Check that out, the episode ran last night local USA time. I don’t know if it means homer is the smart ass who deserves using a BlackBerry or a competitor’s campaign that Blackberry is dedicated only for people like homer.

The link that proves the fact: http://bit.ly/3BSTuC

Anyway, i have one, i’m not that stupid and i think it’s brilliant. So why won’t you?

Now I’m aware these fifteen aren’t all exactly 100% acid rain-evening-suicidal-trashed cons grunge tracks, but November is the only month of the year I’ll pop most of this shit in, so by default it’s gonna be half classics, half surface scratchers. Reppin’ the hard flannel.

#37. November Grunge

1. Smashing Pumpkins – Zero
2. Stone Temple Pilots – Plush
3. Pearl Jam – Even Flow
4. Fourth Grade Nothing – Adirectional
5. Stone Temple Pilots – Interstate Love Song
6. Bush – Machinehead
7. Bush – Comedown
8. Sonic Youth – Mote
9. The Cranberries – Zombie
10. Better Than Ezra – Good
11. Weezer – Jamie
12. The Pixies – Is She Weird
13. Marcy’s Playground – Sex and Candy
14. Echo & The Bunnyman – The Killing Moon
15. Pearl Jam & Neil Young – I’m the Ocean

“According to this book the first thing we need is a setting.” – Lisa Simpson

Happy Birthday, John Swartzwelder! 

The Simpsons S21E05 The Devil Wears Nada

The Devil Wears Nada

Aired: November 15th 2009

Marge and a group called “Philanthro-Chicks” are attempting to raise money for charity, but in order to do it, they have no choice but pose for a calender. Marge is a bit reluctant to reveal any of her skin on the photos, but after the photographer gives her wine, her photos become the most popular topic of discussion in Springfield.

The.Simpsons.S21E05.The.Devil.Wears.Nada.HDTV.XviD-FQM The.Simpsons.S21E05.720p.HDTV.x264-IMMERSE Links: TV.com, TVRage, Homepage

Google Keyword Search : The.Simpsons.S21E05.720p.HDTV.x264-IMMERSE

In timp ce ma hotaraesc daca sa ajung la program la munca sau nu, m-am gandit sa va mai spun ce se mai intampla prin atat de importanta mea viata.

Diseara merg la WASP si am impresia ca se impute situatia putin, se pare ca oamenii cu care trebuia sa merg fie intarzie putin… fie nu mai ajung deloc, drept urmare s-ar putea sa merg singur. Chestie care-i de cacat. E posibil sa cunosc oameni pe acolo…dar daca vroiam sa merg cu ei, mergeam cu ei din start. Drept urmare as prefera sa merg cu voi, exista fani WASP pe aici si au chef de mine diseara ? Va anunt de acum ca din clipa in care s-a urcat Blackie pe scena nu mai vorbesc cu voi, dar e nevoie de oameni cu care sa interactionez pana incepe concertul…si in timpul concertului, pentru a-mi infrana impulsurile dubioase, as prefera sa nu mai ajung cu creaturi ciudate acasa.

Dupa concert…bem..sau…fumam…sau…facem ceva pe undeva.

In alta ordine de idei aseara a fost emis ultimul episod din the simpsons. E ceva mai bun ca Treehouse of Horror-ul de anu asta…dar parca-i lipseste zaz-ul de alta data. Oricum, uitati-va la episod, daca nu pentru laughs atunci macar pentru mesaj si morala.

Iar acum ca mi-am terminat si cafeaua ma tirez catre carciuma pentru a face pe clovnul sinucigas in aceasta minunata zi de luni.

Homer goes to Paris on a business trip but while he’s away, does Marge have an affair with Ned Flanders?

Find out in the brand new, only just aired in the US a couple hours ago, never aired in the UK, not going to be aired in the UK for months, episode of the Simpsons from the 21st season!

http://www.wtso.net/movie/464-2105_The_Devil_Wears_Nada.html

Bored

Wish I had my laptop Fix it for me plz.

I don’t actually have anything to write about tbh. I’m just bored. Watching a really old Hallowe’en Simpsons on T4. The Simpson’s were much weirder then! The older the episodes are, the weirder they are!

Soooo X-Factor tonight! I think it’s all a load of rubbish personally. I don’t think any of them are particularly good. Stacey is the only decent singer left so if I had to choose, she’d be who I wanted to win. I hate Danyl, I think he’s a rubbish singer and I think people are starting to see through it! He just yells. I wish that they’d give him (& the twins) a ballad that he wasn’t allowed to yell but SING. Ugh, he gets on my nerves. Jamie isn’t bad, I liked his version of “Hurt” but nothing since then. Olly was disappointing last night and I love Joe. I think he’s really good and definitely the best male vocalist out of them all! I’m not even gonna comment on Jedward. Who else is there? Is that it? Who am I forgetting? Oh, I forgot about Lloyd! Hahaha. Awww. He’s cute but he can’t sing, the poor thing. He’s got a singing voice, but it’s not big enough or good enough for this type of thing. I mean, for once, I agree with Louis (he’s so annoying and out of touch) and say that he’d be better in a boyband!!! I hope either Lloyd, Twins or Danyl bugger orf tonight but I don’t see it =(

I only really like Dannii and I think that Cheryl Cole is an idiot! Simon Cowell just makes me LOL (especially when I was looking at old Pop Idol videos last night – his hair! Lmao!)

Is this blog actually going anywhere??? I’m just rambling now. What was I going to say?

I was up late last night talking to Allan and Rose whilst waiting to see if anything was happening with Kayleigh (she didn’t text me so I assume it was just a warning sign). I must say, I have had less bizaare conversations! Lol! I like Lumpy’s friends. Probably because they’re not that much younger than me and they’re all pretty mature. I can’t wait until they’re all 18, I’ll take them out clubbing =P (as long as James Steward doesn’t swallow any straws??) I suppose it’s similar in the way that I’m close to Neville, Michael and Christian. I know that I grew up with them but there’s not much difference in age there either, is there? They’re only four years older than me and thinking about it, age gaps in friends aren’t really important. I mean, one of my bestest closest friends is Amanda and she’s 28! We’re on the same wavelength and we like the same things. She makes me laugh because she’s just so funny and I love being around her. She’s a good listener too and gives good advice.

It doesn’t matter where your friends live either, as long as they’re there. Take Nico and Raj for example. Nico lives in Denmark and Raj lives even further away in America! Both of them are my best friends and they’re always there for me and vice versa. Hopefully both of them are coming to see me next year and we’ll go out and drink and have fun. Taking Nico to Brighton for a night! That’ll be amazing.

Why is channel 4 going 3D? They’re so weird but I love them. Definitely my favourite channel. I call it the rebel channel and I asked my mum if they’ve always been the same and she said, “y-yeah, they’ve always been a bit weird.” haha!

Watched a new impressions show last night and it was hilarious! My favourite ones were Davina McCall, Michael McIntyre and Noel Edmonds. The Davina one almost had me in tears! It was so funny and spot on!

Clueless is on tonight! I love that film.

(You can tell I’m running out of things to say because it’s in one sentences!)

x

Sorry I was in a conversation on FB based around this song and well just so it gets stuck in someone else’s head ( for the sake of being evil!) here is is…

See My Vest

Burns: Some men hunt for sport,
Others hunt for food,
The only thing I’m hunting for,
Is an outfit that looks good…

See my vest, see my vest,
Made from real gorilla chest,
Feel this sweater, there’s no better,
Than authentic Irish setter.

See this hat, ’twas my cat,
My evening wear – vampire bat,
These white slippers are albino
African endangered rhino.

Grizzly bear underwear,
Turtles’ necks, I’ve got my share,
Beret of poodle, on my noodle
It shall rest,

Try my red robin suit,
It comes one breast or two,
See my vest, see my vest,
See my vest.

Like my loafers? Former gophers -
It was that or skin my chauffeurs,
But a greyhound fur tuxedo
Would be best,

So let’s prepare these dogs,

Mrs. Potts: Kill two for matching clogs,

Burns: See my vest, see my vest,
Oh please, won’t you see my vest.

And cause you know I like to call myself a full service blogger here is the audio of that song…

Movieline is reporting that Milhouse, The Simpson’s character, maybe be gay and closeted. NYMag.com summarizes the rumor this way: the “main piece of evidence comes directly from the best source one could possibly know of, none other than Simpsons creator Matt Groening himself. At a party in Los Angeles last night for the Shepard Fairey Equality Project, Groening autographed a poster advocating gay marriage with a postscript that reads ‘Your fan, Matt Groening, Creator of Milhouse.’ Now, anyone who watches the show knows that Milhouse has long fancied Lisa Simpson, so perhaps there’s a chance that he’s actually bi?”

This seems like flimsy evidence, but, hey we’re here to bring you all the gossip about gay animated characters.

La fama es lo que tiene: se te puede subir a la cabeza ( o al moño, como en este caso) y , sin que te des cuenta, pasas de ser una ama de casa , normal, dedicada a tus tres hijos y a tu marido a protagonista de anuncios de cosmética, modelo para firmas de alta costura o portada de revistas…

Seguro que esta mujer, de 34 años , se hubiese reído a carcajadas, con esa voz ronca que la caracteriza, si le dices que iba a ser la “Chica del mes de Noviembre en la revista Playboy ( de los USA)” en el 2009.

A ella, como es un dibujo animado de color amarillo, le da igual si la hacen chica-conejito como si la ponen a publicitar acondicionadores de pelo.

A los lectores de Playboy, igual les ha hecho gracia esta original iniciativa o igual no, teniendo en cuenta que lo que esperan de este tipo de publicación es algo como lo de Noviembre del año pasado.

Pero lo que si que está claro que la dirección de la revista ha elegido una nueva senda marketiniana para atraer nuevos lectores e intentar salvarse de la crisis que está sufriendo el sector.El numero de ejemplares que venderán , se verá incrementado por el gran mercado de seguidores de The Simpson que querrán tener esta edición “histórica” con una Marge erótica y fuera de contexto. Además, celebran 20 años en antena!!

Es una buena campaña puntual y  les salvará el mes ( dependerá de lo que les haya costado “despelotar” a Matt Groening, creador de los dibujos) pero , viene Diciembre…de nuevo.

Al margen de la continuidad de este tipo de propuestas, como seguidora de la serie , me ha resultado curioso y divertido ver a la maternal Marge , tan, tan, sexy…

Aunque no me acostumbro a pensar en ella, como una conejita Playboy. ¿Qué dirán en Springfield?…

Para conocer más a Marge : http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marge_Simpson

The Simpsons : http://www.thesimpsons.com/index.htm

Marge en Playboy : www.playboy.com

Harry Shearer was on this podcast last week (via).  His interview starts right at the 30:00 mark and goes for quite awhile.  There’s a lot of interesting info and it’s worth a listen, but here are some of the highlights:

• He knew Mel Blanc when he was a child actor.
• He does some Lovejoy and Flanders commentary about Marge in Playboy.
• Said doing the table read with Michael Jackson (at Jackson’s manager’s house) was one of the most awkward moments ever.  Castellaneta was stuck in traffic but Jackson was right on time and instead of goofing off or chit chatting everyone just sat there in perfect silence until Castellaneta showed up.
• Tactfully declines to discuss the current quality of the show, and implies that these comments were meant to be private.  I don’t doubt that some things can get said in the heat of negotiations that one may later want to retract but, and this may just be me reading too much into this, he sure sounds like he thinks the show’s gone downhill.  Shortly after that, in discussing how Hollywood in general has changed over his career, he laments that shows now have huge numbers of writers when once upon on time it was just a few funny people.  Hmmmmm.
• He says he’s never watched an episode of Family Guy and jokes that it’s against the religion of Simpsons people to watch it.  Then a little later he drops the bomb that people on the Simpsons have always thought Family Guy was originally created as a low cost replacement for The Simpsons’ timeslot and hence there’s some resentment.  Hard to tell how serious he’s being, but at least on the surface that does make sense.

15 November Edit: Had the links backwards, they’re fixed now.

“You see class, my Lyme disease turned out to be psychosomatic.” – Miss Hoover
“Does that me you were crazy?” – Ralph Wiggum
“No, it means she was faking it.” – Janie
“No, actually, it’s a little of both.  Sometimes, when a disease is in all the magazines and on all the news shows it’s only natural that you think you have it.” – Miss Hoover

Happy Birthday Maggie Roswell! 

“Sometimes I think we’re the worst family in town.”

“Maybe we should move to a bigger community.”

“Dad, the sad truth is all families are like this.”

This short conversation among Homer, Marge, and Lisa Simpson is, in so much as the longest-running comedy series in television history has one, The Simpsons’ thesis statement. In fact, the episode from which it comes, “There’s No Disgrace Like Home,” is really the ideological start of the series: The Simpsons do everything possible in 22 minutes to distance themselves from television’s traditional family, exemplified by the Cleavers, Waltons, Bradys, and Cosbys—and represented in this episode by the family of an unnamed coworker.

In “There’s No Disgrace Like Home,” the Simpson family resorts to juvenile rebellion, parental inebriation, sycophantism, and mutual beatings with wooden two-by-fours. The episode concludes with the family bonding; it’s just that they form that bond via all the above and their consequent ability to overwhelm even Dr. Marvin Monroe’s psychoanalysis (“earning” double their money back in the process).

First, what public school lets a second-grader dress up in a bikini for its Christmas Show? (And what public school has a Christmas Show?) Second, the whole dance routine doesn’t strike me as very Lisa: Inquisitive and didactic herself, Lisa would be more about conveying actual information about “the Santa of the South Sea” than about putting on some ridiculous performance.

And so, The Simpsons hits the wrong note in establishing some of its characters—and not just side characters, who it also struggles mightily to provide depth for*—but absolutely critical characters in Homer and Lisa.** Contrast this with a show such as Arrested Development, in which almost every character’s first scene is representative of their role through the entire series.

*The only two well-drawn secondary characters in Season One are Jacques and Sideshow Bob. The former appears in subsequent episodes only in the background; the latter is the show’s best secondary character. No character gets funnier as you get smarter than Sideshow Bob.

**The first impressions of Marge and Bart—the latter being seen in the second half of the above video—are more appropriate.

All this discussion of characterization leads us to what is really the biggest issue with the first season of The Simpsons: Homer. For as much as America (and England, for that matter) dived into Bartmania at the turn of the decade, Homer is the main character of The Simpsons. He has to be; the series defines itself as a foil to other sitcoms in which fathers were the focus (that list from above). If you want to argue this point further, simply go back and look at how many episodes focus on Homer as opposed to the other characters: He pretty much doubles the output of anyone else.

But in Season One, Homer is the toughest Simpson to pin down. Most of the time, he’s the local boob that gives Marge a bowling ball for her birthday and celebrates Bart’s absence in France. Other times, though, he melodramatically considers suicide (and not only considers; I mean, he writes the note, grabs a rock, and trudges to the nearest bridge), he becomes a crusader for safety,* and he cares far too much about the image his family presents. And sure, Homer’s impulsiveness is a large part of who he is, but a lot of his character in Season One just doesn’t make sense.

*The episode in which these first two events—the suicide and the safety crusading—take place, “Homer’s Odyssey,” is the worst of the series. End of discussion.

The problems surrounding Homer’s characterization are a big reason why The Simpsons’ first season isn’t that funny. As Ralph Wiggum once quipped, “It’s funny, but not haha funny.” There’s not that many standout lines,* and most of the humor derives from things that are more amusing than hilarious. It’s also why the show gets funnier toward the end of the season, when Homer starts becoming the Homer we know and love. “Life on the Fast Lane” is the first great episode of The Simpsons and the only one from this season that contends for a spot in the series’ pantheon. But other late-season episodes, like “Krusty Gets Busted” and “Some Enchanted Evening,” hint at the promise of what’s to come later; The Simpsons did indeed hit the ground running in the second season (with pantheon contender “Bart Gets an F”) before commencing its peak run sometime in the third.

*Exceptions include pretty much anything Jacques says in “Life on the Fast Lane” and this brilliant report on Jebediah Springfield:

TV REPORTER: Along the way he met a ferocious bear and killed him with his bare hands—that’s “B-A-R-E” hands—although modern historians recently uncovered evidence that the bear, in fact, probably killed him.

Overall, this seems like a pretty condemnatory review of the first season of The Simpsons. And yet I still liked it; I still derived plenty of enjoyment out of these 13 episodes. I’m inclined to think it’s nostalgically driven: that the enjoyment comes from the now, from knowing how these characters and this show evolved into parts of my personal maturation and everyday existence. In that way, it’s a bit like going back to watch something like the 3-13 rookie year of Peyton Manning: It’s weird to see something that we’ve come to conceive as so reliable struggle. I doubt very much that, had I been the discriminating twentysomething I am now in the winter of 1989 when The Simpsons made its debut, I would have stuck with it long enough to see it through to its success. Of course, I am the discriminating twentysomething I am now because I saw The Simpsons at its best.

And from the perch of the present, it’s tempting to look at The Simpsons’ thesis on family dysfunction as the modern American equivalent of Tolstoy’s from Anna Karenina, that “[a]ll happy families resemble one another, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” The universe of The Simpsons, much like that of Anna Karenina, is virtually absent of happy families; it is, in fact, dysfunction that unites us all. For the sad truth is that all families are like this.

Os proponemos un sencillo pasatiempo que con periodicidad semanal, iremos colgando en nuestro blog. Hoy la tercera entrega. El juego es sencillo. Colgaremos dos imágenes.  La primera imagen corresponderá a un grupo/cantante famoso que ha pasado por la serie, y la segunda, a un personaje famoso (fuera del mundo de la música) que también haya aparecido en la misma. La solución siempre estará incluida en un comentario dentro de la correspondiente entrada, aunque si encontramos el video también lo colgaremos. Espero que os guste!!.

Grupo/Cantante                     Personaje Famoso

El video con la solución al Grupo / Cantante aqui.

El personaje famoso mira en los comentarios de esta entrada.

From Kyle Ryan’s review of John Ortved’s book The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History at the Onion A/V Club:

Before the foreword, preface, and introduction have passed, hardcore fans will have several reasons to question Ortved’s authoritativeness: Patty Bouvier is gay, not Selma; Groening’s Life In Hell comic was not based on a one-eared rabbit named Binky (his son, Bongo, has one ear—and Ortved misidentifies him in another reference); Maggie Simpson never “killed a man.” That’s before “Wayland” Smithers arrives, among numerous others problems it’d be pointless to list.

“It’s just not the same.” – Bart Simpson

To go along with the fact that the Simpsonize Me website is still down we’ve got two other links to leftover stuff from the Simpsons movie this week.  Also there’s a little bit of video, some pointless internet lists, one piece of excellent usage, and a blogger who agrees with us. 

Enjoy.

Limited "unlimited" claims should be banned – This is a discussion about how services are pretty much always lying to you when they promise unlimited anything.  It starts by quoting Lionel Hutz questioning Marge about what happened at the all you can eat seafood restaurant.  The quote is almost dead on and even though Hutz is listed only as “Lawyer”, I’m still calling it excellent usage.

Me fail English? That’s unpossible! – YouTube for the hell of it.  No other reason given or needed.

Man getting hit by football – Speaking of short YouTube clips, here’s a ref taking a football in the groin.  (Also there’s a link to the Simpsons version.)   

it’s the Top 5… hairstyles in the movies! – Marge comes in at #1, beating out Princess Leia. 

100 Reasons to Love Winnipeg – #54:

Homer Simpson is from here. In 2002, Simpsons creator Matt Groening noted his father, also named Homer, was born in Canada, making the lovable cartoon character a Canadian, too. But from where? “Uh, if you went straight north from Kansas, where would that be? Winnipeg? Yes, Winnipeg!” Good enough for us.

Given what’s happened to their hockey team since it moved to Phoenix, I’m inclined to give this to them.

Ken Griffey Jr: The Forgotten Superstar – This rather schmaltzy article praises Griffey, mentions that the Simpsons was still good in 1997 and . . . doesn’t mention Griffey on the Simpsons.  How is that possible? 

Trinity Mirror gives away Simpsons comic – Some Scottish newspaper readers will get some free Simpsons comics this weekend. 

Awesome Pictures: The Simpsons do Abbey Road – It’s that Simpsons/Abbey Road picture I loathe.  (Just to be clear, I understand why people like this, it’s just sad that there’s a better one that is almost completely ignored.)

You know i love you – Well, at least one person’s doing that scavenger hunt thing.  Look at that entry form!  I don’t see a space for Social Security # and a blood sample, so those are probably on the next screen.

The WWE is a lot like The Simpsons – Simpsons characters with their professional wrestling equivalents. 

Panel offers comic relief for comic strips in distress – A brief recap of Groening’s appearance in Chicago last weekend. 

XUP – The faces behind some famous cartoon voices, including some Simpsons people and Mel Blanc, one of the all time greats. 

Simpsons Come to the Springfield Museum – One of those big couches from the movie is moving into the Springfield Museum in Springfield, Oregon. 

Real Life Kwik-E-Mart – Much like the giant couch, this appears to be from two years ago for the movie.  But it’s got pictures from inside the Kwik-E-Mart/7-11 and since I never went to one it’s kinda neat (via Twitter).

Best Simpsons Poker Scenes Ever – Only one of these scenes is from Zombie Simpsons (it’s from Season 12 when Krusty bets his daughter’s violin because the plot needed to move along), the rest are gold.  Also, there’s a clip of Homer winning at poker and not realizing it that has the image reversed and is in German.  Worth clicking just to hear Moe choke on his own rage in another language.

10 Best TV Neighbors – This list was obviously compiled by someone who watched a lot of television  from approximately 1985-1995, but Flanders is here so it makes the grade (via Twitter).

Can’t Sleep, Clown Will Eat Me – Ever Google the phrase at left?  Someone did and now you can see the horrifying results, especially the picture of the cat in the homemade clown bed. 

Debbie Harry, Joan Jett, and Cyndi Lauper get the Mattel treatment – Some ladies of the 80s (hey, that rhymes!) are getting the Malibu Stacy treatment.  Also, nice WordPress theme. 

Sam Sifton and ‘Meh’ – I don’t think “Meh” originated on The Simpsons, but it’s use on the show most certainly pre-dates Season 6.  

The Simpsons Plateau. – And finally, I get to end the way I like to, with another person who agrees with us:

The best closing line to any episode of The Simpsons has got to be: “Tell him I’m going to the backseat of my car with the woman I love, and I won’t be back for 10 minutes!”  This, astonishingly, was released in 1990, titled “Life On the Fast Lane“.  20 years ago.  What happened since then?  If I were to graph out my liking the Simpsons since it debuted back then to now, it would probably look like a plateau with steep ridges coming up from a valley, with hills to the East (fairly steep incline up to a fairly flat peak, fiarly sharp decline down to a low point, then up only a smudge).

That’s a little more credit than I give Zombie Simpsons, but I’m always happy to find another person who knows how bad the show’s gotten (and loves Season 1!). 

Czech Politician Jiri Paroubek Totally Looks Like Mayor “Diamond” Joe Quimby

» Think you can do better? Make your own!

Pictures by: dunno source Look-alike by: jasmeena via Totally Looks Like Builder

The best closing line to any episode of The Simpsons has got to be: “Tell him I’m going to the backseat of my car with the woman I love, and I won’t be back for 10 minutes!”  This, astonishingly, was released in 1990, titled “Life On the Fast Lane“.  20 years ago.  What happened since then?  If I were to graph out my liking the Simpsons since it debuted back then to now, it would probably look like a plateau with steep ridges coming up from a valley, with hills to the East (fairly steep incline up to a fairly flat peak, fiarly sharp decline down to a low point, then up only a smudge).  Wait, so my taste for the show resembles the Rohanian capital of Edoras?  That’s just weird.  I was probably the happiest n.e.r.d. EVER when word got out a two-part adaptation of The Hobbit was being made and that Guillermo del Toro was directing in Peter Jackson’s stead.  I might be stoned in the street for this… but honestly, the only bad thing about The Lord of the Rings film trilogy was the directing.  The production design, the acting, the locales, the effects, almost everything about it was stellar BESIDES Jackson, yet he gets all the credit (I guess it was “his vision”).  And I know, “yeah but Jackson won Best Director!” blah blah.  It’s shit.  Best Director is a joke.  You wanna know you NEVER won Best Director?  Oh, just Hitchcock, Altman, Fellini, Kubrick, Bergman, Lynch, Lumet, to only name a few.  Seriously, Best Director means less than even the Nobel Peace Prize now-a-days.  Might as well throw that award at the Simpsons’ writers for plotting The Simpsons Movie around environmental disaster.

-Sonny

Today, a friend and her daughter came over and we hung out and worked on some organizing around the house.  I decided to tackle the trash bags sitting in the computer room that had been brought from AFD– John’s personal things from his locker.  I haven’t had the strength to look at them.  They’ve been here for well over a month.  Today, with my friend here, I decided to open them up.

John’s life at the firehouse was separate from our life together.  I’m not a firefighter.  I don’t know much about firefighting.  John’s told me a lot and I’m eager to learn, but like the horses are my thing- firefighting was his thing.  He could tell you the names and breeds of the horses and knew that Tiny and Amber were decedents of the great Doc Bar.  But he didn’t know the intricacies of riding or horsemanship.  Same with me and firefighting, although honestly, I probably had more interest in firefighting than John had in my “lazy assed horses.”

But he respected my passion and my love for horses, just like I did his love and passion for firefighting.  Both are hobbies/careers that take up a lot of time and can cause rifts in relationships.  That is one of the many things that I’ll always love about him.

Going through his stuff there were some things I knew I wouldn’t find.  I knew I wouldn’t find a photo of me in his stuff.  No wedding photo.   No photo of the two of us.  No photo that he liked of me.  I’m sure some people would think that was odd and maybe it is.  But, that’s the way John was.  If you asked him, he probably would have had a reply like- why do I need a photo of Mary, I see her all of the time.  I often missed him when he was gone, he rarely missed me.  I think a lot of that is that he just saw it as part of the job- John was a professional through and through.  Maybe he even took our relationship for granted to an extent- like it would always be around- always be there.  We had a great relationship and we loved each other very much.  Maybe he figured we were adults and adults don’t miss somebody when they don’t see them for 24 hrs.  John really wasn’t a very emotional person.  Sometimes I think that comes with the job- firefighters and police officers see a lot of things that normal people don’t.  Things that normal people don’t want to see- death, dying, blood, body parts, fires, sickness, etc.  What they experience can also be confidential information in some cases.  John also had experienced a lot of loss- he lost his father in 1994 and his mother in 2004.  That can change a person.

Having Nathaniel changed that for him… he smiled more than he ever had and you could just see the love for his son… it shines through in all of the photos of the two of them.  I know he missed his boy when he was at work.  He’d come home and just hug Nathaniel and tell him how much he missed him.

Being diagnosed with stage IV  made John more emotional, too.  Not to say we had gushy emotional in depth conversations about feelings, but he shared more than he had before and he started telling me “I love you,” more than he ever had.  He used to rarely say it.  He knew it bugged me.  He would reply that it was trite and overused and that I should know that he loved me.  It just felt nice to hear it… to know that he meant it.

I had gotten John some photo magnets of Nathaniel for Christmas or for his birthday or both.  They were in there.  Along with our Christmas card from last year.  He loved his son more than some fathers will love their children in a lifetime.  John was the best father.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that he had actually taken the little fan that I had gotten for him to work.  Often times things that I got for him were just put aside.  Now, who knows if he actually used the fan or not, but at least it made it to work.

There was one thing that I didn’t know he had, but I sort of knew why he had it- a stuffed flying flingshot frog It is reminiscent of the “No Balls” frog.  John also had “No balls”  listed on  his FB page as  his quote.  “Young buck.  Old School,” used to be his quote on the firefighting forum, The Watch Desk.  “Young buck.  Old School,” made sense to me.  “No balls,” I just didn’t get it.  Once I asked him about it.

His explanation was showing me “Frog in a Blender” on Joe Cartoon.

I understand the “Frog in a Blender.”  I found it funny, but not hilarious.  I also missed the point of why he would use it as an avatar and quote on his pages.  So… if anybody wants to explain the significance… I’d appreciate it…

Of course… you can’t always be a serious all business sort of guy.  He did love watching “The Simpsons“, “Family Guy“, and “American Dad.”

There were a  few DVDs.  Typical firefighter ones like:  “The Complete First Season of Rescue Me” & “Ladder 49.”  I loved “Ladder 49,” but hated the ending… isn’t everything supposed to have a happy ending… sigh…   Of course in my “movie”, my firefighter dies of cancer… so no happy ending here either.  There was “Saving Private Ryan.”  John love Mel Brooks.  I being deficient in movie watching have seen very little Mel Brooks.  Geez… every since John and I were dating he mentioned how I needed to watch Mel Brooks movies… in particular “History of the World Part I.”  That was in his locker.  Along with “Spaceballs,” “Young Frankenstein,” and “Blazing Saddles.”  Sadly, I don’t think I’ve seen any of them– I can say I’ve watched “The Producers” and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Maybe I’ll just have to watch some DVDs…  There were 2 vidoes from a comic I’d never heard of, Bob Nelson.  Probably everybody but me has heard of him, but me.  I’m not a whiz when it comes to pop culture.

There was a baseball glove with some balls.  The firefighters used to play at work.  I remember when John bought the glove and some balls.  I believe he got a great deal on a large quantity of balls and sold the ones he didn’t need on E-bay.  He commented that the Navy didn’t like it that much when their balls when over the fence.  I know he looked forward to playing when they had the chance.  One of John’s comments when he was stage IV is that he wanted somebody to teach Nathaniel to play catch.  With my ball handling abilities… that’s not me… volunteers gladly appreciated.

There were some tools that I don’t know what they are and locks without combination.  At least the locks are open.  I don’t know if there is symbolism or irony there or just two locks.  I’d love to ask John to explain what the tools are are or how to use them, but I can’t.  I saw something that was blue nylon.  I wondered if that was his rigging for lifting people (sorry, I don’t know the technical terminology).  John was an expert at knots and doing different rigging.  He was part of a Cecil County rope rescue team.  Once he wanted to practice, so we went over to the firehouse and I ended up hoisted quite high in the air…. lol… a lot of fun, but the harness was NOT comfortable… lol… Part of me wanted to investigate.  Part of me knew, I’d crumple if that’s what it was.

There was a computer cable, a jump drive, and some CDs.  John was a computer whiz.  It’s not surprising that he had some type of computer stuff at work.

A comb, his razor, lotion, a LiveStrong band, a mosquito repellent bracelet, boot polish, and leather cleaner (actually my leather cleaner for my tack– no problem, I’m sure he got more use out of it) were also included.  I brush Nathaniel’s hair with one of John’s combs.  I’ve thought, what will I do when it breaks?  Now, I have a backup.

There was an envelope of some paperwork.  It looks like some reports and classes that John had written up.  He’d been the instructor for a lot of them.  John LOVED teaching.  He was so excited about AFD having their own academy.  He was going to be an instructor.  His eyes lit up when he talked about it.  Sadly, he got sick and was barely able to teach at all.  His helmet with the instructor shield was in the box.  It even still smelled smoky- who knows when he last used the helmet- he was pulled out of work immediately upon his stage IV diagnosis in February.  It’s hard to believe that after all of that time it still smelled smoky.  I love that smell.  I still do, even knowing that his firefighting may very well have contributed to his death.  Bottom line- firefighters have a higher rate of melanoma than the general population.

He had a lot of clothes and his bed linens.  They’ll be nice to keep for Nathaniel and if I ever loose a lot of weight, I know I’d love to wear his t-shirts.

There was a Thank You note from an elementary class that Menassa, Joe, & John had visited to teach fire safety.  I wondered if Joe & Menassa had gotten Thank You’s also or if they’d put it in there for my benefit.  Whatever the case…. I appreciated it.  John participated in a lot of fire safety events at schools and he did a spectacular presentation for becoming a firefighter that he presented at our local (I think) middle school (may have been HS).

John was passionate about firefighting.  He loved being a firefighter.  If only all of us could share that same passion and love… we’d all be happier and the world would probably be a better place.

I think about my desk at work.  If anything happened to me… what contents would get boxed up and returned to Nathaniel.  Most of my things would be discarded- confidential company  info.  Then, there are some printed and cut out photos that I used to display (of the horses, cats, John, and Nathaniel) that are now in desk drawers.  There are the trinkets that people bring back for the team when they go on vacation and an American flag that the company gave us several years ago.  There are a few commendations from when they used to give commendations.

Right now my desk is pretty bare.  I have a laminated funeral card and my calendar from Shutterfly that I made with Nathaniel (and Nathaniel & John) photos.  For the past several years, I’ve delighted in making calendars and photo books.  I think I’m done for a while– too emotional– back to generic.

It was hard going through John’s  things and hard writing about it.  It’s getting to the point- what is left?  I know as I eventually get the house cleaned and if I ever get the basement cleaned, I’ll run across more things of John’s that I didn’t know about.  But I feel like his work chapter is closing.  I don’t want it to close, but sadly, I feel that  it is.

In the late 80’s and early nineties, Konami had a knack for turning its licenses into monster arcade hits. Following in the footsteps of such coin-op pay-dirt as Aliens and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Simpsons was yet another example of Konami’s knack for translating licensed properties into pure pixilated wonderment.

Taking many cues from (and, in fact, utilizing the same game engine as) Konami’s hugely successful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles machine, The Simpsons was a Final Fight inspired  side-scrolling beat ‘em up that hit arcades at just the right time when the genre was at it’s peak of popularity and The Simpsons themselves where riding their first wave of fame.

Released to coincide with the end of the second season of The Simpsons in 1991, the  arcade game put you in the shoes of one of four members of the Simpson clan; Homer, Bart, Marge, or Lisa. With your character selected, if are free to begin kicking Krusty imitators, punching zombies, and skateboarding faces through familiar Springfield locals on the trail of Waylon Smithers who, after a pacifier/priceless diamond mix-up, kidnaps Maggie Simpson. Yeah, the story’s thin, but no thinner than modern day Simpsons episodes, and what it lacked in story in most certainly made up in game-play and gorgeous visuals.

The goon smashing game-play begins in downtown Springfield, continues through 8 lavishly detailed and brightly colored levels, including Krustyland, Springfield Discount Cemetery, Moe’s tavern, Springfield Butte, a nightmarishly surreal dream level, behind the scenes at Channel 6’s studios, and a final boss fight at the Nuclear Plant.

Much like TMNT, the game was released in two variations of four-player cabinets and was also available as a two-player conversion kit.

Each of the four selectable characters has their own weapon, reflecting their character within the early canon of the show. Homer, true to his ape-like intelligence, uses his bare fists, Bart smashes skulls with his skateboard, Marge uses an upright electric vacuum cleaner, and Lisa brandishes her skipping rope like a whip.

At first glance the game could be written off simply as a Final Fight clone, but Konami added several elements that helped it rise above the glut of beat ‘em ups that flooded the arcades at the time. It employed a team-up system where you could join forces with a fellow Simpson family member and combine to do a unique double attack. The type of attack varies depending on which characters join together, such as the Bart/Homer piggyback attack or the Homer/Marge human Ferris wheel.

As great as the game-play in The Simpsons is, it pales in comparison to the game’s greatest achievement, which is its attention to detail. Although the game may seems barren of recognizable references nowadays, it is none-the-less stuffed full of sight gags and visual nods to the first two seasons, and even include cameo’s by the rabbits from Simpson creator Matt Groening’s (somewhat forgotten) Life In Hell comics.

The graphics of The Simpsons hold up remarkably well, even when revisited today. The game features fully animated, vibrantly colored backgrounds, and detailed sprite animation. Its as close to playing a Simpsons cartoon that we would ever get.

Sadly, unlike the TMNT arcade games, The Simpsons arcade never made it to the home console, thanks to rival publisher Acclaim possessing the exclusive console publishing rights to the franchise, and as we are all well aware, they used this to shovel us such garbage as Bart vs. the Space Mutants and Virtual Bart.

If you ask any group of people what their 5 favorite arcade machines are, it’s a pretty good chance you’ll see at least half with ‘The Simspsons’ on their list, and with good reason- it’s an amazing experience that sticks with you long after the quarters run out.

I’m of the well documented opinion that the show that used to be The Simpsons has basically been on auto-pilot for a decade, and a very low altitude auto-pilot at that.  The underlying structure of the show is so incredibly strong that the actual content of the episodes can be filled in paint-by-number style and, no matter how dull and formulaic it becomes, at least a few people will still call it brilliant.  As a result, the quality of the new episodes has very little effect on the amount of profit the franchise can generate.  And since the quality of the episodes isn’t a priority, it’s gone to hell. 

It is with that in mind that I read this post from The Animation Guild’s blog:

The Simpsons crew is pared down now, with lots of empty cubes in the layout department now that the show’s budget has been … ah … constrained. Do it faster, better, cheaper. Those are the watch words.

There’s more at the link, but that’s exactly what I’m talking about.  The technical quality of the animation has gotten better and better over the years, but it’s come at the expense of anything that could be called care.  There has, of course, always been a budget and a schedule, that’s nothing new.  But as the writing of the show has become more and more rote, it follows that the same would happen with the animation.  You can always churn out more of something (with less people) if your standards fall. 

(Also, a little bit of Zombie Simpson bitching breaks out in the comments of that post.  Hooray.)