Comic for Wednesday, May 16th, 2007

Posted: 7:18 am, Wednesday, May 16th

So, I was all set to do some research at the Bronx Zoo this past weekend. 2.0 and I were rolling up to the South Bronx to do a community service project with the ND Club. I believe "painting a school" was the task we were told awaited us. So we get up there and instead of painting a school, they set us to work in the adjoining community garden - why volunteers from the local Alumni chapter were working on a community garden instead of, I don't know, members of the community, I have no idea. No problem, planting a few begonias would leave me with plenty of energy to scope out the Zoo, still. Except that my job was to install a brick walkway to make the garden wheelchair accessible, and 2.0's job was to sand down some massive picnic tables and repaint them. Long story short, my back only stopped aching yesterday - evidently, graphic design does not use the same back muscles as digging up the ground, hacksawing through tree roots, and laying brick - and the Zoo went unexplored. So you're getting kind of generic zoo shots up top, instead of the impeccably researched action that is our hallmark here at Five Bucks to Friday. Mi dispiace. But, man, I was zonked.

So, a tad underwhelmed by the new Wilco yesterday, and massively underwhelmed by the new Bright Eyes (that came out maybe a month and a half ago, but I just got around to picking up). Wilco's definitely the better of the two, but the lyrics didn't grab me like they usually do, and there's a few tracks on there that just sound... I dunno, muddy or something. Not production-wise, just they weren't doing it for me. It's a good album, and I'm sure it will grow on me, but I have a hard time seeing myself ever deciding to listen to it over Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or Being There or A Ghost is Born or Summerteeth (I'd probably pick it over AM any day of the week). So, in other vaguely disappointing music news, I can't say that I'm really surprised that the new Pumpkins doesn't sound a damn thing like Siamese Dream or even Mellon Collie (although I disagree with the first comment that says it sounds like Zwan - which, frankly, I liked - and think it's more like Machina II), but we all knew that wouldn't happen. The Go! Team on the other hand, well, I don't know, I was hoping their new track would be a bit more chipper (the new one is Grip Like a Vice - try Huddle Formation, which you'll probably recognize from a Honda or Toyota ad or something, for more vintage Go! Team)(and, yes, I just linked to MySpace - I know, I know). Thankfully, Thunder Lightning Strike was an astoundingly all-over-the-place album, so I doubt this is a pervasive sound for their new disc.

I've had something of a crush on Sarah Polley ever since Go hit the Cushing at ND my senior year, so I was psyched to see this lengthy AV Club interview with her.

I was trying to find this Meche meter the other day for some reason. Anyway, I'm glad the Royals signed him instead of the Goat Fuckers. Two-thirds god, one-third man!

I find it really ridiculous the random people VitaminWater decides to turn into beverages. I've made no secret of my love for Forumla 50 - the 50 Cent flavor, and by the way, how random was it that he was in Mayweather's corner the other week. And what better to follow up a phony rapper with the winner of a karaoke contest? But this is the article that I really found interesting. I was looking for an article discussing the David Wright flavor of VitaminWater. What I didn't know was that this is actually a regional promotion - check the fourth paragraph, there's actually 20 MLB players they've signed deals with. The representative for the Red Sox? Mike Lowell. Bizarre. Anyway, no Goat Fucker made it, probably because Wright covers the New York market, and Jeter's too busy selling Avon. (This is like shooting fish in a barrel. Guys, seriously - be tough on yourself. Be good to your skin.)(By the way, has anyone seen Jeter's new personal logo? Zoom in on this shoe to check it out. It's basically a rip-off of the Tiger Woods logo. No surprise, since Nike's not exactly the most creative company out there, designwise. The backwards first E is especially egregious to me. J3ter, w00t!)

bullfrog

Bullfrog -- Wednesday, May 16 2007, 07:30 am

Response to a late-night post: Yep, you can chat with the whole community here, although "artist" is a bit much. "Guy" is just fine.

I think it was money amounts all the way around, but there's no small contingency of fans and critics that think that there was something pretty off about this season and attributed it to a different executive producer. Amy Sherman-Pallandino, the creator, left over money concerns at the end of last season, and really did leave all the characters in a pretty terrible place. I actually think Rosenthal kind of pulled it together by the end of the season, although the first half - right up through Luke and Christopher's fistfight, which was embarrassing for everyone - was really pretty bad.

Anyway, I liked the finale. The finale shot in the diner was a great way to end it. And Richard telling Lorelai she was a remarkable person was quite sweet. I'm glad Logan didn't pop up at the end.

I teared up during the finale last night. I was disappointed that it wasn't as whitty as my favorite episodes, but I really did enjoy the last 10 minutes a great deal. Grafe is thrilled to have one less sappy (girly) show to put up with.

What was the point of Christiana Amanpour? Anyone?

I have a feeling that only half the episode was shot knowing that it was the final show, and that the Amanpour bit was shot beforehand, because it was kind of a business-as-usual bit.

Oh, man, the Curmudgeon is *on* today. The Mark Trail and BC bits are priceless.

http://joshreads.com/?p=1076

Rory idolized Christiana Amanpour since she decided to become a journalist. (She was mentioned in numerous episodes.) I think the point was to say that Rory finally "arrived."

Shit, the Basilica lost a spire last night!

http://rakesofmallow.com/story/2007/5/15/214941/374

Ramp up the fund-raising efforts. Also, Dillon sucks.

It's pretty easy to find the hateful rantings of Falwell on the interweb today, but the last one on this Slate list was new to me.

http://www.slate.com/id/2166220?nav=tap3

"In my opinion, the Antichrist will be a counterfeit of the true Christ, which means that he will be male and Jewish, since Jesus was male and Jewish."

Wouldn't the Antichrist be female and.. Palestinian, I guess?

Or would it be like the Mirror, Mirror episode of Star Trek, where Evil Spock had a goatee? Would the Antichrist look just like Jesus, but with a crew cut?

I got teary as well, Secretary -- especially when they panned across all the people of Stars' Hollow looking at Rory before the party. I also loved Lorelai's saying she'll still come for Friday-night dinners, and the perfect final shot.

Also I note they tapped Obama as the cool candidate to follow in 2008, or the candidate DVD-viewers will be most likely to recognize in future years . . .

Funny, I just noticed Ron's wearing his Zwan t-shirt, and I went on about Zwan in the blogpost. Everything is connected like a Lego set.

CK--I've been hearing a lot of "future president Obama" stuff as of late, which I find hopeful. So different from the "Kerry is weak" speak we endured in the last election.

Man, the crapulence of this Administration has reached a point where they have succeeded in making Ashcroft look sympathetic.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/16/washington/16nsa.html?hp

Let me reiterate - I ACTUALLY FEEL A PANG OF SYMPATHY FOR JOHN FREAKING ASHCROFT.

I know it's only been a few days, but how are you liking CS3? I've got CS2 and I've been thinking about upgrading it, but at $600 for the complete premium set, that's nothing to sneeze at. So, I guess I'm wondering, is it worth the 600 bucks to upgrade?

I've smelled Jeter's Driven cologne. It smells, well, awful. It smells too girly, which considering who typically buys and sells Avon products, shouldn't be surprising. Not sure if you want to put it on after a ten-game losing streak.

I got the chills when Luke and Lorelai finally kissed... but then again I'm a huge sap. I like how they left their relationship together but somewhat open-ended so I am able to imagine them living happily ever after. I was also confused by the purpose of the Christiana Amanpour appearance but I guess that makes sense if she was mentioned a bunch of times before.

I haven't come anywhere close to putting it through its paces yet, Miyaa. I've tinkered a little bit with Illustrator and Dreamweaver, and that's about it. I still haven't gotten it up on my work computer because IT hasn't gotten me my upgrades yet, so really I've only spent maybe an hour and a half with it.

Coworker, you reading? Advise my audience.

Yikes. Reggie Ho (to whom today's strip is somewhat in tribute) just sent a link to the damage on campus. Man. Gonna be tough cleaning that up in time for gravitation.

http://www.ndnation.com/boards/showpost.php?b=football;pid=366954;d=this

Given all of the talk about Falwell's passing, well, I thought this was pretty funny:

http://jinwicked.livejournal.com/157437.html

(And you wonder why there hasn't been a Growing Pains reunion deal in the past ten years or so.)

Speaking of Bingo, regarding the upcoming "National Bingo Night" show on ABC, I must quote Adam Sandler: "Who was the ad exec that came up with this one?"

"Ad wizard." Much more biting. I like that it's got the guy from the Mega-Room Show who ran his hand through with a hacksaw or something earlier this season. I guess he's not fit to return to active duty.

By the way, my coworker who's had more time with CS3 tells me that the interfaces are vastly improved, but he was not thrilled with the upgrades to Dreamweaver. As Dreamweaver wasn't included in CS2, I don't know that this should dissuade you. Give me a few weeks and I ought to be able to get back to you in greater personal detail.

Yes, it is "ad wizard", my SNL knowledge is sorely lacking.

You know, combining Falwell and your logic, the conclusion seems to suggest that Christine Amanpour would be the Antichrist. At least it would explain Lou Dobbs.

I haven't felt a pang of sympathy since Ashcroft was the governor of my state.

I thought he lost to the dead guy?

So, the campus pictures. . . BP hall of the year 2004-2005?

And still proud!

you know, i got really really loaded at bp our freshman year, and i cannot think for the life of me why i was there. miah, i think that it was before we we started hanging out, so you probably can't help me out there, but i recall thinking that it was a lovely place. and, i am not entirely sure that i made it home that night. why was i at bp?!?!

and, as you can see, i just started reading this again. not like we had a parting of the ways or anything, i just checked it less and less frequently... my apologies. i am back on the wagon. (or off? whatever.) so i went back through the archives and i really, really enjoyed the wake one. yes, i helped e steal (and later wrestle) the gator after distracting the little boy who was guarding it. what was he, like, 14? and what on earth were they waking? i have pictures with him, and he kind of looks like walter from rome, but dressed in an orange plastic hat, and maybe a lei? he had more on, but i don't remember what.

The were waking - somewhat prematurely, as it turned out - the Croc Hunter. There was always the hallway that didn't get the concept. Their already nonsensical topic was rendered even more confusing after you guys stole the gator.

Princess Di lived in BP - it was actually quite nice inside and I never noticed an abnormal ratio of overweight girls living in there. (Non-Domers - BP was known as the fat dorm because of an old prank involving free ice cream.) I have no idea why you would in BP, though. May I suggest Drolett as your screen name?

I'm not sure if i could tell you where BP was located.

Listening to the White Sox and the Goat Fuckers right now - who the hell are the White Sox announcers? These guys are horrible. Not that I'm considering the alternative, mind you, but these guys are horrible.

Two down from North Dining Hall, right by Stonehenge.

"Over there with the Cubs, they still aren't happy. They weren't happy with Dusty Baker."

Well no shit, Sherlock, he destroyed a great young pitching staff by pitching them into oblivion.

Bullfrog -

You must be listening to Ed Farmer and Chris Singleton.

Farmer is great, and during the WS season he was teamed up with John Rooney and they were great. Well as often happens here in Chi-Town, the rights to the Sox changes stations and Rooney was unceremoniously dumped (He resurfaced with the Cards and then THEY won the WS). Chris Singleton is a former player who apparently went to an announcer's class. where. they. taught. you. to. pause. after. every. word.

Meanwhile, Farmer wants nothing to do with bantering with Singleton... and if you think they're bad, try the TV crew of "Hawk" Harrelson and Darrin Jackson who have been quite openly hating each other for 7-8 years now.

The Sox just dumped one of their announcers during the off-season, too, and while I like Dave O'Brien, the guy who fills in for him most nights (O'Brien must still be under contract with ESPN, too) is just terrible. He insists on making puns. Trupiano was only OK, but he's worlds better than this shifting rotation they're using now.

The Sox that are Red, obviously.

By the way, that 7-11 ad running in the Chicagoland area is freaking brutal.

Actually, Carnahan was the dead governor who died during the senate elections versus Jim Talent. Mel's wife became senator, but she was defeated by Talent in the next election, who was defeated by Sarah McCaskell, a former State Accountant in Missouri. Ashcroft was the Governor of Missouri in the '80s, right after Kit Bond.

BP? One of your dorms was named after British Petroleum?

We're not *that* big of sell-outs. I think it was named after two former presidents - Fathers Breen and Phillips. I could be wrong, though. I'd look it up, but I'm on my way to put my laundry in the driers.