Comic for Monday, July 26, 2010

Posted: 9:15 am, Monday, July 26

We are getting awesomely close to collitch football season, so here's a kickoff of a countdown with Mike Floyd and Mike Ragone re-enacting the 2007 O-line by swinging and missing on just about everything one of the Irish softball pitchers threw their way. (Sorry for the '07 reference, guys.)

Good article on Chicago's shooting problems from the Sun-Times. Sadly, this sounds like the life some of my kids aspire to. Not all, not even most, but some.

Sunday Times wrap-up: I don't think I often consider the language choices in Mad Men, but apparently a lot of people on the interwebs do. Interesting article about SUNY and its future, more interesting for me because of the history of SUNY that it shares. Apparently SUNY is the biggest state college system, despite having no flagship, and was actually not incorporated until 1948 - last among all "populous" states, whatever that may qualify as. Comes with a little cute map of the SUNY system, too. I have no idea that Hudson Valley was a SUNY. Cool article just collecting the stories of a block in Brooklyn, too, over in Fort Greene. If I ever had a time machine, I would use it to buy a brownstone in the 70s. My God.

I've never been a massive REM fan - I think the only album of theirs I've ever owned is Monster, which I understand is seen as a misstep - but I know a good amount of the songs on this list. And I remember this Weird Al MST3King of Man on the Moon for some reason. It's somehow not on YouTube, but you can download the file from this Weird Al fan page.

I've been playing a ton of Red Dead Redemption over the summer, because I love to mis-spend my time, and I disagree with a lot of this list of ways to improve it. More buffalo to shoot? Dude, I can't even bring myself to shoot one. More innuendo? I was actually pleasantly surprised that Rockstar kept their minds out of the gutter for most of the game. "Banging whores"? Oh, come on. More Native Americans, and a script that responds to playing like an outlaw, yes.

bullfrog

Bullfrog -- Monday, July 26 2010, 01:01 am

This sure is motherfucking depressing.

http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/the-u.s.-middle-class-is-being-wiped-out-heres-the-stats-to-prove-it-520657.html

As usual, Pete is being a dick.

I think he actually thinks he's being helpful, here. Hard to tell.

I read Scott Pilgrim #6 over the weekend (thanks for the tip about Bergen Street Comics, Bullfrog) and really liked it. But as a non-gamer, I have to ask:

1. Why did people keep saying "Nice shirt" to Scott in the climactic fight scene? Is that three G design a reference to something lame in the world of videogames?

2. Also, I assume winning $7,777,777 is a videogame thing too?

1. The design is based on Zelda's Triforce, but the main joke is that GGG is - I forget which - Gideon's initials, or his logo or something. So he's advertising for Gideon even as he's trying to kick his ass.

2. I think it's just a basic slots machine reference.

GGG, of course, is also Dan Savage's motto, 'Good, giving and game,' which is his advice to anyone entering a sexual relationship (with another person).

I am fairly certain that that is completely unrelated to the Scott Pilgrim joke, though.

WOW. I had never seen this one before.

http://www.rathergood.com/moon_song

How can you reference something that has been obliterated from the memory banks of all college football fans?

Ah, slots make sense. Thanks for the explanation.

SP6: At our house, we enjoyed the bystanders updating wikipedia pages during the long fight.

Maybe Ted's band will stop on the way to pick up the string quartet on the side of the highway, and they'll work out some innovative musical choices and arrangements together before The Event.

Nah.

And Jen was thinking about leaving town before this.

Well! This is certainly not a good omen.

http://www.wndu.com/hometop/headlines/99281584.html

I think the Space Quest games are easily found on Abandonia, but if you're interested in doing things legally, you can get 1, 2 and 3 for $10 on GoG right now. Space Quest 3 may be one of my top five games of all time. My buddy Neil and I spent forever trying to figure out the first sequence in that game. Sierra, for me, really went downhill when they got rid of the typing interface.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/27/space-quest-pack-for-10-on-gog/