In other News: Brent Spiner Wouldn't Shake My Hand!

At the Comicon in Plano this past weekend, I got to see many, many celebrities and artists. From Star Trek, there were Brent Spiner (Data), Micheal Dorn (Worf), John DeLancie (Q), Will Wheaton (Wesley Crusher) and Chase Masterson (Leeta, the Bajoran Dahbo girl from DSN). They were all mildly entertaining, but all of them (except Brent Spiner with his new appearances on Enterprize, of course) seemed strangely worried/negative. John DeLancie has a million different running gigs with Disney and other groups outside of Star Trek, so he seemed relatively comfortable with himself. Dorn, made some comment about shooting himself in the head if he knew when he started that it would go for 11 years (7 STNG and 4 DSN). Wheaton seemed amused that people came to his book-reading... I must say, I was pleasantly surprized with the exerpts from his new book about being a geek.

Anyway,, I did not approach the tables, a couple of times, because there were so many people present and Joe (GTA's brother) had not seen everything yet. After a horrible Cabaret-musical bit by Masterson, I stumbled back to the tables just as Brent Spiner was getting up. His publicist was busy and everyone was clearing out, but I was going to congratulate him with a simple message, "Save Enterprize, please!" But, that would not be delivered. As I approached, he said, "Oh, I'm done shaking hands. They are Pureed by now." as he backed away from me like I had the freaking plague.

But then he froze and took a good look at my shirt, (probably thinking, "crap, I've just offended a fan") and responded, "oh, heh!, it's a 'Weird Al' shirt, I know him and think he is very funny." as he nervously backed out the door with a quick wave to Masterson, now that his publicist was on-the-ball. Message undelivered, hand unshaken...

Now, I realize actors are not the smartest people in the entertainment business (take Adam West for instance) besides producers. They don't write stories, they don't invent their character's traits really, they just "go to work" and follow the given script with great spirit, like a manufacturing technician... but still, I can't help but feel a slight blow-off. Anyway, wherever you are, Mr Spiner, follow your script, and please use your figure-head status to save 'Enterprize' from horrible crapitude.

Today's Attitude: [Addictiooooon!]

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is out!

Yes, GTA and I spent the better part of last night playing that aweful game. The cursing in the game is a bit more than 'III' or 'Vice City', and it is MUCH harder! We considered it a gift to ourselves for voting early... ugh!

Today's Attitude:
[Still Laughing, but with a hint of depression]

America, the Book: Funny as he##!

GTA and I stumbled down to Barnes&Nobles last night and picked up a copy of 'America, the Book' written by the 'Daily Show' crew from Jon Stewart's Comedy Central fake-news show.

WARNING!: Mild Spoilers below -------------
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The book, from the get-go, is obviously mocking public-school history textbook standards. It even has that stupid "This book belongs to" page, complete with "used by" sections, in the front cover. I can guarantee that nearly every fact and quote in the book is certainly wrong,, but that makes almost every word funny. You really have to know your history to catch all the funny stuff -- there were a couple that even took me a few seconds to get. Definitely a worth-while buy for a first-time read, or potential party entertainment... right down to Bill O'Reilly's favorite part - the naked supreme-court justices that you have to cut out clothes for tham and place them on the figures.

Anyone attempting to learn history from the book will gain nothing... and kids will NOT get any of it - like the witty humor in all of Jim Henson's work, behind the muppets... BUT, that doesn't matter. Thomas Jefferson writing to Comedy Central to help him hunt "FMILFs" (no, that wasn't misspelled) and then signing his name to the book, is just the icing.

So, like Team America, if you love historical sarchasm in the extreme, Jon Stewart Style, this book is definitely for you! So I leave you with one last quote from the back cover:

"I would certainly read this book if I were alive today, which, for all you geniouses out there, I am not." - Abraham Lincoln

Today's Attitude: [Laughing]

I saw 'Team America: World Police'... and it was good.

Over the weekend, GTA and I had the pleasure of catching a sneak preview of 'Team America: World Police'. Those of you who have watched "South Park" know that the creators love to p@ss everybody off, no matter what your point of view or racial/ethnic background. In "Bigger, Longer and Uncut - The SouthPark Movie", they made their intent extemely evident and they have done it again in this movie.

I laughed the ENTIRE time (All 90 minutes of it!) - I think there must have been a sum-total of five minutes when I didn't laugh. Even during the odd moments when they were attacking my own point of view, I was laughing my @ss off. The late 60's 'Thunderbirds are Go!'-style Marianettes were used - they get burned, shot, exploded, crushed, washed away, nuked and sexually molested with extreme prejudice. The sound track, alone, includes rediculous topics that keep you laughing even during pseudo-serious moments -- I WILL be buying Sound Track that by the way. Many of the puppets were also created with the mentality of "DC Follies", so many famous people get killed (as mentioned above), with extreme prejudice. I think the surprize ending will make everyone laugh -- and if you stay through the closing credits, THE LAST SONG IS A TREAT!

DO NOT LET CHILDREN WATCH THIS MOVIE! Like anything else created by these guys, you will easily screw up a child or young adult under the legal supervision of anyone else -- I've heard it is skirting an NC-17 rating. I've heard that in the regular release, they may remove it.

I recommend going to see it, but, as usual, be prepared to be offended. In the 'Making of "Team america"', the creators said that the movie was not really their point of view, necessarily. It is a representation, more of, how they felt about things going on in the world, and how silly the whole thing looked to them.

Good viewings! If you learn to laugh at your own views, I beleive you have the ability to learn more about them.