Year: 2007

  • The good, the bad, and the boring

    So, the Colts won. But let’s talk about something more important — the commercials.

    I have to say I was underwhelmed this year. Most of the commercials seemed pretty average. But here are my picks for the best and worst:

    Best: The poor, mud-covered dog who finally gets to ride on the Budweiser Clydesdale wagon. I’m a sucker for animals. Loved it.

    Best: The auctioneer who did the wedding ceremony in about ten seconds. If you’ve ever been to a wedding that dragged on and on, you had to appreciate that one.

    Best: The assembly line robot who had a horrible dream that he got fired and had to find another job. Very clever and funny.

    Worst: The Doritos commercials. There was one were a guy in the car was distracted by the woman, and another one where a cashier starts flirting with a guy who has bought every flavor of Doritos imaginable. Weird and gross.

    Worst: The one for the map system where the map turned into a giant robot that was going to destroy the world, until the guy morphed into some kind of superhero. That was a total Power Rangers rip-off.

    Worst: The Snickers commercial where the two mechanics do a “Lady and the Tramp” and both chew on the candy bar until they kiss. Yuck.

    What about you? Which commercials did you like? Inquiring minds want to  know …

  • My Super Bowl prediction …

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    Colts 28, Bears 21.

    That’s what I think will happen on Sunday. Not that I particularly care one way or the other. They’re not my teams. I’m mainly tuning in for the commercials this year. C’mon Budweiser Clydesdales. Do something clever this year.

    What about you? Do you care who wins? Inquiring minds want to know …

  • Thinking with pictures …

    A visual dictionary? This is too cool for words. :cool: 

    It sort of reminds me of how I think — namely the fact that I go off on wild tangents, especially when writing or verbally sparring with my significant other (who, incidentally, sent me this link). Somehow, we started talking about string theory the other day, despite the fact that neither one of us knew exactly what it was. (It’s something about how particles are string-like instead of one-dimensional points).

    And this dictionary makes me think about all those brainstorming exercises we use to do back in school. Think of a word. Think of a word related to that word. Think of another word … Somehow, I could always go from blue to asparagus in three easy steps. Weird, I know. But that’s how I roll.

    What about you? Do you like tangents in your stories? Or prefer straight lines and plots? Inquiring minds want to know …

  • My Viking name is …

    Jódís Sheepflattener

    (Well, actually, that wouldn’t really be your name — since you’re female, your name would be something like “Jódís Björnsdottir”. But this is the twenty-first century, and you want to be known for who you are, not for who your father was, right? Right.)

    Your Viking Personality: The tougher Vikings might let you on the boat, but generally only when they need ballast. You have a thirst for battle — unfortunately, you’re not terribly good at it. You’re not a very fearsome fighter; in fact, you’d probably bleed to death if a sword hit your shadow. (True, so true!)

    You would have a very tough time making a long sea voyage in a Viking longboat. Vikings make fun of you all the time. Not always behind your back, either.

    You have a fairly pragmatic attitude towards life, and tend not to expend effort in areas where it would be wasted. Other people tend to think of you as manipulative and conniving.

    Oh my. Want to know what your Viking name is? Take the quiz.

  • ·

    From He-Man to Lois Lane …

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    Meljean Brook has a cool blog post about He-Man up today. I loved this show and its companion piece, She-Ra, when I was a kid. Meljean talks about why Teela can never figure out that Prince Adam and He-Man are really one and the same. It’s funny stuff. Check it out.

    Many of her points can be related to various comic-book heroines and one in particular — Lois Lane. Good ole Lois might be one of the world’s foremost investigative reporters, but for some reason, she just can’t figure out that Clark Kent is really Superman. C’mon Lois, are you blind? Why are you letting that little pair of glasses throw you off? I know Superman is supposed to have “superhypnotism” to keep people from guessing his real identity, but woman up and get to the bottom of things.

    This is one thing that frustrates me about comics, and partly why I wrote Karma Girl. I was tired of seeing the hero’s secret identity strung out forever. It just becomes ridiculous after a while. Like on Smallville. The only people who don’t know Clark’s secret are Lois, Lana, and Lex. Everyone else from Mama Kent to Chloe to freaking Lionel Luther knows. And, of course, the guest star of the week figures it out too. But never Lois, Lana, or Lex. Argh! Get a clue people!

    Okay, that’s my rant for the day. What about you? Do you like the whole secret-identity thing? It is believable? Overused? Inquiring minds want to know …Â