Actress, Cloris Leachman, has been hospitalized for pneumonia.
Leachman is an Oscar-winner and eight-time Emmy recipient. Best known for her comedic roles, she has appeared in such classics as Young Frankenstein and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Cloris Leachman became the oldest contestant ever to compete on the reality show, Dancing with the Stars, at age 82.
Earlier this year, actor and comedian, Bernie Mac, died from pneumonia after being hospitalized for a short time.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Cloris Leachman Hospitalized
Snapbomb!
Regular readers know The Rundown - and all of The Weirding blogs - are paid for by sponsors, not visitors. We obviously have banner advertisements and post about upcoming and ongoing sales from our sponsors and the like, but we also do blog advertising in the form of sponsored posts. We have taken heat for it - especially from Google - but the truth is that, without these opportunities, I could not afford to spend the amount of time I do here and elsewhere, bringing you quality content on all the many subjects I like to cover. I would have no choice but to charge for access!
But the truth is some of these blog marketing networks and opportunities are pretty shady, which is what makes finding a quality network like Snapbomb so great. Unlike some networks, Snapbomb wants you to help create buzz for the products, services, and advertisers they feature - not "juice" sites with incoming links. Even better, Snapbomb bases your price and the amount of work you get on factors other than Google PR! Specifically, they have a unique system of advertiser feedback which helps determine how much your work is worth.
Plus, they have great information on writing better blog posts, as well as on how to develop a successful blog marketing campaign. Whether you are a blogger or advertiser, Snapbomb provides you with guidance to maximize your return!
A truly great blog marketing service of which The Weirding is proud to be a part!
The New Star Trek Trailer
The latest (second) trailer from the upcoming Star Trek movie is available online. I would embed it as usual, but you will have to go to the official site to view this one. It keeps asking me install the latest QuickTime and I don't wanna. I have enough junk on this box already!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Marvel Comics Shipping 11-19-08
Here we go, Nerds - your official list of Marvel Comics hitting newsstands and shelves this Wednesday, November 19th, 2008:
Comics On Sale:
AVENGERS/INVADERS #6
AVENGERS/INVADERS #6 COIPEL VARIANT
DEADPOOL #3 MEDINA 2ND PRINTING VARIANT (SI)
DEADPOOL #4
ENDER'S GAME: BATTLE SCHOOL #2
FANTASTIC FOUR #561
FANTASTIC FOUR #561 MONKEY VARIANT
FOOLKILLER: WHITE ANGELS #5
GHOST RIDER #29
IRON MAN: DIRECTOR OF S.H.I.E.L.D. #35 (SI)
KABUKI REFLECTIONS #11
MARVEL ADVENTURES THE AVENGERS #30
MARVEL ADVENTURES TWO-IN-ONE #17
MARVEL ILLUSTRATED: THE THREE MUSKETEERS #6
MOON KNIGHT #24
PUNISHER MAX #64
PUNISHER POSTER BOOK
PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #25 (SI)
SOLEIL: SAMURAI - LEGEND #3
SQUADRON SUPREME #5
THE AGE OF THE SENTRY #3
THE AGE OF THE SENTRY #3 BUSCEMA VARIANT
THUNDERBOLTS #126
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #58
UNCANNY X-MEN #504 (MD)
X-FACTOR #37
X-MEN: LEGACY #218
X-MEN: WORLDS APART #2
YOUNG X-MEN 8 (MD)
Collections On Sale:
DIGITAL COMIC BOOK ARCHIVES: HULK VOL. #1
DIGITAL COMIC BOOK ARCHIVES: IRON MAN VOL. #1
ESSENTIAL MARVEL SAGA VOL. 2 TPB
MARVEL ADVENTURES FANTASTIC FOUR: SPACED CRUSADERS DIGEST
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN VOL. 5 HC
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN VOL. 5 HC (VARIANT)
SPIDER-MAN: KRAVEN'S FIRST HUNT PREMIERE HC
ULTIMATE HULK VS. IRON MAN: ULTIMATE HUMAN TPB
YOUNG X-MEN VOL. 1: FINAL GENESIS TPB
*MD= X-Men: Manifest Destiny tie-in
*SI = Secret Invasion tie-in
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Celebrities What Look Like Me
These really are the dudes the program chose - I had nothing to do with it... aside from being born gorgeous. MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Technical Talk
I have those reviews I want to do, but I am having issues with the computer due to slaving my XP drive. I would just unplug it and go on with work, but I'm having issues with permission, which is preventing me from simply copying the information I need off that drive onto the new one.
I have been working around everything all week long and I'm finally over it because it's costing me money. So I'm going to spend the rest of the day figuring it out. If you don't hear from me until tomorrow, this is why.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Allegro
There are certain injuries and medical issues which make it hard for those who are suffering them to get around. Trust me - I have one. Degenerative Disc Disease makes it very hard for me to even get off the couch some days! There are entire weeks where I barely manage to have more than 2-3 "good" days - work goes unfinished, chores do not get done, on and on.
When I was in highschool, a friend broke her collarbone and she told everyone how painful it was. But she did not want to wear one of those cervical collars because she did not want to have everyone talking about her, etc. She was in a play with me and I had to "fall" on her back at one point and forgot about her injury. Needless to say, she got hurt, I felt awful, and she missed the next day at school. Granted, it was her decision not to wear the thing, but it still made me feel bad.
She got one after that, but had to drive all the way to another town to find it at a medical supply store. That was before Allegro Medical. With over 55,000 products, they are certain to have whatever it is you need. Just follow the link for more information.
Wanda Sykes Announces She is Gay
Comedienne, Wanda Sykes, announced she is "proud to be gay." She said the passing of Proposition 8, opposing gay marriage in California, led her to be more outspoken about her sexual preference. She surprised a gay rights rally in Las Vegas with her appearance and announcement.
"I was just living my life, not necessarily in the closet, but I was living my life. Everybody that knows me personally they know I'm gay. But that's the way people should be able to live their lives," Sykes told the rally, adding that Prop 8 made her feel "attacked."
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Al Sharpton: Go to Jail
The federal government has discovered "Reverend" Al Sharpton - bigot, hatemongerer, demagogue, and separatist - owes them a little money for all the "donations" he's been receiving over the years... to the tune of about $1/2 million!
Sharpton apparently took illegal campaign contributions and donations, as well as participated in other "financial improprieties," during his 2004 Presidential campaign. He received $100k matching money for the run, which authorities later claimed he did not deserve as he broke campaign rules. Sharpton has been contesting their conclusion for years now.
Auditors believe Sharpton owes over $480,000.00.
Of course, Al Sharpton plans to appeal. In a statement, his spokesperson called the audit, "a gross violation of Reverend Al Sharpton's right[s]..."
This past summer, federal authorities failed to pursue prosecution for unpaid taxes. They did, however, get a $930k lien against the Reverend. State authorities claim he owes them at least as much. And the National Action Network - the organization at the center of the campaign funding debacle, coincidentally run by none other than one Rev. Al Sharpton - owes the IRS $1.9 million.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Sears Now Has Layaway!
Well, well, well - what do you know? We had been discussing how a certain company was the only national sales chain to offer layaway when we learned something that is sure to excite all you Christmas shoppers - especially those of you who (like me) have less-than-stellar credit:
Sears Layaway is back!
You read that right: Sears once again has layaway. And it is not just good for Christmas (though it is only good for the holiday season) - get those kitchen needs, craftsman needs, those new clothes you have been needing but kept putting-off because you had no idea what gas was going to cost tomorrow. I already know what I need (and also already know I will have to put it all on layaway in order to get it), as well as what I want to get some friends and family.
I need a hot glue gun (Sears has a great kit for only $9.99 - with sticks!) for about 123094097 things around the house, as well as some nifty crafts projects and simple repairs. I have a friend whose stove is all messed-up and she doesn't have the money to fix it, so I want to get her an electric skillet (and they have them starting at just over $20!). Finally, since my little brother is always giving me his old sweaters, I want to get him a new one - and you know Sears has those.
There are a few other things I plan to get for family and friends, and I'm sure Sears carries those as well, but if we're being honest (and why not?), I'm waiting to see if those friends and family buy me anything first. Unfortunately, layaway may no longer be available then, so they will be out of luck. That's why it pays to be trustworthy. And also always to give me presents.
Merry Christmas.
The Weirding TOS
Is anyone hitting The Rundown while trying to access The Weirding Terms of Service (TOS)? If so, please let me know.
For no reason I can fathom, hits for The Weirding TOS (actually located on The Wording) keep showing-up in my stats here. I have manually gone through and tested all the TOS links - which should be unnecessary because I use a template, so all the headers and footers and placement is the same on every page - and have never ended up here, so I'm pretty sure it's some funky... funk - technical glitch - of some kind, but I don't get it.
Please leave a comment if you end up here for some reason (while trying to get to the TOS, I mean).
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Here Kiddy, Kiddy: Michael Jackson Loses Neverland Ranch
Though Michael Jackson vowed to keep Neverland Ranch, he signed the property over to the Sycamore Valley Ranch Company earlier this week.
Jackson, now 50, has not lived in the Ranch since 2005, when he was acquitted of child molestation. The company refinanced the property for Jackson in 2006, a week before it was set to be auctioned-off. The sprawling zoo on Neverland Ranch was closed that year due to the artist's inability to maintain staff or insurance.
Sycamore Valley Ranch Company has not reported on its plans for Neverland Ranch, named after the island in Peter Pan.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
New Shadow Recordings Found
New episodes of The Shadow radio program were discovered and are now on CD (The Shadow Knight of Darkness). The episodes star Orson Welles as title character, Lamont Cranston (aka, The Shadow). The episodes, The Old People and The Trumpet of Death, have been lost for years.
The Shadow began as the narrator for Detective Story Hour before becoming a star in his own right. His popularity led to his own radio show and pulp magazine. The character later appeared in a series of comic strips and books. Smith & Street - on whose Detective Story Hour program the character first appeared - published 101 issues in the series from 1940-49. DC Comics has picked-up the character in recent years and he has even appeared alongside Batman in his titles.
The Shadow is now a firmly-established American icon. His tagline, ""Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows..." has become an American idiom, often referenced in pop-culture.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Why I Should Write Moon Knight
Why should I write Moon Knight? Well, there are at least a dozen reasons and I'm about to run them down in a ranty, roundabout manner, but first and foremost is because I actually get the character. And neither writer working on the new series does.
I hate to say things like that - I hate to sound overly critical and I hate to be critical in the way that insults or offends those I am criticizing - but it is what it is. One of them was a downright awful writer - just plain bad - and the other, while not exactly bad, just does not get the character. I'll leave it up to you to decide which is which, but there it is.
Of course, there is a caveat to this - and it is the very caveat which will likely ensure I never write Moon Knight - and that is that Moon Knight is a property. Above and beyond anything else - character, story, plot, development, continuity - Moon Knight is a property. I know how much beginning and hopeful creators hate to hear that - and believe you me, every single one of us who has ever even had a brush with this industry did, too - but once again, it is what it is. Pretty much everyone who has, or wants to, work in the industry said the same thing you are saying to yourself right now: "When I do it, I'm not going to let them tell me I have to treat it like a property. When I do it, I'm gonna do it like this and I'm gonna do that, and..."
It does not work that way. Yes, the system sucks; yes, it is an impedance to Art; yes, it results in mediocrity; no, it is not likely to change anytime soon.
So we have to temper what I'm saying with this knowledge. After all, the guy who sucks might not actually be a bad writer - this was just a bad fit for him - he couldn't get into the project or he was constantly being edited out of it or something. Actually, that goes for both of them. When all is said and done, Moon Knight is a property and the creators working on the title are limited as to what they can do with it. These limitations can kill a project - in fact, they nearly always do - but no one on the business side of things minds because if the project sells, they make money and if it doesn't, they write it off (and still make money). We can get into all of that some other time, but - yet again - it is what it is.
So why should I write Moon Knight?
The short answer is: you couldn't do any worse.
Ready for the long one?:
I may have told you my Daredevil story - the one where I first discovered comic books? The Moon Knight story is almost the same, just a different vacation: I was with my great-grandparents and we had been driving for a while. We stopped at a convenience store and I bought a pack of three comic books. Moon Knight was one of those. It was a self-contained story about a golem (well, inspired by the Jewish legend of the golem, at any rate) - simply a fantastic, well-written tale and the best introduction to Moon Knight anyone could ask for - unfettered by continuity, history, backstory, etc.
When I got into collecting hardcore, it was many years before I could afford it, but I eventually bought the entire run. Moon Knight has come and gone many times over and has never been one of the uber-popular characters, so it is not an incredible feat. The truth is that it is a mediocre series; like most, it has several bright spots - and when Moon Knight is good, it is flat brilliant - but overall, it is mediocre. And that makes no sense to me, because Moon Knight has the capacity to be one of the coolest characters in the Marvel Universe.
Here's what it is: most people think Moon Knight is Marvel's Batman - not Marvel's "answer" to Bats, but a total rip-off - and that is simply not true. Not one writer yet has ever truly brought Moon Knight to life. His history is a tangled mess and his personality has changed and shifted so many times that I understand why so few have ever gotten into the guy. Who is Moon Knight, after all?
And this is why I should write Moon Knight: because I alone know.
Sound pompous? It really isn't. I alone get it because the character and title have both been rebooted no fewer than three times and none of them have worked because no one gets Moon Knight as a character. And I truly believe I do.
That single, introductory story hit me as a child and I never forgot it. It was so strong that, many years later, I bought every issue I could find and began collecting the series. I can honestly say after reading that single comic book - that one issue - I believe I know Moon Knight as a superhero character better than just about any other, even though I know more about several others. Plus, it's my genre - he's my kinda superhero (well, he was - I do not like this "new" incarnation of him).
And that's why I should write Moon Knight. Because Moon Knight, like so many other comics these days, is lacking one thing and one thing only: heart.
It's just a property, but if Marvel ever wants to make it a hot one (instead of a write-off)... you know. I'm available.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Public Health Forums
There are many great things about the Web, but arguably of the greatest is the dissemination ad retrieval of information. And when it comes to health, you can never have too much!
Public Health Forums is a health-related site where you can find all sorts of information on all sorts of health issues. They have general information, as well as reviews for products such as ZetaClear. (ZetaClear is a nail fungus removal product.) This is not just another "here's a review for a product, now buy it" site; their forums and information centers cover a wide array of diverse health-related topics.
While ZetaClear Reviews are featured, there are also areas related to hemorrhoids, colon cancer, kidney disease, and much more. So do yourself a favor and check out what they have to offer, then bookmark it for later, as they are always adding new information!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Search
Popular Content
Sponsors
Archives
Blogroll
MyTrybe Taste Widget