The Wenchs and Hunks always win. When will Good Triumph over Evil?

Still running back and forth from my work to my mom's flat to my place all in the name of a couple of cats. So once again I can fool around with the cool added benefits to using the toolbar on the blog creator function of this website that I don't get when I download this site on my home computer. I have no clue as to why yet.

Anyhow, I just got the preview version of the next issue of the free press paper that I do an article or two for and it looks pretty good. Still a bit of the "poor man's Onion" feel to it, though. But, I talked to my editor friend about my concern and he feels that I have a valid point. So maybe we'll see a little more originality in the August issue. The July issue has gone to print this week and should be plauging the streets very soon! Hey, I shouldn't gripe. Writting for that thing will be getting me into Summerfest free for a few dates. Comped!! Actually we plan to do a review of a show or two for the August issue. I'm going to see Styx and a band called Beatallica and possibly a few more. What constitutes me as a legitimate music crittic? Having a friend desperate to find fools who write for free.

On to the next subject. Last night was the premire for the reality show "Average Joe: Strikes Back" where they get a bunch of akward, yet sweet, kind and amusing oddballs (read: geeks) and try and hook them up with a beauty queen. Here's the rub. The beauty queen is lied to by producers that she will be linked up with a bunch of hunks and they try to cash in on her reaction when our heros (read: geeks) are revealed as her possible suiters. But wait, there's yet another kink in the amour that our producers have weasled up. After a day or two of the beauty getting to know our heros, the show is invaded by a bunch of "hunks" (read: egomanical, Brad Pitt wanabees who have all the respect, personality and IQ of a piece of homoginized swiss cheese.) Past seasons of the show have resulted in truly shallow behavior by both beauty and hunks. Last season a incredibly visually stunning swimsuit model, named Larissa, pitched a vulgar fit when she first met the heros (Biased? Me?), but then became all Nicey McNicerson when producers probably explained to her that #1. She signed a contract to do the show and #2. She's on camera for the whole world to see her shallow, stuck up behavior. In the end she picked one of the moronic hunks over the romantic and honest "average Joe". Vile and evil Larissa got what she truly wanted in the end, a good looking retard over a man that would have truly loved her. Hope she's happy.

This season there may be hope for our heros. This years beauty didn't seem to retch out as much hatred as the coldly intollerent Larissa did this season. It was a simple, "Well, these aren't the kind of guys I usually date, but I'll give it a whirl" type attitude that came out of her.

You may be telling yourself, "Jeeze, Zangz, this is quite an unhealthy obsession you have for a silly reality show, isn't it? Have you taken your meds today?"

As someone who always roots for the fellow underdog and who always idealisticly hopes that evil will triumph over good and has a slight vested interest in the outcome of the show, I say...

YES! Yes, I need some major, help. Somebody, get my ass to a sanitarium right now! Hey... do you smell oranges?

LARISSA, YOU COLD HEARTED WENCH!!! WHERE'S THE LOVE? WHERE IS THE LOVE?

Zangz out.

The Coming of BRUCE!

I know it's been a while, but I've been in cat/dog/house sitting mode for the last week. Now I'm mearly in cat sitting mode. First my sister and her husband are gone to Vegas and I stayed at their house, now my mom is in Greece and I'm stopping by her place daily to check up on her cats.

Once I'm done with all of this pet stuff, I'm taking the week of July 4th off. I'm going to hit Summerfest a few times in the upcomming weeks. Got some free passes through the free press paper I write for. I want to go check out Styx and a local group called Beatallica who mesh the music of both Metallica and The Beatles. They've caused a little controversy with their with thier old website by putting their songs to download on there. Sony music got all Corporately greedy on them and hit them with a cease and desist order since Sony owns a lot of The Beatles songs. Beleive it or not, Lars from Metallica called Beatallica up and gave them the thumbs up and totally supported them. Which kinda has me scratching my head since he was the one who brought down Napster and started a whole witch hunt against Metallica's own fans for downloading thier music. Sure, downloading is stealing, but do you really think you should dren where you eat and go after fans. I'm ramblin'.

In geek news, not a helluva lot is going on. I have a great idea for my next article for my friend's free press paper. The only things that worry me now about this whole hair brained project is that the paper is starting to try and be too much like The Onion. I think we need to differntiate from them. He needs to make this slightly more original. The other thing is that I have a feeling that he's starting to lean the paper more in a political slanted view. Again, we already have the both The Onion and The Shepard Express for that kind of stuff. Personaly, I'm not at all a big fan of politics! I'm not impressed with either the Right Wing or The Left Wing. I'm more moderate than anything so whenever I see any media slant one way or the other, I have to roll my eyes and go, "Here comes the propaganda machine. Get yourselves a shovel, 'cause you'll be diggin' yourselves out of the bull poop that they'll be throwin' at ya." Whether it be Rush Limbaugh or Michael Moore, they're both full of it.

Ok, let's get away from the political dren and get on with something a little more entertaining....

BRUCE CAMPBELL iscoming to town next month!!!!!! He's on a book signing tour for his new opus, "Make Love the Bruce Campbell Way". He's scheduled to hit Milwaukee July 28th at a bookstore not to far from my appartment!!! He's also going to have a screening of his new movie, "The Man with the Screaming Brain" I'm gunna need to get in on this!!!

On the subject of the undead movies, George Romero's "Land of the Dead" just hit theaters this past Friday and me and my buddy Roberto DelAmorte will have to find some time to go see it. Since Roberto and his lovley wife are expecting this October, we're not going to be doing much Haunted Housing this coming Halloween, and we got to get our spooky fix for the year somehow.

If you've noticed, I've decided to have Zangz's Blog of Geekdom become slightly more interactive. So I've added some funtions visitors to this blog can take advantage of like, sending my blogs via email to friends and family and others you would like to cheese off with completely mindless drivel AND you can now make nasty comments about my blog for all the world to view. Right now I have it set for everyone. But, if people start getting too nasty or vulgar or posting url's to porn sites (YANOFF!) I'll shut the whole lot of it down.

Well, the furballs are done with thier dinner and I gotta head home to use my own computer now. We'll talk.

Zangz.

P.S. The only reason I can post stuff here in different texts is because I'm using my mom's computer right now and for some reason my home computer doesn't have these text/posting images/bold/itallics stuff when I log on at home. Why? No clue. Script problems? Security settings? Any suggestions?

Blogless week...

Yep. I know this week has been a big void of Blogs here at my Blog of Geekdom, but I'm currently staying at my sister and brother in law's while they vacation in Vegas this week. I'm dog, cat, house and plant sitting over there. They have no computer.

It's actually a really good deal. I get to drink their beer, smoke some of my cigars out on their new patio and watch 150 more cable channels than I have. Hello, videogame channel!!! I'm enjoying oggling the cute girls they have on there.

So once my tenure of taking care of my sister's managerie is over, expect some more blogs to go up here.

Peace.
Zangz.

Now THAT'S a FRELLIN' Batman movie!!!!!

Just got back from the theater, kids, and boy oh boy, is Warner Bros. back in Bat-Action!!! After viewing the newest Batman movie in the franchine, "Batman: Begins", I must say, it's good to get back to some serious story telling in the Batman mythose!

After you see this, you'll forget that Joel Schumacher ever got his silly little hands on the franchise and you'll bask in the dark, bat-glory!!! Seriously, this movie turns the Batman story back in the right direction by starting with his origins. Gone are the over the top, goof-ball villains, the way to quick story lines, the cheesy fight scenes, and a celebritized cast of thousands.

Speaking of which, this cast is filled with great actors, NOT just celebrities of the moment as in some of the last few Batman films (Well, that's not exactally true. There was one celeb of the moment who is now the official property of The Church of Scientology, but more on that a bit later). Pretty much everyone held their own and most were excellent. Gary Oldman was excellent as Detective Sargent Jim Gordon who ends up being Batman's confidante within the Gotham Police Department. Morgan Freeman as Lucious Fox, Bruce Wayne's business partner, is an enjoyable asset to the cast. Rutgar Hauer plays a real good typical greedy corporate leader. Liam Neeson is the mysterious Ducard who teaches Bruce Wayne the finer points of combat through darkness. Then there's Katie Holmes who's more than pleasing on the eyes, yet she still looks to be too young to fill the shoes of an assistant DA and didn't veer off the path of the stereotypical damsel in distress at all. Perhaps she's putting all of her acting talent into her out of this world romance with Tom Cruise. Honestly, this film was so good, it didn't need any of the publicity brought on by their in-you-face engagement on the Iffle Tower.

Christain Bale carries the weight of being Batman quite well! He does a darn fine job of exploring Bruce Wayne's new role as the Gotham City's Dark Knight. He adds just the right amount of brooding, humor and brutality to the role.

Having at one time been a avid reader of the Batman comics, I have to say that the writers of the movie did an excellent job of putting little hints of the Batman world into the movie! I mean they even put Zaz in this friggin' thing! Zaz!!! One of the much smaller villains in the Batman comics. There's even a scene where we get a brief glimps into the family life of Det. Gordon where he and his wife are at the dinner table with their new born crying as she's being fed. We bat-fans all know who that baby will be one day!

Gripes? I guess I'd have to say that Gotham City wasn't gothic enough for my taste. One thing I loved about "Batman" and "Batman: Returns" was all the gargoyls and odd statues that looked over the victorian city. This new Gotham is realitivly modern in looks outside of the funky train system. It could have easily been Metropolis.

Another great thing about this movie is David S. Goyer's involvement. I love this guy! I loved it when he directed "The Crow" and when he did "Dark City", two of my favorite movies! I'm glad WB handed him the Batman project. It more than made up for that whole Schumacher debacle (Hey! That's the second time I used the word "DEBACLE" within a week on the blogs! Coincedence? Nope. Just lack of vocabulary). Goyer puts an actual plot and story into this movie. Something the Bat-films have been missing for a long, long time. GOYER ROCKS!!!

Oh yea! There's also a pretty cool little plot twist within the movie that caught me off guard! AND the Batmobile was frellin' kick a$$!!! In the previews I thought it was going to be a big tank-like thing, but it came off as one nasty machine. Very cool!

Yes, Carlo! Craig will ove this movie, if he hasn't seen it a dozen times already!!!!!

I'm going to sit back and have a bat-beer on my bat-couch.
See ya, fellow crime fighters!

Zangz.

Here's a quickie....

I'm meeting some friends for dinner tonight, so I gotta make this quick and painless.

Thursday night I made another trip over to the nearby comic shop and picked up a trade paperback of some issues of one of my old favorite comics, "John Constintine: Hellblazer". Keep in mind that this comic has VERY LITTLE to do with the Keanu Reeves movie that it is very loosley based on. John Constintine (or JC as he'll be henced called within this particular blog post) is not a Los Angeles paranormal detective who runs around hunting evil spirits with a golden machine gun that is in the shape of a cross. He is a witty, troubled Englishman with a strong penchant for cigarettes, ale, trenchcoats and women (in that order). He also happens to be a modern day mage who has a couple drops of demon blood coursing through his veins who supposedly looks like a slightly younger Sting (back when he was a punk, before he went all yoga-rainforest boy on everyone).

This character and comic have been around for almost 20 years now (late 80's, I think). Hellblazer reached its pinnicle when Garth Enis took over the writing on it. That lasted quite a few years. When he left it took a turn for the worse. Instead of it being about a tortured man who had to deal with the darker side of the occult, JC was suddenly hanging out with faries and the ghost of Robin Hood. Whoever took over the comic wanted it to be more like Neil Gainmen's Sandman. That's when I lost interest. Now that they have had a few new writers since the whole Robin Hood debacle, I'm going to try and catch up to the story line with the compiled stories in trade paperback form.

So far so good with the current JC. Let's hope no fop-writter comes along agian.

After my comic shop visit, where I was a good boy and bought only one comic, I went down to a cigar shop and was a very bad boy, swiping up about 10 Cuba Libes during a "get 3, get 1 free" special. Smoked up one just last night. Ahhhhh..... good times.

Gotta go eat, drink, be merry. See ya!
Zangz.

Is HTML a language like san scrit?

I've just put nearly 5 hours worth of the band Fear Factory into my computer. Fear Factory meld all out thrash metal with the sounds of both techno and industrial music. They're a very cool band who I've been into for a good ten years now after I saw them live opening for Iron Maiden at a local concert club. Very powerful, yet also harmonic. If you need your ears to bleed, check them out.

I've been traversing the web recently, trying to play the search engine game with the term "geeks". Since I consider myself to be one, I try and find websites run by like-minded individuals. Sadly, I'm coming up with a lot of sites for strictly "computer geeks". Though I consider myself a geek through a lot of my interest levels (Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, video games, etc.), I'm not that gifted in the inerworkings of computers. Sure, I can get around a PC and manage folders like nobody's business, but when it comes to DOS Prompts, HTML, writing code and the rest of the computer science world, I'm quite a dullard.

Subjects like science and math were always troublesome subjects for me in school. When the teacher of my geometry class, which I was failing horribly, told us that if we liked the geometry class we would LOVE the high school's computer class, I made sure not to enroll. This was back in the day of Amiga computers with the small black and green screens and everything had to be operated by DOS promts.

Once computers had operating systems installed on them and became user friendly to the rest of us, I started enjoying them. But, I have no clue as to how the flippin' work or how to manipulate the innerworkings of one. And I really don't know if dropping 4K to take a bunch of accelerated courses I'd surley not be able to keep up with is in my imeadiate future.

Now that I'm WAY off topic here, I might as well continue that tradition. Is anyone else not shocked that Michael Jackson got off scott free? C'mon, haven't you figgured out the formula yet... Big Celeb + Crime Committed + Big Money + Big Lawyers = Not Guilty. And how about that sickening Tom Cruise / Katie Holmes, Scientology love fest. Blech, get a room with the aliens already, would ya!

I'm getting all grumpy. Better get off the net.

Zangz

The Randomness Blog.....

Today I submitted another article to my friend, the editor of that free press sheet he's got cooking. Let's hope he doesn't frell around too much with it this time around.

I was thinking a lot about the fall season today. I don't know why, but I was yearning for the fall colors and that slight bite in the air. It's a perfectly nice day out also. I don't know what's up with that.

Sorry this blog isn't that funny. But, I puked out all of my funny in the article I wrote earlier this evening.

This is a very random and sporadic blog tonight, isn't it? I'm tired and there's not a lot to focus on right now. I guess I feel guilty about not keeping up with a more consistent blog. I know that's what's tearing this country apart. Not the polarization, hatemongering and propaganda that our two main political groups are spewing at eachother. It's that fact that some thirtysomething dork in the midwest who's using this blog as a pathetic cry for attention isn't coming up with more scenarios about getting his hands on the 12" General Greivous action figure.

Onward and forward...

Ya know, the main newspaper here in town has a real dingleberry of a film critic! As soon as some long, boring, foriegn, drama filmed in black and white comes to town, the guy gushes all over it and gives it like 4 or 5 stars. I'm talking the kind of movie that only the people who think they are intellectually elite pretend to enjoy. Then he goes and gives Ep.III 2 and 1/2 stars!

What souless corpse of a human being gives Ep.III a measly 2 and 1/2 stars and some steaming peice of subtiteled dren 4 stars?!?!?! Are all critics required to smoke crack before watching movie screenings? Are they not getting enough "fun time" in the bedrooms? Are they all born with a cranky gene in their biological make up?

I'll tell ya, the only movie reviews I put a shred of faith into are from a guy named Harry Knowles at www.aintitcool.com. It's a site that's been on the web for at least a decade now and it is run by a tubby, red headed kid from Austin who loves the hell out of movies! The reviews on the site are more from a fanboy's point of you than from a decrepid, snotty critic. Although I can't say I agree with everything he writes, he's pretty good about writting his reviews for true genre movie fans.

Well, I'm getting my butt into bed.
Zangz.

They're just your average, drop dead beauty next door....

I think it's pretty obvious by now that this certainly isn't going to be a daily shtick here at my Blog of Geekedom. Sorry about that. But, I think you can all deal with it pretty well. So just pop in from time to time and see what's new.

After the release of Ep.III there hasn't been anything really that geekish that has happened or that is coming up too soon that I can get really that excited about. I guess writting for my friend's free press paper is kind of exciting, even though he kind of changes and slightly butchers what I write into his own words. The new "Batman: Begins" movie is coming out real soon staring newly inducted Scientologist, Katie Holmes. I can't get insanley hyped up to see it, though. It should be a good thrill ride, but it won't be no Ep.III. I'm also being real good about the new comic book shop that opened close by. I'm waiting until the next payment period on my credit card goes by. So again, not much in the geek world going on with me.

Although, I do have something pretty pethetic to get on a bit of a soapbox about. It's been rotting around in my brain for a bit now and I think I'll spew it out and make myself a target for riddicule. Justferdahellovit....

Not too long ago I saw a couple of interviews with some television actresses. One young, cute actress was at a comicbook convention hyping up her horror based TV show. When asked about the fans she exclaimed something to the effect of "I love these guys! These are MY people!" the other actress, who stars in a major network primetime show, was stated in her "100 Hottest Women" interview that, "I like to hang around with the geeky people. They seem to be more down to earth about things."

If you know me, you can see where this is going, can't you! Who are these broads trying to kid? Could you ever see a beautiful actress/model with a real, authentic geek? Here's the deal, actress #1 who made the "MY people" statement is living with her boyfriend who is an heir to some sort of cosmetics fortune and he hasn't had to lift a finger to do a speck of work his whole life. Actress #2 was married to a popular 80's actor and has since dated members of Motley Crue and the like. Do you think either of these two would really give a airial intercourse on a rolling pastrie about us geeks???? Do I have to answer that?????.................................................. (bewildered silence from blog visitors).

Evidently I do! The answer is a firm "NO!" These women would rather snort someone's regergated brocolli then let alone look in our direction. I guess I'm just tired of celebrities trying to pass themselves off as "just the person next door".

Well, that rant must be worth at least one good chucle from someone who isn't calling the loony bin on me.

Until next time, PEEEEACE!
Zangz

For the love of stoogies...

This weekend was wonderful! Not only was it sunny and warm, but it was the first of the local festivals that are permeate the summer around here. I went to a thing called Riversplash last night. They close off a couple of major streets in the downtown area along the Milwaukee river and have stages where bands play and and beer flow freely.

Last night was also the inaugural induction to the Zangz's cigar season! I'm not a big smoker. I don't smoke cigarttes, but during the summer I do hafta puff on an occasional cigar. A nice summer evening with a cigar, a beer and beautiful sunset is headonism at it's most decadent for me. My favorite cigar shop is currently changing owners and is in a state of limbo. I had to go to another shop that, I'm guessing by the pictures on the wall of the store is owned and managed by a guy who was in an old 80's hair band that hit the Sunset Strip called Juliet. Not the most mascaline name for a hard rock band. But, back in the day, for some odd reason, the women would chase after the guys who looked like drunken drag queens. Go figure.

Well, that free press rag that I'm sorta writting for is hitting the streets as I right this. Supposedly the editor saw someone on the East side reading and laughing at it. Now I'm not sure if this was a "God, this is funny stuff" laugh or a "God, this is pure crappolla!" laugh. My optomistic editor thinks it was the former. I just hope he doesn't butcher my next article as he did my last article.

I could use a cigar right about now.

Zangz.

Guess I'll go eat worms...

Ever have one of those days that just sucked the life outta ya? I'm not talking about stressing out or things not going well at work. I'm talking about putting yourself in a state of self loathing and low self worth. I'm having one of those days today. Actually I've been having one of those couple of weeks. Perhaps it's coming down off of the whole Ep.III high. At least it's good to know that there's always friends that care about you, right? ...um, right? Hello..lo..lo..lo Anybody there...ere...ere..ere... Echo...o...o...o...o... Well, maybe they're all out to lunch. Actaully I've been a bit of a hermit lately and I think that may have cheesed off a few of them. Gunna hafta get back on track and call some people up.

Ok, let me pull up my boot straps and get on with nicer things!

Hey! They're re-running "Lost" on ABC at 9pm on Wednesday nights. It just started last night so if you haven't caught this well written show you HAVE to see it. Every episode leaves you drooling for more.

There's already pretty big hype for the next Xbox that will be hitting shelves this holiday season. The Xbox 360 will boast tons of power, better graphics, cordless controlers and a easily upgradable hard drive. But, the only reason that I would think about grabbing one is the fact that the next Elder Scrolls game, Oblivion, is coming out for it. I don't think I have yet to rave about it's predecessor, Morrowind on my blog yet. In a nutshell, it is the largest, most open ended, free form, visually stunning role playing video game to grace the Xbox system! It is so huge and robust, that it took me a total of 8 months to complete 3/4 of the game and explore the entire world (I still haven't done all of the 1000 side quests yet). It's the best of immearsive RPG's out there!!! Oblivion is supposed to go way beyond the graphics that Morrowind had and a better fighting system. Yet, I've heard rumors that the world is not quite as big as Morrowind which would be a dissapointment since one of the best things I found about Morrowind was how insanely huge the world was.

Well, now I'm feeling better. Talking about video games is my own personal Xanax.

Later
Zangz.