Archive for August, 2006

The Deal

Friday, August 25th, 2006

Lars and the Real Girl movie download

I’m not one to loudly swoon about Verizon. Their DSL and wireless services are fine, while their phone plans leave much to be desired. While their support is good, they do like to hit you with fee swapping, even it’s only about a buck a month.

Anyway.

What I will say about Verizon is I absolutely love their TV spot titled “The Deal.”

This might be my favorite commercial ever. It runs on our in-house loop at work constantly, and still shows up occasionally on a TV network near you. The description, from AdWeek:

A man approaches some shady-looking characters in the middle of nowhere. The main goon says, “I told you to come alone.” The man says he did, and that those behind him are his network, in case he might need to make a call. Hysterically, the goon shifts gears and asks him if he gets service “out here,”,which he finds “amazing” because he’s “always doing business out here, and I gotta tell you, it’s a crapshoot.” The goon then asks the network if they “work down by the docks.”

This is the perfect commercial. The script is tight, to the point, and entertaining, and the casting is dead-on; the meek Vzw customer, the “main goon” with his blond locks and facial hair accenting a crisp line delivery, and the Asian muscle standing next to him as if he were a super villian’s enforcer. Even the wardrobe works, with the snugly fit leather jacket and umbrella adding an aire of intrigue to the goon.

Not only genius in design, but in execution.

Beowulf & Grendel movie download

SO WHY ISN’T IT ON YOUTUBE ALREADY?!?!

I Want Dave Veres

Tuesday, August 22nd, 2006

I think the STL Today forums crashed because everyone was trying to bitch about how much Jason Isringhausen sucks. They would be correct.

Everything Pujols does, Isringhausen undoes. He isn’t still on the Mets payroll, right?

Spice World movie

The Air Up There movie

Right?

Salute the Dancing Hot Dog

Wednesday, August 16th, 2006

Frankenhooker download Serenity trailer
Nailed psp

Fat Albert release Emily and I saw Cars three times. Once opening night in O’Fallon, again the next night in Hillsboro, and about a month ago at the Sky View Drive In in Litchfield download The Caveman’s Valentine . The Girl was delighted that they still air their classic concession stand promo, even as admission has doubled from $1 to $2 (although you now get a double feature rather than just one picture.)

KETC aired a drive in documentary the other night, and part of their segment on concessions got me thinking about that promo. The original plan was to take in a camcorder to record the video for future generations, but after watching the docu I decided to scour the Internet, or specifically You Tube. While you can’t save the videos from that website, a link on the page leads you to the entire 10:00 video that is of course saved to my hard drive, and will be watched by yours truly way too much. Classic stuff there.

Root Beer Should Be Carbonated

Wednesday, August 16th, 2006

Nailed dvdrip

Hummingbird
A hummingbird outside the north window of the Marten kitchen, Waggoner, Illinois.

Fat Albert move

Serenity dvd

Tuesday was the Illinois State Fair. That is, all this week (and part of last week) was the Illinois State Fair, but I was only there on Tuesday, so that’s all that counts. The Girl and I checked out the Butter Cow, toured Conservation World My Stepmother Is an Alien , sampled pork patties, kettle corn, homemade ice cream, lemon and orange shake ups Message in a Bottle full movie and some horrible homemade root beer (“cheapest drink at the fair”; the worst, too) and listened to Attorney General Lisa Madigan speak during Agriculture Day. Fun, fun, fun. Pictures at Flickr (or Facebook for those who can.)

Searching Through Furniture for the Restrooms

Sunday, August 13th, 2006

Working all day, everyday for four straight days (and then half of the next day) wears one out as well as keeps one from updating one’s website. One is back, though, and has Tuesday off to attend the Illinois State Fair, home of the butter cow and Rod Blagojevich. Which of these two has the higher functioning brain I do not know, but I suspect it’s the one that has to be kept at a lower temperature.

• My first cousin once removed (my cousin’s kid) Tyler turned one this weekend, and the Rolling Stones performed at his party. Pictures on Flickr.

The Young Victoria download

Raising Flagg full movie

• Spartatown is BUZZING with the American Trapshooting Association’s Grand Nationals, meaning about 15,000 extra people are running around our town of 4500. You can do math. This means heavier traffic, higher prices as Wal-Mart gouges the out-of-towners (and, of course, its regular customers,) and articles in the Belleville News-Democrat describing traffic problems Night of the Living Dead ipod on state highways that do not run anywhere close to the complex. Good job, guys.

• The Girl and I are most likely heading to Chicago Labor Day weekend, which means a day trip to downtown on Saturday would place us at Marshall Field’s on its last Saturday of existence. On Saturday the ninth, Federated

Testament

flips the switch and all the regional chains it gobbled up officially change to Macy’s. This isn’t a stupid ideas in some places, like here in Mound City where Famous Barr fades away after a century of service and no one really cares (you can already see the Macy’s signs shining through the thin cover that still bears the old name) Even the mall stores that Field’s ran could be converted, but the idea of stripping down the dark green and throwing up ugly Macy’s red at the flagship State Street store will cost Macy’s an amazing amount of business. This is a landmark, part of the history of Chicago, and here comes a New York institution to piss all over it. Dumb move, guys.

September 9, 2006

Sunday, August 13th, 2006

Fields Fans Chicago

Trib: ‘Macy’s Makes It Obvious’

And the Other Will Soon Be Broke

Thursday, August 3rd, 2006

(While editing Beatles songs with my own voice as parodies…)

buy Cattle Call Dead Heist move

Emily: Oh, you’re always blotting out Paul McCartney and George Harrison!
Peter: I’m sorry, baby.
Emily: It’s okay. You smell so much better than them.

The Young Victoria hd

Peter: (pause) How would you know?

Da Hip Hop Witch download

Emily: Well, George Harrison is dead.