I knew about the quiz show scandals for years before the movie Quiz Show came out. The movie centered on one contestant's fall in particular Charles Van Doren. What was interesting about his story in addition to his rise and fall was the fact that he never gave interviews or talked about the scandal. One tidbit I read about the movie was that Van Doren was going to work with the film until his wife threatened to leave him if he did. So the best Ralph Finnes (who portrayed Van Doren) could do as far as character research was approach Van Doren anonymously and ask him for directions to some place, to get a feel for his speech and mannerisms. But now Mr. Van Doren has written an article for New Yorker magazine about his experiences in the scandal. Mark Evanier, who pointed this story out on his blog mentions that it's a believeable account because since most participants are deceased Van Doren could have painted himself in a better light, but did not do so.
Update: I wrote the above post before reading the article. I erred about Van Doren's wife's reaction to the invitation to participate in the filming of Quiz Show. From the article:
"'I don’t want to have anything to do with the whole thing. The film, the money . . . the money’s yours if you want it. But you won’t have me!' She added, 'I’m not going to leave you, but you’ll be on your own.'"
This is hardly a news site, just a place for me to spout off. But that's how legends and stories start, with something like this, so I corrected it. My apologies for the error.

Did you know that you can get printing jobs done over the internet? Sure, you've got you own printer, and you can go to the store to get whatever you need to go in your printer (like postcard sheets and iron-on transfers) but do you think that it's going to come out as good? And you might feel good saving money on a do-it-yourself project, but after you get it done is it going to be something you're going to be proud to show? And that's assuming everything goes right with it. Do you have a printer or computer that can sense when to mess up, when it's an important job? Don't ask me how, but they know. Like clothing, sure you can save money on it, but you'll get a lot higher return on spending a little more, and feel a whole lot better. But that isn't to say that VistaPrint doesn't understand your desire to save some money. They'll even help you with it. Take address labels. It comes in handy to have them, having to save you time writing out your name and address in the left corner of the envelope. But most of us only get them when some charity tries to hit you up for money. And sometimes it isn't the style you'd pick if you had the chance. And you feel guilty if you use them without sending them some money. But if you have VistaPrint print some some Return Address Labels and use the coupon code "Labels50" you can save 50% off their price. And it'd be cheaper than what you'd send the charity, and you won't feel so dumb or used about it.

Once in a while, you come across some bit of trivia that just blows your mind. For a long time, my go-to bit was to tell people John Laroquette was one of the Klingons in Star Trek III. That even topped him being the narrator in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. But I just came across this: Chuck Lorre, creator of Big Bang Theory, Two And A Half Men, and Dharma and Greg co-wrote the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song, and was the original voice of all 4 turtles in the original 5 episode try-out. I checked my CD the Sci-Fi Channel came out of Movie and TV Themes, the volume called "Defenders of Justice" with various superhero theme songs and enough miscellany to fill out the disc. The TMNT TV theme is on it, looked at the credits, and sure enough, he's one of the writers of that theme.
I remember stumbling across the lising for the show in TV Guide, and it was scheduled between Christmas and New Year's. I was so concerned about how it'd do that I did a flyer for my local comic shop to put up. Besides totally underestimating it's popularity, the next funniest thing is that since I did the flyer before the show was out, I assumed that all 4 turtles would wear red masks and pads, not knowing that they would use different colors to differentiate the turtles.

When it comes to seafood I have very simple tastes, but can sometimes be encouraged to try something different. For instance, a while back I went to Red Lobster with my family and my mom was talking about gumbo and what was in it. And when we got to the restaurant, I tried some gumbo as an appetizer. And while I like spicy food but I'm getting to the age where it wreaks havoc on my system, I held off on applying any tobasco sauce because 1) my wife wanted to try gumbo too, but she doesn't like anything spicy at all, and 2) I wanted to try gumbo and get a feel for it before I started doing anything to start spicing it up. I used to be a saltaholic, but have taught myself to at least try the food before I reach for the salt shaker, and maybe consider the idea that hey, maybe what I'm eating doesn't have to have salt. So after going boldly in that culinary exercise what do I order for the main course? Fish and fries. Yes, I like Long John Silver's, but prefer Captain D's. But I think local bars and restaurants have the best kind of fish if for no other reason that the pieces are bigger.
One way I could be more adventurous in trying seafood would be to go to the Great American Seafood Cook off. With all the dishes available I could easily expand my tastes in seafood and maybe venture beyond the kid's menu. And there's another part of me that loves the idea that the dishes prepared utilize local sources for the ingredients that are well known and fresh. So you can expand your culinary repretoire and feel good doing it.

Here I was chastising Mark for not posting follow ups on his postings. He wrote that his TV went out, but he casually mentioned that it was working. Turns out he unplugged it and plugged it back in, and it worked.
So last night I had my dad look at the car's air conditioning. I popped the hood and he looked at it while the car was running, and didn't know what was wrong. But then cold air was blowing out of the vents. He showed me that one of things he did was fiddle with the wire connecting (and here's where I show my ignorance, only to later realize what it's called and revel in my stupidity) to the metal cylander. He thought the only other possibility was the fuse to the compressor went out. So we'll see how it runs, and go from there.
To borrow from Kathleen David, I'm grateful for having someone nearby to troubleshoot problems in the car and home.

I'm lucky to have my dad and a friend of his that lives nearby who knows so much about cars. If something goes wrong, they can usually figure it out and fix it. The problem is that some parts aren't available to the general public, like power steering parts like power steering rack, steering box, or steering rack. But now at Power Steering Pros everyone can order power steering parts to fix whatever's wrong, and you don't have to put your car in the shop.

Almost Frugal has a good post asking when should you sell something. This has been something I've been thinking about more since I read the last Lying In The Gutters column about how back issues and collections of Watchmen have really shot up on eBay. A subsequent check on eBay bears that out, and the fact that Absolute Watchmen isn't available at Barnes&Noble, Amazon, and Borders' sites. Plus the huge demand for any collection due to the trailer. In addition to that, I have the original limited hardcover Graphitti Designs issued at the time of the original book's first publication. My friend Shawn Hurst, whom I've mentioned here in the past, particularly about seeing him again at the Scott McCloud tour, and whenever I relay any Watchmen news here, originally bought it when it came out. And then a few years ago, he was working over the summer at the same place Kathy did (and still does) and was in need of cash. He offered to sell it to me at the original price he paid, $50. I was able to swing that. Although I could get a lot more for it now, I don't know. Given it's history, I'd be reluctant to just sell it off for some quick cash. But the demand isn't going to be there forever, with DC reissuing the collection, having a new hardcover, etc.
Something tells me that that isn't quite right to sell right now. And I'm in no dire need for the money right now. So for now, I'll listen to my gut. But I shouldn't have listened so close to bedtime last night. I had a dream that Alan Moore was a recluse who lived close to me, and tended to sic his rottweiler on people.
On a brighter note, here's Rorschach's San Diego journal entries.

Last year when I went down to Louisville for a couple of friends' wedding I wasn't the official photographer, but took a lot of pictures. You can even see them over at my Flickr account. And even I would agree that there could be better pictures taken. David Blair Photography offers his services as a Louisville wedding photographer and southern Indiana. David knows how important your wedding day is to you and wants to work with you to create images that will capture that special day when you go back to look at them. It's not like, for instance, my pictures where if the bride and groom would look at them, nostalgia and/or their specific memories will fill in a lot to make up for the shortcomings of the pictures. David's photography actively captures the essence as well as the image allowing even those who weren't there to know what it was like, without memory to fill in the gaps. And he was to do it as unobtrusively as possible, utilizing available light as well as the occasional flash. By minimizing his prescence, he feels that it more accurately captures the events of the day to create a better picture. His experience as a photojournalist allows him to be effective in that role. But his work is a lot more than being a cold observer. His personal beliefs and convictions help inspire and propel his work that removes your wedding photography from that of, say, a celebrity wedding or other news story.

I had the movie money to see Get Smart that I got from getting the Get Smart Bruce and Lloyd out of Control DVD, that expired at the end of the month. We finally decided to go see it yesterday. Of course, I checked the profanity level via Screen It, which helps you if you have any questions about a movie's content for any possible attendees in your home. You have to subscribe if you want to find out about a movie the day of release, but it's free content after a movie's opening weekend. Profanity is one of Kathy's buttons, and it's good to have a heads up like this. It helped our enjoyment of the movie. And they more than advise of that. Concerned with other issues such as disrepectful/bad attitude, drinking/smoking, or jerky camera work? They can let you know about that, and more.
Okay, enough of the free plug, you're wondering what I thought of the movie? It was fun and enjoyable. Worth a discount mantinee or second run movie theatre or renting on DVD. And if you're wondering what tack they take with doing a movie version of the TV show, it's kind of a continuation. The premise at the very beginning is that CONTROL fought KAOS and the agency was disbanded at the end of the cold war, as explained by a tour guide over some CONTROL exhibits that's a shout out to the old series. I could identify with the fact that while Max passed his test to advance from the office to field agent, the Chief wouldn't promote him because he was so good at his desk job, having been there a few times myself.
And I'm not going to go beyond the premise that you would get from the trailer or advertising, except for this: I was surprised about the lack of one cameo. As CONTROL's field agents are compromised, Max is promoted, and 99 recently underwent plastic surgery and KAOS wouldn't know what she looked like. In one scene, she confesses to Max that to her regret, she used to look like her mother, and was sad that changed. I expected a scene where 99 introduced her mother to Max, and it would be Barbara Feldon. There is a cameo, but I won't say more.

Well, it happened again tonight. The air conditioning gave out on the way home tonight. I asked my dad about it yesterday, and we looked at it, but it was working fine when he did. He wasn't sure what was causing it, maybe it was the air conditioner compressor not kicking on. If we have to have it worked on and need parts, maybe I can suggest Discount AC Parts.com where all compressors come with a warranty and free shipping. And not only do they offer ac compressors for domestic cars, they also offer them for imports such as for BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen ac compressor and more.

From our "it couldn't happen to a nicer guy department": Alaska senator Ted Stevens indicted. And for what? Well, he's a Repugnican...surprise, surprise it's for concealing payments from big oil. And should we cut Stevens any slack since he coined the term "internet tubes" that we use around here. As he once did, I yell a resounding "NO!"

You know how it is. Somebody forgets something and somebody says something about the forgetful person having Alzheimer's. Before your eyes glaze over or you think you know what kind of post this is, let me assure you that this isn't the case. I'm not going to shame those who would make such jokes. People realize the seriousness of the disease, how it can rob people of their lives, and admire the loved ones who care for them day after day...as another piece slips away. Most people, they're not scientists. They don't have a cure handy. You think about all of that, realize there's nothing you can do to make it better, even offering comfort still makes you feel bad inside...and the joke is made when someone forgets a meeting. Or what someone told them. The people that make these jokes shouldn't be despised, or pitied. They don't know what else to do. It's a coping mechanism. And they want to do something.

The Alzheimer's Association is setting up Alzheimer's Memory Walks nationwide for those who wish to help to sign up and raise money to help fight this unfortunate affliction. You can search right there on the home page to find a walk in your area. They're usually on weekend mornings in the fall, and about 2-3 miles. Fall scenery and walking equals doing good for yourself and for others. You can even become a team captain and set up your own team. Sign up early for a Memory Walk, encourage friends, neighbors and coworkers to sign up as well. And if you've ever made one of those jokes, you can take pride in the fact that you are doing something more and you don't have to just feel ashamed deep down.

One consequence of high gas prices is trying to consolidate your trip to combine errands. The only drawback is when you get home after 9pm, and still have a few things to do before bed, and your wife has to get up at 3:30 am. Not to worry, I will pay a price as well, as I have to get up after that to drive her to work. Trying to get caught up. Stay tuned.

A few years ago, I was trying to work my way through another case of January. It's after the holidays, winter's still around, and there's nothing to look forward to until spring. One year I started this blog. But before that, my thoughts turned to the possibility of my wife and I moving somewhere else for a fresh start. And it being January, my thoughts turned to Florida. Most times, it's thinking about going down for a vacation, but that year, it was to move down there to live. I looked online into possibilities of us finding work and finding a place to live (even printing up floor plans of some apartments for my wife, as she's really into that) Meanwhile, when it comes to me imagining something like that, it's more involved than the "wouldn't it be nice if..." thoughts. I was looking at different things involved in moving. Let me tell you, when the reality of home moving companies, truck rentals, vehicle transportation, storage, and everything else involved with getting your stuff from point A to point B hits you, it can knock the wind out of your sails. But for a lot of people, moving is more than just daydreaming, and even dread having to deal with all of those things. Fortunately, Moving Companies Online has all the resources you need to mimimize the stress of moving, and make the hiring and planning aspects as painless as possible. If in the future I'm faced with a move, I'll have to check them out.

Well, one good thing about not being able to go to San Diego was that I'm not suffering from post-con letdown. Mark Evanier touches on that in his wrap up. The most interesting thing about that piece to me happened outside of it: while we were waiting to get in to the movies, Mark Gibson and I were talking about the con and both brought up the joke Mark wrote about having to assure his mother that despite the outside media's coverage of people dressed up, he doesn't dress up as Catwoman. It's nice to have moments like that, given how solitary net surfing is and you basically do it alone.
And when we got home, the package with the Giganta I won on eBay was waiting for us. I got it for a few dollars more than it sold at the Con, plus shipping and handling. And I didn't have to deal with 125,000+ other fans and paying $10+ for con food. Now if I can get a good deal on the Future Hiro action figure and the Doctor Who Time Crash 2 pack... Doctor Who USA had the latter set, and $55 for the two was about as low as I've found so far, but still a steep price. They're sold out now. But basically it was to get the Peter Davison Doctor figure, and hopefully they'll come out with that single packed (and the other Doctors, as well) But there's some Doctor Who figures I haven't got yet, like a Cyberman or a Weeping Angel. Yeah, a Slitheen would be nice, too.

You see phone towers all the time, and more and more you're seeing wireless cell phone towers pop up. After all, the guy going all over the place isn't going around saying "Can you hear me now?" for his health. Okay, it's just a commercial, there isn't just one guy going everywhere checking cell phone reception. But with all the cell phone companies out there, they are working on developing a network where their company can stand out above the others. And there are many components involved which through synergy become a powerful entity that will allow the business to thrive and grow, and theoretically make those who invest the money, time and effort into making that business successful can get a high return on that investment. Take wireless cell tower owners, for example. They are the lifeline for the business, as it were. Companies like the cell phones can talk about rate of growth, shareholder expectations, etc. until the cows come home, but if people can't make their calls on their cell phones, all that talk isn't going to amount to anything. I think some companies are so worried about profits and rate of growth that they lose sight of that most basic fact. That's why they should pay attention to things like the components that make up the service they offer to the community, like cell phone towers.

We went to see Dark Knight in IMAX again, this time with some friends I invited but couldn't make it due to the mad house opening weekend was. We enjoyed it. I liked being able to spend some time catching up and talking for a little bit, and ended up enjoying the time more than I thought I would. BTW, this is my second attempt to write this post up, so forgive any problems that might crop up as a result of me trying to rush to get this sucker up (although I will try to curb that impulse)
I wanted to go again to make up for my friends missing getting to see it last weekend. I had comptemplated inviting them, but didn't really commit to it until 2 days before, and by the time he said he was available, all the IMAX showings the day he was available was sold out. I asked about coming up to the IMAX theatre nearer my home, even offered to pay for the gas difference since I drug my feet, but no go. But I didn't think it was right to offer that and then snatch it away. Plus, I did want to see it again in that format. So more plans were hatched, and we ended up seeing it today. And why am I playing the pronoun game when it comes to my friends? It was Mark and his daughter.
And while I'm fessing up, you're probably wondering why I took so long to extend the original invite. In my experience, it seems that there is a lot of hassle involved in inviting others to go see a movie. There's the schedules to coordinate, and trying to accomodate everybody, and most times they say they can't make it. Yes, when written down it doesn't sound like much, but that was the reasoning I had. Plus, while planning a get-together with friends to see a movie sounds good on paper, for the most part you're watching the movie and not socializing as much. For me, while The Dark Knight was the better film in IMAX, I enjoyed seeing Superman Returns in IMAX more, and it wasn't seeing some of the sequences in 3D. It was the first time I met Mark and his family, plus Doc, Superwife and her kids, and that weekend was a lot more fun, even if we didn't get to go swimming or anything else at the hotel. So to sum up, the sitting in the dark and not being with friends was another minus. Although the time was short, we did have enough fun with Mark and his daughter (sorry, it's an earlier request of Mark's is the reason why I'm not naming her) that his request to get together again will be planned, if not for the movies, then for something else.
Speaking of Doc, here's what he thought of The Dark Knight, with my response up to that post soon (WARNING: spoilers at the link). And here's the most interesting theory about what villain they'll use in the next movie that I've read so far (check out Vinnie Bartilucci's thoughts in the comments on his thoughts of the next movie), even beating Angelina Jolie up for Catwoman (hey, she should do Sin City 2 first, adapting "A Dame To Kill For".

On the way home today the air conditioning in my car gave out. It was in the upper 80s and we were roasting in there, but all we could do was open the windows and try to get home as soon as possible. And my brother's central air gave out, and I had to help him put in a window air unit that he could use in the meantime. Air conditioning is paradise. You don't believe me? Wait until it goes out on a hot day. And if you're in an arid climate like Arizona? That's something that sounds like it's needed year round, not just for a few months a year, like up north here. So you can imagine that in a climate like that you need air conditioning, you want someone who can come out fast and knows what they're doing. That's why if you're looking for Phoenix air conditioner installation you should check out what they have to offer. They schedule appointments 7 days a week and understand that life has other demands on your time and wants to work with you. And if your air conditioner needs repair, they can come right out as well.

I've been tooling around the internets this evening when Fark brought my attention to this site called The Consumerist, which is interesting posts about money and things being done to get it. Their tagline: shoppers bite back. What caught their eye (and subsequently mine) was this story about a cyclist not being allowed to bring her bike into Wal-Mart. Wally World sells bikes, after all, and there's apt to be some confusion. Her response? Wal-mart doesn't want people to bring anything into the store that they sell. Well, they sell clothes, don't they?

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Yesterday was the Heroes panel at Comicon International. They brought the first episode of season 3 and word is that it doesn't stink. Hopefully they're back on track. Here's Comic Book Resources' coverage of the panel. And here's Ain't It Cool News' coverage, with spoilers, but hidden (highlight to see) in the post. And they report that the original ending to last season's episode 11, and shot but unaired footage of episodes 12 and 13 will be on the season 2 DVD.

You ever notice whenever you go into a restaurant or business and they have the signs to help you? You know, what they have to eat and how much it is, or where a certain business you're trying to locate in the building, or how much a spa treatment is, that sort of thing. You never really thought about it before. It was one of those deals where you would only notice if it were really bad or not helpful. But can you think of going into a restaurant and seeing their menu boards that make the food stand out and make you want to order more? I'm bad about that going to a new place because they have so many good things that I like to try out that it does seem like my eyes are bigger than my stomach. Who says you have to have signs that aren't memorable and do a good job if people don't think they stink? SmarterSign's digital signs stand out more and leave a more positive impression on your customers and the public. With their dynamic design, they can increase interest in what you have to offer that will translate into higher sales and more money.

First DC announced it, and now Marvel's doing it too: a 3 3/4 inch line of action figures. Since petroleum is used to make action figures and oil prices are going through the roof, it was a matter of time before they returned to this size. Say what you will about the Megos, the 80s line of Super Powers and Secret Wars (okay, more Super Powers) were very well done 3D versions of the characters, and any action figures since then are compared to those by me. But we got our first Wolverine figure way back then (with silver and black claws attachments). I just saw a couple of the DC smaller figures at a Toys R Us one time, and I've only seen the DC Universe Marvel Legends-like line at Meijer and Target.

There are some jobs that require you wear a uniform, or have other clothing needs. And there's some that require a specific type of footwear. If you're shopping for work boots this site has all sorts to choose from. And they have more than work boots. They've got this one shoe called a Thorogood Poromeric Academy Oxford that would look good with a suit in the office. So whatever shoes you need they can help you out. You can shop by style or brand, they offer online assistance, and you get free ground shipping on orders over $50.