Jimmy's Juke Joint

The New York Comic-Con

The New York Comic-Con is over. You missed it, bitches! Good thing you have me to fill you in on all of the geeky goodness! Strap in those utility belts and hop in the Batmobile, cuz here we go!

Friday, Day 1. I arrive to madness at the Convention Center with my friends, John Cassaday and Paul Pope around 4:30. They were heading in to do their 2 hour autograph signing. I had bought my ticket ahead of time,but was annoyed that I was going to have to wait in line to get my badge. However, good to have friends in high places, I was able to slide in with the comic book superstars! Shhhhhh! Don't tell! Or I'll send The Joker to give you a permanent smile! We walk in and head over to the Midtown Comics booth where they were doing their signing. Left them to do their thing and headed off. My fellow podcaster, Joe, and I walked around just checking the sites. It was really crowded and just too much to take in for the 2 or 3 hours that we were going to be there. So, we just walked around checking stuff out, running into friends, and making mental notes of places to come back to. Places like this.

Penthouse Pet and pretty,not-so-hardcore porn star, Aria Giovanni. Yep. She was there. Note to self: FIND HER TOMORROW! I wasn't planning on purchasing anything or seeking anyone out the first day since our time was limited. Joe and I headed back over to the Midtown Comics booth to do an on the spot interview with John and Paul as they were signing. We got the equipment out and got all set up and everything. The mp3 recorder was dead. Earlier, it was completely fine showing all bars in the battery department. Now, deader than a comic book superhero that CAN'T come back to life. Curse you Energizer! Keeps going and going, my ass! We walked around some more and even though I said I wasn't going to buy anything that day, I did find one item. Comic Book Creator software. Oh, it's on now! I can make comic books from my own photos, movies, video games, etc! Yes, that will be what everyone will be getting for presents. My own home made comic book. With pictures of me. What? You expected pictures of you?

We rush out after 7 to head to the Super Party. It was butt-ass cold (yes, butt-ass is a word) and we couldn't get a cab. A limo driver came up and offered his services. Not those kind of services! We just had to share it with a few other people. One was a mermaid. Yeah, I said it. A mermaid. It took her about 10 minutes to get her tail in and then she gets her hair stuck in the door. A site to behold. Finally, we arrive at the Super Party. John and Paul's fan appreciation party for the...well..uh...fans! Problem though. They were so busy signing, that they didn't get a chance to tell many of the fans! Still, a good crowd showed up. Many a comic book professional and fan were in attendance. Paul's lovely mother and sister attended as well. Joe actually got to interview mama. She's so proud of her baby boy! We did an impromptu passing of the mic to fans and friends and short little interviews with John and Paul. That podcast will be up in a few days. NY Comic Con Part 1 podcast is up though, so check it out!

A few hours later, we headed out to Part 2 of the Super Party. As you can see by the posters, some burlesque fun! This party was more exclusive to the comic book creators and their lucky friends. I, of course, was one of those lucky ones! It was crazy crowded and shortly after we arrived, there was a line out the door. The show went on with much goofiness and debauchery. Drinks were had by all. And by all, I mean me. Having all of the drinks. It was too crowded to tell, but I heard Moby was there. Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots too. Yeah, that's how I roll.  My poor friend visiting from Pennsylvania,Kristin, was not used to this late night scene and I think she was fading. Normally, I'm out til the crack of dawn. And she's got a big crack. But, I was actually a bit tired and knew I had to get up early on Saturday to get to the Con. Well liquored and burlesqued, we departed for home for some much needed zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz time.

Saturday, Day 2.  After about 3 hours of sleep, I arose to go meet my peeps some time around 7 a.m. at the Con. Special events required tickets to get in to and the booth opened at 8:30. Kevin Smith was appearing that day. So was Milla Jovavich. I really wanted to see Kevin and if I could get into Milla, I would. If ya know what I'm saying! Hours of waiting and we finally get our little ticket. Our smurfy blue ticket. Pretty lame tickets! I could have completely went to Kinko's and made tons of copies. Which I should have. We went to get some lunch and came back to stand in line, again, to await entrance to the Kevin Smith appearance. We were near the front of the line,but still had over an hour to wait. Good thing we had some entertainment.

Unemployed Skeletor. He was right in line with us awaiting to see the big man as well. Joe and I did a little podcast interview with him. Click the link 3 paragraphs above to check it out! Or go to iTunes, "podcasts", and type in Comic News Insider. I got some great insight to Skeletor's plight and why he is unemployed. No, I'm not telling you, you'll have to listen to the podcast, bitches! Finally, we get in the room and are pretty close up to the stage. Kevin comes out and immediately starts in with the genitalia references. Genitalia is not a state in Italy. People got up and asked questions and he graciously answered. However, this was a bit unorganized, as some people asked 3 or 4 questions until the crowd started yelling at them to pass the mic. Alas, poor Skeletor wasn't able to ask his question of "How do I defeat He-Man?!" A shame too. I bet Kevin would have known. People kept trying to diss on Kevin for being so late on his Spider-Man/Black Cat mini-series and attempted to be funny. They did not succeed. Here's some advice people. When you have the chance to talk to one of your idols, who is extremely funny and personable, don't try to be funny. Just ask your fucking question and shut it! I was about to tackle a few of them for being so stupid. Kevin took it all in stride and went off on 15-20 minute diatribes just to answer a question. Gotta love it! Someone brought up his involvement in THE GREEN HORNET movie. One time, he was attached to write/direct the film. He wrote it and realized he didn't want to direct it. Saying how he sucked at action and would rather have people just talk. He gave the example of having The Green Hornet and Kato sitting in front of their car. Off screen, they hear trouble and mention it. "Look. Trouble is afoot! Let's go!" The camera would stay on the car, you would hear fighting off screen, and they would return to the car and continue talking about what they had for lunch. Funny stuff. A nice moment was when someone brought up Reese Witherspoon. Kevin hates her. There's a long and involved story about some audition and rude remarks,etc. It's in his book, SILENT BOB SPEAKS. Go get it. He calls her Greasy Reesy. The person asked what he thought of her performance in WALK THE LINE and if she deserved the accolades. Kevin says, "Well, I voted for her. And I can't stand the bitch!" He went on to say how he can admire someone for their talent,but just not like them personally. Quite big of him, I thought. I hate someone and just want them to get sprayed with armor piercing shells from an M-16, hit by a large truck full of petroleum that explodes upon impact, attacked by ninja's, and pooped on by pigeons. People say I have anger and aggression issues. So what? Wanna fight about it?!! Overall, Kevin's panel was quite enjoyable and funny! Then, the drama started to ensue.

I had gotten a call from Joe during Kevin Smith's panel, but didn't answer. As we were leaving the panel to head into the main floor of the Con, I check it. Something to do with cops showing up, not letting people in, etc. HOLY SHIT! The wheels were coming off the wagon! We saw all of these troopers and FDNY around. Apparently, the show was way over sold and the hall was beyond capacity. No one had any answers and some fights broke out or something. I missed all the drama! I get in line and had to wait about 20-25 minutes. Not too bad, compared to the 2 hours that Joe waited. People were pissed off! Which, I always say, is better than pissed on. Unless you're into that. I got inside and it was crowded as the coffee and snacks table at an AA meeting. But, I was able to walk around and do some shopping and check out the sights. This being one of the main ones I wanted to see.

Don't recognize her? Well, if you could hear me sing this, I would be singing, FLASH....AAAHHHH! HE'LL SAVE EVERYONE OF US! It's Melody Anderson! Is this more recognizable? As Dale Arden in FLASH GORDON? You better recognize! She was sitting at this small table waaaaay in the back of the Con. Not many people seemed to be approaching her. When I did, she was very personable. I gushed how much I loved the movie and her in it. Seriously! I do! It's a cheesy cult classic, but I love it. We talked about crosswords (since she was doing one) and she warned me of the dangers of getting into Sudoku. I purchased a couple of pictures and she happily posed for one with me. Look how beautiful she still is! I was a bit smitten,I must say. I invited her to my bar for a drink, but I think that probably came across creepy. My bad! She said she has some morning show on an AM station. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I don't listen to radio any more. I wish we would have interviewed her, but alas, was not to be. I'll always think of her when I'm doing the Sunday NY Times crossword. Does she know the answer to 112 across? If not, can I send it to her some way? I'll just have to wait until we're together again. In crossword heaven. Unless she falls into the fiery pits of sudoku hell. Then, I'll just hang in Jeopardy purgatory for awhile. Until then, Melody. I send sweet solving love your way. Enjoy.

Across from her in a way too big area was Karen Gorney. Yeah, I don't know her either. She's the chick from SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER. I only knew that because she had the famous poster hanging up and an endless loop of the soundtrack playing. Talk about hell. Poor girl. NO ONE went up to her. And how does that movie have anything to do with a comic book convention? I guess I should have asked Peter Scolari. He was next to her in another booth. You remember him. BOSOM BUDDIES. The one that wasn't Tom Hanks. I wonder if he hates Tom for all of his success?

We had plans to go to the big party that Joe Quesada, Marvel's Editor-in-Chief, was throwing later. So, we went home to nap and chill before hand. However, as the time approached, we realized we really didn't want to see these unknown bands. Hey, I ain't hatin'. Maybe they rocked. But, seriously...do you think they did? And the main pull of Kevin Smith introducing the bands was not that big of a deal since we had just seen him earlier in the day. And, we had been dealing with elbow to elbow crowds all day and did not want any part of that for the evening festivities. We ended up just going to a few local haunts and hanging. Nice and relaxing. Aaaaahhhh...

Sunday, Day 3. After the debacle of Saturday, we wanted to be sure to arrive early enough just to get in. Yet, not painfully early since we were out pretty late the night before. It didn't take us too long to get in once the doors opened. And, while crowded, the chaos of the previous day seemed to subside. I believe they weren't selling any more tickets at all. Wise decision, ya mooks! This was a "row by row" day. About 4 of us, Kristin, Kathleen, TJ and I went....yep, you guessed it!....row by row down each aisle. That's where I ran into Captain America with No-Iron Having Action! Seriously, dude. Get Bucky to take your suit to the cleaners. I had done most of my purchasing the day before,but was tempted at the 40% off trade paperback section. I ended up spending way too much money on almost all of THE SANDMAN trades. I have almost the complete single issue run, missing only a few, but wanted the trades since the collection is bagged/boarded/boxed in storage. Curse you Neil Gaiman and your award winning mythology! We ran into some fellow podcasters of Comic Geek Speak and did a quick wrap up of the Con.

Overall? We dug it. Yes, there was mass confusion and chaos and disorganization. I feel bad for those that didn't get in. Next time, get your tickets ahead of time people! I know, some of you did have tickets and still couldn't enter. That does suck. But, I'm quite sure they will learn from their mistakes. The head of the group that ran the Con already said they will have to have a bigger space for next year. Thanks, Captain Obvious! I'm happy we have a Con in NYC. And that it will continue on in the future. Yes, people were upset, but they'll come back next year. I know I will. There was a great turn out of creators, exhibitors and fans. My only other disappointment was the lack of movie/TV types. Sure, the San Diego Con is more about that. And, it's a good sign that people came just for comic book types! Imagine the crowd when the stars start coming! They better rent out Madison Square Garden! Why not? The Knicks don't seem to need it lately. 15-41 record. Sheeeesh!

Stop the hating and bask in the geeky goodness that NYC finally has a Comic-Con. Give it a couple of years to find it's legs. They should hire me. I'm real good at finding the legs. And the booties. And the breastage. And...well, you know.

Until then, tune into COMIC NEWS INSIDER! As I said, part 1 of our NY Comic-Con show is available now. Part 2 will be ready in a few days. Listen to past shows and interviews. Call my voice mail and listen to my voice. Make me your ring tone. I'm expensive, but I'm good.

Also, plenty of pics were taken. They're over there on the right in the photo albums section. Cleverly titled "New York Comic-Con '06". Check 'em out!

And stealing the famous saying of Stan Lee, Marvel Comics legend....

'Nuff said.

Comic Con Teaser

I know you're waiting. Waiting for the big New York Comic Con story. Guess what? You're gonna have to wait just another day or 2. I'm barely sleeping and ain't got no time for you bitches right now! Oh, don't be like that. Daddy still loves you. Just not as much as he loves the sauce. The bourbon sauce. Mmmmmmmm....

You'll get the full wrap up later. We're still working on some interviews for the podcast. Today's the last day of the Con. So, heading there in a few minutes. Meanwhile, here's a pic to get the salivation starting. That's right. Me and Skeletor. Well, Unemployed Skeletor. He's fallen on hard times. We interviewed him as well. Poor guy. Still trying to find ways to defeat He-Man,but being a bag boy at the Food Emporium just isn't paying the bucks. I bought him some sun block and wished him well though.

Okay. That's all you get. Come back for more. You know you want to. Til then, I leave you with this. Who is this mystery woman?  You may just get the answer in a flash. Or, you'll just have to wait for the full story at 11! Well, not 11. I just always wanted to say that. And now I have.

'Nuff said.

Back in 5

Okay, I'll be back a little later than 5. I'm freakin exhausted from yesterday's events. And now I have to be up in about 4 hours. So, I'm actually going to bed. Or gonna try. Maybe I'll...

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ........

New York Comic-Con

It's time for the New York Comic-Con! Stand up comics from around the world will come and tell jokes, anecdotes, funny observations, and even the occasional limerick.

There once was a guy named Black Lightning,

Wait....seriously? His name was Black Lightning? OH, I get it. His super power is that he can shoot lightning bolts. No, not black ones. He's black. So, how come if a white guy has the same powers, he's called Electro or Lightning Lad, not WHITE Electro or WHITE Lightning Lad? OH, we know they are white. I guess we can't tell if the other guys are black. Thanks, comic book creators! For setting back race relations a gajillion years!

Well, as you may have surmised,what with my clever superhero tie in, this convention is not about stand up comics. It's about the world of comic books! Geek heaven. And, yes, I've been a member since I was an embryo. There have been conventions, "cons" for short, in NYC before. Just smaller ones. This is the first attempt to have a really large one that rivals all of the other ones around the nation. I always wondered why there hadn't been one before. Probably due to the high cost of living here, unions, etc. I mean, come on! This is the birth place of comic books! This con is an experiment of sorts. Just to see how well it does and hopefully make it an annual event. What's the agenda? Well, it's not as big as the San Diego one. That one entails all sorts of entertainment with many a big movie star in attendance. Here in NYC, we got Milla Jovavich promoting her new movie, ULTRA VIOLET. She's doing an autograph session for about 3 minutes. Guess she's too busy trying to look even more androgynous. Many big names in the comic book biz in attendance. Kevin Smith will also be there.

We'll probably see plenty of fat guys dressed up as well. Hopefully, they will come in size appropriate costumes. Like as The Thing, The Hulk, or The Blob. Not as Batman or Spider-Man with their bellies hanging out. Seriously, guys. I appreciate your passion and all,but just wear a t-shirt with your favorite hero on it. That's all I'm saying!

I'm hoping we'll see more of the girlies dressed up as such. Low cut, tight costumes that show off their "super powers." The San Diego Con had plenty of girls dressed up in scantily clad outfits. There was a skin tight rubber suited Catwoman. A bare mid-riffed with mini skirt Supergirl. The ever popular and famous Princess Leia in slave outfit. I could go on. And I will. I would like to see a Wonder Woman, Invisible Woman and Jenna Jameson. Yeah, I know. Jenna's a porn star. Not a super hero. But, she's a sex hero, so I'm counting that!

Joe and I will be interviewing many comic creators (we hope) for our podcast, COMIC NEWS INSIDER. And, of course, I will share events and happenings with you here. Maybe not EVERY event and happening, as some may prove too debaucherous for your eyes. I may even have to skip a day due to the sheer amount of sensory overload and partying I will be doing. Fret not. You know I will return. Just like The Joker. Stay tuned...

Same Bat time, same Bat channel. Bitches.

Afrika Bambaataa & Grafitti Art

Do you remember Afrikaa Bambaataa? The Zulu Nation? Soul Sonic Force? Bam, as he is known to friends, is the Godfather of hip-hop. He started DJing back in the 70's and created many of the sounds of hip-hop and rap back then. His big hit, "Planet Rock", continues to be the most sampled piece of music ever. If you heard it, you'd know it. Just go download it. You'll thank me. Why am I writing about him? Well, I got to see him on the 1's & 2's last night. Ripping up the wheels of steel! Putting the needle on the record! Uh..that's the turn tables for all you whitey's.

How was it? He fucking Planet Rocked the funkin' soul sonic house!!! He played all of this old school. And when I say old school, I mean old school! I hadn't heard "Egyptian Lover" and the likes in over 20 years or more. All of that 70's & 80's hip-hop,rap, R & B, funk and soul! He was mixing up a freakin revolution! So much so, that I was feelin it and was pulling out the ol' break dancing moves. That's right. I said it. There were about 3 really young girls there who were rockin the house. Uprocking, breaking,rocking to the beat, etc. I guess it inspired me. I was on a break dance team back in the day. Oh yeah. Kid Pop was one of my handles. Pop Master another. Fresh Popper didn't last more than a day. Back then, there was this commercial on all of the time about a product known as The Fish Popper. Sort of an automatic line that pops up when you are fishing and you hook one or something. Needless to say, I stuck with the other 2.  So, I busted some moves. Problem is...I have a bum leg and I'm old and out of shape. So, while enthusiastic while busting said moves, I had to stop after a few seconds or else I would have really popped something. And there were no oxygen tanks around, so I had to rest. Curse you, time!

While Bambaataa was kicking it, on the opposite side of the room was a live art show going on. My friend, Paul Pope, along with Jim Mahfood and a couple of other artists, were drawing to the beat! That's them over there creating to the groove. It was really cool to watch these guys just go at it. Freestyling.Just feeling it and drawing what comes to mind. Paul drew this dope breakdancer since he was inspired from watching those girls on the floor earlier. All 3 panels were next to each other and created one big piece. Each artist had a panel, but then connected to each others for the final product. Pretty fly, right? Check it. That's Pope's piece followed by the final 3 panel piece. Afterwards, Mahfood took these 3 down and put 4 more boards up and continued with another couple of other artists. Resulting in the picture below. Totally dope! Say word?

Hip Hop legend. Breakdancing. Graffiti. Old school. Kid Pop was back! At least for one night. And sometimes, that's all you need.

Comic News Insider: Episode 22 with Paul Pope

WE'RE BACK! Comic News Insider. The only New York City based podcast about the comic book world. My good friend, Joe, started this podcast last year. I was supposed to be co-host, but due to my schedule, I couldn't commit. I became the "roving reporter" in a few episodes and joined Joe and his co-host, Julio, in studio on a couple of occasions. Now,I've been promoted to co-host! We are embarking on our "Season 2" of podcasting. And what better time to restart than with the big NYC Comic-Con coming this weekend! Go ahead. Don't be scurred. Click on that link for all the Con info.

Joe and I recorded the new Episode 22 at the studio on Tuesday night. Yeah, I said "at the studio." That's how we roll, bitches! It was our Pre-Show for the Con. We discussed basic info about the Con and specific events. Tried out new music and new segments. We have a new roving reporter named Scoop Jenkins. We found him last week entombed in a block of ice. Yeah, like Captain America. He was a former reporter for The Daily Planet, so naturally, we hired him. Well, we thawed him out first and then hired him. He still has the lingo from back in the day, but he's learning! Give him a chance and let us know what you think. If you hate him, we'll put him back on ice.

We also did a phone interview with my friend, Paul Pope. He was gonna come to the studio, but has some deadlines this week. Paul has done some great stuff the past few years for DC's Vertigo line. HEAVY LIQUID and 100% are 2 of his books available in trade paperback form now. His latest book, BATMAN: YEAR 100, just came out last week. It sold out in less than a day. How is that possible? Ya got me, but that's pretty durn good in the funny book business! He talked about the book and some other projects in the works. This book will rock your socks off. Pick it up, if you can find a copy. He'll be doing a signing at Comic-Con at the Midtown Comics booth on Friday. Get your copy and get his John Hancock! Then sell it on EBay for $1000.00! No, don't do that. I'll find out and sic Scoop Jenkins on you. He was in ice for about 60 years, so he's a might surly.

The episode (Episode 22) will be available for download sometime on Wednesday morning. Probably after 9 a.m. If you have iTunes, just go to "podcasts", type in COMIC NEWS INSIDER, and download it. It's free! Or, go directly to the website in the link above and download it. It's still free! Wheeeeeee! Free stuff!

Stay tuned. We'll be doing many an interview at the Con and releasing them over the next few weeks. Got some great ones in mind. Fret not, I'll keep you posted. Are you all happy now? Not only can you read me, but you can hear me too! Pretty soon, you'll be able to touch me. But, that'll cost you. Oh, who am I kidding? Touching is free. Just remember: If you take the highway to the danger zone, be prepared for the consequences.

The Ghost of Veronica Mars

I've been seeing her everywhere. Veronica Mars. She haunts me. Not in my dreams, but in real life. Kristen Bell who plays Veronica Mars seems to have an endless number of clones. Perhaps it's some sort of new viral marketing tool to advertise her show. It's one of the best shows on TV right now, but just doesn't have that huge of an audience. Why aren't you watching it? Get to it, ya mooks! As I've said before, critics love it. Professionals such as Kevin Smith, Joss Whedon and Stephen King all rave over it. Maybe that's why I'm seeing her all over the place. First, Jamie Johnson of the USA Women's Curling team looks like her. Then, last night at my bar, a woman walks in. She comes in about once a month, but I hadn't seen her in quite awhile. So, naturally, I never made the connection. And, get this...when the doppelganger pays with her credit card, guess what the name was? HOLY CRAP! IT WAS VERONICA MARS! No, no. Just joshing. But, her name was Kristen. Just not Kristen Bell. It would have been cool if her last name was a reasonable facsimile of Bell. Like, Veronica Buzz. Veronica Chime. Veronica Alarm. Veronica Gong (the Asian version.) Veronica Vesper (the Bond girl.) And my favorite would be, Veronica Tintinnabulum. Yeah, I'm that smart that I know a bunch of synonyms for bell. That, or I go to thesaurus.com. Whatcha gonna do about it?

The new episodes of VERONICA MARS on the UPN have been pushed back. After the whole formation of the new CW network, they want to wait and see where it's going in the line up. What? Didn't hear about CW? The Canned Worms network? It's gonna be a smash! Nah, basically, they are combining the 2 networks, the WB and UPN. A lot of people lost their jobs over this merger. A lot of shows are gonna be cancelled. VERONICA MARS has survived. For now. They are hoping to get behind a show like GILMORE GIRLS and perhaps pull in some of their numbers. I guess until then, I'll just keep seeing her. Everywhere.

NBA All-Star Game 2006

The NBA All-Star game was held in Houston last night. The East beat the West in a nail biting, down to the last minute, dunk filled, no defense, star studded and ass kissing charade of a game. The score? 475-473. Well, not really. But, it's kind of like that. This game is notoriously defense-free since no one wants to get injured or play too hard. I dig it. It's fun to see the top stars of the league trying to act out their best Harlem Globetrotter fantasies. And kind of funny watching them stroll down the court, laughing and just having a good time. It's a game that doesn't really matter, but I think it's great morale and fun for the league and fans.

Of course, being a big all-star game, there was entertainment. 2, count 'em, 2 opening national anthems. I know the NBA has 2 teams in Canada, but really...are we singing "O Canada" at games now? Wow. And here's what the NBA probably thought of Canada's importance as compared to our national anthem.

Jann Arden sang the Canadian anthem. Yeah, I thought the same thing? Who the hell is she? And why is she singing at an all-star game? In Houston. I ain't hating on Canada, but come on. And there was no worry that the next act was thinking,"How can I follow that?"

Destiny's Child "reunited" to sing the national anthem. They rocked the house! I think I saw Jann Arden crying quietly in the corner. I mean, really. In a scale of lame to hot, we basically got both extremes. Seriously, look at them! First, Jann. Now, Beyonce'. Okay, Beyonce', Kelly and Michelle. But, we all know everyone is just looking at Beyonce'. I know I was. Don't be mad at me,Jay-Z! You know you got one of the finest women on the planet. Share the wealth.  You're the president of Def Jam. The self proclaimed "Greatest Rapper Alive." Sean Carter. You got shoes for pete's sake! You can have any girl you want, just pass Beyonce' off this way. I'll give you Vivica Fox, Britney Spears and Halle Berry! Say word?

Half time show was kind of lame. It started off with Carrie Underwood. Last year's American Idol winner. I dig her. She's hot and she can sing. I can't remember the song she did. Probably because I just watched her with the sound off. Over and over and over. John Legend did something too. Is it me, or is he been performing on every show possible in the past few months? Seriously, I thought I saw him doing a song on last week's episode of LOST. Dude, we get it. You like to sing. Sheeeesh.

A lot of this happened throughout the game. Uncontested dunks. Alley-oops. Passes off the backboard to a spectacular dunk. Tracy McGrady, T-Mac, of the hometown Houston Rockets, displayed his aerial skills in this dunk. AND THE CROWD GOES WILD! I think there were a gajillion dunks in this game. No one shot. They just dunked. Like a cop and his donut and coffee. Hey, I could have shown a picture of Tim Duncan and made jokes about his last name. Duncan. Duncan dunking. But, you know I would never stoop so low for such easy and child-like humor. Would I?

Strangely, a lot of this happened also. All sorts of hugging and bumping and patting and touching. A-W-K-W-A-R-D. For a minute, I thought I was watching Brokeback Basketball. The NBGay. Brothers in Arms. Man, I could go on. We all know I could go on. Literally for pages and pages. I shall refrain. See? I do so much for you people. You better start appreciating it or I'll take it all back!

And then. A sign of the apocalypse happened.

Shaq and Kobe made up. They have been feuding for years going all the way back to their time as teammates with The LA Lakers. They hated each other. Shaq was much more vocal about the hate. But, hate he did. I'm not sure when the kiss and make up happened. Some time before the game, I believe. This moment captured here, was right after Shaq fouled Kobe. They held hands. Hugged. Cuddled. It got really weird when they started making out. But, at least they were spreading the love!

Fun game. No defense. No injuries. Lotsa points. Lotsa love. LeBron James, the wonder kid, became the youngest MVP of the game. Oh, the score? East beat West 122-120. Dunk that, bitches.

More Auction Stuff

I want you to read the previoius post about the auction again! So, get to it!

Bitches.

Charity Auction

I am organizing an auction! You may remember the big PA Shindig that I went to last October on a farm in beautiful Harleysville,Pennsylvania. Kristen, the lovely hostess, has decided that she wants to do it earlier this year. We are thinking around the end of April. Last year, we had a DVD auction with proceeds going to cover the cost of the shindig. This year, we are using the auction as a benefit for Brighid Moret, a childhood friend of one of the shindiggers. She was recently diagnosed with PXE. Click on this for info. A little info below:

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum is a rare, inherited disorder that affects selected connective tissue in some parts of the body. Elastic tissue in the body becomes mineralized, that is, calcium and other minerals are deposited in the tissue. This can result in changes in the skin, eyes, cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal system. Clinicians and researchers recognized PXE over a hundred years ago. Researchers have made significant advances in the past few years.

I am looking for donations of particular items to auction off. This is a Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Comic Book crowd. So, any new items like DVD's, CD's, books, graphic novels, clothing, ornaments, jewelry,etc. relating to this genre would be a great thing to donate. Also, if you are in the service industry, maybe your restaurant/bar can donate a "Dinner for 2". I have gotten a couple of mine to agree to already. And a good friend has donated 2 tickets to an Off Broadway show she is working on. I'm working on getting more show tickets. Hopefully, I can get enough to put together some "Dinner and a Show" packages to auction off.

Here's where you come in. If you have any items you would like to donate or ideas of things to donate, please contact me as soon as possible. Now, I don't want this to be like Ebay or a yard sale, so no old socks or pieces of Spam with the Virgin Mary in it! (Though, I may want that stuff for my personal collection.) Drop me an email at:

[email protected]

Thank you in advance for you support!