Musings from the Disembodied Head

Ronnie "Woo Woo" Wickers - From Homeless Man to Famous Fan

2006-04-07T11:00:00.000-05:00

Ronnie "Woo Woo" Wickers is a true Cubs fan. The Disembodied Head honestly did not know much about Woo Woo until seeing him at Ryno's induction into the Hall of Fame. He has a great smile (especially since his teeth were fixed thanks to another generous Cubs fan's donation) and personality. Anyway - there is apparently a documentary film about Woo Woo called "WooLife." Here is the beginning of a story written about Woo Woo and the film:

Film Documents Dramatic Life Story of Formerly Homeless Ronnie Woo Woo
by Thomas J. Gradel

Ronnie Woo Woo Wickers was severely underweight and sickly when he was born. Growing up on the south side, he was physically and mentally abused by his mother.

He didn’t get much schooling. As an adult he struggled to survive. Off and on he worked as a janitor, washed windows, and had a series of odd jobs. For one seven year stretch he lived on Chicago’s streets. He spent winter nights sleeping wrapped in newspapers in cardboard boxes under Wacker Drive. Read the rest...

Woo Woo at the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Listen to Woo Woo sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"
and, of course, have a listen to Harry Caray!

Scrat is Our Generation's Charlie Chaplin...

2006-04-06T23:41:00.000-05:00

It seems that very few people would actually be interested in going to watch the new Ice Age movie if not for the lovable antics of Scrat and his nut. How many people actually remember much (if any) of the plot from the first Ice Age movie? Scrat was "the funny" from the first film and will probably be "the funny" from the new film. Oddly enough, he doesn't speak... we get some grunting and some very funny cries of exasperation, but no speaking (guess that he hasn't evolved as far as the other characters). The Disembodied Head thinks that if the producers of the movie had only made an hour long film of Scrat that just as many people would be itchin' to see it. Think about that for a second... no talking... just Scrat for an hour... a la Charlie Chaplin... better or worse than what they will give us for an hour and a half?

Four Things... Disembodied Head style!

2005-12-28T11:12:00.000-06:00

Four jobs you've had in your life:
1. Steam-cleaning vehicles during the hottest Arkansas summer on record at a Ford dealership.

2. Toy’s ‘R Us warehouse boy… lifting humongous boxes over the head on the top of a ten foot ladder… if you know the Disembodied Head, this is very funny.

3. Data Entry positions at several different businesses. The D.H. actually REALLY enjoys typing. It keeps the stress level down for some reason. Here is a typing game that also is quite enjoyable.

4. College music professor. Thought that the D.H. would be doing that forever. Things change.

Four movies you could watch over and over: (not necessarily the favorites)
1. Life Is Beautiful (La Vita É Bella) – Roberto Benigni is both hilarious and endearingly obnoxious. How does one find the beauty in life during one of the most trying times in history?! The D.H. has the poster from this film in his office… good reminder everytime he turns around.

2. Moulin Rouge – The D.H. never would have seen this movie if he hadn’t been tricked into going with a group. He has subsequently had to trick other people into watching it as well. He has now watched it countless times and if it was on… would probably watch it right now.

3. Three Amigos – No matter how many times the D.H. has watched this one… always funny. Between the Singing Bush, the Invisible Swordsman, El Guapo, and the bar scene with the song “My Little Buttercup”… good stuff.

4. Elf – Has quickly become a holiday necessity.

Four places you've lived:
1. Hamburg, AR – until graduating from high school

2. Arkadelphia, AR - until graduating from college

3. Waco, TX - until graduating from college… again

4. Longmont, CO – until waking up and realizing that it was time to move on and get back to Arkansas

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. Lost – Seriously?! You don’t watch it?! Here borrow the Season One DVDs. Watch them as quickly as possible. You can also borrow Season Two when they are released. Then you have to watch them with us every week!!

2. Alias – There would be no Lost without Alias. Jennifer Garner… yummy (Looking forward to her new movie, Catch and Release). Used to be embarrassed to admit this one… now shout it from the rafters. It is being cancelled after this season. The sadness is great with this one.

3. Grey’s Anatomy – The only serious hospital show that the D.H. has ever watched or will ever watch (still LOVE Scrubs). Very good writing and cast.

4. Arrested Development – One of the best ensemble comedies ever, but as always nobody is watching it. It is also being cancelled. Will live on in DVD box sets forever, though! Can’t get enough of the Bob Loblaw Law Blog (say it out loud… very funny)!

Four websites you visit daily:
1. Chicago Cubs – Obsession… also the daily Cubs rumors at Pro Sports Daily.

2. Velonews – So hard to get any news about cycling when living in Southeast Arkansas. Can’t even get cycling on the TV anymore due to the squabble between Dish Network and OLN.

3. Yahoo! Movies page – Easy to get to quickly… that’s how lazily the D.H. rolls!

4. E-mails – All of the dern e-mail addresses – that’s gonna have to count for this thing

Four of your favorite foods:
1. Lobster – The Maine Lobster Festival was heaven!

2. Watermelon

3. Breakfast Casserole – My wife only appeases this craving once a year.

4. Baked Tilapia/Lasagna – Tilapia if the D.H. is cooking or Lasagna if someone else is

Four places you'd rather be right now:

1. Wrigley Field

2. Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany (with the wife, of course)

3. On the bike (not sure why the D.H. isn’t to tell the truth)

4. On the set of Lost.

Four albums you can't live without (this is a revolving list, however):
1. Keane – Hopes and Fears – good stuff

2. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream – Never goes out of style – This should probably be enjoyed, however, with the followup – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

3. Luciano Berio’s Sinfonia – Specifically the third movement of Sinfornia (In Ruhig Fliessender Bewegung) – changed the way the D.H. thought about music and how it can or should be written – WARNING – probably not a pleasant listen for most people! If you would like something more pleasant that is quite good, go for Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings or Arvo Pärt’s Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten.

4. Switchfoot – Any of their albums. They are really very good.

If an album gets more than three listens by the D.H., it is saying something. It is extremely rare for an album to make it into the “heavy rotation.”

Christmas time is here...

2005-12-20T09:27:00.000-06:00

Thank you, Mr. Schulz and Mr. Guaraldi!

Christmas time is here
Happiness and cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of year

Snowflakes in the air
Carols everywhere
Olden times and ancient rhymes
Of love and dreams to share

Sleigh bells in the air
Beauty everywhere
Yuletide by the fireside
And joyful memories there

Christmas time is here
We'll be drawing near
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year...

Nancy Grace Scares the Crap Out of Children...

2005-12-12T10:26:00.000-06:00

NANCY GRACE SCARES THE CRAP OUT OF THE D.H. AS WELL!
She used to be on CourtTV... now she has her own show on CNN! What in the world were they thinking?!
Have you seen her show or her commercials? She is very frightening... for many different reasons. The first time that the Disembodied Head saw a commercial for her show... he thought that it was a joke ... kinda like a Saturday Night Live commercial spoof or an Energizer Bunny commercial... unfortunately, it was real... and now the nightmares have begun!

Could Tejada Be Persuaded to Become a Cubbie?!

2005-12-08T23:00:00.000-06:00

Any chance that this could come to pass?!
So, the Disembodied Head just came across this article that indicates that Miguel Tejada has asked the Baltimore Orioles to trade him.
POUNCE, CUBS, POUNCE!!!!
So what if we still don't know who will be playing right field for us next year... take him while you can!
So what if his current contract basically pays him $12 million per year!
The Orioles were willing to take Sammy Sosa off of our hands... maybe they will also gladly take Corey Patterson! It simply MUST be attempted! Look at the transformation that would occur in the lineup if this were to happen...

1) Juan Pierre
2) Matt Murton (a great #2 hitter!)
3) Derrek Lee
4) Aramis Ramirez
5) Miguel Tejada
6) Cliff Floyd (current rumor for right field) or Jerry Hairston, Jr.
7) Ronny Cedeno/Neifi Perez (notice the order that they are listed)
8) Michael Barrett/Henry Blanco!

The Disembodied Head would feel pretty comfortable with that lineup! Jim Hendry... DO WHATEVER IT TAKES... IT IS TIME TO WIN THIS THING!!!

Apparently the "Tailies" Really Like to Party...

2005-12-02T16:30:00.000-06:00

So, Michelle Rodriguez, who plays Ana Lucia on Lost, was recently arrested for DUI. This is her second time...
Within a fifteen minute span, Cynthia Watros, who plays Libby on the show, was also arrested for DUI. The "Tailies" have apparently been hiding a stash from the rest of the survivors!
Who would have known that Jack was just adding fuel to the fire?!!

How the D.H. Learned to Spell "Aneurysm" and More...

2005-12-02T11:29:00.000-06:00

IT'S RETRO FRIDAY!!!!

So, the Disembodied Head has a freakish ability to spell words correctly. He used to put his spelling prowess on display in spelling bee competitions (competed in state... did well). The D.H. recently had a church member ask how to spell "aneurysm." He, of course, immediately blurted out, "A - N - E - U - R - Y - S - M, Aneurysm... although I think that you can replace the Y with an I for an alternate version." This church member proceeded to question this as it "just didn't look right" to her. Later that day, though, she returned to let the D.H. know that he was correct all along... couldn't help but wonder where this propensity for spelling derived (other than lots and lots of hours with the mom spelling words for practice)... Anyway - the Disembodied Head has figured it out... he learned to spell the same way that Bill Cosby and his kid did (see the video)... from the Speak n' Spell!

This was back in the day when people actually knew the company named Texas Instruments and they could probably tell you of at least a few products that they made.

Anyway, seems like everyone the D.H. knew had one of these... Did you?

Check out the Speak n' Spell commercial!! (Sorry about the quality)

When You Realize That You Can't Separate Fantasy From Reality...

2005-12-01T11:46:00.000-06:00

Is that Kate and Charlie?! That's really weird...

EEEEEEK!!! What are they doing?!!!

This is WRONG!! The D.H. is SO telling Jack!

All Good Things Must Come to an End...

2005-11-24T22:21:00.000-06:00

So, the Disembodied Head has been predicting this since the start of this season, but it has now become official... ALIAS will be ending this year. ABC is giving the show the axe after five seasons. The D.H.'s wife says that it is like having a "death in the family."
First, the RANTS: After last year's success of having back-to-back J.J. Abrams shows (Alias then Lost) in which Alias' ratings were at their highest during the entire series, the brilliant minds at ABC decided to move the show yet again... to compete against Survivor (guess who will get voted off the TV this season). Unfortunately for the show, Jennifer Garner got pregant... this, of course, makes it kinda hard to be a globe-trotting, booty-kickin' superspy - but the mistake that was made was in trying to phase her out of the show with "agents in training."
Now, the RELUCTANT RAVES: ABC has at least given the writers of the show a decent amount of time to try and tie up loose ends with the plotline... a luxury that is not often afforded shows that are cancelled as they usually do not find out until after the season has concluded.
Anyway - it is a VERY sad day for the D.H. Lost better stay on for a LONG, LONG time!

A New Video Game Addiction... Animal Crossing!

2005-11-15T15:37:00.000-06:00

The Disembodied Head tends to gravitate towards more PS2 adventure/sports/"shoot-em" video games. He did, however, buy his wife a Nintendo Gamecube because those types of games (read as "kid-friendly") are the only ones that she has much interest in playing. The D.H. has also enjoyed the Gamecube with an occasional Mario or Zelda game, but he (and his wife) has found a new addiction... it is called Animal Crossing!

This game is simple enough in its plotline...

"Ever wanted a dream life where you’re in total control? Then welcome to Animal Crossing, Nintendo’s real-time game where you live in a world that is wholly unique and you call all the shots. In this imaginary world, you own a home, you work hard to get ahead, and you play even harder to enjoy the irresistible challenges of each day and each season. Join the growing population of players who live to play and play to live in a land of fun and surprises."

The thing that truly makes this game unique to the D.H. is that the game continues to take place in real-time even when the system is turned off... for instance, there is a fishing tournament every Sunday from 6 AM until 6 PM - if you would like to take part in the tournament then you need to have a free bit of time between those hours in real life. Likewise, there are occasional "special" one-hour sales - again, if you aren't around to play then you are out of luck!

The Disembodied Head's wife has absolutely fallen for this game and that is truly unusual! The D.H. was able to purchase the game new for $19.99 and it was well worth the money! Click here to visit the official game website or here to read the Nintendo Power article about the game (it received 5 out of 5 stars!).
If you do not own a Gamecube and are looking to kill some time for free, try out the Virtual Magic Kingdom!

Arrested Development Cancelled... For Real This Time

2005-11-11T13:19:00.001-06:00

So, the powers that be over at FOX have finally done it. They never deserved to have a show this good anyway. It was, of course, preempted during the World Series (one of the lowest rated of all time) and then returned this past Monday evening... problem is that FOX did not promote the return and only truly faithful viewers would have had any clue that it would be back. FOX did the show a true injustice as the second half hour (two episodes back to back) led up to one of the funniest moments (the Godzilla-Mole versus Jetpack-Boy in Tinytown) of the entire series and that is truly saying something. There was supposed to be another episode this coming Monday, but apparently FOX has decided to show reruns of Prison Break (really?!!) during the rest of the November sweeps period. Arrested will return in December and finish out the rest of its ordered 13 episodes (half a season).

FOX has actually won Emmys with this show and has done very little to promote it... so, shame on them. The Disembodied Head would like to take this moment to BEG AND PLEAD for another network to pick up where FOX has dropped the ball (HEY, NBC ARE YOU LISTENING... DON'T YOU NEED ANOTHER MUST-SEE COMEDY?!). It is a VERY sad day for the D.H.

Pat Robertson Is an Idiot!!

2005-11-10T18:08:00.000-06:00

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Conservative Christian televangelist Pat Robertson told citizens of a Pennsylvania town that they had rejected God by voting their school board out of office for supporting "intelligent design" and warned them on Thursday not to be surprised if disaster struck. more here

On behalf of another side of thinking from Conservative Christians, the Disembodied Head would like to say that Pat Robertson is one of the biggest idiots on this planet and truly does not express the views of the majority! Disaster does not discriminate! It will rain on the just and the unjust - there will be hurricanes that destroy the lives of good people and evil people. Some might ask why God allows bad things to happen to good people? If only good things happened to good people (there is no such thing, by the way) and bad things to bad people, who in their right mind would not follow God? This would completely eliminate any need for people to make a genuine choice about their faith. If you are a Christian, you should EXPECT disaster to strike at some point in your life... not because you are a Christian, but because you are a human living in an imperfect world. The real question is how will you handle disaster when it does strike?

Awesomely Bad Movies Can Be Had For Cheap...

2005-11-09T00:20:00.000-06:00

Here is a glance at Columbia House's "DVDs for under $10" section - this edition is titles from "Bo" through "Bu."

The Boxer - stars Daniel Day-Lewis and Emma Watson - he is a boxer AND an IRA bomber - take that Stallone... maybe if you were also in the CIA would we care to watch Rocky 6 (AKA... "Rocker 6")

The Boys from Brazil - starring Gregory Peck and James Mason - oddly, when you click on this movie, you discover that the main character is actually played by "Sir" Laurence Olivier and that he received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for the role - no mention of Peck or Mason... or Brazil for that matter... something to do with huntin' Nazis - must be good then

Boys on the Side - starring Whoopi Goldberg - click tells us that Drew Barrymore is also in it... hmm... Drew not as big as Whoopi?... hmm - "Three ferocious females hit the road in this touching comedy drama" - notice that there actually aren't any boys in this picture? Drew has a short haircut, but come on... really!

Where da boyz, yo?
Breaker, Breaker - starring Chuck Norris - apparently wasn't good enough to warrant having a description on the website - still probably slightly better than Walker: Texas Ranger

Breaking Up - starring Russell Crowe and Salma Hayek - odd... never heard of this one... "In a series of vignettes, interviews and photos, Steve (Crowe) and Monica (Hayek) chronicle their on-again-off-again relationship." The D.H. prefers "asides" to "vignettes."

The Breaks - starring people that probably don't actually exist - something about an Irish dude that lives with a black family in South Central having a bad day - wow!

Breakthru: Core-Conditioning Pilates - the D.H. refuses to purchase this for the complete disrespect shown to the proper spelling of breakthrough

Breakthru: Pilates Plus! - gotta have it!!! who cares about spelling!!! this one has math information!

Brewster's Millions - no description given, but the D.H. has seen this one - stars Richard Pryor before he was noticably incoherent due to eating drugs for breakfast - involves the Chicago Cubs - two opposable thumbs way up!

The Bride - starring Sting and Jennifer Beals - at first, the D.H. thought that the little sword from Tolkien's world was making an appearance, then realized that it was the Rock legend - methinks that The Police should have arrested him for this

The Brothers - starring... well, four brothers who apparently have a fear of intimacy - it supposedly has a smart script - don't doubt it based on the title... hmm...

The Browning Version - starring Albert Finney - really would prefer just about any other version

The Buddy Holly Story - starring a guy that looks kinda like Buddy Holly - the D.H. didn't realize that Buddy had even written a story!

Bugsy - starring Warren Beatty and Annette Bening - supposedly a good movie - guess no one likes it enough to actually purchase it though - in a related news topic, Beatty has not ruled out running for public office - the D.H. refuses to vote in California elections until David Arquette has been rightfully appointed as Emperor

Building the Great Pyramid - watch as the dudes build it - Running Time = hundreds of years!

Bull Fighter - involves bulls, mobsters, and inner demons - mythical and provocative

Bush's Brain - about Karl Rove - would have been much more fascinating had it been about the brain of the "Singing Bush" from the "Three Amigos"

Buster and Chauncey's Silent Night - starring the voices of Phil Hartman and Marie Osmond (and Tom Arnold) - needed this one only slightly more than the California Raisins Christmas special

Butt-Ugly Martians: Hoverboard Heroes - huh?!

Butt-Ugly Martians: Boyz to Martians - bet they sing some Motownphilly!

Butt-Ugly Martians: Best of the Bad Guys - about the winners among the losers... who happen to be butt-ugly... and from Mars

WELL! This should sufficiently teach the Disembodied Head not to waste time perusing through the Columbia House bargain bins!

Dancing Flowers and Chia Pets... Who Wouldn't Want to Be a Child of the 80's?!!!

2005-11-04T01:50:00.000-06:00

RETRO FRIDAY!!!

So earlier today, the Disembodied Head found himself wishing that real flowers and other plants were more immediately interactive. He actually began wishing that they were like those stupid dancing flower toys from the 80's that would dance to any sound (worked best with music).
Can't think of anything more Rock 'n Roll than a dancing flower!

Likewise, what's with the delayed gratification of these plants anyway? Can't we speed up the process like Sea Monkeys or Chia Pets?

Oddly enough, these stupid thoughts led the D.H. to draw some new conclusions about the 80's generation... and like a great J.J. Abrams TV show, this is a cliffhanger for next time!

It could only happen in...

2005-11-03T01:05:00.000-06:00

A Sticky Situation...
It could only happen in Boulder, Colorado. Believe the Disembodied Head... he knows!
Man Sues After Using Glue-Covered Toilet
and, of course, it could only happen in Arkansas...
Man Kills Buck With Bare Hands in Bedroom
...and from the only other place the D.H. has ever lived... it could only happen in Waco (this one is horrible!)...
Waco pastor electrocuted during baptism

Halloween Costumes

2005-10-29T00:23:00.000-05:00

The Disembodied Head has always wanted to be a PEZ dispenser for Halloween!

What are some of the weirdest costumes that you have worn? Got any good ones planned for this year? The D.H. once went as a tritone (musical interval between a Perfect 4th and a Perfect 5th) because it was once considered to be "diablo di musica" (the devil in music). Not very many people got the joke... methinks that dry wit is often underappreciated.

Back from a VERY LONG Hiatus...

2005-10-29T00:01:00.000-05:00

The Disembodied Head would like to offer up his most sincere apologies to his beloved readers! After his image hosting site went down, the D.H. simply became to lazy to do the legwork of getting the site up and running once more... until now. Hope to see many of you return soon!

The Tour de France has arrived!!

2005-07-02T14:08:00.000-05:00

For those of you who don't care about the Tour de France (SHAME ON YOU!), the Disembodied Head must offer up his sincere apologies in advance of the rest of this month as many of his posts will be gobbled up by this event.

So, the D.H. picked the correct winner of today's Time Trial. It was the American cyclist, David Zabriskie, who rides for the Danish CSC squad.

Zabriskie has proven himself to be a Time Trialist extraordinaire now that he has won not only this time trial, but also winning one in the Giro D'Italia. The most impressive events of the day, however, occurred when Lance Armstrong passed Jan Ullrich, one of his chief rivals, despite each rider beginning one minute after one another. He has already put about a minute gap on each of his main competitors in the race and appears to be in great form. Can't wait for the real racing to begin tomorrow!

Ahhh... Tommy... What has happened?!!

2005-06-29T11:50:00.000-05:00

Tom Cruise...

when you have stopped laughing, please continue reading on...

So, Tom the family guy decides to dump his wife (really, Tom? Nicole Kidman isn't good enough for you anymore?) and children for Penelope Cruz (odd enough that they already had the same last name... sort of). When that was no longer working out, he decided to give Rosie O'Donnell a call since she had always proclaimed her adoration for all things Tom on her show. He was, of course, a bit too late as she could no longer wait for his "good, good lovin'." Thus, Tom's downward spiraling life began spinning out of control. He turned even more to his love of Scientology as a bit of solace. Once Katie came along he decided that he had once again met the love of his life (what is this now... the fifteenth "love of his life?"). He has since acted more and more like he desperately needs to be placed in a room with lovely, white padded walls. He has said that Postpartum depression does not exist (Brooke Shields has just been making that up), that there is no such thing as a chemical imbalance, and that he knows the history of psychiatry while other people (read as Matt Lauer) don't. He then went absolutely ballistic when a guy squirted him with water during a fake interview at a film premier (video and story here). Now he has let the rest of us in on a little secret...

Asked in an interview with the tabloid daily Bild if he believed in aliens, Cruise said: "Yes, of course. Are you really so arrogant as to believe we are alone in this universe?

"Millions of stars, and we're supposed to be the only living creatures? No, there are many things out there, we just don't know," Cruise, 42, said in the interview published in German. (rest of story...)

The Disembodied Head is no longer sure if Tom can separate his fantasy life in movies from his real life (Tom, the aliens from "War of the Worlds" aren't real!). One has to wonder how anyone (KATIE, ARE YOU LISTENING?!) can actually believe in anything associated with Scientology! Anyway, Here is a wonderful article about just how INSANE that L. Ron Hubbard is.

Choose Your Own Adventure Books!!

2005-06-21T16:00:00.001-05:00

Remember Choose Your Own Adventure Books?

The Disembodied Head absolutely loved these books when he was a small head. They were not the greatest stories in the world, but the novelty of being able to affect the outcome of the story always seemed intriguing.

The D.H. didn't realize until today just how many of these books that he actually owned! He can't remember the name of his favorite, but it featured a character named Dr. Alucard, which you later discover is just Dracula spelled backwards.

Remember these at all? Do you still own any?

GEICO Commercials

2005-06-15T13:50:00.001-05:00

The Disembodied Head has a good number of commercials that he finds very funny (i.e. "Can you bird it? Can you do the bird?), but some of the Geico (read as non-Gecko) commercials are absolutely hilarious!

He really enjoys the new one with Tony Little...
"YOU CAN DO IT!!"
He also really enjoys the one with the cartoon character promoting his "Kwazy Kwisps" cereal... his favorite, however, is the Tiny House one, which he has provided for you today in a download...
This commercial "is SOOO Awesome!"

The Disembodied Head... Back With A Vengeance!!

2005-06-13T12:01:00.000-05:00

Much like Chuck Norris, the Disembodied Head has been missing in action for over a week now... there are many excuses which you will hear about soon, but for now it shall be enough to know that severely sunburned eyes do not allow for computer usage (or any other light for that matter) and moving across the country from Colorado to Arkansas does not allow for computer usage either... Worry not, dear readers, the Disembodied Head will very soon be back WITH A VENGEANCE!

SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS!

2005-06-04T12:26:00.001-05:00

Quick cartoon post today...

These toons usually came on during the VERY early hours of Saturday morning (just as the sun was rising... at least during the summer). Thus, the Disembodied Head was not able to watch them often yet still enjoyed them immensely.

The first and earliest was the Pac-Man cartoon.

This, of course, was the spawn of the video game turned into marketing marvel. There were Pac-Man cereals, T-shirts, Lunchboxes, Flame Throwers (sorry... Spaceballs joke), etc. So, this was the inevitable cartoon... one of the very first (though certainly not the last) video games to cross over into the cartoon realm.

The cartoon that followed this one where the D.H. lived was Richie Rich.

The D.H. is not sure if this one was derived from a comic book or if the comic book was derived from the cartoon, but either way... there have been many cross-promotions with Richie Rich. There was a really crappy movie version during the '90's.

Eek!!! Power is flickering... end transmission!

Some Old-School Shoes to Feed Your Sole

2005-06-03T13:06:00.001-05:00

It's Retro Friday everyone!! YEEEEEEEE-HAWWWWWWWWW!!

Today's retro-post is all about shoes...

Remember British Knights?

For some reason, these were all the rage for a while and then they fizzled out just about as quickly. The Disembodied Head never owned a pair of these and never really wanted to anyway... 'cause he wanted to own a pair of Reebok pumps (just realized that sounds a bit like a woman's shoe, doesn't it?)!

This was one of the most hyped shoes ever. The D.H. never owned a pair but always wanted some. The people that he knew that had them, however, didn't really like them after about a month of wearing them. They were still pretty cool at the time... apparently they could help you win the NBA slam dunk contest as well...

Dee Brown uses his Reebok Pumps to jump REALLY high in 1991
This shoe, of course, was an offspring of the Reebok High Top shoe that was only REALLY cool if you took all the laces out of them and pulled the tongue out (this also worked well with L.A. Gear).

The Disembodied Head refuses to really post anything about the craze that was PENNY LOAFERS... so we shall move on...

For the ladies, WHAT WAS WITH THE JELLIES? The D.H. never really understood why you would want to wear something that felt like a gummi bear on your feet. Those things stunk to high heaven too!

You would have been much better off with a nice pair of Roos! You could have fit an entire purse-worth of stuff into the cool little zipper compartment on the side!

The best retro shoe of all time, of course, are the Chuck Taylor All-Star Converse! Fortunately, these are still sold today (the D.H. and his wife both sport Chucks at times) yet still hold that "old-school" street cred... which is very important if you live in a tiny town in Southern Arkansas!

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE RETRO SHOE THAT IS NOT LISTED HERE? TELL US ABOUT IT OR COMMENT ON ONE OF THESE!

Arrested Development and... Arrested Development

2005-06-03T01:22:00.000-05:00

As a follow-up post to last month's outcry over the impending cancellation of Arrested Development:

Did anyone watch NBC's H1t Me Baby One More Time? The Disembodied Head did and found it too be more entertaining than he imagined it would be. The first episode had performances from Loverboy ("Working for the Weekend"), CeCe Peniston ("Finally"... it has happened to me), Flock of Seagulls ("I Ran"), Arrested Development ("Tennessee"), and Tiffany ("I Think We're Alone Now").

Loverboy no longer wears tight red leather pants... and believe the Disembodied Head... you should be very thankful for this fact! CeCe Peniston never made a dent in this Head's musical brain... so he will move on swiftly. The lead singer from Flock of Seagulls is no longer sporting the awesomely bad '80's hair and even wore a hat with a long ponytail.

He's not as cool as he used to be...
Anyway - the concept of the show is that these artists must perform one of their old hit songs and then perform their version of a current hit song. The only group that really did a good job was Arrested Development...

They performed their former hit, "Tennessee," and then later sang their version of Los Lonely Boys' "Heaven." They won the evening's contest (deservedly) and the $20,000 donation to a charity. Now to the bad stuff (still fun to watch though)... Tiffany never quite sang in key the whole night (her second song was Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway")... this is not meant in the American Idol-style "I dunno, man, it was just kinda pitchy for me, ya know what I'm sayin' dog?" This means that she was flat-out flat for the whole night... not really even close. Flock of Seagulls completely butchered Ryan Cabrera's song, "On the Way Down," as they attempted to "make it their own." This apparently meant to strip the entire song of any semblance of a melody or even a melodic fragment... now the D.H. hates this song anyway, so in that sense, Flock of Seagulls did a pretty good job!

Coming soon on the show: Wang Chung, Vanilla Ice, Tommy Tutone ("867-5309"), and more

Now for the other Arrested Development news: Apparently the show will be back again in the fall! Yippee!

Wanna see the trailer for the SECOND SEASON of LOST?!

2005-06-02T01:47:00.001-05:00

The Disembodied Head is a big fan of LOST (and, of course, Alias). He loves the intricate little mysteries that have come into play interwoven throughout the flashback scenes of each character's life prior to finding themselves "LOST." The D.H. previously made mention of the website for Charlie's band, Driveshaft, but this one is really interesting if you are at all fascinated by viral marketing efforts. Anyway - the trailer is easy enough to find and get to, but there is much much more to be "found" at this site. Similar types of websites were setup during the first season of Alias and helped solidify the show as something of a "must-see" for many viewers.

Go to the website for Oceanic Airlines (the airline that crashed the characters on the island). If you would like to see the trailer for Season 2, you will need to click on the magic numbers on the different rows of seats. What are the magic numbers? Do you really have to ask? In case you do, they are 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. If you click them in this order, the trailer will automatically appear.

***********WARNING************WARNING************WARNING**********

It is quite possible to spend a great deal of time at this website finding all sorts of hidden things like a supposed page from next season's script...

Click image to see a larger version
or the map from the French Woman...
Again, click the image to see a larger version
One other website that you can find by visiting this site is a messageboard/forum for the show at Oceanicflight815.com. There are lots of interesting (and lots of ridiculous) theories about the show...

If you are a fan of the show and are prone to wasting lots of time at the computer, then you are being forewarned about the effects of the first website... use discretion!

The Muppet Show: Star Wars Special

2005-05-31T01:01:00.000-05:00

The Disembodied Head has been amused at how nearly every blog these days has something Star Wars related in a recent post (this blog not excluded). Thus, it was time to whip out the granddaddy of all Star Wars badness... The Muppet Show Star Wars Special! We quickly learn from C-3PO and R2-D2 that Chewie is being held hostage by a group of turkeys...

...kinda makes sense then that they would think to check with The Muppet Show first. Luke then shows up briefly...

...before leaving to go and find his cousin, Mark Hamill...

Mark Hamill is apparently dying to be on the show and tries his best to impress Kermit with his many skills. We get to hear his impressions of both Kermit and Fozzie...

as well as see him attempt to dance...
Of course you couldn't have The Muppet Show Star Wars Special without an episode of Pigs in Space!

Piggy, in typical fashion, tries to imitate Princess Leia and we get the first glimpse of the VERY EVIL Derth Nader, played by Gonzo. We eventually find Chewie just in time for a large-scale song and dance number... as you may have already guessed.

WHO NEEDS MORE STAR WARS WHEN THIS IS STILL OUT THERE BEING UNWATCHED BY THE MASSES?!!!!!

Scooby's All-Star Laff-a-Lympics

2005-05-30T02:00:00.000-05:00

For some reason, Laff-a-Lympics was the Disembodied Head's favorite cartoon when he was but a small head. It originally aired in the late '70's but was put back on air in the mid-80's and has since appeared numerous times through the marvel of syndication... THANK YOU CARTOON NETWORK!!! Anyway - the idea here was basically an all-star lineup of Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters competing in lots of crazy events with an Olympics-like feel. The proceedings were broadcast so well by none other than Snagglepuss...
..."in the stadium, even!"
Take a listen to the opening of this cartoon...

The teams were as follows:

The Scooby Doobies

Scooby-Doo
Shaggy
Tinker and Speed Buggy
Dynomutt and Blue Falcon
Hong Kong Phooey
Scooby-Dum
Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels
Jeannie and Babu
The Scooby Doobies

The Yogi Yahooeys

Yogi Bear and Boo Boo
Huckleberry Hound
Snooper and Blabber
Wally Gator
Quick Draw McGraw
Mr. Jinks
Pixie and Dixie
Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy
Grape Ape (YIPPEE!!)
Yakky Doodle
Cindy Bear (Yogi's girlfriend)
The Yogi Yahooeys

The Really Rottens

Muttley (seems that he is also occasionally called Mumbly... hmm...)
Dastardley, Dinky, and Dirty Dalton
The Great Fondoo and his magic rabbit, Brak
Dred Barron
Orful Octopus
Daisy Mayhem
Sooey Pig
Mr. and Mrs. Creepley
The Really Rottens
Each event was usually scored in a manner similar to this...

Here we see the Yogi Yahooeys cheering on Huckleberry Hound as he prepares for the downhill ski event...

Likewise, the Scooby Doobies cheer on their hero, Scooby Doo...

and (as always) the Really Rottens have decided to cheat by having more than one contestant in this event...

...much to the delight of the rest of their team.

The Disembodied Head's favorite competitor was Grape Ape. You could pretty much know that he would win any event that he competed in unless the Really Rottens did something... well... really rotten.

One could never count out Yogi when it came to tennis as he was, of course, smarter than the average bear...

and Captain Caveman was a pretty tough out at the plate.

At the end of this day, the Scooby Doobies pulled out the victory...

and will hold the crown of Laff-a-Lympics champion for at least another week!

The Atari 2600...

2005-05-27T01:04:00.000-05:00

Ahh... It's Retro Friday! The Atari 2600... such an important part of the D.H.'s childhood! Did you realize that pretty soon only a handful of entering college freshmen will have any idea what it was actually like to play this thing?!

People used to be all about some Atari. They loved to play games like PONG. Many of them, including the Disembodied Head's family, even had the Atari 2600 paddles...

The Atari 2600 had awesome games like Basketball...

which predated basketball's addition of the 3-point shot... OLD SCHOOL!
It was always amazing how well the square ball bounced on this game...
There were also games like Yars' Revenge...

This was one of the weirdest games out there... not rare, but definitely weird
Always wondered why Yars needed to have his revenge...
Some games, like Pitfall, seemingly had no end...

The Atari 2600 spawned some interesting characters like Q*Bert...

which would inevitably spawn a Saturday morning cartoon...

However, the Disembodied Head's all-time favorite game for this console was a game called River Raid.

The game had a simple concept but was extremely fun to play...

Remember any of these?

LOST and ALIAS Finales

2005-05-25T23:58:00.000-05:00

WOW! J.J. Abrams and his crew have done it once again! Season finales have become so predictable for most shows these days... ("On the final episode of CSI: Miami, someone will die!" then followed by a commercial for NCIS of "One of these will not survive!") The only predictable thing about a J.J. Abrams show is that you WILL be surprised by something.

So it turns out that "The Others" were after Walt all along on LOST.

Walt has been kidnapped!
We were also treated to some mysterious black and wispy/smoky thing that sucked up trees and what not along with a man being blown to smithereens by some dynamite (actually quite a funny scene because it was actually kind to the audience to off this guy).

We discovered that Hurley's winning lottery numbers (4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42) were on the dreaded hatch that was finally opened by another dynamite explosion. These numbers, by the way, have spawned many a website of their own including this one: http://www.4815162342.com.

We, of course, didn't get to find out what was inside the hatch because they want us to stew about it all summer... dernit!

On ALIAS, Nadia was infected with the crazy pink eyes and tried to kill Sydney... only to be shot by her father, Sloane (is he or isn't he evil?!). Irina killed Ilena, the world was saved, Sydney agreed to marry Vaughn, and then...

My name isn't Michael Vaughn!
If you thought that you saw the "My name isn't Michael Vaughn" coming, then you were probably just as blindsided by the other vehicle as Syd and Vaughn were. There wasn't even time to let the idea sink in before the crash! The D.H. absolutely loved it and, of course, hated it at the same time as it makes the summer seem so long!

The Demise of the Subway Stamp Card...

2005-05-24T14:43:00.001-05:00

So, the Disembodied Head went to Subway today to grab a quick lunch.

Much to his dismay, he discovered that Subway has now gotten rid of its Sub Club stamps in all of its stores (more info here)! Those silly cards have pulled the D.H. out of many a poor but hungry situation over the years and he is not sure how to continue living life without them.

One has to wonder just how Jared feels about this move since he spends so much money there... wait a sec... Jared is prolly to blame for this. He probably demands so much money for new commercials now. This is truly a sad day in the life of the Disembodied Head... a few moments of silence, please.

Look at how happy that Jared is!

If only the Disembodied Head had a really small flashlight...

2005-05-23T01:38:00.001-05:00

So, the Disembodied Head has decided that he would make a great CSI employee... if only he had a really cool flashlight.

Disembodied Head Investigation
What is with those silly flashlights? They could be standing on the dern sun and they would have them out pretending that they were helping shed some light on the situation (**groan**). The D.H. thinks that he should be on the brand new show... C.S.I.: Major League Baseball. He would be able to find out who is on the "juice" and who is just a normal "meathead."

The D.H.'s keen eyes have spotted what appears to be a syringe in Mr. Bonds' arm... Hmm... what a "juicy" story (**double groan**)!

When You Find Something You Like...

2005-05-22T19:25:00.001-05:00

When you find something that you like, do you stick with it or hope that you will find something better? This is kinda like the "Do you believe that the grass is always greener on the other side or are you content with the grass that you've got" question...

Consistency found at Chili's
The Disembodied Head has found over the years that he is usually quite content with most things in his life. Today, he went to Chili's restaurant and ate the same meal that he always eats when at Chili's... Chicken Crispers with fries and corn. In the past, he has eaten many different items at Chili's (all pretty good), but once he had the Chicken Crispers... well, he knew what he would always want thereafter. This does not mean that the D.H. is not experimental when it comes to food... far from it. He will often order one of the more bizarre items on a restaurant's menu... just not at Chili's. He realized that there are other things in his life that work the same way. His wife, for instance, is a wonderful constant in his life. For lack of a better example, he has no desire to "sample anything else off of the menu." He found what he likes and will want to order it all the time. Just curious if anyone out there has a similar story... the D.H. has heard of people who eat the same thing every day, which does not sound that appealing... (Jared from Subway, anyone?)

The Ant and the Aardvark

2005-05-21T13:10:00.001-05:00

More cartoons for ya...

Remember this one? Listen to the theme song here... This was a cartoon that could occasionally be seen while watching Pink Panther cartoons (along with the occasional Inspector Clouseau cartoon, which the D.H. will surely post about sooner or later).
Meet the Ant!
The Ant and the Aardvark pretty much consists of the typical chaser-and-chasee plot that is found in numerous cartoons (Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd... or Tom and Jerry). The Ant is the sympathetic hero and takes the role of the chasee.
Meet the Aardvark!
While the Aardvark is the chaser and supposedly the villain in this cartoon, you can't help but love him simply because of his very funny voice and the silly things that he always says aloud... such as this. Apparently both the Ant and the Aardvark's voices were provided by a guy named John Byner... the Disembodied Head thinks that this must have been a bit odd for him to say things like, "I'll get you, Ant" or "I'm going to eat you, Ant." Anyway - remember this cartoon? This post will now inexplicably end with a picture of the Ant carrying some cheese.
Poor Ant!

Retro Friday - Cartoon Edition

2005-05-20T02:23:00.000-05:00

How many of you remember "The Get Along Gang?"

The "Gang" consisted of Montgomery Moose, Zipper Cat, Portia Porcupine, Woolma Lamb, Dottie Dog, and Bingo Beaver

The show ran from 1984-86.
Psst... remember me? I'm Bingo Beaver...
The "Gang" lived in a caboose...

where they usually got along...

and tried to avoid confrontations with Braker Turtle and Officer Growler.
Look out, Portia!
Overall, the Get Along Gang was quite a happy and enjoyable lot.
Did Portia die in the last picture?

The Get Along Gang theme song is quite catchy... listen to it here.
**UPDATE**
Here are the words so that you can sing along if you like:

The Get-Along Gang, Get-Along Gang
Each one so special in his own way
Montgomery's the leader and he's such a good sport
The Get-Along Gang, Get-Along Gang
There's Woolma and Dotty with the spirit
Hope Bingo the prankster doesn't ruin it
Logical Portia will figure it out
And next there's Zipper, the lean machine
Get up! With the Get-Along Gang
Come on! Their adventures don't end
Get up! With the Get-Along GaaaAAAaang, aaAAaah
Get up! With the Get-Along Gang
Here comes Pops' caboose on it's way
Get up! With the Get-Along GaAAaaang
AaaaAAAaaah, Get up!

Retro Friday - Games Edition

2005-05-20T01:23:00.001-05:00

"Well you know my name is Simon..."
Simon was somewhat of a cultural phenomenon during the 80's... not quite to the level of the Rubik's Cube, but important nonetheless.

Meaningless picture of a Rubik's Cube...
Nearly everyone that the Disembodied Head knew owned a Simon game and some people would spend hours perfecting their Simon-y skills (this was often clearly illustrated by the "totally rad" dudes on their commercials)... much like being able to do a great "Moonwalk" or spin on the ground for hours while carrying a 500 pound "boombox," an awesome Simon game could give you mad street cred! The Disembodied Head really was not very good at this game yet still enjoyed it. In case you were wondering, the tones used for the four colors were C, E, G, and B... pretty sure that just made your day!

Prolly woulda been more fun with hippos instead of mice...
The D.H. always thought that Mouse Trap looked like loads of fun... can't remember it ever being loads of fun, though. There was always something about it that appealed to this head's senses... much like Domino Rally.

Set 'em up and knock 'em down!
The Disembodied Head absolutely LOVED Domino Rally! Of course if you have ever tried to play with a Domino Rally set, you know the biggest problem with it. The set-up time was at least a few weeks due to the fact that the dern dominos had small imperfections in the plastic that would prevent many of them from standing up properly... nothing worse than a few hours of work going to waste when it's not even your fault! That reminds the D.H. that his family's Scottish Terrier REALLY enjoyed the dominos as well... Anyway - a few retro games for ya!

Favorite Films Thursday... Star Wars Tribute Edition

2005-05-19T12:03:00.000-05:00

SPACEBALLS: The ~~Coloring Book~~ Movie
Dark Helmet...D.H. Hmmm...
While this is not the D.H.'s favorite comedy, it does rank pretty high up on his list. It is extremely juvenile yet quite funny if you are in a goofy mood.

Truckin' through space in a Winnebago!
This photo shows John Candy as Barfolemew, or "Barf" (left), the voice of Joan Rivers as Dot Matrix, Daphne Zuniga as Princess Vespa, and Bill Pullman as Lone Starr. As this is a Mel Brooks movie, he also has a couple of important roles playing both President Skroob and also the cute and cuddly Yogurt ("everybody loves Yogurt"). Rick Moranis was the perfect choice to play the evil Dark Helmet. His whininess really helps in putting the movie over the top.

Pizza the Hut!!!
The film also has some quite memorable characters like Pizza the Hut (voiced by Dom DeLuise) and Prince Valium. It also contains LOTS of memorable one-liners...

It appears our radar has been... jammed!
Click here to hear the Disembodied Head's favorite quote from the movie... What's the matter, chicken? Go ahead and click here!

...and may the Schwartz be with ya!

In Honor of Star Wars... UPDATED

2005-05-18T11:21:00.000-05:00

Don't mess with the Disembodied Head!(Click the picture for a larger version)
The D.H. will be attending a midnight showing of the new Star Wars film this evening (morning). He hadn't planned on doing this, but a friend's wife decided that she wouldn't be able to stay awake that long. Much looking forward to viewing it, the D.H. is. Will let you know how it turns out...

**UPDATE** - Thought the movie was very good! As always, the script and acting during the "Anakin and Padmé in love" scenes left much to be desired, but the D.H. thinks that Hayden Christensen does a pretty good job in transforming into Vader. The D.H. also feels that the movie did some nice work in tying the whole series up into a nice little package... will probably need to watch all six in succession to get a true feel for the body of work. If you are debating whether or not to go see it, this head gives it a recommendation.

Broke Down Ol' Truck

2005-05-17T13:18:00.000-05:00

'78 Chevy - Blue... Dark Blue
3 Flat Tires - fourth a bit on the low side
Fuel Tank's nearly empty
Truck's been sittin' in the same place fer months now
Engine's still firin' though
Reckon this truck just won't die
Prolly just needs someone to give it a chance...

Today's Bike Ride... 5/16

2005-05-16T16:51:00.000-05:00

Plan: 35 miles

Actual: 31 miles... one should always look at the topography of a ride before embarking!

Ride Time: 1 hour and 55 minutes ... no stops

Average Speed: 16.25 MPH... dern headwind!

Maximum Speed: 34 MPH

Temperature: 75-80 degrees... VERY nice!

New Equipment Used: Camelbak Classic... LOVE IT!

Cramps When Finished: One... buttocks region... ouch! Can't even imagine if the D.H. didn't have a decent pair of riding shorts... neck pretty sore too... effects of new Camelbak, perhaps?

Stupidity Level: Average to High... also have to play a softball game this evening

**UPDATE** - The D.H. went 3-for-3 with an RBI in his team's victory!

End Of Yet Another Survivor...

2005-05-16T12:35:00.001-05:00

After the Survivor series was resurrected from its impending ratings doom with the Survivor All-Stars, this season's ratings went back up... the Disembodied Head would fall into this category of people who returned to the show due to the All-Stars version. Anyway - if you missed it last night, Tom won the million dollars... not a surprise because he was going up against Katie.

Tom won...
The D.H., however, was a bit disappointed because he had pegged Ian to win from about the second or third episode. Ian, in an unprecedented move, basically gave up his shot at the final prize in order to salvage his honor and image. The D.H. knows that Ian made the right move, but he still SHOULD have won... dernit.

Ian SHOULD have won...
The D.H. actually liked Tom and probably would have selected him second or third behind Ian (wish Stephanie could have stuck around to the end). If you watched the show, who do you WISH had won?

M.U.S.C.L.E. Men Wallpaper for you...

2005-05-15T16:39:00.000-05:00

After reading a post about M.U.S.C.L.E. Men at The Goon Docks, the Disembodied Head was inspired to go and make another wallpaper... too much free time! If you are so inclined to want a M.U.S.C.L.E. Men wallpaper image, then right-click here and select save target as...

A smaller version of the new M.U.S.C.L.E. wallpaper

TEFLON POISONING!

2005-05-14T22:21:00.001-05:00

This is a bit of a sensitive topic for the Disembodied Head to discuss, but it is one that he finds to be of great importance. The D.H. and his wife used to own a couple of finches. They were named Franklin and Figment. They were quite lovely birds and each had its own personality that was often accentuated by its unique chirping mannerisms. Both Franklin and Figment passed away a couple of years ago. The D.H. came home from a hard day of school and discovered them both dead. It was without a doubt one of the worst things that this head has ever seen... they looked as though they had suddenly aged about ten bird years and appeared as though they had not had water in months. We could not figure out how they died for quite some time until the D.H. was reading an article on the internet that explained it all. They were poisoned by fumes emitted by our non-stick cookware. DuPont, the makers of Teflon, have said that their product is only harmful if used in extreme heating conditions, but there have been numerous bird owners that have disputed this claim. Most of these owners have only used their cookware in normal cooking situations and yet their birds have also been asphyxiated.

Here are some links that deal with this topic:

http://www.oldworldaviaries.com/text/styles/teflon.html
http://www.exoticbird.com/teflon.html
http://www.feathersandtails.org/teflon.html
http://www.budgies.org/info/teflon.html

There are MANY, MANY more links just like these and can be easily found in a Google search.

The really BIG question that should probably be asked is, "What is this doing to humans if it is poisoning birds?" This information should raise at least one eyebrow...

Non-stick pans coated in Teflon and similar surfaces can release PFOA, found in the blood of 96% of children tested in 23 states. This chemical has been linked to human birth defects.

In an August 2004 article in the New York Times, DuPont denied poisoning consumers. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), however, seems to not be quite as confident in this regard. This was written in a Washington Post article from January 2005:

The Environmental Protection Agency said yesterday that low-level exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid, a chemical used to make Teflon, could pose "a potential risk of developmental and other adverse effects" on human health.

The statement, a preliminary assessment of the potential risks associated with the processing agent known as PFOA or C-8, is significant because the agency's final conclusion could determine whether the government decides to regulate the chemical. The EPA is seeking as much as $300 million in fines from chemical giant DuPont Co., which uses C-8 to produce nonstick surfaces and materials, for failing to report its studies of the possible dangers linked to the processing agent.

The EPA report, which is based on animal studies, said there is some evidence C-8 can cause cancer and immune deficiencies in rats, but it does not conclude whether these problems could surface in workers or those who drink C-8 contaminated water.

Read the rest of the article here...

The Disembodied Head is only mentioning this so that you, the reader, can make a more informed decision about what types of products you purchase. The D.H. is no longer willing to put himself or his family at serious risk caused by these chemicals. He has had to deal with the images of Franklin and Figment for a couple of years now... they died a horrible death and the hope is that maybe this article will save a bird... or a cat... or a newborn baby. In the meantime, Teflon will remain our silent killer...

Teflon... the Silent Killer

King Hippo Reigns Supreme!!!

2005-05-13T13:47:00.000-05:00

One of the Disembodied Head's favorite video games of all time is Mike Tyson's Punchout for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES... you know... old school... just not as old as Atari). This game was, of course, released before we all realized that Mike Tyson is crazier than any other living person today (How many ears does a man have to bite off before he is put into a padded cell?!).

This is where all the fun starts!
One of the reasons that the D.H. believes that this game is one of the all-time greats is because of the crazy characters that Little Mac had to fight on his way to Mike Tyson. There was Glass Joe, Bald Bull, Soda Popinski, Mr. Sandman and many others. There will, however, never be another character quite like KING HIPPO!

The D.H. can actually make his tooth do the same thing as KING HIPPO!
Now KING HIPPO (as you can see in this next photo) is from Hippo Island in the South Pacific. We aren't sure about his age and we certainly are not sure about his weight, but we do notice that he has 18 victories and all have come from KO's (Knockouts)!

Weight: ???
We take quick mental notes about the really cool bandage that KING HIPPO sports upon his round belly just in case we need a quick knockout. Because of his prodigious power, we know that we would like to avoid any of KING HIPPO's punches...

'Attaway Little Mac! Dodge and Stick!
There have been other versions of KING HIPPO through the years... such as the King Hippo found in the 80's cartoon, Captain N.

Bit of a blue blob...
This, however, is not the real KING HIPPO! Neither is this...

Not KING HIPPO!
Nor one of these...

Awesome, but not KING HIPPO!
The true KING HIPPO will always "reign supreme!"

Our King scores a KO!
If you would like to see KING HIPPO in action, click here to watch or right-click to download this video.

Original He-Man Figures!!

2005-05-13T12:52:00.000-05:00

By the power of Grayskull, I have the POWER!!

Remember these?! The Disembodied Head and his brother had many of the original He-Man figures when they were younger. This is an image that the D.H. created a couple of years ago for a desktop wallpaper (you may download this high quality wallpaper here!)

It's always fun to look back on cool stuff from the 80's... that's why Friday will always have something fun and nostalgic brought to you from the vaults of the Disembodied Head's endless supply of cool 80's stuff. Enjoy!

Here's one more pic for this post... Castle Grayskull!

It's the D.H.'s Favorite Films Thursday!!

2005-05-12T14:14:00.000-05:00

La Vita È Bella
This is such an incredible film! Many will remember Roberto Benigni's reaction to winning the Best Actor Oscar in 1998 (the film received seven Academy Award nominations that year). His exuberance seemed a bit over the top, but after seeing the film the D.H. realized that this guy really does believe that "Life IS Beautiful." If you have not seen the movie, rent it or buy it and be sure to watch it with English subtitles (NOT with the English language track).

America Gets It Right Again...

2005-05-12T03:09:00.000-05:00

Goodbye Anthony!
The Disembodied Head is calling the final three (Bo, Carrie, Vonzell) a toss-up. Carrie may have a slight advantage... it WILL come down to the final performances. Anyway - the D.H. thinks that Anthony would be well served from now on to learn songs without looking at the sheet music. THIS is the reason that Simon Cowell can't quite explain why it seems like he has no soul... singing the printed notation will often produce mechanical results. It is necessary to take that notation and sing the music... there is a difference!

How To Become A Meteorological Celebrity...

2005-05-11T00:01:00.001-05:00

There was one doozy of a hail storm where the Disembodied Head lives. The cars were damaged with substantial dents and the D.H. and his wife were taking photos for insurance purposes. Denver is a fairly large metropolitan area and yet a couple of these photos were featured on Channel 7 News this evening. This photo...

...was first featured on their website.

Click this picture to see it larger!
It was then featured on the 10:00 news report this evening with proper credit given to the D.H. and wife (this has been TIVOed for future posterity). The other picture used was cropped in a couple of different ways - one was used during the 6:00 broadcast (literally five minutes after it was sent to them) and then another was used during the 10:00 broadcast.

One should try to get out of the storm to prevent damage!

The Disembodied Head is not the brightest head in the world and decided to go picking up some of the hail for pictures...

Kids, don't try this at home... or anywhere else for that matter!

This is what the D.H. found (these were a bit small, but life and limb was not going to be risked for larger ones):

Can you spot the golf ball in this photo?

Today's Bike Ride...

2005-05-10T23:11:00.000-05:00

Plan: 20-30 miles

Type of Jersey Worn: Jelly Belly ... black shorts and a helmet

Number of Energy Bars Eaten: Zero - Felt pretty good without one

Mechanical Malfunctions: One - chain slipped again... this one was the D.H.'s fault, though

Time Taken to Fix Malfunction: Fifteen minutes - could have been less but took time

Final Total of Miles Ridden: 24 - would have definitely done more but there was a large storm heading in... barely made it in in time before the hail storm of the century

Number of Bugs Eaten: Zero - surprisingly since there were so many today

Hydration: 20 oz. water and 10-12 oz. Gatorade

Overall: Quite nice!

Look Ma, the D.H. has no hands!

Proof That Monty Python Rules the World...

2005-05-10T13:47:00.001-05:00

NEW YORK - "Monty Python's Spamalot," an offbeat musical spoof inspired by those quirky British cutups and their film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," grabbed 14 Tony Award nominations Tuesday, including a nod for best musical.

Read the rest of this story...

Go away or I shall taunt you a second time!

Inexplicable Use of the Word "FANCY"

2005-05-09T13:01:00.000-05:00

FANCY, indeed!
The Disembodied Head cannot think of many things that are less fancy than ketchup (or catsup... why more than one spelling?). Ketchup is not usually sitting on the table of your average five-star restaurant (oxymoron?). These same restaurants are often described as being "fancy" and yet, ketchup insists upon rising above its lowly station in this world by describing itself as being "FANCY!" Is this type of self-glorification ok? May the D.H. be referred to as the "Delectable" Disembodied Head simply by promoting himself in this manner?

Anyway - Ask Yahoo addressed the whole FANCY Ketchup thing.

Also, be sure to visit the Original Condiment Packet Museum! It's FANCY!

Pocky Makes This Head Laugh...

2005-05-09T12:44:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had Pocky? It is a Japanese snack and comes in many different varieties... as can be seen here (The D.H. should get some compensation if they sell any through this site, huh?)
Please take note that one of the variations of Pocky is called "Men's Pocky!" Not sure why...

Now, the Disembodied Head does not actually like to eat Pocky... he just likes to laugh at Pocky. The funniest thing is when a food product has a subtitle used to explain what the primary title means... such as "Pocky... Chocolate Covered Biscuit Sticks"

Anyway, do you think Pocky is funny, tasty, funny and tasty, or none of the above?

Behold the Power of Pizza!

2005-05-09T12:37:00.001-05:00

SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian prison siege ended on Monday after a group of inmates agreed to release a guard they had held for two days in return for a delivery of pizzas, prison officials said.

A group of up to 20 inmates seized control of the reception area of the maximum security Risdon Prison in Hobart, capital of the southern island state of Tasmania, on Saturday, demanding better treatment and improvements to the jail.

The siege was resolved in far less dramatic circumstances.

"Our staff member was negotiated out with the delivery of 15 pizzas," Graeme Barber, Tasmania's director of prisons, told reporters.

The prisoners had earlier made a list of 24 demands. But none was so pressing as the need for a take-out meal and the guard was released unharmed not long after midnight.

About 20 prisoners, some being held as hostages, were involved in the siege. The last of the hostages was released by their pizza-filled captors early on Monday.

Risdon Prison holds Martin Bryant, who was convicted of Australia's worst massacre of modern times when he shot dead 35 people in 1996 in the Tasmanian tourist town and former penal colony of Port Arthur.

Everyone loves pizza!

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

2005-05-08T00:26:00.001-05:00

So, this evening the Disembodied Head saw the first trailer for this film. VERY impressed! There have been so many substandard film versions of this story in the past that it was difficult to hold out hope that this one would be any different. However, the Disembodied Head is now 100% confident that this will be the first of many fabulous film interpretations of the C.S. Lewis classics. Go check out the trailer here. Seriously! The D.H. highly recommends it!
The D.H. smells a hit!

Most Annoying Song of the Month...

2005-05-08T00:12:00.000-05:00

There is a Cingular commercial that is driving the Disembodied Head absolutely insane! The song, Get To Me, is by a band named Train and quite possibly contains some of the most "brilliant" lyrics ever written... For example:

Well an airplane's faster than a Cadillac
And a whole lot smoother than a camel's back
I don't care how you get to me
Just get to me

Take a listen!

Thank you, Train, for letting the D.H. know that an airplane is smoother than a camel's back! How does this song make it off of a Starbucks napkin and into this head? The world may never know!

WHY? WHY? WHY?!!!
**** UPDATE ****
Lots of people have come to this site by searching for this song... if you are one of these people, please leave a comment... do you like the song, hate the song, or just have it stuck in your head and just happened to type it into a search engine?

Paula Never Lies!!

2005-05-07T17:18:00.001-05:00

The Disembodied Head was making no plans to comment on the latest Paula Abdul saga... she, of course, has been accused of some improper actions with a former contestant on American Idol. However, the D.H. will always be compelled to make comments when people say things like this:

"All my life, I have been taught to take the high road, and never, never to dignify salacious or false accusations," she said. "And I have been taught never, never, to lie. Not only do I never lie, I never respond to lies, no matter how vicious, no matter how hurtful. I do trust my fans to see through attempts at character assassination, and I do trust the essential fairness of the American public.

Paula, you never lie?! Straight up now, TELL ME!

KEYWORDS used for finding the D.H.

2005-05-07T14:54:00.000-05:00

Thus far... only one keyword search...

Jaime Moyer

Wow... out of all of the things on this site... Jaime Moyer

My Keyword Hero!

Student is suspended for using cell phone at school to talk to mother in Iraq!!

2005-05-06T21:29:00.000-05:00

COLUMBUS, Ga. A Columbus, Georgia, student has been suspended for ten days after refusing to end a cell phone call to his mother, who is a soldier in Iraq.
The high school junior was talking to his mom during lunch.

According to local school board policy, students are allowed to have cell phones in school, but cannot use them during school hours.

Read the rest of the story here...

Apparently he was actually suspended for his reaction after he was told to get off the phone, but my question is why students are allowed to have cell phones at school but not allowed to use them. Either do not allow them to be there (we all seemed to get by just fine before) or allow them with the caveat that they may not be used during class hours. Whatcha think?

Today's Bike Ride...

2005-05-05T17:21:00.001-05:00

Plan: 20-25 miles in just over an hour

Number of Horrible Tasting Energy Bars Eaten: One - Snickers Marathon... Chocolate Fudge Brownie... Quite possibly the worst ever

Mechanical Malfunction: 8 miles out - chain slipped off of gears

Time Taken to Fix Malfunction: Approx. 40 minutes

Cars Seen During This Time: Twenty

Other Cyclists Seen During This Time: One - about the time it was fixed

Quality of Work Done to Fix Malfunction: Not so great

Final Total of Miles Ridden: 16

Number of Large Bugs to Hit Under Eye: One - should really buy some cheap sunglasses

Number of Small Bugs Eaten: At least five - the more protein, the better

Amount of Gatorade Consumed: One 20 oz. bottle - orange flavor... mmmm

Amount of Time Taken to Remove Grease From Body After "Fixing" Bike: Undetermined - kudos to the Phil Wood Company for their Waterproof Grease... it is quite waterproof... dern stuff won't come off!

Overall Impression of Today's Ride: Awesome!!!!!! *Singing* "Always Look On the Bright Side of Life!"

OK... So it wasn't quite this bad!

Apparently someone understands the words better than the Disembodied Head...

2005-05-05T11:51:00.001-05:00

Here's the story:

(AP) A pop culture controversy that has simmered for decades came to a head when a middle school marching band was told not to perform "Louie Louie."

Benton Harbor Superintendent Paula Dawning cited the song's allegedly raunchy lyrics in ordering the McCord Middle School band not to perform it in Saturday's Grand Floral Parade, held as part of the Blossomtime Festival.

In a letter sent home with McCord students, Dawning said "Louie Louie" was not appropriate for Benton Harbor students to play while representing the district — even though the marching band wasn't going to sing it.

Band members and parents complained to the Board of Education at its Tuesday meeting that it was too late to learn another song, The Herald-Palladium of St. Joseph reported.

"It's very stressful for us to try to come up with new songs for the band," eighth-grader Laurice Martin told the board. "We're trying to learn the songs from last year, but some of us weren't in the band last year."

Dawning said that if a majority of parents supports their children playing the song, she will reconsider her decision.

"It was not that I knew at the beginning and said nothing," Dawning said. "I normally count on the staff to make reliable decisions. I found out because a parent called, concerned about the song being played."

"Louie Louie," written by Richard Berry in 1956, is one of the most recorded songs in history. The best-known, most notorious version was a hit in 1963 for the Kingsmen; the FBI spent two years investigating the lyrics before declaring they not only were not obscene but also were "unintelligible at any speed."

GREAT! Now we're going to have to play Broadway again!
Aah... the Kingsmen! Still subverting the minds of today's youth! Louie, Louie, you gotta go! YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH!

Remember Cassingles?

2005-05-05T01:28:00.001-05:00

Not sure why, but the Disembodied Head was just having fond remembrances of his collection of cassingles. Soon these will go the way of vinyl... then so will the compact discs... pushed aside by the digital age. *Sniff* The D.H. thinks that he loved his cassingle collection even more than his CDs... that seems a bit odd. Anyone else love cassingles?

Goodbye, cassingles. We hardly knew ye!

America Finally Gets It Right!

2005-05-05T00:54:00.000-05:00

Bye, Bye, Scott Savol. Good riddance!

"Scotty the Body"

Clemens Rumors?

2005-05-04T23:57:00.001-05:00

So this guy, Phil Rogers, is a writer for the Chicago Tribune. Here is what he had to say about Roger Clemens:

Wonder if there's any way the Astros would trade Roger Clemens to the Cubs? He's almost certainly going to be somewhere else by the end of July as the Astros don't have enough solid hitters to become a serious contender.

Houston has lost the Rocket's last four starts by scores of 1-0, 1-0, 1-0 and 3-2. This is the same pattern that ended Randy Johnson's stay in Arizona.

The Astros are paying both Clemens and Jeff Bagwell $18 million this season. That's 23.4 percent of their payroll per player. Arizona paid Johnson 22.9 percent last season.

Smart money says Clemens will go to one of his former teams, the Yankees or Boston, but who thought Houston would get Carlos Beltran last year? The bidding for Clemens will be absolutely obscene if he stays healthy.

The Disembodied Head thinks that this Phil Rogers is full of crap! First of all, Houston had a pretty bad start last year as well and, of course, ended up in the playoffs. Second of all, the D.H. doesn't think that Clemens has any desire to leave his hometown team. Remember that he wants to be around for his sons and he is able to do that at least some of the time by staying in Houston. Anyways - if you even care about this topic, what do you think?

Decided to go "Old Skool" with the picture!

Has anyone else noticed this progression?!

2005-05-04T17:09:00.001-05:00

First, there was Bennifer #1 - Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez

There was also Jennifer Garner and Michael Vartan

Gigli then bombed which meant Splitsville for Bennifer #1... We then got the movie Daredevil which featured Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner

Soon thereafter, Garner dumped Vartan and we then saw the new Bennifer

J.Lo got married and we hear that the new Bennifer will soon be getting hitched as well. Where does that leave Michael Vartan?

In a rebound movie role (Monster-in-Law), of course, with Jennifer Lopez. A bit too odd for the Disembodied Head's taste!

Why are "Missing Links" considered Scientific Proof?!

2005-05-04T14:59:00.000-05:00

The Disembodied Head has always been fascinated at the double standards of "scientists." Data is often interpreted in a way that suits the overall outcome that the "scientist" wanted in the first place. This story, for instance, is presented as finally providing the proof that we have never had before of how dinosaurs and birds are related... except that these types of stories have happened repeatedly over the years... here...here...and here.

The proof is in the "Missing Links?"
Now, the Disembodied Head is a Creationist. This does not mean that he doesn't believe that dinosaurs existed... far from it, but the very scientists that scoff at Creationism are the ones that use their "hard science" (read as pretty illustrations and wild speculation) to defend their own beliefs. Anyway - the D.H. doesn't pretend to know or even understand everything about this topic, but there is a group of Creationist scientists that do a wonderful job of explaining their view of things. Check out their website and decide for yourself.
Specific information regarding dinosaurs

HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPOS!

2005-05-03T22:26:00.001-05:00

The Disembodied Head has been married for nearly five years now and he has established a small traditions at Christmas time... he has Santa bring his wife a classic game. She received Hungry Hungry Hippos this past Christmas. The D.H. is not really sure what it is about Hungry Hungry Hippos that makes it such a great game, but he sure does enjoy a rousing explosion of hippo hittin'! What is your favorite classic game?

Just guessing it wouldn't have been as successful if it had been Hungry Hungry Hyenas...

"I Can't Believe I Threw Away My Pope John Paul II Trading Card..."

2005-05-03T12:50:00.001-05:00

Who wants this thing?! Yes, right this way... as you see we have a T-206 Honus Wagner card... here is a Mickey Mantle rookie... a Babe Ruth rookie card... a Pope John Paul II card (crowd oohs and ahhs)... The Disembodied Head is very surprised by this story.

The Disembodied Head should have his own trading card!

SHREK 3 with Timberlake?! Say it ain't so!

2005-05-03T01:22:00.000-05:00

According to this article, Justin Timberlake will be voicing the teenage version of King Arthur in the newest installment of Shrek, which will apparently be called SHRIEK due to the outcry coming from this head.

The Disembodied Head wishes that he had a body so that he could kick something! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Life has already become inundated enough with Timberlake... can't take him being in Shrek as well! This is why the Disembodied Head is also mad at Cameron Diaz. The D.H. blames her for this! Anyway - on a lighter note, here is Puss in Boots! Cute, huh?

Are you a FreeCycler?

2005-05-03T01:03:00.000-05:00

So, this is an idea that was bound to happen eventually and the Disembodied Head is very thankful that it did. The Freecycle Network is a website that tracks many local message boards offering unused or unwanted items from various people. This is not a site like an Ebay or a Craigslist because one of the rules is that a person cannot sell anything. You may offer something of yours or accept something that is being offered by another person, but it must be FREE. Lots of people have been Freecycling for a long time now... in fact, the last check on the Boulder Freecycle membership puts the total number of visitors at well over 3000. If you have never used Freecycle, you are probably thinking to yourself that anything people are willing to give away is probably not worth having. This is true, but only occasionally. The Disembodied Head has been fortunate enough to receive an old, but nice, piano for free through this website.
The Disembodied Head's Piano
The D.H. has heard of many other stories of wonderful items being given away for free. So, before you dump it... consider Freecycling it!

The Bible... in LEGOS?

2005-05-02T17:06:00.000-05:00

You MUST check out this website!!

For fans of LOST...

2005-05-02T16:32:00.000-05:00

This is kinda funny... if you enjoy the ABC drama LOST, then you will recall that Charlie (played by Dominic Monaghan of "Lord of the Rings" fame) had previously been a member of a band called Driveshaft.

Viewers of the show have seen footage of Charlie's past on several occasions and have often heard him refer to their "hit" song, "You All, Everybody." In fact, most fans of the show could probably sing the chorus of the song right now. In true J.J. Abrams fashion (this was/is also the case with Alias), there are websites established that reveal more of the background story of the show's characters. Here, for instance, is the website for Charlie's band, Driveshaft. There are journal entries from as recent as April of this year... it appears that the band has had trouble moving on without Charlie once he disappeared. Anyway - odd, but interesting if you watch the show. If you don't watch the show, SHAME on you! The Disembodied Head thinks that you are truly missing out on a great one! Here are a couple more links for ya...

Lost-Media
Alias-Media

Forget Steroids... Gimme some performance-enhancing Contact Lenses!!

2005-05-02T11:45:00.001-05:00

Ok... so this is a bit of an odd story, but it turns out that Brian Roberts of the Baltimore Orioles is on performance enhancers. Not steroids... contact lenses. The Disembodied Head thinks that there could be something to this as the guy had never hit more than five homeruns in an entire season has EIGHT now... on May 2!
Oh, say can you SEE?

Maine LOBSTER Festival

2005-05-02T02:21:00.001-05:00

The Disembodied Head has a bit of an unhealthy obsession with lobster. This would not be a problem if the D.H. lived near a coast where he could catch his own lobster, but regrettably, he does not. This often forms a mighty dilemma... Lobster Versus Wallet - The Wallet seems to win more times than not. However, this summer the Disembodied Head is planning on partaking of a feast of lobster and lobster-based dishes at the Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland, Maine. This pilgrimage will take place during a trip that will quite possibly make the Disembodied Head a very happy head indeed (more on this trip at a later date...).
The Disembodied Head would like to eat this hat for dinner!
Anyway - is there a particular food that you have an obsession for? Chocolate? Sushi? Jell-O Pudding Snacks?

Free Gmail Invites!!!

2005-05-01T01:33:00.000-05:00

The Disembodied Head has been endowed with too many Gmail invites... an invitation is free to you if you but ask. Gmail, if you are unaware, is a wonderful and free e-mail service sponsored by Google. Come and get 'em, people!
MMMM...Gmail...MMMM

An Embarrassing Situation...

2005-04-30T20:47:00.000-05:00

The Disembodied Head absolutely loves cycling, both riding and watching it on television. He knows the names of the professional teams and a good number of riders. He gets very excited when a big race is coming up (congratulations to Tom Danielson for his recent victory in the Tour de Georgia). That is why this story is even more funny. In recent years, one of the bright young American stars of cycling was Tyler Hamilton.
Tyler came to be a member of the ski team at the University of Colorado many years ago and has lived in Boulder, CO, ever since. He broke his back while a member of the team and in his rehabilitation he discovered a passion for cycling. In the 2002 Giro D'Italia, Tyler fractured his shoulder and yet still finished in second place. This was followed by the 2003 Tour De France in which he finished fourth despite breaking his collarbone in the first stage. He was picked up by team Phonak to come in as a leader and as a possible threat to Lance Armstrong in the 2004 Tour. In the sixth stage of the 2004 tour, he suffered a substantial injury to his back after becoming involved in a serious crash, forcing him to withdraw from the race. Tyler came back soon after to win the gold medal in the Time Trial at the 2004 Athens Olympics. His glory did not last for long, however, as accusations began surfacing that perhaps Tyler's performance should be questioned due to some earlier blood tests. He has recently been suspended from professional cycling for two years by the USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency). There have, however, been MANY questions raised about the validity of the new testing procedures and the chances of false-positive results. Honestly, I don't know how I feel about it all, but the actual story here follows:

Last week a friend invited me to go for a bike ride. I woke up and decided to eat breakfast... French Toast Sticks... Yummy! After about six miles of the ride, I realized that my breakfast was hoping to make a reappearance. I was suffering quite a bit and had to pull off to the side of the road to collect myself. At one point I was lying on the ground ready to puke my guts up when a group of about ten cyclists came riding in the other direction. THERE WAS TYLER HAMILTON! One of the greatest cyclists in the world (no matter whether he cheated or not) got to see me lying in the grass on the side of the road in a very much weakened state. Anyway - I feel like I have told this story ad nauseam (pun intended) since then... suffice it to say that it was a bit embarrassing, but it gives me something to talk about.

Finally... a REAL steroid policy!

2005-04-30T15:00:00.001-05:00

Selig has finally stepped up and done something that appears to possibly move towards solving the Steroids issue. Of course it only took Congress making some big-time threats to get the job done. We all learned that an antitrust exemption can give our government a lot of extra power with Major League Baseball. Anyway - a 50-game suspension for a first violation and lifetime ban for a third one... Sounds good to the D.H.! The Disembodied Head just hopes that somehow they will still address the issue of testing for HGH (Human Growth Hormones). Now Donald Fehr and the players' union have the opportunity to show that they are committed to ridding the game of this issue. There is a lot riding on this one...

FINALLY!!!

This is why you should NEVER carry giant burritos to school with you...

2005-04-30T14:40:00.000-05:00

MMMM.... Burrito...MMMM!
Read the story!

WIFFLEBALL!!!

2005-04-29T16:45:00.001-05:00

The Disembodied Head is a huge fan of Wiffleball! There are adult Wiffleball leagues sprouting up all over the country and some people really take it pretty seriously. The Disembodied Head would love to have this bat. He once saw it at Target, but had no money.

Apparently there is now an aluminum bat that is made specifically for Wiffleball. The Disembodied Head is not exactly sure how this works, but he thinks that he would still prefer a nice black plastic bat. The skinny yellow bat is, of course, the official Wiffle bat, but it really stinks! Anyway - a brother and sister in Virginia have been making a documentary film about the Wiffleball culture. Check out their website and download the trailer.

This is quite possibly the coolest invention of the year!!!

2005-04-29T15:39:00.001-05:00

Remember the first time you tried to ride a bicycle without training wheels? Terrifying for most... this is, after all, one way to have your head become detached from your body. The Disembodied Head wishes that this had been around when he was but a small head.

The SHIFT shifts from a tricyle-like setup into a bicycle as the rider picks up speed and then returns back to its original form as the rider slows down. Confidence builder! Congrats to the inventors for this one... here's hoping that this thing is on the market soon.

If you could only see one movie this summer...

2005-04-29T15:22:00.001-05:00

If you were given the option of watching only one new movie this summer, which one would you choose? Star Wars III? Batman Begins? The Disembodied Head's choice would probably have to be Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

The D.H. is a bit of a sucker for Tim Burton movies. He is just twisted enough to make Roald Dahl seem normal. The D.H. really enjoys the previous film version of this story, but it is not as dark as the book. DO YOU EXPECT THIS FILM TO MAKE MORE OR LESS THAN $65 MILLION?

Arrested Development Rumors...

2005-04-29T02:14:00.000-05:00

Hmmmm.... this is one of the Disembodied Head's favorite shows and it is rumored to be on the chopping blocks over at Fox. Oddly enough, they have set up a website to gauge the fanatical support of the show and there is a link to it on the official website. Anyway - if you haven't already signed up at GetArrested.com, do so!

One of the rumors that the Disembodied Head found to be very intriguing was that the show's producers have been talking to the NBC brass about a possible network change if Fox cancels the show. Throw this in between Scrubs and The Office and you've got a pretty funny lineup! Speaking of Arrested Development, anyone remember the song Mr. Wendal?

As funny as the Disembodied Head finds Arrested Development (again referring to the show, not the hip-hop group), it can in no way compare to the funniest ensemble comedy that the Disembodied Head has ever seen... Newsradio.

Seasons 1 and 2 are FINALLY being released on DVD in May. The Disembodied Head could not be more thrilled with this release. He has had withdrawals since the episodes have been removed from syndication on A&E. WHAT IS YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE ENSEMBLE COMEDY?

Bo Bice... Our Stoned American Idol!

2005-04-28T18:44:00.000-05:00

First Scott Savol, now Bo Bice.

Is anyone really surprised by this?
The Smoking Gun has uncovered more damaging information about an American Idol finalist. It turns out that Bo Bice has spent a little time with both cocaine and marijuana. THESE ARE YOUR AMERICAN IDOLS! Seacrest out...

Ryno Visits Cooperstown...

2005-04-28T14:38:00.000-05:00

Ryno got his first opportunity to visit Cooperstown in preparation for his induction ceremony at the end of July. The Disembodied Head is planning to attend.

Everyone has a favorite Little Debbie Snack Cake, right?

2005-04-28T11:23:00.000-05:00

Growing up, the Disembodied Head devoured his fair share of Little Debbie Snack Cakes. You name the variety and the Disembodied Head has probably tried it before. I must hand it to Little Debbie for creating wonderful and cheap snacks, but the Disembodied Head is human and has started putting on a couple of extra pounds. The D.H.'s current weakness is the Cosmic Brownie.

This is essentially the very same brownie that Little Debbie has always made except without nuts and with added Chocolate Chip Candy. Cosmic Brownies are appropriately named (as you well know if you have ever eaten one), but they are actually one of the more expensive snack cakes. A box containing 12 squares has an MSRP of $1.29. This does not seem like a lot, but you can get a whole lot more mileage out of a cheaper box of Oatmeal Creme Pies... they just are not quite as delicious. This is something that the Disembodied Head has discovered about life. You want lobster? You gotta pay for lobster. Every once in a while, though, you find a delectable delight that is as inexpensive as it is delicious. The Disembodied Head would love comments about cheap but delicious foods so that he can put on some more lbs. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LITTLE DEBBIE SNACK CAKE?!

Jamie Moyer... Ageless Wonder

2005-04-28T11:09:00.001-05:00

Jamie Moyer is like a fine wine (though the Disembodied Head does not know what this truly means as he does not drink wine). He is like 50 years old now as can be seen in this photo...

He is actually only 43, but will turn 44 in November. He started his career with the Cubbies and I actually remember him as being a fairly good pitcher. Looking back at his stats, however, he had a record of 28-34 with a not-so-great ERA over the three years. The Disembodied Head would always get excited, though, when Jamie Moyer was pitching for the Cubs. The D.H. was quite a small head at that time and loved to play wiffleball while he pitched for some reason. Moyer had a not-so-great year last year as he went 7-13 with a 5.21 ERA, but the Disembodied Head feels that he may have a Cy Young caliber year this year. It is just good to see him STILL pitching. The D.H. loves how Jamie Moyer accentuates the continuity of life.

Snowed out on April 27!!!

2005-04-28T10:46:00.000-05:00

For those of you who don't know the Disembodied Head personally, he currently lives in Colorado. Many people would find this exciting, but the Disembodied Head HATES cold weather and there is just something wrong with a place that is still having snow at the end of APRIL!

The Rockies game was SNOWED OUT last night and the Disembodied Head had to play a softball game in 37 degree temperature earlier this week. Our forecast today? High of 43 with snow. Where, oh where is spring?

You got Punk'd!

2005-04-28T02:31:00.000-05:00

So, the Chicago Cubs are obviously the greatest professional sports team ever. It's not about wins and losses, people. Anyways - great game today. Derrek Lee went 4-for-4, hit two homeruns, and drove in six runs while Corey Patterson hit a walk-off homerun to give the Cubs the victory 8-7 over the Cincinatti Red Stockings.

A few days ago, the Disembodied Head had the pleasure of tricking his wife into believing that she held some sort of magical power that could cause a Cubs player to hit a homerun. Long story short - Tivo... she hasn't gotten used to the fact that "Live TV" may not be quite as "Live" as it used to be. These are the reasons, however, that the Disembodied Head is so aptly named. It turns out that some people do not enjoy being Punk'd. Michael Vartan of Alias, for instance. Anyhow - a person has to weigh the consequences with the rewards when debating whether or not to play with such tomfoolery. When was the last time you got Punk'd?

Cröonchy Stars making a comeback?!

2005-04-28T02:22:00.000-05:00

If only, if only. This is probably the greatest cereal to have ever been eaten by only nine children. The Disembodied Head was fortunate to be one of those nine. How can you not enjoy a cinnamony-sugary confection straight from the kitchen of the one and only Swedish Chef?!! The D.H. still to this day is not sure if his obsession with Cinnamon Toast Crunch owes to his grandmother's cinnamon toast or to the Swedish Chef's Cröonchy Stars! Also note that there have most likely only been a handful of cereals sold in the U.S. that contains an umlaut in the title. Here's betting that the others were not for children either. Perhaps this cereal is the very reason that the Disembodied Head now has a minor in German. Leave it to the Swedes to lead the D.H. to the Germanic languages.

American Idol kicksoff da Bloggin'!

2005-04-28T01:03:00.000-05:00

American Idol - now down to final five - here is the rundown as the Disembodied Head sees it.

1) Carrie Underwood - will win, should win, will have a respectable solo career as long as she sticks with country music

2) Bo Bice - excellent performer, will have to be the front man for a good band

3) Vonzell Solomon - great personality, will slip into the cracks after the American Idol touring, has a better shot at commercials

4) Nikko Smith... oh wait, he isn't here anymore... Scott Savol, should have been booted long ago, abused his girlfriend, Read all about it, yo, has about as much personality as tofu, grew up in Shaker Heights and apparently equates this with the ghetto, has tried (and failed miserably) to sing Brian McKnight's "One Last Cry."

"Scotty the Body"

5) Anthony Fedorov - PLEASE GET RID OF HIM!!! - desperately wishes that he was Enrique Iglesias, obviously learns his songs from sheet music (most real musicians will understand what the D.H. is talking about), has absolutely no ability to understand the difference between a good song and a horrible song (this is a trait that Anwar Robertson developed over the course of the final twelve and is ultimately the reason that he was sent packing)

Now, I must say that the Disembodied Head was a bit surprised by the exit of Constantine Maroulis at this point in the competition. I do not say this because I find him to be talented... far from it... but there are a lot of girls in the 7-16 age group that watch this show obsessively... enough said. Constantine will not be going away any time soon. The D.H. figures that he will soon be joining the cast of Rent (doesn't everybody seem to join it), then do some commercials before finally landing the ultimate role on Days of Our Lives.

Musings from the Disembodied Head

Ronnie "Woo Woo" Wickers - From Homeless Man to Famous Fan

Film Documents Dramatic Life Story of Formerly Homeless Ronnie Woo Woo

Scrat is Our Generation's Charlie Chaplin...

Four Things... Disembodied Head style!

Christmas time is here...

Nancy Grace Scares the Crap Out of Children...

Could Tejada Be Persuaded to Become a Cubbie?!

Apparently the "Tailies" Really Like to Party...

How the D.H. Learned to Spell "Aneurysm" and More...

When You Realize That You Can't Separate Fantasy From Reality...

All Good Things Must Come to an End...

A New Video Game Addiction... Animal Crossing!

Arrested Development Cancelled... For Real This Time

Pat Robertson Is an Idiot!!

Awesomely Bad Movies Can Be Had For Cheap...

Dancing Flowers and Chia Pets... Who Wouldn't Want to Be a Child of the 80's?!!!

It could only happen in...

Halloween Costumes

Back from a VERY LONG Hiatus...

The Tour de France has arrived!!

Ahhh... Tommy... What has happened?!!

Choose Your Own Adventure Books!!

GEICO Commercials

The Disembodied Head... Back With A Vengeance!!

SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS!

Some Old-School Shoes to Feed Your Sole

Arrested Development and... Arrested Development

Wanna see the trailer for the SECOND SEASON of LOST?!

The Muppet Show: Star Wars Special

Scooby's All-Star Laff-a-Lympics

The Atari 2600...

LOST and ALIAS Finales

The Demise of the Subway Stamp Card...

If only the Disembodied Head had a really small flashlight...

When You Find Something You Like...

The Ant and the Aardvark

Retro Friday - Cartoon Edition

Retro Friday - Games Edition

Favorite Films Thursday... Star Wars Tribute Edition

In Honor of Star Wars... **UPDATED**

Broke Down Ol' Truck

Today's Bike Ride... 5/16

End Of Yet Another Survivor...

M.U.S.C.L.E. Men Wallpaper for you...

TEFLON POISONING!

King Hippo Reigns Supreme!!!

Original He-Man Figures!!

It's the D.H.'s Favorite Films Thursday!!

America Gets It Right Again...

How To Become A Meteorological Celebrity...

Today's Bike Ride...

Proof That Monty Python Rules the World...

Inexplicable Use of the Word "FANCY"

Pocky Makes This Head Laugh...

Behold the Power of Pizza!

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Most Annoying Song of the Month...

Paula Never Lies!!

KEYWORDS used for finding the D.H.

Student is suspended for using cell phone at school to talk to mother in Iraq!!

Today's Bike Ride...

Apparently someone understands the words better than the Disembodied Head...

Remember Cassingles?

America Finally Gets It Right!

Clemens Rumors?

Has anyone else noticed this progression?!

Why are "Missing Links" considered Scientific Proof?!

HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPOS!

"I Can't Believe I Threw Away My Pope John Paul II Trading Card..."

SHREK 3 with Timberlake?! Say it ain't so!

Are you a FreeCycler?

The Bible... in LEGOS?

For fans of LOST...

Forget Steroids... Gimme some performance-enhancing Contact Lenses!!

Maine LOBSTER Festival

Free Gmail Invites!!!

An Embarrassing Situation...

Finally... a REAL steroid policy!

This is why you should NEVER carry giant burritos to school with you...

In Honor of Star Wars... UPDATED