New art

Acrylic on paper. "Steve"


DareDevil. Watercolor. 14" x 19"



9" x 9" acrylic on Paper

Political talking dolls

Head on over to Talking Presidents.com and check out all the political dolls they sell. There is also a Dennis Miller doll as well as a Kinky Friedman doll and many Presidental Dolls.

So how's the roofing going?

So if you remember, I am getting a new roof. I went with Millennium Roofing and my field Representative is Ted Webb. So far the whole process has been like trying to buy a car. I got the main house roof replaced but I feel the work is sub par. There are still broken boards clearly visible in the attic, some of the shingles appear to have been laid to close together causing them to bow up, the siding has still not been replaced, I had to fight with them about the ridge vent, the shed still needs done, & we haven't even gotten to the work on the inside of the house yet. There is little or no communication from Ted & I have no idea when they are supposed to finish. I emailed Ted today & I received a call from someone speaking for Thomas in broken English who said they were from Millennium but sounded like they were 12. What I got from the conversation is that they wanted to know when they could finish. Funny, as of Friday, Ted said they would come out Monday. Now it's Tuesday & they are calling me? This is getting really irritating. Ted said he'd bring me my receipt for the $4007.99 that I handed him on Thursday for the work they started Friday but now, on Tuesday he has yet to bring it by. I have a bad feeling about this. I did copy the checks before I cashed them & have all my bank receipts. What have I learned from all of this? Never go with a company that says they will help you with the insurance or seem eager to cover everything for you based on what insurance money you get. Never even let the company you go with know what insurance company you are with or how much you are getting. Make absolutely sure you don't mention that you have replacement coverage. Get a detailed estimate, figure out all the costs beforehand, make them go into the attic with you & watch them like a hawk when they start putting the new roof on. Whatever you do, do NOT sign a contract until you have everything down to how many nails they use per shingle, what kind of shingles, etc, and a total cost of replacement & repairs. The insurance company will cut you a check before the work starts, so you don't need to worry about any up front money. The estimate should let you know exactly how much money it is going to cost you & when you get your insurance money then you will be able to go with the estimate & roofer that best suits your needs. Many of these roofers tell you they will work out the insurance for you, but that is really just their way of making sure they get all of your insurance money & they make more profit. Do not let them handle the insurance for you. If you get the estimates, work out the costs, & keep all the insurance stuff to yourself, you may end up a little ahead of the game. They will push, like a car salesman will push to find out how much you can pay per month as opposed to letting you know the full price of the car. This is how they make more money. All in all this has been a real pain in the ass, and I wish I would have known all of this beforehand, but at least I've learned & seem to have a roof that is way better than the one that was on there. Still, if you are looking for a roofer, Millennium would not be my first choice. Then again, I've got coworkers & friends that say Big Sky messed up their chimney & Affordable Roofing sucks. In Oklahoma getting honest work done by honest contractors is nearly impossible.

Star Wars Illuminating Stained Glass

Above is an illuminating Stained Glass piece celebrating the original Star Wars movies brought to you by the Bradford Exchange. 5 installments of $33.99 will deliver this nearly two foot wide collectible to your home. I've got to tell you, this would look pretty awesome behind my couch. Want to check it out for yourself? Click here.

Star Wars Hawthorne Village

So in the same vein as the Hamilton Collection or many of the Time Life collections of the past comes the Star Wars Hawthorne Village collections. You pay a certain subscription price & eventually you own the entire Star Wars galaxy recreated in miniature. They illuminate & come with miniature figures from the movies. For three "easy" installments of $19.98 you can get started with the Mos Eisley Cantina. And I thought it was all over in 1983. Hahaha. My checkbook is never going to recover.
Click here for Star Wars Village

Blade II Figure

Sideshow Collectibles & Hot Toys have done it again with this amazing sculpt from Blade II. The details are amazing & the figure comes with tons of accessories. There are sunglasses, shoulder Holster, Two (2) foldable glaives, Two (2) extendable hand armors, Sword with scabbard, Interchangeable sword handle with blades, Five (5) stakes, Two (2) UV Bombs, Machine Gun, Two (2) Handguns, & Four (4) sets of interchangeable gloved hands.



The figure has 32 points of articulation making sure you get just the pose you want. The costume has been made film-accurate as well. If you are a big Blade fan this is a must have. The figure is on Pre-sale now at Sideshow Collectibles & carries a price tag of $159.99. It may seem a little steep, but if past Sideshow 12" figures are any indication, it will only increase in value as time passes. These generally sell out fast, so if you want it, I suggest you hop on over to the site & secure your pre-order now.

The Cat Clock

I've always loved the kit cat clock. You know, the clock that hangs on the wall in the background of so many movie walls & TV show houses. It's even made appearances in cartoon shows & anime. The kit cat clock is a classic. Now, NJ Croce has created a classic style animated cat clock using a classic cartoon icon, Felix the Cat. Entertainment Earth has them for $39.99 + S&H here.

Why I HATED the G.I. Joe movie, part 2.

Okay, so far in the last post I hit on my main problems. Be reminded, if you still want to watch this horrible atrocity there are spoilers ahead. Now, on to more of why this movie is just a giant pile of FAIL. The entire plot was centered around Duke & Baroness & their relationship. Destro & his weapons building company & revenge were the second main story going on. I thought the idea behind Destro & the Mask were acceptable & going somewhere until the end where Destro is pumped full of the same gunk as everyone else, which happens to be nano-machines that can apparently do absolutely anything you could ever possibly imagine, and the nano-machines make his head a metallic silver. Cobra Commander does this to him as almost a punishment. Speaking of Cobra Commander...ahahahaha. That is about all I can say. I can not even begin to explain how incredibly stupid this character was. Remember how Cobra Commander in the cartoon always made you kinda chuckle 'cause he was so whiny & silly? The movie Cobra Commander makes the cartoon Cobra Commander look like Osama Bin Laden. Back to plot though. The third main plot was Ripcord's continuous tries at getting into Scarlett's pants. Seriously. The fourth main plot, oh yes, there's more, was Duke & Ripcord trying to prove they were good enough to be in G.I. Joe. The technology in the movie was way over the top and ultimately silly. The Serpento storyline in the cartoon, one of the cheesiest, was way more believable than anything in this movie. I realize that it is indeed a movie and things can be portrayed as fantastic in a movie sometimes, but when a storyline is grounded in reality (the military, USA vs. Terrorism, special forces) there are lines you can't cross. G.I. Joe was never meant to be science fiction. It was meant to sell toys and encourage youth to want to grow up & join the military. Just watching G.I. Joe as a kid made me want to grow up to be a Marine & then get selected by a special ops group because of my superior spy or ninja skills. Once I got older I realized there really isn't a special group that fights for freedom, only groups that fight for money & that the Marines don't particularly care for women. Just look at the rape statistics in the Marines. The G.I. Joe movie however made the US military seem laughable. What about Storm Shadow & Snake Eyes you ask? Eh. That's about all I have to say. Eh. Costumes were cool, fighting was good, but in the end really, just eh. They didn't use the characters properly & they were never very important in any of the ongoing plots. Oh, one more thing, then I will shut up about how much I hate this movie. I have never seen a movie with more flashback scenes. I swear, every 15 minutes somebody was flashing back. Save your money and your time and skip this sad excuse for a film.

Why I HATED the G.I. Joe movie

The G.I. Joe cartoon came out when I was an impressionable youngster between 8 and my teens. My brother & I used to watch it religiously. We bought the action figures and had an agreement between each other when we did. He got all the Joes & I got all the Cobras. Together we amassed quite a collection. The things I loved about the cartoon where that for one, all the Joes seemed to have their own special uniqueness. Each member had a skill that no one in the world was better at. There were also many kick ass chicks. Scarlett, Lady Jaye, Cover Girl, Baroness, Zarana, Jinx...and more. What other animated show or non-animated for that matter included so many awesome female characters? These chicks held their own! I loved how, even tho' they were a military unit, their distinct personalities stood out. The diversity of the individuals is what made the team so strong. Cobra was the same way. They were a terrorist organization full of distinct individuals but there was a difference. The were not praised for their diversity. Many times they were laughed at or made fun of because of it. They were bullied. They were also individuals who were follows instead of leaders. That's what I always got from this silly little cartoon show from the 80's. Now, let's fast forward to 2009 and the so called G.I. Joe movie. First off, there are no similarities between the 80's cartoon and the movie except for character names. Who are these people? Second, (don't read any further if you plan on renting this piece of crap, 'cause there's spoilers ahead) Scarlett is portrayed as bad ass only because she doesn't allow emotion to be part of her person. That's right, women are too emotional to make great soldiers, so the only way Scarlett is such an awesome soldier is that she suppresses all her emotion. WHAT!? Third, the Baroness is not Russian & has no accent & really isn't evil. She is in fact mad at Duke her Fiance` for not comforting her after her brother is killed by a military jet strike gone wrong. Duke was supposed to protect her brother in battle & because he failed he can't face her in her greatest time of need. Seriously? Cobra gets a hold of her, pumps some memory crap into her & "ta-da!" she's bad. Now in the cartoon, Duke always came off as an old fashioned fellow. He was quiet & polite & got the job done. The Duke in the movie, close for about 5 minutes, but not going to comfort his woman in her time of need, very unDuke like. Not to mention stupid plot device. Fourth, (there are still spoilers so be warned), Cobra Commander is Baroness brother that Duke failed to protect. Is he evil because of Duke's failure? No. He is evil because he is a scientist. I am not kidding. He's the one that kidnaps his sister & pumps the crap into her to make her do his bidding to get back at Duke for not saving him, but the main underlying reason we are given for him being evil is that he is a scientist. So the youngest kid in the movie with the least character development is Cobra Commander. OMG...stupid. Fifth, you could see everything coming a mile and a half away. There were no surprises, no OMG moments except when you were expected to suspend disbelief every ten minutes & you found yourself saying "OMG...for real? This is stupid.". Next, Zartan. Zartan is such a cool character in the cartoon & comic. He is a master of disguises and an expert in cosmetics. Seeing him transform using just the stuff in his metal briefcase was always pretty cool. In the movie? They just pump him full of the same stuff they pump everyone else full of which gives him the ability to alter his appearance by just thinking about it. His bones break & crackle and he screams as he turns into an exact replica of whoever. Ugh. I liked him better as a genius at make-up art. (to be cont.)

My first insurance claim

So, finally I have a roofer. The one to get out to the house & most willing to meet with me at a time convenient for me was Millennium Roofing. They helped explain things & came out when the insurance adjuster came out to make sure he didn't skimp on anything. The actual owners came out as well. I asked them how many nails they use per shingle & Ted, the "recon" guy answered 6, which was the answer I was looking for. We talked about ridge vents & turbines & I felt satisfied. Now the whole process with the insurance & the roofing company was very circus-like, but I think I will have a new roof within a couple weeks. Hopefully next week. There were times when I had to ask things to to make sure I was clear on the process, but all & all these guys were very polite and professional. They even put my neighbors trash in her dumpster for her so she wouldn't have to go through her gate. Step one accomplished. Cross your fingers everything goes smoothly & that when all is said & done, I will have a new awesome roof & be out $0.00. If you want to know who not to go with I will tell you this, Affordable Roofing did no shows on me twice. They seemed to have no interest at all in coming out & giving me an estimate. TRS took two days just to call me back & by that time I had already decided on Millennium. Big Sky came out immediately & were very nice, but I would have had to come up with some dough for them. Still, part of me is worried I missed something & am going to have to come up with cash before this is all over. We'll see. Hopefully though, everything will turn out great. I'll keep you posted.

Great watercolorist

So Sarah Larnach does some great watercolor work. Right now she does album covers & art for the band Ladyhawke. She started a blog. Go check it out here.

Ladies of the 80's

Mattel has taken Barbie back to the 80's, and not just with the re-release of the Barbie & the Rocker's Barbie out now. No, they have scheduled for this December 2009 & January 2010 to release the 3 coolest Barbies ever. Debbie Harry Barbie,
Joan Jett Barbie,
And how cool is this? Cyndi Lauper Barbie!!!
For me, the Cyndi & Joan are must haves. They will set you back somewhere between $50 to $60 each. Even though they are scheduled for release in Dec./Jan. Let's hope they get them out in time for Santa to place one under the tree!

Star Wars in Concert: A Review

Okay, I'm a super nerd. I admit it. I paid $75.00 to go see the Star Wars Orchestra play John Williams music set to laser lights & video clips & shed a few tears. The seats were amazing. 3rd row floor, no one in front, so it felt like 1st row. The show however seemed to be lacking a little. Now, like I said, super nerd, so to many I'm sure it was absolutely fantastic. To me the show didn't seem to have the emotional depth it could have. The clips were randomly spliced together & some of them just seemed out of place. The repeats of scenes throughout seemed lazy as well. With 6 movies to pull clips from I found it strange they had to repeat so many. Watching the chase scene from Coruscant in AOTC while listening to "Astroid Field" from the Empire Strikes Back soundtrack just didn't work. There are certain moments that are so one with the music to replace them with other scenes just doesn't work. You find yourself waiting to see a particular moment only to find that moment confused by some other scene that just doesn't quite fit. There are other scenes that would work there, but not the one they chose. The laser lights were great & did seem to be placed perfectly with the score as well as the use of the pyro when scenes of Mustafar appeared. Some of the "chapters" were dead on. For example "Bother & Sister", perfect. The emotion was there, the depth, & the score all combining into a truly moving experience. Others just seemed to fall short. The giant metal arms with cameras on the end that swooped up & down between the audience & the stage seemed odd. Everyone on the floor, as well as the rest of the crowd I imagine, had their view obscured several times throughout the performance. Anthony Daniels did an outstanding job of storytelling & you felt that you just might be in that Ewok hut when C3PO was telling the tale in Jedi. Overall, I enjoyed myself. If I had to rate it I would give it a C or 3 out of 5 stars. The prop replicas were really built up & once you got there you realized there wasn't going to be a museum type showcase of things. Under 20 items scattered about with backdrops to stand in front of. One of Amidala's dresses, the Chewbacca, Vader, C3PO, Imperial Officer, Kit Fisto, Plo Koon, Trade federation soldier, & Royal Guard costumes, a few helmets, a handful of minor character weapons, and a Yoda prop replica. The most exciting "prop" there was John Williams original penciled sheet music. Where were the lightsabers? How about models of the Falcon? X-wings? Nothing from Luke, Han or Leia. Not even anything from Anakin. No Jedi robes or Han in Carbonite. Even the Merchandise tables were lacking. Anything wearable I wanted didn't come in my size. L or XL were my only options. When will these companies catch a clue that some of us don't share any resemblance to the Simpson's "Comic Book Guy"? They did have a few things in children sizes. T-shirts were $35.00, hoodies $65 & $75, programs $30. The cheapest thing you could purchase was a $10 keychain that resembles a lightsaber that lit up. No John Williams exclusive Star Wars in Concert figure? Come on guys, you're missing the boat. Again, I say, I know, I know, super nerd. I had a great time & am glad to have gone, I just think it could have been quite a bit better than what we got. Still, I love Star Wars and am glad to see new types of entertainment arise from it. Next time, just try a little harder. May the Force be with you.

Battlestar Galactica T-shirts coming

Entertainment Earth just started listing several new Battlestar Galactic shirts. Some have the cast, some the symbols, some the cylons & some some just fun phrases like the one above. There are old school shirts from the original series & lots of new series shirts as well. Check them out here.

Uncle Milton's Dagobah Frog Habitat

The company Uncle Milton offers up this fun science lab the Dagobah Frog Habitat. It's an aquarium tank with a Dagobah Swamp theme and background scene just like in Empire Strikes Back. Yoda's hut can be used by the frogs to hide in. Learn how tadpoles turn into frogs by watching them transform right before your eyes! you get a mail-in coupon for live tadpoles in the box. It also includes an informative learning guide.

Star Wars Legacy Figures Wave 9

Wave 9 of the Legacy series of Star Wars figures should be hitting the stores sometime this week or next. We get a Jedi Luke with no cape or vest (finally!) and no bulging muscles. There is also a slave Leia, Biker Scout Trooper, Rancor Keeper (long time no see buddy), a couple more ewoks, an Anakin, Middle aged Obi-wan & more. Most of this wave seems to be from the Return of the Jedi film.

Brandi Carlile's Newest

I was lucky enough to get to see Brandi on Wednesday night. She was amazing. Great performer as well as and amazing stage presence. She sang one number completely without the mic, 3 acoustic songs, and one heck of an encore containing Folsom Prison Blues & Stand By Your Man. If you get a chance to see her, do not pass it up. She puts on one heck of a great show. She's one of those rare artists that you walk away from a show loving even more than when you went in.

Go check this out....

So my friend Stephen Schwake has a website up. If you like art, this is your guy. His stuff is fresh and brilliant. It has a very retro feel yet at the same time feeling new & different. Go check his site out here: Stephen Schwake

New Futurama out in October

Good News Everyone! Finally the Professor, Nibler, & Hermes are here. Entertainment Earth has a great price on these at $23.99 for the set here.

That's better than I've been getting paying $15.99 each at Hastings. Or was it $13.99? Anyway...Entertainment Earth = good deal.

Mom & Chef Bender should be next, arriving sometime in December. Woo-hoo! That is good news!

Halloween is coming up...

So, it is September, mid-September at that, and time to grab your costume or at least have an idea of what you want to be. Me? I'm still unsure. I still want my Jedi tunic & robes, but I also want an Rebel pilot outfit (preferably Hoth)or Luke's Bespin Fatigues. Ebay has many great cosplay crafters, but details are very important to a fan girl like me. Most of them are missing tiny details that I just can't get over. I mean the Bespin Fatigues must have that tiny little pocket on the shoulder. I also need the belt & the cool blaster holster that straps around my thigh. These things can get pretty expensive. So far the absolute best costumes I have seen are from tyga_toys and evolutiontoysshop on Ebay. Now there are many great costumers out there that I am sure do just as good work if not better, I just haven't come across any. If you are one or know one that would like to link to my page shoot me an e-mail. I don't know...that Jedi Luke is looking awfully tempting. What are you going to choose?

Star Wars Fan Days III

Star Wars Fan Days is a convention happening in Plano, Texas on October 24th & 25th, 2009. This is supposed to be one of the best sci-fi/Star Wars Conventions in the south/midwest. Go check out their informative site here: Star Wars Fan Days III

Sideshow Box Arrives!

That's right! I managed to scrape up enough to get my SDCC Sideshow Luke & Han. I haven't been so excited to get a box in the mail since my first Xena Fan Club Kit way back in the mid 90's.

Futurama cast to return!

Great news! After reworking the deal, Fox & the original cast have settled & the fans win! Read the article from Comedy Central, Futurama's future home, here: Good News, Everyone!

Olivia Munn makes Oklahoma Daily Front Page

Olivia Munn, the sassy, brassy, sarcastic and hot geek chic from G4's "Attack of the Show" made the front page of the Oklahoma Daily today. Learn how she managed to escape the bassackwardness of Oklahoma. Well, maybe not. She is very kind in her interview about Oklahoma (those of us who are stuck here know better). Catch the whole article here: OUDaily.com

Futurama Cast to be Replaced

That's right. Once again Fox seems to be clueless as to why the show is successful. Sure the writing is awesome, but what really brings the show to life are Billy West, Katey Segal, John Dimaggio, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, Maurice LeMarche, & the other many talented voice actors. To recast these voices would be an epic FAIL. As a Futurama fan I do not think that Fox understands what recasting will mean. Many of us will simply refuse to watch. Not only that but we will refuse to buy any more Futurama related products. When a show becomes a CULT hit & garners a CULT following you can not simple replace main aspects of the show. If you do, we will scream & shout & make your life miserable until we get your attention or until we bring so much attention to the issue that the whole world begins to see what we are saying & your idiocy becomes apparent. That is why we are referred to as a CULT audience. There are three ways to avoid this. #1) Pony up the money you cheap bastards. #2) Scrap the whole idea & be honest about the fact that you were too cheap to pony up the money. #3) Sell it to another network so that the fans can enjoy the show, the actors can get paid what they deserve, and you can see what complete idiots you were for not ponying up the money. Since it is well known that FOX has no loyalties to its viewers I doubt any of these will happen. I would like to see Matt Groening step up for the people who have helped pay his mortgage by doing such an excellent job & earning him an Emmy. I mean, where is he in all of this? David X. Cohen has been awfully quiet as well. Fox, seriously...don't do this. You will have an oppurtunity to reap much money from Futurama if you keep the original cast intact. ALL of them. More money from toy, shirt, sign, poster, soundtrack, DVD, etc. sales. If you recast? $0. Nada. Nothing. You will have spent so much money on preproduction & everything else that goes into relaunching a show & you will not make one red cent. No one is going to watch. You see, without the original cast, well, it just isn't Futurama. No matter what you call it.

Comiccon News

Star Wars in Concert! That's right. Star Wars clips with laser lights & a full symphony orchestra, plus a traveling exhibit of costumes & props. It looks amazing. It will kick off in Anaheim, CA at the Honda Center October 1st 2009. The tickets will go on sale 08-01-09 & 08-02-09. I will be attending the October 21st, 2009 show in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at the Ford Center. I can not wait! Check it out here: Star Wars in Concert

It looks like Season 2 of Clone Wars is going to go a little darker & introduce a love interest for Obi-Wan. Not sure how I feel about that. I always thought Obi-wan was in the same camp as Dumbledore. The trailer is here: Clone Wars Season 2

DC Blackest Night looks fun. It is a zombie type feel storyline bringing back many of the heroes who have died in the last couple of years. Martian Manhunter & Aquaman being two of them. Sounds fun. Find out more here: Blackest Night

That is just the first little taste of the info coming out. More to come, I promise.

Links

So if you look to your right you will see I have rearranged, added, & deleted some links. I decided to break them into the categories: Art, Love & Action Figures. Smart, huh? I don't have any for Love yet, but they should be showing up soon. If you have any suggestions for cool art sites, action figure sites, or love sites (not E harmony type crap)send them my way.

Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival 2009 Schedule

Wanna see it? Go here: Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival 2009 Schedule

Upcoming San Diego Comic Con

The con of cons, the San Diego Comic Con, starts with a preview night on July 22nd, 2009. The official start day is July 23rd running until July 26th at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. This is Comic Con's 40th year, growing from a tiny con in 1970 to the biggest Con in North America. People from all over the world flock to see television personalities, movie stars, singers, film makers, and most importantly, comic book legends & new aspiring comic book gods/goddesses. This years guests include artists like Brom, Kevin Eastman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles creator), John Kricfalusi (Ren & Stimpy), Jim Lee (x-men, batman, etc.), as well as writers like Bill Willingham (Fables), Leonard Starr (story editor and head writer for the animated TV series Thundercats), Gail Simone (Wonder Woman), Geoff Johns (Flash: Rebirth), and celebrities like June Foray (voice of Nastasha and Rocket J. Squirrel from Rocky & Bullwinkle as well as Cindy Lou Who from the Grinch animated movie),hosts of Attack of the Show, Nutopia Kim, Vernon Wells, Larry Flash Jenkins, Mystery Science Theater 3000 and RiffTrax (Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, Bill Corbett). People like Elvira, Lynda Carter (Wonder Woman), Gil Gerard & Erin Grey (from Buck Rogers), & many more usually turn up as well. There are tons & tons of collectibles to buy, artists to talk to, writers to converse with, fan boys & girls, costumes, and more. It is the holy land of Geekdome. As it gets closer I will try to update you more on happenings and guest announcements. New toys are usually premiered as well as movies, TV Shows, and other geek goodies. One of the biggest draws is the EXCLUSIVES offered at the con. These are limited edition items offered only at the con to attendees. If anyone manages to score the exclusive Luke Skywalker and Han Solo in Stormtrooper Disguise 12-inch Figure Set for a certain Star Wars fangirl who blogs about Art Love & Action Figures, I promise I will build you a free website. Seriously. I won't maintain it for free, but I'll build it. If you can score me a smiling Luke pictured above, I'll make you a t-shirt, your design, anything goes, I even pay for the shirt and Shipping to you. Next year, the deals off, 'cause I'll be there.

Quantum Mechanix

Want to check out a new toy/collector company that maybe you haven't heard of yet? Try Quantum Mechanix. They specialize in Serenity, BSG, Stargate, Star Trek, & what they call Black Market Beagles. If you are looking for something that your collector friend probably doesn't have, these guys are a great place to check. Entertainment Earth usually carries most of their items for distribution & purchase. The pic is of what they call a "Little Frakkin Toaster". Retailing for $69.95, Quantum Mechanix anticipate the Cylon Centurion Little Frakkin' Toaster Animated Maquette will be available 09.15.09.

To be the first to get in on any preorder opportunities, be sure to sign up for their newsletter at http://insider.qmxonline.com.

Art Asylum T2 Cyberdyne Assault 4 pack

Check out the mini-mates from Art Asylum from Terminator 2.

You get: Cybernetic T-800

Sarah Connor

Scorched Endoskeleton

Myles Dyson

These will be available at the San Diego Comic Con. Around these parts I would check also at Hastings, Spencer's Gifts, & Hot Topic. Perhaps Gamestop.

Alex Ross Art for sale

Alex Ross changed the look of comics in the 90's. He gave a realism to the characters that no one else had ever quite been able to capture. He sells his sketches & paintings over at Alexrossart.com. The one below is the one I want. It has all the heroes I grew up with on TV. Unfortunately I don't have $25,000. If you want to invest in art, Alex Ross is a good place to start.

Jury Duty & Michael Jackson

So, all of the publicity surrounding Michael Jackson's death has led me to ponder all of the people who are aggressively posting negative and spiteful comments about the deceased Pop Icon. Most of these people seem to still be under the impression that the man was a child molester. It's as if they have no knowledge of the fact that he was tried by a jury of his peers and all charges were dismissed. There simply wasn't any evidence that he had done the things that he was accused of. He wasn't on trial for being weird or eccentric or even mentally stunted. If that had been the case I have no doubt the jury would have found him guilty easily. I wonder how many of these angry hate spewing individuals have ever served on a jury? Serving on a jury and hearing the evidence is much different than just hearing what a case is about. With the O.J. trial we all watched & many of us felt that it was a failure of the system, but does that mean that every high profile case is? No one but the people in the court room hear all of the evidence brought forth. He didn't just settle, he was acquitted and rather quickly. He was cleared. Both of the times that I have been called to jury duty, I have been excited to do my duty as an American. I choose not to join the service (Marines, Navy, Army, National Guard) because I do not want to kill anyone. So what can I do to serve my country? When called to jury duty, do not give false excuses & try to get out of it. Stand up & do my duty. I also look at voting in my local elections and all things brought to a ballot as an important part of my duty as an American citizen. So I wonder about these people right now, posting hateful comments, calling a man who obviously had problems, a child molester, when he has been cleared and exonerated. I wonder, have they been on a jury? Do they understand how the system works? Do they realize that one can be called into a case simply because the judge determines there is reasonable cause to hear what evidence, if any, one side has against the other? I also wonder if they understand that the parents of the children whom were said to be the victims, knowingly left their children with a man whom the whole world had already seen accused once of molestation. They knew & yet they made an informed decision to leave their children with a 40 something year old man that they didn't even know. Doesn't that seem strange? Isn't that behavior just as odd? Doesn't that speak volumes as to the type of people these were? In reality, no one will ever know who Michael Jackson really was except for those closest to him. I'm sure who the media machine made him out to be & who he really was is very different. For me, he broke down color barriers and painted my childhood with wonderful memories & laughter. For that I thank him. He did much charity work throughout his life. He gave back much. Yet despite all of this there are people right now, somewhere, posting how happy they are that this sick twisted child molester is dead. I just wonder...who ARE these people & have they ever served?

Gentle Giant San Diego Comic Con Exclusive

If you are lucky enough to be going to Comic Con this year Gentle Giant has some awesome exclusives. A McQuarrie Boba Fett Mini Bust, Richard Harris Dumbledore mini bust, Darth Vader Helmet Pink edition (pictured above) in support of the Susan G. Koman Foundation, A black Hole Stormtrooper statue, And two Halo classics busts on in pink & the other in chief green. Gentle Giant is opening pre-orders for pickup to the Premier Guild members on June 22nd at 10 am (PST). If there are quantities still available, pre-orders for pick up will be opened to the general public on July 1st. ALL pre-orders for pick up will close on July 10th at 10 pm (PST).

Remember, Gentle Giant requires that you be be logged into your account to activate order links.

Additional Comic Con details will be sent out and posted on Gentle Giant's site as Comic Con approaches.

So even if you don't make it to the Con, you might still get a shot at some of the exclusives. I'm hoping for that Pink Vader helmet myself.

Go here to see all the cool stuff!

Christopher Reeve Superman Statue

Was Christopher your favorite Superman? If so, now you can have his super likeness in your collection. Hand-painted & limited to 4,000 pieces this 12 1/2-inches tall x 5 1/2-inches wide x 3 3/4-inches long statue on a base that measures approximately 3/4-inches tall x 6 1/2-inches in diameter can be yours for around $180.00. Go check it out here.

Cryptozoology Set

Here's a fun set for any of your science or PhD friends. Entertainment Earth has them for $14.99 a set here.

Happy Summer!

Well, Happy Summer & Happy Father's Day to all you Dad's who have managed to stick around for your children. It is reaching close to 100 degrees here & thankfully it seems that Waggoner's did indeed fix the air. It is positively frosty in here right now. The pic is of the gauge that they use to determine whether or not your coolant is low. According to the HVAC guy, Shawn, this says my coolant was indeed low. He put more in, we kicked the unit on, & it is as cool as can be inside now. Thanks, Waggoner's. I hope everyone stays cool, has a great Father's Day, & enjoys the summer sun!

Waggoner's Heat & Air continued...

So, at around 10:30 am Waggoner's called & said they were sending Shawn/Sean out to the house. That made me happy. It wasn't incredibly hot yet. I would also probably not end up missing a whole day of work. Excellent. Shawn showed up, asked great questions, I told him what was going on & he suspected that Charles just hadn't filled the coolant. Now, Charles was the last guy they sent out. It was his first day on his own after graduating in May. He was nice & very meticulous but apparently messed up when he cleaned the outside unit coils before checking the coolant levels and output. The coils being wet made them read wrong according to Shawn/Sean. So he charged the unit up with coolant, readjusted the condensate line inside to more of an angle for better dripping & declared that it should be 100% good to go. I still have to wonder about no one even looking at the coil on the inside of the unit. I'm no HVAC expert, but Dr. Zarkloff on Youtube seems to check the inside coil most of the time. However, he is up north & the units seem a little easier to access. I just hope it is taken care of for good. Overall, I have to say my Waggoner's experience wasn't bad. The woman who answers the phone, Leann, is very nice & gets right on things. Charles was nice & it was his first day without one of the other guys helping him out. I hate my first day in a new job. It's so nerve racking. When I called back they were on it & seem to have the problem fixed in less than 24 hrs. Not bad. It didn't cost anything additional for them to come out, as well it shouldn't, and everyone was professional & courteous. If the unit is really fixed & good to go then I would most assuredly recommend these guys. I let you know how it goes.

Waggoner's Heating & Air Conditioning part 2

So, wanna know how that $130.00 inspect my heat/air unit went? You know, the one where they run all the tests & inspect everything so you don't have to worry about your unit freezing up when it's 95 to 100 degrees outside. Here are some pictures for you.







I think I want my $130.00 back. I called them. They told me to shut the unit OFF & they will be here tomorrow afternoon. It's 80 Degrees in the house now. To be continued....

Doro Pesch

If you have never heard of Doro then you are obviously not a real metalhead. At least not an 80's metalhead. Though, even if you weren't born in the 70's, & you're into metal, you should know the name Doro Pesch. Long story short, she is the Queen of Metal. Oh, some of you may try to argue that point, but you can't win. If it wasn't for Doro Pesch, there might not be a female lead for Arch Enemy. If it wasn't for Doro Pesch there probably wouldn't be any female presence in metal. She has shown what it takes to be a successful rocker in good times & bad, never ceasing to put out excellent head banging tunes. She is generous to her fans, almost always signing autographs & chatting. She believes in the metal community and gives it 110%, if not more. If you are wondering why you haven't heard of her, it is probably because she is from Germany. That's right, the mecca of all things Metal. Wacken Open Air Festival anyone? My point here is this: If you haven't heard her, you should. If you like metal, that is. Now she's not a screamer like Angela Gassow from Arch Enemy, but she can carry a mean tune. Sometimes she's soft & sometimes she's hard. Sometimes she's dark, but there is usually some positive spin on things. If you like Fantasy Metal, Manowar, Judas Priest, Nightwish, Iced Earth, Hammerfall, or bands like Ozzy, Alice Cooper, Kiss, Cinderella, Dio, Def Leppard, Poison or even Iron Maiden, Megadeth, or Helloween I urge you to go pay for Doro's music. You won't be sorry. She tours the US about every two or three years. Her newest Album came out Jan 30, this year and is called "Fear No Evil". I highly recommend "Love Me In Black" as well. "Classic Diamonds" is a sort of best of the best recorded with a classical orchestra. If you want to start at the beginning her albums when she was in the band "Warlock" are awesome. Her solo debut was titled "Force Majeure" and still rocks today. If you love Metal don't let the Queen of Metal be what's missing from your headbanging collection. Get her on itunes or go here: Amazon , CD Universe , or Half.com .

Home Ownership part 3???

So the air conditioner was acting weird on Friday, so I called Waggoner's to come do the twice a year check of my system. For $130.00, a certified HVAC fellow will come out, look at my system & tell me the good & bad news. This $130.00 is good for 2 visits. One in the spring & one in the fall. He is coming out today after 1pm. Let's hope it is mostly good news. I have been watching Dr. Zarkloff for quite a while now, and am fairly certain I will know if I am being told a bunch of crap. We shall see. I read a good review for Waggoner's online so I'm hoping I went with the best choice.

In other news, the Xena mobile, also known as Argo & the soon to be J-wing Star Wars fan car, is back up & running after finally finding the parts I needed at a Salvage Yard, Carey's Triple C, on Eastern in OKC. $15.00 worth of pulley wheels & bolts & she's ready to go. I drove her to work today! Now to get the design going for the paint job on her. I also finally got those brakes in the Rebel. It was so easy it was ridiculous. If you have a Honda Rebel & need front brake pads replaced, I can so do that for you, or show you how. Easier than pie.

Still ongoing is the roof and the ceiling fan. The ceiling fan all comes down to bracing & the extreme heat in the attic. I am dripping in under 5 minutes up there. The bracing is going to be tough because of the support boards located just above where the fan is. It might be easier just to move where the fan is located now & patch up the hole in the ceiling. The roof is me just not knowing who else to call. I know, I just need to call. I don't know why I worry so much.

T & I decided to extend the patio as well. Lol! Like we didn't have enough going on. I think it is going to look awesome once it's done. I'll try & get pics up soon. Well, wish me luck today with the air conditioner.

Steve Wiebe & Donkey Kong

Go to: G4 Wiebe Record Attempt right now to see Steve try to break the Donkey Kong World Record. Go check out "King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters" if you want to watch an interesting flick about the world record attempts. The guy that currently holds it is a egomaniac. Obviously the documentary style flick is slightly slanted, but seriously, the guy Steve is trying to beat is, well, full of himself. It's a really great flick. Right now though, go watch Steve & cheer him on!

Can't catch up

So this weekend I was supposed to do some serious catch-up. I still need bolts & a pulley for the Buick's water pump, the ceiling fan installed & supported with a brace & possibly grounded, new wipers & oil for the Lincoln, the roof guys to come out & give me an estimate, the yard mowed, the vacuum cleaner ran, the dishes done, laundry...Ahhh!!!! I had one of the worst allergy attacks ever Saturday. As soon as I woke up I started sneezing my head off & it didn't quite all day. I felt terrible & ended up taking an Allegra, which I hate to take any type of drugs but this was one of those times, and passed out by 9pm. I got absolutely nothing done. I was so frustrated. Even a little bit angry. It feels like something keeps working against me & I am getting really tired of it. Sunday I kept trying to wake up but was groggy and drugged feeling from the Allegra, one of the reasons I hate taking stuff, and didn't get up until almost 1pm. I did manage to do all the dishes, sneeze, vacuum, sneeze, help with laundry, sneeze, get oil & wipers for the Lincoln, sneeze, clean the garage, sneeze, reorganize the shed/barn, sneeze, get all the fall/winter clothes put away, sneeze, yard mowed & weed eaten, sneeze, help T with the patio addition, sneeze, & shower. I still feel yucky & continue to sneeze. I usually do this in April. In June it is absolutely driving me insane. I have stuff to do! Still, I got some stuff accomplished. T & I went & saw Angels & Demons on Friday night. It was pretty good. Not as much fun as Da Vinci Code, but still entertaining. Up is next.

Ladyhawke

I urge you to go over to: Ladyhawke's Home Page and check her out. She is a really great musician & incorporates art into her CD covers & other things. She sometimes has limited edition works for sale online. Her music is great. It has a retro 80's feel, yet evolved. If you haven't heard her yet, go check her out!

Motorcycle maintenence

So there is a great local motorcycle dealer right off of Shields & 240 called Heartland Cycles. They helped me get a new battery for my Rebel about two years ago & were really friendly & great at customer service. Now I need front breaks. I e-mailed them today about my brakes & already received a reply. How fast is that!? Nowadays it seems no one ever gets back to you. They have a service dept. open on Saturdays and said to bring it by & it should only take a couple of hours & about $65.00. I hope they live up to my expectations of good service. I'll let you know! Oh, by the way, the sell used Motorcycles at a pretty reasonable price if you're looking.

Homeownership & roofing continued...

So, I called my agent, who then instructed me to call a roofer. Having watched enough stories of bad homeowner encounters with contractors, I first went to the Better Business Bureau & checked out who was listed with them. My first choice was Millennium Roofing & Construction. They had a nice website and allowed me to contact them online. I will contact two more sometime tomorrow. I want at least three estimates & three opinions on what needs to be done. It hailed golf ball sized pieces of ice on the roof today. I once again crawled up into the attic to try the string thing I saw on a DIY show. If you're not sure where the water is coming from but you have a general idea you are supposed to be able to put a sting in what you think is the waters path & it will run down the string into whatever you have the other end laying in. I know where the water is stopping, but unfortunately it is in an unconquerable space that I cannot reach. Let's hope I guessed right in the attic so the water won't have to run down the string in the living room into the bucket I have set up there anymore. I will be so glad when all of this is over.

Learning how

So, I learned today that Homeowner's Insurance helps with replacement costs of your roof in case you need to have it replaced. I plan on calling my agent & talking to her today about that. My insurance company is Mercury. I switched to this company from Allstate because Allstate had tripled my homeowner's insurance cost since the initial purchase. It was almost two grand. Mercury on the other hand was $800. It wasn't the cheapest I could get, but somewhere in the middle. I decided to share all this with you guys in case you ever have to go through this process. Hopefully it will be a nice easy process and the leak in my roof will be fixed as well as a new roof installed properly. I am going to start by simply calling my agent, not the insurance company directly, and talk with her about what I need to do to start the process. She is someone I like & trust & feel is very much on my side. I will update you more once I have spoken to her. Wish me luck!

Art 2009

This is my first completed painting for 2009. "Cloud Legs" I think I'll call it. It's an oil on canvas 24" x 30".

Resident Evil 5 figures

Neca has acquired the license for Resident Evil 5 & is releasing three figures from the game. Chris Redfield, Sheva Alomar, & Executioner. Chris has 25 points of articulation, Sheva 20 points & Executioner has 13 points not to mention his huge AXE. The figures look great and the packaging is also very nice. No price info is availabe at this time, but be on the look out for these!

Repair parts for G.I. Joes?

So you went to Small Joes but didn't find what you needed? Lucky for you there is another really great place to go. G.I. Joe Heaven. They have even more repair parts than Small Joes & they happen to be a little cheaper. They always have loose parts floating through their site as well in case your figure or vehicle is missing just one thing. You might get lucky, they might have it. They have screws, o-ring/bands, and hose tube for your Joes. They also have a ton of comics starring the Joes & Cobra. Check them out if Small Joes didn't have what you needed.

Small Joes Website

Hey, if you're looking for some great deals on hard to find military action figures/vehicles/items or figure accessories, stands, etc., then Small Joes probably has them. I have personally dealt with these guys & their product is good, fast, & well packed. I was restoring my brother's 3 3/4 G.I. Joe's screws & bands & these guys had everything I needed. They also usually have a great clearance "aisle" with items like shirts, Batman, Aliens, Anime, Microman & more. Go check them out!

Cool Cospaly action @ MegaCon

2009 Megacon Convention, the southeast's largest comic book, science fiction/fantasy, anime, gaming, toys and multi-media convention. I thought the legos were a unique approach.

Another Star Wars Mod

This time it is an R2-D2 Ghetto Blaster. Pretty sweet. Check out the original post about it here: R2D2 Ghetto Blaster