Happy Birthday (you sexy statue you).

The Lady Liberty was unveiled on October 28, 1886. Her image was created by the Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi.



The Statue was a gift from France to America to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. Benefit theatrical events, art exhibitions, auctions and prize fights assisted in providing needed funds in America, while the French used public fees, various forms of entertainment, and a lottery as methods of building money to complete the project.






Lady Liberty was built in France, then transported by the French ship "Isere" to New York Harbor & arrived in June 1885. It took 4 months to assemble her on her pedestal for the whole world to see.



I love this statue. I'm sure their is some bias in my love for her since I was born American, but the whole idea of her is romantic. A beacon of hope for those who struggle to be free. The torch lighting their way to a land of Freedom & Opportunity. Can you imagine what the sight of her standing in that harbor has meant to millions who have managed to reach her shores?

One day I will stand at her feet & weep. I don't care who sees me. I will weep for the idea to create her. I will weep for the effort to raise money to make it real & those who saw to give to a cause of creating art. I will weep for those fought so hard & braved so much to get here, and for those who didn't make it. I will weep for the joy that she was not one of the targets on 9-11. I will weep for all those that made it possible for me to have the Liberties I have, even though for me, they are less than some in my country. I will weep for her as she watches liberties being stripped away from women as we descend, falling backwards, rather than moving forward. I will weep knowing that I was lucky enough to live in a time & place in the universe where she stands & where what she stands for exists.


(photo by murphydean)


Happy Birthday Lady Liberty. May you stand for countless ages to come.

Bow Ties Are Cool. (Not really, but whatever.)

Okay, Whovians, Thinkgeek has the Bow Tie of Bow Ties for you! The 11th Doctor's Bow Tie to be exact! Unfortunately, it looks as though they are already out of stock! However, you can get on the e-mail list to be notified when more show up. It fits necks 15-20" & when combined with any old tweed jacket & a sonic screwdriver, will complete your 11th Doctor Halloween costume! However, if you desire to have an exact replica of the 11th Doctor's jacket, you can fork over $329.99 for that at the same place, Thinkgeek. It too has sold out right now. Holy cow! Really?!



Lucky for you, Entertainment Earth has both as well. The jacket is available for $309.99 pre-order due to arrive in November & the bow tie is available to arrive in November for $29.99. Unfortunately that's after Halloween, but who cares, right?! You can dress as the Doctor any day!

The ENTIRE Jem Series on DVD! Outrageous!

Finally, all 65 episodes of Jem in one place! Rhino Entertainment had released 3 sets prior to SHOUT releasing this boxed set, but Rhino never finished out the series. Finally, not only do you get all 65 episodes in one box set, but this box set is also loaded with extras!

There are a few issues with the new set however. Apparently, past the third season, the master tapes sat on the shelf for 25 years untouched. SHOUT did what they could, but the quality is still less than perfect. Still, at least they are out there. Hopefully in the future, if sales are good, they can clean them up a little more.

Amazon.com has the box set ready to purchase right now here: JEM

The Power of the Future is in Your Hands!

Today I'm changing it up a little bit. I'm going to bring to your attention some Blu-ray & DVD releases. Some that you can go ahead & pre-order right now.

First up, the entire Captain Power series. Captain Power came out in the late 80's and dealt with some pretty serious issues. It was dark & gritty. It was also a combination of live action & computer animation. Also, in each episode there was a segment that included visual and audio material which interacted with toys produced by Mattel. My brother had one of the ships. It was pretty neat.



So, if you've never seen Captain Power or you just want to relive those post-apocalyptic storylines, make sure to head over to Amazon.com & pre-order your copy right now.

Another great 80's animated series coming to DVD is M.A.S.K. or(Mobile Armored Strike Kommand). It was a Japanese animation distributed by DIC Enterprises which was also accompanied by a toyline. Kenner toys produced 2 inch figures and vehicles that were really pretty cool. Again, head on over to Amazon.com to pick up the entire series on DVD.





If those weren't your cup of tea, hold on, I still have more! Also, now available on DVD, Skeleton Warriors. Skeleton Warriors ran 13 episodes and was by Landmark Entertainment Group. It originally aired in 1993-1994. It was one of those unfortunate shows that would have thrived in the 80's, but the 90's rejection of anything 80's or fantastical killed it. If you love fantasy good vs. evil stuff & never saw this one, you should check it out. It is also available over on Amazon.com.

Battlestar Galactica Viper Pilot Helmet

This retro Battlestar Galactica helmet is a replica of the helmets worn by the Pilots Starbuck & Apollo in the 1970's series.

The helmet is an exact screen worn replica. It is limited to only 500 pieces worldwide and has a numbered plaque hand signed by both Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict!

You can find them online at eFx Collectibles and over at Entertainment Earth for $599.00.

The Warrior Princess Painting

It was inevitable. I have started a Xena painting. Small 16 x 20 Acrylic on canvas. It's in the same style as my Wonder Woman painting. I'm trying to get it done for the Xena 2011 Movie Campaign's Art Contest. The deadline is the 17th. I am bound & determined to make it.

Ghostbusters Demon Dogs

Just in time for Halloween, Diamond Select has unleashed the giant demon dogs from hell in the form on light up statues. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until next Halloween to use them. They are only up for pre-order right now & showing an availability of sometime in February. However, if your sweetie is into devil dogs, this will make a great Valentine's gift! These puppies are 7 inches tall and run $67.99 ea. over at Entertainment Earth.

Battlestar Galactica "Top Gun" Stein

Here's something all you fangirls & boys have been asking for. The Battlestar Galactica Top Gun Stein as used by "Kat" & "Starbuck" in the relaunched Battlestar Galactica series.

The Stein is 9 inches tall and 4 3/4 inches wide at the base. It is reasonably priced at $59.95 & available through Quantum Mechanix as well as Sideshow Collectibles.

It is a kiln fired piece with a cast metal lid & it is recommended that you hand wash it, rather than sticking it in the dishwasher to keep the hand-painted details intact.

New Dark Crystal Merchandise

Not only does Knucklebonz Products put out Rock god statues, but they also have some sweet limited edition Dark Crystal sculptures coming out. The first one shown here is the Jen statue as he prepares to heal the Dark Crystal with the crystal shard. Limited to 3000 pieces, this statue can be pre-ordered from the Knucklebonz Products homepage for $124.00. I didn't see a size on this statue anywhere on their page.



The next Dark Crystal statue is of Kira & Jen. Kira sacrificed herself to help Jen in his quest & this statue is from the moment right after the scene represented by the first statue. I also did not see a size on this statue, but it is also limited to 3000 pieces & runs $149.00 on the Knucklebonz Products homepage & is available now for Pre-order. There is no release date for either statue at this point.

Rush's Neil Peart Statue

I'm not a big Rush fan. Honestly, I'm not a fan at all, but I do appreciate & understand the amazing man that Neil Peart is. He is a drum & percussion god. If you do happen to be a Rush fan or if you are just a collector of Rock God statues, then you're going to want this one. Limited to only 3,000 copies made, this Rock Iconz statue produced by Knucklebonz Products is around 9" tall & comes on a wooden base. It is available for pre-order right now at both Entertainment Earth for $114.99 and on Kucklebonz Products homepage for $115.00.

Xena Sword & Scabbard

I know, I know, ANOTHER Xena post?! Yep, sorry, but I'm excited. I finally got my prop replica Xena sword & scabbard. So I have to share! Licensed by Universal in 2004. Limited to 3000. Numbered. The weight is good & it feels nice in my hands. The scabbard is well made & looks exact. Sword is cast aluminum & one solid piece. Not sharpened. Wouldn't be hard to sharpen it right up though, but aluminum doesn't hold up to any sort of actual swordplay. You need tempered steel for that. It's a really nice piece to have & I'm excited to include it in my collection!





Now all I need is an ICON Chakram & Gabrielle's sais & staff.

Xena 2012 Calendar

It's that time of year again! Time to find that calendar to decorate your space with. This year, guess who showed up in her own calendar again? That's right, the Warrior Princess herself, Xena. It looks like Universal is starting to put some Xena Merch out there, which bodes well for those of us interested in a movie. The calendar has all your favorite characters from the series, one per month for all 12 months of 2012. You can find it over at Amazon.com from $10 to $12 bucks.

Robby the Robot Model Kit

I don't know if I've mentioned this before or not, but I love model building. I love the scraping, sanding, filling, gluing, & painting. I love the tiny parts on models. I find them absolutely fascinating.

This model, by Round 2 , is something I really want to get my hands on. Robby the Robot is the most iconic robot there is.

Robby first showed up in the film "Forbidden Planet" and made numerous appearances afterwards in shows like "The Addams Family", "Lost in Space", "Columbo", "Wonder Woman", "Mork & Mindy", "Doctor Who", "Futurama" and more. He's been in movies, video games & commercials as well.

This model of Robby stands at 7 1/2 inches high & is labeled as a skill level 2 for ages 10+

He sells for $19.99 over at Entertainment Earth or around $14.00 on Amazon.com

Sideshow & DC Comics

At last! Sideshow has acquired the rights to make DC Universe comic hero figures, statues & more. Check out their official announcement video above.

Doctor Who Merchandise Alert!

These cute little wind-ups are only $9.99 ea. ThinkGeek has them now! You better hurry though. I bought two TARDIS' myself.

Fear of Legitimacy

This post was inspired by one of my beautiful friends. Several of my friends are creatively blessed. Some take photos, some write, some paint, some make music, & some do all four or a combination of some.

Most of them hesitate to accept themselves as legitimate creators though. They refuse to call themselves Musicians, or Writers, or Artists, or Photographers. Why? I think it's because of three things.

One, they enjoy it & don't take it too seriously & haven't tried to make a career or money out of it.

Two, people fear that a "real" artist, musician, writer, or Photographer will call them out.

Three, society says you have to choose one thing & that's what you are. You can't be an IT tech & a writer. What you call yourself, if you do both, is determined by how much money you make at both. If you get a steady paycheck at the IT gig, and only make $20 off an article, then you are an IT Tech, but you're not a writer.

I call bullshit.

When you are IT'ing, you're an IT Tech, but man, when you are writing...you're a freakin' writer. Period. Even when you are IT'ing, you are STILL a writer. You write. That makes you a writer. Artists art, Painters paint, photographers take pictures, musicians make music, and writers write.

Be proud of those creative things you do. Don't sell yourself short. If I never sold anything in my life & worked my 8 hr. a day job for the rest of my life, would that make me less of an artist? Hell no! I might not ever be considered a Professional artist, but I'd still be an artist. We need more creatives in this world. So please, if you create be proud. Don't hide it. Don't deny it. Come on out into the sunshine.

Godzilla Shirt & Other Munsters

Show your love of the King Monster of all monsters! Find this awesome shirt Here.

$18.99 & 100% cotton!

Prefer a different kind of Munster? Like models? Check out this Polar Lights model of the Munsters relaxing in their family room!



Glow in the dark 1:16 scale for $24.99

Not Saints...and Certainly Not Angels

Charlies Angels, a reboot of the 70's show, premiered last night on ABC at 7pm central. Drew Barrymore produced so I had somewhat elevated expectations. They lost me in the first 5 minutes. Bad dialogue, horrible direction, cardboard characters & a lousy plot. Sure, the 70's show wasn't brainy, but it had something. Something besides pretty chics kicking butt. Honestly, these girls looked like they needed to taken to an all you can eat buffet & kept there for a couple days. Eat something for god's sake & keep it down! These girls are extremely cliquey & unlikable. The script was juvenile, the technology they were supposed to be using was laughable, and seriously...the girls were really unlikable, save the Eve character. Even Eve's character felt tied up & not allowed to really break through & make us care. I know, it's the first episode, but it's a bad sign when your very first episode is lame & had to be re-written once just to get it to the point it was. Which was still lame. I won't be returning for episode two.

Reworked Youtube Xena Fan Video

Okay, so I used Windows Movie Maker Live to make my first ever Youtube Fan Video of Xena & Gabrielle. The first time I forgot to turn the sound off of some of the clips. I went back in & turned the sound off except for a couple where I really liked the sound, deleted one clip & replaced it with one I liked better & shortened the end. I still haven't figured out the whole title thing at the beginning & credits at the end, but still, I'm having fun with it. I know they make all kinds of add-on effects & animations that I would love to eventually learn how to use, but for now, here is the edited & updated version of the first Video. Thanks for watching. Feel free to critique & comment here or on Youtube. Also, if you wouldn't mind, and you like it, give me a thumbs up on Youtube & a +1 google here on the blog. Thanks!

The Muppets!!!

The Muppets are returning! This makes me oh so happy! Squee-ably happy. I love the Muppets. Before I graduated High School it was a dream of mine to work for Jim Henson. Unfortunately he passed away just two years shy of my graduation. I probably should have moved to New York anyway or gone to puppeteer class somewhere despite this, but I was so sad & figured it wouldn't be the same. It hasn't been, but that doesn't mean that the love & joy & positive energy isn't still there. It's nice to see all my felt friends returning. This movie looks great. Great cast. Can't wait to see it! It opens this Thanksgiving. Make sure to go to Youtube & add MuppetsStudio to your Youtube channels!

Godzilla & Mechagodzilla by Bandai

These are a must have for any Godzilla collector. Priced at $69.99 for Godzilla & $79.99 for Mechagodzilla, these figures have 29 points of articulation & stand at 6 & 6.5 inches tall. They are produced by Bandai & distributed by Sideshow Collectibles.

Masters of the Universe Classics She-ra

The Masters of the Universe Classics line has been going for about 4 years now. These figures are remakes of the classic He-man characters but re-sculpted & improved. They recently released a She-ra that is absolutely awesome. Not only that, but they also released She-Ra’s alter ego Adora & have plans to release She-ra's horse Swiftwind.



These figures run $20.00 ea. on MattyCollector.com but they sell out FAST, so you might have to head over to Amazon or Ebay to snag one. That will cost you a little more.

My First Youtube Video

Spartacus...Alright, Alright...I Give

I have watched two or three episodes of Spartacus & I have to admit I'm interested in seeing more, but I've been avoiding investing myself into another TV show. Spartacus is so incredibly violent. Of course, it is Rome & gladiators & all the politics & awful things that happened during that time. It isn't about a hero going around fighting for the greater good. It's gritty & dark & terrible. I tend to like more happy fantastical worlds. However, with every new interview I watch with Lucy Lawless, the more I want to watch. She's a great actress. It would be a shame to go see her in Burbank & not have any sense of her work on Spartacus. I mean, she is my second favorite actress of all time. Also, the show is written & produced by much of the same team that worked on Xena. So, why have I been avoiding? Strangely enough, naked Lucy Lawless makes me really uncomfortable.



No, seriously. I'm not sure why. T & I have also discussed the rapey parts. We do not do well with rapey stuff. Again though, it is Rome. Romans were very rapey. So, we're going to give it a go. We are just going to make sure that if at any point either of us feels icky we can fast forward. The blood & guts are fine. Swords battles are bloody. I enjoy a good sword battle. Just like I enjoy my UFC fights. Any idiot can point & shoot a gun, but swords & fists take skill. I'll let you know what we think about it as we go along.

Hunted: Demon's Forge Update

DO NOT BUY THIS if you are wanting a good two player game experience. If you are just wanting it for one player it's alright. Not great, but fun. The two player game play is horrible. The split screen is only available with top & bottom, not side to side. Messages pop up & cover the playable area even when you are being attacked, which makes it nearly impossible to defend yourself. It's like they didn't even try.

Hunted: The Demons Forge PS3

I have rented a video game that looks promising. HUNTED. I haven't played it yet because I also rented the movies "Priest" & "Dylan Dog" & watched those first. "Priest" was great. I liked the mythology they built & the characters were really great. Karl Urban, Caesar from Xena, was in it. Good effects & a really wonderful score by Christopher Young. I hadn't heard of Mr. Young before so I looked him up. Seems I just hadn't noticed his scores before this one. He has a long list of credits including "Drag Me To Hell", "Ghost Rider", "The Grudge I & II" & more.

Dylan Dog however was meh. It was fun, but they really screwed up at the end. The protagonist does absolutely nothing but get his ass kicked & other random nameless characters defeat the antagonist. Lame. It had promise & like I said, it was fun, but in the end, unsatisfying. If you have a couple hours to waste, you might waste it with Dyaln just for the ride.

Now, as soon as I get into "Hunted" I will let you know how it was. I'm big on Hack 'n Slash two player games. T & I love to play these types of adventure games together & it's rare to come across one nowadays that lets us play at the same time. I just happened upon this little interview about the game today & low & behold, Lucy Lawless does one of the voices. Now, I'm even more excited to play!

Han Solo in Carbonite Ice Cubes

Han Solo is here to cool off your beverage & make any party an event as cool as any Hutt's. ThinkGeek is temporarily Out of Stock, but you can find these on Amazon as well as over at Entertainment Earth. They vary in price from site from around $10 to $20.

Tiny Doctor Who Figures For You!

Underground Toys & Entertainment Earth offer you some sweet little Who's. There are two series of these little guys/gals/aliens. There are ten different figures in each series. Each package contains 6 figures. Be aware though, these are what is called "blind-packed", which means you can't see what you are getting, making it likely that you will get duplicates or triplicates if you order more than one bag of 6. Each package will run you $17.99 online at Entertainment Earth. You might shop around & see if you can find them at Hastings or Vintage Stock a little cheaper or have your local comics shop order them for you.

Like or Dislike Stamps

Unlike that social networking site we all love/hate, you can "Dislike" things as well as "Like" them with these handy stamps! A great gift for that Secretary...er, um, I mean Receptionist. You can find them over at Entertainment Earth for $12.99!

My Top 15 Favorite Xena Episodes

Yes. Top 15, because it's impossible to pick 10. Mostly due to trilogy episode arcs. Besides, 15 is my favorite number.

So, coming in at #1 - "Sins of the Past" The first episode EVER! Why? Lots of reasons. Xena meets Gabrielle being the best reason. Now to be honest, I could not stand Gabrielle until the end of the first season. I thought Xena was tough enough to not need a side kick or anyone for that matter. I also thought I was the same way. I was wrong on both counts.



#2 - "When the Fates Collide" Season 6 - episode 18. Holy crap what an amazing beautiful script Katherine Fugate wrote. She only wrote this one episode for the entire series, but it was absolutely breathtaking. It is also mirrors how I feel about T. It wouldn't matter where we were or how we got there, we still would have found each other. We're soul mates.



#3 - "The Rheingold" part 1 of "The Ring" trilogy. Season 6 episode 7. OMG! Xena goes Norse & does a retelling of Beowulf & Sleeping Beauty. Two of my favorite stories of all time intertwined with the best show ever! How could I not love this? And Xena as a Valkyrie? C'mon...AWESOME!



#4 - "The Ring" part 2 of "The Ring" trilogy. Season 6 episode 8. OMG! More! No, wait! Xena don't put that ring on! OMG!



#5 - "Return of the Valkyrie" part 3 of "The Ring" trilogy. Season 6 episode 9. What!? What the What!? One year later!? OMG! What's happened to Gabrielle!? More importantly, what's happened to XENA!? Holy crap Xena's going to full on kiss Gabrielle! OMG!




#6 - "One Against an Army" Season 3 episode 13. Best Xena fight scene EVER! One of the absolutely most touching heartfelt Gabrielle/Xena moments of the entire series.




#7 - "A Day In the Life" Season 2 Episode 15. Absolutely HI-larious. So many great one liners. Directed by Michael Hurst (the guy that played Hercules' sidekick Iolaus.



#8 - "Remember Nothing" Season 2 Episode 2. We get to meet Xena's brother Lyceus. It makes me miss my brother. He's the awesomest! Also, we get to see that Xena isn't really to blame for what happened 10 years into her past.



#9 - "The Bitter Suite" Season 3 Episode 12. How better to fix a rift between our two characters than with a good old fashioned Musical? Lucy Lawless sings & so does Kevin Smith, but everyone else is dubbed over by pros. Joss Whedon loved it so much he copied it in Buffy.



#10 - "Adventures in the Sin Trade I" - Season 4 Episode 1. Northern Amazons. Cyane. Alti. Xena's dark past. Borias. Yummy Borias. My Favorite Xena outfit.



#11 - "Adventures in the Sin Trade II" - The vision Xena has that will tease us for the rest of Season 4. Or haunt. It still gives me the chills every time the music starts & we see that little vision.



#12 - "Devi" Season 4 Episode 14 - Xena & Gab in India. India has their own set of unique & awesome gods! We run into an important new character named Eli.




#13 - "Between the Lines" Season 4 Episode 15 - More Xena & Gab in India. The Mehndi. Souls intertwined. The return of Alti. Future lives. That damned vision again. This episode really should probably be in my top 5. It's so hard to decide!



#14 - "You Are There" Season 6 Episode 13 - Michael Hurst directs again. Remember "Day in the Life"? Yeah, this one is just as good. The ending is priceless.



#15 - "Many Happy Returns" Season 6 Episode 19 - The last fun & carefree episode before the end. It really has a season 2 or three feel to it but with the quality of season 6. It was originally going to be another musical episode, but they didn't quite have the funds to pull it off. The gift Xena gives Gabrielle & the way the two actors play their parts right here makes me cry every time. It's so incredibly sweet & romantic.



Crap...I'm already to 15!?

I didn't even get to "The Ides of March" or "Fallen Angel" or "Destiny" or "The Quest". All such good episodes.

And what about "The Crusader" or "A Good Day" or "In Sickness & In Hell" or "Paradise Found" or "The Way".

Not to mention, the absolute great Raimi-esque episode "The Haunting of Amphipolis" or the painful "Who's Gurkhan"?

The touching moment in "The Abyss" when Gabrielle thinks she's dying is worth a mention.

The awesome 1940's episode "The Xena Scrolls" is so much fun.

The scene in "Blind Faith" where Gabrielle puts Egyptian Senna in Xena's eyes is so precious.

"The Lost Mariner" guest starring Tony Todd is fun!

"The Greater Good" & "Is There a Doctor" make me cry.

The ones that made me laugh so much, like "The Quill is Mightier", "Femmes, Fems, & Gems", "Warrior... Priestess... Tramp", & "A Tale of Two Muses"!

What about the attempt by Gabrielle to domesticate Xena in "Kindred Spirits" or the fun of "Old Ares Had a Farm", where Xena seems pretty comfortable & shares little special moments & memories with Gabby?

The introduction to Xena's grown-up daughter in "Livia" then "Eve" and "Motherhood"?

There's a reason this is my favorite TV series EVER. There are so many great episodes.

Even "Friend In Need I & II" are beautifully done. I never thought I would say that. When Xena is hacking & slashing her way through men with arrows sticking out of her & screaming Gabrielle's name...wow, it gets me.

So, there you have it. My top 15. Maybe my next post should be my top 10 worst Xena episodes. I'm not sure there were 10. Well, Season 5. That entire Season was pretty damn bad until the last 5 or 6 episodes.