WilliamBruceWest.com

West Week Ever – 5/24/13

Will — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:00:23 +0000

Who had the West Week Ever? Read on and find out!

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting New Jersey. Could you hear my sarcasm? Anyway, it was a good trip ’cause I got to see my sword brother, Keith, but it had its highs and its lows. On Saturday night, we went to what was billed as “live band karaoke”, which sounded awesome! In reality, however, it was not what one might expect. There was a house band called Deep Fried Thorn, who didn’t suck, but they were mainly there to play themselves. If you wanted to sing a song on their setlist, you were welcome to do so, but their levels were off, and the music was too loud for the venue. I just didn’t feel comfortable there. While I’m used to all-white crowds, this one didn’t seem too welcoming. I guess I was standing too close to the pickup station, as a waitress pushed me out of her way and into a chair. This triggered my assholosity, and I looked for a way to take my anger out on the whole place. When it was my turn (I sang Ain’t Too Proud To Beg), I got to the mic, and said, “Hi, I’m Will, and I’ll be your black guy for the evening.” Yeah, that didn’t go over so well. Not knowing when to quit, I looked at the nearest patron (who was looking at me quizzically), and said, “Yeah, don’t think that I didn’t notice.” Anyway, the rest of the weekend was good. We ate lots of good food, we made plans for our joint venture, Kill Industries, and I got to see my bud.

Oh, we also saw Star Trek Into Darkness. I really enjoyed it. It’s not “Star Trek”, but it was still enjoyable. Not even joining the Star Trek Alice Eve hoopla. I love Alice Eve in underwear – I think it’s in her contract. If you wanna be upset about something, be upset at how they depicted being attacked while in warp. That shit will fuck you up. They should’ve, at the very least, lost a nacelle from that. I mean, it should have been torn completely off its housing, and lost to space. They just don’t spin out of it like a car hitting a patch of black ice. That should’ve have been CATASTROPHIC. But whatever.

I had a weird epiphany over the weekend. You see, I have this routine I do at restaurants: when I order Diet Coke, if they say “I’m sorry, but all we have is Pepsi”, I reply, “I THOUGHT THIS WAS AMERICA!” Only, last weekend, I realized that I prefer Pepsi – at least the diet variety. Maybe it’s because we’ve had SO much Diet Coke at home that its lost all appeal. It reminds me of college: I ended up kicking soda for a year and a half because it had lost all effect. I was drinking 2 liters of Wild Cherry Pepsi a day, and I eventually couldn’t even taste it anymore. I was just chugging it for the burn. So, I went cold turkey. Diet Coke has a similar effect for me now. So, for the time being, make mine Pepsi!

I also took on the Herculean task of getting one of my email accounts in order. In case you didn’t know, I own williambrucewest at everything except AOL. Well, I still have my college account redirected to my Hotmail/Outlook account, and it was at 78 pages. Yeah, I had stuff going back to 2006, which was the last time I’d even attempted to keep it under control. Now I’m at 4 pages, but I’m still striving for Inbox Zero. Over the weekend, I’m going to tackle Gmail.

Anyone remember when I wrote about Xuxa a few months back? Well, I got the best comment on it the other day about America’s “cold and dirty minds”. Go check it out.

Why has no one come up with the Jail Body Workout (#fitness)? I never, never, never, never, never wanna end up in jail, but if I ever do, three things will happen:

1) I’ll become well-read

2) I’ll get closer to God

3) I’ll get an amazing, jacked body

There should be a DVD for the Jail Body Workout, and it’d come with a pocket copy of the Qur’an (I used that spelling ’cause I’m really into apostrophes right now. So hot.). It can’t be hosted by Shaun T, though – his ass would never make it out alive.

Haha, Morgan Freeman fell asleep during an interview! He also used to fuck his step-granddaughter, but we casually forgot that. Just like we forgot Jerry Seinfeld both dated a minor and stole his current wife away from her husband while she was on her honeymoon. Oh, but Michael Vick and Chris Brown are still assholes. God bless America’s selective memory!

So nice of the Boys Scouts to let in gay members, ’cause of course those kids’ll grow out of it by the time they’re scout leaders, right? Right? Ugh…

I ever tell you about the time I slept over at my ex’s parents’ house, and they put me in a room with several Rolexes sitting casually on a dresser. I’ve always thought that was a test. I passed. And now I ain’t got no Rolex. Random, I know.

Links I Loved
Taxi vs. Hill Street Blues: Battle of the TV Show Intros – The Robot’s Pajamas

A Raging Nerdgasm/Real Toy Hunting moment – my greatest wants acquired – Raging Nerdgasm

The Weekly Scoop: Underwear Uproar, Mini He-Man, and this Human Torch will not be denied a bank loan – UnderScoopFire!

What’s the most dangerous job in comics? – Cold Slither Podcast

A new podcast hit the streets recently, filled with folks I enjoy – head over to the Cold Slither Podcast, to hear Nicju and R2thaEdgy’s new show, “What’s The Tea?”

This Week’s Posts

Best of the West #3: Knight Rider Knight 2000 Voice Car

Collegiate Conundrum OR Reunited and Feels So Bad?

Thrift Justice – Hell Naw! Are You For Real?

One’s out of our league, while the others are too cool for school. One’s taking a nap, while the other’s taking a plea. Only one, however, could have the West Week Ever!

Anyone who knows of my love for TNBC should’ve seen this coming. This week marks the 20th anniversary of the original Bayside gang’s graduation from high school. Yes, you’re that old! Like it or not, Saved by the Bell was a definitive pop culture milestone of the early 90s. For many of us, it gave us false expectations of what high school would be like. For others, it was our introduction to our first “feminist”. Either way, it’s been 20 years since they walked across that stage and got their diplomas from Mr. Belding. They’ve gone on to be strippers, game show hosts, cops, soap opera actresses, and more, but they’ll always be the Saved by the Bell kids.

I often wonder where they might be today. Lisa’s, no doubt, a fashion designer. If that didn’t work out, then she’s an on-air personality for E! Jessie’s an attorney, annoying the shit out of clients and judges alike. Slater blew out his knee and is probably an on-air personality for ESPN. Screech probably invented FaceSter, but Zack ends up with all the credit and the money. Speaking of Zack, he and Kelly have been divorced for about 12 years now. I know it was a kids show, but I never bought their whole “true love” angle. Zack was used to getting whatever he wanted, and Kelly was the one thing he had to work to get. He simply wanted what he couldn’t have, and once he got her, I’m sure he lost interest. Kelly, meanwhile, is a happy mom to 6 kids (remember, the Kapowskis were fertile) and is married to her second husband, Jeff. Yes, THAT Jeff. Oh, and The Max is now a national chain and can usually be found in the same shopping centers as Ernie’s Gym & Juice Bar franchises. Anyway, for touching our childhood (no MJ!), and for enduring all these years, the kids from Bayside High Class of ’93 had the West Week Ever.

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Thrift Justice – Hell Naw! Are You For Real?

Will — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:03:10 +0000

Do we really need an intro. Y’all know what this is all about. These are things I find in thrift stores. Usually, I write about the things that I buy. Every now and then, however, I focus on things that I simply HAD to leave behind. This is one of those posts. These are recent items that I just couldn’t believe I found, but felt would make great conversation pieces. So, away we go!

Sure, Jakks eventually figured out how to make a decent wrestling figure, but those earliest offerings were hideous. This hails from the “Attitude Era” that I missed in its entirety, so I know next to nothing about Sable OR Shotgun Saturday Night. From what I can tell from this figure, Sable was just a wrestling groupie, right? She wasn’t a “Diva”, was she? Please tell me she wasn’t a Diva. She looks like someone’s slutty mom. She needs to take that chair packaged with her, and go sit down somewhere.

Hehe. And notice that the seal is unbroken on this CD…

I’m sorry, but no one has ever said “Man, I could really watch 26 hours of The Price Is Right today!” If they did, they’re probably a stoner, and can’t remember where they left this box set. I mean, really? I would watch a compilation of every episode where Barker did something sleazy to spokesmodels and women contestants, but just random-ass episodes? No, thank you!

I’m amazed this thing actually exists. For those not in the know, this is Harry from Harry and the Hendersons. I’ve never seen the movie in its entirety, but I was really into the Saturday afternoon syndicated show. The dad was the evil senator from the X-Men movies. That’s all I really remember about it. Well, that and that it aired along with What A Dummy! and Tiny Toon Adventures (before it was repurposed as a kids show).

This saddens me, as I wonder how it ended up being donated. It’s such a personal thing, and not something that would really sell to anyone other than its original recipient. As you can see, it’s some sort of CD to commemorate Mothers Day 9 years ago. Did Mom die? Did the family get a divorce? Did she finally get to the age where she started throwing away all the homemade gifts the kids made her over the years? I’m always curious when I see such personalized items being resold.

California Dreidels?! Can’t black people have anything to themselves?! First Elvis came along, then Eminem, and now this?!!

OK, read this slowly, as it gets kinda good. When you get cards from a questionable source, always inspect ya deck! I saw this in a batch of Yu-Gi-Oh! cards I got, and noticed that it looked…janky. Look at the edges and borders. I don’t think this card is real. So, I grab a corner and start peeling…

WTF?! It’s like finding Narnia! What’s under this nefarious cover?

An entirely different card! There’s some kinda card shark on the Yu-Gi-Oh! scene! How does a tween turn to such a life of crime? Who taught him to do this? Has he already been shot in the face following a Chinatown game gone wrong? Why?! WHY?!!!

Welp, that wraps it up for this installment. I gotta Google “Chinatown Yu-Gi-Oh! shootout”. Come back tomorrow, ’cause it’s Friday, and you know what happens around here on Fridays…

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Collegiate Conundrum OR Reunited and Feels So Bad?

Will — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:02:26 +0000

That bear ain’t fuckin’ around! And, yes, I’m the Real Life Andy Bernard

I can’t follow up a Best of the West just with any old thing! So, I’m not really gonna try. At the moment, I’m trying to figure out if I should go to my 10 year college reunion. It’s in 2 weeks, and I really have no desire to go. Facebook has eliminated the need for these in-person gatherings, and it’s just too much of a hassle to get up there. Now, the problem: since I graduated, my mother’s been donating. Don’t get it twisted – it’s not like we have something named for us up there. She just sends what little she can in order to thank them for my scholarship. So, they’re honoring the donors at a special reception, and she wants to go. So, I may have to not only go to my college reunion, but also go with my mother. This is the kind of thing that could ONLY happen to me! So, as I figure my stuff out, here’s some footage of my a cappella group, Last Call, at our 15th anniversary concert. Watch the whole thing, or just skip to 00:27:28 for the stuff where I can be seen.

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Best of the West #3: Knight Rider Knight 2000 Voice Car

Will — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:03:55 +0000

I don’t do these posts much, so you know it’s a special occasion. If you’re new here, then let me explain Best of the West to you: these are pieces of my collection that hold more meaning than the others. These are the “I’d grab if there’s ever a fire” items. This ain’t your average Thrift Justice stuff – these are the top shelf items. OK, now that I’ve got that out of the way, why am I doing this today? Well, it’s really all but the timing of some real life events. Yesterday was the funeral for one of the kids at work. I didn’t know him, but I wanted to feel a part of the community, so I volunteered to sing in the choir for the service. It was really moving, and it was a feeling I hadn’t experienced since glee club days. It got me to thinking how I’d want to be remembered when my time comes. I hope people think I was hilarious. Not just “haha” funny, but “why wasn’t he a comedian?!” funny. I hope they think I was a good person and a good friend. Also, I hope I’m remembered as a caring and magnificent lover, despite my average endowment (at least according to my spam folder…). Anyway, this also got me to thinking about my first funeral experience: my dad’s.

Courtesy of Orangeslime.com

My father passed away from an aneurysm when I was three. For this reason, I’m always scared of head trauma, and I never make fun of aneurysms. Because I was so young, I wasn’t really privy to the funeral proceedings. In fact, my cousin was tasked with taking me to Toys “R” Us to distract me. While there, I remember getting a radio controlled Knight Rider K.I.T.T. that had a working scanner light. You don’t give an RC car to a three year old! I just kept driving it into walls. It was really cool, but I was always rough with toys, so it didn’t last long. Sure, I kept it, but the electronics surely didn’t work, and the car looked like it did at the end of “Knight of the Juggernaut Part 1″.

Still, I remember the car always angered me because I couldn’t put a figure inside. I think I eventually even broke the window, like an inner city youth, just so I could stick a G.I. Joe in it. I didn’t realize there was actually a version that did what I needed it to do. No, I had my “distraction” K.I.T.T. so I wouldn’t realize my dad was gone. In fact, it wasn’t until years later that I pieced together what had happened that day. Until then, I always remembered it as “the time all my relatives came to see me”.

Fast forward to about a year ago. My former employer, Diamond Comic Distributors, was releasing a Previews exclusive Knight Rider K.I.T.T. with lights and sounds, and included a 3.75″ Michael Knight Figure. Of course I was gonna buy it! Even if it was $50, and the Michael Knight looked NOTHING like David Hasselhoff. That reminded me that I already had a nearly 6″ Michael Knight from the 80s, and I never really knew why he was released. Remember that post about my Cousin Oliver and the G.I. Joe mystery? Well, that was also the first and only time I saw Knight Rider toys at retail. With the exception of the Whip Shifter (which I also had), I had completely forgotten there was essentially a full line of toys. So I took to eBay, to learn more about the line, and find out if there were any figures other than Michael. It turns out he’s the only one, and that he came packed in with an electronic K.I.T.T. That had opening doors! What I always wanted had existed all the time! And the vintage K.I.T.T. had dropped in price since the announcement of the newer version, so you could get one for about $100. Why buy a newer copy when I could have the original? So, a few weeks before my wedding, I told Lindsay, “I’m about to drop about $100 on a Knight Rider car, and I just want you to know that.” Thankfully, she knew the importance and was cool with it. It actually arrived just before our honeymoon, but I didn’t really get a chance to look at it until weeks later. At the end of the day, it cost about $80 after shipping, and it had its original box! Oh, and IT WORKS! Let’s take a closer look at it, shall we?

This thing was $26.96 in 1985! That’s, like, $80 in today’s money. NOTE: I am not an economist, nor an expert on inflation

Nowhere on this box does it say “Child’s hand not included”. I demand my white child’s hand!

I wonder if it even had pack-in directions, as the whole shebang is told on the back of the box.

I love the detail of the stickers inside, but Michael needs to do some dusting!

I just like pushing it along my carpet, pretending K.I.T.T.’s driving through the desert. Of course, it’d be more effective if the friggin’ white child hand had been in the box!

As you can see from the box, K.I.T.T. says 6 different phrases. I couldn’t really verify them all, ’cause we’re a household with no C batteries; lots of Ds for some reason, though… Anyway, with the voice of someone who’s just roofied you, the car said “Callll mee K.T.T. for shorrrtt.” Supposedly, he also says:

“Engaging Infrared Tracking Scope”

“Scanner Indicates Danger Ahead”

“I Shall Activate The Turbo Boost”

“Your Reflexes Are Slow”

“What Is Our Next Mission?”

Well, the circle is now complete. Like a phoenix, my fallen K.I.T.T. has arisen, with all the qualities I originally wanted. Screw Diamond and their imposter. I now have the real thing! I hope you’ve enjoyed this “shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist”. Anyway, tomorrow’s promised to no one, so try to enjoy today. Thanks for reading, and let me know some of your “holy grails” in the comments!

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West Week Ever – 5/17/13

Will — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:03:11 +0000

Who has the West Week Ever? Read on to find out!

I was so proud of myself when this came on the radio this morning, and I remembered the rap from 18 years ago!

It has been a week, hasn’t it? At least it feels like it to me. I guess it’s because I started it with a bit of a subtweeted post in the Monday Musings. Most people have guessed who that was about, but I’ve got more than one “e-nemy”. I mean, think of whose podcasts I haven’t been on yet, and you’re getting warmer…I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about that, though. I’ve made some good friends online, and I really cherish that. From daily emails, to daily tweets, that’s the good part of all this, so I can’t let a few ne’er do wells ruin a good thing! Anyway, this is a pop culture site, so, let’s get it started!

Speaking of online friends, I’ve been meaning to talk about the host/producer of the UnderScoopFire! and MadCast podcasts, Corey Chapman. This guy is a runner, and he’s constantly posting stats like “Ran 14 miles today”. While some folks might be haters, I consider him an inspiration. Believe it or not, I used to run. Not competitively, but just for fun. Back in college, my friend Eric and I would run to Wegmans at 2 in the morning, just for shits and giggles (I needed him there or else I’d just look like a black dude who stole something). Anyway, I enjoyed that running, and years later, I found myself dating someone who decided to run a marathon…out of nowhere. I mean, if you saw her, “marathon” was not the word that would come to mind. But I’d run with her, and help her train for those marathons. They say that a good chunk of the marathon is in your head, and I’ve just never felt like I was “there”, psychologically. Still, I was talking to my boss yesterday, and doing the math, realized I’ve probably gained 80 lbs over the past 10 years. I’m 31 and on high blood pressure medicine. So, something has to change. It’ll be a slow process, but I want to try running again. Nobody “in real life” wants to run with me. I won’t be posting 14 miles anytime soon, but I kinda hope I can look to Corey as a virtual “run buddy” as I slowly get back to where I was before. That, my friends, is the power of social media.

Buy something from my store! I’m not begging here, but the hustle is gettin’ kinda hectic! I’ve never been blown off as much from Craigslisters as I have in the past week. Buy this shit so I don’t have to meet a stranger in a dark parking lot!

I’ve written about it before, but I made a realization this week: if I only read one comic a month, it would be Ultimate Spider-Man. Wait, I guess I mean Ultimate Comics Spider-Man. I know a lot of people don’t focus on the Ultimate Universe because it’s not the “real” Marvel, but it’s so damn good. If you haven’t read it, just go back to the introduction of Miles Morales. Don’t even bother with all the Peter Parker stuff. So damn good. BTW, I’m still trying to teach myself to love the digital medium for comics. I’m getting there, thanks to a wonderful gift from @Ponderiss, but if you’ve got any unused digital codes, send them my way!

Some weird stuff’s been going on that I feel funny for telling you, but I need content filler. Lately, I’ve been going to places that I’ve been to only in dreams. I know that sounds crazy, but hear me out. For example, I had a dream a few weeks back where I was in some weird banquet hall. Fast forward to last Sunday’s Mother’s Day brunch – IT WAS AT THE SAME HALL!!! I’ve never been to that place in my life, but the layout was the same and everything. Plus, randomly enough, a few nights ago I had a dream that I got a really shitty tattoo on my shin probably after playing hacky sack at a Dave Matthews Band concert). Then, a few days later, I found myself in a tattoo parlour. Sure, I wasn’t getting a tattoo (it was a Craigslist deal), but the timing was really weird. Anyway, I sold them some Star Wars figures that they’re gonna display in the shop. They let me take pics of what they already had.

Just a random pic of Paige Davis. Nothing to see here…

I briefly toyed with the idea of a West Weekette, but then I remembered that I like sleeping in my bed…

Links I Loved

Head over the DoubleDumbassOnYou and read ALL of their Star Trek Week posts. Trust me! Here are links, so you have no excuse!

Welcome To Star Trek Week

Star Trek Week — Review: Star Trek #1 (DC Comics, 1989)

Star Trek Week — In Defense of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Star Trek Week — Collection Spotlight > “Star Trek III Taco Bell Glass”

Star Trek Week — My (Model Kit) Ships of the Line

Star Trek Week — From The Archives

Star Trek Week — Forging A Klingon Bat’leth with the Man At Arms

The Robot’s Pajamas Turns a Million - Congrats on 1M page views!

This Week’s Posts

Monday Musings: Twouble With Twibbles

Thrift Justice: YSE – Trials & Tribble-ations

Farewell to Friends & Foes: The TV Cancellations of 2013

Star Trek Week – Why Starfleet?

10 Television Shows that Outgrew Their Premise – cowritten with my boy, @HowardTheDeck

Also, this was the first week that I participated in Thriftasaurus over at Sir Thrift A Lot’s site. It’s a weekly link party for thrifters, and hopefully I can get some more eyes on the Thrift Justice posts. Head over there and check it out!

One lost their shit on Facebook after a poor showing on Kitchen Nightmares, while the other’s gonna need a new job, dawg. One is a Kardashian minor who has triggered several “countdown” sites, while the others had their televised swan song last night. Only one, however, had the West Week Ever.

Ah, The Office. In recent years, the show has been “Simpsonized”, with everyone claiming “It’s not as good as it used to be!” I disagree. While most felt it should’ve ended with Steve Carell’s departure, I disagree. If anything, Michael stayed too long. It was great to see how the workplace evolved in his absence. We got to see the “Nard Dogg” in the manager role, we saw an alliance and friendship bloom between Jim and Dwight, and characters like Darrell got more of the spotlight. The Office did NOT end with Michael Scott, and it’s too bad most people didn’t realize that. Sure, this past season was a chore at points, but these were still people we had come to know and love. Look at your own life – your real friends aren’t always doing something interesting, and they probably tell stories you don’t care to hear, either. That’s how it was with this show. Still, through all that, it ended strong. Last night’s finale was true to what the show was about, and everyone got a fitting sendoff. If I had one problem with it, it’s that I don’t feel NBC really showed its appreciation. The show carried Thursday night for YEARS, yet it didn’t even get a real credits roll (as pointed out by @zacshipley). Instead of going out with its autonomy, the credits were highjacked by a promo for Hannibal. Plus, I mentioned this on Twitter, but it needs to be repeated: in years past, when a long-running show ended, the network would post a card after the credits that said something like “Thank You For All The Years of Making Us Laugh”. I always thought that was a classy gesture, and it tended to bring a tear to my eye for certain shows. To my knowledge, Married…with Children was the last show to get that distinction. I feel like The Office certainly deserved something like that, and it was a shame that it didn’t come to pass. I know they got the retrospective special, but this is a different animal to me. So, thanks for all the laughs, guys. This is why The Office had the West Week Ever.

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Farewell to Friends & Foes: The TV Cancellations of 2013

Will — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:59:17 +0000

I love television. Not only do I love watching it, but I love the behind the scenes action even more. Every now and then, I do these “inside baseball” posts about TV, and it seems a few people have come to love them. So, this is for you, @trooperlite and @crookedninja! So, we’re currently in the middle of Upfronts Week in NYC, where the major networks debut their schedules for the next TV season. NBC was on Monday, while ABC was yesterday. While they’re scrambling to publicize their new shows, they spent last weekend shuffling some old shows out to the dumpster. Today, we’ll talk about those shows that are no longer with us.

NBC

I’ve already discussed NBC’s prospects at length, and I decided that I felt it was time for them to “go scorched Earth” on their comedy slate. For the most part, I was right. Whitney, Guys With Kids, The New Normal, Go On, 1600 Penn, Up All Night – all cancelled. I was wrong about Parks & Rec and Community, but the renewal of the latter makes sense. I still feel like Parks & Rec‘s story arc is done, even if I love all the characters. Still, Community was the one everyone had their eye on.

As lackluster as this season had been, the final 2 episodes were actually really strong, and in the vein of the Community we all remember and love. Plus, as a feather in its cap, the season finale beat American Idol in ratings for the coveted 18-34 demographic. When you beat Idol, you ain’t going anywhere. Over on Twitter a few weeks back, I compared the renewal chances of Community against those of ABC’s Happy Endings. I argued that, out of the two critically acclaimed shows, Community actually had the best chance at renewal because of syndication. It already had the low 88, but one more season would put it over 100, which is the number studios like to have before a show’s reruns go five nights a week. Happy Endings‘s episode count is too low (57), and another season still wouldn’t put it in the sights of weekday strip syndication. So, at the end of the day, Community‘s 11th hour renewal isn’t really much of a surprise. Studios make their money back from syndication, and there’s no way a studio wouldn’t fight for another season when a show is that close to making its money back.

An NBC cancellation that came as no surprise in recent weeks was Whitney. I’ve admitted that I loved the show once it was retooled in its second season. I argued that a renewal wouldn’t do much for NBC’s identity, and that’s pretty true from the shows they revealed on Monday (which I’ll probably discuss in another post). The problem with Whitney was logistics: the costar of the show was comedian Chris D’elia, who was also in second position for an NBC pilot called Undateable, which had tons of buzz around it. Let’s discuss that phrase “second position” – when an actor is on a show that he/she believes might get cancelled, they go out to auditions during pilot season in order to cover their asses. If they happen to get the job, they’re put in “second position”, meaning they only get the job should their current show end up cancelled (after all, they’re under contract to the first show). So, if NBC saw a hit on its hands with Undateable, Whitney had to die. I think Whitney could’ve lived on the New NBC, but it was simply a matter of logistics.

I also changed my mind on Go On after writing that last post. While it could also have survived on New NBC, it, like Parks & Rec, completed its story arc by the season finale. I’m not sure if they knew it would be the end or what. The show was about Perry’s character trying to get over his wife’s death through the help of a support group. He played the same misanthropic character we saw in Mr. Sunshine , Studio 60, and other Perry non-Chandler roles, set against the backdrop of what was essentially Dear, John. By the season finale, he had successfully learned to move on. Case closed, right?

ABC

Ugh. Happy Endings. It KILLS me this show got the axe, but the numbers don’t lie. It was such a clever show, almost like Friends meets Community, but ABC didn’t exactly support it. There’s still a chance that it’ll live on as either a show on USA or TBS, but only time will tell. It worked for Cougar Town, so I’ve certainly got my fingers crossed.

ABC, like Fox, didn’t really nurse shows that were ailing. Where NBC had little choice, most other networks cut their ailing shows rather early. On ABC’s front, we lost Don’t Trust the B—- In Apt 23, Family Tools, How to Live with Your Parents For the Rest of Your Life, Body of Proof, Malibu Country, Red Widow, and a slew of shows they’d already cut loose this season (Last Resort, 666 Park Avenue, Private Practice, and Zero Hour). I only really watch ABC’s comedies, so that’s what I’ll focus on here.

I was sad to see Don’t Trust the B go, but I understand it. It was another show that just couldn’t survive against Fox’s New Girl (which is pretty bad, considering New Girl lost about 20% of its audience between seasons; theses aren’t stellar numbers). At first, I thought it would be a cute romantic comedy, but I didn’t see how they’d eke a whole series out of it. As it went on, though, I really grew to like it, even throughout the haphazard product placement of the People‘s Sexiest Man Alive episode. If nothing else, it served as a platform for the adorable Dreama Walker, who’ll definitely bounce back somewhere soon.

The cancellation of Family Tools and How To Live With Your Parents should surprise no one. I mean, they didn’t debut until May. Clearly ABC didn’t have any faith in them. I just feel bad for Kyle Bornheimer, who adds another cancellation to his belt, along with Perfect Couples and Worst Week. As much as we all love Sarah Chalke and, to some extent, Brad Garrett, How to Live With Your Parents was horrible. I didn’t like Chalke as ditzy, as I felt her Dr. Elliot days were behind her, plus I couldn’t watch without asking “What the Hell happened to Elizabeth Perkins?” Anyway, networks don’t debut shows they like in May. That’s a burn-off.

I’m a bit surprised by the end of Malibu Country. I mean, Reba had a series that lasted 6 seasons and 126 episodes just a few years ago. I thought, for sure, that audience would follow her to her new show. With Reba, it’s less about the writing and plot, and more about her down-home delivery. Her fans ain’t coming for the story, so where did they go? Especially when she was paired with “Home Improvement 2.0″ (Last Man Standing). Friday night is a horrible night for anything other than wedding shows, but I thought ABC was on the road to rebuilding it as a family night. LMS got renewed, so what’ll be paired with it now?

Fox

No real surprises here, as they’ve been cutting throughout the year. We lost Ben & Kate, The Mob Doctor, Touch, Fringe, The Cleveland Show, and Goodwin Games still hasn’t aired, despite a lot of buzz surrounding it. Ben & Kate seemed like it could’ve been cute, but I still question whether or not Nat Faxon is a leading man. It just didn’t feel right. The Mob Doctor was clearly DOA when they didn’t care enough to even give it a good title. “What’s this show about? Oh, a mob doctor? Fine. Use it.” There’s something about Mondays that Fox can’t get right – from Terra Nova to Alcatraz to Lonestar, they just can’t program that night properly. Touch was really just Fox’s way of saying “C’mon, Kiefer – just let us pay you til we figure out what to do with you.” It was always said that Touch would’ve made a decent movie, but even the studio was struggling to figure out how to make a series out of it. Looks like they failed to figure it out. Fringe was always living on borrowed time, but you’ve gotta give Fox credit – they give shows a chance that would never be given the same chance elsewhere. Letting Fringe live out its life was Fox’s way of making amends for Firefly, even if folks don’t want to acknowledge that. I really hate to see Cleveland go, but I guess it just wasn’t working. Plus, it’s never good when Fox gives you the “may be preempted by NASCAR or baseball” timeslot. Goodwin Games has had a ton of buzz on it for the past year, but it sounds like one of those shows starring Tyler Labine that’s just destined for cancellation. Turns out it doesn’t star Labine, but does have Scott Foley. Considering Fox cut the initial order from 13 to 7, they’re clearly just doing some studio head a favor by airing it.

CBS

With CBS, we lost Partners, CSI: NY, Golden Boy, Rules of Engagement, and Vegas. Partners was HORRIBLE, and it only got on the schedule because it had the Will & Grace team behind it. CSI: NY had been living on borrowed time, just like previously cancelled CSI: Miami had been. Golden Boy had the Chi McBride Curse going for it. I swear, that man is the Black Summer Glau! Great actor, but the last thing he was in that made it more than 3 seasons was Boston Public. Rules of Engagement made it to 100 episodes, so its mission is done. It’s already in syndication, but I wouldn’t count it out, as it has served valiantly as a CBS fill-in for the past 4 years of its existence. It could easily come back, ’cause I think it’s pretty cheap to produce. I could never wrap my head around Vegas because its premise was one lawman against the mob. Um…the mob wins. Everyone knows that. So, were we just supposed to watch this dude prolong the inevitable? Was this an alternate dimension? Did they ever have an episode where Dennis Quaid screamed “Yo, Joe!” after Chiklis yelled “It’s Clobberin’ Time!”? Oh well, a boy can dream…

So, there you have it. No, I’m not doing The CW. That thing is just an experiment that CBS plays around with. It’s not a real network, and the only thing notable they lost was 90210, which ended 13 years to the week of the original.

Welp, those are my thoughts. How did you all feel? Which shows are you sad/glad to see gone?

The post Farewell to Friends & Foes: The TV Cancellations of 2013 appeared first on WilliamBruceWest.com.

Thrift Justice: YSE – Trials & Tribble-ations

Will — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:07:43 +0000

Can I just take a minute to saw how much I love that real life is gradually evolving into my vision for Thrift Justice: The Series? I mean, I’m not a bounty hunter (yet), but Special Forces has become a full fledged sidekick, just as I envisioned. Anyway, last weekend’s haul wasn’t huge, but it’s about quality and not quantity!

It was supposed to rain Saturday, so I made a point to look for sales that labeled themselves as “rain or shine”. Luckily, the clouds held it together long enough for us to hit a few choice sales first thing that morning. I’ve always tried not to be an “early bird”, as a lot of sellers hate that. So, when I arrive early to a sale, I just hang out in my car, looking like a sketchy black guy in a white neighborhood. It’s all very hilarious to the people living on that street. Anyway, we did this on Saturday, and missed out big time, as another guy pulled up who didn’t care about being an early bird. At first, I thought he lived there, seeing as how he bounded the steps with ease and familiarity. Then, I saw him walk to his car with a stack of books in his hands about a foot and a half high. I’m not exaggerating. SF and I were trying to figure out if they were graphic novels. I decided it was time to hit the sale, and we jumped out of my car and up the steps. It turns out those were all LEGO manuals, to accompany the $100 of LEGO he had just purchased. And there had to have been a good 70 lbs! Do you know what that would get on the secondary market?!! Feeling deflated, I managed to get the figures you see above. She had a bunch of Marvel Universe figures, but wanted $1 each, and I just felt that was too much. I’m sorry, but I like $0.50 for my used 4″ figures. Thing and Iron Monger were $1 each, which was fair. IM is broken, as his slam action no longer works, but he’s still a good looking figure. Plus, I got a bag of Transformers Robot Heroes for $5.

Here’s a closer look at the Robot Heroes. I haven’t counted them yet, but there are well over 25 of them. A lot of them also have the kid’s initials written on their foot – ya know, to distinguish them at play dates. This was an OK haul, but I wanted those friggin’ tubs of LEGO!!!

While I was looking at the Marvel figures, a woman from down the street ran up, and saleblocked her neighbor by telling us that she was also having a sale, and that we needed to come by and look. Well, who am I to pass up a forward older woman? Once we got to the sale, I noticed it was mainly National Geographic memorabilia. Then, I noticed a few Star Trek trinkets. Once the other seller at the house (don’t know if they were sisters, partners, what) asked, “Am I gonna have to get out my Star Trek stuff?” I said, “Yeah, I think you are!” She went into the house, and brought out several boxes of carded Star Trek figures from the Playmates era. As nice as the figures were, she mentioned something that caught my interest: she had gone to Toy Fair in ’97, and had received the Playmates catalog, as well as 3 shooter glasses. THAT was what I wanted. After all, my love of toy industry catalogs has already been documented. I’d promise to showcase what’s inside, but I’ve made that promise in the past, and I never make good on it. One day? One day. Anyway, the TNG hardcover is really just a notebook, but I kinda liked it, so grabbed it, too. Finally, I got the “Trials & Tribble-ations” Captain Sisko figure. I already have all the T&T figures, but I didn’t have any carded. I’m trying to bolster my carded figure collection, and I figure I should probably “keep it in the community” by buying the black guy. So, I got all of this for $20, which I don’t think was too bad. I’ll probably sell off the shooters and make some of it back.

At one of the last houses, I got this sealed Mad Men Season 3 for $2!!! Sealed. Needless to say, it’s listed on Amazon as we speak. Finally, at the last house we hit, they were selling a lot of World War II DVDs and whatnot. Again, I have an affinity for sealed DVDs, as well as things from the BBC. In case you weren’t aware, BBC DVDs cost an arm & a leg, just like TV season sets of HBO shows. Regardless, I don’t know any war buffs, so I walked away from the $3 price tag. As SF & I were walking to the car, something told me to check the going prices on Amazon. $65?! Needless to say, I turned right around, and gladly handed over $3. At this point, the clouds let loose their fury, and we decided to spend the rest of the morning in thrift stores.

Luckily, Special Forces and I don’t like the same things. I’m the toy guy, while he’s the video game guy. Since we don’t “cross the streams”, we make a good pair. Anyway, here’s what he got:

At the sale where I got the Mad Men set, SF got all of this for $8. He thought the tag said $18, but I swore that it was $8. After asking the woman of the house, it was confirmed at $8. While the system was nice, I think SF was more intrigued by the “mystery” game you see above Warioland 4. Remind me to ask him what that turned out to be (or just tell us in the comments, SF!).

Since video game pickings are sometimes slim at yard sales, SF typically does better at the after-sale thrift store rounds that we make. He got this at thrift store #3 (yup, we roll that hard) because it’s apparently a rare color. It seems the clear/clear purple are common, but this fuschia is a bit more rare. I guess those games were packaged with it.

Finally, he grabbed this 3-disc Final Fantasy (can’t tell if it’s 6 or 7) for about $2. He tells me this is the first edition, and not the Greatest Hits version, making it more sought after. He’s the game guy, so I bow to his expertise.

So, there ya have it – another one for the books…and the net. Later this week, I think I’ll treat y’all to a traditional edition of Thrift Justice. Stay tuned!

The post Thrift Justice: YSE – Trials & Tribble-ations appeared first on WilliamBruceWest.com.

Monday Musings: Twouble With Twibbles

Will — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:48:34 +0000

So, I’m not sure if anyone has noticed, but I’m on what my pal Howie calls a “Twitter Diet”. I’m not sure if it’s the new meds, or if it’s just me by myself, but a few bad apples have spoiled the bunch. I’ve had a few experiences in the past few weeks that may seem petty to some, but they were enough to just make me take a moment and deal with other stuff rather than quip about titties and Power Rangers 32 times a day.

It all started about 2 weeks ago when a follower said that something I said about Iron Man 3 was a “silly question”. For the record, I said that it’s hard to go from the galaxy-spanning majesty of Avengers to the grounded Iron Man 3. While this is essentially a plot point, my argument was that Avengers opened a can of worms by bolstering the shared universe. It’s not out of the question to say, “Hey, the president’s in trouble, so where’s Captain America?” People online wanted to say that’s a trope of all comics, and the answer is generally “He’s dealing with his own shit.” I get that, but you’ve still got S.H.I.E.L.D. as a lynchpin of the whole universe, and there’s no mention of them whatsoever. I think that’s a glaring oversight in a movie that had other things I could easily forgive yet others could not.

Anyway, this follower was the Queen of the Misanthropes, and trying to have any sort of conversation with her is a chore. Everything sets her off, and she prides herself on shit like how she once basically knocked over an old lady on the sidewalk. Needless to say, she’s not the sweetest belle at the ball. My comment was to no one directly, but she decided to come out of the woodwork to call my observation “silly” and patted herself on the back. I could’ve been like, “Bitch, I know more about comics than you realize”, but I could still accept a differing viewpoint. Just don’t condescendingly call me silly when I’ve had to put up with tons of shit, from how she hates her coworkers, to her fitness progress. I’ve never called her silly, though I probably should’ve unfollowed her long ago. She’s essentially the female version of a follower I already had, and two was a certainly a crowd. People always laugh when I say this, but when you get deep into the world of social media, politics take over. You can’t unfollow people ’cause they’re friends with your friends, and then group conversations now have a glaring hole in them. She took the initiative and blocked me, which was a relief. Even if temporary, I don’t have to deal with that anymore, nor do I have to strategize how to get rid of her. It’s the age old trick of getting your girlfriend to dump you so you don’t have to do it. I used to be EXCELLENT at that. So, that was strike one.

Next, I had a bit of a tete-a-tete with black commentator Roland Martin. I only watch TV One for Martin reruns, so I really don’t know much about what he does. I just know A) he got in trouble for somewhat homophobic remarks after the Super Bowl and B) he has his own line of ascots. Anyway, I’m gonna blame @Classickmateria for this, as I probably wouldn’t even have noticed this had he not retweeted it. Martin has since deleted the exchange, but luckily Twitter forgets nothing:

Now, let me give some context here. I’m willing to admit I opened this can of worms. My problem was this: he didn’t congratulate EVERYONE in the movie. No, he went for Don Cheadle, with that whole “black supports black” mentality. I’ve already detailed my issues with Cheadle as Rhodes, but this wasn’t even about that. It was clear there was a bit of bias here, and it you’re gonna congratulate someone, congratulate them all. Those box office returns weren’t built on the back of Don Cheadle. He’s not the one who just started negotiating his future with the Marvel Studios film universe. I feel like I called a spade a spade, and I kept going because of his whole elementary school-style rebuttals. Here’s the irony, and don’t think I don’t see it: I called his opinion silly. The same thing I got mad at the aforementioned person. Here’s the difference – Martin and I don’t follow each other. I guess, as a stranger, he deserves a modicum of respect, but not as much required by my circle of “friends”. She had found herself in said circle, and didn’t respect the “code”. Anyway, I know his went way too far, and it was my fault for getting caught up in it. Strike two.

On Friday, the twitter account for TokuNation set me off due to shoddy journalism (NOTE: Tokusatsu is the name for the Japanese shows that give us the footage used for Power Rangers, Masked Rider, etc. We’ve discussed this before). Long story short, this is the 20th anniversary of Power Rangers in America, and fans felt that faces from the past should be involved. Saban heard this, and half-assedly reached out to former rangers to see if they’d be a part of the proceedings. The problem is that they’re still non-Union, so they’re only offering something like $100, and the trip to New Zealand. Fans first got mad at the actors for declining, but once they saw the form letter email that was sent out, they then turned that anger on Saban. “Why is he so cheap?”, etc. At the end of the day, however, there’s only one ranger that everyone wants to see: Tommy, the original Green Ranger (then White Ranger/Red Ranger/Black Ranger). The actor, Jason David Frank, already put his foot in his mouth earlier by saying he’d do it for $1. Yes, 1 American dollar. He’s all tatted up now, so he figured he wouldn’t be getting the call. He was wrong. Remember, Saban likes being CHEAP. So, Friday, Toku Nation tweeted this:

Now, for more backstory. Frank was scheduled to appear at a convention, but cancelled due to a filming conflict. This convention is scheduled for the same weekend as the Power Rangers filming. So, TokuNation took this as a confirmation. This is NOT confirmation. It’s speculation with persuasive evidence, but confirmation is either an email OR it’s “straight from the horse’s mouth”. The word “confirmation” clearly does not mean what TokuNation thinks it means. I said as much here, and check their reply:

Um…so they’re essentially saying they’re trying to turn the tides of all the negative news by getting some good news out there. Even if it’s not true. I told them this is how rumors and lies get started, but they were done with me and my retorts. I was ashamed of myself for how upset this made me, so this was Strike three.

I’ve said before that I consider my twitter followers to be my “friends”. I’m closer to a lot of people on there than I am in real life. That said, I’m also noticing the evolution of some twitter “enemies”. That’s the dark side of all this, and I’m as much as fault as anyone else because I seem to be creating my own enemies. That’s kinda sad. So, I need to take a step back. I’m not going anywhere, but I’m not going to be monitoring my feed 24/7, like Martian Manhunter on monitor duty. I can’t let this consume me, ’cause it’s supposed to be fun, right? I’ll still be around, but for the time being, most of my tweets will either be replies or tweets pimping my warez. Unless ya miss me. I’m a whore like that. I’ll come back lickity-split!

The post Monday Musings: Twouble With Twibbles appeared first on WilliamBruceWest.com.

West Week Ever – 5/10/13

Will — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:07:31 +0000

Who, oh who could it be this week? DEAD GIVEAWAY!

Been thinking about Downton Abbey again lately. It’s funny how you can watch the first season, and have no inclination that Tom would ever become an important character. Plus, I hate Matthew now that I know all the contract negotiation bullshit. They say season 4 will take place 6 months later so we don’t even deal with the aftermath of that final scene, but I really don’t know where the show goes now…

I can’t decide if I like Workaholics. I’m sure I’d love it more were I 10 years young and a pothead, but I do enjoy it. That said, it’s not destination television for me. That’s how I feel about most shows on Comedy Central, like Inside Amy Schumer. I’ll watch them when they’re on, but I ain’t setting the DVR. Plus, there’s no room, ’cause of those 40 episodes of Burn Notice…Anyway, the only one I can really stand is Ders. I hate looking at Blake, and Adam has a face that’s just begging to be punched.

Here’s an update on Operation Trade-Up, as I now have all of Bendis’s first series of New Avengers in hardcover form. I know he has his detractors, but I loved that run. I’ve just started tracking down the second run, as well as his “adjectiveless” Avengers, but all of this will get rid of another longbox.

Sponsor Update

I tried to ignore them, but the sponsor’s been demanding some exposure, so here’s some new stuff over at Will’s World of Wonder:

We’ve restocked and we’re back! Hop off that new wave, and deal with that rage by picking up a little something for yourself!

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Deluxe Megazord (2010 Reversion)
EVERYONE who’s even glimpsed Power Rangers in passing knows what this is – the original Megazord used by the Rangers.

Groovie Ghoulies Saturday Morning Collection DVD Set
Calling all monster fans! Here’s the rare, 3-disc set of Groovie Ghoulies. The set is used, but the discs are in excellent shape.

Fisher Price Construx Building Toys – Nearly 300 Piece Lot
This collection is comprised of nearly 300 (281, to be exact) pieces of Construx building toys from Fisher Price. For those who are into building toys, you’ll remember that Construx were VERY popular in the late 80s-early 90s, as they allowed kids to build more complex creations than LEGO at the time. All of these pieces are in great shape, as I weeded out anything that may have been broken.

G.I. Joe Cobra Trooper (Dollar General Exclusive)
You guys know how hard it is to find this line. Why waste gas and time when you can just buy him from me for a great price?

Batman Unlimited Dark Knight Returns Batman
If you’re a Bat fan, you’ve GOT to have this figure! Made using parts from the Masters of the Universe Classics line, we finally have a figure of Batman in his iconic form from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns.

Batman & Robin Batcave Playset
This is a Kenner Batman Batcave from the late 90s. Based on the stickers, it was released with that dreadful movie with Arnold as Mr; Freeze. Anyway, they re-released this several times, as it is scaled to work with older movie figures and the recent Justice League figures.

DC Superheroes Batman & Superman Set
This set features one of the first Four Horseman-sculpted Batman figures, and served as the precursor to the DCSH and DCUC lines. It also includes one of the first Mattel Superman figures, which was one of the first Mattel DC figures with elbow articulation. Batman has brass knuckle weapon hidden on belt buckle.

DC Superheroes S3 Sculpt Batman
One of the rarest Mattel Batman figures, and arguably one of the best, this figure is used but in excellent shape!

This Week’s Posts

Monday Musings: Underestimating Batman’s Sheer Brutality

Reboot That Bitch: The Fall Guy

Thrift Justice: YSE – Back To School

Also, I was on the No Topic Required Podcast LAST NIGHT, and it’s already up. I love living in the future! Listen to it here.

As always, be sure to check out The Friday Round Up over on The Robot’s Pajamas. Vincent really hit it out of the park with his finds, and the articles he linked.

I’m not even trying to pretend. NO ONE had a week bigger than Charles Ramsey.

This man is being lauded as a “hero” because he aided in the rescue of a few young women who had been held captive for the past ten years. He’s just an average Joe, who doesn’t speak like a college professor, and has a very matter-of-fact delivery. So, of course the memes started up, like “We used to eat ribs, and listen to salsa music!” Through it all, he hasn’t changed who he is. He has rejected the label of “hero”, as he says he did what any human being should’ve done. He has rejected any mention of a reward, and has recommended any reward money be given to the victims. Because America loves to tear down her heroes, people started digging into his background, and found charges of domestic abuse. Despite what he had just done for these thankful women, people didn’t want to let his past go. Well, this is truly a story of redemption, and he has even said that his own domestic situation made him a new man. I think that new man appeared this week when he made that 911 call. In the words of the Backstreet Boys, “I don’t care who you are, where you’re from, or what you did…” For this, and for his actions, Charles Ramsey had the West Week Ever.

The post West Week Ever – 5/10/13 appeared first on WilliamBruceWest.com.

Thrift Justice: YSE – Back To School

Will — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:53:47 +0000

Yes, it’s back – Thrift Justice: Yard Sale Edition. It’s all in the name, folks. The sun is shining, garage doors are opening, and the baseball cards are overpriced. It’s yard sale season, kids! I actually started hitting sales about a month ago, but I haven’t really gotten much worthy of a blog post (except that awesome McDonalds playset you probably saw Joe Colton shooting up on Instagram – add me: williambrucewest). Last weekend was noteworthy for another reason. You see, my thrifting buddy, “Special Forces”, actually just moved into my apartment complex. So, I asked if he wanted to come along, and he replied “Absolutely.” Seeing as how it was also Free Comic Book Day, as well as the monthly Civitan Flea Market, we had a busy day ahead of us.

At the first sale, I ended up being guilted into buying an ass-old World Atlas. The lady was giving me the hard sell, and all I could say was, “Look at all the countries that no longer exist!” Still, it was only $2, and I’m a sucker for a nice wall map, which was included with the atlas. No pics, ’cause you don’t care. Trust me.

Next, we hit up a community sale going on at an elementary school. Man, was this sale perfect! After parking, I immediately saw a table surrounded by 7 yr old boys, and I knew I’d hit paydirt (No MJ!). These kids are the age to have owned the stuff I’m after. It also helped that they had a framed All-Star Batman and Robin: The Boy Wonder poster leaning against the table. I immediately started picking through a tub on the ground, which was filled with action figures. I grabbed all the DC stuff I could find, while the boys tried to have a conversation with me. One tried to give me the hard sell on a Simpsons season 9 DVD set. He knew the retail price and everything! I told him I was going to pass, but thanks. I noticed a lot of Superman stuff, and asked, “So, are you guys Superman fans?” One replied, “Yeah, we were when we were little.” I mentioned they were 7, right? It’s cute how much kids want to be older; it’s nothing but stress and taxes – you don’t want none of this, kid! While picking through the box, the dad tells me that they actually just sold a set of the “big Justice League figures” to someone before I got there. I don’t know if he meant the 10″ or if he meant DC Universe Classics. That’s gonna bother me for weeks to come. Then, one kid said, “There are other Justice League guys somewhere.” He disappeared, and came back with a small tub filled with DC Super Heroes Superman, Batman, and Bizarr0. I snatched up the latter two, and threw them in the back the dad provided me. Here’s what I ended up with:

Oh, and I remember the Batman poster I mentioned, well…

The wife was PISSED! The kids and dad couldn’t really figure out a price. Dad said $2 each, but mom jumped in and said she had paid about $50 from AllPosters.com ’cause they frame them and send them to ya. Not sure if they were fighting or if Dad was deaf, ’cause I got them both for $4. I didn’t even need it, as I have the retailer version of the poster (which is the same size), but it was such a beautiful frame job, and I couldn’t pass up that price! I grabbed my spoils, and basically ran before they changed their mind. SF didn’t get anything at that sale, so off we went to find more stuff!

Since the elementary school had been so successful, we decided to stick with the education theme, and we hit up a high school having a sale. They were raising money for their marching band, and I figured they’d be just old enough to want to get rid of their toys because they were “too old for them now”. A) the sale sucked B) the dork manning the toy area said something I hate: “Are these for your kids?” Look, I understand that it’s a valid question, but I feel we live in a world today where that’s almost as bad as asking a woman if she’s pregnant. Does it matter if they’re for my kids? Sometimes, I’ve gone along with the “lie”, and said “Yeah”, but then they usually ask me how old my kids are, and I stand there stuttering. Yes, I’m either buying this for me, or I might resell it, but we’re not here for my life story. We’re here for my dollars and your “junk”.

Anyway, since the sale sucked, we continued on to a neighborhood sale that claimed it was going to have 30+ families. Once we got there, it became apparent that our lack of knowing Japanese might hurt us. Everyone there was Japanese, and looked at us like “Where did you come from?” Still, I like Japanese stuff (sentai!), so I didn’t care. Almost immediately, SF picked up a Kamen Rider OOOs game thing. I describe it as such because we still don’t know what it is. It had cards and tokens, and little figurines, and was boxed like a board game. Still, my eBay searches have proved fruitless in identifying it. He also picked up some of those plug-n-play joystick games. After rummaging through some boxes, I found these:

If you’ve been here before, you know I like Power Rangers. My favorite season, however, was Power Rangers: RPM which was based on the Japanese Engine Sentai Go-Onger. These are essentially yearbooks to the series, highlighting all the characters and tech from the show. Despite finding his Kamen Rider game, said he was so jealous that I found these. I’d promise to show y’all the interiors at a later date, but I always suck at fulfilling that promise.

After finishing up at that sale, we decided to take the trip down to Arlington for the flea market. Bottom line, it sucked this month. It sucked so bad that I probably won’t go back until around September or so. Everything either wasn’t up my alley or it was overpriced. I wish I had taken a pic of the messed up Marvel Legends Dr. Strange that a woman had the gall to charge $2 for. If you think that’s not too high, look at this Chris Jericho figure to see the quality of her wares:

WHAT HAPPENED TO Y2J?!!!! It’s like he was the victim of a bulldog gone HORRIBLY wrong! And she was charging money for this that didn’t have “cents” in the price.

This was another swindle. I’ve run into this a lot since this yard sale season started. Resellers, take note: if you’re going to completely overcharge for something you found in a thrift store, at least have the decency to remove the thrift store’s price from it before you try to sell it. Look in the lower left side corner, where it says “$1.61″. Yeah, I know that price, because it’s the same charcoal pencil used by the thrift store I frequent. If she got it on a Monday or Thursday, it only cost her $1.20. She, however, wanted $15. I don’t begrudge her, as that’s not an insane asking price, but it’s a matter of laziness and lack of professionalism. Then again, it is a flea market, so maybe I expect too much…

I almost pulled the trigger on these. I used to have the whole Dick Tracy series except for The Brow and The Blank, but never found the cars. Forever, I thought maybe they were an urban legend. I eventually say one in the wild, but it was too high. This guy was only charging $30 per car, which wasn’t too bad at all. I only had $30 with me, though, and I didn’t want to blow it all on one thing. So, I left them there. Not really regretting it, but they were still awesome to see. Of course, once I finally did buy something, I got swindled.

Few people know this about me (especially online, since I only rant about toys and comics), but I’m a bit of a watch whore. I’ve been this way since I was 2, and I just LOVE watches. Most people replace the battery when their watches stop, but I just buy a new watch. I go through watches the way most people go through cell phones. I just love them, and I love getting new, unique ones. So, I was intrigued when I saw the watch above. The girl at the table said it was an LED watch, and tried to show me the sample. Unfortunately, someone had dropped it, so the LEDs didn’t work so well. I thanked her, and SF and I moved on to where we saw the Dick Tracy cars. Once that was done, I went back to the watch table, and the husband was there now. I asked a few more questions, and sensing my skepticism, he said he’d sell me the sample for $5 instead of the $10 they charged for new ones. I said, “No, someone dropped the sample! She just told me that.” He assured me that he was actually wearing that one, and had just opened the sample once he got back to the table. I searched the girl’s face to see if “fear of a beating/a smirk” crept across her visage. I couldn’t read her, so I agreed to the $5. He even said, “You can test it if you want”, but I was so tired of the place, I just said “I trust you” and I left. Stupid, stupid Will…

How it works: push the button on the side, and the time is supposed to show up in LEDs inset in the band. First off, it’s not a watch you can really wear in the daylight. Nor can you wear it in the rain. Once I tested it, I realized this was the sample. Oh, that’s supposed to read “12:55″ up there. Then, I looked at the manual, and realized it was probably shitty to begin with. Forget dropping it – this thing is crappy through its mere existence. Look at this shit:

If the manual to your new anything reads like a spam comment on a blog, you might’ve gotten swindled!

In all, it was a good weekend, but you’ve just seen the low points of our travels. Oh, and I lost Free Comic Book Day trivia. Apparently, I didn’t know where Dr. Strange was born. SF told me he wasn’t sure he wanted me to give him a ride after my loss. So, I left him there! No, I didn’t. Or did I?

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