For only the second time in history, the US Postal Service is giving the public the opportunity to vote for a stamp that will become it's very own stamp sheet.
Acclaimed artist Drew Struzan designed a sheet of 15 stamps that we can choose from, stamps which commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the Star Wars saga, incorporating images from all six movies (including such icons as Yoda, Emperor Palpatine, Darth Maul and Boba Fett) against a space battle background.
On Friday, May 25, the these stamps will be released at a first-day-of-issue ceremony during the Star Wars Celebration IV at the LA Convention Center. The most popular single stamp, voted for by the public, will also be announced at this event.
Filmed at Spago exactly a month ago, the episode, A Tribute to Sidney Poitier, aired yesterday. Celebrating The Measure of a Man, Mr. Poitier's spiritual autobiography at a "Dinner of a Lifetime" were seven lucky viewers (and a cast and crew behind the scenes of hundreds).
I was lucky enough to be featured in the Spago overview bit towards the beginning of the episode (I'm the one standing behind uber-designer Colin Cowie, looking a tad befuddled if I do say so myself) Next stop Survivor!
[ Note: Downloading the episode from Tivo to my laptop was a piece of cake. Capturing a screenshot not so easy! Matt in NYC has given me a couple of ideas, namely using VLC Media Player which captures it's own snapshot - still not great images, but better! ]
Yesterday morning I woke to Jeffrey Archer, British author, former MP, and convicted perjurer espousing The Gospel According to Judas (his own fictionalized version anyway, written in conjunction with biblical scholar Francis J. Moloney) to Matt Laurer on The Today Show.
Later that morning I find out that it's advisable that I take a tuberculosis test (having recently come in contact with someone with the ailment). Great!
All of a sudden I'm transported back about 20 years, to Wellington School (my secondary school, circa 1986), that fateful day queuing outside the "san," readying myself for a Heaf Test and BCG vaccination, continually moving to the end of the line to put off the injection for as long as possible (which on the positive side, meant that I'd be late for German).
The summer prior I had been presented with my "prize" (for coming first in my year in Latin) by none other than Jeffrey Archer, a school alum. This was just before the 1987 libel case against the Daily Star in which he perjured himself, leading to his imprisonment and suspension from both the Conservative Party and the Marylebone Cricket Club.
Interestingly enough in his younger days Archer reportedly told people he was an "old boy" of the more prestigious Wellington Collage rather than the less well known Wellington School. Wouldn't that be an indication of things to come?
Remember the good old days when you played one of the leads in TV's top rated medical drama, when you were the "and" in the show's title (similar to Heather Locklear's "special guest star" role on Melrose Place).
Then after 168 episodes you hang up your scrubs to produce, direct and star in your own movie, Crazy as Hell. Maybe you thought you'd get out when the going was still good, when ER was still on top and just after your NAACP Image Award win for best actor in a TV drama, hoping your career path would mimic former co-star George Clooney's upward spiral.
And then... Well, there were a couple of episodes of Without a Trace and a behind the camera stint on an episode of The Twilight Zone.
And now... Oh, dear Eriq La Salle, 44, there you are on the break.
Hot on the heels of The Governor's Ball, that famous post Oscar bash catered by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck (i.e. my boss), came the news of that one of his chefs had contracted hepatitis. Less than a month later Puck is in the news again, this time to promote animal rights and fight cruelty to animals.
"Puck chefs will continue to kill lobsters by cutting them in half while they're still alive," but foie gras is no longer on the menu. And while that famous Spago weiner schnitzel (which is damn good by the way) will now be made from free-range all-natural veal, "skate and Russian caviar, both of which Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch has on its "avoid" list," will still be used. So wrote Corie Brown on the front page of the LA Times earlier today.
Puck's announcement was made with help from the Humane Society, which only recently began its programs championing the rights of farm animals. Farm Sanctuary, the 21-year old farm animal protection organization responsible for the legislative ban on foie gras in Chicago (which begins here in California in 2012), got no such love, having protested outside Spago for many of the restaurant's 25 years.
In other restaurant news Chef Lee, Spago's own executive chef, has been nominated for the Outstanding Chef at the 2007 James Beard Awards. Fellow nominees include Top Chef's Tom Colicchio, Jean Joho, Paul Kahan and Michael Richard. Meanwhile steakhouse CUT (which Chef Lee oversees) at the Regent Beverly Wilshire (you know, the Pretty Woman hotel) has been nominated for Best New Restaurant. The awards ceremony will be held Monday, May 7 in New York.
Finding parking at the LA Convention Center sucked as much this year as it did last, and there weren't any Buffy alums to beg autographed eight by tens from, but the 2007 leg of the Wizard World Convention in downtown Los Angeles provided just as much geeky enjoyment (maybe even more) as my inaugural visit did in 2006.
Last year I all but dragged Mikey along with me. This time Joe was my willing accomplice. Last year Charisma Carpenter and Stephanie Romanov were the big draws (though I'm still kicking myself for not shelling out for Andy Hallett and Elizabeth Rohm's signed pix). This time it was artists Marc Silvestri and Humberto Ramos.
Thanks in no small part to the never-ending Marvel Civil War, the advent of Buffy: Season 8, and most importantly, Joe's own love of the art, my appreciation of comics has been rekindled over the last few months. Though I'm still really more of a collector/completest, Joe is a true and avid comicbook fan, so his excitement at meeting his favourite artist, Ramos, was infectious. Not only did Ramos sign a few comics, but he drew Joe a very very coolVenom sketch. We followed that with signings by British writer Paul Jenkins and Anita Blake penciller Brett Booth (sadly the line for Top Cow founder Silvestri was way too long).
In addition to meeting the artistes, I found several of the Civil War tie-in issues I was missing (including the Wizard World Captain America #25 variant, though Amazing Spidey #529 still illudes me), as well as some adorable Star Wars character prints (which will nicely adorn my bathroom). We even came across a number of those exclusive Wal-Mart figures I mentioned previously, and though cheaper at $15 a piece, I still couldn't justify the price.
Without the glitz and glamour that Hollywood lavishes on the San Diego Comic-Con, and with guests the like of Jerri Manthey, Tony Burton and Lou Ferrigno, the comicbook artists and writers far outshown the competition at Wizard World. As well they should!
Saturday night Joe and I ventured over the hill to Universal City Walk to experience the true awesomeness of 300 on an IMAX. While I thoroughly loved the movie, marvelling at the seamless CGI and bluescreen work, and gazing in awe at the wonderfully chiseled warriors, it never really felt like there were 300 Spartans (but rather maybe 30 at best), while the accompanying score (and editing) just couldn't match the dramatic intensity of the original stunning trailer. 300 however truly is a movie that should be seen on the big BIG screen.
City Walk itself was an entirely different matter. My first and only other excursion to the Walk was back in 2004 during an exploratory trip to LA! At that time I hadn't noticed the gaudiness of the place, purchasing my board shorts, souvenirs and paying way too much for way average food like a good little consumer.
One of the fond memories I had from that visit was of Things From Another World (the TFAW in the title). This time around, though still impressed by the wide range of geeky collectibles, I was horrified at the extortionate prices being charged, particularly for Star Wars figures, Wal-Mart exclusive figures to be precise. You know some jackass is plundering the Wal-Mart shelves on shipment day, buying them cheap ($5.99), then jacking up the price ($24.99). This figure scalping is just plain criminal!
So other than the overpriced stores and restaurants, Saturday evening at Citywalk was overrun with tourists from the park; littered with parents who had entirely too many kids; and we were bombarded on all sides by people who had little sense of direction and no spacial awareness.
I don't think we'll be heading back on a Saturday night anytime soon, even for the IMAX (I should note however that exiting the parking structure was a much quicker and easier experience than I've ever had leaving The Grove or the hell that is Arclight).
After the catastrophy of last week (missing out on Captain America #25), there I was at 10:00am this morning, waiting outside Golden Apple for the store to open, ready to snatch up the JossWheadon-written premier issue of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8, the official continuation of the iconic (and my all-time favorite) TV series.
Being one of the first sad buggers at the store, not only did I pick up the regular edition, with cover art by Ju Chen, but I also managed to grab the Georges Jeunty and Dave Stewart drawn variant cover edition (both for me and for Joe).
Since we last saw Buffy in May of 2003, about a year and a half has passed, 500 or so slayers now roam the earth, Xander is in Scotland, Dawn is suffering from growing pains and as such "The Long Way Home" has begun!
UPDATE: A day after it's release, publisher Dark Horse has already announced a second printing for this inaugral edition since retailer interest has significantly surpassed the original 100,000 copy print run.
A collective "Aaawwwwwwwhhhhh!" rang out on Laurel earlier this evening when Phil announced to former Survivor All-Stars champs Rob and Amber Mariano, "You have been eliminated from the Race!"
After 3 weeks in poll position, Ramber fell from grace, slipping behind Charla and Mirna as karma bit them in the ass (they lied to the little person and her whinny cousin attempting to lure them away from the cluebox) when they failed to find their self addressed letter at the post office at "The End of the World" on Isla Redonda, the southern most tip of South America.
Mikey and I were both hoping this would be a one of those non-elimination legs. But sadly no. No matter how many reality shows they've already been on, and how much dosh they've already won, say what you will about super-cocky Boston Rob and his Mrs., they were good TV and will be missed!
No these are not the tears of a man saddened by the death of an American icon, the death of a hero who symbolized the spirit of America, the death of Steve Rogers. These are not tears for the death of Captain America.
Having surrendered to the Pro-Registration forces, Steve Rogers is assassinated, shot once in the shoulder by a sniper, then three times in the stomach by his lover, S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Sharon Carter, as he enters a Federal Courthouse.
No these are the tears of a man who missed out on one of the most important issues of Marvel's whole Civil War crossover event. The tears of a man who forget to ask his Joe to pop into Golden Apple (since he didn't have to go into work until late). These are the tears of a man who missed out on Captain America 25, the issue that told the above story.
So having just watched Maelstrom, the latest Battlestar Galactica episode and the one that leads, according to showrunner Ron Moore in his Chicago Tribune interview, to
"a fundamental and permanent change in the makeup of the show’s cast and of the show itself and how the show operates and what the show is about. It’s a very dramatic change of direction.”
And truthfully I was a little disappointed. The episode was Lost-like and flashback-filled, highlighting the psycological tourments suffered by Starbuck during her youth. The "Let me go/See you on the other side" death was a poor payoff for a character we've invested in, a character with an apparant destiny. I was somewhat expecting (hoping) the closing scene would be Starbuck downloading into her new body in one of those Cylon rebirthing tanks. But no!
"I am dead as far as I know,” claimed Katee Sackoff in her first post-Maelstrom interview (even with 3 years remaining on her contract). But with Starbuck's death Ron Moore may have made "a world class frak up," or at least a jump the shark moment. We'll wait and see!
In other Sci-Fi Channel news, it looks like Christopher Showermanwill save every one of us when the cable network's new original series Flash Gordon premieres this July. Showerman is previously best known for his portrayl of George, in George of the Jungle 2, and as the Impossibly Hot Fireman on the now defunct O.C. (a clip of which follows):
And lastly, on NBC's Heroes, we've finally met the mysterious, pot pie eating Linderman, aka Malcolm McDowell, aka the man who killed Captain Kirk.
We know he's been collecting Isaac's paintings, got Niki/Jessica released from jail, and now he's guaranteed Nathan Petrelli an election win, followed by a chance at The White House.
But exactly what this all means... Well unfortunately we won't find out more until Heroes returns April 23rd for the final five episodes of this fantastic season.
The Arnold Classic is arguably the first real big show of the bodybuilding season (i.e. the show where the big boys finally come out of hibernation and compete). Held this past weekend in Columbus, OH, even Governor Arnold graced the stage at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium (well he should, the show is after all named for him... Hell the whole weekend is held in his honor), presenting overall champion Victor Martinez with a check for $130,000.00, as well as the coveted Most Muscular trophy.
Highly placed competitors from the recent Ironman and Sacramento shows didn't fare so well up against these real big boys. Mark Dugdale, 2nd at the Ironman, placed 11th here. Hidetada Yamagishi, 3rd in Sacramento, only 13th (though his previous placing qualifies him as the first ever Japanese bodybuilder to compete at the Olympia). While Marcus Haley, 5th in both those shows, fell to 12th at the Arnold (though he was awarded Best Poser). Toney Freeman however, first place winner at both previous pro shows, continued to prove himself a force to be reckoned with coming in an impressive 3rd, besting Puerto Riccan Gustavo Badell and previous uber-newcomer Phil Gift" Heath.
That said my two "boys," Branch 'Quadrasaurus' Warren and Ronny 'the Rock' Rockel, didn't fair quite so well either, placing 7th and 8th respectively.
In 2005 Branch took first at the both the Europa Super Show and the Charlotte Pro. Last year he came second at the Arnold and took home the Most Muscular prize. Towards the end of 2006 however, he wasn't able to wow them at the Olympia (12th), although he seemed to have gained a whole lot of additional mass, but was unable to dial it in as well as he had earlier that year. This weekend he continues with the freaky mass monster look, but that doesn't equate with higher placings.
For some time fans considered Ronny an unfairly overlooked bodybuilder. He then won the 2006 Australian Grand Prix, but again fell from favour at that year's Olympia (he didn't even place), only to rebound again during a couple of the later international Grand Prix. This weekend he came in with the complete balanced package, but not as sharp (and as big) as he could have been to place higher.
Up next the New York Pro in May (Victor is sure to be the hometown fav if he competes here), then Shawn Ray's Colorado Pro in June. The Olympia Weekend this year starts on September 29th, once again in Las Vegas, NV.
For only the second time in history, the US Postal Service is giving the public the opportunity to vote for a stamp that will become it's very own stamp sheet.
