Category: Humor and horror
Air power
Barry has a new t-shirt.
Dancing fools
See if these play for you:
Click on the icon in the lower-right corner of the players to turn off the on-screen comments.
True space opera
(Via the LLamas.)
Freddy and Elvis in Japan
Some more of that good old traditional Japanese rock ‘n’ roll:
Objects at rest
Via JT, a brief history of physics.
Miscellany
My sister sent me a link to an “identify the album” quiz. The page is no longer maintained — the link to the answers returns a 404 — and at least one of the identifications is wrong, but you might find it amusing anyway.
The above is one of my favorite covers, though the album, a collection of medieval dances, is too obscure to be fair game for such a quiz. Here it is in higher resolution.
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Is there a superhero in your neighborhood? Check the registry. (Via Ken the Brickmuppet.)
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Introducing Edward, the Veggie-Vampire.
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(Via John Salmon.)
Finally
What I saw of Hare & Guu left me indifferent, but this ending is an outstanding production number. It’s my pick for the best anime ending, at least for today.
[flv width=”640″ height=”480″]http://tancos.net/flv/wp-content/uploads/GuuDlxEd.flv[/flv]
Jungle wa itsumo Hale nochi Guu Deluxe, “Fun Fun and Shout” by Sister Mayo.
You can see the videos in full size at my video weblog, and you can compare my list with Astro’s.
At the midpoint
Number three:
[flv width=”640″ height=”480″]http://tancos.net/flv/wp-content/uploads/ExcelEnd.flv[/flv]
Excel Saga, “Menchi Aishou no Bolero” by Excel Girls. I’m not posting the clean version because the words matter, and because some who frequent this corner of the otakusphere might recognize one of the names in the credits.
Count five and Miss Michiko
Astro is counting down his top five endings. It looks like fun, so I’ll probably post my own list, though it will have to wait until next week. Astro’s fourth choice, incidentally, almost made my list. It will be interesting to see if there is something we both pick.
As Astro notes, it’s harder to find good endings than good openings. Openings are intended to sell the show; often the trailer for a show is the opening. Consequently, producers typically lavish great care and expense on the opening. In contrast, the ending usually just serves to list the necessary credits, and the production is consequently perfunctory. Sometimes the ending tune might be worth hearing, but the visuals are rarely interesting. Nevertheless, I managed to come up with five that are worth both hearing and seeing.
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Here’s something I forgot to post back in October. It’s from the ninth episode of Denno Coil.
[flv width=”704″ height=”400″]http://tancos.net/flv/wp-content/uploads/michiko stories.flv[/flv]
Robocop and unicorn
Cabbages and rhinoceroses
Robert notes that today is the birthday of Neil Innes, who, in addition to being the Seventh Python, was also part of the Bonzo Dog Band. Here are a couple of tunes Innes wrote or co-wrote for the band. The first was produced by “Apollo C. Vermouth,” better-known as Paul McCartney. The second features narration by the late, great Vivian Stanshall.
[mp3]http://tancos.net/audio/Im the Urban Spaceman.mp3[/mp3]
Rhinocratic Oaths
[mp3]http://tancos.net/audio/Rhinocratic Oaths.mp3[/mp3]
A little more nightmare music
There are new videos out from Aleksey Igudesman and Richard Hyung-ki Joo, aided and abetted by Gidon Kremer.
Whole lotta Liszt
In a discussion of anime involving classical music, the writer at Transientem included links to several animated versions of Liszt’s second Martian Hungarian rhapsody, including performances by Tom & Jerry
Agricultural space tragedy
Via Shamus, the story behind Star Wars. See also Shamus’ updated treatment.
I was never a Star Wars fan — I bailed out after The Empire Strikes Back — but I was surprised to learn just how much worse than the final product the original script was. (Via Dirty Harry.)
Happy Thanksgiving …
… from Chuck Jones and Daffy Duck.
(Via Mark Sullivan.)
Bonus video: It has nothing to do with Thanksgiving, but who cares?
(Via Cartoon Brew.)
Bonus video II: Tex Avery, also via Cartoon Brew.
Bah, humbug already
You want Christmas spirit before Thanksgiving? I’ve got some right here.
“Metabolically challenged”
I probably won’t install this WordPress plugin, but it’s worth noting.
Likeways
Dirty Harry is soliciting nominations for a “Top TV Themes” poll. Here’s one of my nominations:
This was not the music used in the first two Rocky and Bullwinkle boxed sets, which greatly irritates me.
The list of lists, etc.
40 Signs of the Mike World Order:
27. New TV show: Pundit Deathmatch! Reigning champion – Ann Coulter!
How to identfy the Antichrist.
The upsides to an event earlier this month (you may need to scroll down a bit):
#7: Conservatism is inherently a tradition of complicity, satire, internal conflict, and cynicism. So with the Messiah as our next president, we’re in like Patricia Quinn!
A couple of jokes, one mathematical, one theological (the latter via René’s Apple).
Snape paper dolls to download and print. You can play with them while you read Joseph Bottum’s suggestions for revising the canon of children’s literature.