nerdgasm: the making of Thunderbirds!

We all have our touchstones; the photograph of a child, a stone from the beach on which we fell in love, the first dollar we ever earned, a hard-won diploma, high school trophies wrapped in tissue paper and fond memories…

Supermarionation

Here’s an ancient video Rosetta Stone from the previous century which purports to be the very first time the Thunderbirds were recorded on film. The premise that the ‘birds were merely puppets is, of course, the kind of elaborate conceit for which the French intellectuals of the mid-Twentieth Century were so well known. As we are all aware, the Thunderbirds were every bit as real as the constant threat of Communist invasion.

Who’s with me? Team Thunderbird: Operation GenX initiated! F.A.B.!!!

add to del.icio.us :: Add to Blinkslist :: add to furl :: Digg it :: add to ma.gnolia :: Stumble It! :: add to simpy :: seed the vine :: :: :: TailRank

the zoology of Japanese movie monsters

Rodan, dissected 

Here’s another great pass-along from DefrostIndoors, who surely should be making better use of her time than feeding increasingly bizarre and amusing fodder to the ol’ raincoaster blog. I mean, you’d think, right?

But she’s not and for that we give thanks.

So here, without another moment’s delay, is an interesting page dedicated to a study of the biology of Kaiju, Japanese movie monsters. Truly, unlocking Godzilla‘s energy-generation secrets could fill the Earth’s power needs in an ecosensitive and holistic way, wiping from the face of the planet the abomination that is open pit mining, eliminating the latent threat of nuclear waste, and preventing the emission of greenhouse gasses.

Yes, Godzilla Power is in accordance with the Kyoto Protocols.

Kaiju-biology (“kaiju” is japanese for “monster”) is simply the study of large monsters that seem to attack Japan with startling regularity. Although the first giant monster to attack Japan did so in 1954 (Godzilla), it was disintegrated by Dr. Serizawa’s Oxygen Destroyer weapon leaving no tissue samples to study. Since that time, however, the field of Kaiju-Biology has grown from being a bunch of nutty old professors making up crazy theories just to publish papers and justify their funding into a fully-fledged interdisciplinary science bringing together top researchers in biology, nuclear science, theoretical physics, and robotics. Advances in Kaiju-Biology not only have the immediate applicability of defending against Godzilla raids but also help lay the technological basis for many great Japanese gizmos! (now you know why Japan leads the world in electronics!)

It would be impossible to list all the great advances made in Kaiju-Biology over the last 10 years on this WWW page, but hopefully this will give you a flavor of this unique field of research. Employment opportunities in Kaiju-Biology are expected to continue their current increase into the near future so study hard and someday you may be Godzilla’s greatest enemy!

I dunno about you, but I’m on a job search. This is one field that has my name on it; what’s Japanese for “Frankenstein“?

add to del.icio.us :: Add to Blinkslist :: add to furl :: Digg it :: add to ma.gnolia :: Stumble It! :: add to simpy :: seed the vine :: :: :: TailRank

don’t copy that floppy!

Don’t even THINK about it. Or you’ll be pwned by this cheezy, early Nineties Arsenio Hall impersonator and his ridonkulous DRM rap.

add to del.icio.us :: Add to Blinkslist :: add to furl :: Digg it :: add to ma.gnolia :: Stumble It! :: add to simpy :: seed the vine :: :: :: TailRank

hamsterdance: the gay porn version!

As soon as you see the gem sweater, you know it’s gonna get weird. 

add to del.icio.us :: Add to Blinkslist :: add to furl :: Digg it :: add to ma.gnolia :: Stumble It! :: add to simpy :: seed the vine :: :: :: TailRank

Special Edition Barbies: Vancouver and the Lower Mainland

I couldn’t be more excited. Not only has Mattel taken the Bratz by the headlights and launched the extra-superglamorous MAC Barbie (read her Vanity Fair interview if you’ve got five minutes and some brain cells to kill), but now they’re micro-marketing, with niche Barbies catering to every geographical demographic in the Lower Mainland. With their inevitable Eastward move, I can hardly wait to see what Hogtown Barbie looks like.

My friend Cassandra passed the following along to me but I have no idea who wrote it, so if you know the source please pass that along and I’ll credit them.

Yaletown Barbie‘Yaletown Barbie’

This princess Barbie is sold only at the Yaletown Choices Market.

She comes with an assortment of Kate Spade Handbags, a Lexus SUV, a long-haired foreign dog named Honey and a designer kitchen.

Available with or without tummy tuck and face-lift. Workaholic Ken sold only in conjunction with the augmented version.

Coquitlam BarbieCoquitlam Barbie’

The modern day homemaker Barbie is available with Ford Wind star Minivan and matching gym outfit.

She gets lost easily and has no full-time occupation.

Traffic jamming cell phone sold separately.

East Van Barbie‘East Van Barbie ‘

This recently paroled Barbie comes with a 9mm handgun, a Ray Lewis knife, a Chevy with dark tinted windows, and a Meth Lab Kit.

This model is only available after dark and must be paid for in cash (preferably small, untraceable bills)

…unless you are a cop, then we don’t know what you are talking about.

West Van Barbie‘West Van Barbie’

This yuppie Barbie comes with your choice of BMW convertible or Hummer H2.

Included are her own Starbucks cup, credit card and country club membership.

Also available for this set are Shallow Ken and Private School Skipper.

You won’t be able to afford any of them.

Chilliwack Barbie‘Chilliwack Barbie’

This pale model comes dressed in her own Wrangler jeans two sizes too small, a NASCAR t-shirt and tweety bird tattoo on her shoulder.

She has a six-pack of Bud light and a Hank Williams Jr. CD set.

She can spit over 5 feet and kick mullet-haired Ken’s butt when she is drunk.

Purchase her pickup truck separately and get a confederate flag bumper sticker absolutely free.

loft Barbie‘Loft Barbie’

This collagen injected, rhino plastic Barbie wears a leopard print outfit and drinks cosmopolitans while entertaining friends.

Percocet prescription available as well as warehouse conversion condo.

Maple Ridge Barbie‘Maple Ridge Barbie’

This tobacco-chewing, brassy-haired Barbie has a pair of her own high-heeled sandals with one broken heel from the time she chased beer-gutted Ken out of Butler Barbie’s house.

Her ensemble includes low-rise acid-washed jeans, fake fingernails, and a see-through halter-top.

Also available with a mobile home.

kits barbie‘Kitsilano Barbie’

This doll is made of actual tofu.

She has long straight brown hair, arch-less feet, hairy armpits, no makeup and Birkenstocks with white socks.

She prefers that you call her Willow.

She does not want or need a Ken doll, but if you purchase two Point Breeze Barbies and the optional Subaru wagon, you get a rainbow flag bumper sticker for free.

Surrey Barbie‘Surrey Barbie’

This Barbie now comes with a stroller and infant doll.

Optional accessories include a GED and bus pass.

Gangsta Ken and his 1979 Caddy were available, but are now very difficult to find since the addition of the infant.

Whistler Barbie‘Whistler Barbie’

She’s perfect in every way.

We don’t know where Ken is.

Ken is always out a-‘huntin’.

West End BarbieKen‘West End Barbie/Ken’

This versatile doll can be easily converted from Barbie to Ken by simply adding or subtracting the multiple snap-on body parts.

add to del.icio.us :: Add to Blinkslist :: add to furl :: Digg it :: add to ma.gnolia :: Stumble It! :: add to simpy :: seed the vine :: :: :: TailRank