Transformers VS. Galactic Man

Look! I just saved 200 million dollars for Michael Bay!

The Transformers 2 movie this weekend reminded me of an offshoot of the franchise, Galactic Man, sold at Radio Shack in the 1980s. This was an officially licensed toy, although the name was new. Let's watch Galactic Man transform from a robot to a space pistol.

Legs go in.
Legs compacts and toes fold in. Head spikes go down. Arms twist and compress.

Legs go into the body to form grip. Arms combine and pivot.

Completed gun. Extra piece caps arms, body splits, and site comes up.

You have your choice of sounds with Galactic Man. Watch video below to hear the sounds.

I'm On The Tonight Show

Here's an embarrassing tape from Nov 1 1995. I was in Los Angeles for a computer animation convention and went to see the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Guests that evening were Alec Baldwin, Brooke Shields, and Dwight Yoakum. But I got caught on camera during the monologue. Enjoy my shame below:



I'm the second guy, Veterinarian Who Sleeps With His Patients. 

It's on my resume now.

Thanks to Jay Leno for 17 very funny years. I've been a fan for a long time.

DirecTV Still Racist

A while back, we showed you some of the programming truncations that might upset some folks.

Did DirecTV heed our warning? Not at all. Below, more examples from the past month or two.

When will it end? Click any pic to enlarge.

Farrah Fawcett Sings! Sort Of

After Farrah Fawcett's intial surge of popularity in 1977, TK records went to the vaults and licensed this classic song for U.S. release. Jean-Paul Vignon was a moderate pop star in France, but this duet met with a less than stellar response from the public.

Click here to listen to the song. Click either pic to enlarge it.

Tampa Police Dance Band

Here's an album from 1965 or so. Needing good publicity and outreach, the Tampa Police Department forms a 27 piece dance band. Actually, they're pretty good. Click here to listen to "I'll Remember April". Click either pic to enlarge it.

I don't think the offshoot band, The Policia Brass, would be as big a hit today in Tampa. Or maybe they would. Click here to listen to "The Mexican Shuffle" and make up your mind.

2009 Nissan Cube Sighting

Here are some shots of the all new Nissan Cube, that hits the showrooms in May 2009. Click any pic to enlarge.

Asymmetrical styling makes the Cube interesting and unique.

Doors open wide and low for easy access.

This Cube is a pre-production model. The actual for sale model will vary slightly.

Dash is simple and functional.

Back hatch opens 90 degrees. This will be easy to load.

I think Nissan will sell a lot of these. It's a fun ride. Here's the official 2009 Nissan Cube site.

Saturday Morning In Franklin TN

It's not often I see a car older than me.

Marilyn Chambers Disco Record

This song has been floating around the tubes for a while, but here's a new lift from one of my 45s.

Marilyn was best known as a porn star, but the record is hilarious, especially the last 90 seconds or so. Possibly offensive, if you can be offended while you're laughing. Listen to it here.

I See Stick People

Click for a wallpaper sized pic.

I'm seeing them everywhere. Peeking out from behind corners, in my face at the store, blinking past on TV.

Stick people logos.

The other day I figured out why they bother me.

1) They're easy to make, and they don't require a lot of talent.

2) There's an implied universalism that irks me. Isn't EVERYONE running in the 5K? Taking Crestor? Signing up for the Conference on Communication Interfacing? You're not on board with the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research as they lead the way to a healthier future?

Please companies, try a little harder, and demand more from your logo designers. After all, stick people logos have been around a long time.

Ernie Anderson Star Trek TNG Promos

Here are some promos I found the other day. Ernie Anderson was a prolific voiceover guy for almost fifty years, but here's a show that I wouldn't have remembered him from - Star Trek TNG.

This video came from a satellite feed and is the first episode of the show. Click the video to see promos and show open by the great Ernie Anderson.

3M Tape Bias Settings

Because, you know, you might forget.  

Let's All Vote!

Hexed by Kohner - A Proto-Tetris?

Found this during a recent move. Kohner put out several versions of Hexed from 1968 to 1974. This edition was bought for 69 cents in a drug store in 1973.


All you do is dump out the pieces, and put them back into the box.
Sometimes you can solve it in a minute, other times it takes several hours.

Here's a solution that's not printed on the box.


Maybe Hexed was an inspiration to the creators of Tetris. Only the lawyers know.

Tip Toe To The Gas Pumps with Tiny Tim

There's been a gas shortage in the Nashville area for the last week, and gas lines not seen since the Carter years. Here's Tiny Tim from 1979, with "Tip Toe To The Gas Pumps". It's not the greatest parody song ever, but it does remind us that government has done nothing to change the situation in 29 years. Click here to listen or to get it now.

Coolest Business Card Ever

Once I met this guy. I asked, "What do you do?" He gave me this card.

Coolest business card EVER. Click to enlarge.

Microsoft for Dummies

Does this mean you're twice as dumb if you use Vista? Just wondering.

Jerry Reed- One of the Good Guys

Jerry Reed was a brilliant player and songwriter, and even a movie actor, but he was also a good guy in my corner of the world, voiceover acting.

Jerry recorded a lot of commercials at my studios over the years, including the Southwest Texas Dodge Dealers, and a lot of syndicated spots for tire dealers. But here are two recordings of his that he did just because someone asked.

Old West Gazette was a daily radio show written and produced by Bob Sanders and sponsored by Greyhound Bus. It ran from 1980 to 1982, and one day we asked Jerry to guest star in an episode. He said yes, and I went to his office to record him. Click here to hear the show.

The other voice actor is David Cobb, legendary WSM announcer who coined the phrase "Music City".

Another time Jerry came in to record a PSA for Murci Homes, an organization for special needs children. He had a prepared script to read dry, but he couldn't get into the rhythm. He picked up an old guitar propped up in the corner of the room, tuned it, and did the whole spot live, picking and talking. Listen here.

Jerry used his movie star status to bring more movie projects to Nashville and Tennessee. He also started a video company, TSC Productions, that produced fishing and outdoor shows. Jerry was a major talent, and a good person. R.I.P.

Red, White, and Green

This isn't a political rant, but an advertising rant: Why does the Democratic Party keep changing the flag colors?

The old red, white and blue got a makeover several Democratic conventions ago for TV. The flag behind the podium was turquoise and salmon. It looked really pastel and horrible on video, where NTSC smeared it all over the screen.

Here's this year's logo for the Democratic National Convention Committee:

It looks off color again, so let's look at it in Photoshop. Click the pic to enlarge.


The darker or true blue should be RGB or Red Green Blue value 0 0 255. Here it is 0 144 214. This means that green has been added to the blue.


The lighter blue is still greened out towards gray. The RGB value is 1 74 142.


Same story for the red. It should read 255 0 0. It is 238 48 34. Again green has been added.


More green on the lighter red. RGB value is 248 163 134.

I don't understand what message this is supposed to be sending. They're trying to co-op the power of the red white and blue American flag, but at the same time change it to make it hip. This sends a message to me that says, "We're American, but cooler than those other Americans."

From an advertising point of view, this is a really elitist message. Stick to the true colors if you want the benefits of the image. This goes double for the upside-down flags.

Most Appropriate Celebrity Endorsement Ever?

This is either the worst celebrity endorsement ever, or the most appropriate. Click on any image to enlarge:


I can see the head of Ham Jerky, Inc. thinking to himself, "Who embodies the concepts of ham and jerky together better than anyone?" Jeff doesn't help himself out with the lame jokes on the back of the package.


Note that the regular ham jerky below is $3.00, and Jeff's is $3.30. Now we know what a celebrity endorsement is worth.