tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72513174670845701012024-03-05T07:05:26.056-08:00Third StrikeWhat's New in Nerdiness, Obscurity, Absurdity, and Mustaches...
and Making the Rest Up.Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.comBlogger139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-18391188319414671992013-06-02T19:17:00.001-07:002013-06-02T19:17:17.185-07:00Game of Thrones: The Red Wedding<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiusyaBxDNMLMYAYhMgCDx0sMRQlNVLcQYJHEZ6-4RA9m7DPwBY6VhggbzVTl_8Ynh6jfFIkx_L971vpsByawFqG-pjx3QzerqKDIurHUjypV_24enza_LXpE2Bp218g5AREjhGSZAYQBo/s1600/ThatsWhyMeme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiusyaBxDNMLMYAYhMgCDx0sMRQlNVLcQYJHEZ6-4RA9m7DPwBY6VhggbzVTl_8Ynh6jfFIkx_L971vpsByawFqG-pjx3QzerqKDIurHUjypV_24enza_LXpE2Bp218g5AREjhGSZAYQBo/s640/ThatsWhyMeme.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-86698551117610606402012-05-25T09:38:00.001-07:002012-05-25T09:38:24.747-07:00Happy Geek Pride Day! Live Long and Let the Force Prosper with You<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today is Geek Pride Day! A day where it is acceptable to show up to work dressed as Gandalf, curse out your coworkers in Klingon, and stock up on purple pants in preparation for an unexpected case of "Hulking".<br />
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<b>May the Force Live Long and Prosper</b> <b>with you All.</b><br />
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Celebrating Geek Pride, I pose a question to the world of nerdelicious fandom:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPN1uOoXng6l-x5DFfSTd19-IDVFCZTA1uhovDaYYLOo7jFGL9EzwqYYyHDndKTSB5VQAR0UrLp3WQxWrUYq6mykZSAkDK_eamFXkrKtOiiEbZcFvULeBoE-cWU-MH83cI5Ryw1yuhLI/s1600/Jango+Fett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPN1uOoXng6l-x5DFfSTd19-IDVFCZTA1uhovDaYYLOo7jFGL9EzwqYYyHDndKTSB5VQAR0UrLp3WQxWrUYq6mykZSAkDK_eamFXkrKtOiiEbZcFvULeBoE-cWU-MH83cI5Ryw1yuhLI/s200/Jango+Fett.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Jango Fett: Awesome, or Awful?</b></span><br />
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Jango Fett<b> </b>is the... father*... of Boba Fett, everyone's favorite bounty hunter. <br />
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<i>*to be technically correct, Boba Fett is a perfect clone of Jango in the same manner that Hubert Farnsworth Jr is a clone of the Professor.</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAk_qRbgjri2aSu9zRK-ilSAPy1raYSVM6QIhahJwRdu7FJJyCHihGl802wLSgeNfDjSlOBS7RDgh_MQVmXxWb0SbGgWbpuSkoppkS3W4piMyM2jK2K6PqVwSDuohkTwLpCvZt42YrsQ/s1600/hubert+farnsworth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAk_qRbgjri2aSu9zRK-ilSAPy1raYSVM6QIhahJwRdu7FJJyCHihGl802wLSgeNfDjSlOBS7RDgh_MQVmXxWb0SbGgWbpuSkoppkS3W4piMyM2jK2K6PqVwSDuohkTwLpCvZt42YrsQ/s200/hubert+farnsworth.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clone, sometimes eaten by Brett Blob</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgrzuZoiz36uvO5H5vM6I9Mi2_wmLdDZY9E2-0sS7o8xx3qLFOaMNVrV1w6E7Ne61p9EMRHa3hemdT1sHy4zHSUKG0AMzZGmzh0ds_8Ru19Svnk-yAagZxrGWiAGhM9eSlpcfGUM0L_o/s1600/bobba+fett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgrzuZoiz36uvO5H5vM6I9Mi2_wmLdDZY9E2-0sS7o8xx3qLFOaMNVrV1w6E7Ne61p9EMRHa3hemdT1sHy4zHSUKG0AMzZGmzh0ds_8Ru19Svnk-yAagZxrGWiAGhM9eSlpcfGUM0L_o/s200/bobba+fett.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clone, sometimes eaten by the Sarlacc Pit</td></tr>
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<i>Like father, like son: we can only assume that they both share the same soft spot for disintegrating targets.</i><br />
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Jango Fett was introduced in the middle prequel, <i><b>Star Wars</b></i> <i><b>Episode II: Attack of the Clones</b></i>. This unfortunate placement in the timeline warrants immediate skepticism on just how awesome he is. After all, Jango Fett IS the clone that generated that still ridiculous movie title.<br />
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That being said, Jango Fett is probably one of the more bad-ass characters in the entirety of Episode I-III. Boba Fett's role in the original trilogy was notoriously mysterious and subtle, so Jango's role as the genetic foundation of the clones (and hence, all future Stormtroopers) binds his existence more fundamentally to the space opera's story arc. But maybe it was all just a tacky way to include a successful merchandising product.<br />
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So which is it? Was Jango Fett a badass narrative predecessor to Jango Fett, or the "Poor Man's Boba"? Let's see how they do head to helmeted head:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Jango Fett vs. Boba Fett: Showdown</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">1. Character Introduction</span></span></b><br />
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<b>Jango:</b> Assassinates his own assassin to protect his secret identity.... but uses a rare dart that can be traced back to him to do it.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Boba: </span></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Technically </i>introduced in the Star Wars Holiday Special, the lost Holy Grail of</span></span> Star Wars collectibles. Later introduced in <i><b>The Empire Strikes Back</b></i> while being briefed by Darth Vader to hunt down Han Solo and crew.<br />
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Jango, what's with the middleman? Using a subcontractor was just asking for trouble. And while the Star Wars Holiday Special was notoriously awful, it's also mysterious.<br />
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<b>Winner: Boba Fett</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. Awesomeness of Death </b></span><br />
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<b>Jango</b>: head cut off by Samuel L. Jackson, wielder of the only purple lightsaber in the galaxy.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Boba</span></span>: </b>accidentally kicked by Harrison Ford (still blind from his recovery from carbonite freezing) into the Sarlacc Pit to die a horrible death. <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WwC_o_fcW1s" width="560"></iframe><i> </i><br />
<i>Unless you read the Extended Universe.... but that's silly.</i><br />
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Sorry Bobba, but that death is the pits.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Winner: Jango Fett</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>3. Armor & Fashion Sense</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jango: </b>wears shiny new armor; he clearly takes care of it, but he also can't be using it to its full potential</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Boba: </b>wears basically the armor, but with the obvious signs of heavy use. Armor was made to be used and useful.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">As much as it's great to leave collectable Star Wars armor in its original packaging, it becomes even better when it's taken out for a spin into battle</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Winner: Boba Fett</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>4. Vehicle</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajG1CY-MUSRw-rMtbn7HKMbIZa3ZV1b_eT0b_hXEz1Vn4NDm1EET6nDTc_kEQ5Bou9lU3e0JG3KT4CxPhull0GUx-M1iJgAJURYbH3WWU9Dxdu8Q_SCXT0V9c8_v2LViG0wyoKlgEDdc/s1600/slave+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajG1CY-MUSRw-rMtbn7HKMbIZa3ZV1b_eT0b_hXEz1Vn4NDm1EET6nDTc_kEQ5Bou9lU3e0JG3KT4CxPhull0GUx-M1iJgAJURYbH3WWU9Dxdu8Q_SCXT0V9c8_v2LViG0wyoKlgEDdc/s200/slave+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jango: </b>cloaking<b> </b>ship named "Slave 1"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Boba: </b>cloaking<b> </b>ship named "Slave-1"</span><br />
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While we see more of the ship in deadly action when Jango is flying it, it's always the same stealthy craft<br />
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<b>Winner: Tie</b><br />
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<b>5. Fight Scenes</b><br />
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<b>Jango</b>:<i> </i>has<b> </b>an intense fight with Obi-Wan Kenobi, and then later with Mace Windu.<br />
<b>Boba:</b><i> </i>more active as a stalking bounty hunter, he provides some extra security and menace at Jabba's Palace.<br />
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<b>Winner: Jango</b><br />
<b> </b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Showdown Winner.... A TIE!!!</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">With Boba Fett being a clone of Jango Fett, they easily conflate into a guy with a sweet helment, a blaster, and a jetpack. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">This is the real reason cloning humans isn't ethical: it ruins competition. Plus we'd need a Clone Pride Day next, and that's just silly.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Happy Geek Pride Day!</span></div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-42758426007284306182012-05-20T21:51:00.000-07:002012-05-20T21:51:21.096-07:00Monday Moustache: We're Dealing With a Moustache Over Here<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This marks the fortieth post in a recurring segment on moustaches.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Today's (bad-ass) moustache:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwIObbh1C3v3kByVLYGEVdLuAFRQwkEW7pxUlIxIk5VYwe4H504AQLrU6w0NT6rxI_ZeQy984OlFnRkrVp2OAkNj5Mw3rfImv8PCYDSb6WdFIu1vAhXYg7__umnOxbJMdWn7C6b1-UwNM/s1600/Neil+Degrasse+Tyson+is+Awesome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwIObbh1C3v3kByVLYGEVdLuAFRQwkEW7pxUlIxIk5VYwe4H504AQLrU6w0NT6rxI_ZeQy984OlFnRkrVp2OAkNj5Mw3rfImv8PCYDSb6WdFIu1vAhXYg7__umnOxbJMdWn7C6b1-UwNM/s400/Neil+Degrasse+Tyson+is+Awesome.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Neil deGrasse Tyson</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><br /></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">In case you've been living on the former planet known as Pluto, Neil Degrasse Tyson is a badass.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Tyson is both touted and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYjkUagnTEs">defamed </a>as the <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/26/2903224/dr-neil-degrasse-tyson-killing-pluto-on-the-verge">reason Pluto is not a planet</a> at all anymore, because, you know, science. <i>He claims he was simply the "getaway driver" in the crime of robbing Pluto its high esteem.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Neil stared the Roman God of Death in the face and did not blink. Hell, he probably told Pluto that it was spinning the wrong way, like he did with the Daily Show Earth (unnoticed for years and years).</span></span><br />
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Is it any surprise that "<a href="http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20132902,00.html">The World's Sexiest Astrophysicist</a>" rocks a cosmically classy 'stache under his nose? Neil deGrasse Tyson puts the "bang" in the Big Bang.<br />
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The Internet swallowed Mr. Tyson and spit him out as a meme as well. It really has nothing to do with anything other than the hilarity of his gestures and respect for Isaac Newton.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifM86jV4TF7QUCdJyw1DnwDVR7jzEvqgYQHGxGxP2e0RrnyHENhKTnyQUrhVova001SRnoXK9EvaWxPkHk2q707tIbu4lMic7cFmKFXey3z3bGQge5J9RfVYT9cUzL1sRNL0aS6X0yumo/s1600/Neil+Degrasse+Tyson+Meme.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifM86jV4TF7QUCdJyw1DnwDVR7jzEvqgYQHGxGxP2e0RrnyHENhKTnyQUrhVova001SRnoXK9EvaWxPkHk2q707tIbu4lMic7cFmKFXey3z3bGQge5J9RfVYT9cUzL1sRNL0aS6X0yumo/s320/Neil+Degrasse+Tyson+Meme.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Black and White meme makes good use of Neil's moustache</td></tr>
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The former pupil of Carl Sagan has truly blossomed. As a former collegiate wrestler he now tackles the mysteries of Dark Matter with the ferocity he brought to the mat. He advocates for advancing science funding-- particularly for space exploration-- because if we don't continue on that frontier, as he would say, "then we're headed right back towards the cave." His recent opponents: the<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HooeZrC76s0"> anti-scientific religious community, Bill O'Rielly</a>, and ignorance as a whole.<br />
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As if that were not enough, Neil has given us one more heavenly gift: the gift of knowing "The Most <br />
Astounding Fact About the Universe:<br />
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In time, the obviousness of the truth will be revealed: <i><b>The Universe revolves around Neil deGrasse Tyson's moustache.</b></i></div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-41027634891974355192012-04-10T20:34:00.000-07:002012-04-10T20:34:01.151-07:00Third Strike Presents: Michael Bay Ruins Your Childhood, Part 1.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Yes, yes. Michael Bay is plotting to ruin our childhoods one classic nostalgia series at a time. That's old news. The "<a href="http://io9.com/5894310/wait-michael-bays-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-might-not-be-mutants">Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle/Aliens</a>" rage long ago subsided, replaced by the standard, lingering bad taste Michael Bay's signature has always produced.<br />
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...<i>Old Bay Seasoning?</i><br />
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That's not all, of course. The most boring board game Mom ever packed for a summer road trip is getting its time on the silver screen too, courtesy of Hasbro... the creators of <i style="font-weight: bold;">Transformers</i>.<br />
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That's right! We still have <i><b>Battleship</b></i> to live through. Although it's technically not a Michael Bay film, you can tell by the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDMXkPfxjOc">trailer </a>that the summer film is channeling his essence.<br />
Expectations of Liam Neeson barking "I sunk your battleship, BITCH!" are at an all-time high.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFP78rDwYhLNvZY1Ro-A3bCj1Up5ZEZCpzNsW3SHv37PMItXrmg7s3C05aN6jVBfxU0V7DmZ23tvwyJ9nEnhM0AfFuiXxnKVBzZJCY8N6RTMM1gdpCZlvPucFRamro7ja3FI8UEcIpQI/s1600/battleship-poster-liam-neeson-593x789.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFP78rDwYhLNvZY1Ro-A3bCj1Up5ZEZCpzNsW3SHv37PMItXrmg7s3C05aN6jVBfxU0V7DmZ23tvwyJ9nEnhM0AfFuiXxnKVBzZJCY8N6RTMM1gdpCZlvPucFRamro7ja3FI8UEcIpQI/s320/battleship-poster-liam-neeson-593x789.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Box Office.... HIT!</td></tr>
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None of this is particularly new information. But what IS new is the recent <i>er...</i> discovery by Third Strike! After the Alien-Turtles film, Michael Bay will be moving on to another classic cartoon created to sell toys and make bundles of money from an ever-amnesic public.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lucky for Third Strike, a promotional poster has leaked to the web. Behold, in all its glory!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>CARE BEARS</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A Michael Bay Film</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDk-CRnhoJVbL_Qk3YOdDsu-K__FR5Hb2bfHxaOnZblvkTWhyphenhyphenWMHn5mndQr-rnrp-uv218V4ymsmhianPB-iGr_qwSuFdtzq0oEFhS1ubngIvcF0k_CWgPasRjTr0ZMvxUBP6IdnBSZM/s1600/Michael+Bay+Care+Bear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDk-CRnhoJVbL_Qk3YOdDsu-K__FR5Hb2bfHxaOnZblvkTWhyphenhyphenWMHn5mndQr-rnrp-uv218V4ymsmhianPB-iGr_qwSuFdtzq0oEFhS1ubngIvcF0k_CWgPasRjTr0ZMvxUBP6IdnBSZM/s320/Michael+Bay+Care+Bear.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing in 3D!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><br />
<br />
</div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-76873380374006791762012-04-08T18:09:00.000-07:002012-04-08T18:09:31.536-07:00Lockout: The Movie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The online nerd world is counting out the early summer science fiction film <b><i>Lockout</i></b>, coming April 13th. I, for one, am going to see it for one reason alone: this sweet tattoo.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3GL6pvO4i_jzUoFa2V213azMTuLZoOC48jMpXxc8Ktf-iqB65b5HJacrhIeNKu8SMUjKmzg0giXkliFAQ0a_HhC78y-1Bh1rg7u58MtGDHSYBgzePHvD_eNnhhhTta0Vg855KHWXbFI/s1600/Lockout+Face+Teeth+Tattoo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3GL6pvO4i_jzUoFa2V213azMTuLZoOC48jMpXxc8Ktf-iqB65b5HJacrhIeNKu8SMUjKmzg0giXkliFAQ0a_HhC78y-1Bh1rg7u58MtGDHSYBgzePHvD_eNnhhhTta0Vg855KHWXbFI/s320/Lockout+Face+Teeth+Tattoo.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>Points: outside face-teeth, outside of his normal teeth! Cool. I want to get this and show up for work on Monday.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Negative points: using "he's the best there is, but he's a loose cannon" in the trailer:</div><div><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pmAbEgayExs" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Come on. Lethal Weapon has already used those silly tag lines for four movies, and <i>I'm getting too old for this shit</i>.</div></div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-17560628121307829312012-04-01T10:51:00.000-07:002012-04-01T10:51:21.043-07:00My First Meme<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I created a meme.<br />
I need a URL.<br />
<br />
Third Strike, to the rescue!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYrg2sdVdjVDj8f3LN4ttPV-EHhyphenhyphenRacydBGUR9WcE2YRkU3NVrzZRE79eaUurD3KH35Ez-XmzF2ZT_fmyh0mAsPu505DnAdivGnK7jeMhwPxHHa0eV_xhHWINJ4qOS0sfeU4ICJSmsI4/s1600/Gandalf+Meme.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYrg2sdVdjVDj8f3LN4ttPV-EHhyphenhyphenRacydBGUR9WcE2YRkU3NVrzZRE79eaUurD3KH35Ez-XmzF2ZT_fmyh0mAsPu505DnAdivGnK7jeMhwPxHHa0eV_xhHWINJ4qOS0sfeU4ICJSmsI4/s320/Gandalf+Meme.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-76149814929003543352012-02-27T05:32:00.001-08:002012-02-27T05:32:46.492-08:00Monday Moustache: Nothing Matters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">This marks the thirty-ninth post in a recurring segment on moustaches.<br />
<br />
<br />
Today's moustache:<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Ambrose Bierce</span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqqBuT1oYa0C6LPIgFe2sA7DQJSouYz0xkLCCpwv6OnWyCeQbicJl7jPVo6VxuapepQ-IgnEDfaF-8xFYWfJJNXYvEX8Bt1IuH0wLshRkFT0UPgLyLjNTYCkwxelQFIkPDty4qWJcADno/s1600/Ambrose+Bierce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqqBuT1oYa0C6LPIgFe2sA7DQJSouYz0xkLCCpwv6OnWyCeQbicJl7jPVo6VxuapepQ-IgnEDfaF-8xFYWfJJNXYvEX8Bt1IuH0wLshRkFT0UPgLyLjNTYCkwxelQFIkPDty4qWJcADno/s200/Ambrose+Bierce.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<br />
"Bitter Bierce" wrote <strong><em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil%27s_Dictionary">The Devil's Dictionary</a></em></strong>, a satirical take on all things human. <em>Basically, the <strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth:_The_Book">Earth: The Book</a> </strong>for its day.</em> <br />
<em></em> <br />
Bierce's motto was that "nothing matters." <br />
<br />
<em>...He was probably right. Later, folks.</em></div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-49974326347034313152012-02-13T06:11:00.000-08:002012-02-13T09:53:06.393-08:00Monday Moustache: Moustache Will Always Love You<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> This marks the thirty-eighth post in a recurring segment on moustaches.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Today's moustache:</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOowiQYi5Q2KTdRo9hSFyT46wo8hjWfB_-y68ALXELQ4dcsY5qrcOf3jyC3-yR-XEcILe79cFm8RKVTLtmaxzWndkL6fII6lokYe6D2UkXsR04aOZIQZHY10ZHlvzGMl7PmFXIBh5-VI/s1600/Latif+Yahia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOowiQYi5Q2KTdRo9hSFyT46wo8hjWfB_-y68ALXELQ4dcsY5qrcOf3jyC3-yR-XEcILe79cFm8RKVTLtmaxzWndkL6fII6lokYe6D2UkXsR04aOZIQZHY10ZHlvzGMl7PmFXIBh5-VI/s320/Latif+Yahia.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Latif Yahia</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Before diving into who this guy is, Third Strike would like to give respect to the passing of the legendary recording artist, Whitney Houston. She was a genuine talent.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">With her in mind, and (in some small way) to honor her passing, Third Strike began looking for a famous <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103855/">Bodyguard</a> with a notable moustache. Kevin Costner, of course, did not live up to scruffy scrutiny.</div><br />
And then it really turned out to be hard to find. <em>Well, kind of hard.</em><br />
<br />
....the theme song for the search was about to become "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxYw0XPEoKE&ob=av3e">I Have Nothing</a>". At least that's one good Whitney reference. But we won't admit defeat!<br />
<br />
Third Strike eventually compromised our illustrious standards in two ways. <br />
First, this Monday's recipient shows up as having a beard, something we find as an unneccesary and undesirable distraction from stache grandeur.<br />
<br />
Second, Latif Yahia wasn't exactly a bodyguard... he was a body double. A body double for one of Saddam Hussein's sons, no less... putting him in close proximity to another dangerously infamous moustache.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06CIdYVLg5swktgej-rG1EYe9PoPeJvX16KeNBjV9tLaZty7nnah52bLXZoKT-7-JcEDzNbWYxDgGh8p0qkpnefV7bEUMaSnzSprGF-lAlBHLg_6Yd9xIiteRQn8qvyFX9iuaN872sak/s1600/bodyguard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06CIdYVLg5swktgej-rG1EYe9PoPeJvX16KeNBjV9tLaZty7nnah52bLXZoKT-7-JcEDzNbWYxDgGh8p0qkpnefV7bEUMaSnzSprGF-lAlBHLg_6Yd9xIiteRQn8qvyFX9iuaN872sak/s200/bodyguard.jpg" width="127" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excellent Cliche Bodyguard!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So while he might not be exactly what we hoped for, Latif Yahia is an interesting guy worth writing about.</div>In fact, a recent a film starring Dominic Cooper was made to tell the story. Check out this trailer (FULL of moustachey goodness):<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/auE1FAGP1Kc" width="560"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">As often happens, the fictitious version of the moustache is superior to the reality. This is why the Third Strike spends as little time in reality as humanly possible.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Allegations have come out since that film was released that Yahia has exaggerated.... well... everything... and actually impersonated Uday Hussein to pick up women. People to dispute the story include Yahia's ex wife. <em>To use the Newt Gingrich standard of journalism, that means we should immediately stop asking questions and ignore her!</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">It's pretty clear that this guy's judgement is a bit off, whether his stories are true or not; it's pretty well confirmed that Uday Hussein was a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uday_Hussein">scary, psychotic</a> guy. Impersonating him (and allegedly getting arrested for said impersonation in 1990) probably isn't a fantastic idea. Nor would it be a good idea to work for/with him. But growing a moustache IS a fantastic idea, so... things kind of balance out.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Now that we've really fallen down the rabbit hole, I think it's time to concede that this is the most bizzare and inappropriate way to honor Whitney Houston. Oh well. <em>I Have Nothing.</em></div></div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-15416972253433242942012-02-03T11:00:00.001-08:002012-03-25T12:10:07.266-07:00What's So Great About The Grey? Liam Neeson Punching Wolves!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhenPn9ka54bFD-0udnAt8AIHbBXxFq1FOaFl4riID-uFGSjB9_1uso8-i5PmplaqaH_6n8ZRnyepxi83Ch-rWk6B24ljEHpniTAq8RZjCbe2rL0-vMx1k5HlVWkbcpOPxlEL8cr8Xbkmw/s1600/The+Grey+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhenPn9ka54bFD-0udnAt8AIHbBXxFq1FOaFl4riID-uFGSjB9_1uso8-i5PmplaqaH_6n8ZRnyepxi83Ch-rWk6B24ljEHpniTAq8RZjCbe2rL0-vMx1k5HlVWkbcpOPxlEL8cr8Xbkmw/s200/The+Grey+Poster.jpg" width="129" /></a>It took a few days, but after seeing the initial ads for <b><i>The Grey</i></b>, I started thinking: every movie, ever, should just be Liam Neeson punching wolves. From now on. It's Liam Neeson! Punching! Wolves!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I'm a big fan of <b><i>Taken</i></b>, and I love seeing Neeson use his "very special set of skills" on deserving baddies. And, hell, wolves have a pretty bad reputation throughout human history, something that oversensitive modern day environmentalists gloss over.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So last weekend I trekked out to the movies with some friends... and saw the film. And loved it. In fact, I got so excited about <b><i>The Grey </i></b>that I went on a fervent Facebook/Twitter spamming spree with wolf-punching jokes. See the following:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="256" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMM9yaBEVGGUAyulvI5Uvb9YDrfKGSzGI7_OPkWlGJ9YcbF9TM5nBCKVyXBnjNMeLpV4vXeXwSj324vWC4YKSFpCBwL7JfSK-VgqH7b65hPaPP-ifwwd1wQ3AvezaIoOOPUuV4I1gwLO0/s400/Twitter+Spree.png" width="400" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Apparently I'm the only person who thinks these are hilarious... no retweets and a single Facebook "like". <i>Whatever. I guess people don't want a reinvention of "Chuck Norris jokes". Fine.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But to be honest, all the wolf-punching jokes are ultimately a big fake out, because that's not what <b><i>The Grey</i></b> is actually about.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">MAJOR SPOILERS & PLOT ANALYSIS BELOW.</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i>The Grey</i></b> is really an exploration of survival in a world without God. It's a battle not against literal wolves, but figurative ones that represent a vicious, unrelenting threat from nature. It's about our humanity and the struggle to... have humanity. It's about finding the reasons to survive in a nihilistic world. It explores the darkest corners of our hearts and the better angels of our nature.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's truly a surprising film, especially given how it was marketed. Stunned by the ending, I joked walking out of the theater with friends: "... So... the real wolf Liam Neeson punches was the one in his heart."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Let's dive into <b><i>The Grey</i></b>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The very beginning of the film shows a tired and cynical John Ottway (Liam Neeson) working for an oil company in a remote world of outcasts. He visibly distances himself from other bar folk, downing some "last meal" whiskey before leaving a brawler-filled tavern with his rifle. From there, he goes out into the cold and prepares to shoot himself with his rifle; he narrates a letter to a love-- obviously lost, but mysterious as to how. It is here we first hear the poem that is repeated through the film, a poem we eventually learn was written by his father:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Once more into the fray.</i></div><i>Into the greatest fight I'll ever know.</i><br />
<i>Live and die on this day...</i><br />
<i>Live and die on this day...</i><br />
<br />
In a bit of cliche film irony, Ottway hears wolves howling in the distance and, interrupted, opts not to commit suicide. The very wolves that incidentally save Ottway become the force that will try to kill him. And what's more, the wolves will activate Ottway's survival instinct. <br />
<br />
We also see the tender side to Ottway, when he shoots a wolf (as is his job requires) to protect the oilmen. He rests his hands gently on the dying wolf and seems to show a melancholic respect for both the wolf and death itself. <br />
<br />
From there, we go to a plane headed back to civilization. Ottway again shows his emotional and communicative walls towards the other men on the aircraft, electing to sleep rather than socialize. Ottway always dreams of the same scene: lying in bed with his love (wife?), with her telling him not to be afraid. <br />
<br />
Of course, the plane crashes, killing most of the passengers and jolting Ottway out of the dreamland escape where he gets to be with his one-and-only. Ottway has literally crashed into reality. <br />
<br />
Here the film is formulaic; Ottway/Neeson shows his natural leadership and bands the survivors together. One of the survivors is soon to join the ranks of the crash victims, and Ottway is gently (but bluntly) honest with the man, mirroring his earlier treatment with the wolf. He tells the dying man that yes, he is going to die... and that he should put his mind to those he loves. It's a kind yet shocking confrontation with unavoidable, assured death; Ottway doesn't humor the man with platitudes, and he cuts to what he thinks matters most as we depart this world. This is his gift to a man in his last moments, and it's powerfully unexpected. <br />
<br />
Internal group conflict arises when a scumbag survivor attempts to loot cash from dead passengers; he also snatches a digital watch that he hopes will send out a GPS signal. The Ottway-Neeson-Jedi does not approve of the wallet thievery, and he stands the man down with uncanny bad-assity. Judging by horror film formula, we think that the wallet looter will probably die next. Horror films typically have a linear sin::punishment structure that's easy to predict. <br />
<br />
Then come the wolves; Ottway is the first attacked while fending a wolf off of a dead victim of the plane crash. He makes it away with just a small bite wound, but the camp of survivors first face the glowing eyes of a huge pack of wolves. The suspense here is palpable, and we first see that these wolves are not meant to be taken "seriously". These wolves operate as narrative villains: forces of nature and the untamed brutality that lies outside of civilization. The imagery is startling and incredibly effective. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3d2mixCZ3ej9ypXyWLMhKPyvMjAEfGMlMjaaEhPxxx-ni6-oA7oXaXgxlqwyYzhVgtJmf_VaB06N1wsPCzqhMst8NDiEbD8XAwjxmq5GfmEw6G3Pn4IHa9tp7apxVU2gGTcbbbvRF34/s1600/Grey+Wolves.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3d2mixCZ3ej9ypXyWLMhKPyvMjAEfGMlMjaaEhPxxx-ni6-oA7oXaXgxlqwyYzhVgtJmf_VaB06N1wsPCzqhMst8NDiEbD8XAwjxmq5GfmEw6G3Pn4IHa9tp7apxVU2gGTcbbbvRF34/s400/Grey+Wolves.png" width="400" /></a></div> <br />
After the wolves take down their first plane crash survivor (random dude that's not the wallet-looter, but makes the classic horror film mistake of taking a whiz) the group realizes that they'll be in danger staying put. Ottway fears that they have crashed in the "kill zone", a radius too close to the wolves' den wherein they will defend the territory mercilessly. With this the plot-wolves are given their excuse to be unrelenting. Ottway, in a refreshing moment of "I don't know" uncertainty decides rashly to head to some distant trees, and the men follow his leadership. The wallet-looter mocks Ottway's uncertainty but seems to be dealing poorly with the futility of their situation himself. He prefers drinking the liquor mini-bottles salvaged from the aircraft. <br />
<br />
In another moment of irony, Ottway decides that they group should actually collect wallets.... to provide them to the families of the deceased. The wallets will remain a theme for the rest of the film; they are a symbol of identity, permanence, and the reasons to survive. <br />
<br />
As the group approaches the woods, the comic relief character (Joe Anderson from <b><i>Across the Universe</i></b>, <b><i>The Ruins</i></b>, and <b><i>The Crazies</i></b>) gets picked off. This character had been fairly central to the story thus far, so his death is a big surprise. His wallet gets added to the collection, and the group tumbles down an incline to escape the wolves. In a <b><i>Survivor</i></b>-like challenge, the group creates a fire before the wolves close in. <br />
<br />
Unseen (but heard) the wolves have an internal struggle of their own: a challenge to the Alpha Wolf, who puts the threat to his leadership down. Analagous to the wolves, Ottway and the wallet-looter (OK, fine, his name is Diaz) argue; Ottway puts the challenge down, just as the Alpha Wolf did, making Diaz the Omega of the group. Appropriately, the Omega Wolf (the outcast) approaches the encampment and attacks Diaz, at which point the humans kill it and earn their first victory. In a defiant and pragmatic display, they cook the wolf, eat it, and Diaz vengefully cuts off its head and throws it back to the wolves. <br />
<br />
In an artfully disturbing response to the Omega Wolf decapitation, the wolves circle the camp and howl ominously. The echo through the camp is incredibly eerie, and Diaz is cowed by the unexpected consequence. <br />
<br />
The men hike on and brace for an incoming blizzard. It is during this time we see the gentle side to these wild men. The group share their reasons for going on-- one, Talget, misses his daughter. Diaz regrets his latest female conquest. Ottway reveals his father, a stereotypical drunk Irish fighter, had a poetic side: this is where his poem comes from. On a darker turn, both Diaz and Ottway reveal their atheism, although Ottway is sad to do so; they feel that this reality is the one with which they should be concerned. Talget, contrarily, expresses his feelings that faith is important. <br />
<br />
When the blizzard hits, another of the group (having suffered continually from altitude sickness) freezes to death. <br />
<br />
To speed up the synopsis, the group continues to whittle down. Talget, the man who missed his daughter (and loved her hair brushing his face) hallucinates that he sees her after he falls from a tree/rope the group was scaling. In fact, the "hair" is actually that of the wolves that are killing him. This is a subtle display of the film's atheistic tone. A man who believes in faith meets his end with a hallucination, blind to the horrifying reality surrounding him. And perhaps that really is a better way to go-- maybe it's a better reality, even if it's not real. <br />
<br />
Diaz, the would-be wallet thief, has survived down to the final three, but after injuring his knee and reaching complete exhaustion, decides that his life is not worth living. He convinces the remaining two that he is satisfied-- a beautiful scenic background is as good as it will get for him. He gives Ottway the GPS watch for "luck". Then as Diaz sits, and as the wolves approach, he quietly whispers that he is not afraid. He meets his end not as the jackass that meets his karma. He is a character that apologizes, seeks redemption, and meets futility with scrapped dignity. <br />
<br />
With the remaining two alive, survivor Hendrick confronts Ottway about the night that he planned to kill himself. He tells Ottway that he saw the look of deathly acceptance on his face-- the same look Diaz had-- when he left that bar with his rifle. Hendrick admits that he did not think he would ever see Ottway alive again after that night. Ottway shrugs it off, and tells Hendrick that it doesn't really matter now. <br />
<br />
Two wolves rush at the men, and Hendrick falls into the water and gets his foot caught. He stupidly drowns just inches from the surface as Ottway tries to save him. <br />
<br />
At this point, the film reaches its philosophical precipice. Ottway crawls out of the water, stares up at the sky in despair, and demands that God give him a sign. Why go on? Why continue? Faith is not enough at this point; Ottway feels the need for some genuine, tangible deliverance. He demands it! And his shouts go unanswered. God does not respond. The vacant, unchanged sky is a depressing reinforcement of Ottaway's new found solitude and humanity's loneliness. <br />
<br />
It is here that the film reveals its atheistic and borderline nihilistic undertone. There are no answers to prayers in this film's reality; there is just the constant struggle to go on. Ottway ultimately decides "f*** it, I'll do it myself." Much in the token of absurdism, we continue to fight to survive in a godless, meaningless world. <br />
<br />
As Ottway staggers on, he eventually falls to his knees. He takes out the wallets, placing them in a cross shape on the snow. As he opens them, he receives his salvation: the beauty in the lives of the men who have died can be found in their photographs: wives, children, lovers. Memories of love. <br />
<br />
At this moment of rapture, Ottway looks up and finds himself surrounded by wolves. He's found himself on his knees in the one place he had been attempting to flee. "It's the f***ing den." he says, ruefully. <br />
<br />
So now, at the moment of final suspense, with Ottway on his knees and the wolves creating a perimeter, the Alpha Wolf approaches. We see a glimpse of Ottway's wife, and a fleeting glimpse of a hospital IV-- his wife was dying, and he was lying beside her. "Don't be afraid" she said.... <br />
<br />
Here we reach "the decision"; Ottway will fight. He puts on the GPS watch, "luck", quickly tapes liquor mini-bottle shards to his knuckles and a knife to his other hand. Ottway recites the poem one last time, and lunges to the wolf. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQflX2HPKb59K_CyeHlXtuP0heRgQeIZNXwOMT0pknsuRhjlIOoDUKHVp14xEXvbtsS25eKipFIP4G0QFAU4uPgIo4nyf1dlRwbnKPqVa2MSybXOSeZI19QUZu6LAkpbm2juYUE24X1BI/s1600/The+Grey+Punch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQflX2HPKb59K_CyeHlXtuP0heRgQeIZNXwOMT0pknsuRhjlIOoDUKHVp14xEXvbtsS25eKipFIP4G0QFAU4uPgIo4nyf1dlRwbnKPqVa2MSybXOSeZI19QUZu6LAkpbm2juYUE24X1BI/s200/The+Grey+Punch.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div>And that's that. End film. <br />
<br />
Oh, there is an after credits scene of the back of his head resting on the wolf, breathing heavily much like the wolf that Ottway shot at the beginning of the film. Is Ottway resting? Dead? We don't know. <br />
<br />
I admit that the last scene gets me emotional; the implication with Ottway's wife hits close to home, and reminds of a time not so long ago. Whether Ottway's lover survived is not clear, but the implication is certainly not; thus Ottway's letter is not really for her to receive physically, but written for her all the same. <br />
<br />
Ottway has lost his lover. He lost his fellow survivors. He is alone in the universe, abandoned by God and Man. But not his love. Not his humanity. The love in Ottway's heart survives, and the love of the men in his group who did not make it found in their wallet pictures. He won't give up without a fight. In a world where nothing is permanent but the fight to survive.... Ottway will fight to survive. Just to continue. It's a valiant ending to an unexpectedly smart film. <br />
<br />
<i>I still think wolf-punching jokes are funny though.</i></div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-58473946910890539702012-01-30T06:01:00.000-08:002012-01-30T09:15:06.816-08:00Monday Moustache: 9-9-Moustache<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">This marks the thirty-seventh post in a recurring segment on moustaches.<br />
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<br />
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<br />
Today's moustache:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nLawiLBRlQ0CTW4gcDr3wlgwwQG_NzpRPSsLBUZu1ds8eTR4SRhQYsQpinnxSC81KgoA70n8gQ3JWMFL2WyALgXKJo03QdDhF2WeK5Pd6OUVPsFO-UvHtgv2x39FUSgUJjZof_mRm3Y/s1600/herman+cain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nLawiLBRlQ0CTW4gcDr3wlgwwQG_NzpRPSsLBUZu1ds8eTR4SRhQYsQpinnxSC81KgoA70n8gQ3JWMFL2WyALgXKJo03QdDhF2WeK5Pd6OUVPsFO-UvHtgv2x39FUSgUJjZof_mRm3Y/s320/herman+cain.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Herman Cain</span></strong> <br />
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Herman's moustache has been staring Third Strike in the face for months, taunting the Monday Moustache series for not posting it.<br />
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Herman's moustache is just like a Godfather's pizza: it's always fantastic, but it's even better when you're drunk at 2 a.m.. <br />
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At hours earlier than 2 a.m., we've learned about the man behind the moustache over the past several months. <br />
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Herman's rise and fall in the Republican Presidential primaries has been one hell of a journey. The man rose from pizza-producing prominence, poor polling, and political punditry to the leader of the Presidentail primay race. All to soon after, allegations of innappropriate behavior during his restaurant days led to his quick exit to the race. <em>Too saucy, Herman.</em> <br />
<br />
Still, the story of the Cain Train is one that will go down in the books. From his 9-9-9 tax plan, his proclivity towards quoting Pokemon songs, and his (late) endorsement by <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/post/stephen-colbert-herman-cain-to-hold-joint-event-in-south-carolina-today/2012/01/20/gIQAFMheDQ_blog.html">Stephen Colbert</a>, Cain is nothing if not memorable. Now he has endorsed Newt Gingrich and we will see if that has the same influence as his 2000 endorsement of Steve Forbes. <br />
<br />
The most tragic part of Cain's exit from the primary race is the resulting lack of diversity-- not a single candidate left has a moustache!!! C'mon, GOP! <br />
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Herman Cain's representation of the elite moustache community showed real character in an age with so few leaders sporting 'staches. What's more, Herman Cain advanced other moustaches; Cain's campaign manager Mark Block had a smokin' stache, seen in the <a href="http://youtu.be/qhm-22Q0PuM">infamous online ad</a>. <br />
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So carry on, Herman Cain.... You might have forgotten your policy on Libya, but you will never be forgotten.</div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-19011708398718309382012-01-23T03:59:00.000-08:002012-01-23T03:59:47.191-08:00Monday Moustache: Moustaches of Steele<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This marks the thirty-sixth post in a recurring segment on moustaches.<br />
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Today's moustache:</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm_O1yQ44oAIYT8f-ANINYSBSBUAtd8UbD_coRDnMEwr4pjq6wVwzJvQ3j9smdGiaLydOh9OxhDPqFCD_zynriKAR5RWMKkl6NNlsc6JtI0XAY_3eRlXH4Y3WOxTO7X2-DE6yJxWFpBAs/s1600/Michael+Steele+stache.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm_O1yQ44oAIYT8f-ANINYSBSBUAtd8UbD_coRDnMEwr4pjq6wVwzJvQ3j9smdGiaLydOh9OxhDPqFCD_zynriKAR5RWMKkl6NNlsc6JtI0XAY_3eRlXH4Y3WOxTO7X2-DE6yJxWFpBAs/s1600/Michael+Steele+stache.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Michael Steele</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Monday Moustaches have returned! And it's about damn time. The months have rolled by and the Third Strike has been... indisposed to write. Moustaches came into the media, with <strong><em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movember">Movember</a></em></strong> making national news and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFdBK4gdYcA">Heineken commercials</a> celebrating the handlebar 'stache. Obviously word got out about the glory of grooming a fuzzy facehugger... terribly timed for Third Strike.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But that intermission is over, and just like Newt Gingrich it's a second wind. <em>Or is it, appropriately, the third?</em></div><br />
Just like a Newt Gingrich candidacy, you can't keep a good moustache down. Michael Steele may have been unceremoniously tossed out of his Republic National Committee chairmanship, but you know what? I still see him on the news a lot more than his replacement, Reince Priebus. Not only does Reince violate the "I before E Rule", but he sufferes a severe moustache deficiency.<br />
<strong><em>The Daily Show</em></strong> has featured Michael Steele regularly as the soup-rejecting customer Muppet. Ironic, of course, since he has an outstanding soup-catcher of a 'stache.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqn7SxcQcrP3IpFJUlZSLDIu4nI4IWZV02Rf14lzAVYY-QM0fJkx2J8KGR-jZ0E6g22LIUKSikynnTqF8ncw65-Y0GOXZn9oTMW56roXQIlOS_BM_ZoVa1j543PHhdFcqz_pMMbkvAcU4/s1600/Michael+Steele+Puppet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqn7SxcQcrP3IpFJUlZSLDIu4nI4IWZV02Rf14lzAVYY-QM0fJkx2J8KGR-jZ0E6g22LIUKSikynnTqF8ncw65-Y0GOXZn9oTMW56roXQIlOS_BM_ZoVa1j543PHhdFcqz_pMMbkvAcU4/s1600/Michael+Steele+Puppet.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Steele, feeling blue after losing his position</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial;">Let's hope Mr. Steele stays in the spotlight. 2011 was a year full of magnificent moustaches, and with his help we can elect to keep 2012 the same!</span></div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-58093988458952694732012-01-03T08:07:00.000-08:002012-01-03T08:07:11.681-08:00New Year... New<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The Third Strike isn't dead. It has been in Carbon Freeze, hanging in Jabba's palace for all to see. 2012 is a new year.... perhaps it shall resurrect?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSqsGe_VdvosaWqkzCiDzA27nshiIq5kJgQ88ylIFgeO7QYwDUejEjBpeiBTLq42_eooIAahZ4oExs1Zxu4KIG8bC0rm_k0-9Q7XJN1KWf7Xqx6d1w5sf7AdOCuulTmqwCnt3YmOXelgI/s1600/han+solo+in+carbonite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSqsGe_VdvosaWqkzCiDzA27nshiIq5kJgQ88ylIFgeO7QYwDUejEjBpeiBTLq42_eooIAahZ4oExs1Zxu4KIG8bC0rm_k0-9Q7XJN1KWf7Xqx6d1w5sf7AdOCuulTmqwCnt3YmOXelgI/s320/han+solo+in+carbonite.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-73303501279051970202011-06-06T09:46:00.000-07:002011-06-06T09:46:35.799-07:00Monday Moustache: Stache-arama<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This marks the thirty-fifth post in a recurring segment on moustaches.<br />
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Today's moustache:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aMVdlp0orkyHFdXqlsCVAAbTzbNGHZMe2Hk_cTJ5PJIYWtvPpT_aps_MBOesMnEdfO27BGFWyjZVRm9RIiUkERltjqt2Y5y78MFJcR04FyHtzPodIdXe_EOOEgKStkVkWYFw0Ct_HbE/s1600/Scruffy+the+Janitoir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aMVdlp0orkyHFdXqlsCVAAbTzbNGHZMe2Hk_cTJ5PJIYWtvPpT_aps_MBOesMnEdfO27BGFWyjZVRm9RIiUkERltjqt2Y5y78MFJcR04FyHtzPodIdXe_EOOEgKStkVkWYFw0Ct_HbE/s1600/Scruffy+the+Janitoir.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 18px;"><b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 18px;"><b>Scruffy, the Janitor</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i>"Good News, Everyone!"</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Scruffy is the lethargic handyman on TV's <i style="font-weight: bold;">Futurama</i>. He's also the proud owner of a mop bucket, a collection of zero-G themed pornography, and a worthy moustache.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Life isn't easy in the year <i style="font-weight: bold;">3000 </i><i>(and on)</i>. Every week, the Planet Express crew has to deal with aliens abducting their <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_fry">noses</a>, surviving a planet of human-hating <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_of_a_Bot_Planet">robots</a>, or dodging the stings of merciless <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sting_(Futurama)">Space Bees</a>. <i>Link to Nicholas Cage's infamous "NOT THE BEES"... <a href="http://youtu.be/-1GadTfGFvU">HERE</a>.</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"> And even if none of the crews' missions kill them, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Why_of_Fry">BrainSpawn</a> will all the while try to destroy the universe.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">So, yes. A lot seems to be going on a thousand years from now. Matt Groening's universe has come a long way from Homer Simpson.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">So what makes Scruffy worthy of a Monday spot?</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">For all the craziness that the future brings, it's nice to know that some things will always be the same.... like the appreciation of a good moustache. <i>Or adult magazine.</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Heck, the guy's name is Scruffy. The moustache is part of his identity.<i> </i>Scruffy and his scruff... they are one.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">And they always will be. As he says himself: "Scruffy's gonna die the way he lived."</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i>Reading porn.</i></span></span></div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-2354468459433357792011-06-03T09:41:00.000-07:002011-06-03T09:47:08.648-07:00Third Strike: The Mysterious Disappearance Finally Explained!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The Third Strike has been suspiciously inactive for some time now. Over a month. The horror!<br />
<br />
Even prior to the vast desert of non-content that was May 2011, Third Strike had been staggering for several weeks. Updates were not of the caliber or speediness I expect from an assault weapon, let alone a blog.<br />
<br />
Need I write that there have been problems with the Third Strike's muse? Has Third Strike has been attempting to emotionally stabilize the healthy way-- with shots of tequila and drunkenly flirting with the mannequins at the local Macy's?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wWIdWJWum-AAC5IQj_hZtIhnV3R-nKfeOdiBqAzYsMf3xWQ3dRMAXWmW8-9GYSvhfEh8x7YviNJ3gdvp8aIAYtEsTEzFeqHcKxaZV-0kY-ufRawdL04QLYZYcEVNFxfI9jcJ5gEKEGs/s1600/Rob+and+Mannequins.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wWIdWJWum-AAC5IQj_hZtIhnV3R-nKfeOdiBqAzYsMf3xWQ3dRMAXWmW8-9GYSvhfEh8x7YviNJ3gdvp8aIAYtEsTEzFeqHcKxaZV-0kY-ufRawdL04QLYZYcEVNFxfI9jcJ5gEKEGs/s320/Rob+and+Mannequins.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Why, hello, ladies. Do you come here often?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Of course not!</span></b><br />
Don't be silly.<br />
<br />
No. The Third Strike has been up to far grander and preposterous schemes. What has the Third Strike been up to?<br />
<br />
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Recent <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Top Secret</span> Activities of the Third Strike</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b><br />
<b>1. Training a team to raid a Pakistani compound</b><br />
<br />
Originally the raid was meant to find a suitable rehab facility for Amy Winehouse. When Seal Team 6 arrived, they found Bin Laden was there, hiding from his first and third wife (who recently found out about each other). Bloggers across the country began to write how Pakistan is secretly on the moon... where the United States has never actually landed.<br />
<br />
<b>2.</b> <b>Attempting to convince Donald Trump to run for </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">President of the United States of the Apprentince. Err.... America.</i><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<i></i>Reality TV is old news; <i style="font-weight: bold;">Fear Factor</i> explored disgusting edible bugs, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Survivor </i>put challenges on every island Bear Grylls could approve, and <i style="font-weight: bold;">Jersey Shore</i> showed us that American's can pull their way out of the recession and make millions of dollars by simply doing laundry, tanning, and going to the gym. Obviously, to push TV to the next logical limit, someone with really outstanding hair needed to make a phony Presidential Bid. <i>Stephen Colbert?</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<b>3. Spreading March Madness to the Middle East</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
People seem to either love or hate the Miami Heat, but it would be more fun to have a team that genuinely deserves our ire. To fill that void, the United States CIA set up a bracket of crazy dictators; the country with the worst one would win the world's contempt and get attacked during the "Arab Spring". Team Gaddafi won. (Or lost, from his perspective). Gaddafi has been in hiding since civil war broke out in his country, under the alias "Lady Gaga"<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdqpbjZYHmYsLnJzh7E-AjBTzgqwppObEMM18b5RjckYjECy6QHeaOzYf_oHDvz47y8gQbastp4Cqi5vLaAnUMKCu3xojRAJ-XK5dRAjEqQGMo-LFnlripMMp2NFfo7KK2-sDZ9oaAvM/s1600/Gaddafi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdqpbjZYHmYsLnJzh7E-AjBTzgqwppObEMM18b5RjckYjECy6QHeaOzYf_oHDvz47y8gQbastp4Cqi5vLaAnUMKCu3xojRAJ-XK5dRAjEqQGMo-LFnlripMMp2NFfo7KK2-sDZ9oaAvM/s320/Gaddafi.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"We are not amused."</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div><b>4. Turning Down Romantic Advances from <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 30px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Dominique Strauss-Kahn</span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 30px;"></span></span><br />
<div style="font-weight: normal;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 30px;">It turns out this Managing Director of the IMF had more in his pocket than loans for farmers in Botswana.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 30px;">Word on the street is that this guy mistook what freedoms "The Statue of Liberty" represent, and started taking <i>liberties</i> with the "huddled masses" of cleaning ladies.</span></span></div></div><div style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 30px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 30px;">5. Recruiting Steve Carrell</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 30px;">Michael Scott had his last episode of the office, but that's not all she wrote. <i>Or said. That's what she said.</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 30px;">While I'm sure the man has a lucrative film career ahead of him, <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Third Strike</i> has a great shot at recruiting him to write for the blog. <i>OR at least answer his fan mail, cripes!</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 30px;"><i><br />
</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 30px;"><b>6. Following Anthony Wiener's Twitter Account.</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 30px;">Why do I follow Wiener's account? Well, lord knows I don't want to be standing in front of it. Anthony has been sending out bizarre photos on his account. Wiener says that the "Junk Shot" is an old pictures of former BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward, who is popularly held responsible for "pretty much everything that gets accidentally spilled out there these days".</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 30px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 30px;">Hopefully, there will be more Third Strike to come! Give us some love!</span></span></div></div></div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-64221118739895309922011-04-11T11:10:00.000-07:002011-04-11T11:10:32.467-07:00Monday Moustache: Three Men and a Moustache<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">This marks the thirty-fourth post in a recurring segment on moustaches.<br />
<br />
Today's moustache:</span></span></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMsM3GexIfOaSyctMVCPyOXw4o8zGZWN-odbtGsKfLEJ_LkKsmgjJhW3ZgUlW9ZidsY5208TnB-LhX-03bkgp5Pp7HRSyTq8-W3gPmeUAQws47qLBxOIx7K4YMl5-2kVPFZgWWoWbzCY/s1600/Tom+Selleck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMsM3GexIfOaSyctMVCPyOXw4o8zGZWN-odbtGsKfLEJ_LkKsmgjJhW3ZgUlW9ZidsY5208TnB-LhX-03bkgp5Pp7HRSyTq8-W3gPmeUAQws47qLBxOIx7K4YMl5-2kVPFZgWWoWbzCY/s320/Tom+Selleck.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Tom Selleck</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Get your in your DeLorean, set your flux-capacitor controls to 1987, and rev up to 88 miles-per hour.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The #1 movie of the year, when you arrive? <b><i>Three Men and a Baby</i></b>. The breakout star? <b>Tom Selleck's moustache!</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tom Selleck is a well-known actor, as well as an NRA advocate... he strongly supports the 2nd Amendment. (<i>The Right to Bear Moustaches)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Selleck has also starred in TV's <i style="font-weight: bold;">Magnum P.I. </i>and made several appearances on <i style="font-weight: bold;">Friends</i>. Few people know that he was the original actor cast as <b>Indiana Jones</b>, but was replaced by Han Solo just before filming. George Lucas was hesitant to use Harrison Ford for yet another movie.... <i>I've got a <a href="http://thethirdstrike.blogspot.com/2010/09/top-twelve-harrison-ford-moments.html">bad feeling</a> about that, George.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Recently Tom made a cameo as Liz Lemon's same-named mustache on <b><i>30 Rock.</i></b></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUT7Qq-CgkDlZtdDSNz7dGjKujJ-Xpqs-pJd7IV11gWBP_ZPp5-xdC34_kaPBexVFvq2TgDn43Y4Tnw3K_ZNnIFhMzYt1TH2OZqmuTxFXN86K5KrRWRw4txOh4X6LnoFWgeFysqqyQlY/s1600/Liz+Lemon+Tom+Selleck+Moustache.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUT7Qq-CgkDlZtdDSNz7dGjKujJ-Xpqs-pJd7IV11gWBP_ZPp5-xdC34_kaPBexVFvq2TgDn43Y4Tnw3K_ZNnIFhMzYt1TH2OZqmuTxFXN86K5KrRWRw4txOh4X6LnoFWgeFysqqyQlY/s320/Liz+Lemon+Tom+Selleck+Moustache.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liz Lemon, sporting her moustache Tom Selleck</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div>Recently, rumors have emerged that there will be a third installment to the <i style="font-weight: bold;">Three Men and a...</i> films. We can only hope that this one will be haunted by an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_men_and_a_baby#Urban_legend">urban legend</a> as well.</div><div><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4j4uxxPcl09hi0yU2yWc3_OLcUbTEuTua_SY1HgwRzeo_Lnq7S3p-AZF3H9mLzSP_G6BpiMDoBN-lmsJqBt4Yl8-hIsc_x5uYZcWG3dL3WSBirBxPQbPuc2_AB24JS5bLoSfd55iMgtc/s1600/Three+men.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4j4uxxPcl09hi0yU2yWc3_OLcUbTEuTua_SY1HgwRzeo_Lnq7S3p-AZF3H9mLzSP_G6BpiMDoBN-lmsJqBt4Yl8-hIsc_x5uYZcWG3dL3WSBirBxPQbPuc2_AB24JS5bLoSfd55iMgtc/s320/Three+men.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three Men... but only ONE moustache!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><br />
<br />
<div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></div></div></div></div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-80805556656939847202011-04-05T10:40:00.001-07:002011-04-05T11:05:40.927-07:00Ryan Reynolds May Actually Star in a Good Comic Book Movie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">For those who don't live in a Fictional Universe, let me tell you: <i style="font-weight: bold;">Green Lantern</i> is one of the most visually stunning comics currently being published.. It's absolutely beautiful!<br />
<br />
The series features heroes who can literally create "light constructs" of anything that comes to their mind, so long as they have the <b><i>Will</i></b> to do it. <i>Or whatever, listed below</i>.<br />
<br />
The newly introduced <i style="font-weight: bold;">Emotional Spectrum</i> adds more complexity to the <b><i>Green</i></b>-based comic mythology. The existing organizations:<br />
<br />
<b>Green Lantern Corp</b>: Powered by <b style="font-style: italic;">Will</b>. <i>Grace not required.</i><br />
<b>Red Lantern Corp</b>: Powered by <i style="font-weight: bold;">Rage</i>. <i>Mostly Windows Vista users.</i><br />
<b>Sinestro Corp (Yellow Lanterns)</b>: Powered by their ability to inspire <i style="font-weight: bold;">Fear</i>. <i>E.g. Glenn Beck.</i><br />
<b>Blue Lantern Corp</b>: Powered by <i style="font-weight: bold;">Hope</i> (and powerless without a Green Lantern) <i>Obama needs a Green Lantern</i><br />
<i></i><b>Indigo Tribe</b>: Powered by <i><b>Compassion. </b>Oprah.</i><br />
<div><b>Star Sapphires</b>: Powered by <i style="font-weight: bold;">Love</i>. <i>Comprised of mostly crazy ex-girlfriends.</i></div><b>Agent Orange</b>: Just one lantern, Larfleeze, who is powered by his insatiable <b><i>Greed</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b><br />
I know what you're thinking: what the hell is <b><i>The Third Strike</i> </b>talking about? This is way too nerdy & complicated.<br />
<br />
Basically, it's a bunch of <b>colors </b>attacking each other, okay??? It's awesome. It's visually intoxicating. It's like... a constant <b><i>War of Rainbows</i></b>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXVS9M716pEgdspYDgYcdm02d8E2wfeWAwP0UnP1R0Mz7mYAAZ5ybAbUb3eGNh4vDZMQc73BMYrIcpa8H2a8s027bLko3ChYRpBoe_DOj3haDafUQBjpTNTyK5_zKGZoZONxeZvVBvm4/s1600/When+Rainbows+Attack.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXVS9M716pEgdspYDgYcdm02d8E2wfeWAwP0UnP1R0Mz7mYAAZ5ybAbUb3eGNh4vDZMQc73BMYrIcpa8H2a8s027bLko3ChYRpBoe_DOj3haDafUQBjpTNTyK5_zKGZoZONxeZvVBvm4/s320/When+Rainbows+Attack.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Fox's <b><i>"</i></b><i style="font-weight: bold;">When Rainbows Attack</i><b><i>"</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>And now, <b><i>Green Lantern </i></b>going to be a movie, starring the best lantern of them all, <b><i>Hal Jordan</i></b>.<br />
<br />
Ryan Reynolds will be playing Hal, and this won't be his first Super-powered rodeo. However, it MIGHT be his first good one.<br />
<br />
So far it's been:<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Blade Trinity</i>, as a Vampire<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">X Men: Origins... Wolverine</i>, as Deadpool<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle</i><i>, </i>as a Male Nurse.<br />
<br />
Although those films have been disappointing, fans are hoping that Ryan Reynolds (and the rest of the film) will pull through... and give his fans their <i>brightest day</i>.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JydAY58Cvoo" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe></div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-22652260367418244692011-04-04T06:51:00.000-07:002011-04-04T06:51:37.611-07:00Monday Moustache: Moustache Knows Best<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">This marks the thirty-third post in a recurring segment on moustaches.<br />
<br />
Today's moustache:</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqi_J88w2Oi95ryVxgw4SofUgN1goL6-Y0ZaH0hqox_EXMIQYYUY9xn027fzFlD-dt28r6N-qKHlQG8iOc5EiCCKnJ0_9X6hWbIe7kyRHLMV4X4hsEmhtuXdq7pS5yZSlHVWgutjT9Zpk/s1600/Hulk+Hogan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqi_J88w2Oi95ryVxgw4SofUgN1goL6-Y0ZaH0hqox_EXMIQYYUY9xn027fzFlD-dt28r6N-qKHlQG8iOc5EiCCKnJ0_9X6hWbIe7kyRHLMV4X4hsEmhtuXdq7pS5yZSlHVWgutjT9Zpk/s320/Hulk+Hogan.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>HULK HOGAN</b></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's right! HULK HOGAN, a man whose name is best spelled with caps! <i>Actually, his name is Terry Gene Bollea. But that name sucks.</i></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br />
</i></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">The <i style="font-weight: bold;">Monday Moustache</i> has had many champions in its ranks: <a href="http://thethirdstrike.blogspot.com/2010/12/monday-moustache-moustache-without.html">Steve Prefontaine</a>, <a href="http://thethirdstrike.blogspot.com/2011/03/monday-moustache-smokey-and-moustache.html">Burt Reynolds</a>, and the <a href="http://thethirdstrike.blogspot.com/2010/10/monday-moustache-rent-is-too-damn-high.html">Crazy Moustache Guy</a> who I assume is now the Governor of New York. But NONE of those heroes were the dominating force of an entirely phony sport. By "e<i>ntirely phony" we mean that the competition is rigged... as opposed to NASCAR, where driving in ciricles is a sport. That's not fixed!</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><i></i>Anyways, we're fairly confident that the HULK could kick all of those other peoples' asses. <i>Or at least pin them for a 3-count.</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">HULK HOGAN was born a mild-mannered child, who excelled in school and began a career as a tranquil physicist. Then, in a freak tanning bed accident, HULK was hit with a barrage of Gamma radiation and transformed into a raging, musclebound monster.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHa_horoMGloo38km5g-aoJ_i3QcI0T8x85xtg3vkF4vIBTd2rOWmxHijTfYvYOrN2pCOKyzhPuSVp64lsURJ4f0LisFL-0ALW5M-lHjdx4Q1pIOPjp2UT8I1SfcyFCO-hTUMd0Toj2l8/s1600/the+hulk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHa_horoMGloo38km5g-aoJ_i3QcI0T8x85xtg3vkF4vIBTd2rOWmxHijTfYvYOrN2pCOKyzhPuSVp64lsURJ4f0LisFL-0ALW5M-lHjdx4Q1pIOPjp2UT8I1SfcyFCO-hTUMd0Toj2l8/s320/the+hulk.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The madder HULK HOGAN gets, the greener he becomes</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Wanting to put his new monster-ism to good use, HULK joined the most noble and distinguished industry to work in: <b>professional wrestling</b>.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">HULK quickly found his way into the <i style="font-weight: bold;">WWF</i>,<i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>Vince McMahon's successful wrestling company. The <i style="font-weight: bold;">WWF </i>would later be renamed the <i style="font-weight: bold;">WWE</i>, after <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Iron Sheik </i>lost a cage match against a <i style="font-weight: bold;">Giant Panda </i>and surrendering the naming rights to the <b><i>World Wildlife Federation</i></b>. <i>Who knew that Pandas could do an incapacitating Body Slam?</i> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Hogan has drifted to other wrestling organizations throughout the years, but time has kept him tied to the <i style="font-weight: bold;">WWE</i>. Eventually, in his older age, HULK closelined his way into the second-most-noble industry in the United States: reality TV.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Hogan Knows Best</i> introduced America to HULK's personal and family problems and (more optimistically) his moustache grooming habits. The show was cancelled after problems with his son's drunk driving & Hogan's marital infidelity, leading to the spin-off <i style="font-weight: bold;">Brooke Knows Best</i>, following HULK's hot daughter around<i>. That show was cancelled too.</i></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGWNqsWrwyf_zm7adRJp1_eRgIzRbgIJCBFiVlX4ria4OVeC9z4Dcej-4SRCoM9V8C-j6QE1-SHI6oAPwvZ7RRbOIBselREu692uGrQBD_2jN-3C2GFBR3qopT6aLwj2apX4QPDgO76bo/s1600/Hogan+Knows+Best.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGWNqsWrwyf_zm7adRJp1_eRgIzRbgIJCBFiVlX4ria4OVeC9z4Dcej-4SRCoM9V8C-j6QE1-SHI6oAPwvZ7RRbOIBselREu692uGrQBD_2jN-3C2GFBR3qopT6aLwj2apX4QPDgO76bo/s1600/Hogan+Knows+Best.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best Logo EVER! Check out the moustache!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still, Hogan has been a lucky man, all-in-all. He can thank the lucky horseshoe mustache that keeps growing under his nose for that good fortune.<i> That... </i>a<i>nd Gamma radiation.</i></span></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some people think that HULK HOGAN is funny... Some people think of him as a relic from the 80's. Some people just can't take professional wrestlers seriously. <i>Those people do not live in Minnesota, where they elected one as Governor.</i> HULK HOGAN knows better than to listen to his critics. In fact, that kind of detraction makes him angry. You won't like him when he's angry...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJWRrTqce69UpQPAr8jE5lWRfFQTy0k4T9TpgcOaTVqwrAQ-n_J951zA9FuUzMZkPTYL0HcBnKKah3mb1YVFZm_kJqi3q8uwMQBRggMw77VzJUGCdC-fSeqSbzOZkfCeVVIm8fKR5dLQ/s1600/Hulk+Smash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJWRrTqce69UpQPAr8jE5lWRfFQTy0k4T9TpgcOaTVqwrAQ-n_J951zA9FuUzMZkPTYL0HcBnKKah3mb1YVFZm_kJqi3q8uwMQBRggMw77VzJUGCdC-fSeqSbzOZkfCeVVIm8fKR5dLQ/s200/Hulk+Smash.jpg" width="193" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsi2Jgc_4Ot7axJ1QsHp6exbe_fn7O-WlPiqVarZH-RlitQjd1DnFFhe4ToRp-dlfRkvaSKAeaB9yFcBt0qhQwRo_vdoyEPAATnniBpto02QlUddPc2pL2E2kyiarNXu0JF_GKXBqAyM/s1600/The+Hulk+Smashes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsi2Jgc_4Ot7axJ1QsHp6exbe_fn7O-WlPiqVarZH-RlitQjd1DnFFhe4ToRp-dlfRkvaSKAeaB9yFcBt0qhQwRo_vdoyEPAATnniBpto02QlUddPc2pL2E2kyiarNXu0JF_GKXBqAyM/s320/The+Hulk+Smashes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><i>HULK SMASH!</i></span></div></div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-31932037847561307182011-04-01T06:00:00.000-07:002011-04-01T12:55:24.518-07:00THIRD STRIKE NOMINATED FOR THE PULTIZER PRIZE!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The Third Strike has been nominated for the peak prize in journalistic awesomeness... THE PULITZER PRIZE. SERIOUSLY??? <i>No, seriously?</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOP9VSqmiD4E7FzWS0Ce67OWT0JpwmVhPH4o3IK3A1EGrn2edWPrc2NQl0s__SYCBzoCGbwBAlx2HX0p61GAb4EJ8hIaN0c6gPoR1XdbOZePTvZVeogtoshsyekdmFzl6OUYrs7Ot90fw/s1600/pultizer+prize.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOP9VSqmiD4E7FzWS0Ce67OWT0JpwmVhPH4o3IK3A1EGrn2edWPrc2NQl0s__SYCBzoCGbwBAlx2HX0p61GAb4EJ8hIaN0c6gPoR1XdbOZePTvZVeogtoshsyekdmFzl6OUYrs7Ot90fw/s320/pultizer+prize.png" width="181" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pultizer Prize. I am not making this up.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
How, you ask, did a humor blog get nominated? Was it our founding of <b><i><a href="http://thethirdstrike.blogspot.com/2010/09/daily-strike-third-strike-is-now-church.html">T</a><a href="http://thethirdstrike.blogspot.com/2010/09/daily-strike-third-strike-is-now-church.html">he First Church of the Third Strike</a></i></b>,where we established ourselves as a church with the equal legal and tax protection?<br />
<div><br />
Perhaps it was our <a href="http://thethirdstrike.blogspot.com/2010/12/upcoming-wikileaks.html">coverage of WikiLeaks</a> (<i>and the upcoming documents revealing the incoming invasion of giant ants...</i>) that brought us to the attention of the board.<br />
<br />
Maybe it was our spotlight on the power of mustaches. Whatever it was, I don't know; I looked up the details about the award this morning.<br />
<br />
Apparently, anyone can be an "entrant" for the Pultizer prize; you simply need to be nominated. <i>I'm still trying to figure out who nominated </i><i style="font-weight: bold;">Third Strike. </i>From there, a group of juries select "nominated finalists" who fall under the different categories of the award. Categories have evolved over time... for example, they no longer award the <i><b>Putlizer for Telegraphic Reporting</b></i>. You can read more details on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulitzer_prize#Board">Wikipedia</a>.<br />
<br />
Anyhow, apparently there at least two new categories this year: <i style="font-weight: bold;">Creative</i>-<i style="font-weight: bold;">Fiction Blogging </i>and <i style="font-weight: bold;">Editorial Blog Writing</i>. <i>Guess which one Third Strike falls under?</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
Anyways, I'm utterly speechless; Third Strike is a tiny dot in the gargantuan blogging universe, and I appreciate all the support of my readers. Thank you all for inspiring me, and making this possible.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: white; font-size: xx-small;">**April Fools**</span></div></div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-62169863075293306862011-03-31T18:41:00.000-07:002011-03-31T18:44:07.618-07:00Throwback Thursday: Japanese Radiation Fears on the Rise<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(New York, New York) - As thousands of Japanese, still awaiting answers on the fate of their loved ones nearly three weeks after an immense earthquake and subsequent tsunami, Americans in New York City are now beginning to feel the effects. Trace amounts of radiation have been detected in rain water, runoff and in bananas across the city.<br />
<br />
Representatives to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission were surprised to find a large concentration of deadly Iodine-143 radiation near a local pet shop in Brooklyn. Radiation is said to exceed 5000 times the norm.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/_rr7aIqCE74/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_rr7aIqCE74&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_rr7aIqCE74&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In unrelated news, crime is on the rise near the local pet shop. Among the items stolen: 4 pet turtles, 4 yards of blue, red, orange and purple fabric, various weapons and 432 pizzas. A female suspect in a tight yellow jumpsuit has been taken into questioning at the local precinct. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-68831251866450965852011-03-28T08:29:00.000-07:002011-03-28T08:29:28.735-07:00Monday Moustache: Smokey and the Moustache<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Today marks the thirty-second post in a recurring segment on moustaches.<br />
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Today's moustache:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6CmPommFOBopgkREHYOp-sEdzbeTziBFxjYiBU5cfjPqIUmfY90vmkl-1QuCK-r1jlGAs7goInkqugZF2NFqdEhRdYd8jE8XQP10eaDOVScielFqu6MBfv7DxYXfq15T_s8zUb8Cwv44/s1600/Burt+Reynolds+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6CmPommFOBopgkREHYOp-sEdzbeTziBFxjYiBU5cfjPqIUmfY90vmkl-1QuCK-r1jlGAs7goInkqugZF2NFqdEhRdYd8jE8XQP10eaDOVScielFqu6MBfv7DxYXfq15T_s8zUb8Cwv44/s400/Burt+Reynolds+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Burt Reynolds</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">YES, it's him! Ladies want him, men want to be him, and moustaches want to be on him. He's <i>Burt-Freaking-Reynolds.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Burt Reynolds has made several lifetime accomplishments, including the films <i style="font-weight: bold;">White Lightning </i>and its sequel <i style="font-weight: bold;">Gator</i>. Animated super-spy Sterling Archer is an enormous fan.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXp1rFLTgvDcgXnLaEFsuk08yFqn6pazmIdO2CfyGOVpSdDWQTUQMzy4yf0oqVBG5r2_OxpZMOfou0u41FSZlx5oiFoTN89HBLMbirUYT2FQnP5p-s0hAQJ2k8MErGgUU3YmrA0WuY27s/s1600/Archer+with+Mustache.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXp1rFLTgvDcgXnLaEFsuk08yFqn6pazmIdO2CfyGOVpSdDWQTUQMzy4yf0oqVBG5r2_OxpZMOfou0u41FSZlx5oiFoTN89HBLMbirUYT2FQnP5p-s0hAQJ2k8MErGgUU3YmrA0WuY27s/s320/Archer+with+Mustache.png" width="218" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burt Reynolds' #1 fan, wearing a homage fake moustache</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Burt also starred in other hits, such as <i style="font-weight: bold;">Smokey and the Bandit</i>, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Boogie Nights</i>, <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Longest Yard</i>, and most famously, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Sesame Street: The Movie</i>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxm0Pw9u75-tJIin6XYiexvVe5ZbrIVpkcxQ_umTBKRBIhYcy4KMANAmcN9-7hUxOSy553kEDV2X6FE0lCPlxs5XwCrIL0a9ZnYatZvahXX-NMUMWaMWSvdy3Am4LMo5TtxcjYI_5BoFo/s1600/bert+sesame+street.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxm0Pw9u75-tJIin6XYiexvVe5ZbrIVpkcxQ_umTBKRBIhYcy4KMANAmcN9-7hUxOSy553kEDV2X6FE0lCPlxs5XwCrIL0a9ZnYatZvahXX-NMUMWaMWSvdy3Am4LMo5TtxcjYI_5BoFo/s1600/bert+sesame+street.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burt's moustache migrated north for the film, disguised as a unibrow... it somehow looks less bad-ass.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div>We should hand it to Burt Reynolds for aging gracefully; he is the king of the silver foxes. And most importantly, throughout the years... he has kept his glorious moustache!</div><div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU7Bi3Br4VAWTBMiX48fzujtkEEmG8oEp64GXn8pWjog3a-K67Sw9lKrCLgT3UI1smJQcUoFxm1j0SAO9Kld2EjK3-SIWmTmvc4PWBDietP_wxfuUEJb6aUJtu_8lkxWrLRwW9MqvUElw/s1600/old+burt+reynolds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU7Bi3Br4VAWTBMiX48fzujtkEEmG8oEp64GXn8pWjog3a-K67Sw9lKrCLgT3UI1smJQcUoFxm1j0SAO9Kld2EjK3-SIWmTmvc4PWBDietP_wxfuUEJb6aUJtu_8lkxWrLRwW9MqvUElw/s320/old+burt+reynolds.jpg" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are no grey hairs south of Burt's nose</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>Burt has been romantically linked with a bundle of moustache-loving starlets, including two short-lived marriages. They may have been short lived for quotes like this:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote>"Marriage is about the most expensive way for the average man to get laundry done."</blockquote><div>So.... Burt may not have been the greatest husband?</div><div><br />
</div><div>But when it comes to mustache, no one can question his <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deliverance">Deliverance</a><b>.</b></i></div></div></div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-55035426673774611462011-03-24T18:34:00.000-07:002011-03-24T18:34:29.862-07:00Throwback Thursday: Irresponsible Babysitter Loses Kids in Chicago, Parents call for Amber Alert<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(CHICAGO, IL) - Local babysitter,<strike> and possible Ms. November Playboy Model,</strike> Chris Parker has seemingly abducted two children, Brad and Sara Anderson of a Chicago Suburb. The children were last seen on the side of the expressway in Ms. Parker's Cadillac. The vehicle was later found at a downtown chop shop. Some unnamed sources have reported that Ms. Parker and the Anderson children along with a pimple faced boy were spotted climbing buildings, riding the 'L', participating in knife fights and signing the blues. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/h0rY3dn5kos?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you spot either of these children, please contact your local authorities.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-42420246406430185422011-03-23T13:35:00.000-07:002011-03-23T13:52:04.430-07:00The Whale That Ate Jaws<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">My entire world is completely shaken.<br />
<br />
People <i>(nerds with too much time on their hands)</i> often argue over who will win in a fight: a <b>shark </b>or a <b>crocodile</b>?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGu0nGVNTT3rRUEvT00_T6CGL1ZfXfk77REsF2Oinb-FJ_Q95lqlSxYR3tmtvxYxVxX6rGODYN_Ub2rGvw5N4cyKK-238p1oJqOuZ4X5ONShh3uAHZvINmCuOxQ8IvHkAH0Al2M3zUCU/s1600/Shark+vs+crocodile.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGu0nGVNTT3rRUEvT00_T6CGL1ZfXfk77REsF2Oinb-FJ_Q95lqlSxYR3tmtvxYxVxX6rGODYN_Ub2rGvw5N4cyKK-238p1oJqOuZ4X5ONShh3uAHZvINmCuOxQ8IvHkAH0Al2M3zUCU/s320/Shark+vs+crocodile.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Move over, Alien vs. Predator</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This is always a great argument, partly because it's almost impossible to think of a scenario where it could possibly occur. <i>Unless the world's mad scientists start pulling their weight</i>.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, the point is that we like to see nature's badasses battle it out. <i>That's why the Romans watched Russel Crowe fight Ben Hur.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
But we've been making a mistake; the question we SHOULD have been asking is... who will win in a different fight: <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/02/ocean-film-fest-2010-a-killer-whale-takes-down-a-great-white-shark-video.php">a Killer Whale or a Great White Shark</a>?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefku-TXryhxd9zdA1q3WcOeMzhta5-cI1f_UeGAXpMWOlKkXL6Obr3FlIBdW_YBZ6ikdtHG-xG-ZI2D0Kz4a6RaixXf2ixd2D_i52vCT5r4VJlnG-CAhgyhhrPzyIEEm17D2kV3C_x-s/s1600/Jaws+vs+Killer+Whale.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefku-TXryhxd9zdA1q3WcOeMzhta5-cI1f_UeGAXpMWOlKkXL6Obr3FlIBdW_YBZ6ikdtHG-xG-ZI2D0Kz4a6RaixXf2ixd2D_i52vCT5r4VJlnG-CAhgyhhrPzyIEEm17D2kV3C_x-s/s320/Jaws+vs+Killer+Whale.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Timmy will learn to swim faster after looking down</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Not only is this plausible.... but we HAVE AN ANSWER!!!<br />
Anyone making bets should consider an important formula:<br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Jaws > Free Willy</b></span></blockquote><br />
That's straight-up math... and that is infallible. OR IS IT? <i>Now taking bets</i><b>....</b><br />
<i>Taking bets...</i><br />
<i>No more bets, please...</i><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ErrtiU3EGc8" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe><br />
<br />
It turns out that <b>Willy </b>is the Rocky Balboa of the seas, and will go the distance (and then some) by taking out a Great White!!!!<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><b>FREE WILLY WINS! YO ADRIAN, I DID IT!</b></span></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><i>Pay up. You know you picked Jaws</i><b>.</b></span></b></span></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></b></span></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">What an underdog. Those Great Whites must have been getting too hungry from dreaming all day about eating delicious humans. Orcas used to eat penguins and seals, but started feeling guilty after watching </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Happy Feet</i>. So now a cluster of Killer Whales have taught each other how to disarm (and then dismember) SHARKS.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">On top of the (easy) victory by the Killer Whale, the 100+ other sharks in the area apparently got the hell-out-of-Dodge after the whale attack... implying that they are cowardly bullies.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Screw Shark Week. I'm starting to be terrified of whales. Let's hope they don't figure out how to escape the confines of the ocean.</span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurGcoTY7VEs4UvbKgb4FA84oRiKEmBQAscGrddH7k0lhXW4r-w02_m00Jg6kEC5iC37YOnF-r8rUZLUktwXInREpDkj5qim-gLhmmN4viCn3C-0PCfNCGqA7CFY34laHF0EiVt1G6swA/s1600/the+fail+whale.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurGcoTY7VEs4UvbKgb4FA84oRiKEmBQAscGrddH7k0lhXW4r-w02_m00Jg6kEC5iC37YOnF-r8rUZLUktwXInREpDkj5qim-gLhmmN4viCn3C-0PCfNCGqA7CFY34laHF0EiVt1G6swA/s320/the+fail+whale.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh Dear God, NO!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div>**special thanks to Kelly Whitton, for inspiring/contributing to the bulk of this post**</div></div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-73962306575514358862011-03-21T08:44:00.000-07:002011-03-21T08:44:44.095-07:00Monday Moustache: Elementary, My Dear Moustache<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Today marks the thirty-first post in a recurring segment on moustaches.<br />
<br />
Today's moustache:</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOEoujfsOAilQT3mpLw5TGStYYw5XewaXluhor7pBkcJnMk7xgHKyBrUV9Yib4_1pN4dEdeQ-_7gXVSFcQMFKHYNOpE_G1zZcAvj1esaFjGtzzKObJgx0DIU-DS_M7w8EKW4Y15GOqVM/s1600/Sherlock+Holmes+watson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOEoujfsOAilQT3mpLw5TGStYYw5XewaXluhor7pBkcJnMk7xgHKyBrUV9Yib4_1pN4dEdeQ-_7gXVSFcQMFKHYNOpE_G1zZcAvj1esaFjGtzzKObJgx0DIU-DS_M7w8EKW4Y15GOqVM/s400/Sherlock+Holmes+watson.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Watson</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dr. John H. Watson is famous for assisting Sherlock Holmes with solving mysteries and defeating Ken Jennings at <b><i>Jeopardy</i></b>.</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Watson has come in many incarnations: he has been portrayed as a bad-ass Jude Law and as an animated mouse that </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; line-height: 18px;">Disney</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; line-height: 18px;"> renamed "Dawson" for some reason (<i style="font-weight: bold;">The Great Mouse Detective</i><i>)</i>. As for the latter, odds are that the character was relabeled to help market the animated film to pro-rodent <i style="font-weight: bold;">Dawson Creek</i> fans. Or... to avoid copyright infringement.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; line-height: 18px;">In any case, all instances have kept the moustache: the unshakable, defining trait of the character.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmckr3MLCbf-owseeSftHNOmWFbCshta1pZyOybWkCAnR70Q-UfJ-mYZYy8AxVgaQ4WXBpGTAzloxzcQQl62O3HSiQWVhGAFM2SRHogI1DGOJSHa3vUrSlkV-L1j_L6PqmcCFHPWpu9Gk/s1600/The+Great+Mouse+Detective.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmckr3MLCbf-owseeSftHNOmWFbCshta1pZyOybWkCAnR70Q-UfJ-mYZYy8AxVgaQ4WXBpGTAzloxzcQQl62O3HSiQWVhGAFM2SRHogI1DGOJSHa3vUrSlkV-L1j_L6PqmcCFHPWpu9Gk/s320/The+Great+Mouse+Detective.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least Mickey didn't make a cameo</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Watson is an iconic <a href="http://thethirdstrike.blogspot.com/2010/11/monday-moustache-sidekick-stache.html">sidekick</a> and a highly capable doctor, though his reputation was put at <a href="http://thethirdstrike.blogspot.com/2011/01/alex-trebek-and-apocalypse.html">Jeopardy </a>(get it???) by the sinister Lord Blackwood. </span>As Robert Downey Jr. so eloquently put it:</div><div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;">No girl wants to marry a doctor who can't tell if a man's dead or not!"</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Watson's recent problems with human anatomy probably stem from the fact that he has now become </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; line-height: 18px;">more machine than man, much like Darth Vader (who also struggled with biology). He has also developed an annoying habit of answering in the form of a question.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2U11FYaX9XbuMJ9JdCwSciyW443_80h00Qw1ZEcU2Ikc0zb2zJ6OhZtr9MTTq089h4ZCLztcG8CsQ7eeUTXNUfxQoWuZ9nRpdf_S3c3AIARrp0pr3lEygt0kccYmuWjvJXR0apl5_LR0/s1600/Watson+IBM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2U11FYaX9XbuMJ9JdCwSciyW443_80h00Qw1ZEcU2Ikc0zb2zJ6OhZtr9MTTq089h4ZCLztcG8CsQ7eeUTXNUfxQoWuZ9nRpdf_S3c3AIARrp0pr3lEygt0kccYmuWjvJXR0apl5_LR0/s1600/Watson+IBM.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A semi-corporeal Watson still has a moustache</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div>Whether he's being depicted by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes_(2009_film)">Guy Richie</a> or plugged by IBM, this character is a literary, cinematic, and television classic.</div><div><br />
</div><div><i>Who is... Watson. Elementary, my dear Trebek.</i><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></div></div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-30602463900932731772011-03-18T08:58:00.000-07:002011-03-18T08:58:12.556-07:0013-Year-Old Climbs Mount Everest & Puts Dora the Explorer to Shame<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
The Third Strike, a bit slow on the uptake, has just learned that less than a year ago, in May of 2010, a 13-year-old boy named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Romero">Jordan Romero</a> climbed to the top of Mount Everest.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9bBHuLA4hMhoNGUlpPaijzNz8wVR2VnSI_LVGfzcIPy2TAxKnzobZPKZ6tW-ixm2Slgxcm_4FOriLTcLgMZND62Ux80NhzdALwyHulFlnHlgj0ZzcusUaU1Xu9fwNxfQ8Ab9ccMR4oo/s1600/Mount+Everest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9bBHuLA4hMhoNGUlpPaijzNz8wVR2VnSI_LVGfzcIPy2TAxKnzobZPKZ6tW-ixm2Slgxcm_4FOriLTcLgMZND62Ux80NhzdALwyHulFlnHlgj0ZzcusUaU1Xu9fwNxfQ8Ab9ccMR4oo/s200/Mount+Everest.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<i>That's right, a kid who can't name the state capitals was sitting at the top of the world.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
This is all sorts of crazy-- in no small part because of his age. Perhaps his parents "encouraged" him to make this climb, the last of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Summits">Seven Summits</a>, the highest point on each continent.<br />
<blockquote><i>"Jordan, you've failed your fractions quiz. Go climb the Andes."</i><i><br />
</i><i>"Ah, Come on Mom, do I have to?"</i></blockquote> Seriously, this kid was 13 years old??? <i>OK, only 2 months from being 14, excuse me</i>. I mean... I get that watching <i style="font-weight: bold;">Hannah Montana </i>re-runs might not have been doing it for you, but hot damn! <i>Yep... he put Dora the Explorer to shame.</i><br />
<br />
To be quite honest, the more I read about climbing Everest, the more this starts striking me as child abuse, no matter how driven a precocious little scamp might be.<br />
<br />
For some less-than-pleasant reading, check out a mountain climbing teams' ethical dilemma to leave <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sharp_(mountaineer)">David Sharp</a> behind to his death. The controversy largely fell on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Inglis">Mark Inglis</a>, who continued his climb (with two prosthetic limbs) without providing assistance for Sharp. Such situations are not unprecedented. In fact, of the roughly 2,700 people who have seen the summit, the mountain has claimed a solid 8% of that number: 216 lives lost to the quest for the summit.<br />
<br />
The conditions on the mountain get so dangerous that there is an entire area called the "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_zone#Death_zone">Death Zone</a>", and bodies often get left where they fall, making them visible even from the MAIN PATH of the mountain.<br />
<br />
I'm really not sure this is the kind of thing responsible parents should be injecting into their children. I don't believe for a second that this son-of-a-mountain-climber just happened to have been "inspired by a mural at school". I mean... c'mon.... like Tiger Woods decided to start golf after watching <i style="font-weight: bold;">Caddyshack</i>?<br />
<br />
So yes, where was I. Ah, yes... Pre-teens making the rest of us look bad.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzr2ce7LK4g-anffntnwAldNRtBflNFCkG2ScNHOEP4KWxihI2Zw0Dbsb1D4UpaygWxBpbQh_gtS4BL3n4jAG5ycwUTBQtU8Iaul4e7FBOWhkhMDgpWEfXC2uUJgO6eUo1Wq_OvfoRCTE/s1600/Bieber+Superman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzr2ce7LK4g-anffntnwAldNRtBflNFCkG2ScNHOEP4KWxihI2Zw0Dbsb1D4UpaygWxBpbQh_gtS4BL3n4jAG5ycwUTBQtU8Iaul4e7FBOWhkhMDgpWEfXC2uUJgO6eUo1Wq_OvfoRCTE/s320/Bieber+Superman.jpg" width="249" /></a></div><i>You too, Justin Bieber.</i></div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251317467084570101.post-60723188830719404462011-03-17T11:32:00.000-07:002011-03-17T11:32:52.860-07:00Happy Sssst Patty's Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPYwvp6hcr-f27pVKqsxJnqaGJMN5TDXix6uq5hVrqNrAvaWGvqsZYnfdm3eCdf52-lbHGphp5HrFLXnn18zvPBzgz6XW1sBNeL3yYPxbVwQuycw17t4DmV4bKXnhJE5fKzB_q9pFbhk/s1600/St+Patricks+Day+beer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPYwvp6hcr-f27pVKqsxJnqaGJMN5TDXix6uq5hVrqNrAvaWGvqsZYnfdm3eCdf52-lbHGphp5HrFLXnn18zvPBzgz6XW1sBNeL3yYPxbVwQuycw17t4DmV4bKXnhJE5fKzB_q9pFbhk/s200/St+Patricks+Day+beer.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antifreeze, or beer? Taking all bets!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Today is Saint Patrick's Day! This is the one time of the year that drinking a green beer will lead to vomitting.... and be ok! Heck, it's more than ok.... it's a celebration!<br />
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According to legend, St Patrick chased the sinful snakes out of Ireland in ancient times, which is why the Irish are so renowned for not sinning too much. <i>Or drinking!</i><br />
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St Patrick may have had an easy time chasing the snakes out, since evidence points to the fact that <a href="http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ReptilesAmphibians/NewsEvents/irelandsnakes.cfm">no snakes having ever lived in Ireland to begin with</a>. Some nay-sayers may then question why we celebrate him so animatedly....<br />
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To that, I say this: Quiet You! I submit that if there WERE no snakes to chase out, that simply expedited St Patrick's serpent-chasing. <i>Just like how I take credit for the absence of Grizzly Bears in the office right now</i>. <i>Where's my bonus???</i><br />
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Of course, hardcore Patty fans will dispute this; some will insist that the legends are true no matter what the evidence. <i>Somehow</i> t<i>hose people also refuse to worship me when I show them my ability to walk on water while we go ice-skating.</i><br />
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In any case, Saint Patrick is a man worth celebrating... every March 17th! After all, he very well may have had a moustache like those smart Guiness guys!!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAnGzxLBfUOFXVp8z9uZIktC5AvmbQbRcD6VNP3Wmc8rATKAQNsA4PMRLrpaHzuhiRv2AyFpj2LpSCbDjv_0lEFm3fH17X7LR2VW9eWdywVK69WzKvuLrKC86gneKnsT8mmB43WKnRDbI/s1600/Guiness-Brilliant%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAnGzxLBfUOFXVp8z9uZIktC5AvmbQbRcD6VNP3Wmc8rATKAQNsA4PMRLrpaHzuhiRv2AyFpj2LpSCbDjv_0lEFm3fH17X7LR2VW9eWdywVK69WzKvuLrKC86gneKnsT8mmB43WKnRDbI/s320/Guiness-Brilliant%2521.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Brilliant actually refers to their moustaches)</td></tr>
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<div>Because the holiday falls on the day of St Patrick's death, an important question must be raised: who now guards Ireland from a NEW snake invasion?</div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div>Could the Third Strike introduce an invasive species to Ireland, where they would thrive due to the immediate natural camouflage of the Land of 1000 Greens?<i> I would give the snakes 3 months before they start running the Emerald Tiger like their own personal piggy bank, making me the de facto ruler of the island....</i></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div>Lucky for everybody else, Samuel L. Jackson is always on the look out for criminal snakes. <i>Get these mother f***ing snakes off my mother f***ing island.</i></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div>If Saint Jackson's hard work isn't enough, Ireland can always combine the legacy of St. Patrick with the Springfield tradition of <i style="font-weight: bold;">Whacking Day: </i>Springfield residents hunt snakes to the tune of Barry White.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKrzdYrH2vux-s1Pl89XpgzZO5qBK-PqdNqofcroAVLJAmZRX4UL-jzwqiXrfiDQF8Uq54Ns6vV1OnnGKIK5JjbGcX9GLoeRf4vzbihKzmZl2powP0w3iTC5C5pj5lxQVXZQMTFhorZY/s1600/Homer+Simpson+whacking+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKrzdYrH2vux-s1Pl89XpgzZO5qBK-PqdNqofcroAVLJAmZRX4UL-jzwqiXrfiDQF8Uq54Ns6vV1OnnGKIK5JjbGcX9GLoeRf4vzbihKzmZl2powP0w3iTC5C5pj5lxQVXZQMTFhorZY/s320/Homer+Simpson+whacking+day.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Whacking Day" is popular amongst 12 year old boys</td></tr>
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<div>So everyone grab a Guiness & Jameson! Watch your favorite scenes from classic Irish-themed films like <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Boondock Saints</i>, <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Departed</i>, and <i style="font-weight: bold;">Leprechaun 5: In the Hood!</i></div><div><br />
</div><div>Maybe you can even practice your Parseltongue... although you might just sound like a drunk. Still, if the practice pays out, being elevated to sainthood would make it worth the wait. <i>Just like Guiness.</i></div><div><i><br />
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</i></div><div><i>**Author's note: Thank you to Lee for the Samuel L. Jackson joke**</i></div><div><div><br />
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</div></div></div>Third Strikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02700726591399301358noreply@blogger.com0