Entries by Rob Dean (454)
Zelda Convention - July 11, 2011
Rob Dean On Monday, July 11, 2011 at 5:00PM 
Quotent Quotables - July 11, 2011
Rob Dean On Monday, July 11, 2011 at 3:30PM From a single crime know the nation.
Snorks vs. Smurfs
Rob Dean On Monday, July 11, 2011 at 2:45PM Fisticuffs is when you tell me who would win in a knockdown, dragout, physical fight to the death between two people or groups.
The 80s Cartoon Throwdown You've Been Thinking About for 20 years. Who would win in a knockdown, drag out, no holds barred fight between the Smurfs and the Snorks?
Smurfs have the numbers and appear to be embedded, like an azure version of the VietCong. They have managed to evade genocidal attempts of eradication at the hands of Gargamel and his cat, Azrael. So they are tough, hive-minded and have huge numbers on their side. On the other hand, they are Belgian.
Snorks have tactical advantage of being underwater, remote and more technologically advanced than the hillbilly Smurfs. They have managed to evade creating any main enemies despite being around since at least the 17th century (seriously - the wiki entry has them going to the surface in 1634 to rescue a sea captain). It's unknown how many Snorks there are - so the numbers game is hard to figure out. The Snorks' main weak spot is their obvious, incredibly vulnerable snorkel.
Who would win? Vote! Explain your vote in the comments!
Top That? IMPOSSIBLE?
Rob Dean On Monday, July 11, 2011 at 1:15PM From 1989's Teen Witch. Yikes.
(Via Let's Be Friends Again)
Week of July 11, 2011
Rob Dean On Monday, July 11, 2011 at 12:30PM Every week, we list our recommendations of new music, books, comics, movies and TV to check out. This is Recs in Effect:
New Movie
Tabloid
I know people are going to all go see Harry Potter this weekend. But personally, I hate most of those movies. I like the books (well, all but the first 2) and I like Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix as well as elements of some of the other movies, but mostly I just find them so boring and poorly made. So, in a bit of counterprogramming - I'm asking you to go see Errol Morris's latest film: Tabloid, which concerns former Miss Wyoming Joyce McKinney who may or may not have chained up a mormon missionary in the 70s. It appears to be Morris's meditation on fame and a similar look at how diverse the multiple chapters in our lives can be. Errol Morris is, to me, the best documentary filmmaker of all time (his attempts at subverting the truth are more apparent to me than Werner Herzog's, and so I appreciate Morris more) who has done much to not only shape the visual language of modern documentary filmmaking but also to fundamentally alter the way we think about documentary films. Read a review (and explore more about Errol Morris) here.
Verbiage - July 11, 2011
Rob Dean On Monday, July 11, 2011 at 11:00AM Today's word of the day is Mind-blowing:
mind-blow·ing
[mahynd-bloh-ing]- overwhelming; astounding: Spending a week in the jungle was a mind-blowing experience.
- producing a hallucinogenic effect: a mind-blowing drug.
What I See When I Close My Eyes Sunday Night
Rob Dean On Monday, July 11, 2011 at 9:30AM I love this song and this video...please to enjoy "Frontier Psychiatrist" by The Avalanches.
Zelda Convention - July 8, 2011
Rob Dean On Friday, July 8, 2011 at 5:00PM 
Quotent Quotables - July 8, 2011
Rob Dean On Friday, July 8, 2011 at 3:30PM Not living in fear is a great gift, because certainly these days we do it so much. And do you know what I like about comedy? You can't laugh and be afraid at the same time—of anything. If you're laughing, I defy you to be afraid.
7 Great Summer Camp Movies
Rob Dean On Friday, July 8, 2011 at 2:00PM 
It's summertime, y'all! That means one thing - pack the kids up and get them the fuck out of your house. And if you can package it as a character-building exercise that'll give them lifelong friends and important lessons - even better!
I only went to sleepaway camp for 2 summers. A Christian camp in New Hampshire called Camp Squanto. It was...honestly, it was OK. This was before I became a secular humanist and when I really thought I'd like to be a pastor. Or a marine biologist. Or Wolverine from X-Men. Time makes fools of us all.
We played dumb games, went on disappointing hikes, prayed to nothing and learned songs - including Christian lyrics for well known song. Camp Squanto is why I can't hear the Rocky theme song without singing to myself "Trust in Goddddddd./He'sYour Friennnnnd./HeWill GuideYouuuuu/tothe Ennnnnnd/Through our trials and tribulations/blessthelord his holy nation!" I also learned the song Shut-De-Do, an a cappella staple that I still find very charming. Not so charming? The eventual revelation that the Camp President had been embezzling millions of dollars over the years from the Christian camp's funds.
Ultimately I thought camp was pretty lame and tame and not filled with any of the assorted hijinks the movies promised. Where was my rival camp with its dark color scheme and swanky clientele? What about some girl who totally hates me at first but eventually kisses me after I break her rough exterior? And the pranks - MY GOD THE PRANKS. Where were they?
Maybe it's because of my middling experience with camp that I've developed a soft spot for summer camp movies. Often times they are atrocious and follow the weird mixing of pubescent sexual depravity with innocent exuberance of youth that was begun by Meatballs many years ago. But there are some that are worth remembering and revisiting. Here are some...
(Honorable Mention) Poison Ivy (1985)
No, not the movies with semi-innocent actresses whoring it up in sub-softcore porn with the most dubious and flimsiest of plots. Although...those ain't bad either. No this Poison Ivy is a 1985 TV movie with such youth icons as Michael J. Fox, Nancy McKeon, Adam Baldwin and Robert Klein. I had this recorded from broadcast and watched the VHS often, but I can't remember much from it. So why is it on this list? Because there's one element that stands out vividly that is CRAZYPANTS.
Ayn Rand Never Looked SO Good
Rob Dean On Friday, July 8, 2011 at 12:30PM
I don't know if any of you saw this on SpikeTV last night - but it's a good, extended look at the upcoming video game Bioshock Infinite. I will note - SpikeTV, outside of their marathon showings of Star Wars, is godawful. MANswers? Go fuck yourself.
Verbiage - July 8, 2011
Rob Dean On Friday, July 8, 2011 at 11:00AM Today's word of the day is Endorse:
en·dorse
[en-dawrs] verb, -dorsed, -dors·ing, noun–verb (used with object) Also, indorse ( for defs. 1–6 ) .
- to approve, support, or sustain: to endorse a political candidate.
- to designate oneself as payee of (a check) by signing, usually on the reverse side of the instrument.
- to sign one's name on (a commercial document or other instrument).
- to make over (a stated amount) to another as payee by one's endorsement
- to write (something) on the back of a document, paper, etc.: to endorse instructions; to endorse one's Signature.
- to acknowledge (payment) by placing one's signature on a bill, draft, etc.
TGIFF, right? This Dog Knows What I'm Talking About
Rob Dean On Friday, July 8, 2011 at 9:30AM Thank God it's Fucking Friday - enjoy the original pilot for Cartoon Network/Nickelodeon's "Adventure Time."
Zelda Convention - July 7, 2011
Rob Dean On Thursday, July 7, 2011 at 5:00PM 
Little sumthin' for my godson Elijah and a little girl named Corinne.