Someday, I'll be captain of my very own ship!

Even from a very early age, it was pretty clear I would grow up to be a nerd. I remember quite vividly in one of my earlier elementary years going through the typical class discussion surrounding the topic of: "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Our instructor was a beast of a woman who did not enjoy fun, seemed to hate her job, and was deeply rooted in reality. Picture Delores Umbridge, but without the facade of granny sweetness. I thought these were some pretty odd characteristics for someone whose profession involved interacting with children on a daily basis. O.K., so my vocabulary was more like meany and grumpy pants at that age. 

So, each of us took turns announcing our chosen dream profession. Some she would approve of with a slight smile and a nod, others she would amend. Her gaze reached my seat. I explained, "I am going to be an engineer on a star ship. Someday, I'll be captain of my very own ship!"

I was an effing cute kid!

Ms. Grumpy Pants gave me a quizzical glare and begrudgingly explains to the class that what I meant to say was astronaut. I instantly grimaced and tried to protest, but she shhhushd me and sternly growled that's all. She moved on to the next student, Tony. What was about to happen only further exemplified my theory that Ms. Grumpy Pants was a meany, but I wouldn't realize until years later; it was also evidence that she should have no longer been teaching. 

Tony was doodling when Ms. Grumpy Pants called on him to share his desired jobby job. He looked up and simply said, "I want to be a dolphin" and went back to his doodling.

Ms. Grumpy Pants amended, "So, you want to be a football player for the Miami Dolphins."

Tony looked back up and responded, "No. I want to be a dolphin."

Ms. Grumpy Pants began to laugh. "Tony, I am not sure what you are getting at here."

Tony answered with clear frustration in his voice, "I want to be a dolphin. You know, the animal. I want to swim and leap through the ocean with my dolphin friends."

Ms. Grumpy Pants began to laugh quite heartily at this and began mocking him, "You hear that class? Tony is going to swim and play with the dolphins when he grows up!" She then notices that Tony's doodle is none other than the finned animal he clearly admired. She snatched up the doodle and continued to point and laugh at both the doodle and poor Tony. 

Some classmates laughed. At the time, I really did not understand what was so funny. I just understood it to be mean. I moved away to a new city and a new school later that year. I often wonder what became of Tony and what future repercussions that day had on Tony's life. I find it both disturbing and sick there are instances where so called educators teach ignorance and hate. Things that should never be taught in a classroom. 

Sooooo, I never really pursued that early childhood dream of becoming an astronaut, but if there are ever star ships built with warp capability; I am totally fighting tooth and nail to land a job on said star ship. 

Instead, I became a teacher. Weird. I think I'm pretty good at it though. 

Star Trek Naughty Placement

You know that game with the Disney films? You know the one! The one where you try and find the spots where the animators and artists snuck penises into screenshots; if you paused in the exact right spot, you could see dick clear as day! Well, it seems the directors and or prop crew for Star Trek: The Original Series also enjoyed challenging viewers to a brisk game of spot the shaft!

The hottest new club...

While Saturday Night Live's skits can be inconsistent and you never really know what you're going to get; some send you into fits of hysteria, while others just leave you feeling meh. Throughout the seasons and casts, Weekend Update was always one of my SNL highlights. I enjoy the current host, Seth Meyers and find his Weekend Updates delightful, but I light up when I realize it's a Weekend Update that features a certain lovable city correspondent.     

                                                                                                                                       

(1)Some argue that Stefan is homophobic and perhaps he is; he's definitely not known for saying the most politically correct things. (2)Bill Hader explained to Jimmy Kimmel that the character was a combination of a barista with similar mannerisms and vocal inflections as the character Stefan and an email writer John Mulaney received about a gay bar that had a laundry list of features. A gay bar that prides itself on the many amenities and attractions it has to offer? WHA????

(3)Take the following descriptions of some of the hottest gay clubs in New York City:

Mingle with a pretty and diverse gay crowd at this hot nightspot in Hell’s Kitchen. The huge two-level lounge is a former warehouse (and whorehouse). Enjoy therapeutic cocktails named after your favorite disorders – from Delusions to Psychotic Episodes. Free entertainment includes an open-mike night, a comedy hour featuring queer-friendly comedians, and nightly DJs.

At Eastern Bloc, the drinks are strong and (relatively) cheap, bears are beautiful, and the house assumes no attitude. The decor is early Communist nostalgia and DJ Josh Sparber runs the show at the Good Times parties on Wednesday night, where it's easy to strike up a conversation with a bearded stranger.

Stefan's portrayal seems pretty accurate when you take these factors into consideration. So, O.K. Stefan is a bit of an exaggeration, but come on! That’s what makes him so funny! Some of the stuff the writers have him saying is so outlandish, Hader can barely keep a straight face and often breaks character as he bursts out laughing at the absurdity. I can see how some may find him offensive, but shit is funny; I don’t care who you are...

With Stefan’s backstory and origin in mind along with the satirical nature of both the show and the performance, I would say the knee-jerk reaction to cry homophobic may be a bit pre-mature on this one. I would hope the majority of American audiences can distinguish between realistic performances and satire. There once was a time when the sole purpose of a homosexual character on a television series or the big screen was to be THE comic relief—the idiot or the bafoon. We’ve come a long way baby! There are a multitude of characters, and these characters showcase a multitude of backgrounds and a much more complex archetypal schematic for the "gay character". With this broader exposure, I'd like to believe the majority of audiences fully understand characters on SNL do not serve to represent the whole nor encourage hasty generalizations. Are there some who will come to the myopic conclusion that Stefan is "just like the rest of em"? Yes, but those folks will always be around. Upon each generation, shiny and new douche-nozzles shall arise! One thing is certain; progress has been made. Let's not pick on poor Stefan as if he is standing in the way of it.

_____________________________________________________________________________

1. Stefan on SNL is Disturbingly Homophobic,” (The Data Lounge, December 21, 2010). http://www.datalounge.com/cgi-bin/iowa/ajax.html?t=9965549#page:showThread,9965549 (September, 6, 2011).

2. “Bill Hader Explains the Origin of ‘Stefan’ on Fallon,” Huffington Post, November 25, 2010. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/27/bill-hader-jimmy-fallon-snl_n_788746.html (September 6, 2011).

3. “Top 6 New York City Gay Bars,” (About.com). http://manhattan.about.com/od/glbtscene/tp/nycgaybars.htm (September 6, 2011).

Heroism is found in the heart

Hi...

My name is Underground Dude...and I'm a...geek. 

Those of you that have been regular readers of the ole underground bloggy blog are fully aware that comic books and superheroes tend to have an affect on me. They bring out a full-on geek-out and/or nerd-gasm—truth-fact.

When one thinks of heroism and heroes in our lives; they typically embody those that have shaped us into who we are and those whose stories inspired us to take up a cause and make a difference in the world. In early childhood my response to the "Who's your hero" question would have been: The Green Lantern, Batman, Superman, and The Human Torch. At one point in my life I truly did aspire to develop superpowers of my very own and battle the forces of evil! Growing up is hard to do...

Today, while I still find my heroes of childhood to be completely B.A., the quizzical looks I started to get once I reached early adulthood from my hero response prompted me to update my answer. So, now, I respond with Harvey Milk and my advisor from my undergraduate studies who really got me into radical and activism rhetoric. I not only love to get my protest and defiance to "the man" on, but I really dig social activism. Furthermore, I truly hope to become as great of a social activist as these two groovy dudes some day. 

So, I seek to make change with speech and dialoguing with communities and lawmakers in regards to social inequality. I fight the good fight to balance things out and blur the lines between the privileged and the marginalized. I have no costume or secret identity, but I recently discovered there are others taking a more active role in making a difference in their communities. While I found the movie Kick Ass to be enjoyable and an interesting take on the whole super hero meets the real world motif, I had no idea this was an actual movement taking place. There's even a database and everything!

I suddenly have the urge to start working on costume design ideas. Hmmmmmmmmmmm. 

Snapshot Sunday-Ninja's are Keen

I may or may not be into ninjas...I can't really talk about it...

Uncharted-Wiped

I was one of those gamer guys that was extremely perturbed at the idea of Mark Wahlburg playing Nathan Drake in the movie adaptation of Uncharted. I'm not saying that Wahlburg is a bad actor by any means, but if you know anything about the video game...this just didn't seem like a great fit.

Low and behold, a tweet revealed today, Director David O. Russell has dropped out of the Uncharted Hollywood adaptation project. My proverbial villagers are heartily rejoicing at this news as this means Wahlberg will most likely no longer be involved in the project either. Back to the drawing boards!

If they continue to proceed with a film adaptation of one of my favorite video games, my vote goes to one of these two fine gentlemen:

Office Talk: Did someone order an apocalypse?

So, the world didn't end...Hazzah!  I took some time off last week for my day of birth. I planned on going on a big camping and hiking extravaganza trip, but the weather didn't cooperate. A sign of the impending rapture, I thought. So, I made the best of it and went back home. How did I prepare for the rapture...I built a fort in my living room and proceeded to play and watch hours upon hours of apocalyptic themed video games and movies.

The world didn't end, but that doesn't mean our troubles are over. Take the following email exchange that took place this morning when I returned to work.

So, zombie apocalypse pending, I am glad the world didn't end. Also, I love my jobby job :).

Sci-Fi Realism

Remember that short-lived show that never got enough cred from Fox (big surprise) about a bunch of renegade misfits, each in search of things like redemption, independence, love, adventure, sanctuary, and answers...

While each worked toward their own selfish goals they united through Serenity and had a quirky tendency to spout out insults in Chinese every now and then.

Another Joss Whedon kernel of brilliance. Unfortunately, it only lasted one season in 2002 and later resurrected onto the big screen in 2005. I never actually caught this show while it was on air. When the series was released on DVD, I purchased it because of the Whedon name. Admittedly, it took me few episodes to get into it. The idea that the show seemed like a Western in space was unappealing to me. My father was obsessed with Westerns and John Wayne, so I reached my fill of Westerns sometime between my childhood. and teenage years. This was Joss Whedon. Plus, Caleb from Buffy and Jasmine from Angel were in it, so it can't be all that bad. I stick with it, and I realized this was so much more than a Western. The random breakout of Chinese, The aftermath of a war and rise of the Alliance, a naked Nathan Fillion, space hookers...what's not to love!? 

My good friend boo posted an article for me on Facebook that really did a nice job explaining what makes the show so fetch and genius! Firefly essentially gives us a nitty gritty science fiction world: Sci-fi Realism. While most popular science fiction verses portrayed more Utopian societies that have overcome selfish needs and social strife, Firefly portrays a world in which humanity has yet to overcome many of its flaws; a more realistic depiction according to the article. 

P.S. 

Thanks to the world of Instant Play on Netflix, I've just discovered Battlestar Galactica, so good! I suspect I enjoyed Firefly for the same reasons I am so giddy about Captain Apollo, Starbuck. and CYLONS!

It's like Hoth out there...

Dear Tom Scott,

Thank you for taking one of my favorite things and combining it with the weather. You've transformed the mundane task of checking the weather into an inter-galactic adventure in a galaxy far far away...

I I tip my hat off to you Tom Scott. Good show, sir, good show indeed.

Click the above link to check the weather

Mutant relations...

Let me begin by saying, I am not afraid to admit that I enjoy a good info-graphic, especially when the graphic is clever or snarky. What happens when you combine info-graphics with comic books? Pure bliss and awesomeness, that's what.

YUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

My good friend boo sent this to me a while back, and it pretty much made my day. However, it also brought up some bitter resentment toward a certain Hollywood trilogy adaptation of my beloved X-Men comic book series. 

Now, if the only X-men mythology you're aware of is from the movies...shame on you. Check out some comic books or at the very least, the cartoon series that used to be on Fox kids years ago. This animation series stayed pretty true to the 1990s comic book The X-Men, (the original) and the narrative set forth by Marvel. O.K. yeah, Jubilee was a total spaz who was bothersome (that's a nice way of putting it), but otherwise this show was the highlight of my Saturday mornings back in the day. The third season showcased one of the best comic book story-arcs in my opinion:    

The Phoenix Saga---->NERD-GASM!

Back to the big screen adaptation. When it comes to the third installment in the X-Men series of movies, I only have two words: HOT MESS! Oh noes...this is a touchy subject, and I feel a rant coming on.

I didn't mind the first two movies and in ways I could appreciate their "take" on the X-Men mythos. Yes, there were a few liberties. For example, in the original comic book series Iceman (Bobby Drake) was a part of the original X-Men crew while the movie decided to make him a promising student in Xavier's school for the gifted. The scene in the second movie where Bobby "comes out" to his parents as a mutant made this worth it and echoed the metaphor of the mutants representing the marginalized, so many gay youth could relate too, which is what made the original comic book series so amazing. That and the epic story-arcs. While there were a few inconsistencies, this is to be expected with Hollywood adaptations. For the most part, the characters were interesting and they stayed true to the core elements that existed in the comic books. The movies also did a nice job highlighting the tensions that existed between the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants. 

The third movie was a travesty! Why, gentle readers, you ask?

At the end of the first movie, Jean Grey is exposed to the radiation in Magneto's machine made to enhance the mutant gene in humans. 

The second movie, we notice a change in Jean Grey. Scott Summers (Cyclops) even goes as far as telling Jean, "You haven't been the same, since the incident at Liberty Island." The incident he speaks of is the exposure to Magneto's machine. Jean's powers have grown noticeably and she exhibits a red fiery flare in her eyes when she utilizes her "evolved" powers. 

At the end of the movie, Jean sacrifices herself by holding back the floods, so her fellow X-men may escape without being submerged in the rushing waters. A fiery aura surrounds Jean as the waters surround her and she is presumably drowned (very sad).

But wait, one of the final scenes shows the Alkaline lake after the flood. A slight fiery glimmer can be seen under the waters, in the shape of a bird...the phoenix! This also happens to echo a storyline where Jean Grey as the Phoenix was trapped under the ocean. The Phoenix entity encases Jean in a protective barrier and projects another Jean Grey, a clone of sorts, in order to escape. 

Alright, so the phoenix portrayed in the comics is an extremely powerful entity that bonds itself to those with high levels of psi and mental ability. This bond allows the phoenix force to possess the host. 

The Phoenix bonded with Jean Grey when she was a child after detecting her extraordinary mental capacity when Jean used her powers to try and save one of her playmates. The Phoenix entity laid dormant in Jean until she was in the X-Men. On a space mission, Jean is almost killed and the Phoenix entity surfaces in order to save her, but also taking control of her. 

Jean begins referring to herself as the Phoenix and has newfound and super-sized powers. Unfortunately, some baddies with the power of illusion come in and manipulate the hell out of poor Phoenix. This makes Phoenix angry and brings about Dark Phoenix. Dark Phoenix not only go smash, but she destroys entire worlds (truth-fact). 

So, yes the movie deviated a bit from the comic book's mythos, and I can understand why. The Phoenix entity in the comic books took several issues to explain the awesomeness of the Phoenix's power and origin. It would take a whole movie just to explore the phoenix entity. The first two movies did a nice job setting up where the movie version of the phoenix came from. A powerful mutant evolving into an even more powerful being. This seemed logical...

The third movie...Jean Grey resurfaces and calls herself the Phoenix. Yes!

I anticipated the third movie and was stoked, because I knew the Phoenix, one of my all-time favorite comic book villains, was going to me a main part of the storyline.

BALLS! There were way too many new mutants and characters introduced that made it difficult to follow along or care about the characters that had already been established in the first two movies. Not that would matter considering all the set-up they took the time to do in the first movies were completely discarded in the third.

Kitty Pryde joins the mutants and splinters the romance the first two movies took the time to develop between Rogue and Iceman. Jean Grey...is Phoenix, but the phoenix... is the result of...

A SPLIT PERSONALITY!??? WTF!!!!!!

None of the set-up to explain the growth of Jean's powers as the result of evolution bringing about a super mutant with awesome power, movie version of phoenix, exists in the third movie. SHENANIGANS! All the scenes leading up to the evolution scenario might as well not have existed in the first two movies.  Not to mention that we never even see the trademark fiery phoenix in its pure form!!!!

Needless to say, the third movie was absolute crap! 

Let's hope the next X-Men installment, a prequel or origin storyline, is more consistent...

Anyway, gentle readers, I digress. The particular info-graphic this post started out with just happens to bring about some sensitive issues; thus, the X-Men movie rant. But, I will say again that I heart info-graphics. If you too enjoy them, check this out ---->http://www.coolinfographics.com/

Dear Hugo Strange...

I highly suggest and think it would be wise of you to invest heavily in ass beating insurance.

That is all...

Don't call them sidekicks...

I stumbled upon this new series set in the DC comic universe. If you're a fan of Justice League or Teen Titans, you might want to check this out. There are definitely moments that may spur on a geek-out, ya know if comics is your kind of thang. I'm still on the fence on this animated series, but there is potential there. Speedy was kind of obnoxious, so here's hoping his appearance was just a cameo.

Click the above image to see the first episode