John Moltz Disclaimer: I’m told I’m somewhat disappointing in person.

Tumbling tumbleweeds

My peers have pressured me into starting a Tumblelog.

Also, taking up smoking and wearing berets.

Change

Bubble-headed buddy.

Bob May, the iconic voice of the man who played the Robot in Lost In Space, died today at the age of only 69 (hat tip to Tim Wiseman on the Twitter). [Edit: my misunderstanding - I'm corrected in the comments that May was the man in the suit, not the voice. Point remains the same, though.]

As a kid, I always dreamed of having a robot buddy like the Robot. Watching that show now, I obviously can see the many, many flaws in it that I never saw as a kid. The science is abominable, the plots are simplistic and lame. But the Robot still shines. His lines are consistently the best. His observations make the humans look like the idiots they are. He’s quick-witted, sarcastic and the truest friend a boy ever had, always ready to go to his death to save his consistently dim “masters”.

[Added: May didn't do the voice so he didn't deliver the lines I loved, but the movements of the arms, the bubble and antenna were just as important, requiring the same sense of comic timing. And it can't have been comfortable in that thing.]

And May made the Robot what he was, taking him from a mindless automaton to – to me at least – the star of the show.

So long, Bob. And thanks for being a big part of my childhood.

Mike Monteiro can make art

I love this possibly because it reminds me of my favorite line ever written about Tacoma which is in Never Mind Nirvana by Mark Lindquist. A man and a woman are making love in Seattle and the woman, indicating she wants it raunchier, says “Fuck me like we’re in Tacoma.”

(Link via 43Folders, although I’d seen these before.)

Get started

Merlin Mann:

And, finally, if you’re feeling really ambitious, imagine you have most of what you need today. Because, here’s the O. Henry ending: you probably already have at least part of what you need to get started. On a novel. On a one-person business. On your first gallery show. Maybe it’s only 40% or 25% or .001%. But, it’s something. And something is all any project needs to get started. Don’t believe me? Try it.

Imagine you have almost what you need. Then, just start something.

1981

Brent Simmons, maker of NetNewsWire, among other things.

St. Mary’s 198101

Originally uploaded by BrentSimmons

Doing It Wrong

See here for further background.

The Merlin Mann Amazon Store Blog

JESUS, just go buy a fucking camera.

Ultimate personality test

I don’t feel I can adequately complete
Magnetbox’s ultimate personality test since I haven’t seen all the films. So instead I’m going to propose my own:

1. Jonathan Frakes: Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, Clockstoppers, Thunderbirds.
2. McG: Charlie’s Angels, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, We Are Marshall.
3. Michael Bay: Pearl Harbor, Bad Boys, Bad Boys II, Transformers, Arma-fucking-geddon.
4. Roland Emmerich: Godzilla, The Patriot, Eight-Legged Freaks, The Day After Tomorrow.
5. Amy Heckerling: Look Who’s Talking, Look Who’s Talking Too, A Night At The Roxbury.

Oh, I should mention these should be the movies you think are the worst. At least they god damn better be.

Actually, I can’t take this one either as I also haven’t seen all of these.

So, this is really kind of a pointless exercise. But those are some pretty bad movies, aren’t they?

Well, First Contact was OK.

Part-time action hero

SeoulBrother, Part-Time Action Hero – EPISODE 1: TRAINING from SeoulBrother on Vimeo.

Some say he needs an Oscar Goldman.

Some do.