LOEB (late entry): Cowboys

There are several things that come to mind when given ‘cowboys’.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid for starters.

“Boy, I got vision, and the rest of the world wears bifocals.” I haven’t seen this movie since I was a kid, and that’s a shame because these two actors are brilliant, especially when paired together (for further example watch The Sting). Who can forget the iconic cliff jump that the two endure together?

Bravestar.

This is a show that was introduced to me last year when I was randomly channel surfing for bearable cartoons one Saturday morning (no offense Yu-Gi-Oh! just not my cup of tea) and fell in love with it’s ridiculousness. I too wish I had the powers of Hawk Wolf Puma and Bear. Also, a talking horse that could randomly walk upright. That’d be something to see.

Firefly.

“Well, they tell ya, ‘Never hit a man with a closed fist.’ But it is, on occasion, hilarious.” Continuing with space cowboys, I loved Joss Whedon’s firefly. I was quite sad (like so many others) when it was discontinued after one season. Whedon’s ability to develop endearingly flawed and believable characters for so many different stories is amazing. Also probably why he is doing what he does.

Of course no cowboy post would be complete with out these two: John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. Like Cassidy & Sundance I haven’t seen their movies since I was a kid, but the echos of their coarse voices and manly ways still exist in the back of my memory. They were a man’s man, and quintessential examples of cowboys. Both back in the day and today. These two can never be replaced (which is why the remade True Grit, although good, will never overtake the original).

Wrapping up with one last memory: Paladin or Have Gun Will Travel. I’ve mentioned before that my dad had old time radio tapes. These were broadcasts from the 40s (as evident by the commercials advertising for people to buy war bonds or that the presentation ‘will be transmitted to our men and women overseas by shortwave’) and have endured the test of time. 40 years later and I, as a kindergartner and younger, was listening to the tales of the Gunslinger Paladin. A California based cowboy who would go out in the country side doing good on his terms (you can check it out on the Old Time Radion Network: http://www.otr.net/?p=hgwt).

That’s it, gut reactions to the given ‘cowboys’. There were lots of fantastic entries from the league. For the complete list check out the main wrap-up post here, some of my particular favorites were ShezCrafti, Rediscover the 80s, Flashlights are Something to Eat, and Goodwill Hunting 4 Geeks (purely for a Twinkie dressed up as a cowboy).

LOEB (late entry): Spies

Two tings come to mind straight away when I think of spies

1. running around as a child flattening myself up against a wall and holding my hands like a gun2. my sister’s ‘Agent name’: Baria Rice

Who didn’t play spies as a kid? It was a quintessential game to dart around the house, slamming into walls near the door, negating any good the stealthy walking did. Then there was also James Bond, I remember watching Dr. No and Goldfinger as a kid. How suave and debonair Sir Connery was (and let’s be honest, is). So I guess there are three things that come to mind when I think of spies

3. James Bond (specifically Sean Connery).

Everyone in the league had great ideas for this subject. The complete wrap up can be at the League’s main post here.

Some members remember the gear (read toys) most, such as Fortune and Glory Days, Infinite Hollywood, That Figures, Random Toy Reviews, Cool and Collected and Crooked Ninja. Others remember the characters Rediscover the 80s and Team Hellions did a recap of the danger dames of spydom. While some recall the movies like AEIOU and sometimes Why and ShezCrafti,

Spacemen [LEOB]

The invasion was slow, no one seemed to notice it happening. At first when my son said he saw a weird man standing outside school I was worried it was a snatcher. If only. It started in schools and in printed media.  Words on the page started getting  further  and  further  apart.  Editors  were  fired  on  mass,  as  were  English   teachers .   No   one   could   quite   account   for   it .   Why   was   this   happening ?   Files   were   checked   and    triple    checked  –  nothing .    Then    animals    started    spreading    out .    A    mother    bird    dropped    a    worm    for    her    babies    as    far    from    them    as    the    nest    would    allow  .

When    it    happened    to    humans    the    situation    could    not    be   ignored  .    I    went    to    hug    my    son    goodbye    as    he    left    for    school    and    where    our    skin    met    was    struck    with    a    blinding    pain  .    As    soon    as    I    let    him    go    the    pain    dispersed    leaving    no    trace  .    Alarmed    I    looked    around    and    there    he    was  .    I    nearly    forgot    the    being  ,    I    suppose    you  ‘  d    call    him    a    man  ,    as    soon    as    I    looked    away  .    He    was    so    vacant    I  ‘  d    be    hard    pressed    to    describe    him.

In    time  ,    even    standing    next    to    my    family    caused    me    pain  .    I    regret    to    say    I    was    not    strong    enough    to    stay    and    endure    the    pain  .    Instead    I    joined    up  .    I  ‘  m    no    longer    a    mother  ,    oh    no  ,    now    I  ‘  m    a    solider    against    the    spacemen  .

_______________

I’ve been on league hiatus, but am anxious to see where these prompts are leading. Will be catching up with spies and cowboys later this week/next week (or will try to at least).

Below is a random sampling of how other league members responded to the prompt “Spacemen” or click to see the original post here.

• Memories of Tomorrow
• The Most Espa Collection
• Whatever I Think Of!
• That Figures
• Cool and Collected
• Fortune and Glory Days
• Monster Cafe and Bar

Upon reflection, given my love of Doctor Who, I can’t believe I didn’t write about that. So as a parting shot here is a clip of the Doctor really being a spaceman…even though I think of Donna Noble in regards to saying Spaceman ie “Oi, watch it spaceman!”

LOEB: Dream Job

It’s been awhile since I did this. I think that month I didn’t blog probably didn’t help. Anyway the latest prompt from The League was thought provoking:

If money was not a concern and you could choose any career path, what would be your ultimate dream job?

Not to brag, but I love my current job. However if I were to change positions I’d probably want to take over as Chief Communications Officer on the USS Enterprise (Sorry Uhura, you need to transfer). I’ve always loved languages, just listening to them and looking at them (since when I read them I don’t fully understand them). Similarly I’ve always been obsessed with the sky. Looking up at the constellations, longing to travel amongst them. Clearly the place for me is Star Fleet.

Oh, are we talking real world? Well then. I guess I’d want a graphic design where I’d travel between the US, UK, Italy and Europe. Spending about three months in each place (Europe would either be many small trips, or somewhere new every year). I don’t know how to get a gig like that, but I think that would be amazing. Also, perhaps I wouldn’t have to deal with the whole visa thing since it’d only be 3 months. When I studied abroad in Italy senior year we had to get them because we were there 3.5 months. See? Problem solved.

This may be short, but why jumble up such simple desires? Curious to what other members want to do? Be it toy hunters, astronauts, professional tourist, sleazy executive, or person who does nothing/writer.   There are lots more, check them out here.

LOEB: Going on a trip – into a fandom, sort of

After taking a week off of the League, the prompts are back with: Take a trip to anywhere in pop culturedom. What fictional town, time, or world would you want to visit? Aka possibly the hardest question to date. I read way to much fantasy/sci-fi, so to figure out where to go I sat down and looked at my book shelf. HUGE mistake. Instantly there were too many ideas (Long partial list at the end of the post, wont bore those who aren’t into lists).

I ultimately had to follow Mr. Potter and go to school. I love the old Wizarding School of J.K. Rowling’s creation. If I could visit Hogwarts (and Hogsmeade) that would be amazing. Whether I tried to get points by throwing stuff through Moaning Myrtle or try to earn them for my house as we compete for the cup. Through thousands of pages Rowling spun a web that lay a firm foundation for those who have imaginations to leap from room to room, forever envisioning what goes on at Hogwarts when Harry and Company aren’t there.

I’d love to be stuck in literary limbo there. This may sound weird, but come with me on this tangent (or skip to the end of the paragraph). We did this play in high school called Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (by Tom Stoppard). That play follows the characters of Rosencrantz and and Guildenstern through their part in Hamlet. However, rather than inventing where there were in the story (for instance having tea with one another) we follow the characters into limbo. A state where they no longer truly exist, they just wait, until it’s time for them to be important to Hamlet’s story again. Now unlike these two, who were in a void, I’d want to be in Hogwarts. To just go out of my own story for a spell and have all the time in the world to traverse the trick stair cases or wander the halls. It’d obviously be a magical experience.

The best part about visiting Hogwarts are all the layers to the grounds. You have the school itself, then the permitted grounds (green houses, Quidditch pitch, etc), then the restricted sections (forbidden forests, tunnels out of the school, etc) but you’d also get to go to Hogsmeade. An all magical town with an awesome joke shop and candy store. When I was a little kid my family would take vacation out to visit family friends in Montana. In the town where the family lived there was this candy store that we were madly in love with. I’m pretty sure we got a jaw breaker every year, and every year it took us weeks to finish the thing. Of course that made it the best purchase, it lasted longer than the vacation. When I imagine Honeydukes I imagine that candy store, only on crack. Of course I’d have to finish my time in the village with a trip to The Three Broomsticks for a swig of butter beer before heading back home. (As a side note, I had a version of butter beer made of cream soda with a dash of rum and a dash of butter extract – if memory serves – it was oddly good. I’ll have to make it again for the Halloween season (which is the last time I had it).)

To follow other league member’s visits check out the master list, other vacation options include joining an otter in a band or check out a pretty interesting hotel room. Other members are visiting Q’s lab, Eternia, Gotham, Goodwill Haunting makes a roadtrip of it, Hill Valley, Jurassic Park, Zion, Paris Opera House (loved how they chose where to go!), the Power Broker, and Jathniel (like me) had many ideas.

Anyway, that’s my choice, Harry Potter – what a shock. (Although some might have assumed I’d stick with Sherlock or the Doctor)

Until next time ~ Q

Other options that flooded my brain:

• 221B Baker Street-Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (I’ve actually been, there’s a museum. Although the real one was supposedly re-numbered because so many people wanted to see the real place where the character lived)
• Asteroid B-612-Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (the caged flower, with the volcanos that need to be tended)
• Axis Institute-Catherine Jinks (With courses in basic lying, pure evil, manipulation, misinformation and mutation it’d be a school that’d always keep you on your toes)
• Belesse Casle-Vivian Vande Velde (Not sure if that’s the name of it or not, but I’d love to take a stroll with Oliver the Cat)
• Camelot (of Arthurian legend)
• Camp Calamitas-J.I. Greco (Zombies anyone?)
• Camp Half-Blood (or New Rome)-Rick Riordan (I’ve been to both Athens and Rome and I’ve always been interested in the mythology. I must go to these camps)
• City of Progress/Freelan- James Patterson & Gabrielle Charbonnet
• Florin/Guilder-William Goldman (and the cliffs of INSANITY)
• Giant Peach-Roald Dahl
• Green Gables-Lucy Maud Montgomery
• G.R.O.S.S. club house-Bill Watterson (Oh to be a fly on the wall when Calvin and Hobbes got in a fight about rule changes or decrees)
• Haven
• Heart Queendom of Wonderland-Frank Beddor
• Highbury-Jane Austen
• Hotel Dolphin-Stephen King (despite the likelihood of death, I need to know what is wrong with that room!)
• Isle of Berk-Cressida Cowell (I want my own pet dragon!)
• Illyria-William Shakespeare
• Lyra’s World-Philip Pullman (Only so I could see my soul represented as an animal. When things are only theoretical, you can interpret them or explain them in so many ways. When it becomes physical, it gets harder. For instance it’d be harder to explain away why people call you a snake when one is with you always, showing others what you are)
• Kingdom of Wisdom-Norton Juster (I’d want to skip any feasts though, and I’d need a quick trip to the Island of Conclusions)
• Middle-Earth-J.R.R. Tolkien
• Midlands-Terry Gookind
• Narnia-C.S. Lewis
• Neptune High (I could have totally been a Watson to Veronica’s Sherlock)
• Neverland-J.M. Barrie
• Oz-L. Frank Baum
• Panem-Suzanne Collins (post the second revolution, that way I could look in the history books/old magazines)
• Pemberley-Jane Austen
• Pern-Anne McCaffrey (see Isle of Berk)
• Shiz University-Gregory Maguire
• Sleepy Hollow-Washington Irving
• Stormhold-Neil Gaiman
• Storybrook (I’d probably be stuck there having been the servant of some fluffy princess…or maybe I am stuck in a cursed town…Storybrook-Story City…it’s all so obvious now)
• The T.A.R.D.I.S. (through all of space and time)
• Troy-Homer (Was she really that beautiful, the face that launched a thousand ships)
• Uglyville-Scott Westerfeld (or New Pretty Town. Uglyville has shenanigans and NPT has killer parties)
• Uriel-Madeleine L’Engle (or the star watching rock throughout A Swiftly Tilting Planet)
• Vincent Plum Bail Bonds-Janet Evanovich
• Warehouse 13 (I never forget a face – obviously that means I have a secret ability that would work well at the warehouse)
• Wayside School-Louis Sachar
• Winterfell-George R.R. Martin (How big are dire wolves, or is it all hyperbole)
• Wonderland-derived from the SyFy mini series Alice
• Wonderland-Lewis Carrol (Tea with the Hatter and Hare is a must on this visit)
• Wonka Factory-Roald Dahl (I wonder what the lyrics would be to my song as the Oompa Loompas carted me off)
• Xavier’s school for gifted youngsters (If I got a power/ability to go with it)

LOEB: Something wicked this way comes?

It’s that time again and this week’s prompt is exactly what I’ve been thinking about! Remember when Halloween was a big deal? I mean, a BIG deal? What was the most legendary costume you ever wore? What would you dress up as this year?

I don’t know if I ever had a really legendary costume so instead I’ll talk about one of my more memorable trick-or-treat nights. First you should know, growing up we had a rule in our house. It was pretty simple, you had to keep your hair out of your face. If you couldn’t handle sitting and getting it pulled back into braids, ponytails or keep a headband in, you had to have it short. My head pain tolerance was pretty much zero, as was my oldest sister’s. My middle sister however could have her hair practically ripped out and not bat an eye. She, of course, blames (or attributes) it to yours truly. I guess I use to pull it as a baby. Whatever. The result? She was the only one with long hair growing up. I didn’t mind so much. Short hair was just easier, and a lot cooler. However there is nothing so gross as the feeling of your bangs sweating together and sticking to your forehead, but that wasn’t an everyday thing. Usually just when I was running around pretending I was a ninja turtle.

So cut to first (or second perhaps) grade. I’m trying to decide what to be for Halloween. I loved playing dress up and for some reason we had an old cheerleader uniform from the school where my father was principal (raffle or some tosh). It seems like the perfect idea. So I’m all excited and get my skirt on and head out to meet up with the younger sister of one of my sister’s friends. She had decided to dress up as a cowboy. She had her long curly hair pulled back in a pony so it sticks out the back of her hat, but she didn’t seem to mind. We went to a few houses and after about fifteen minutes when went up to a house. The door was opened by a kind little old lady. She looked us over and proclaimed ‘Oh, they swapped! How cute.” It took us a few beats to figure it out (we of course kept our smiles on our face despite the confusion). The ‘nice’ old lady thought the little cowboy and cheerleader had cross-dressed for Halloween. It would still be a few more times of being called a boy before I would ultimately decide to grow my hair out longer. It’s not my fault adolescents look androgynous, it’s a fact of biology.

Now, the second part of this prompt is much more difficult. I, for whatever reason, love Halloween. Perhaps it’s because I’ve never actually taken full advantage of the holiday. As I’ve already said I loved dressing up as a kid. To this day I wear a crown when cleaning (I blame Mary Poppins. In every job that needs to be done, one can find an element of fun. – something like that anyway). My oldest sister will be dressing up as RainbowBrite and the Color Kids. I’m mega jealous I didn’t think of that first. Me and my friends, meanwhile, are brainstorming our group costume for a Halloween fundraiser going on in my town (of course). I was originally pulling for The Avengers because I really wanted to go as Hulk. My outfit would have been awesome. I would have done the whole green thing but for the bottom half I think I would have pulled out a green tulle tutu. Completing the outfit would have been the giant gloves. I would have had SO much fun in that. But my friend, ever the voice of reason, pointed out eating and drinking with the gloves would not have ended well. Now we’re looking at doing the whole Alice in Wonderland thing. I just need to figure out if my middle sister is coming or not. If she is we’re gonna rock the Tweedle Dee/Tweedle Dum look. If she isn’t I’m teetering between being

1. White Rabbit and wearing an obnoxious amount of clocks/watches
2. The Queen of Hearts (there needs to be one since another in my group is being Alice). I’d make a tulle tutu for this one too. I think I just really want to make a tutu. That should pass, my hips are wide enough.
3. The Cheshire Cat. I’d want to do crazy face makeup. Like extending my mouth to grin all the way to my ears. That would be fun, creepy, and lots of fun to take off at 2 in the morning.

If my group dress falls through I’m going to rock a look like this, inspired by Roy Lichtenstein. Again, that too would be super fun to clean up at night’s end. Then there is the wig issue and I’d never be able to make it look good and so it’d just be sad. Maybe someday but probably not this year.

That’s it, those are my ideas. I have three weeks to decide. Then there is trick-or-treating at my office too (on another day) so I may get to dress up as two different things! I’ll be sure to post the results later in the month.

Curious as to what other members are doing? Well not everyone has responded to the prompt yet but so far we know that Monster Cafe would catch you in his net and the man who stares at toys is gets really punny – which I always appreciate. Our own Cool and Collected pays tribute to Firefly – a costume after my own heart. There is also a ninja, which would just be way to much fun on Halloween (or all saint’s day).

Coming soon – weekend updates and audiobook reviews (I’m so behind, but I’ve been out doing things to write about. Vicious cycle) ~ Q

LOEB: Young ________

It’s that time again – the League has called.

In the spirit of Young Indiana Jones, Young Frankenstein, or Young Einstein, come up with a “Young ___” prequel or series.

I know you’ll be shocked to hear the first thing that popped into my head was a “Young Holmes” series. Can you imagine what life was like growing up with Mycroft and Sherlock. You, as a parent, wouldn’t be able to get anything past them.

“Oh look Sherlock, the tooth fairy came and dropped off a bag full of coins!”
“Mother, I felt you slip them under my pillow when you came in to wake us.”
“No, Sherlock, that must have been the fairy scurrying away.”
“Oh mother,” Mycroft butts in, “the coins were jingling in your pocket as the door opened.”

Contrarily imagine the childhood you’d have to survive to become the way the two brothers are:

“Mycroft, come come, best be eliminating the inert ingredients if you hope to figure out what you were poisoned with.”
“What! Dad, it’s Christmas, you promised not today!”
“Sherlock,” Mr. Holmes would switch focus, “based on your brother’s symptoms, when, during dinner, was he dosed?”

Whether or not their parents were fiendishly clever or not, think of the spy vs spy mischief the two would get into.

“Sherlock, really, the water over the door trick. When, in any stretch of the imagination, would that work on me.”
“Oh Mycroft to true, tell me, has your hand done something agregious or are you just scratching it for fun.”
“Of course it’s not for fun, but I’ve got an itch that I just can’t- Oh. Oh you’re a dead man.”
“You may want to go wash before you spread it around to much.”
“I’d run if I were you.”
“Why, are you going to roll me over?”

BUT seeing as how that is already a thing apparently (I haven’t seen it, but according to IMDB it does) my second choice would then have to be the Young Marauders.

Dear old J.K. has teased with a few back stories of the four friends, but what was life actually like at Hogwarts in their day? How much did Lily really despise James and how did he really turn it around? What did James look like when he screwed up his transformation and had little antlers poking out of his head the next day (did Snape see – of course)?

I envision James and Sirius being in constant friendly competition to see who could pull the bigger prank, sneak out the latest or in general cause tom foolery. Mean while Peter and Remus might compete over the Rolaids in reaction to some of the more extreme stunts. However I think the spectrum would most likely settle out to be Sirius-James-Remus-Peter.

Check the League’s main post to see updates to the prompt all week, or you can head on over to other members to see The Young Dukes of Hazzard, Toddler Mutant Ninja Turtles, or a Prequel (young) Monster vs. Aliens.

Until next time~Q