Lost is still one of the best shows on tv right now. The season opener was rad. It gave me everything I wanted, and more. The second episode this season left me wanting more. But still I feel completely satisfied.

check out that iching. and the swan? WTF? I can't wait to find out.

4 8 15 16 23 42
These numbers, in addition to being the seat numbers of the 12 survivors, Hurley's magical/cursed lottery numbers, the numbers engraved onto the side of the hatch, and the numbers that must be entered into the old timey computer to "reset" the myserious "clock"...
This person now believes she has deciphered at least one more meaning the mysterious numbers may have: 4 8 15 16 23 42

I haven't had much time to post stuff this week. My bad.

We're finally in full production of the first episode of our new cartoon. We even turned in a rough cut to Cartoon Network for final approval. They seemed to like it, barring a few changes. The cartoon, now called Frisky Dingo, also got written up in Atlanta Magazine. It's a good article about Matt and Adam (my bosses), and thanks to Justin for quoting me. I'm pretty sure I stole that quote from somebody, though I could have stolen it from myself.

All this week we've been rehearsing for the Kid's Show at Dad's Garage called Unlce Grampa's Hoo-Dilly Storytime. I used to perform in this kid's show a few years ago, I had a few characters I would play, including a guy named Ordinary Ollie. He was sick of being ordinary, to remedy this he would do exciting things to thrill the kids. But all that really means is that I would put a bunch of really gross but edible stuff in a blender and drink it, like broccoli, and snicker's bars, and ketchup, and skittles.

Here is the thing I've noticed about about performing for kids:
It's exactly like performing for drunk adults. How? I'll tell you.

They will decide within the first 5 seconds of your performance whether they like you or not. And god forbid, if they don't like you, there is absolutely NOTHING you can do to win them back. So you must strike fast and funny!

Also, if you drink a blender full of gross stuff, they will love you. Anyway, in this version of Uncle Grampa's I'll be operating a puppet, a robot puppet (big surprise) named Lil'Tamo. He's a self-conscious little robot built by a monkey named Phinneas J. Monkey. If you get a chance, come check us out.

Here is a bonus link, a preview for The Shining, if it were a romantic comedy. It's hilarious. (via metafilter)

hehe, I'm clever.

Our new favorite band... well OK every hipsters favorite new band, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah was written up in Rolling Stone. (via mack) This is special because Clap Your Hands in not backed by a major label. In fact they're not even backed by an independant label. They have no label.

Not that they haven't been offered a deal, but you see, they don't want one. They earned over $130,000 by selling their debut album through the mail themselves. And where contracted artists get like a dollar per album, these guys get $8!

So go buy the album, support some real artist.

You can get the entire audiobook of Carl Sagan's Demon Haunted World for FREE on mp3.

In this book Carl Sagan and his wife Ann Druyan write a collection of 25 essays that explore many topics, among them: alien abductions, astrology, Atlantis, ESP, the face on Mars, fairies, magic, and, of course, one of his favorite topics, UFOs and extraterrestrials.

Most notably among the topics is Religion, of which Sagan has a lot to say.

This seems helpful.

How to survive a Freestyle Battle Rap.

with such tips as:

1. Listen to previous freestyle flows and battles by great artists (i.e. Rappers like Jin, Jay-Z, Fabolous, Benefit, and any other great artists that spit hardcore rap).

and many others.

Uh oh...

It looks like this might become a semi-regular feature here on clunkyrobot. The story of a despicable semi-fictional 30 year old man who dates younger women.

Dates with Randy Havens, a clunkyrobot.com comic strip:
episode 001 The Pain*
and now:
episode 002 The Unicorn Princess*

(* please don't click if you're easily offended.)

I have some friends who are currently acting in a production of Chekhov's Seagull at PushPush Theatre here in decatur. They got a pretty nice review in the AJC, even going so far as to call The proprietor of Zombie Sitcom one of Atlanta's most "Under-appreciated and quirky character actors." You should go see it.

Oh yeah, it's the same Zombie Sitcom I'm currently having a blogwar with.

Here is his latest shot at me:
Don't Call it a comeback*

Here is my current return shot:
A Date with Randy Havens*

(* as always, don't click if you're easily offended)

further woes of consumer clunky.

So ok, I tried to order a Vespa repair manual from Autobarn.com. On their website it said the manual usually ships the next business day. That was like a week and a half ago. I just got an email from them today telling me the book is "on order" and "might be available in a week or so."

The two options they gave me were to wait a week (or more) or cancel my order. So I cancelled my order. But there is a pot o' gold at the end of this crapbow

I ended up calling Scooter Parts Direct, a local Georgia scooter parts distributor. They had the book in stock, and I placed my order immediately. Then just like 5 seconds later I got a phone call from Danielle Dañell, she works at Scooter Parts, and lives near my house.

She offered to bring the book to me in person! We're going to meet at The Thinking Man's Tavern on Wednesday for their weekly scooter club meet. Wow, what a better shopping experience.

From now on, I'll buy all my stuff from Scooter Parts Direct.

BACK TO THE MOON!

NASA unveiled plans today for a return mission to the freaking moon! "Think of it as Apollo on steroids," says NASA administrator Michael Griffin. That's cool, but as far as I knew Apollo was on steroids... at least... by the time he did Predator.

Represented at the Deliverance Fore scooter rally friday night. I met some nice people, saw some kick ass scooters, and supported the scooter club by buying a t-shirt and some buttons. The rally got me motivated to get my little scooter all cleaned and prettied up.

I finally got my copy of Rainbow Six: Lockdown over the weekend. I DID NOT buy it at Best Buy, which from the employee comments on other complaint sites seems to be their best advice... "If you don't like it, then don't come back!" no problem guys.

I played online for the first time and got my ass kicked, and then got yelled at for being bad at the game. Thanks, anyway the game has lots of potential. I need some teammates, seriously... hurry.

My arch nemesis.
Apparently the lead zombie at Zombie Sitcom thinks I'm gay. This is the opening salvo in his blog war with me, you know Pro-Wrestling style.

Anyway, here is my return shot, it's really offensive, so here is the "radio edit" which isn't as funny, but less heartbreakingly offensive. For me it's the electronic equivalent of drawing dirty pictures in class... like I did when I was 14. And obviously still do.

Saturday evening we went down to Mulligan's to see Mack's band. When I left the venue, I felt sufficiently rocked. But I found out today that I left too early, apparently there were some girls puking in the bar bathroom as the bar staff were trying to close down. That certainly would have rounded out the rocking very nicely.

My friend and co-worker Mack has been waging a campaign encouraging his friend Tang to grow a mustache. Maybe you've seen the stickers around town?

Anyway, this weekend the Tangstache crew is setting aside their agenda to benefit Katrina victims. They are sponsoring a concert at our old new favorite neighborhood dive bar, Mulligan's... home of the Hamdog. Among some more critically acclaimed bands, Mack's own band The Attractive Eighties Women will be performing. wait...

Mack is in a band? Yeah, I just found out last week.

Anyway, Sat. Sept. 17th 9pm at Mulligan's be there.
($5 cover goes to Red Cross)

Nice and quick, C-Dub takes two of our favorite news stories and remixes them into one hilarious gut puncher:

Tommorrow Friday September 16th @ 7pm I'll be attending the kick-off party for Imperial Scooter Club's Deliverance Fore Scooter Rally at one of our new favorite bars, The Thinking Man's Tavern.

Do you like scooters? You should come, I have a feeling there will be some sweeeeet Vespas there to represent. And me, I'll be there, I'll be the one looking intimidated.

Then on saturday they have events all day, including a 50 mile scooter ride... Man that sounds fun, but I'll probably pass.

Also, I've been posting in the Imperial Scooter Club forums for like a total of an hour and I've already met Dirk of East Atlanta Tattoos. Aside form being a well respected tattoo artist, he also does some kick ass paintings, we bought some of his hand painted magnets at the Inman Park Arts Festival a few years ago. Turns out he has a clunkyrobot sticker in his tattoo shop. It was given to him by a customer... whoever that was, thanks!

Prepare thyself for a tale of woe, and complainery.

I recently got an Xbox with Xbox live, it's awesome. I've been playing Halo 2 with all those 12 year olds, that's not awesome. Those guys are jerks, and what's worse is the phenomena known as "de-leveling." Which is... the act of committing suicide during game play in order to lower your character's level. The benefit of this practice is that high level players can now play against lower level, or newer players, instead of players of the same level as is intended. It's sucks, and if your in a team game, some jerk will add his -29 kills to your team total. That means you won't win.

So I've just about had my fill of Halo, or rather, the people who play Halo. That's why I was super excited when I heard about Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Lockdown. The Rainbow Six games are inherently Team based, so the chances of getting a jerk on your team are considerably less, and even less if you build a team of friends that you regularly play with.

So I go to Best Buy and happily pay them $6 to reserve me a copy of Rainbow Six: Lockdown. You see, you pay a deposit to guarantee that they'll hold a copy of the game for you when it comes in, this is especially helpful for new games that are going to "blow up." This agreement is one based on trust, and incentive between the Best Buy corporation and me, a costumer pledging 42 dollars worth of loyalty. A sacred bond, if you will.

Finally the day arrives when the game will be released, and like a loyal costumer who has already given Best Buy six of my dollars for the privilege of giving them 42 more, I travel to the store to pick up my reserved copy of Rainbow Six: Lockdown.

As instructed, I go to the Customer Service counter, where in my mind there will be a large stack of games, each with a sticky note applied listing names of the privileged few who were smart enough to reserve games.... Well I don't see any games, but they're probably "in the back" away from prying eyes.

Clunky: (cheerily) "Hi, I'm here to pick up my reserved copy of Rainbow Six: Lockdown!"

Best Buy Lady: (caring less) "Go get one off the shelf."

Clunky: "Um... ok"

There are no copies of this game on the shelves.

Clunky: "Hey, I was just up here, there aren't any copies of this game on the shelf."

Best Buy Lady: "Then we ain't got it."

Clunky: (dumbfounded) "Um, but I reserved a copy." (holding up receipt)

Best Buy Lady: "If it isn't on the shelf, then we don't have it."

Clunky: "Then what did I pay 6 dollars for?"

Best Buy Lady: (heaves a heavy sigh) "SIIIIGGHHHHH, go talk to the games department"

So I walk over to the "Games Department" where 4 Best Buy workers in bright blue shirts are standing and talking. After they finish their conversation (about 2 minutes) one of them turns and looks at me. Just looks at me, doesn't ask me if he can help me, he doesn't even address me as if I were human, I could have been an "end cap" for the PSP. He just stares at me.

After I explain my situation to these Best Buy Employees 3 of them scatter like I turned on the lights in my old apartment kitchen on Moreland Ave. The one left standing there just blinks at me.

I state my situation again, maybe I spoke to fast... No, he heard me, he just doesn't know how to respond. After some poking and prodding, he takes me over to a computer terminal and does a search on the best buy website for the game I'm talking about. The exact same search I did at home, on the exact same website for the exact same game, and he gets the exact same information I already got A WEEK AGO!

Best Buy Dude: "It says here the game should be in today, but we don't have any copies"

Clunky: "Well did you sell out of the game, or did you just never receive it from the supplier?"

Best Buy Dude: "I don't know."

Clunky: "You don't know... Well who does know?"

He takes me back to CUSTOMER SERVICE! I already hate this lady, so this is where I get really angry. I also never find out if they simply sold out of the game, or if the delivery date has been pushed back. I have a feeling they sold out of the game, but wouldn't cop to it because I had rightfully reserved a copy. That would make somebody responsible, and nobody at Best Buy wants that.

I end up leaving the store without my game. I'll be buying it at Target next door. Or possibly any other place on the face of the Earth besides Best Buy. Anyway, it's my fault for going there in the first place. Don't buy things from Best Buy...
DON'T BUY THINGS FROM BEST BUY.

ok, enough of this scooter business... for now at least.

I grew up in Delaware, you know, the first state to ratify the constitution of the United States of America. Much of Delaware is steeped in American history. William Penn himself landed many of his ships in the ports of New Castle, before eventually settling in.. well... Pennsylvania. This is back when they called Delaware "The Three Lower Counties" of Pennsylvania. And is why I still jokingly call the state of Delaware a "suburb of Philadelphia." Because it's funny to call a state the suburb of a city... heh, see what I mean? hilarious.

Because of our close proximity to Washington D.C. many of our school field trips were to the Nation's capital. I have fond memories of the Smithsonian, the steps of the Capitol building, the Washington Monument, but most fondly I remember the National Air and Space Museum.

I think it was all that American history that has instilled in me a critical love of our country. I learned to see the founding fathers as a group of men who had lofty dreams, but still regarded themselves as inherently flawed. They wrote their documents in such a graceful pen, but always were there included clues as to the nature of man, and his lust for power.

This weekend NPR had a wonderful article about George Washington, and his Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation.

Some of his rules are a little mundane, some are simply outdated, but a few of them are quite profound.

“Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience.”

All of the rules are written with a sensitivity and respect we don't often see in our governmental officials these days. Maybe some of our current politicians should go back and study Washington, a man who reluctantly took office for his country. Displaying an attribute that makes for the best politician, reluctance to become one in the first place.

OK, this is a new project. [Project] Mia Ragazza, detailing the re-finishing of a 1979 Vespa p200e. Here are the scooters current stats:

1979 Vespa p200e
manufactured by Piaggio of Italy

Engine: 859.7 miles
--------------------------------------------------------------
- Carb rebuild kit: needle, float, gaskets [9.01.05 @ motobravo]

--------------------------------------------------------------

Damage:
--------------------------------------------------------------
- steering column lock broken
- scratch & minor body damage, cowl (left side)
- minor scratches, front fender
- minor scratches, rear fender (body)
- minor scratches, headlight casing

--------------------------------------------------------------

comments:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Filled oil tank with 11oz Pennzoil 2 cycle air cooled motor oil. Rode the scooter to work this week. Ran great.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Ok, over the next couple months I am going to fix that scooter up some. Hopefully culminating is a complete re-finishing and re-painting of the whole scooter. Yeah... It's going to be hard. I'm shooting for January to be when I'm applying the paint... Atlanta's coldest month.

next up, I have to order the Haynes Vespa P & PX Scooters 1978-2003 Service Manual from Amazon.com

this was fast.

After Kanye West made some disparaging comments about Bush and what West would describe as W's apparent dislike of black people, a couple rappers remixed Kanye's Gold Digger into an interesting protest rap about the poor Government response to the crisis in New Orleans. (via boingboing)

Can't rap? There are other (and better) ways to help out Katrina victims.

Say what you will about Kanye, and about whether his comments were appropriate or not... I'm not making that judgment here, but it was obvious that the guy was pissed, and the look on Mike Meyers face was classic. Stuff like this is why the internet is great. Kanye made an ass out himself just a few days ago, and already the video clip of his remarks has permeated the internet. And now a couple guys have turned it into a rap.

information travels faster in the modern age, in the modern age...
as our days are crawling by so slowly

@ 1600 pixels wide
@ 1024 pixels wide

and... still accepting scooter names here.

It came in at about 300lbs.

It's a big beautiful baby girl, we haven't given her a name yet. In fact, I could use some help. Post name suggestions in the comments section.

behold!

No matter what, there is one thing you can count on at Dad's Garage...

The World Domination Theatresports Tournament = Party with Talented People

It's Labor Day weekend, and every year that means one thing at Dad's Garage, some of the most talented improvisors from around the world decend on Atlanta to show us how improv is really done.

My favorite improv group has returned again this year, those two we call Iron Cobra. Iron Becky and Iron Graham do it right. Their show is based on suggestions taken from a large bowl filled with scraps of paper. Some of the scraps have suggestions written by audience members, other scraps have the titles to short sketches Graham and Becky have written on them. You never know whether you'll get a sketch or an improv scene next, but the delicate treatment of both is practically indistinguishable, and always hilarious.

After their show last night Becky and Graham were talking about changing the format of the Iron Cobra show. At first it made me a little sad to realize that soon the Original Flavor Iron Cobra show may be retired, but then I realized that new stuff from Iron Cobra would actually be twice as exciting.

Last night I was lucky enough to perform with my old improv teacher and mentor Joeseph Limbaugh. He was one of the founders at Dad's, but has since moved to L.A. to be a hard working actor in commercials and popular sitcoms. We competed against the guys from Geva Improv out of Rochester NY. This is a group we taught some classes to a few years ago when they were super new, now they've found their own style and voice.

Later that same night I was again privileged to perform with Jacob Bannigan and Josh Dean as Team Austria against "The Juggernaut" Team Edmonton. Jacob used to be the Artistic Director at Rapid Fire in Edmonton, but now lives in Austria with his wife family. Josh is from Edmonton but lives in L.A. with his boyish good looks. And of course everyone who has ever seen them LOVES the improvisors from Edmonton, so those guys are all family. They are the originals, the real deal improvisors. Being on stage with those guys is like playing bass for Springsteen and the E Streeters. Separately they are awesome, but together they melt brains.

There are still many shows left this weekend, if you have the chance you should go see some shows, you won't be disappointed, I guarantee*

(* not an actual guarantee)