tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-112571032011-12-23T02:53:43.354-05:00All Culture Is "Pop Culture"!!Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.comBlogger4711100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-52506609265360029552009-01-31T10:30:00.003-05:002009-01-31T10:42:44.125-05:00

It's getting to be a tradition with Democratic presidents: The embarrassing brother--who is usually an addict of some sort. Jimmy Carter had the hard drinking Billy, Bill Clinton had cocaine addled Roger, and now Barack Obama has George. According to a report CNN.com, the president's half-brother currently sits in a Nairobi jail on charges of marijuana possession and resisting arrest.Between

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-37124730939310822312009-01-04T10:46:00.003-05:002009-01-04T11:03:30.638-05:00

Apparently, the Senate majority leader is an idiot.Harry Reid was on Meet The Press this morning making an ass of himself by displaying for the entire nation to hear his utter lack of command of the English language as he contended repeatedly that his objections to the appointment of Roland Burris to the fill Barack Obama's seat is not to Burris himself but results from the controversy

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-958226311142189972007-09-25T15:23:00.000-04:002007-09-25T15:55:59.607-04:00

I might just check out the premiere of Reaper tonight on the CW. The premise doesn't appeal to me at all, but some of the talent involved does. Frankly, I think the casting of Ray Wise (Twin Peaks' Leland Palmer) as Satan is simply inspired. Plus, tonight's debut episode is directed by none other than Kevin Smith. I might take a look at Bionic Woman tomorrow night as well...though I strongly

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-45980342437549235372007-09-21T15:21:00.000-04:002007-09-21T15:47:59.460-04:00

I swear that I have not been looking forward this much to a new season of Saturday morning cartoons since I was a kid. Tomorrow brings the season premieres of The Batman and Legion of Super-Heroes on Kids' WB.Legion cemented its place as one of the best super-hero cartoons ever with its season ending two part adaptation of the Legion's classic battle to stop the Sun-Eater. Every comics fans even

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-557594378801208942007-08-25T10:37:00.000-04:002007-08-25T10:51:30.492-04:00

So, next weekend, I, and the group of cartoonist of which I am a part known as Sunday Comix, will be having a gallery show at the Gallery Upstairs over the Surly Girl Saloon in the Short North. It's for one night only, but that night is the night of the monthly Gallery Hop, September 1st, so we should get a few people coming in, and I might even dupe some gullible fool into buying one of my

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-12249523091569035292007-08-13T15:42:00.000-04:002007-08-13T15:52:56.805-04:00

Even though he laughed off the idea when it was suggested by Chris Wallace (or maybe he was just laughing at Wallace, who is utterly ridiculous) on Fox News Sunday yesterday morning, former Massachussetts governor Mitt Romney, after coming out on top in the first actual, if totally meaningless, vote of the 2008 Presidential election season, the Iowa Non-binding Straw Poll on Saturday, could

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-55893261217707056692007-08-04T14:47:00.000-04:002007-08-04T14:57:52.662-04:00

The great Tom Snyder, one of the great voices, styles and personalities in the history of talk shows, died last Sunday at the age of 71. Here he is interviewing three members of the cast of the 1950's classic "The Adventures of Superman": Jack Larson (Jimmy Olsen); Bob Shane (Inspector Henderson); and the lovely Noel Neill (the one, true Lois Lane), as well as Gary Grossman, author of the book

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-88786827975991499922007-06-12T18:11:00.000-04:002007-06-12T18:18:25.808-04:00

From today's Columbus Dispatch:Strickland, Dann seek near-total ban on wagering gamesGovernor also says he'd veto instant-racing bill Frankly, this does not bode well for my dream of one day opening a poker room in the South Campus Gateway.

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-20829714651500149292007-06-12T15:56:00.000-04:002007-06-12T16:11:43.236-04:00

So, I was just looking at CBS' fall schedule and I must say I am not impressed. True, they did have the good sense to cancel The Class, but they have renewed Rules of Engagement, which I haven't seen, but hear is even worse. True, I probably shouldn't take other reviewers' words for it, but the truth is that I like very little that's on network TV anyway, so I probably wouldn't like this.

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-44926585194830909522007-06-07T15:37:00.000-04:002007-06-07T15:47:24.780-04:00

The second episode of the new "reality" series Pirate Master airs tonight on CBS.If I were speaking to you now, you would be correct in noting a certain lack of enthusiasm in my tone. I've been turning in early every night this week and see no need to quit tonight.Originality in "reality" TV these days is about as rare as honesty in a politician or mental stability in a cartoonist. Just about

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-11199578573332686192007-06-06T15:40:00.000-04:002007-06-06T15:52:35.200-04:00

We know turn our attention once again to the "Sanjaya Installation" video that popped up on YouTube a couple of weeks ago and which I embedded here last Wednesday. We leave aside the question of the true identity of Sanjaya Malakar/Bill Vendall/John Galt/Whoever and consider instead the gender identity of the person in behind Sanjaya/Vendall. Ok, I thought upon first seeing this video, and I

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-63822617439326009242007-06-05T16:45:00.000-04:002007-06-05T17:00:24.775-04:00

Video "Week" continues, because, quite frankly, I just don't feel like writing anything. If I did feel like writing anything, it would be rant about how I hate horses, which would certainly not endear me to my niece Tamara, (They're stupid, ugly, smelly beasts and if I never see another damned one it'll be too soon...) and really has nothing to do with anything, especially not why I took a month

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-88670058862221108842007-06-02T15:22:00.000-04:002007-06-02T15:32:31.505-04:00

Charles Nelson Reilly died last week at age 76 and in the wake of his passing there have been fond remembrances of his years as a regular on Match Game, his role as the real estate agent on The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (which, to be frank, he was the only reason to watch), and even his over the top portrayal of Hoo Doo on Lidsville, but overlooked has been one of his most memorable and bizarre roles

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-71890108683456934352007-06-01T16:11:00.001-04:002007-06-01T16:14:02.036-04:00

Video Week continues with my personal favorite of all the "Multiplication Rock" segments:

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-67814046536901792442007-05-31T17:31:00.000-04:002007-05-31T17:35:34.548-04:00

Yes, it's, as you've seen, Video Week at The Word From On High, mainly because, after a month off, I want to get back into updating the blog, but I still don't really feel like writing anything nor do I really have anything important to say, so I'll just raid You Tube for a couple of more days until some inspiration strikes me or America's Got Talent debuts on NBC.So..today's video is one of my

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-41935608670809148382007-05-30T20:07:00.000-04:002007-05-30T20:13:36.891-04:00

So, first this vid shows up, claiming Sanjaya was merely a hoax perpetrated by an art student named Bill Vendall:Now, another video surfaces, claiming that Bill Vendall is the hoax and Sanjaya is really real.So, just who is real? Sanjaya? Bill Vendall? Me? God, I'm so confused!!

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-37136417973696209232007-05-29T19:37:00.000-04:002007-05-29T19:40:15.472-04:00

To the reporters at Onion News Network who bring us this story, I can only say, "Ooooo! Good job!"Report: 70 Percent Of All Praise Sarcastic

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-75183130967980537402007-04-30T17:20:00.000-04:002007-04-30T17:34:49.084-04:00

On the second day of this year's Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo (its friends call it SPACE), I led a panel on the subject of on-line comics with Ryan Holgerson, Andrea "Sam" McEnaney, and Jared Koon. Even though I organized and moderated the shindig, I'm pretty much a newbie to the whole world of on-line comics, and actually had the least to contribute. I manged to learn quite a bit

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-75974719184900086282007-04-24T20:27:00.000-04:002007-04-24T20:30:17.168-04:00

I'll have to finish up the SPACE report tomorrow, my friends. I have spent most of this day grappling with emotional issues and e-mail, an even as I input this entry, I am missing American Idol. So, I shall have to quickly upload this blather and run across the street to my box-like apartment to catch the rest of the show. Talk to you tomorrw..

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-37311639306136668422007-04-23T18:55:00.000-04:002007-04-23T19:19:52.132-04:00

The Eagle has landed! The Ray has returned! And there was much rejoicing!Greetings, denizens of cyber-space-land, I bring you glad tidings from SPACE (the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo) to which I boldly went this past weekend, armed only with a couple of hundred copies of Wasted Potential: Fit 2 Print, the mini-comic collecting the Wasted Potential and Pop Darts comic strips that ran

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-78731961525846463642007-04-20T10:20:00.000-04:002007-04-20T10:32:30.211-04:00

The 8th Annual Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo, held once again at the spacious Aladdin Shrine Center in the Small Press Comics Capitol of the Known Universe, Columbus, Ohio, begins in less than 24 short hours. The show expands to TWO (2) big days this year, so there's plenty of chance for you to get out there and see what all the buzz on the street has been about. When you show up, be

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-33700156223209351562007-04-20T09:51:00.000-04:002007-04-20T10:12:48.607-04:00

Couldn't post yesterday. The time that I wasn't busy preparing for this weekend's SPACE show was spent in gleeful jumping up and down for joy after Wednesday's American Idol results show!As our 38th president famously said upon stumbling, literally and metaphorically, into the Oval Office: "Our long national nightmare is over."Yes, my faith in the judgment of the American people has been, at

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-25666662218916078672007-04-18T20:04:00.000-04:002007-04-18T20:12:04.241-04:00

Last night, Ryan Seacrest, the Cowell and a couple of the American Idol hopefuls expressed sympathy and solidarity for the victims of Monday's Virginia Tech massacre. I think they should do more and put some money where their mouths are. Idol's producers should take just a small portion of the cash they are raising with next week's "Idol Gives Back" event and set up a relief fund for the victims

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-88015734668052410582007-04-18T19:54:00.000-04:002007-04-18T20:12:48.233-04:00

With little over an hour, as I type this, until tonight's American Idol results show, I thought I'd offer some predictions.Safe this week:Phil--this was his best performance yet. If he can keep this up, he might challenge Blake for a spot in the top 3.Blake--another fine performance, and great job of finding a country song suited to his style.Jordin--an amazing performance. Simon is right: if she

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-62934426770486410502007-04-17T19:11:00.000-04:002007-04-17T19:18:01.292-04:00

Been away a little longer than I anticipated. It's too bad I don't do a personal blog as I'd have a lot to write about. Actually, it consists mostly of failed attempts to hook up with women, which really aren't all that interesting, even to me. I'd be interested if I'd succeeded. Anyway, I'll be back in a couple of days. And, for no good reason at all, here's a picture of Sanjaya.

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-50357543241635417732007-03-29T17:33:00.000-04:002007-03-29T17:38:00.772-04:00

Well, after that last post, it must be pretty apparent that I am scraping the bottom of the barrel here. So, I think that it is time to step a way for a few days from the daily grind of posting my insane thoughts on this blog and take time to devote to other areas of my life that I have let slide. I will probably be back next Thursday for my weekly Idol update, so I won't be away too long. See

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-81778007160467910662007-03-29T17:10:00.000-04:002007-03-29T17:33:09.303-04:00

There is an observation that I've carried around in the dank and musty backrooms of my mind for some time now, but have never shared it with anyone else because it happens to concerns pornography. Now, I realize that as a healthy adult male who is not, and has not been for a looooong time, in a relationship or otherwise "gettin' any," I really need not be ashamed that, on occasion, I's likes me

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-25845177015703939042007-03-29T16:59:00.000-04:002007-03-29T17:09:39.020-04:00

You know, I'm not exactly sure how old Season5 American Idol finalist Bucky Covington actually is, but I know he isn't yet even 30, and probably not even 25. In his debut single, "A Different World," which is, to my disappointment, not the theme from the 198o's Cosby Show spin-off, Covington croons about a redneck's idealized version of what seems to be the 1950's, when times were simpler and,

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-46422716104908238912007-03-29T16:49:00.000-04:002007-03-29T16:59:07.637-04:00

(This is essentially a continuation of one of my posts from Saturday)Now, last night's game was how Jeopardy! oughta be played.Challenger Brendan looked for a while as if he were going to run away with it, as he had more than twice as much money as the other two. Late in the Double Jeopardy! round however, Doug, the returning champion staged a comeback and at the end of the round only $200

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-49885850600434394512007-03-29T16:38:00.000-04:002007-03-29T16:49:06.873-04:00

To Lakisha: "Love those boots. Now you're 30 years younger this week."After "going to commercial" music started playing during his critique of Chris Sligh: "I haven't finished yet. Not the Oscars."To Gina: "The transformation from 3 or 4 weeks ago to tonight is literally chalk and cheese." Now, I understood what he meant, but, to avoid anyone else misunderstanding, he probably should have

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-19363104681221001672007-03-29T16:21:00.000-04:002007-03-29T16:38:32.263-04:00

The biggest surprise of last night's American Idol results show, at least for me, was that Gwen Stefani's performance didn't suck. Being well on my way to becoming a grumpy old fart, I'm not all that hip to the sounds that those crazy kids are digging these days. A couple of months ago, however, I happened to be watching some music awards show, which one I honestly can't remember, where Stefani

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-89049242066189362042007-03-27T20:07:00.000-04:002007-03-27T20:48:49.580-04:00

It is a popular cliche that cliches are cliches because they are true. That is to say that most, if not all, cliches are merely universal truths of human existence repeated over and over to the point of triteness. One such truth is that emotional pain can often inspire great art; or suicide, which will not seem as unrelated to anything I'm about to write by the time we get to the end of this.A

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-41781220649988801512007-03-27T16:13:00.000-04:002007-03-27T17:10:14.187-04:00

In a comment a few weeks ago, a friend of mine said I should write less about Pop Culture and more about my life in this blog, to which I responded:"I'm not even interested in my life. And more people are interested in pop culture than would be interested in my life, and when I started this blog, I set out to do a blog that people were going to read...which, to a small extent, has worked, as I do

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-45258020719978772472007-03-24T21:03:00.000-04:002007-03-24T21:22:10.409-04:00

New Kid's Meal toys have arrived at your neighborhood Wendy's. Once again based on last year's remake of E.B. White's beloved children's classic Charlotte's Web, the latest premiums are a series of stuffed toys, 12 in all, depicting characters from the film, timed to coincide with the release of the DVD. If you ask me, the toys promoting the DVD release are waaay cooler than the ones the lamo "

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-57883210309228489582007-03-24T20:46:00.000-04:002007-03-24T21:22:39.135-04:00

As of this week, American Idol is down to ten contestants. I've already picked who I think is going to win, and here is my run-down of the rest of the Top 10.Will Win: Chris SlighShould Win: Lakisha JonesWho I Want to Win: Melinda DoolittleWill Have Most Successful Post-Idol Debut CD: Blake LewisDestined for Longest, and ultimately Most Successful Post-Idol Career: Jordin SparksMost Likely to

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-28790993628485488572007-03-24T20:05:00.000-04:002007-03-24T20:33:30.455-04:00

So, if you ask me, Scott Weiss kind of screwed himself. Weiss, you'll remember, unless you live here in Columbus where the show was preempted by the damned NCAA tournament, was the returning champion on the Friday, March 16 edition of Jeopardy! that ended in the show's first ever three way tie. Going into Final Jeopardy! Weiss was leading with $13,400 and his two opponents were tied at $8,000.

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-61135183416844318832007-03-23T16:33:00.000-04:002007-03-23T16:39:45.542-04:00

I honestly have no urge to write today. Well, actually I do. I want to write about a conversation I just had--more accurately, a monologue I just listened to--outside the fast food restaurant where I work, but I need some time to figure out what it all means and what I want to say about it and if I want to say it here on The Word From On High. Besides, I'm tired and a bit depressed and

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-21440543376251943822007-03-22T18:45:00.000-04:002007-03-22T19:08:46.783-04:00

The Good News (at least for fans of comics artist Chris Ware and his comic book series Acme Novelty Library, as well, I presume, for Mr. Ware himself): Tonight Showtime debuts the video version of the acclaimed National Public Radio documentary This American Life (Good News for fans of the show and for host Ira Glass). One of the segments, an unusual childhood memory, is visually accompanied by

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-79152477201427103212007-03-22T18:31:00.000-04:002007-03-22T18:43:11.209-04:00

After Paula suggested that nervous contestants should picture Simon undressed: "I'm asking Paula: Is that what you think about?"To Haley: "You naughty little thing!...I think people are going to talking about a lot more than your singing tonight." Obviously a reference to the outfit she was barely wearing.Responding to boos from the audience: "Sorry. Sorry for having an opinion." I don't think

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-87457817447174231012007-03-22T18:08:00.000-04:002007-03-22T18:30:48.560-04:00

Haley Scarnato set the tone for this week's American Idol performances right off the bat on Tuesday night. I loved everything about it: the song, the dancing, and especially the outfit. (I now wish to amend a statement I made two weeks ago: As of now, Haley is the Idol hopeful I most wish to see topless photos of on the web.) In retrospect, Stephanie Edwards probably did deserve to leave this

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-14663769743489891512007-03-21T16:03:00.000-04:002007-03-21T16:14:31.714-04:00

On his very own blog, independent comics artist/writer/publisher, creator of the long-running comic Cerebus, and full time nut Dave Sim yesterday announced the recipient of the 2006 Howard E. Day Memorial Prize, more popularly referred to as The Day Prize. Said winner shall receive a nifty commemorative plaque and an even niftier cheque (Sim's Canadian, after all) for $500 at a ceremony to be

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-3495261622495851882007-03-21T15:40:00.000-04:002007-03-21T16:02:00.630-04:00

So, does everyone know what today is?No, not the first day of Spring! Today is exactly one month before the fabulous, frantic and fun-filled 2007 edition of the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo, referred by hipsters and those in the know as SPACE. The show expands to two days for the first time this year, meaning you will have the opportunity to wander breathlessly about the vast

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-44791419211453249602007-03-20T16:30:00.000-04:002007-03-20T16:49:56.645-04:00

`Idol' Contestant's Faith Questioned I do not even have the time to go into all that pisses me off about that article. Mostly it is the narrow minded view that those so-called "Christians" hold of how a "Christian" is supposed to act and even what kind of music they're supposed to like. That Chris Sligh isn't standing up on the American Idol stage every week actively trying to save the souls of

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-22779499500925395702007-03-19T17:32:00.000-04:002007-03-19T18:06:30.263-04:00

Much has been made of Marvel's Black Panther, introduced by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Fantastic Four #52, being the comics' first Black super-hero. (He is sometimes referred to as the first African American super-hero, though this is incorrect. The Panther was T'Challa, a prince of the fictional African land of Wakanda, and not any kind of American. The first African-American hero is most likely

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-63217171792078269822007-03-17T15:18:00.000-04:002007-03-18T14:03:22.865-04:00

God, I hate the friggin' NCAA Tournament. Well, I hate most sports, but that stupid basketball tournament most of all, and here's why:I hate it because it pre-empts my game shows. Last year, you may remember, when Wheel of Fortune got knocked off Channel 10 in favor of basketball, I turned over to Access Hollywood on Channel 4 where I caught an interview with Marie Osmond which I subsequently

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-36263390682689699412007-03-16T15:42:00.000-04:002007-03-16T16:13:00.029-04:00

So, another relatively new sitcom that I finally got around to watching, and immediately wished that I hadn't, is CBS' Monday night debacle The New Adventures of Old Christine starring Seinfeld and Saturday Night Live alumnus Julia Louis-Dreyfus, which returned to the Eye Network's line-up this week after a far too brief hiatus.After Dreyfus won her Emmy last fall, it was said that the success of

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-90894982051996589692007-03-15T16:16:00.000-04:002007-03-15T16:33:13.373-04:00

Until last night, I had not watched the new Fox sitcom 'Til Death, starring Brad Garrett. The promos that aired before it premiered last fall seemed to promise another unfunny, unoriginal sitcom about a bickering married couple in the vein of Married, With Children. Perhaps I wasn't the only one avoiding the show, as Fox last night "rewarded" it with the post American timeslot, hoping to trick

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-3074914794737032742007-03-15T16:00:00.000-04:002007-03-16T16:14:11.113-04:00

Opening remarks: "This stage changes everybody, Ryan. It's a whole new ballgame." ...and Melinda and Lakisha are still hitting Grand Slam homers every time.To Brandon: "You came over, if you don't mind me saying, as a background singer for a background singer." Mind? Gee, Si, why would anyone mind?Exchange with Seacrest after Melinda complains about having to wear high heels on stage:Ryan: "Simon

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-76758983010121127152007-03-15T15:44:00.000-04:002007-03-15T15:59:34.887-04:00

Doubtless thou shalt nevermore cast doubt upon my peerless powers of prognostication in the wake of last night's American Idol results show. Did I not fearlessly forecast that Sanjaya was safe this week and one of those who flubbed their lyrics on Tuesday would depart? Of course, the prediction was so Nostrodamusishly (yes, I realize it's not a "real" word) vague that any one of three people

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-7632327585098606352007-03-14T16:58:00.000-04:002007-03-14T17:20:56.294-04:00

Here are some other stories that, as they say on TV, we are following here in the Word From On High newsroom:As far as I know, Captain America, much like Generalissimo Francisco Franco, is still dead. Van Halen, whether or not they really belonged there, could, for the most part, not even be bothered to show up to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The eponymous Van Halen brothers

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-60818226281511139082007-03-14T16:19:00.000-04:002007-03-14T16:53:16.309-04:00

This is an outrage!I just ran a search on Google for blog entries about Fred Thompson's non-announcement that he might just possibly consider thinking about running for President next year, and my entry from Sunday wasn't among the results....There are, however, thousands of results, both in blogs and other news outlets. Thompson's half-assed declaration of intent to seek the Presidency is being

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-19228300845522914212007-03-13T15:51:00.001-04:002007-03-14T15:52:07.479-04:00

Here's another quote from later in that USA Today article I cited yesterday. This wonderfully idiotic nugget of crap comes from someone introduced to the reader as "New York writer Roger Wade," who contends: "This is supposed to be a hall of fame, and denying both the fame and influence of Rush and Kiss makes the institution look ridiculous." Wade is being entirely too literal minded and

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-91193525100799991962007-03-12T16:20:00.000-04:002007-03-13T16:30:15.770-04:00

Tonight in New York City, the annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be taking place. Don't feel too bad if you can't make it to the show, as you'll probably soon be able to watch it endlessly on VH-1.As soon as this year's crop of honorees was announced some two months ago, the inclusion of pioneering rap group Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five raised eyebrows among rock

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-89928986071253355872007-03-11T15:10:00.000-04:002007-03-11T15:12:08.622-04:00

Captain America is dead.Yeah, right.Issue #25 of Marvel Comics' fourth relaunch of its Captain America series in the past decade features the assassination of Steve Rogers, the super-heroic personification of patriotism, as he is to stand trial for defying the U.S. government in the course of the publisher's latest ill-considered, universe-changing, company wide crossever non-event known as

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-70154652435938621312007-03-11T13:12:00.000-04:002007-03-11T13:50:03.905-04:00

Yet another big change could be coming to the constantly morphing cast of NBC's Law & Order. On this morning's edition of the rightward leaning Sunday interview show Fox News Sunday, actor and former United States senator Fred Thompson, who for the past five seasons has portrayed New York City District Attorney Arthur Branch on the long running cops and lawyers drama, revealed to FNS host/Bush

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-54286655789277350342007-03-10T15:01:00.000-05:002007-03-10T15:14:11.685-05:00

To Sanjaya: "Maybe it's your hair that's keeping you in." Well, that and his smile.After Jared performed: "I'm sort of disappointed over all because I'm not hearing the 'wow' factor." Is that related to the "X Factor" that you're always talking about?To Sabrina: "It actually reminded me of a hotel resort performance." To which Paula responded: "If you're performing at any hotel, I'll go there,"

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-40587447504715324902007-03-10T14:23:00.000-05:002007-03-12T16:25:54.920-04:00

With American Idol's Top 12 in place, as of yet I do not have to revise my initial prediction of the eventual winner. Chris Sligh remains in the running with a good shot at being the next Idol. Of course, there are 10 other hopefuls who also have a good chance of taking the prize.Sanjaya Malakar, on the other hand, should never have made it past Wednesday of Hollywood Week and won't be there for

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-65888111929593484502007-03-09T15:50:00.000-05:002007-03-09T16:14:20.306-05:00

Whenever I'm feeling tired and uninspired and don't know what to write about, I secretly thank whatever cruel and demented power created our imperfect universe for the existence of The Other Paper, for all I have to do is open this worhtless wasted of ink to any page in order to read some outrageous crime against good journalism. Others apparently do not share my low opinion of TOP and instead

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-87002511477327826852007-03-08T16:40:00.000-05:002007-03-08T16:45:42.964-05:00

I have a question. It may seem kind of silly, but I'd really like an answer if anybody's got one.Okay, you all remember the old superstition that says that an itchy palm means you're going to receiving money shortly, right? Well, what I'm wondering is whether it matters which hand's palm is itchy, or if you're right or left handed? Y'see, I'm right handed and today my left palm was itching, and

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-65719909821874565722007-03-08T16:02:00.000-05:002007-03-08T16:28:05.975-05:00

Last week, at least I think it was last week, Columbus Alive's "TV Diva" devoted her column to a listing of what she considered the best and worst of recent TV show finale episodes. The fact that I'm writing this should tell you that I take issue with at least one of her choices, and I do, indeed, dispute the inclusion of Everybody Loves Raymond's final episode on the "Worst" list.While I was

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-19816808456384185982007-03-07T20:08:00.000-05:002007-03-07T20:06:22.877-05:00

I didn't post anything yesterday, not only because I was really tired and just wanted to drop into a coma, but because the only thing I would have written anyway would have been another rant about how bad CBS' The Class is, especially Monday's lame-ass season finale. I've been over that territory twice before and I thought you, my loyal and long suffering readership, might find it a bit tiresome

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-12276661416537023222007-03-05T17:52:00.000-05:002007-03-05T18:14:06.747-05:00

About a dozen years ago, a CD called Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits came out featuring "alternative" rock acts doing songs from TV cartoons. It was mostly theme songs, but there were a few tunes featured in individual episodes, such as The Violent Femmes tearing up the Jetsons classic "Eep-Op-Ork-Ah-Ah (Means I Love You)." Sadly, no one chose to cover that chase scene classic, "Hey, Girl, Ya

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-39293018242351440442007-03-04T14:10:00.000-05:002007-03-04T14:39:58.214-05:00

So, after months of telling my readers how The Other Paper is not fit even for the wrapping of fish, I would be as surprised as any one to find myself writing something that could be construed in any way as a defense of TOP, but that is precisely what you're about to read.This week's paper included a letter from one Terry Holub. Holub decries the hubbub over the recent staff walkouts at

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-10945954113118682792007-03-03T16:33:00.000-05:002007-03-03T16:49:51.126-05:00

I'm throwing this clip up for a couple of reasons. First off, you might remember a few weeks ago when I was writing about the coming changes to Archie Comics' Betty and Veronica. I realize that many of you out there don't read Archie comics or haven't since you were kids, and if you remember Archie and his friends at all it's through the TV cartoons of the late sixties and seventies. Secondly, I

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-7618374555022410592007-03-03T14:23:00.000-05:002007-03-03T14:33:11.100-05:00

To Sanjaya: "It was like some ghastly lunch where after lunch your parents have asked the children to dress up and sing." Is that how you got into the music biz, Si?To Brandon: "All this 'I'm feeling it' nonsense doesn't work.""I love Grandmas." "And I like puppies." ...to use for football (soccer) practice.To Alaina: "It was like Randy taking part in a hundred meter sprint; i.e. three quarters

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-91897285646517414182007-03-03T13:59:00.000-05:002007-03-03T14:23:15.574-05:00

It's time for this peerless prognosticator to predicate another peerless prediction: I frankly and fearlessly forecast that the song "Feeling Good" will never, ever again be heard upon the American Idol stage. Face it, faithful followers, after this past week, you could not be blamed for believing that the song is somehow cursed. Or perhaps Idol voters just don't dig it. The facts, however, are

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-53401563234294710392007-02-27T16:05:00.000-05:002007-02-27T16:11:35.424-05:00

Hey, while poking around the 'Net, I just learned that I have something in common with Stephen King! Something, I mean, besides the fact that both of us are bad writers given to outburst of purple prose. We have the same middle name: Edwin! He is Stephen Edwin King and I, last I checked, am Raymond Edwin Tomczak. Ok, I'll admit that maybe it's not as cool as it sort of seemed at first. Ah, what

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-54338595847124287032007-02-27T15:53:00.000-05:002007-02-27T16:05:41.005-05:00

With the season/series finale (last I heard, CBS hadn't decided yet) of The Class coming up, I decided last night to force myself to sit through an entire episode, something I haven't been able to do for months, to see if this fetid lump of crap still stinks as much as it did when it was first excreted back in the fall. Boy, does it ever! The Class is still as lame, predictable, uninpired,

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-51759072820511207322007-02-26T15:57:00.000-05:002007-02-26T16:11:40.668-05:00

I fully intended to watch the damned Academy Awards. I really did. But after Ellen Degeneres' awkward and unfunny monologue, a couple of awards in categories that no one gives half a crap about right up front, and Will Ferrell singing (this must never be allowed to happen again), I knew that I was going to fall asleep in front of my TV long before Hollywood's annual orgy of self-congratulation

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-25975508027272560222007-02-25T13:20:00.000-05:002007-02-25T13:43:16.992-05:00

Oscar picks? Look, I spend all my time when I'm sitting around not here in front of a computer screen typing up my useless, uniformed opinions sitting around my apartment watching TV, reading comics and wallowing in pointless self-pity, so it goes without saying that I have failed to see any of the films nominated for any Oscar this year. Hell, the only movie I dragged my sorry ass out off my

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-64800407645871548552007-02-24T17:11:00.000-05:002007-02-24T17:20:25.134-05:00

Speaking of the burning issues of the day; here's one that had me tossing and turning at night, unable to get to sleep (and you thought I just drank too much coffee). I ran across this clip on YouTube in which American Idol runner-up (aka "loser") Katherine McPhee goes on the Tyra Banks Show to settle once and for all the question of whether or not her breasts are "real." The answer? To quote

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-85366632884939693412007-02-24T15:46:00.000-05:002007-02-24T16:06:23.973-05:00

Y'know, Brittany Spears and the late Anna Nicole Smith have been so in the news recently that I'm beginning to get the details of the two stories confused. However, I think I've got it straight now:If I'm understanding correctly, Anna Nicole is checking into rehab, while Brittany will be buried in the Bahamas and Kevin Federline gets custody of both women's kids.Well, if that isn't the way things

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-14236511803236984772007-02-24T15:37:00.000-05:002007-02-24T15:45:42.862-05:00

To Paul Kim: "I would suggest that you put your shoes on next week."Unfortunately, he won't have a chance to either follow or ignore that advice, because he went home Thursday.To Sanjaya Malakar: "I tell you what; they'll like your hair." On Chris Sligh's performance: "I kind of felt I was at some weird student gig." I'm confused. Which is weird, Si, the gig or the student? (Actually, in

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-45769594650697045012007-02-24T15:14:00.000-05:002007-02-24T15:37:15.376-05:00

So, I heard on the Today show this morning that nude photos of American Idol contestant Antonella Barba have surfaced somewhere here in cyberspaceland. According to the report, Fox network execs have not commented on this and won't say if it will affect her future on the show. Well, I don't really think she has too much of a future on the show. Nude pics on the 'net won't hurt her chances of

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-29801350988991612622007-02-23T15:02:00.000-05:002007-02-23T15:34:18.734-05:00

My God, they must have brass ones over at The Other Paper. (For my readers outside of Columbus, TOP is our leading "alternative" newsweekly.) I mean, they have got chutzpah coming out their freakin' ears. In this week's Media Morsels column, the unnamed writer mocks the Ohio State University student paper, The Lantern, for declaring in an article: "When the temperature is below 20 degrees Celsius

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-6543796025105581052007-02-21T16:00:00.000-05:002007-02-21T16:06:33.242-05:00

All right, world...I'm tired, I'm sick, I'm depressed, and, quite frankly, I have nothing worthwhile to say about anything today. However, I will feel guilty if I let this blog go unupdated for two days in a row, especially after missing so many days last week because the weather shut down the Coulumbus Public Libraries. So I say Thank God for You Tube! Instead of posting my thoughts, I'll put

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-26732052944057128862007-02-19T15:48:00.000-05:002007-02-19T15:49:10.104-05:00

I was reading an article in the latest issue of PLAYBOY (Yes, I said "reading an article." Some people do actually do that. Stop snickering.) where I came across the following odd but interesting statistic: "Researchers...have found that the average American opens the refrigerator door 22 times a day."This provides me with further proof, though no more was truly needed, that I am not average. I

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-30533498918768554062007-02-16T14:48:00.000-05:002007-02-16T15:24:26.085-05:00

I'm ready to call it. Yes, even before the Top 24 semi-finalists take the American Idol stage to sing for your votes, I am prepared to predict a winner. I was surprised that he even got to Hollywood, and even more surprised when he survived the first day of Hollywood week, but after he and his group, accompanied by Blake Lewis' beat-boxing, provided the highlight of the group round, I was not

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-41181255777234418382007-02-12T15:47:00.000-05:002007-02-12T15:46:03.958-05:00

I did not want to watch the Grammy Awards. I tried to avoid them. I even watched the last half hour of Grease: You're the One That I Want, which proved to be the lame-ass American Idol rip off that I thought it was. Finally, I gave up and checked out the Grammys for about an hour before going to bed, and I have one question:Wasn't it supposed to be an awards show?Ok, the performances were

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-63718132641787401212007-02-11T13:11:00.000-05:002007-02-11T13:26:35.872-05:00

For tomorrow night's program, "Access investigates who is profitting from Anna Nicole (Smith)'s death," promised the promo for Access Hollywood at the end of its weekend edition.Please, Access Hollywood, please tell us just who is attempting to cash in on the sudden and mysterious death of Anna Nicole Smith? Who?What entertainment "news" show used the tragedy as an excuse to devote an entire hour

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-43774580935508008222007-02-09T16:11:00.000-05:002007-02-09T16:23:38.491-05:00

The Other Paper also reports this week that The Columbus Dispatch will be cutting staff and cutting some syndicated features, which, Dispatch associate publisher Mike Curtin explains, are readily available right here on the Interweb, in favor of more locally oriented features. Specific examples sited are the stock listings and the Op-Ed page. What about the comics page? All of the comics the

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-38618461117295710082007-02-09T15:49:00.000-05:002007-02-08T16:29:39.237-05:00

I'm not sure if I should include this post under the category of "The Other Paper Sucks" since what I'm railing against is not so much the stupidity of TOP but something stupid that somebody unconnected with the rag is quoted as saying in the cover story. Then again, TOP's "reporter" did opt to use the stupid quote in the piece, and the editor apparently thought that a Valentine's Day puff piece

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-27424630744553555952007-02-08T16:17:00.000-05:002007-02-08T16:17:30.054-05:00

About Bryan Kyrish, who claimed to have won a "mock-American Idol" singing contest, yet couldn't even make to Hollywood on the real thing: "What was the person who came in last like?"On Baylie Brown: "You are commercial with a capital C."To Deborah Taylor: "What normally happens when you sing in public?"Deborah Taylor: "I've had people cry."Simon: "I can believe that."On Sandie Chavez: "The

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-51328804074074267142007-02-08T15:51:00.000-05:002007-02-07T16:12:26.168-05:00

Now that we won't have to endure another wildly off key rendition, or rending might be more accurate, of "Unchained Melody" until the next season of American Idol I have but one question, and it's for Randy Jackson: What exactly does "Good lookin' out" mean? He said this to several auditioners, both successful and unsuccessful, as they left, or attempted to leave through the wrong door, the

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-61585142727125747522007-02-07T15:43:00.000-05:002007-02-07T16:12:26.374-05:00

So, I've been going on lately about what a genius, not to mention one of my personal heroes and role models, Gong Show creator/host Chuck Barris was. Well, even Einstein, Newton, Picassso, and Stan Lee had bad days, and it was clearly a bad day for Barris when he created The $1.98 Beauty Show. Obviously an attempt to recreate the Gong Show formula, this parody of beauty pageants hosted by Rip

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-46018254468962234762007-02-06T16:41:00.000-05:002007-02-06T17:02:58.041-05:00

A week ago, I posted an ode to The Gong Show and its host Chuck Barris in which I described a trio of classic Gong Show moments. They say that it's always better to show than to tell, and through the miracle of the magical wonderland that is YouTube, I can do just that. First up, the man, the myth, the legend: The Unknown Comic!Now, the equally legendary, but much nicer Gene, Gene, The Dancing

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-81564888873705319512007-02-06T15:29:00.000-05:002007-02-06T15:42:50.430-05:00

I'm somewhat at a loss for what to write about as I sit down at this computer at the Whetstone library as I have almost every day for the past year and....Wait a minute! Did I say "the past year?" I believe I did. It was indeed one year ago today that I revived my moribund Atomic Pop blog as The Word from on High and began the near daily ritual of posting my insane ramblings here for all the

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-84481446733033321202007-02-05T16:44:00.000-05:002007-02-05T17:29:25.342-05:00

It is time to address yet another thorny ethical dilemma posed by the proliferation of modern technology. What could be more fun than that, eh?In college, I learned the hard way--which is how all things truly worth knowing are learned--that the cardinal rule, the Prime Directive, if I may be so geeky, of film reviewing is that you do not give away the ending of the film. To do so is to risk death

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-60572291206854192502007-02-03T14:15:00.000-05:002007-02-03T14:21:30.509-05:00

Well, I didn't post anything yesterday because I really didn't have anything to say, and I really still don't, so I thought I'd share this song with you. This has been one of my favorite songs ever since the first time I heard (yet in the fifteen years since its release, I still haven't gotten around to buying this CD), and sharing stuff that I like and care about is why I started this blog.

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-67224330781796301572007-02-01T16:08:00.000-05:002007-02-01T16:18:33.445-05:00

To Erica Scott, after yet another butchering of "Unchained Melody": "It was like neverending torture."On Diana Walker's wardrobe:"The most extraordinary dress I've ever seen in my life."Before Margaret Fowler's audition: "I've got no idea what this show is anymore."After giving Brandy Patterson leave to try a second song on the carpet rather than on the hardwood: "Brandy, you are barking mad."To

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-56203187295503435292007-02-01T15:52:00.000-05:002007-02-01T16:08:14.989-05:00

After three weeks of American Idol's sixth season, I'm starting to get a little tired of the auditions and eager to get past Hollywood to the live shows. After all, there are only so many dreadful renditions of "Unchained Melody" that one can be expected to endure. High drama, and not just in the audition chamber, dominated the Birmingham and Los Angeles auditions. A few of the aspiring Idols

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-8202394879695137822007-01-31T18:28:00.000-05:002007-01-31T18:34:43.096-05:00

Last night on Jeopardy! the $2000 answer in the category Edible Rhyme Time was something like "Toast spread made from a potato like tuber" (that's very close, but I wasn't taking notes or anything. I saved the note taking for American Idol), and the correct question was "What is Yam Jam?" I thought when I heard that, "Hey! That sounds pretty good. I would eat that." You know what, I'll bet a lot

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-49213933458021473672007-01-31T18:19:00.000-05:002007-01-31T18:28:31.497-05:00

A teaser headline on the front page of today's Columbus Dispatch made me laugh like a deranged monkey when I read it. Ok, it was about the show that CBS chose to give a ratings boost by slapping on after Sunday's big game, but you've got to admit that "'Criminals Minds' gets Super Bowl love" sounds just slightly wrong. After I stopped my hyenal impersonation, though, I was upset. I thought, "

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-17233125897063797192007-01-30T16:56:00.000-05:002007-01-30T17:00:53.921-05:00

(Note: I have also posted this article at Helium under the title "Chuck Barris and the Gong Show.)America needs Chuck Barris and his Gong Show. Now more than ever.In the 1960’s, Chuck Barris was one of two visionary television producers who helped to revitalize the nearly moribund institution of the game show. Whereas Merv Griffin restored intelligence, dignity and class to the genre with

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-38330670188150205162007-01-30T16:38:00.000-05:002007-01-30T16:55:43.411-05:00

Yesterday, by clicking on one of the ads contained in this very blog, I happened upon the MySpace domain of 2006 American Idol finalist Bucky Covington. It contained snippets of songs from Covington's upcoming debut CD, due out in April. I must say that for country music--a genre I generally despise and will usually go far out of my way to avoid hearing--they weren't all that bad.The bio on

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-54964051515950493322007-01-29T17:10:00.000-05:002007-01-29T17:28:35.470-05:00

Given my penchant for shameless self-promotion, it amazes me that I have not yet used this, my most public forum, to announce to the world that I have finally and at long last placed my acclaimed and beloved comic strip Wasted Potential on the wonderful World Wide Web. Let me therefore correct this egregious oversight forthwith.Yes, eager appreciators of fine sequential art, Wasted Potential, the

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-25292964395260148662007-01-28T15:21:00.000-05:002007-01-28T15:31:33.815-05:00

20th Century Fox demands YouTube expose user from PhysOrg.comYouTube has said it received a subpoena from Twentieth Century Fox demanding it reveal who posted unaired episodes of "24" and "The Simpsons" on the video-sharing website.[...] You may remember, if you read the Word on Friday night, that I had posted some American Idol vid from YouTube. I deleted the post on Saturday after I tried to

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-10841597033441456542007-01-26T16:09:00.000-05:002007-01-26T16:17:40.219-05:00

As you've probably noticed, I've discovered YouTube in a big way. I might've gone a little overboard in posting videos here. I guess I've been kind of like a kid with a new toy. However, YouTube certainly is useful for covering American Idol, since I can show you things that may be hard to describe, and I can rely on someone posting the worst of the auditions. Oddly, I'm finding that tracking

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-59288696295614134992007-01-25T16:30:00.000-05:002007-01-25T16:42:29.754-05:00

Simon Said:On Sundance Head: "I'm going to be amazed if you don't make the finals.""Blew Taylor out of the park." You're mixing your metaphors, Simon, but we know what you mean.On Memphis auditions: "The 'no' club is a big club today."To Castro look-alike Sean Michel: "We expected something about a revolution."To background singer Melinda Doolittle: "Do you hate every single person you're singing

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11257103.post-81805913222384299272007-01-25T16:00:00.000-05:002007-01-25T16:29:40.248-05:00

Emotions ran high during American Idol's New York auditions and the tears flowed freely. Tears of sadness, anger, disappointment, desperation--and, yes, joy...the joy experienced by the thrity five people who got their Golden Ticket to Hollywood. Those who didn't make it seemed to want to make the judges understand just how much being on Idol meant to them, as if that would change the verdict,

Ray "!!" Tomczakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04414983266540609266noreply@blogger.com0