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09/04/2007: Bag Of Skulls.

The woman enjoys autumn much the same as me, but for her, I have to think it’s at least partly due to my increased agreeability to random trips to Michaels. If you don’t live near one, Michaels is a chain of arts & crafts stores. I’ve already complained about the woman’s obsession with this place, and it hasn’t let up.

During the Halloween season (Christmas too, to a lesser extent), I only raise my Michaels hate flag at half-mast, because the chain offers a spooky smorgasbord of booing bric-a-brac, and it’s often stuff that none of the other stores around here carry. They also get a gold star for being one of the first places in town to sell anything Halloweeny, and the proof is in the blood pudding: It’s barely September, and I’m already buying bags of skulls.


(click here to see the WHOLE bag!)

In fact, that’s what the product is officially titled. “Bag Of Skulls.” The shoe (or skull) fits, as it’s five bucks worth of little menacing skulls neatly nestled in a black net sack — which itself has a bunch of smaller skulls built in! So many skulls!

What I really dig (ha!) about them is that they don’t kowtow to society’s usual call for all toy skulls to look perfectly gregarious. These are some seriously mean-faced skulls. After closer inspection, I noticed that they all have gigantic fangs, so they’re not even supposed to be human skulls. It’s a bag of monster skulls! I was on the fence about buying these, but a sack of monster skulls is definitely worth a fiver.

I can’t find my giant Spider-Man figure, but picture him palming one of these babies. Totally sincere Shakespearean Yorick pose just waiting to be designed. I so need to do it. Where’d I put that guy?


Posted by Matt. E-mail me!

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Discussion Thread: 279 comments

What is everyone’s feelings on Home Improvement coming to Nick at Nite?

I’m tickled shitless, to be honest.

Ghosted by fistpittingnork @ 09/05/2007 11:01 PM EDT

I’m in favor merely because it greatly increases the chances of me seeing the episode where Al thinks he’s in a soundproof room but really isn’t.

Ghosted by Matt @ 09/05/2007 11:03 PM EDT

fistpittingnork, I don’t know. I never was much of a Home Improvement fan really. I don’t think my shit’s got anything to worry about. It’s not going anywhere.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 09/05/2007 11:06 PM EDT

“I was a Teenage Werewolf”

It was actually called “Big Wolf on Campus.” Yes, I watched it too and it was incredibly cheesy. The werewolf makeup seemd to becomg more wolf-like in season 2

My underrated show? Space Cases. (Thank you, JLAJRC for listing this one.) Actually, I agree on most of the shows you guys have listed. Like Home Movies- all my friends hate that show, and I don’t know why. Good calls, people.

How could they not love a sci-fi show that had Bill Mumy, George Takei, and the original Black Power Ranger?! Madness…

And if Phil Moore was the host of Nick Arcade…then what show had Omar Gooding?

Ghosted by Invader Norbert @ 09/05/2007 11:07 PM EDT

Went to TARGET tonight and did not see any Halloween JONES Sodas. They had some stuff out but not much. Still trying to get rid of the “Back to School” crap.

I always think that every year will the be the last I get excitied about Halloween; mature, grow out of it, etc. The fact that I spent 15 minutes geeky up my MySpace with a Halloween motif *sigh* says that it will be at least one more year. :)

You guys should see E. Claire. We haven’t even gotten our decorations out yet but she has already been reading her BISCUIT’S HALLOWEEN BOOK and she even busted out the 1977 (not a joke) Jack-O-Lantern candy bucket from the garage. Between that, the GREMLINS, learning about the Presidents, and the SIMPSONS, I am worrying if I am warping her…

Ghosted by The Manimal @ 09/05/2007 11:12 PM EDT

Warping can be a good thing, especially if she’s the only kid on the playground who can sing the Dr. Zaius version of Rock Me Amadeus.

Ghosted by Matt @ 09/05/2007 11:17 PM EDT

I’m indifferent to Home Improvement; it was a decent show but not one I need to see again.

I do think, since they cover so many years now, if Nick at Nick or TVLand would do something like certain decades on certain nights, or even move through the years throughout the night. It grates on me they keep moving their schedule around. I used to fall asleep to Three’s Comapny every night but then the kept moving it. So now I’m back on Adult Swim before bed, but god, how many times can I watch the same Futurama episodes?

Ghosted by Shuanfu @ 09/05/2007 11:19 PM EDT

Shuanfu That sounds like a pretty good idea, especially the having different decades on different nights thing.

I’ve had this idea for a long time for an All 80’s Network. Basically, all 80’s all day, 24/7. In the mornings would be stuff like Donahue and whatnot. Afternoons would be your Dallas and Knots Landing and such and so on. They could just get the rights to all these shows and basically show the programs at the time of day they were originally shown. You could have stuff like Friday Night Videos on Friday nights obviously, and you can just imagine how kickass Saturday mornings would be. Why doesn’t someone do this? I say we all throw in some cash and get it going.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 09/05/2007 11:26 PM EDT

I don’t care for/about HOME IMPROVEMENT. :(

Speaking of ROCK ME AMADEUS, it was always my wish to walk down the aisle to that song at my wedding; giving head nods of acknowledgement to everyone in the crowd. Then I found out that (A) grooms don’t walk down the aisle and (B) I was marrying someone with a lot more sense than I had.

Ghosted by The Manimal @ 09/05/2007 11:29 PM EDT

What would be cool is if they put the shows on their orginal nights and, when possible, at their original times….

What if they did it on a monthy basis? Either a month of the 70s, then 80s or each month one week of each decade….

We need an X-E channel :P

Ghosted by Shuanfu @ 09/05/2007 11:32 PM EDT

Exactly! And imagine the commercials.

X-E Channel! Oh no, the possiblities….

Ghosted by DJ D @ 09/05/2007 11:45 PM EDT

Invader: The Omar Gooding one was “Wild and Crazy Kids”

Ghosted by JLAJRC @ 09/05/2007 11:58 PM EDT

Oh, earlier I was going to say Heathcliff was one of my fav underrated cartoons.

Ghosted by fistpittingnork @ 09/06/2007 12:38 AM EDT

Matt’s mentioning of “Alas, Poor Yorik” reminds of a question. Why does everyone know the line as “Alas, Poor Yorik; I knew him well”. It’s “I knew him, Horatio…”

Just a random thought before I go to bed.

Underated TV shows….Anyone else remember “Team Knight Rider”

Ghosted by Cameron T. @ 09/06/2007 12:43 AM EDT

This wasn’t really an underrated show, but I remember when I was a kid I watched Barney into this awkward stage where I knew I was too old to be watching it, but guiltily watched it anyway.

Ghosted by Tommy @ 09/06/2007 12:57 AM EDT

I am the very model of a modern Major-General,
I’ve information vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical,
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical.

thats for matt – al in the sound proof room..i love home improvement because they do the holidays right

Ghosted by shaun322 @ 09/06/2007 1:05 AM EDT

Does anyone remember “The Highwayman” with Jackofrom the Energizer commercials? He had the truck that turned into a helicopter.

Ghosted by Dan @ 09/06/2007 1:08 AM EDT

How cool is that? The girlfriend text me “there’s a girl in the garden.” I am going to be at a haunted Inn but for now I am at an old barracks and I keep hearing weird conversations down at the end of the hall. There is only three of us here. One of the guys is snoring in his room.

I’m spoked to no extent!

Ghosted by Bill (out of service) @ 09/06/2007 1:12 AM EDT

spooked

Ghosted by Bill @ 09/06/2007 1:14 AM EDT

“There’s a girl in the garden”

“What?”

“In the garden… there’s a girl.”

I actually went out and bought a region free DVD player three years ago just so that I could own the UK release before it was even available in a theater here in the States. Yes, I am a bit sick.

Ghosted by Magic Toy @ 09/06/2007 1:19 AM EDT

Yeah but it sounds like it’s worth it

Ghosted by Dan @ 09/06/2007 1:22 AM EDT

Anyone remember the old Nightman TV series? For some reason that was the one show on during the weekend that I always attempted to stay awake for, although I think I only ever caught about 10 episodes or so. The other I remember is the Swamp Thing TV series on USA Friday nights.

Ghosted by jjwspider @ 09/06/2007 1:25 AM EDT

Yes it was. It was relatively inexpensive, and since my day-to-day DVD player decided to die a couple of years ago, the region-free/intended-to-be-spare DVD player became my only machine. For only running me less than seventy bucks it has been well worth it.

It was also pretty cool to have the Japanese cut of Kill Bill vol. 1 and the DVD release of the Dawn of the Dead remake (before it was available on video here) as well. This is without making mention of the OUTSTANDING UK series Spaced which is easy to get online, but sadly only available on R2 DVD.

Every movie buff should own a region free DVD player. Especially considering how easy it can be. I’m talking ten minutes of research on the internet, a fifteen minute drive to Target, and less than a $100 deduction from the bank account sort of easy.

Ghosted by Magic Toy @ 09/06/2007 1:33 AM EDT

Dan I remember “The Highwayman”. That guy was strange, and during his Energizer days he was all over tv.

Nightman sounds vaguely familiar, but I think I’m confusing it with M.A.N.T.I.S. Anyone remember that one? Oh, here’s some more I liked:

Mann and Machine
My Two Dads
Beans Baxter
Parker Lewis Can’t Loose

I did a student exchange in England back in ‘99 and lived there for the semester and got turned on to Red Dwarf and a couple of Australian soap operas like “Neighbours” and some other one I can’t remember the name of now. Everyone really thought Red Dwarf was the funniest shit in th world but I didn’t really dig it quite as much. But I’ve always really liked “Are You Being Served” and “Absolutely Fabulous” though, especially Ab-Fab.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 09/06/2007 1:44 AM EDT

Right, so I know this will probably end up being a double post unless someone jumps in there before me, so if so I apologize ahead of time. I just wanted to get this last bit in before I head to bed.

I’m really digging Doctor Who right now and I think I’m going to go back and Netflix the first couple of seasons cause I wasn’t watching it as much when it first started coming on. I didn’t like that Christopher Eccleson left the show at first but I’ve come to like this new Doctor a lot more than him so I really don’t want to see him go anwyhere anytime soon. I miss Rose though. Martha Jones is interesting and hot and all but Rose was just sex on a stick.

Oh, and just thought I would mention this in case anyone was interested in this sort of thing. Before I came back to X-E a few minutes ago I noticed on one of the news sites that the famous tenor Pavarotti died this evening, maybe about an hour or so ago. It said he had had cancer for a while and has been sick for quite some time. He was one of “The Three Tenors”. Opera’s not really my bag, but just thought I would throw it out there. I’m sure it’ll be all over the news tomorrow.

So, that’s it for me. I think I’m checking in for the night. Talk to you kids tomorrow. Later.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 09/06/2007 1:55 AM EDT

Cameron, I’d venture a guess there’s a common source the misquote comes from. Maybe even that Warner Bros. cartoon with the gophers?
Ryane I’m happy to find another fan :D Still on the subject of underappreciated shows, I picked up the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia DVDs today. Though it was the last copy they had, so it’s not actually that underrated. Still no Dexter DVDs to be found :mad:
George Takei was on Space Cases? I’d love to see that show again.

Ghosted by squee4242 @ 09/06/2007 2:43 AM EDT

Wow, i’ve been reading here for almost 4 years, and finally pick tonight to post something!

Im glad im not the only one on the “Halloween hunt”. Me, and my girlfriend went to the Dollar Tree about 3 days ago looking for their famous set-up. Sadly, there’s nothing yet, but I managed to bust 1.06 on a toy replica of the human body. I figured it was as close to “halloweeny” as I could get…

Ghosted by James [XMrStayPuftX] @ 09/06/2007 4:54 AM EDT

I fucking hating Michaels. That’s all.

Ghosted by Ktulu @ 09/06/2007 9:59 AM EDT

Manimal – I labored under the delusion that grooms walked down the aisle for a few years – it was because of The Muppets Take Manhattan, in which Kermit and Miss Piggy walk down the aisle together.

Ghosted by Jessica Marie @ 09/06/2007 10:22 AM EDT

I just sent my son to Kindergarten. There ought to be a support group for this. There were kids and mothers crying everywhere. I held it together, and my son had no problem saying goodbye. He could at least faked a frown.

Ghosted by kb @ 09/06/2007 10:46 AM EDT

Hey Matt, I just watched a video about how claw machines work inside and out. Click my name for the video…. Fricking awesome. They also show how to internet-enable one, if you happen to have one at home. :)

Ghosted by Dr Sketch @ 09/06/2007 11:09 AM EDT

So Matt, it occured to me we haven’t gotten an update on your Pokemon in awhile. Did you manage to beat the game?

Ghosted by Dan @ 09/06/2007 11:20 AM EDT

DJ D I love Ab Fab! I must admit though that it was better on the first run around. It has not been the same since they started it up again and made another go at it. To this day I love to call my sunglasses POP SPECS even though they aren’t really. I was even tempted for a bit to name my daughter Saffron but finally thought better of it in the end. :-)

Ghosted by Cricket @ 09/06/2007 12:27 PM EDT

I looked around on the Google once and found a way to unlock my portable player and reset the region code to “0″, which means it’s now region free. There was even a code to let it play VCDs, which is kinda interesting.

Ghosted by kingklash likes to poke buttons @ 09/06/2007 12:53 PM EDT

hey dj d-

If you look on edonkey/emule you can find most every episode of parker lewis can’t lose. Crappy VHS bootleg tapes, but still… Its funny to watch it now, it is such a snapshot of my high school era (late 89-93). And i never realised how bad of a ferris bueller ripoff it really was too hehehe.

And also “Are You Being Served” is frigging awesome! I started watching it on pbs like 15 years ago and still enjoy it to this day, they made a “sequel” called “Grace and Favour” that featured them all again, this time running a bed and breakfast type place in the english countryside, they’re all a good 15-20 years older. And have you ever seen the “Are You Being Served” Movie? it was also quite awesome.

Ghosted by djspaceace @ 09/06/2007 1:31 PM EDT

Ah, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose… I think I have mentioned my huge pre-pre-teen crush on Corin Nemec before, but it’s hard not to get nostalgic about a short-lived show like that. I tried to watch an episode a few months ago and nearly laughed my ass right off.

And I, too, am an Ab Fab fan. That episode where Edina and Patsy and Saffron are in Marrakesh or wherever and Edina is trying to convince Saffron (her daughter) to smoke weed with her… hilarious!! My friend and I still act out that scene when we’re drunk.

Ghosted by Special K @ 09/06/2007 2:01 PM EDT

Today I threw out a can of Spaghettios that had an expiration date of 2005. I know Matt has eaten things even older than that and is still among the living, but I’m just not like that.

So, what’s the oldest or weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten? I’ve just gotten into sushi. Granted, it’s basically the fake kind that doesn’t use raw fish, but that still counts in my mind.

Ghosted by JLAJRC @ 09/06/2007 3:36 PM EDT

Regarding Home Improvement being on Nick At Nite: No sir, I don’t like it. For God’s sake, they’ve been showing it in syndication for years already. Do we really need it on cable too?

I mean, I’d be alright with N@N going in a different direction if TV Land was any good, but the sad fact is that it sucks. I mean, with such a huge amount of shows to choose from, the only thing they seem to show is stuff like Bonanza! Come on! Where’s Taxi? The Mary Tyler Moore Show? Get Smart?

Also, this is nitpicky but I don’t like the new logo, either. It just doesn’t fit. I can honestly see them ditching Nick At Nite in a few years and just letting Nickelodeon take over the whole damn thing.

Ghosted by Annette @ 09/06/2007 4:00 PM EDT

If it hadn’t been for Nick At Nite when I was a kid, I would never have known such classic tv as The Munsters (my favorite show EVER!) or I Dream of Jeannie or Bewitched. Now that was classic tv. Now, while I liked Home Improvement when it was on and have been known to watch it when I’m bored, I do not consider it classic tv. It has at least another 10 years before it’ll even be close. Same goes for Roseanne.

Ghosted by Special K @ 09/06/2007 4:05 PM EDT

I honestly don’t care if they put Home Improvement on BET, as long as they play the show later in the day where I can actually catch it, that’s all that matters to me.

It still (or may not now due to Nick at Nite picking it up) plays on WGN at 4 & 4:30 central time, but I work until 4 and miss most of the first episode, and that’s only when I turn the tv on first thing when I get home, which is rare my tv gets turned on anytime before 5:30 when The Simpsons comes on.

I do wish somebody would show Get Smart again. I would also like to see Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Gilligan’s Island, Honeymooners, Looney Tunes, and Merrie Melodies. Granted some of these play during the day, but in reality most people work a generic 9-5, mine being 7-4, and obviously aren’t home to see these shows.

Pink Panther cartoons, Woody Woodpecker shorts, and others like that would be nice to see again, too.

Ghosted by fistpittingnork @ 09/06/2007 4:19 PM EDT

Personally, I’ve given up on television schedules improving anytime soon, and plan to just buy all those classic shows on DVD when I get the chance.

Ghosted by Annette @ 09/06/2007 4:27 PM EDT

Special K I completely agree with you on Home Improvement and Roseanne. As well as Full House. They may be modern classics or whatever, but I don’t think Nick at Nite is the best home for them.

I they need to make a Generation X channel for those shows, as well as Cosby, Family Matters, Blossom, Saved By the Bell, etc… (including cartoons, Animaniancs, Rocko, Ren and Stimpy, and so on…) Leave Nick at Nite for the shows I mentioned above, along with Leave It to Beaver, Munsters, Addams Family, and others from the 50-70s era.

Annette I don’t care much for the new logo either, but that splatter reminds me of Double Dare which is a plus.

Of course I don’t work for Nick, nor while I ever, I’m sure, so what does my opinion matter?

Ghosted by fistpittingnork @ 09/06/2007 4:33 PM EDT

Some of the classic cartoons like Merrie Melodies and Pink Panther are on Boomerang, although they’re starting to show more and more stuff from the last 10 years instead of the 30-50 year old stuff they were showing a couple of years ago.

Ghosted by Saint @ 09/06/2007 4:35 PM EDT

“While”? That should say “will”, if it wasn’t obvious already.

Ghosted by fistpittingnork @ 09/06/2007 4:37 PM EDT

Actually JLAJRC if you keep at it you might find yourself graduating past the California rolls into the honest to goodness fishiness. I know I did, anyway. If you like asparagus, Philadelphia rolls might be a good stepping stone into the fishy fray.
Hi James, welcome! kb, that made me laugh. Does he have practice playing tough from preschool or anything?

Ghosted by squee4242 @ 09/06/2007 4:41 PM EDT

That is my goal as well, Annette, but it costs a fortune! But I guess that’s a fortune I’m willing to pay to watch a secret agent use his shoe phone. lol

By the way, what part of Oklahoma are you from? I’m in OKC.

Ghosted by Special K @ 09/06/2007 4:55 PM EDT

Special K – OKC
Me – MWC
Jedoc – Norman
Kingklash – Can’t remember, somewhere further out from us I believe

More Oklahomans on here than I figured would be here.

Ghosted by fistpittingnork @ 09/06/2007 5:02 PM EDT

And we haven’t met at Chuck E Cheese yet?! What is wrong with us?!?! I challenge all of you to a skeeball match!

I want to say Kingklash is in Lawton?

Ghosted by Special K @ 09/06/2007 5:05 PM EDT

If anyone has the American Life Network (I believe that is what it’s called) they play alot of the old, classic shows that used to play on N@N and TVLand. ION (formerly PAX) does the same thing.

Ghosted by JLAJRC @ 09/06/2007 5:10 PM EDT

Manimal, my husband’s cousin walked down the aisle at his wedding. He wanted to walk in to the death march from Star Wars and he got his wish.

When TV Land first started, it was awesome. They thrived on showing long forgotten shows. Their lineup kept changing, but it was great because they would show programs that didn’t have enough episodes for syndication, so there was no other hope of seeing them. I’m not sure when they became so watered down, but it sucks.

I loved Home Improvement when it was on, but it doesn’t stand the test of time for me. I can’t sit through an episode anymore. It’s kind of sad, really.

Ghosted by Lori @ 09/06/2007 5:11 PM EDT

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