Year: 2016

I didn’t live blog the commercials this year because we had friends over watching the game and I didn’t want to sit there typing the whole time.

Glad I didn’t. The commercials were a serious letdown this year. Where were the Budweiser Clydesdales? Where were the commercials that had you saying, “How’d they come up with that?”

Was it a total washout? No. The Snickers commercial that had Willem DaFoe transforming into Marilyn Monroe was inspired. The Helen Mirren anti-drunk driving commercial was brilliant. And everything else memorable was in the comic book realm: The Ant-Man vs. Hulk over a Coke ad, and the Turkish Airline commercials featuring Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne (Remember when everyone bìŧçhëd about Ben Affleck as Batman? Remember how the bìŧçhìņg stopped once they actually saw him in the trailers? Good. Now remember that next time you want to bìŧçh about something in advance.)

As for the game, I hate to admit it, but I actually paid attention to it when the heavily favored Panthers lost. I will say this: Cam Newton is being excoriated for walking out of the subsequent press conference. I’ve no idea why. If he felt he couldn’t sit there and talk to people about something that was clearly crushing to him, then by all means, get the hëll out of there. Much better to say nothing than say the wrong thing. Smart move on his part.

PAD

Okay, maybe someone can explain this to me, because I’m not getting something.

I’m seeing fans react with all manner of outrage because Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter donated a million dollars to Donald Trump. People are decrying him for it and naturally people are shouting that Marvel should be boycotted.

Except Perlmutter didn’t donate money to Trump’s presidential campaign. He donated a million bucks to help veterans. And it was his own money; it wasn’t like he skimmed a mill off the top of the last quarter’s profits and sent that in.

So…isn’t donating money to help vets a GOOD thing? A NOBLE thing? Something to be lauded for?

I mean, yeah, I suppose Trump could misuse the money or something. But that doesn’t seem to be weighing in to the vituperation. Instead people are just saying, “Perlmutter donated to Trump! What a dìçk!”

What am I missing here?

PAD

I will never forget: I wasn’t watching the launch. At the time, I was working as Marvel’s sales manager and so for me it was just another workday. And then my then-wife called me and told me. She’d been watching it live and sat there in horror as the ship blew sky high. She was choking back sobs as she told me what had happened. I was one of the first people at Marvel to find out, but within minutes word spread throughout the office. Everyone was in shock, stunned.

I wound up honoring them in my own small way years later in the TV series “Space Cases.” We named the ship the “Christa” in honor of the highly publicized teacher who was part of the crew.

My greatest condolences to the families and NASA on their loss.

PAD

Yes, it’s that time again. Caroline is selling Girl Scout cookies for her troop.

However, the Girl Scouts have joined the 21st Century and you can now buy them on line on a website where Caroline will be credited for all sales.

So please spend a few buck to support my daughter and her troop.

You can find the cookies here.

PAD

(UPDATE: Kath here. They finally figured out what happened and Caroline’s site now has her name. Thank you for your support)

You know, this whole kerfuffle with Ted Cruz talking about “New York values” seemed familiar to me for some reason. I wasn’t sure why.

Did he mean generally liberal? Or was there something else involved?

It took me a while to remember, but I finally did. It was from the pilot of “The West Wing.” When Josh had wound up offending religious types on a morning talk show and the crew is having a meeting with them at the White House to try and smooth things over. And one of them, a woman named Mary Marsh, starts off an exchange that immediately puts Toby’s teeth on edge. This was the exchange:

MARY MARSH: You people…that New York sense of humor…it always…

CALDWELL: Mary, there’s absolutely no need…

MARY MARSH: Please, Reverend, they think it’s smart…smart talk…but nobody else does.

JOSH: I’m actually from Connecticut.

TOBY: Yes, but she meant Jewish.

A stunned silence. Everybody stares at Toby.

TOBY: When she said, “You people and your New York sense of humor,” she was talking about you and me, Josh.

So basically, if we follow the thought of Aaron Sorkin’s writing, can we safely assume that Ted Cruz just used conservative religious political code to make a nice big anti-Semitic swing?

PAD

In her life, Kathleen has portrayed three fictional characters as part of the Shore Leave Masquerade.

The first was Jareth from “Labyrinth.” The second was Professor Snape. And the third was Vincent from “Beauty and the Beast.”

We lost Bowie only a few days ago. Now we just lost Alan Rickman.

I sure hope Ron Perlman has had his health checked recently.

PAD

Okay, not really.

But hey, have you gotten my book Artful?