Hockey's back!

Yes, after 100+ days of the stupidest lockout ever, the NHL is returning to grace us with its presence.  Unfortunately, Gary Bettman is still commissioner, so there's still work to be done, but at least the Kings can raise their Stanley Cup banner and the fans can get their hockey fix!

Note: This ad was produced and aired after a previous lockout. Bettman sucks!!!

Well, maybe there is something as cute as little kids playing hockey

Yes, I made this statement earlier this year: There's nothing cuter than little kids playing hockey.

And now, this:

Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for The Shetland Pony Grand National!

Seriously, they are just as cute and fearless as the little guys on the ice.  And come on, that pony in the middle doesn't even look real.  He looks like a stuffed animal.  A freaking adorable stuffed animal!  Squeeeeee!!!!

Via Euro Equine Imports on Facebook.

Adorbs.

Screening: The World's Greatest Cartoons at the Alex Theatre

The Brother and I decided to check out the annual post-Christmas cartoon fest at the Alex (presented by the Alex Film Society) last weekend.

I usually enjoy screenings at the Alex, but this one was unfortunately a bit of a letdown.  For some reason I was expecting a couple hours of non-stop classic animation, but only ten were actually shown and the two-o'clock screening ended well before four.  In addition, the advertising was a bit misleading - of all the characters shown on the flyer, only Bugs and Daffy were shown.  I would have liked to have seen some old black & whites (particularly Betty Boop).  They were supposed to screen a Koko the Clown short, but apparently it's an old print and there was some concern that it wouldn't hold up, so it was replaced with Madeline. 

• Fast and Furry-ous (Warner Bros., 1949): The first Road Runner/Wile E. Coyote cartoon, originally made as a one-off.  The duo caught on and the rest was Acme-fueled history.  As usual, the "Latin" names given to each (Accellertatti Incredibus and Carnivorous Vulgaris) got huge laughs from the audience.
• Billion Dollar Limited (Fleischer/Paramount, 1942): It's Superman to the rescue when bad guys attempt to rob a U.S. Mint-bound train loaded with a billion dollars in gold.
• Madeline (UPA/Columbia, 1952): A sweet story based on the classic children's books.  This short received an Oscar nomination.
• Hockey Homicide (Disney, 1945): Thanks to this short, The Brother and I got to see more hockey in an afternoon than we'd seen since June.  Narrated with increasing insanity by Doodles Weaver, this short features a world populated by Goofys in a hotly contested hockey game.  Needless to say, there's lots of fighting both on the ice and in the stands.
• Pet Peeve (MGM, 1954): Technically a Tom & Jerry short, however it features Tom and the family bulldog attempting to prove which is the more desirable pet when their owners decide it's too expensive to keep and feed both (Jerry, as a tiny mouse, emerges as the winner, mainly because the owners have no idea of the gigantic stash of their food he's managed to squirrel away).
• The Fox and the Grapes (Columbia, 1941): Columbia came up short when it came to creating characters that the public wanted to see over and over again, however this was still a terrific one with a Heckle & Jeckle-type blackbird trying to distract a cheerful, happy-go-lucky fox from his picnic with a juicy bunch of grapes, because apparently foxes love grapes.
• Casey at the Bat (Disney, 1946): Originally a segment from Disney's Make Mine Music, Casey was later released as a stand-alone short.  Based on the famous poem about the overconfident baseball star who brings no joy to Mudville.  Narrated by Jerry Colonna.
• The Ventriloquist Cat (MGM, 1950): A cat finds a device that enables him to "throw" his meow and uses it to torment his canine foe.  A great example of Tex Avery's hysterical, lightning-paced work.  This one got some of the biggest laughs all day.
• Rabbit Seasoning (Warner Bros., 1952): One of the all-time greats, with Daffy Duck trying to persuade Elmer Fudd that it's really rabbit season, only to be thwarted by the always crafty Bugs Bunny.
• Rock-a-Bye Bear (MGM, 1950): Tex Avery again, this time with two dogs battling for the job of guarding the home of a hibernating bear, while trying (and failing) not to make any noise that will disturb the snoozing bruin.

The screening was halted every couple of cartoons by an animation historian and Alex Film Society rep, who would give us some historic info about the next couple of cartoons.  It was interesting, but could have been included in a handout.  More cartoons would have been preferable, especially in a program called "World's Greatest".  There were a lot of kids in the audience and it was a kick to hear them laughing at these decades-old cartoons, but they got restless during the talks.

RIP Rocky Cola Cafe

I've had a number of meals with various family members at the historic Rocky Cola Cafe in Montrose and the place was always packed.  So you can imagine my surprise to learn that Rocky Cola has closed its doors.  The 50's-themed diner, which has been around almost 25 years, has seen a downturn in business the past few years as a result of the poor economy.  My brother lives just a few blocks from this place and is - well, was - so much of a regular that when I'd go in with him, the waitress would know him and his usual order. 

The Rocky Cola location in Hermosa Beach closed in August 2011, also a victim of the economy.

Rocky Cola Cafe was a mainstay of downtown Montrose.  It will be greatly missed by my family and by the local community.  The food was always good, the service was always great and the atmosphere was small-town and comfortable.  It really is a shame to lose this place.

Wishing everyone a (hopefully) wonderful 2013!

I guess we're about to find out (T-minus 11 hours...)

Via Equestrian Lifestyle Magazine on Facebook

And if I ever finish anything, I will be surprised!

I have many, numerous ideas, but I can't seem to finish a damn thing.

Thank you sir, I feel a little bit better about myself now....sort of...

Christmas flash mob

Merry day after Christmas!

LAPD Christmas Tactical Alert

Yeah, I know I shouldn't be up at this hour, but how can I sleep when there's prowlers about our fair city?

Via Venice 311 and Hollywood 311.

My bipartisan Christmas greeting to you all

TO ALL MY LIBERAL FRIENDS:

 Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2013, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wish.



TO ALL MY CONSERVATIVE FRIENDS:
 Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Greeting and image snicked from the internets, but the sentiments come straight from my heart :)

Merry Christmas from Twinkle Toe-Bells!

Get your elf name here:

Via Countdown to Christmas on Facebook

God bless our troops

Foamy the Squirrel's Letter to Santa

I've been a huge fan since discovering Foamy a few years back.