rob vincent dot net

I'm really bummed out by the news that 70/30 Productions has closed its doors.

The why and how can be read in this message thread; scroll through and read the violet-lettered posts by Nikki_D for the story as we know it so far.

Those of you who have witnessed one or more of my rants on the state of modern commercial television in America know I'm no fan, but 70/30 and Adult Swim were always something I pointed to as an example of how it could all be done right. These people managed to get a TV-B-Gone-wielding, culture-jamming, television-not-owning snob like me enthused enough about a commercial TV show to do a freaking fansite about it. I assure you, that was no easy task on their part; imagine getting the most annoying vegetarian you know to plug a steakhouse.

The 70/30 guys were always really good to me back when I ran Pod-Six, which I put up in tribute to their show Sealab 2021. They let me interview them, gave me inside scoops on upcoming stuff, and basically were awesome in their support of my webby pride and joy whilst many other television producers still hadn't figured out what to do with a fansite beyond sue it for copyright infringement. After Sealab and Pod-Six ended, they continued to be just as awesome for the good folks at Adult Swim Central, Frisky Dingo Central, and other fan media. Some of those guys remain Internet pals of mine to this day. All of them remain high in my esteem.

Matt Thompson, Adam Reed, Christian Danley, Neal Holman, Mack Williams, Casey Willis, Ed Mundy, Eric Sims, and the rest of the 70/30 alumni are some extraordinarily talented and brilliant people, and I am certain we have not heard the last of any of them. I'm very much looking forward to whatever they do next.

Best wishes, folks. Thanks again for everything!

One side-effect of having this massive case of cooties is that I've nothing better to do than catch up on various watchable things. I've been going through my collections of classic Doctor Who, Mystery Science Theater 3000, and Beavis and Butt-Head episodes as though it were going out of style.

There are also movies. Yesterday I found myself watching The Wizard. This was the first time I had seen that film since I saw it in the theater. It was a memorable experience not only because I was a 12-year-old Nintendo disciple ready to absorb the 90-minute commercial disguised as a feature film, but because I was on my first date.

Her name was Shannon, and she was the sister of my best pal Richie. She was about my age, he was a year or so older, and the three of us were already a merry band of mischief-makers at the time. I was always crashing at their place before or after days of riding bikes around town and engaging in various destructive and irresponsible activities, often involving breaking things and/or fire. The old chestnut about girls maturing faster than boys proved true; it was actually her that asked me out.

So anyway, Shannon and I went on a double-date with Richie and his girlfriend Natalie. We went to the mall, saw The Wizard, did some shopping, and ran around goofing on mall employees and security until they eventually threw us out. It was pretty much our standard behavior, except this time I paid for her snacks and we sometimes held each others hands. Afterward we all went back to their place and played Nintendo all night.

Shut up, it was awesome!

We had one more date at some other movie before their family had to move away, but it wasn't as memorable. At any rate, I didn't go on another actual date with anyone until I was 18 and out of school.

I realized re-watching The Wizard for the first time that yes, it is a pretty awful movie now. In all honesty I guess it always was, but perhaps it didn't matter back then; the context made up for it.

And I'll still school the hell out of any of you at Super Mario Bros. 3.

Would anyone out there happen to be looking for temporary work as a legal assistant, in or around Great Neck, Long Island?

You'd be serving as the temp replacement for the cousin of a friend of mine, who is due any day to have a baby and go on maternity leave. The replacement she had lined up unexpectedly quit without notice.

If anyone is interested in learning more about the gig, get in touch with me and I shall pass along your info right away.

Thanks to the good folks in #offthehook on irc.2600.net for helping to make being home sick from the show not suck! You people rock.

Bunni3 showed me her video from The Last HOPE, which made me miss the con all over again.

I'm still pretty disgustingly ill. It's a damn good thing you, dear readers, cannot hear what I sound like, see what I look like, or experience the various solids, liquids, and gases being ejected from my face in continuous streams.

So I woke up this morning at around ridiculous o'clock to a headful of pain, an earful of ringing, and a lungful of not air.

One day at the sawbones' later, I have become acquainted with my new sinus infection, with a matching pair of ear infections and possible downwind gusts towards the bronchial area.

Under doctor's orders I'm taking it easy for a couple of days. Since I both sound and hear like crap just now, this means I shall also be skipping tomorrow's show, but do listen anyway. Mitch Altman is stopping by, and he's always an awesome guest.

The last week and change has been far too wonderful and mad to properly sum up. So, in no particular order, here are some adventures had by Nicky and I:

• We went to an ostensibly 1929-y New Year's party.
  • The theme succeeded in getting a bunch of girls to dress like burlesquey flappers and do their thing, and getting everyone to wear feather masks to remove at midnight.
  • I made my own mask, in part out of my old broken green teashades. The lenses were removable and replaceable and the whole thing was just neat.
  • Before the party, roughly 80% of my fellow Off the Hook panelists neglected to acknowledge the awesomeness of my outfit. Perhaps it was because I did not show them the feather mask.
  • We can dance if we want to!
  • My first-ever New Year's kiss was mind-blowing.
  • The cigarette-smoke-clogged warehouse was lung-blowing, so we left early.
  • Our last meal of 2008 was at a wonderful sushi place we found right by the Bedford stop in Brooklyn. We ate a metric ton of raw fishies and pointy eggy things.
• NYC2600 was thin but cozy. Here be my pics.
• Murd0c is leaving town again. It was fun to ride the LIRR home with him one last time. I wonder if he remembers that ride.
• After over ten years of online co-conspiring, I finally got to meet linear from UPL in person, along with Bex. It was great, but far too short. We have to do something about that, and in less than a decade this time.
• I learned that Turkish Coffee is undrinkable swill.
• I found out that for the first time ever, Doctor Who will be played by someone younger than I. Also, he has hybrid Ace Ventura/Sybil Fawlty hair.
• I've begun preparing in earnest for my first-ever ShmooCon. I can neither confirm nor deny any mysterious hijinks by any Phone Losers who will happen to be in the area at the time.
• The temp assignment I've been on for over three years looks like it will run out very soon. I've gone from "indefinite" status to "we're not technically allowed to use your agency anymore, but keep showing up for a week whilst we figure out what to do about replacing you." This might actually work out well what with the timing of Shmoo and all, but it's still a bit of an unexpected monkeywrench thrown into things. It was quite easy to get comfortable here after so long. But at any rate, you'll never find a temp who will complain about only three years at a gig, and it's a chance for a change. Excelsior!
  • That said, anyone know of an open gig suited to an artsy JOAT like me? Holler!
• My girlfriend is truly awesome.

So far, 2009 freaking rocks.