Toy Story 3- Official Trailer

My New Obsession- Letters of Note

I'm a history enthusiast. I love the past so much that I'm making some right now as I type this. This site, Letters of Note, is a repository of photographs, links and especially of letters. Letters written by one person, intended to communicate to select recipients. It paints a living portrait of some events from our past and I'm telling you, it's terrific.

There is a letter there from Fidel Castro, then only fourteen years old, written to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. I never knew any such letter existed. There are letters of complaint sent to the FBI detailing the dangers of exposure to Elvis Presley. Alleta Sullivan's letter, also to Roosevelt, on the occasion of the deaths of all five of her sons in Naval battle, and FDR's personal letter in response.

An enthusiastic letter from Philip K. Dick to the producer of the Blade Runner movie just as it was coming together is presented in it's entirety. The letters David Berkowitz sent to the media while continuing his "Son of Sam" murders are here. There you'll find a short, loving note written on the back of a significant envelope by Frida Kahlo, to Diego Rivera. Poke around and you'll see a letter to Dwight Eisenhower from no one but Jackie Robinson, demanding change in the ugly, racially discriminatory practices and regulations that at the time were strangling all of the good out of the country. Jackie effin' Robinson!

That link once more, for those too lazy to scroll up to the top of this post again: Letters of Note. I can almost guarantee you'll bookmark it and return to it again and again.

Twitter and Shame

I'm, uh... I'm on Twitter now. I just accidentally the whole internet now. Ugh.

Anyway, if you're on Twitter, or if you care to check out my twittery thing, I'm this guy: @tomdougherty.

I hate myself.

75 G's!

Odd coincidence though it was, I just happened to look at this blog when this happened:


75,000 hits! I'm speechless! I'm amazed that this many people can be falsely led here thinking there's something worthwhile to see.

Go TEAM!

For Any Who Haven't Seen It, The EMMY AWARD WINNING Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog!

Although they had to virtually create a new category to do it, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible with a statuette last night. If you haven't seen this short film yet, here's your big chance:


Here's the funny pre-recorded acceptance skit, featuring the whole cast:

Hollywood Name Calling Vol. 2

Keith David, David Keith.

Hollywood Name Calling Vol. 1

Bill Nye/Bill Nighy

Mena Suvari/Mira Sorvino

Here's a Little Something

I contributed this tiny monkey doodle to Chris Estey's Get Well Quick Card last year and literally forgot all about it. His wife Heidi showed up with a little zine thing that Chris had put together all about his sickness (a kind of flesh-eating thing) and his convalescence, and this image was part of the card reproduced on the cover.

Looking at it was weird, since I had no recollection of drawing it whatsoever. I had assumed that my friend Jon Morris had drawn it, but it's a lot less sophisticated than anything you could attribute to him, even on his worst gin-and-flu soaked days. When I realized it was me what done it, I had that feeling you get when you see an old photograph of yourself. Not recognition, but resignation: yeah, that was me.

I do think it's kind of cute, and once I scan it I'll post a better version of it here. This is the cell phone version.

72,102 Posts!

I just saw that this blog has topped 72,100 recorded posts! That, my friends, is incredible. Thanks to everyone who has ever stopped by here on their way to looking up porn and illegally downloading music.

Sadly, the blog was up and limping for about a year before I signed up for a Sitemeter account, forever adding an asterix to the name Automatic Daddy in the blog record books. Sigh.

Another Amazing Sarah Silverman Impression

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

That's Amy Phillips. She's very funny, as her website will attest.


Previously: Audrey Plaza as Sarah Silverman.

So Where The Hell Have I Been?

This is an old doodle from a project that was interrupted long ago. I thought it was an apt choice for this entry.

If you are or were a regular reader of this blog, I feel like I owe you an apology of sorts for posting so infrequently. I keep meaning to, but I'm still, STILL looking for a job, and I'm encountering a wall of apathy from potential employers that means working three times as hard to try to make something happen for myself.

Add to that the death of my computer. I'm borrowing a laptop from a friend of mine (Hi Adrianna!) until I get the call from Frys telling me mine has been resurrected. They said that, given my place in queue it would take two weeks to fix my HP. That is almost five times longer than it took Jesus to return, so I'm expecting big things.

Also, money is tight enough to cut off almost all of my circulation right now. I'm sticking close to home, polishing my guns and reading the Bible, looking for loopholes. I'll try to get back to the regular blog business soon, but in the meantime, everybody please surrender your jobs to me.

Thanks!

Look for me on Facebook. I'll be the one wearing a carnation.

Fun With Found Images

Actual promotional shot from back in the day.

Now made at least a thousand times better.

Mysterious Mysteries of the Cell Phone Variety

I'd given a lot of thought to posting this, and then I forgot all about it.

Last summer- four cell phones ago- I was awakened around 2 AM one July night by the ping of a text message being swallowed into my little LG. Thinking it might be important, not thinking at all, I sat up, grabbed the phone and opened the message.

There was no text, only an image. Only this image, accidentally sent from a stranger to my unwitting device. I don't remember if I replied- I probably did text back to tell the sender that they misdialed- but I do know I didn't receive a reply to my reply so that was the end of it.

Clearing some stuff off my external hard drive, I ran across the picture, which was cool enough to save. Again I don't know the subject, but I have to say that it's a terrific picture and a swell tattoo.

Everybody Panic!

/old.

//still funny.

John Hughes

You would have to be made of stone, with a cast-iron heart, dressed in hand-me-downs from Hitler not to be affected by this grueling scene from the John Hughes written/produced/directed "She's Having A Baby", an underrated, underseen film from 1988. Hughes, more so than even Tarantino, understood the use of evocative music and the way it shaped/manipulated moviegoers' emotions. Here, Kate Bush's "This Woman's Work" sets the waterworks flowing while Kevin Bacon relives all of his married life while waiting for good news, waiting for the birth of his and Elizabeth McGovern's first child. Reminiscent in some ways of the married life montage scene in the beginning of Pixar's "Up".

John Hughes died unexpectedly today, while walking with his family on a trip to Manhattan. He made more of an impact on film and on filmgoers than any dozen other filmmakers of his generation. Sure, he was funny, but his films and his writing had heart, and had soul, and that's really what sets him apart from some other heart-tuggers I could mention.

Here's that scene:


I'm inspired to post another heartbreaking scene, this one is taken from another of his non-teen movies. It's the achingly sweet-sad ending from "Planes, Trains and Automobiles". "Planes" boasts one of Steve Martin's best performances, showcases what is definitely John Candy's greatest turn at bat, and is one of the funniest "odd couple" road movies ever- maybe the best. That John Hughes felt comfortable ending his slapstick comic story with this sad, sweet moment is a true testament to his vision of what films should be- open, friendly, familial and warm. If you haven't seen this one, don't watch this video, as it is the actual finish of the film. Rent it and watch the whole thing.

Or, if you have the patience, the whole movie is now up on YouTube, so you can make a playlist and watch the whole enchilada instead of working. John would like that.

Rhonda!

A newly emerging software program that allows the user to actually draw 3D wireframe models in real time. It's called Rhonda.

This is James Patterson creating his trademark fascinating figure drawings in the round.

The link for the software is down now, no doubt crushed by the mass of traffic it's drawn. Once it's up again, check it out at rhondaforever.



I got this video from drawn.ca where you'll find a little more information about the developer and even more information in the comments section.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Giddy. Attempting to regain composure. Failing to do so.

Little Peek Into A New Project

ANOTHER geeky post. Ah, well- I'm a geek! What about it?!

Two character sketches for a Daily Planet project I'm pecking at now. More as a writing and storyboarding sample, but it will be in comic form, so... there's that.

Anyway, Perry and Jimmy sketches.

Nobody Watches The Watchmen- Funny or Die!

Nobody Watches the Watchmen - watch more funny videos

I'm piling up the geek videos lately! Whew!

From Funny or Die! comes the true story of the creation of the movie version of Watchmen. For those unfamiliar with the Watchmen book, consult wikipedia and read up on Watchmen and Alan Moore and all will be made clear.

Dr, Doom's Standup Set- NSFFF

Thanks to the one, the only, Calamity Jon Morris. Let's give it up for CJ, evvabody!

Moon Landing Hoax Rehearsal Footage.

Your eyes are not deceiving you. Link

Creepy Orkin Commercials

It's the attitude and the voice of the bug that fills me with dread in these Orkin ads. It gives a "District 9" kind of vibe to the whole idea of insect intruders.

Jesus Swerves

John Lassetter and Disney's 1983 Test Footage For "Where The Wild Things Are"

This didn't set the Disney suits on fire back then, but now I'm sure Lassetter could have secured the rights to the Sendak classic, if Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers' version wasn't already on its way.

Ladybugs Swarm House- CNN Video.

This is pretty interesting. As a lifelong lover of little ladybugs I like this a lot.



You want to know what I think is going on here?

A Rainbow of Polar Bears

I feel like this post has been guest edited and produced by Ranger Rick magazine.

After seeing another picture of a bright purple polar bear last night (temporarily discolored by a topical medicinal ointment) I decided to see what other colors polar bears come in these days. Turns out that there is a full spectrum of the little dudes out there. Take a look:

Purple!
Green!
Pink!
Blue!
and sometimes, in the right light, and under the right conditions,
Yellow!
One last little fun fact: did you know that Polar Bears have bright blue tongues? It's true!

John Mayer Performs Human Nature at the Michael Jackson Memorial.

Favorite!

"Tom, what is your all-time favorite pop song?" no one asked. A quick answer is "Vanishing Girl" by the Dukes of Stratosphear (really XTC in a Clark Kent-like disguise).

What's so special about it? Clever lyrics, catchy, catchy music. It works like a pocket watch. Listen for yourself:

Vanishing Girl

A Jonathan Coulton Sample Pack

I've had some of his music buried in my Itunes folder for a couple of years without realizing that it was all performed by the same guy. Ladies and Gentlemen, the geeky musical stylings of Jonathan Coulton.

Big Bad World One - currently my favorite song in the tri state area.

Still Alive -the music that plays over the end credits of the game "Portal"

Code Monkey -this was used as the theme song to G4's cartoon series Code Monkeys.

A funny cover of Baby Got Back

Skullcrusher Mountain

Of Course, Of Course...

Sal and Walt's Destino!

Salvador Dali and his longtime friend from Bible camp Walt Disney threw in together to create a surreal animated project, to be titled "Destino", but since it would have been very expensive and perhaps even impossible to pull off in 1945, it was never completed during their lifetimes.

In 2003, this little curiosity was dusted off and finished, thanks in part to the modern computer-aided animation techniques. I saw it play with "The Triplets of Belleville", but that wasn't a Disney production, so it didn't appear on the Triplets disc. Instead, it will be released in 2010, after a couple of false alarms. It sounds like this might be a stand-alone disk- an odd choice for a seven minute cartoon, but it will be supported with documentaries and extras. I'd like that.

Read about Destino's tortured sixty-year crawl to the screen here.

Still More Favorite Local Logos & Signs

They put "Chinese Cuisine" up there to make it clear that this restaurant offers Chinese food the way the French intended.

AI Penguin wears his FDA rating proudly.

From the collection of Pees Ralston comes the Allied Ice Penguin and the racistish Chef at Wok sign. The Allied Ice Penguin, the Hester Prynne of ice mongers, is in Fremont, I believe, but I'll get Jen's information and update this if I'm wrong. I see it all the time, I admire it, but I can't put my finger on where it is.

Chef at Wok is on Greenwood in the Broadview neighborhood, and it currently enjoys a 3 1/2 star rating on Yelp.

Lemon Squirrel For The Win!

Previously: Lemon Babies!

Zombieland Trailer!

More Favorite Local Logos & Signs

Tigertail's sign is hand painted, from what I can see.

These two are only a couple of blocks from one another in Ballard/Greenwood: The Tigertail Bar and Cafe Bambino. I stole both of these shots from the internet, but forgot to make a note of where I got them, and that was days ago now. I'll credit them soon.

Tin Hat, step up your game!