I like to think I've lived a very epic life. Sure I'm no George Washington but come on, I'm going to be one of those people that History will look back on and say,"Well, he didn't completely destroy everything I worked hard to establish." Why don't we look back, back in time and see what things I have done in my life to merit an entrance into some obscure reference book that will sit on a library shelf until the end of time.
I invented Street Fighter G.I. Joes. When I was a kid my cousin and I were way into Street Fighter (who wasn't and still isn't?) and G.I. Joe (the movie is going to kick so much trash, they should release a Barbie movie at the same time so it can be killed in the box office). So I had the great idea that they should make Street Fighter action figures like G.I. Joes! Only, I didn't notice the corporate spy lurking in the bushes ready to steal a 10 year old's idea! Who made millions? I didn't. It was my idea and I was going to tell the toy company. Imagine my dismay, nay, outrage at discovering that someone had pilfered my ideas! Curses!
Next time you hear someone say, "Oh snap!" Think of me, not because I told you to, but because you know the person that coined the phrase. In junior high, before the phrase was ever used I was walking up a set of steps thinking about something cool no doubt when my lack of attention caused me to trip and nearly bang my shin! "Oh snap" I exclaimed. Then I thought to myself,"Snap? Who says that? Lame." But someone was listening. I don't know who. My theory is that whoever overheard my faux pas sent word back east of this new phrase. So it seems like the cool kids in New York were saying it first but no, it was me.
I'm pretty sure I would have invented MTV if given the chance. Potato chips? I hate ruffles so guess what, my new life goal is to flatten every crinkly chip I find.
Cotton gin? That was me. But I know you're saying,"Now didn't Eli Whitney actually invent the cotton gin?" No, he did not. I invented time machines too and I wanted to help out a struggling inventor in 1793. So sue me. The macarena? Mine. Shoes with buckles...pilgrims, but I let them have that one too. Reality TV? That one I apologize for. I didn't think filming a bunch of people doing nothing would catch on so I really meant it as a joke. Oops. The joke was on everyone.
Wow, now that I think about it I've had my hand in a lot of things. Space travel, automated-teller machines, super-sizing fast food, ping pong, the letter z, the 80s (everyone wanted to skip them but I said give it a chance), row boats. I've done a lot of things in my years and I plan to do a lot more so watch out!!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Top Five Musical Instruments...ever!
So my cousin Jacob and I were having a very intense debate the other day about how cool guitars are (way cool btw) and like a mighty crack of thunder we realized that though it rules the world of rock, the guitar is NOT the coolest instrument ever. It's not even in the top 5! So after much research (none at all) and a professional process of elimination (we threw out ideas until we laughed at one) I present you with THE official top five musical intruments list!
5. The zither...I don't even know what it is. Mystery makes things cool.
4. The kazoo! Kazoos are great because they make anyone a musician! Ironically, and very unfortunate, is that kazoos make anyone a musician.
3. The third coolest intrument is the timpani, those monstrously huge drums you see in the orchestra.....waaaaay in the back. I vote it at number three because these guys do so much but you only hear so little. Most people talk to a timpanist (one who plays the timpani) and they say,"So what do you do?" "Oh I'm a timpanist." "Oh that's amazing!" The rest of the conversation is very awkward because the first person still has no clue what just happened, and the timpanist goes home yet again without a phone number. Sad face.
2. The Gong. I'm sure it takes four years at a prestigious music school to gain the credentials to play this one but really? Is it that hard? No. Is it that cool? YES! It had an entire TV show named after it (The Gong Show...obviously, but I guarantee someone didn't know that.) Basically, what's cooler than walking into a room and having your presence announced to all by some super tough dude smacking a gong? The only thing cooler I can think of is being heralded by.........
1. .....The CANNON!! BOOM!! *The following history may or may not have occurred...let's face it though, this is all true. It's like Tchaikovsky was thinking,"I'm writing the 1812 Overture (how cocky to claim the overture was sufficient for the entire year) and it's gotta be good!" See, he probably had a whole bunch of people telling him,"Whatev T-dog! You're just a joke! Your music has brought about the premature end to so many dinner parties in Europe that our women are no longer plump, for lack of a nightly meal! (That's how they insulted each other in those days.)"
So the Kovmeister was super mad. He knew for a for a fact that the women were still perfectly plump. He wanted revenge! He wanted blood...and revenge! He immediately went to the city's reserve artillery corps and hired them to stand behind the symphony and choir for the performance and blast the naysayers to the new world. The original plan was to wait for the performance to end and then let loose the lead.
Since cannon operators are deaf anyway they were waiting for the sight of the audience's applause to fire the cannons. But during the final moments of the piece one of Tchiakovsky's harshest critics let fly one of the sauciest anecdotes, all around him were highly amused and applauded the effort. BAM! BAM! BAM! Not a single cannon ball scored a hit on the audience. They shelled for the remainder of the song. As luck would have it the cannon fire was in perfect sync with the rhythm of the now classic tune so everyone believed it was all part of the show! Tchaikovsky was furious until he was approached by those who should have now been filled with cannon balls. "We are sorry," they said," we were wrong about your music. This is the most amazing collaberation of song and black powder that the world has ever witnessed. Please, forgive us." So T-Dog did. That's how T-Dog rolls. The cannon became part of the 1812 Overture and he went back to make it appear as though it was originally included in the score. He never told anyone about the true, murderous plans he had originally intended for them...and yet somehow I know exactly what happened.
5. The zither...I don't even know what it is. Mystery makes things cool.
4. The kazoo! Kazoos are great because they make anyone a musician! Ironically, and very unfortunate, is that kazoos make anyone a musician.
3. The third coolest intrument is the timpani, those monstrously huge drums you see in the orchestra.....waaaaay in the back. I vote it at number three because these guys do so much but you only hear so little. Most people talk to a timpanist (one who plays the timpani) and they say,"So what do you do?" "Oh I'm a timpanist." "Oh that's amazing!" The rest of the conversation is very awkward because the first person still has no clue what just happened, and the timpanist goes home yet again without a phone number. Sad face.
2. The Gong. I'm sure it takes four years at a prestigious music school to gain the credentials to play this one but really? Is it that hard? No. Is it that cool? YES! It had an entire TV show named after it (The Gong Show...obviously, but I guarantee someone didn't know that.) Basically, what's cooler than walking into a room and having your presence announced to all by some super tough dude smacking a gong? The only thing cooler I can think of is being heralded by.........
1. .....The CANNON!! BOOM!! *The following history may or may not have occurred...let's face it though, this is all true. It's like Tchaikovsky was thinking,"I'm writing the 1812 Overture (how cocky to claim the overture was sufficient for the entire year) and it's gotta be good!" See, he probably had a whole bunch of people telling him,"Whatev T-dog! You're just a joke! Your music has brought about the premature end to so many dinner parties in Europe that our women are no longer plump, for lack of a nightly meal! (That's how they insulted each other in those days.)"
So the Kovmeister was super mad. He knew for a for a fact that the women were still perfectly plump. He wanted revenge! He wanted blood...and revenge! He immediately went to the city's reserve artillery corps and hired them to stand behind the symphony and choir for the performance and blast the naysayers to the new world. The original plan was to wait for the performance to end and then let loose the lead.
Since cannon operators are deaf anyway they were waiting for the sight of the audience's applause to fire the cannons. But during the final moments of the piece one of Tchiakovsky's harshest critics let fly one of the sauciest anecdotes, all around him were highly amused and applauded the effort. BAM! BAM! BAM! Not a single cannon ball scored a hit on the audience. They shelled for the remainder of the song. As luck would have it the cannon fire was in perfect sync with the rhythm of the now classic tune so everyone believed it was all part of the show! Tchaikovsky was furious until he was approached by those who should have now been filled with cannon balls. "We are sorry," they said," we were wrong about your music. This is the most amazing collaberation of song and black powder that the world has ever witnessed. Please, forgive us." So T-Dog did. That's how T-Dog rolls. The cannon became part of the 1812 Overture and he went back to make it appear as though it was originally included in the score. He never told anyone about the true, murderous plans he had originally intended for them...and yet somehow I know exactly what happened.
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