I'm still alive.

that'll do, pig

I'm going to do a proper update soon but first...



Please go to your local comic book store and pick up The Pro

Watch The New X-MEN 2 Trailer
(requires Quicktime)

Finally...

But did anyone really see it? I thought it was funny that there were no real pictures until two days later. Do you want to know why? Because the WNBA gets as much coverage as the U.S. Soccor League. Actually, they would be lucky to get that kind of coverage...no one is "assigned" to their local WNBA team. So they had to wait for the WNBA to provide them pictures. I don't even think AP had a picture until today.

kinda sad...
-----
Speaking of basketball, why does anybody in the age of free-agency, buy basketball jerseys? They are such a waste of money. I chuckled every time I saw someone with a Marcus Camby jersey.

The only jerseys that are really safe to buy:
-Michael Jordan (he's not being traded...if he plays)
-Shaquille O'Neal
-Kevin Garnett (but as his deal gets closer to being up, you might wanna start wearing it less and less)
-Allan Houston (he aon't going anywhere)
-Hardwood Classics (a.k.a. Throwback jerseys, they cost too damn much. you swear they were stolen out of the player's locker room and smells like them too)

---------
Speaking of jerseys, it's time for me to get my personalized jersey that I talked about getting before I lost my job...

Yes, it will say "Melanism" on the back (so if you don't know me for real, you could slap me on the street)

The question now becomes what team to get it on...

I think I will get the Jets because I wanna rep NY but my friend Improv already has the Giants Jersey I would have gotten with "Improv" on the back so it would look like we were playing "on the same team" and that's kinda gay...
---------------------------------
Now, behold....

MELANISM'S MP3'S OF THE MONTH

Seeing that I didn't have anything for July, I'll do two.

July: Talib Kweli - Good To You (produced by Kayne West)
August: Freeway - What We Do (produced by Just Blaze)

Enjoy...

I'm back.

For how long I do not know...

I underestimated how much work I was going to have to do here and now maintaining this site has become much more difficult.

But I won't give up.

Like anyone cares.

Anyway, shall we begin with some interesting links...

Was The Matrix a complete rip-off of Dark City? What do you think?

Do you like Spider-Man? Does that make you gay?

-----------------------------------
-Since last I posted something of substance, I turned 25. Happy Birthday to me. All wire transfers can be sent to ego@melanism.com.

-Also, The draft came and went and the Knicks got Antonio McDyess for Marcus Camby. Hm. What do I think? Well, first of all, i am glad to be rid of the scarecrow, Marcus Camby. Don't get me wrong. When he played, Marcus was great. I remember that year we went to the Finals, Marcus Camby was the man. He was a fierce blocker and dunker. But the operative word in all the nice stuff I said about Marcus is "..when he played..." He never finishes a season. Speaking of not finishing a season, McDyess missed all but three games last year because of surgery. Will he be 100%? Who knows but doesn't the seaosn for the Knicks open with a question?

Oh yeah, AND WE STILL DON'T HAVE A CENTER?!?!?!


Uh oh...back to work

Something funny to tide you over in my absence...

Sorry, I haven't posted but I'm pretty busy but I'll leave you with this to tide you over...



Enjoy...

"...I've got nothing left to give..."

Any change is good...

Do it up in England, I'll see you there, my muse

Guess who was eliminated in the first round of Wimbledon...again?


Stick to Maxim.
----------------------
R.I.P. to Darryl Kile.

But I'm gonna be honest, you know baseball collectively held it's breath when they were waiting for the autopsy report...if the word "steroids" came up, it would have been over.
------------------------
**The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers trailer**
**Daredevil teaser**
(requires Quicktime)

I was sitting on the subway train trying to finish my new issue of "Batman: Gotham Knights" before I got back to work and stepped into reality again and I began to reflect (which really screws you up when you are trying to finish something)...

Kids don't read comic books anymore.

When did that happen? How did I get hooked into like this when I was a kid and children today only know about Pokemon comic books?

Also, on that note, kids don't collect any type of sports cards. I remember when we would blow our 50 cents (then 745 cents and then a dollar) on a pack of baseball cards hoping you would get a Mark McGwire rookie card and instead you would get the card of a guy who rode the bench so much, there wasn't even an action shot on the card (playing the field, at bat), just that corny "Bat on the shoulder because I only take batting practice or carry a bat to a real player" pose.

But I digress.

Kids don't read comic books anymore.

I remember going to the comic shop with my boy Dru or Eric and looking for that 18th cover of X-Men #1 or waiting to see ho long it would be before which X-Men had recently died would magically return. That was my childhood.

Out of all of my friends, I am the only one who still hits up the comic shop every week for the latest releases but they will ask me what's up with X-Men and what is Wolverine's origin this month (which has been sorta settled now).

Sorry, still digressing...

Kids don't read comic books anymore.

It can't be the cost of the comic because while they have gone up considerably (your average comic book goes for $2.50), they are comparable to the price of Pokemon, Digimon or Ripmyparentsoffmon cards.

Maybe it's that kids these can't read.

Because what a lot of people who knock the art form (it is an art form damnit) don't understand is that it is written by adults for a semi-intelligent constituency. I mean, reading comic books when I was nine years old and going to the dictionary trying to figure out what Magneto or Reed Richards was babbling on about helped my vocabulary greatly. Most of the malapropisms I made in grammar school, I got from Frank Miller, Jim Stalin, Chris Claremont, John Byrne and George Perez.

I would let my kids read a comic book over playing Pokemon any day of the week.

Now Spider-Man is on it�s way to be the fifth highest-grossing movie of ALL-TIME. X-Men 2 is in production. Wesley Snipes took a crap comic book and made it into a dope movie. A movie is being made for The Hulk, Daredevil, Namor, Punisher and damn near every comic book character that infiltrated my imagination�

But I go into the comic book shop and all I see are grown adults...adults who 15 years ago were getting yelled at by the Comic Book Guy to not read the comics in the store.

But not a kid in site...except when they want a Pokemon card.

Why don�t kids read comic books anymore?

You know why despite the fact that the USA team is actually making a good run in his year's World Cup, no one really cares...

Because we aren't the BEST.

Think about the sports we love and more importantly get covergae on a major channel for non-playoff games: Basketball, Baseball, Football, NASCAR

With the exception of baseball (which we THOUGHT we were the best in), we know that if we sent a team of our best players against any country, we'd whip their ass.

That's why we love them so much.

Shit, the Metrostars couldn't beat your worst team from any third world nation.

Imagaine that.

I'm excited though

But the first person who says they are doing it for the peolpe who died on 9/11

*click*
--------------------------------

MELANISM'S MP3 OF THE MONTH

Floetry's "Mr Messed Up"

If this isn't saturating U.S. radios by the end of the summer, we need to take a hard look at the mirror and ask ourselves what is wrong with this country...
----------------

If you don't have this album, shoot your pet. You don't deserve him or her:



I'm not kidding...

--------------------------------

You know what I totally forgot...which doesn't bode well for them

Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones


Was the script bad? Yes
Was the acting bad? Yes, but not as bad as The Phantom Menace
Was Jar-Jar there? Yes, but only for a few minutes
Was the action badass? Yes, so much that I forgot about the previous three points

Yoda and Mace Windu. Woooooooooooooo

Anakin was a crybaby the whole movie. i can't wait for Episode III when Obi-Wan slaughters the lad.

But the rest of the movie was like watching intergalatic C-SPAN

I don't know what it is.

There is so much stuff I need to be doing like saving money so I can move out and stop eating all these fatting foods so I can lose some weight (working in the city adds like 10 pounds...well to someone like me who only likes the heavy shit)

I keep telling myself "Sean, you should write a list and post it on your wall"

Do I? Nooooooo

What is it about not having it written down that allows me to not do what I need to be doing?
-----------

If you are single and have your own place, you know where you need to be?

IKEA

F'real, I went there a couple of times with my girlfriend and noticed that there are a gang of attractive womne in here. After a few times, I realized they were getting DRESSED UP to go to IKEA. That's so sad.

But fellas don't let this sale pass you by.

It's very tricky because you have to guesstimate if the person is single or not. I think observing their purchases makes it easy. There are certain things you buy if you are part of a unit.

Anyway, look at things that you would not necessarily want but you could imagine a woman liking in your place...if you are in IKEA it's a good start...

"Oh I was looking at the (Insert funny swedish/german name) too. Hahaha. that's funny. I hope there's enough for both of us or we'll have to share."

I kow that was corny but what can I do, I'm not single. They don't COME to me anymore.

I'm just trying to help.

John Gotti finally died...Rappers all over can't cope.

Will he be buried next The Notorious B.I.G.?

Will Jigga give up MCing because his hero has passed?

How many artists will refer to themselves as "The Last Don" now?

I'm not playing about the last one.

-------

He-Man is back!!! (requires Real Player)

-------

To continue my Mike Tyson was on medication theory, these are some quotes taken from mike after the fight. Tell me if this sounds like any version of Mike Tyson to you:

"There's no way I could ever beat him. He's just too big and too strong.''

"He's a magnificent, a prolific fighter, and he should continue fighting. I love him and respect him too much to do something to him.''

"He's a magnificent, prolific fighter. "I'm just happy someone gave me a chance.''

"In competition, the best man always wins. I've known Lennox for 15 years. We've always been friends. He knows I love him and his mother. He knows who I am."

C'mon y'all
--------------------------------------------------------------

Jessica Garner as Elektra in the upcoming Daredevilmovie



Next season, i promise I'll watch Alias

"I can't...I can't"

Those are the words me and Dru heard out of Mike Tyson's mouth.

It was the round right before he got knocked out. His corner said you have to put your hands down and fight. And he said...

"I can't...I can't"

I was crushed.

It was like watching my childhood getting beat up and wouldn't defend itself.

For all the horrible things Mike Tyson has done through out his life, he was the heavyweight champion when i was a kid so he is the guy I associate with heavyweight boxing and champion. And to watch him go out like that was horrific to say the least. It was like watching Old Yeller get shot.

There is no reason why Mike Tyson of old, Mike Tyson that Holyfield beat twice or even the Mike Tyson that clocked that ref shoudn't have beaten Lennox Lewis withing an inch of his life. From the first punch lennox caught in the first round, Lennox was scared of Mike. Even though Mike stopped fighting in the after the second round, Lennox was scared Mike was gonna give that one punch. He jabbed him and kept his distance for five rounds before he realized Mike wasn't fighting back at all...

Before the fight, i kept going back and forth about who was gonna win...but after the first round, I was convinced Mike was gonna drop him...even though he came into the ring looking terrifed like he was making his first public speech in first grade...but Lennox was shook and Mike--at least the Mike I thought was coming to the ring-would smell that fear and charge him.

It never happened.

But it got sadder...

When Jim "The Asshole" Grey was interviewing Tyson and Lewis after the fight. I knew something was funny. Mike tyson said he loved Lennox Lewis, that they were friends, that he respectyed his mother, and thanked him for fighting him and, more importantly, for the payday. Then he did something I will never forget...

He wiped the sweat from Lennox's face as he spoke to Jim Grey....

It was more like a stroke.

Then it hit me...

He was on his meds.

That's the only thing I can think of.

Mike's a manic-depressive and it is well-documented that he can't take his medicine when he trains henceforth his pre-fight behavior.

He was more than gracious after defeat...he was docile and happy...too happy.

Either that or he just didn't care.

Everyone is gonna say that Lennox outboxed Tyson.

How can that be if he never really fought back?

Except for the first round, Mike was never normal.

Goodbye, Mike. See you on Fox's Celebrity Boxing 3.
----------------
Regarding The NBA Finals...

The Nets could have beat Sacramento but they choked on a big chicken bone from Roscoe's.

And ladies, I know you love Chris Webber because he's cute but I want you all to understand something.

He CHOKED too.

Sure Peja and Doug missed those wide open threes but Webber disappeared in the last three quarters of a 5 quarter matchup (2 points in each of those quarters). he is the star of the team and he didn't want to touch the ball. Webber kept going up to Bibby like "I'll screen and you shoot".

Punk.

Now it's a shitty finals because the Lakers are running the Nets into the swamps of Jersey.

The Nets could have beaten the Lakers the same way Philly could have. Byron Scott was right. Let Shaq and Kobe have their points and stop the other guys.

He forgot one thing.

Our guys have to score.

Paging Kerry Kittles and Bits.

Paging Keith Van Growth Hornome.

Paging Kanyon Martin.

If Jason Kidd doesn't get 10 assists, it's not for lack of trying.

Damn...

Shaq can't be guarded. Only delayed.

What's the point? At least with Michael, there were moments when you thought you could take him (Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing), but by the time you complete that thought, he's stripped you. With Shaq, every time he gets the ball in the post, I'm like "shit"

Ok, children, I'm off to California for the Okayplayer Reunion 2002.

I will probably find a business center in the hotel to post something but if not, you can find me and my Dedaly Venom Spitterz comrades at our new home for spitting venom.

http://www.dropheavy.net

Maybe I'll stay in Cali until the "terror warnings" subside...

It's not safe here.

Why Aaron McGruder is still the man...

Guess who's back...

Ok, I STILL haven't seen Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones but from what I am hearing I am absolutely going to love/hate it. Everyone who loves it pretty ignore the fact that there apparently isn't any acting what-so-ever for the fact that after 25 years we get to see some Jedis whip some ass.

I think I will see it out in California at the famous Mann's Theater barring my companions whilst I am out there.

But I did see the movie I really wanted to see...

About A Boy


While it completely changed the ending of the book into something cute and silly, I understood what they were trying to do and they kept the heart of the novel in the screenplay.

It's a shame this movie came out the same week as Star Wars. I know the premise of counter programming but they didn't even try to advertise this movie to get it into the public consciousness. This movie, released in November, would have made an easy 100 million and got somebody in that movie nominated for some acting award (most likely Hugh Grant). But, they fucked up a perfectly good opportunity.

According of RottenTomatoes.com, more then 90% of critics gave it a favorable review.

What a waste.

-So Bush/FBI/CIA knew to some extent.

Duh!

They were pretty quick to finger Osama Bin Laden for something they had no foreknowledge of. His name came up with hours of the Twin Towers attack.

More proof they knew? The alleged "20th Hijacker" was arrested before 9-11 because of his suspicious flight school training.

Mark Thursday down in you calendars...it's Democrat Christmas

They are gonna tear him apart.

I can see the Election 2003 ads now.

"Democratic Party: We didn't know"

Of course, Bush and the Republican's defense was that Clinton received a similar warning when he was president.

True

But in 1994, almost 10 years ago.

Nice try

Also, how come every time Bush or Ashcroft are under criticism, we are issued a major terror warning.

Bush II is gonna be a one-term president like his father if he doesn�t start watching Wag the Dog.

-Ben Affleck as Daredevil

-The funniest shit I've seen in awhile (requires Quicktime and speakers)

Sorry children, it's been awhile since I posted but (ugh) things have gotten really busy at work. Actually I could have done it at work but I didn't want to admit to myself that I had nothing to do and that really wasn't my fault because the work I was doing was contingent on another person and that person in another office decided not to be very helpful giving me nothing to do...

*sigh*

So Wednesday was me and F2's one year anniversary...I know bananas. So we decided to go out on a "date" of sorts where I picked a nice restaurant and was going to surprise it with the rest of the evening.

So we went to this Korean vegetarian spot midtown that had a Zen vibe to it that was really cool.

You're probably thinking "Mel, I thought you were a carnivore"

I am but to quote Jules from Pulp Fiction: "... my girlfriend's a vegetarian. Which more or less makes me a vegetarian, but I sure love the taste of a good burger."

But anyway it was cool, I have grown to like heavily flavored tofu...emphasis on flavor. Flavorless tofu is like chewing air. It's like there is something in your mouth but you can't taste it.

Anyway, after dinner and spending like 25 minutes trying to catch a cab (Yeah, "New" New York my ass)...I took her to see...



Yes, Topdog/Underdog, the critically-acclaimed Broadway play starring Jeffery Wright and Mos Def. It won a Pulitzer Prize apparently.

Must have been a slow year for competition.

Don't get me wrong. It had it's moments. Best when the focus was humor but the drama was lacking...mostly because Mos Def Wasn't good at emoting. I would have liked to have seen it when Don Cheadle was playing Mos' role. Anyway, needless to say, we were disappointed.

What should I expect from a play from the women who wrote Girl 6...

-Spider-Man made $200 million dollars in 9 days. Jesus (pronounced "Hey Zeus"). I don't know. Even Lucas knows that it is not going to beat that record. But, after next week, we will have a better idea as to who will be the winner in the end. Star Wars still has the bigger incentive to watch 2-3 times (although I only saw The Phantom Menace once in the theaters and that surprised even me...not really...it sucked).

I think I am gonna hold out on Episode II. I'd rather catch About A Boy stress-free. I'm going to Cali next weekend so I think I am gonna try and see it at Mann's Theater which would be cool...even if it sucked.

I don't think it is going to suck. I think it will be satisfying on some levels. Seeing Sam Jackson whip ass as a Jedi (or Yoda for that matter), seeing all the Jedis fight, seeing Ewan McGregor finally get a handle on being Obi-Wan, seeing the future unfold....

But two things scare me...

Written by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales
Directed by George Lucas

Yeah, he got help writing but from the guy who wrote The Scorpion King.

Imagine me the skeptic...

He needs to just admit there isn't some great story he thought of 25 years ago (first it was a nine part sags then he backtracked and said it was only a six part saga) but something he is making up as he goes along.

He needs to admit that there is an obvious reason why The Empire Strikes Back was the best. Look at the credits, buddy.

He is a great visual artist. But anyone who can't get a good performance out of Liam Nesson, Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman, all great actors, is just a bad director.

We shall see soon enough...

The box office have begun.

So now the big question in the industry is...can Star Wars: Episode II make more than $114 million next weekend.

As of yesterday, i was convinced it would never happen. I don't think there ius as much of a "must see" with Star Wars since The Phantom Menace scared people away. It's not the die-hards that they had to worry about but the people who would have gotten into the franchise if the movie was good...but it wasn't.

But, two factors I haven't taken into account:

1) The Star Wars nuts may take this as a challenge (even though they failed to make The Phantom Menace the top-grossing movie of all-time)
2) I believe the trailer for this will be shown atthe previews for Star Wars and if that's the case, game over.

As far as Spider-Man is concerned, i don't think it will make over $250 million. I don't see a lot of repeat viewings which is what gets a movie into the Top Ten of All-Time
-I know it's early but the yankees are kinda sucking. What's up, Giambi? Mariano? I hope he isn't going Mark Wohlers on us. He's on my fantasy baseball team and we are in last place.

thanks Mo

Well, I am worn out form my weekend. Stayed out late on saturyda and lifted heavy furniture on Sunday. Why oh why do I need a job? I am playing the lottl every day til i win like 100,000 bucks. Then I'll buy a comic book shop get some 15 year old punk who can't read and count (so I can pay him below minimum wage and he won't be able to read the signs that I have to post up saying what minimum wage is...if you are wondering how he will work the register...bar code scanner).

-So, Spider-Man made $114 million in one weekend.

It has begun.

Marvel Comic books that are in the works already: The Punisher, Daredevil (starring Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock and Michael Clark Duncan as Kingpin (!)), The Hulk (you can see the teaser in the preview before Spidey), The Black Panther (Wesley Snipes has been trying to get this goiign forever but this influx might help it happen), and The Sub-Mariner (I'm serious)

So now that Spidey is out of the way, you might be wondering what Melanism is trying to see this summer:

May:
About A Boy
Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Insomnia
Undercover Brother

June:
Minority Report (maybe..Spielberg is slipping)

July:
Austin Powers in Goldmember
Men in Black II

August:
XXX (only because the significant other sweats Vin Diesel)
Signs
Full Frontal
Simone
Jackass The Movie
A Guy Thing (starring Kevin Smith all-star Jason Lee)

That's about it...

OK,

Spider-Man


It was the perfect beginning...

If it stands alone, it's just OK but you took it like it was the beginning with at least two more movies tomorrow. The movie focused more on Peter Parker and his life than him actually BEING Spider-Man whihc was kinda cool and different. Like imagine Superman if it was mostly about Clark Kent.

The Green Goblin didn't annoy me as much as I thought he would. You get used to the suit and the mask and William Dafoe hekps you look past the design.

But the best person in the movie was J.K. Simmons (from "OZ") as J. Jonah Jameson. He was...perfect.

-My car hates me. Why did I fail my inspection?!? I swear Cammy (yes, I named my car) wants all my money. In 2002 alone, it has undergone almost a grand in repairs and maintainance (not counting gas). That's a down payment on an apartment, damnit.

Anyway, I added a bunch of albums to the Music section and sent the April brief update to the old archives.

Well, I'm still trying to figure out this thing but when I do, you can expect to see regular postings from me again.

"So, Mel how's the job?"

Well I'm glad you asked. It's pretty good.

I mean it could be better: I could be sitting here getting paid to do nothing.

Nothing better than that.

Well, first of all, I can appreciate how little work I had to do a Su(c)kin Law. I mean, compared to that, I was getting paid to do nothing more than take shit occasionally. The rest of the time I could have been reading a book. How I wasted my time there...well, I did do most of this web page from work...so I guess I did make the most of that time. Ha, Lou Cypher. thanks for the funding.

Anyway, it's always busy here but thank God I work faster than the average underling so I can get my work done and surf the net and no one suspects that I am being hindered from completing my duties.

And everyone is just so nice here. They are all smiling and sweet and "please" and "thank you". It's makes it hard for you to get mad at them...but just wait I'll find a way.

-The great thing about this place is me have a super fast Internet connection which allows me to do something I have always wanted to do...

MELANISM'S MP3 OF THE MONTH

Dedicated to Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes,.
It's a song off of her Supernova album that was only released internationally but now that she is dead, be sure that Arista will rush this Bad Boy out.

-The only movie I've seen since the last time I mentioned a movie I saw was...

Panic Room.

It was like Home Alone for Adults. It didn't help that the girl who played Jodie Foster's daughter was the spitting image of Macauly Culkin. Coincidence?

David Fincher is gonna direct the next Mission: Impossible movie. I wonder this one will be missing. The M:I movies seem to accentuate whatever weaknesses a director has:

Brain De Palma - Too confusing
John Woo - Soulless action where you don't care who lives

This one will probably be too dark but I'll love it anyway.

Oooo, I'm so psyched for this

I'm going to see Spider-Man tonight. I'll be sure to let you know how it is.

-I'm so ashamed...I downloaded R.Kelly's upcoming album "Loveland"

It's kinda hot. Best work he's ever done.

Forgive me

Time for a new format...

So, this is Blogger huh?

Sorry for the change but I had to think of a way to update my daily/bi weekly/bi-monthly thoughts without putting my job at great risk (like I am not doing that in other ways)