Phantasmic Links 5.25.09

Happy Memorial Day, America! I survived my second parade of the weekend, despite the high humidity and other challenges. First, the cops blocked the roads off an hour and a half before the parade was to begin, and wouldn't let us through despite our friend Bill the trumpet player waving his instrument at them. So I had to park a mile away. Then, despite saying he had no intention of marching, my dad brought his horn and a white shirt and tie to change into. So when one of the players was running late, the band leader asked if my dad could step in. Besides being a bad idea for him to march while he's still recovering from his infection and the heat was so brutal, his horn and shirt were in my trunk several blocks away and the parade was about to start. So I handed him my horn and had to run all the way to my car and back. My sweat-stained dress shirt had to be quite a sight for the pretty young ladies on the float in ‘40s era costumes; I got to go on a diet. As I expected, about halfway into the parade my dad started getting the tightness in his chest and tried his nitro spray, but I advised him to wait on a nearby corner and skip a portion of the route that would take us up some pretty steep hills before looping back around to where we were leaving him. My mom came out to watch, so I knew he'd be in good hands, and he met up with us again for the last leg of the parade with no difficulties. I feel exhausted, achy, dizzy, and slightly nauseous, and I still have two more parades to do before I can rest. Of course, it's a good time to remember that our soldiers have never rested, and have gone through a lot worse to maintain our peace and safety. Recognizing those sacrifices makes a little physical labor a lot easier to bear.

After the parade we dropped Bill off and then I took my parents to my uncle's house so my mom could make him some food and give him his medication. I felt somewhat rejuvenated after a nap on the couch, and a sandwich when we finally got home gave me more strength. So, before I crash again, I'm going to collect a healthy helping of PHANTASMIC LINKS:

(1) Who are...what are...The Transforminators?! I totally want to see that. I really, really do. Sand stealing sons of b*tches....
Hat Tip: J-No.

(2) ”Some comedians you just shouldn't mess with. Especially if they've been trained by the Marines.”.

(3) You never know what your kids might cost you online when you aren't looking...

(4) Enjoy the unique miniature art of Thomas Doyle.

(5) Will Battleship be the first of many board game movies?
H.T.: J-No.

(6) Paper Towels! They're amazing! Order today! Paper Towels!
H.T.: B13.

(7) New York Harbor's depths conceal a freight train, corpses, four-foot long cement-eating worms and more!

(8) A Chinese man uses an unconventional method of getting a would-be suicide jumper off a bridge: pushing the “selfish” guy....

(9) Reagan was hilarious!

(10) Junk Shop Photos are pieces of discarded history rescued from boxes in dusty corners of small shops.

(11) Behold the epic independent film greatness of The Hunt for Gollum. And no, he's not sitting at my computer typing right now, wiseasses...

(12) Peter Parker was only dreaming that he wasn't married to MJ anymore...at least in the syndicated newspaper strip. I wonder(but doubt) if the comics will go the same route.

(13) Nathan Fillion is Green Lantern, at least according to one well done fan-trailer. Hopefully the real thing bears some resemblance to this...

(14) It's definitely a good idea to pay attention to warning signs...

(15) How high can you navigate in the Tower of Greed? It's all about knowing when to keep climbing and collecting, and when to quit while you're ahead.

Have a link to a game, movie, article, or anything else you think might be “phantasmic”? E-mail me and it just might appear in an upcoming PHANTASMIC LINKS!