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A newspost on malware hidden in dA ads. Contrary to what they say, AVG isn't gonna stop them until they're already in your system. The only real solution is ad-blocking software, which would of course be a bad thing for their revenue. As another site owner, I understand -- and I was pretty much forced into adding ad blockers or else keep having to disinfect my computer.

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They also provide a way to report malicious ads now, but by the time you report them, it's too late.

John Lasseter's foreword to the Art of Toy Story 3 book states that he loves 3D and would have made the movie in 3D back in 2005 if he was allowed to.

So there! You can all hate 3D movies if you like, but just know that John Freaking Lasseter is on MY side. Nyeh!

I didn't have to wait for Black Friday. Through pure chance, I walked into Fred Meyer the morning they were clearing out a stack of excess high-def televisions for $300. (Normal retail: $450). Got the last one. Yay!

The upscaling of my DVDs on the PS3 is lovely. I'm finding small details I've never found before. In Gremlins 2, Billy Peltzer has an issue of Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld stuffed in his cubicle shelf for some reason. You can see it when Gizmo climbs out of his drawer with the paper clip rope.

Whenever I surf Deviantart lately, I get notices from my virus blocker on almost half the pages, because some of the ads in their rotation apparently contain phishing bugs. Worse yet, I can't just leave a good piece of art idle as inspiration, because even if there's no problem with the page currently, dA's ads constantly rotate on their own, and a bugged ad will load anyway.

Who do I complain to about this? Surely it must be someone's fault.

Also, if you haven't been getting the messages, you probably got the viruses instead. Disinfect!

Well, the Internet has to end, because Prince said so. Except it didn't. Because Prince doesn't have that kind of authority anymore.

Meanwhile, there's this guy named Mr. Hudson (full name). He appeared on the Betty White episode of SNL because Kanye West said so. He got his own album shortly thereafter because Kanye West said so. The press is calling him the next big thing. How do they know he'll be the next big thing? Because Kanye West said so. What's three plus eight? Because Kanye West said so.

If Kanye West wanted the Internet to end, you wouldn't be reading this right now.

This came from my Firefox cache.

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Enjoy it....ONE LAST TIME.

I don't get attached to TV couples very often. I know TV's gimmicks and I never fall for them.

As I've said before, I hate it when shows treat me like a cow, putting a carrot on a stick in front of my face and telling me to march on the false promise I'll get to eat it. I'm not that stupid. And I don't see why so many people are.

I really feel sorry for people who watch Bones. By now, you would think they would have caught on. That show is built entirely on the tension between Temperance Weirdname and the Other Guy, and if they took it away, it would just be a show where people looked at bones for an hour. I don't know why, as a producer, you would WANT to make a show like this, when it's obvious to me you can only paint yourself further and further into a corner with it. If you keep them apart too long, people will get annoyed and walk away. But if you finally put them together, the show will be over and people will walk away anyway. It's hard to get steady work in Hollywood. If I were making a show, I'd want it to....last.

And of course, "Castle" is the same show, only with cops. A TV.com blurb stated, "Will this be the episode when they finally hook up?" HA! Dumb.

I was certain Chuck was also the same program. In fact, if its renewal had been more assured, it probably would have been, but everything pointed to a final 13-episode season and the writers figured, "let's go all-out." I just shook my head when people kept expecting Chuck and Sarah to suddenly jump on each other NEXT EPISODE. That's not how this kind of show works.

But this time, it did. And it caught me off-guard.

NBC added six more shows to the season after the first 13 were finalized. This meant they had no choice but to go forward with what they'd ended up doing -- ending the tension between C&S for good. I like them better as a couple than as a stupid David/Maddie clone, but if I'd known in advance I was going to get these scenes of tenderness at ALL, I wouldn't have approached the relationship so cynically and gotten a little more into it.

I didn't care if Chuck and Sarah got together because I didn't think I'd see it. The couple I was actually rooting for was Morgan and Anna. I couldn't help myself. I think Anna is more interesting than Sarah -- Sarah is kind of a cookie-cutter hot blonde stereotype, but Anna is a smart mysterious offbeat Asian cutie, and the female point of view the Buy More sorely lacked after she started disappearing.

I mean.....the facts are there. I don't see how anyone can think otherwise. It's way easier to like Anna than Sarah. It's like how the only likeable person on NCIS is Abby. Same deal, same appeal.

Since Morgan and Anna are supporting cast members I figured the writers wouldn't make tension a priority, so I was safe to root for them -- and I was right. They got together rather quickly and I was happy. Then the show started using less and less of Anna, until she finally disappeared. Then....I was not happy.

The slashed budget for Season 3 meant Anna couldn't appear at all -- until the other six episodes were added and she was announced as a guest star. I was never expecting to ever see her again. I've been looking forward to this week's episode for a long time, but with slight caution, in case it was a one-time deal.

But what if it wasn't? An interview with creator Josh Schwartz stated he was "excited about Julia Ling returning." Returning forever? Eeeee!!

So the episode began and Anna's appearances were extremely light, which was irritating, but I figured it was going somewhere. She approached Morgan twice trying to say something but he ran off somewhere else both times. I nervously awaited what she was trying to do. The final act came on.

Anna: "I just came to return some stuff you left with me."
Rats.

Anna: "But now I want to give you something else!"
*BIG KISS*

AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!
IT HAPPENED! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT REALLY------
Morgan: "No, Anna, I've changed. This is really the end. Goodbye forever."
*walks away*

Guh----------buh---------whaaaaaa..........

Seriously. That was it.

That. was. IT.

It was a miserable evening. I felt like just locking myself in the basement and eating detergent. Then the stages of grief shifted and I fell into uncontrollable rage. So many things about this scene make me angry -- the fact that it was intended to take Anna off the show for good, and the really bitter fact that I'm in the minority here and that most people, who don't care about Morgan and Anna, will be writing "Good for him for sticking up for himself" in their reviews tomorrow.

This is why I've resisted getting attached to TV couples in the first place. For THIS EXACT REASON. I can't believe it. They found my one vulnerability, the ONE TIME I let myself get shippy, and fired with everything. They KNEW what would get my hopes up -- they KNEW I would accept nothing less than a full on-screen kiss, and THEN they trashed me! Damn you to hell, Josh Schwartz.....DAMN YOU TO $##@^^ HELL!

In over twenty years watching television, I've never felt so sucker-punched by a show in my life. Now I want Chuck to get cancelled, just because of this.

Oh, and Takineko, if you're reading this....Sheldon and Penny are NEVER GETTING TOGETHER. Give it up.

Let's see what the cartoons are up to lately.
*turns on TV*

Marge: "You're taking up juggling, Homer?"
Homer: "Thaaat's right! I'm having a BALLS! Plural!"
Marge: "But those are FISH!"
Homer: "OHHHH! I knew something was...FISHY!"
Marge: "They oughta call you Olympic bronze medalist Shannon Bharke, because you're sure BHARKE-ING UP THE WRONG TREE!"

I think The Simpsons is getting too....sophisticated for me. What I need instead is the no-holds-barred, lowbrow, mindless comedy of Family Guy. Yeah, that's the ticket! No thinking required here....

Lois: "Oh, my uncle Gregory is in such pain...."
Brian: "This is outrageous, Lois! I can't believe you've allowed society to shame you into not considering putting Gregory out of his misery! Doctor-assisted suicide is a blessing and its exclusion from most states is criminal!"
Lois:"You didn't let me finish. He's in pain because his infant son is sick."
Brian: "Oh. ....Well, then, why are they keeping the baby alive?"
Lois:"Brian, don't be silly, they aren't going to kill a baby."
Brian: "And why not?? Infant euthaniasia is a topic we avoid in this country, and it's time we confronted it! I won't stand for this, Lois! They're keeping a baby in suffering against its will!"
Lois:"Uh...Brian? You're starting to scare me."
Brian: "That's fear our regressive SOCIETY has put in you! Open your mind, Lois! That suffering baby can't speak for itself! It can't even form a noose! I should have the right to end its life for it!"
Lois:"WHAT??"
Brian: "If you won't do it, Lois, then I will!" *Brian pulls out gun* "I'll aim for the head to make it quick and painless! And I'll take the bus there to cut down on pollution!"
Lois:"BRIAN, STOP!"
Brian: "DID YOU JUST TELL ME TO STOP???" *waves gun at Lois*
Lois:"N-NO!"
Brian: "YES YOU DID! I HEARD YOU! DO YOU DISAGREE WITH ME??? DO YOU, LOIS??? DO YOU THINK YOU'RE SMARTER THAN ME???"
Lois:"No! I--I swear, I agree with you on everything! You're always correct, Seth--er, Brian! Now set the gun down..."
Lois:"That's it....down on the table....I agree with you. I agree with you!"
Brian: "Well, good. I'm glad we had this talk. It's hard to get through to you sometimes."

*silence*

Lois:"Is it all right if I think Bill O'Reilly is a little cute?"
Brian: "OFF WITH YOUR HEAD"

I should not have to click twice to see something that I formerly only had to click once to see. How do I turn this bad idea off?

Comic books
In the beginning, there were optimistic, All-American tales of pure-hearted do-goodery for all ages.
Comic book movies
In the beginning, there were optimistic, All-American Superman films.

Comic books
In the 50's, comics started getting darker with horror titles, but this was shot dead by Wertham and the Comics Code.
Comic book movies
In the early 90's, Tim Burton started taking superhero movies darker with Batman Returns, but it proved too gritty for the audience to take or for investors to be happy with.

Comic books
Crazy, goofy, campy stories dominate the 60's and 70's as a result.
Comic book movies
Crazy, goofy, campy Schumacher films as a result.

Comic books
People lose interest in superheroes, but Marvel brings them right back with "just like me" heroes with relatable real-world problems.
Comic book movies
After a several-year absence, X-Men and Spider-Man bring superhero movies back with "just like me" heroes with relatable real-world problems.

Comic books
"The Dark Knight Returns" and "Watchmen," though brilliant revolutionary works, send comics into a gritty, grimy hole of nihilism and niche it away from the rest of the world.
Comic book movies
"The Dark Knight" and "Watchmen," though brilliant revolutionary works, send comics into a.........Geeeeet ready!

The signs are totally there. After The Dark Knight, WB mentioned it might want to "grittify" Superman. After an impasse with Raimi, Sony has announced it wants to reboot Spider-Man (yes, already, and even though they only have three films left in their contract before Disney takes the character forever). Guess who's thinking of directing that reboot? Michael Bay. Can you say "Rob Liefeld?"

Enjoy good superhero movies while you can. The road ahead isn't pretty, and if the comic book parallel is any indication, there's no light at the end of this tunnel.

I've never discussed this, but if Aerynn were ever to be animated, as in professionally on a TV series....I wanted Brittany Murphy as her voice. I'm serious.

DAMMIT.

So John K is upset. He's hinted at his retirement (from virtually no work), and he's privatized his blog -- the very blog around which a massive cult had formed. Where will all those followers go? And what made him snap and hit his own History Eraser Button?

The last time we saw John K he was making that practice pitch at Comic-Con for "John K Presents," his proposed Adult Swim series. Not every cartoon he makes is good and I've wanted another thing on par with "Stimpy's Invention" for some time now. I don't want another Adult Party Cartoon, or Ripping Friends, or whatever He-Hog is, I just want another cartoon as funny as "Stimpy's Invention." BEFORE he dies would be preferable.

The cartoon he pitched here was, surprisingly, hilarious enough to pull that off. I was still laughing about it hours after I'd watched it. "EEEEAT YOUR FACE!!!" could easily be the next tossed-around quote, like "Happy Happy, Joy Joy" or the Log song.

But I guess he didn't get it because now he's pretty sore. Thing is, I think if anybody other than John K had made a pitch like that, they would have been greenlighted right away. But it was him, and AS likely knows how well he works with others.

I wouldn't trade places with John K right now for the world. I think losing the Adult Swim pitch has finally made him realize how deep he's dug himself into a black ditch, and that he could make the most brilliant cartoon idea ever tomorrow, but no one would buy it, because he's John K.

I feel sorry for him, in spite of everything. He's in a position nobody wants to be in. The years are still ticking away and he now knows he will never achieve his dreams. Ever. A blow like that would make anybody bitter. It's such a shame and it's such a waste -- he's got amazing talent, yet it's stuck in that infantile body.

However this doesn't mean he realizes it's his fault. In John's mind, he will always be perfect and free of blemishes. John will always think the world didn't embrace him because the world is stupider than him, not because of his behavior.

Although....

It is ALSO within John's character to start pulling a Brett Favre. I wouldn't be surprised if he announces he's back, finds no work, throws a fit and retires again, gets bored, comes back, finds no work, throws a fit and retires again, gets bored, infinity. If you see it happen, remember, you read it here first and I called it.

But just in case John K's blog never comes back, I saved the Google cache this morning before that disappeared too. Behold the final moments of John K. Stuff:
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So many images. John loves his gratuitous images. The folder weighed 13 MB.

Someone noticed a few new Nickelodeon products are coming out that have what appears to be a completely different network logo.

It pleases some people who prefer the original pinball logo (of which this resembles), but not me. I thought they'd never change the logo, despite the legal ramifications of it still using a circa-1980's font that just about every computer now has. You know why? Because the Splat is the closest thing to a timeless concept a logo can have. It can be anything, so it doesn't need to change.

I like the Splat. I like how versatile it is and how it can be any shape. I thought the "be anything" spirit of the Splat represented Nick perfectly, as well as childhood itself, and shouldn't ever be changed. They can change the font if they need to, but they can't ever get rid of the Splat!

Especially for something as sterile as THAT!

I turn another year older next month. That, of course, is no fun anymore, especially since I always thought I'd be somewhere closer to my dream career by now.

If I could give the kids of today one piece of advice I've learned, it's this: When choosing what you want to be when you grow up, do NOT pick something that is currently red-hot, popular and lucrative. Why? Because there's a 99.9% chance it'll be DEAD by the time you grow up and graduate.

As I was growing up, animation was in a renaissance and Calvin and Hobbes was in the paper and I decided, "I have to be a cartoonist!" I don't regret the path I chose, but I do wish I had been warned about the rapidly changing nature of society. I thought progress only went UP, not DOWN.

I'm definitely not alone. I remember over half the kids at my school wanting to be NBA superstars when they grew up. Now, even if one of them actually made it to the NBA, the whole overblown Like-Mike concept is gone. There'll be no expensive athletic shoe deals or movies opposite Bugs Bunny for them. They'd just be another face on the court.

I fear a similar fate for all these people who grew up during the boom of anime and now want to do nothing but draw Japanese cartoons forever. That market is now starting to cool, and it won't be long before no publisher will want to buy manga anymore. These people have dreams of success and millions of sold copies and anime based on their creations -- things that can't happen anymore. What'll they do with their lives now?

I have no idea what I'm going to do with mine. One of the copy-pasted-from-the-Internet articles my paper ran today was something praising CN's new lineup of reality shows, and I'm not kidding. It really stung to see that. It's like the world saying, "I don't care about you anymore."

One of my favorite scenes in South Park history is when the boys turn on High School Musical for the first time and stare at the dippy spectacle with dumbfounded looks on their faces. "THIS...is COOL???" gapes Cartman. "Well, I'm officially old. I no longer have any connection to this world. I'm gonna go kill myself." Boy, could I empathize. Kids today are into stuff that would get people of my gen beat up on the playground in the early 90's. For the first time I feel absolutely no connection to the youngest generation. Sure, the things would be different but at least I could understand why they were into them. I thought there were universal truths to coolness: giant robots, dinosaurs, action, rock and violence would always be cool.

How could that possibly change? The more I thought on it, the closer I came to a big realization.

Until recently, what's popular and cool with tweens has always been decided by boys. Giant robots, dinosaurs, action, rock and violence are all male-appeal concepts. You look at all the young trends of the past 60 years and it all comes from boys, from cowboys to superheroes to space aliens.

Now, for the first time, it's girls that are mostly deciding the trends. Musicals, female pop stars, boy bands, romance novels...they're all girl-skewing properties. Boys are just dragged along for the ride, instead of the other way around.

Thank goodness I'm not a kid right now; growing up in this kind of culture would be agonizing. I'm too used to oppressive male domination!

Almost a month ago, I was tagged by JB Warner to fill out the "8 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Me" meme. The only problem is, he doesn't singlehandedly run a website where his most minute quirks have already been written about to the world. I can't think of much to say here that I either haven't already said on the site, or am saving for later.

So I'm going to break the rules. Presenting "8 Things You Probably Didn't Know, Period."</i>

1) The popular belief that dogs can't see colors is a myth. The truth is that they can see ONE color: red. This doesn't help distinguish one thing from another, though, so they might as well be colorblind.
2) The first message ever sent on the Internet was between two supercomputers at two different universities. That message was "LOG ON." It crashed after the G.
3) A centillion is 1 followed by 303 zeroes.
4) Peeling onions underwater will keep you from crying.
5) Alfred Hitchcock lost his belly button after plastic surgery.
6) Andy Griffith once dreamt he murdered Don Knotts.
7) There is no such state as Wyoming. Think about it! Have you ever MET anyone from Wyoming??
8) Despite their nasty reputation, there has never been a recorded instance of a human being killed by a wolf.

Now....who can I tag who might have a slight chance of caring that I tagged them? How about.....you, Leviathan?

Whenever I read a loud piece of propaganda by someone convinced their opinions are absolute and without error in any way, and anyone disagreeing with them is a Nazi....I take personal offense. Especially when I completely disagree with what's being said myself.

I call them Politijacks, short for Political Jackasses. Left or right, a Politijack is still annoying, and dangerous to listen to. Their main goal in life, since they're never wrong, is to cram their opinions into everything they say and make as many other people agree with them as possible, for only when they get their own way shall world perfection be attainable. Sometimes they even get their own prime-time TV shows and spend millions of dollars Politijacking.

And when Politijacks make dA accounts, they use their journals to create obnoxious lists like these.

I have my own opinions, but I don't share them all that often, because I've been wrong in the past and I could be wrong again. Life is a constant learning process. What do I really know? Probably no more than the next imperfect human being, but try telling that to a Politijack.

The most offensive Politijacking, to me, comes from people who use religion as a scapegoat for everything, to justify their nonbelief. Coming from a family of Christians, I'm broiled by the insinuation that my presence is a blight on mankind.
"So you think faith is harmless, do you? WELL, WHAT ABOUT 9/11? THE INQUISITION? THE CRUSADES??"
WELL, I'M SORRY I DID THAT. Seriously, it's no different than any current argument being used in the Middle East to continue war against the other guy: "Palestinians are evil because a group of their ancestors did X thing 150 years ago." There are bad apples in every group. (By the way, I think all atheists are evil because Stalin and Pol Pot were atheists and they killed as many people as Hitler.)

My favorite part is when Politijacks call their enemies "haters," right after spewing paragraphs of what can only be described as pure hate. You guys aren't fooling anybody. No one cares about what you think, except the people who already agreed with you and just wanted to hear themselves.