Dictum Ridiculum - January 2003

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Dictum Ridiculum: January 2003

Archived rants and raves from the main page of the Colin Campbell Network.

Thursday, January 30, 2003
Your Colin Quinn Update
Using the latest in sophisticated Internet tracking software, I can tell that a lot of people come to this site because they're looking for information about former Saturday Night Live and Remote Control star Colin Quinn. I've always been a big fan of Colin, and not just because we share the same first name.
Well, there was good news on the Quinn front today, as Comdey Central announced it has ordered 21 weeks of Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, a sort of very politically incorrect version of Politically Incorrect. The show returns to Comedy Central, after The Daily Show, on March 10th.
I really enjoyed this show when it was on for a test run in December. I'll try to post a reminder when the show returns to the airwaves. So yay for good TV!
Transmitted 02:22 PM PST | Link |

Monday, January 27, 2003
How About That Super Sunday?
Highlights, lowlights, and assorted ramblings from a day that has somehow become, according to numerous media sources, “a new national holiday.”
(And if it really is, can’t we move it to a Monday so we can get a three day weekend out of the deal?)
--I could have used a whole lot less of Kid Rock in the “Are You Ready For Some Football?” song with Hank Williams Junior. Then again, after four hours of pregame coverage, it would be tough to say that I actually was ready for some football. As it turns out, I was ready for a lobotomy, and I suppose Kid Rock is the aural equivalent thereof.
--Was it just me, or was that giant Vince Lombardi Trophy emerging from San Diego Bay just a tad creepy?
--What must James Cameron think when he sees Arnold Schwartzenegger pimp out The Terminator for a lousy, dumb, stupid, moronic filmed intro to the game? I take back what I said about Kid Rock; this was the worst piece of pregame hype.
--I don’t know exactly what to make of Raider Nation, but I can tell you this: Wherever it is, there is no salad bar. Guys: Next year, either hit the gym, or reach for the XXXL, not the XXL. If the front of your T-shirt doesn't reach your beltline, that's not a good thing.
--Celine Dion singing “God Bless America?” Uh, yeah, great, except for two things. One, you promised to go away. And two, you’re Canadian. (Worse, French Canadian.) We couldn’t find an American singer for this new national holiday? Ray Charles was busy? You didn’t have the number of Aretha Franklin’s agent? Gah.
--Nice Navy jet fly-over timing at the end of the National Anthem. Let’s hope the boys are a bit more punctual when we send them in to battle. (Or, perhaps somebody should learn how to show the Dixie Chicks a "stretch" cue.)
--Al Michaels is a great play-by-play announcer. But it does a disservice to both him and the fans in the stadium to expect him to pull double duty, introducing and announcing field events on both TV and live over the stadium system. Those are two different skill sets; Al’s “middle ground” sounded strangely flat on TV, and probably no better in the stadium. Bring in Harry Kalas (the current NFL Films voice) for the in-stadium stuff. It’s the Super Bowl, for goodness sakes!
--It was good to see the referees start to blow calls early on. When the ref couldn’t get the home and visiting teams announced properly before the coin toss, I shuddered, as I’m guessing NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue did.
--I wrote down a note that said “swing around.” I now have no idea what I meant. If that fits in with something you saw just as the game started, please let me know what I was talking about.
--Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait too long to see the first real blown call, on that fumble that was nowhere near a fumble, yet somehow was missed by everyone on the field officiating crew. Yikes.
--Nice NFL logo on the screens behind the goalposts. Thanks, NFL! My view of the point-after kick and field goals was just too clear! Now, there’s a cool, big logo to peer through to see the play, and everything’s just dandy!! Idiots.
--Al Michaels: You don’t have to be such a sponsor-whore! I mean, your comment about “Gee, if Gruden didn’t accept the Tampa Bay coaching job, what were they going to do, go to Monster.com?” was sad. And hey, just minutes later, we found out that Monster.com was an official sponsor of the telecast! What an amazing coincidence!!!
--Will someone please remind the very hot-looking Shania Twain: Honey, if you’re going to lip-synch, you can’t stop. You have to lip-synch the whole song, even the parts where you are skipping care-free through a bunch of actors pretending to like your music.
--Was it me, or was the theme of this year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show “False Enthusiasm?”
--Someone’s going to have to explain why Sting sang “Message in a Bottle” with No Doubt as his backing band. First off, he was billed as “Sting,” so you could rightly expect he would be performing a Sting solo number. Nope, he dipped in to the Police catalog. Well, then you could probably expect he would sing the whole thing, right? Wrong again; Sting sang about half of the song. So you went through all that trouble to get Sting, then only let him sing half of an old Police song? Well, okay, but seems like a waste to me.
--Oh, and the game sucked. Sorry, Raider Nation. Please shut up now. And nice riot back home! As if you could do any more damage to Oakland. Oakland laughs at you, morons. See you next year, Darth Raider.
--Nice post-game coverage. I mean, the Super Bowl is over, and I can just hear most of America saying the same thing: "Can we please see Bon Jovi now?" Next time, get right to the interviews, the trophies, and then on to the big hyped post-game program. I felt bad for the kids who put together Alias. They worked so hard on their super special episode, and it doesn't get on until 11:00pm EST. Ah, well, who was going to watch anyway?
THE COMMERCIALS
Quick thoughts and a letter grade ...
Budweiser Zebra/Instant Replay – This one is getting a lot of love in the media, and deservedly so. A strong start. Originally, a B+. Given the low quality of the commercials that followed, I have to bump this puppy up to an A-.
Celine Dion/Chrysler Crossfire – You promised you’d go away, Celine! What happened to that retirement? Oh, and on a pre-game interview, you inserted a totally gratuitous and unneeded, “Well, I love my husband very much,” which had nothing to do with the subject at hand. Memo to Celine: We don’t care. C-.
Quiznos – I’m supposed to go buy your sandwiches because they were created by a guy who kills his pets and doesn’t wear pants? Don’t think so. D.
Diet Pepsi/Osbournes – Can I just say that, although I was an early fan of The Osbournes, they are now, officially, over! C+.
FedEx/Cast Away – Didn’t see the movie, but if the point of this commercial was to make me think your employees are idiots, mission accomplished! C-.
The Hulk – Uh… maybe. He still doesn’t quite look “right,” but that is a problem I have no idea how to solve. The Hulk is so “comic-book” looking that it’s nearly impossible to make him look real. I mean, at least Lou Ferrigno was about the same scale as everyone else, but this super-sized Hulk just looked phony. Still, Jennifer Connelly in an Ang Lee film? B.
Bud Light/Strongman Contest – Dumb. C+.
Dodge Ram/Guy Choking on Beef Jerky – Why companies want their products associated with idiots who choke on snack foods is beyond me. (Next year, look for George W. Bush, a pretzel, and a military-grade Dodge truck on hand to save the day!) Nice image of partially-chewed jerky slamming against the windshield. Appealing, and really made a positive association with your product! Not. D+.
The Matrix Reloaded/Revolutions – Newsweek tells us 2003 is “The Year of The Matrix.” Me? I’m not sold. This ad did nothing to calm my fears that these films just may not live up to the hype. On the other hand, they did make the new movies look at least as good, or perhaps slightly better, than the first Matrix. And that is still “pretty damn good film” territory. B+.
Gatorade/Jordan v. Jordan – This was the ad most in the spirit of Super Sunday ads, if you ask me. I half expected Larry Bird to come out and ask, “how about a little game of HORSE?” B+.
ESPN Kitchen – Well, again, if this is your idea of appealing (finding a gaudy Super Bowl ring in your mouth after it accidentally ends up in your food), then you and I have different ideas of appealing. B-.
Anger Management – Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson? Hopefully, the premise is more fully fleshed out and funny in the finished film. Here, it was a little lame. B-.
H&R Block/Willie Nelson – Line of the day: “My face is burning!” This was fun, funny, and, of course, featured the notoriously tax troubled Nelson. Me like. A-.
Bud Light/Upside-Clown – By the way, my summary title for this ad, “Upside Clown,” is far more clever than anything shown on screen in this piece of dreck. See, he’s putting a beer bottle, and maybe a hot dog, in his butt! Wow! D-.
Veritas: The Quest Promos – Uh, gee, I hope this “quest” doesn’t take too long. I mean, if it’s not the kind of quest you can wrap up in three episodes, I wouldn’t bother. This baby won’t be around long. D.
VISA Check Card/Yao – Yo – Funny! This, plus Yao’s other non-Super Bowl ad (for Apple, featuring “Mini-Me” actor Verne Troyer), puts him in the top tier of athlete pitchmen. B+.
Drug Money Does Terrible Things – Yeah, but then money to support the war on drugs goes to terrible waste, too. How many treatment centers could be funded with the two million bucks spent to show this scare story to America? Well, at least they’ve dispensed with the whole “Drug Money funds terrorists” theme that was so blatantly crass post September 11th. C-.
Bud Light/Dog as Wig – What happened to the funny Super Bowl ad that is actually funny? This “funny” ad isn’t. It’s just dumb. Do you think there’s been some kind of mix-up, and corporate America looks at the success of things like reality TV, Tom Green, Just Married, and the likes, and figures the words “dumb” and “funny” are now interchangeable? Just a thought. C-.
Monster.com/Out of Control Truck – What’s more fun than an out of control truck? An out of control truck destroying everything in its path, of course! Why this is supposed to make me want to use Monster.com is beyond me. But there were some nice explosions. C+.
Miracles Promos - The real miracle? This show lasting more than four episodes. D.
Daredevil – Well, this was better than the trailer I saw the other day that made it look like the whole movie was targeted at moony fourteen-year-old girls. Still might suck, might be pretty cool. B.
Sierra Mist/Dog Kicks Off Hydrant Cover – “People” seem to like this one. I didn’t care for it. Again, bathroom humor with a twist. See, you think the dog’s going to pee… and there’s nothing funnier than a dog lifting its leg on a fire hydrant! Uh, wait a minute! Turns out, there are about ten thousand things funnier. Sadly, this commercial isn’t one of those ten thousand. C+.
Hanes Tagless T-Shirts – Jackie Chan meets Michael Jordan, and spends the whole commercial looking itchy. Not what I’m looking for in a T-shirt, even if you’re supposed to be selling me on the idea that I WON’T be itchy in your shirts. I don’t like looking at itchy. B-.
Hitting Grounders Causes Smoking – Or something. This was one of those ads from the tobacco companies trying really hard to convince you NOT to use their product if you’re a kid. If you’re 18, though, light up! It’s the manly thing to do! I’m not a big fan of hypocrisy (can you tell?). F.
Alias promos – Dear God, if this wasn’t pandering of the worst sort. Jennifer Garner in lingerie, Jennifer Garner wet in a swimsuit, Jennifer Garner in different lingerie … except, I loved it. I am bad, okay? I am a bad person! But I really like Alias. So I’ll give ABC this one. Too bad the game/Bon Jovi concert rambled on until 11:00pm Eastern time, otherwise I’m guessing plenty of people would have stuck around to see what all the nakedness was about. A-.
Sierra Mist/Monkey Springboard – It had monkeys! B+.
Trident/The Fifth Dentist – The subject of so many bad stand-up comedy bits over the years, I’m glad they finally addressed it. This wins the “Bang for Their Buck” award. (It was only :15, right?) A-.
Bud Light/Non-Empty Crab Shell Grabs Man on Lip – Wow. Makes me want to buy this brand of beer, so I can be as cool as the guy who picked up the shell that still had a crab in it and got pinched on the lip!! Oh, wait ... no it didn't. C+.
Bad Boys 2 – Who asked for it? D.
Budweiser – Date Both Girls – Uh, whatever. It’s become apparent that beer commercials are targeted at some demographic of which I am not a part. However, I hope all the weak-brained idiots who tuned in on Super Sunday will do their part to stay that way, by drinking plenty of Bud and Bud Light. What happened to the Bud Bowl? The Lizards? Good advertising ideas? C+.
VISA Check Card/Barber Brothers – I had this at B+, until someone told me it was a cheapie recut of an existing commercial. That knocks it down to B-. Sorry, that’s the way the game goes.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines – I have extreme reservations about the wisdom of this project. Those reservations were not at all addressed in this footage, which made the film look like something that was made for TNT. B-.
Levi’s/Jeans Stampede – What the f??? D+.
AT&T M-life/Gilligan – I like Gilligan’s Island. I don’t give a rat’s ass about M-life. And I really don’t like you trying to hone in on some of that Gilligan mojo to sell me your dumb product, whatever the feck “m-life” is. D+.
Bruce Almighty – They better be holding back some almighty funny clips for the finished film. B-.
Diet Pepsi/Mosh Pit Daddy – Whatever. C-.
HotJobs.com/Rainbow Connection - Hey, if you’re going to do a Kermit the Frog number, do it justice! Don’t hire a bunch of drones to phone it in. Again, why should I go to HotJobs.com? Because you’ve got a bunch of people that aren’t as cool as Kermit the Frog and can’t sing? D.
Bud Light/Fat Ass Mother - What the f??? No, just … F.
Subway/Jared’s Dream - Jared? Hi, could you stand right over there, next to the Osbournes? Yeah, right there under the sign that says, “Over!” Perfect, thanks. C-.
Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle – According to the Internet Movie Database, the first one made $125 million. So apparently, some people liked it. Maybe they’ll like this one, too. D+.
Cadillac/Train – Well, the train part was cool. Made me want to ride a train. Did nothing to increase my desire to buy a Cadillac, however. C.
Marijuana Causes Pregnancy – Ooh, I’m scared! D.
Reebok/Terry Tate, Office Linebacker - Funny! Really funny! We needed more commercials like this. A-.
Bud Light/Guy with 3 Arms – Not funny! Really not funny! D.
Budweiser/Great Listener – A “D” commercial all the way, bumped up to a C- because the girl was just so darn cute.
EPSN/Next Year – Uh, what’s with ESPN’s new “we have to justify our existence and the vastly inflated importance with which we treat sports” series of spots? (“Without sports, who would you root for?” being one of them. Gee, I don’t know; somehow, I’d survive.) This one tries to tap in to the mythic power of sports, but comes off as slightly pathetic. (As does that inflated importance I mentioned earlier, but that’s a topic for another time.) D-.
Cadillac/CTS – Uh, there was a tunnel, and a car? C-.
Sony/Earth Orbit – I don’t know exactly what this one was about, other than “screw your heirs and go into space if you can.” I like that idea. A-.
AT&T M-life/Antique Phone – Again, this is AT&T trying to tell me something, and trying to sell me something. I have no idea what an “m-life” is, nor how it is better than my current life, and no desire to find out the answers to either of those questions. D.
Budweiser/Tim McGraw & Annoying Guy From Last Year – Well, I certainly like the “designated driver” part of the message. I find it funny that apparently, Tim McGraw has nothing better to do than take people home from bars. And couldn’t Annoying Guy From Last Year’s Bud Commercials meet up with The Sopranos? D.
MasterCard/Leave Cash at Home - Just odd. C-.
Michelob Ultra/Drink Beer, Get In Shape - Yeah, right. D.
As always, your comments are welcomed!
Transmitted 11:46 PM PST | Link |

Sunday, January 26, 2003
Terry Jones Is Very Smart and Funny
Well, you don't need to be a long-time Monty Python fan, such as myself, to know that. However, you may not have realized just how smart and funny he truly is until you read his take on the Iraq situation, titled I'm losing patience with my neighbours, Mr. Bush.
Highly recommended, as is all original thought about the U.S. "blow up first, ask questions later" policy in the Middle East.
Transmitted 10:13 PM PST | Link |

Thursday, January 9, 2003
Celebrity Mole Declared Just Good Enough to Avoid Ridicule
In a closely-watched decision that could have sweeping repercussions for the fast-growing world of so-called "reality television," Colin Campbell, a leading expert in the field, has determined that ABC’s Celebrity Mole: Hawai’i is "just good enough" to escape being the butt of jokes about reality TV. In a related decision, Campbell indicated that the lion’s share of ridicule should continue to be directed either at FOX’s Joe Millionaire or ABC’s The Bachelorette.
"It was a close call," said Campbell from his Studio City base of operations. "The very generous definition of "celebrity" used by ABC in putting this show together almost doomed it from the start." Campbell cited the underlying strength of The Mole’s setup and gameplay as reasons for the show’s success.
Industry observers were skeptical that Celebrity Mole: Hawai’i would make much of an impact, given the current glut of reality programming, a deadly timeslot, the use of marginally-celebrated contestants, and, most crucially said Campbell, the loss of former Mole host Anderson Cooper.
"Cooper’s decision to return to CNN and ostensibly "legitimate" journalism was a big blow for the Mole franchise," observed Campbell. "It’s fair to say most Mole fans had very low expectations for replacement host Ahmad Rashad, and he completely lived up … or down … to them." Much like alleged "president" George W. Bush got credit for looking only mildly stupid as opposed to a total idiot during debates with Vice President Al Gore, Rashad may score with viewers by only being a partial disaster, not a complete flame-out.
Still, Campbell cautioned, the outlook still remains troubled for The Mole franchise. "Celebrity editions of reality/game shows are usually the first sign of impending shark jumpage. And while it’s probably too much to say The Mole has jumped the shark, Fonzie is definitely revving up the motorcycle and eyeing the tank."
So what needs to be done to ensure a long and healthy life for one TV’s most challenging and rewarding reality/game shows? "I know it’s unlikely, but Anderson Cooper is synonymous with this show," said Campbell. "No Anderson during a "regular" edition of The Mole is almost unfathomable, and Ahmad’s "I’m a celebrity buddy" shtick won’t work nearly as well when the game is played with civilian contestants. What this show needs is to stick to its summer-only airing plan, and up the stakes. Make some of the challenges a little tougher. And why not look to other ABC shows, such as Alias, for inspiration? A double agent, perhaps? Where is the SD-6 element of The Mole? How about this for a title: The Mole: Double Cross. That’s fertile ground for further exploration."
Meanwhile, a team from the United Nations Human Rights commission has condemned NBC’s Fear Factor, which this week showed two women eating a large section of horse rectum.
"Rectum?" said Olaf Nilsson, head of the commission. "Damn near killed ‘em!"
Transmitted 06:02 PM PST | Link |

Tuesday, January 7, 2003
Happy Birthday Brother!
It’s that time of year again.
Yes, time to wish a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROTHER!
So, to Morgan Campbell, official holder of the title “World’s Best Brother™” I offer a heartfelt birthday salute!
You, sir, are the man!!!
And I love you very, very much.

Transmitted 11:46 PM PST | Link |

Monday, January 6, 2003
New Year's Eve Ball Drop Pictures and Fun!
And so here we tell the tale of New Year’s Eve 2002, leading to New Year’s Day 2003.
There is fun.
There is merriment.
There is a grown man voluntarily wearing an Austin Powers costume.
There is even police involvement.
Where to start?
New Year’s Eve was a lovely day for a drive to San Luis Obispo. This fine Tuesday was clear, both weather and traffic-wise, and I made good time to my hometown.
It was later in the evening, getting ready for the big festivities (namely, the 10th Xtina Warren Disco Ball Drop), that I started to sense a strange energy. A weird vibe, if you will. A certain, how should I put it, unusual giddiness among my hosts.
And, of my hosts, let me make it perfectly clear: No one, and I mean no one, on the planet has better friends than I do. And at the top of that list are Frank and Xtina Warren, and their adorable, fun, creative, remarkable, joyful, and magnificent kids, Allison and Campbell. (And yes, she was named for me, an honor which to this day still amazes me. Yay!)
But when it was insisted that I open one of their Christmas presents before we headed down to the parking garage from which we annually drop our disco ball, I should have known something was up.
And to see what was up, click here.
Yes, that’s right, your intrepid reporter was the evening’s designated costume-wearer. Frank insisted that I didn’t have to wear it, and that he didn’t see it as an Austin Powers outfit at all, just a cool blue velvety jacket and pants. But the sleeves of the jacket were “pre-frilled,” meaning the wearing of the separate lace cravat was all but mandatory. From there, adding the Austin glasses seemed both logical and inevitable.
Two observations at this point:
1) It is impossible to dress like Austin Powers, and not talk like Austin Powers. Simply can’t be done. So to everyone who was there, for an evening of “Yeah, baby”-s and “Oh, behave”-s, I offer my heartfelt apologies.
2) The pants were marked “one size fits all.” Uh, no they don’t. On the other hand, they did fit perfectly, were Austin Powers some form of exceptionally foppish bullfighter. The pants afforded me all the breathing room of a slightly overweight toreador.
However, is there anything kids like more than dress-up? (I mean, other than Otter Pops?) I think not. After trying on the outfit around dinner time, then removing it, it was just ten o’clock when Campbell excitedly suggested that maybe it was time for Uncle Colin to go put on his Austin Powers costume! Cute kid, that one. I held off suiting up until 11:15pm, then donned my dandy duds for the drive downtown. (Wow, a big hand for alliteration!)
So, downtown we went, with our special tenth anniversary ball in tow. Yes, you too can now click here for a look inside the lab where this ball was lovingly draped in reflective leftover Christmas wrapping and aluminum foil, then covered with a criss-crossing “X” pattern of battery operated lights. “X”, of course, signifying both our tenth ball drop, and Xtina, beloved founder and enactor of all things ball-droppy. (She’s the one who kicked us in the pants back in that first year, when we were kind of still saying how cool the idea was, but weren’t sure if we should actually go do it. That gets her founder credit. Well, that, plus the fact she gets really mad if I don’t remind people of her key role in the origination of this event …)
Now, it should be pointed out that San Luis Obispo had the gall a couple of years ago to start its own event to compete with our ball drop. “First Night,” it was called, and it purported to be an alcohol-free, family oriented way to ring in the New Year. But after a scant two or three year run, the organizers realized there really is nothing fun or funny about mimes and face painting at 10:30pm on a Tuesday night. (Or any other time, for the most part.) Besides, San Luis already had a family friendly, alcohol-free event – the aforementioned Xtina Warren Disco Ball Drop.
So, with “First Night” having drawn its last breath, we had the evening to ourselves … as long as we were willing to share it with about ten thousand San Luis Obispo cops.
Downtown was crawling with police as though there had been a stereotypical doughnut joke at the end of this sentence. (“… like they were giving away doughnuts … like there had been a Hostess truck crash … “ You know, something like that.) I have no idea why; maybe they were expecting trouble. Big trouble.
What they found was us.
Yes, click here for a look at the gathering crowd which apparently attracted the attention of la policía. Frank and I, on top of the parking structure, couldn’t see what was going on precisely, but we were treated to an entertaining play-by-play from the folks on the ground, who saw one cop’s cruiser make the turn to enter the parking structure atop which we perched.
“Two minutes, baby!” I yelled from the open air fourth floor on top of the structure.
“Uh, the police are on the second floor!” yelled back our friend John.
I looked at Frank, a mild panic setting in. What if we were interrupted at a crucial moment? Should we just dump the ball and plead for mercy? Would they put me in super-max, like Gotti? I wouldn’t do well in prison.
“Third floor now … coming your way!” came the call from the ground.
I don’t like Oz, I thought. I’ve never even seen The Shawshank Redemption. But I was getting ahead of myself.
The officer pulled up, and parked next to Frank’s Ford Explorer. I noticed the open bottle of Martinelli’s Sparking Apple Cider perched on the back bumper, and decided at that moment to take whatever plea bargain the D.A. offered.
But really, what law were we breaking? None that I knew of. In fact, we were having fun! And, despite the best efforts of John Ashcroft, that still isn't against the law. We were providing a valuable and entertaining public service to at least 12 people. That had to count for something! Surely this officer would understand.
“Just what do you folks think you’re doing?” said the cop in a tone that indicated he wasn’t the understanding type.
Frank approached, glittering disco ball in hand, and greeted the officer cheerily. I did the same, thankfully suppressing the Austin Powers accent that had by now totally possessed me. Frank explained how we’d been coming to this parking structure for ten years now, and we decorated a disco ball, and lowered it over the side, always being careful to reel it back up afterward. Our families were all down below to cheer us on, said Frank, and nobody’s drinking, we’re just having a fun bit of tradition. (Frank has a way with words.)
The officer looked Frank over, then turned his gaze to me. Up, down. I smiled, and tried to look cool.
Realizing there were actual problems in the city of San Luis Obispo on this night, and that we were not one of them, the cop gave us as snort and an, “Okay, have a good night” before throwing his cruiser into reverse, and taking off.
And so Frank and I scurried back to our posts, with just a scant minute to midnight remaining in the countdown.
“The fuzz have decided to back off, baby, let the countdown continue!” I yelled, Austin’s accent proving strangely liberating at this moment of triumph.
And so we counted down to 2003, and slowly lowered our ball over the side of the garage, down in to the trees below. That’s right – trees cover a lot of the drop zone, and we sure as heck ain’t cutting ‘em down. (We do, however, take pride in being the only West Coast New Year’s Celebration to deal almost exclusively in “Anti-Climax.”)
If you click here, you just might be able to make out the ball, its majestic light shining like a beacon for all that is good and true in the world, as it makes its way two floors down the side of a San Luis Obispo landmark.
As for this final photo from New Year’s Night, I include it only because I know it will surely delight the kids. And really, isn’t that what this website is all about?
However, if the kids get to see Uncle Colin in costume, I think it’s only fair that you, the home reader, get a look at them in costume. And, what a coincidence! One of Uncle Colin’s favorite Christmas presents to them just happened to be costumes! Click here to see Allison and Campbell – ready to continue the good fight for truth, justice, and the American way ... and to battle anyone who tries to get in the way of a fantastic New Year’s tradition that I very much enjoy.
Transmitted 11:50 PM PST | Link |

Wednesday, January 1, 2003
Ball Successfully Dropped, Photos to Follow
First off, HAPPY NEW YEAR to all.
Second off, yes, we successfully dropped our glittering disco ball off a downtown San Luis Obispo parking structure.
Third off, with under two minutes to go, we were approached by the cops ...
But more on that, along with photos from the magic night, later. For now, enjoy the New Year!
Transmitted 10:20 PM PST | Link |

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