Pac Gentleman

Pac Gentleman
Those of you familiar with the arcade game Pac-Man are probably unaware that its origins are almost a century old, starting with the classic pub game Pac Gentleman:

When this game was first released in 1880 it was so hugely popular in taverns and inns that the bank of England was forced to mint more threepenny bits to keep up with demand. The game was created by messrs Nam & Nam and Co. as a novelty pastime for the masses. Outdoing the previous top public house game of Shove Ha’penny.

Brilliant. 🙂

Pac Gentleman

Pac Gentleman
Those of you familiar with the arcade game Pac-Man are probably unaware that its origins are almost a century old, starting with the classic pub game Pac Gentleman:

When this game was first released in 1880 it was so hugely popular in taverns and inns that the bank of England was forced to mint more threepenny bits to keep up with demand. The game was created by messrs Nam & Nam and Co. as a novelty pastime for the masses. Outdoing the previous top public house game of Shove Ha’penny.

Brilliant. 🙂

Arrested Development…The Movie?

Fox has a long history of cancelling great TV shows. (It also has a more established history of airing some really crappy shows, but I digress.) Family Guy and Futurama immediately spring to mind when talking about cancelled series, but both of those shows received reprieves of sorts, with Fox resurrecting Family Guy and creating straight-to-DVD features of Futurama. I came upon the amazing show Firefly well after it was cancelled and can’t believe that Fox cancelled it so ignominiously. The movie Serenity was a great return to the Firefly universe, but it was another exception to the rule. Many shows were not so lucky, like Andy Richter Controls The Universe, Wonderfalls, Undeclared, Arrested Development, and some more that I’ll probably kick myself for forgetting.

I bring all of this up because Paste Magazine reports that an Arrested Development movie may be in the works. I’m happy to hear it, but I’d prefer that they just not cancel great shows in the first place… ;-p

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Arrested Development…The Movie?

Fox has a long history of cancelling great TV shows. (It also has a more established history of airing some really crappy shows, but I digress.) Family Guy and Futurama immediately spring to mind when talking about cancelled series, but both of those shows received reprieves of sorts, with Fox resurrecting Family Guy and creating straight-to-DVD features of Futurama. I came upon the amazing show Firefly well after it was cancelled and can’t believe that Fox cancelled it so ignominiously. The movie Serenity was a great return to the Firefly universe, but it was another exception to the rule. Many shows were not so lucky, like Andy Richter Controls The Universe, Wonderfalls, Undeclared, Arrested Development, and some more that I’ll probably kick myself for forgetting.

I bring all of this up because Paste Magazine reports that an Arrested Development movie may be in the works. I’m happy to hear it, but I’d prefer that they just not cancel great shows in the first place… ;-p

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NFL Kickers: No Upside?

New York Times has an interesting article on NFL kickers entitled The Kick Is Up and It’s … A Career Killer:

Brett Favre can throw 10 more game-ending interceptions and fans will still cherish his moments of glory. Reggie Bush may fumble away a championship and still end up being known for the best things he ever does. Even offensive linemen whose names no one remembers are permitted to end their days basking in the reflected glory of having been on the field. Kickers alone are required to make their own cases.

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NFL Kickers: No Upside?

New York Times has an interesting article on NFL kickers entitled The Kick Is Up and It’s … A Career Killer:

Brett Favre can throw 10 more game-ending interceptions and fans will still cherish his moments of glory. Reggie Bush may fumble away a championship and still end up being known for the best things he ever does. Even offensive linemen whose names no one remembers are permitted to end their days basking in the reflected glory of having been on the field. Kickers alone are required to make their own cases.

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Peter Jackson to Direct “The Hobbit”

Lord Of The RingsHow’s this for some great news before the holidays? According to TheOneRing.net, Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema have allegedly settled their litigation and signed on Peter Jackson to direct The Hobbit and its sequel, for 2010 and 2011 releases, respectively. I’m unclear on whether that implies that The Hobbit will be split into two movies or that the “sequel” will be drawn from other material in the Lord Of The Rings canon like The Silmarillion. In either case, I am very excited by this news! 🙂

Peter Jackson to Direct “The Hobbit”

Lord Of The RingsHow’s this for some great news before the holidays? According to TheOneRing.net, Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema have allegedly settled their litigation and signed on Peter Jackson to direct The Hobbit and its sequel, for 2010 and 2011 releases, respectively. I’m unclear on whether that implies that The Hobbit will be split into two movies or that the “sequel” will be drawn from other material in the Lord Of The Rings canon like The Silmarillion. In either case, I am very excited by this news! 🙂