Three Random Thoughts (aka Randolph Mantooth!)

[Ran]

I just had to look up Natalie Schafer for something else. She was actually born in 1900, so she was 63 in 1963. I don't feel too bad now. She doesn't look terrible for 63.

Ok, I botched the math on that one.

[Tom Foolery]

Three Random Thoughts(the 2024 Paris Olympics edition)

Is France ever gonna finish the Eiffel Tower? It’s been that ugly metal skeletal understructure forever.

Kudos to the commentators for making events I would never normally watch or care about seem exciting. Like, who gives a shit about women’s mountain biking? But damn I was on the edge of my seat.

Ever since they lost in 1992, USA Men’s Basketball is expected to win gold, or they will all be fired from the NBA and escorted out of the country. It’s literally the most embarrassing thing that could happen to anyone anywhere if they win Silver. Some guy could be getting married on live TV in front of a billion viewers and shit himself in front of everybody, and he’d say ‘damn, at least I didn’t win silver in basketball at the Olympics…’

[Ran]

1. I feel like I don't even know you guys anymore. Two days ago, a French Olympic pole vaulter lost because his enormous package got in the way and not one mention of it. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/fan ... 52951.html

2. These "National ___ Day" things are getting out of hand. I know there is a Pancake day, and a day to talk like a pirate, etc. Apparently August 1st was "National Girlfriend Day".

3. My 19 year old daughter now has a boyfriend. He is an engineering major and kind of dorky. As someone who is an engineer and kind of a dork (especially when I was 19), The first time I met him, he was wearing a Motley Crue t-shirt. My wife showed my his instagram, and on "National Girlfriend Day", he posted a picture of my daughter with his dog. Fine, whatever. The part hurt my brain was that he added background music..."Looks That Kill" by Motley Crue.

[vynsane]

1. I feel like I don't even know you guys anymore. Two days ago, a French Olympic pole vaulter lost because his enormous package got in the way and not one mention of it. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/fan ... 52951.html

in my defense, i heard about this only late this weekend and was on the road. i've been attempting to avoid spoilers because we're so behind on stuff (we're watching replays on peacock) and there's only so much you can watch. the coverage on that article is just fantastic, though, thanks for sharing!

[anarky]

Are there animal pedophiles, or is that an issue that only affects humanity?

There's very little cooler than going into an ice cream parlor for the first time, and the owner is the only person working and looks to be in his 30s or 40s, and Cypress Hill's "Hits From the Bong" is playing.

Every story should end with the phrase "...and then my mom punched the dog in the dick."

[Tom Foolery]

A pickle can be in you, and you can be in a pickle at the same time. Sometimes the reason you’re in a pickle is because the pickle is in you a little too much.

Carrots are orange, but oranges are not carrot. Makes you think.

Jimmy Carter is 100 years old. And he looks it. Happy Birthday, Mr. President!!

[Tom Foolery]

I just realized where I’ve heard Moo Deng before. It’s from all those Vietnam war movies from the 70s and 80s. The VC have the heroes captured and they start yelling “moo deng! moo deng!” and then the hero is like “I don’t speak your chimpanzee language or whatever!” then one of the VC hits him on the back of his head with their rifle.

The next time you’re at karaoke(or if you’re singing at home. Whatever) sing the song in an Ed Wynn impression. It’s fucking hilarious. Try it. Baby Got Back. Welcome to the Jungle. I Will Survive. Love Shack. Any song is fucking hilarious in Ed Wynn’s voice.

Kansas’ Dust in the Wind is incredibly reductive. That’s not ALL we are, Kansas.

[anarky]

Last night, I watched several episodes of Voltron: Legendary Defender, and I think I was the only person watching anything other than Tyson.

I saw Voltron take on the second Robeast (I love that it's not the "Robeast of the week" formula of the original, and when Robeasts do show up, they're a serious threat). Judging from everything I've read, I saw a much more exciting fight.

I saw someone claim the fight wasn't a sham, because Mike Tyson is old and also had too much self-respect to take a dive for money. My immediate thought was, "Bitch, Mike Tyson is so fucking mercenary, he would suck a camel's dick on live TV in exchange for cab fare home."

[Tom Foolery]

On a scale of 100, I’d rate being excited to watch Mike Tyson at about a 1. And that’s about 100x times more than I’d be interested in watching Jake Paul.

[Ran]

I'm not much of a boxing fan, but I'm old enough to know that matches like that never live up to the hype. I didn't even attempt to watch it, so if your Netflix was pixelated, it wasn't my fault.

[Ran]

A while back something reminded me of a tv show when I was a kid. I've been trying to remember what it was, but all I could remember was a Wolfman and then occasionally a guy in a gorilla suit would come out and get pelted by ping pong balls. Well, I finally figured out it was called "The Hilarious House of Frightenstein". It was recorded in Hamilton, Ontario in 1971 and only lasted 1 season. That didn't make sense to me because I wasn't born until 1973. I kept reading and found that they recorded 130 episodes. Vincent Price was even in some of them. I must have caught the re-runs in the late 70s. According to wikipedia, it is on Pluto and Tubi. I'm going to have to try to find it.

[anarky]

Okay, not exactly three random thoughts, but this is the third time this has happened to me. I had a dream last night which, rarely, I can remember, and there was major importance on a pop song that actually probably would've been a hit if it actually existed. I'm under no illusion that I have the talent to bring any to life in the real world, and, though they stick out in my head, I don't know enough to fully assemble them even if I did.

The first was about 25 years ago. I remember because I thought it was a real song I remembered, and asked co-workers at a bank I worked for for about a year. It didn't ring any bells. Later internet searches yielded nothing, either.

I don't remember any specifics of the dream aside from the song. It was a really upbeat 80s synth pop number with a male English lead singer. Imagine Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode trying to sound like the Pet Shop Boys. All I can recall is the chorus. The last line is pretty weird, I know.
"When I'm with you, it's just like cowboys and Indians
My knees are rubber and I'm dancing, d-dancing
Girl, with you I can break all the laws of time and space
I feel just like a communist when I'm with you, you, you, you, y-y-you"

Second dream is from about 20 years ago. Again, I can nail it down because of the house I was living in, where I only lived for a year. I remember a few more details about this one. For some reason, I was remembering loving a show that was clearly a low budget Sesame Street knockoff (which I watched as a kid in an apartment I never lived in). There was a puppet ant, who had a folksy song that he sang; I later found out in the dream that it was by a 60s folk singer who died in obscurity sometime in the 70s, and the original lyric said "shitting" instead of "stepping." Lyrics are pretty dark for a supposed kids' show.
"Don't you go 'round feeling sorry for me
You should feel sorry for the world
I'm not the one stepping on the world
The world is stepping on my head"

Then, last night, another one. This was a really weird setup. It should be pretty obvious why I know without even checking that this can't exist. In the dream, for some reason, I was watching a (nonexistent) early 80s cult stoner comedy that I'd never gotten around to seeing. The main character (your typical low budget Belushi type) had gotten thrown in jail because he'd gone on some rampage after his car stereo had eaten the cassette of his favorite album. He was using his one phone call to call his best friend (on his smartphone) to talk him through buying another copy (on CD--everything else about this fake movie, the look, the fashions, the hair, kinda screamed 1981-2). He had to keep repeating details to the guy, who was trying to find it (oddly, in a nonexistent record store in a nonexistent mall that's showed up in my dreams occasionally and I think must be based on some obscure place I went once). The band was called Stikka, the song was called "The Stripper," it would be classified as heavy metal, and he had to explain about twelve times that it was on the album "with Starscream on the cover." Indeed, when the guy found it, the cover was a (linticular animated) close-up of Starscream's sneering face, apparently drawn by Geoff Senior.

At this point, I was pissed and stopped watching the movie, because I knew I'd seen that CD in clearance bins many times over the years and passed (you'd think I'd have at least picked it up for the Starscream cover, right?), and I somehow knew without checking that it wasn't available on any streaming service, and I had no idea if I'd be able to find a copy with record stores mostly extinct. I did, somehow, listen to almost the whole thing online before waking up IRL, never mind that I'd just determined it was unavailable. If there's a demigod in charge of dreams, y'all know that bastard is always high on crack.

I only remember the chorus, which is pretty short, but have an idea of the story. It was a typical rock song about a boy growing up in a rough neighborhood, broken home, yadda yadda, who strikes out on his own. Oddly, nowhere in the song aside from the chorus is a stripper ever mentioned. The lead-in to the chanted "the stripper" changes each of the three times the chorus is sung. Again, oddly, despite being classified as heavy metal, it is more generic hard rock, like a mix of early 70s Rick Derringer combined with that kinda odd, distinctively 1979-82 rock sound of something like April Wine or Unmasked-era KISS.

"[Maybe then you too] / [You can fall in love with] / [Don't ever fall in love with]
The stripper [distinctive three-note guitar riff], the stripper [repeat riff], the stripper [repeat riff]
[Repeat all X2]"

I just want a goddamned unknown heavy metal CD with Starscream on the cover now.

[Ran]

I typed "Draw a heavy metal album cover with Starscream on it" into ChatGPT and got this:

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I can't physically draw an image, but I can describe an album cover concept for you! Here’s a detailed visualization of a heavy metal album cover featuring Starscream:

Album Title: Skyward Destruction

Cover Concept:
The background is a stormy sky, with dark swirling clouds lit by lightning, casting an ominous glow. In the center of the composition, Starscream looms large, his menacing figure towering over the scene. His wings are spread wide, almost like the wings of a demon, glinting with sharp metallic edges. His face is snarling, with glowing red optics that pierce through the darkness. Sparks and embers fly around him, creating a chaotic energy in the air.

Starscream’s jet mode is visible in the distance, flying through the clouds like a symbol of his destructive power. His armor is detailed with scratches and battle scars, emphasizing the heavy metal aesthetic. His hands are clenched into fists, and his chest plate features intricate mechanical designs, resembling gothic patterns.

The album title, Skyward Destruction, is written in bold, jagged, metallic font across the top, reminiscent of classic metal band logos. The font has a touch of futurism to reflect Starscream’s technological nature. Below the title, there’s a smaller tagline: Rise of the Decepticon Warlord.

At the bottom of the cover, the band’s name (you could name the band something like The Shattered Wings) is emblazoned in the same sharp metallic font, contrasting with the dark theme but still matching the overall aesthetic.

How does this concept sound

I respond: "How are his fists clenched if he is in jet mode?"

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You're absolutely right! Starscream would not have clenched fists in jet mode. If he's depicted in his jet form, his arms (and hands) would be retracted and integrated into the design of the jet. Let me revise that part for you:

Revised Concept:
Starscream is now depicted in his jet mode, soaring through the stormy skies. His wings are extended fully, cutting through the turbulent clouds, with engine afterburners blazing behind him. The jet’s sleek, menacing silhouette is adorned with dark, battle-worn details and scorch marks, showcasing its power and aggression. The cockpit area could have a hint of Starscream’s head visible through the canopy, with his glowing red optics glaring ominously through the glass, as though he's observing the world beneath him.

Instead of clenched fists, we now see the powerful thrusters in the back of the jet mode glowing bright, emphasizing his speed and destructive power. Sparks fly from the engines, and a trail of fire streaks behind him, creating a sense of motion and chaos.

This better fits his jet mode, and the sense of looming threat and danger is still there. Does this revision work better for your vision?

Seeing a robot's head while it is in vehicle mode seems more like a Go-Bot thing, so I ask "How can you see Starscream's head in the canopy?"

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You're right again! In Starscream's jet mode, his head would typically be hidden within the structure of the jet, not visible through the canopy. Thanks for pointing that out. Let's fix the description to reflect that.

Updated Concept:
Starscream is now depicted fully in his jet mode, cutting through the stormy sky. His sleek, metallic form gleams under the flashes of lightning, with sharp angles and battle damage giving him a menacing, war-torn look. The jet's cockpit is just a dark, reflective surface, devoid of any visible head. Instead, we see the powerful thrusters glowing bright at the rear of the jet, sending out fiery trails of exhaust as he rockets through the clouds, showcasing his raw power.

The dark clouds around him are swirling violently, almost as if they’re being sucked in by the immense speed and energy of his flight. His wings are wide and sharp, almost like the wings of a bird of prey, adding to the threatening presence. In place of the cockpit view, we can focus more on the fiery exhaust and mechanical details of the jet, highlighting the heavy metal vibe of the design.

The title Skyward Destruction still rests in bold, jagged metallic font at the top, with the band name The Shattered Wings at the bottom.

This version should be much more accurate! Would this work better for the album cover?

"Why does his exhaust have fire?"

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Good point! Starscream’s exhaust wouldn’t realistically have fire unless he were engaging in extreme afterburner or combat maneuvers, but typically, it would be more of a glowing exhaust trail from his engines. Let’s correct that for a more realistic approach while keeping the heavy metal vibe.

Refined Concept:
Starscream is shown in his jet mode, tearing through the stormy skies with incredible speed. The sleek, angular form of his F-15-inspired jet glistens with metallic hues of dark silver and gunmetal gray, battered and scarred from countless battles. His wings are sharply angled, exuding a menacing aura as he cuts through the turbulent clouds.

The exhaust from his engines glows with a subtle, hot red-orange light, signifying the high-speed thrust. The lighting from his engines is intense but not fiery—more of a glowing, mechanical heat that illuminates the chaos of the skies behind him, but without the exaggerated flames.

The sky itself is dark and tumultuous, lit by occasional lightning, creating an electric, stormy backdrop for Starscream’s rapid flight. The album title Skyward Destruction is emblazoned in a jagged, metallic font above, while the band name The Shattered Wings sits at the bottom, matching the overall aggressive, futuristic aesthetic.

This should feel more grounded in Starscream's actual jet form while keeping the dramatic heavy metal edge intact. Does this update better align with what you had in mind?

"how about just a close-up of Starscream's sneering face?"

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Ah, now that's an excellent idea! A close-up of Starscream's sneering face would really amplify the intensity of the album cover. Let's go with that concept:

Album Cover Concept: Close-Up of Starscream’s Face

In the foreground, we see a tightly cropped image of Starscream’s face, full of angry defiance and malice. His face is illuminated by eerie, flickering lightning, casting sharp shadows that enhance his fierce expression. His red optics are glowing with a menacing intensity, almost like they’re burning through the viewer. The deep, metallic contours of his face are covered in battle scars and scratches, reflecting his many years of conflict and war.

Starscream’s mouth is twisted in a sneer, showing his sharp, mechanical teeth, as if he’s ready to launch into a tirade or unleash destruction. His angular features give him an almost predatory, ruthless look. The sleek, sharp lines of his face and helmet evoke his jet mode, but in a way that focuses entirely on the emotion and power behind his persona.

In the background, behind his head, the clouds swirl ominously, with flashes of lightning casting a faint glow over the scene, hinting at the chaos and destruction he’s always on the brink of causing. The jagged, heavy metal album title Skyward Destruction arches across the top in a bold, metallic font, with cracks and damage on the letters themselves, making them appear like they’re about to break apart. The band name, The Shattered Wings, sits at the bottom, in a slightly smaller, but equally striking, font.

The overall aesthetic is gritty, dark, and intense, reflecting Starscream’s villainous and power-hungry nature while giving it a classic heavy metal flair.

How does this sound for a close-up cover? It should really capture the character’s essence!

"So anarky was right?"

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It seems like you're referring to a comment or argument involving Anarky—a character from the DC universe, right? If you're asking whether Anarky was right in the context of something discussed earlier, I’d need a little more context to help clarify. Could you elaborate on the specific situation or point of view you're referencing? I'd be happy to provide some insight!

"no, anarky from vynsane.com"

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Ah, got it! You’re referring to Anarky from the Vynsane.com community. I’m not familiar with every specific conversation or debate that might have taken place there, but if you're asking whether Anarky was right about something, I’d love to hear more about the topic you’re referring to. Could you give me a bit more background or clarify the situation? I'd be happy to offer my thoughts!