The Elephantine Colossus fire of 1896

So apparently there was an 150 foot tall hotel built to look like a giant elephant in Coney Island, named the "Elephantine Colossus".

The elephant burned down in 1896. Fortunately it was abandoned at the time. This resulted in the greatest news illustration I have ever seen (pictured).

It was also at one point a giant elephant shaped brothel.

(source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephantine_Colossus#Rooms_and_attractions )

Yeah, I don't really write things here anymore

Now that the Thor's Hour of Thunder podcast occurs weekly, I tend to say my pop culture musings on the air on that show, so I haven't been writing new posts for this site.

This is probably for the best, since I tended to write for this site rather quickly and not proof read, so this often ended up being a blog as much about typos, as it was about advertisements.

One note about the previous entries that have embedded audio of the Thor's podcast in them, for some reason, unknown to me, blogspot has also disabled all the embedded audio files. So, if you have any interest in listening to that just follow the link below to go to the main site for Thor's (linked below).

If you have any thoughts about past posts on this blog feel free to email HourOfThunder (at) gmail dot com since I don't check this blog regularly anymore. I mean you could still simply comment on the post itself, but it would be you shouting into the darkness. (To paraphrase that video making fun of of twitter that I very much enjoy).

Listen to the Thor's Hour of Thunder here

Podcast Episodes 132 to 150

Oh my! I neneglected to post episodes of the Thor's Hour of Thunder Podcast on here for many many many weeks.

We do not talk about the muppets in any of these episodes.

 

Topics for these many episodes include:

Star Wars, Indiana Jones, James Bond Films, Back to the Future. Horror Movies of the 70's, Horror Movies of the 90's, Horror movies of the 2000's.

Listen to all that here: 

(player starts playing the newest episode, scroll to the right for older episodes.)

Podcast Episodes 129 to 131

Thor's: Star Wars Specials 

Listen here:

Download these episodes, past episodes, and subscribe via iTunes at the official site

hourofthunder.podomatic.com

The End of Reading

I remember seeing James Patterson doing ads for his  books were he spoke directly to the camera from back when he was younger and bearded, the ads were not great, but they were dignified and made his books seem like a bit of a big event, as far as disposable fiction goes.

Whoever convinced him to put on the world's cheapest pirate costume and stand in front of the same background from my high school yearbook photo, was, shall we say... ill-advised.

I don't know which version of this ad is worse, the one of Patterson embarrassing himself, or this one of the world's worst child actor delivering the same bad puns.

Its sad seeing Patterson slum it, but at least he is able to give this terrible ad the tone it needs. This kid is way too damn sincere and excited about yelling this stupid puns at my face.

(PS I came across this ad in the form of the one with the kid, and saw it while watching an episode of the late 80's television series Murder, She Wrote on The Hallmark Channel, so I am not sure who told Hachette publishing that it was a good idea to air an ad for a book aimed at kids, which was staring a kid and clearly marketed towards kids at 1 in the morning on a channel that is only watched by people over 80 years old during the day, and is only watched by me at night, but Hachette is the same compnay who decided to stop publication of the greatest movie magazine of all time, Premiere, so none of these events are really surprising.

Podcast Episodes 126 to 128

Thor's Hour of Thunder Episodes 126 to 128:

James Bond Special

(Parts 001 to 003)

Listen with these players:

Download these and past episodes on our official site here:

hourofthunder.podomatic.com

Download our James Bond Episodes from last year here:

Thor's Classic

Superman

It has been a while since I post anything on this blog on 9/11. I don't want to harp on a national tragic on my silly website where I talk about the Budweiser frogs, so I have tended to just not post.

But I have an episode of my podcast which I published without realizing the date, so if I'm gonna put anything on this page on 9/11 it seems like I should acknowledge the date first.

As I've said on here in the past, former City Paper Editor Duane Swierczynski wrote a great piece back in 2007 about his young son trying to understand 9/11 in the context of the World Trade Center appearing in the original superman film.

Read that article here.

I will be get back to being silly in the next post.


(photo of Superman: The movie via here.)

Podcast Episodes 123, 124, and 125

Thor 123: Central time-stravaganza

Thor's 124: The 2013 Summer Movie 

Summation Part 1

Thor's 125: Summer Movie Summation Part: Miley Cyrus Twerking

Listen to and download past episodes and subscribe via itunes here:

http://hourofthunder.podomatic.com/

Download older episode of the podcast here:

http://hourofthunder2.podomatic.com/

Podcast Episodes 119 through 122

Thor's Hour of Thunder Podcast

Horror Movie Special

80's Horror

(in four parts)

Cary Grant (on the left) and Moustapha Akkad (right) (photo via)

Listen to all four parts here:

Download these and past episodes on the official site:

hourofthunder.podomatic.com

Podcast Episodes 115 to 118

We try to talk Despicable Me 2, and do so eventually. 

Listen to all four episodes on this multi-track player.

Listen to and download these and past episodes on our official site: 

hourofthunder.podomatic.com 

Podcast Episode 114

Thor's Hour of Thunder:

 The Lone Ranger

Download this and past episodes on the official site: hourofthunder.podomatic.com 

Thor and Purple Drank discuss the Disney box office Bomb The Lone Ranger. This is the first episode of the Hour of Thunder recorded entirely while sitting in a car.

Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, William Fichtner
(back in the early 90's I thought of William Fichtner as the more alien looking Kevin Sorbo. But Fichtner has aged much better and has also gotten, I think, more famous then Sorbo, so now Kevin Sorbo is the less handsome WIlliam Fichtner.), Disney, Movies that no one saw, Indians, Cow Boys, Tonto.

This episode's cover photo via: http://www.lawnrangerlawncare.net/

Some Random Thoughts on Hockey

George Parros's facial expression upon realizing he plays for the Florida Panthers 

While I think it is really awesome when a player like Mario Lemieux is able to play for one team his whole career,* It never really bothers me when teams and players have to part ways. Whether it is simply a matter of money, or it is the player hoping they can finally win a cup and signing with what they see as a more competitive team,** or a team trading a player they no longer see as part of their plan to win the cup .***

Hockey is something I watch for fun, but to the people involved with it, it is their job. Good GMs have to build a team based on their ability to win games, not based on who the fans want to see on the ice, so they have to make trades or choice not to resign popular veteran free agents if they do not see them as being part their plan for the team.

In terms of players leaving for greener pastures: let's say you have a favorite bar that you go to a few times a month, and their is a bartender their who is great with the customers, then one day you show up and find out he got a better job offer at a different bar. If he comes back to visit the first bar a few months later are you gonna paint up signs telling him he sucks now, or boo him when he walks in the door? I really hope not.

Hockey players will have, in the best case scenario, until they are in their early 40's to earn money playing hockey, so it is understandable to me that they when they are up for free agency they would choose to sign with teams that will either 1. pay them the most 2. will give them the best shot at whatever their non-monetary goal is (winning the Stanley Cup, playing for their hometown team, sleeping with Carrie Underwood).

Footnote(s):
 *And I think someone like Lemieux is just a total class act to have allowed the 'guins to defer a huge chunk of his salary to prevent them from running the fuck out of money, rather then going to another team, I get that this is very very are behavior not just in hockey or sport, but almost anywhere. (sohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Lemieux#1997.E2.80.932000:_Post-retirementurce)

**As just happened with the Ottawa senators long time captain Daniel Alfredsson.

***As the Flyers seem to do with any player I have ever heard of on their team pretty much every other season

This article from Puck Daddy about fans seeing Alfredsson as a bad guy got me thinking and cause me to write this post.

Podcast Episodes 108, 109, and 110

Thor's Hour of Thunder

Episodes 108, 109, 110

Thor's 108: McDonald's Happy Meal Toy Nostalgia

I've been meaning to do an episode about McDonalds Happy Meal Toys since I first started this show. Thanks to Bjork for suggesting we finally do one.

Myself (Thor), Bjork, Vidar, and Doctor Detriot discuss: McRobots, Animaniacs toys, Tiny Toon Adventure Toys, Back to the future II sunglasses, Back to the Future The animated series toys, Batman Forever glasses, Rock Donald's Flintstones glasses, Star Trek II: In Search of Spock glasses, Muppet Babies Toys, Mario jumping spring toys, Nintendo 64 controller toys.

ending audio from this 80's McRobots Ad 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuHQdg2ozUc

Thor's 109: Remake-apalooza

We talk about what movies we think are ripe for being remade and improved upon. As well as our opinions on recent remakes including Prom Night, Texas Chainsaw 3D, Evil Dead, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm St.

Cover art for this episode from this list of the favorite remakes of blogger David Frank http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/top-ten-movie-remakes/

Thor's 110: Curse of Remake-apalooza

We talk more remakes. including Cobra. We also talk about beverly hills cop but not in regards to remaking it. We talk about more things but I don't feel like typing anymore.

Podcast Episode 107

Thor's 107: The Shadow in: The Man Made of Man-made Knifes Part 1

We here at Thor's occasionally write parodies of the old Orson Welles radio detective show "The Shadow" and act them out.

Here is one such parody.

He is a list of folks from the normal hour of thunder pantheon and the character they play (in case you are courious):
Thor Does the voice of the Narrator and Stebbins,
Baldr does the voice of The Shadow/ Lamont Cranston,
Freyja does the voice of Gwen Deebly,
Officer Tiger does the voice of Officer Tiger.
Hell v.1 (from the muppets episode) does the sound effects and the voice of Bubbles

email hourofthunder (at) gmail.com if you want a copy of the script so you can follow along.

cover art via: http://www.francescofrancavilla.com/

Thor's 107.5: Outtakes from "The Man Made of Man-made Knifes Part 1"

I'm not sure how interested people are in listening to six minutes of outtakes, but I thought these were funny, so I figured I would publish them incase people were interested. The outtakes go in chronological order from beginning to end of episode.

Podcast Episodes 101 to 106

Thor's Hour of Thunder

Episodes 101 to 106: 

Man of Steel 

(Photo of our awesome pantheon member Purple Drank)

Thor 101: Man of Steel

The quick jist of action packed episode 101: We talk about this guy and all his super tree glory. 

Can he defeat mother nature? Will Lois save him or should she make like a tree and leaf?

Cover photo suggested by Vidar who also wrote the above awesome description.

Myself (Thor), Bjork, Hiemdale, Njord, Vidar, Purple Drank, and new god Doctor Detriot talk the superman movie Man of Steel as well as many other things.

Ernie Hudson, the 1978 John Carpenter Movie Halloween, Nick Castle, Tony Moran, Fatality Fest, Fort Lauderdale, Jimmy Olsen, Amy Adams, Chest hair, Green Lantern, Henry Cavill, Superman 2, Superman II, Superman, Richard Lester, Christopher Reeves, Kevin Costner, Russel Crowe, Michael Shannon, Zod, Kneel before Zod.

Cover photo suggested by Vidar who also wrote this awesome description: 

The quick jist of action packed episode 101: We talk about this guy and all his super tree glory. 

Can he defeat mother nature? Will Lois save him or should she make like a tree and leaf?

(Vidar everything about the photo you chose and caption you wrote makes me so happy)

Thor 102: Buns of Steel

More Superman, along with the new Harrison Ford movie "Paranoia". This film co-stars Liam Hemsworth (from Hunger Games and Expendables 2), who is the brother of Chris Hemsworth who plays Thor.

This leads us into a discussion of who is hotter Chris or Liam Hemsworth. What do you think? Email into hourofthunder (at) gmail.com and let us know.

we also talk some more stuff about movies and comic books including kryptonite, Superman Returns, Lex Luthor, Wayne Industries, the National Guard, and more.

Cover photo for this episode via: http://brycedonovan.com/2010/09/06/a-little-something-for-the-ladies/

Thor 103: Captain Planet and the Planeteers

We talk about many things, some of which is still Man of Steel,

The Inhumans, the Inhuman's stupid dog, Krypto the Super Dog, The Super cat, the super monkey. Too many damned super animals. The Super Horse. Bad Horse. Captain Planet and the Planeteers. Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Heart, Linka (voiced by Kath Soucie), The Russian Chick on Captain Planet was hot.

Grind House, Death Proof, Planet Terroor, Rosario Dawson, Rose McGowen, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez.

Did you know LeVar Burton from Roots and Star Trek: The Next Generation voiced Kwame the Planeteer from Africa?

Thor's 104: Streaky the Supercat

Is Superman too busy trying to get fresh air to stop his super friends from turning his girl into a super whore? Find out in Episode 103!

(Cover photo selected for this episode by Vidar, who also wrote the funny caption for me. Vidar also did this for episodes 101 and 105. I salute Vidar for fighting for truth justice an the american way but mostly I'm glad him sending me these cover photos and prewritten captions made my job easier. -Thor.)

Streaky the Supercat, Beppo the supermonkey, Krypto the Superdog. Jimmy Olsen, Amy Adams Man of Steel, ZacK Snyder, 2013, Henry Cavill, Rebecca Buller, Jenny Olsen, Fishburne.

Thor 105: Super Muffins!

Are muffins stronger than kryptonite? Listen to find out!

Cover photo again selected and captioned by Vidar, who unfortunately had lost most of his voice so was not in parts 104, 105, and 106. Get well soon Vidar! (Though your deep scratchy voice you had going on sounded really bad ass!)

we talk superman, get Doctor Detriot's opinion on Iron Man 3, talk Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, The Philadelphia Zoo, Superman Red Sun, Superman for all seasons, Superman: Doomsday, Jim Gaffigan, and more.

Cover image via: http://superherouniverse.com/wiki/Superman/

Thor 106: Kneel before Zod

hepatitis c, David S. Goyer, Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan, Dark Knight Trilogy, Kevin Costner, Krypton, Dragonfly looking things that Russel Crowe rides, Flashbacks to Superboy, Clark Kent as a kid running around wearing a read cape. Michael Shannon. Jor El movie. General Zod, strip club, Man of Steel, Superman, Zack Snyder

This episode's cover photo of Purple Drank in costume as Harley Quinn for Philadelphia Comic Con

you ever see that meme that has a photo of Neil Armstrong in front of Zod with the caption "Neil before zod"? If you haven't you can right the fuck now:

Al Pacino Sky Fiber Ad

Here is a british ad for a fiber optic internet service starring Scarface himself, Al Pacino.

Sky Fibre - Al Pacino from Finish on Vimeo.


Apparently in England Al Pacino's public persona is pretty much interchangeable with Charlie Sheen. Though I like this ad much better then the similarly themed, eccentric celebrity uses our product in his mansion ad Sheen did in the U.S. for Fiat

AC Slater is seducing you with his torso poems

This is an underwear ad, photographed instore at K-Mart.  Mario Lopez is famous for "saved by the bell" and for somehow looking younger every year since looking too old to play a high schooler in saved by the bell 20 years ago.

Apparently he has parlayed that fame into a line of underwear, which is uncreatively called MaLo, and the ads for which feature the confusing slogan "My heart is the only thing that is made of stone" scrawled across his rippling abs with sharpie.

This ad is over serious and laughable and Lopez looks so unnatural not smiling. However, I do have to commend the font choice for the above message, it looking like hastily scrawled handwriting, but is just the right amount of distressed so it doesn't become distracting, I think that font would be very effective in a different context.

Podcast Episode 100

We made it! 100 Episodes of this nonsense! Hell Yeah!

Thor's Hour of Thunder

Thor's ONE HUNDREDTH EPISODE! 

We realize about 12 minutes into this episode that we have been talking long enough that we have now reached episode 100. We talk a lot about 90's music in this episode.

More Nu Metal, Jonathan Davis, Korn, limp bizkit, Carson Daily, The Pixies, Total Request Live, Jimmy Fallon, Ska, Less Then Jake, Street Light Manifesto, Ramstein, Neil Gaiman, Dresden Dolls, Amanda Palmer, Coin Operated Boy, Brian Viglione, Linkin Park.

Also we talked about how matt smith is stepping down as doctor who and how there will be a 50th anniversary special in the fall back in episode 98, but I forgot to mention it then.

I had 99 luftballons for the ending music on the previous episode since it was episode 99, and I just listened to that episode and discovered i said i would end it with that new linkin park track that Njord was suprised he liked, and forgot. so here is the music video for that song if you want to hear what it sounds like: it is called "Burn It Down" 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxytyRy-O1k

Podcast Episodes 98 and 99

Thor's Hour of Thunder

Thor's 98: The Two Ingredient Margarita.

Thor, Hiemdale, Bjork, and Njord talk about:

After Earth, Now You See Me, Morgan Freeman, Will Smith, Jaden Smith, M. Night shyamalan, Michael Cera, Youth in Revolt, Arrested Development, Hipster Moustaches, Rollie FIngers, The Jersey Shore and much more.

Also Shaquille O'Neal has a new line of sodas made by the Arizona Ice Tea company, called "Soda Shaq" and we are pretty damn excited about that, as you can see from this week's cover photo.

Song at the end of the episode this week is called "98 years" by the Cheatin' Hearts, Because this is episode 98. Though "98" never comes up in the song's actual lyrics, just the title, but whatever, it is catchy.

Thor's 99: Njord drinks a Piña Colada

We talk Star Trek Into Darkness's under performing at the Box Office. The Goods: Live Hard Sell Hard, Rob Riggle, Kathryn Hahn, Jeremy Piven, Paul Rudd, Ving Rhames, michael clarke duncan. Nu Metal, mixing tropical drinks, Incubus, Korn, Limp Bizkit whose name by all rationality should be spell Limp Biscuit, or ideally not spelled out at all. Turn-On a very short lived sketch comedy series which was canceled after airing one episode on ABC in 1969

Also as advertised Njord mixes and consumes a Piña Colada live on air.

Samsung Galaxy 4 is Watching You.

Exactly Like the Samsung Galaxy 4 

Below is a very clever advertisement for a Swiss Mobile phone company called Swisscom, which uses the Samsung Galaxy 4's ability to tell if you are looking at the phone to hold a staring contest  between phone and man.

Anyone who can look at the phone for 60 minutes wins a Galaxy 4, but the folks at Swisscom brought in some increasingly ridiculous distractions as it gets closer to 60 minutes





via:  Warming Glow
Goldblum meme via: Know Your Meme