As if our world needs any more disasters after the Haiti earthquake, it seems that there was a massive earthquake in Okinawa, Japan today. The epicenter is the Ryukyu Islands, about 50 miles off Naha, in Okinawa. Check out the USGS information.

February 26, 2010: Massive Earthquake Strikes Near Okinawa, Japan

Here’s the story from CNN:

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s Ryukyu Islands early Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The quake was centered about 6 miles (10 km) deep and struck at 5:31 a.m. about 53 miles (85 km) from Okinawa.

From @BreakingNews on Twitter:

First tsunami waves expected on Okinawa Island about 4:05 p.m. ET – NHK

From Breitbart:

TOKYO, Feb. 27 (AP) – (Kyodo)—A strong earthquake jolted Okinawa Prefecture early Saturday morning, the Japan weather agency said.The 5:33 a.m. quake registered lower 5 on the Japanese intensify scale of 7.

The Meteorological Agency issued tsunami warning off the main Okinawa island.

From the BBC:

A tsunami alert has been issued in Japan after a powerful earthquake struck near the Okinawan coast.

The Japan Meteorological Agency gave the strength as 6.9 while the US Geological Survey put it at 7.3.

It struck at 0531 (2031 GMT), 84km (52 miles) east of Naha, on the island of Okinawa, 29km (18 miles) below the seabed, Reuters news agency reports.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage in the country, which is often hit by earthquakes.

In 1995, a magnitude-7.2 quake in the port city of Kobe killed 6,400 people.

Mag-7.3 Earthquake Hits Near Okinawa, Japan

From MSNBC:

A magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck off southern Japan early Saturday, and Okinawa’s seashore was evacuated after Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning.The Japanese agency predicted 3-foot waves following the quake, which hit just east of Okinawa and Ryukyu, south of Japan’s main islands. Tsunami waves also were expected on the islands of Amami and Tokaro.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, and the Tsunami Warning Center in Oahu said waves generated by the earthquake were not expected to be destructive.

Update: @BreakingNews First tsunami waves minor; warnings lifted for all but Okinawa; advisory in effect for several islands

To be clear, I am not a comic book guy. In high school, I read one issue of The Silver Surfer. That is pretty much the extent of my experience with comics. I was, however, a collector of baseball cards, so I do know the excitement involved in collectibles. I always hoped that my Ken Griffey, Jr. rookie card would help me pay for my first car. Or maybe my Jim Kelly autographed football would put me through college. But no. That is not how it works. Well apparently it does not work that way unless you have invested in some extremely rare, near-mint comic books.

In the past few days, there have been two astronomically-priced comic books up for sale. The first was Action Comics No. 1. It was first issued in June 1938, and it was the first appearance of Superman. Someone dished out $1,000,000 for this comic book, which was sold at ComicConnect.com. Don’t look now, but that is 10 million times the comic book’s original price in June 1938!

ComicConnect advertised this sale as a world record price for a comic book. This was the first comic book to ever sell for $1,000,000. Here is Action Comics No. 1 featuring the first appearance of Superman:

Action Comics No. 1: The first appearance of Superman in a comic book (June, 1938)

As it turns out, records are made to be broken. According to a Dallas Observer blog post, a copy of Detective Comics No. 27 sold yesterday for the price of $1,075,500. This comic book is famous because it featured the first appearance of the Batman. And like the Action Comics sale, this issue of Detective Comics sold for over 10 million times the original sales price of $0.10. And to make it even more astounding: the seller picked up this issue 40 years ago for $100. Now that is a hefty return on investment. Simply amazing.

Here is the Detective Comics No. 27 comic book that was sold for $1,075,500 yesterday at Heritage Auction Gallery in Dallas, TX:

Detective Comics No. 27: The first appearance of Batman in a comic book (May, 1939)

Now go forth and keep collecting. Look for deals. Who knows? Maybe in 40 years, you will have a piece that is worth $1 million dollars. Good luck!

Captain EO Movie Logo

Oh man. This one takes me back. When I was a kid, I had the amazing opportunity to take a vacation to Disney World with my family. I remember a lot about the trip, but one of the highlights was seeing Captain EO, starring Michael Jackson. It was the first 3-D movie I had ever seen, and I saw it at a time when Michael Jackson was probably the most popular person on the planet.

As I was sifting through the news today, I saw an article on the LA Times blog that said the Captain EO movie will be returning to Disneyland starting today (Feb-23). WTF?! Really?! Wow! According to the post:

At 10 a.m., the 17-minute, science fiction-themed musical returns to the Tomorrowland Theater for limited engagement.

This is awesome. Just the fact that there is a theater called ‘The Tomorrowland Theater’ makes me feel sentimental and nostalgic. And now they are bringing back the 17-minute movie from 1986. What’s next? Bringing back the original ‘The Transformers: The Movie‘ to theaters nationwide? Now that would be awesome!

For now, I have collected several pictures from the days of Captain EO. Enjoy!

Michael Jackson as Captain EO

Michael Jackson as Captain EO

Michael Jackson as Captain EO

Captain EO with Fuzzball

Captain EO Movie Poster

Captain EO Comic Book

Fuzzball from the Captain EO movie

Michael Jackson, Francis Ford Coppola & George Lucas (filming Captain EO)

Ahahaha! I love the Epic Birthday Dog. And I’m glad to see that maybe he’ll get a meme. Here are the first 2 images I have seen so far.

Epic Birthday Dog Meme

Epic Birthday Dog Meme

Obey the Epic Birthday Dog

"Yo Tiger, you have a great swing and Imma let you finish, but Elin had the best drive of the night! OF THE NIGHT!

By now, you have all heard that Tiger Woods crashed his car into a fire hydrant and a tree last week. And his wife Elin apparently came out of the house to “rescue” him. Yeah, she rescued him by smashing in his rear windshield with a golf club and then pulled him out of the back window.

Me thinks not all is well in Woodsville. Where there is smoke, there is fire. Personally, I think Tiger needs to admit to his alleged affair with Rachel Uchitel. By lying about it, the story is being dragged out over a week’s time frame. Alex Rodriguez admitted to using steroids. The story died. David Letterman admitted to having sex with a coworker. The story died. Tiger should take a lesson from those guys. Their PR people obviously know how this game works. And now with the 911 call, a voicemail and text messages making the news, as well as another woman who is claiming to have had an affair with Tiger, the lie will have to end.

Elin & Tiger Woods pose for a recent picture

I’m still a Tiger Woods fan. Everybody makes mistakes. I can forgive. And I’m glad to see that people can joke about this news. Isn’t it good to be able to laugh a little bit?

• Apparently the police asked Tiger’s wife how many times she hit him. She said “I don’t know exactly… but put me down for a 5.”
• Tiger Woods is so rich that he owns lots of expensive cars. Now he has a hole-in-one.
• What’s the difference between a car and a golf ball? Tiger can drive a ball 400 yards……..
• What were Tiger Woods and his wife doing out at 2:30 in the morning? They went clubbing.
• Tiger Woods crashed into a fire hydrant and a tree. He couldn’t decide between a wood and an iron.
• Phil Mickelson contacted Tiger’s wife to pick up some tips on how to beat Tiger!
• What is the penalty for getting it in the wrong hole? Ask Tiger, he knows.
• Elin’s excuse? She had to play a bad lie.
• We now see that tiger woods drives very well on the fairway but doesn’t fare very well on the driveway.
• What does Tiger have in common with a baby seal? They’ve both been clubbed by a Norwegian.
• Whats the difference between a golf ball and a caddy? Tiger can drive a golf ball.
• Tiger Woods wasn’t seriously injured in the crash, but he’s still below par.
• What was Elin doing out at 2.30 in the morning? Clubbing.
• Why did Tiger Woods crash into a fire hydrant and a tree. He couldn’t decide between a wood or an iron.
• It’s been a tough year for tiger. 2nd time he has been beaten by a nine iron.
• Nike wants to drop their endorsement, apparently Tigers balls go everywhere.
• Apparently, Tiger had a 2:30 Tree Time.
• Did you hear that Tiger is changing his nickname? Yeah, it’s still in the cat family: Cheetah.
• All of this happened because Tiger picked up another birdie.
• Tiger Woods is apparently giving up pro golf. According to him, “My putting is still good, but I keep driving into the trees.”
• The Bitching wedge would have been another solution.

Ken Ober - Host of MTV's Remote Control 1980's Game Show

Well, another part of my childhood is gone. Ken Ober, host of the 1980’s MTV game show, Remote Control , died on Sunday, November 15th. He was 52. It was an awesome game show/party from back when MTV was awesome and original. Adam Sandler and Colin Quinn were regulars on the show. Anyways, I’ve gathered a collection of pictures of Ken Ober and all things Remote Control. It’s like a picture tribute to a man and a show that was the funniest of its day. I hope you enjoy them.

Ken Ober - MTV's Remote Control Game Show Host

MTV Remote Control at Home Board Game

Bonus Round on MTV Remote Control

MTV Remote Control Needs Contestants Flier Ad

Ken Ober on set at MTV's Remote Control Game Show

MTV Remote Control Logo

Nintendo Game: MTV's Remote Control

Nintendo Game Screenshot: MTV's Remote Control

MTV Remote Control T-Shirt

Ken Ober - Host of MTV's Remote Control 1980's Game Show

Ken Ober on MTV's Remote Control (Sing Along With...)

Ken Ober on MTV's Remote Control (Wheel of Jeopardy)

RIP, Ken. We’ll miss you. Thanks for all the great memories.

If you live in the DFW area, you have probably heard of the sports radio station 1310 The Ticket. They have a ton of “bits” on that station, and apparently their listeners (aka P1s) love to take those bits to the ends of the Earth for everyone to experience. In this case, ESPN GameDay came to TCU on Saturday, and the P1s showed up for fun. While there were many signs at the event, here are some Ticket-related signs (Thanks to Maunder for posting these):

George 'Cannonball' Dunham - 1310 The Ticket Signs at ESPN GameDay TCU

Corby 'The Snake' Davidson - 1310 The Ticket Signs ESPN GameDay TCU

TCU Footballball - 1310 The Ticket Signs at ESPN GameDay TCU

Funny? I think so. Other Ticket bits and drops that would have made good signs:

• Pow!Pow!
• Um Paul in…
• Meh…
• It’s fun to do bad things.
• Oh! A phong is ringin’!
• Put your butt in me.
• Do you like this gig?
• That wasn’t the question!
• Wouldja?
• I like steak.
• Exactly…I mean…
• Please kids, don’t jar.
• Ever seen a guy with a fake head?
• Great story. Tell it again!
• Throw it in my butt.
• Smoke wif cigurrettes.
• Get your ass hung up on now, you idiot!
• Never never no never no never no no never!
• Is that blood?
• Hot dog with doodoo as the weiner.
• Hamburger with doodoo as the meat.
• When you skart skalling bazzzzz….
• What’s this guy’s deal?
• Breaking News: We have just learned that Michael Jackson is dead at 50.
• 8$D$ at Blockbuster 8$ Dar
• Michael Trabtree?
• It’s a fartform.
• Thanks a lot, Bin Laden.
• I think everything is going on a lot more than we think it is out there.
• I’m sure everyone knows Im still hangin around Dallas.
• Nip nip weiner.
• Vaginal Slice Born Born.
• We’re having fun here, no?
• I’ve got a flask in my car if anyone wants to join me for an after hours drink.
• Do you like websites?
• I don’t want audio!
• Baby arm to you, sir.
• The anus is on them.
• Did you hear? Fat Joe left Atlantic.
• Why are you yelling? You’re a foot from me.
• Are you gay? ARE YOU GAY?!
• Where’s Grubes at?
• Eeni-meeni-noy

I hope to see all of those at the next ESPN GameDay event!

Controversy: Eva Mendes & Calvin Klein team up for this sexy billboard in SoHo, NYC

Remember this controversial, sexy Calvin Klein billboard? Well, it seems Calvin Klein is at it again in SoHo, NYC. Only this time the billboard ad features superhot Eva Mendes. And. She. Is. Hot. This billboard covers the entire side of a building at the corner of Houston Street and Lafayette Street in SoHo. I’m booking a flight right now. I’ve gotta go see this in real life. And what’s with the controversy? What’s wrong with beautiful people selling products? In fact, what’s wrong with half-naked people using their sexual energy and passion in a billboard advertisement to sell products for a company that makes sexy products? Isn’t that smart marketing and advertising? I guess that’s just the way it is. Like Tupac said.

BTW, this is not the first controversial CK ad featuring Eva Mendes. Previously, Eva was featured in a CK commercial for the Calvin Klein fragrance, Secret Obsession. The ad was pulled in the US, but you can see it here (thanks to the miracle of YouTube).

I don’t know about you, but I like memes. Yesterday’s Balloon Boy news created a great scenario for a meme. And wouldn’t you know it, the Balloon Boy Meme is official. Falcon Henne of Fort Collins, Colorado is a star. And even though we know it was a hoax, the meme is still pretty funny. Enjoy!

I want to believe (Balloon Boy Meme)

Thank you! But your child is in another hot air balloon. (Balloon Boy Meme)

To infinity and beyond! (Balloon Boy Meme)

Go Falcon, Go! (Balloon Boy Meme)

Fresh Prince Theme Song (Balloon Boy Meme)

Fresh Prince Theme Song (Balloon Boy Meme)

Grounded (Balloon Boy Meme)

I just wanted to do hoodrat stuff with my friends. (Balloon Boy Meme)

Yo Balloon Kid, Imma let you finish, but Baby Jessica was the best... (Balloon Boy Meme)

Meghan McCain's boobs (Balloon Boy Meme)

Never Forget 10/15/2009 (Balloon Boy Meme)

Oh hai! (Balloon Boy Meme)

You got punk'd! (Balloon Boy Meme)

Inquisitive Raptor (Balloon Boy Meme)

Twitter Status Update (Balloon Boy Meme)

Disney Pixar - Up (Balloon Boy Meme)

I heard you like balloons, so.... (Balloon Boy Meme)

How about that?!?!! Balloon Boy is a hit!

The Sun is reporting a massive UFO sighting over Moscow last Wednesday, October 7, 2009. They have a picture, and here is the video:

Is it an alien mothership? Or is it another weather phenomenon? Personally, I’m not sure. However, given the fact that this thing does not move, it is very likely that it is some strange result from the cloud cover. I am not a meteorologist, but that explanation makes sense to me. However, even though we have pictures, a video and potentially tens of thousands of people witnessing this event, we need more evidence. Did it fly away rapidly? Did it simply fade away? Did it move at all? Was it visible from all angles?

In some ways, I’m on the fence about finding conclusive proof of extraterrestrial life. Think about this: If we have a sighting that is indisputable proof of alien life, then it is very likely that our time is about to end. Maybe it will be better for us to have these mysterious sightings.