You've come a long way, ducky

Magnet #843 - Circuit board ducky

Hahaha. You totally thought it was gonna be another NCIS post, about my love for Dr. Ducky Mallard, didn't you. Sorry to disappoint.

My sister picked this up for me at London's Natural History Museum. I think she just thought it was cute. It totally is. Of course, it makes me think of her running around as a baby, singing that Ernie song,

Rubber ducky, you're the one!
You make bath time, lots of fun!

Over and over. And over.

Still, it's a supercute circuit board ducky.

Picked it for today, because this day in 1951, the first commercial computer was unveiled. The UNIVAC - Universal Automated Computer, with U.S. Census and Prudential as its first customers.

The UNIVAC filled a whole room at 25' x 50'. Feet! And it had an internal storage of a whopping 1,000 words, processing at 2.25MHz bit rate.

Compare that to today's technological wonder, the iPad, which can go virtually anywhere at 9.56" x 7.47". Inches! No telling how many words it can hold with a minimum capacity of 16GB, processing at 1GHz.

Whoa.

Now. If we could just get those flying cars moving along, we'd be in business.

Headslap!

Magnet #770 - NCIS

Ok, I didn't make this one, but it continues my cuteboy magnet marathon today, and so here it is.

NCIS, my late to the party, favorite procedural. And no, I haven't a clue why it says, "NCIS | Based on the TV Series." (Like, is this magnet image scarfed from a book series? From the DVDs? Who knows.)

I just bought it last week at the CBS store in Midtown. (Yes, I do silly touristy things like go to Times Square in the middle of the day sometimes.)

But, I had to buy this when I saw it, because the last time I went to the CBS store, they had none and I told them they should have some. (And, yes, in my own little universe, they totally made them because I said they should.)

What I had to do was keep myself from buying the other three magnets they had in stock. And had my friend not been there to judge and frown at the silliness of buying four NCIS magnets, I probably would have bought the whole set. (And yes, don't think I totally won't be going back to buy them at some point this summer.)

I just bought this one first, because it has cuteboy (sounds ridic to call him that, I know) Mark Harmon front and center (left?) with that half-smile that he does once in a blue moon.

Seriously. I'd bet money that if Gibbs didn't kill me first, I'd spend half my day trying to make him smile that smile.

Ooh-rah, ooh-rah, ooh-ray!

Magnet #627 - U.S. Marines

Happy 234th birthday, USMC, and a heartfelt thanks to the 203,000 active and 40,000 reservists in the Corps. I know, I should have a tag for as many times as I've written about our military branches. Oh, wait, I do.

I just love the history of the Marine Corps. I love that they began during the Revolutionary War as an infantry group based on a boat (ok, maybe ship) to help protect the guys aboard. Their emblem includes the eagle, globe and anchor, going back to the 1800s. What? I had to proofread several military history books in a former career.

I also love that the Marines have a Birthday Ball. Now, that I didn't know until I saw it on NCIS. I was like, Birthday? Ball? Sweet! Seriously, they really do have a ball! Like huge celebrations - locally around the states, and even worldwide. There's something kind of cool about everyone dressing up in dress uniforms for it.

And, of course, I love - possibly even more than the balls - the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Love.

First, as a building, it's just the coolest thing ever - it's shaped to evoke the memory of the flag raising at Iwo Jima - so as you're traveling down 95, you can see the tippy top peeping out from the trees. It's also supposed to symbolize the swords crossing, or a howitzer poised for action.

Second, as a museum, it's one of those interactive museums, where you can pick up a fully packed backpack and have a drill sergeant yell at you, where you can experience storming Normandy with bullet (sounds) ricocheting around you, where you can learn the story about the Iwo Jima flag raising, where you can stare up at aircraft into the wild blue yonder, and turn the corner to walk through the Marine legacy left by the past 234 years.

So darn cool. That's where I picked up this magnet. Ooh. Rah.

Anyway, hooray for a happy birthday, Marines.

Think it's funny that while I'm typing this post, I just found out that Police Chief Unser on Sons of Anarchy is a Marine, and as I'm ready to hit this Publish Post button, I'm watching the very, very odd trailer for James Cameron's Avatar, which has the cuteboy Sam Worthington from the last Terminator as a Marine.

Funnier still, is that out of the whole two-minute trailer, the Marines part is the only thing that might get me to see this movie.

Ride free or die

Magnet #564 - Harley-Davidson

Here's why I should never be a Nielsen family: I skew show demographics like no one's business.

It's not often that someone from the same demo watches Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place, ABC's Brothers & Sisters, BBC-A's Doctor Who or Top Gear, Lifetime's Army Wives, CBS' NCIS, and FX's Sons of Anarchy.

Can't help it - I love my tv in all its many forms, from cute to brutal. Add in a pretty boy and a love story, and I'm a goner.

Sons of Anarchy is one of those shows. Brutal, I mean. If you haven't watched the show, think Sopranos (which I never watched), with a gun-running, outlaw biker gang, taking care of their own in Charming, CA, and meting their own brand of justice along the way.

I don't mind saying that I had a pretty visceral reaction when I saw the first previews last year - you couldn't have paid me to watch. Not my cup of tea. But, if you've read any of the television posts on this blog, you know I totally had to give it a shot. It's what I do.

Sucked in. From the supersick opening titles with the fab ink graphics to the fanfreakin'tastic soundtrack - Sucked. Right. In.

And, I swear, it's more than just a pretty boy. Mind you, Charlie Hunnam's Jax Teller is easy on the eyes - especially in his "I swear every biker under 30 wears the baggy jeans and hoodies" cut, with his cute helmet and glasses, riding his bike. (As for love story, I do so want him together with Tara, his high-school sweetheart who got out of the life and became an upstanding doctor, but still has her killer tat on her lower back. She's played by Maggie Siff, who is oddly almost unrecognizable as Don Draper's client Rachel Menken, from S1 Mad Men.)

Anyway, after I got over the distasteful aspects (the outlawing, the violence, the supremacy of the other, other bad guys, etc.), I found myself left with a heap of engaging character complexities and impossible situations, brought to life by superb writing and raw acting.

Seriously, in what other world would Beauty & the Beast's Vincent Ron Perlman and Married with Children's Peg Bundy Katey Sagal be believable as Clay and Gemma, the aging patriarch and matriarch of an MC. In what other world would you be so engrossed in small touches of their lives (her menopause, his arthritis) and the well-being of their relationship (his infidelities with a tarty-tart, her spending the night in jail for smacking that tarty-tart upside the head - with a skateboard) that you forget that they possibly murdered her first husband to be together?

And, these two are just the tip of the iceberg - it's a magnetblog, remember? Of course, the Harley on this magnet is totally something that the Samcro boys would have to modify the bejeepers out of before taking out on the road. Yeah. Don't even get me started on the superawesome bikes.

Season 2 starts tonight at 10 on FX - this preview pretty much sums up most why I'm watching. Check out Maureen Ryan's and Alan Sepinwall's reviews for real reasons why you should be watching, too.

I guess if I had to think about it any harder, I'm betting the real reason I like this show, is because I feel like such a bad-ass watching it - like I could actually be a biker chick, kicking ass and taking names. (But you know, nicer.)

eta:
OMG! I don't know how I forgot about this! But, now I'm wondering if the Samcro clubhouse is anything like the old Hell's Angels haunt we used to pass every so often down in NC. And every time we'd pass it, Mom would be like, "that's where the Hell's Angels are!" as the whole family would look to the left as we passed.

eta2:
Oh. My. Good Gravy. That was one helluva season premiere. Ya'll better catch up. For realz, yo.

Rule #3: Don't believe what you're told. Double check.

Magnet #563 - Go Navy

I think my sister got me this when she did the Annapolis tour the first time around. I'm using it today because if anyone had told me six years ago that I'd totally be looking forward to USA's NCIS Labor Day marathon later today, I'd never have believed it.

When the show first came on and everyone kept saying I should watch it - I didn't believe them. I was totally not interested...because I really didn't like Gretchen Witter, Sasha Alexander's character from Dawson's Creek. Specifically, I didn't like her together with Dawson. Heh. Silly reason, I know. Couldn't help it.

So I never invested in NCIS - even though I've been a fan of pretty much all of Donald Bellasario's shows from Baa Baa Black Sheep and Tales of the Gold Monkey, to Magnum and Airwolf and Quantum Leap, too. And, I loved Mark Harmon, and Logan Cale Michael Weatherly.

Then one day a couple of weeks ago, I was fixing dinner and in between DVR shows, so I had it on USA, in the midst of their daily NCIS minithon. And ever since, I've been mainlining USA's broadcasts. I know! Like I needed yet another show to add to my TV dance card.

Honestly, though, I dunno why I didn't believe everyone, and what I was thinking not watching this show. It's done something that very few procedurals are able to do:

I always end up watching shows strictly for the characters - and Gibbs' motley crew is no exception. Something about their team makes you wish you were working alongside them. That aside, this show goes one step further for me, somehow managing to keep me paying attention to their cases of the week. And that, my friends, is what made me a believer.

Anyway, yay all-day marathon!