Pun Salad

• New Hampshire's own "Jay Tea", estimable long-time blogger at Wizbang has moved on to blogging at Contentions under his actual name, J. G. Thayer. This makes Contentions even more of a must-read, although I'm wondering whether Mr. Duckie will be allowed into the high-class joint.

• The Rochester (NH) Police Log reports some pre-election shenanigans:

  Monday, Nov. 3

  9:17 a.m. — On Tonka Street, tomatoes are thrown at a house, and the homeowner understandably sees red.

  10:59 a.m. — A miniature pinscher runs around Gonic with a leash attached. Later, Cocheco Valley [Humane Society] calls to say someone has brought it down, but that someone from the city should pick it up as they are not contracted to hold Rochester dogs. Police say they will not respond and that CVHS should not have accepted the dog. Now they are stuck with it.

  2:49 p.m. — A male and female are reportedly fighting near Hanson Pines, but police find it is some sort of boyfriend-girlfriend wrestling courtship ritual.

  3:40 p.m. — At the Community Center, DCYF calls to say a man by the tennis courts is urinating in a cup, and 10 minutes later, the agency calls again to say he is now exposing himself... but when police arrive just before 5 p.m., he is no longer hanging out.

  Much more at the link.

• Results from submitting Pun Salad to the dispassionate analysis of Typealyzer:

  ISTP - The Mechanics

  

  The independent and problem-solving type. They are especially attuned to the demands of the moment are masters of responding to challenges that arise spontaneously. They generelly prefer to think things out for themselves and often avoid inter-personal conflicts.

  The Mechanics enjoy working together with other independent and highly skilled people and often like seek fun and action both in their work and personal life. They enjoy adventure and risk such as in driving race cars or working as policemen and firefighters.

  Yeah, that's me. Vroooom! Like Megan.

Here's the story: I got this movie as a freebie from Blockbuster a few years back. But Mrs. Salad refused to watch it with me, so it sat on the shelf for a long time. The arrival of Hellboy II on DVD finally pushed the issue; you can't watch Hellboy II if you haven't seen Hellboy! So I skulked off to a remote corner of Pun Salad Manor, and:

The movie opens in rainy 1944 Scotland, where some pesky Nazis, aided and abetted by a resurrected Rasputin, are opening up a interdimensional portal to awaken the seven Gods of Chaos, who will come and destroy most of humanity, with Adolf One-nut ruling over the smashed remnants of civilization. Thanks to FDR's paranormal advisor, Professor Bruttenholm, and a platoon of American soldiers, that doesn't actually happen. Instead the portal merely poops out a young demon, who turns out to be friendly enough when you give him chocolate bars. The professor and the soldiers name him Hellboy.

The scene then shifts to roughly present-day. Hellboy has grown up, considers Bruttenholm to be his father, and helps continue the fight against evil supernatural monsters and their human allies. This battle is carried on in secret, largely unnoticed by humanity in general, although public enough so that Hellboy has obtained mythical status, like Bigfoot. It develops that the 1944 victory was only temporary, and the same baddies are back in play to make another try at the Gods of Chaos.

Hellboy is played by Ron Perlman, outwardly tough and gruff, but with a gooey sentimental core. The movie is a visual feast, with spectacular special effects and imaginative sets and action pieces. Bottom line: a lot of fun.