On one hand, I would like to see The Phantom Tollbooth become more widely known.... on the other hand, the 1970 Chuck Jones adaptation was so dire that I reflexively flinch away from the idea of trying another movie adaptation.

Tobias Whale in the comics was a shameless ripoff of the Kingpin. I mean, just look at him.

Perhaps a converted warehouse would be more their speed. This one is conveniently located next to the Red Line (I commute past it every day):

Of course, in the libertarian view of the movie, Sam Wainwright is #1 — unlike George, he doesn’t let anyone hold him back from his dream of getting really rich, he finds a way to profit even during the war, and he saves the day with his bankroll at the end.

Mid 1970s Long Island, and it was “Joker got away” for us. Never heard the second verse though.

It’d probably feature halftime floggings of players who refused to stand for the anthem.

This is basically the plot of Norman Spinrad’s 1973 story “The National Pastime,” which is about a Combat Football league that, instead of tying its teams to locations, has a white team, a black team, a Latino team, etc.

For the restaurant thing, I’m tempted to say one of those Greek diners with the menus the size of a David Foster Wallace novel. You wouldn’t lack for variety there.

I thought the last time the planet came out of phase, Isaac would have turned them into the Borg.

Or the fights over Star Wars action figures in the late 70s.

The Francis.

Meanwhile, Jason Pierre-Paul still thinks it’s a good idea to treat a grenade like a football.

“Garlicky, ranchy toes” also happens to be the top item on Rex Ryan’s Pornhub search history.

To put it more compactly: if you change Obamacare’s name to Trumpcare but leave the rest of the program exactly the same, Trump’s poorly informed, cult of personality supporters will immediately reverse course and declare it the best thing ever.

Philadelphia Batteries.

HER OWN THANG!

I went to a party as Alex one year. One guy thought I was trying to be Charlie Chaplin. (I guess the hat and stick confused him.)

Am I the only one who blinks a bit at seeing the victim described as an “old man”? I mean, he looks to be about my age and that’s totally not old!

I’m a Silmarillion-reading, D&D-playing, comics-collecting geek and that passage embarrasses even me.