Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Happy Halloween, Michaels!



Rather than the predictable All Hallows Eve "Mike" tribute to the costume of Michael Myers, the slasher character from Halloween, The Mike Committee honors an equally menacing Mike this Halloween--Michael Knight of the '80s smash-drama and adventure series Knight Rider.

Anybody can be a Mike for a day with this winning wig/leather jacket combo, available for $29.99 plus s&h from 80s costumes . It might be too late to get your hands on this costume this year, but make a note of it for next year. If your parents didn't name you Mike, you may want to pick one up during the post-holiday clearance, and impress your friends year-round.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

All Saints

November 1 is the feast of All Saints, so it looks like another good opportunity to celebrate the patron saint. Does anyone have any special plans to celebrate Mike-ness on that day? Perhaps just a day of scarfing down chocolates? [Or hopefully, eating Ikes and Mikes you got from Halloween?]

Thursday, October 26, 2006

A Notable Mike

The decision to name Emmy-Award-winning actress Michael Learned as our first "Notable Mike" is inspired by friend and colleague Laura Keller, who lives her life by the lessons of the television series, The Waltons.

Learned starred as matriarch Olivia Walton from 1972-1979, and garnered three Emmys for the role.

For the last several years, this Mike has been busy working on soap operas "One Life to Live, and "All My Children."Her many acting credits include episodes of "Murder, She Wrote," and "Law& Order." Long before she uttered her first "Good night, John Boy," Michael worked on Gunsmoke and the short-lived, coronor-crime drama Wojeck. Catch her on this season's episodes of Scrubs, where she currently plays the role of Mrs. Wilks.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Crowd Control

As a long-time bearer of the name, Michael, it has been my common experience in public places to hear my name (that it to say the name "Michael" or "Mike") called out at a distance to attract someone's attention. Under such circumstances, in which it is likely that there may be more than one "Mike" I usually don't respond unless I am sure I can recognize the voice calling out. Is that rude?

I think I learned this behavior as a young child. When I heard my name called out in school, I would turn toward the caller, just like all the other Mikes in the room. This makes a kind of meerkat choreography, which is a little embarassing when it turns out that some other Michael is being summoned.

I wonder if there is a coping system that can be used in crowd situations to avoid shunning friends and associates, but to avoid the problem of responding without being recognized.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Great Scott!

Of course I noticed that Anna Nicole Smith's former attorney has the same name as Steve Carrell's character on The Office.

The name is quite common. I went to high school with a Michael Scott, who did jail time for beating his girlfriend's child to death. My husband went to school with a Michael Scott who was a local concert promoter. A Google search turned up a Michael Scott who is an artist, a Michael Scott who is a professor of computer science at Rochester University, a Michael Scott who has his own porn page (note:I did not link that one here--find it on your own, perverts), and Michael Scott , an Irish author with a well developed website. My favorite: the Michael Scott of the Michael Scott Yogurt Shop Murders.

Official Snack of Mikes Everywhere


I'm sure Ikes everywhere love them, too. Do they have a blog?

Another Mike of Integrity

Anna Nicole Smith's attorney, Michael Scott, refuses to continue representing her. Read all about it here.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Micheal Jackson Faces

Don't you wish he'd changed his name to the artist formerly known as Michael Jackson? This video is evidence that not all Mikes are wanted on the Mike Committee.

Mike Defeats Satan


I like this depiction of Mike slaying evil a bit more than the previous. For starters, this one looks more like all of the Mikes I know, and no animals or fictional creatures are harmed in the making of this painting.

A New Patron?

Good questions, Mike P! (Does the P stand for "participation"?)
But, I really can't think of a more fitting Michael to serve as our namesake. I tried....Michael Jordan? Lorne Micheals? Michael Collins? Michael Moore? Michael Palin? Mikey from the Life Cereal commercials? Michael Jackson? Michael Faraday(who invented the electric motor...) Michael Graves (The designer whose fine workmanship can be found at your friendly neighborhood Target store)? Michael Caine? Michael Bolton? Michael Myers (the character from the Halloween movies)?
Who could be a more fitting representative than the super-human, super-hero, UBER-archangel Mike, who defeats evil? So, he's tainted. What Mike among us is not?
MikeP said...
Hey! I have been thinking about this whole Michaelmas situation and the legacy of Michaels all named after a christian saint who is actually a non-human superbeing, described as both "god-like" and the premiere defender against any being that would try to usurp the role of God.So in the whole pantheon of Catholic saints is there not one being named Michael, born of human parents, who went around doing good deeds and performing miracles?You know what can happen to fictionalized saints--do you remember when St. Christopher was demoted. It's just not the same driving around with a Mr. Christopher medallion in the car.So hey. Can we get a new patron saint or what?