Forgive Me Carol King

(11:48 AM)

I’m on the phone with a co-worker in another building. Suddenly, my building starts shaking and rumbling. Me: “Damn. An Earthquake.”

Him: “Wow. An Earthquake.”

Me: (after a few seconds) “I think it stopped.”

Him: “Not here! We’re still rolling over here.” (a few seconds later) “It stopped.”

(Silence)

Me: “So, was it good for you?”

Him: “Yeah, it was good for me, but it would have been better if we’d finished at the same time.”

Me: “Well, maybe next time.”

Him: “Isn’t that what you said the last time?”

Me: “Yup, never said I wasn’t selfish.”

For those who care: all are well including son who lives near the epicenter.

(Deep Sigh) – The San Diego Padres

Once a year for the last three years, I have written on the state of a very sad minor league baseball team that plays in the majors called the San Diego Padres.  Usually, I can point to one or two specific things that the team and management have failed to do that will guarantee them the opportunity to watch the World Series being played in someone else’s ball park. But this year is different.

This year’s team is so bad, that it is impossible to isolate the one or two things that keeps the team out of contention.  They can’t pitch, can’t come from behind to win a game, can’t run, can’t hold a lead and can’t close a game out. In short, if you play against this team, you have a 70% chance of winning before you even take the field.  Seventy percent!!!

This team often reminds its fans of what good baseball can be by showing us how bad it can be played.  This team, this year, is horrible and I’m not sure that I actually want to wait for next year’s offering. 

The War

It is mid-summer in Southern California. The morning coastal fog doesn’t burn off until about 10 AM. Comic-Con starts this week and there are no tickets available (not that I would go, but I digress).  This entry is about the war that has been going on for more than five years. It is a war that has taken a personal and financial toll on me. They are terrorists and I personally know the harm they can do. I do not care that they, as some of liberal bent might argue, are right to call me and mine, the terrorist. All I know is that they are dangerous and no expense will be spared to make them history.

They …they are the gophers in my backyard.

A Letter to a Fire Lord – The Avatar Finale

Last night, a fine and well written animated program, Avatar: The Last Airbender, came to a close. The finale did not disappoint. It was full of action and an outstanding musical score by the team of Zuckerman & Wynn, which in of itself was sufficient reason to watch the program. It wasn’t afraid to give fanservice and there was certainly a lot of that. But what I found absolutely fascinating was the fact that fifteen minutes into the finale I realized I was watching a different story than I thought I was going to watch.

Oh No – Hancock

Yesterday I went to see the movie, “Hancock.” Now, if you’ve been around me for any length of time, you know I am a fairly conservative man not taken to publicly commenting on politics or fandom, because my views are not your business – only my actions are. So other than the occasional movie recommendation for “Happy Feet” or “Enchanted,” I really don’t get riled about movies or TV programs. But “Hancock” rubbed me the wrong way for the wrong reason. If you haven’t seen “Hancock” and plan to, you should move on past this intersection of the internet because I am an unhappy man about this movie. This vent will assume you’ve seen the movie and contains spoilers, so you have been warned if you continue to read.

A Tale of Two Fandoms

Once upon a time, there were two fandoms. One is actively continuing, the other went off the air about two years ago. In both fandoms, the boy and girl had known each other for a very, very long time. In one fandom, it was eight thousand years give or take a millennium or two. In the other, only two decades, give or take 5 years.

Two writers control(led) these different fandoms. But in both, the boy and girl break up.

One writer says to his audience, “I don’t have to show you the boy and girl getting back together because you already know that 30+ years from now, they have a child together. Closure? You don’t need no stinkin’ closure!” Sadly, I wish I was paraphrasing, but I’m not.

The other writer tells his audience in an LiveJournal post, “My strip is a love story. I know it and you know it. Trust me.” Yes I am paraphrasing. Actual post is here. (Paraphrasing, but not wrong.)

Guess which fandom I feel best about at this moment.

Hello World! (Again)

There was a great line in the movie: Star Trek II. Spock says, “For everything, there is a first time.”

Well, this is my second time doing something like this. And if it’s like all of my other “second times,” I suspect it won’t be much better than my first time.

The military has weapons they refer to as “fire and forget.”  That’s a weapon system in which you have no control over the projectile once you fire it. Like a rifle bullet or a 500 lb “dumb” bomb, it goes where it was last pointed.  Once you shoot it, you hope it hits its target.

That will be my approach to this new second journal. I will write when the mood strikes me and then move on, because I am the target of what I write. I am my own best audience. I know no one really cares about that egotistical statement, but it felt good to say it.

Anyway, glad to be at the new digs. Glad to have a place to rant and a place to laugh. If you are looking for my old entires the link is here.

Not Like I Didn’t Tell You It Would Happen

I would like to point out that last week I wrote:

“Oil remains above $105 a barrel, causing airlines like United and Delta which have major hubs in Atlanta, Chicago and Salt Lake to raise ticket fares by $10 as a fuel surcharge. This surcharge is long overdue. I, for one, will not squeak at paying it. Each 44 gallon barrel of crude oil produces less than 4.5 gallons of jet fuel. A small 737 has a fuel capacity of 5500-6700 gallon. The larger planes take much more. These rising fuel costs are likely to drive more airlines out of business or into bankruptcy protection or into merger for survival. One hidden benefit of this is that the price difference between first class and coach is starting to shrink, making flying first class an affordable alternative for many. (Yours truly included.)”

This week Aloha Airlines, ATA & Skybus ceased operations. I personally don’t think Northwest Airlines will make it to Labor Day. And on that note I’m going out to buy lottery tickets.

I Love This Commercial

This is somewhat of a break from my M.O, because I don’t normally post things like this, but this has become my favorite commercial of the young year. The 30 second version of this spot aired during the AFC playoffs. This is the original extended version which has caused quite a huge positive stir in the Marine Corps. (If you’re not sure why I like this spot, just read my November 10th post – pick a year – doesn’t matter which one. )

http://our.marines.com/cms_content/showblogvideo/rel_id/169/id/870