The Year In Review

Wait.  How can you call it a year in review when only three weeks have passed?  Well, technically almost four.  This year in review is actually going to be more of a talk about what's coming up this year.

First off, there's going to be a lot of holidays.  One every month, really, except for August.  Dang August, no wonder no one likes you.  I'm sure there will be plenty of birthdays, also.  Lots of people will have birthdays this year.  Hmmm.....what else will happen?

Well, just this past week I started two classes online.  Two classes?  Whatever for?  I've decided that it is time to waste some money on a useless Master's degree.  Just kidding.  I'm not wasting money nor is this degree useless.  For almost twenty years I have been involved in Educational Technology in some form or other.  Most of that was spent in San Diego though, coincidentally, when we moved from San Diego to Rancho Cucmaonga, I managed to stay in the education realm, continuing to support technology.

I knew that a degree in Educational Technology was something that I wanted for a long time, however, with various bills to pay and money to save, I wasn't able to fulfill that dream.  That has changed thanks to my job at Loma Linda.  The administration there are very supportive and would constantly ask me if I wanted to further my education.  After being asked several times, I mentioned that I did but was not ready financially.  They casually reminded me that as an employee I receive a benefit of tuition reimbursement every year.  Yes, I have to pay up front but am then reimbursed at the end of each fiscal year.  That was definitely good to know. 

With that in mind, I simply had to find a program.  After a lot of research, emails and phone calls, I discovered the Master's in Educational Technology at Boise State University.  The program is entirely online and I never have to go there unless I want to walk at graduation.  I think the program is going to really help me with my own job and provide me with information and resources that will be effective for years to come.

Don't be surprised, then, if there happens to be a blog about my classes or if I link to some of my work.  Also, watch my Twitter feed as there could be updates for my classes as well (just warning you in case you happen to look and don't understand something that gets posted).

But that's not all this year will hold.  As you know, I am still trying to become a published author.  I still have my one novel that is being read by a couple of other people and I have hope that another story of mine will begin to mature and finish sometime this year.

There are also plenty of movies coming out this year that are on my list to see.  However, since I have a child, it might be hard to see them in any appropriate time and I might just have to rent them eventually to see them, but I will see them.  Look for reviews as I'm able to write them.  I think that March might mark another month of 31 posts in 31 days but don't hold me to that just yet.  Plus other random blog posts about the most mundane (to most people) topics and book reviews on books that I choose to review.

The year may have just begun but I'm already behind on Christmas shopping and Christmas cards.  I think I'll make it easy this year and just make a blog post when the time comes.  Who knows what the rest of the year might hold but it's going to be fun.


Until next time.

All Hallows Eve

Halloween.  The one time of the year where people can act like beggars and not be scolded for it.  It's a day when people can dress up in whatever costume they like and wander around the streets and still not get looked at weird.

Even today, at work, I saw a few people that had chosen to dress up.  While it's not something for me, they looked happy doing it.  I had planned on dressing up as a Musketeer (not Mouseketeer) and was going to be wandering the streets with Abigail begging for candy that she won't eat (unless it's plain M&Ms).  However, this year, I decided to stay in and simply pass out candy.  I do want to get a new costume but I have been unable to decide on what I would want to be.  It is why I still have the Musketeer costume a few years later.

This is the same dilemma that I have with my iPhone.  I have yet to purchase a case for it even though I know it is necessary.  My problem is that I cannot decide what design I want.  Plus, some of the cooler designs are more expensive, which makes the decision even harder.

Back to Halloween . . . .

Abby had a parade at school today and apparently everyone loved her (naturally).  When she got home she was excited about Halloween but wary when people came to the door.  Mostly I think she was just trying to figure it all out.  Abby did get to go out on the town for a few minutes with her mommy so that was nice for them, but Abby kept getting scared by the neighbors and their haunted house.  Oh well.  Maybe next year.


Well, this has been a great month.  I've managed to post every day on topics big, small, weird, funny and serious.  There are still two months left in the year and I plan on blogging a bit more before then.  Thanks for coming along on the journey.


Until next time.

You Need a John Williams Score to Read This Entry

When I heard the news this afternoon, it was a little bit of a shock.  How could something like that have happened?  Then, after reading several different articles and finding out more information, it was something that I was willing to accept, even praise.  If you have no clue what I am talking about, then you sadly don't know me at all.

Earlier today, The Walt Disney Company marched into George Lucas' office and offered him $4.05 BILLION for Lucasfilm Limited.  As the sole shareholder, I'm sure George didn't have to contemplate the deal very long.  Actually, I have a feeling that he's been thinking about it for at least the past year.

Before I get into my complete reaction and how I feel about the company moving forward, let me explain how I feel about George basically giving up his company.  That is not what he did.  In fact, he is basically retiring from the movie making business.  And while he will still write stories and possibly move them into the script process, he will no longer be actively doing so. 

I've known for quite some time (because, you know, George and I are close), that George wanted to retire.  The movie that came out earlier this year, Red Tails, was a project that he had worked long and hard to complete and with it fulfilled, George had finally felt he was finished with making movies himself.  Again, that doesn't mean he is not in the process of overseeing stories for The Clone Wars or other projects that might come down the pike in the future, such as the supposed Star Wars: Episode VII.

It's easy to see that George had been  preparing for something like this.  Whether it was the actual sale of Lucasfilm or not, he had prepared to leave the company.  Earlier this year, Kathleen Kennedy (one of Steven Spielberg's producing partners) joined Lucasfilm as co-chairman, essentially setting her up to be the person in charge once George stepped down.  With the sale nearly complete, it appears that George will be able to ride off into the sunset just as Indiana Jones did at the end of The Last Crusade.

So now that I've talked a little about George and his reasons, let's talk about the company in general.  As I trolled the Internet today for information, I saw numerous people decrying the buyout stating that George had "fallen" to the Dark Side and that the evil Emperor had finally won.  Yes, it is true, George Lucas was a visionary and a pioneer and an independent filmmaker.  He was not beholden to any studio to tell him what he could and could not do and that was how he liked it.  Unfortunately, because of his own independence, there were certain disadvantages as well. 

As the sole shareholder or Lucasfilm, everything was on his shoulders from budgets, casting, directing, writing, producing and I'm sure everything in between.  That much work can take a lot out of a person and now that he is a little bit older (I will never call him old), he deserves a chance to rest.

Some people on the Internet were happy because Star Wars could finally get a decent writer and filmmaker and give "the fans" what they wanted from the movies in the first place.  It's still unknown what SWVII will entail, but whatever it will be, I'm still going to see it.  I'm one of those crazy fans when it comes to Star Wars, but when it comes to the prequel movies (those that shall not be named by certain people), I actually liked them.  Yes, the dialogue was stiff.  The acting was not stellar from some of the cast and certain things happened that people weren't happy about.  Remember, though, folks, as prequels, they had a lot to live up to.  There was already a story involved and they had to create the history to which is referred in movies from twenty years previous.  Yes, some things didn't work well but on a whole, in my opinion, they were good movies.

So that's Star Wars.  Let's talk about the other things that Disney will receive as part of the deal.  Behind door number two: only the best post-production facility in the world, Industrial Light and Magic.  Sure, WETA Studio is out there and so are dozens of other small firms, but ILM still leads the pack when it comes to advancements of special effects technology.  A lot of the tech that is being used by other companies was designed by ILM or by someone that used to work for ILM.  Skywalker Sound, one of the best sound editing facilities for movies and television is also included.

Both of these companies work on many Disney films at the moment, such as Iron Man 3 and The Avengers, but now instead of having to pay a separate fee to use them, they are technically "in house" properties, which makes it easier to assign the assets.

When people ask me how this will help Lucasfilm in the long run, I can only say that it will make it better.  Look at what Disney has done with Pixar.  Yes, Pixar was a wonderful company before it was purchased by Disney, but look what happened after.  They just got bigger.  The same with Marvel Comics.  Wasn't The Avengers the summer's biggest blockbuster with a chance for more as the individual sequel movies start coming out in the next couple of years?

Though Lucasfilm is a great organization and a great film company, they are still small and independent.  The Walt Disney Company is large and multifaceted.  Disney understands Global Marketing in a way that Lucasfilm is only able to scratch the surface.  This deal is good for everyone.  George Lucas gets to retire on his terms with the person he trusts to run the company and Lucasfilm will not have to worry about projects or income slowly fading away.

Good luck George, with whatever you choose to do from now on.


Until tomorrow.

It's Time Again

Yes, I have found another blog entry by one of my favorite bloggers, Chris Matyszczyk.  He really has a way of writing things and not only making them funny but making them understandable to the common person.

In today's article (actually written on Saturday), Chris is talking about an article from the New York Times and how it suggests that people are becoming ruder because they have a smartphone that can give them an instant excuse to get out of something they don't want to do.

I tend to agree.  While I have never had a friend text me or call me when I was in the middle of something I didn't want to be at, but it has always been an option.  Chris continues to cite the article from the New York Times and how it suggests that humans are simply egotistical and they use the fact that their friends have smartphones and can just get out of whatever it is they don't want to be doing.

I don't do a lot of texting but when I do it's because it's important.  Whether it's trying to let a friend know I'm at the appropriate meeting location or that I'm running behind.  It's not because I simply think that I'm so important that they need to know my every move.  That's what Twitter is for, right?

I mean, most people tweet their current status, much like Facebook, so how is that any different?

Chris also feels that instead of becoming ruder because of the smartphone, humans are actually becoming more like themselves - rude.  Read the article.  He makes a pretty good argument.

When you've read the article that I'm referring to, feel free to read other postings.  He's great.



Until tomorrow (two more days left).

Go Tigers

Okay, if you follow me on Twitter (and I'm not sure why this blog hasn't been showing you my most recent tweets), you will have seen last week that I congratulated the Tigers on winning the World Series as soon as the Giants won their series against the Cardinals.  While I can admit that I was completely wrong in thinking the Tigers would win, I cannot admit that the Giants were the better team.  Let's put it this way:  they were the luckier team.

The problem with the Tigers during the World Series was that they could not get the timely hits.  Of course, that would require them getting hits at all.  While I'm not going to analyze every bit of each game, one specific point I am going to talk about would be in game four. 

I think it was in the fifth or sixth inning where the Tigers had the bases loaded with only one out.  Quentin Berry just needed to get a long fly ball.  That's it.  It would have brought in one run, but would have brought Miguel Cabrera (one of baseball's most feared hitters this year) up to bat.  Sure, there would have been two outs, but it wouldn't have mattered.  Cabrera could have changed his approach and possibly could have driven in another run instead of simply popping out to end the threat and cost the Tigers a chance at getting back into the game.

Again, can't congratulate the Giants, but I can say that they were pretty lucky.  Too bad they couldn't just lose, though, since Aretha Franklin was supposed to sing the anthem at Game 5.  Why couldn't they have just asked her to sing at Game 4?  They were really positive.  Oh well.


Until tomorrow.

Ender's Game

I just finished the audiobook, Ender's Game, written by Orson Scott Card.  The book debuted in 1985, meaning that I was 11 when it was first published.  Why did it take me until I was 37 to read it?  No idea.  I mean, I've heard of it for some time now and I knew several of my friends that had read the book and its subsequent sequels.  And though I am glad to have finally finished one of the quintessential books of modern Science Fiction, I can't say that I was satisfied with the book itself.

This is not an offense to the novel or to Orson Scott Card, who managed to create a very believable dystopian world.  I think for me, there was just too much politics involved.  I liked the intrigue and the plot was fine, despite the fact that Ender is considerably young when the book begins and not more than just a few years older by the climax of the book.

For me, though I could understand the reasoning behind a lot of the plot devices used, I wasn't that impressed.  It happens, I suppose.

Again, this is not to say that the novel, Ender's Game, is bad, nor is Orson Scott Card a bad writer.  Like I said, he created an incredible world that is very plausible.  For me, the book went on and on with a few parts that seemed out of place in comparison to the overall plot. 

If you've read Ender's Game, can you explain it to me?  Like I said, I understand it, it just didn't seem to fit me as a reader.



Until tomorrow.

Scare Us

I learned something today.  Neil Gaiman, the author, a few years ago, started something really cool.  It is called All Hallows Read.  It's an opportunity for people to be reminded to read.  When he started the program, it was with the hope that people would share scary stories with each other.  He hoped that children would receive appropriately scary stories as well. 

It seems like a great concept and it's something that I would like to try, though it seems a lot of people that I know might not care about scary stories.

Neil Gaiman, for his part, decided that this year, for a change, the scary story that he decided to write, he would actually record.  You see, Neil Gaiman is also a producer of fine audio books for Audible.  His story this year is called Click-Clack the Rattlebag.  It is a short story, just about ten minutes, but in just those few minutes, it manages to be creepy and makes you wonder exactly what could happen next.

While I'm not going to go into any detail, what I am going to do is point you to Audible's website.  The reason I am is because Neil Gaiman has decided to give you his short story for free.  Yes, free.  Naturally, Neil Gaiman doesn't need the money and, in fact, had hoped to allow for a donation to a specific charity.  Unfortunately, Audible is not set up that way.  However, with the help of Audible, Neil still managed to give his book away and agreed that for every download of the book, Audible would donate $1 to a charity of his choice.  There you have it.  You download a free, ten minute story, written and read by Neil Gaiman and in turn donate a dollar to charity.  No extra work on your part.

You have to act quickly, though, because this offer is only good through Halloween. 

Here's the link:  Scare Us

Wake the neighbors and phone the kids.  This is for a good cause.  Listen to the story and be scared by not knowing.


Until tomorrow.

Is It All Soul's Day Yet?

I am still impressed by bloggers that manage to write several articles a day.  I suppose they take the time to do some research or interviews and decide what their readers want to see.  For Pop Candy, I know that Whitney does a lot to ensure a very eclectic mix of pop culture information.  Of course, at the moment she's in the throes of mommy hood, having given birth to her first child, a girl, at the end of September.  However, she has a loyal band of guest bloggers that also take the time to come up with several ideas for the blog.

Maybe I should ask you, my readers (all three of you), to give me ideas of what you would like to see me write about.  It could be about anything, within reason, of course.  And if I use your idea, great.  If not, at least you don't have to feel too bad.

With everything that goes on in a normal day at work and at home, I can't always come up with great ideas.  That's where you could come in.  Send me ideas.  See a funny article?  Send it to me and I'll make comments that might be just as funny.  See something really strange and you want to know what it's all about, let me know and I might be able to do more than just a Google search.

It would be nice to be able to get this blog to the point that going on vacation didn't mean the blog would disappear for a week or some while I was gone.  Instead, with your help, perhaps it could continue.  Of course, as you've already discovered, I am prone to several vacations during the year.


Until tomorrow.

I Couldn't Resist

Having read this blog at least a few times, you will know just how much fun I like to have at the expense of others.  What's that word, schadenfreude? 

Anyway . . . when I saw this article this morning I could not resist wanting to write about it.  Before I show you the link, though, let's give a little background.

It's from England, so you know there's a chance that it might be something strange.  It involves children, but nothing physically harmful to them.  More like mental.  And inadvertent, really, not malicious at all.  Well, unless someone really wanted to pull a practical joke.

Here's the article.

For those of you not willing to click through and read it, I shall summarize in the next paragraph.

Apparently, at a local movie theater - I'm sorry, cinema - a group of children and parents had paid for a ticket to see Madagascar 3.  You can all see where this is going, right?  Well, they didn't get that movie.  They got something a lot worse and sadly, I think it's funny that it happened.  The movie that started playing was Paranormal Activity 4 (which won the box office this past weekend).

So how do you think one makes that mistake?  It's not like there are that many similarities in the names, though I suppose having a number in each of them could be so confusing.

Going back to the article, apparently a body was thrown at the camera (probably in a vain attempt at playing up the 3D imagery) which then sent the children into a tizzy, causing several of them to scream louder than their poor parents probably had heard them.  Of course, the children immediately started running for an exit, their parents attempting to catch them and get them back into a semblance of order.  But of course, that just didn't happen.

The cinema, for their part, obviously had to apologize and offered those affected by the incident and offer complimentary tickets.  The company even offered them the opportunity a chance to see Madagascar 3 a mere thirty minutes after scaring the crap out of them, which I do not have the accurate numbers for.  Let's just take a guess that less than fifty percent managed to see it the second time, even with a free ticket in their pocket.  I have a feeling that those children might be in for some trouble every time they try to watch a sequel to anything.


Until tomorrow.

Filler Part 2

It seems that on days when I am very busy at work or at home in the evening, I can't think of things to write about later each night.  Perhaps that is why the blog ends up taking several hiatuses (is that a word?), because I just am not seeing enough things happening in the world that I want to talk about.

Of course, there are things that are happening in the world:

The debates, the election . . . those are off limits because I choose not to write about politics.  It's not to say that I am uninformed or ignorant about politics, I just simply don't want to talk about my politics.

The recent abductions and murders of little girls in New Jersey and Colorado.  As a father of a little girl, you can understand why I don't really want to talk about this subject.

Work.  Work is going well.  We are in process of doing several remodels around the building which make it fun when one group has to be moved to compensate for a room not being big enough or not having the proper tech equipment for their needs.

Writing.  Obviously, I'm writing every day at the moment.  I am attempting to keep up with my own fiction writing as well, but that tends to be a little harder since I am trying to maintain the one blog a day attitude at the moment.  Honestly, I can't understand how bloggers can have several entries per day that are interesting.  I suppose if my job was simply to write about stuff all day, I could figure something out.

I guess that's enough subjects to talk about.  Maybe something exciting will happen tomorrow to give you something better to read.


Until tomorrow.

Filler

Today was a very busy day at work so I was unable to find a few minutes to find a subject for the day's post.  That doesn't mean that I didn't read a lot or nothing happened.  It's just that I wasn't able to really grasp anything that happened in the world to fit my particular needs for a topic for today.

I do know that the Bears managed to win their game against Detroit, which was impressive considering Jay Cutler had been flattened early in the game. 

I also know that the St. Louis Cardinals lost to the Giants because they didn't want to get on the ark in time (for those of you that don't know, God had decided to wipe out the San Francisco Giants because they weren't worthy enough.  However, the Cardinals got in the way and took the hit that the Giants were supposed to).  Because of that, rain drenched the field in San Francisco and I think that Jim Leyland (the manager of the Tigers) should begin filing a protest because the ground will not be in good shape for the game.

The Giants may have a decent offense, but they are going to be shut down by not only the greatest pitcher in the game today (Justin Verlander) but the rest of their rotation ain't half bad either.  Good luck, Tigers.


Until tomorrow.

Cartoon Mania

I watch cartoons.  That's not saying a whole lot considering that I am still young at heart.  However, the cartoons I watch are not really for children.  For example, Family Guy.  Definitely not for children.  American Dad, The Cleveland Show, also not for children.  The Simpsons can be for children because it's bright and sometimes funny but for the most part, all the jokes are geared for older viewers.  And then there is the case of The Clone Wars.  Two things that I enjoy:  cartoons and Star Wars.  How can it be any better?

The Clone Wars just started its fifth season and though it's uncertain just how long it will last, it just seems to get better every year.  Though there are necessary constraints on the show (something like six movies and canon literature to contend with), they never seem to run out of stories to tell.  Yes, I understand that in time, as the series is preparing to end, there will have to come some finality to some story lines, the most important of which is the fate of Anakin Skywalker's apprentice, Ahsoka Tano.

Am I getting ahead of myself?  Possibly.  For those of you that don't know, The Clone Wars takes place in the three years between Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.  My statement at the end of the last paragraph, then, is valid because Ahsoka is not mentioned in any way in Episode III nor in any literature that I have seen, which means that her fate has yet to be written.  Or, if it has, I don't know about it just yet.

That's not to say that the show should just end because they have to advance the characters to where they are just before Episode III opens - in my opinion, I'd like the show to go on several more years.  I really think that the braintrust of the show and George Lucas need to discuss story lines and determine what else needs to be told and how long it might take.  If it takes five years, great.  If it takes one, so be it.  It's a great show with great animation and great writing and I'm glad that I have been able to watch it in its entirety. 


Until tomorrow.

Not The Happiest Place on Earth Today

If you couldn't tell, I'm going to talk about Disneyland.  We spent the day there.  Afternoon and evening.  You would think that spending such a long time there we would have been able to do everything we wanted.  You would be wrong.

Because of the newer, holiday-based attractions, Disneyland seems to be crowded on the weekends.  And not just normal crowded.  We are talking really crowded.  Crowded to the point that waiting in line for Winnie the Pooh takes 20 minutes.  20 minutes!?!?!?!?!?!  We're used to a 5-6 minute wait.  And of course, there is Abby's favorite ride, It's A Small World.  Did we get to go on it?  Nope.  90 minutes.  And not just 90 minutes at one point of the day.  It was 90 minutes before we went to dinner and 90 minutes after an hour of dinner.  And the Christmas decorations haven't even been put up yet.

I'm not sure why there were so many people at Disneyland today but it made the day long and tiring.  Luckily, the weather cooperated and despite the heavy drizzle in Rancho Cucamonga, Siri predicted correctly that it would not rain in Anaheim.

I advise any of you that wish to go to Disneyland during the Fall months, choose a weekday.  If I had the opportunity, I would choose that.  However, if you do have to be there on the weekends, let me know so that we can coordinate opposite times to attend.


Until tomorrow.

What A World

Okay, you can admit it, I don't care.  All of you either have an iPad or are jealous of those that do.  Am I right?  I, for one, do not want an iPad and that's because I have an iPhone.  Yes, you can spout all you want about bigger screen size and being able to watch movies and what not, but an iPad is not practical.  It cannot fit into your pocket nor does it work like a phone.  And even the iPad mini which is supposed to be announced next week, will not be a phone.  Therefore, this story that I'm going to talk about is utterly hilarious to me.

It turns out that someone decided to play a cruel trick on Walmart.  This stands to good reason, I'm sure (think sarcasm as you read that).  Someone initially purchased an iPad from Walmart and then returned it.  First off, good for them, but in reality, it turns out that that person actually returned the box and not the iPad.

Here's the story:  CLICK ME (if you dare)

For those of you that don't dare, here's a rundown.  A woman went to Walmart in hopes of purchasing a new iPad for her daughter's birthday.  Once purchased, she went home, wrapped it and waited for said daughter to open what should have been a great gift - something that would have scored points for the mom for at least a year in today's market.  But no.  All the girl got when she opened the iPad box was a set of yellow notepads.  Get it??  iPad - notepad?

Well, the woman went back to Walmart, and as you would read in the article if you bothered, they were reticent to admit that anything was wrong on their end.  It only took the help of a local news station before Walmart actually paid attention to the problem.  Of course, Walmart was able to realize what had happened but have not found the original purchaser as of yet.  I'm sure they're working really hard on it.

This just goes to show you.  No matter what technology you are purchasing, you might want to have a look in the box before you walk out of the store.  At least it would save you from having to come back.



Until tomorrow.

Have A Nice Winter Vacation, Yanks

UPDATE:  I still don't feel good.  Getting tired, but I think that I have a few extra minutes in order to write a proper blog post today.

Tonight, I am going to talk about the Yankees and how they lost their chance at making it to the World Series.  There is a subset of people in baseball (and even outside of baseball) that either like or loathe the Yankees.  While I don't loathe them, I'm not really a fan either.

Yes, I understand the history of the baseball team and what it has meant to the sport.  I respect George Steinbrenner for what he was able to do with the Yankees as a whole while he was alive but I think it's about time for the Yankees to stop overpaying for players that are doing nothing for the team.

Since I'm not really a Yankees fan, I'm not really sure about the make up of their team, but I do know this.  There are several players on that team that either need to retire or need to move on.  The Yankees have a penchant for paying millions of dollars to players that are older than most average baseball players.  These players, while once good - in their prime - are on the slow decline and really don't deserve the money the Yankees are paying them.  Also, there are several players - Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, I'm looking at you - that have had a tough year.  Not only did Jeter break his ankle last week on a routine play but Rodriguez was benched for the last two games of the series.  I think that might tell you something about how management feels about him.

Sure, ARod and Jeter will tell the media that they'll be back in Florida in the spring and that they'll compete again next year, but I have a feeling that the injury to Jeter might be harder to recover from and ARod might find another team.  I'm not saying that's going to happen but it could.

What the Yankees need to start doing is investing in their future - with their minor league system.  They have shown MLB that spending a lot of money on several players has not worked to its full effect over the past few years.  Maybe they should come up with a new strategy.  One that doesn't require them having an operating budget over $225 million.  Just a thought.

I'm not saying they need to go all out like the Houston Astros, though.  I just think that the Yankees need to find some happy medium where they don't spend all the money on just a few players and have nothing to show for it.  If they were smart and developed their minor league prospects and either dealt them for better talent or even used them, then it's possible that the Yankees are just a couple of years from getting back to the World Series, where they feel they belong every year.


Until tomorrow.

Still Going.....Barely

Not much of a blog tonight as I'm feeling tired and I have a sore throat.  Let's just say that I had originally thought of a couple of topics, but as I can't think of them any more, I'm just going to write this so I can keep the streak going.

More tomorrow, I'm sure.

Oh yeah.  One other thing.  Go Tigers.


Until tomorrow.

See Dad Run

I heard about a new show on Nick at Nite.  It's called See Dad Run and it stars Scott Baio.  You know, Chachi Arcola from Happy Days or as Charles from Charles in Charge.  The funny thing is he still looks the same, with his baby face and his goofy smile.  The even funnier thing, is that I actually liked the show.

A rundown of the show:  Charles, I mean, Scott, plays an actor on a very successful television show that is ending its run after ten years.  With the show over, Scott decides it's time to return to his real family and enjoy the good life.  The good life is over very quickly, though, as his wife has decided to return to acting herself and leave Scott home with the family.  Naturally, hilarity ensues with several "fish out of water" scenarios and Scott attempting to quote his famous television show.  He even goes as far as defending his parenting skills by using episodes as examples of his abilities only to be shot down by every one.

Scott's children on the show seem real - not fake - and it looks as if each of them can be their own individual at the same time as being part of the family as a whole.  Scott's wife, Amy, also seems believeable as a mom who knows it all and though she has a taste of freedom, isn't sure she's ready to leave her husband alone with the children.

Of course, just like a normal sitcom, things get wrapped up in that last minute before the credits roll.  However, I think that this show will keep some things back in hopes of keeping the spark - and the show - going for a full year.

Though I haven't heard about Nick at Nite's plans for the show - meaning if they have picked it up for a certain amount of episodes or if it has been renewed or not, I look forward to enjoying the episodes while I can.

Take a look for yourself if you want to see Charles in Charge - Mid Life Crisis.  Wait, it's called See Dad Run.  Sundays on Nick at Nite.  Check local listings.


Until tomorrow.

The Power of WE

Today, for some reason, is Blog Action Day.  I just heard of it today because of a different blog that I read.  However, I have a feeling that today's blog entry will not focus on the actual theme and spirit of the day.  According to the website, the theme, The Power of We, is meant to inspire bloggers to talk about a group of people that inspire them to create positive influences in the world.  On the blog that I read this morning about the topic, it was more a celebration of duos from television and movies.  Granted, these duos did inspire a lot of positive influence for the world, so I suppose it kind of counts, but I have a feeling that the true meaning of the theme is something a little more worldly.  Since I don't really think globally, I decided that the idea of my favorite duos would be good to write about.

Though I will list them here, they are in no particular order because it would take longer than I have for the day to compile an actual order of the list.  Therefore, I will just tell you about them.

R2D2 and C3PO.  Of course I would write about them because they are part of one of my favorite movies, Star Wars.  They are the comedy relief of the film but they also are what drives the plot.  Without R2 receiving the stolen plans, he doesn't attempt to find Obi-Wan Kenobi, doesn't find Luke, doesn't escape Tatooine and doesn't help the rebels defeat the Death Star.  Did I just spoil the movie?  If you haven't seen Star Wars by this point of knowing me, then we should just stop being friends.

Mickey and Minnie.  Also a natural choice because of my affinity for all things Disney.  Mickey and Minnie are the practical faces of the Disney franchise and are symbols of positive influence across the world (hey, look, I did actually find the theme of the day).  No matter what, Mickey and Minnie find ways to stay positive about all of life's events.  Of course, I've never seen them have to explain heavier topics that death, divorce or politics, but I'm sure there's a first for everything.

These are just two sets of duos.  Though I'm sure I could think of several others, I'm drawing a blank.  Is it the fact that I am being distracted by music?  Or the Internet in general?  It's what happens when I see something related to Star Wars and start looking up Star Wars information and then keep going from there.  Well, I suppose at least I got some of the theme, if not the original spirit of the theme. 


Until tomorrow.

Wii Are Contributing to the Delinquency of Minors

With some offense (instead of little) to the administration of Pittsburgh's Whitehall Elementary School, I have one thing to ask:  What the hell are you thinking?  If you'd like to know why I'm willing to curse on my blog, simply CLICK HERE.

That link will take you to an article about this school in Pittsburgh that has decided to offer the opportunity for students to play the Nintendo Wii.  Yes, I can understand that by "moving" while playing a video game is considered slight exercise, but it is not exercise by any true definition of the word.

According to the article, it is only one day a week that the children get to play on the Wii, but I think that is one day too many.  I know that at home children are apt to sit in front of the television or the computer and play non-stop for hours before and after dinner until it's time for them to go to bed.  However, child obesity continues to grow.  Outbreaks of early onset diabetes is rampant among children and teenagers.  And this school thinks that by letting their children play a video game once a week, that's going to help?  Sure, the game they are playing is Just Dance - a physical game that requires mimicking dance maneuvers and earning points.

I shall reiterate with different words:  Not enough movement.

Kids have plenty of time to play video games.  They don't need to be allowed to play them at school also.  Don't these kids have to have a certain amount of time exercising.  I'm sure that playing the Wii is not on the approved list.  If it is, why wasn't it on there when I was growing up and didn't like PE?  Oh yeah, I know.  Besides the fact that the Wii hadn't been invented, I actually liked to go out and play. 

Even now, with my own daughter, she doesn't get to play on a computer (mostly because she hasn't mastered more than pounding the keyboard several times as hard as possible).  She does get to watch television - mostly Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, X-Factor, America's Got Talent, American Idol and a view other judgemental shows.  She actually likes them because she likes the music.  But that's not the point.  She only watches these shows when she's close to falling asleep, so she really doesn't get to watch much.  During the day, when she is at daycare or her grandma's, she's a very active little girl.  She has no need for a video game.


Until tomorrow.

Keep Thinking Young

Today I got to witness the power of youth coupled with the weakness that is old age.  And before you say anything, yes, I know I am old.  However, I'm talking about something slightly different.

Today was Joanna's grandmother's 96th birthday.  Ninety-six years.  That's a long time.  Two World Wars.  Two Gulf Wars.  Two other "conflicts".  And that was just the military.  A lot has changed in the world in the past ninety-six years and Grandma keeps going.  We lost Grandpa almost five years ago and while it's still sad for all of us in different ways, we know that as time marches forward, it gets sadder for Grandma. 

As we were driving today (we went to an Open House of our nephew's school), she mentioned that three women that she had known for some time passed away this week.  To my knowledge, each of them were just a little younger than she was, so naturally, she was saddened.  However, even she knew the power of young children on the old and how they can magically make them feel young again.  Grandma knew that by being with her great grandchildren, she would feel happier once again instead of the loneliness that accompanies the news that another friend has passed away.

Watching Abby with her cousins is always fun.  The three of them like to run around and play as much as possible and Abby loves both of them to the point where if one decides to run in one direction, Abigail with try to follow as well.  Of course it doesn't always work because they get out of hand, but when the three of them are together, it is always entertaining to watch.

Despite the sadness that Grandma began the day with, I know that she was happier by the end of it because she got to see the people that she loved on her special day.

Happy birthday Grandma.  Ninety-six years is definitely not enough.  Let's push for one hundred.


Until tomorrow.