I've Got A Golden Ticket

I figured this blog needed a little cheering up after the previous post, so here goes.

I’ve got a golden ticket.

I’ve got a golden twinkle in my eye.

So why am I quoting Willy Wonka? Simple. It’s because I got a golden ticket.  Look at the picture below and I shall paused a few seconds.

 

And while this one (unfortunately) doesn’t come with a lifetime supply of chocolate should I survive the strange and silly factory tour led by Willy Wonka himself, it does protect my phone very well.  However, since I don't really care for a lot of chocolate, I wonder if I could just get a lifetime of NERDS.  I love NERDS.  I don't even need to take over the chocolate factory.  I could just let Abby have it.

 

So how did this come to be?  How did I manage to find the golden ticket?  Well, I didn't find money in the street and go get a chocolate bar if that's what you're thinking.  Remember what I just wrote about not really liking chocolate?

 

Actually, since I purchased the iPhone 4 a few months ago, I have been wanting to find a very cool case.  I've looked at hundreds of cases and I would send Joanna sevreral links to ones that I liked but one never popped out.  That is, until I literally found the golden ticket.

 

I was sitting at home one morning and was looking through a website called Red Bubble.  It's a website dedicated to helping artists sell their merchandise.  Basically artists will create something and Red Bubble will make posters, postcards, mouse pads, iPhone cases, etc.  Well, I just happened to see this one and showed Joanna.  We were both immediately taken with the case and I purchased it.  The picture above does not do it justice and it will just have to be seen to be believed.  As I said, it protects the phone very well, though I do not wish to fully test it's drop capabilities.  For now, I'll wander through the factory looking for the Fizzy Lifting Drink and avoiding being chopped to bits by the fan on the ceiling.

 

 

Until next time.

Will This Never End?

I didn't expect to have to address something like this again.  In fact, I wasn't even sure that I wanted to address it.  I've sat in front of my computer for several days now and finally think that I'm ready to say something.

When my daughter got home Friday night I quickly got her out of her car seat and started to hug her.  I didn't really want to let go.  On a day like that one, I don't think a lot of parents wanted to let go of their children.

In the span of three days there had been two mass shootings with victims both alive and dead.  Friday's terrible massacre of children is unexplainable and hard for any parent - any person - to fathom.

On Wednesday, last week, in Portland, someone walked into a mall and started shooting.  Friday, a man walked into a school and started shooting.  In both cases, both men chose to take their own lives after a considerable amount of chaos.  As a Catholic, I was raised to preserve the sanctity of life and that suicide was a sin. However, it is my opinion that if these people wanted to kill themselves, why did they need to take others with them?  One less terrible person in the world would be just fine with me, so why did they have to go and wreak tragedy in two separate communities, if not the whole United States?

Reading both stories with journalists attempting to find answers for the tragedies, all I could do was cry.  The two people that died in Portland had San Diego connections, with one of them being an alumni of my alma mater, University of San Diego.  The other had gone to UCSD.  The lives that those people touched are forever changed by their passing.  In Connecticut, the lives of those twenty children will never get to have those special moments that the president spoke about in his speech to America.  They'll never get to even open the gifts that were probably being wrapped to be placed under the Christmas tree.  The six teachers that were killed will no longer be able to encourage future students to live their dreams and hope for the future.

All of these people were living their lives normally never once thinking that Wednesday or Friday would be their last.  Innocent children who dreamt of becoming firefighters or astronauts or doctors no longer getting that option.  A coach of children no longer being able to teach his players the best part of the game - sportsmanship.  A hospice nurse who will never be able to care for others as they reach the end of their own days.  And teachers who will no longer help their students with creative projects for the holidays or supervise recess.

I understand that people die every day - sometimes important people or famous people.  But in the wake of these shootings and the victims that were taken in such a random act of violence, I have to write what I feel. 

When I wrote about the tragedy in Colorado (see the link at the beginning of this post), I wrote about not wanting to give up on my life.  I still believe that.  And while I know that it will be hard for the people in the Portland suburb and those that work at the Clackamas Mall and those in the small town of Newtown (as well as the rest of the country), over time we will all move on. 

As if these stories are not bad enough, over the weekend, in Newport Beach (where we happened to be enjoying a boat tour), at the Fashion Island Mall, a man opened fire in the parking lot.  He didn't shoot anyone and didn't even kill himself, but there he was, in the parking lot with a gun.  And in Colorado yesterday, yet another murder-suicide was discovered after a man killed his ex-wife and her sister, her sister's husband and then himself.

I just finished listening to a novel called, When Will There Be Good News?  Apropos, isn't it?  The book had a happy ending but as I listened it seemed as if there were a lot of bad things happening.  Sadly, there will be no happy endings for the time being and we will have to live our lives with this madness in our world.

As you read this message today, or whenever, think of your families and your friends and remind them just how much you care about them.



Until next time.

Why Am I Such a Misfit?

The other night, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was on television and we decided to let Abby watch it.  Now, if you happen to see my Twitter feed from that night (or you can glance to your left), you would have seen that I had some interesting commentary about the show. 

It’s not like it’s been forever since I watched it.  In fact, I watched it last year, probably with Abby asleep on my lap or something.  However, for some reason, now that Abby is older and actually pays more attention to television (she can recognize so much more now), maybe I look at the show differently.

For instance, poor Rudolph.  From the moment he is born, he is shunned by his father and then by Santa Claus.  Santa’s a real jerk and Donner (Rudolph’s dad) does Rudolph a disservice by simply ignoring the problem and suggesting it will go away over time.  Donner also figures out a way to keep Rudolph’s nose a secret for an entire year by making him wear a prosthetic nose in order to keep the “glowing nose” hidden away – just like the mean father he is.

That’s just the beginning.  When Rudolph is “playing the reindeer games” (something tells me those could be worse than The Hunger Games), his nose falls off, exposing his fluorescent note to his friends.  Not only are his so-called friends mortified by the revelation, but Santa becomes an even bigger jerk by putting Donner down for hiding Rudolph’s nose (as if Donner had a way to fix it).  Here’s where we get the lyric “they never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games”.

Because of this symbolic bullying that Rudolph endures, he chooses to run away, figuring that his life will be better off if he doesn’t have to live up to other people’s standards.  Does this sound familiar to anyone?  Anything like the countless preteens and teenagers that have been taking their own lives because they have been bullied recently?  I’m getting off-topic, though.  This is about Rudolph.

Along his journey, Rudolph makes new friends, Hermey and Yukon Corelius.  Together they have an adventure and escape the Abominable Snowman and make their way to the Island of Misfit Toys.  As I sat watching the show the other night, I wondered why the doll had been left on the Island, so I looked it up on IMDB.  It turns out that the doll is depressed that no one loves her and therefore is considered a misfit.  What?  A doll with serious depression?  I know, based on the Toy Story movies, that toys have feelings, but wow.  Severe depression.  Wonder if she should see a doctor about that?

Back to the show.

Rudolph and his friends aren’t allowed to stay on the island but are given shelter for the night.  Rudolph wants to run away so the Abominable Snowman doesn’t find them.  He runs away again (I’m seeing some sort of pattern) and heads off into the wild.  Now there is no sense of time here, but we know that it’s at least several months because Rudolph grows up.  He also realizes that it’s time for him to go home and face his problems, like any normal reindeer.

Here’s something else that was a little strange with this show.  When Rudolph comes home, he finds out from Jerk Santa (who doesn’t seem to be a jerk anymore – maybe he grew up a little, too?), that his father and mother and the doe that he liked, were all gone, apparently out looking for him.  Hasn’t Rudolph been gone several months?  Wouldn’t they have stopped trying and headed home after a couple of days?  So what does Rudolph do?  He simply figures out that they must be at the Abominable Snowman’s cave.  How does he know that?  They could be dead for all he knew.  He shouldn’t just assume they are alive.

And that’s the best part.  When he arrives at the Snowman’s cave, it’s as if the Snowman has moments before captured his parents and girlfriend.  What?  How did that happen?  They were gone for several months and the second that Rudolph is in the general vicinity, not only do Rudolph’s mom and girlfriend find Donner, but all three of them mange to get found by the Snowman.  Uh huh.  Rudolph tries to defend his family and his girlfriend and gets bonked on the head with a rock (something that would have killed an ordinary reindeer, but perhaps his magic nose gave him super strength).

Just when all hope seems lost, Yukon Cornelius and Hermey save the day (and everyone else).  Hermey removes the Snowman's teeth and Yukon falls over the cliff with him.  Hooray (read: sarcastically).  Everyone comes home safe and then all of a sudden there's a storm that knocks over everything.  Santa is prepared to cancel Christmas (how would he do that, by the way?  Call a press conference?  Send an email?  Tweet?  Santagram?), but suddenly realizes that the poor sap of a child of Donner's and his freak nose might actually be useful for something.  Who knew?

So there's a happy ending after all (no massage necessary) and even the toys on the Island of Misfit Toys manage to find a place to live thanks to Santa.  So why am I so cynical about this show?  I'm definitely willing to suspend reality for the sixty minutes.  I think it's just that I look at it from a parent's point of view and wonder exactly how long Abby will believe the magic that is Christmas.  

"I believe, Spirit!"  -  wait, wrong movie.

To all of you who have already watched Rudolph and will now be wondering about everything, sorry.  For those who haven't, sorry for exposing the real world to you.

Until next time.

PS......you all know this is just in fun, right?

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.