Service

What in the world ever happened to service? I remember when I was just about knee-high to a grasshopper, my dad got us our very first color television. We were, I think, the last family in the free world to have a color TV, and this was no gem. It was in a giant cabinet with a record player on one side, and a radio on the other. In the middle of this monstrosity was the little green screen of the television. Surrounded by that kind of dull goldish-yellow metal. The screen was more round that square, and much more fish bowl than flat.

I remember when the thing would quit working. Not too much worry for us kids, we were usually outside anyway. Heck the colors on that thing were so washed out you might have just as well been watching a light bulb. At any rate, when the thing would go out, papi would call up the television repair man, and he would come over to the house. He would show up in his TV repair man's van, with his gray coveralls and his little metal toolbox and fix the television.

There is a point to this trip down memory lane, I promise. Fast forward t the wonderful year of 2007. I refused to subject myself to the same horrific television viewing experience as papi 'enjoyed.' Nope, I did better. Some years ago my grandmother (rest her soul) was feeling generous and handed out some money to everyone. It was lucky for us, our 27 inch RCA television that we'd be watching and thoroughly enjoying for the past 14 years was starting to get that hourglass figure in the picture tube. It was excuse enough to use some of the money to purchase a new television. We went with a Sony projection TV from Circuit City (back when we still had a Circuit City). And it has served us well for about 5 years now.

Suddenly, it doesn't do so well with the showing of the picture. The reds and blues are off kilter from everything else - or everything else is off-kilter from the blue which is off-kilter from the red - or...well I don't know what is off-kilter, I just know that Saving Grace is not supposed to be a 3D television program, but it looks like one on my TV.

Doing some Googling I find that there is something called an IC something or other that has probably gone kaput and must be replaced, and the convergence re-aligned by a professional. The Sony website says the closest authorized Sony service center is Servi-Tronics over in Lawrence. Being fairly certain all these projection TVs are fairly standard, and probably any competent television repair man should be able to fix it, I start calling local.

Turns out, Topeka has only 2 television repair shops. And get this, neither of them will come to the house to look at, fix or even pick the television up. Oh, the folks from Lawrence will come to the house for an extra $40 but the folks in Topeka won't come to the house at all. I don't have a truck, and I don't have a trailer. Basically, I have zero methods for getting this television to a repair shop. Unless I want to rent a uhaul, which will probably cost more than the $40 I would pay to give my business to the Lawrencians.

It is just too bad that I have to have someone come from a nearby town...a town that is smaller than Topeka, to have my television fixed. That service is such a dirty word these days. That a guy who tries to make a living repairing televisions doesn't even have the sense to think "hey, if I'm going to work on projection televisions, maybe I should offer (for a fee) to at least pick up and drop off these things for the customer."

Maybe the shop in Lawrence has to make house calls to remain a Sony certified repair facility shop thing, and maybe they don't, I don't know. I only know that they will get money from me, and the local guys won't get squat. Except maybe I'll call them and explain that I went with the company from Lawrence because they offer a little thing called "service".

Benefits

I knew when I took the job I now hold with a local company there would be benefits to it beyond the little extra money and the saving of time and money driving to and from Kansas City. I experienced one of those benefits today.

We woke up around 4:30 this morning, and got the kids up and dressed, and headed out to look at the lunar eclipse. A total eclipse of the moon (not the heart - sorry Bonnie). We went to Burnett's Mound because I figured since it is above the city lights, we'd have a better view of it, and I think I was correct in that thinking. After a couple of wrong turns (I hadn't been there since high school), we finally found the parking area, now called "Skyline Park". Surprisingly, we were alone on the Mound. I fully expected several other people to be mingling about. The kids enjoyed seeing the eclipse, and the stars. The weather was very nice, except for the wind that was strong enough to shake the camera as I tried to take long-exposure pictures of the eclipse. Some came out okay, but most are going to need quite a bit of work in the digital darkroom to make them un-fuzzy enough to enjoy.

After witnessing the event, we headed over to the International House of Pancakes and had breakfast. Everyone had a great time, which is surprising since the 5/8 is definitely not a morning person. I was, in fact, surprised that she was willing to get that early and go with us, but I'm grateful that she did. It would not have been the same without her. If I had still worked in Kansas City, we would have been able to view the eclipse, but then would have had to rush home so I could get to work. It simply would not have been anywhere near the same, nor would it have created the lasting memory I believe this morning created in the children. Having the breakfast together, at the IHoP was the kicker that sealed this into one of those 'priceless' MasterCard moments.

This week's movie

It has been a while since I saw a really good, funny movie. One that was truly enjoyable to watch, didn't make anyone in the room uncomfortable, and actually made me laugh at loud.

"Wild Hogs" (image stolen from Amazon - please don't sue me fellas! - thanks) is just such a movie. Although it is rated PG-13, other than some vague homosexual (not homophobic) humor and some fairly mild violence, there really isn't anything in the move that could be objectionable. Extremely tame language, no nudity or almost-nudity. No guys ogling or objectifying women.

I believe this movie is as close to laugh-out-loud funny and wholesome as we are going to get in this day and age. The movie stars Tim Allen, John Travolta, William H. Macy, Martin Lawrence and the always hot (but not as hot as you hun) Marisa Tomei. Allen, Travolta, Macy and Lawrence are four middle aged suburbanites who decide to take a cross-country trip on their Harleys.

As one might imagine, four middle aged suburban professionals riding Harleys across the country can and do find themselves in various predicaments. Some strange, all of them funny. It isn't the Jim Carrey slapstick kind of funny either. Each trial they go through, is something you can actually imagine happening in the real world. For those of you who remember "Easy Rider", Peter Fonda's uncredited cameo towards the end really tugs at the heartstrings (ok, not really, but it was cool). I think it is an unwritten rule now, that any move about bikers, or Harleys in general, has to have at least a cameo by Fonda.

Lessons Learned

Lesson learned this last week. Just because one spends the past three or four weekends helping the in-laws with things that needed to be accomplished at their house, doesn't mean that one's own parents wants and needs go away. No, they just pile up, each one more urgent and important than the last.

The rat of packs

It was a fairly good week here in Topeka. After getting over the fact that I'm old enough to have a kid in high school, the rest of the week went rather smooth. For a change I didn't have to go collect papi from the casino on Saturday, so we watched 300 instead. Wow! What a movie! I suspect the guys will like it for different reasons than the ladies though (admit it ladies, mostly naked muscle bound sweaty men swinging swords and defending liberty - you know you want to see it again :0 ).

Sunday, during the 110+ degree heatwave that Lawrence was experiencing (the temp on the clock at People's bank said it was 112), we worked on the back yard of the 5/8 pa. In the dictionary, right next to the term "pack rat" is his picture. I don't believe this guy has thrown anything away in at least the 20 some odd years they had lived in that house. There were those big trash cans full of odds and ends...mostly odds. Like the one filled with junk mail fliers. He was planning, he says, on recycling them. I suppose sometime in the next 20 or so years.

It was a long, hot day, but the two boys helped considerably, and they were mostly civil during the ordeal. Little Sister, being only 8, was not old enough to help. I'm sure she felt just terrible having to stay with her cousin and gramma and swim the whole day.

Movin' on up

Monday was a more difficult day than I had imagined it would be. Not that I would actually admit that out loud, so if you try to hold me to that statement, I will disavow any knowledge of it.

We took No. 1 Son to the high school for enrollment. My kid is in high school. I find it hard to believe, I mean, I am not that old. It took almost two hours to snake through the lines and fill out much of the same (or so it seems) paperwork that we filled out at the pre-enrollment last spring.

Then we had to pay fees. What? Fees? I expected fees to be paid for grade and middle school - he went to a parochial school, we had to pay for that. But fees for the public school? What the heck is this? Don't I already pay taxes through the nose for this stuff? And now another several hundred dollars? Nothing starting of the school year with the feeling that they are double dipping into your pocket.

We managed to get to the end of the line without my losing my cool though. As we were speaking with the mother of the Marine Junior ROTC Sgt. Major, the 5/8 made some offhand comment about the state of No. 1 Son's room, something to the effect that the residents of Greensburg, Kansas would rather stay in Greensburg than have to deal with his room. That is when one of the ROTC folks happened to be coming by. No. 1 Son is joining the MJRTOC program at the high school. I made the deal that if he did that, he would not have to get up at 5:30 in the morning and go exercise at the YMCA with me every morning.

Anyway, this ROTC fellow (I am not certain if he is a student or instructor) told the 5/8 that he would be happy to come to our house, and help No. 1 Son straighten out his room. And that when completed, he would know how to keep his room clean, and that we would be able to bounce a quarter off his bedsheets. What? You mean his bed would actually get made?!?

That is a very tempting offer, and he was completely serious. Of course, No. 1 Son doesn't want that to happen. So maybe it will be the incentive he needs to get moving on cleaning that pigsty and possibly even making his bed (hey! a dad can dream can't he?).

Mikey's Back

When I was a kid, a movie came out that we considered a true horror film. This film was so scary and created some of the most intense feelings I had ever experienced in a movie theater. My buds and I probably saw that movie six or seven times while it was at the theater. This was before video tapes (for those of you born after 1980, video tapes were a way to watch movies at home which have since been replaced with DVDs - kind of like audio tapes were a way to listen to music which were replaced by Compact Discs which has been replaced by MP3s - and you say the space program gave us nothing but Tang).

That movie was Halloween. Not only did it introduce us teens to Jamie Lee Curtis (grrroowwwwll) but also Michael Myers (not the Austin Powers Mike Myers - the creepy killer Michael Myers). Since that time there have been umpteen sequels to Halloween. I think the last one had Jamie Lee Curtis in it again. But sadly, since the 5/8 birthday is ON Halloween, and she takes great offense at having her birthday associated with death (like it wasn't Halloween before it was her birthday - sheesh), I have never been able to see it.

Be that as it may, Rob Zombie (Grindhouse, The Devil's Rejects) has re-imagined the Halloween the movie story. Take a look:

I have yet to see Grindhouse (but it is on my list at Blockbuster) - but it looks terrific. Personally, I think if anybody can do a remake of Halloween justice, it is Zombie. I just hope he keeps the Capt. Kirk mask.


This post is brought to you by:
Halloween the movie

Mini-Series review: The Fallen

I am a sucker for religious thrillers. I love the whole good v. evil thing. The apocalyptic undertones. That is why I loved the turn of the century. The event called for a good many of such movies. Most of them were sad excuses, but, like time travel movies, I had to watch them.

Last year ABC Family ran a made-for-tv movie called "The Fallen." I hadn't seen the movie, nor had I even heard of it. But this year, they ran the original movie, plus two more for a total of six hours worth of God v. Devil goodness.

The premise is, back in the day (way, way back) some angels rebelled against God. You know the story, the whole war in Heaven thing where Lucifer lost and was sent to reign in Hell. Those that were on his side, but didn't join him in Hell as demons, became "The Fallen." These were the angels who are discussed in the Bible as consorting with human women and creating half-breed offspring "abominations" called Nephilim.

God sent "The Powers" to protect his creation, and they started about killing off the abominations and the fallen angels (I didn't know angels could be killed, BTW). The special effects were good, there were only a couple of scenes where the flying angels' CGI was poor, and those were very brief. One thing that got me though, and it seemed strange, was that some of the angels, the good ones, had bat-type wings, instead of the usual feathery bird-type wings. And some had black wings instead of the stereo-typical white wings. It is not a huge deal, but when dealing with iconic imagery, in an iconic situation, one would think they would stick to the stereo-types. Especially considering they went through the trouble to give the angels names that more or less follow the naming criteria used in the Bible (such as Gama'el, Ara'el, Azaza'el etc).

All in all I though they did a great job. There were a couple of scenes that almost made me laugh, but I was able to get over them easy enough. One in particular towards the beginning, there is a member of the Powers who slays a Fallen, and she is wearing this white hooded cloak, and as she is turning and stomping of screen, the cape flowing out behind her she says something to the effect of "find out what it is, and alert me immediately." Which instantaneously sent me back 30 years to Darth Vader aboard Princess Leia's ship saying "The plans are here, tear this place apart and find them" (or something like that).

We recorded the show over the weekend, and watched it all in one sitting, all six hours of it. If you are a fan of this type of story, I would highly recommend getting the DVD.


Technorati Tags: God, Devil, Angels, Good, Evil, The Fallen, Television, ABC Family

Monsters and 3 year olds

Sometimes, you just shouldn't ask a 3 year old what to do about a monster, if you don't think you can handle the answer...observe:

New TV show review "Saving Grace"

Watched a new show on TNT last night. The show aired on Monday night, but we didn't watch it until last night. The show is "Saving Grace" which stars Holly Hunter (looking a bit older, and more ragged than I have ever seen her before).

Hunter is an Oklahoma City cop who drinks too much, sleeps around too
much and proclaims a fervent disbelief in God. It is alluded to that
she was molested by a priest when she was little. Her brother is a
priest (obviously there is tension there!) and her sister died in the
Murrah Federal Building bombing (this part isn't revealed until the
end, and I have to admit, I was wondering why they would put a show in
OKC, I mean, after all, it is fly-over country). And along comes an angel, offering her one last chance at redemption.

But don't be misled! This is no "Touched By An Angel" or "Joan of Arcadia" (both of which I enjoyed tremendously). The angel in this case, is named...get this...Earl. He is not your stereo-typical angel with good looks, with proper grammar and showing a due amount of reverence. No, Earl (played by Leon Rippy - I know, I've never heard of him either) is more along the lines of someone you might imagine inhabiting a trailer park, or working as a mechanic in that lonely, little out of the way gas station on that stretch of desert road that is 450 miles from the nearest cross road, let alone any type of civilization. His teeth are bad, he hair is a mess, he is overweight, he sounds 3/4 drunk, and he chews tobacco and spits into an empty Mountain Dew bottle.

This is not a show to watch with the younguns. Number One son watched it with us, but he was uncomfortable in parts (couple of scenes with Hunter and her partner romping around). It is rated TVMA (which is the first TVMA rating I have seen not on a movie channel). No nudity or bad language, but the opening scene where Hunter and he partner (played by Kenny Johnson) are...err...coupling came very close to showing more than I have ever scene on commercial TV.

Truth be told, I dig the angel guy. I find it refreshing to see a new take on what an angel would look like and how one would act.Another refreshing aspect is that Hunter doesn't just make a 180 degree turn out of her life, it looks like it is going to a slow and sometimes painful process for her to turn her life around.

Also in the case it Laura San Giacomo (hubba-hubba). One might remember her as the evil b**ch Nadine Cross from the TV mini-series adaptation of Stephen Kings' "The Stand", and from the sitcom "Just Shoot Me".

Personally, I give the show 4 out of 5 stars. Its portrayal of an angelic being is probably not for everyone. It is offbeat and for some will be considered heretical. But if you aren't dead set on angels having proper grammar, exceptionally good looks like Roma Downey, living in clouds and being all clean and bright and shiny, I would defiantly recommend watching at least a couple of episodes.




Technorati Tags: television, TNT, Saving Grace, Holly Hunter, Angels

Lessons Learned (22 July 2007)

I have two for this week...

1) When you have pain medication, don't set it in a unique place thinking it will help you remember where it is. Because when you need it at 4:45 in the morning, you don't look in a unique place for it, you look in the regular places where meds are supposed to be - you know, with the aspirin and cough syrup and places like that.

2) When scouring the internet for tips, tricks and how-tos of refinishing a wood floor, take advice with a grain of salt. Case in point: Everything I read about the sanding process exclaimed that a sanding dust storm of nigh-Biblical porportions would be kicked up. Respirators were needed, and an open window with a fan pointed out of it to act as exhaust. That had me concerned, what with plants and electronic equipment (neither of which is conducive to copious amounts of dust and other particles) all over the house, I sealed up that room tighter than that bio-weapons facility that released Captian Tripps in "The Stand." NOTHING was getting out of there. In the end, less than a pound of dust was created. Not only was I sorely dissapointed, but I pretty much wasted about four hours sealing that room!


Technorati Tags: wood floor, medication, refinish, lessons learned

Time Flies Like An Arrow [Fruit Flies Like A Banana]

Man, it seems to have been a long, long time since I put anything up here. Last Saturday we packed up and sent the boys with the scout troop to Camp Laramie Peaks in Wyoming. I wished I could go, but vacation time just wasn't available (I just changed jobs, remember?). The 5/8s and I took this opportunity to drop Little Sister off at gramma's house while we drive north, to Council Bluffs, IA. There isn't much there in Council Bluffs. For those not in the know, Council Bluffs, IA is the sister (sort of?) city of Omaha, NE. Omaha is on the Nebraska side (that is why they call it "Omaha, NE") and Council Bluffs is on the Iowa side (hence, the name...oh you get it). Sort of like Kansas City, KS and Kansas City, MO - except they don't have the same names, and their not in Kansas or Missouri.

Now, I know what your thinking. Why go to CB? We wanted to get away. We had saved some money for a trip to a casino, and the casino's in this area were just too close. If we had gone to one of them, my father would have wanted to tag along, and then we both would have grudgingly brought him along. So we went way up to CB in order to escape that fate. We've been playing a little poker here and there on PartyPoker.net. It is only play money, but you get to play with other real live people (at least that is what they say - who knows for real?). So we wanted to try out some real poker

I looked online and booked a room at the Holiday Inn right across from the Ameristar Casino. Ok, word to the wise, when you book a hotel near a casino, and pay an extra 50 clams for the privilege of not having to drive across town to gamble, make sure the casino actually has the game(s) you want to play. Ameristar in CB has no live poker tables. So we thought we'd drive over to Harrah's. Much to our surprise, Harrah's has not live poker. I'm starting to think that for some strange and befuddling reason, live poker is not legal in Iowa. I know that sounds strange, but these are Iowans after all, so you never really know what they are going to do. Luckily a nice lady at Harrah's informed us that the Horseshoe Casino does have live poker tables.

Now, here is the strange part. Harrah's has no live poker tables, but the Horseshoe, which does have live poker tables, is owned by Harrah's. Go figure. The Horseshoe was a nice casino. Big and very well lighted. The clientèle was quite a bit different from the casinos in this area. I go to pick poppy up on Fridays and every-other Saturday at the Indian casino north of town. He loves his poker, but can't drive any more due to his failing eyesight. He can still see the cards though - mostly. The people that frequent the casino (which used to be a Harrah's but has since changed to be solely owned by the Indians) are not what I would classify as the 'beautiful people'. They are definitely not the type of people you would see on that TV show "Las Vegas". They are mostly elderly (nothing wrong with that), but they are grungy and look decidedly unhappy. They are sluggish and disheveled. They look like they should be spending their money on soap, toothpaste and new clothes, rather than gambling it away. But I digress...

The atmosphere in the Horseshoe was a good one. Upbeat and happy and light. The noise of the slots was not overbearing. Things seemed to be moving along at a nominal pace instead of being hurried all the time. The setup for the poker room was nice too. We went and put our name on the list for the 3-6 limit, and they gave up a little pager which would blink and buzz when spots were available. They had like 30 tables in the poker room, only about 5 of which were being used. In the casino here, sometimes one has to wait for several hours on the list before they can get a seat. That is because there are only 4 tables in this one. And they usually have 4 different types of games going. So if there are 10 people that want to play 4-8 limit, and the table is full, that can be a long wait.

It took them about 10 minutes to buzz us, they had enough players to open a new table (which is what I figured would happen). We each took 100 simoleans to gamble with. This is money we saved for the purpose of gambling with, so it isn't like we were gambling with the milk money. All in all, we had a fun time, and overall, we lost about $40 gambling (the 5/8 lost her complete hundred, but I ended up $60 ahead).

Heartland on the 4th

The July 4th holiday went well this year. Despite the early heat, the sounding of the tornado sirens and the rain. At least I didn't have to take anyone to the emergency room this year. All the kids finished the night with all of their fingers and only one had a slight burn, but not from the fireworks.

We went again this year to a friends house. He is a hobby-smoker - that is, he smokes meat for a hobby, not...you know...other things. He has a good sized Independence Day shindig and we attended last year and had quite a bit of fun. His kids are in the same scout troop as my boys. In fact his oldest and my middle boy have been together since cub scouts.

They are great people and we always have fun there. It was a little touch and go. It was a question between traveling to Lawrence to do the 4th with the 5/8's bible thumping Phelps-ish father and her snotty sisters. But our friends in town won out (go figure). Plus, we knew there'd be beer at the party here, and...uh water in Lawrence.

As is our tradition, we waited until July 4 to obtain our fireworks. We do that because it is just too dang tempting to want to light some off before hand. And fireworks are like potato chips, in that you can't do just one. So in order to save the family savings account, we wait until the 4th to get any.

This year was even more relaxing than past years. No. 1 Son is almost 15 years old and No. 2 Son is almost 13. Together they were able to police and keep sanity over the younger kids and need only distant adult supervision. Before I had always felt the need to be right there to make sure they didn't do something stupid. But this year, I was content to sit in a chair at the curb of the park and watch them do their thing.

The other thing good about this year, is that No. 1 Son has his license, so I didn't have to worry too much about how much beer I drank! (w00t).

Having a few extra minutes after replacing an outlet took way less time that I had budgeted for (I can be sneaky that way) I found this video. The things this guy does with that laser are just way cool.

Hey, where ya' been?

I've been pretty silent the past week or so. Times, they are a changin' as they say. First change, is my job. I was contacted at home several weeks ago by a company here in Topeka. I had, for the past seven years, been making the 70 mile (one way) commute to Kansas City for gainful employment. It isn't a bad commute. Interstate 98 % of the way. The most in-town driving was from my driveway to the interstate. But several weeks ago I received a call from a person (I can't remember his name) that suggested I make contact with the HR person at the Topeka company.



Now, I said I was called at home. And this was significant. It was significant because nowhere on any resume, whether it be online or on paper, have I ever put my home phone number. I always use my cell phone. That way people can get me whenever, where ever. And I am more likely to return a voice mail left on the cell phone rather than on the answering machine. I don't know why - that's just the way I roll I guess.



So, I went and talked to them. My resume is a mess (I hate doing them, and never really figured out how to make a stunning one). And my interview skills are crap. I hate interviews too. I am not very good at them. And I told them that. They asked what I was looking for in a company, and basically I told them "Look, my resume looks like crap and I and no good at interviews. I hate looking for work. I want a place where I will be comfortable, and where I can just stay until I retire." They seemed to like that answer.



The pay is virtually a lateral transfer. But I figured out that without having to buy gas and pay turnpike fees, I'm getting something like a $3K/yr after-taxes raise. That is pretty cool. Yeah, $3K/yr, and that is with my ultra fuel sipping little Insight that gets 65+ miles per gallon on a regular basis. The car was acting up my last three days in KC (talk about synchronicity) so I borrowed mom's giant old-lady silver Mercury. She wasn't using it as she had cracked a couple of bones in her right shoulder (she is fine, don't worry about her - she is a battle ax). At any rate, I was using her car, and I kid you not, I almost died. I spent, literally, $15 a day on gas in that thing. Yes, you saw that correctly - $15 A DAY on gas. Man, I don't know how people drive those things and still afford to eat. Although, I have to admit, it was very nice being able to go from 20 mph to 70 mph in something like 4 seconds. As much as I can't afford to drive something like that daily, I sure miss that V-8 engine. VRRROOOOMMMMMM. Hey, wait a minute, my commute is not only like 12 miles. I can afford to drive something like that. Oh, not a Mercury, I'm not that old yet. But maybe a Dodge Charger. <drool>oooooo Chaaaarrrgggerrr</drool>.



At any rate, that is where I've been at this past week or so. Getting all settled in. Getting to know people. Getting things done that need to be done.



I am glad you all stopped by. Thanks for visiting.





Technorati Tags: Topeka, Kansas City, Jobs, gas mileage, Honda Insight, Mercury

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Harry's demise?

The last Harry Potter book is set to be released on 21 July of this year. Which of course got me to thinking what is in store for our intrepid "boy who lived." Many speculate (and Master of Horror Stephen King hopes) that Harry will die. I don't believe this to be the case. And my firm belief in his living comes directly from the first chapter of the first book, which is titled "They Boy Who Lived."



One cannot start a story this way, and then kill the boy who lived. That would make him the boy who died. I do foresee a dark ending though. Granted, I'm no JK Rowling, and I don't pretend to be. But if I were somehow creative enough to come up with this whole thing, this is how I would end it.



As we all know, Harry and Voldemort are linked by the fact that Voldemort could not kill Harry as a baby. However, it is my firm belief that Voldemort - being older and infinitely more evil than Harry - is stronger than Harry. And, as we have seen in book after book, this is one tough cookie to destroy. Sure, he can be killed, but his spirit or whatever, his life essence lives on to create evil another day.



So, my idea for ending this book would be for Harry to kill Voldemort, but Voldemort's life essence encompasses Harry's body, and takes control of it. Then, while Harry's life essence is trapped in his mind in a cage created by Voldemort, he uses Harry to kill Ron and Hermione.



But in the end, Harry lives on with Voldemort controlling his body.



This doesn't fully and completely end the series. That, I don't believe can happen. After all, there is the possibility that sometime in the future, give it twenty or thirty years, that Rowling will want to re-visit the wizarding world and see what is going on in that place.



And that's my 2-cents worth. Thanks for visiting





Technorati Tags: Harry Potter, JK Rowling, Voldemort

"It's only a safety problem"

I had to say something, I just had too. This just kills me. A low cost Spanish airline flying from Lisbon to Madrid had some of the seats on the plane taped off and would not allow passengers to use them.

The captain told them on the intercom: "We will not be able to use that
part of the plane because we have a safety problem with the door at the
front. Don't worry, it's only a safety problem," the newspaper reported.

Only a safety problem? Well, thank goodness it is nothing serious, like...I dunno, something that might compromise the safety of the passengers.

Lesson Learned

In this weeks lessons learned, I discovered that just because there is a gigantic, public relations conscious company, it doesn't mean they have a firm handle on the English language. For instance, north of Topeka is the Harrah's Prairie Band Casino. You know, Harrah's, from Vegas and Reno and AC. Big company right? Huge. And with all Casino's public relations is imperative. So you'd think they would have proof-readers of some sort. But at the entrance to the Casino is a sign the reads "Complimentary FREE Valet Parking."

For those who haven't yet finished the 6th grade, the word "complimentary" means...FREE. Go figure.

In another advertisement that is almost, but not quite exactly like the above example of poor English; there is a company in town called Boyle's Joyland Flea Market. I know, strange name for a flea market, but there is history in the name. Back in the day (when I was just about knee high to a grasshopper) there was an amusement park in town called Boyle's Joyland. It was no Disney, or Six Flags or even World's of Fun, but it was ours, and we could go there an drive go-karts and bumper cars and play goofy golf and ride the ferris wheel and generally have a place to hang out.

Okay, fast forward many years and Joyland had to close because insurance was too much and not enough people were hanging out there and what-not so the guy who owned it opened a flea market instead (what? that doesn't seem like a natural transition, from amusement park to flea market?).

Now that I have you either thoroughly bored or thoroughly interested, the point of this is I saw a television commercial for the flea market and at the bottom of the screen it reads (and I kid you not) "Open seven days a week and Sundays." Does that mean they are open all 8 days of the week? What about Saturdays? Sheesh.

As always, thanks for stopping by.

Nut campaign paid off (go figure)

At the end of the television season, CBS announced that it was canceling the show "Jericho". For those not in the know, Jericho is about a small town in Kansas named...Jericho. The premise is several nuclear bombs are detonated in the United States. They obliterate Denver, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas (I think), Lawrence (why?) and some other cities that basically leave theses great United States torn asunder. The show centers on the citizens of Jericho, and their reactions to the aftermath.

When last season ended, neighboring town of Newbern was waging war on the town of Jericho just as military helicopters were flying in to save the day (or help Newbern, we really don't know what they are going to do). At any rate, fans of the show started a very creative nut campaign. They were taking donations from all over the Internet, buying nuts and sending them to CBS claiming they were "nuts" for canceling Jericho.

Well, it worked. On June 6 CBS relented and posted a "we give up" message on their website. You can read it here.

My favorite is the post script in the message:

P.S. Please stop sending us nuts :)

I for one will be happy to see Jericho return. Any show that brings attention to Kansas. That portrays it in a positive light, I want to see more of. Call be crazy, but that's just the way I roll.

Thanks for stopping by.


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