2/28/08

Somebody Please Explain

Why do some people think Will Ferrell is soooo funny?

The guy definitely ISN'T funny. In fact, if that's what passes for funny nowadays, please, please, somebody go ahead & put the final nail in comedy's coffin.

Laurel & Hardy = Funny

Alan King = Funny

Richard Jeni (Rest in Peace) = Funny

Laurel & Hardy made physical comedy what it is today (or was, before uninventive jerks killed it - thank you, Andy Dick). Alan King was great at describing everyday situations with appropriate humor. Richard Jeni had a delivery like no one else. He's one of the few comedians who had me laughing hours after one of his shows.

Take a lesson all you comedy posers out there! Will Ferrell just isn't funny & neither are most of the dweebs who pretend to be comics nowadays.

Vacation

So next Monday I start my 10-day vacation in S. Carolina. I fly out at 6am & should get there about noon.

Dad's birthday is on March 5th & I've already bought his gift. He has a 1965 Pontiac GTO Post Coupe (Burgundy/Black, 467 V8, 4BBL) that's in great shape. Given all the work he's done to it, this beauty isn't really short on that classic feel. In fact, it's really missing only one thing: a working radio.

Oh sure, it probably "works" in some capacity, but that's like saying someone who votes democrat understands the real world.

Here's the plan: Dad has an old AM/FM/CD radio from another car. I'm thinking we can mount that in the trunk of the car (so as to keep the interior original - no chance I want to mess up a classic muscle car). Now, my uncle gave Dad a CD changer with remote that he can put in the trunk as well. Unfortunately, the remote has limited range & I don't think a 6-CD changer is the way to go. What, then, is the best option?

Well, I decided a decent-sized MP3 player would work best for this. The only thing is the player needed a simple interface so you wouldn't have to fumble with it while driving. Mine works well for my car but seeing as I have a 2006 Kia, we're talking a whole different game here.

Dad won't need a huge 30GB MP3 to serve his purpose - he's not going to listen to the thing outside his car anyway. I settled on a Samsung 4GB model that has FM, recording, video, etc. But the BEST feature is that it's touch screen! That's right, he just touches what he wants to play & BAM! - like Emeril Lagasse spicing up a dish - he's good to go.

I also grabbed a car kit with FM transmitter so we can hot wire the radio to the car, mount it in the trunk & then plug the transmitter into the cigarette lighter (or install an alternate to keep hidden). Then, all we need to do is fabricate a mount for the MP3 player (perfect rectangle about 1/2 inch thick) so he can use it without taking away from the classic look of the car. I'm not sure how we're going to make that last one happen but Dad's brilliant with that sort of creative solution & I'm sure we'll come up with something.

OK, as for the rest of vacation, I'm not sure what we're doing. It'll be nice to see my family again after about a year. I really do want to get moved down there but I'm not up & leaving my job without a backup plan. I have a car payment (not a big one) that I can't chance missing on even though I've got money in the bank.

Wish me a safe trip & I'll say "Hi" to the folks for y'all!

Again?!?!

Ugh! More snow today. I tell you, I'm not going to miss this stuff next week when I'm in S. Carolina.

We've had so much of the white stuff this year that the state actually ran out of salt/sand to put on the roads. If nothing else, it at least lights a fire under my butt to get out of this state.

2/20/08

Coming Soon...

I've got a post coming that's going to require a great deal of contemplation before posting.

The issue?

I want to make sure I'm fair-handed in both sides of my discussion. This is so I can glean your honest opinion based on facts.

2/19/08

Get It!

Anna Nalick has a new single out, titled "Shine".

Great song. If you have Rhaphsody, you'll want to download this one.

2/16/08

Nothing Like

Doing shots with a beautiful redhead who looks like Lindsay Lohan, sans sluttiness & drug addiction...

Yee Haw!

Just A Thought

Do you ever wonder how many people remember this simple declaration:

I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America
And to the republic for which it stands
One nation, under God
Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all

I was re-reading a book last night (non-fiction) where the author asked an openly liberal man - who claimed to be a patriot through and through - to recite the pledge and the guy simply couldn't do it.

The fact the most simple act of patriotism has fallen so far to the wayside is saddening. I have to ask how our country has been pushed so far into the crap hole of politically correct behavior. Were a country founded on principles of religious freedom; a country who the British feared at sea for sailors who fought like wild dogs; a nation whose Marines demoralized the Japanese in the WW II Pacific through the trademark Marine relentlessness.

When did so many of us become pansies?

Oh, to be sure, there are still plenty of real fighters out there - obviously the police, EMTs, firefighters & military are all fine examples of that - but have we really become so comfortable with this great liberty of ours to believe that it is not a breath away from extinction? Do we
really believe that our God-given rights are guaranteed without people to defend them? As Ronald Reagan said in 1964: "...[If] we lose this precious of freedom of ours, history will record, with the greatest astonishment, that those who stood to lose the most did the least to prevent its
happening". If you haven't seen the speech "A Time for Choosing", check it out on an earlier post.

At some point, a few of us decided "courage" should be replaced with "convenience", "morality" replaced with "me, me, me" and "love of country" substituted by "love of self". I remember a conversation in college with a particularly self-serving individual. We were discussing the draft concept. While I agreed the draft is a bad thing as a whole - I don't like the idea of a person being forced into service for one's country - I DO believe that if your country has need, there is an obligation to serve. He simply stated that he'd run to Canada. When I mentioned the (glaringly obvious) fact of someone having to go in his place, what was his reply?

"Better them than me."

Yes, this person was so self-serving of a coward that he 1) thought freedom was great, so long as he could enjoy it without having to defend it; and 2) he'd let someone take the risk of fighting while he ducked and ran to Canada - just to weasel his way back to the country later, no doubt. Keep in mind I don't agree with a draft but I do have enough sense of honor that I'd go when called. I might disagree with the cause - Heaven knows many of our men and women fighting right now may feel that same way about Iraq (BUT, they're still serving) - and I'd still go where my country needed me.

My response to Skippy McCoward was simply, "What if it was your brother?" Strangely, he didn't have an answer for that. I guess you can't see more than two feet in front of your face when you focus on only yourself. It's probably better for us that people like the one mentioned above don't know the pledge: If they don't believe in it - which is pretty obvious - we're better off knowing just how ignorant they are.

2/14/08

Unwanted Valentines

Sometimes a declaration of love just isn't what you want:
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Sharing your "love" can sometimes be bad:
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For those times when there's no better alternative:
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Nothing says "I love you" like .357 hollow-points:
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2/5/08

Ahhhh! Finally!

I got to class today!

It was an uphill battle, to be sure. The weather was terrible & my instructor, justifiably, was considering canceling. We're supposed to have upwards of 13 inches (must...resist...bad...joke!) by morning & it apparently decided to get an early start on things.

We only had three people show up - all kids - so I was able to work more on technique than would normally happen in class. The kids all behaved well & I'd say a lot was accomplished (yeah, until next time when they forget all of it!).

Considering the weather, Mr. Reif decided to ditch err on the side of caution & leave early. OK, I really don't blame him but I figure if you're at class, may as well stay. We, OK, I, had one new student show up for Hapkido & he did a great job. Heck, he's pretty much a natural at this thing & takes instruction well. Hopefully, he'll keep with it.

After class, I came home, ate something & did some push-ups, crunches & leg-lifts. Yeah, not too many but until my gym membership kicks in, they'll have to do.

True?

A colleague at work - a democrat - claims he "didn't mind" McCain as a candidate for president.

Isn't this the political equivalent of a woman saying "it's a good size"?

"The Speech"

Fond Memories

It'd sure be great to have the Gipper right about now...

2/4/08

Hapkido Angry

Hap BREAK, Hap SMASH!!!

Class was canceled AGAIN today for weather.

I swear, I am so darn angry that I said, "Screw it!" (no, not out loud) & called work to take a vacation day just so I can get to class on Wednesday.

Well, I can't take that day because we have 2 positions open in a department of 8 people & they can't afford to have me off on such short notice. Angry doesn't quite cover it. I was just starting to feel a little better (thanks _Jon & Mrs. Who!) after my last post & have since gone from in-the-dumps to in-the-red.

To top it off, there's a cute lady I met there last week & it would have been nice to talk to her again - maybe see if there's any chances, etc, assuming she's not married, of course - in addition to going to class. The first damn ray of hope I've had in over a year & it's foiled by a collection of small, crystalline objects that apparently love this *bleeping* state so much, I'm requesting they change the welcome sign from "Welcome to Iowa - Is This Heaven?" to the more appropriate:

"Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter.
Snows 'til May, Starts In November"

It's gone beyond frusrating since I only have the 2 days a week to go to class & something completely uncontrollable is keeping me away from it. When I try to take control, that's not an option, either. I swear, I would freaking vote Democrat if it would mean global warming came true & promised there would be no more of this incessant, annoying, disruptive falling of cold, white crap.

My other form of taking charge - joining a gym - is still in the "paperwork" phase that apparently involves a background check to a similar degree the military performed when I joined as an intelligence analyst - minus the "turn & cough" section. Sure, I get to work when it's done but in the meantime, ironically, all I want to do is use my skills to turn live terrorists into dead terrorists so as to aleve my frustrations at not being able to get exercise.

Yes, I'm trying to use humor to get through this bad phase. It's just so darn difficult. I suppose this is just stacked on top of wanting to move to SC but also wanting stay (just for the friends in HKD/TKD) because we have a great group of people here. If I move, I have to start from scratch.

By that, I mean starting my own school, getting my own students, insurance, facility, etc, etc, etc. I'll be 2nd degree - at best - when that happens & while 2nd degrees in HKD are about as easy to find as liberals with a conscience, it doesn't make me feel any more qualified to run out there & start my own school - even with my instructor's support (which he has generously offered).

Oh well, I've ranted long enough. Maybe this helps a bit but I certainly still feel trapped in a situation & there's nothing I can think of to do about it.

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