SCREGMAN SAYS...

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH...

2007-04-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

I haven't forgotten about Thor's request to continue my "Tour of Italy 2006" series. I shall return to it soon enough. But for now... Does anybody out there collect money...? Let me be more specific. Over the years, I've collected the following kinds of money:

* The two-dollar bill. I've got quite a few of these and everytime one of them crosses my path, I add it to my collection. [I can't help but recall a comedian saying he'd collected the two-dollar bill years ago. "And you know how much each is worth now?" he asked. "Twooooooooooooooooooo dollars..."]

* The Susan B. Anthony dollar coin. If I'm not mistaken, it's the same size as the quarter, so there was some confusion there.

* 50 cent coins.

* The Sacagawea dollar coin.

* Independence quarters. Or is the correct name "Bicentennial" quarters. The ones that have 1776-1976 on the front and a guy with a drum on the back.

* Any coin dated 1969 or before. 1969 isn't totally arbitrary (or maybe it is). It happens to be the year I was born. So, when my spare change starts growing, I spread it all out and look for coins dated 1969 or before. I've got a few pennies from the 1930's & 1940's.

I don't know how much I've accumulated, but I've been doing this for years. I suppose I could do some serious research with some of my older coins. Dare I hope that the two-dollar bill will be worth more than $2.00? What are the chances of one of my older pennies being worth hundreds of dollars? And what about the more current stuff? Should I hold on to everything in the hopes that it'll all be worth something more in the future?

- OOOOOOOORRRRRRRR -

Should I just deposit everything and let it earn interest and hope that I'm not screwing myself (with my pants on) by parting with something that might be worth a lot more in the future?

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I know there is a class of people out there who stuff their mattresses with money because they don't trust the banking system. Or maybe they've got gold bars, just in case the U.S. dollar plummets.

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If you see a penny on the ground, will you pick it up? How about a nickel? A dime? A quarter?

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Do you neatly fold your money into your wallet/purse/pocket after a cash transaction? Or do you just crumple everything together and sift through it all later, separating the cash from the half-used tissue paper and receipt(s) and pocket lint?

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If you're paying in cash (e.g. for fast food), would you take the time to give exact change? Or do you just give the cashier the traditional $20.00 and then dump your change in your pocket/purse?

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I once won 1,000 nickels in Las Vegas.

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Is there anybody out there who deals more in plastic rather than hard currency? [I transact mostly with plastic myself, but I still carry some cash at all times.]

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Don't forget to put two obolus on my eyes when I'm gone so I can pay Charon...

CHAIN OF EVENTS...

2007-02-23T16:46:00.000-08:00

The current piece of music I keep repeating in my car and in my portable player is "Pompeii" by E.S. Posthumus, off their album "Unearthed". [I'm too lazy to put any links, but if you do a search, I'm sure you can find a sample of their work.]

It got me thinking how I actually found E.S. Posthumus...

Of course, I could start on the day I was born and trace significant events up to the point I first heard "Pompeii"... Or maybe I could start when my parents first met...

NOT!

So I'll start with A-ha. A-ha [for those of you who don't know] was one of those "one-hit-wonders" from the 80's. In my opinion, it was their video for "Take On Me" that made them a hit. I just love that video. [I would love to get my hands on a clear DVD version of that video.] So one day, I did a Google search for the video. My search led me to youtube.com. Now, you can call me a caveman if you want. I always knew youtube.com existed, but I didn't really know what it was all about. After browsing this site for the past few days, I've seen some really cool, kick-ass things, and other things that lead me to believe that there are tons and tons and tons of people out there with waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much time on their hands. Needless to say, I did find the video for "Take On Me", and have been enjoying it whenever the urge hits me.

A few days ago, I did a search for "Shaolin Soccer" on youtube. I own the DVD, but hadn't seen it in awhile. I wanted to see if anyone had uploaded the soccer scenes. And, of course, many people had. [Nothing is too trivial for the Net.] I clicked on one, and was very pleasantly surprised when I realized the sound had been replaced by what I found to be a really kick-ass piece of music. I was totally blown away. Luckily, in the comment section, someone had already asked about the music. The response: E.S. Postuhumus-Pompeii.

I immediately did a search on Google and determined that E.S. Posthumus was the name of the group, and Pompeii was the name of the piece. I then went to my SonyConnect account and searched for it. Oh the joy. They had the track. I listened to the samples of the other tracks on the album and decided to get the whole thing. It's one of the best albums I've heard in awhile. Some might call it a mix between rock & classical. I don't know... I just like the way their stuff sounds.

I've run across some really good "home-made" videos on youtube that use Pompeii, ranging from spliced together clips of the lightsabre duels from the final Star Wars movie to Asajj Ventress vs. Anakin Skywalker to the new Battlestar Galactica to Final Fantasy.

From a video by A-ha to youtube.com to Shaolin Soccer to Pompeii by E.S. Posthumus.

What will be the next link...?

JUST MUSING...

2007-01-18T14:35:00.000-08:00

Greetings faithful readers...

The first blog of the New Year, albeit, I don't consider this year really "new" anymore. When does the New Year cease to be the "new" year? After one week? After two? Something to pontificate about later...

I thought about the old year and the new year and how I wanted to do a summary of 2006, etc, etc... BLAH!!!

New Year's resolutions? BLAH!!!

Sooooooo... Instead of looking into the future, let me touch upon all the grandiose plans I had over the holidays.

My vacation was from Dec. 23, 2006 thru Jan 1, 2007. That's 10 days, that's 240 hrs, that's 14,400 minutes. Of course, with any vacation, [even a three day weekend], I find myself making plans to get things done (eg get rid of clothes I'll never wear again, go thru old boxes, in other words, the never ending battle to truly get organized).

HotFudge and I hosted New Year's, so we did accomplish getting our home cleaned up. [Nothing like a gathering to give one's idle body that extra push to get things done.]

But what did I fail at? During Spain 2005 and Italy 2006, HotFudge and I had exchanged contact info with some of the other travellers we'd met during our trips. I'd wanted to e-mail these people... just to give them a quick greeting. This I failed at. How sad is that? This isn't snail mail. This isn't the "old days" where I'd have to handwrite a letter, fold that letter into an envelope, and mail it. This is typing and pressing "send" from the comfort of my own home (or office). My failure is particularly irksome because one of the couples from the Italy trip are seniors. They are wonderful people who really made an impression on HotFudge and me. [Hopefully I will introduce them to you via my blogging about Italy in the near future.] Another person was kind enough to send a DVD of one of our dinners where I was an unwilling participant. I received the DVD months ago, but have yet to send her a "thank-you".

-SIGH-

And now January 2007 is ALREADY half over.

The Spring 2007 semester is just around the corner.

November 22, 2006 was my 100th capoeira lesson. I went thru my 122nd lesson as of last night (Wed. Jan. 17, 2007). [I'm such a geek for keeping track...]

I'm still a die-hard minidisc fan, but look forward to watching the progress of flash memory...

I don't think HotFudge or I will ever do dinner theatre again... HORRIBLE... ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE...

I wonder what's worse, the stench of decaying bodies, burning hair, the bowel movement following the consumption of a carne asada burrito AND chili-cheese fries AND rolled tacos AND a pint of Crisco Oil, or limburger cheese...

I really like lycra...

Acai (pronounced "AHH-SIGH-EE") is da bomb. [One day HotFudge was at Trader Joe's looking for some acai. One of the workers told her it's pronounced "AH-KAI". HotFudge chose not to correct her.]

Until next time...

Love, peace, and lumpia grease...

THE TROUBLE WITH BB

2006-12-08T13:01:00.000-08:00

Lunch should be a pleasurable experience. A time to feed the body, to relax, to reflect, to nap, to get away from the office...

HotFudge and I have a co-worker. I shall call it BB. More than a few months ago (or has it been at least one year? Perhaps HotFudge remembers that fateful day...) BB was eating its lunch. HotFudge was preparing to sit at a separate table when BB waved her over... And that's when it all started...

Eating with BB wasn't bad. We'd chat, laugh, talk smack about other offices around campus, etc. Now, months down the line, it seems we've become BB's lunch partners. Of course, we're not the only ones. Others have also eaten with BB. But it seems we are now "expected" [dare I say "required"] to eat with BB.

I used to look forward to lunch. Now, my gut reaction is to curse when I'm approaching the lounge and I see HotFudge sitting with BB. Mind you, this isn't every single day. There are times when BB isn't there. But whenever BB is there, we end up eating with it. HotFudge and Ronin have grown tired of BB. Tired, I tell you. Without a doubt, lunch has become a dreaded event. BB is not an evil person, but we have grown weary of its company. It loves to talk about all the food it "knows" how to prepare, yet it always buys its lunch. [We always ask ourselves: "If BB's such a great cook, why doesn't it bring its lunch instead of always buying?"] HotFudge and I have been "wowed" by all its stories about how it cussed this person out or that person out. This past week, it told us about all these different medicines and drugs it mixed together in order to battle its cold. BB's in "the know".

Of course, I can eat lunch with HotFudge everyday. I have no problem with that because HotFudge is the one I'm going to grow old with. But the dynamic changes when we join BB. HotFudge and I can't talk about certain things. We feel obligated to keep the conversation going. Lately, I don't have much to say.

HotFudge recently succeeded in a daring break-away by sitting at another table. When BB tried to wave HotFudge over, HotFudge said she was sick and didn't want to spread it. [This isn't a lie. Poor HotFudge has been battling a cold/cough for a few weeks now.] So we had lunch without BB. BB already had two people sitting with it. But it still said from across the room: "I want you (HotFudge and Ronin) to know that we feel alienated over here." BB felt alienated even though it already had two people sitting with it? OH, PUH-LEEEEEEEEEZ...

THE CLENCHER
Ronin's office phone rang. The little screen on the phone said: "FACULTY DINING RM". Ronin picked up the phone. HotFudge's voice: "I'm in the student section".

So Ronin heated up his food and headed for the lounge. When he got there, what did he see? HotFudge sitting with BB.

"CON SARNIT!!!" Ronin thought. She (HotFudge) said she was in the student section. So how the hell did she end up with BB?

This is how: HotFudge couldn't find her cel phone to call me, so she went to the faculty section to use the phone. BB was already there and asked if we were going to be anti-social (again). The faculty area was prepped for some kind of event so HotFudge's response was: "I wasn't sure if we could sit in here." Being the good natured person that she is, though, HotFudge went back to the student area, gathered her things, and joined BB.

CON SARNIT!!!

What is it with people who can't do things by themselves? I know people who can't go shopping alone, who can't go to the doctor or dentist alone. Besides BB, I know of others who can't eat alone. Perhaps these people can't shit alone either. I understand that no man (or woman) is an island, but come on.

And now HotFudge and Ronin seem bound to be BB's lunch partners... forever...? If we start sitting away from BB, we run the risk of "offending" it, of being labelled "anti-social", perhaps even "stuck-up". "We're too good to eat with BB..."

This is utter bull. And using a term like "anti-social" to guilt us into joining BB is rude, childish, selfish, and immature, not to mention stupid. [Ronin despises people who use "guilt" tactics.]

And now it feels like the only solution is to completely avoid the lounge area just to avoid BB. How sad is that? Why should HotFudge and I change our eating habits just to avoid this one person. Utterly absurd.

Can't BB understand that, as a couple, we might want to be alone sometimes? Will it die just because it has to eat alone? And even if HotFudge weren't there, Ronin wouldn't want to eat with BB. I'd rather eat my lunch alone and doze for awhile than eat with BB. I'd rather have a root canal than eat with BB. I'd rather have a rectal... hmmmmmmmm...

MR. TELEPHONE MAN...

2006-11-07T16:22:00.000-08:00

Today, November 7, 2006, is some kind of election day. Did I vote? Yes... by mail-in ballot. Does my vote count? I'd like to think so. Perhaps on the order of .00000000000000000000315%. [Think about the size of a gnat, and compare it to the size of... say... the continent of Asia.] So, is it twisted logic to say that the less people who turn out to vote, the more my vote will count? Or more accurately, the less people who vote the opposite of what I vote, and the more people who vote along with me will help my vote count more...?

-BLAH-

Yesterday, I called in sick because I'd gotten a bad cold over the weekend and wanted one more day to rest. Did I get any? NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO........

I don't know what it is about this particular election, but HotFudge and I have been buried with tons of literature (received thru the mail AND e-mail) AND tons of phone calls regarding candidates and propositions. As a result, my day of rest was turned into a day of interruptions by the phone. Now, one of the "jokes" about a ringing phone is that a lot of people feel they need to drop everything and run to the phone. [Perhaps we're moving away from that behavior. I really don't know.] More often than not, what I do is drop everything and run to the phone to "screen" the call. [Gives me a feeling of power, y'know? Just hovering over the phone, listening to the message, and ultimately deciding whether or not to answer the call.] Sometimes the caller will leave a message, sometimes nothing.

But this past weekend and yesterday were horrible. I got tons of recordings embellishing and/or downgrading one candidate or another, or talking for or against certain propositions. Mind you, this wasn't 5 or 6 calls throughout the day. It was 3-4 calls PER HOUR. Needless to say, I did NOT get any rest because the FRIGGIN' phone kept ringing. Now, some might have just taken the phone off the hook or pulled the plug. I've never liked that idea because... what if a true emergency were to occur?

Monday night, the last politically related call came at 8:45 PM. 8:45PM!!!! GEEEEEZ!!!!

And this morning, the first politically related call came at 6:30 AM. 6:30 AM!!!!! GEEEEEEEEEZUUUUS!!!!

-OR-

I could've seen my sick-day as an opportunity to really learn more about the issues and the candidates and the propositions. I could've spoken to the volunteers. I could've read more. I could've debated. I coulda... shoulda... woulda...? NAH!! NYET!! NON!! NO!! HINDI!! NEIN!!

The literature in the mail (and e-mail), I really didn't mind. At least the mail can't cut into my sleep or my rest. But do these people really have to call? I mean... DO THEY REALLY HAVE TO CALL?

What was it about this particular election? Did they get more money to pay more people to participate at phone banks? I can't remember ever being so bombarded by politics...

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Mr. Telephone Man... There's somethin' wrong with my line...

"I just called to say 'I love you'"

"Call me!!"

"Calling all cars... Calling all cars..."

"ate... siks... seben... pive... tree... -OH-... n-aaaah-eeeee-aaaaa-ine..."

26 SECONDS...

2006-10-25T15:41:00.000-07:00

6:23PM, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2006

-RING- -RING- -RING-

Ronin unclipped his cel phone from its holder, flipped it open and looked at the information for the incoming call. He didn't recognize the phone number, but decided to answer it. He pressed the 'SEND" button and brought the phone to his ear.

RONIN: Hello?

INCOMING CALLER: Hello?

RONIN: Hello?

INCOMING CALL: Hello?

RONIN: Helloooooo?

INCOMING (Starting to sound aggressive): Who's this?

RONIN (Composed): Who's this?

INCOMING (Even more aggressive): Who the F--K is this?!

RONIN (Still composed): I think you've got the wrong number. Who were you trying to call?

INCOMING (By now, really aggressive): I was trying to call my girlfriend, FOOL!!

RONIN (Extremely composed): I think you've got the wrong number. What number did you dial?

INCOMING (Trying to sound like a bad ass gangsta type): I dialed THIS number, FOOL!! WHO THE F--K IS THIS?!

RONIN (Extremely unimpressed and no longer amused): Yeah, you've got the wrong number...

Ronin closed the flap on his phone to end the call.

The call lasted 26 seconds according to cel phone record. 26 seconds of my life that I can never get back because of a sorry excuse for a human being. I don't mind wasting my own time, but I can't stand my time being wasted by other people, especially pathetic bullies. 26 seconds down the drain...

By the tone of his voice, I wouldn't be surprised if he beats his girlfriend, is a rapist, or a child molester.

Funny thing... Whatever phone this punkass was calling from, the number wasn't protected. In fact, this is it: 818-653-2051. Can anyone tell me the area code? If it were a local number, I would delight in calling and tormenting this cowardly SOB. I say cowardly because it's so easy to be "brave and fierce" over the phone. [HMMMMMM..... Did I just say I'D call and torment HIM? Guess that makes me a coward, too.]

Did I get angry? Not really. It was more like 'The nerve of this monkey-ass loser...'

Forgiving and forgetting does not come easy to Ronin. [If you believe in God, forgiving is God's job, not mine.] Wishing hateful shit comes much easier. So, to the person who called me:

For taking away 26 seconds of my life... I WISH GANG-RAPE ON YOU, ASSHOLE... I WISH CANCER ON YOU... I WISH AIDS ON YOU...

Too harsh? Not in Ronin's world. In Ronin's world, not ALL life is sacred. Ronin believes there are monsters disguised as humans.

Ronin believes this caller was one such monster...

JELLIED MOOSE NOSE

2006-09-30T00:31:00.000-07:00

"Filler". This is what this blog is. This is something that Lotus suggested to me some months ago when I had not blogged in awhile. "You need filler," she told me. I've considered this for some time now. Although I do like to pontificate and write my own rants and raves and topics, sometimes they are far and in between. So in between time and in the meantime, what better way to fill the void than with even more trivial trivia.

So, since Ronin's Rectal is beginning to get "creepy" for Lotus, let this particular (lazy) blog serve as "filler". As for Ronin displaying his rack on the net for all to see, let's wait a few years for the sagging to kick in. Let's wait and see if Ronin's chest starts looking like breasts. [Or do they already?]

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In 1967, the Canadian government published a collection of backwoods recipes from native and non-native peoples in the nation's far north. It's now out-of-print, but here are a few highlights. And if ever you find a copy of The Northern Cookbook, grab it - it's a classic.

MUSKRAT TAILS - Cut off the tails and dip them into very hot water. Pull off the fur. Either cook them on top of the stove, turning them after a few minutes, or boil them. (This is the same method as for beaver tails. Both are very sticky to eat.)

STUFFED MUSKRAT - Clean the rats well and put them in a roaster with bread stuffing on top. Roast until the muskrats are soft.

BOILED PORCUPINE - Make a fire outside and put the porcupine in it to burn off the quills. Wash and clean well. Cut up and boil until done.

GRIZZLY BEAR STEAKS - Cut up meat as for frying and fry in deep grease in frying pan.

BEAR FAT PASTRY - 1-1/2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/3 cup bear fat (from a little black bear that was eating berries). Makes rich white pastry.

MUKTUK (meat inside skin and fat of a whale) - After taken from whale leave 2 days hanging up to dry. Cut into 6" x 6" pieces. Cook until tender. Keep in a cool place in a 45-gallon drum of oil, in order to have muktuk all year.

OVEN-ROASTED LYNX - Wash and clean the hind legs of the lynx and roast it with lard and a little water.

BOILED LYNX - Cut up the lynx and boil it until it is soft and well cooked. Good to eat with muktuk.

STEAMED MUSKRAT LEGS - Cut off the muskrat's legs, dip in a bowl of flour with salt, pepper, and other strong seasoning. Put grease into a large frying pan. Put in the muskrat legs. Cover and cook for a long time as they take long to become tender. The strong seasoning takes away the actual taste of the muskrat.

BOILED REINDEER HEAD - Skin and wash the head well. Then chop it in quarters, splitting it between the eyes with an axe. Cover with cold water and boil until soft. One can also roast in an open pan in an oven very slowly.

BOILED REINDEER OR CARIBOU HOOFS - Put hoofs (skin still on them) in a large pot. Cover and boil for a couple of hours. The skin will peel off easily. The muscles are soft and very good to eat. The toe nails also have some soft sweet meat inside them.

BOILED SMOKED BEAVER - Smoke the beaver for a day or so. Cut up the meat and boil it with salted water until done.

FROZEN FISH EGGS - Take fish eggs out and freeze them. They are good to eat like this.

BOILED BONE GREASE - Boil whatever bones are left after all the meat has been cut off. Boil them all in a big pot for two hours. Then let the grease get cold in the pot. It is easy to pick the grease off. Keep the grease to eat with dry meat or add to pounded meat.

BOILED REINDEER TONGUES - Boil tongues until thoroughly cooked. Potatoes and vegetables are good with this.

DRY FISH PUDDING - Pound up 5 to 6 dry fish. Throw away skin. Add sugar, a little grease, and cranberries.

JELLIED MOOSE NOSE - Cut the upper jaw bone of the moose just below the eyes. Boil in a large kettle for 45 minutes. Remove and chill. Pull out all the hairs (like plucking a duck) and wash until none remain. Place nose in a kettle and cover with fresh water. Add onion, garlic, spices, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until meat is tender. Let cool overnight. When cool, discard the bones a cartilage. You will have white meat from the bulb of the nose and dark meat from the bones and jowls. Slice thinly and alternate layers of white and dark meat in a loaf pan. Let cool until jelly has set. Slice and serve cold.

BAKED SKUNK - Clean, skin, wash. Bake in oven with salt and pepper. Tastes like rabbit (no smell).
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SOURCE: Uncle John's Slightly Irregular Bathroom Reader by the Bathroom Reader's Institute. [From the section titled "Jellied Moose Nose", pp. 296-297]. ISBN: 1-59223-270-1

I really wish they had colored pictures of this stuff. The stuffed muskrat actually sounds pretty good...

RONIN'S RECTAL - THE PHYSICAL: PART II

2006-09-18T17:27:00.000-07:00

WARNING: DUE TO THE GRAPHIC NATURE OF THIS BLOG...YADA YADA YADA... BLAH BLAH BLAH... [Look at the title. Need I say more?]

On Wednesday, August 23, 2006, sometime between 8:00am - 8:30am, the ScregMan went thru his first rectal...

Anti-climatic, isn't it? No build-up, no foreplay, no beating around the bush, no dancing around the fire. Let's just cut right to the chase. But I look at this way. If you women out there can go through various examinations of your privates with your legs wide open (brazillian waxes included), then I suppose 10-15 seconds of utter discomfort can be endured by the male, especially when health is involved.

You want details? I really can't describe it. I'm at a loss for words. Needless to say it was an odd and unpleasant sensation. I don't think I was breathing. I think I was trembling slightly. What position was I in? HotFudge thought I'd be lying on my side. I thought I'd be bent over the exam bed, supported by my elbows, with my head up. Not quite. Yes, I was bent over, but I was instructed to put my forehead on the bed and spread my bum with my hands. [I'm sure there are various variations of the rectal examination out there.] How degrading. How humiliating.

Was the doctor man or woman? The doctor was a she. Did that make a difference with the embarrassment factor? Did it make the experience more "bearable"? I really don't know. But if I had to answer, perhaps the answer would be a very, very, very, very reluctant "yyyyyeeeeeeessssss". Looking at the situation from a purely logical standpoint, I'd have to ask: "If I MUST have a rectal, do I want a man's finger up my bum?" The answer is a definite "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" So what's left? A female doctor.

I admitted it was my first rectal. She assured me that it takes only about 10 seconds [10 looooooooooong seconds]. She told me she would use a lubricant. She told me what she would do: check the 'ole prostrate, etc., etc. When it was over, she non-chalantly pointed to some napkins and said: "There're some napkins you can use to clean yourself up with."
I think I was panting ever so slightly. Did I mention I don't remember breathing during the "procedure"? And even though I knew my bowels were clean and empty, I had the slightest urge to take a dump.

It seems that feeling of being "violated" stayed with me for a couple of days before slowly subsiding.

If you're still with me, everything else seems fine except for the cholesterol. I have to give up the chicken skin and pork fat. My choice, right? I can listen to the doctor, or I can look forward to going on some pills when I'm about 50. The doctor also recommended some food workshops I could go to. A few days later, Mulysa explained the situation best to me when she placed both her hands approximately four feet apart on a table, her left hand symbolizing the beginning of my life, her right symbolizing the end of my life. Then she said: "It's all a matter of... Do you want your health to start declining here (she motioned more or less towards the center) or here (she motioned more towards the right, towards the end of my life)."

Part 2 of my physical was almost one month ago, and I must say I'm an utter failure in terms of my diet. I remember peeling the skin off some chicken during lunch one day and giving the skin to HotFudge. [HotFudge's cholesterol is excellent. Of course I was moaning and groaning and feeling a sense of loss.] But, I'm already back to my old ways. Will I give up chicken skin? Probably not. Pork fat. Maybe. I fall back on the old argument of: There are people starving out there... how dare I throw away some perfectly good chicken skin. Perhaps it's just going to be a really slow process for me. I am willing to give up french fries. Twice I've been to McDonald's, and only ordered a burger, no fries. Haven't had fried chicken in awhile either. I still can't stand the chicken breast. But I have been eating more oatmeal and more cholesterol reducing cereal.

Oh yeah, the doctor expected my lung capacity to be better than the tests showed since I'm into martial arts. Hmmmmmmmm... I wonder if the fact that I had almost no physical activity during 2005 makes a difference...

HotFudge had been on my ass for the longest time for me to get a physical, and I finally did it. I'm glad I'm in fairly decent shape, given that my life is approximately half over. It's kind of morbid to think in those terms, but it is true.

And so dear reader, whether you're into bacon or biking, chicken breasts or chips, processed or organic, I'd say getting a physical is a good thing. Find out where you stand. Funny thing, though. I kind of already knew what would be "wrong" with me. Perhaps all of us already kind of know what we need to work on. As Mulysa pointed out to me: "Do you want to spend the last 5 years of your life in bed, or the last 1-2?

Personally, I'm gunning for zero...

KIM... I WISH I'D KNOWN HER...

2006-09-18T16:20:00.000-07:00

It's been just over 2 weeks since I paid my respects and condolences...

To Kim's family and friends, all I can offer is this:

----------------------------------------------------

I knew Kim as the younger sister of a good friend. And that's it...

Sure... I caught glimpses of her thru the years, and heard snipets of her travels abroad, but that was the extent of my knowledge. It's only after her passing that I found out what an amazing woman she'd grown up to be.

Kim joined the Peace Corps. I wish I'd known her...

I saw pictures of her in a foreign country, in foreign clothes, with foreign friends. I wish I'd known her...

I heard a story about Kim jumping into the middle of some breakdancers. I wish I'd known her...

I heard about her taking a bus trip just to see what's out there. I wish I'd known her...

Through her pictures, her friends, and her family, I got just a glimpse of this wonderful and giving person.

Up until two weeks ago, I had no idea how accomplished Kim was. I wish I did...

I wish I'd known her....

LET'S GET PHYSICAL [PART THE FIRST]

2006-08-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

I had the first part of my physical on Tuesday, August 1, 2006. For some reason, I thought it would involve the undressing, the poking, the prodding, perhaps a little ball grabbing and quite possibly some anal penetration [EEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWW!!!] BUT, I guess a little discomfort is necessary. Obviously, I'd want to know if there's something festering... growing... in my insides that shouldn't be there.

Before my appointment, I had received a questionnaire in the mail that inquired about my eating habits, drinking habits, smoking habits, family medical history, etc. I completed the forms and submitted them when I checked in.

They took my height and weight. They drew blood. They had me blow 3x into a contraption that measured my lung capacity. They had me read an eye chart. It was all really quick.

Then I received a confidential letter in the mail with their findings...

Would you believe I'm overweight? The following is verbatim from the letter: You are 64 inches (5 feet 4 inches) tall. A healthy weight range for this height is 124 - 143 pounds. At 149 pounds, you are above the healthy weight range for your height. Even being mildy overweight increases the likelihood of developing other risk factors, especially high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Permanent weight loss will result from combining increased physical activity (long distance walking is excellent) with behavior changes in terms of food selection and preparation. This is different from "going on a diet".

The fact that I've never smoked was a plus.

The Vital Capacity (how much air my lungs can hold) and FEV1 (how fast I can move it) were lower than normal. In essence, my lungs are one year older than they should be. If I could get my VC to normal, I could improve my Health Age by 1.0 years. Hrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmm... This may also explain why my stamina sucks when I'm in capoeira. I'll bet when I was a runner, my lungs were much better.

My blood pressure is better than average: 115 systolic; 72 diastolic (115/72).

Resting pulse rate was 60 heartbeats per minute, which is desirable.

Total blood cholesterol level is 247mg, which is elevated. Damn... I hate the idea of giving up chicken skin, of giving up bacon, of giving up pork fat, of having to eat white meat instead of dark meat...

Blood sugar level is 89 mg, which is normal.

Overall, the letter stated: Your Health Age is that of a healthy, low risk 36 year old man. Good though this is, there is still further benefit you can obtain. You could improve your Health Age to 34 years old.

Now, when I first made the decision to have a full physical, I thought I'd change my eating habits and exercise habits about a month or two before the first appointment; just to try to get better scores. But then, I also wanted an honest assessment of my health... So I decided not to alter anything. I'll make any necessary changes after my follow-up.

My second appointment, the big appointment, is Wed, August 23.

WHITE RICE RULES!!! BROWN RICE... ARRRRRRRRRGH!!

ITALY 2006... THE ZANSHIN DIRECTIVE

2006-07-19T17:09:00.000-07:00

I like to think that 90%-95% of the time, things will go as planned. [I'm talking about the day to day things, not looking at one's life as a whole.] I intend to go to work for the rest of this week during my regular schedule, and I will most likely achieve this goal. I will most likely do some grocery shopping this weekend (as I do most every weekend). But then, there's the 5%-10% where things don't go as planned... where we're diverted by exterior forces that compel us to change our plans...

The first time I heard the term "zanshin" was in karate. Basically, it means an awareness of your opponent and/or surroundings. (The literal translation is "remaining mind".) Am I in a state of "zanshin" 24 hours a day? Of course not. At work and at home, I'm not in a heightened state of alertness. However, walking to my car, on the road, in a mall, and in unfamiliar places, I try to at least be aware of what's going on around me...
_________________________________________

TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2006: ARRIVAL IN ITALY

When HotFudge and I arrived in the DaVinci airport in Italy, we were tired and anxious to get to our hotel. We got our luggage and made our way to the exit. Immediately, we were bombarded with various cabbies wanting to give us a ride. Mind you, even though I had been listening to some language lessons, I didn't understand shit. In Spain, I had an easier time communicating, but Italy was much harder.

ZANSHIN...

A shuttle was suppose to take us from the airport to our hotel. It was just a matter of finding out where that shuttle-stop was. We exited and found ourselves amid more chaos. Tons of taxis and shuttles and people coming and going. Anybody we'd show our paperwork and destination to would've been glad to take us to our hotel... for a fee. We declined because it was suppose to be a free service. We eventually ran across a gentleman in plain clothes who looked at our paperwork. He spoke no English, but was able to convey that we were too late; the last shuttle had already passed.

ZANSHIN...

With luggage in tow, we crossed the street and got away from all the hustle and bustle. The last gentleman we'd had contact with kind of followed us, but kept his distance. Now, one of the RULES I had set down was that HotFudge and I NEVER, NEVER separate. Further, we always watch each others' backs. Well... we immediately broke the separation rule. I stayed outside, across the street, with the luggage, while HotFudge disappeared back into the airport to try to get some clarification on the shuttle service.

A little farther away from where I was standing were some shuttle ports. Upon investigation, I found the spot where our shuttle would be. Unfortunately, the sign confirmed what the gentleman standing at a distance had already told us: the last shuttle passed at 1:00pm. It was already 1:45pm.

ZANSHIN...

HotFudge returned after a while with the same news. I pointed to the sign. The big question, then: What do we do? The guy standing at a distance LOOKED okay. He APPEARED harmless. After some discussion, we waved him to us. His car was a regular car, not a cab, and since he was dressed in plain clothes, this made Ronin that much more suspicious. I suppose in situations like this, you just have to have a little faith...

ZANSHIN...

I believe the reason we went with him was because his fee was slightly cheaper than the cabbies. We loaded our baggage into his trunk and climbed into the backseat.

ZANSHIN...

When we first crossed paths, Ronin had sized up this gentleman and decided he could take him down as long as Ronin saw anything that might be coming. But... what if he were to turn off the main road onto a dirt road? What if three or four other guys were waiting for us? As silly as this may sound, these were the things that were going thru Ronin's mind. Ronin has no idea how many people he could take on. Sure, he's been tested in controlled environments, but the street is a totally different dynamic. And the idea that a human being can "disappear" forever without a trace scares the shit out of Ronin. The fact that human trafficking and slavery even exist makes Ronin's stomach turn. One of the more horrid qualities about the human race is its ability to be utterly inhuman to one another. There IS a certain amount of fear involved when you're in a foreign country and cannot speak or understand the language. There are things out there far worse than death...

ZANSHIN...

Well... Everything went fine. We took in the scenery and marvelled at all the small cars. Eventually, we saw our hotel, and Ronin relaxed. I think it cost us 40-60 Euro. (I'll consult my Moleskine and get the exact amount.) Regardless of the cost, Ronin and HotFudge were grateful for his service. We guessed he was just trying to earn a few extra Euro.

And this was HotFudge's and Ronin's first hotel in Italy...

Of course we were on vacation. Of course, we were in Italy to have a good time. Still, in Ronin's mind, there's always that small chance where something may go utterly wrong. That's why...

ZANSHIN...

EAR - RIGATION

2006-07-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

[Let's take another break from our Italy trip, dear reader...]

A little over a week ago, I went to bed just fine. When I woke up, the hearing in my left ear seemed muffled. Kind of like that feeling when you're in a plane and the air pressure in your ear hasn't equalized with the cabin pressure. Over the course of the day, it cleared up, so I thought nothing of it. But it grew steadily worse. I'd go to bed at night, and by morning, my left ear would again have that muffled/plugged feeling. And, throughout the day, that muffled feeling would stay with me longer. Plugging my nose and blowing wasn't helping. Was I starting to lose my hearing?

So, Monday morning, I made an appointment to see a doctor after I got off from work. Of course, the doctor first asked me what was wrong. I told him my concerns. He looked in my left, then in my right ear and immediately knew the problem. There was a wax build-up in my left ear.

He took me to a nurses' station. The nurse looked at my paperwork and said she was going to irrigate my ear. She took me to a room and put some liquid into my ear. Actually, I think it was a mixture of some sort. (It smelled like it might have iodine or vinegar.) Then she fixed a cotton ball into my ear to hold the liquid in and told me she'd have me wait in the waiting room for about half an hour.

Now, did I feel ridiculous going back to the waiting room with a cotton ball sticking out of my ear? Yes I did. I consciously and intentionally chose a seat close to the door where the least amount of people were likely to see the cottonball sticking out of my ear. I occupied myself for the next half hour writing in my Moleskine.

A little over half an hour later, the irrigation began. The nurse told me she was going to squirt a mixture of warm water and hydrogen peroxide into my ear. She asked that I hold a curved, miniature basin up to my ear during the process.

I am at a loss for words on how to describe the feeling. It didn't hurt. It didn't feel bad, yet the sensation of a warm liquid being squirted into my ear is not a sensation I'd go looking for, either. It felt "uncomfortable" going in, but wonderful coming out. Without a doubt, however, when the process was over, my left ear felt brand new. I looked into the little basin that had been used to catch the liquid and noticed 3-4 lumps of wax mixed in. One big chunk and a few smaller ones. -YUCK-

I asked the nurse if there was anything I could do to prevent or minimize this from happening again. She gave me a piece of paper with some tips that I will now share with you...

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EARWAX
Earwax is a protective secretion similar to mucus or tears, that filters dust and keeps the ear clean. Normally earwax is liquid, self-drainig, and does not cause problems. Occasionally, the wax will build up, harden, and cause some hearing loss. Poking at wax with cotton swabs, fingers or other objects will only further compact the wax against the eardrum. You can handle most earwax problems by avoiding cotton swabs and following the treatment tips below.

EAR CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS
Use mineral or olive oil mixed half-and-half with hydrogen peroxide. Place a dropper full of the mixture in the affected ear(s) at bedtime for three nights in a row. Place a cotton ball in the outer ear to hold mixture. Remove cotton ball in the morning and flush gently with an ear syringe or by directing your ear into the spray of a showerhead. Do not use this procedure if you suspect an infection or eardrum rupture.

Go to the Nurse's Clinic nearest your home for ear wash only if, after completing the above procedure, your earwax is causing a hearing problem....

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Perhaps this is just my imagination, but before my appointment, I thought my right ear was just fine. Now that my left has been irrigated, my right ear doesn't "feel" as clean. Ah well,... I shall inquire about having my right ear irrigated during my physical.

WHAT? PHYSICAL?

Yes... Physical. I've made an appointment for a full work-up early this August. As I approach 37 years of life, I guess this is a good a time as any to find out where my health stands.

Damn... if my right ear doesn't seem just a tad more muffled than my left...

Now I REALLY want my right ear irrigated...

Maybe I'll try those curved "chop-sticks" that Lotus and Shogun gave HotFudge and me...

ITALY 2006... 3 THINGS [PART THE FIRST]

2006-06-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

Whether it be an overnight trip to L.A., or a 2-3 night trip to Vegas, or a week camping trip in the mountains, or a two week trip to a foreign country, there is some planning to be done, right? Maybe you make a check-list. Maybe you get advice and input from friends. What will the weather be like? Do I bring clothes for every possible situation? Will I be doing laundry?

We were going to have everything packed and ready to go one week before we left for Italy. It sounded like a good idea. We did research, drew up plans, had meetings, faxed, made phone calls, etc...

For Ronin, clothing is fairly easy.

Underwear & undershirts: Count number of days Ronin will be away from home and add 2.

Shoes: Tennis shoes to be worn with sweats. Black shoes to be worn with slacks or dockers.

Socks: Count number of days and bring half white and half dark. Whites for the sweats and tennis shoes; dark for the black shoes and slacks/dockers.

Pants (all black): I think I brought 4 sweat pants, 1 dockers, and 3 slacks.

Shirts: Polo shirts to be worn with dockers or slacks. T-Shirts to be worn with sweats.

Jackets always throw Ronin into a quandary..., especially thick, bulky ones. Ronin hates the idea of carrying around a heavy jacket and realizing he didn't have to bring it. On the Italy trip, he chose not to bring it. He brought 3 (or was it 4?) turtle necks, one sweat shirt (to tie around his waste), and a few black thermal tops... and a black pleather jacket.

Of course: Passport and travel papers, Euros, toiletries, camera, ETC...

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AND NOW FOR THE IMPORTANT STUFF...

Minidisc player and one GB HI-MD containing a compilation of HotFudge's and Ronin's favorite music and 3 minidiscs with Italian lessons. [No audio books. Too hard to listen to. During the Spain trip, Ronin tried to listen to audio books, but it was too easy for him to dose off and then realize later that several chapters had gone by.] Batteries for player [which I almost lost on one of the planes. OOOOHH... Ronin would have been PISSED!!].

Sudoku book

Vitamin supplements

Moleskine and various colored [archival ink] pens... and an extra Moleskine.

Ammodium AD. This stuff is the absolute bomb. Forget the pink stuff... Luckily Ronin wasn't "attacked" during the Italy trip. [But he was attacked twice during the Australia trip. Ammodium AD saved Ronin. SAVED HIM, I TELL YOU!! OH, THE HORROR... THE HORROR... Ronin owes a debt of utter gratitude to the creators of Ammodium AD. AMMODIUM AD... Learn it, Know it, Live it...]

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[Of course HotFudge and Ronin were still packing the night before the trip.]

MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2006
...And as Ronin's parents drove Ronin and HotFudge to the airport early that morning, Ronin realized he'd forgotten three things: (1) sunglasses, (2) a pair of blue-tinted glasses Ronin only wears with a specific blue dress-shirt he had packed, and (3) a time-piece...(his old faithful green pager)...

AAARRRGH...!!!!

ITALY 2006... A LAZY BLOG...

2006-06-20T16:54:00.000-07:00

This blog is in response to Shogun's question about Frascati. Hopefully Shogun hasn't gone upstairs to do his own research (yet)...

I call it a "lazy blog" because I'm just copying from HotFudge's "Frommer's Italy 2005" book...

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About 21km (13 miles) from Rome on Via Tuscolana and some 482m (1,281 ft.) above sea level, Frascati is one of the most beautiful hill towns. It's known for the wine to which it lends its name, as well as for its villas, which were restored after the severe destruction caused by World War II bombers.

Although Frascati wine is exported, and served in many of Rome's restaurants and trattorie, tradition holds that it's best near the vineyards from which it came. Romans drive up on Sunday just to drink it.

Stand in the heart of Frascati, at Piazza Marconi, to see the most important of the estates: Villa Aldobrandini, Via Massala. The finishing touches to this 16th-century villa were added by Maderno, who designed the facade of St. Peter's in Rome. You can visit only the gardens, not the interior, but, still, with its grottoes, yew hedges, statuary, and splashing fountains, it's a nice outing.

You might also want to visit the bombed-out Villa Torlonia, adjacent to Piazza Marconi. Its grounds have been converted into a public park whose chief treasure is the Theater of the Fountains, designed by Maderno.

Where to Dine: Cacciani Restaurant ROMAN - Cacciani is the top restaurant in Frascati, where the competition has always been tough. It boasts a terrace commanding a view of the valley, and the kitchen is exposed to the public. To start, we recommend the pasta specialties, such as pasta cacio e pepe (pasta with caciocavallo cheese and black pepper), or the original spaghetti with seafood and lentils. For a main course, the lamb with a sauce of white wine and vinegar is always fine. Of course, there is a large choice of wine.

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Sounds great, doesn't it? But, like I said before, we needed a tour guide. In retrospect, I think we also needed more time. To truly explore one of these towns, I'd say you need at least a full day, starting from the morning. If you've got the time, consider spending the night, too. HotFudge and I didn't get to Frascati until (approx) 3:00PM. By the time we got there and I'd taken care of my business (yes, Canine, I really do believe I needed a card to relieve myself at that particular establishment), it seemed like it was time to get back to Rome...

This is the only pic from Frascati. I grew to like these little cars...

ITALY 2006... FRASCATI... FINALLY... FINIS

2006-06-13T17:57:00.000-07:00

"Lost" is too melodramatic. We weren't "lost". We'd just gotten off at the wrong stop. Ronin knew they'd been on the right train, heading in the right direction. And a kindly, elderly gentleman confirmed this. He just told us to wait for the next train (approx. 45 minutes).

So... first thing's first. Ronin had to empty out his bladder in a smelly, fly infested commode. There was quite a #2 building up in the intestine, too, but he couldn't do it in that bathroom.

We sat down on a bench to wait. Ronin occupied himself with his Moleskine. It was a nice day, but oh so quiet. Perhaps we could've explored the town, but we didn't want to miss the train. When the next train finally did come, Ronin instructed HotFudge (and himself) to look for signs the next time they stopped. They weren't going to make the same mistake again. No worries, though. Turns out the next stop was Frascati. It was also the end of the line; the tracks ended. Of course, the train stop was covered in graffiti.

Now, Ronin has said this before. It's extremely hard to enjoy oneself ANYWHERE when Mother Nature is calling. Ronin's first mission was to buy 2 tickets back to downtown Rome. That went off without a hitch. His second mission was to dump. After some wandering, Ronin entered a restaurant. [Truthfully, Ronin hates going into any establishment just to use the toilet. He's just not comfortable with it. But, when ya gotta go, ya gotta go...] So, with clenched butt cheeks and puppy dog eyes, Ronin asked. To his dismay, the answer was "no". Not a rude "no". More like "I'm sorry, but no". The worker said something in Italian and then showed Ronin a card. Of course, there was the language barrier, but Ronin got the distinct impression that this card was required in order to use the bathroom. It was a "Lavatory Association" card.

HRRMMMPH!!!

And so, Ronin's quest continued... They stopped in another restaurant where they were allowed to use el bano. Wonderful... ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL... Ronin was so greatful that he wanted to eat at the restaurant. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be opening for several more hours. C'est la vie...

Now, HotFudge's tour book did give a pretty good blurb about Frascati. Where to go, what to do, what it was known for, etc. But Ronin & HotFudge were unimpressed. They walked around for a while, browsing thru shops, but there really wasn't anything happening. Perhaps they could've asked for directions to a particular location within the town. Perhaps they could've gotten a map. But the afternoon was slowly turning into later afternoon... and... Oh hell...!!

As anti-climatic as this may sound... There just wasn't shit going on...!!

Perhaps if we'd had a tour guide...

What were we looking for? Perhaps we're just spoiled by the city. Ronin and HotFudge would go stir-crazy if they lived in one of these quiet towns...

MARVELS & KINGDOM COME

2006-05-31T18:16:00.000-07:00

HotFudge, Mulysa, and I recently saw X-Men 3. Before the movie, during one of the trailers, HotFudge called me a geek (or was it "nerd") because I immediately recognized and correctly guessed the trailer for "Ghost Rider" before the ending of the trailer.

Well... Being the geek that I am, I'm going to step back from the Italy trip for just a moment to announce the following:

To any comic book / graphic novel readers out there... I've finished reading Marvels & Kingdom Come...

Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. The story, the art, the writing.

MARVELS - What can I say? Our beloved mutants as seen through the eyes of everyday people. A solid story.

KINGDOM COME - Things that made an impression besides the overall story, art, and writing:

Batman being "held together" by a metal frame. I was actually saddened to see the Dark Knight depicted in this manner. And yet, there was something realistic about the whole thing. He couldn't stay young forever, right?

Superman with a ponytail. Superman not knowing what to do. Superman bleeding. Kilatzin, perhaps you (or someone else) could shed some light. I'm not too familiar with Shazam. Did Kingdom Come accurately depict what would happen if Superman and Shazam fought? Is Shazam Superman's "equal"? And is it true that Batman and Superman have fundamental differences in philosophy when it comes to dealing with evil?

The Flash. I liked the way the Flash was drawn. Kind of like a "blur"; not stationary.

Green Lantern. Liked his costume/armor. A lot more "tough" looking than the typical skin-tight outfit.

[On the opposite end, I tried (I really tried) to read Marvel's "Secret Wars" again, but just couldn't get through the crappy writing... This 12-Issue Limited Series is absolutely unworthy of taking up space in my collection. It is unworthy of being used as kindling for a fire. What an utter waste of paper and ink. However, there is the part of me that cannot just toss or recycle them. So I will throw them into a grocery bag and toss them into the pile of books next to the Bookstore on campus for anyone to pick up for free...]

That's it... Just wanted to share my enthusiasm for Marvels & Kingdom Come with any other geeks/nerds out there...

ITALY 2006... (MIS)COMMUNICATION

2006-05-30T18:51:00.000-07:00

Welcome back my friends
To the show that never ends
We're so glad you could attend
Come inside, come inside...

-from the song: Karn Evil 9 First Impression Part 2 by Emerson Lake and Palmer (ELP)

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Well, dear readers, it has been awhile. Over one month, as a matter of fact. The ScregMan has been preoccupied (and is still preoccupied) with creating a massive backup of his entire audio (music and audio books) collection in the mp3 format. More on that later...

But for now, let's get back to Italy 2006...

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Well... the answer is D.

Ronin kind of ran ahead, but kept looking back at HotFudge's progress. [In fact, a lady in high heel boots passed Ronin along the way...] Ronin reached the lead car, and all the doors were closed. Meanwhile, not too far behind, HotFudge was cursing up a storm. We stood outside the train just staring at the doors. It wasn't just HotFudge and me. There were a few others staring with puppy-dog eyes at the dark windows of the train. About 15 seconds later, the doors hissed open, and we happily climbed on board.

This was supposed to be a 40 minute trip. The pressure on Ronin's bladder was an annoyance, but not yet unbearable.

HotFudge sat down while I remained standing. The car was filled with what looked like middle/high school students. After about 10 minutes of riding through a graffiti filled countryside, we came to a stop. I couldn't see any signs, so I asked one of the passengers... [Now here's a prime example of (mis)communication. Although Ronin had listened to several Italian CDs before the trip, he was not feeling that confident.] I stopped one of the teens and pointed down and asked "Frascati?" The boy nodded and then bounded off the train. I motioned to HotFudge that it was time to get off. Her response: "That wasn't 40 minutes..."

HMMMMMMMMMM.... Ronin also realized that 40 minutes had not elapsed. This was not logical. His response: "I know, but that kid said this was Frascati."

We disembarked and found ourselves in a graffiti covered stop. There were some teens adding to the graffiti near the stairs. It was a depressing, dreary, and destitute scene, lacking any kind of life. You can't judge a book by its cover, but the tiny train stop, with all the graffiti and flies and lack of noise and activity seemed like the perfect place for a rape, murder, mugging, etc.

Imagine our surprise and dismay and anger when we saw the name of the stop. The sign said: Ciampino. WTF?!! We'd gotten off at the wrong stop!!!

Now, retrospect is a wonderful thing. When Ronin and HotFudge realized they were in the wrong place, they were both ready to kick the crap out of anybody who might cross them. Perhaps the little shits who were defacing the train stop in broad daylight. And all the graffiti only added to Ronin's already tense mental state. Being "lost" in a foreign country did not sit well with Ronin. Did that teenager want to mess with the tourists by giving wrong info? Were he and his friends laughing at us? Were they just out of sight rolling on the ground? As Ronin cooled down, he realized that that was a possibility. But on the other hand, Ronin didn't specifically ask: "Is this Frascati?" All Ronin did was point at the floor of the train and say "Frascati?". For all Ronin knew, the boy could've interpreted the gesture as: "Is this the right train for Frascati?" or "Am I headed in the direction of Frascati?" or something similar...

Or maybe the kid really did want to f**k with us...

By this time, Ronin's bladder was becoming more than just an annoyance...

Would HotFudge and Ronin ever get to Frascati?

ITALY 2006... MISS MANNERS MOMENT I

2006-04-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

[This blog is dedicated to Lotus, our resident expert on manners...]

THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2006

It was our third day in Rome (We'd arrived early afternoon on Tuesday, April 4). HotFudge had wanted to explore some place (any place) just outside of Rome. You know... Just hop on the train and go... Ronin was game, but was also (as usual) highly suspicious and petrified of getting lost in a foreign country where we don't speak the language. [I've gotta hand it to HotFudge, though. She is definitely more adventurous than me in these situations. Were it not for her, Ronin would be content in his own little city...]

Luckily, the hotel we were staying at provided a shuttle service to downtown Rome. Looking at the map, I determined we could get dropped off, and then walk to the train station. It was another cold and rainy day. HotFudge was smart enough to have packed an umbrella. I, on the other hand, ended up buying one for five euro along the way. I also accidentally bought some bottled water with "gas". You know, the water with fizz. UGH!! I didn't realize my error until later that day when I took a swig of that shit. That fizz water is just nasty. Needless to say, this pissed Ronin off, but taught me the valuable lesson of making sure to ask for "no gas" when purchasing water.

We made it to the Termini train station and spent quite a bit of time trying to decide where to go. We finally settled on the town of Frascati. Buying the tickets was cool because the station had tons of these self-serve "touch-screen" machines where you just pick your destination, pay, and then get your ticket.

After purchasing the tickets, we made our way to the platforms to wait. Our train would be leaving at 1:48PM. (It was about 1:30PM.) We were suppose to watch a particular screen, and 10-15 minutes before the train's scheduled departure, the screen would show which platform to go to. It was during this time that Ronin kept going back and forth looking for the bathroom. In disgust, Ronin eventually decided to hold it because he would've had to pay. [Paying to piss (or dump). This really pisses Ronin off...]

Time passed, and we didn't see anything on the screens. It eventually passed 1:48PM and we still hadn't seen anything on the screens. It was 1:52PM when Ronin realized we were looking at the wrong screen. He found the correct screen and saw the train was leaving from platform 18. We made our way through the crowds of people and found the correct platform...

... and then saw the following sign:

400... 400 meters... 400 meters?!... 400 METERS!!! DAMMIT!! And we were already four minutes late... Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe 1 meter equals approximately 3 feet. So 400 x 3 = 1,200 feet. AAAARRRGH!!!

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What do you think happened at that moment?

A. Sticking together, Ronin and HotFudge picked up the pace to a fast walk to cover the 400 meters and catch the train.

B. With the intent to break the 400 meter record, Ronin took off at a dead sprint, leaving HotFudge in the dust.

C. With the intent to break the 400 meter record, HotFudge took off at a dead sprint, leaving Ronin in the dust.

D. Picking up the pace, but always keeping HotFudge in sight, Ronin ran ahead to try and catch the train.

E. Feeling it wasn't worth the effort, both Ronin and HotFudge decided to miss the train and go somewhere else.

F. None of the above.

G. All of the above.

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What would you do?

TO BE CONTINUED...

ITALY 2006... THE BREAST FACTOR...

2006-04-19T02:42:00.000-07:00

TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 2006 [DAY 6 OF TOUR]

Excerpt from Moleskine: "I dreamt I killed a man... He was throwing rocks at me, so I got his head on my lap and twisted and twisted and twisted. Don't remember his neck snapping or breaking, but it did just go limp. Like a licorice stick..."

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If you ever find yourself in fair Verona, at the statue of Juliet, remember to rub her right breast. Supposedly, this action brings good luck.

According to Rosa, our tour guide, the original concept for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet did not come from Shakespeare, but from a poem by Luigi Daporto (I have no idea if the spelling of his name is correct. I am assuming, though, that our tour guide knew what she was talking about.)

A subtle difference: Rosa always said Juliet & Romeo, NOT Romeo & Juliet.

Unfortunately, it was not a fair day in Verona when we went. It was a cold and rainy day. HotFudge loves the rain. I have nothing against it, but it's hard to hold an umbrella AND take pictures at the same time. This annoyed Screg to no end as he tried to get a good shot of various people from our tour with their hands on Juliet's right breast. And then the statue was swarmed by a bunch of Japanese tourists. Fondling and carressing the Juliet statue. [BTW: I said Japanese tourists because that's what they were. If they were German, I would've said German... if they were Filipino, I would've said Filipino... etc., etc.]

Rosa gave our group some free time to wander around, so, the first thing HotFudge and I did was to try to find the public bathrooms. We followed Rosa's directions, but were unsuccessful. Nothing's worse than when Mother Nature calls and there's no bathroom in sight. You really can't enjoy anything until her call is answered. At one point, HotFudge and I and another couple poked our heads into a coffee shop and asked if we could use their facilities. This was one of those places where we'd have to buy something in order to use the toilet. Now this is where it gets fuzzy. It would have cost .90 cents to purchase something (like a coffee) and "stand" at the counter. It would've been more expensive if we sat down. I repeat: It would've been more expensive if we sat down. I could be totally wrong, but that's the impression we all got. The couple decided to stay. HotFudge and I took our leave.

I wandered into a bookstore. I was on a quest. HotFudge found me and said she used the bathroom in another restaurant across the way. I completed my purchase and went across. I asked for the bathroom. The waitress pointed it out, but I detected a slight irritation in her face. I guess I can understand. Who wants a whole bunch of tourists coming in to just use the facilities (stanking everything up and/or backing everything up) and not ordering anything? And I wasn't the only one either. There were other tourists from a different group standing in line waiting to use the toilet. [A lot of the local tour guides referred to the restroom as the "smiling-room" because you don't go in smiling, but you come out smiling.]

So, after I left the "smiling-room" (and yes, I was smiling... I couldn't help it... It's all about that incredible feeling of relief...), HotFudge and I made our way back to the statue to see if we could get some decent pictures. We did, and spent the rest of our time (about half an hour) looking at souvenirs in the rain. Of course, there were tons of stuff related to the Romeo & Juliet theme...

And, with damp feet and damp sweats, we made our way back to the tour bus for the long drive to Florence...

ITALY 2006... LET THE JOURNEY BEGIN...

2006-04-18T01:53:00.000-07:00

I've given some thought on how to approach the sharing of the details of our trip to Italy. We were there for about 12 days, and to give an account in one shot would result in a very, very, very, very long blog. At the same time, however, I do not want to give a traditional day-by-day account of our activities.

[In answer to the question: "How was your trip?"... Of course we had a great time. Of course we didn't want to come back. Of course the architecture and ruins we saw were incredible... But there's so much more to share. Did everything go smoothly? No. Did we meet a lot of people? Yes.]

Therefore, I've decided to dole out our activities and experiences in smaller, non-linear "vignettes", which will include insights, prequels, epilogues, a cast of characters, dialogue, pictures, etc...

[Truthfully, I do not believe this series of blogs will really fit the definition of vignette,... I just like the way vignette sounds.]

That being said...

---------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------

[It is not my intention to re-ignite or rekindle the debate that ensued several months ago over this instrument. However, I thought it would be a good stepping stone into our tour.]

Oh, you'd like to know if I did it, wouldn't you? Wouldn't YOU? I'm in another country and nobody would know. What happens in Italy stays in Italy, right? And after giving TofU so much support, after applauding his arguments, after ribbing him to no end...

I am ashamed to say that I could not bring myself to try the bidet. Believe me, I struggled with it. I lay awake at nights thinking about missed opportunites. It called to me. Everytime I used the toilet, it called to me... There I was, in another country, in another culture... But I just wasn't open minded enough. [HotFudge wanted no part of it herself.] My chance to experience something new, and I let it go. My sincerest apologies, TofU.

At the beginning of the tour, our tour director, Rosa (our Mother Hen), asked if we knew what a bidet was. Before telling us, she warned us not to put our face in it, or our feet, or our hands, or our food... Turns out, most people already knew what it was for anyway... And then she told us the one thing that took me by surprise. Before, I'd always ASSUMED that you "sit" on a bidet in the same way (and direction) you sit on a toilet. TofU, I must know in what direction you were sitting in, because, according to Rosa, you sit on a bidet FACING the wall. Now, I think I can see this working for a female, but I honestly cannot see how a male could effectively use a bidet while facing the wall. To clean the front, sure. But to clean the arse? To confirm, I asked Mother Hen. She was highly amused. With laughter she said: "Of course you face the wall." I also asked if Europeans think it's disgusting that we do not use bidets. Her response: "No... It's just a different way of doing things..."

Let the tour of Italy begin...

MARCH 2006

2006-03-31T19:39:00.000-08:00

At work, as I sit looking at my desk... well... it's not really MY desk. It's the District's. I just utilize it, just like I'm utilizing their computer. It's not MY computer, although I am the primary user. Anyway, leaving is good incentive for really cleaning a desk. For me, I like to have my desk as clean and as caught up as possible before going on vacation.

This month has been one of those high pressure months. Of course, "high-pressure" is relative. I'm damn sure the pressure at my job doesn't compare to say... a corporate lawyer on the side of tobacco. Nevertheless, there was alot more to do in the office this month than usual. The reason being, my supervisor was on vacation from the last part of February to three weeks into March. There are only two of us in the office. Thus, when one is gone for a length of time, the daily work is "doubled" for the one in the office. So, I was just barely keeping my head above the water. But even after she came back this week, I've still been under pressure.

HotFudge and I leave for Italy this Monday. We've both been scrambling to get things caught up at work and at home.

Negative effects of being extra busy at work (and still coughing, DAMMIT!!):

No martial arts. No capoeira. ScregMan is dying without his martial arts. Only went once this entire month...

I am so behind on reading and commenting in the blogging community...

Canine: Again... welcome... and BTW: "Hey... How's it goin?"

Shogun: This trip to Italy will be my camera's christening, baptism, bris milah, jumping-in, trial by fire, etc...

Lotus: Dear God... It's gonna take me days (or dare I say weeks?... months?... years?) to get through all your blogs...

Mulysa: Again... Happy Birthday!!! Ronin looks forward to slicing your smokes with his imaginary sword...

TofU: There's nothing like kicking back in a foreign country, taking in the scenery, writing in a Moleskine, listening to your favorite music via minidisc (okay, okay,... or IPOD).

Clark: Now you can put all your Superman dollies to use on the puppet stage... BTW, have you ever considered purchasing a Superman costume for yourself?

So this is goodbye to March of 2006...

Until next time dear reader...

Arrevaderci...

IN OTHER NEWS...

2006-03-21T16:00:00.000-08:00

An excerpt from an insignificant news story from an insignificant town in an insignificant city,... etc, etc.

Traffic was backed up for several miles yesterday afternoon after a minivan swerved and then rolled onto its side on the interchange between the 509 and 508 freeways. Police are still looking for the driver and one passenger. Witness accounts remain garbled and confused.

"Right before the van rolled, it looked like they were fighting over something. The dude in the passenger seat was grabbing for something,... maybe a cell phone or a lighter," said one witness. "Then the van skidded to the left and rolled over."

Apparently, both driver and passenger climbed out of the van without any injuries. The driver, a female, was dressed in farmer-john overalls with a bandana in her hair, and a cigarette in her mouth. The passenger, a male, was dressed in black sweats, a green t-shirt, and had a black sweatshirt wrapped around his waist.

"It was weird, man," said another witness. "They both climbed out, but they were still goin' at it. And that's when it got crazy... The dude pulls out this sword,... like a samurai warrior... Who the hell carries a sword around?... And the girl's just laughing... laughing... Then home-boy strikes a pose and starts swingin' that sword around... Looks like he was aimin' for the cigarette... but she's too quick for him. Turns out, she's got a lighter in one hand, and an IPOD in the other, and she's just blocking the blade of the sword with that little lighter and IPOD... Kinda like... y'know how Wonder Woman used to deflect bullets with those bracelets? Kinda like that... For some reason, his sword couldn't crack her lighter or IPOD. Lots of sparks flyin' everywhere... And she's just laughing and giggling the whole time..."

Other things overheard by witnesses between the two combatants:

"You know this is for your own good... Didn't you make a promise not to smoke in my presence?"

"I never promised that... I haven't had a smoke in 3 hours, 13 minutes, 37 seconds..."
"Is that in real time or your own special universe?"

"But, I'm moving... But, I just had 2 finals...."

"But Ronin, I'm on vacation,... But Ronin, I just got back from vacation,... But Ronin, I'm at work,... But Ronin, it's the last day of the year,... But Ronin, it's the new year,... But Ronin, I'm in school..."

"I told you if you hung around me, you could fill up your Moleskine... Tell HotFudge I love her for kickin' ass at my old place..."

Eye-witness accounts confirm that, giggling and laughing hysterically with her cigarette still in her mouth, the female ran away from the scene with the male in hot pursuit. All that was left in the minivan was a dolly and some plastic container covers.

CUSTOMER SERVICE WOES #2

2006-03-08T12:22:00.000-08:00

["... and then they decide to write a check and don't begin to fill out the check until the clerk gives them their total. (Argh! Why do people still write checks?...) - from Lotus' blog titled SAD?]

I thought I'd use the above quote as a springboard for Customer Service Woe #2. I'm really focusing on "...and don't begin to fill out the check until the clerk gives them their total..."

Let's say I'm at the local grocery store and I'm ready to purchase my goods. Back when I used to write checks, I would fill out as much of the check as possible before even getting into line. I would date the check, I would fill out the "Pay to the Order" part, and I would sign it. These days, I'll have my credit card (and club card) in hand. [Yes, Lotus. I, too, want to reap the benefits of my dividend earning credit card.]

Say I'm at the movie box office. I already have my credit card and picture ID in hand.

This is such a simple concept: Have your shit ready BEFORE coming to my window. And not just my window, but for any customer service situation.

PART THE SECOND: Being Prepared
It's so simple. I don't know why so many people have a problem with this.

I like to complete transactions as quickly as possible. If I've got a line of students, of course I want transactions to flow smoothly, quickly, easily and... EFFICIENTLY. What better way to achieve this than to be as prepared as possible before I ask those magic words: "May I help you?"

I'm not saying that if you're the 10th person in line, you should have your stuff out already. But maybe if you're the next person in line or the third person in line, you can get your Student ID out plus any other related papers or documents that may be needed. It'll be more efficient. I think it is so inconsiderate, not only to me, but also to those behind you if you spend 30 seconds to a full minute digging thru your wallet or your purse or your pockets or your shoes or your socks or your ass or your nose looking for your Student ID. [YES. At one point during my career, a student actually pulled his Student ID out of the shoe he was wearing.] In cases like this, I usually start helping the next person in line. But still, just have a little consideration and forethought. It's not that hard. If ScregMan ruled the universe, you'd be marching your sorry monkey ass back to the end of the line for, not only wasting my time, but for also wasting the time of the others behind you. Whether I'm in "customer" mode or "customer service" mode, this lack of consideration annoys me to no end. There is even a sign on my window stating that the Student ID card is required for transactions.

Student ID cards "...are required at all times while on campus, when conducting college business, or upon request of college staff."

The preceding blurb was taken directly from the Spring 2006 class schedule. Gee, if you're a student AND on campus, you should have your Student ID with you. In my opinion, this is not an unreasonable requirement. Is not a driver's license required when you're driving? When I'm driving? Literally all my transactions require the Student ID card. No substitutions. Would you try to substitute your Student ID for your Driver's License if you were pulled over by the highway patrol? I think not. And I highly doubt the officer would be amused. [Truth be told, I think the last time an officer saw my Driver's License was when I was going thru a sobriety check point a few years ago. But I still carry my Driver's License with me. Why? Because I'm suppose to. Because it's required. In fact, more than any officer, it is the cashiers and sales people who see my Driver's License more because of my credit card use.] My point being: even if you go through your entire college career never having to use your Student ID card, it is still required that you carry it with you when on campus. It is not an unreasonable requirement.

Have I turned students away for not having their Student ID card? You bet your ass I have. Even if they've shown me a Driver's License, credit cards, Social Security Card? You bet your ass I have. No substitutions. NO SUBSTITUTIONS!! Even if I already know who you are. The appearance of showing "favoritism" is a thin line. The last thing I need is a student asking me why I'm asking for his/her Student ID, but I didn't ask the student before him/her. For every transaction that requires the Student ID card, I have to be able to say I actually saw the Student ID card. Just covering my ass...

So, dear reader, have some consideration for, not only those in customer service, but for anyone who may be standing behind you. Whether you're standing in line at the grocery store, or at the movie box office, or at my window...

Please have your shit ready.

CUSTOMER SERVICE WOES #1

2006-03-03T10:56:00.000-08:00

I once read (but I can't remember the source) that we are moving towards a "service-oriented" society. By service, they meant that the majority of employed people are providing some kind of service for others, not making an actual product. I suppose the restaurant business could be considered a meshing of the two worlds. When I think about all the jobs I've had, I guess I've always been in some form of customer service. Thus, the inspiration for this blog series...

This is the first in an unknown number of topics related to the fine art of Customer Service. Since there are so many facets, so many angles, so many philosophies on customer service, I will break down the issues and try to keep to one subtopic at a time. Otherwise, this would be a really, really, really long blog. Mind you, this and any blogs hereafter on this topic stem from my personal experience, but I think some of you may be able to relate, maybe agree, or maybe even disagree...

PART THE FIRST: The Cell Phone
Cell phones are wonderful, right? They keep us in closer contact with each other, they're convenient, handy in an emergency, etc., etc. You can even take pictures, play games, surf the Web, e-mail, download music, program it to ring in a particular way, put all these cute shit stickers or covers on them...

Hell, I have a cell phone just like everybody else. I even have a black cover on it to soften the blow should the roll on my stomach bunch up enough to knock my phone off its belt clip to the ground.

But why oh why do some people insist on talking on the phone WHILE conducting their business with me (or any other customer service rep). There is no law against this particular behavior, but if ScregMan ruled the Universe (not trying to usurp you TofU... this is all hypothetical), there would be. Do you hear me? THERE WOULD BE!!! Something along the lines of cutting 1/8"-1/4" off the tip of offenders' tongues. If you keep offending, eventually, you'd lose your entire tongue. I believe that would suffice.

I don't know why I feel this way... I have no explanation for my feelings, but I think it is absolutely rude... ABSOLUTELY RUDE to be talking on a cell phone while doing some transaction with a customer service rep. This is one piece of behavior I absolutely try to avoid when I'm the customer. I just don't like it.

With this behavior, the customer's attention is divided, and this has the tendency to cause wasteful moments (another blog on my time being wasted by others will eventually follow). Someone on a cell phone will more than likely say "Huh?" or "What?" after I've asked him/her to sign and date a document. Why? Because their attention is divided. Because they weren't frickin' paying attention. It drives me crazy to no end when I have to repeat myself because of the cell phone distraction.

And it's never important. The phone conversation is NEVER IMPORTANT. Do you disagree? Are you telling yourself: "But Screg, it may not sound important, but you don't know the whole story behind the conversation, you don't know the background..."

Okay, let's say I'm jumping the gun. Here's a few snipets of things I've overheard from people on their precious cell phones.

"So whatchoo doin' now?.... Ahm pickin' up ma check... HUH?... Where-em I signin'...?"

"MMMMMMMMMMM...MMMMMM...girrrrrrrrrrrrrl... you can't let 'im treat ch'all like dat..."

"Yeah... I've got to get home and study before I flunk this class..."

"I think he likes you... Oh, shut up... NOT!!... Oh, puh-leeeeeeeez..."

"I just called ta holla at cha..."

"...time am I meeting you?...Uh...Hold on...What?... Where do I sign...?

Now, I guess it could be argued that any one of these partial conversations could have been related to an emergency, or a life and death situation. But my logic tells me... NOT!!!

In all my years of customer service, I've never heard things like:

"OH MY GOD!!! MOM GOT STRANGLED BY THE WEED WACKER!!! I'LL BE RIGHT OVER!!!"

"WHAT?... LITTLE JUNIOR LOST HIS ARM IN THE GARBAGE DISPOSAL!!!"
"WHICH HOSPITAL IS HE AT... I'M COMING NOW"

"THERE'S A RABID DOG GOT YOU CORNERED IN THE KITCHEN? GRAB THE GUN IN THE KNIFE DRAWER AND BLOW ITS BRAINS OUT. I'LL BE RIGHT OVER AFTER I PICK UP MY CHECK."

My point? The actual conversations I've heard seem to be lacking any sense of... URGENCY. In other words, it wouldn't kill the person to delay the conversation for a few seconds. Can't the offender at least have the decency to not be on the phone while conducting business?

If I'm feeling particularly ornary, I will intentionally wait for a person to get off the phone. This is particularly effective when I've got a line of students. Then the student is "under pressure" because it is him/her who is holding up the line. On one occasion, a girl said: "Lemme call you back. This guy has an ISSUE (extreme emphasis on the word ISSUE) with cell phones."

My response to her: "You're right, bitch. I do have an issue with cell phones, you rude, ignorant, stupid, pathetic, worthless, waste of a human being. Who the fuck do you think you are? Is your conversation THAT important? You can't hold off for 30 seconds while I have you sign some documents so you can pick up your check? This check that's suppose to be helping you with school? You ungreatful shit. I hope you don't procreate because the last thing this world needs is your rudeness being passed onto any offspring you might bear as a result of you finding and paying a desperate, sorry-ass, crack-addicted male to screw you."

At which point she filed a grievance against me...NOT. Of course I didn't say all that. But you can bet your life I was thinking it (or something similar).

From a statistical standpoint (and I'm not trying to be sexist), it seems females are more prone to doing this than the males. Don't get me wrong, both genders are guilty of this, but in my experience, the females do it more.

At least there are some social pressures regarding when and where the cell phone is appropriate. Movie theatres have specific reminders regarding turning off/setting to vibrate cell phones. I like that. I can't believe the audacity of some people who could just have a (loud) phone conversation in the middle of a movie.

HotFudge once told me about a woman in the post office on her cell phone talking rather loudly. One of the workers told her to tone it down and that she would not be helped until she got off her cell. BRAVO!!!

And the way some people "cling" to their phones. As if it's the most important thing in the world. More important than their spouse. More important than their children. More important than life itself. Their whole family could die in a car crash, as long as their phone doesn't get damaged. I envision such people falling off a cliff and holding their cellphone as high as possible so it's the last thing that hits the ground. I see people all the time, just staring (maybe they're texting) at their phones, as if in a trance. Unbelievable.

Of course, this is totally my opinion. TOTALLY MY OPINION. Supported by no facts. Lots of people are perfectly fine talking on the phone while conducting business. I'm sure there's lots of people in customer service who aren't bothered a bit. Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way. But from my vantage point, I just can't get past it. Utterly rude. And for me, a student should be paying attention when signing a legal document. But they act like it's no big thing. I'm about to give you a check to help you pay for your education, and you can't even stop talking for 30 seconds. How pathetic is that?

If you agree with me, great. If you disagree with me, then weigh in. I'd like to hear some justification for splitting attention between phone and customer service rep. Mind you, this is totally different from cell phones going off during a party or among friends. I am talking specifically about cell phones from a customer service stand point.

-------------------------------------

Stop talking for 15-30 seconds...

Is that too much to ask?

2/12 = 1/6

2006-02-28T19:45:00.000-08:00

So... 2 months over...

2006 is 2/12's over (or 1/6 if you care to reduce the fraction).

One of the more miserable things about life is working when you're not 100%. I hate working when I've got a cold (eg conjestion, coughing, scratchy throat, etc.). It's one of those borderline things where I'm really not sick enough to stay home, yet it's extra tiring being at work. That's me today. BLEH...

Still going strong in Capoeira. I could say I've been in it for 2 months, and that would be fairly accurate. But, being the geek that I am, I've been keeping an actual tally in my Moleskine. Since starting, I've gone to 27 classes. Being under the weather may put me out of practice for this week, though... DAMMIT!!!

Haven't had the chance to check out Lotus' Turbo Jam DVD yet, but I will...

Purchased the 5 1/4" x 8 1/4" Moleskine squared notebook over the weekend. Couldn't resist. It seemed to be calling my name. I'm going to attempt (again) to "draw" via using a grid to help me cheat. What the heck. My goal: just 30 minutes a day devoted to this. Just 30 minutes. Even if I just draw a few lines or shade one part. If I can devote 30 minutes a day, eventually a picture will emerge...

Purchased "Kingdom Come" and "Marvels" and "V for Vendetta". A while back, I had said I was re-reading my old comic books and getting rid of some of them. Mulysa, you said I could give them to you for your kids. Here's the glitch, though. Any comic books I get rid of will be because I think the writing is absolutely subpar, unrealistic, ridiculous, or just plain stupid. Am I an expert at writing? I don't know. It's all relative I guess, like art. But I do know what I like. One of the very basic fundamentals of good writing is the ability/skill to "show", not "tell". Since comic books and graphic novels are a combination of illustration and text, I would think it would be relatively easy to "show" the action, and alot of the comic books I grew up with do this just fine. It is the writers that blow it. It's as if they're afraid to leave a panel with no dialogue. It's as if they were required to put dialogue in almost every panel, no matter how useless. If an illustration clearly shows Thor, the God of Thunder, throwing his hammer thru a window, is it really necessary to have Thor say something like: "Watch... as I throw my hammer through this window..." UGH!! I am forced to wonder how some of these writers actually made it into the business. I despise when the reader is "dumb-downed" by the writer(s). I like to think that even kids will understand the action without useless dialogue mucking everything up...

Where was I.......? Ah yes. Mulysa, I would never give your kids comic books that are poorly written. That would be a crime...

A slight change to my Moleskine writing. I've gone back to only one Moleskine to record my daily activities AND rants/raves. It's just easier. So, at the bare minimum, I just write daily occurances... but if I go off on a tangent, that's okay too.

Financial Aid checks come out on Thursday this week. Hmmmmm... If I called in sick on Thursday, all of you could watch the riot on the evening news... All these students screaming for their Financial Aid checks... setting fire to buildings... throwing chairs through windows... dragging administrators out of their offices... screaming that they need to buy diapers for their kids or new furniture or food for the table. Hmmmm... If you weren't going to school, wouldn't you be responsible for buying such things as diapers or food or furniture anyway? God forbid you'd use your Financial Aid to purchase books or school supplies... That would be ridiculous...

And so it goes...

So long February 2006...

OF PENCILS AND PENS...

2006-02-14T17:25:00.000-08:00

I'm blogging on this topic as a result of part of Lotus' comment to my latest Moleskine blog. Lotus mentions how she bought the entire stock of her favorite gel pens from Office Depot when she learned they were discontinuing the pen. This got me thinking about how my use of writing implements has evolved over the years.

Way back, [when I was just a lad,] I remember writing with pencils, some with erasers, some without. Way back when the paper that we used in school was that cheap shit stuff where erasing actually removed/thinned out the paper. If one erased enough in one spot, one could actually create a hole in the paper. Or maybe it was the quality of the eraser? Or maybe a bit of both. Anyway, I also remember having to get up and go to the community pencil sharpener in the corner of the classroom. The ole' wooden pencil went to the wayside as soon as I discovered the mechanical pencil. I used it for years, especially when I was heavily into sketching/drawing. I own two mechanical pencils at the moment, but hardly ever use them. For the most part, I have converted over to pens.

Erasable pens... A novel idea and I think they still exist, but I never did like the flow. Too "bumpy" for me. On a quick tangent, I also do not like white-out. I have a lot of trouble with brushing the correct amount of white-out onto an error, especially if the error is small. Then, what I'm stuck with is a larger than needed blob of white-out on my document. The kind where my pen will just dig a trench as opposed to writing smoothly over it.

It's so hard to find a good writing pen. I've tried many over the years. [Sorry Lotus... for some reason, I just don't like the way a gel pen feels. Truth be told, though, I think it was one of your pens you'd left at Mulysa's place that I liked. It was a gel pen, but it smeared in my Moleskine.] What annoys me is an inconsistency in certain pens. In the past, I have come across pens that really feel good when I'm writing. But when I try another pen of the same brand and make, the feel is not as good. [This inconsistency does not make sense to me. If a particular pen writes really well, shouldn't another pen of the exact brand and type write just as well?] This went on for many a year. Me just trying to find that perfect pen... the perfect brand and make that would consistently provide a good writing experience. I'm sure there are those who could care less what a pen "feels" like. But I can't stand it when a black pen is really a dark shade of gray. I hate it when I have to press extra hard to get a pen to write. I hate it when a pen has that "rough" feeling as I'm writing. No... I want the ink to flow smoothly, almost effortlessly...

So what do I currently use? What have I found?

One of my current Moleskines is the sketchbook. Therefore, the paper is thicker and the texture is different. For this, I really like the feel of the Pilot "Precise V5 Rolling Ball (Extra Fine)" Pen. Really smooth in my opinion. Unfortunately, this is the only time I will use this pen. It "bleeds" thru to the other side when I've tried using it on regular paper (eg the Moleskine Ruled Notebook). And it doesn't feel quite right on regular paper.

The other pen I'm hooked on is the Papermate "DynaGrip" pen. It is a ball-point. Out of all the many pens I've tried, I have yet to be let down by this one. I remember the first time I used it: When HotFudge and I were doing some paperwork at the sales office for our current home, it was this pen I used. [In fact, I swiped it from the office.] I've used the pen ever since. So far, this pen has not let me down. It is this brand of pen I brought to Spain.

I usually write in black or blue. As a technicality, I've heard that blue is good for signing documents. At least you (or whoever else might look at it) will be able to tell it's an original signature. Medium is what I usually use, but I find fine works better on NCR type paper. In conjunction with the pen, however, is my need for a "soft" surface. When I say "soft", I mean I don't like writing on one sheet of paper on a desk. I want several sheets below my sheet. No pen has ever felt right to me while I was writing with no "cushion" of papers underneath.

I am very monogamous when it comes to pens. I know lots of people who have tons of pens at home or in their office, and they wouldn't care about losing a pen. They'll just grab another pen regardless of brand or type. Not I. I make a special effort not to lose my pen(s). For me, there is something quite satisfying about using a pen to the very last drop. During my trip to Spain, I did so much writing that I could actually see the ink in my pen going down on a daily basis.

I have several boxes (12 pens each) at home that I've bought at Office Depot. Hopefully pens don't have a shelf-life. It'll take me awhile to use all of them, but, like Lotus, I too am fearful they may someday discontinue this particular pen. There is nothing more frustrating than the discontinuation of a product you've come to love. Everytime I pass an Office Depot (or Staples), I wonder if I should purchase another pack... just in case...

MOLESKINE: EVOLUTION...

2006-02-08T18:11:00.000-08:00

Part the Second

I know...

I know I've already written about Moleskines, but don't worry. I'll try not to be repetitive. You see, I've used the Moleskine for over one year now, and so feel compelled to expand on how my use of these little gems has evolved. And besides, I'm sure not everyone uses Moleskines in the same way...

First, I've restricted my usage to the 3.5" x 5.5" Moleskine. It is the most compact, and therefore, the easiest to carry around. There are larger ones out there. I don't think I'll ever try these. I just don't want to carry more than I have to. The very first Moleskines I bought were kind of an "oops". I bought the sketchbooks (I think 4 of them) because they were the only ones I saw. As you may assume, the paper in the sketchbooks is more for drawing and art as opposed to writing. Nonetheless, I have since filled two of these sketchbooks with writing. I attempted a few sketches, but... ICK... It was horrible... I do not believe I will ever draw or sketch again...

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The Grid
There is a Moleskine where the paper has a grid: the Squared Notebook. I experimented with this notebook by trying to turn it into a sketch book. But I cheated. For example, I wanted to "draw" a picture of my old Sentra. So, I took a picture of it, downloaded the picture to my computer, then superimposed a grid onto the picture, thus, making it easier for me to draw the car. As much as I enjoyed doing this, it still took a lot of time and required me to be at a computer. I did a few of these drawings and liked how they came out, but the effort and time involved... Ah well... Perhaps I'll give it a shot again someday, but for now, I cannot allocate any time to such endeavors. A pity...

I did find another use for the Squared Notebook. I have turned it into my checkbook register. And I like it much better than the pre-printed registers that come with personal checks.

The Plain
There is the Plain Notebook. Just a bunch of blank pages. I have several of these but haven't used them yet.

The Ruled
I believe this is my favorite Moleskine: the Ruled Notebook. This one has the lines that I'm so used to when I'm writing. Some might argue that the lines are "restrictive". Perhaps, but maybe I need those restrictions. I like the lines. Without lines, my writing tends to go all over the place. My penmanship is bad enough as it is. I hate when I've written something down and then have trouble reading it later. The lines are good for me. At least I can have my writing on straight lines. [I WILL make use of the Plain Notebooks, but I suspect I will be sticking with the Ruled Notebook once I've used all the Plains.]

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Aside from thoughts and observations, I wanted to be able to refer to something where I'd written just daily activities (eg work, movies seen, errands ran, etc). I remember TofU showing me a little pocket calender over the Holidays of 2004. I liked the idea and bought one for the 2005 year. Unfortunately, its usage fell to the wayside as I found it sometimes too small to accomodate my daily activities, especially if it was a busy day. Then, I ran across Moleskine's version of the daily diary. I tried it out, but found it just a tad thicker (and heavier) than I prefer. Also, it seemed a gross waste of space. Each page was dedicated to a day of the year. A lot of the time, I didn't need all that space. On average, perhaps 3-6 lines. Thus, there was a lot of unused space per page. So... the Moleskine Daily Diary also went by the wayside.

My quandry, then: the little pocket calender did not have enough space, and the daily diary had too much space.

Now it is 2006. How has my Moleskine usage evolved?

I am actively using 3 separate Moleskines.

Moleskine #1: For daily events only. No deep thoughts, no ScregMan soapbox ravings, no moments of clarity... just daily events (eg went to work..., saw this movie... ate here... went shopping... etc). Even if I had a boring, uneventful day, I must write something for every day of the year. And at least I'm not restricted and there is no page space wasted. So far I'm doing okay. My fear is letting a few days slip by and then trying to recall what happened. Hasn't happened yet, though...

Moleskine #2: For my deeper, more indepth thoughts, rants, and raves. Usually write in this one in restaurants or movie theatres or in my car. The inner pocket also serves well as a temporary wallet. If I was too lazy to bring a lunch from home, I usually end up going to one of the fast-food places near my office. Instead of carrying my full-on "Scregie Bag", I'll throw some cash, my ID, and one credit card into the inner pocket of my Moleskine.

Moleskine #3: The Squared Notebook as my official check register. Depending on the number of transactions, I may be able to fit several years into one book.

Ironically, the frequency of me writing in my Moleskine has dropped (slightly) as a result of joining the blogging community. Nonetheless, my Moleskines are always with me.

31 DAYS...

2006-01-31T18:55:00.000-08:00

1/12 of 2006 is over...

PROUD OF:
Getting regular physical activity back into my life. I love Capoeira. It's exactly what I needed. Exactly what I was looking for. 2005 with barely any excerise and no martial arts was killing me. Yet, I know it's so easy to be lazy when it comes to working out. When the end of the work day comes (and I'm feeling especially tired), it's so easy to skip a workout and say: "I'll go next time". Luckily, I haven't fallen into that trap. Sure, there are days when I have to DRAG myself to Capoeira. But once I get there and the blood and endorphens start flowing, I'm in the zone. Even if I'm exhausted from all the spinning kicks and cartwheels, I always feel good after class. I know I'll stick with it for awhile.

Keeping up daily in my Moleskine (more on that later).

NEED TO WORK ON:
My diet is not as good as it could be. I love rice. I NEED my rice. I NEED MY WHITE RICE. Brown rice. UGH!! I love chicken skin and despise the chicken breast. Bacon seems to be creeping back into my life. I pretty much restrict my liquid intake to milk, orange juice, water, vitamin water, and sometimes diet coke/pepsi/7-Up. Must eat more fruit and veggies.

Losing touch with BSG. Shame on Ronin... Missed last week's episode, and the one before, my attention was divided between computer and TV.

So long January 2006. I'm off to Capoeira. It's my game...

THE EYES HAVE IT...

2006-01-25T17:16:00.000-08:00

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[This blog was inspired by TofU's "Look Into My Eye" Blog. It started off as a comment to his blog, but it just got longer and longer and longer and...]

I haven't had my eyes checked in years...

Believe it or not, I do wear glasses, but oh so rarely...

I'm near-sighted (things that are near are clearer, but things far away are blurry).

I know my left eye is weaker than my right eye.

(Hmmmmm.... I am reminded of one of my creative writing instructors. In the sentence before this paragraph, I ended by saying: "...than my right eye". How many of you feel it was redundant for me to say that? Wouldn't it read just as well if I said: "I know my left eye is weaker." I mean, I wouldn't say: "My left eye is weaker than my right ear... or my left foot... right? This was one of my instructor's pet peeves in creative writing. He felt it was redundant in the grand scheme of things. Kinda like saying "She blinked her eyes" or "She looked at him with her eyes". My instructor would then state that there was no need to tell the reader that the eyes were being used, as it should already be understood. "What else is she going to blink with?" he would ask. "Her ears? She blinked with her ears? She looked at him with her armpit?" "She blinked" or "She looked at him" was his preference. Just a passing recollection...)

Does anybody know if this is actually true? I'd heard (many years ago) that if you need glasses, your eyes will get worse quicker if you wear your glasses constantly, as opposed to not wearing them often. Seems to make sense, that your eyes would become "dependent" on the glasses. That's why I've always refrained from using my glasses on a regular basis. However, if my eyes weren't going to be perfect, I guess I'm lucky I am near-sighted. I can see how one might have little choice if everything near is blurry (far-sighted). There's not much of a choice if you need reading glasses, etc. I should make a clarification. Technically, I do need glasses. I just don't wear them. I don't even know where they are at the moment. (I'm sure if I set my mind to it and did a "search & destroy" thru my home, I'd eventually find them.) The truth is, though, I really only need them if I'm driving in an unfamiliar area. When I need to read street names and signs. Otherwise, I get along fine without them.

Another bit of trivia. According to my brother, it's not possible just to "pop" your eye out. It's too "snug". The bone that houses the eye would have to be broken. Can anyone verify that? Anybody out there who is studying the human body?

Another thing that comes to mind. I recently finished listening to an audio book recording of "The Invisible Man". I really liked the story. However, I recall a friend "bursting" the concept of an invisible man. Perhaps invisibility is possible. I mean, wind is invisible, right? We know it's there, we just can't see it. Well, years ago, a friend pointed out that an invisible man would technically be blind. "How so?" I asked. And, of course, he went on to explain. [Anyone who knows the mechanics of the eye should agree.] In a nutshell, light passes through the eye, an image is formed (upside-down) at the back of the eye, then the image is turned right side up by our brain. So, if there's no visible eyeball for light to pass into, an invisible man would be blind. Ah well... I suspended my disbelief and enjoyed the story nonetheless. And I highly recommend it to any sci-fi/fantasy fan out there.

Another thing that comes to mind. Are the eyes windows to our souls? If you're lying, will you really have the tendency to look towards the left (or is it the right?) because you're accessing the creative center of your brain? Do we romanticize too much on body parts? Take the heart. The heart is a pump, people. It is a pump. If you look at the real heart, do images of love and cupid and Valentine's Day and loved ones come to mind? And has anybody out there seen a heart that was covered in cholesterol? UGH!! A lot of people out there couldn't look at a real heart. They'd be too grossed out. And yet, it's been romanticized. How about romanticizing the brain or the belly button or the middle knuckle on a fist?

"I love you with all my brain..."

"She dumped me. She broke my belly button..."

"My middle knuckle is aching for you..." (Perhaps this would fit into "fisting".)

On surgery. [NOTE: My fears are completely "layman's" fears. I have done absolutely no research into eye surgery, the pros and cons, etc. This is just an off-the-cuff fear I have.] I would hope I never need any kind of surgery. Especially on my eyes. I know my brother has had the laser surgery on his eyes, and he said the improvement was incredible. That's great. This is my fear, however. With any surgery, there is always some risk. (Yeah, yeah... you could argue there's risk just getting into your car and going from point A to point B... LOOK OUT FOR THE DRUNK DRIVER!!) But these are my eyes we're talking about here. I hate the idea of going blind if the laser is off by the tiniest fraction of a micrometer. Like I said, I would hope my eyes would never need surgery. Otherwise, my quandry would be: Do I want to live in a blurry world that will just keep getting more blurry, or do I want to take that leap... that chance... and go through some corrective surgery? Hopefully, I'll never be faced with that question.

Contacts. Never had them. Never wanted them. Just can't imagine putting something against my eyeball.

I know my eyes aren't perfect. But they've worked for me for the past 36 years...

I'll let you know how my eyes are doing after my physical later this year...

THE RARE... THE RAW...

2006-01-20T22:30:00.000-08:00

[This blog is dedicated to Clark & Mulysa (Linesteppa the Second)...]

Ladies and gentlemen, fellow bloggers, and anybody else who has stumbled onto [or into] this insignificant section of the World Wide Web...

I have said this many times, and I will say it again: There is nothing too trivial... There is nothing too trivial for the Internet. I believe that anything, whether fact or fiction, truth or lie, degenerate or uplifting, horrifying or beautiful, can be found somewhere on the Internet. I MEAN ANYTHING...

That being said, the case before us today is the RAW VS RARE issue.

RAW VS RARE...

For those of you could care less about this topic, stop reading now, for this is trivia and the trivial at its best. The inane at its finest. If your curiousity has been piqued, then read on...

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Some Background
I love a rare steak. I LOVE A RARE STEAK!!. [Not sirloin, though...BLEH!!] A New York strip, a rib-eye, or prime rib, with just the right amount of seasoning... still reddish-pink on the inside... perhaps with some fried onions and mushrooms and aujoir sauce or horseradish. To me, it's a beautiful sight. To my eyes, my nose, my stomach... To me, a rare steak is a work of art.

My love of rare is relative. Not everybody loves rare. I don't expect everybody to love rare. All I ask is that the concept be acknowledged as a separate stage of cooking.

But there are those who are repulsed by any pinkish or reddish hue within a steak. There are those who gag, scoff, ridicule, jeer, scorn, scowl, or roll their eyes at rare steak lovers like me.

There are those who believe that RARE = RAW.

RARE = RAW
RARE EQUALS RAW
RARE IS RAW
RARE IS THE SAME AS RAW
RARE IS EQUAL TO RAW

I say HRRMPH!! This debate has gone on long enough.

Ladies and Gentlemen, my goal is to convince you that there is enough difference between raw and rare that they are not the same. I will attempt to disprove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, this equation: RAW = RARE.

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Argument #1
A thesaurus is basically a dictionary of synonyms. A synonym is a word that has a meaning identical or very similar to that of another word in the same language. I looked up the words RAW and RARE in three different thesauruses. Neither of them cross-referenced each other. If RAW = RARE, wouldn't RARE be a synonym for RAW and vice versa? This does not appear to be the case.

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Argument #2
I looked in several dictionaries and came up with the following definitions:

RAW - Not cooked; uncooked.
RARE - Cooked so that the inside is still red; having a portion relatively uncooked; not cooked through; cooked a short time to retain juice and redness.
COOK - To prepare food for eating by means of heat; prepare food.

Now, you may believe I have lost the argument because the word "uncooked" appears in the definition of RARE. Taken out of context, you might be able to make a case, but taking things out of context is a cheap way to try to make a point. However, if you look at the spirit of the definitions, you will see a distinct difference between RARE and RAW. RAW is NOT COOKED. The definition of RARE contains the word "cooked". Even though the words "uncooked" and "not cooked through" appear, these are relative. The definition of RARE implies that some cooking has already taken place. Perhaps not all the way through, but the fact that the outer parts of the steak have been cooked means the steak can no longer be considered RAW. For something to be RAW, it must be uncooked. For something to be RARE, it must be cooked to some degree.

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Argument #3
Whenever I order a steak at a restaurant, I am always asked: "How would you like your steak?" My obvious answer is: "As rare as you can legally make it." By definition, I am not asking for a raw steak. And in all my years of eating out, I have never been to a restaurant where the choices for steak were: RAW, RARE, MEDIUM, WELL. The fact that RAW is excluded from the choices shows that it is not the same as RARE. If you try to argue that RAW is not included because it is the same as RARE, then I challenge you to order a steak and ask for it RAW. Not RARE, but RAW. I would be interested in the outcome of such a transaction. I would also hope you take a picture of the server's facial expression(s). Actually, I should mention a certain incident that took place at a restaurant. I was with HotFudge, Mulysa (Linesteppa II), and Lotus. When I tried to order a rare New York Strip steak, the waitress told me I'd have to sign something stating I would not hold the restaurant responsible if I got sick. As unique as the situation was, it has no bearing on the issue at hand. But I felt it worth mentioning nonetheless.

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Is it possible for a steak to be part cooked and part raw? Sure. Of course. But once that steak touches that heated pan or grill, and that first (thin) layer of meat gets cooked, that steak can no longer be called raw. Even if most of the steak is still raw, the fact that part of it is already cooked negates the raw argument. It might not be edible. It might not be safe to eat, but a partially cooked steak cannot be considered raw anymore.

Now, my arguments assume a certain amount of logic and reason. For example, I assume that any steak I order will be cooked on a grill or stove or some other device that is meant to cook. I would not expect my steak to be cooked in someone's armpit, or on the hood of a car with the engine running, or on the sidewalk in direct sunlight. No, one must assume a certain amount of sanity and rationale.

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If you agree, excellent. If you found my arguments sound, outstanding.

If you are still not persuaded, if you found my position weak, then the debate is on...

Let the good fight begin.....

2006-01-17T19:11:00.000-08:00

2006-01-12T18:24:00.000-08:00

COMING SOON...

THE RAW... AND THE RARE...

SOAPBOX SCREGMAN...

2006-01-08T23:08:00.000-08:00

SNARK SQUARED: Part the First

[This blog was inspired by Lotus's SNARK blog...]

First of all, I don't know what SNARK means. I tried looking it up in the dictionary to see if it was part of the lexicon, but couldn't find it. Anyway...

I wholeheartedly agree with Lotus on this one...

I consider sports commentators to be nothing but feeble-minded wind-bags, capable of stating only the obvious (as if someone watching a football game or a boxing match can't make out what's happening. Isn't it obvious that most sports can be watched just fine without any volume? I make an exception for the radio since it is an auditory medium.)

For those of you who know me, you know I cannot stand sports. These people get paid way too much to play a game. Millions of dollars to play a game... that is absolutely disgusting to me... and some of those players feel that even millions is not enough for their so-called talent. Sure, our educational system is comparable to a Third World's ed system, but let's pump billions of dollars into sports and get rid of the arts while we're at it... But I digress... the topic of where our society's values truly lie is another blog entirely.

Omniscient windbags. Saying nothing of substance or consequence. I never realized how many sportscasters could read minds and tell the future. Do you know how many times I've heard some idiot say: "The quarterback is going to do this" or "He was thinking that... that's why he ran the play the way he did..." Utter nonsense. If these commentators could truly read minds or foretell the future, I'd think they'd be in some other business. Perhaps creating their own religion. My gosh, if they obviously know the outcome of the game... if they know the players so intimately (maybe too intimately)... if they know exactly how a team is going to play, why not put that power to better use, like saving lives around the world, or helping others in need, or creating better laws and public policy? Or are they just bullshitting the viewer?

I'm going to take this a little further... Should the news be exciting? Should it be told like an intense drama? I rarely watch the news, and when I do, there are things about how the news stories are written that annoy the hell out of me. For example, I recall seeing a news story some time ago about a man rescuing another person who was trapped in a burning car. For me, it would have been perfectly fine if that was all that was said. But, the newscaster said things like "...quick thinking..." and "...with only seconds to spare..." I realized that these additional expressions were used to make the story more exciting. Why? Can anyone give me a reason why just being informed about the rescue of a person from a burning car isn't "exciting" or "intense" in and of itself? Why did the writer feel the need to add words such as "quick thinking" and "with only seconds to spare"? Wouldn't it be obvious to whoever's watching?

As a follow-up, I hate when the following question is asked: "What were you thinking when...?" Sure, go ahead and ask the question because, apparently, it seems to be the one question that's on everybody's mind when some intense drama unfolds.

For example:

Question: "What were you thinking as you were running towards the burning car?"

Correct, newsworthy answer: "All I wanted to do was get the man out of the car..."

WELL... DUH!!!

How about an alternative answer, just for the shock value: "I was thinking 'There has got to be a better way to tie my shoelaces so they don't come undone every 5 minutes'"

Question (to a fireman): "What were you thinking when you ran into the burning building?"

Expected newsworthy answer: "Just doing my job... Just had to get in there and get as many people out as I could..."

WELL... DUH!!!

Alternative answer: "I'm tired of this shite... I need a career change. I almost fucking died this last time... Maybe I could work in a bookstore or coffee shop. I'm just tired of this shite..."

Question: "What were you thinking when you realized your son (or daughter) had been kidnapped?"

(Dear God... WHAT AN ASININE QUESTION TO ASK!!)

Expected answer: -No Answer- Grieving parents just sob uncontrollably.

WELL... DUH!!!

Alternative answer: "With big smiles on their faces, the parents, in an upbeat tone, respond in unison "We'll just have another. Kids are a dime a dozen. We're as fertile as rabbits, y'know..."

Newscasters also have the habit of trying to transition smoothly from story to story. Or to try to add their own comment. They really shouldn't because they just end up sounding foolish.

The level of stupidity astounds me...

A Slight Digression...

Lookiloo traffic that delays me getting to my destination annoys me. I wonder who these lookliloos are. If there wasn't some accident to attract lookiloos, wouldn't they be on their way to work, or home, or a coffee shop? In other words, they'd be going about their business. But, oh, look out if there's an accident to ogle at. All of a sudden, that accident becomes important enough to slow down to try and get a good look at.

Another Slight Digression...

Spectators who applaud when someone has been rescued from a burning car or a burning building or a caved-in roof or some other disaster. To me, a burning car or a burning building or a caved-in roof is not a show. It's not a movie where special effects and stunt people were used. It's a horrifying situation, yet spectators feel the need to applaud when a bad situation turns out good in the end. I'm all for the happy ending, but I find the clapping to be highly inappropriate. It's not a show. It's not a play. It's not a movie. Applaud at the end of a show, play, or movie. If I were rescued from a burning building, the LAST thing I want to hear is applause and cheers. In a situation like that, I would not be performing. Don't you get it? I WOULD NOT BE PERFORMING! The happy ending is a good thing, but clapping and cheering at the end is utterly degrading to the situation itself. How dare these spectators turn it into a show. You can clap and cheer when you score 300 in bowling, or when you win that first place trophy, or when you really enjoyed a play or movie... But clapping at the end of something that's not a show or performance? Please... show some respect for the victims... Not everything is a performance. Not everything is entertainment.

AND... What's with some people's curiousity being so strong and morbid that they actually have to stop and watch a building burn? Or a building explode. Or watch paramedics pull out the bloody remains of a car crash victim? Why would anyone want to watch these things?

One Last Digression...

The paparazzi. It's a vicious circle. If there's enough of a demand for something, someone will find a way to fill it. It drives me nuts that there are enough people out there who give a damn about who's fucking who, who's marrying who, who's divorcing who, who's pregnant, who's on drugs, what they wore here and there, where they went over the weekend, etc. I could care less about that kind of stuff. I wonder about people who follow the lives of celebrities so closely. Are their lives so empty? Do they really have nothing better to do than to keep the paparazzi employed?

WHEEEEEW.... Okay, now that I got all that off my chest, I'll just sit quietly (for now). On TV, there's a couple trying to find the perfect home. Right before a commercial break (as if I'm sitting on the edge of my seat), I hear the house hunter ask: "Will they find their perfect home?"

"Dear God", ScregMan asks himself. "Do you think your viewers are that stupid? You know the fucking answer is 'yes'. So why even ask?"

A YEAR IN THE LIFE...

2005-12-30T23:34:00.000-08:00

"525,600 minutes. How do you measure... measure a year?" (from the movie/play RENT, from the song SEASONS OF LOVE)

I have my trusty Moleskines. That's one way I can look back and remember the events that have transpired over the past 365 days...

It was 364 days ago HotFudge and I officially spent our first night in our beautiful new home that Mulysa and another woman with a lot of class were so instrumental in helping us buy. HotFudge and I are eternally greatful.

A new car. I joined the Saturn family this year. I remember calling Eternal Lotus and asking her opinion/advice as HotFudge and I walked the Mile. Shogun had answered the phone and when I asked for Lotus, he said she was eating, but would check if I was worthy enough to speak to her. Turns out I was. [Damn... I was hoping to drive approx 1,000 miles per month, but I'm already at 13,700+ miles.]

A trip to Spain. If it weren't for HotFudge, I probably wouldn't be going anywhere. My Moleskine and minidisc player were very instrumental during the trip.

Researched and then revamped CD filing system. I am quite pleased with my latest attempt at organizing my CDs.

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. It's finally complete...

NetFlix has reshaped and expanded my viewing habits. 400+ DVDs in my queue... Lotus, you're gonna love it.

Finally getting papers in order. Amazing what one runs across when going thru boxes that haven't been opened in years: high school year books, creative writings, pictures, drawings... I look back at things I drew 15-16 years ago and can't believe it was me who drew them. I am saddened at what I've "lost". Ahh... the nostalgia.

Audio books will forever be part of my life... er... um... until my hearing starts to go...

Finally started putting up pictures around the home. EMILF gave me a "9. something" after checking my work with her leveler.

Found a new martial art to help bring physical activity back into my life.

Friends going thru hard times but persevering nonetheless.

Blogging... Reading... Commenting...

HotFudge, the #1 person in my life.

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FOR 2006...

Looking forward to life with HotFudge, continued friendships, blogging, debating raw vs rare, friends who are smoke-free as of 12:00AM, Jan 1, 2006. A trip to Italy. Eating more healthy.

Must have a physical (last one was over 10 years ago). It's beginning to dawn on ScregMan that he's not immortal and that his life is about half over...

Will ScregMan finally purchase an Ipod? Will he get his weight under control? Will he make changes to his wardrobe? Will he go back to the "clean-shaven" look?

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Until next year, dear reader, this is ScregMan signing off for 2005...

END OF LINE...(from TRON)

SOME BUTTER ON THESE ROLLS

2005-12-26T10:36:00.000-08:00

[This blog was inspired by Shogun's blog on exercise...]

Everytime ScregMan squats, his cel phone (which he wears on his belt) pops off. It seems there's this roll of fat on his stomach/waist that bunches up just enough to pop his phone off its clip. And for the really curious, he squats when he's putting his shoes on, when he's turning off (or on) the power strip underneath his desk at work, or when he's picking something up (bend at the knees, not at the waste, unless you want to hurt your back). So it's not like his phone pops off every 5 minutes. Nonetheless, the weight he's gained over the years has slowly crept up and onto him and is really making itself known.

The general concensus among those who've known ScregMan for years seems to be that he was really skinny... And yes, when he looks at pictures of himself from long ago, he was SKINNY. His supervisor used to call him "toothpick". Years ago, ScregMan could really eat. Back then, he could really pack the food away. [Possible topic for another blog: Being a "Rambler". The "traditional" meal for a Rambler after a night of rambling was a Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger, large fries, and large drink from Carl's Jr. -OR- a carne asada burrito, 3-5 rolled tacos, and a large drink from any 24 hr Mexican food place. ScregMan just can't do the Double Western anymore...] BUT... ScregMan was also warned that someday, somehow, somewhere, his metabolism would slow down.

HotFudge says ScregMan looks healthier now that he's gained weight. The ironic thing, though, is he thinks he was actually healthier when he was skinnier. He was more active AND he kind of watched what he ate, even though he ate a lot of it. He remembers his cholesterol being very low years ago. It's probably skyrocketed since then. So, ScregMan "looks" healthier, but in actuality, he's less healthy than before. Does that make any sense?

The weight gain has been only partially good in terms of clothing. Way back, it was extremely hard for ScregMan to shop in the "Men's" section of a department store. Everything was just too big for him, forcing him to shop in the "Boy's" section. [Any pride he may have shown at shopping in the boy's section was just a smoke-screen. He hated it.] Now, he shops in the mens' sections with the other men. [Ooooohhhh... He feels soooooo privileged. He's finally what society would consider, the size of a man.] Over the years, ScregMan watched (not literally) his waist go from a 28 to its current 36.[Also, that's a 36 with some space. He always buys pants with some space for growing.] Mind you, this happened over (hmmmmmmmmmmm) 5-6 years, not overnight. But still, it's a little disheartening. It's such a waste to have to buy new clothes cuz you've outgrown (or are outgrowing) your current wardrobe. And he absolutely hates shopping for clothes. The whole "trying on clothes to see if they fit" makes ScregMan want to scream. HotFudge will attest to this. ScregMan LOATHES shopping for clothes. He gets crabby and cranky and very impatient very easily. And what about a size 15 shirt that's perfect at this store, but just a tad too big at that store, and a tad too small at another? What's that all about? Why aren't the damned sizes truly universal? AAAARRRGGGHHH!!

So, as the old year draws to a close and the new year approaches, ScregMan will make a valiant effort to gain control of his gut. It seems that it's not sit-ups or crunches that'll do it, but aerobics (and healthy eating, of course). He will do sit-ups and crunches, too, but it's really the aerobics he'll concentrate on.

Is it possible to have the traditional "washboard" stomach, but covered by a gut?

STAR WARS... [2]

2005-11-20T22:30:00.000-08:00

Part the Second: The End of an Era... The End of the Saga

Of course I don't mean the Star Wars franchise is at an end. Far from it. I predict there is still much milking to be done, books to be written, cartoons to be animated, etc. etc.

[I have yet to hear a good Star Wars audio book. All the audio books I've heard have been pretty bad. The narrator usually stinks and they put ridiculous sound effects (lasers, light sabres, etc.) in the background that actually detract from the story itself, making it more laughable then anything else. If you want to read some good Star Wars novels, I've always been impressed with Timothy Zahn's stuff.]

For this blog, I am referring to the movies. When Star Wars: A New Hope came out in 1977, I was eight years old. [Has it been that long already?] Imagine that. It's taken nearly 30 years to complete the story. And I'm so very glad it happened during my life. This is kind of a morbid thought, but I wonder, of those who were 40-60 years old back in 1977, how many of them lived to see the final chapter? I recently bought the first Star Wars trilogy on DVD and enjoyed watching them again. The Star Wars saga is one of the very, very, very few things where the magic is still there for me.

I was at the theatre on opening night, May 18, 2005. But I wasn't there to see Revenge of the Sith. I was there to see Kung Fu Hustle for the second time (I thought it was that good). Revenge would begin at 12:01AM. Outside the theatre, there was a massive line. Among the normally dressed people, I saw light sabres, Star Wars shirts, Jedi Knights, laser pistols, etc. Perhaps some of you may think: "Get a life..." or "What a bunch of geeks..." Well, as a Star Wars fan, I guess I'd fall somewhere in the middle, although it's all relative. I'm not so obsessed that I would "camp-out" in front of a box-office for several days just to be the first to get a ticket. At the same time, though, I have seen all the Star Wars movies (except Phantom Menace, YUCK!) a countless number of times.

Excerpt From ScregMan's Moleskine:
12:08AM Thursday, 5/19/05 At AMC... Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith has opened. Waiting for HotFudge. I Just saw Kung Fu Hustle again. 9:55 showing. HotFudge saw Amytiville Horror. The environment is excited with an extreme air of anticipation. People have light sabres, ray guns, Jedi Robes, shirts, helmets. I see 3 security guards. Maintain presence, even though sheer numbers could overwhelm them. Long line earlier. Called TofU. People running, buying concessions. Wouldn't waste time buying concessions. Cheering in the theatres...

========================================================

E-Mail to TofU [sent Friday 5/20/05 11:43AM]
Subject: On the Outside Looking In
Greetings TofU,

So you went and saw Revenge of the Sith... I am jealous. I'll try to catch it next week. Based on your text message to me, I'm assuming the excitment and jubilee surrounding Episode 3 was just as strong over there as I witnessed over here. If you will recall the last time we spoke, I was at the...theatres to see Kung Fu Hustle before it leaves the big screen.

ToFu, the excitement, frivolity, and anticipation I observed is/was phenomenal. After Kung Fu Hustle ended, I went out to the lobby. It was packed. I saw fans in Jedi robes, I saw ray guns, I saw light sabres, I saw Star Wars shirts galore. And I must admit, I was jealous. I was on the outside looking in. I wanted to be on the inside looking out. After a few minutes of observation, I realized I should be writing in my Moleskine. I sat down and jotted down some observations and what not. In retrospect, I wish I had made plans to see it on opening night. Events come and go to be sure, but this is the last Star Wars. THE LAST STAR WARS... Instead of waiting (like I always do), I should have plunged into it. There was cheering in the theatres. There was a countdown. People in line at the concession stands were getting annoyed because the line was moving too slowly. Those who had already purchased food were literally running back to their designated theatre. People without food were also running. I wanted to be part of it. I should have been part of it. (I kinda like the Jedi robes myself.)

HotFudge's comment: "Ain't nobody gotta carry on like this."

In defense of all the hoopla, I tried to explain: "You don't understand the whole Star Wars phenomenon. I grew up with Star Wars, and this is the last one. If I had the opportunity, I would've been standing in line..., I'd be in the theatre."

"I grew up with it too," was her response.

"No, there's a distinction," I said. "TofU and I are fans. We've seen Star Wars a gajillion times and can quote and can recognize quotes from the movies. You're just a casual watcher."

HotFudge shook her head.

But it's all relative. I do consider myself a Star Wars fan, but I'm sure a lot of die-hards I saw that night could put me to shame in terms of their knowledge of the Star Wars universe. I wish I had kept the original Star Wars toys from my youth. If memory serves, I had the Millenium Falcon and the X-Wing. Those toys are now long gone...

Anyway, I feel like I've lost the opportunity to experience something, an excitement I've not felt since...

Darth ScregMan stops in midsentence, turns, and quickly leaves the hangar bay, black cape flowing behind him...

===============================================

Movies I'm absolutely aching to see:
- Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
- Superman... I saw a trailer and it looks AWESOME!!! [That's the geek in me talkin']

MY HOME... IDEALLY...

2005-11-16T17:20:00.000-08:00

[This blog was inspired by Thane of the Universe's "Flat Woe" series...]

I love my home. If I'm true to my declaration of being a "simple life form", then I've already got the "shelter" part (and then some) covered. I've got a home to go home to, and that's good enough for me. Of course, if I had a large chunk of money, I could have built a home to my own personal specifications. Alas, I do not have a big chunk of money. And my hopes of winning the lottery are nil since I don't even play. But if I could make some changes or even make some things standard in a home, this is what I would do...

The Bathroom
Okay... At a very basic level, the bathroom is where you shower or bathe, brush teeth, maybe change, put on make-up, comb the hair, and relieve yourself of things your body deems unnecessary for its survival. However, it is also a place where there's lots of moist things flying around: splashes from the sink, drippings from the shower, a combination of food particles, saliva, and toothpaste from your mouth, splashes from the toilet...

HotFudge and I do not have carpet in our bathrooms. However, we had to pay extra to get tile because it seems carpet is the standard. In our prior home, we paid extra to get vinyl. Why is carpet in the bathroom the standard? [If I had to guess, I'd say it's probably the cheapest thing for the builder.]

Carpet... Full-on carpet... Around the shower... Around the tub... Around the toilet... I don't get it. I will never understand the logic of carpet in the bathroom.

Carpet doesn't strike me as a kind of material that should get wet often. Does it feel good to step out of the shower (dripping wet) onto a carpet? Heck, just use a towel. Having no carpet in the bathroom as the standard would be a step in the right direction. What a bathroom really needs, though, is a drain built directly into the floor. A drain in the floor so that any water, spit, urine, food particles, or whatever have a place to go. I see floor drains in restaurant bathrooms. My aunt's bathroom in Australia had a floor drain. I thought that was really cool. What if your toilet were to overflow? I would rather have a flooded floor as opposed to a flooded carpet [YUCK!!!]. In fact, a floor drain could serve to "protect" any adjacent rooms from flooding. BUT NOOOOOOOOOOO... Instead, there's the carpet.

Another item that would be a nice standard would be the removable shower head. You know... that thing you can replace your shower head with so you can remove it, grasp it in your hand(s), and have greater control on how the water hits your body. I know you can go out and buy this and it's probably fairly easy to install, but why not just make it the standard?

TofU, I would like to get your commentary on the next item: the bidet. If you don't know what a bidet is, look it up. I'm not going to describe it or its application here. I've never tried it myself. It seemed to be a standard in Spain. [While in Spain, I joked with HotFudge about asking someone for a demonstration on how to use a bidet.] I do not see myself ever using one or wanting one.

Every Room... Audio
I love listening to music and audio books. Therefore, it would be ideal for me to have speakers built into all the walls of every room. Of course I'd have some kind of control room/panel centrally located to control the output. Do I want my music blaring throughout the home, or just in the kitchen? My set-up would include the ability to attach any player (CD, minidisc, IPOD, etc.).

Counter Productive Kitchen Counter...
I'd want a smooth counter top in the kitchen. I can't stand tiled countertops. Keeping that damned grout clean is a bitch. Even sealing the grout doesn't keep it completely clean. I just don't get it. What are the builders thinking when they give a tiled countertop? Haven't these people ever heard of "form follows function"?

The Two-Story Dilemma...
Thinking way ahead (or maybe not so far ahead anymore) a one-story home would be good. As the years roll by, my ability to run up and down stairs will slowly diminish. Eventually, I won't be able to climb stairs anymore. How sad is that?

Vault Your Ceiling...
No vaulted ceilings for me. An utter waste of space. Just an illusion, meant to put any visitors in awe because they have to look up? Sure, they can look up... at all that wasted space...

At least I do have a roof over my head, and that's enough for me...

NEW YEAR'S EVE - TEST BALLOON...

2005-11-15T16:25:00.000-08:00

This is a test balloon...

HotFudge and I will be hosting a New Year's Eve gathering this year. Spread the word, check your schedules, etc., etc. If you don't have any plans, come on over...

I'll send out a more formal invitation probably after Thanksgiving...

STAR WARS...[1]

2005-11-13T18:34:00.000-08:00

Part the First: Let The Milking Begin...

I loved Revenge of the Sith. There's no getting around it. I believe I saw it 3-4 times in the theatres. And I also saw it while in Spain. It had been dubbed in Spanish, but that was okay since I already knew what was going on. Even the words that scroll up at the beginning were in Spanish.

On Thursday, November 10, 2005... I broke down and bought Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith.

This is where the milking begins. It is absolutely unconscionable how the release of movies onto DVD plays out, especially if the movie is a blockbuster. And the abuse is so much more apparent with sequels and trilogies. First, release one movie at a time (possibly w/extras [behind-the-scenes, audio commentary, etc.]). After each is released individually (perhaps a year apart from each other), then release some kind of boxed set with even more extras, forcing those who bought the individual movies to wonder what they're missing. I have no doubt this is exactly what the higher-ups will do with this current Star Wars trilogy. I hadn't even thought this far ahead, but a friend of mine suggested (and this wouldn't surprise me) that they'll even release a boxed set containing all six movies, most likely with extras. Ridiculous, imbecile, incorrigible, and unconscionable.

What made me go out and buy the final movie rather than "wait" for the boxed set? This is my reason. I'm not going to watch the extra stuff over and over again. Yes, for the most part, it's enlightening and insightful, but once I've seen it, that's it (at least for me). I have yet to re-watch audio commentary and the like. It is for the movie that I bought the DVD. It is the movie that I will watch again and again. It is not for the extras that I buy DVDs. And Netflix will help me out with that. I saw the Lord of the Rings trilogy in the theatre. Eventually, I will rent the ones with all the extras (UTTERLY RIDICULOUS TO DO THIS TO THE MASSES). And I will do this, too, with the Star Wars saga.

Not Even For the Sake of Completeness...
(Forgive me TofU,) but I cannot bring myself to buy The Phantom Menace. Not even for the sake of completeness. (I have yet to complete my Babylon 5 collection. Ironically, because of Netflix, I don't know if I'll ever watch B5 again.) I know... I know... This really goes against the grain, but I absolutely cannot watch Phantom Menace over and over again. To be honest, I saw it twice on the big screen. The first time, I fell asleep, which is why I went the second time. I just can't fathom what George was thinking when he came up with Jar Jar (and the Ewoks). Sure, Jar Jar was completely CGI, but... WTF. Was he catering to the younger generation by creating such a ridiculously useless character? Was he trying to make the movie more fun for the kids? If that's the case, he really bungled. He should have kept our generation as the target. Do you know how many people groaned in the theatre during Attack of the Clones when Jar Jar made his appearance? BTW, I do own Attack of the Clones. I just love the Yoda-fu, but I CANNOT, WILL NOT, EVER own Phantom Menace.

LET THE MILKING BEGIN, BUT I WILL NEVER, EVER, OWN PHANTOM MENACE...

ON BLOGGING...

2005-11-08T19:47:00.000-08:00

PART THE FIRST: At Least I'm Writing...

Blog and blogging

Where did these words come from? How do new words "officially" enter our lexicon while others fall out of usage? The next time I'm in a bookstore, I must remember to look up "blog" in a dictionary.

Years ago, my first reaction to blogging was: "ICK!! OH, PLEASE... Why would I want to put my thoughts, ideas, daily rantings, dreams, pictures, etc. on the web...?" I thought it was kind of silly. I mean, who would want to read anything that I write? Let alone comment? And what would I say? And why would I want to read about other people's personal sh*t?

That was my line of thinking a few years ago...

Call me a lemming, or a lamb being led to the slaughter, but...

On October 20, 2005, I received a small blurb from Thane of the Universe / Tormented Soul, informing me he'd just started a blog. Apparently, he'd been under pressure for some time from friends who'd been blogging for awhile. After I'd read TofU's blog and browsed some random blogs, I started my own.

WOW...my own writing on the web. My own writing for anyone to run across, read, comment on, etc. Other friends have followed suit, and now, it has become another (new) way of keeping tabs on each other. I like that. I have witnessed a reconnection with friends who are not geographically located nearby. I think it's cool to see everybody's different topics and writing styles, the organization of friends' blogs, how they comment, etc. And our coterie seems to have easily assimilated this phenomenon called blogging. In fact, one blog (which was only one sentence long) started with welcoming comments that turned slightly hostile (in a friendly way, of course) when said blogger failed to post something in a timely manner. Most amusing.

At first, I thought I could write something every day, but it became quite clear (as friends add to their own blogs and comment on others) that just reading and responding and checking for new commentary takes a lot of time. A LOT OF TIME. And I want to take the time to read and comment on others' blogs. But I'm hard pressed for material sometimes. The commentary (sometimes witty, sometimes perverted, sometimes insightful, and always eloquent) of my fellow bloggers may crack me up or give me a new perspective.

Tormented soul pointed out that one of the reasons he'd started one and informed me about his blog was for the writing. I thank him for this. I'd like to write creatively someday, but I have yet to come up with my idea... my concept... my story-line. I don't know if I could come up with something truly original. I think everything's been done. So the challenge becomes the presentation of something in a new way. Take the Harry Potter books. Stories of wizards and witches have been around for centuries. The author has taken an old idea and presented it in a new way.

Ah well... at least I'm writing...

AUDIO BOOKS... THE WRITTEN WORD VS THE NARRATED WORD

2005-11-02T17:05:00.000-08:00

I LUV AUDIO BOOKS...

For those people on the road a lot, on the plane a lot, or who just don't have the time to sit down and read anymore, I urge you to give the audio book a try (if you have not already done so).

I know audio books have been around for awhile, but I didn't like the medium. I'm talking about cassettes. YUCK. However, now that a lot more books are being released on CD, I've really taken to listening rather than reading.

Audio books are a great diversion from music. We all have our IPODS (or MINIDISCS) filled with our favorite music, but even that gets boring sometimes. Thus, I turn to the audio book. Whether I'm stuck in traffic or shopping at Vons, I've usually got at least one audio book with me. They make housework (cleaning, doing laundry, folding laundry, cooking, etc.) more tolerable. I'm usually listening while I prepare my breakfast in the mornings. However, unless you've got a fairly powerful volume (and quality earphones), listening as you shred paper or vacuum are kind of iffy.

The Narrator / Reader
The narrator is oh so important. It's great if he/she can put some emotion into the reading, some feeling. I've listened to some books where the reader just read. No emotion, no feeling, no nothing. UGH. In fact, I'm trying to get through one right now. I like the premise, but the reader is driving me crazy. I find myself checking the display on my player to see how many more hours are left before the end. I will finish it, though. I WILL. But the narrator has actually detracted from the story. I probably would enjoy the story more if I read it myself. There are probably 2-3 audio books that were done so poorly that I had to stop in the middle. Either they were poorly written to begin with, or the reader crucified the work, or there were weird and idiotic sound effects in the background, or some combination of the previous three. Really, it's up to the narrator to bring the story to life. There are many good readers out there, but the best books I've had the pleasure of listening to are the Harry Potter ones. Absolutely astounding. Jim Dale just doesn't read, HE PERFORMS (credit to kilatzin). If Harry Potter's not your cup of tea, so be it, but you'd be missing out on an incredible performance. Dramatizations are a slightly different flavor, with various characters/voices and such. I enjoy these too, if they're done right. Voices have to be unique, and the names of characters are usually said more often than if it were a visual story. (BTW Mulysa, I think you're a great story-teller)

What's Wrong...
But, as with all things I consider "good" and "worthy" of my attention, there are little things that annoy me. There are things that they're just not doing right. One of the things is recording a CD with 1 (one... ONE...ONE!!!) track that is 70+ minutes long. That is ridiculous. That is utterly imbecile. I mean... COME ON!!! A 70 MINUTE TRACK?!!! On the other side of the spectrum, I've listened to CDs that have 99 tracks. 99 TRACKS!! It is ludicrous to have to search through 99 tracks of audio. And each track is only 30-35 seconds long. HRRMMPH!! I just don't get it. On top of that, I've heard of MP3 files that are 5+ hours long. WTF!!!

What's Right...
Tracking every 3-5 minutes makes it convenient and easy to scan thru.

Reading vs Listening...
Some people look down on audio books, and I don't know why. Obviously, it IS a different experience. You're using different body parts, etc. etc. But the essense of storytelling remains the same. The author has constructed a world for the reader/listener to enter and enjoy. Also, for those who are too high and mighty to listen to a story, let me remind you that before paper and pencil, before the printed word, stories (and legends and myths and knowledge and culture and history) were passed down ORALLY. So please... get off your high horse. Listening and knowing how to listen well are skills that a lot of people think they have, but truly don't.

Abridged vs Unabridged...
I DO NOT BELIEVE IN ABRIDGED VERSIONS. I don't care to do the research, but if someone else knows why there are abridgements, you can enlighten me. For now, I'll just assume that the abridgement is the creation of some idiot(s) who felt maybe a story could do without certain chapters or sections. Perhaps that's true. But who are these people to decide what gets cut? (On another note, it annoys me to no end to watch a movie, and then later find out that there's a "Director's Cut" out there. AAARRRGH!) I can't stand abridgements. I CAN'T STAND ABRIDGEMENTS. Makes me feel like I'm missing something. I don't understand the logic behind abridgements. Are they for people who don't have time to read? Abridgements are usually still pretty thick, so it doesn't make sense. Why don't they let ME be the judge. Why tamper with an author's work? Let the masses be the judge. Let us determine if the story was good or not, if it dragged on too much, if it went off on too many tangents...

ScregMan... The Reader...
ScregMan... The Listener...
Reading has always been an on-and-off thing for me. I'd read for several years, then stop, then get back into it again. Having majored in English, I did my share of reading. [Thank you, Cliff's Notes.] I can remember taking 3-4 English classes per semester and having to speed read through 7-10 rather thick novels in one semester. (Dare I say that entire novels have been read in the bathroom [that one's for you, mulysa].)

But sitting down and reading for 1/2 hour or one hour has become more and more difficult. In fact, I can't remember the last time I did read for 1/2 - 1 hour. Maybe I'm just tired or I'd rather be doing other things. Sure, there are 24 hours in a day. Sure, if I can find time to brush my teeth every night, then I should be able to find time to read. All those great people, those great leaders, those inventors, those writers, those painters... they all had 24 hrs a day just like we do. Rather than watch 1/2 hour of TV, I suppose I could read instead. [But I've got so many movies in my Netflix queue...]

I've thought about this for awhile, and the earliest audio story I can remember came from a cassette I'd checked out (years ago) from the library. It was a ghost story... one of those "Things That Go Bump In The Night" deals. Don't even remember the whole story. Something about a creature attacking people. At one point, a man is struggling in the dark with this creature. When he finally subdues it and turns on the lights, he beholds... NOTHING... Eventually, they encase the creature in something like cement in order to determine its shape, etc. Of course, it dies in the process. They determine it to be a goon. Humanoid, but feeding on human flesh. Anyway, that's my earliest recollection of an audio book.

During my Spain trip earlier this year, I'd brought several audio books. Ironically, I found it hard to listen to them. On the plane or on a bus, I'd drift off (sometimes to sleep) and find that several chapters had gone by. So, for the most part, I just listened to music.

I went through a Stephen King phase years ago. If you ever want to read just one of his stories, I recommend The Stand. And don't rely on the TV adaptation, read the damn book. Went through a Star Wars phase. Have read the Chronicles of Narnia 3-4x. Currently re-reading my comic books from years ago. I'm also slowly making my way through a Sociology textbook.

I'll read or listen to just about anything: horror, sci-fi, fantasy, biography, history...

For now, though, it is the audio book that takes precedence...

[linestepper... once I see your list on-line, rest assured I'll be hitting you up for more listening material...]

HELLO... WEEN...

2005-10-31T19:22:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday night, I spied:

- an adorable dementor
- (a bloody) Scream
- Darth Vader (without his helmet)
- Cinderella
- an angel
- Snow White
- a knight
- 2 ninjas
- Neo
- a judge
- a prison inmate
- Marilyn Monroe
- Gwenevere
- a she-vampyre (without fangs)
- a sailor
- a witch
- a football player

HARDEST DECISION: Do we dress here or over there?

PRECIOUS MOMENT: HotFudge in ninja outfit walking hand-in-hand with mulysa's youngest going to see the wabbits.

ATE: Chips & dip, links, the absolute best french fries I've ever had, chicken tenders in the shape of animals...

WITNESSED: lots of fun and laughter, an offended knight, a pouting Darth Vader, Gwenevere running around Marilyn Monroe in fetal position, enhanced cleavage...

OVERHEARD: [RE: The removal of bras.] "At the end of the day, it's like....." (a long sigh of utter relief [or ecstacy?] followed)

INTRIGUING: that 3 women of varying shapes and sizes were able to interchange their costumes.

A NEW WRINKLE: In certain cultures, you're not suppose to show the bottom of your shoe(s) to others. It's considered an insult.

DIDN'T KNOW: That Darth Vader could stick-fight... Such determination. Such power. Such grace. Such poise. He will be a great warrior someday... Let me complete his training, and we will rule the galaxy together as RONIN and DARTH VADER (The Gentle Giant)...

WAS ATTACKED BY: Gwenevere, Darth Vader, and Scream...

ACCUSED: by Gwenevere of stealing/hiding her precious cigarettes...

HI-LITE(S) (I am undecided on which of the following three incidents should be the absolute hi-lite of the evening.):

- the live soft-porn tickling
- linestepper putting her foot on me
- NEO rubbing up on me...

BEST TRICK: Linestepper guiding a camera down her dress.

======================================

OVERHEARD TODAY: (Evening instructor to another evening instructor): "Last week, my students asked me if they had to come to class tonight [Halloween night]." DUHHH!!

FRIDAY... IN A NUTSHELL

2005-10-28T23:42:00.000-07:00

SCARY MOMENTS: Thought I was short $45.00 in cash count. Found it after doing some research / Sold Bus Pass #666 / Glanced at odometer earlier this week and it happened to be 666

HARDEST DECISION: Do I call HotFudge and bother her with some minor crap? [I chose not to bother her...]

OVERHEARD (in a bookstore): Narnia.... I luuuuuuuuuuv Narnia. I wish I could go to Narnia...

OVERHEARD (at WalMart): The haunted house sucked / It was great / They didn't even touch us / They're not allowed to / All they did was...

SOMETHING THAT MADE ME LAUGH: EMILF.... HA HA HA...

THANK YOU: for the soy milk

DOES THIS MAKE ANY SENSE?
SITUATION: After releasing Financial Aid check to a student, the student said "Thank-you"
WHAT I HAD TO SAY: "You're welcome..."
WHAT I WANTED TO SAY: "You sorry ass b*tch. You've got straight F's and W's (Withdrawals) since 1998 AND you're on academic probation. How is it possible you're getting Financial Aid?

PURGING / ORGANIZING / RE-ORGANIZING...

2005-10-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

[I must thank linestepper for this topic. It's cool when one person's blog can lead to a blog of your own.]

Everybody has their own idea of how things should be organized.

For me, just for now, I'd like things not to be lying around. For example, I have the habit of dumping clean laundry onto the bed in our guest room, where it just sits and wrinkles, instead of hanging things that need to be hung and folding things that need to be folded. What are closets and drawers for, right? Bank statements and checkstubs go unopened and unfiled for long periods. And junk-mail... oh geeez... the junk-mail. I did a minor analysis and asked myself: "Where is the majority of paper coming from?" It's not like I take home tons of paper from the office. Majority of paper seems to come from the mail... junk mail to be exact. Mostly credit card offers or mortgage offers or ads. These have a tendency to pile up on the kitchen counter, on the family room table, and at my bed-side. When it gets to be unbearable, I get into this mode: "I'm going to clear everything off, and once it's cleared, it should stay clear." When I finally get the kitchen counter or family room table cleared of paper, it stays that way for awhile. Then... slowly... more junk mail starts to pile up. I'll have to admit, though, HotFudge is better than me at getting rid of her junk mail.

I've also tried this philosophy: "If I could just throw away one thing or shred one thing per day..." Works for awhile, then I slack off.

So I end up doing "purge marathons" with my junk mail. Shredding those damned credit applications and recycling the envelopes. There was a time when I kept bills (gas & electric, garbage, water, etc.) for years. Now I shred them the moment the check clears.

HotFudge and I do have a paper problem. Boxes of paper. Ironically, I think there're tons of her sh*t I could throw away. She feels the same way about some of my stuff. This has led to an impasse. I have no right to talk about her sh*t until I get my sh*t under control, and vice-versa. So we may talk sh*t about eachother, but I don't touch her sh*t, and she doesn't touch mine. I try to go through boxes once in awhile, but there are always those things that you can't quite toss: a term paper from high school, a short story from college, some notes with doodles on the side... And so our boxes sit (and sh*t.)

My latest endeavor at organizing files is a combination of "File 'n Store" boxes (purchased at Office Depot) and accordian style folders. (Neither HotFudge nor I want bulky filing cabinets anymore.)

Recently started "project": One accordian style folder marked "Grab This One", containing birth certificate and something else that eludes me for the moment... (In case the big one hits, I'd want to at least try to grab the most important docs (or maybe not).) Haven't decided what else would be worth grabbing. Passport, insurance stuff, latest bank statement perhaps. Of course, HotFudge's safety, clothing and food would be secondary (NOT!!!). I've wondered about the practicality of preparing a backpack with some bare essentials (bottled water, shoes, couple pairs of sweats and shirts...). With all the disasters that have been occurring, there've been one or two "Are You Prepared" workshops on campus.

Tried scanning documents into a computer for awhile. Kinda nifty to have tons of info on one CD. Time consuming, though. And you need a computer to access it.

TofU and I both loathe the cases CDs come in. Can't stand them. Years ago, I got rid of the cases and put the CDs in one of those cases that hold 200+ CDs. I accumulated about 6-7 of these larger cases. Then logged each CDs' "location" in Excel (spreadsheet). I created an inventory of my CD collection. But then again, in order to find a particular CD, I had to turn on the computer and call up the file so I could see what "section" my CD was in. And if I bought a new CD, I'd have to update the file. It kind of worked... for awhile. Then the system just crumbled. This year, I have, what is the best system thus far. Went to The Container Store and found a container that would hold CDs. Bought lots of those. Then bought tons of CD sleeves. Transferred all CDs and liner notes to the sleeves. Now it's like an easy filing system. Don't even have to go to a computer. And if I buy a new CD, I immediately get rid of the case and put the CD in a sleeve and file it in alpha order. This has been my most successful project thus far.

The space I have is limited and the space must be maximized. Therefore, I should be getting rid of things. Logic dictates that if I bring in more than I get rid of, eventually (and it could take years), my space will run out...

So... What have I purged lately? A few comic books (donated), some old bills (shredded), paper with no "sensitive info" (recycled).

I guess I'll be able to say "I'm organized" when I've made things as easy as possible to get to. If I'm looking for taxes from 3 or 4 years ago, I should be able to find it right away. If I'm looking for a specific blue shirt, I should be able to find it right away and not have to go through a pile of laundry. That would be cool. I think then, I'd consider myself organized.

RECENT HI-LO-'S

2005-10-27T18:02:00.000-07:00

highs: bowling with the guys / disembodied laughter echoing through a near empty parking lot / a call from a friend / a reconnection / i suck at bowling

lows: students who don't deserve to be in college / other people wasting my time (when I'm perfectly capable of wasting my own time with no help from others) / a picky e-mail / one of HotFudge's co-workers is irritating her / i REALLY SUCK at bowling

overheard: a long argument between an A.S. Officer and a club officer in the room next door.

FROM FIREFLY TO SERENITY... LEAVE THEM WANTING

2005-10-26T18:11:00.000-07:00

[Once again, I must thank Tormented Soul for recommending Firefly. And let's not forget GMF. He was kind enough to loan me the series.]

Yes, I'm a sci-fi geek. Big (relatively) Star Wars fan, all Star Trek variations, Battlestar Galactica, etc. Anything with spaceships and robots and lasers, I'll take a chance on.

Firefly was a short-lived "sci-fi western". I guess it aired on Fox on Friday nights. Of course, Friday night is considered the "imminent death" time slot, especially for a brand new series. I had no idea the series even existed. After getting past the music and setting of Firefly, I realized that this was a quality show. Don't worry, I won't summarize the series. Aside from the special effects, I liked the characters and their little quirks, how they interacted with eachother, they're different backgrounds, the majority of the storylines, and even the overall arc. Unfortunately, Firefly was cancelled. I think only 12 episodes aired. The DVD set has all 14 eps. I heard they weren't even aired in order. Does that make any sense? I watched the DVDs, so at least I saw them in order. And I got to know the characters and thus, became invested in the series. I can only assume the show was cancelled because of weak ratings. [Does anybody out there have the real scoop on how a network rates its shows? Is Big Brother watching what we watch? Are there sensors in our cable box? Does someone (possibly in a foreign country) call individual households and ask about viewing habits?]

Regardless, the movie Serenity brought some decent closure to the series. I suppose there was just enough of a fan base to make this possible. Movie was good. It could stand alone, but it's so much better if you've seen the series first.

So what's the point? It's good to see shows end on a high note. Obviously, if a show is doing really good, it'll be on the air for awhile. But then, in general, shows eventually lose their steam, the ratings go down until the show sees its final episode/season. It's kind of sad when a show starts to go down (storylines get old, special guest stars make appearances, an entire show may be based on flashbacks, etc.). At least if you're left wanting, you'll have nothing but good things to say.

The show was already good in my opinion. I honestly feel it would've gotten even better had it had a chance to evolve.

So...

Did they do it right by cancelling Firefly? No. Because I've been left wanting...

Did they do it right by cancelling Firefly? Yes. Because I've been left wanting...

MOLESKINE...

2005-10-25T16:59:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I wish I'd known about the Moleskine notebook in my younger years. I could only imagine what it would be like if I had boxes of these gems, filled with my thoughts and daily activities, from years (nay... decades) gone by. I picture myself years from now, memory failing, but having these little notebooks to drop back on, to help me remember what I did with my life. I envy those who have kept some kind of continuous journal throughout their years. I even would've used the Moleskine notebook to takes notes when I was in college.

Again, I must give credit where credit is due. It was Thane of the Universe (TofU) who turned me onto these pocket notebooks. I've tried keeping journals. I've used spiral notebooks, sketch pads, etc. But I never kept it up. Never did like the "feel" of using regular notebooks or sketch pads. Last year TofU referred me to the Moleskine website. I was intrigued. Moleskine claims that many famous artists used this product. I don't know if it's true or not. There are those who think the popularity of this product has been overblown by association to famous people. I really don't know, and I'm not going to do the research to find out. Regardless of the Moleskine's history, I jumped in. I called around to several bookstores and bought three.

After a few days of writing, I was hooked. It's small, it's convenient, and it's durable. Obviously, I don't think it's waterproof or fireproof, but it can take a beating. And I am writing this because I recently finished another Moleskine. In fact, it survived a trip to Spain earlier this year. There's nothing like kicking back in a foreign country while listening to my favorite music via MINIDISC and writing (or drawing). When I look back, there are many details I would have otherwise forgotten had I not written them down. The names of different places... little factoids, myths, and legends... the names and addresses of people we crossed paths with... specific conversations, etc. etc.

Nowadays, I find myself writing in restaurants while waiting for my order, or in movie theatres before a movie. In fact, I was in front of a movie theatre last night when I finished my Moleskine.

The only complaint I have (and this is such a minor issue): I wish there was some way to attach a writing implement to the notebook. But then something would be lost. It's already "perfect" in my opinion. Finding a way to attach something would mess with the size.

My Moleskine pocket notebook goes pretty much where ever I go. I look forward to when I take it to Italy next year...

MINI-DISC VS. IPOD

2005-10-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

I know several people who own IPODs. They are indeed sleek, sexy, compact, and extremely easy to use (I'm talking about the IPOD, not the several people, although they are also sleek and sexy). You really can't beat the user interface; that "wheel" is just awesome. Please note that I am complimenting the IPOD. Truthfully, the only complaint I've heard is the life of its powersource. But hey, it'll only get better, right? Among my coterie, I am outnumbered. Debates have ensued, research has been done, meetings and conferences have been held, data has been compiled, tests have been done, etc., etc.

So why am I being so stubborn? Why won't I convert? Yes, one could argue that the minidisc is more "klunky" than IPOD, and I whole-heartedly agree. IPOD holds more music, too. And the access to all your music, pictures, audiobooks just can't be beat. So, here it is: for me, it all comes down to PRESERVATION. I've been a big fan of minidisc ever since it came out years ago. Finally, something to replace those horrible cassette tapes. UGH!! Always hated those, but that's what I used because that's what was available. Regardless of the supposed "quality" of the tape, things recorded always had that "muffled sound. Then came CDs, then came the minidisc. With the minidisc, I was able to preserve and archive my entire vinyl collection. The music I recorded years ago onto minidisc still sounds great. For those of you who're old enough to remember, I'm referring to 45's and 12" records. The things where the vibration of a needle along a long groove on a vinyl platter produced the sound. (I'm feeling my age here. I can barely remember 8-tracks. And now there's a generation whose first exposure to music is either the radio or CDs or maybe the Internet.)

It's all about the "LINE-IN" and the microphone. It's all about the ability to record from multiple sources. I haven't dabbled in the IPOD software, but I'm guessing that everything must come from a computer. To the best of my knowledge, an IPOD does not have a "line-in" or a microphone, features that the minidisc does have. Also, I can't get past the idea of "losing" everything once an IPOD breaks down. "Losing" may be too strong a word. IPOD owners have told me, its all in your computer. I do understand this. But I hate being "tied" to the computer. Thane of the Universe (or anybody else who happens to read this blog), perhaps you could answer this question: What is the bare minimum I would need (hardware & software) in order to get the music from a vinyl record to an IPOD? CDs are wonderful, but not everything has gone to CD, not all music has gone to CD. And then, there are perhaps live performances worth saving. With an IPOD, I cannot record from any other source but a computer. So there it is. It's all about preservation. If my minidisc player breaks down, I just buy a new player. The music on my discs is still intact. If I were to buy an IPOD, it would eventually break down (as with anything mechanical), and I'd have to transfer everything all over again from my computer. HMMMMMMMMM. A minor inconvenience, and with today's computers, it probably wouldn't take very long, but a point of contention with me, nonetheless.

I can only hope that minidisc, although not the most popular format, will be here for at least as long as I am.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE LINE-IN...
IT'S ALL ABOUT PRESERVATION...

NORTH COUNTRY

2005-10-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

DISTURBING...DISGRACEFUL and PATHETIC BEHAVIOR... IGNORANT
COWARDLY are those who hurt others, especially while running in packs...
COURAGEOUS are those who stand up and tell the truth... especially when they're alone...
SEXISM... are we so different?

What do you do when the ones with all the power are hurting the ones with none?
The only way such conditions could exist is if management is aware, AND DOES NOTHING...

NETFLIX... THANK YOU...

2005-10-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

So far, they're doing this one right. ("They never do it right" is a phrase I credit to my good friend, Thane of the Universe.) I've been a member of Netflix for about 2-3 months now, and it has breathed new life into the hours I spend in front of the boob-tube. For those of you who don't know what Netflix is, it's an on-line DVD rental business. Very simple. Set up an account, add movies to your queue (list of movies you want to see), and Netflix sends them to you via mail. The turn-around time is impressive, usually 2-3 days. They have several plans which vary in price depending on how many movies you want to have "at home". You can have just 1 at a time all the way to 8. Personally, I started at 3. When that proved insufficient, I changed to 5. When that proved insufficient, I changed to 7. I am quite taken by Netflix because of the convenience. Unless you're into serious immediate gratification, there's nothing like ordering on-line in the comfort of your own home, and just waiting for your rentals to come in the mail. You no longer have to physically get ready to go out, get into your car, drive to the nearest video rental store, browse thru numerous catagories, genres, etc, stand in line to rent, get back into your car, drive home, watch the movie(s), and then repeat the process when you return your rental(s). With Netflix, you just wait for the movies in the mail. And the "envelope" the movies come in also serves as the return envelope. They did it right!

I can remember many days and nights of channel flipping and not being able to find anything worth watching. Remember when we only had about 8-10 channels to choose from? And now with cable and satellite, we have channels galore... But I still have trouble finding things to watch. I've got a small collection of DVDs, and there are those choice few that I could watch over again, but Netflix has provided me with a near endless selection. I could probably rent forever without ever watching the same thing twice. Also, it has given me a chance to catch up and re-live certain series I grew up with. With the exception of Star Trek: TNG and Babylon 5, I don't think I've ever stuck with any TV series in its entirety. Not even X-Files. In the past, my general pattern of watching TV was to hear about a series thru friends or commercials. I'd watch the series, get into it, and then faithfully keep up (set up the VCR to record, etc., etc). Then, I would gradually lose interest, missing an episode here and there, until its importance in my life faded to a mere shrug of the shoulders. Now, I see this as an opportunity to "catch-up" and fill in the gaps. I have at my fingertips, the chance to watch entire seasons and series at my leisure. Further, it's much more satisfying to watch episodes back-to-back as opposed to once a week.

Many times, before NetFlix, I've opened the cabinet next to the TV and peered in. I don't have a huge collection of DVDs, and that's a good thing. But I've often just watched things over and over again, just to have something on TV while I was eating breakfast. But now, especially with NetFlix, I have second thoughts as to why I had bought certain DVDs. I think: "How many times have watched this one? How many times do you think you're going to watch it again? I didn't really have to buy this one." The same could be said for probably two-thirds of my collection. A friend of mine, who has a lot more DVDs has this pattern: buy a DVD, watch it once, put it on the shelf, and never watch it again. Needless to say, I will rarely be buying DVDs in the future.

So now I had a new quandry. For me, there are many movies out there not worth buying, but worth watching again. Since there's so much out there I haven't seen, do I spend time re-watching things I've already seen? Or do I watch everything only once, and never again? I've opted for the former. Something I'd seen many years ago might hold something different for me now. I might appreciate something more now. I might despise something now that I loved years ago... Again, I must say, it's amazing that what I once thought was magical, is not so much anymore. Kinda sad in a way...

I have almost 400 in my queue. Now, I'm looking for that perfect rotation where I always have something to watch...

So, thank you, Thane of the Universe, and thank you, Netflix...

A RE-DISCOVERY...

2005-10-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

I've recently re-discovered my comic books. The Scribbler once said they make good bathroom reading, and I agree. They've been "in storage" for many years, kept in comic book boxes and individually wrapped in plastic bags, a choice few in special "mylar" bags. These were stiffer "bags". Actually, I don't even think bag would be an accurate description. A bag is flimsy. Mylars (if they still exist) were meant to keep comics extra stiff, not let them bend that easily.

Anyway, I've decided to read my comics again. [This is all part of my "trying to get rid of things / minimization project". A blog on this topic later.] I've already read through one "maxi-series" (a 12-issue saga) and 2 "mini-series" (a 3-4 issue saga). It's interesting to go back and re-read things at different stages of life. I've read the Chronicles of Narnia in its entirety 3x-4x. I've since donated these books as I'm sure I will not be reading them again. (I hope the upcoming movie does Narnia justice.)

RE: my comic books. I won't say which ones I've read so far , but I found the writing to be extremely poor. [Again, it amazes me how attitudes and perceptions change over the years. What was once magical is now boring. What was once "a waste of time" may now deserve some reconsideration.] One of the things that has annoyed me the most while reading thru my comics is, what I consider, needless dialogue and needless thought bubbles. I think a lot of the comics of my day contained more useless drivel than the garbage out there in TV land and movie land. For example, I've seen many, many, many fights. Fighting, whether it be hand to hand, with knives, with swords, with spaceships, IS exhausting. You need your strength. Never have I seen such useless dialogue and thoughts in comic book fights. The villain says: "HAH! You're no match for my ______________". Then the hero actually takes precious moments to say something back like: "You have delayed me but a moment. I still have my ________________. You have no chance against it..." And so on and so on and so on. UGH!!!. I've got news for some of you writers out there. People who are really trying to hurt or kill each other, DO NOT talk like that in the middle of a fight. Like I said before, it takes a lot of energy to fight, and talking wastes that energy. If the illustrator is talented enough, he/she can depict the action without having some ridiculous piece of dialogue slowing the reader down.

Now, I'll admit, the comics I collected back in the 80's aren't the same as today's. As far as I know, comics have come a long way in terms of art, storytelling, depth, etc. This is definitely a good thing. There's no reason to "dumb-down" young readers. Why not give them serious issues to read about? Granted, I will not get rid of all my comics. There are a few that were groundbreaking for the time and are worth reading again and again. Whether it be the art or the story or both, there are those that stand out, and thus, are worthy of being kept. Don't worry. I don't just throw away the comics I no longer want. I "donate" them. There's an area near where I work where boxes of books are left for anyone to take. It's all free. That's where I've been leaving my comics. I usually leave them in the morning. At the end of day, as I'm walking by, I notice they're gone. That's a good thing. They shouldn't be thrown away. They should be passed on...

If someone can unlock the secrets of the universe by reading something I no longer have use for, so be it...

OF NICKNAMES & PSEUDONYMS...

2005-10-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

I'm not talking about those cruel ones that are meant to hurt, like when a gang of kids single out the fat kid, or a bunch of teens single out the one with mega pimples. I'm talking about the name(s) that are given to you by your peers, by your coterie. The ones that are unique because of a quality you may have that only those in your group will understand. Screg (pronounced skrej) has been with me for years. Screg is the root, and it has seen several encarnations: Scregie, ScregieFresh, even Squeegie (pronounced like that thing you use to wipe frost and dew off your car's windows). Thus: ScregMan. However, I have no idea what this means. Who gave me the name? Years ago, when I was in 11th grade, a senior in high school gave it to me. I don't know why. One day, he just started calling me Scregie, and it stuck. My more current nickname is ronin. For those of you who don't know what a ronin is, it's a masterless samurai. Am I a masterless samurai who carries a sword and wanders the land? NOT! But I do lack a dojo. My sensei lost his lease, so I am out of practice for the moment. Thus the name: ronin. I believe it's pronounced roh-neen, with a long e sound. But I like the short i better. This name was given to me by Shogun and Linestepper. I have another friend who is a Tormented Soul and Thane of the Universe. Ah.. Tormented Soul... I beg you to reconsider that name. It has not become a self-fulfilling prophecy, has it? I seem to recall two friends bowing and kneeling to eachother, referring to eachother as thane. We must have been reading Shakespeare at the time. There's also GMF.

The one that I'm spending the rest of my life with... the #1 person in my life... her name is HotFudge, of the clan Chocolate Mama.

BEGINNINGS...

2005-10-20T19:05:00.000-07:00

Hmmm... My first blog. I'd heard about these things. Never even thought I'd give it a try, let alone start one. But a friend of mine started one because some friends of his had started some, etc. etc. And so I'm continuing this chain. I have nothing grand or earth-shattering to say, and if I did, it's all relative anyway. What may be "intelligent" to some will be absolute crap to others.

I like this idea: "If you're dumb, surround yourself with smart people. If you're smart, surround yourself with smart people who disagree with you."

I've heard that twice on TV from Sports Night & The West Wing. Don't know if these are Aaron Sorkin's words or not...

But the bottom line for starting a blog... Why not?