Fixated on Flint

I told my movie buddy, Kraig, that I wasn't keen on watching G.I. Joe: Retaliation.  The move franchise hasn't captured my attention like the cartoon used to do. The same is true about the Transformers series as well.  However, I told Kraig that I would go see it with him if he wanted and so we did.  As I thought, it was largely a boring movie to me.

There was one thing that I want to comment about and that is the character of Flint. When I was a kid watching the cartoon, I had this strange feeling for Flint that I did not have for any of the other Joes.  I couldn't tell you why, I just did.  Only later did I realize that, yes, I do get crushes on fictional characters--two-dimensional, cartoon characters.  Yeah, don't laugh.

Flint was missing from the other two movies, although Dennis Quaid came close to looking like him as far as I was concerned even though his character was Gen. Hawk.  Flint made his appearance in this movie and whoa boy did I get that strange feeling again.  Only this time, I don't feel so ridiculous about it.  

Death and Taxes

Like usual, I waited until the tax filing deadline before I completed my returns.  While I was filling them out I thought about these people that do not pay any income taxes because they are so poor.  Where are these people?  I'd like to meet them so they can tell me their secrets on how they manage to get by on less than what I make!  I pay in and I think that I'm scraping out of the end of a barrel sometimes looking for some loose change.  Really, who can possibly be poorer than I and not have to pay in?  Anyways, I got my fed and state forms sent in Sunday night via e-file.  Local got mailed off Monday morning.

Those who waited until the absolute last minute were probably distracted with the news coming out of Boston where two IEDs were set off near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.  From what I've read/heard so far, three people are dead.  No clues yet as to who is responsible.  Considering the anniversaries of Waco, and Oklahoma City, plus Patriot's Day and Tax Day, there has been a lot of speculation that it might be an anti-government nutjob.  If it had been al-Qaeda itself, I suppose we would have seen a statement claiming responsibility, but none has surfaced so far.  So it seems we're looking at a lone-wolf type of bomber.

Water!

I was going through some of my junk last night and pulled out my old high school ring.  If I remember right, I haven't worn this thing since a formal dinner back in my freshman year of college.  It's still a loose fit and annoying as hell to wear.  When our class was invited to place orders, I knew that this was something that I would only wear in high school and then stored away in a box.  For the most part that's exactly what has happened.  However, since the cartoon Captain Planet has come up in conversation a couple times lately, I thought I'd break it out.  I think it makes for a passable Planeteer ring!  Yeah, my coworkers laughed at me too.

Braving the cold to see a fuzzy dot.

I just got back from the beach a little while ago.  The comet, C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS) has made its debut a number of days go in the local skies.  However, Michigan weather being Michigan weather, it has been mostly overcast.  I made an attempt this past Friday and that turned out to be a bust because of low clouds on the western horizon.  Today didn't look that great.  Hell, it was snowing this afternoon but the clouds cleared out this evening and gave us this:

PANSTARRS didn't show itself until much later after this picture was shot but I was able to look at it through some high powered binoculars that were provided by the astronomy club from the local university.  I also got a crack at it with a telescope but oddly enough the binoculars had the better view.

Picture from Stellarium.

This is probably the only good attempt that I will be able to get.  Although the comet is moving higher each night, it has also been dimming since Sunday.  It's already hard enough to find with the naked eye so some binoculars and telescopes are going to be needed the next time fair weather comes in.

Torn

Have you ever thought that some record company decides to resurrect some once-popular song?  Like some sort of conspiracy to squeeze some more money out of an audience that loves nostalgia   I swear sometimes, I'll be listening to a radio and song from the 90s will start playing.  It will have been a long time since I've heard it and it'll be a wonder why they've put it into the day's playlist.  Then something weird happens--the song starts cropping up elsewhere.  You'll hear it again on the radio, then on a different station.  Then you'll here it a commercial or this week--an episode of Glee.

So here is Natalie Imbruglia's Torn.  Haven't heard it since high school/early college.  Now I've heard and seen it quite a few times in a number of places.

Still enjoying it.

Don't celebrate the BSA just yet.

Last night, I read that the Boy Scouts of America were again revisiting the issue of homosexuals being allowed in their organization.  In 2000, the Supreme Court ruled that the BSA was allowed to bar gay scouts and adults under the freedom of association.  I agree with the court in that private organizations that have discrimination as part of the creed, have a right to those values.  Of course, I didn't loose any sleep when I heard that some troops here and there were losing privileged access to public facilities.  People who were involved with the organization turned in their badges and medals.  Earlier this year when the board affirmed their anti-gay policies, big corporations such as Intel and UPS cut their funding to the group.

With corporate money being the straw that broke their backs, I do believe that BSA is caving in to societal pressure.  Well... almost.  You see, what they are talking about is that they are going to let the local organizations decide whether they want to exclude gays.  Then they can say to their donors that they don't have any national policy that discriminates against gays.  If they go that route, certainly there are going to be places where gay scouts will be accepted but there are other places where they will not.  That in my mind, just causes more problems.  Instead of one big fight with national, you've got these multiple grass routes ones which will be--they hope--small enough to go unnoticed.

Sorry atheists and agnostics, but you're still banned no matter what.

Sad Situation in the Parking Lot

As I pulled into the parking lot at work this morning I spotted some asshole temp taking up two parking spaces.  I was just going to take a picture of the car and quickly vent my annoyance on twitter.  As I took the photo, I noticed that the plush toy on the dash moved.  Yup, someone had brought their cat to work. I'm not a cat person but I felt bad for the little guy.  I wasn't terribly alarmed, thinking that this was animal abuse. If it was summer, that'd be different.  Still not a place to be for cat.

I figured that the temp must be some kind of overly attached cat fanatic.  When I got out of my car to get a closer look, I saw a bunch of crap in the back. Then it dawned on me what I was seeing.  This person was probably living out of his or her--probably her--car.

I told my supervisor and showed her the picture on my phone.  She marched me down to HR to let them know.  I was embarrassed but I was also beginning to worry about what kind of trouble I might be bringing down on the poor temp.  If HR was shitty, they could just let her go.  Not very helpful for a homeless person needing to earn some money.  On the other hand, if they were nice and tried to talk with her about it, that's another boat load of embarrassment right there.  Considering the company's good working relationship with the local homeless center, I was betting it was going to be the latter option.

Not helpful

ME:  Is there public access?

Guy:  It's on Lakeshore Drive.  (The road that encircles the lake.)

Me:  That's as helpful as telling me that access is where the land meets the water.

New Year--Nothing's New

I am in my grumpy bear mood.  It's winter and it's after the holidays which means dealing with bureaucratic crap with work and gearing for another fight with the IRS tax forms.  Also along for the ride is Michigan extending its hand for renewing my automobile registration.  It's not until around spring time before I start getting approachable again.  Be warned!

The other day I was leaving with the 5:15 shift.  Usually I leave early but anyways, the building I was working in has two bathroom closets.  One designated for the men, the other for the women.  If the woman's toilet is occupied, I've seen women go into the men's.  No big deal since the two closets are identical.  This Muslim temp that has been working here for a couple months was waiting outside the womens' and it looked like she had to go badly.  Meanwhile the mens' was open and free.  I told her to go ahead an use it.  She shot me a look as if I had told her to cut off her hand.  I thought, "Whatever, piss your pants," and left for home.

See? My empathy for other people is as short as the daylight hours.

Merry Christmas! 2012 Edition

I hope that everyone has had a great Christmas.  I spent mine at church.  There weren't very many there and it was noted by the pastor.  The Christmas Eve Candlelight Service has always been packed but I suppose most families would rather just stay in on Christmas Day.

You would think that pretty much everything would be closed today.  Nope. We could have had some after-church lunch at Hardee's or McDonald's but we ended up at a Chinese restaurant-a nice one not one of those buffet or take away joints.

Once we got to my parents' house, we opened presents.  One of the gifts that I got received is this toy of the Queen that waves her hands and is powered by a small solar panel. I'm thinking that will put on my computer tower where it can be visible from below on the production floor.  There, she will be able to wave at all the common folk working to make a buck and they will all look up to her.

The Hobbit Post

I remember back in college when I heard about this fantasy film that was coming out.  I was only vaguely aware of The Lord of the Rings.  My dad had read the books and recommended that I read them as well.  I never took his advice as I was not a fan of fantasy.  In my mind, it was superficial medieval stories infused with magic and monsters.  Had it been a sci-fi story, I'd be more inclined to try it out.  So the movie, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring came and went.  But eventually it made it to Wells Hall.

MSU's Wells Hall showed (and probably still does) free movies to dorm residents.  Otherwise it was $2 for students.  I had known that the movie was critically acclaimed and so I went.  I was blown away and became and instant fan.

Fast forward to now and I have been waiting with excitement to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

The story starts off slow and we hang around the Shire for far too long in my opinion but once the company gets on their way, they run into problem after problem.  I wonder if their journeys to the Shire were met with half problems that they encountered on their way to the Lonely Mountain.

Some complaints out there go to the high frame rate.  Personally, I didn't even notice the difference.  Of course, I don't go to a high tech theater.  I also watched the 2-D version and I think that people who aren't keen on 3-D will still be satisfied with the picture.

Still, I wasn't that impressed with the movie. I enjoyed it but it was nowhere near as good as Jackson's previous LOTR films.

Regarding the CT Shootings

I’m against the death penalty but when these shootings happen, like the recent one in Connecticut, I always reconsider that position. It’s ridiculous that I would wish that this Lanza guy to be resurrected only to put him on trial, found guilty, and then executed.

On the various websites that I visit, there has been a lot of chatter about gun control. It doesn't surprise me as it always happens. It doesn't interest me to get drawn into a conversation on that but there was a clip that saw posted from Bryan Fischer that really infuriated me:

I know better than to listen to this guy are read his tweets, but the douchebaggery and insanity that spews out from this guy is hard to ignore. He’s actually blocked me on twitter. He’s the only one to do so because I get so riled up by his anti-gay rhetoric that I have to respond.

My heart really goes out to the families and everyone that is touched with grief. It’s always and especially horrible when little children are the victims. I wouldn't dare think that the anguish approaches to what it must be for a parent to lose their child and in such a manner.

My Mom's Depressed Dog

I've been dog sitting for my parents since Thursday and I still have a couple more days to go.  I can't wait for it to be over.  Not for my sake but for my mom's dog.  He is ridiculously depressed and I don't think it is going to go away until my mom comes home.

When my parents pulled out of the driveway, Charlie (the dog BTW) was going nuts with his barking and whining.  He jumped on the furniture, ran to every window facing the driveway, and scratched at the door.  I wonder if he does this whenever my mom goes to work.  From what I can guess, he doesn't but maybe that is because my dad is here when she goes.  Anyways, the way he was freaking out, you'd think that he was being left behind forever.

Charlie isn't eating.  I've tried mixing some warmed up canned dog food with his dried dog food and he won't touch either.  He'll accept some scraps of my food but I want him to eat his own food.  I figured that he would have eaten his food by now, 3 days later but he still hasn't touched his bowl.  I gave in somewhat and cooked him up some bacon.  He still wasn't enthusiastic about it like he normally is.  If he could talk, I think he would say, "Meh, bacon?  Oh alright, I'll eat some of that."

Charlie also wasn't drinking until last night when I finally caught him sneaking in some gulps.  I've been changing the water in his bowl twice a day and I think it helped to put some ice cubes in there.  At least his drinking means I don't worry about him dying on me.

As I write this, he currently on the couch looking out toward the drive way.  He'll bark and growl whenever the neighbor dogs across the street become visible but mostly he just sits there and stares out.  Otherwise he is trying to get my attention and take him out for a piss.

There was one brief moment of excitement on Friday night when I took him outside at night, he took off toward the back shed.  I saw him disappear into the shadow and felt him strain at the end of the leash.  I heard a low hiss and I had the feeling he was sniffing out a cat.  I turned on the light from my phone and to my surprise, Charlie was about three feet away from a possum.  After yelling out some choice expletives, I pulled him away, leaving the possum to make a get away.  Good thing I didn't let him have more slack.

The leak in my wallet.

This has been a bad couple of days financially. I let slip one of my problems on facebook and decided that it probably wasn't the best idea to rant about it where coworkers could see.  Then this morning I was walking to my car to get to work when I saw that I had another flat tire.

A couple of months ago, I got a flat tire and I found a screw embedded in the tire.  I took the tire off, put on the donut, and headed for the shop where it was plugged.  I hadn't really noticed until my friend Kraig pointed it out, but my car had a sort of reverberation due to the plug.  As time has gone by, the sound and vibrations have really begun to irritate me.

When I saw the flat this morning I got into a very bad mood.  I'm talking about using some physical violence. By the time I had gotten to the shop I had calmed down a bit but I really wasn't in any mood to be sociable or be bothered in anyway.  Since it was the second tire to go flat, I just asked that the flat and the plugged tire be replaced.  I had a couple hundred available for Christmas presents this year.  I'm once again back to square one.

I've joked about it before but the cars I own--I swear they can smell when I've got extra cash because as soon as I do...

Well Bless My Teeth

My dentist doesn't hide his Christian faith.  Passages from the bible are stenciled on the walls. There is Christian lit available to read in the waiting room and even in the examination rooms. It has never bothered me. If it did, I could go elsewhere but the doctor and his staff are very nice and have always treated me well.  The hygienist I usually see is very talkative and will openly talk about her faith and it is with her that I enter this sort of gray zone.

It's not that I don't appreciate her stories but they always leave me thinking, "thank God she isn't my mother."  We were talking about movies this morning. Well, it was mostly her talking I just mumbled along with a vacuum tube in my mouth. Anyways, she got on to Disney movies and how she didn't want to let her kids watch them because of the demonic imagery. The examples were Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog and the Wicked Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. What annoyed me was that she seemed to assume that I agreed with her. I am willing to bet that the vast majority of parents wouldn't hold such a radical position as she does. It is that insulated bubble that some people exist in that really bothers me and I realize that I've got a bubble of my own. It's just that sometimes after listening to her talk, I have to roll my eyes back and go, "really?"

She's nice, though. I swear. Really.

Black Thursday Bust

Black Friday started at Walmart at 8PM on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday).  My sister went to the one in Niles to check it out.  I wanted to check out the TVs and she wanted to check out the printers.  In this picture we are parked in the last parking space of one of the rows.  Practically every spot in the lot was occupied.  When we got in people were grouped in stations where the merchandise was staged and when 8PM came around, people started tearing into it.  It was crazy.  I got talked out of a TV, Kris was talked out of a printer and we both left empty handed.  Why do I suspect we walked out winners too?

Get 'em before they're gone!

See also: Fair Food 3

Today is my sister's birthday and I sent her text wishing her a happy one.  I also told her to go buy as many Twinkies as she could.  You see, I learned this morning that Hostess, the company the sells the Twinkies, is ceasing operations.  What Twinkies that have just fallen off the assembly line are the last ones.  Throughout the day some funny stories of people going out to stores to stock up were told.  I remember one guy who said that he went to his local Jewel and cleaned them out.  His plan is to sell the boxes for $20 when the normal store supplies dry up.

While it sounds like the Twinkie and other Hostess products are going to disappear forever, that may not necessarily be the case.  Given the popularity of the Twinkie, I'm pretty sure that another company would be more than willing to buy it off of Hostess.  Of course, Hostess may also reverse course and try to remain an operating company.

I had planned to go to the store tonight to see if I could pick up a box but I forgot.  It's not big deal as I don't eat those things that often anyways.  Quite honestly, it has been probably been a good three or so years since I last had one.  They happen to be a little diet crimes of opportunity more than anything else.  The person, I know, who would suffer the most would be my friend Dwight who is a big fan of the Ho Hos.

Blocked

As I mentioned in the previous post, I've been checking out the election reactions among the right wingers.  Apparently I must've gotten under the skin of Mr. Fischer here as I am now banned from reading his tweets. Oh, don't worry, there are plenty more just like me around to sass this guy.

Licking Wounds or Celebrating

It's been a couple days now.  President Obama has been reelected.  Generally speaking, my ballot was pretty much in line with the winners.  I was on the wrong side of Proposal 1--the Emergency Manager law.  That was defeated and the law will not take effect.  The rest of the Proposals were voted down much to my relief.  I hope Matty Moroun can take his Proposal 6 and stick it where the sun don't shine.

I haven't been paying much attention to the reaction on the left.  I expect them to be celebrating and besides, I get enough of it on my facebook newsfeed.  The reaction on the right has been far more interesting.  This was an election that they thought they had in the bag a year ago.  Now they have to figure out why they didn't succeed.  I think that the excuse most pundits are going with was that this was due to all the white evangelicals that decided to sit this election out.

The gay rights issues turned out great. Maine's Question 1, Maryland's Question 6, and Washington's Referendum 74 all passed allowing same sex marriage in those states.  Minnesota's Amendment 1 which would have defined marriage as, "only a union of one man and one woman," was defeated.  Although same sex marriage remains illegal in Minnesota, it does prevent a huge hurdle being placed into the state's constitution. I had to immediately check on @NOMupdate so how Brian Brown is taking this BURN!

Well the this season is over and done with.  Campaign season starts up in a few months for the upcoming midterms.  I know y'all are just bursting with excitement.

Election Day

My ballot has been cast and the wait shouldn't be too long for the results.  We pretty much only have to find out how Ohio voted and I have a feeling that President Obama is still going to win.  So how the various proposals did are what I'll be looking for.