Lightning Round

Quick strikes of things that have been thundering around the brain...

Watching these NBA Playoffs, I've come up with a new slogan for the league. The NBA: Two tat minimum. Seriously. These guys have enough ink to print a newsletter. Guess Charles Barkley was right about choosing NBA athletes as role models.

Not that I have anything against tattoos. It's just not for me.

And not to worry Laker Fan. Kobe hits his free throws, and you win the game and are going for the sweep on Thursday. Everyone's entitled to a night where you don't get the breaks and bounces going your way.

Love that we're going seven games in the Stanley Cup Finals. These two teams have put on a good show, and it deserves to have a climactic battle. Too bad the Penguins, my pre-series pick, have to go back to Detroit though. They haven't shown that they can win there, and a Game 7 is not the time you want to find out if you can.

Watching the news last night, and Fred Roggin dedicated a minute of his sportscast to tape of Manny Ramirez working out, and recounting what he said to reporters (not on camera) and five seconds to the score of the Stanley Cup Final ... that was broadcast on his own network. A goal highlight would have been nice.

A new iPhone? Look at the sheep run. Even in this economy, people are flocking to be the first to get the newest version. Of course, this coming from the guy who just got the newest touch screen offering from Verizon. I, at least, was eligible for an upgrade.

June gloom. So loving it. Rather have it than June "it's fricken hot out there."

Roger Penske buying Saturn is a coup for Saturn dealers and the car owners. This guy knows his business and won't take any excuses for it making a profit. And should provide customers with the type of cars they want breaking the bank. The only bummer is it'll probably end the use of OnStar in Saturns. Hope someone develops a similar service.

Stephen Colbert's episodes from Iraq so far this week have been amazing. He looks good with the haircut, and the golf club shout out to Bob Hope is perfect.

Adam Lambert admits his gay. The rest of the world reacts: "Duh."

Facebook institutes screen names. Yay. Just what we need on the service that was to hook up friends without hiding behind anonymous screen names ... is instituting screen names.

The New York Times and Boston Globe are fighting in public like fans of their American League baseball teams. We're beyond the point in journalism of petty fighting between papers. I know it's just business for the NYT, but c'mon boys, play nice ... it's not like the American public doesn't already hate us. Let's not give 'em another reason.

Comedy Central orders new episodes of "Futurama." Not a bad thing. It'll be good to see some new episodes instead of the reruns they plaster all over their late night programming. And it gives Matt Groening the outlet for his absurdist side that he can't always do with "The Simpsons."

Tuesday's Random Thoughts

TUNNEL VISION: I hate people.
Wait, not any of you. I know you. You're not people.
Unless...
No, seriously. People are the individuals in the world who think the rules don't apply to them. They're the ones who go out of their way to do stupid things. They're the ones who require companies to put safety instructions on boxes of toothpicks.
Some recent examples of "people" in action:

The postal carrier walking down Cerritos near James Madison Elementary in Anaheim. It's only one-lane residential-type area, but a pretty widely used street to get from one end of Anaheim to the other (all my Loara peeps out there know what I'm talking about). Anyway, the dude is two houses from the corner, and a light to cross the street, but he's standing, waiting for traffic to clear so he can jaywalk. And this example is something I see ALL the time in Moreno Valley. It's 10 more yards to the crosswalk. Make the effort.

Getting on the freeway to come home near Cal State Fullerton the other day. There are two lanes for the on-ramp, and both have the metered lights at the end. We pull up to the red light and stop. The car in the left lane sees the red light and just speeds right on.

The driver who sees the school bus on the side of the road, with its red lights flashing so the students can get off safely. And yet, because there's a whole extra lane worth of room, they zoom on by.

And, of course, there's the car behind me, tailing me in the carpool lane. When I'm doing 80. I finally relent and move to the fast lane so he can pass, and he follows, thinking he's going to pass me, then dives back around, glaring over at me with a scowl ... while on his cell phone.
What is it like to go through life that clueless? I mean, we all have brain fart moments where we do something stupid. But the people I'm talking about don't see it that way. They live in a tunnel vision world. The rest of us -- the responsible ones -- are for cleaning up the mess they leave behind, so they can do it again and again and again and ...
The worst part? There's not much we can do about them (legally, that is). Sigh.

SIX MONTHS: I'm getting a little tired of the constant bashing coming from Republicans over the performance of President Barack Obama.
I realize that most of us have a trial period of three months at our jobs, and we're given a review. But most of us aren't the President of the United States.
To declare the economic plan a "failure," as Newt Gingrich did the other day, after this short of a time period, seems to be jumping the gun to me.
After all, there's no training manual for fixing the mess he inherited. And it's certainly not Obama's job alone to do. He may be the figurehead leader, but there another 535 people in Congress who have to work together to make the changes needed to jump start our economy. And they tend to get along as well as Itchy and Scratchy.
The more people such as Gingrich talk, the more it sounds like sour grapes. Frankly, if things aren't going the way you want them to, get back into the game. Stop going on TV to talk about it, get yourself elected. Go help the process. And don't just scream that it has to be done this way or that way. Work together. This whole two-party petty bickering is getting more than tiresome.
Nothing is going to get fixed overnight. Or in just six months. And not everyone is going to like the way that we get there.
And things still aren't going well by next November, we can pick a whole bunch of new people who won't be able to get anything done in Washington.

THE DAY OFF: Really needed the Monday off. We had a rough weekend as far as getting to spend family time together. And you could really tell Luc needed time to be with his daddy (especially after the fit he threw when mommy left for work Monday morning).
During our time, we went shopping (daddy got his new toy ... errr ... phone). We went to the park to play. We got lunch. We visited Gina's dad (who is happiest when his grandson is around). And we went to visit my mom at the preschool she works at (where Luc got to run around and play, since all the other preschoolers are already out for the summer).
By the time we were done seeing grandma, he was tuckered out. He slept the entire trip home. And after a little rest at home, we met mommy and went to dinner. It was a much needed day together.
Today, Tuesday, we try to get back into routine. Some time at home before heading off to day care, while I get to go shopping. Before all the fun of work starts again tomorrow.

INTERACTIVE PORTION: What was the one show you "had to, had to" watch every day when you came home from school (or every Saturday morning)?

Lightning Round coming tomorrow.

Monday's Singular Thought

Some tired fingers from a long weekend of work, and a young boy who needs his daddy are getting me away from the computer today. Back again tomorrow.

Why am I doing this again?

I've been talking a little here and there about our upcoming vacation plans to Costa Rica, and trust me, I'm more than a little bit excited. It's going to be nice to get out of town for a while and be away from work. I'm pretty sure this will be my first two-week vacation since I became a working stiff (not counting the month I took off after Luc was born). 

But my enthusiasm is tempered some due to the fact that I'm doing something on this trip I swore I never wanted to do again: Traveling with my father-in-law. The man is guano-effin crazy. 

This is going to be a test of my patience that will be long and difficult, as I have experienced it once before. Back a few years ago, my sister-in-law got married in Vegas, and we traveled up with him and my other sister-in-law and her three kids. They met us in Ontario and we caravaned up to Sin City. And since we had more room, he traveled with us. We're barely on the freeway, and his shoes are off. He's taking advantage of our backseat and stretching out (without a seatbelt, I believe). He's grabbing his snacks out of the bag in the back (dried, candied pineapples). All that before we got through Devore. The seatbelt thing gets me the most, cause that's my ticket -- not his. To this day, whenever he gets in our car, I make a point of reminding him to get his seatbelt on and won't leave the confines of his apartment complex until it's on. 

So, we make it to Barstow, and stop at the McDonald's travel station so the rest of us can stretch our legs and use the bathroom. I lead a couple of the kids to the bathroom and relieve myself as well, then head back to find the rest of the family so we can hit the road again. Nooooooo. We can't. He's decided to start the party already and goes to the liquor store and buys some beers and some flavored vodka (or some such) and wants to sit down so everyone can drink. So, he pours for everyone (he's gotten used to me not drinking, thankfully, and I got a soda or water). Gina, who's supposed to pick up the driving, looks at me with her eyes saying "What do I do?" She has a small drink, and before he refills it, she tells him, "Dad, I'm going to be driving from here. I shouldn't have any more." Oh, that sent him into a tizzy, taking away her drink. But my sister-in-law, with no other licensed drivers (or him) in the car, it was OK for her to have at least one more. 

So, we finally get on the road again. The whole trip he's been bugging us to stop and take a picture of the Zzyzx sign. But we can't figure out a safe place to do so on the way there, so we venture on through to Baker, and made a quick stop, and I picked up the driving again. We make it through, finally, to Vegas, about 8:30 (we left in the 2-3:30 range, so a long trip for us) and no one's eaten. We're all hungry. So, we head to the hotel we found for the kids, Terribles, to get them checked in, and then we head to their restaurant to eat. After waiting 30 minutes for a table (cause the buffet had closed not 10 minutes or so before we got there), we grab my father-in-law and leave to get him to hotel. 

Now, we had a freebie thanks to that big Ralphs Club free trip fiasco, and were staying at a Residence Inn. Great room with a bed, kitchen and couch that turned into a bed. We could have had Gina's dad stay with us, but we opted for our privacy (and we hadn't seen our room until after we dropped him off, then went to the wrong Residence Inn, in the rain and wind). 

His hotel, meanwhile ... could barely be described as a hotel. It's a place called the Downtowner Motel. You want a visual? If you've seen the movie "The Cooler," imagine the place William H. Macy's character lives ... only worse. Shady might be the nicest way to describe it. But it was cheap, and fit into his price range. We left him Gina's cell phone (so we could be in touch easily) and headed to our room. 

The next day, we went and got him, and headed to the Sahara for the buffet lunch with the kids (it's one of our favorites for the price range). He didn't want to eat, saying something about his diet. So, we went on, and left him to the casino. We got done, and he realized he had forgotten a shirt, and we needed to go to Wal-Mart to get him one. This was my sister-in-law's first trip to Vegas, so we needed to lead her around town to and from places. So we would be going from our hotel (near the convention center) to Terribles, back downtown, and back. 

After struggling to find a Wal-Mart, we finally headed back to his hotel so he could get ready. Along the way, he was complaining about being hungry, and could we stop and get something. Sigh. We ran through a Carl's Jr., got him some food and were on our way. We gave him an artificially early time to be ready, and went on our way to get dressed. The early time worked. He was ready, and we made it back across town (in the 6 p.m. range) to Excalibur on time so he could walk his daughter down the aisle. 

After the wedding, it was time to celebrate. He and some of the other relatives (including my just married sister-in-law's Godmother from Costa Rica) sat around a bar and drank their dinner. And while the adults were doing that, I hung out with the kids (since their mother joined them as well). There's only so many laps you can make around some of those shops. We had planned to take them to M&M World that night, but it didn't happen. 

The next morning, we all were getting up early to make the drive to Victorville for a reception at one of my brother-in-law's relative's house. We made the trip over to his hotel and called. No answer. I went and knocked on the door. No answer. Call again. Nothing. Knock. Nothing. I finally went to the front desk and asked them to open up so we could check on him in case something happened to him. Nothing. Furious, we started pacing and grousing. When who should finally decide to saunter along. "Oh, were you waiting for me? I just went to get some coffee." GRRRRRR. 

OK, we figure we still have some time to get some food before we leave town, but can't figure out where, and end up at Denny's. Yay, Denny's. Where he doesn't eat again. And the kids really want to go check out M&M World. So we run through the MGM Grand, get over there, take the quick tour. Stop, see the lions, and drag him back to the car. Seriously. The man was dragging his feet so much it was beyond belief. 

We start hauling ass, trying to get to the reception that my sister-in-law planned herself. Even though he was asleep, we made the effort to slow enough to get a picture of the damned sign and finally got into Victorville about 8 p.m. After the party had pretty much broken up. 

My sister-in-law is upset and heartbroken. I'm hungry, tired and upset (as is Gina). We all get a little to eat, but he's ready to leave within 20 minutes of arriving (did I mention he's a racist, too? My brother-in-law's family is of Mexican descent, and that's the worst to him). My other sister-in-law, seeing that we're about to pop a blood vessel, offers to take him the rest of the way home, and we graciously accept her offer. Before they leave, I sit down with my oldest nephew (a very smart, responsible kid) and I give him the directions. "No matter what you do when you come to that split, you stay on the 15," I tell him. "Don't listen to your grandfather. You stay on the 15 going south until you get here and then ..." 

Sure enough, I called my nephew (and Godson) and he said, yep, Grandpa wanted us to go the other way. He wanted them to take the 215 and go through San Bernardino. Now, sure, it would have connected them to the 91, but why go all that way around? 

Oh, and all those time he wouldn't eat? We found out later, when he complained to someone about the trip, that he didn't eat because no one offered to pay for him to eat at those places. Never said word one about not having any money to eat, and we probably would have been able to have paid for something for him. But he certainly had money to gamble. 

That was one weekend. This trip is going to be nine days. Luckily, we'll be surrounded by his family down there, and I think most of the relatives in our age group are going to be able to find ways for us to get away from him for some of that time. Because they've all had their experiences with their uncle. 

So, that's my past experience with my father-in-law. For more recent stories, as we prepare for this trip, you can check out Gina's new blog (it's also linked in the blogroll on the right "Flirting With Integrity") which is focusing on her experiences getting ready for this trip (and her life). 

Well, hope to be back Friday morning (but maybe without the food topic).

Lightning Round

Ya know ...

... The idea that a Chinese company is buying Hummer boggles my mind. Couldn't we have just gone back to GM building them for the government and stop selling them to the people who can't seem to handle them?

... That Conan kid is going to do just fine as host of the Tonight Show. In fact, I've watched more of the Tonight Show the first two nights of Conan's reign than I did for most of Jay Leno's.

... Dick Cheney coming out now, after he's left office, in favor of gay marriage, seems to be much ado about nothing. What was wrong for standing up for your right while you were the "second" most powerful man in the U.S.

... It was good to see Tom Hanks being funny on Conan. And him talking about In-N-Out at that hour is just wrong. Made me want one of their burgers.

... The way Will Farrell's been out promoting "Land of the Lost," I'm thinking he knows it needs all the help it can get.

... Can we have some jungle guide get Heidi and Spencer lost in the jungle -- for good?

... I can't think of many things better in the world than getting a foot massage.

... Seeing the trailers and previews for "Rock Band: The Beatles" makes me wish I could had the dexterity to play "Rock Band." (I had planned on embedding them, but they kept embedding other clips).

... I've seen Green Day perform "Know Your Enemy" on numerous talk/variety shows, and I think the fourth, touring guitarist has had more screen time than full-time band member Mike Dirnt. And at no point have I gotten tired of hearing the song.

... More disturbing: Jack In the Box commercial for the tropical smoothie with the woman talking about menopause or ... wait, there's nothing more disturbing than that.

... Anyone got any advice on getting a new cell phone? I'm due for my two-year upgrade, and not sure which direction to go. Still on Verizon, so no iPhone for me.

... It was great to see another Pac-10 team win the Women's College World Series on ESPN2 on Tuesday. But really ESPN? Reruns of poker outranked live coverage of a college championship game?

... The new season of Project Runway is finally going to hit the air soon, and sounds intriguing. But I still don't know that I have the energy to track it down on Lifetime.

... I'm not sure how the rest of this week will go, but I'm going to try to get something up Friday for sure.

MySpace Highlight

Before blogging here (or starting the Random Thoughts on Facebook), I was writing a blog using MySpace. It was pretty much the same stuff I've been writing here, but a lot less often, and usually more personal experience oriented.

So, in the first in a series of MySpace Highlights, we go back to March 26, 2008, for one I titled "HIPPA be damned":

Ever been a part of some one else’s conversation ... even when you really didn’t want to?

Obviously, in a world where just about everyone has a cell phone (Luc’s already been bugging us for one ... to chew on), it happens more and more often, and is often unavoidable. You just hope that you don’t have to hear what I did Wednesday.

I was sitting by the pharmacy at Rite Aid waiting for a prescription for the baby, when this woman walks up on the phone. She looks to be in hers mid-20s, early-30s, and she’s intently listening to the person on the other side of the call. The clerk acknowleges her, and in a voice you would use if you were at a loud house party, says "Pick Up." (Which was convenient, considering it was the pick-up counter.) The clerk asks her name. Continuing with the loud voice "AMBER."

"Your last name?"

"REDACTED." (to protect the not-so-innocent).

So the clerk goes on her way, looking for the prescriptions, when this comes out of the woman’s mouth, still at the same volume.

"That’s what happens in prison, mom."

My head snapped up pretty quick at that one. The clerk, who had her back to her, did a double take, and went into double time looking for her prescription.

Now, I was trying not to appear that I was listening, but she had my attention, that’s for sure. And I’m not sure of the accuracy of the order of the following conversation, but all was pretty much said in pretty much these words.

"Yes, mom. Things like that happen. There was a woman who was in there because she cut her baby’s weenie off."
"..." (other half of phone coversation)
"Because she wanted a girl mom. And this other woman, she put her baby in the oven and cooked it and served it to her husband."
"..."
"These things happen in there mom."
"..."
"When I was in prison, mom ..." (At this point, I think the pharmacy tech went into triple-time mode) "...there was a woman who had cut off her baby’s weenie because she wanted a girl."
"..."
"OK, well mom, I’ve got to go."

NOW? NOW she needed to go? After having half a conversation like that at a pharmacy? For everyone to hear? NOW YOU HAVE TO GO? You couldn’t have finished this before you walked in? HIPPA be damned if you want to talk on the cell phone at the pharmacy counter.

Of course, I wasn’t able to recount everything she said (because I don’t carry notebooks with me any more). But she did mention that someone (it may have been her, I don’t remember) was serving at Chowchilla prison. The volume in her voice decreased only slightly through the conversation. And there’s no telling what this woman had done to earn her stay in the big house. But I was watching her body language and she was shaking in a way that didn’t appear to be voluntary, and may have been related to some sort of drug use.

So, consider yourself warned. Nowadays, it seems, you can’t avoid outside incidents of TMI.

Monday's Random Thoughts

SPORTS NIRVANA: Attention all sports fans. Please sing along:
It's the most wonderful time of the year...
Let's face it, rather than that one overlying event (such as March Madness or the Super Bowl or the Olympics), we have a convergence of just about every sport imaginable. And if they're not playing, they're still making news.
This weekend was one of that made me feel alive and happy to be able to have a varied love of all sports being played at every level. Let's break it down:

The College World Series started. Say what you will about the ping of the bat, but the road to Omaha is a wonder to watch, because you never know what's going to happen. You could get a game with nine home runs (as was my brother's first game in Georgia). Or you could get a 25-inning game -- the longest in NCAA history -- where a pitcher threw 13 innings in relief, 12 of those without allowing a hit. The college game is maddening and exciting at the same time. And it doesn't hurt my interest when Cal State Fullerton (NOT my alma mater) is still playing.

Professional baseball is in full swing. It's about now, as the weather warms up, that following the major leagues starts getting interesting. You've had the first two months, where every team mostly has its ups and downs, and you start getting a feel for who the real contenders are. And if the Angels don't do something with that bullpen soon ... Though, it was nice to get a comeback, walk-off win Sunday.

A little thing called the Stanley Cup Finals. And for all those Detroit fans who groused about having to play back-to-back games for openers, guess that really was an issue for your team. The only problem with the Red Wings winning those first two games is now we have the danger of the Cup being awarded on Versus, not NBC. The series will be shown on the obscure cable home of the NHL for Games 3 and 4, meaning that most of America might not see the final game (still not likely, gotta figure Pittsburgh wins at least one at home).

The NBA Finals are set to go. And, my apologies *snicker* to ABC for losing out on your dream match up. Guess you'll just have to settle for Disneyland vs. Disney World.

The king of clay, Rafael Nadal, lost at the French Open in tennis. This opens the door for Roger Federer to complete his career grand slam, which will put him atop many people's list as far as greatest player ever.

And even the sports I used to coach was on TV this weekend. The Women's College World Series is taking place in Oklahoma City (great complex, including a softball hall of fame, out there, BTW). Caught the last inning of a game on TV here at work. Actually, it was the last at-bat of the first game Sunday.
Didn't hear about it? It was only the ultimate dream-come-true moment for a ballplayer.
Two outs, bottom of the ninth (or, in this case, seventh), bases loaded. Down by three. Who didn't step up with their Whiffle ball and imagine that scenario? You always lived it out in your head, to the roar of your imaginary crowd.
A Florida player lived it. Opposite field, no less.
The announcers let the images from the field do their talking. The one dugout celebrating on the field. The other in disbelief, the emotions just overwhelming the players who were one out away from playing for a championship.
That's not considering the close finish at the NASCAR race and a playoff in the PGA.
A perfect day of sports. Something for everyone, and no waiting. It really helped, because ...

EARLIER IN THE DAY: Came the news that someone had gone into a church and killed a doctor, because he was a supporter of abortion rights.
Last time I checked, two wrongs, still do not make a right. And I'm no theological scholar, but I'm pretty sure that killing someone is still a sin. And killing someone in church? I'm thinking that earns you a FastPass for journey to hell ride in life.
And get off that "eye for an eye" Old Testament bandwagon. I think we all know the difference between right and wrong when it comes to another person's life. We're supposed to be the CIVILIZED society, especially, as some of the backwoods-redneck-racist bastards are wont to think, compared to the people in other countries who still allegedly do things like that.
We can go round-and-round over the whole abortion discussion again, but it just wears me out. Besides, earlier Sunday, my former co-worker Mike Rappaport beat me to the whole point, that seems to evade the pro-lifers out there:

I believe that as long as our laws and our society are the way they are, abortion needs to be safe and legal. That said, if a woman in my life became pregnant, I would do whatever I could to dissuade her from terminating her pregnancy.
Of course if I couldn't, the choice would be up to her. That's a choice I'm perfectly willing to let her make, as long as she understands that her actions have consequences and that she may have to justify herself before God at the end of her life.

So, hope the person who did this feels better about themselves. Because I'm pretty sure they're the only one.

RICH COAST: Yes, the trip is booked. The family has been notified. And in about a month, we'll be taking a vacation to Costa Rica.
And thankfully, the D-listers participating in "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here" will be gone.
We're going down for Gina's grandmother's 100th birthday. And it should be a blast. If we can survive the next month dealing with her dad's paranoia, nerves and grandstanding.
Ever since we've told him we're going to go, he's started making plans for us to do things while we're down there. Every time he goes for a visit, it's typically for a month, and he goes off to Honduras ... Panama ... Colombia ... the whole region.
We're going for a few days. We'd like to see the family.
Oh, there are a couple of things we might do. Thinking of getting a car and going to a hotel by the beach. Maybe something we want to do.
So, if you're into praying, say one for us. Not necessarily for a safe trip (though that would be nice, too), but that we get through it without having a meltdown over Gina's dad.

INTERACTIVE PORTION: Who's the one musical act (past or present) you'd break the bank to see live and in their prime just once?