Random Flashback for Friday 9/30/11

Here's another of the photos from LVC's production (20 years ago in 1991) of "Through a Shattered Looking Glass: An Evening of the Supernatural".

This one is from the second one-act play, entitled "It". Here the Policewoman is clarifying that the manual didn't have "it" listed, the crowd is getting restless to discover what the Man's use for "it" was going to be and the Woman is moments away from making a startling accusation. (You can see "about to make a startling accusation" all over Stacy Gilbert's countenance!)

I wish I could say more about "it", but "it" was just enough of an "I guess you had to be there moment" for me to just move on. But I will say that a broken crucifix, a frustrated high preistess (featured in next week's photo for an entirely different reason), and a black light lit final scene all played a role.

Random Thought for Thursday 9/29/11

The future is now ... (or the future will be now in 449 days, when the Mayan calendar ends -- and, don't worry, I'm not selling my possessions and proselytizing on street corners -- I'm just fascinated by this planet's journey to the opposite side of the galaxy starting Dec 2012) ...

So ... the future is now ... as evidenced by the recent $2 million dollar federal program in San Antonio elementary schools that photographed kids' trays before and after they ate. Apparently, "digital imaging analysis will calculate how many calories each student actually consumed." It's all an attempt to gather data to address youth at risk for obesity and "the sugar".

So ... my future is soon ... as I'm now looking ahead to my 40th bday in about 100 days. I think it might be too ambitious to lose 40 lbs by my 40th bday, but it wouldn't hurt to get rid of about half of that by the time my trip to Florida rolls around. So, starting 10/1, I'll commit to the following:

1.) Only one Coca Cola a day (on stressful days, it may be a full 2 liter, but on normal days, it will just be one can).

2.) Dessert only once a week -- on Sundays! A day of sabbath -- a day of rest -- a day for Triple Double Oreos!

3.) A little more lifting weights at home. Those dumbbells shall be doorstops no more.

4.) A little more walking around the 'hood. (Not late at night when it's unsafe, but on my lunch break.)

After 48 hours of binge dessert-ing and coca-cola-ing, it's so on!

FANCY FANCY CAMERAS FOR NOT SO FANCY FANCY FOOD:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43006548/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/t/cameras-us-schools-record-calorie-counts/

I MIGHT HAVE TO UNFRIEND THEM ON FACEBOOK:
http://5to9branding.com/2010/11/15/what-coca-cola-starbucks-and-oreos-can-teach-you-about-leisure-marketing-on-facebook/

IT's JUST FUN TO GET CAUGHT UP IN THE MYTHOLOGY:
http://thecosmicheart.blogspot.com/2008/02/connection-between-milky-way-galaxy-and.html

Random Wordplay for Wednesday 9/28/11

Doin' the finger slide.

Used in a sentence: "I'm a late bloomer when it comes to technology, so it should come as no surprise to anyone that I'm not up to date on the jargon, which makes people look at me funny when I try to descriptively explain the action I take to switch screens -- doin' the finger slide on my phone."

By the way, this is my second iteration of the phrase, as "fingering my phone" sounded like even a Supreme Court justice would recognize it as obscene.

I got the smart phone earlier this summer, and it took me until a month ago (just in time for the Beer and Bacon five course event night) to figure out how to directly post pics. Now I have FB active (expect a healthy round of increased "like" activity until I learn to control the power that comes from affirming others), and I even have my first cell phone game to play (Bejeweled isn't fancy, but it's a fun time-killer). Add that burst of activity to the Pandora that my nephew put on the cell a few weeks ago, and I will soon be one of those young automatons completely disconnected from any face to face social interaction and entirely engrossed in whatever's on my tiny screen.

I'll be doin' the finger slide nearly non-stop!

IT's BEEN ABOUT SINCE 2003 OR SO, BUT I'M NOW ON BOARD!:
http://www.gamespot.com/mobile/puzzle/bejeweled/index.html

OBSCENITY -- YOU'LL KNOW IT WHEN YOU SEE IT:
http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/obscenity.htm

I'M STILL ENAMORED WITH THIS EVENING:
http://www.paddylongs.com/paddy-longs-food/bacon-and-beer-tasting/

Random Tune for Tuesday 9/27/11

Let's face it -- I could do a whole year of posts with great songs from PJam, celebrating their 20th anniversary in a big way (documentary movie! picture book! soundtrack! interpreting "Balls in your Mouth" on Jimmy Fallon -- a song about swimming in the Gulf and getting tar balls stuck in your craw, naturally!). But it's hard to choose a favorite (it's like kids, or pets, or loved ones, or whoopie pies -- the more the merrier, each unique in his/her/its own right).

So, with the rainy weather we've been having here in Chicago and the fact that it's been awhile since I've been back home, I'll pick this melancholy small town cautionary tale about keeping memories close and those you love even closer as the tune for tonight (especially as I was recently reminded of it by watching the commercials for the final season of Rescue Me):

HEARTS AND THOUGHTS THEY FADE ... FADE AWAY:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foby1z9NBTA

Random Memorial for Monday 9/26/11

Gone but not forgotten: a supply of fresh air in airplane bathrooms.

Don't worry -- I'm not about to engage in potty humor (but I will restart my Amazing Race Aside* now that the new season is back -- more on that in a minute or so). Instead, it turns out that, due to FAA requirements and their evaluation of potential security risks a la someone using the oxygen canisters that were in the restrooms to start a fire, no more spare oxygen is allowed.

It doesn't affect me so much (I'm not flying until I head to southern Florida to celebrate my 40th birthday in early 2012 [which is one way to get excited about leaving my thirties] -- and I rarely use the facilities on relatively short flights), but it might affect those traveling around the world during this season's Amazing Race (*see below).

For those who want to light a match in the bathroom for nefarious purposes instead of magnanimous ones (ok, a little bit of potty humor had to seep in), a lack of oxygen canisters may be missed.

*One of the best shows on TV just returned to demonstrate why it wins so many Emmys -- because its reality is about the universality of relationships (regardless of the classification and labels of the folks involved), the challenge to display grace under pressure, the celebration of stick-to-it-ive-ness and the embracing of humanity. Here are three things I learned from this week's episode:

1.) The twittersphere can really make things happen in real time. Exhibit A -- the return of the missing passport prior to the departure from LAX.

2.) Some clues are going to be obtuse (like "look up" in Taiwan to find the clue) and some are just about the experience (like the one that allowed Cindy of the Chitown couple to "feel so Asian").

3.) Confucius say ... "In all things success depends on previous preparation and without such previous preparation, there is sure to be failure."

GET IN AND GET OUT -- FOR MORE REASONS THAN ONE:
http://www.nwcn.com/news/Oxygen-masks-secretly-removed-from-all-US-airplane-bathrooms-117829748.html

ESCAPING CHICAGO's WINTER TO PARTY IN FLORIDA IS NOT ON THIS LIST:
http://www.40thbirthdayideas.net/

CONFUCIOUS SAYS JOKES (in today's sensitive world, are these racist? oops if so??):
http://www.humorsphere.com/confucius/confucious_says_jokes.htm

Random Scandal Sheet for Sunday 9/25/11

What Chicago is talking about this week:

Three exciting new products to purchase so that you can prove your patriotism!

In this economy, we're called upon to spend our money as a sign of our belief in capitalism -- so it was not an issue for me to make the rounds today and deplete my bank account to show how American I can be. To whit ...

At Target, after purchasing a few Bachmann Bulbs (2012 is right around the corner and all that time put into the important issue of light bulb purchasing freedom rights may not yet have paid off), I found the best packaging for classic board games (let's add in a pause for those who live in the virtual world to google why anyone would play a game with a board) -- and although the internet tells me they've been around since 2009, the "library book" vintage wooden box set of classic games is now on my holiday wish list!

Next, in between raindrops at an Andersonville farmers' market, I marvelled at how dirty vegetables au natural are (they actually look like they come from the ground when they're not waxed after harvesting!) and then was just as surprised at the plastic flatware that was available to me when I purchased my potato cakes. I was so certain that it was real silverware that I had to use to eat and then return, that I flicked them with my finger to try to figure it all out. But it was plastic, I tell you -- plastic!

Finally, it was on to grocery shopping at the new Mariano's Fresh Market. Somehow, this vendor manages to capture the spirit of the quality of Whole Foods meat and fish counters (without the guilt that comes with the granola lifestyle), while steering away from the lackadaisical attitude of the typical Dominick's employee (I get unions -- but those union employees at that grocery store don't seem to ever be happy about the protections their group has gotten for them) and with the customer appreciation card savings of a Jewel firmly intact. My favorite part of the store ... the sign that says "Sausage made on site by master sausage makers."

[And now that my funds are depleted, it's also American of me to ask someone for a bailout, right?]

SEARCH LIBRARY VINTAGE UNDER TOYS AT TARGET.COM:
http://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=library+vintage&category=0%7CAll%7Cmatchallany%7Call+categories

SO LIFELIKE, FRIENDS WILL THINK YOU CAN AFFORD TO THROW CUTLERY AWAY:
http://www.partycity.com/product/stainless+steel+forks+24ct.do?sortby=ourPicks&size=all&navSet=109883

THE NEW PLACE TO BE FOR GROCERIES IN CHICAGO:
http://www.marianosfreshmarket.com/MeatSeafood.aspx

Random Soapbox for Saturday 9/24/11

I don't mean to go off on a rant here, but ...

... can someone help me balance the reputation of Harrisburg PA?

To be fair, the references to what was my hometown from 98-01 (I'm definitely a "wherever I lay my hat is home kind of guy) are all pre-Lee so there's no doubt in my mind that issues may have been aggravated-- on both sides of this reputation-fence -- since last month).

That disclaimer aside, I was surprised to see that good old Harrisburg was announced to be a runner-up (that's in the top 10 people ) for places that AARP said were the most affordable locations in which to retire ... at approximately the same time that it was national news that Harrisburg was "flirting with Chapter 9 [bankruptcy] in the face of a fiscal crisis" -- an apparently rare turn of events for municipalities.

So what is it that makes John Harris' city so affordable for seniors? Is it the fact that there's a city endorsed court alternative to paying your bills? Or is this all just a marketing ploy (and some good AARP lobbying dollars spent by those in the know) to get those seasoned citizens inside the city limits to boost the revenue?

How's about we get our affairs in order (and by "we", I mean those who took over for Mayor Reed and dealt with the occasional mal-purchased Civil War artifact or other oddities connected to his legacy) before we trick those old folks (and by "old folks", I mean folks at 49 and a half years, since apparently, that's when AARP starts reaching out to people nowadays) into coming on over?

THE ARTICLE FROM WHENCE THE FLIRTING WAS QUOTED:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2011-08-01-central-falls-bankruptcy_n.htm

IN THE TOP 10 -- NO SIGN OF MONEY TROUBLE (and look how low the river is):
http://www.aarp.org/home-garden/livable-communities/info-07-2011/affordable-cities.11.html

IS THE LATEST NEWS ... A PERIOD OF FORCED NEGOTIATIONS:
http://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/Bankruptcy/News/2011/09_-_September/Harrisburg_may_avoid_default;_Pa__looks_at_control/

Random Posting for Penn State 9/24/11

[Note: this was one of those oh-so-rare-now-that-I-work-from-home Saturdays-at-work, so I'm now watching the game on DVR -- which means I'm still posting at half time, as befits my template for this season's randomness. But that also means that if something crazy happened in the second half of the game, that would explain why I'm not making reference to it.]

1. Question: How many times must I sit through some variation of a graphic that informs me that much has changed in this world since JoePa took over?

2. Commentator comment that made me groan: "There's an air of mystery about this Eastern Michigan team ..." Ummm ... with the collection of statistics that y'all spurt out like verbal diarrhea, I kind of think any mystique is killed by the death of over-analysis.

3. Commentator comment that made me giggle: "I know he's a Brooklyn guy, but that was a bit more of a Bronx cheer from the crowd ...", stated after the first 3 points were registered. Why did I giggle? Because I'm pretty sure that was just a regular old cheer and not a derisional one. I don't think our fans are capable of making that kind of noise -- especially at a home game. So I guess I'm laughing at the commentator and not with the commentator on that attempt at humor.

4. Stat of the day: 2, as in now, finally, there are only two teams waiting for the first receiving TD pass of the year. Thanks for giving us ours today, McGloin, so we could get off that list and improve our image. (Sorry Bolden ...)

5. Final thought: Welcome back to the sidelines Mr. Man. We've missed you.

10 FOOTBALL THINGS JOE PATERNO IS OLDER THAN:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/731912-penn-state-football-10-football-things-joepa-is-older-than

FROM BRONX CHEER TO TOOT PILLOW TO PANTY BUBBLE (ICK):
http://www.nottobrag.net/2010/03/toot-pillows-bronx-cheers.html

SO I GUESS HE ONLY LASTED FOR A HALF ON THE SIDELINES AFTER ALL:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/15633974/paterno-returns-to-penn-state-sideline-vs-e-michigan/rss

Random Flashback for Friday 9/23/11

Here's what La Vie Collegienne (LVC's printed school paper -- do they still do that in today's world?) said about this part of the Wig and Buckle's "Through a Shattered Looking Glass: An Evening of the Supernatural":

The first short play to be presented is William Saroyan's "Hello Out There", which is guest directed by Richard Wilson [note: our school's choreographer, since passed on]. Best described as love under unusual circumstances, it is about a man in jail accused of raping a woman and the girl who falls in love with him.

In this 20 year old picture from fall 1991 -- the man, then sophomore Robert Gale, and the girl, freshwoman Stephanie Allen. Oh -- and also the rickety jail cell.

And we've just scratched the surface of this ongoing set of photos! (After all, it was a full evening of surprises ...)

Random Thought for Thursday 9/22/11

13!

XIII.

A Baker's Dozen.

We're finally teenagers.

We have faced our Triskaidekaphobia and we will overcome it.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised OR if I said I wasn't exactly where I wanted to be.

If we were caught up, we'd be planning a vacation to an M city.

It's bar mitzvah time.

Year Thirteen.

X then O 2x.

13!

A TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA PRIMER:
http://www.triskaidekaphobia.com/defines-what-is-triskaidekaphobia/

THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT TIGGERS IS I'M THE ONLY ONE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJFyz73MRcg

PLUS THE BAND (MINUS THE BAND):
http://www.christopherrobinband.com/

Random Wordplay for Wednesday 9/21/11

Go Cubs Go.

Used in a sentence: "Go Cubs Go (not in the sense of the Go Cubs Go song drunks sing when they stumble past the apartment, but more like that insurance commercial -- like go, honey, it's your break) -- the season is over!"

Some might say that the season was over before it began, or when Zambrano zoomed off, or when they played the Phillies (can't we just give them the World Series since it's so obviously theirs this year?) -- and erstwhile manager Mike yelled at them for complaining because "[the] ball's in the sun ... The sun's been in the same damn spot for however long Wrigley Field's been here!", but for me it's over because the last home game was played this afternoon, and now peace and quiet will descend upon the 'hood (at least until movie night on 10/1 or until Paul McC comes back to town).

Truth be told, my favorite part of this season was early on when they became the proud owners of this statistic -- a major league record for consecutive stops at the .500 mark to start a season. They were 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, 6-6, 7-7, 8-8, 9-9 and 10-10. If only they had managed that feat ... or even done the Pirates fake-out ... but no, it looks like there will always be a "there will always be next year".

HERE's THE 2011 VERSION -- TIME TO MAKE THE 2012 ONE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QfdAtT0QiI

OR ... THE SO-CALLED "MIRACLE OF MEDIOCRITY":
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/04/25/wisch-behold-the-cubs-and-the-miracle-of-mediocrity/

CONSPIRACY THEORIES ABOUT THE PIRATES' COLLAPSE:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/799371-pittsburgh-pirates-jerry-meals-call-a-single-catalyst-behind-their-collapse

Random Tune for Tuesday 9/20/11

The letter S (in my ongoing series) ...

... as in "smile" (which is what I did when I looked at the cassette tapes I had in my collection under this letter from which I would pick tonight's tune);

... as in "slop, sloppy joe ... sloppy, sloppy joe, yeah";

... as in sophomoric yet somehow sweet silliness that just makes me say ...

S is for SANDLER, ADAM:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_-KbstEG4E

Random Memorial for Monday 9/19/11

Gone but not forgotten: my personal laptop.

Sometime Saturday night/Sunday morning (while I was out painting the town), someone stole my laptop from the apartment. With no forced entry (could it be that I left the back door to the porch unlocked?) and only that one item having been stolen (they left my camera, other electronic equipment and the bottles in the home-bar untouched), I guess I should be grateful. Perhaps I should take the Bishop Myriel route and think that it was stolen by someone who gave it to his child to use to better his or her education ...

... but I can't be that gracious. Since the letter 'g' sticks on the keyboard, I hope that every word you type has at least one 'g' in it forevermore and that it sends you to the loony bin (after all, it may have started me on that path). And that the digital picture collection I was saving on it provides images that haunt your nightmares the rest of your life, which I hope is shorter than it was supposed to be (like maybe because your next victim bears arms and shoots you when you trespass). And that the battery I bought for cheap off of Ebay not that long ago turns out to be defective and leaks its acid on your delicates.

At least I have my work laptop still, and I'll be sleeping with it under my pillow so that it too will not be missed.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DIDN'T GET THE JEAN VALJEAN CONNECTION:
http://religion.wikia.com/wiki/Bishop_Myriel

CRIMES IN THE HOOD:
http://chicago.everyblock.com/locations/neighborhoods/wrigleyville/?only=crime

ADVICE FOR WHEN YOUR LAPTOP IS STOLEN (TOO LATE FOR ME!):
http://outspokenmedia.com/online-marketing/what-to-do-when-your-laptop-is-stolen/

Random Scandal Sheet for Sunday 9/18/11

What Central PA is talking about this week:

[Normally where I am physically located dictates the geography naming convention of my Sunday posts, but the "buzz" from Central PA is just too great so I had to make an exception.]

The grand opening of the Red Rose Tattoo Parlour -- described as an old timey tattoo parlour located in the heart of the Red Rose city, Lancaster, Pa. It's open Monday through Saturday from noon to nine and it's located at 22 south Lime street. I can personally attest to the skill and craftsmanship of artist Ben Whitman, who has inked me twice already.

If you're in the market for a quality tattoo, check them out!

CHECK OUT FACEBOOK FOR THE DETAILS:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Red-Rose-Tattoo-Parlour/243715792332501

THE ARTIST's WEBSITE:
http://benwhitman.com/

ALSO IN THE SHOP:
http://keithelliottattoos.com/

Random Soapbox for Saturday 9/17/11

I don't mean to go off on a rave (of sorts) here, but ...

... with the Emmys airing tomorrow night and with the amount of TV I watch, I thought I'd pause on Emmy Eve to award a handful of my own Competition Reality Awards and Prizes (capitalization fully intended). After all, the same attempt to seek balance in my life that lets me know I have to have a few raves mixed in with my usual rants guides me to watch almost every competition reality program on TV (as the yang to my PBS and documentary yins). Without further ado ...

MOST UNDER-APPRECIATED COMPETITION REALITY ROLE ... is a tie! First up -- the person who does the entrance music when new contestants are introduced. Conveying a season's worth of heavily edited storylines with a few bars of a signature tune is essential to manipulating the audience. And sharing the honor -- the token contestant in the cast. It could be the chubby one, or the ethnic, or the gay -- or even the straight, depending on the show -- but the fact that the producers will guarantee to keep you on as long as possible to create conflict but never award you the ultimate competition prize makes you ... under-appreciated.

COMMENT TO BE BANNED FROM ANY REUNION SHOW OR POST-SHOW INTERVIEW ... is "but I was edited that way". You chose to participate in a program whose very nature was to edit nearly 24/7 footage into fake-real drama. But it's still you on the tape, sweetheart.

THERE IS A CONSEQUENCE FOR YOUR ACTIONS EDICT ... to be put on the next election ballot decreeing that he or she who quits at any point in an episode must leave. A corollary for the next election cycle will be that he or she who answers the question of who should go home with "me", must also leave.

SUCCESSFUL COMEBACK of 2010-2011 ... goes to the Steven Tyler infused American Idol.

CHANNEL THAT WISHES THEY HAD A COMEBACK in 2010-2011 ... to anything in this genre airing on VH1. I know those reunion shows caused some lawsuits, but the American public is demanding to see girls and guys with little or no self-esteem vie for the love of past rockers, rollers and rappers.

JUDGING PANEL I'D LIKE TO CRITIQUE ME AT THE END OF EVERY DAY ... Bob and Susie on Next Food Star -- it's like therapy listening to their feedback. Can we schedule a daily session before bedtime?

LEAST SUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT AT BEING THE MOST SUSPENSEFUL CHALLENGE (EVER)... is for Hell's Kitchen's "most dramatic/terrifying/explosive/unbelievable" task that always magically results in a tie, to be decided by whomever is the last to be matched up head to head.

BEST JUDGE OF THE COMPETITION REALITY UNIVERSE ... is for Johnny Iuzinni on Top Chef Desserts. I think it's just because he reminds me so much of my "brother" DJ (who has passed on), but I can't watch him without thinking of where DJ might be had he lived.

DOWNLOAD YOUR EMMY BALLOTT HERE:
http://www.emmys.tv/awards/63rd-primetime-emmy-awards

I PRESENT ... JOHNNY IUZINNI:
http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef-just-desserts/bio/johnny-iuzzini

THE MORE OFFICIAL AWARDS:
http://www.emmys.com/nominations/2011/Outstanding%20Reality%20-%20Competition%20Program

Random Posting for Penn State 9/17/11

1.) Question: Hey Temple -- why don't you respond to my sister's request to produce the official documentation that she's asked of your administrative offices?! (Sorry, not really a game-influenced post, but just something I need to get off my chest.)

2.) Commentator comment that made me groan: "Maybe for the day they will own the state of PA" -- made in reference to the possibility that Temple might win over Penn State and at the complete disregard of the Pittsburgh game being played at the same time. Hey buddy -- PA is a big state!

3.) Commentator comment that made me giggle: "That guy really is 5'5". He can be hard to see." -- made when discussing Temple's Owlet Matt Smith, who apparently also has an ill fitting helmet, a Napoleon complex, and a desire to taunt Chaz (not Bono, but Powell).

4.) Stat of the day: 0-35-1 OR 0-27 OR 28 game winning streak OR not since 1941. Fired up first year Temple coach notwithstanding, you can say it many different ways, but a win by Temple today would be a statistical anomaly at best.

5.) Final thought: In today's world of technological marvels, a tighter timeline for calling time outs would be appreciated. Let's get somebody on that right away. Thanks.

THE ROSTER PROVES IT -- HE's SHORT:
http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/roster/_/id/218/temple-owls

STOP PICKING ON CHAZ (BONO, NOT POWELL):
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dancing-stars-chaz-bono-cher-229942

YOU CAN'T BENEFIT FROM THEM IF YOU CAN'T GET THEM CALLED:
http://www.ehow.com/list_6738406_ncaa-nfl-football-timeout-rules.html

Random Flashback for Friday 9/16/11

Twenty years ago (mid-September 1991) would have been the beginning of weeks of preparation, rehearsal and performance of the pieces that made up the fall play at Lebanon Valley College -- an evening entitled "Through a Shattered Looking Glass: An Evening of the Supernatural".

Oh yeah -- and I'm the one that did the "entitling", as it was my turn to direct a Wig and Buckle show at LVC. Over the next few weeks, I'll have shots of the bits and pieces of what went on -- starting with this group photo of just some of the huge ensemble cast.

The dance troupe that is featured prominently in this shot began the show in a midst of fog and lasers (choreography by Alison Rutter, fog and laser beams by Chris Anderson). I had been talked out of my original idea -- to have the dancers enter on zip lines from the sound booth over the audience in the Little Theater (I embraced the concept long before Hugh and Oprah, let it be known ...). But we still started the evening off as uniquely as possible ...

More to come in the weeks ahead ...

Random Thought for Thursday 9/15/11

[I return to the occasional series I had started for Thursdays in September, interrupted last week so I could comment on the Lee-deluge going on in my hometowns ...]

The future is now ... as evidenced by the recent drive around the town of Carson City conducted by Nevada's governor.

Why was it so special? Because it was to test drive what the good folks at Google are doing to advance us toward the Jetson's age -- a driverless car that runs off of lasers, radar, sensors and computers.

Of course, the advance comes almost a half century too late for Mary Jo Kopechne as it relates to politicians and their driving skills, but it does point to a possible Super-Cruise-Control feature coming to a dealer's lot near you!

APPARENTLY, TO BE EXEMPT FROM THE UPCOMING TEXTING WHILE DRIVING BAN:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=14119138

FROM THE VIDEO, IT LOOKS LIKE IT GOES FAST ENOUGH:
http://www.woodtv.com/dpps/news/strange/nevada-governor-takes-spin-in-driverless-car-ob11-jgr_3888542

FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW OF MARY JO:
http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php/2009/07/18/mary-jo-kopechne-died-40-years-ago-today?blog=94

Random Wordplay for Wednesday 9/14/11

Chef Boy -AR' - dee.

Used in a sentence: "At the risk of being pegged as an elitist, I've decided to adjust the way I refer to my canned Beefaroni -- as I've just learned that it should be more like Chef Boy - AR' - dee (emphasis on the middle syllable) and less like Chef BOY'-ar-dee' (the way I've been saying it all my life)."

Just trying to be correct, y'all and show respect for my canned pasta products!

NOT A MASCOT BUT A LIVING CHEF:
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/03/chef-boyardee-was-a-real-person/

TO HEAR IT STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE's MOUTH (WITH AN ITALIAN FLOURISH):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSFIdYcClrs

KEY TO PUT THE RIGHT emPHAsis on the RIGHT sylLABle:
http://ryankenttemple.articlesbase.com/languages-articles/learning-word-emphasis-and-syllable-stress-in-english-1189891.html

Random Tune for Tuesday 9/13/11

TV makes me feel old.

Exhibit A: I've found myself enjoying the comic stylings of Damon Wayans JR in Happy Endings, and his one episode shot on the upcoming New Girl. That's JUNIOR. Homey the Clown's KID has grown up and now he's making me laugh.

Exhibit B: I watch TVLand -- especially for their annual award show (which is just the chance to see how life has treated actors and actresses with whom I "grew up" -- for those lucky enough to still be alive) but also for comedies like the just wrapped Happily Divorced, of which the catchy theme song (and what is it about TV shows that seem to have forgotten to invest in the all important stick-in-your-craw opening song) is today's random tune ...

THEY'RE STILL IN LOVE BUT NOW THEY'RE HAPPILY DIVORCED ...:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp4TvxmIGAk&feature=related

Random Memorial for Monday 9/12/11

Gone but not forgotten: my occasional encounters with Ma and Pa Kettle.

It took catching up on an episode of AMC's amazing Breaking Bad to remind me (the reference was in a scene of a stakeout of an RV that, well, broke bad) that I was once fond of the old black and white Ma and Pa Kettle movies that aired on local weekend television when I was young.

Whether you both were Going to Town, At the Fair, In the Ozarks or on Old McDonald's Farm -- Phoebe and Franklin Kettle, you are missed.

FIRST, TO CITE THE EPISODE:
http://zainybrain.livejournal.com/204746.html

THE KETTLES:
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/82219/Ma-and-Pa-Kettle/

THEY WIN EMMYs FOR A REASON FOLKS:
http://www.amctv.com/shows/breaking-bad

Random Scandal Sheet for Sunday 9/11/11

What we are all talking about this week:

Ten years ago, on 9-10-01, I had just gotten to my hotel in downtown Chicago ready to start my life's next chapter at the beginning of a transition week to find an apartment and a new job. I woke up on Tuesday, walked outside, and noticed that they were evacuating the downtown area (as they thought that what was then known as the Sears Tower might have been a target). It turned into a day spent almost entirely in front of the television (I did find an apartment by week's end, but didn't line up a job for about 2.5 months after the move), absorbing the images and digesting every piece of news that developed.

To think that ten years have passed (and is my DVR ever so full of 10th anniversary documentaries) ... and yet our thoughts are still with those who lost loved ones on that day. We honor the everyday people and the heroes who died in NYC, at the Pentagon and the field in western PA -- here are the links to those memorials:

NOW OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC:
http://www.911memorial.org/

ALSO OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC:
http://pentagonmemorial.org/

STILL LOOKING FOR FUNDS:
http://www.honorflight93.org/

Random Soapbox for Saturday 9/10/11

I don't mean to go off on a rant here, but ...

... how did this apartment suddenly become its own eco-system centered around the fly?

Thanks to a poorly fitted oversized air conditioner in a bay window, there's been a hole allowing flies to gain entry for the last few weeks -- perhaps drawn in by the litter box near the window. Now the cats treat them as play things (some having more success than others -- there's something comical about watching a chubby cat barely bat at a bug flying by), and I've discovered that I've unwittingly starved a few by "trapping" them in the space between the screen and the window when I close it at night. (And since I feed the cats in addition to accidentally slaying flies, I think that keeps me at the top of this food chain.)

I've just discovered the newest link in this bio-system -- a spider who has taken up residence in the corner of the AC unit (right next to the aforementioned hole), having figured out that placing its web there is akin to living next to the old barrel in which metaphoric fish are shot.

With fall arriving any day now -- the AC unit will come out, the hole will get closed, the flies will die off (even those in hiding only have a life span of about 45 days or so -- although that does assume that the flies aren't getting all frisky up in here) and I'll gently suggest to the spider that there are undoubtedly pigs to save somewhere.

[Of note -- this plan will change drastically if I suddenly develop the urge to regurgitate enzymes on my food to aid in the digestive process ...]

THE FLY LIFE SPAN -- SHORTENED WHEN IT SMELLS FOOD?:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070201-fly-smelling.html

JEFF GOLDBLUM IS ... THE FLY:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DFkF4TYVQQ

THERE's ALSO A 7 MIN VIDEO OF THIS CONCEPT (I'LL SPARE YOU THAT ONE):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGUdvF0PqC0&feature=related

Random Posting for Penn State 9/10/11

1.) Question: Is Redd the new Royster?

2.) Commentator comment that made me groan: the insistence by way of backstory telling on pitting Tuscaloosa tornado against PA floods on a backdrop of western wildfires and 9-11 coverage -- why can't this game just be an escape!

3.) Commentator comment that made me giggle: every time they mention Crimson Tide player Dont'a (just because now I know how his momma spelled his name, and I can only marvel at what it was she was contracting with that oddly placed apostrophe).

4.) Stat of the Day: 31680. That's the target number of feet that JoePa will walk in a day as he works his way back to a complete recovery. And to think, at just under half his age, I get upset when I have to walk to the "other" 7-11 a few blocks away when mine runs out of the paper.

5.) Final Thought: I know my central PA peeps. I'm more than certain that a good number of them will take home their "Beat Bama" signs and add the 'O' for the next election cycle.

EVEN EVAN SAID SO:
http://scores.nbcsports.msnbc.com/cfb/story.asp?i=20110822140341731809508

HE OF THE ODD APOSTROPHE:
http://www.rolltide.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/hightower_donta01.html

THEY COME IN SHADES AS WELL:
http://onwardstate.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/go-state-beat-bama-back-view-580x348.jpg

Random Flashback for Friday 9/9/11

It's a 20 year old pic of my niece Casey Jo.

I don't know that it has any particular relevance to early September.

But with all the misery with which people are dealing back home thanks to the flooding brought on by Lee ... and all the (rightful) focus on the tenth anniversary of 9-11 filling the airwaves and mindspace of so many ... I just thought a smiling child might give people a reason to pause, and smile, and briefly think about something else.

[Casey Jo -- hope you don't mind me using this shot that way!]

May smiles be just around the corner for all ...

Purposeful Thought for Thursday 9/8/11

I'll interrupt my normal randomness to state that I was born the same year as Hurricane Agnes, and I recall the various "high-water" signs scattered about central PA from it, and always wondered what it was really like.

As I view the pictures of the Tropical Storm Lee damage (on Facebook, on the web, on the Weather Channel and on the Today Show!) from the Swattie and the Quitty and the Susquehanny (that doesn't quite work as a diminutive) and countless other streams, rivers and "cricks" in my old 'hoods, I just have to say that my thoughts are with you and yours in that area. Flooded basements, washed out roads, collapsed bridges -- here's hoping the community rallies together at a time like this.

(On a personal note, the house I lived in for a few years in Harrisburg is now one of the ones being evacuated in anticipation of the cresting happening tomorrow. Amazing!)

And, when it's all done and over with, it sounds like a few new signs demonstrating the high mark for Lee will need to be put up for future generations to wonder about!

Be safe -- don't drive through flooded areas -- take pics from a distance -- and good luck to all dealing with this crisis!

LEBANON DAILY NEWS FLOODING PICS:
http://www.ldnews.com/ci_18846237?source=most_viewed

MORE FLOODING PICS FROM A LITTLE FARTHER WEST:
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/09/photo_gallery_25_dramatic_phot.html

EVACUATION IN HARRISBURG:
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/09/post_237.html

Random Wordplay for Wednesday 9/7/11

STEM jobs.

Used in a sentence: "I'm not talking about a happy ending that a flower seeks out during the pollination process (oh right, 'cause that would be a stamen job), but instead, the fact that the occupations that grew the fastest in this particular economy and that are forecast to continue to do so are STEM jobs."

During this back to school season, I have to admit I want it all (no teachers, students or parents left behind):

* more focus on Science Technology Engineering and Math fields (the STEM jobs referenced above), because we need to fill the gap of highly skilled workers in this country,

* without cutting out the Arts in our schools, because fostered creativity is what leads to innovation,

* during longer school days with more before and after school programs, because, for some kids, the time spent within the building is the only normalcy that they experience,

* while paying our teachers more (but based on merit not just on seniority or negotiated across-the-board raises), because we are literally investing in the future,

* all, of course, in buildings that haven't been flooded (Lee is apparently spanking Central PA's ass right now, if I believe the outpouring of posts on Facebook).

Good luck to those of you adjusting to empty houses (or congratulations to those of you celebrating the fact that your house is not empty) and best wishes to you teachers out there back in the classroom (hope you have a science or math lesson lined up soon)!

A SCHOOL FRIENDLY EXPLANATION OF A "STAMEN" JOB:
http://www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/pollination.html

MORE FOCUS ON STEM JOBS PLEASE:
https://www.ncstem.org/blog/president-obama-calls-for-more-stem-education

TAKE TWO MINUTES TO TELL CONGRESS YOU SUPPORT THE ARTS:
http://capwiz.com/artsusa/issues/alert/?alertid=13158246

Random Tune for Tuesday 9/6/11

I'm up to the letter R in my ongoing series of random tunes pulled from my cassette tape collection -- and I choose, over Red Hot Chili Peppers at that, the soulful stylings of a Raitt named Bonnie. The most worn out cassette I have of hers is not from her Grammy-favorite "comeback" at the turn of the decade in the nineties -- but it is her Sweet Forgiveness "album" (kids -- you can look that up on the Wiki if you're unfamiliar with that music delivery method).

And tonight's tune is one of my favorite songs of hers, hidden midway through the album (kids -- once upon a time, one listened to an artist's overall vision by hearing songs other than just singles released to ITunes), a sad farewell to "Louise" (... some cried when she died this afternoon ...)!

R is for RAITT, BONNIE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib0pNp8M0xc

Random Memorial for Monday 9/5/11

Gone but not forgotten: the summer of 2011.

I will make the time soon to add the "what I did on summer vacation 2011" photo album to FB, but nothing says end of summer like this fact: tonight's forecast low in Chicago is 55 degrees. Time to break out the snuggie.

Triple digit heat indices of the last few months, in an odd way, you will soon be missed.

CHICAGO's WEATHER FORECAST:
http://www.chicagoweathercenter.com/

20 BUCKS GETS YOU A SKILLING SNUGGIE!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrd6aSXcMwk

SOON ENOUGH, WE'LL BE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE COLD AND WISHING FOR THIS:
http://www.wbez.org/story/humidity-triple-digit-heat-index-readings-tap-chicago-87504

Random Scandal Sheet for Sunday 9/4/11

What Chicago is talking about this week:

Duffy's baby bump.

Come on, Duffy Atkins, evening meteorologist on the 24 hour Chicago news channel CLTV. Get inspired by Labor Day and have your baby already.

Don't get it twisted -- I'm not mocking pregnancy. You definitely glow, even if you do look 13 months into the adventure. It's just that it is getting harder and harder to get the whole radar picture with your curves blocking the map. I'm just sayin' that looking at you in your current state makes my uterus hurt, and I'm pretty sure that I don't have one.

I want nothing more than to wish you a happy going-into-labor day! To you and what I can only assume must be your multiples-to-be -- all the best!!

DUFFY's OFFICIAL BIO (NOTE THE NAMES OF THE YORKIES):
http://www.wgntv.com/about/wgntv-news-team-duffy-atkins,0,3393128.htmlstory

DUFFY's DEMO TAPE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjw3qTK0Zo4

I KNEW IT -- HER FACEBOOK PAGE SAYS SHE'S DUE LATE AUGUST/EARLY SEP:
http://www.facebook.com/duffyatkins?sk=wall&filter=2

Random Soapbox for Saturday 9/3/11

I don't mean to go off on a rant here, but ...

... the number shocked me for some reason. Not the number 475 (which is the number of days until the Mayan calendar ends next year -- just in case you want to decide this Labor Day weekend to call in sick for the next few hundred days since the world might be ending next December) ... but the various percentages listed in a recent chart documenting the "share of population working, 2010*" (note that these numbers do not include the military and self-employed).

I can theorize as to why the numbers are so low (Mississippi is at the bottom of the list with just 36.7% employed --and even the top placeholder, North Dakota with 55.8%, seems to be under what I would expect). Is this the story of the Great Recession written in overall employment figures? Or a representation in the negative space of those whom even our own government has stopped counting (the long-term unemployed who just gave up on the workplace)? Might it simply be as it always was in that some states are just retirement targets and don't "contribute" to the ranks of the employed like others do? Is this what happens when Baby Boomers age?

This Labor Day weekend, I am happy to have a job. I'm just gobsmacked to learn that that makes me a minority in my state -- and in every state of the union but three (North Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming).

Happy Labor Day?

USE THIS INTERACTIVE MAP TO SEE EMPLOYMENT PERCENTAGES FOR YOUR STATE:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/employment/2011-04-13-more-americans-leave-labor-force.htm

THIS PERSON REALLY DISLIKES THE BABY BOOMERS:
http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/in-2011-the-baby-boomers-start-to-turn-65-16-statistics-about-the-coming-retirement-crisis-that-will-drop-your-jaw

WHY NOT POSTPONE THE REPORT UNTIL AFTER THE HOLIDAY?:
http://www.kesq.com/news/29067307/detail.html

Random Posting for Penn State 9/3/11

Here we go again ... what a perfect way to celebrate a holiday weekend than with the return of Penn State football. And, with this 125th season, here is my template for future random posts for Penn State this year --my 5 random thoughts on today's game vs. Indiana State:

1.) Question: Do the odds-makers who determine that we are 37 point favorites factor in to the formula that JoePa doesn't run up the score in a mismatched game?

2.) Commentator comment that made me groan: "That boy's looking for his contacts and he doesn't even wear glasses!", said after a hard helmet-to-helmet hit.

3.) Commentator comment that made me giggle: Every time some mention is made of an athletic contribution by Larry King or how Cheeseborough keeps getting blocked.

4.) Stat of the Day: 36% (as in, what is 125 divided by 45 OR as in, how much of PSU's storied football history is directly tied to JoePa's coaching)

5.) Final thought: They say that Bolden and McGloin chart equally, but doesn't the one who threatened to leave unless he gets in the game weaken the team spirit?

THE QUARTERBACK WARS ... WHO WILL WIN THIS BATTLE?:
http://thetimes-tribune.com/sports/psu-s-bolden-to-start-over-mcgloin-against-indiana-state-1.1197523#axzz1WuBs6GJC

LARRY KING RETIRED TO INDIANA STATE!:
http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/roster/_/id/282/indiana-state-sycamores

THE 125th CELEBRATION:
http://live.psu.edu/story/52925

Random Flashback for Friday 9/2/11

The Labor Day weekend is upon us!

Here's hopin' yours is exciting (I've already put in a half-ish day at work and been to the beach for some sun ...) and, if you are celebrating the traditional end of summer* by partying at all, that it's all that you want it to be.

[*Overheard at the beach today -- someone complaining about referring to this weekend as the end of summer as autumn doesn't start until later this month. I didn't have the heart to enter the fray to inform him that meteorological summer actually ended this past Wednesday night.]

Back to the party atmosphere -- I hope your gathering is just like this 1991 photo of one of my best friends back home having a grand old time with what appears to be Coors Light and baby food. And whether it's the two decades that have passed since that evening, or the fact that it was just too good a party to remember the details, I can't really explain WHY he's enjoying that combination.

All the same, happy holiday weekend to you and yours! Be safe!!

Random Thought for Thursday 9/1/11

[It's a new month, and time for a new occasional series for each Thursday in September.]

The future is now ... as evidenced by the drive across my beloved western Pennsylvania (my time in Uniontown will hit my twenty year old Friday Flashbacks starting the middle of next year) -- where you can take US 219 from POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold and hook up with PA 281 to get to the Lady Luck Casino in the Laurel Highlands on Rt. 40.

Actually, I guess the 60 days have passed, so Altoona can have its name back again, but for this patchworks of "patches" (coal towns, for you not in the know) that only recently was still all about getting highways and bypasses and toll roads to now have casinos and corporate sponsorships, there's no turning back!

LADY LUCK at NEMACOLIN -- COMING SOON:
http://www.nemacolin.com/casino

POM WONDERFUL PRESENTS ... $25,000 MUCH NEEDED IN ALTOONA's COFFERS:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_732321.html?_s_icmp=NetworkHeadlines

MY FAVORITE PATCH WAS SMOCK, MOSTLY 'CAUSE OF FOLKS WHO LIVED THERE:
http://www.coalcampusa.com/westpa/index.html