Random Soapbox for Saturday 8/20/16

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

... let's hold off on all the Lochte bashing until all the truth comes out.

That statement aside, do I think that he is likely more than eligible for a gold medal in jack-douchery?  Yes.

Do I think it's the most scandalous thing ever to happen at an Olympics?  No.

Is it wrong to get drunk and to vandalize a gas station bathroom and then to create an exaggerated story to cover it up?  Yes.

Have I been in gas station bathrooms where urinating on the wall might have actually made the only clean spot in the place?  Yes.

Is the truth about all of this likely somewhere in the middle?  Was there likely a gun pointed in the direction of the swimming boys?  Did those same young adults likely have to fork over money to cover whatever drunken damage they did?  Yes, yes, and yes.

Did anyone really expect anything better of Lochte?  I actually don't think so.

Here's why ... I watched the Ryan Seacrest produced show about Lochte a few years back.  At the time, he struck me as a bit of a simple childlike soul in an adult's body -- as the kind of frat bruh in a college town that likely gets drunk and urinates wherever he'd like ... whether in Rio or here in the USA.  The difference -- our celebrity obsessed culture would likely think it's "cute" and chalk it up to "bruhs will be bruhs" behavior ... and that would be that.

One could argue that there should be a higher standard for Olympians .. to which I would counter that that standard has to be adjusted for simpletons.  And if there is a punishment, it should fit the situation -- I haven't seen the details ... but I'm guessing that something akin to TPing a gas station bathroom, pissing somewhere other than the toilet, knocking a few things off the wall and engaging in urination sword fights (you know that's what boys do when they're drunk and go potty together) is something that doesn't necessarily rise to the level of national castigation that is currently underway.

Oh -- and do I hope he learned a lesson?  Hell JEAH!

IT MAY NOT BE TOO LATE TO BINGE WWRyanLochteD:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2016/08/19/get-ready-binge-what-would-ryan-lochte-do-weekend-esquire/88989354/

SOME SAY BAN HIM FROM THE NEXT OLYMPICS:
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/scott-fowler/article96677802.html

A DEBATE ON THE ISSUE OF HOW TO FEEL ABOUT RYAN LOCHTE:
http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/fivering_circus/2016/08/should_we_feel_bad_for_ryan_lochte.html

L V C || C L Memory 49

In 49 days, I'll be back on campus at my alma-mater at an extra special homecoming as Lebanon Valley College continues celebrating its 150th birthday.  In honor of that countdown, here's memory #49:  IN MEMORIAM:  Ray Muller.

Shortly after starting this countdown, and over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, I did a few posts of people from my LVC days who had passed.  This post belonged there, but until I located the "missing" folders this week, I had forgotten all of the sad sad details about Ray's death (a robbery gone bad at a NJ McDonald's where he was working to make money to go to seminary).

That being said, Ray was actually pictured in this series once before ... because he was part of the cast of 'The House of Blue Leaves', my first college play that set me on my path back then.  That's Ray in the upper left hand corner of the cast shots in memory 144.

The tribute to this clown (literally ... he did clowning as part of a campus group that performed to cheer up all kinds of audiences) included this quote from his mother at the viewing:  "We don't want any crying ... if Ray were here, he'd call us all wimps."  No crying ... in honor of a man who lived his life to make other smile, any way he could.

Random Flashback for Friday 8/19/16

Tonight's theme for the 17th batch of photos of my father's that I inherited when he passed ... is "1947 and 1949" -- which makes sense, seeing as how the first three are dated '47 on the back, and the last two are dated '49.  A few more details ...

#81 - family picnic get together, with kids getting to play with a puppy -- and we've seen that girl with that haircut before [is it Joyce B?] (developed by James Lett Co on Sep 17 1947 as per stamp on back)
#82 - unknown smiling boy in a ladder with high waisted shorts, likely fashionable at the time (developed by James Lett Co on Sep 17 1947 as per stamp on back)
#83 - big bushy cat on a couch (47 on back corner)
#84 - Uncle Bob (handwritten on back) with other man, also written was:  "taken 1949 at Lititz at Reunion" (enlarged by Eastman Kodak Stores Inc Philadelphia as per stamp)
#85 - a somewhat blurry bunch of puppies in a field at feeding time -- at least I hope that's what they're all doing in that huddle (developed as Kodacolor Print Feb 10 1949 as per stamp)

L V C || C L Memory 50

In 50 days, I'll be back on campus at my alma-mater at an extra special homecoming as Lebanon Valley College continues celebrating its 150th birthday.  In honor of that countdown, here's memory #50:  seeing all the LVC shows even during my year away.

So ... full disclaimer ... I found a few folders that were missing that represented the months I was "on break" from LVC between my junior and senior year, doing actor-y things on the other side of the state.  As such, I'll have to spend a few memories over the next few nights catching up on some of the LVC things that were happening during that time.

One thing became quickly clear to me ... I drove back across the state to visit pretty often in that gap year -- especially to see the shows:  'Don't Drink the Water', Steph A's version of 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' and Andy H's direction of 'Kiss Me, Kate'.

Because. let's face it -- you could move the boy off the LVC stage that year ... but you couldn't keep him out of the LVC theatre.

Random Thought for Thursday 8/18/16

My ongoing series for 2016 continues ... with the THIRTY-SECOND of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA (coming to you on sequential Thursdays.  All.  Year.  Long.)!]

Establishment:  Pincho Factory
Location:  Pembroke Pines
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  (Maybe) Cherry Flavored Orange Crush
Appetizer:  n/a
Main:  Toston Burger (Add Patty)

two fried plantains as the "buns", then topped with jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, and homemade cilantro sauce
Side(s):  Bacon Cheddar Ranch Fries
topped with chopped bacon, cheddar cheese, and ranch dressing 
Dessert:  n/a
Server:  Kieja (counter service)

I'm growing fonder of these unique to southern Florida chains (six locations down here and one up in Orlando) and I feel like I might be getting in on what may one day be franchised across the country.  And this business model was interesting.  There were parts that reminded me of a Noodles-n-Company style set-up (choose a specific protein kebob [steak, chicken or shrimp], choose what you'll place it on [wrap, rice or salad], and choose a flavoring [from seven different styles] ... but then they also had quality burger, chicken and hot dog choices.  If you've been following along, you know it's rare that I'd pass up a burger .. and so despite the fact that the restaurant is literally named for their kebobs, it was one of those quality burgers that was the base for this particular score:

AMBIANCE:   10/10 (it was bright, clean, open and welcoming ... and the Olympics were on the many TV screens ... plus it was getting close to closing time, and yet there was no pressure to speed up the meal ... as a matter of fact, folks continued to arrive to place orders even in the last half hour ... so no complaints here)
FOOD:            7/10 (the fries were perfectly topped with ranch and cheese AND bacon and were skinny and crispy and the burger was definitely of high quality, which is something that the establishment heavily promotes on its menu/website ... and the use of fried plantains instead of "buns" was something different -- I don't know that it added that much to the taste, but it certainly didn't detract from it ... where there is a point lost is that by the end of the burger, those plantains were breaking up into pieces and making it more of a challenge to keep a hold it ... also a point is lost for having a make-your-own-*Pepsi* machine [you know I like my Coke] and a final one is lost for that same machine that professed to be adding a cherry flavoring to my drink but that lied, as near as I could tell)
SERVICE:      9/10 (this was another counter service place [provide your order, get a number, take a seat and wait for delivery], but everyone with whom we interacted was smiling and friendly and a special shout-out to Kieja who was extra helpful and took time to explain the various options in the menu ... there was a bit of a wait for the food -- but no points are being docked because the food was of a quality to make the wait worth it ... there is one point lost for the size of the drink glass, which was practically a courtesy cup in our mega-gulp world)
BACON:         10/10 (it doesn't get any more simple than this ... the customer can get bacon added to any of the menu items -- burgers, chicken, hot dogs, fries ... you simply can't beat that)
BONUS:         7/10 (+3 for having an award recognized burger worthy of my other series on the Facebook [my burger quest based on the Zagat top 25 in the country list from a few years back], +3 for a well defined mission statement that is so bold as to be called a "pincho movement" and +1 for being a place to which we will return ['cause we didn't even get to try the actual pinchos {kebobs} yet])

TroyScore:  43 out of 50 -- aka 86, a solid B

L V C || C L Memory 51

In 51 days, I'll be back on campus at my alma-mater at an extra special homecoming as Lebanon Valley College continues celebrating its 150th birthday.  In honor of that countdown, here's memory #51:  getting back into my routine.

After a year away, coming back for my (delayed) senior year really was like I'd never left.

And that meant returning to my on campus jobs at the library and the college center front desk.  I pulled the best shift with regards to the latter ... alternating Saturday nights to close (midnight to 2am ... and 10pm to 2am the spring semester).  I got to see *everybody* on campus on their way to and from The Underground (the club in the basement), and a good number of those *everybodies* had been drinking.

Looking through these staff manuals, I just had to include a photo of one of THE most important rules -- being absolutely certain to NEVER give out more than three dollars in quarters at one time.  I can only imagine that amount has been updated in the current version of the manual for inflation.

Random Wordplay for Wednesday 8/17/16

75,000 and counting!

Used in a sentence:  "Earlier this week, the visitor tally at www.capcognition.blogspot.com rolled over to be 75,000 and counting!"

To anyone who has ever stopped by, THANKS!

(To anyone who sees this image and flashes back to my naked gardening day photo from this past May, SORRY!)

To anyone who thinks I should have millions of visitors by now, just know that I'm happy having a permanent place for most of my randomness should the Facebook ever close its doors!

To anyone who hasn't stopped by recently, here are just some of the changes to the blog this year:

• Thought Thursdays have been turned over to local restaurant reviews -- the 50 Tastes of Florida.
• Flashback Fridays now include, every other week, the photos I inherited from my father when he passed.
• The  L V C || C L 150 Memories bonus series is heading toward its finish this October -- so if I knew you in college and you haven't been remembered yet, your turn is coming up.
• The *last* day of every month is for a new short story concept (only updated once a month) set decades in the future:  2 0 8 4. 
• The *first* day of every month is dedicated to what will one day be my foundation (as soon as I win the lottery) called: Just One More ... with different monthly challenges to effectuate change.
• My once-short-now-long superhero origin story ('The Lorem Ipsum Archives') has been moved to its own blog (see link below) and has made it to Chapter 31 ... with many more adventures planned.

Speaking of which, a few initiatives for 2017 are also coming in the new year ... including the renewal of a second set of "50 Tastes of Florida" with new index features AND a brand new surprising short story concept weekly on what will be called TNT Tuesdays.

That's all the long way to say that there are more and more reasons to take a few moments to explore everything on the site (which is super easy to do with the list of labels on the right hand side).

So again ... many THANKS!  I'll see you on the interwebs!

THE 2 0 8 4 SERIES SO FAR (NEW THIS YEAR):
http://capcognition.blogspot.com/search/label/2%200%208%204

THE JUST ONE MORE SERIES SO FAR (NEW THIS YEAR):
http://capcognition.blogspot.com/search/label/just%20one%20more%20...

THE 50 TASTES OF FLORIDA SO FAR (NEW THIS YEAR):
http://capcognition.blogspot.com/search/label/Series%3A%20%2050%20Tastes%20of%20Florida