If you aren't a lifeguard you don't have to jump in the water... you can just watch.

One of the things I learned in life guarding is that you sometimes have to knock out the person or die yourself. The danger is that the person is flailing around so hard and so much that if you try to move in you are likely to be killed in in the process. In some cases you have to let the person drown to then try to save them with CPR.

How strange is that, all your training say help them help them, but you have to be just out of reach to be safe and then let them die. I know really sort of mostly cloudy there with that thought but one dead that might be saved is better than two dead that no one can save.

I’m not trying to save anyone at the moment, no one is really drowning it's just ... that I’m in a similar situation. Not that I'm the drowning person or a life guard... but both.

It’s like trying to stay afloat in a typhoon. If you struggle you’ll just tire and die.

It is so chaotic it is like watching a drowning person attack the lifeguard. The more action creates more waves, more spray, more chaos, and less clarity there is in the situation.

Then there is the whole are you kidding aspect? Seriously, how can you hear those words and actually think they make any sense at all?

To the less cryptic and yet possibly less understandable. No it will be clearer

So I quit smoking very nearly a year ago now. I’m not saying that to try to get pats on the back because there is bad news with all of this too. I really struggled with quitting on a daily basis. Hell, I still want the blasted things. As bad as they are for you and expensive. I’m so glad I’m quit now. However, like every other attempt I’ve made at quitting I gained weight.

Yup the whole hand to mouth thing.

So now I need to get started back to losing the weight I gained from not smoking. There were other factors in that gain too but I didn’t go back to the cigs to cope with the stress and the gaining weight like I have in the past.

I’m still working on the plan. But it’s a plan. The typhoon has me a bit distracted at the moment.

Better stuff tomorrow.

Have a great day and play nice in the neighborhood.

Ciao,

Tango, Whiskey, Bravo

It’s once upon a time, time. I’m not sure I’ve ever written about this in my years of blogging. How I ended up in the military.

I wasn’t what anyone would ever say was destined to be in the military. I like my hair long. I personally think I look better that way but that may not be true and I’m not one who thinks that shooting other people and dropping explosives on them is the best way to solve problems. It does however eliminate a lot of the people who disagree with you … well at first. It does tend to create some others who don’t like you… which involves more bombs and … well not the point. However you can see by the way that thought process goes that my mind and body in the military isn’t really what one would call a good match.

I’m doing my peace-nik things, listening to my punk rock music, and not thinking that being a solider is a really good thing. I even got a really threatening letter because I was refusing to register for the selective service. Yup yup. One kid even went to jail. I was really close too I think.

My grandfather, career navy intercepted a letter which stated that I would be prosecuted if I didn’t register. I was ready, at least in my mind to be that guy who went to jail for the cause that saying having a draft is a bad thing. Well he forced me to go to the post office and fill out the papers. He had brought them home a few times and I would throw them away. Well this time, I didn’t have that choice and I signed them as a conscientious objector figuring that at least this way I was saying you know I’m doing this against but it is against my will and my beliefs.

Well less than a year later. I’m sitting in my Fraternity’s house watching MTV and not drinking. I’m not sure why I’m not drinking but I wasn’t. I wasn’t going to class either. I hadn’t been going to a lot of classes and was failing all of them except for Art appreciation. I was doing so poorly at the mid term the school decided to put me on academic probation then rather than waiting until the end of the semester. So I’m failing out of college. There are a lot of things tied to that.

I can hear the ramble in my head beginning already, What are f’ing stupid. Worthless dumbass

Partly I was thinking of ways to avoid yet another way I’m just not good enough. Then while the echoes of worthless and stupid ringing in my ears I’m thinking what can I do for me that I want to do. I had nothing. Then the Army ad comes on the TV. So it hits me, hey why not. I need to be something why not be a soldier.

I got off the sofa in the fraternity house and walked about 3 miles to the recruiting station. I said I didn’t have anything. I had shoes not a car. I didn’t even have an apartment at that point I had a room in a house with an old lady. I walked and thought about joining up. I needed to do something but I wasn’t just going to do this and be unaware of what was going on.

Finally after getting to the recruiting station the army guy isn’t there. There is however a note on the door, be back soon. So I decide to wait.

Well like blood in the water the sharks starting getting uppity.

Navy guy comes out. Have you ever thought about the Navy.

Nope, boats sink.

Ships

Ships sink too, it’s not pretty.

Well we have really big ships, He is going to be awhile why not come on in and talk.

Ok.

Well it comes down to the Navy doesn’t really have Military Police. They have shore patrol which is a detail and then after an enlistment you can apply for Master of Arms. Hmm… No, thanks but I think I’ll wait.

I go back on the bench and wait.

The Marine guy comes out.

Couldn’t help over hear you talking with the Navy guy

Yup.

Thought about the Corps?

Decidedly not.

The few the proud, come on in and talk.

Ok

This comes down while they do have MP’s they don’t really have any open slots for that Job but if I signed today I could be put on a list.


Hmmm… nope I’m thinking that list isn’t going to work out and I would end up as an infantry ground pounder in the corps. Not for me. Thanks and all.

I go back to the bench and wait.

The Air Force guy comes out.. You know he(points to the Army guy’s door) is usually gone a long time. We have some videos you can watch.

(Fish hook) What a tricky bastard he was.

So I watch a couple of videos, basic training, security police and world wide deployment.

Then he comes out says there are spots open in security police (what the air force calls Military Police yeah they have to be different.)

So he says, have you taken the ASVAB?

Nope, didn’t take it in High School because I was, am a long hair hippy freak who listens to punk music and I have piercing when most guys don’t have them. Now they are common place. Then not so much and not just one, which was really not done then.

Hmm… well you’ll have to take that before we can do anything.

Huh a test.. Well I’m stupid and worthless I’m likely to fail that. Wonder why the other two guys never mentioned this ASVAB thingy

So Air Force recruiter guys says they have a test on Saturday can you be at such and such a place.

Where is it?

Tells me.

How far is that?

20 miles or so.

Ah that would be no, shoe leather express is my primary and secondary mode of transportation.

We can pick you up.

Huh, really

Sure, we’ll even buy lunch after.

Man he was good.

Ok where do I sign.

No where just give me your address and we’ll see you on Saturday I have a few other guys and a gal taking the test then.

Ok then see you on Saturday.

Saturday comes, I take the test. I get a message to call the devils right hand man. (recruiter)

You passed. Really well too, you sure you want to be a cop? Because your scores are excellent you can do what ever you want.

Wow I’m not worthless or stupid. Yeah I’m sure I want to be a cop...Ok, well maybe stupid.

Well come on back to the office and we’ll work on the details.

So I walk again.

Get there and we talk I still didn’t sign but he was holding a place for me and I could still back out pending my physical at the MEPS station in Pittsburg. So I do all that and then sign up finish school very badly, but I knew I wouldn’t be going back to college in the Fall. I would be going to Texas and at the time I thought this was a good thing.

Which all and all I’m glad I joined and did my enlistment. I even understand the need for a military, I think we need to be more prudent about how we utilize our military but that is a different thing. This was about how I got there in the first place.

Now if I had studied and been a good student. I wouldn’t have done that part of my life.




Have a great day and play nice in the neighborhood.

Ciao,

A sport rant

Not my usual rant because I don’t follow sport. There are several reasons for that which culminate in that for the most part sport has been corrupted on every level so much so that there is little true spirit left in any game. I’m sure there are purist out there in every sport who play for the sake of the enjoyment of the game or individual skill sport achievement. Not my rant at least not right now.

It has come up again that the baseball powers that be are once again considering if they should allow Pete Rose into the baseball hall of fame.

Sorry Pete you blew it. A big fat no. You aren’t the only one guilty of your crime but you got caught. No it’s not fair but you got caught betting on your own team. While you say it was only to win, how do we know that for sure.

That said if they are going to consider Pete Rose, then lets hear the argument for Buck Weaver before Pete gets his day. 1919 Black Sox player. Didn’t take a dime, played better ball in the series than he had that season, no errors in the entire series. Banned for life because he may have been aware of the fix on the series for the Sox to throw the series.

Weaver appealed through out his life to no avail. Baseball has turned it’s back on this player. Now everyone says Shoeless Joe Jackson, Weaver’s teammate, should be considered out of the 8 players banned for life, simply because he was a better known player. Well that may be so, however Jackson took money, while he played well in the series, he didn’t play outstanding ball, Weaver did, and he took money and was in on the fix, Weaver was not and did not take a dime.

Weaver did not, but he is out for life.

Weaver also as the baseball commission critiques did not tell the team owner.

Lets face it the need for a commissioner of baseball then and now was and is not mainly due to player corruption it was and is due to owner corruption. Weaver didn’t tell the owners because they were more likely than not in on the fix as well. This has only been slightly looked into and was largely ignored by the commission because they did not want to kill off baseball and an investigation into team owners would have meant just that very thing. Just like now they focus on corruption is on the players and not the owner who profit more then and now than the players.

Weaver is only one player but deserves better if they are considering Rose and the slew of steroid users of today.

The hall of fame and the record book of baseball is so messed up anymore starting with the extension of the season causing Roger Maris, the original player breaking of the single season homerun record to contain an asterisk by his record.

Now we have the steroids, corruption, gambling and all sorts of other problems have infected every team. The sport is utterly corrupt. I’m sure there a good players who don’t break the rules and play for the joy of the game.

Boo hiss me all you want. Pete Rose does not deserve to be in the hall of fame. For the most part sadly all the corrupt players have really made it very nearly necessary to disallow any current player or any player from about 1990 on from being allowed into the hall of fame and the record book be stopped until the players and owners can clean up the sport.

I understand these teams are businesses that need to fill seats to make money or break even. The way to do that is to win, to sell the seats. However it has become a win at all costs mentality in the arena of professional sport and even to some amateur levels. The owners and players have done just that and the purity of any professional sport not just baseball is gone.

If that is the case then the question becomes has the level of professional sport business evolved beyond the team and the true spirit of the competition for competitions sake and there is no way to elevate players into a level above others as truly great because it’s a job and a business and not a game anymore.

Don’t we want the have a bit of purity in the games now. Who cares who wins but how was the game played. Which in my opinion is why anyone wants celebrate the great players and heroes of any game by placing them in the Hall of Fame is because they played well win or loose and loved the game for the sake of competition not because they get a 4 million dollar bonus for making it to the post season.

Just my thoughts

Have a great day and play nice in the neighborhood.

Ciao,

Inside the Actors Studio Questions.

Questions used by James Lipton but written by the original French host of Inside the Actors Studio.



1. What is your favorite word?
Serendipity - happy accidents

2. What is your least favorite word?
Hmm… gangster speak. I know that’s more than one word but talking smack just to be talking smack is annoying as hell. Rooster up on your own time not when mine is involved.

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
Nature, I don’t spend nearly enough time in nature as I’ve become a slave to the comforts of the urban world but in my mind I can go and freeing the mind is half the battle.

4. What turns you off?
Self serving behavior

5. What is your favorite curse word?
Hmmm well if you know me at all you know I say "F- ire trUCK all of the time. But I would have to say my all time favorite curse word is Bastard. While the F bomb has much more uses bastard just has a certain… you know … that grab ya by the shirt and slap you in the face. Yeah I’m a bastard I do bastardly things in bastard like ways to a bunch of bastardly bastards … I am King of the Bastards and I’m bringing it back ya bastards.


6. What sound or noise do you love?
My voices of my children.

7. What sound or noise do you hate (dislike)?
Lots of things but the sound of Delores tops the list right now.

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
International Courier

9. What profession would you not like to do?
I’d like to think there is no job that is beneath me as in I’m not too good to do any job. With that said I don’t think I would like selling anything for a living.

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
Glad you were honest about your doubts and reached for understanding along many paths and finding the simple answers hold deeper truth. Going down… muahahahaahaha … just kidding. Love that stuff …oh relax


Better stuff tomorrow - Mondays are class nights and not much time to think once I get home.



Have a great day and play nice in the neighborhood.

Ciao,

HP 6 and other stuff... well mainly HP6

I’ve been debating about pulling out the ye olde soapbox and ranting about a few things, however I’ll keep it put away for today and rant later.

Stunt boy and I went to see HP6 yesterday I waited to go see it because he was with his mother when it came out and then was at camp for the week. So yesterday was really the first opportunity we had to see it together. So we did.

I enjoyed the movie and if you haven’t seen it or read the books by this time then spoilers shouldn’t matter. However, if you haven’t seen or read then be warned, reading further you’ll find out things you didn’t know yet.

The movie did depart from the book from the very beginning, however I think that rather than have some dialogue driven scene and the need to introduce two new characters it was just better to cut the book material and rewrite a scene that accomplishes the same result. The human world and magic worlds are beginning to collide with bad results. The opening scene did accomplish that very objective. Now unless you are reading the wanted posters in the film and know the books the werewolf is not introduced and the havoc he wrecks upon both worlds is largely ignored. And who was over seeing the thing and missed that he is never introduced formally in the movie or even mentioned by the other characters. Just a bad guy run amok in the movie.

Then there is the departing from the actual physical characteristics is fine as long as the basic essences of the character is captured . Which I think in all 6 movies they have done wonderfully for all the characters and in replacing Dumbledore after the death of Richard Harris. Personally I think Ian McKellen would have been the logical choice but he had already done Gandolf and I think that may have persuaded all parties not to pick him including Sir Ian.

So little looks and things are fine to depart from.

The whole turmoil between Ron and Harry regarding the Jenny thing is missing. Which is fine as they resolve it by the end of the book. The elude to it poorly through out but it’s a non issue by book 7 so why bother. It does establish Harry has to be alone a lot in the story so it’s need but the exclude Ron by use of the Slug Club, so mission accomplished.

Dumbledore’s death scene was a bit anti-climatic but that may have been because I read the book and knew Draco wouldn’t do it and Snape kills him. Yes Dumbledore dies. Sorry I warned you not to read if you didn’t want to know stuff. However I don’t think I’ve surprised anyone.

I know purists will argue that there was just too much of the book lost in the translation to film. I have to disagree. The main points were accomplished

Dumbledore is dead
Snape killed him.
Snape is the half blood prince.
Ron and Hermione are in love but only she knows it.
Harry loves Ginny and everyone knows it.
Luna Lovegood is the coolest character in the story after Harry of course.
The Order of the Phoenix is pretty much ineffective in book 6.
Draco and his family are really just opportunists and don‘t want to do the dirty work. .
Bellatrix is really crazy and evil.
Horcruxes exists and need to be destroyed.
Evil is winning for now but the really good guys aren’t going to just lay down and take it.

Yeah all that was accomplished. Bring on number 7

All in all, I don’t think it was the best of the 6 but it does fit with the others and I’m looking forward to the two book 7 movies. So HP 6 on the invisible don 0 to 5 movie rating scale is a 4

However, GI Joe is the next film stunt boy and I are wanting to see because it looks awesome and then after that Where the Wild Things Are in October. The trailer for this film looks fantastic.


Have a great day and play nice in the neighborhood.

Ciao,

Charlie Alpha Tango Sierra ... it does make sense

The two animal room-mates I have are completely different. I did not pick either of the animals. They live with me though and I remain their favorite Bi-pedal mammal in their Quadra-pedal world.

Yes like all pets they think they own your home. Before you poosha my statement, Let us think about this for a minute.

(thinking pose- hand on chin, staring into the air on the left side, lips pursed)

You clean up their defecate, feed them daily, they make no money, you entertain them on their demand, if they don’t want to be bothered with you at the moment you can’t find them, they can keep you up with their antics and I could go on but I feel I’ve made my point. From their perspective you work for them.

They are the master and you are the worker bee.

Little do they know while I love them as pets that is what they are they are animals. They are lower on the food chain, they are lower on the evolutionary scale, while they are unique in the behaviors they do not have human characteristics, but I’m going to talk about them like they do. I’m going to call them roommates when they really are not. Now if you are a pet owner, I know PETA and other animal rights groups say the is a demeaning term, … ok I lost that point but found that new one, about pet owner being demeaning.

To whom is it demeaning? My cats, the last time I checked they don’t speak English. They don’t speak any human dialect for that matter. It’s a term some humans have said is demeaning when used to describe animals who live with humans to other humans who have placed animals on a rung equal to or higher than humans. I’m not one of those people. I treat my pets well and I give them a decent amount of my attention. They deserve not to be treated badly by me or other people but they aren’t human. That is enough they are pets.

So with that if you hate me for anything I have said so far well stand in line you aren’t the only one who hates me. Well you don’t get to be king of the bastards by not stepping on toes. All hail the king. I have bumper stickers that proclaim my regal status … do you?

Yup that’s what I thought

Back to the cats.

My cats are Mouse and Wilson. Doodle brought Mouse home. Saying, Daddy, I found this kitten on the street, she was all alone and needs a home can we keep her. (insert sad pouted lip child face) I knew this was a lie then because I looked in the cats ears which were clean. Cats that aren’t even just sort of taken care of have dirty ears. However I decided to pretend to believe the lie and say yes we can keep the kitten. Yeah I’m that dad on some things.

Mouse has remained pretty small and is bi-polar. Well not really but I say she is because she does the run to where you are when you come home and does the love me love me dance near your feet.

Love me love me. (figure 8 walking and rubbing on things)

When any one reaches for her she runs off

Don’t love me

And then she comes back

Love me, love me

Reach

Don’t love me

Bi-polar

With that however, Mouse will usually be where she can see you but you can’t see her. Unless the beta unit is here and she hides because the beta unit brings it’s dog which tries to kill Mouse. No seriously.

Her dog bites Mouse around the neck and you have to pull it off of the cat.. That isn’t saying hey lets be friends and play. That is saying I’m going to kill you if they bi-peds would only give me the chance.

Wilson is a recent addition. A gift if you will which was the result of, Hey I’m moving and I can’t take this cat with me will you take him. (insert batting eyes and pouted lip)

The story is more complicated than that but I’ll just leave it at this and I said yes. Yes Wilson belonged to a woman before me.

Wilson is cool, with that Mouse is cool too despite her bi-polar thing.

Wilson is a watcher cat though. Unless he is sleeping, he has to be within 5 feet of the action.

For example, he sits in a chair in my kitchen while I cook. Seriously, right up in the chair right in the middle and watches. I think part of this is his nature and most domesticated animals that food may result from and in the act of being close to the humans. The also think that if I look cute a lot too and that will help in the getting of the food.

As I don’t eat the meat things he doesn’t like what I eat mostly and I’m not one to feed the pets human food.

Wilson watches in amazement in the kitchen though. I imagine his thoughts are wow this stuff actually has uses. I’ve lived in a couple other places and no one used this stuff. It just was there, who knew you can get food from using the stuff in a kitchen. Yes his previous owner is not a person who cooks often. In fairness she is not the only person here who doesn’t cook. If you are a woman from Roanoke or the surrounding area and not a transplant from somewhere else and live here now, you don’t cook. It’s not that women from here can’t cook they just don’t.

I’m not sure why, but if you meet a woman who says she is from Roanoke she isn’t going to cook. As a result Roanoke has more restaurants per capita than any other city in Virginia. It also has the highest divorce rate in the state too. I’m not sure the two things are related, they could be though.

Back to the cats and away from broad generalizations.

So I have the two cats. Which I’m not sure how Wilson will handle the beta units dog. They haven’t met and Wilson is much bigger than Mouse. Like over twice the size and he is not a fat cat. Mouse is just that small. Why do you think we named her Mouse. Well yes it’s ironic too.

I’m also not really sure Mouse is actually a cat. She doesn’t do normal cat things most of the time and while she looks like a cat she doesn’t really look like a cat. I think she might be an alie-um kitty. (yes Ay-lee -UM for alien)

I did have two dogs who have been missing and I think were stolen.

So it was definitely different stuff, maybe it was better stuff.

Have a great day and play nice in the neighborhood.

Ciao,

Not as informative as it could be

There are several things on my list of stuff to write about, however I was tagged on this and a few people have been saying tell us more, so you may find out more you may not. As I’ve been tagged or if you have been tagged you are requested to tag 25 people. Again if you are reading this on the main blog or the second blog feel free to steal and use. If you are on FB.

To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your title as "Getting to know each other!", tag 25 people including me (tagging is done in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.

1. What time did you get up this morning? the alarm went off at 5:50 AM, but I decided to sleep in a bit, so I hit snooze then again, then got coffee, got in the shower made it to work about 10 minutes early.

2. How do you like your steak? Holding up my tent? Did you mean something else?

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Transformers 2

4. What is your favorite TV show? Big Bang Theory

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? Coastal with Seasons so, maybe Nor. Cali or Oregon

6. What did you have for breakfast? COFFEE

7. What is your favorite cuisine? I like tasty food.

8. What foods do you dislike? I don’t eat the meat any more

9. Favorite Place to Eat? My house

10. Favorite dressing? Any thing vinegar based

11.What kind of vehicle do you drive? A car, an old car, but it works and it gets me from A to Z

12. What are your favorite clothes? Black

13. Was missing but I’m saying do you find 13 to be unlucky? If you are a Knights Templar, it’s not a great day for you.

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? Depends on the situation, if the ship is sinking it’s half empty. See it can be positive.

15. Where would you want to retire? in the mountains near a lake.(stolen but I like it)

16. Favorite time of day? Night

17. Where were you born? They say hospital but I think it was a barn

18. What is your favorite sport to watch? Curling, it’s like hypnotic

19. Who do you think will not tag you back? Not a clue

20. Person you expect to tag you back first? Not a clue

21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this? Everyone that gets tagged

22. Bird watcher? At times.

23. Are you a morning person or a night person? No mornings suck.

24. Do you have any pets? 2 cats - mouse and wilson

25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? Not really.

26. What did you want to be when you were little? A vet I think

27. What is your best childhood memory? Not too many to choose from

28. Are you a cat or dog person? I love both but my lifestyle is more suited to cats.

29. Are you married? No

30. Always wear your seat belt? Yes

31. Been in a car accident? About 100

32. Any pet peeves? Yes

33. Favorite Pizza Toppings? Cheese.

34. Favorite Flower? Calla lilies

35. Favorite ice cream? Mint Chocolate Chip.

36. Favorite fast food restaurant? Pizza

37. How many times did you fail your driver's test? The written none, the driving once, because I had to drive this battle ship of an Oldsmobile when I’d only practiced in a tiny little Honda Civic I mean tiny. Try parallel parking a battleship… yeah that’s what I thought.

38. From whom did you get your last email? A student requesting an incomplete because they have complications with work and such stuff. I’m a cool prof. so I said yes

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Hmm. Target or Lowes.

40. Do anything spontaneous lately? Thought about it but then I remembered I’m invisible and decided against it.

41. Like your job? sometimes.

42. Broccoli? Yummy

43. What was your favorite vacation? Every trip has it’s good points and good memories.

44. Last person you went out to dinner with? My daughter in April.

45. What are you listening to right now? SYFY, formerly Scifi channel in the background Warehouse 13.

46. What is your favorite color? Black

47. How many tattoos do you have? 3.

48. How many are you tagging for this quiz? I’ll try to 25

49. What time did you finish this quiz? 10:04 pm

50. Coffee Drinker? COFFEE yum, … yes just a little bit

I promise better stuff tomorrow.


Have a great day and play nice in the neighborhood.

Ciao,