McDoogle's doogles

Avengers (extras) Assemble!

2011-07-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

I woke early this morning, to attend the casting call for extras in the new Avengers movie to be filmed in downtown Cleveland in August. Since I missed the call yesterday, this was the last chance. The only request was to dress in business attire. So I went with by recently pressed black suit, and bold blue dress shirt with a colorful tie, and my black patent leather shoes.

I arrived early for the 10:00AM start (I thought), arriving at the hotel before 9:30AM, but should have known when I was already re-directed out into another business parking lot, that I was going to be far back in line. At the time I had no idea how far back in line.

But everyone was in good spirits, despite the high temps, beating Sun, and hot pavement. Much talk about movies, and in particular superhero movies, kept things lively. About halfway though the waiting line, the hotel staff sent out some employees with a cart of cool waters for $2.00. They radioed back that they needed more.

Finally at about 12:45PM my group of 30 was allowed in the hotel. We filled out an easy application sheet requesting only the most basic of contact information (blue sheets for boys, pink for girls!), age, height, etc. Then they had everyone line up, take a number (mine was in the 2200's, and I think they started the morning at 0001!), and two at a time they snapped our photos. Then I was done. This part of the process only required about ten minutes. I was back in my car by 1:10PM.

Whether or not I actually get called, it was just fun to see the process, and have tried out.

McDoogle

Book Review: A Farewell to Arms

2011-07-06T19:57:00.000-07:00

A story about love and war. Or the senselessness of war… and love. As at the end the main character Lieutenant Fred Henry loses both.

I’ve always heard rave reviews of Hemingway’s writing, and decided I would try to squeeze one of his novels into my reading list if I could find one. Eventually I found ‘A Farewell to Arms’. I was surprised to discover this book was first published in 1929, thinking Hemingway was more a contemporary, maybe just a generation older. However the paperback edition I found was even older than me, published in 1955 (only 35 cents cover price).

I researched a bit and this story really is a reflection of Ernest Hemingway’s experiences from World War I. Like the main character, he was an ambulance driver in the Italian army. He was seriously wounded in the legs, received medals, and while recovering a few months in a field hospital fell in love with a lovely nurse.

The story varies (I think) a bit from there, as a retreat, the loss of his ambulances, almost being shot for being at by the Italians during the retreat for being an officer, he gives up on the war, after only escaping during a moment of confusion by diving into the river.

It was interesting to read about all of the soldiers together talking about wishing the war was over, and debating the merits of just giving up to end it all. It was refreshing to see that even in WWI there was opposition to war and other than the leaders no one wanted to be there.

The narrative style was very interesting. At one point I noticed that I was reading a paragraph where at least five people were talking, yet I could make sense of it all and knew exactly who was saying what. I’m sure if I’d written a paragraph like that someone would crit that I’d lost my point of view. Also a lot of short sharp to the point sentences in dialogs.

I’m glad I read this book, and will be on the lookout for more Hemingway’s - even though I‘ve heard there‘s not much chance they are going to be any more cheerful.

Grade: C+

McDoogle

Your challenge: Sneak behind enemy lines. Defuse a bomb. Return to home base via the sea.

Paine Falls Photos

2011-06-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

Now available for your viewing pleasure: Our trip to Paine Falls. A new slideshow has been added.

These photos were taken on a sunny Sunday in October a few years ago. I loved the tall trees looking upward, and all of the fall colors.

Hope you enjoy them too!

McDoogle

Movie Review: Green Lantern

2011-06-25T16:52:00.000-07:00

It was a cloudy Saturday afternoon as I paid for our tickets to 'Green Lantern'. I was expected it to be a little more for the 3D showing, but $10.25 per ticket? For the matinee?! That said, if you're going to shell out a few extra bucks for a movie, Green Lantern is an excellent environment for 3D. Space scenes, fighter jets, and a large space villain. Also, I thought the Guardians of Oa, looked realistic is 3D. In the closing credits, as the galaxy was spinning behind the credits, I really did feel a little dizzy.

Acting wise, I've never liked Ryan Reynolds in anything he's even been in (2 Guys, A Girl, and A Pizza, etc.). Always seemed like a real hack of a cornball. But, surprisingly, he really did a decent job as Hal Jordan. Fearless and cocky when necessary, yet authentically humble at the right times. Reynolds made a believer out of me - good choice for GL!

The performance that really stood out was Peter Sarsgaard's performance as Hector Hammond. Yes, he turned out to be a villain, but Saragaard, really had me pulling for the poor guy, to the bitter end. Misunderstood genius. A little off the norm, so not one of the 'in' crowd. Not handsome, slightly hunch backed, but a decent guy trying to make something out of life's many lemons. Just SO believable. Excellent work Peter Sarsgaard!

None of the other performances really stood out. Well, perhaps Mark Strong as Sinestro. He did had a strong performance too as the GL who seemed to be the elder leader, and the strength and determination to never give in to fear of all of the GL's, standing up to the Guardians.

Story wise: I did know the origins of Green Lantern, having collected his comics from as early on as issue #9. The movie did an accurate and interesting portrayal of Hal Jordan becoming the next GL for Space Sector #2814 (of 3600). I don't recall the villain Parallax. The broken pillar in the sphere of Guardians was a nice effect to represent the wayward Oa Guardian. I liked the story tying in Hal's indecisiveness and inexperience with being a Lantern, with evolving of the character Hector Hammond to evil, with the threat of Parallax to the whole earth. I don't think the movie tried to pull off too much. It seemed 'just right'. And I loved Hal's solution in defeating Parallax. Great creativity with his new skills as a GL, and nice effects too! Liked it very much.

As we roll the credits, stay seated, and learn the secret of Sinestro. I already known the secret having been a fan, as mentioned earlier in the classic Green Lantern #9. But J was not aware of the storyline and was heard to exclaim: 'No!'. Don't miss it.

My recommendation is to go and see Green Lantern. And the extra $3.50 for the 3D is worth it in this case.

Grade: B+

McDoogle

Your Challenge: Create your own power ring out of string, pop tops, egg shells, or orange peels. Then use your will power to create a small poodle, and perhaps a can of Alpo.

Auburn: Home of the Cornfest!

2011-06-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

My home town. Known for... the Cornfest!

I have finally figured out how to store some of my photos online in Albums. So on my recent trip to Auburn, I snapped a few pictures of... well, corn!

And some old country roads, fields, grain elevators, railroads, and silos.

Look for the link to this photo album in My Photos

McDoogle

Book Review: Brisingr

2011-06-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

Brisingr was this year's novel for the annual reading race with my nephew. He really enjoys this series. I was not enamored by this latest edition however.

Intersting beginning and ending but the middle seemed long and really dragged. And in a novel of 748 pages. It's a very long middle. Paolini may have thought it gave more freedom for character developement to streach of the story and add a fourth novel to the series. But I think it really bogged down the storyline.

The first hundred pages may be the most interesting. Eragon, his blue dragon Saphira, and his cousin Roran make a rescue mission into Empire territory to save his fiancee Katrina.

In the last hundred pages I didn't find the battle for the city of Feinster which Eragon, Saphira, Arya, and the army of the Varden against the Empire, as I liked the concurrent battle taking place in the skies over the forest of Du Weldenvarden. In this battle, Eragon's half brother Murtagh and the new red dragon Thorn battle his mentor the elf Oromis and the golden dragon Gleadr. Oromis and Gleadr are the last of the surviving draginriders, unknown to all that they had actually survived King Galbatrox's attacks of all riders previously.

There is a lot of foreshadowing in this story which leads me to believe that Eragon is going to suffer a devastating defeat that will require him to flee to some mysterious 'hidden' place. Ultimately we all know Eragon will somehow defeat Galbatrox in the end. But the storylines also allude that while Eragon may win the battle, he will also be forced to leave the land of Alagaesia forever.

I found it frustrating how naive Eragon was made to be. In the battle with the Shade Ra'zor to free Katrina in the caves, Ra'zor realizes he is doomed and attempts to deal for his life with Eragon. Ra'zor reveals an Empire secret: "Galbatrox has almost found the name!" But Eragon, not sure what the name is, refuses to deal and kills Ra'zor anyway. Not only does Eragon not take this seriously, he doesn't even inform the Varden, who might realize what the secret means, and take appropiate action. Surely this is going to be a big mistake.

Also odd... on the way back from freeing Katrina, Eragon finds an abandoned elven outpost. Exploring the inside, not only does Eragon find many old books and scrolls. But he also finds a strange man named Tenga. Tenga is reseaching the scrolls looking for 'the answer' although he doesn't know 'the question'. Eragon assumes the old man is nuts and leaves him be. Also not informing anyone who might find this information useful. I'm Tenga will show up again in Book IV at some point.

My final thought is about the character called Sloan. This might turn into an intersting storyline. We'll see. Sloan is Katrina's father and was also captured, tortured and trapped in the same cave dungeons as Katrina. Eragon finds Sloan, but reports to Katrina and Roran that he didn't survive. Sloan is a bitter, and now blind, old man who blames Eragon for all of the ills of the current world. Once they are alone Eragon sets him free. But knowing that a blind old man could not survive long in the wilderness, Eragon installs a mental compass in Sloan, always pointing in the direction of the elven forest Du Weldenvarden, if Sloan chooses to follow that path, he may survive. Later, Eragon finds that Sloan has found the forest and survived, but he is still bitter and ungrateful. Will Sloan's make-up change in Book IV? Hopefully Paolini will make good use of this character.

If you are not a fan of the first 2 book in this series, I would not recommend Brisingr. But you you liked the story so far, I would endure the muddling middle of this book and hope the fourth and final of the series rewards us all for our patience as the original 'Eragon' did.

Grade: C-

McDoogle

Reading Race 2010

2010-01-22T10:04:00.000-08:00

This year's book for the annual reading race between me and my nephew in Michigan is: Star Wars: 501st Imperial Commandoes by Karen Traviss.

This year's book selection was particulary difficult. I thought that certainly by now the 3rd novel of the Eragon series (Brisinger) would be out in softcover, so I was disappoint that more than a year after it was published, it's still only out in hardback.

So, it was back to the drawing as last year's selection did not go over well. I searched the whole bookstore. And this one, caught my eye. Star Wars! Everyone loves Star Wars don't they. I wasn't sure that it was about don't it looked interesting so I went with it.

We started racing last week. The first thing I realized was that, there are an awful lot of Star Wars books already out there! Some starting before Episode I, and some continuing after Episode VI, and many, many more in between. This one is interesting because it takes place right after movie III, where Anakin has just assumed power as Darth Vader, and evil Palpitine has taken over leadership of the Empire.

The story has two main plots. One, some of the rebels escaping to planet Maladore (really boring). Second, the more interesting plotline follows the path of two clones in the Imperial Army assigned to the 501st Coomando Unit, Niner and Darman. They had been fighting in the Rubpublic Army before the take-over, now it's become the Imperial Army. So now where do their loyalites lie? Do they continue fighting? Or desert? Escape to Maledore with their other family and friends?

What makes the book somewhat difficuly to follow is that the storylines of all the characters continue from a previous book Republic Commandoes: Code 66, in which they recieve the order (Code 66) to elimanate all of the Jedi. It's apparent in that novel that in the insuing conflict Darman's fordidden love and wife who is a Jedi is killed in a final battle. This tradegy consume's all of the players in this story, and not having read 'Code 66' it really seems to drag on too much. Also, there is so much Star Wars jargon and slang, and difficult names for both people and planets, is difficult to read through at times, when she really stacks them up. Coming in new to the arcing storyline, there are also too many characters to keep track of, and their relationships with each other - consfusing enough becuase so many of them are clones. And Traviss doesn't help matters much by sometimes referring to the same character, by first name, sometimes by last name, other times by a nick name.

Currently I am on 220 out of 434 pages. No word yet on how far my nephew is. Or if he's already done... I will give an update on the final results of the contest, and an updated book review in the Comments.

Until then...

Read, Dog Read!!

McDoogle

New Poll for 2010: Constellations!

2010-01-13T09:52:00.000-08:00

What is your favorite Constellation?

I have listed fourteen of my favorites to vote on. If you are a little foggy on the names of some of the constellations, or remembering which are which, you can get some help by clicking: Here!

I decided to go with an astronomy related poll this year, since in 2009, my interest in space was renewed. We went to the MetroParks for several night lectures during the year and even saw on separate occasions, the rings of Saturn, and Jupiter. On the night we observed Jupiter, four of it's moons were visible, and the telescope was so good, that I can even see some of the stripes on the planet. It was pretty cool!

If you vote for 'Other', please leave a comment as to which constellation you like that is not on the list. Any comments on what constellations you like and why, would be greatly appreciated. Plus then I'll tell you mine, and why...

Also, I'm hoping to update the links a bit, so there are a few more Astronomy sites to click on.

Enjoy, and keep watching the night sky!

McDoogle

Your Challenge: The night sky photo contains a constellation. Do you see it? Can you tell which one it is??? It is in the list of constellations to vote on. Bonus points to the person you figures it out first!

Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes

2010-01-08T09:29:00.001-08:00

We went to see Sherlock Holmes on Christmas day, not realizing it was Opening Day. The theatre was packed. No wonder.

But I don't think anyone was disappointed. Sherlock Holmes was a great film. Not too cheesy. Not too corny. Not over the top in violence and unnecessary fight scenes.

The musical score for perfect for the setting and tone of this film.

I don't think it's a spoiler alert to say that the movie starts out with Sherlock outracing the police to the scene of a crime, to save a young lady from being an unwanted sacrifice for the evil villain Lord Blackwood. The staging of the opening appears as if Sherlock is on the run from the police and they are racing to capture him.

The villain is mysterious and appears to return from the dead to haunt Sherlock, Watson, and everyone else who caused him trouble while 'he was alive'. It becomes a bit of a magic vs. science theme, with Sherlock and Dr. Watson on the side of 1890's science.

The 1890's setting, played out with the London Bridge being built in the background and later in the foreground was excellent.

Robert Downey Jr was excellent portraying a more moody, gritty, not your Grandmother's kind of Sherlock Holmes. But more along the lines of what I thought Sir Conan Doyle intended with his character. Still amazingly intelligent, quick thinking, observant, and logical. This Holmes is also, moody, a fighter, and a bit smelly and unkempt - especially when bored and in-between cases.

Dr. Watson by Jude Law was also well done. Not the usual pastie we've grown accustomed by some who does have his own strength of convictions, is intelligent, and can stand up to Sherlock.

I was unfamiliar with the character of Irene Adler, having read one set of Sherlock Holmes stories previously in the 'Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes', but don't remember running into her character as the women who once bested Sherlock Holmes... twice! Irene was well played by Rachel McAdams.

The aforementioned villain is Lord Blackwood, played by Mark Strong. He was very believable, and had the right mixture of creepy and evil glint in his eye.

Of course, the real mastermind, Professor Moriarity.... we do not see! Not his face anyway. And of course he always gets away to test Sherlock Holmes again in future movies (sequels!).

I really enjoyed this movie.

Grade: A-

Wicked!

2009-12-20T12:56:00.001-08:00

For a special present we went to see the Broadway production of 'Wicked' in Cleveland's theatre district, at majestic State Theatre of Playhouse Square. And 'Wicked' did not disappoint!

I had heard the music from the CD previously so I had the general gist of the storyline going in. But to see the production live was really quite a treat. Actors were great. The stages and costumes were amazing. And everything was a delightful tint of green.

At our performance, the role of Elphaba was played by the understudy Stephanie Torns. But she was perfect in the role. Very believable. And her interaction with Glinda was perfect and very natural, witty, humorous and well timed. As the scorned loner of Dear Old Shiz she portrayed a strong will in standing up for yourself in the light of adversity. She has a strength of conviction which continues throughout the story even standing up to the great Wizard of Oz himself, and his propaganda machine.

Of course my favorite songs are 'Popular' and 'Defying Gravity'. One surprise that I didn't pick up from listening to the CD was that while in Act I Elphaba sings 'I'm Not That Girl', in Act II it's Glinda sing the reprise.

A good time to mention Glinda. Played by Chandra Lee Schwartz was incredible. Such a bubble headed bleach blonde. Her portrayal was so funny and spot on. And yet, as the story progresses, Glinda grows into a mature responsible adult/witch herself. I wasn't expecting a story about the importance of friendship and yet Elphaba and Glinda despite all their differences and even their shared love for Fiyero, end as trusted friends.

I also enjoyed Randy Danson's Madame Morrible. And Ben Liebert played Boq well, but that character really turned out to be a superficial snot.

I did not care for the acting of Richard Kline as the Wizard. I don't think it had anything to do with the Wizard turning out to be a power hungry manipulator. I just didn't think he did a good job, and the performance was lack luster. Although I never cared for him much as Jack Tripper's neighbor Larry on Three's Company either.

Overall, it was a grande December Saturday afternoon, and I encourage everyone to catch 'Wicked' if you can. Even if you have to Defy Gravity!

McDoogle

Book Review: Four Came Back

2009-02-18T09:13:00.001-08:00

An interesting little book by Martin Caiden that I found in a used paperback book store. Interesting because the book was written just before the Apollo 11 moon landing, but is about an international space station. Mr. Caiden saw the future, 30 years ago!

I added this book to my stack because it sounded so intriguing. Some alien infection/disease/bad space air(?) attacks a mission in space wiping out nearly the entire crew, only a scant four lucky survivors barely make it back alive. How many dies in the devastation in the confined quarters of the space station? 70? 100? More? After reading the book it turned out that the entire crew was only eight! So that was a little disappointing. The back cover had built it up to be a bit more dramatic.

The story starts (as all good short stories start, or so I am told... in the middle). The infection has hit the station. Deaths have occurred. Earth will not allow the crew to return with with unknown space virus which could wipeout the entire population. They are trapped in space. What will the Captian do?

Then Caiden goes into the backstory. Of the mission, the history, and the characters. Every character. And their relationships to each other. Finally after 100 pages we finally get back to a story line. I thought it was a bit much, and didn't care for THAT much backstory.

Based on the title don't think I'm giving anything away by saying that indeed, the crew does figure 'something' out, and four members of the members do successfully return to Earth.

Overall, I would have to say this one was not a classic tale.

Grade: D

McDoogle

Your mission: Sign up with the Cosmonauts to visit the current International Space Station. Look for discrepancies in the kitchen facilities. Missing sets of dinner plates, etc. File a report with NASA when you return.

New Poll for 2009: Your favorite Candy Bar!

2009-01-30T09:22:00.000-08:00

What is your favorite Candy Bar? !!!

I compiled a list of some of my favorites (Kit Kat, Snickers, Milky Way, Zagnut, Reese's, Clark) and a few others for variety (Hershey's, Almond Joy, Baby Ruth) for a new poll question.

If you don't see your favorite on the list, like Mars Dark... leave a Comment, and I may add it, if its a popular bar that I didn't think about.

And there's STILL time to vote of your favorite color of Dragon.

So, the next time you're at that vending machine, struggling with all of those cocoa options, remember... 'Life is like a box of chocolates... do you have a creamy center.... or are you nutty goodness???'

McDoogle

Reading Race 2009

2009-01-27T09:39:00.000-08:00

For the past few years I've had an annual reading race with my nephew in Michigan. Usually it's a book from the Agaron/Eldest series. But this Christmas, only the hardcopy was available and it was too pricey. So... in looking for alternative options that would interest both me and a teenager on the high school football team, who likes dragon stories... I found 'Furies of Calderon' by Jim Butcher. It wasn't too hard to find since I already enjoy the Dresden series.

'Furies' appears to be an interesting series of Fantasy adventures centering around... 'furies'. Wind, water, ground, wood, etc. entities which can be controlled by the people of Calderon. And... if he enjoys the book. There are already five books in this series, so I could be set for many years.

The race began Monday night, January 19th at 10:30PM. (I get home late on Mondays). This novel weighs in at just over 500 pages. Today is Tuesday, January 27th at 12:55PM, and I am on page 352 (i think).

This story is about a poor sheep herder boy Tavi, who is 15 years old and hasn't come into his fury yet. At 15... maybe he never will. In a land filled with furies and fury masters. Yet Tavi is pulled into a grand battle for the land of Calderon by the powerful furymasters who be. Tavi must use his abilities and wits to survive.

It's been a pretty interesting story so far. But... I have been worried that the themes are are little too, umm, 'grown-up' at times, which I didn't expect or I might not have gone with this series. At least there is nothing explicit in the writing. So if you are considering this novel for your nephew... be aware.

Will I win this year? I don't think so. He is usually done with his book by the first week-end. But I haven't heard anything yet so I'm still going for it. Only 150 pages left to go!

Read faster!

McDoogle

Your challenge: Set up a reading race with your children/nieces/nephews. Select a subject they are interested in and buy two novels. Then set a date and time and..... Go Dog, GO!

Book Review: Neverwhere

2008-12-10T09:17:00.000-08:00

An interesting story by one of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman. I have been a fan, since my comic book reading days, and had discovered the Sandman series.

Gaiman's writing skills are awesome. The descriptions used are entertainment in and of themselves. Interesting use of and selection of words - yet not so high brow you can't understand the text, or so wordy that you get so bored you don't notice. Concise, yet cool. I realized in reading, that writing like this reveals why my scribbles fall far short.

The story of Neverwhere, reminded me somewhat (especially in think of the main characters), of the novel Gaimen writes next (Anansi Boys), but which I had already read. I found the mysterious underworld of London's unseen people living in the tunnels, sewers, and abandoned underground war zones fascinating. I found the history of London's sewer network interesting, including the 'Big Stink'.

The characters themselves I did not find all that interesting, and in general lacking in compassion. With the notable exception of Rat Girl... whose name sounds a little like Anaesthesia. In the chapter and a half she inhibited I grew quite fond of her. I liked the relationship that was growing between her and Richard (the main character), and wondered if anything could develop from it, as she explained this strange new alternate world to him. Also, she show a true vulnerability that I found refreshing, and an honesty about her fears. When she disappears - apparently not surviving a perilous bridge walk... I was devastated! And I was shocked at effect of the loss of a minor character had on me. That's pretty strong writing. However, after the loss of Rat Girl, I found none of the remaining main characters very compassionate, and didn't really care what happened to any of them.

As to the plot itself, other than the shock of losing Rat Girl, I found the story fairly predictable. Usually guessing the outcomes, and twists before they were revealed. Even the identity of the surprise villain of the piece.

Still, I would highly recommend 'Neverwhere' to anyone who enjoys reading fantasy tales.

Grade: B

McDoogle

Your Challenge: Get dirty! Worm your way into your local sewer system, and map it out. Be sure to highlight points of interest for visitors: Uneaten candy, discarded fax machines, alligators, baseball cards, etc.

A Birthday MeMe

2008-11-26T09:48:00.000-08:00

I'm not usually the MeMe type. But my online writer friend SFGirl tagged me for the task so here goes... Here are the rules:

1. Mention the person who tagged you and create a link back to them.
2. Copy-paste the traits for all the twelve months (see below).
3. Pick your month of birth (see below).
4. Highlight the traits that apply to you. (I'm just bolding and adding comments, too)
5. Tag 12 people and let them know by visiting their blogs and leaving a comment for them (No! Everyone I know with a blog has already been tagged).
6. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve done it.

DECEMBER: Loyal (once my friend, always my friend) and generous (but I'll give you what I have). Sexy (Ummmm... you decide!). Patriotic (God Bless America!). Active in games (extremely) and interactions (what?). Impatient and hasty (sometimes... but enough to bold?). Ambitious (barely bolded - felt a little ambitious). Influential in organizations (Never!). Fun to be with (always in the group that laughs a lot. Although I have a lot of help). Loves to socialize (as I've gotten older I appreciate solializing more). Loves praises (who doesn't?). Loves attention (ditto). Loves to be loved (to a point - don't overwhelm me). Honest and trustworthy (Trust me!). Not pretending (what you see is what you got). Short tempered (but much, much improvement in this area over the years). Changing personality (What? Like Jekyll and Hyde - no, Slight changes - yes). Not egotistic (and darn proud of that! Joking....!!). Take high pride in oneself (ten years ago this would definately be bolded in big letters) . Hates restrictions (Let me run, and roam free, Baby!). Loves to joke (My #1 thing). Good sense of humor (if you laughed at the joke). Logical (Very).

I bolded many more that I thought I would and added comments to all of them. Althought I found many of my traits in all of the other months. What about you?

Your challange: Find your month, and do the same >>>>>>

JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

Have fun!

McDoogle

Book Review: Dead Beat

2008-11-21T09:04:00.000-08:00

Unofficially Book #7 of the Dresden Files. Officially they've dropped the series numbers. Having read seven of the ten (currently) books of the series. I think it's important to read them in order - if possible. mainly because Jim Butcher puts a lot of character development into each novel, and not only is Harry Dresden in a completely different state of mind by book seven, so are many of the characters and plotlines. Thomas the amorous vampire has a completely different relationship with Harry in book 7 than when we meet him in book 3. It could a bit confusing to have read book seven before three. And that's just one example.

One thing I like about this edition of the adventures of Wizard Dresden (what a contrast between him and the character Rincewind from DiscWorld!), was that Butcher only wrote one major storyline for him this time around. Much more realistic. And it was one I enjoyed for the most part.

The major foes in this novel are necromancers. Twisted Wizards who enjoy bringing the dead to life to do there bidding. This time it's a search to find the powerful 'Word of Kemmler'. Kemmler was also a twisted wizard of old who used necromancy - but was the most powerful of them all -ever. Eventually the White Counsel was able to track Kemmler down and destroy him. But his hidden words live on. Dresden is blackmailed into becoming involved by his arch enemy the barely still hanging on spirit of Marva - vampiress of the Red Court.

Another interesting aspect in this story is the character development of Bob. The orange spirit of knowledge and experience who lives in a skull, reads trashy novels, and is somehow obligated to work with Harry on difficult cases. I think it shows Jim Butcher's skill as a writer that even orange gas can be developed as a character.

As a final novel note, Harry Dresden is made an unusual offer from the White Counsel. Does he accept it???

Grade: B

McDoogle

Your challenge: Figure out an incantation for warmer weather on Winter days.

A Dino might...

2008-11-17T05:44:00.000-08:00

This is why I never roam uncharted jungles alone:

Of course, there's always the hope that the T-Rex would vomit and then I could run away!

McDoogle

Touched by The Dead Sea

2008-11-11T09:19:00.000-08:00

Last week I had the unique experience of touching water from the Dead Sea. And I didn't even have to leave the country to do it.

A co-worker managed to smuggle out an Israeli water bottle full of Dead Sea water a few years ago and asked if I would be interested in seeing it.

"Of course!"

We went to his truck and he showed me the water bottle. The first thing I thought was, 'Why did you have to freeze the water? There's ice in the bottle.' Then I noticed that the 'ice' was at the bottom of the bottle not at the top. Some of the salt in the water had crystallized. Holding it up to the sunlight, mini opaque slivers could be seen floating in the water. When opened, the water had a murky smell. I can't imagine anyone getting confused and actually drinking this water. I poured a few drops of the water onto the meaty part of my right palm. I could immediately tell it was unlike any water I had ever felt before. I'm not sure how to describe the sensation, but I think the closest word would be 'velvety'. The sensation lasted quite a while - over an hour. Even in the finger that rubbed my palm.

It was pretty cool.

McDoogle

Book Review: Eye For Eye/Tunesmith

2008-10-31T09:08:00.000-07:00

I bought this book (used) because the first story was written by Orson Scott Card, who's writing I've enjoyed since reading Ender's Game. It's a twin SF paperback (published by Tor as 'SF Double #27'), with a second story ' The Tunesmith' by Lloyd Biggle Jr. Both stories are short, approximately 100 pages, larger than usual fonts.

'Eye For Eye' by Scott Card was interesting at first. The strong writing of the main character drawing me in. 'Who is this kid? Why are people getting killed? Why is he on the run?' But by the end of the story I was a bit disappointed. The story seemed so clique and trite. Boy growing with unusual deadly power, that he has difficulty controlling, and everyone around him is wary of him (with good reason as people around him usually die), finally runs away, as the 'corporation' tracks him down. But who are good guys, and who are really the bad guys? It seems I've read versions of this plot several times, and it was typical, with no real surprise in the last paragraph.

'The Tunesmith' however, I really enjoyed. The irony being I never would have read the story if not for the first Card story. The includes an Introduction and Afterward to The Tunesmith, written by Card, who loved the story himself as an eager SF reader as a child.

I was intrigued to learn this story was originally written in 1957 - as it seems to fit and work so well in 2008. When this futuristic takes place, it's difficult for the musically inclined and talented to find work or express themselves. The only market is... writing ditties for (the equivalent of) TV commercials. Our main character Baque (intentionally, ironically pronounced 'Bach') is so passionate about his craft, he can barely survive. What sells best is a continual outpouring of mindless drivel and senseless jingles. Sound familiar? Unable to produce this garbage, he's forced to accept work as a Tunesmith as a local bar to entertain customers. The twist is that his music so impassioned that he makes a bit of a name for himself, so of course the 'establishment', in the form of the Performers Guild ,comes down on him. The story does have a bit of a good ending and... a bit of a sad ending.

I highly recommend 'The Tunesmith'!

McDoogle

PS. Your Challenge: Write your own special song. However it is not necessary to sing to everyone you meet!

CD Review: Styx: Big Bang Theory

2008-10-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

No surprise to anyone who knows me, but Styx is my all time favorite band, ever since I first discovered them and the Grand Illusion album in college. Although I've never seen them in concert (or anyone else for that matter).

I found it to be a long dry spell after the Kilroy Was Here album which only contained the mega-hit, Mr. Roboto, and a lot of horrendous noise. After that 'concept album' which never should have been conceived of, the band seemed to split and in general gone in separate ways, except for a few reunion tours, like the re-opening of Chicago's famed Paradise Theatre.

But recently, the band seems to be on a small comeback. PBS (during yet another $$$ night) aired a Styx concert from nearby Blossom Music Theatre with the Cleveland Youth Orchestra and Chorus as part of their 'One With Everything' tour. It was great!

But as part of the pledge, PBS also offered as a throw-in (if you pledge $95) the Big Bang Theory CD. Hmmm. I later found out this album was a cover album of former hits by the currently group of Styx, with Lawrence Gowen replacing Dennis DeYoung. Seemed like it might be interesting, I'd keep an eye out for it.

Then a few weeks after eating Chinese buffet with a friend from the steel mill in Lorain, I stopped by the Record Exchange store in search of treasures and found Styx: Big Bang Theory. Only $5!

And it's great! Most of the songs are remakes from the 60's.

Songs on the album:
I Am The Walrus /Beatles (good)
I Can See For Miles / The Who (great)
Can't Find My Way Home / Steve Winwood (not bad)
It Don't Make Sense / Willie Dixon (could live without it)
I Don't Need No Doctor / Ray Charles (great)
One Way Out / Allman Brothers (great)
A Salty Dog / Procol Harum (interesting, catchy)
Summer In The City / Lovin Spoonfuls (great)
Manic Depression / Jimi Hendrix (excellent)
Talkin' About The Good Times /The Pretty Things (good)
Locomotive Breath /Jethro Tull (good)
Find The Cost Of Freedom / Stephen Stills (could live without)
Wishing Well / Free (average)
Blue Collar Man 2120 /Styx (different, jazzy)

As you can see by my comments, I highly recommend the album if you can find it.

Grade: A+

McDoogle

PS. Your Challenge: Record your own remake of a song from the 60's. Nothing from the Beach Boys, please!

Book Review: Interesting Times

2008-10-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

I thought I would take another stab at reading a Terry Pratchett novel. While I've never been enamoured with the few novels I've read in the DiscWorld series, I was told by a friend that this was one of the better ones. I've much preferred the Xanth fantasy series in the past.

But I really did like this one the best. One reason was that Rincewind the Wizzard was a main character, my favorite Discworld character. Rincewind is a wizard (much like most of the wizards in Discworld) with seemingly no magical ability whatsoever except a strong innate sense of when to Run Away. Yet Rincewind is continually put in impossible dangerous situations, and always manages to 'miraculously' save himself and those around him. Two Flower the tourist swears by him.

But the characters who steal the story are the Silver Horde led by Cohen the Barbarian. Six old men, former Gladiators, who refuse to retire! Fighting, conquering, and pillaging is their life... and their art. Even wheelchair bound Hamish (a wheelchair with knives!), refuses to go out without a fight - despite being hard of hearing. Lead by Cohen the Barbarian, they go on a conquest to defeat the kingdom of Hunghung.

This novel also had some very witty lines. The one I remember best is when Rincewind is in prison with TwoFlower the tourist:
Rincewind: "Do we get fed in here?"
Two Flower: "Oh, sometimes. But it's not like the marvelous food in Ankh-Morpork."
Rincewind: "Really."
Two Flower: "I'll always remember the taste of Mr. Dibbler's sausages."
Rincewind: "People do."
Two Flower: "A once-in-a-lifetime experience."
Rincewind: "Frequently."

I started reading this book very very slowly ( a few pages every other day), but the pieces all seemed to start coming together about midway, and I started reading faster. And overall I now recommend the book.

I'm not sure what the Quantum Weather Butterfly had to do with anything. It was hinted that the butterfly was going be a critical factor to the storyline, but whatever it was, it didn't see it.

May you live in Interesting Times!

Grade: B-

McDoogle

PS. Your Challenge: Find an old CD you no longer listen and create your own Discworld. Anything from Neil Diamond would make a great one.

Struck by Hurricane Ike

2008-09-17T09:06:00.001-07:00

About 1000 miles north of the Gulf Coast, we seldom feel the devastation and effects of the hurricanes that plague Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and the Carolina's. The remnants of the storms usually crawl up here a few days later with a smattering of warm refreshing rain from the Atlantic for a day... but Ike was different!

Arriving with winds of up 60 to 70 miles an hours, we lost power about 5:00PM Sunday. And so did much of the area. 300,000 homes were out of power come Monday morning. No electricity at work... no electricity at home... And with many of the electric company's trucks having been sent out to help assist the people in Texas... repairs were slow in coming.

Of course the people just across the street had power and lights the whole time! As always... Grrr!

Tuesday morning, power still had not been restored, So I eventually decided to check out a movie and drove down to the theater. No power there either! Despite the nearby restaurants have full power and serving tons of customers. I ended up checking out a bookstore (Barnes & Nobles). And by the time I arrived home at 4:00PM Tuesday afternoon... power had finally been restored for over an hour (almost 48 hours without electricity). Before I left five trucks from New Jersey had been roaming the streets so the out of state help must have the job!

At last!!! It's so nice to be able to turn a light on again!!

Power is also restored at work... via a generator. True power may not be restored until the end of the week.

Ike will be remembered... for a long time.

McDoogle

Your Challenge: Create a hurricane of your own. Start with a squirt gun and a big fan and work your way up to a Cat 3 storm from there. Be sure to give your hurricane a really fun name. Like Otto!

DVD Review: WKRP in Cincinnati

2008-09-13T07:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's Season #1 of WKRP in Cincinnati - that great comedy series from the late 70's. For those who don't remember or didn't see (?) the original series... a failing radio station in Cincinnati regulated to playing oldies (think the 30's and 40's oldies), hires a new station manager who abruptly changes the format to.... gasp!.... Rock n' Roll!

What a great ensemble cast. Standout performances are Johnny Fever by Howard Hessman (layed back doesn't even begin to describe him. Oh, by the way...... BOOGER!), Jennifer E. Marlow portrayed by Loni Anderson (the beautiful secretary who wouldn't do secretarial work. 'It's in my contract!'. Smart and Sassy, and may have enjoyed tormenting Herb Tarlick the salesman), Les Nesman the news report (his hillbilly hick news reports on hogs and other farm critters in contrast to the rock format made for an unusual merging of cultures. And Les' yellow taped office 'walls' - very off-beat). Jan Smithers played the shy Bailey Quarters trying to establish herself in the media biz, but rumors are that Jan really was shy and there really wasn't a lot of acting going on... I also have a new respect for the actor who played Herb Tarlick - while I never cared for his part, he did a good job to playing part convincingly! Tim Reid's Venus Flytrap is also unique, good, and unbelievable. Gary Sandy's performance as Andy Travis the hip new station manager is probably the weakest performance of the lot. Why these actors didn't have more success post-WKRP is a bit of a mystery to me.

The DVD set contains 2 Commentary episodes with the writer Hugh Wilson, Loni Anderson, and 'Herb Tralick'. A lot of fun facts, and behind the scenes secrets are revealed. Even the creation of the songs in the opening and end credits. The ending credits songs isn't even a song... it's just nonsensical words played by a friend of the crew looking for work! Listen closely... see if anything makes sense to you! Also... the famous turkey drop promotion for Thanksgiving episode is actually based on a real radio promotion event which took place in Texas where a manager really did believe turkeys could fly and threw them out of a helicopter. And more...

The DVD set also contain two story featurettes. One (Do My Eyes Say Yes?) is the turbulent relationship between Jennifer and Herb and his continual frustration with getting anyway with the quip Jennifer, and her ability to avoid anything resembling secretarial work. The second (The Fish Story) told how the writers were being strong armed into writing an episode with physical humor in it, more like 'Laverne and Shirley' - less character driven, issue driven stories. So the writer, Hugh Wilson, decides to create the most far fetched episode he can think of: 'The Fish Story'! And the plan backfires. To Hugh's dismay The Fish Story is a big hit and one the the highest watched show in WKRP history!

DVD rating: B+

McDoogle

Your challenge: Start a radio station of your own. Tools required: Microphone, wires and cords, Speakers, a radio frequency, and a little modulation, and some duct tape wouldn't hurt. Must be able to speak fluently, sometimes for hours at a time.

50th at Frankenmuth

2008-09-05T09:17:00.001-07:00

It was chicken at Frankenmuth's famous Bavarian Inn to celebrate Mom and Dad's 50th wedding anniversary!

I finally made another trip back to Michigan. It's a bit of a long trip for me now to drive 275 miles nonstop by myself - but at least it wasn't Winter driving.

But the trip was well worth it, and after all... how could I miss Mom and Dad's big day? It was big news in Auburn. At least two billboards spelled out their names and the big 50th Anniversary event. People they didn't even know where congratulating Dad in the grocery store.

It was also great to see my sisters again, and all of the nieces and nephew. ***!!!

As usual the Bavarian Inn did a great job to help us celebrate Mom and Dad's special. At the last possible minute they allowed us to change the reservations made by Dad for just a dinner in the main dining room to a special Anniversary setting in a private room on the seconds floor. If you've never been to the Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn (famous for chicken dinners), it's a special restaurant done up in... Bavarian style! All the waiters and waitresses also dress the part in Bavarian outfits. There was even an accordion player in hallway entertaining those waiting in line. If you do visit sometime, remember to add a dash of the chicken seasoning to your drumstick before consuming. The soup and buttered noodles are also excellent. And who can say 'no' to the orange and vanilla sherbet swirl?

Diana deserves some recognition for scurrying away with photos of Mom and Dad's early years from the old albums without drawing any undo attention to herself. (Why do they trust her so?) And then scanning the photos in a Laptop PC, which created a nice surprise slideshow for Mom and Dad during dinner. Diana did a great job of selecting photos that encompassing major events of Mom and Dad's 50+ years (including me - the main event!). Joking! The photos even included pics from the first day Mom and Dad met. Besides the young photos of me, were my sisters also growing up, and all of their children. Very complete and inclusive. Good job, Diana!

We are also working on getting the old 8mm movies converted to DVD so Dad doesn't have to drag out and set up that old projector if they ever want to reminisce about the good olde days.

After chicken dinner at F.B.I., the celebration continued as the family took a scenic one hour boat ride on the Bavarian Belle, down the Cass River. I think everyone enjoyed it. And I saw a mink for the first time, running along the bank. I wish I had my camera ready in time for that shot, but it took too long to power up.

So that was Mom and Dad's big adventure in Frankenmuth. I'm hoping to post a small set of some of the family photos I was able to take in an Album that would be viewable here, but so far the only option I've found reveals too much personal information and/or gives access too all of the photos I took. I'll keep working on it. Keep you eyes on the Links box!

Happy 50th Mom and Dad!

M

The Mole is....

2008-08-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

Craig!

My #1 suspect to be the Mole from week 1 turned out to be right on the dot! The out of shape fun-loving guy used his friendly charm to fool the other players into thinking: 'it couldn't be him...'.

Others suspected Mark, who won the game, but wasn't actually on the trail of the Mole until almost the last week. Mark was lucky to have stayed in the game, barely missing being executed time and again on tie-breakers (faster times on the quiz). As his picks for the Mole dwindled, eventually so did his choices. And remembering that his coalition partner was elimated after targeting Nicole as a suspect, changed his quarry to Craig. And it won him $420,000. Not a bad guess. Nicole also had Craig targeted as the Mole on the final quiz but was out scored by Mark 17 to 13.

So ends another exciting season of the Mole. Alas! The best of the reality TV games shows.

Rating: A

McDoogle

Movie Review: The Dark Knight

2008-08-04T09:29:00.001-07:00

The new Dark Knight has dawned.

As a devoted Batman fan since I started reading comic books at age 6, I've felt compelled to watch every Batman movie version that gets plastered to the silver screen no matter how bad (i.e. the George Clooney Batman). The movies had been on a downward spiral. So, I didn't expect much when we went to see the new version, 'Batman Begins' a few years ago. But it was surprisingly the best Batman of them all to date. Christian Bale is an excellent Batman. And Ras Al' Ghul, while unknown to the novice Batman viewer, was a classic villain for veteran Batman fans.

Now the long awaited 'Dark Knight' with the Heath Ledger version of the Joker has arrived.

The acting in excellent. Take the back seat Jack Nickleson, a new Joker is in town. Also great acting from Aaron Eckart as Harvey Dent/Two-Face. I enjoyed the aspect of the storyline that Batman is waiting for another hero in Gothom - someone Gotham can look up to - so he can step down. And Harvey Dent as the tough District Attorney is that man.

The gangsters teaming up and becoming more desperate due to the arrival of Batman and the impact it had on their 'business' was also realistic.

Batman's new high tech toys (the sonar glasses, the cell phone matrix, and the bat-cycle) were great. My favorite scene is when Batman retrieves the crime lord from Laos from the high rise building by blowing out the windows, jettisoning a weather balloon, and getting hooked by an aircraft that resembled a white C-140 carrier. The bat gliding scene previous was also pretty cool.

What I didn't enjoy about the movie was the typical Hollywood influence of most movies. The fight scenes were fast, furious, and overblown. I can never tell what's going on in those. Wake me when they are over.

<* Spoiler Alert! *> The movie was also somewhat predictable. Who really believed the passengers in either ship would blow the other up? And Commissioner Gordon dead? Never! No surprise when he shows up again.

Overall Rating: B

McDoogle

PS. Your Challenge: Make your own Batsignal by pasting shapes to a flashlight. At midnight turn the flashlight on and wave it in the night sky (cloudy nights work best). Wait for 10 minutes. See who shows up.

The Final Gauntlet?

2008-07-26T09:12:00.001-07:00

The 2008 Men's Tennis League rolls to an end with a forehand slam to the old backside.

Week 6: The 13 year old. Never played. His mother called the voice message machine claiming the kid was going on a 3 week vacation and had to cancel all of his remaining matches. Isn't the whole Summer a vacation to 13 yr olds? I found it ironic that his mother had to make all of the cancellation calls and excuses. I guess today's phone technology is a bit baffling for 13 year olds....

Week 7: Greg. One of my oldest opponents. We started playing with Greg almost from the time we picked up racquets a few years ago. Greg has always maintained a slight edge on me, no matter how much I've improved (or un-proved). Last year's match was very close - a tiebreaker (4-6, 6-0 (4-7)). However, with how lousy I've been playing this year, I think Greg's chances for a sweep were looking pretty.

However, we scheduled the match for Wednesday and yet again... it was rained out. And of course, then Greg had to go on vacation until August 3rd, after the league season is over. So... we may still play eventually, but it won't be within the league framework.

Week 8: Gus - one of the top two players in the league. The first time, I played Gus, it was over in 30 minutes (maybe less?), 0-6, 0-6, and was a complete wipeout. I don't think I managed a single point. Last year I had won a point, but mostly due to Gus' four double faults in row, rather than skill on my part. But I do think I was able to hold out for more than a half hour.

This year we played Thursday night. Amazingly it didn't rain. So I had that going for me. And not much else... the final score: 0-6, 0-6, 1-6. We decide to play an extra set since the first two went so fast. Gus was really able to hammer my backhand side with fervent frequency. Also, if I took a safe conservative second serve it was also hammer, and the equivalent of giving away the point. I tried different second serve strategies: more angled, ultra slow, attempts to spin, hard serves... nothing helped.

But overall, I felt I improved slightly, despite the score. And I did win one point in the 3rd set (after it was 0-5, and Gus double faulted twice). And a few games went deuce, and in one I even had ad-point for a while. I did return a couple of his slams. Maybe next year...

And thus ends the Men's Tennis League for 2008. Despite the string of losses I rack up in abundance, I enjoy playing a variety of men with all of the different styles of play. I started slow this season with terrible play, but thought I was finally improving quite a bit toward the end, and with some of the 0-6 scores, I was close to winning a game with a well placed ball here or there. Not to be... Alas!

As I reflect and close this chapter of my tennis travails and adventures, I wonder, "Hey, I still haven't received my t-shirt yet~. "

McDoogle

Final record for the season (in matches): 1-5
Final record for the season (in sets): 2-10
Final record for the season (in games): 19 - 65

<* Wait until next year!!! *>

DVD Review: Banacek

2008-07-08T09:30:00.001-07:00

There's an old Polish Proverb that says:

"Banacek Rocks!"!

What a treat to have found Season #1 of Banacek on DVD. Eight original episodes of the great Polish detective. Well, not exactly... Banacek is actually a Insurance Investigator. The best in the business. Initially that sounds a little boring compared to solving murder mysteries. But Banacek ends up on some amazingly difficult cases to crack. When valuable jewels, books, cash, experimental cars of future, paintings, and coins disappear - right under the noses of eye witnesses in heavily guarded rooms - it's Banacek the insurance companies come running to to solve the uncrackable cases and find the missing goods. All for a mere 10% of the insured value (usually millions >>> $$$!!!).

This DVD set includes the most memorable Banacek case of them all: the disappearance of a professional football player. A running back is tackled in a nationally televised live game, but when the players unpile... he's gone! At first I thought he might be hidden in a big rip in the astroturf... but no giant man sized bumps were found. Leave it to Banacek find solve what 80,000 stadium fans and 20 million TV viewers couldn't figure out.

Suave and debonair, Banacek also had a way with the ladies. Every episode features a 70's Hollywood starlet who falls under his charm. The Bana-Chicks in Season #1 included Stephanie Powers, Brenda Vaccaro, Jesseca Walters, and... Margot Kidder (?)!

And who can forget Banacek's famous tag line, "There's an Old Polish Proverb that says...". One of my favorites is: "... a wise man doesn't warm himself by a painting of a fire!". Which often induces the customary response from the guest star, "Can you explain that one?"

However, despite all this mirth and merriment there is a bit of a sad note. When I went back to purchase the Banacek Season #2 DVD set... they had all been bought already. <* sadness *>

DVD Rating: A+

McDoogle

PS. Your Challenge: Write an 'Olde Polish Proverb' of your own. Feel free to post it in the Comments section. Or just to amuse yourself. :-)

The Tennis Gauntlet: Week #5

2008-07-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the onslaught of tennis blogging recently... I'll try to post some reviews or other comments soon!

Thursday: Finally the rematch with Mark (from week #2). And it wasn't raining! It was warm. Not too hot. Not too humid. And I had had steak for lunch!

Well, this match went pretty much as I thought it would, but the results were still pretty disappointing. I lost again 0-6, 0-6. I believe this is the same score as when I played Mark last year. The disappointing thing is that I think I played much better than a 0-6 score would indicate. My forehand wasn't too bad. My backhand was decent - Mark even said it seemed to have more pop on it than he remembered from last year. I wasn't hitting too many balls out. Or double faulting a ton either. There were many long rallies. And a lot of deuce/ad games. But I couldn't pump out one measly game. I wasn't able to get the critical points when I really needed them.

While some of my 0-6, 0-6 matches are complete blowouts. In this one I was battling (and losing) every point of the way. Quite a disappointment!

Friday: Matt. A new opponent for me. Although scheduling this match for Friday morning at 9:00 AM after playing Mark the previous night (and then playing some Canadian Doubles, and then... playing Doubles (winning 5-3 when we stopped) ) was not the smartest thing to do. My shoulder was in pain just from going into a backhand motion. But I ignored the pain and struggled through it.

I was able to hang tough in this one up to 2-2. Mostly because we were both blowing our serves. But that was it. I lost 2-6, 0-6. I felt almost like I had been playing identical twins in Mark and Matt. They both played a similar game. No 'kill' shots, per se. Just good steady play. And I should have had much better scores against both of them (not necessarily wins - but more like 3-6 scores).

I was able to get to the net a few times against Matt for some great put away shots. But he would have no more of that - always hitting perfect lobs falling just inside the baseline from that point on. Arrgh!

For the week I went a stunning 2-24 (in games)! Yuck!

McDoogle

Current record (in sets): 2-8

Next up: The 13 year old. That's kind of a no win situation...

The Tennis Gauntlet: Week #4

2008-06-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

Saturday: P.P. <* with such a unique name, I wouldn't want to actually single anyone out *> The 15 year old freshmen on the High School tennis team. I had never played against P.P. before but have seen him and his father around. He's friendly, always smiling, and fair.

Once again, it's a matter of trying to avoid all the rain that's been plaguing Cleveland everyday for over a week and half now. It had raining all night but had stopped, so I drove out to the courts, 20 minutes earlier for the 9:30 AM match. And I was the only one there. No 8:30 matches were being played. No league officials with official cans of once used balls. No one. I picked out the driest court and decided to practice serves. Eventually a couple women show up for their match and P.P. is dropped off by his father a little after 9:30. Looks like I'm going to have to play this one after all.

P.P. wins the serve and I soon find out that he has a great spin serve. However, I've seen a lot of spin serves, and am not bad returning them cross court near the net. P.P. had difficulty running up to return the returns successfully. Also, he hadn't perfected his serves yet, and was hit by double faults. So I was actually off to a good start 1-0. Of course, I gave it back with my lousy serves and double faults: 1-1. This pattern continued to 2-2. Then P.P. broke out out and won his serve, and mine, and staked out a 4-2 lead.

P.P. also has a great spin shot which I've never seen before. When the ball hit my side of the court, they would jump to the right at almost a 90 degree angle. 75 degrees at least! I best I think I've seen before is about 45 degree angles. I couldn't return them. No chance. We also played through some sprinkles. Also when P.P. could alter his spin serves so they came down the center and spun right into me - I couldn't return those either. But in general I was returning a bit more than previous weeks.

I'm not sure what happened at that point. Even though I was behind 2-4, the games often went to deuce multiple times. And P.P. was still struggling to avoid double faults. But some more was going on. A lot of P.P.'s returns started going out. I think, for whatever reason, frustration was starting to set in. I won the next four games in row, to win the set 6-4. And then the next three to go up 3-0, before P.P. broke through to make it 3-1.

I wasn't playing all that great, I just wasn't making quite as many mistakes - I was still making mistakes... The next game was also multiple deuces. I knew it was a big difference between 4-1, and 3-2, so it was important. Somehow I pulled this one out too, eventually. A few times I just concentrated solely on keeping the ball in the court, and it usually worked. P.P. would go for a winner, but over hit it. My first serves started getting a little better in the latter stages of this set also. I managed a 6-1 win in this one, winning my first match of the year. I won't go win-less after all!

At only 15, P.P. will get better every year, and I think really was better than me this time. Just started over hitting the ball for some reason. I look forward to a re-match next year.

Next up: Matt - a complete unknown (to me...)

And after that... The potential embarrassment factor is not over yet. In two weeks I have to play.... the 13 year old!!!!

McDoogle

Record (in sets): 2-4

The Tennis Gauntlet: Week #3

2008-06-19T10:02:00.000-07:00

Saturday - Sunil. My co-worker. I've played Sunil quite a few times since he joined the company late last Summer. Our first match last Fall, I barely lost 5-7. But Sunil was rusty from months of not playing, and I was at my best. Since then I'm lucky to 'only' lose by 2-6. So I didn't have high hopes going into today's match.

And Sunil didn't disappoint. The final scores were 0-6, 1-6. And as I often like to say: "And it wasn't even that close!" In the first set I didn't even score a single point until after it was 0-4. Yikes! Again, I couldn't get a first serve in to save my life. This was discouraging because during the past week, I've worked on my serve quite a bit, and it seemed I was getting some decent speed and accuracy on it. That along with the usual lack of control - hitting the ball long - meant for a quick morning for me. At least the 1 game I did win was on my serves. Sunil is a lefty and great at hitting the corners, so that was expected.

After my match, Sunil played in another league match and won 6-0, 6-3. Yeah, he's fairly decent....

After the match I met Mark and rescheduled our rained out match from last week to Sunday at 7:00PM.

Sunday - Another rainout. Rained pretty hard from 3:00 to 4:00PM, so Mark called at 5:00 to reschedule for 8:00Pm to give the courts an extra hour to dry off. So I drive out there before 8, and the courts are dry but it starts raining again... Need to reschedule this one again.

Next up: a 15 year old who is a freshman on the high school tennis team. Saw him after his match this week, he had just beaten another player about my age 6-3, 6-2. oh-oh!

McDoogle

Current record (in sets): 0-4

Book Review: Blood Rites

2008-06-18T09:13:00.001-07:00

My cover looks different. But it is Book Six of the Dresden Files. After this book the publishing company did away with the numbering system which I disagree with. I enjoy reading the series in order. Relationships change. Characters grow. References to previous cases and stoylines make more sense.

As to this book in the Dresden series. It's not my favorite. Book 1 Storm Front was my favorite. I also enjoyed the previous book 5: Death Masks .

I liked how this novel started. Dresden is drawn into a bit of a magical murder mystery as a favor for his 'friend' Thomas - a vampire of the White Court and a snappy dresser. Women in life of Thomas' friend Arthro are dying is very bizarre unlikely ways. Who? Why? How? Dresden quickly determines that someone is throwing killer entropy curses. But who has it out the maverick film maker?

I thought this was a solid interesting plot and had enough steam to hold its own for the whole novel. But Butcher decides (once again) to add a second major stoyline, running simultaneously with Dresden's magic murder mystery. It's Marva the female vampire of Red Court gunning for Dresden with curses of her own. While Book 5 also had two major storylines running through the same timeline, I could handle that once. But twice? This is getting a little irritating. Everyone loves action packed stories, but planning one major battle for noon, and then assuming you'll survive that one, schedule another at dinnertime.... it's a bit much.

I enjoyed the revelations of Dresden's family tree, and the new branch that was added. learning more about Dresden's mother was an added bonus, since his abilities are obviously not from his showman father's side of the family.

Overall, it was a good book, but not one of Butcher's best efforts.

Grade: B-

McDoogle

PS. Your challenge: Find a branch in the backyard. Whittle it into a staff. Use it to scare the mailman on bill days.

The Tennis Gaunlet: Week 1 and 2

2008-06-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

The continuing adventures of my pursuit to dominate the Men's Twinsburg Tennis for 2008. 8 weeks! 8 matches! 8 opponents! 8 Saturday mornings! *yawn*

Week #1: Frank. Going into this 8:30AM match, I had beaten Frank before in an opening week match (However, lost in unoffical rematch later that year). One of the few players I've won against, and currently the only player in the league slightly older than myself. If I was going to win any matches this year, this was looking like my best bet.

It was hot and humid for an early June morning. Still, winning the start of serve, I jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead. Due to matches scheduled right at 9:30 on the same courts, the league encourages players to use the No-Ad scoring system (first to break 40 wins, no 'duece'/'ad' games), and this did not play to my favor. The next 3 games were at 40-40, and I lost the next point on all of them. I then went behind 1-5, before salvaging a game for 2-5, soon losing 2-6.

The second match wasn't any better, and my playing was actually worse. Despite again jumping out to a 1-0 lead on my serves, again losing 2-6. I believe the games I did win were on my serves, which was surprising since the whole morning I couldn't get a first serve in to save my life. Every one was a foot or two long, and I just couldn't correct for it. Frank did a tremendous job of hitting the corners, and going crosscourt. My weak second serves were easily slammed sidecourt to move me out of position for easy points on the return. Any dinker shots near the net Frank attacked and slammed hot passing shots.

Frank did a great job, and is one of my favorite opponents. We hope to play another non-league match sometime this Summer.

Week 2: Mark. I'd played Mark in a league match last Summer, and despite having one of my better cross court games, was still beaten pretty handlily, so I wasn't expecting much for this week.

But, it rained. It looked OK when I started driving out to the courts, but by the time I made it to the courts, only one other player was there, in his car, on his cell phone, rescheduling his match. The courts were too wet to even practice on.

Will we be able to re-schedule this match? I would think Mark would want to. It's an easy win (for him!)

McDoogle

PS. Current record 0-2.

Who is The Mole?

2008-06-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

My favorite TV show is back on the air. The Mole! The original version. Not the crazy celebrity version. The real deal. 11 regular people trying to win money in a variety of team contests. And one mole - trying to sabotage the games, and purposely lose money for the players.

I love trying to figure out which of the players is actually the Mole. It's difficult, because some players are just naturally gumballs who blow the games unintentionally. Other sneaky players try to get the other players to think they are the Mole, to throw others off the scent and give themselves an advantage.

After Week #1 I think the Mole is Craig (Occupation: Graphic Artist, Age 30). I suspect him mainly because because he looks so un-mole-like. He's the type of fellow that if he causes the team to lose points you tend to overlook it because you figure he's an out of shape guy, no wonder he couldn't to the task successfully. Very sneaky!

My second suspect would be Liz (Occupation: Retiree, Age 60). I mean really... who's going to suspect an 60 year old lady? I would!

Will I be right?

After week #1, Marcie (housewife, mother) was sent packing, since she did the poorest on the 'Who is the Mole' quiz. Both my suspects are still alive. Next Monday, 10:00PM on ABC can't come soon enough.

McDoogle

PS. Your challenge: The Mole is at the airport. Find her!

Solaris!

2008-06-02T09:09:00.000-07:00

Planet of mystery.

I finally managed to rent a DVD copy of the movie Solaris. The 2002 version with George Clooney. Based on the book of the same name by my all-time favorite SF writer: Stanislaw Lem.

Yes, the movie was a bit confusing, but overall, I kind of liked it. To me it made sense that the movie was confusing, since I read the book twice and still wasn't sure what was going on.

I thought George Clooney actually did a decent job in this movie as the space psycho-analyst Chris Kelvin send to out to save the Solaris mission.

But the best acting was from Jeremy Davies who portrayed Snow. The hand gestures, speech patterns, eye movements - all very odd, and perfect for his character.

Is Solaris really just a planet? Or a sentient being capable of reaching into your subconsious past and 'creating' visitors for you? Kelvin's wife Rheya had committed suicide. And now (after Kelvin wakes up from a nap)... here she is - living and breathing! But is she human, or alien sub-matter? And how human can someone culled from the limited memory of the sleeping dreamer be?

<* Spoiler Alert! *> We later find out that Snow is the 'visitor' who survived an attack from his original self soon after he is 'created'. In self defense the original Snow is killed and stuffed in a vent by the visitor Snow. But he's cool with it.

Overall I rate the movie: B+

McDoogle

PS. Your challenge: Discover a new planet of your own. Note any anomalies. Report back to base camp - ASAP!

Movie Review: Iron Man

2008-05-20T07:13:00.001-07:00

I hesitate going to movies of comic book heroes I enjoyed as a youngster, because some of the movie adaptions have been just horrible. Case in point: the Batman movie with George Clooney. Ugh! And last few Christopher Reeves Superman's. Zzzz! Then one of my all time favorites... The ThunderBirds. What a disaster! So, with Iron Man being one of my all-time favorite characters (I had over 250 issues of Iron Man starting from #6), I was a bit worried about what Hollywood would do to Tony Stark's armor.

I've seen the Iron Man movie twice now. And it was just as good the second time around. In fact, Excellent! Great job of staying true to the original origins of Iron Man, yet updated to the issues and current world economy. Originally Tony Stark is injured in the Viet Nam war (in comic book land), and invents a chest plate to keep his heart beating. In the movie it's Afghanistan. And it's the original grey armor. Nice! Once back in the States, Tony perfects his design with the classic gold and scarlet titanium armor. With the villain of the piece, Obadiah Stane creating the massive 'War Monger' battle armor. Great storyline. Very realistic.

Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of the womanizing booze hound, yet electronic genius of Tony Stark was spot on. The quick witted humor and jabs were fast paced, and nonstop.

The flight scenes were amazing, and perfect for the big screen. I couldn 't get enough of them.

Gweneth Paltrow brought a softness to the character of Pepper, which in light of Tony's brashness was a good counterbalance.

The second time through I did stay past the credits to view the 20-30 second bonus clip, but wasn't sure if it was really worth it. I've never been a fan of Nick Fury, nor the Avenger's. This snippet appeared to be a teaser for an upcoming Avengers movie, which doesn't especially excite me. I'm anxiously waiting Iron Man II however!

Grade: A! I loved it!

McDoogle

PS. Your challenge: Get down in that basement tonight, and build a battery powered suit of armor. Include a searchlight, terrain following radar, and a Heads Up Display (HUD). Post pics of your creation in the Comments section.

Review of Anansi Boys

2008-05-09T09:02:00.000-07:00

Enjoyed this Gaiman novel quite a bit. But not as much as 'American Gods', which I felt had more mystery and suspense. Both books have the same concept. You have a regular guy as your main character who discovers he's related to god-like beings. The novels revolve around those revelations and how the main characters adjust to their new founds 'roots'.

In Anansi Boys, Charlie discovers his father is actually the spider god - Anansi. Anansi who is a trickster, and whom all the other animal gods have found themselves as the butt of his devilish pranks from time to time. Anansi also owns all of the stories, due to weaving more creative upbeat yarns than Tiger, which creates conflict for Charlie further down the road. Anansi also enjoys singing and Karioke.

Alas! Anansi is no more. Charlie makes these discoveries after his father's funeral, at the home of some eldery old women still haunting Charlie's old neighborhood.

The crux of the story however is when they reveal to Charlie, that unbeknowst to him, he also has a brother - Spider, who apparently inheriated all of the Godlike genes of the family. Spider comes to pay his long lost brother a visit, and doesn't leave. Not only has Spider attached his monsterously large dream room to Charlie's closet for the long haul, but he's also stolen Charlie's fiance - Rosie (who can't tell the two apart).

It's a fun globel romp romp from there, as Charlie tries to put back the pieces of his former life.

One thing I liked about the ending <* spoiler alert - close your eyes! *> was that Charlie decided to remain his current self and not to merge back with Spider. Both 'Charlies' had grown in positive ways through the story and it was nice to see continue on in their separate ways.

Overall, I enjoyed the book.

Grade: B

Pirate Name?

2008-05-06T06:48:00.001-07:00

My pirate name is:

Iron Sam Rackham

A pirate's life isn't easy; it takes a tough person. That's okay with you, though, since you a tough person. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

Tennis anyone? Tennis... EVERYONE!

2008-04-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

The weather has finally improved enough it start getting outdoors once in the while and smacking those fuzzy yellow spheres all over emerald concrete surfaces again!

Having played for a few years now as a middle aged person, that even at my age, I can still run, swing, hit, and score an ocassional point. It's healthy. Not too much wear and tear on the body. But the best part of all about tennis I have found is: Stress reduction!

Whacking those balls all over the court is a great relief. And a good way to work off all of those pent up frustrations. So give it a try.

McDoogle.

PS. Your challenge: Dig that dusty old racquet out of the closet and head for the court nearest to you today.

Review of 'Eldest'

2008-04-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

Just finished reading 'Eldest' last night at 11:30 PM.

<* Spoiler Alert! Don't read if you plan on reading 'Eldest' in the future *>

My general opinion was that the book was a bit of a long and winding road. After some initial action packed storylines to start the novel, the plot really drags with descriptions galore as Eragon travels to the forest of Elves. It takes quite a while to arrive for Rider Training. I found the training intriguing and interesting however. And Eragon's affection for Ayra which always ends in frustration is also interesting. Why does she really spurn him? There's something more than age difference going on here. For a while I thought she was secretly related to Eragon perhaps. But we learn Eragon's ancestry later near the end.

I thought the introduction of the new Rider and new dragon Thorn interesting. But that Murtagh had switched allegiances and was now fighting for the Empire was disappointing and discouraging, and I felt, not true to the character. That he let Eragon go in the end does not make up for his betrayal to Empire when he was so set against the Empire in Book 1. Very poor.

I expected Eragon to fair better after all of that Rider training from the Elves also. Murtagh really handed it to him, with less time spent training and with less time with his dragon. The explanation that 'well Galbatorox is just such a skilled Rider - heads above everyone else in the land...' doesn't make up for how quickly Murtagh's skills could supercede Eragon's.

Still, looking forward to reading book III, 'Brisinger', which is scheduled for release Sept. 20, 2008. Hopefully Eragon will man up, and defeat the Empire in a courageous battle. Not some back handed default victory of some sort.

Grade: B-

McDoogle

PS. I thought the lines: "Barges? We don't need no stinkin' barges!" while slightly humorous were very unprofessional, as this was not a parody.

Start Up

2008-04-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

Welcome to McDoogle's Doogles.

And may all your doogles be happy ones!

As you can immediately tell this blog will be a lot of random nonesense.

But that's OK - nobody's going to read this anyway!

Today is April 1st, and it is officially the first day of Spring! Today in Valley View we had our first sighting of... 'Sad Walking Man'. Last seen in December of '07. Although I heard a report of a sighting yesterday, it's not official until you see it for yourself. SWM is back! And better than ever! In a sad sort of way.

McDoogle.

PS. Your challenge: Write a short report on what you think of potato chips.