Guardians of the Galaxy

I took Smiley to see Guardians of the Galaxy tonight. It was sci-fi just the way I like it: epic, fun, and free of any of that "science" stuff. 

Some points: 

1. Way too many previews - perhaps 15 or 20 minutes worth. Blech. Of the trailers we saw I'm eager to see Interstellar and the new Annie. 

2. Grade school classmate Jim Knap was at the movie with his family. Good to see him!

3. I liked the movie, but I think it falls short of the hype I've heard from people here on FB. The top Marvel movie of all time? Nuh-uh. For me, it doesn't even crack the top four. 

4. Total cost for two tickets and two popcorns? Zilch, courtesy of the Marcus Theatres rewards program!

My Thoughts

I like T & A and legs and abs and . . . well, *everything* on a woman just as much as any other man, and I have no general objection to pornography.

What I *do* object to is the inclusion of half-naked women in areas that should have nothing to do with sex. The moronic "rock girl" promotion on 102.9; the "Fox-y" daily bikini model on Fox Sports feed, the Corona girls at every boxing match sponsored by Golden Boy, the House of Harley Davidson's insistence on not only using scantily clad women, but tying their product directly to the strip club next door. 

Do whatever you like in bed to whatever willing partner you find, within the confines on the oaths you've taken. I couldn't care less. Look at all the porn you want, it doesn't bother me in the least. If your product is about sex, or about the human body or its appeal, pimp it out. Fine and dandy. 

But if your product isn't about sex, don't use sex to sell it. It diminishes the value of human sexuality and, frankly, makes me not want to use your product.

Completely off any topic I've brought up here, but this is the single best online comment ever (saw it on CNN.com)

The American Civil War was NOT about slavery. It was about:

States rights ... to keep slaves

Economics ... based on slave labor

Political division ... about slavery

Territorial expansion ... and the expansion of slavery

Northern infringement ... on the South's ability to keep slaves

Government representation ... to have more Southern senators to defend slavery

Railroads ... so the South could export slave-picked cotton easier

Social differences ... about the morality of slavery

Wait, I'm beginning to notice a pattern here...

Ebola

BREAKING: Columbus, Ohio, woman who recently traveled to west Africa is being tested for Ebola as precaution, public health dept. says. (ABC)

We had an old washer sitting around in the basement for the last year, because Socialist had dreams of fixing it and splitting the profits. Since that obviously wasn't going to happen, I decided to get rid of it today. Lacking anyone to help, and with our dolly MIA, yours truly lifted it up the cellar stairs and hauled it to the alley with pure brawn. Lu was suitably impressed. "Remember girl," I said. " Fat I may be, but strength, strength is NOT my weakness." [I'd been waiting to use that line for like six months, since I coined it one night at work LOL]

As a follow up to the assassination of the US General in Afghanistan today - 15 others were wounded, including a German General. Tensions are high (obviously) and an AP photographer has reported being shot at ("warned off") by troops at the base.

Sharknado 2: The Second One

We just finished watching "Sharnado 2: The Second One", a rip-roaring, star studded romp through a NY ravaged by sharks, tornadoes and a corpse-like Tara Reid. Great fun - I smell an Emmy!!!

The Damned

We just finished watching "The Damned", a horror film about a family that releases a little girl from a dungeon in a former inn, only to discover that there was a very good reason for keeping her locked in. An above average horror flick and worth a rental. 

In freaky deeky news, right about the time things got crazy during the climax a loud crashing sound was heard from the pantry/kitchen - this, despite the cats being in sight and the kids asleep. When I investigated nothing was amiss; the doors were locked, the shelves in order, the floor clear of anything that looked like it fell. Good luck falling asleep tonight.

The Single

I've wanted to see "The Signal"since we saw the first preview months ago. It's a "thinking man's" sci-fi film about a group of friends imprisoned by the government after they are exposed to an ET, and falls firmly into the "Oriental [Theater]" genre. Consider me disappointed. It's intelligence is surface deep, it's reveals are childish, and at times it's so confusing I thought my IQ must have fallen off a cliff before sitting down to watch it. Fail. Avoid it if you can.

James Brady

RIP James Brady, the Press Secretary wounded in the 1981 attempt on President Reagan's life.

Twitchy

Ack. Very twitchy again today. Can't sit still, can't concentrate; like a late in life, 48 hour onset of ADD. Maybe I'll head out for a walk or to the driving range . . .

On Warren Spahn

From BTF: 

"In the spring of 1942, a 20-year-old left-handed pitcher who wound up having no decisions in his four appearances with the Boston Braves that season was pitching in an exhibition game against the Brooklyn Dodgers. At one point Boston Manager Casey Stengel instructed the young pitcher to brush back the batter, Pee Wee Reese. He refused.

Stengel immediately dispatched the pitcher to the minors, to Hartford of the Eastern League.

''Gutless,'' Stengel said of him.

The next year, 1943, the pitcher enlisted and found himself in Europe with the Army's combat engineers in World War II. He participated in the savage Battle of the Bulge and the seizure of the bridge at Remagen, and when it was over, First Lt. Warren Edward Spahn was awarded a Purple Heart for a shrapnel wound and a Bronze Star for bravery and a battlefield commission.

''I said 'no guts' to a kid who wound up being a war hero and one of the best pitchers anybody ever saw,'' Stengel said. ''You can't say I don't miss 'em when I miss 'em.''

A Century Ago Today

Today marks the 100th anniversary of Great Britain entering WWI, and for all intents and purposes the death of their Empire. I do not think the latter is automatically anything to celebrate (nor the war itself, obviously) but RIP to all of her soldiers who perished in the conflict.

Two Movies

We just finished watching two movies. The first, "The Last Days" is a Spanish film about a world suddenly afflicted with agoraphobia. Society crumbles as people are marooned where they stand, unable to venture outside and dying of starvation in their homes and businesses. Amidst the death of mankind, Marc must travel the sewers of Barcelona to return to his love. I really enjoyed the movie and thought it was original and well done. 

The second, "Goodbye World" is another end-of-times thriller, this time set on a northern California farmstead where a group of yuppie friends hunker down as the power grid collapses in the wake of a terrorist strike. The group is strangely lackadaisical about the end of the world, with nary a tear or an expression of concern to be found. Even so, it was a fun movie to watch and worth your time. 

Both are on Netflix :)

A Measure of Insignificance

600 game in on my Scrabble app, I have a record of 393-202-5 (65%), with 11 bingos. I tried moving up from "normal" to "hard" difficulty, but after a few games where the computer literally led off the game with three consecutive bingo's, I said "F that".

BOLO

This is a former classmate and longtime friend of Yaya. Prayers and BOLO 0be on the lookout) appreciated.

Most current picture I have of Wisper, who's been missing since yesterday afternoon. Please, call police if you see her.

Wisper, the girl that was missing, has returned home after being gone for nearly a day. Thanks to everyone who helped out in any way - it's good to see that it's all hands on deck when a kid goes missing. As to the thought that its upsetting that she seems to have left on her own, uh that's the BEST CASE SCENARIO out of all the options, isn't it?

Sad but True

Golfing

I was feeling twitchy today (still am) and so late in the evening I went down to the driving range and hit an 80 ball bucket. It's a nice way to work off some steam, and I can already tell that my game is improving.

TeamSlap Picnics at the Park

With Lisa working State Fair, I had our annual picnic at Whitnall Park, with its traditional search for golf balls in the tall grass of a blocks-long field. 

This years tally was low - a mere 8, not including one badly damaged by a mower - 

but I did catch and release some grasshoppers, saw and failed to capture a snake, and had a beautiful red dragonfly land on my belly!

Note: LuLu wasn't feeling well and so did not attend :( 

In addition, Smiley saw that Junie was upset that she hadn't found any balls, so he told me he would hide one in the grass and let her find it. I vetoed that (she found one on her own anyway) but told Junie about his plan, and the love in her eyes for her brother was something to see.

Good kids, these, if you conveniently overlook the tantrums and the drain on my wallet 

What a Different World It Would Have Been

 Wow. . .just wow. A newly released tape shows former President Bill Clinton in Australia giving a speech just *hours* before 9/11. In the speech he says he regretted not killing bin Laden when he had the chance, but since killing him risked the lives of 300 others where Osama was staying, Clinton nixed the strike.

 What a twilight zone thing to say just hours before the towers fell. 

(I'm saying it's a coincidence, NOT implying some conspiracy)

Clinton & company has always denied, to my recollection, ever even having the opportunity to take out bin Laden. Guess that was selective memory loss.

 Hindsight is 20/20, but it's hard to fathom the leader of the Free World not seeing that killing bin Laden, even at the risk of some innocent life, stood a good chance of saving the lives of many more innocents at a later date. 

In this case, some 2000 Americans on 9/11, thousands more of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the civilians killed in those conflicts.

The Grasshopper Picnic 2014

With Lisa working State Fair, I had our annual picnic at Whitnall Park, with its traditional search for golf balls in the tall grass of a blocks-long field. This years tally was low - a mere 8, not including one badly damaged by a mower - but I did catch and release some grasshoppers, saw and failed to capture a snake, and had a beautiful red dragonfly land on my belly! 

In addition, Smiley saw that Junie was upset that she hadn't found any balls, so he told me he would hide one in the grass and let her find it. I vetoed that (she found one on her own anyway) but told Junie about his plan, and the love in her eyes for her brother was something to see. 

Good kids, these, if you conveniently overlook the tantrums and the drain on my wallet ;)

A Beach Visit

This morning with the youngest three . . .

Yesterday with Yaya

Yesterday with YaYa . . .

Not a Grand Day

Yesterday when I picked up the kids from UWM I walked with them down Lake Drive for a mile or so, enjoying the beautiful weather. We stopped our hike at Northpoint Custard, where we met up with Lisa, and I treated the family to ice cream. 

In return, Lu mocked Junie, Smiley somehow managed to get as much ice cream on his face as in his mouth, Junie got upset over OJ's taunts, and YaYa went on and on about how she'd prefer chicken wings, because, you know, it was National Chicken Wing Day. I was so annoyed I left the table. 

When the kids and Lisa joined me at the car Yaya stepped on a bee and was stung in her bare foot. (her first ever sting). Hey, I know it makes me sound like an awful Dad - but I gotta believe there was some Old Testament smiting at work. Thanks Big Guy!

Good Job Lu

This morning Lu's plans to go to WI Dells with a friend fell through at the last moment - at 8:40 a.m, just as #TeamSlap was leaving for a 9 o'clock drop off at College for Kids. With literally no complaint she changed her clothes, grabbed a lunch Smiley made for her, and headed out the door to attend class. Kudos to her on handling the situation with maturity and calm. xxooo LuLu xxoo