This Dog, This Monster
Posted in: humor | Comments (0)
Here are instant thoughts from people who saw my black Labrador mix E. today at a local dog park (after all, I am a mind reader. I have to be in this society where people refuse to speak directly to one another):
“Who invited Kujo to our beautiful park?”
“Man, Weston is going down the toilet. They’ll let any Tom, Dick, and Harry move into this town; them and they’re flea bitten ugly black monster.”
“The natives are restless today.” Okay, I actually heard that one.
“That black mutt totally started it with my pure bred.” Heard a version of that one.
“That dog is so aggressive. Let me get my German Shepherd out of here … I cannot BELIEVE this Jew asked me what his dog did?!? Is he blind? He is too aggressive! That black dog should not be allowed in here! Let me shout some words at him from behind the fence, as I drive off, to show him!”
I said, “Hi,” to the lady as she just stared at me while dragging her dog out of the park. After she passed me, she turned and said my dog was very aggressive and should be the one to leave. I asked what he did (you know, besides standing up to some brown purebred who was in charge, and then proceeding to sniff some dogs, lick some dogs, stand up to the purebred some more, chase some dogs … you know, typical stuff you see at a dog park that other owners have assured me is okay behavior for dogs) and she couldn’t answer my question.
You see, I think what my dog did was, well, exist.
He’s a 1-year-old Marley and Me-style Labrador who had been cooped up in the house the past couple of days, in a strange setting because we’re visiting family, and I wanted him to run around at the dog park, have some fun for being a good boy. Instead, I interrupted someone’s training for the Westminster Dog Show. It must have been like the Garden of Eden for those dog owners, and that hispanic lady in particular, before my dog (my monster, in their eyes) showed up.
It truly was a sad, sad affair over there.
You see, E. is an Enneagram Type 7. Yeah, he’s an aggressive personality type. He wants to be in charge. However, he’s also very loving and lovable. He loves being fed. He loves attention. He’s great with kids (you’d think the Hispanic Lady who called E. “Aggressive” would have noticed my six-year-old daughter standing next to him, but, hey, she’s doesn’t want to be Sherlock Holmes, does she? She’d rather be Detective LeStrade).
Yeah, he’s a puppy and occasionally over-exuberhant, but multiple other owners have told me that’s OKAY.
Need I add that E. doesn’t bite? And he only barks over territorial issues or on command?
Did I mention he can do several tricks? How about that he’s a smart dog? How about that he sleeps next to our bed every night, unleashed? How about that I bike with the dog? How about he hangs out at home with us unleashed?
Yeah. What a monster. Way too aggressive. Somebody call the Humane Society — the judges at the Weston Dog Park have declared E. guilty of existing, and demand he be put down immediately.
Can’t wait to stop by again tomorrow. My dog will not be labeled, filed, numbered, or stamped. He is a sentient being who did nothing wrong today.
admin @ September 5, 2010
Is That the Nexus Wave Rolling In?
Posted in: humor | Comments (0)
For all you Star Trek fans, here’s a crazy cloud formation that reminded me of the Nexus Wave from Generations.
admin @ August 23, 2010
Here comes the rain
Posted in: humor | Comments (0)
One thing I love about Florida are these sky high, panoramic views. A big rainstorm was rolling this morning. I better hurry!
admin @ August 23, 2010
Photos From Ground Zero, circa July 2010
Posted in: humor | Comments (0)
We recently had a discussion over at the serious blog about, among other things, what to do with the WTC grounds. My friend Gary was recently up there, and he explained that the place where the Twin Towers stood will be a Memorial, and their building skyscrapers around the site. So, it’s a Memorial/Commerce mix.
Anyway, Gary took some photos with his Android phone. Click each above to see each one individually; click again for a full-size version. Enjoy!
admin @ August 17, 2010
Metropolis Anime Movie: Random Thoughts
Posted in: humor | Comments (5)
So, I’ve had the movie Metropolis
So, here’s the deal — I have never made it through Fritz Lang’s Metropolis
So, based on what little I read and saw of the original 1927 movie, it seems the new anime film pays homage to the original while creating a new storyline and characters. Here are my random impressions of their efforts:
- Not only do they pay homage to Metropolis, they also pay homage to Astroboy (the corporate villain looks like a white-haired Dr. Tenma, the grizzled detective is identical to the one that appears in the Astroboy series, the nephew kinda looks like Tobio, etc.)
- There are also some Star Wars sound effects, like the Millenium Falcon shutting down, mixed in.
- The Art Deco stuff was cool … reminded me of Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building. Those designs are very powerful and imposing. You could almost believe that man could shape the world into any image he desires, looking at that style. Glad we know better now … right?
- The whole movie kinda felt like a serious version of the Astroboy cartoon; it was like one of those Elseworlds DC comics, where they show an alternate reality that has Batman as a vampire, or Superman crash landing in the USSR. For example, there was a character named Atlas that was leading a revolution against the elitist government, and the one in Astroboy is a conflicted quasi-revolutionary robot.
- I loved the Jazzy/Rag-time soundtrack. That really put me in that 1920′s mood.
- The villain is really, really trigger-happy. He reminded me of a SS Nazi who has carte blanche to do whatever he wants, shoot whoever he wants, in front of witnesses, telling off police, etc. He also kinda reminded me of the Terminator, with those retro-80′s sunglasses he was wearing.
- The ending was so sad! It was like, this is how Astroboy probably should have ended, if it were ultra-serious.
admin @ August 15, 2010
Playon Users: Update to Version 3
Posted in: humor | Comments (0)
In case you missed it, playon is up to version 3 on their software for the Wii. If you want your plugins to work right, you have to update to the latest version. I found that out the hard way. I think I’ll turn on automatic updates going forward.
Also, the folks at playon are looking to turn a profit by offering Premium channels like ESPN3 for a monthly fee. People like me who paid a fee for the software were not grandfathered in to the premium service (boo). Yeah, they offered a discounted fee, but whatever.
I guess you can also do a one-time lifetime fee for the Premium service for $79.00 … except, the fee I paid was also one-time, so I guess I’m just not buyin’. I like their product, but I don’t need the channels. If that changes in the future, I might consider forking over that $79.00 fee … you know, right after I get out of debt hahahahaha. For now, I’m happy I get C-Span.
admin @ August 1, 2010
Water bottle cap comparison
Posted in: humor | Comments (0)
So, why is it that a half-pint bottle of Zephyrhills water has a bigger cap than the pint-size bottle? To me, there is no logical explanation. Looks like a waste of plastic, if you ask me. Take a look at the photos and you be the judge.
admin @ July 28, 2010
Keeping up with Futbol after the World Cup
Posted in: humor | Comments (0)
So, in the aftermath of World Cup 2010, I am attempting to keep up with the futbol on a club level. If you’re like me, someone who tunes into the World Cup and then loses track of soccer afterwards, and you’d like to change that, here are some tips to keep up with the world of soccer:
- Podcasts
I enjoy listening to the EPL Talk Show. They did a great job covering World Cup 2010, and I’m sure they’ll keep me up to-do-date with English Premiere League. With rumors that stars like Landon Donovan from USA and Kaka from Brasil may end up in England, it’s definitely a league to keep an eye on if you love the stars from the World Cup.
Another Podcast I just discovered is BBC 5 live’s World Football Phone-in. They have experts who covered all the European leagues, MLS, Mexican, Futbol Brasiliero,and more. For someone like me, this show helps me see the whole world of futbol and put things into context. I’m beginning to understand all the different club leagues and tournaments.
- TV
Well, not sure how long this website will exist, but footyfire seems to be the place to go if you want to see some club futbol action. I watched Vasco da Gama star Nilton score a goal, which was cool. Vasco was my dad’s favorite team, and it’s a real treat to see them play, thanks to the ‘net.
My nephew told me justin tv and ustream are also good sources for worldwide futbol action.
- Website
I’ve been checking out ESPN Soccernet on a regular basis since the World Cup has ended, and they’ve done a good job of keeping me up-to-date with the latest contract signings and player moves, as well as National Team coaching changes.
admin @ July 24, 2010
Out of the Arms of Bonnie (Tropical Storm)
Posted in: humor | Comments (0)
Tropical Storm Bonnie – hard to see driving!
I’m out of the storm, and that SUV is going in.
Here are some pics I shot as I drove through an outer arm band of Tropical Storm Bonnie. Let’s pray this storm doesn’t make the Gulf oil spill any worse.
admin @ July 23, 2010
Palm Frons and Smoke Stacks
Posted in: humor | Comments (0)
Here’s an interesting photo from Ft. Lauderdale, photo — palm trees in the foreground, and industrial smoke stacks way in the distance, on the left side.
admin @ July 23, 2010
