The Temerity of High Maintenance

IN BLOG WE TRUST - The Final Chapter

2009-05-07T16:29:00.019-04:00

The Final Chapter

It seemed like forever but, Gordon awoke with his body feeling like he just finished skydiving . . . . . without a parachute. Despite that, his head felt clearer and he forced himself out of bed. As soon as entered the living room, he realized that he was alone in the apartment. Winchell and Jackie had gone. Gordon went to the fridge and poured himself some Orange Juice. It tasted good. On the kitchen counter he found the note:

G,
You need the rest. Couldn’t wait. I left you Jackie’s spare cell phone. We will call you when we can. If we don’t make it back, see what you can do. If you are smart you will get out of town.
Winch

“Dammit!”

Gordon poured more juice and looked through the cabinets for something to eat. What was available did not make him smile. He sat down on the couch and closed his eyes. After about 10 minutes, he through his feet off of the coffee table, grabbed his coat and left through the front door.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Winchell and Jackie drove up to the company in his Cavalier with the lights off. They stopped a short walk from the Company’s main entrance and began walking.

“Well, at least we won’t have a hard time selling the “my car broke down” story.”

Winchell gave Jackie a sideways look and forged on toward the gate.
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Amalee returned from the elevator to Supervisor X’s office to find it empty. Odd?!? There was no obvious way out of the office that didn’t pass the bank of elevators where Jack and Jim were retired from the Company’s service.

“Interesting . . . . . . . clever bastard.” She said softly to herself.

As she turned to go, the door refused to open. Startled, she looked around quickly and noticed the there were no windows and no other exits.

. . . . . . .”Oh No! You’re dead!”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supervisor X appeared from a dark corner of the lab.

“Colonel Hart.” He said matter-of-factly.

The Colonel barely reacted with but a slight movement of his eyes. Obviously, not the first time that the Supervisor had appear from this direction. ”Sir.”

“Is everything ready?”

“Almost. The machine is going through its final “nutrient cycle”.”

“Don’t delay. The Company will be most unhappy if the project breaks down this close to completion. . . . . deadly unhappy.”

“Got It!”

Just then Supervisor’s phone buzzed.

“Yes? . . . . I’m told we are close . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Yes.”

As he hung up the phone, X glanced at the Colonel and hit the EXECUTE button as he walked out. “Get it done. . . .NOW!”

Lights began flickering. A variety of unseen machine began cycling towards various unknown functions. After a moment, a pipe burst and a steamy liquid began to cover the floor of the lab. As it touched a bank of computers, sirens began to flash and sirens began to wail.

With the reinforced glass container, project WRKRBE-10 began to move.
¬--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As Winchell and Jackie approached the guard shack at the entrance, they both tried to put on their “composed” face.

Winchell spoke out the side of his mouth, “These guys know me. We shouldn’t have any problems.”

“I like the optimism, but I don’t think it is going to be that easy.”

“You could open a few buttons on that shirt. That might help.”

“Remind me to kill you if we live through this.”

Just then the guard stuck his head out of the booth. Winchell, is that you? Did you car break down again??”

Winchell looked at Jackie like a proud peacock, “I told you that these guys knew me.” To the guard, “Yeah, it’s up the road a few . . . . .” Just then, sirens rang out. The guard turned and ran towards the building where the project laboratories were located.

Winchell and Jackie looked at each other and shrugged. “That was easy. Let’s go.” Jackie said.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supervisor X walked at a quick pace towards his office ... his actual office. The phone call had made him uneasy. The project and the alarms had added to his dismay. The pile of bodies that were starting to stack up in the building didn’t bother him, he just felt like things were getting out of control. . . . out of HIS control. It was time to disappear.

Winchell and Jackie made it to the building without incident. Everyone seemed to have their attention elsewhere. Entrance to the building was not a problem. Apparently, nobody was suspecting them of anything. If they were, they weren’t suspecting them enough to deactivate their keycards.

“Everything seems to be going easy enough . . .” said Winchell.

“. . let’s take the stairs!” Jackie finished.

“I was just going to suggest that. You must really think that I’ stupid!” said Winchell.

Together they quietly walked down a short corridor and went into the nearest stairwell.

“Okay, Mr Wizard. Where to!?” Jackie jibed.

Winchell made a Kreskin gesture towards his forehead. “Since we know most of this place except the lower lower level, I see us going down there.”

“Okay, about 15 flights of stairs. . . .I should only have to carry you down about 6 or 7 of them. Unless, you do me the favor of going straight to fatal heart attack.”

“I’m more of an aneurism kinda guy, but I’ll see what I do.”

“Deal!”
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In his office, Supervisor X walked right to his desk without bothering with the lights. HE punched in a code that unlocked a special drawer. He retrieved the briefcase within and walked to the safe, spun the dial . . .right. . . left. . . .right and withdrew the manila envelope and some papers.

He hit a speed dial number on his phone. “5 minutes!” he said and hung up.

“5 minutes? That’s not going to be enough time.”, came a voice from the darkness of the far corner.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At the bottom of the stairs Winchell and Jackie paused. . . .

“You still with me?” Jackie asked.

“Yeah!” I’m fine. I’m not ready for the home yet ya know.”

“Okay, right or left?”

Winchell peered into the hallway. He looked right. . . then left. He withdrew back into the stairwell. “My gut tells me that we need to go right.”

The two began through the doorway and turned right down the hallway. As they moved on down the hall, Jackie glanced left to see a concrete wall. “Your gut, huh?. . . . You’re an ass.”

A door came up quickly on the left. The room emanated a bluish light with sounds of softly whirring machinery. Standing in the doorway was Colonel Hart.
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Supervisor X cocked his head to the left. “Amalee.” He said calmly. “We have a situation that needs to be taken care of in the basement.”

“You’re a piece of work. You try to kill me and I’m supposed to not notice. . . AND care about your “situation in the basement?? You finally made a mistake and it’s going to cost you.”

“Amalee, don’t be emotional. We have work to do. I have to finish up the project and you have money to make. That room was destroyed. . . just like this one is about to be destroyed. I naturally assumed that you wouldn’t be trapped in the room. If I did you wouldn’t be here.”

“You think that I’m that easy to kill?”

“No, if you were that easy to kill, I wouldn’t have hired you. Now. . . .the basement?”

“The basement. X, don’t be within shooting range after the funds are transferred. . . .clear?”

Supervisor X smirked, “Clear. But leave a contact number in case I have work in the future. . . I like you.”

Amalee walked toward the door and into the hallway. She stopped for a second. “Dammit!!” With that she turned and with a single shot, sprayed Supervisor X brains all over the “soon to be destroyed” room.
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Hands raised just above their heads, Winchell and Jackie stood frozen in the hallway. Colonel Hart stood in the doorway to the lab . . . expressionless.

Winchell spoke up, “Colonel, we were told to come down here and check o . . . .” His feint stopped as Hart began to shed a single teardrop . . .a teardrop of blood. . . . and fell forward like a storefront mannequin. He hit the floor face first with a nauseating thud.
Jackie and Winchell looked and Colonel Hart in amazement. They looked up in unison just inside the lab doorway and found themselves face to face with their former friend . . . .only now it was a conscious and lethal WRKRBE-10.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANGER. . . . . RED VISION. . . . . .RAGE. . . . .TWO TARGETS ACQUIRED . . . . .RAGE . . . . .ANGER. . . . .RAGE. . . . . . .RAGE. . . . . ELIMINATE TARGETS. . .
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The two friends stared up at Mikal. . . .or what was once Mikal. WRKRBE-10 loomed over them, blood from Colonel Hart running down its right appendage. Although the eyes looked like Mikal’s, there was something mechanical. . . . inhuman about them. They swiftly tracked Jackie, then Winchell. The abomination gazed at them with a hostility that neither of them had ever seen. Saliva, blood, and other viscous fluids oozed freely from WRKRBE-10.

Tears ran uncontrollably from Jackie’s eyes. “Oh, Mikal! How could this have happened?”

Winchell . . . .slowly as to not draw attention. . . moved sideways and pushed Jackie out of the doorway. “MIKAL! MIKAL! It’s us! It’s Winch and Jackie!! MIKAL! Try and think! You have to be in there somewhere!”

With Jackie practically out of sight, WRKRBE-10 was able to focus on the one remaining target. The talking seemed to distract the creature. Instead of impaling Winchell as it did with Colonel Hart, an enlarged claw-like hand reached out and grabbed Winchell. He felt at least one rib break. Winchell said “Jackie! Run!. . . . NOW!”
Winchell faced his former friend. “Mikal, buddy, it’s me Winchell. You have to remember. Remember me. . . .Jackie. . . . .Andrea. . . .the Beast!

WRKRBE-10 stopped. It seemed to think a minute. . . .almost distracted. In a quite mumble. . .barely audible. . .an unrecognizable voice uttered a single word. . . .”beast. . ”

Just then a shot rang out striking the creature in the shoulder. WRKRBE-10 staggered back, instinctively clenching its grip on Winchell. A loud crack echoed down the hallway. Red stains began to soak through Winchell’s clothes. Another shot rang out hitting WRKRBE-10 in the forehead. WRKRBE-10 dropped Winchell who dropped like a ragdoll to the floor. The mutated appendage struck, lightning quick, and grabbed Amalee and pulled her close to the creatures face.

“It’s me baby. . . .it’s Andrea. . . .It’s me . . .”

“. . . beast. . . . “

“You always did love that car better than me. . . . .you son of a bitch” With that Amalee pulled a hand grenade from her belt and shoved it into the gaping maw of the WRKRBE experiment.

The creature instinctively swallowed. The force of the explosion was muted by the fortified structure of the WRKRBE-10. It blew back into a bank of computers and thrashed about the controls trying to get a grip to right itself before coming to a stop and slumping to the floor.
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Jackie lay in the hallway. The explosion caused a shockwave enough to toss her from her feet. She regained her footing and limped to the room.

She found Andrea/Amalee on the floor with what appeared to be a mutated rib from the monster sticking from chest. She ran to Winchell’s body and knelt down. Although he was still breathing, he didn’t look good.

“Look, Winchell whispered, “I’m pretty banged up. You can’t move me. Go get help. I’ll try hang on until you get back. . . . .hurry.”

Jackie took a quick look at Mikal who was in shreds. “You better hang on! I’ll go topside and call help. I won’t be long.

“Jackie. . . . . . .Thanks for coming with me. . . .unghh. . . . .go.”
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In the dark Winchell lay there. Everything was disheveled in the lab, but not everything was destroyed. In the corner, where WRKRBE-10 had fallen, a computer display cast the only light in the room. On the display screen was a simple count down clock. It read “WRKRBE-11 activated in 1 Hour 58 Minutes.

The End?

The Previous Chapters

Chapter 8

Creative Arts!

2008-10-15T22:39:00.001-04:00

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Illegal??

2008-09-30T15:17:00.000-04:00

http://www.comcast.net/articles/sports-nfl/20080930/20080930125235260000101/

Maybe Wyatt can explain this law. . . . ..

Me Me Me!

2008-09-24T18:02:00.000-04:00

HowManyOfMe.com

There are
154
people with the name Deathlok in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

I Love When They Agree!!

2008-08-04T16:24:00.001-04:00

I think that I said this first:

Bat Review

Best Medicine. . . . . .

2008-07-30T20:04:00.002-04:00

I'm still walking around using the brain matter that still works. The only symptom that I had from the whole ordeal was that I didn't see Batman yet. Well, I took care of that last night. Wyatt couldn't beat the brain damaged guy to the theater. WOW!

Anyway, the movie was incredible. 2 hours 36 minutes incredible. Sure, Ledger was amazing. However, the unsung hero award for this movie is Gary Oldman. He plays a GREAT Gordon. I don't want to ruin the movie for those who haven't seen it. I had two little issues with it (and I mean little).

1. Christian Bale (whom I love) makes his voice so deep for Batman that it seems strained and sometimes not understandable.

2. The other thing has to do with the Harvey issue, which floored me, but didn't like the resolution (how is THAT for not giving things away)

3. Save time! There is nothing after the credits. However, it you stay until after the credits to the second clip below (and you stayed until after the credits on Iron Man) you will laugh you self silly. . . .
. . . . .of course, I have brain damage.

That for all the well wishes. They meant and still mean a lot.

Avoid The Foley!!

2008-07-21T21:20:00.000-04:00

So, Where has Deathlok been?

Wow! Where do I start? The last week has been incredible.

Wednesday, June 9th, I to a Vacation Day from work. . .. (that I’ll show me). I got up early and went to the Chiropractor. While getting my neck adjusted, I became REALLY REALLY Dizzy. I sat up and the vertigo made the nausea come. I couldn’t shake it. After about an hour (or so it seemed), the Doctor called my wife. She came and picked me up. I went home and went to bed. My wife called my family doctor, who ordered me something for the nausea. The next day, I went to the family doctor and got something for the vertigo. I felt better, but still a little off.

By Saturday, I wasn’t any better. I got up, made breakfast and went to lie down again. My wife saw me and said, “That’s enough! It’s been four days and your back in bed. We’re going to the hospital. I, of course, said “Okay, as soon as this show is over!”
“No! Now!” was the reply.

So we sent over to the local hospital. It happens to be the one that my wife works at. Very nice. We should be home in time to see our friend’s band tonight.

After a quick CAT scan, the hospital, says, “We might want to keep him over night.”

WHAT!!! Okay, I didn’t see that coming.

Later, they are talking in the hall and they tell my wife that they are deciding whether I should stay or go to Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia (on the countries leading Neuro hospitals). My wife quickly says, “JEFF!”

I’m thinking, “Let’s get in the car!”. . . . . . . . .No! Here comes the ambulance! Then some more scans and more doctor chat and the story changes. They decided that I needed to be helicoptered over the JEFF. WHAT!!! Collar. . . . Board. . . .and off we go!!

WHAT IS GOING ON!!!

It turns out that after a long night of tests and retests in the Neuro ICU, I had what they termed a Stroke. To be more exact, for me at least, I have a blood clot in the artery that goes from my neck to my brain. All the Neurologists and Neurosurgeons concur that the Chiro visit caused the clot/tear thing.

They all look puzzled because I am alive. At the very least, I should be in a coma. The only deficit that I had was that I was hungry and they wouldn’t feed me. Odd!!

More tests. . . . . .

Turns out that I have a second clot and they are going to have to open up my head a little. Between the damage and the surgery, the doctors predict that Wyatt might have a shot at beating me in the Fantasy League Hockey this year.

Another turn. . . . ..

As it turns out the second clot in the Basilar Artery is odd. . . .like 20-25 years old. They have never seen this injury on a LIVING patient. More exams. . . . . . It looks like the old injury caused my brain to form offshoots of blood circulation. Hmmmm! That is how I survived. Technically, I should have been dead 25 years ago.

Turn again. . . . They speculate that without the new pathways from the old injury, the new injury, would have been deadly of vegetative. So, the old injury saved me from the new injury. I tell everyone that I grew new brain.

They have been regulating my blood and thinning it out. I have to be careful and drink little for three to six months. OUCH!! I was drinking so much 25 years ago, I think that helped save me.

There are more miracles that have happened this week, but they are for later. Needless to say I am more than lucky to be alive. I’m like my own FINAL DESTINATION IV.

Believe in God? After this week, I think that I have PROVEN THE EXISTENCE OF GOD!!

More when I’m up for it. . . . .

Thanks For the Well Wishes. . . .

hic

2008-07-07T12:22:00.001-04:00

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IN BLOG WE TRUST - Part 8

2008-07-03T08:44:00.000-04:00

Captain America -
Colonel Hart opened the file on his desk. The face of Mikhail Rosakof stared out at him blankly. As a Colonel he had one overriding ambition...to become a General. To this point his stewardship of his latest assignment had been flawless. His anticipated success along with endorsements from the Company should easily open the door into that very exclusive club.

But it was time to take stock of his current position. Unfortunately Mr. Rosakoff had let his curiosity get the better of himself. It proved to be his undoing. Just dumb luck the Resistance got to him first. It was a big gamble absorbing him into the WRK project, but sooner or later there had to be human trials.

As the project manager Col. Hart couldn't risk details of this project getting out. If the resistance found out how much progress they had made, or if they suspected the real goals they could finally forge a coalition to bring down the Government. After the destruction of the last rebellion their society couldn't afford another period of internal conflict. Col Hart couldn't afford that.

As he turned the page the picture of the police detective stood out. His involvement had complicated things. Jack and Jim had botched the operation as far as he was concerned. They would soon find out the price for failure. He needed to tie up some loose ends. "Secure line please" he said out loud.

Supervisor X finished the conversation by saying "Close line" out loud to no one in particular.

Jack stood up and motioned to Jim as the subway train came to a halt. "There's been a change in assignments". "What the fu*k is going on?" Jim demanded. "We're to go back to Rosakoff's apartment and ready it for another tasking, X's orders".

Amalee strolled into Supervisor X's office and sat on the couch as if she hadn't a care in the world. In reality this guy made her nervous. Not him personally, but the goons he controlled. "I'm glad to see you again" he began.
"Well it's been a while" she said taking stock of his body language. As usual he gave little away.
"We know you have been moonlighting for the Resistance" Supervisor X said.
Amalee was stunned. Why was he bringing this up now?
"What makes you say that?" was all she could muster.
"Sweet Amalee your handiwork is all too familiar to those of us in the know".
Supervisor X was going somewhere but Amalee didn't know where. But she was sure at this point that wherever he was going he needed her. At least for a while.
"What I do under contract is my own business". "What is it that I can help you with?" "You didn't bring me all the way up here to stare at my tits...or did you?" she said as she leaned forward momentarily throwing the Supervisor off his game.
"No indeed", he said flush faced.

Jack and Jim had finally arrived at the huge apartment block. They merged into the early evening crowd and headed toward one of the lesser used elevators. Stepping inside Jim was still grumbling. "This is just shit". "We shouldn't be here" As the dimly lit elevator hit floor seven the familiar ding filled the car. The doors groaned open and a tall stunning, blond was at the door. Both men were momentarily motionless as their biology overrode their instinct. It was all the time Amalee needed. Almost fluidly she produced a high powered pistol and shot Jim in the face. Jack was so stunned he instinctively turned and watched Jim fall to the floor. Reflexively he tried to pull his own pistol but it was already too late. A bullet crashed through the side of his skull killing him instantly. Two more shots rang out in quick succession as the elevator doors closed. The noise from the four second encounter rarely registered in the building. Amalee dropped the pistol as the elevator doors closed and took the dead men to the tenth floor.

See! I Was Right!

2008-06-23T08:15:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago, I posted something about my personal experience with Corporate "Verbal Abuse" . . .or Misuse. . . one of them. Someone sent this to me the other day. #15-16 was the personal offense. . .that and a misuse of a quote fron Don Quixote. .

Anyway, enjoy:

Management speak - don't you just hate it? Emphatically yes, judging by readers' responses to writer

. Here, we list 50 of the best worst examples.

1. "When I worked for Verizon, I found the phrase going forward to be more sinister than annoying. When used by my boss - sorry, "team leader" - it was understood to mean that the topic of conversation was at an end and not be discussed again."
Nima Nassefat, Vancouver, Canada

2. "My employers (top half of FTSE 100) recently informed staff that we are no longer allowed to use the phrase brain storm because it might have negative connotations associated with fits. We must now take idea showers . I think that says it all really."
Anonymous, England

3. At my old company (a US multinational), anyone involved with a particular product was encouraged to be a product evangelist . And software users these days, so we hear, want to be platform atheists so that their computers will run programs from any manufacturer."
Philip Lattimore, Thailand

4. " Incentivise is the one that does it for me."
Karl Thomas, Perth, Scotland

5. "My favourite which I hear from the managers at the bank I work for is let's touch base about that offline . I think it means have a private chat but I am still not sure."
Gemma, Wolverhampton, England

6. "Have you ever heard the term loop back which means go back to an associate and deal with them?"
Scott Reed, Lakeland, Florida, US

7-8. "We used to collect the jargon used in a list and award the person with the most at the end of the year. The winner was a client manager with the classic you can't turn a tanker around with a speed boat change . What? Second was we need a holistic, cradle-to-grave approach , whatever that is."
Turner, Manchester

9. "Until recently I had to suffer working for a manager who used phrases such as the idiotic I've got you in my radar in her speech, letters and e-mails. Once, when I mentioned problems with the phone system, she screamed 'NO! You don't have problems, you have challenges'. At which point I almost lost the will to live."
Stephen Gradwick, Liverpool

10. "You can add challenge to the list. Problems are no longer considered problems, they have morphed into challenges."
Irene MacIntyre, Courtenay, B

11. "Business speak even supersedes itself and does so with silliness, the shorthand for quick win is now low hanging fruit ."
Paul, Formby, UK

12. "And looking under the bonnet ."
Eve Russell, Edinburgh

13-14. "The business-speak that I abhor is pre-prepare and forward planning . Is there any other kind of preparedness or planning?"
Edward Creswick, Exeter

15-16. "The one that really gets me is pre-plan - there is no such thing. Either you plan or you don't. The new one which has got my goat is conversate , widely used to describe a conversation. I just wish people could learn to 'think outside the box' although when they put us in cubes what do they expect?"
Malcolm, Houston

17. "I work in one of those humble call centres for a bank. Apparently, what we're doing at the moment is sprinkling our magic along the way. It's a call centre, not Hogwarts."
Caroline Garlick, Ayrshire

18. "A pet hate is the utterly pointless expression in this space . So instead of the perfectly adequate 'how can I help?' it's 'how can I help in this space?' Or the classic I heard on Friday, 'How can we help our customers in this space going forward?' I think I may have caught this expression at source, as I've yet to hear it said outside my own working environment. So I'm on a personal crusade to stamp it out before it starts infecting other City institutions. Wish me luck in this space."
Colin, London

19. "The one phrase that inspires a rage in me is from the get-go ."
Andy, Herts

20. "'Going forward' is only half the phrase that gets up my nose - all politicians seem to use the phrase go forward together . 'We must... we shall... let us now... go forward together'. It gives me a terrible mental image of the whole country linking arms and goose-stepping in unison, with the politicians out in front doing a straight-armed salute. Is it just me?"
Frances Smith, Toronto, Canada

21. "I am a financial journalist and am on a mission to remove words and phrases such as 360-degree thinking from existence."
Richard, London

22. "The latest that's stuck in my head is we are still optimistic things will feed through the sales and delivery pipeline (ie: we actually haven't sold anything to anyone yet but maybe we will one day)."
Alexander, Southampton

23. "I worked in PR for many years and often heard the most ludicrous phrases uttered by CEOs and marketing managers. One of the best was, we'd better not let the grass grow too long on this one . To this day it still echoes in my ears and I giggle to myself whenever I think about it. I can't help but think insecure business people use such phrases to cover up their inability for proper articulation."
Leon Reilly, Ealing, London

24. "Need to get all my ducks in a row now - before the five-year-olds wake up."
Mark Dixon, Bridgend

25. "Australians have started to use auspice as a verb. Instead of saying, 'under the auspices of...', some people now say things like, it was auspiced by... "
Martin Pooley, Marrickville, Australia

26. "My favourite: we've got our fingers down the throat of the organisation of that nodule . Translation = Er, no, WE sorted out the problems to cover your backside."
Theo de Bray, Kettering, UK

27. "The health service in Wales is filled with managers who use this type of language as a substitute for original thought. At meetings we play health-speak bingo; counting the key words lightens the tedium of meetings - including, most recently, my door is open on this issue . What does that mean?"
Edwin Pottle, Llandudno

28-29. "The business phrase I find most irritating is close of play , which is only slightly worse than actioning something."
Ellie, London

30. "Here in the US we have the cringe-worthy and also in addition . Then there's the ever-eloquent 'where are we at?' So far, I haven't noticed the UK's at the end of the day prefacing much over here; thank heavens for small mercies."
Eithne B, Chicago, US

31. "The expression that drives me nuts is 110% , usually said to express passion/commitment/support by people who are not very good at maths. This has created something of a cliche-inflation, where people are now saying 120%, 200%, or if you are really REALLY committed, 500%. I remember once the then-chancellor Gordon Brown saying he was 101% behind Tony Blair, to which people reacted 'What? Only 101?'"
Ricardo Molina, London, UK

32. "My least favourite business-speak term is not enough bandwidth . When an employee used this term to refuse an additional assignment, I realised I was completely 'out of the loop'."
April, Berkeley, US

33. "I once had a boss who said, ' You can't have your cake and eat it, so you have to step up to the plate and face the music .' It was in that moment I knew I had to resign before somebody got badly hurt by a pencil."
Tim, Durban

34. " Capture your colleagues - make sure everyone attends that risk management workshop (compulsory common sense training for idiots)."
Anglowelsh, UK

35-37. "We too used to have daily paradigm shifts , now we have stakeholders who must come to the party or be left out, or whatever."
Barry Hicks, Cape Town, RSA

38. "I have taken to playing buzzword bingo when in meetings. It certainly makes it more entertaining when I am feeding it back (or should that be cascading ) at work."
Ian Everett, Bolton

39. "In my work environment it's all cascading at the moment. What they really mean is to communicate or disseminate information, usually downwards. What they don't seem to appreciate is that it sounds like we're being wee'd on. Which we usually are."
LMD, London

40. "At a large media company where I once worked, the head of human resources - itself a weaselly neologism for personnel - told us that she would be cascading down new information to staff. What she meant was she was going to send them a memo. It was one of the reasons I resigned - that, and the fact that the chief exec persisted on referring to the company as a really cool train set ."
Andrew, London

41. "Working for an American corporation, this year's favourite word seems to be granularity , meaning detail. As in 'down to that level of granularity'."
Chris Daniel, Anaco, Venezuela

42. "On the wall of our office we have a large signed certificate, signed by all the senior management team, in which they solemnly promise to leverage their talents, display and inspire 'unyielding integrity', and lots of other pretentious buzz-phrases like that. Clueless, the lot of them."
Chris K, Cheltenham UK

43. "After a reduction in workforce , my university department sent this notice out to confused campus customers: 'Thank you for your note. We are assessing and mitigating immediate impacts, and developing a high-level overview to help frame the conversation with our customers and key stakeholders. We intend to start that process within the week. In the meantime, please continue to raise specific concerns or questions about projects with my office via the Transition Support Center..."
Charles R, Seattle, Washington, US

44. "I was told I'd be living the values from now on by my employers at a conference the other week. Here's some modern language for them - meh. A shame as I strongly believe in much of what my employers aim to do. I refuse to adopt the voluntary sectors' client title of 'service user'. How is someone who won't so much as open the door to me using my service? Another case of using four syllables where one would do."
Upscaled Blue-Sky thinker, Cardiff

45. "Business talk 2.0 is maddening, meaningless, patronising and I despise it."
Doug, London

46. "Lately I've come across the strategic staircase . What on earth is this? I'll tell you; it's office speak for a bit of a plan for the future. It's not moving on but moving up. How strategic can a staircase really be? A lot I suppose, if you want to get to the top without climbing over all your colleagues."
Peter Walters, Cheadle Hulme, UK

47. "When a stock market is down why must we be told it is in negative territory ?"
Phil Linehan, Mexico City, Mexico

48. "The particular phrase I love to hate is drill down , which handily can be used either as an adverb/verb combo or as a compound noun, ie: 'the next level drill-down', sometimes even in the same sentence - a nice bit of multi-tasking."
B, London

49. "Thanks for the impactful article; I especially appreciated the level of granularity. A high altitude view often misses the siloed thinking typical of most businesses. Absent any scheme for incentivitising clear speech, however, I'm afraid we're stuck with biz-speak."
Timothy Denton, New York

50. "It wouldn't do the pinstripers any harm to crack a smile and say what they really felt once in a while instead of trotting out such clinical platitudes. Of course a group of them may need to workshop it first: Wouldn't want to wrongside the demographic ."
Trick Cyclist, Tripoli, Libya

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7457287.stm

IN BLOG WE TRUST - Part 7

2008-06-13T16:20:00.002-04:00

Deathlok -
Gordon came to a short time later and Jackie gave him some water. Eventually, he sat up, feeling weak, but better.

Gordon and Winchell traded stories of current events, cautiously at first, feeling each other out. Although they didn’t trust each other 100% when it came to The Company, they both weren’t stupid. With what they had recently been through, they knew the best chance of survival, for both of them, was to take the plunge and give full disclosure to each other. Jackies’s involvement in Winchell’s tale and his vouching for her, was good enough for Gordon. . . .for now.

“The Company has lost it. They are just grabbing people left and right.” Said Gordon. “Do they really think that grabbing a Detective is going to go unanswered?”

WInchell smirked, “Do you think they would have grabbed a Detective if they didn’t have someone on the inside. . . . .high up on the inside. . . .the would cover it up. And by cover it up, I mean cover YOU up.”

“They just about succeeded tonight.” Added Jackie. “I’ve been thinking. . . .”

“That’s always good . . . .blurted Winchell without thinking.

“Shut up! I’ve been thinking . . . if they took Gordon into their “hospital” or lab or whatever. . .instead of just killing him and disposing of his body. . . .”

“Hey, I’m right here!!” chimed Gordon.

“. . . .what are chances that they did the same with Mikal. Maybe he is inside the Company right now.”

Winchell lowered his head. “It’s seems unlikely. . .Gordon, did you see anyone else in there?”

“No, although I was pretty drugged up. No, there wasn’t anyone else around me. It’s a good theory but doubtful. I’m sorry!”

“We have to get in there and look around. We’re really no safer here than we are if we tried to get back in.” The look of a resigned woman showed on Jackie’s face.

“Alright, we’ll try it.” Winchell just wanted this done.

“Let me rest up and I’ll go with you guys” Gordon didn’t want anyone taking down these guys but him. Not after what they did to him.

Winchell wasn’t buying that at all. ‘Not in the shape I was way back Gordon. I don’t think that I could carry you, the next time you drop.”

“You were never in good shape.”

“Exactly!”

“It’s almost morning”, Winchell took a deep breath. “You get some rest. Jackie and I will try to come up with a plan. Maybe your years in Undercover can be of some use. But, get some rest and we’ll talk later. Actually, we should all get some sleep.”

Gordon laid down and was out in seconds.

“Jackie, you know the place is impossible to sneak into, right?”

“Yeah, but they don’t know we are with Gordon. They think that we are on vacation. Even if they do see us . . . so what! We aren’t on vacation . . .So! We do still work there. Right now, the only three people we can trust are us.”

Supervisor X sat in his office. “Are they coming here as requested? The woman and those two psychopaths?”

“Yes Sir! Amalee and the other two will all be here shortly. Should I bring them up here when they arrive?”

“To my office? Good God, man no!” You’re lucky that I don’t kill you for knowing where my office is. Have them wait in the third floor meeting room. Notify me when they are all here.”

“Yes, Sir!”

“And. . . .

“Sir?”

“Don’t forget to have All of there weapons removed this time.”

“Yes, Sir! Sorry , Sir!”

“Oh, and one more thing. . . .” Supervisor X let the thought trail away. “Once they are out with their assignments, give them 12 hours. If they have not completed their tasks and reported back in. . . . . . .activate prototype WRKRB-E10. Let’s put an end to this, shall we?”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

IN BLOG WE TRUST – Part 6

2008-06-13T13:12:00.000-04:00

Snigglefrits -
Winchell stared at his reflection. The evening before had taken it’s toll on him. He and Jackie had spent most of the night working out their plans for the next few days. Supervisor X’s appearance in his apartment last night had proven one thing- if they didn’t want he and Jackie looking for Mikal, it meant they knew exactly where he was.

People- dead or alive- didn’t get “lost” when The Company was involved.

Their plan was simple. He and Jackie would go into work as normal. She would gather as much information as she could on the conference call she and Mikal were to take part in the previous day; he would request some vacation time. Things had been overly stressful as of late, Mikal’s disappearance only adding to that stress. Nobody would think twice about Winchell wanting some time away. He’d buy a plane ticket to The Company’s resort area in the Bahamas. It would be a few days before he would be truly missed.

Jackie would be “abducted“ this evening. Winchell himself would call the anonymous tip into the police, seeing her pulled into a dirty white panel van by unknown assailants. That had been Jackie’s idea, since she’d seen such a vehicle somewhere just yesterday.

Neither of them would show any interest in Mikal’s absence beyond participating in the water cooler gossip sessions. If questioned about Winch’s sudden interest in vacation, Jackie would allude to it possibly being due to a rather intimate encounter they’d shared the night before. Nothing like the discomfort of an office romance to make a dedicated bachelor head for the hills.

Arriving together at work this morning would reinforce their tale Jackie thought as they pulled into the parking garage amidst their gawking coworkers.

“Jackie, wait.”, Winchell said as she started to get out of the car. “We’ll meet tonight at the South Star motel, right?”. She nodded in affirmation. “Be careful Jackie, one friend disappearing a week in enough for me.”.

He felt a slight tug in his chest as she walked away from the car. “I really do need a vacation.”, he muttered to himself as he gathered his briefcase and headed for the elevator.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Momster -
Detective Gordon continued to look around the room. It was empty except for his hospital bed and the TV bolted to the wall. There was nothing on the walls, not even a window and no other furniture other than the bed. He shook his head trying to make sense of what was happening but the pain medication that was being pumped into his veins through the IV was making that difficult. He looked toward the door when he heard voices outside.
“How’s our patient today?’ the voice queried.
“His wound is healing, there’s no sign of infection.” Just then, the volume of the TV increased as a commercial began playing. “Who left a TV on in his room?” The other voice said as they quickly entered the room, shut off the TV, and unplugged the set.
Glancing over at the bed, they were reassured to see the wounded detective sound asleep, his breathing deep and even. The remote for the TV was on the floor under the set.
“Do you think he saw anything?” the man in scrubs asked.
“No, he is on so much medication a bomb could go off in here and he wouldn’t budge. Besides, look where the remote is. There is no way he turned the set on, he can’t even move. Someone must have been in there watching during their break or something. Just have the set removed.”
The second man said “Pretty stupid if you ask me. If Gordon over there were to find out what’s up it could make this a lot harder.”
“You know the company. They didn’t hire you for your brains, just your willingness to follow orders.”
The two men walked over to Gordon’s bed and adjusting the IV bags while the other injected Gordon who moaned slightly then became still again.
“The doctor says he should be ready for the next step in the procedure in a day or two. They are preparing his tank as we speak.” The man in scrubs said.
The other man rubbed his face as he stared down at Gordon, “are they sure this is a good idea? I mean he is not even company. From what I have been hearing on the news he ‘s a good cop. What if it doesn’t work?”
“Look we cant always be choosey and he was available. Besides, if he doesn’t work he’s already dead to the world anyway. We just make it more permanent.
The two men left the room shutting the door behind them. As soon as the door closed Gordon opened his eyes and tried to raise his head from the pillow but failed. Tears of frustration slipped out of the corners of his eyes as he lost the battle with consciousness.
The next time he woke up his head was clearer and he was beginning to feel more like himself. He wiggled his toes, clenched his fist and was pleased to discover that his body still obeyed his commands. The next thing he did was remove the IV from his arm. After a few moments, he sat up and steadied himself. Slowly he lowered his feet to the floor and stood up, wobbled a bit, but was soon steady enough to make his way to the door. He opened it and peered into the hallway. It was empty. Slowly he made his way out in to the hall and began making his way toward the end. The sound of footsteps warned him of someone approaching and he ducked into the first door only to find himself in the employee beak room. It was empty. Good fortune was on his side as he was able to break into one of the employee lockers and change out of his hospital gown and into street clothes complete with company id. Grimacing as his shoulder protested the movement he slowly dressed then went back out into the hall. Without anyone looking at him twice Detective Gordon was able to make it out of the building into a large parking lot. Once there he chose an unlocked car hot wired it and drove away uncertain of where he should go. He couldn’t go back to the department; they must have someone on the inside, but whom? He couldn’t go back to his place because as soon as they knew he was missing that is the first place they would go. He needed a safe place to figure out what was going on so he drove around until he came to an old friend’s apartment. They went back a longtime and even though he worked for the company, Gordon trusted him with his life. Whatever was going on in the company his friend would know or would at least have a way to find out what it was. Gordon smiled as he saw his friend’s old car parked in the driveway and walked to the door. Knocking with his left hand, he waited. He could hear voices inside; one was his friend and the other belonged to a female he did not recognize. He has never known his friend to bring a girl home. He was somewhat old fashioned that way and Gordon had teased him about that more then once. The evening exertions were taking its toll on the wounded policeman and he leaned up against the door waiting for it to open.
Jackie and Winchell were sitting on the floor of his apartment, papers and printouts scattered about along with the remnants of their dinner. Does any of this make sense to you?” Winchell asked Jackie
Yawning Jackie started to speak when there was a knock at the door. Startled Jackie’s mouth closed like a fish, “who do you think that is?” Jackie whispered
“I don’t know, “Winchell answered go hide in my bedroom I’ll see who it is.” Jackie got up and walked to the back bedroom, closing the door most of the way so she could peer out through the small crack. Winchell opened the door and was surprised when his old friend Gordon collapsed into his arms.
“What the hell, Morgan I thought you were dead!” Winchell exclaimed.
“The reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.” The detective whispered and then promptly passed out in his friends arms.
Winchell was lowering him to the ground when Jackie came out pointing at the unconscious man on the floor, she asked, isn’t that the man the news said was shot and killed today?”
“ Yup that’s him alright.” Winchell replied moving the man to the couch and checking his wound.
Why would he come here? Jackie asked
“He and I go way back before he became a cop. We used to run with the same crowd. He saved my butt more times then I can remember, I owe him a lot.
Gordon moaned and stirred, and Winchell looked down at his fiend. “Whatever is going on I’ll lay wages that the company is involved some how. Help me get him to my room. It is probably in our best interest that no one knows he’s here.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wyatt -
Amalee drove down the interstate listening to The Ramones. Joey, Dee Dee, and company always relaxed her after a job. It was ironic, to be sure, but ever since her college days, she kept two compact discs in her vehicle at all times: "Mania" by The Ramones, which was her victory soundtrack, and "The Healer" by John Lee Hooker for her failure soundtrack. The blues always made her feel worse, and that was enough motivation to hone her craft like a sharpened stiletto.

There was no delay in choosing today's soundtrack, despite what the unnamed company man had just told her. Rosakoff was dead. She was sure of it. She was sure.

Amalee released the thought as the familiar sounds of "The Cretin Hop" filled the car.

IN BLOG WE TRUST – Part 5

2008-06-13T13:04:00.000-04:00

Deathlok -
In a sterile, dimly lit laboratory, the gentle ping of equipment and the strobe of panel lights is monitored from the outer chamber.

"So, is he dead, or what?" asked Lab Tech 3.

"I don't know. Its looks awful still to me. Supposedly, the Chrysalis will keep in in stasis. Our job is to report on the analysis the all this equipment is collecting." replied Lab Tech 2.

"Yeah, but didn't this guy used to work upstairs?" continued Lab Tech 3.

"A work of advise. . being as you are new. Although an inquisitive mind is a wonderful thing, unless you want end up in your own little candy shell, like out friend in their, when it comes to questions less is more." Lab Tech 2advised. "Besides, I have enough work to do with "Prototype WRKRB-E08". I don't need to watching your stats in there."

Lab Agent 2 picked up the file containing their instructions and confirmed their orders.

"MONITOR "Prototype WRKRB-E08" AND COLLECT DATA. REPORT ANY CHANGE. REVIEW ENCLOSED REPORTS ON "Prototype WRKRB-E09". PREPARE ADDITIONAL CHRYSALIS FOR POSSIBLE SAMPLE. WHEN NOTIFIED, BEGIN ACTIVATION OF "Prototype WRKRB-E10".

As the Lab Agents continued their work at their monitoring station, tubes and electrodes continued to provide life support and sedation and retrieve data to be used on the later Prototypes. The project was close to success. Soon the Company would have the Perfect Operative.

Inside the synthetic cocoon, the unmoving form of Mikal Rosakoff floated in protective fluid.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Momster -
Detective Gordon shook his head as the elderly man shuffled off in the direction he had sent him.
“Damn shame when an old guy can’t even walk the streets without some punk messin with him he thought as he grabbed his coffee cup, raised it to his lips to get a drink, only to find that it was empty.
“I don’t remember finishing it.,” he thought as he got up and walked down the hall to the officers break room to refill his cup.
The break room was empty when he got there and so was the coffee pot. Gordon muttered darkly to himself another asshole that couldn’t be bothered to make a fresh pot when they took the last cup. He quickly filled the pot with water, measured out the grounds, and in short order a pot was brewing, filling the room with the aroma of fresh coffee.
“At least they buy the good stuff here. The last place was hardly better than pencil shavings,” he muttered to himself.
Sipping his freshly filled cup, he made his way back to his desk, sat down, and reached for the file on the Mikal shooting. Only it wasn’t there. Frowning the detective stood up and started searching the top of his desk. Not finding what he wanted he began pulling his drawers open and searching them then slamming them shut. He looked under his desk. No file was to be found, and the box of evidence was gone. Detective Gordon was on his hands and knees, his head under his desk when a cheery voice rang out.
“What did you loose, your virginity?” the voiced laughed.
Startled, Gordon raised his head quickly, smacking it on the under side of his desk. Rubbing his head he stood up and glared and the detective before him.” Very funny Murray. No I didn’t loose my oh never mind I left a file on my desk and a box of evidence under it. Did you see any one take them?”
“Sure someone from evidence came and picked everything up a few minutes ago. He said you authorized it” Detective Murray replied.
“Damn “Gordon exploded, “I never told any one to pick it up. Do you know who it was?”
“Some new guy, never saw him before, said he just started.”
Shaking his head in disgust, Gordon opened his desk drawer un-holstered his service weapon and glared at Murray, “just how long have you been a cop?”
“Up yours “Murray said and stormed off as Gordon headed down to the evidence locker in hopes of finding the man who had taken his file and box and getting it back.
All the way down the elevator, Gordon cursed himself for leaving the evidence unguarded but hell it’s a police station. It should have been safe there. Getting out of the elevator, he made his way down to the evidence locker. As he opened the door to the room filled with boxes and boxes from all the crimes on going, cold as well as closed, he saw three men. Two of the men were standing by the loading dock where a dirty white paneled van was parked with its rear door open. The third man was holding what appeared to be Gordon’s missing evidence.
Gordon stopped and yelled, “Hey what do you think your doing?”
The three men stopped and Jack turned to Gordon and smiled, “its ok officer, we have authorization to turn the evidence over to the your superiors.”
“On whose authority? I never heard anything.” Gordon continued.
“Don’t you hate it when they keep you in the dark? I have the paper work right here.” Jack replied evenly.
Gordon began walking toward Jack his hand on his holster. “OK show me.”
Jack thought darkly to himself, I’ll show you all right, and then he spoke "Sure no worries its right here.”
Jack reached into his pocket but instead of the papers, he pulled out a Sigma .380 and fired. The bullet struck Gordon square in the chest. Fortunately, the bullet struck his ST Christopher medal and was deflected into his shoulder. Gordon dropped to his knees, his gun falling to the floor. He slumped over on his side blood beginning to pool around him on the concrete as he watched Jack walk over to him gun still pointing at him.”
“See what you made me do?” Jack asked”and they told me not to kill anyone but you had to be a good cop and couldn’t leave things well enough alone. Just then, Gordon coughed and bloody bubbles slipped past his pale lips.
“Got you in the lung did I, well how about I just put you out of your misery.”
Jack prepared to fire the gun again when they heard the elevator door open down the hall.
The inside man panicking ran over to Jack and grabbed his arm, “Look you said it your self. You hit his lung, he’s a goner. Lets get out of here before you have to shoot someone else.”
Jack brushed the mans’ hand off his arm and looked down at Gordon who was beginning wheeze and cough.
“Ok your right, he is as good as dead. Lets blow this dump. What are you going to tell them you know about “Jack asked waving his gun in Gordon‘s direction.
“No problem I was out in the alley having a smoke when I came back he was down, nothing I could do, never heard a thing, never saw who did it.”
Jack and Jim finished loading the evidence into the van and quickly drove away. The accomplice left the evidence locker by the same route and walked up the alley to establish his alibi. Pulling his mp3 player out of his pocket, he stuffed the buds into his ears and cranked up the tunes. Pulling a cigarette out of his other pocket, he quickly began to inhale deeply and quickly. He would need to have at least four cigarettes smoked to provide him with long enough alibi for the shooting.
Gordon lay on the concrete floor in the evidence room. His blood pumping slowly out of his body. He could hear people talking in the hallway, they were laughing. Gordon prayed they would come in and find him. He didn’t want to die. Not here, not today, not on his first day as a homicide detective.
He tried to call out but no sound passed his bloody lips.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deathlok -
Szechwan Beef, Fried Wonton and Pork Yat in hand, Jackie and Winchell approached his apartment. They entered the modest two room apartment. Winchell flicked the light switch.

“With all the things that have happened tonight, you know what I find the most puzzling?” queried Jackie.

“What’s that?” Winchell asked distractedly. “The Comb? The Hair? The Dead Body that isn’t there?”

“That you would eat something called “Yat!”

“The Spaghetti-Os of the Orient.” Winchell replied with a smile. “You are trying it. Just will be insta. . . . .

Winchell stopped in mid-sentence as he and Jackie simultaneously noticed someone sitting in the recliner.

Jackie. . . . Winchell. I’ve been looking everywhere for you two.

“A lie!” thought Winchell. Supervisor X never looked for anyone. He always knew where everyone was and what they were doing. . .. even if they didn’t work for the Company.

“I understand that you have been working hard on locating Mikal. The company appreciates the extra effort you both have put in for a colleague. However, you both have other work to do. The Company has put some high level people on this Rosakoff thing. We should find him soon. You can stop wasting your efforts there. Thanks for taking the ball on this one. If we here something, we’ll let you know. I know he was a friend of sorts.”

With that, Supervisor X got up and walked to the door. “Enjoy your . . . . . .food.” And with that, he closed the door.

“You know he was talking about that Yat stuff.” Said Jackie.

Later as the picked at the remaining Wontons, Jackie caught Winchell’s eye. Making a gesture at the door, she gave her shoulders a little shrug. Winchell held up a finger in caution. He got up went to the sofa reached inside one of the cushions and brought out a small device. He turned it on, gave the room a sweep and said “It’s okay, we can talk!”

“Bug Detector?” Jackie asked, impressed.

“You can never be too careful. As our recent visit will show,” said Winchell.

“So what was that all about, do you think?” asked Jackie.

“What I think is that we better be able to trust each other. Because I think that we may be in a little more trouble that we thought.”

Worried, Jackie picked at the last of the Pork Yat.

Pointing the device in his hand at Jackie, Winchell smirked, “I told you!”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RT -
He could hear them, "How 'bout them Phillies?"

"Yeah, battling for first place, but then they smell up the field with a bad game--as usual."

"This is the year, I can feel it!"

"You're an ass."

"Not as much as you smell like one. Now put out the butt and let's get back upstairs before we get caught down here catching a break."

Just as Detective Schlitzman reached down to salvage the extinguished cigarette, he saw the faint trickle of blood seeping out from under the evidence room door.

As Gordon woke up from surgery, all he could think about was how much he wanted to vomit. The fever, the anesthesia, the tubes coming out of his side, and the thought of what had happened to him made him too sick to want to deal with it. "Nurse. I need something for the pain." And with that, he went back to sleep.

A few days passed and Gordon was feeling isolated. He'd been told that he had visitors, but he had been asleep at the time. However, as far as he knew, only a nurse made it through the gauntlet of protection standing outside of his door. Gordon was beginning to think he was the one being suspected of his own attempted murder.

Groggy from the medication and half awake, he decided he had the strength to watch the television. With his thumb holding steady on the remote he noticed that all that was on was the news. "B-o-r-i-n-g," he thought to himself. Half paying attention, half not, Gordon realized that they were reporting the death of a Detective Gordon killed on his first day as a homicide detective. That's when he noticed something about his room: There was no evidence of visitors--no cards and no flowers, and no windows.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Captain America -
Amalee quietly made her way down the damp alley. Parts of Empire could be very dangerous especially at night. Dirk followed at a discreet distance, watching.

As she reached the old warehouse she slipped inside. The ancient freight elevator hadn't carried anything in years. Silently she climbed the stairs to the fourth floor. When she arrived there was no door to open, nothing to announce her arrival.
The floor, dimly lit from a distant streetlamp squeaked as she crossed. Dirk arrived at the fourth floor landing and listened but did not enter the room.

"It's good that you didn't keep us waiting" a voice said from the shadows.

"We had an arrangement. I'm here to collect not socialize". Amalee replied.

"We have a problem" the voice droned.

"What the f*ck are you trying to pull" Amalee snorted as her hand slipped inside her shoulder bag.

Mikhail Rosakoff isn't dead"
The messenger from the resistance said flatly.

"Thats bullshit,I shot him dead myself" she hissed as her hand clenched the grip of the 9mm pistol. Her breathing slowed, her eyes widened and the muscles in her forearm tensed.

"The body disappeared from the morgue, the Detective working the case was shot and the files have disappeared. Don't you watch the news?" he said sarcastically.

"You guys always knew there was a chance Mikhail could be absorbed into the WRK project. He was instrumental in getting the prototype up and running" That's not going to happen now". "You should be happy with your success".

"Still if he is not TOTALLY dead there is a chance his memory could still be dredged." The messenger pressed.

Amalee pulled the pistol from her bag as she took two long strides toward him. She aimed it directly at his head and qietly intoned :

"We had a deal you weasly f*ck. Your wasting my time. You guys want to bring down the Company. That's why you needed someone like me who could get close to him. What happens after the fact isn't any of my concearn. I suggest you get busy before I blow you away".

She thrust her Tally into his already outstretched hand.

"There's no need for that" the Resistance messenger said sheepishly. "I am fully authorized to complete the transaction".
With that he produced three calculators. He placed Amalee's Tally into them one at a time. The predetermined number of credits were transferred from secret, untraceable Resistance accounts.

When she was satisfied she placed the Tally and the gun back into her bag.

The messenger tried one last protest: "If Mikhail Rosakoff should become a problem at some time in the future our mutual friends will be very, very unhappy".

Amalee was already walking out. "I told you you stupid ass. I shot him. He's fucking DEAD!"

The blonde haired woman rejoined Dirk in the stairway. Together they disappeared down the alley and into the night.

IN BLOG WE TRUST – Part 4

2008-06-13T13:02:00.000-04:00

Captain America -
Detective Gordon twirled the standard #2 city issue pencil between his fingers as he studied the preliminary autopsy report.

The white male had indeed been shot twice in the chest at close range. But the gun used was only a 9mm not the large caliber weapon the patrol officer initially reported. Well initial impressions are often well intentioned but just as often wrong. Rookies make mistakes. The close range most likely accounted for the discrepancy.

Aside from the COMPANY I.D. found in his wallet there wasn't much to go on except a single red hair. So someone got close enough to the departed to pump two shots into him without being seen and leave only a red hair behind.

He turned around looked at his computer monitor and began typing...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Old NFO -
Alderson limped into the Detective squad room like a bewildered elderly man who was lost. He walked over to Det. Gordon’s desk and placed his cane on the corner, leaning on the front of the desk.
In a quavering voice he asked, “Scuse me, are you Detective Simmons?”
Gordon glanced up from his computer and replied, “No, Simmons works on the next floor up. What do you need Sir?”
Pointing to the bandage on his head, Alderson said, “I got mugged and was told to make a report to Detective Simmons, sorry for bothering you sir.”
Gordon, distracted, turns back to the computer saying, “no problem sir, up one flight and directly over this office.

Alderson limps out and goes up the stairs, finding Simmons exactly where he was supposed to be. Alderson makes the report of the mugging, gets a ride to the ground floor on the prisoner elevator thanks to one of the Sergeants, and eases out of the Precinct. A gypsy cab is waiting and he carefully maneuvers into the back seat.

The cab driver pulls away from the curb and hands Alderson an earbud and small but complex radio, asking, “How did it go?” Alderson holds up one finger as he removes the fake bandage and places the earbud in his ear.

“Are we secure?”
The cabby flips a switch on the meter and nods. Alderson keys up the radio, waits for the encryption to sync and starts his report, in a quiet competent voice. “Base, 201, Gordon’s desk is bugged, couldn’t physically get to him, so we will need somebody to brush load him later. Did the mugger dump on Simmons, got a desk bug and a collar bug on his coat, and gave him the back office numbers in case he tries to contact me for a follow-up.”
LT Ambler replies, “Base Roger. Any guess as to whether Gordon is Company or not 201?”

Alderson thinks for a couple of seconds, “Base, probably not, he doesn’t look like their typical recruit, and he doesn’t seem to be sweeping this under the rug.”
Ambler, “Understood 201, be advised two Company personnel, one male, one female showed up at Rosakoff’s apartment just after the Detective arrived. No further info at this time. We just got a good download on the bug, so I’ve got Gordon’s case file. Autopsy is in, looks like he picked up a red head at some point. We need for you to shadow the funeral home, pics and audio if possible, no video in case they are scanning. Any potential Company surveillance, get out of the area. Pushing location now. Out.”
“Roger Base, out.”

Looking at the ‘cabbie’, Alderson asks, “Any more questions?”
The cabbie glances in the rear-view mirror, “Nah, more shadowing I take it?”
“Yeah, the funeral home… I need you to pick up what ever fares you can especially leaving the funeral home. Video, at a minimum audio on all, any DNA scraps you can get. Be aware of two Company personnel, one male, one female. Don’t know what their interaction was, but they popped up at the apartment before any notifications were made. They might be players.”
The cabbie nods as Alderson gets back into his old man persona…
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Snigglefrits -
Winchell opened the door to the apartment building for Jackie.

“Winch, chivalry is about as dead as your tie and car.”, she laughed as she stepped through the door. They rode up the elevator in silence, Winchell studying the graffiti scribbled on the wall. “Hey Jackie, isn’t this your phone number under ‘For a good time call’?”.

She was scowling at him when the doors opened. As they stepped out, they noticed a crowd gathered in the hallway near Mikal’s apartment. Jackie’s pace quickened to a near run as she heard the word “found dead” trailing from someone’s mouth. As she reached the crowd, she realized it wasn’t Mikal’s door everyone was gathered around, but the door to nosy old Mrs. Patterson’s apartment.

The maintenance man had gone to her apartment shortly before to fix her radiator and had found her dead on the kitchen floor. Neighbors were gathered postulating on the cause of her death. One suggested a heart attack, another stroke. “She probably did die of a heart attack caused by her own mind racing when she thought she’d seen something.”, Jackie whispered to Winchell. “Remember the night the three of us worked on the Smithson project? You left around 11:30 and I walked out 10 minutes behind you? Well, she’d told half the floor we were having some kinky threesome activities that night. Nosy bat.”.

“Jackie! Don’t speak ill of the dead.”, Winchell jokingly admonished as he started knocking on Mikal’s door. With just the pressure of his knocking, the door swung open. Jackie stepped through the door. “Mikal? Hey Mikal, it’s me, Jackie and Winch. Your door was open…”.

She stopped in her tracks. “Whoa! When did he get a maid?”, she asked. Winchell stepped into the apartment behind her. He was shocked as well. He’d never seen Mikal’s apartment so clean and neat. Hell, the last time he was there, there’d been a pair of dirty underwear on the kitchen counter. Now, the only thing out of place was this being Mikal’s apartment.

“Winch, go see if he’s in the bathroom.”, Jackie suggested. “Why me?”, he questioned. “Because you’re a guy, guys go to the bathroom together, so you go look and see if he’s in there and fell in the shower or something.”.

Winchell knocked on the bathroom door. Finally he cautiously opened the door, flipped on the light and found it empty. “Not in here either Jackie.”, he hollered back toward the living room. As he turned to leave, he noticed the one thing out of place in the whole apartment- a hairbrush. Mikal had been bald for the last ten years. He picked up the brush as Jackie entered the bathroom. “I checked his answering machine, nothing on it but my eight calls from earlier…hey, who’s hairbrush?”, she trailed off.

Winchell shrugged. “Don’t know, but by the looks of it, she had long red hair.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Momster
As Winchell and Jackie were making their way to Mikals apartment Amalee was moving quickly and quietly through the streets making her way to the helicopter hovering close to the ground in an empty lot a mile and a half away. As she approached the chopper, a hand extended through the door and pulled her up and into a passionate embrace. Rough hands ran trough her long red hair and pulled her closer for a punishing kiss. Amalee moaned deep in her throat and return the kiss as her hands roamed down his backside.
With his hands still in her hair, Dirk pulled back and asked. “Everything go all right?”
“Why do you ask? I know what I’m doing.” She replied.
“I know it’s just that you’re a little closer to this one.” He started running his hands over her lush curves.
“You mean because I was married to him?”
“Yeah that would be it.” Dirk replied sarcastically “Does the company know they hired you to off your ex?”
“No they only know me as Amalee not Andrea and once I knew who the target was I saw no reason to tell them.”
“Did you hate him that much?”
“I would have killed him for free but getting paid makes it all the sweeter. “
“Why did you marry him?”
“He bought me nice things and he was good in bed. “ She smirked.
“So you’re ok with killing you ex and the father of your children?” Dirk asked.
Amalee snorted, “It was a job they paid very well, hell, and I’d kill my own mother if the price was right.”
“You really are a cold heated bitch aren’t you?” Dirk said kissing her again as the helicopter flew off into the distance.

As Jackie waited for Winchell to open the door to Mikal’s apartment building she watched a dirty white panel van drive away, barely registering its presence she soon forgot it. The van and its occupants were far more important then she could ever imagine. The two men drove with out speaking until the sound of a cell phone ringing broke the silence.
“This is Jack.”
“Is it done?” queried the voice.
“All spic and span nobody will ever know there was a body there.”
“You’re sure.” The voice continued.
“Not a trace was left, we’re safe.” Jack assured him.
“You know what you need to do now.”
Jack looked over at his partner Jim and rolled his eyes before continuing, “We know we need to get rid of the body and all other evidence connected to it. Don’t worry we know what to do. By the time were through nothing will remain of the looser.”
“You can deal with the police evidence and detective Gordon?”
“The evidence is no problem we have a contact in the department and Gordon will dealt with one way or another. When we are through there will not be a trace left from this hit anywhere. This is one bad penny that won’t be turning up a gain.”
“You better be right or this whole thing could fall apart.” The voice said.
“Trust us it will be done.” Jack replied.
“Try and keep the killing to a minimum.” the voice replied.
Chuckling Jack turned to Jim and covered the mouthpiece with his hand, “They want us to keep the killing to a minimum.”
Jim snorted, “What fun is that?”
Jack laughed back and answered the voice.” You got it; we will only kill when we have to.”
Both men started laughing as they continued towards police head quarters.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RT -
"SLAP!"

"Dirk, we have work to do," Amalee said while rebuffing his kiss.

"Damn, woman, you're harder to read than blog-story writing fest! No, bother. We're ready to land. Call forward to The Company and tell them Darkhorse is coming back to the stable."

"Got it. Oh, and the kiss really wasn't that bad."

Back in Winchell's car, Jackie was examining the brush they took from Mikal's apartment. "Did he know anyone with red hair?"

"Other than Andrea? No, not that I know of, but I really don't care so much as I am wondering what happened to Mikal."

While Winchell seemed just like a concerned friend, he just had that nagging feeling that he was now caught up in something he couldn't get himself out of. The pensive look on his face wasn't lost on Jackie, though.

"Something bad is going on, eh?"

"Yep."

"Guess, we can only trust each other, eh?"

"Yep."

Jackie, not satisfied with one-word answers said, "Look, you've got to talk about this, and we have to debrief, as the big guys say. What do you say we get some Chinese and go back to your apartment to try to figure out what the hell is going on."

"Umm..."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IN BLOG WE TRUST - Part 3

2008-06-13T13:00:00.000-04:00

Old NFO -
What Gordon didn't know was the ID had already been passed to Dispatch and they had keyed the name into the NCIC database, which popped a screen alert inside a government facility located outside Washington, DC.

LT Ambler sat up quickly when the alert popped in, as this was the first real alert he had ever seen.

He scrambled through his checklist and started notifications up the chain, even as he copied off the specifics of the query-

Time- 0950

Location- Philly

Query Orig- Philly PD Dispatch- query for Mikal Rosakoff

Query Type- Standard wants and warrarents, address, SSN, DL, etc.

"Mister" Firestone arrived before Col Hart, and immediately started quizzing Ambler, even though there was no additional information available and everything was still on the screen. LT Ambler simply handed the log to "Mister" Firestone, and waited for the Colonel.

When the Colonel arrived, he asked what else LT Ambler had done, the LT said, "Nothing Sir, didn't want to start a proxy check as this might be a routine request from a traffic stop or something like that."

The Colonel said, "Well, go ahead and activate the tracker, lets see what Mr. Rosakoff is up to right now."

Lt Ambler, turning slightly to block is access code, keyed in the command to activate the tracker, and waited for the ping and cycles to finish their secure protocols.

Suddenly he leaned toward the screen, then said, "Col, he's dead! Looks like he is in Philly, but I've got to translate these points onto an area map to confirm exact location."

Colonel Hart leaned over, picked up the phone, dialed a 16 digit number and as soon as it was answered said, "Activate Sureshot Protocol"; then hung up.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Snigglefrits -
Winchell tried to concentrate on his assigned work without much luck. Every since Jackie brought it to his attention Mikal was nowhere to be found, he’d been concerned.

Mikal hadn’t been very reliable recently. He’d show up for work late and leave early, but he always did at least show up. He’d known Mikal for what seemed like forever, but lately they never talked and water cooler rumors had spread like wildfire.

Mikal was hanging out in the shadier part of town. He was seeing questionable women. Some rumors even claimed he had a drug problem. Knowing the results of the random drug testing The Company regularly did proved the last rumor to be untrue, so Winchell wasn’t sure the others were any more accurate.

He glanced over at Jackie. Every time the door opened, her head snapped toward it. As the day wore on, her look of concern grew. She been trying to call him every five minutes, getting nothing but voicemail.

Winchell thought about calling someone, but was at a loss as to who to call. Mikal had no family left and had long been divorced. Briefly, he considered calling Andrea, the ex-wife, but quickly nixed that idea. Andrea considered The Company to be what ended their marriage. She didn’t take kindly to anyone remotely involved with the company calling on her, for any reason. Since she now had her perfect husband, the 2 kids, and white picket fence out in the suburbs, it wasn’t likely she’d know what was going on with Mikal anyway.

Winchell stood up and stretched. It wasn’t like him to involve himself in the lives of others, but this was Mikal. No matter how distant they were now, they had once been close friends.

He walked over to Jackie. “After work, why don’t we ride over to Mikal’s place and see if he’s dodging our calls or sick. Maybe he had one too many last night and turned the ringer off on his phone?”.

Jackie knitted her brows together. “I don’t know. Something just doesn’t feel right. I can’t put my finger on it, but something is just not right. Are we taking your car or mine?”.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deathlok -
Winchell told Jackie that he would drive. Normally, any chance to use a vehicle made in the 21st Century as transportation was a blessing, but Winchell had an unexplainable love for his car. A “crapshoot” to drive. Winch had no doubt that somewhere in Vegas, some odds maker was laying a line on whether or not the Cavalier would reach it’s destination. 2 to 1 on whether it would even start.

“You and this car. You really need to take this thing out back and shoot it. It would be the humane thing to do, Winch.”

“Fuck That! This car loves me. It’s saved my life more than once. We have a kindred spirit.“

“Yeah, I always said that you were a little loose in the steering box.”

“Nice! Hey! It beats driving around in “The Beast.”

“There is that.”

On the drive over, Winchell started thinking about Mikal.

“So, what was this conference call about?”

“Some new prototype. It’s still in the development stages. I don’t know too much about it.”

Winchell did a quick double take and then tried to regain his composure. Could they have been meeting about him?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Momster -
Stalling for time while he tried to figure out the connection between his meeting with his supervisor and Mikal he reached over and turned on his mp3 player. The sounds of Nickelback filled the car.
Jackie chuckled softly and said, “I swear you were born in the wrong century.”
“Good music is good music it doesn’t matter how old it is.” Winchell said with a grumpy tone.
“You just keep on believing that and maybe someday thin ties will come back too.” Jackie said, still laughing.
Holding his very unfashionably thin tie with his free hand he waved it in Jackie’s direction, “This is a very nice tie.”
Jackie laughed at him again this time louder. Winchell pulled up across the street from MIkals apartment turned off the car and pointed up at the third floor corner apartment.
“That’s his place you want to stay here or come with me?” Winchell asked.
Jackie got out of the car smoothing out the wrinkles in her skirt and looked up at Mikal’s apartment window before answering, “I’ll go with you.”
“Ok” Winchell replied closing the car door with a thump that made the whole car rattle.
They started across the street when a coroner’s wagon pulled up in front of the building. Two men exited the wagon went to the back and removed a gurney complete with empty body bag laying on top, tossed there like a sack of dirty clothes . They disappeared into the building. Jackie looked at Winchell worry clouding her pretty green eyes.
“This doesn’t look good.” She murmured.
“We don’t know it’s for MIkal,” countered Winchell.
“What are the odds that he’s late for work and there’s a stiff in his building at the same time?”
Looking down at his feet Winchell replied, “Well there’s only one way to find out, let’s go inside.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, back at the station house. . . .

Go To Part 4. . . . .

IN BLOG WE TRUST - Part 2

2008-06-13T12:40:00.000-04:00

Wyatt -
Half a mile away, Detective Gordon walked onto the crime scene with a spring in his step. Although he despised day work, he got over it quickly. Today was his first day working in the Homicide Division, and nothing – not even his first corpse – was going to get him down.

“What do we have?” Gordon asked.

“White male, approximately thirty-five years old, shot twice in the chest with a large caliber pistol,” the patrol officer replied. “We got the call from police radio, but there doesn’t seem to be any witnesses forthcoming. Go figure.”

“Swell,” Gordon said. “Is there any ID on the body?”

“Yeah,” the officer replied. “And you’re not going to like it. This poor sap worked for The Company.”

“Damnit,” Gordon muttered.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim@bRight&Early -
Winchell tried to lose himself in mind-numbing tasks that allowed him time to think. A good plan in theory, but instead of concentrating on the choices that were bearing down on him his mind found more interesting rabbit trails to wander on.

He was making a useless mental list of all of the jobs he held since high school while the computer in front of him crunched data, but otherwise ignored him. Suddenly he became aware that his mind had stopped concentrating on even the things he wasn't getting paid to think about. He was even more aware of the reason why.

Jackie's perfume announced her arrival moments before her head appeared at the cubicle's opening. It wasn't an overpowering scent, but to Winchell it was as powerful a Pavlov's bell.

"Winch", Jackie asked, "have you seen Mikal? He was supposed to join me on a conference call fifteen minutes ago."

"No, I haven't," Winchell replied with just a hint of jealousy. "In fact, now that I think about it, I don't remember seeing 'The Beast' in it's parking spot."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Captain America -
Amalee pulled the zipper of the black leather boot closed just shy of the back of her knee. She quickly finished changing and dropped the Walther pistol into a clear plastic bag. As she did so she made a mental note of where she would dispose of the weapon. In another minute the curvaceous red head would leave the apartment for good, no trace of her ever being there.
For the other residents of the massive apartment block there would be barely a memory of her and her gentleman caller. She would be just another fleeting face among the thousands who lived in the one hundred and fifty story building.

Her assignment completed she wanted to collect her payment without delay. She knew the resistance was often short on funds and hanging around waiting to get paid with an outlaw weapon wasn't her idea of fun. She slipped another 9mm into her thigh holster(a girl couldn't be too careful) grabbed her bag and looked around one final time. Not a trace.
As the door of the safe apartment closed behind her she could hear the helicopter in the distance. Right on time.

There is a saying in the world of forensics: The criminal always leaves a part of them self behind.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Go To Part 3 . . . . .

IN BLOG WE TRUST – Part 1

2008-06-13T12:18:00.000-04:00

Let’s try something new. . . .It’s kinda a meme tag, but a little different. Let’s see how it goes. . . . and how long it goes.

The Rules

I’ve started a story. . .one paragraph. I will then tag someone. They will write the next paragraph and list it in the comments column. And then tag someone else. If you can’t think of someone to tag, tag me and I’ll send it in another direction. Repeat as necessary. The story has to remain coherent but you can take it in any direction that you want.

IN BLOG WE TRUST – Part 1

The day started out like any other. . .snooze alarm, quick shower, a quick look in the cabinets before accepting that there isn’t time for breakfast and off to work. Unlocking the door of the 1993 Chevy Cavalier, Winchell noticed another new ding in the body of the car.

“I swear to God, that wasn’t there when I got out. People must be sideswiping me in the driveway while I’m sleeping.” Winchell muttered to himself disgustedly.

It’s not like he was talking to anyone else, because nobody else was up at this hour of the morning. The car started as smoothly as the $1200 repair job would allow, which was a relief. Plugging the newly loaded generic MP3 player into the cassette adapter, his journey to the world of the working masses began.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JT -
The only problem was that the masses were no longer really a mass at all. The automation project was working just as the creators said it would, and the need for "masses" was being reduced a little more each cycle.
Eventually, it seemed to Winchell, even his position would fall prey to the process. After that, well, he would deal with that when the time came. For the time being, however, he was content to remain unnoticed by the project.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RT -
As Winchell arrived to work, thoughts of flying under the radar and making do until his time came to move on resonated with him. He'd been a company guy, always on time, and never a problem with his work or its quality. He didn't make waves and those that controlled his status with The Company liked it that way.

Later that day, he was called into the supervisor's office.

"Winchell," Supervisor X said with a snarl, "We have a change coming to The Company. You have been chosen to be part of the automation project to bring stability to the workforce. You will be used as a model for our prototype WRKRB-E10."

Perplexed and slightly amused, given his sarcastic nature, Winchell asked, "Will I be a number or a free man?" Throwing out a reference to British television was sure to catch Supervisor X off-guard, or so he thought.

Without missing a beat, Supervisor X warned Winchell that this was not a matter to take lightly. "You will be comfortable, and you will be paid handsomely. We will discuss this more in a few days. Be prepared for change." Nodding his head in the affirmative, Winchell made his way back to his work station feeling slightly confused and very aware that he needed to make some serious decisions.

He had to stay to fight the automation from within, or he had to flee and fight from the outside. Either way, Winchell knew he had to fight, even with the power of The Company against him.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Go To Part 2. . . .

Elementary!

2008-06-13T08:48:00.000-04:00

TV Reviews

8 Seconds

2008-06-03T07:49:00.000-04:00

Captain America & Deathlok - Perfect Together

2008-06-01T21:18:00.004-04:00

When Cap mentioned that he like Robots (refering to the new header). .well, them is fightin' words for any self respecting Cyborg. So I present this:

But soon it was back to the Blog Story, fighting side by side:

CowBoy Hat Tip

2008-06-01T17:25:00.002-04:00

We interupt the Blog Story to bring you this word of thanks.

Thanks to the due diligence of Wyatt (he on the right, I'm too tired to hyperlink), I have a new banner for THE TEMERITY OF HIGH MAINTENANCE!

It's Lovely! Thanks Wyatt! Now back to the story . . . .

Blog Story - Role Call

2008-05-30T07:52:00.004-04:00

I printed out the story in MS Word and it now fills 10 pages. WOW! So, as things progress, I thought I would try and capture the list of characters that have been introduced. My fellow writers, please let me know if I am inaccurate in the following profiles or if their is a difference of opinion. There are three main grouping of characters; The Company, The Police and The Feds. Here goes:

The Company - An apparent secret organization involved in recruiting people for and undisclosed project.
Winchell - first name unknown. Also known as Winch. Winch works for The Company and has been chosen for a "special project".
Jackie - A woman that works with Winchell. They have partnered up to try and locate a missing colleague. Also works for The Company.
Mikal Rosakoff - The missing colleague
Amalee/Andrea - Working for, or hired by, the Company, Amalee is a mysterious character who is also Andrea, Mikal's ex-wife. She is a killer/operative. How the Amalee characters or persona are related in unknown. Code Name: Darkhorse
Supervisor X - Possibly Winchell's boss or someone high up in The Company. Appears to be the Supervisor for the Special Projects team. Nothing else is known.
"201" - Unnamed Company Operative assumed to be higher up than Alderson. It's who Alserson reports to.
Dirk - Works with Amalee. Killer? Tactical? Wheelman? Lackey? Works for, is is hired by, The Company.
Jack & Jim - Two hitmen. They enjoy their work. Nothing else is known.

Police
Detective Gordon - A Philadelphia Detective. First day on Homicide.
Detective Simmons - Work on the floor above Gordon.
Detective Schlitzman - Another Philadelphia Detective
Detective Murray - Philadelphia should have so many Detectives

Government
LT Ambler - Work for an undisclosed military or Government entity. Is performing surveillance on Rosakoff or The Company. Involved in the "Sureshot Protocol".
Col. Hart - Ambler's superior.
"Mister" Firestone - works with Ambler and Hart. It is unclear whether he is part of their organization or not, but he appears to outrank Col. Hart.
Alderson - A Government Operative keeping tabs on the Police and their involvement with the Company. Uses disguises.
"Cabbie" - Unnamed Character. Driving Alderson around in a cab. Also a Government Operative.

Other
Mrs Patterson - Deceased neighbor of Mikal Rosakoff.

EDITORS REMARKS:
The only change I made to the story was to a "THE" in front on the discussion about Mikal's exwife "Since she now had her perfect husband, THE 2 kids, and white picket fence. . . ." The makes the kids ambiguous as to who's kids they are.

Writers - Please review and comment

The Day Before Man's Weekend

2008-05-21T20:35:00.003-04:00

H/T: Burnsy

But Enough About Meme. . . . .

2008-05-20T18:27:00.002-04:00

Tag! I'm It! RT hit me with her best Meme. (I must not have spent enough time talking to her at Wyatt's . . .Punished by the teacher)

So her it is:

"Books are scarce in the world. They are illegal in some provinces. They are not easily replaced, if not impossible to replace if lost in many if not most circumstances. If you can replace a book or buy one, it is usually through the black market at astronomical costs that you cannot afford. Yet you have been able to maintain one of the best collections in the world. If your entire library was about to burn up and you could only have one* book to take with you other than the Bible, what would that be and why?"

Simple Rules: Answer the question.
Offer one quote that resonates with you.
Tag five people whose response is of genuine interest to you and inform him or her that they have been tagged.
*and it cannot be an entire series of something, that’s cheating.

Truthfully, I would probably burn trying to decide.

Between the autographed Asimov book and the leatherbound collection. I mean, i can't even bring the Incarnations of Immortality with me (Although Asimov's foundation trilogy has a lot more books to it. . .)

Hmmm. . . .Lord of the Rings or Hitchhiker's Guide. (both of which I have in a complete leatherbound version, so it is ONE BOOK!) I would have to go with the Rings. I would go with the Hitchhiker's radio show over Lord of the Rings, but I will take THE TRILOGY over the HHGG books. (I might even try to pretend that Ringworld is part of the Lord of the Rings. . . .NAAAAHH!! Also, if I had to start quote the Guide, we would be here all day.

I don't have any "one liners" or quotes that jump out. It's just a great story and has and will always stand the test of time.

I will tag
Zippychik
Mrs. Grim
80s Girl
Exilian
Grimjack

Disappearing Dollar

2008-05-20T14:23:00.003-04:00

Three guys go into a hotel and ask for a room.

The Hotel owner says, "I only have one room left, but you guys are welcome to share it. It’s $30 a night."

They are desperate so they take it for the night and they each give him $10.

As they go up to the room the owner tells the bellboy, “I accidentally overcharged them. The room is only $25. Here, give them $5 back to them." and hands him 5 singles.

The bell boy puts $2 in his pocket and says "Excuse Me, Gentlemen! You were accidentally overcharged. He is your change." and hands each guy a $1 bill.

With each receiving $1, they have now paid $9 each for the room. $9 * 3 = $27.

The Bellboy has $2 in his pocket. $27 + $2 = $29

???????????????

Where is the other dollar???

???????????????

Wake Up Your Brain!!

2008-05-20T09:20:00.002-04:00

This is a 5th grade math problem. If you can open the spreadsheet, you'll
see it's a very small list of people who have gotten the correct number.
This is not a trick question. This is a real math problem so don't say that
a bus has no legs. There is no bus driver.

There are 7 girls in a bus.
Each girl has 7 backpacks.
In each backpack, there are 7 big cats.
For every big cat there are 7 little cats.

Question: How many legs are there in the bus?

Note: Exilian got the right answer. Do you math before you peek.

One Game At A Time!

2008-05-16T18:07:00.004-04:00

Flyers vs Penguins - Game 4

The wife and I went to the game last night and it did not disappoint. The teams motto of "One Game At A Time" seemed like the rantings of a team setting an early tee time. But No! One Game! That's what it was. And they dominated. DOMINATED!

You would never know that Hatcher has a broken leg. He's pretty damn awesome! For getting thrown into a high profile game, Ryan Parent didn't look at of place. Even Thorosen, who was scratched the last two, showed why he should be there instead of Steve Downie. We won't see him again this year.

The kill the Penguins picture seemed like fun so we went for it. And, yes, if you look closely, you will see face paint on both of us. what ever works! They won!!. . . and won BIG! AND. . .I got Mrs. D to spring for funnelcake. Yummy!

Game 5 will supposedly bring the return of Timonen AND Coburn. The bad news is that my golf weekend tee time is at 2:00 on Sunday with the Flyers at 3:00. The good news is that my hand hurts so bad after picking up the sand filter (which weighs exactly 15 lb more than I can lift), so I will probably be drinking at the bar (or Hooters) watching the game.

I Live!

2008-05-16T08:00:00.001-04:00

OnePlusYou Quizzes and Widgets

And on day 56, I can go over to Wyatt's house and cut him up for an additional week or so.

Double Duty Tonight!

2008-05-15T17:38:00.004-04:00

Tonight I have to take care of two things. the second is to attend the Flyers game and HOPE that there isn't a sweep! I hate the PENS and I hate the WINGS, but they both look very good and a PENS/WINGS Final looks to be a good series.

Show some grit tonight guys.

On the way there, I have to go and scope a crime scene. Last week, I had to go and exchange play tickets because they were for tonight (see above). So I went up to the Walnut Street Theatre and exchanged my tickets for THE IRISH AND HOW THEY GOT THAT WAY! the reviews are very very good and I cannot wait until June 24th now.

My daughter went with me. As a treat, I decided to take her for a Jim's Steaks steaksandwich. We go to South Street, make the turn on 4th and there is a guy pulling out of a spot. SWEET! I wrangle the Caravan into the spot sucessfully avoiding the only tree in center city Philadelphia. After 10-15 minutes we are full of Cheez Whizzy goodness and off we go. half way to the bridge, i notice something on my windsheild. YES! It's a ticket. For What? Well, it looks like a ticket for parking in a handicapped spot. A minor fine of a mere $301. $301!!!. So I go back and there, sure enough is a handicap parking sign. I didn't see it. I think that it was hidden behind the tree. Tonight I will go and check before the game. $301!! The Philadelphia Parking Authority is legalized mafia. The city that I grew up in, has turned into Sodom and Gomorrah and I'm getting the sodom.

Fuck You Philadelphia Parking Authority!! Die A horrible and painful death.

Don't Go To England!

2008-05-12T08:19:00.003-04:00

According to CBS2 and YahooNews:

Dennis Farina Arrested At LAX For Concealed Gun Cop, Turned Actor, Says He Is 'Embarrassed' Over His Own 'Stupidity'

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Actor Dennis Farina has been arrested at Los Angeles International Airport after a loaded gun was found in his carryon luggage.

When the weapon was discovered at a security checkpoint around 8 a.m. Sunday, police say the 64-year-old actor told them that he'd forgotten the .22-caliber handgun was in his luggage. In a statement released Sunday evening, Farina said he was blaming his "own stupidity" for the situation and that he was "more embarrassed" than anyone.

Police Sgt. Dennis Beacham of the LAPD's Pacific Division says Farina was booked for investigation of carrying a concealed weapon, before police found out the weapon was unregistered.

Because the weapon was unregistered, the charge against Farina has been upgraded to a felony.

Bail was set at $35,000.

Through his publicist, Lori De Waal, a contrite Farina said "I apologize to anyone and everyone that I have caused any embarrassment or inconvenience to. It is my own stupidity to find myself in this embarrassing situation."

He added, "I don't put the blame on anyone else but myself. I want to apologize to my friends, family and business associates who I'll explain to privately later."

Farina also will do a little self flagellation concerning the matter. "I'll be spending the next few days kicking my own a--. No one is more embarrassed than myself."

Farina's latest film, the Ashton Kutcher-Cameron Diaz comedy "What Happens in Vegas," opened Friday.

Farina, a former Chicago cop, has starred in TV's "Law & Order" series and in such movies "Snatch" and "Get Shorty."

Assumedly, he wasn't going to London.

I Like To Call It "LOST WAGES!"

2008-05-09T13:33:00.002-04:00

Recently, I purchased the first season of Frisky Dingo, the cartoon shown during the Adult Swim portion of Cartoon Network. A while back, I posted a clip from the show, which is no longer accessible.

Based on that clip, I thought that I would drop the $15 for Season 1.

It not only did not disappoint, it surpassed expectations. It was hysterical!!

You can catch a few clips on YouTube, but with the release of the DVD, I think they had to take most of them down.

While I was watching it, my wife came in the room and before you know it we were watching the season together. Afterward, I lent the disc to Exilian who also thought it was worth it. We have been discussing it ever since. . . . .and by discussing it, I mean reciting lines from it.

Netflix this and you will be happy that you did.

Are You Kidding Me?!?!

2008-05-08T21:00:00.004-04:00

The Flyers Website has just reported:

(Pittsburgh, PA) – Flyers all-star defenseman Kimmo Timonen will be out of the lineup indefinitely with a blood clot in his left foot, club General Manager Paul Holmgren confirmed via a conference call on Thursday evening.

The Flyers begin the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night at Mellon Arena (7:30 p.m., Versus, MOJO HD).

Timonen was hit with a shot by Montreal’s Andrei Markov late in Game 4 of the Flyers’ second round series with the Canadiens. He played through the pain in Game 5, but felt numbness in the foot throughout this week.

He was given an MRI on Wednesday that did not reveal anything, but a vascular surgeon, Dr. Ronald Fairman at the University of Pennsylvania, on Thursday found a small blood clot. Timonen will go on blood thinners, but his return for the series against Pittsburgh is doubtful.

“We have to view this as he’s not a player for us in this series and we have to march on,” said Holmgren. “We have to deal with it. It gives somebody else an opportunity to step up. Obviously you can’t replace a player who does what Kimmo does for us.”

“It’s a huge disappointment, obviously,” said Timonen via a separate conference call. “I wasn’t expecting this result. It’s the most disappointing thing in my life, hockey wise.”

Timonen asked the doctor what the risks were of trying to play through the injury.

“He said if you get hit there again, the blood clot might break up and go down to your toes and then we’d have to cut off your toes. That’s not a very good scenario.”

The only hope for Timonen to return this season, he said, is that if a follow up visit to the doctor at the end of next week shows that the blood thinners are working more quickly than expected.

In 12 playoff games, the 33-year-old blueliner has six assists and a +5 rating.

That's the way we want to go into this series. . .Down our top defenseman. A good player, but I don't think that Parent is going to replace Timonen. Damn!

BRILLIANT!

2008-05-07T18:34:00.003-04:00

http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2008-05-04-beer-coffin_N.htm?POE=click-refer

USAToday reports (above link):

SOUTH CHICAGO HEIGHTS, Ill. (AP) — Bill Bramanti's favorite beer is Pabst Blue Ribbon. He loves it.
Really loves it.

So much so that he's already had his coffin specially made, and it's designed to look like a can of the trendy brew. Bramanti isn't sick, so he doesn't plan on needing it just yet. For now he plans to use it as a cooler.

At 5-feet-9 inches tall and weighing 280 pounds, Bramanti has tried it out though.

"I actually fit, because I got in here," Bramanti, 67, of South Chicago Heights said. He threw a party Saturday for friends, featuring his coffin filled with ice and, what else, Pabst Blue Ribbon.

"Why put such a great novelty piece up on a shelf in storage when you could use it only the way Bill Bramanti would use it?" Bramanti's daughter, Cathy Bramanti, 42, said.

Bramanti ordered the casket from Panozzo Bros. Funeral Home in Chicago Heights and Scott Sign Co. of Chicago Heights designed the beer can.

The silver coffin is designed with red, white and blue, just like a Pabst can.

I'll bet after a few months, he becomes skunky. the real question is, Does it come in a Guinness style?? I want to be buried in a Guinness coffin next to my wife . . .who will be in a Jameson bottle.

H/T: Burnsy

Sci Fi Guy!

2008-05-06T10:06:00.002-04:00

	I received 85 credits on The Sci Fi Sounds Quiz How much of a Sci-Fi geek are you?
Quiz by SheGoddess: Quick Weight Loss

Hockey 101 - Part 1

2008-05-06T08:27:00.006-04:00

As a public service to the uninitiated, I bring you HOCKEY 101. This will hopefully explain some of the finer points of the game for anyone watching the Flyers/Penguins and RedWings/Stars this coming week.

I will assume that the basics are known like "what's a puck?" "Who's the goalie?" Of course being old and surgically repaired once too often, I can't PLAY the game like Wyatt and his Goon Squad, but we know who had more points at the end of my last season with the team. . .don't we? Anywho. .. .

My friend Mario called the other day. He has just started watching hockey and is quite intrigued, but confused. He asks: What is ICING. Besides a yummy frosting, Icing in hockey is:

Icing is a rule in hockey designed to prevent a team from dumping the puck deep into its opponent's zone in order to use up the clock or to avoid playing defense. A team is guilty of icing when a player on his own side of the red line dumps the puck all the way past the opponent's goal line without the puck going into the net. In the National Hockey League (NHL), icing is not called until the puck crosses the goal line and an opposing player other than the goaltender touches the puck with his stick. In international play and in most European leagues, there is what's called "no-touch" icing, in which icing is called and play is stopped as soon as the puck crosses the goal line, regardless of whether an opponent touches it.

There are instances in which icing can be "waved off." This is most common when a team is shorthanded (short handed is when the team has a player in the penalty box and the other team has an additional man on the ice. . also know as being on the Penalty Kill). If the opposing team is on a power play (the team with the additional player is considered on the Power Play), the shorthanded team is allowed to dump the puck at any time from any point on the ice without icing being called. Also, during even-strength play, icing can be waved off if the referee determines that an opposing player could have touched the puck before it crossed the goal line or that the icing was the result of a pass that was missed but could have been reasonably completed. When icing is committed, play stops and a faceoff is held in the defensive zone of the team that iced the puck.

ADVANCED ICING 201

The icing rule is generally successful in preventing teams from running down the clock by dumping the puck, but the NHL felt that a team stuck in its own defensive end for a long period of time would often ice the puck just to be able to make a line change and get fresh players on the ice. In 2005, the NHL modified the icing rule to state that the five players on the ice for the offending team must remain on the ice for the subsequent faceoff. This modification helped to reduce the number of icing penalties by making the penalty for icing stiffer. It also helped to speed up the game by reducing icing calls and reducing the line changes made between an icing call and the subsequent faceoff.

Any questions? Any other hockey topics? Just ask?

I AM THE 80s

2008-05-05T21:51:00.000-04:00

I was Righteous!
I scored 100% on the

Take the 80s quizby SheGoddess: How to lose weight

2 Men Getting Good Reviews

2008-05-02T09:09:00.004-04:00

Wednesday night Mrs Deathlok and I went to see the Flyers defeat Montreal 4-2 in game 4 of the series. At the game, there was a fan who had a sign that had a picture of Iron Man on it with a big B in front of it. Biron Man! Appropriate. Marty is playing VERY well and I am looking forward to watching Game 5 here at the Casa de Self tomorrow night.

Last night, the family went to see an early showing of IRON MAN. What a great movie. There is SO much that you can do with this character and the movie lays the ground work for some of it. Go! And when you go, do yourself a favor and sit through the credits. . .it is well worth it. Robert Downey Jr is Tony Stark. He's a very good actor. Despite the die job, Gwyneth Paltrow was a very good redhead. Even Jeff Bridges, who I always thought was a little tetched, puts on a good performance. I highly recommend this movie. It has the action and the drama and it still carries a sense of humor with it that makes it the complete package.

STOP!

Not Spoilers, but things to look for:
1. When Iron Man is loading up his armor with software, one of the things uploaded is the schematics for the Blackbird, the plane from the X-Men.
2. There is a glimpse of Rhodey's WAR MACHINE armor that will be in the next movie.
3. The post credit clip shows a definite trend in the franchise. It is rumored that Downey makes an appearance in the INCREDIBLE HULK.

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y . . . .YIKES!!

2008-04-30T14:38:00.003-04:00

Here's a little quiz that I got from Mrs. Grim (see Sidebar for link)

I scored a Far Out
85% on theQuiz by SheGoddess: Quick Weight Loss

Wow! I feel less manly now! AND I miss clicked one, so my actual score should be higher. YIKES!

I was saying Boo-Meme!

2008-04-30T13:29:00.001-04:00

And I always liked JT and his sense of humor. . . .until now. I've been tagged with the dreaded meme. The criteria for this particular one is as follows:

1) Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2) Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3) Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4) Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. check.
2. I think I did something like this before but can't find the energy to go back and see which tidbits of Deathlok insight I may have previously bequeathed up my reader.

I. Since RT and JT both talked about their cars, that seems like a good place to start. My first car was a 1970 Ford Maverick (with a '71 grill attached). It had a loose steering box and would stall out if you didn't put it in neutral when you stopped. I had to have a portable radio in it, because the two radios that I installed shorted out. Her name was Christine. Best car ever.

II. When I 16, my brother Mark bet me $100 that I would smoke before I turned 21 years old. (Everyone in my family has or does smoke). I put that $100 towards the purchase of the Maverick.

III. I have not (and will never) see Saturday Night Fever or GREASE.

IV. When I was a kid, the inside of my bedroom door was covered in stickers. COVERED! I had Wacky Package stickers and any other sticker that I could collect. I soon got into a hobby of calling and mailing companies and asking if they could send me company stickers! The one’s that I remember distinctly were a big orange “flower power” sticker with the Esso (now Exxon) tiger in the center and Matt Slapp (a local car dealer) sticker.

I would love to still have that door.

V. Wyatt's Meme mentioned that he is a movie knowledge guru. Although I am pretty good, I am more of a cartoon guru. Especially cartoon and shows from the 60s and early 70s. I even own bootleg copies of Liddsville and Lancelot Link Secret Chimp.

VI. Technically, I am a Federal Agent. I am an agent of the Federal Government, thus. . . .

VII. Weird Fact: My Wife Tolerates Me. . . .So Far!

3. I won't tag 7 people. I will go and tag:

Whiskey & Ashes

Dorkelina

Death Chic

4. Done

Why BagPipes Were Invented!

2008-04-29T13:21:00.001-04:00

This is Awesome!

The La Mancha Handicapped!

2008-04-29T13:10:00.001-04:00

I just got out of a class on Working With People With Disabilities. Apparently, I suffer from the handicap of Severe Education. And here is how you alienate people.

I received about a dozen emails for the training over the past two weeks. I deleted the first few and then I had to respond. The Class Official Title is “Tilting at Windmills: Awareness of Working w/ People w/ Disabilities”. So, I asked, “Why Tilting at Windmills? According to “Man of La Mancha”, Tilting at Windmills is a term that means “an exercise in futility”. Why are we saying that Working with the Disabled is an exercise in futility? I received no reply.

During the class, I was introduced to a new word: Conversate. WHAT??

Finally, I was told that since some handicapped people, like some women (their words, not mine), are offended if you hold the door for them. Therefore, you should ask before holding the door for someone. (You know what I feel like eating now? A Gun!) So, I should just NEVER be nice to people because someone looking to be offended my not appreciate it?

What a World!

NOTE: Still Working On My Meme.

It's In The Works!

2008-04-28T13:13:00.004-04:00

According to IMDB, Internet Movie Database (see sidebar for link to IMDB):

Mexican director Guillermo Del Toro has agreed to spend the next four years in New Zealand, where he will work with Peter Jackson, who is producing the two-part The Hobbit prequels to Lord of the Rings. In a statement released by New Line Cinema, Del Toro, who was nominated for a best original screenplay Oscar last year for Pan's Labyrinth, which he also directed, said that he felt "blessed" to have been chosen to direct the two films. "Contributing to the Lord of the Rings' legacy is an absolute dream come true," he said.

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!!

Having Jackson back on the project is a great relief. Without him, the franchise was doomed. And not "DOOMED!", with an implied wink (inside Frisky Dingo joke). HAve Del Toro on the team is a beautiful move. If you haven't seen Pan's Labyrinth, go (right now) and see it.

Although, I have to back burner my exitement until after IRON MAN this Friday, I will be preparing the camping gear for when the HOBBIT hits theaters.

More Movie Watch Titles:

WATCHMEN
SIN CITY 2
DARK KNIGHT

Flyers/Canadians - Game 1

2008-04-25T08:14:00.002-04:00

After watching the officiating of that game last night, I was saying Boo-urns.

Horrible. I was at Game 6 of last series and the Flyers squandered a 2 goal lead and I hated them for it. Last night, they played well (not perfect but well) and won the game and the officials stole it from them. I hate the officials for that. Given a choice, I will take the former.

I'll even give them the penalty. I knew a penalty was coming anyway and live it looked like a penalty. However, there is NO WAY that the Montreal reviewed goal should have counted.

Surprisingly enough, the WAR ROOM responsible for reviews is in CANADA.

In other news, the Phantoms advanced after a 5 Overtime victory last night. Well Done There. . . .

And Politics As Well. . . .

2008-04-23T20:52:00.005-04:00

Eddie Izzard In Politics

Yahoo! News reports that crossdressing comedian Eddie Izzard is considering a career in politics.

I am a big fan of Eddie and think that he would be a better candidate than Hillary or Obama. . . .but what do I know about politics.

I do know that Eddie is starting a comedy tour soon. I'll be looking for that.

The BIG question is what Eddie is Parlament getting:

Or

Eddie will be in Philadelphia in two weeks and the only seats available are further awy than the ones in my house. Hopefully, something will open up.

Round 1 - The Playoff Pool

2008-04-23T20:38:00.006-04:00

The First Round of the Playoff is over. the Flyers are still alive and trying to rest up for tomorrow night. They couldn't have had them play Friday Night??? Nice.

The results of the First Round went out to all those in the Playoff Pool and all are aghast that your's truly is in the pole position (insert joke here). TED, a pool entry by Wyatt's brother-in-law, Fish is nippin' at my heels. RILEY FAN is sitting in the 3rd spot. Of course, another Fish entry, N&K CROWE is vying for the Palys Award. The Palys Award is the award given to LAST PLACE. . .the prize. . .your money back. The Palys Award is named after Tom Palys, a guy who used to participate in the pool who came in last 3 years in a row. Thus instituting the last place award.

However, there is still a lot of hockey to play and it is still anybody's game. . .well almost anybody's game.

the Detroit Fans are holding their own (insert joke here) but I will have once again proven my point when the AVS bounce them onto the golf course.

UPDATE: Tonight the Flyer’s begin their 7 game stint against the Montreal Canadians. The Flyer’s have a VERY poor record against the HABS. However, if you look at their team, there is a list of things to give Philly fans hope:

1. Carey Price is very young and has little playoff experience. His backup is Jaroslav Halak. His name only looks like Hasak. Although Price is a great goalie, and the HABS dumped Huet (where do I know that guy from), I think the Flyers have the edge in goal tending depth.
2. Andrei Markov is incredible and will be a force in this series on defense. Other than that, their defense consists of the over the hill gang Hamrlik and Brisbois and I guy named Ryan O'Byrne (you know he’s gonna be drunk during the game). They have a player in Mark Streit, but somehow he has been moved up the the LW from defense (which is sad the GIMP came in 10th using a winger for Defense in the fantasy league). The Flyer’s are benching the likes of Jaroslav Modry. Although young in parts, Coburn and Jones are playing well. Hatcher has really stepped it up and has played incredible the last few games. Through in Smith and Kukkanen, the Flyer’s D-Men are looking VERY Good for this series.
3. Up in front they have Saku Koivu (I’m a Koivu fan) and Kovalev (who has played awesome this year) and newcomer Tomas Plekanec. Other than that, they have a player in Christopher Higgins, but the rest are just support cast. This is where the difference will be. Koivu is better than Briere. If Prospal can step up his play to compete with Kovalev, it then becomes a battle of the supporting cast.
4. Finally, The Canadians are French. .. . . .Come On! I had to say it!

I’ll be taping LOST tonight in a show of having my priorities straight . . .not STREIT).
Can’t wait for the puck to drop tonight. GO FLYERS!!

DOING MY PART! During the first series, my wife brought out our Flyer’s plastic “popcorn” window decorations. Due to our schedule (and having to paint over the 88 and 10 on the decorations, they never made it past the computer table. As I went to Game 6 (with Priest in tow), I couldn’t figure out why we lost. When I got home the “popcorns” were up in the window. I went upstairs and said “That’s Great! Have them out of the window before 7:00 tomorrow. They came down and we took the series. They are now staying on the computer table until the end of the playoffs. . . . or until the Flyers exit said post season.

Pros & Cons

2008-04-22T18:42:00.018-04:00

Along with all the Flyers and other hockey excitement this weekend, the family spent Saturday in NYC. Actually the boys day out turned into the Deathlok's go to the Big Apple. It all stemmed from a generous gift from the owner of my favorite comic store Jester's Playhouse in South Jersey. Rich had two tickets to the convention and couldn't make it, so he gave them to me for my son and I. The convention, the exception of the San diego convention, is one of the biggest ones of the year. the WizardCon in Philadelphia is nice but nothing in size to this. . .and I had never been. My main goal was to get a picture of Grave Park just to piss off Wyatt but she was a no show. Regardless, my son got a lot of great pictures.

Unlike these two (Domino and Black Cat)

many people at the convention have no problem with cross marketing (after all it is New York). for example, The X-Men's Rogue was hanging out with DC's Superman

The Anime version of Superman and Green Lantern were giving weight loss tips to Spider-man

not pictured together, but even Storm and her date Hellboy made a fine couple

Of course, Batman's Rogue Gallery can always be seen hanging together

and even though Harley Quinn was touching up her makeup, she had time for Reilly to sit for a picture.

Although Modern Batman was slying solo, Classic Batman remembered to bring along Batgirl.

Supergirl was friendly enough but her costume was missing something. . . .like ENOUGH CLOTH

I was waiting for the planets to drop out of orbit. YIKES!

Yes, from the world's tallest Jawa

to the world's shortest Hulk (or is that Little Sprout)

Just to compare. . . .

and of course
Finally, a special treat for my son, the Last Airbender was making his way from the Convention floor. we followed and got a very candid picture.

Do Or DIE!!!

2008-04-22T18:38:00.003-04:00

this may be my only chance to post a picture of the Stanley Cup with reference to a Flyers game this year so. . . . .

I didn't know what went wrong. I got tickets for last night's game. . .brought the Priest. . . .wore the nick Fotiu jersey. But they lost. they played horrible and lost.

Then I figured it out. my wife has been planning on hanging our Flyer's window decorations up all week. Last night, I came home and they were up. I said " They must be taken down by 7:00 tonight. I just removed them.

Go Flyers!!

About Last Night. ..

2008-04-18T09:07:00.003-04:00

Here are the highlights of the Fantastic Effort from the Flyer's last night in Game 4.

Flyer's Highlights

I have tickets for Game 6 or Game 1 of the next series. . . .Let's go Game 1.

And may 2nd Was So Close!

2008-04-16T08:39:00.000-04:00

The Six-Word Memoir.

2008-04-12T19:48:00.003-04:00

Wyatt did a meme and didn’t tag anyone. Dorkelina took it and ran. After reading her meme. I decided to play. Here is how it goes. . .

the six-word memoir; If I find a picture that seems appropriate (other than Pinchy. . .I get too many complaints about that one), I'll post it. .

Contents Under Pressure. Do Not Puncture!

So, you wanna play?
1. Write your own six word memoir.
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you want.
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to the original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere.
4. Tag at least five more blogs with links. (or not)
5. Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.

Awful!!

2008-04-12T09:26:00.003-04:00

Sure the Flyers stopped playing in the third. Sure they gave up an early goal in the third. sure they need to play better next game. That being said, the refs chose the winner of the game last night. To not blow the whistle when Thoresen was OBVIOUSLY hurt is ridiculous. Real hurt, not Darcy Tucker hurt.

According to TSN (see sidebar for link):
WASHINGTON - Flyers left wing Patrick Thoresen was taken to the hospital for tests after getting hit in the groin by a shot during Philadelphia's 5-4 loss to Washington on Friday night.

"He's going to the hospital to get an ultrasound done on his testicles. It's bad enough they may have to remove one," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. "Right now, we're not sure how serious it is, but there's a chance he may need surgery."

Thoresen blocked Mike Green's shot with about 6 1/2 minutes left in the game, then dropped to the ice, writhing in pain. Moments later, Washington scored to tie the game 4-4.

"Obviously, I'd have liked to see a whistle," Flyers coach John Stevens said.

Thoresen was helped off the ice and taken to the locker

If you watch the video (currently not available on Youtube), you can see that Biron is distracted by the injury. WHERE WAS THE WHISTLE!! Just prior to the post season, the Flyers were playing and the ref got hit with the puck and they blew the whistle immediately. If that were Ovechkin or Crosby on the ice that play would have been blown dead immediately.

If I had to have my testicle removed after that, I would bring it to the next game and throw it at the ref and say "Did you see that?"

For the next game, the Flyers need to bring up this guy.

I liked this clip because:
a) it has The Animal kicking ass.
b) it showed me that Frank was in the league for a long time before the Phantoms (Fighting against the Nordiques??)
c) Tony Twist gets his ass kicked. The same Tony Twist who couldn't make a living in hockey so he sued Todd McFarlane for using his name in the Spawn comic book.)

In other hockey news the WILD won a game last night. Well done there. The Predators lost but looked competitive. Nice job. . .Go Preds!

Help With The Playoffs

2008-04-08T17:34:00.002-04:00

Hockey News

If you need help for your playoff pool or just want to know who will win the hockey playoffs, go to the link about and look to the right. You can see a computer simulation of who will win the Stanley Cup or . . .better yet.. . .watch Maggie the monkey pick the winners of the first round.

I Forgot!!

2008-04-08T12:53:00.002-04:00

I was sitting her today listening to my MP3 player and a file come up with the ENTIRE album of Styx's Pieces of Eight (who put THAT in there).

As I was listening to it, not only did I realize that it is a really good album ,but it occurred to me that the art of listening to an album is lost. It's a shame. Hearing songs is one thing, but I forgot how much I missed listening to albums that were made to be listened to in their entirety. Popping on the old big bulky headphones and letting the music take you away.

My Top 5 albums that should be listened to in this fashion (from my collection)

5. Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Welcome To The Pleasure Dome
4. Styx - Grand Illusion and Pieces of Eight
3. Roxy Music - Avalon. . . and Flesh and Blood
2. The Cars Debut Album. . . .and Candy-O
1. Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and the Wall (Okay Okay! Welcome to the Machine and Animals too)

This, of course, doesn't count the various Windham Hill music and various other instrumental music.

????

2008-04-03T14:07:00.000-04:00

Plagiarized Ponderings

2008-04-03T07:37:00.003-04:00

I thought that I would steal a page from RTs book and post a few non sequitur ponderings. . .

1. With a poorly written song combined with a extremely untalented singer, why is Peter Tork's Auntie Grizelda so catchy.

2. Jon Corzine is the Anti-Christ!! How the people of New Jersey haven't risen up like an angry mob with fire and pitchforks and stormed his mansion like Frankenstein's Castle is beyond me. Corzine. . . .Mob. . .ironic that both of those words showed up together.

3. Of Yahoo's top FEATURED Stories this morning, I am more interested in the Elephant who was taught to paint his self portrait that who was eliminated from American Idol. Supposedly, there is a hot, tattooed Irish chick on Idol and I still can't bring myself to watch that show.

4. If Jodie Foster was going to replace Charles Bronson in a remake of DEATHWISH (see: The Brave One), she should have at least beat someone with a sock full of dimes. Watching it, brought on my own deathwish.

5. Wrestling is not a real sport. It's fake. Hockey is a real sport. Unless the game has Sidney Crosby in it. Then the refs have a script. He's not even the best player on his team.

6. Obama and Clinton were in Philadelphia this week and neither stopped to get a cheesesteak. . . with or without Wyatt.

7. The Pulitzer Prize this year should go to the guy that thought to offer Chocolate covered Marshmallow Peeps this year for Easter.

Why Guys Keep Beer On The Bottom Shelf!

2008-04-01T18:48:00.001-04:00

The Last Week!

2008-03-31T12:42:00.001-04:00

With but a scant few games left in the regular season the playoff picture is coming into focus. Here are some highlights.

1. Tomorrow night, Carolina takes on Washington. This could be the most exiting playoff game this season. The winner of this could theoretically send the other home for the season. Other than that, both Carolina and Washington play Tampa and Florida for their last two games. Both Florida teams are playing for a better draft pick, so tomorrow nights game should be worth watching.

2. The Flyers want to play for a playoff spot, but also want to play for position. Right now, they are set to play Pittsburgh. They want to move up to 7th and draw Montreal. Koivu is reportedly one of three key players who could be out for the first round. The Flyers want to stay right where they are at.

3. Unfortunately, Edmonton’s big push looks to be for naught. Unless Vancouver AND Calgary shit the bed this week, the won’t make the playoffs. SHAME! They looked good and could have been interesting to see in the post season.

4. If the matches stay the as is, the best series so far looks to be Colorado/Minnesota. Colorado will win Game 1. Once Forsberg gets hurt, the Wild could take it in 5.

5. If Washington can beat out Boston for the last spot, the match up of the best player in the league (male) and the best player in the league (female) would make the Washington/Pittsburgh another good series to watch.

Into The Pool!!

2008-03-25T19:05:00.002-04:00

As the Flyers wind down their last six games with a BIG showing (hopefully) in the Garden tonight, it's time to think about the Deathlok NHL Playoff Pool.

This is an Annual event that I started about 15 years ago and it's awesome. It started when I worked for the Navy. I got a group of people together for a playoff pool that was fun and easy. Over the years, people have brought people in. . .who have brought people in. . . who have brought people in . . then the people that I knew dropped out . . and before I knew it, I had a playoff pool with a list of participants of whom I know about 20%. I have met people at the games who have approached me at talked about the Pool (I am the only person at the game with a Flyers FOTIU jersey. . . .so I stick out a little.

The concept is easy. . . You rank the playoff teams 16-1 and get the assigned number of points for each game that team wins . . .Easy!

Once all 16 teams are locked in, the entry forms go out. Interested? Let me know. There is always room for more.

The BIG Announcement!!

2008-03-25T17:34:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago, Wyatt posted about the glorious event of the birth of his new child.

Yesterday, in the mail, I received a notice that my gradeschool friend, Mike, and his wife, were blessed with twin girls.

Congratulations to everyone.

That got me thinking. . . SO! I would like to announce that Mrs Deathlok and myself are NOT having a baby. Were are not planning on having another baby and thanks to the wonders of modern medicine, we WILL NOT EVER be having another baby.

It's seems a bit self congratulatory, but I feel great now!

Cloose!

2008-03-24T12:53:00.000-04:00

Your Spelling is Good

You got 9/10 correct.

Your spelling is generally pretty decent. You are prone to a few mistakes, but the mistakes you make are pretty forgivable.

How's Your Spelling?

2008-03-21T13:19:00.003-04:00

Last night I attended the Holy Thursday Mass. I was kinda obligated to go because it was required of my CCD students as part of their preparation for Confirmation. At least I don't have to teach on Sunday. On Wednesday, I received an email from the head of the Pastoral Council asking for Council members to volunteer for the feet washing ceremony during the Mass. The 12 then go put and wash the feet of anyone in the congregation that wants to participate.

for those of you that don't know, during Holy Thursday Service, there is a reenactment of Jesus washing the feet of the twelve Apostles.

I, being smarter than the average bear, reply back that I would love to participate but due to my hand injury I am unable to help. This is quickly replied to with a message that says, "We usually do it in groups of three, so we can work around your cast issue, if you are still interested." Dag! "Sure, I'm in!"

So I get there and Mass begins as normal. As part of the Gospel, we select 12 go up on the Altar and the Monsignor washes one foot from each of the 12. We then, take the pitcher, basin and towels to stations in the Church and offer the same to the rest. Despite, not wanting to do this, it was AWESOME. No doubt people's feet are disgusting!! However, what we were doing was much more important than what we were doing. I felt great. Afterward, I stayed after and helped strip the Altar in preparation for today, Good Friday.

It was a moving experience that I look forward to next year.

The Pronger Stomp?

2008-03-15T10:06:00.003-04:00

With poor quality video as evidence, Anaheim Ducks captain Chris Pronger originally escaped punishment from the NHL after apparently stomping on the leg of Vancouver Canucks' centre Ryan Kesler Wednesday night.

But a clearer version of the video revealed late Thursday - with a better look at the incident - has the NHL is looking into it again. A phone hearing is scheduled for Saturday and a suspension will likely result.

Pronger waived his right to an in-person hearing in favor of a phone hearing.

Traditionally, the type of hearing usually speaks to the number of games a player can be suspended. The phone hearing normally means four games or less, while an in-person hearing means five or more.

By waiving his right to an in-person hearing, Pronger acknowledges his suspension could be more severe than the phone treatment usually determines.

"There's a review process going on right now," Pronger said Friday. "Obviously, we'll have to wait to see what happens."

He said he would not comment further because of the league's new review.

While the original game footage showed the incident from a distance as the puck was being cleared out of Anaheim's zone, the second version zeroes in on Kesler and Pronger as they got tangled along the back boards.

The incident happened in the opening minute of the second period in Anaheim's zone after a dump in from the blue line by Canucks defenceman Sami Salo.

Kesler - one of two Canuck forwards who chased down the puck behind the goal line - collided with Pronger along the boards and fell, and it looked as though Kesler wrapped his legs around Pronger's feet.

It looked like the Ducks captain appeared to disengage from Kesler, but there was also a form of a stomp or a push with some downard motion from his foot.

"He stomped on me," Kesler told the Vancouver Sun after the game. "He got me on the calf."

It isn't the first time the former Norris and Hart Trophy winner has been involved in such incidents.

Pronger has been suspended seven times in his career, with the most recent ones handed down during the Stanley Cup playoffs last spring. He received a one-game suspension from the NHL last May for his hit on Detroit Red Wings forward Tomas Holmstrom in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final, and was suspended for a game in June for hitting Ottawa's Dean McAmmond in the head with his forearm during the third period of the Senators' 5-3 win in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.

"(Pronger's) a tough player and an aggressive player," Ottawa Senators defenceman Luke Richardson told TSN on Friday.

"(There's) probably a double standard, I think sometimes if you are a superstar you might get a little bit of a benefit of the doubt, but also works against you that if he plays and he's a repeat offender, sometimes that might work against you too. I think if you had two seconds to think about it, nobody in the game really intends to injure someone in that way. Sometimes you make careless decisions and it costs you, but it's hard to know what's on someone's mind when you see something that's little deceiving when you see it."

It also marks the second time this season that a player has stepped on an opponent while he was laying prone.

In December, New York Islanders forward Chris Simon received a 30-game suspension for trying to step on Pittsburgh forward Jarkko Ruutu's foot.

Simon, who now plays for the Minnesota Wild, was not impressed with the league's lack of action.

"I can get the amount of games I get and other players can hurt players?" he told reporters Friday.

"You look at Holmstrom and McAmmond - those two guys getting knocked out of the playoffs and the player misses one game and the same thing, if not twice, happens in the Vancouver-Anaheim game and there's not even a review."

(H/T TSN.CA)

This is ridiculous. Watch tho video and decide. To me it looks like he was pumping his leg to get is loose and when his leg was released, he was still trying to pull his leg free.

Pop Goes The Wedding

2008-03-14T19:38:00.002-04:00

LONDON (Reuters) - It is the one moment every man wants to get right -- and which London floor-fitter Lefkos Hajji could hardly have got more wrong.

The luckless 28 year-old's dreams of giving his sweetheart, Leanne, 26, the ultimate proposal have literally vanished into thin air.

Hajji, of Hackney, east London, had concealed a $12,000 engagement ring inside a helium balloon. The idea was that she would pop the balloon as he popped the question.

But as he left the shop, a gust of wind pulled the balloon from his hand and he watched the ring -- and quite possibly the affections of his girlfriend -- sailing away over the rooftops.

"I couldn't believe it," he told The Sun newspaper.

"I just watched as it went further and further into the air.

"I felt like such a plonker. It cost a fortune and I knew my girlfriend would kill me."

Hajji spent two hours in his car trying to chase and find the balloon, without success.

"I thought I would give Leanne a pin so I could literally pop the question," he said.

"But I had to tell her the story -- she went absolutely mad. Now she is refusing to speak to me until I get her a new ring."

He is hoping the ring will still turn up.

"It would be amazing if someone found it," he added.

(Reporting by Peter Apps. Editing by Steve Addison)

(HT: Yahoo News)

Now THAT'S funny. Word of advise Chap. Based on her reaction, call it a $12,000 wake up call and move on. Nice Sympathy. . . .Bitch!

I Miss My Piano

2008-03-13T20:41:00.002-04:00

I'm just about sick of this cast. I have a week and 5 days to go and then rehab. I have been tinkering with the piano, but I've really lost a lot of what I knew. I can't wait to get back at the keys again.

I Wanted To Be A Thief

2008-03-07T11:57:00.004-05:00

I was clicking around different sites . . . .blog surfing if you will and came across this test at Cowboy Blob's

What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, (click on Blob's link to take the quiz (or hit the link below)

I Am A: Lawful Good Human Cleric/Sorcerer (3rd/2nd Level)

Ability Scores:

Strength-11

Dexterity-12

Constitution-11

Intelligence-14

Wisdom-16

Charisma-12

Alignment:
Lawful Good A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. He combines a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. He tells the truth, keeps his word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished. Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion. However, lawful good can be a dangerous alignment because it restricts freedom and criminalizes self-interest.

Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Primary Class:
Clerics act as intermediaries between the earthly and the divine (or infernal) worlds. A good cleric helps those in need, while an evil cleric seeks to spread his patron's vision of evil across the world. All clerics can heal wounds and bring people back from the brink of death, and powerful clerics can even raise the dead. Likewise, all clerics have authority over undead creatures, and they can turn away or even destroy these creatures. Clerics are trained in the use of simple weapons, and can use all forms of armor and shields without penalty, since armor does not interfere with the casting of divine spells. In addition to his normal complement of spells, every cleric chooses to focus on two of his deity's domains. These domains grants the cleric special powers, and give him access to spells that he might otherwise never learn. A cleric's Wisdom score should be high, since this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.

Secondary Class:
Sorcerers are arcane spellcasters who manipulate magic energy with imagination and talent rather than studious discipline. They have no books, no mentors, no theories just raw power that they direct at will. Sorcerers know fewer spells than wizards do and acquire them more slowly, but they can cast individual spells more often and have no need to prepare their incantations ahead of time. Also unlike wizards, sorcerers cannot specialize in a school of magic. Since sorcerers gain their powers without undergoing the years of rigorous study that wizards go through, they have more time to learn fighting skills and are proficient with simple weapons. Charisma is very important for sorcerers; the higher their value in this ability, the higher the spell level they can cast.

Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)

Gary Gygax Goes Below -10 Points

2008-03-05T18:08:00.009-05:00

Gary Gygax Dies At 69

I've received several emails about the passing over Gary Gygax, the creator of Dungeons and Dragons.

Wyatt sent me an email about it, as did several people that I play D&D with. Wyatt loves to ridicule my playing the game almost as much as he riducules my Irish Patch Work Hat. I also happened upon a link to Wyatt's blog which took me here:
DND Law School & Life

Who would have thought that Wyatt would have to hyperlinks about D&D on his site. The above site had a great post about the man. My friend Exilian posted this (and I link it here with his permission) I thought this summed up the feeling of D&D's core following very nicely.

Exilian's Thoughts

Personally, I didn't grow up with the game. I knew of the game and knew people that played. I even rolled up a character back in the late 80s, but never "got into it". My wife and I were asked to join a game a few years ago as a means of getting out of the house. We took the couple up on it. It was fun. Even my wife found it enough fun to stick with it and is still playing. Today, we are playing at our house and the, other than the DM (Dungeon Master) it's a completely different crowd. We have made a lot of new friends over the years. . . all because of the game.

Gary is a genius for inventing the game and the way of life that it has become for a lot of people.

The bottom line is that it's a game and people that don't know what it's like, don't want to know and refuse to release their tight grip on their preconceived notions of what the game is. The game is great if you have the right people (and by right people, I mean a group of people that you enjoy hanging out with). I've played with people who took the game (and themselves)way too serious and that was not fun at all. Most D&D gamers are very knowledgeable in the game and its inner wrokings. I prefer to play "from the hip". It makes the game more fun.

Between the game, the companionship, the food and drinks, I look forward to meeting every other Friday night.

I am convinced (not that this would ever happen), that if Wyatt and his crew got together for a game one night, they would have a blast. You can tailor the game fpr your needs. I have always thought that a D&D Police training session would be cool. Instead of Elves, Orcs, and Humans, you would substitute, detectives, snipers, and forensics, etc. Instead of Goblins and Trolls amd Cobols, you would substitute, crack dealers, murderers and rapists. Same game, different perspective.

God Bless You Gary and God's Speed.

15

2008-03-04T17:59:00.003-05:00

15! That's the number of the week. Yesterday, I broke the 15,000 mark on my site meter. Oddly enough, the guy who was the 15,000th hit got there by doing a search for Eddy Izzard PreSale Tickets. Sorry Buddy! (That's fun!) So with the click of a mouse, I break the 15,000 hits mark and am made aware that Izzard is touring. . . .just not around here.

Note to Eddy: The AC casinos brother. . .the casinos (and I use the term brother loosely).

Added to that wonderful event, this Thursday. . . .just two days from now. . .is my 15th Wedding Anniversary. 15 years!! The difference between me hanging on to someone for 15 years and someone putting up with me for 15 years is very slim. . . it might even be the same thing. Regardless, if there is anything better for a couple going through marriage counsiling, it's this event. "If we can do it, so can you." That's our slogan. It was going to be "Hell, it beats the dating scene." but we chose the high ground.

My wife is great. A good marriage is being able to say, "You're a royal pain in the ass, but I wouldn't trade you for the world". . . .at least she says the first part.

Thanks for 15 great years, Hon!

AWESOME!!

2008-03-04T13:52:00.003-05:00

Check out the new hockey figure coming out this summer. What could be better?

Well, it juat so happens that this figure is coming out at the same time:

How sweet is that!

Alexander The 8!

2008-03-03T21:23:00.002-05:00

With 10:00 minutes left in the 3rd period tonight, Alexander Ovechkin has 3 goals. That brings his total for the season to 52. He needs 8 more to hit 60. The last player to hit 60 goals in one season was Mario Lemieux.

This guy is so much better than that whining maggot Sidney Crosby, I can't stand it. Alexander The 8 . . . .The real face of the NHL.

Nepal's controversial "living goddess" retires

2008-03-03T08:35:00.002-05:00

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - A controversial young Nepali girl worshipped by many Buddhists and Hindus as a Kumari, or "living goddess", has given up her divine position following a request from her family, an official said on Sunday.

The 11-year-old Sajani Shakya was revered for nine years as the Kumari of the ancient temple-town of Bhaktapur, near Kathmandu, in a centuries-old tradition.

So "Goddess" is a position that you can get demoted from? Hmmm . . .Maybe Hillary will try for this position when she loses here.

This Is Keen!

2008-03-01T11:45:00.001-05:00

Frozen In Time

Begin The Dance

2008-03-01T10:22:00.002-05:00

NOTE: Don't click play with the kiddies present.

With the pressures of the new job, the cast that has me treating Percocet like Lunesta and my pool leaking like a sieve (soon to be replaced at the tune of roughly $1000), this song has been going through my head lately.

I believe that the cast is coming off on Tuesday. If you are in the NJ/PA area on Tuesday afternoon and you catch a whiff of something foul, you will know that my arm has been released from its chrysalis.

Tickets Please!!

2008-02-29T08:19:00.001-05:00

Here is a shorter version of the new trailer that they showed during LOST last night. This movie looks better and better.

Politically Incorrect 101

2008-02-29T08:15:00.000-05:00

I don't consider myself racist at all, but a commercial for Oprah new show was on last night and my mind turned the BIG GIVE into the NIG GIVE and I laughed to myself. I mean . . . .that's funny right??

Something Serious . . .

2008-02-24T17:45:00.003-05:00

I found out today that one of my CCD students is the cousin of Jonathon Cote (see link). Please pray for him.

http://home.freecote.com/

The Bucket Test!!

2008-02-23T15:29:00.003-05:00

I just endured the remake od HALLOWEEN by Rob Zombie. With, and the rumor of a remake of JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, I have come up with a new idea for Hollywood. If you are so devoid of ideas that you feel that you have to remake a movie feel free. . . . . . but . . . at the premiere of the movie, the Director, Producer and those involved have to sit over a dunk tank full of piss. If you ruin a classic movie because you think that you can "improve" it, give it the Bucket Test.

This movie took the really scary stuff about the original and changed it into something mediocre. It's basically the same movie, so there is no fear of spoilers here. Rob Zombie added so backstory to Michael Myers and, I thought, made it less scary. The abusive, trailer trash, stripper mother having existence that explains why Michael became who he was is less terrifying than the boy who had a normal life, by all accounts, . . . . . . nice sister, nice family, nice life . . . . .and still became THE SHAPE (his name in the book). WHY?? Because he was just evil. Evil can be anywhere and can take any shape. No matter how wonderful you are, you kid can be the next Michael Myers. THAT is scary my friends.

Rob added more back story to flush out the character, but them forgot to keep in the drive that kept him going. In the original, Michael Myers sits dormant until he hears that he has a little sister. He hasn't wiped out his family as he thought and this awakens the demon in him. In this dreck, he just desides to get up and go. Is he after her or trying to connect with her, it's never quite clear.

Further, a note to horror movie makers: Dark is scary. So dark that I can't see anything . . . ANYTHING!! A waste of film.

And now, a list of movies that would have failed the piss bucket test!!

HALLOWEEN
POSIDEON
WHEN A STRANGER CALLS
THE MUSIC MAN
THE HILLS HABE EYES

Movies that pass:
3:10 TO YUMA
MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
DAWN OF THE DEAD

2008-02-22T14:58:00.001-05:00

As reported on TSN.CA:

The Philadelphia Flyers claimed Patrick Thoresen off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers on Friday.

Thoresen has two goals and one assist with a minus-4 rating over his 17 games this season.

The 24-year-old forward was originally signed as a free agent by the Oilers on May 31st, 2006.

This is how we are righting the ship??

Odds & Ends

2008-02-19T18:10:00.003-05:00

1. Wyatt's non-stop Blog-a-thon has reported that Lindsey Lohan is posing nude in the New Yorker and how tragic it is. It is tragic, but she is still hot. I want a copy o' that. (She's no Amy Adams, but. . . . .

2. The Flyer's traded a mere draft pick to obtain Jaroslav Modry from the LA Kings. Well, done there. Let's get back on the winning track before I go to the game on Thursday.

3. Speaking of Thursday, it looks like it's back under the knife Thursday to remove the pin in my hand which is causing a crippling pain. Oh and the boss is in from Washington that day. . . . . .Dag!

4. Go rent Gone Baby Gone and Good Luck Chuck. Gone is a really good movie. Chuck isn't, but it's still very funny. For the kiddies, Spiderwick was very entertaining and scared my 8 year old alittle bit. Not enough to make him not like, just enough.

Hang A Right!

2008-02-12T12:08:00.000-05:00

Last week's surgery went well. I've ducked and dodged for a year and a half but it finally caught up to me.

Back in '06, I was having problems with my right wrist. I went to the doctor and he told me that I needed surgery. During his diatribe, he said, "blah blah blah . . fuse the bones in your wrist. . . . blah bah blah . ." The translation to that is "go to another Doctor. So, I did.

Doctor #2 says surgery is probably needed, but let's try therapy first. Therapy did inlude anything being fused. Let's do it! A few weeks and a couple $100 later and we were back . . .in his office. Cortizone is next. GET INTO THE ZONE . . CORTIZONE! Although painful shot. . .two actually, but the pain subsided and things were good. TAKE THAT FUSION GUY!! Six months later the pain came back. Sadness.

Later, I am talking to a fellow member of the Pastoral Council and we start talking about surgeries. It turns out that his wife works for the Fusion Guy. I tell her the story. She tells me that he is awsome and that Doc #2 is "not so good". Well, okay. That's nice but I am not ready for any fusion unless Jeff Lorber is in town (a little Jazz Fusion humor).

The next week, Shelley, the nurse, sees me and tells me that she looked at my chart and the records show that the diagnosis was a three step plan. 1. scope and determine the problem. 2. ligament reconstruction. 3. Bone Fusion. OH! That's what that blah blah blah was.

Back at the original Doctor, we decide that (1) I haven't been around in 1 1/2 years and (2) we don't need the surgery to look at the problem. Right on to step two. Surgery is scheduled and I sign a form that says if during the procedure, it is clear that the Fusion is needed, to do it.

I wake to find that the repair of the partialy torn ligament has been repaired and things looked good. No Fusion.

8 weeks - 1 down 7 to go. My left hand is getting a workout. When I not at work or driving to the Flyers, Percoset and I have a loving union.

Today, I have my first review. The doctor is going to remove the Hellboy mit and replace it with a cast (I'm hoping for the cast of Baywatch). Hopefully, I will get something smaller in size so that I can get a shirt on. (I own two oversized shirts and I'm wearing the second one today. . . .and I'm freezing.

Note: Post done entirely left handed.

Your Security Is Assured!!

2008-02-08T15:22:00.000-05:00

So I started my new job three weeks ago, and boy are my nerves tired. Things look to be turning around, but here is a little recap of the last two weeks . . .

Week One
The week started off great because my first day was MLK day I had off. That’s how you want to start off . . . .being off. The next two days were orientation in DC. I took the shuttle that the FAA offers at the airport. It’s tiny 18 passenger plane. When the pilot talks to you, he leans back and talks to you. He also hands out bottles of water from the cockpit. However, it turns a 3 hour train ride into a 45 minute flight. All in all, it’s the way to go. Being the only orientee that wasn’t from the area, I had everyone looking at “the guy with the suitcase”. Being a secure building, I couldn’t store it anywhere, so I carried everything around for two days, while wearing a suit. The night I spent there consisted of going to an Irish Pub for dinner. NOTE: Do not go to an Irish Catholic Pub the same day that there is a Pro-Life Convention.

Once back in NJ, I dressed my best and started my first day with the new boss in town. (My boss resides in DC). Here is where it started down hill. The office that I was told that I would be working in was filled with storage junk. They set me up in a cubicle that, due to the ventilation system, vibrated so much that I could actually phase through the wall by the end of the day. It seems that everyone there is more interested in their own political position than getting anything done. I went three days before I started moving things around in “my office”. The place is so secure that I can’t listen to radiohidebound or any streaming. I “borrowed” speakers from my old job and hooked my MP3 player up. Adapt.

My boss still wants me to fly to DC this Wednesday despite the fact that I now have one hand for the next 8 weeks.

The building that I work in seems to be the Red Headed Stepchild of the Organization. I have to fix that.

What's left?

2008-02-07T18:30:00.001-05:00

A post? From Deathlok? Pee-Shah!

Life’s been an extended go-around on Mister Toad’s Wild Ride.

The new job has kicked in and it is very busy. Whether it has been a good move or not still remains to be seen. I’ll post in detail later.

Yesterday was my surgery. I had the ligaments in right hand repaired. That’s right, today is day 2 of not using my right hand for 8 weeks. The only thing that makes it tolerable is my friends . . . . .and by friends, I mean Percaset.

Except for the black tape, my hand looks like Hellboy’s.

Using just my left hand bites.

Cloverfield - The Review!

2008-01-18T15:17:00.000-05:00

I just got back from seeing the much anticipated CLOVERFIELD. The thing is. . .how to review it without giving anything away.

Okay, first prepare yourself. If you are subject to motions sickness, take a dramamine before entering the theatre. Watching the movie is like watching the camera work from the Blair Witch Project while riding the Tile-A-Whirl. So Prepare. . .but go! This movie is awesome. I will go out on a limb. . . .. . .. and say that it probably isn't for everyone. But if you are a fan of Monster movies and interesting low budget film that tell a not so new story in a BRAND new way. See it. See it before you hear about it.

The movie is 1 hour and 28 minutes long. In my opinion, this is the amount of time that it took test audiences to start having seisures. So you are safe.

The movie has no stars in it, so you can easily put yourself in the action. The story starts at a party and it's a character development tool that really allows you to BE IN THE MOVIE.

Well done and highly recommended. To say more would cheapen your experience.

For Wyatt and Captain America

2008-01-14T22:33:00.000-05:00

Battlestar Galactica - Season Four Clues

2008-01-14T22:23:00.000-05:00

Battlestar Clues

It's just around the corner. Check out this article on Clues to Battlestar's upcoming season.

Holy Hannah!!

2008-01-14T16:53:00.000-05:00

Hannah Montana Caught Using Body Double

It was ever so brief, but the use of a body double by Miley Cyrus on her best-selling "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus 'Best of Both Worlds'" tour is creating plenty of buzz.

A video posted on YouTube shows the 15-year-old entertainer as "Hannah" dancing onstage with a group of dancers and the Jonas Brothers, also on the tour. During the song, someone ushers her offstage via a trap door. Immediately, another girl dressed like the character "Hannah" in the same pink trench coat with blonde hair covering her faces dances around, runs up the stage set, and then quickly leaves.

While the double is holding a microphone for her less than a minute, the girl motions like she is singing. However, a rep for Miley said the switch was only for costume purposes.

With all the Britney and her sister, Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton stuff going on, this is what they have come up with against this girl. PLEASE! All of a sudden, she's the new Milli Vanilli.

Just Stop!!

Spectrum No More??

2008-01-14T13:14:00.000-05:00

Philadelphia Landmark May Soon Be No More

PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ― A Philadelphia landmark may soon be demolished to make way for multi-million dollar entertainment complex.

The site housing the Wachovia Spectrum could be the location of a series of new restaurants, shopping and a luxury hotel.

The owner of the Spectrum, Comcast-Spectacor, is reportedly in preliminary talks to fund the venture.

Sources said an official announcement could come within two weeks.

WOW!! Where will they put all the stuff that goes on there? More to follow.. . . .

Fly By Night

2008-01-14T13:01:00.001-05:00

Well this is it!!

This is my last week working for the Federal Aviation Administration. I am very nervous about my career change and I hope that I am making the right decision. It hardly seems like I have been here for 8 years. After leaving the Navy (civilian employee) with 15 years under my belt, I took the drive South to the FAA and, although I was nervous about that move, I hated the Navy and knew that anything would be an improvement.

Now, I leave here and the feeling is completely different. I like it here. It’s Government employment, so you accept a certain amount of wackiness, but I like my job. After just over a year here, we had the 9-11 incident to deal with (for which I received special recognition) and we built the Federal Air Marshal program to what it is today.

I have worked on many special projects that have taken me to Alaska, Arizona, California and other US destinations. It’s been a blast. A year and a half ago, I was given the nightmare contract of nightmare contracts and have held it together pretty well.

After this week, it’s off to Washington for two days, then back up here to be part of Transportation Security.

I believe I get to pick who gets cavity searched. You’ll know if that’s true when you get to the airport.

Blogsphere vs Blobsphere

2008-01-14T12:40:00.003-05:00

The Weight Loss Battle is in full force in the blogsphere. I wish all those who are participating in it the best of luck. Since my two friends from high school have begun running, I am officially the FAT GUY in the group, so I should join in . . . . .but won’t.

I have instead decided that my New Year’s resolution will be to get in shape. In the past, I have joined various health clubs. Each time, I ended up getting injured and having surgery. Nice!

This time, I’m going to work it from the other angle. I am going to start with getting myself medically and physically corrected. Tomorrow, I have an appointment with the hand surgeon. I have finally accepted the fact that I need my wrist operated on. If I act now, I should be able to have my wrist ready for the Heritage Hills Golf Outing in May.

Next, although I haven’t had a cavity (until two months ago) in 30-35 years, I know need a root canal done. Eh what?

Once those two things are fixed, I plan on getting an exercise bike and get in shape a little bit. That is unless my knees give out by then.

Comic Collector - Retired!

2008-01-12T12:19:00.001-05:00

Okay, I guess Wyatt is right. I should vent. The previous post had a comment left saying that I surprisingly didn’t post something about Spider-Man’s divorce.

Well, let me tell you. I just finished reading the last two issues of Spider-Man. The only thought that went through my mind is “Wow! I just stopped collecting Spider-Man.” That’s right. I can’t see myself buying another issue of this crap. I have been buying Spider-Man comics since 1977. You can’t walk 3 feet in my house without seeing something with Spider-Man on it.

As I mentioned in my WALKING DEAD post, I forgot the joy of collecting comics and have often thought that maybe I was growing away from the hobby. I glad I realized that that is not the case. It’s just that the big two (MARVEL and DC) are only in it for the buck and have no creativity whatsoever any more.

DC doesn’t bother me as much because I just started the BATMAN admiration about 15 years ago. I have always been a MARVEL guy. Now, I can’t think of ONE book that is great. Fantastic Four . .. It’s okay. They have ruined IRON MAN (hopefully, the movie will be good). The HULK is now red. . . .RED!
I don’t even want to know why the Hulk is red. Captain America is dead, which I heard is some retaliation to the Iraq War and now they are bringing in a new guy in a costume that looks stupid . . . .Oooooo, shiny! The X-men and so over used and there are so many books out there, I can’t keep track. . . .and don’t.

As for Spider-Man, Wyatt got it wrong. He didn’t get divorced. I wouldn’t have liked that at all, but it would have been reasonable (if you wrote it properly). Mephisto (the devil) made a deal with Peter Parker and Mary Jane. To save the life of Aunt May, they had to agree to have never met. WHAT?. . . .. Strike One! When they agree, Peter Parker is now single and his dead friend Harry Osborne is alive again. . . .Huh? Strike Two. Well, where is strike three you ask?!?! Let combined the fact that everyone magically forgets that Spider-Man revealed his identity to the world (the whole world forgot. . . .and not only forgot, the book actually says “People remember Spider-Man unmasking but can’t remember who was under the mask”. Now let’s sprinkle in the unexplained “Harry was living in Europe, Parker doesn’t work at the Bugle anymore for no reason, Mary Jane shows up for a party despite living in California and is unexplainedly angry with Peter.. . . . .”

The kicker is that they have “cancelled” the other two Spider-Man titles and now Amazing Spider-Man comes out three times a month. The $12.00 a month for a book that blows dog.

With nothing good on the market, I picked up three weeks of comics this week and spent over $50 . . . .and one of them wasn’t WALKING DEAD.

As the cover on the new issue of Spider-Man says, It's a BRAND NEW DAY. . . . but not a good one.

This Is Priceless!

2008-01-04T15:11:00.001-05:00

And I've been wasting my time trying to learn Guaraldi, Bach and Joplin . . . .

Walk This Way!

2008-01-04T13:46:00.000-05:00

WOW!! Many thanks go out to Will the Thrill at Jester's Playhouse
in Northfield NJ.
Will and I were talking about comics the a few weeks ago. In my rant about comics really hitting rock bottom as an industry and as a hobby, he mentioned that THE WALKING DEAD was a great comic. On a lark, I picked up the first collected volume of issues and read it. It was really good. So I picked up the second volume (each trade volume contains about 6 issues of the comic) and read some more. It got better. it got so much better that I went to ebay and bought all 7 volume of the trade paper back and then went to Jester's and got the back issues of the comic that haven't been collected yet. I have one more issue (#45) to get caught up.

It's INCREDIBLE!! It is the best comic that I have read in years. I couldn't put it down.

The storyline is basically about a group of people during a post zombie infestation ala DAWN OF THE DEAD. But it's more than that. The story has characters that you get to know and care about. It's not just zombies eating people. The post apocalyptic zombie thing is just the setting. It is often background to the story.

This is why I have collected comics since 1977. . . . .and I FORGOT! I actually forgot how much fun reading comics that are reaaaallllllyyy good is.

Between Marvel dipping into the toilet tank for stories and ruining Spider-Man, killing Captain America and just slinging out any talentless crap and putting a X-Men title on it to sell, I have never been more inclined to stop the weekly drain on my bank account. DC is little better. Anything that is good gets over used until it's a dried husk of an idea. It's sad.

And now this!!! I actually feel like I will be unable to tolerate the lukewarm Superhero books that I have gathered in abundance for years. I could almost just wait for the movies now!

The WALKING DEAD would be the perfect new series to breath some life back into the HBO schedule. I can't wait for the next WALKING DEAD. Robert Kirkman (writer, creator) you are my new favorite writer.

And Now, A Follow Up To Brawdo

2007-12-31T11:52:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2007-12-23T22:34:00.000-05:00

Christmemes

2007-12-21T17:05:00.000-05:00

I've been tagged with a Christmas Meme. It's just what I need to get back in the game here.

So here goes:
1. Wrapping or gift bags? When getting gifts I couldn't care less as long as the gift shows thought. Giving I prefer a gift bag (Is a brown paper bag a gift bag?)

2. Real or artificial tree? My family has long been a believer in the "real tree of die" theory. Several years ago, my Father-In-Law gave us a beautiful artificial tree. it looks real and the branches hold our heavy ornaments much better. Never looked back.

3. When do you put up the tree? A week or two before depending on how busy things are. I put it up last weekend this year. It just needs to be decorated it now.

4. When do you take the tree down? Little Christmas.

5. Do you like egg nog? Vile Stuff. Even the fact that it has alcohol in it can't sway me.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Best toys ever
Unfortunately they are a fortune to buy now or I would be getting them again for this Christmas.

7. Do you have a Nativity scene? Two. One under the tree and one on the piano. I also have one up at work just to iritate people.

8. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? When I first met my wife and we were living together, My Father-In-Law bought a gold plastic Last Supper with a clock in it. It had to go back.

9. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? Mail

10. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Carol.

11. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I usually buy something in August and am proud of myself for starting early until I realize that a week before Christmas, It's still the only thing I bought.

12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Wine. . .No wait! I make a mean butter cookie.

13. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Colored.

14. Favorite Christmas song? Transiberian's Carol of the Bells and Wizards in Winter.

A Eulogy

2007-12-21T16:48:00.001-05:00

Well, I’m Back!

With the holidays and the new job coming up and general hectic time of year, I have not been able to post the Eulogy.

Wyatt was kind enough to post the news of my dog, Kirk’s, passing. Thanks to him and all the blog wishes and cards that I received.

Kirk was a very special dog. He was irreplaceable and probably one of my best friends. That sound stupid to even write but it’s true.

Back in 1996, my daughter Erin and Mrs. Deathlok wanted to get a dog. I wanted nothing to do with it. Of course, I lost that battle. We went to the Cherry Hill Mall (a hotbed of animal breeding) and we looked. I saw a beautiful cream colored Lab. They saw a Dalmatian. I said that they were too hyper and we weren’t getting a Dalmatian. Of course, I lost that battle too.

When we got home we were thinking of names. My daughter, being four at the time, wanted to name him Spotty. . .I won that battle. I suggested Rorschach. . .and lost that battle. My wife’s family has a history of naming their dogs human names (which I hate) so I thought quickly and suggested Kirk (after Vancouver Canuck’s goalie phenom Kirk McLean). And it was done. Kirk (according to his papers, his name is really Kirkus Doggley) was part of the family.

Six Months later, after failing out of Obedience School, I was walking this dog that I was not suppose to have to walk. Erin was on the sidewalk and Kirk and I were in the street. I wanted to show this dog that I was faster than he was and we raced home. A block from the house, Kirk ran between my legs. When the ambulance came to pick me out of the street, a neighbor took Erin and the dog in while I went to get my two broken arms put in a caste.

After all the years (11 ½ of them) Kirk has never gone the bathroom in the house (unless he was sick). His one vice was going into the trash. He could . . . .and would . . .eat anything. He has eaten: 9 raw porkchops, a bag of balloons, a swimcap, half of a lasagna pan of fudge, chicken bones (more than once), a pack of gum (in the pack. . . .it was Teaberry) to name a few things. Cleaning the yard was also a colorful surprise.

No one ever met him that didn’t like him. Even people that don’t like dogs. The guy that DMs our D&D game is afraid of dogs and within two visits was very comfortable with him. They shared diabetes stories.

My family has had many dogs and cats growing up and countless pets. We have had alligators, a veritable plethora of rodents, a venus flytrap, birds, turtles, everything. Kirk will always be with me. With the exception of my cat Mooch, no other animal sticks with me.

Kirk’s ashes will be buried under the tree in the back yard when we get them back.

Good Bye Kirk, I miss you.

(Watching Fireworks on the Pool Deck)

(post op)

Brawndo!

2007-12-12T12:49:00.000-05:00

Prepare yourself. I challenge you to watch this and not laugh.

Reaping Good Television

2007-12-09T09:45:00.000-05:00

Okay, Heroes and Weeds are all caught up and Battlestar, LOST, and all the January shows (including the new Terminator Show) haven't started yet. So what's a guy to watch?

Well, I'll tell ya. . . .REAPER!!

No No . . . .Wait! . . . .REAPER!

I downloaded the first few episodes from BearShare the other day (along with some BIONIC WOMAN) and put them on my MP3 player. This way, I can watch shows while I am at my son's Karate class or waiting in the parking lot for the bus to bring back my daughter from swim practice.

Friday, I finally watched the pilot episode. I was hysterical. If FAR surpassed the BIONIC WOMAN, which was okay, but not a keeper.

REAPER is the story of a guy who's parents sold his soul to the devil. His soul becomes the devils when he turns 21. The show starts on his 21st birthday. Weird things begin to happen to him and he starts having Hellish visions. Satan explains that he has a job to do for him on Earth. He has to be a bounty hunter for souls that have escaped from Hell. . . ala Ghost Rider. . . .ish. CREEPY!!! How can a premise like that be funny. Well, it is!! Watch this show! Based on the Pilot episode, it's a winner.

It's directed by Kevin Smith and it definitely has a Clerksy/Mallratty feel to it. This clip will give you the highlights to the first show. ENJOY!

Our Generation's Wrong Turn

2007-12-06T09:40:00.000-05:00

Wyatt just posted a news recap of the Mall Shooting in Omaha. Read it here. This is a tragedy. Worse, it seems to be an escalating occurrence in this country. Why?

My first question concerning this article is how someone walks around in the mall with a rifle. . . . .A RIFLE!!. . . .and nobody notices. Not exactly a concealed weapon. I don’t know the particulars, so maybe it makes sense. Note: If you see someone carrying a rifle or saw-off shot gun in the mall. . . . RUN!

But, I digress. . . . .

This situation got me thinking. Things are much more publicized now so it is easy to say that things have changed. In fact, there have been people committing suicide for a long long time. I recall, as a child, hearing the occasional report of a teen taking their own life. Taking that into account, It still doesn’t explain the increase in this mindset and the methodology with which it is executed.

So at what point do we reign in our children and realize that OUR generation has fucked up. Things like Outlawing Spanking and treating children like they have equal say in an adult environment is too much pressure. Children are taught that they are entitled to everything and have to work at nothing. So imagine the crushing disappointment to a teen when he/she realizes that the world is tougher than that.

Our generation sends countless emails around talking about how fun being a child was and how in today’s society how dangerous that fun was. Hanging down in the woods or “The Creek” (pronounced CRIK) was awesome but imagining my son doing that with his friends is unthinkable. Now we are going to worry that if our kids go to the mall with friends that they may not come home.

My brother and I were talking about a high school teacher that we both had named Father John Joseph. NOTE: This is not a pro FJJ speech. John Joseph taught Sophomore Algebra. Any indiscretion was dealt with one of the following (piano wire, “Mellow Yellow” the wiffleball bat or the “wraparound” – the curved back part of the chair designed to paddle your entire ass). This was the most horrific example of what was wrong with how we grew up. However, we all dealt with it. My brother is 10 years older that me, which means that at least 10 years of FJJ was unleashed on the school. Algebra scores were through the roof. Nowadays, if you give a student a written assignment as punishment, the parents are up your ass with a law suit. There has to be a middle ground.

Coddling our youth is not the answer.

Recently, I have heard several people that I know use the term, “They deserve it!” when referring to why they are doing something for their children. That has officially become my new pet peeve. Your children do not deserve to go to Disney World any more than some poor hungry kid from Camden deserves to go to Disney World. If you can take them, great. Have a good time. But kids do not deserve to go to a good school. If they work hard at school and get accepted into a good school, then they have earned the right to get into a good school. If you have the money or are willing to put yourself in debt to allow your kids to go to a good school, they are very lucky and should appreciate all that you do for them. Kids deserve to be loved by their parents and to be care for and protected from harm. They deserve their parents support and should be fed, sheltered and given whatever opportunity that can be afforded to them. Other than that, you have to earn your way.

This will give our children a stronger feeling of accomplishment and will HOPEFULLY reduce the amount of incidents like the mall shooting.

BRILLIANT!!

2007-12-04T20:30:00.001-05:00

Rumble in . . . God Knows Where. . . . .

2007-12-03T11:44:00.000-05:00

A blogging staple on Wyatt’s site show tales of glory and woe in the form of his hockey team . . .Tony’s Place. Last night, I made the long trek from Casa del Deathlok to view this sporting extravaganza.

I left the house at 6:15. . . plenty of time for the 7:00 face-off. . . . .or so I thought. This place was in the middle of nowhere. Around 7:30, I noticed that the cars around me all had snow on them. How far North did I travel??? Well, I was a little surprised not to see my friend Ant at the game, for surely I was in Canada.

Once there, I entered to find two ice rinks. As I entered the first one, I noticed a lack of activity, although there were people on the player’s bench and player’s standing around doing nothing. It must be a practice or something. Then I noticed that all action had not stopped. The action was on the ice with two players punch the shit out of each other. I crossed the hall and joined the other game (already in progress). With the crisp new uniforms and the neatly arranged names on the jerseys, I knew that I was in the wrong place. So, I thought . . .skilled, well uniformed game. . . . .goon hockey. . . . Okay, why did I not know that I had the right game the first time. My only excuse is that I was looking for the “Coach”, Wyatt. He was in the stands with Badgett. I got back in to see Vinnie through out of the game for taking a beating. Blood a plenty. He soon joined us on the bench.

The score was tied at 1-1. The opposing fans were bitching and moaning about the play and the ref and the cafeteria selection, etc. Then the floodgates opened. Soon any shot that was a shot . . .and some that weren’t were falling into the opposing net. If I were coaching, I would have considered replacing the goalie with a parking cone.
After a 10-1 drubbing, Tony’s Place skated off with a decisive win, while Blue Dog. . . . .well they Blew Dog!

Vinnie faired little better at the dome hockey table and split a 1 & 1 deadlock. Fortunately, he did not get thrown out of that game.

They are back in action tonight. Good Luck Guys! Don’t forget your elbow pads.