A Classic Tribute to the 4th of July!

In honor of the upcoming Independence Day holiday, this week's video is a classic Popeye cartoon called "Patriotic Popeye", in which he tries to instill the dangers of fireworks on his nephews (something we should be careful about anyway). Enjoy!

Some Technical Issues...

Well, my PC has been acting up lately. As a result, I think it's time I overhaul it.

Nothing too elaborate. I will either erase my hard drive and then reload it, or just replace it altogether. I still haven't decided.

I have already backed up my personal files. Now, I just need to inventory my software so I know where it came from. This will take a few days, so you won't hear much from me for a bit (I will still post a new Video of the Week on Saturday).

So, bear with me; I'll be back.

Something I Found Today!

Okay, it's no secret: I am a huge Star Trek fan! Have been since my father introduced me to the TOS reruns back in the early-1970s. Don't ask me which series is my favorite, because each one has its own unique quality to it:

• TOS was the first. Can't take that away.
• TNG had strong character development.
• DS9 had the best writing.
• VOY had Jeri Ryan. :)
• ENT had stunning visuals (and Season 3 kicked ass, if you ask me).

Anyway, I stumbled on this website today that made me laugh out loud! Repeatedly!

If you have been inside just about any office in North America, I'm sure you have seen those beautifully-framed "inspirational posters" all over the place. You know what I'm talking about. The ones that extoll the virtues of "TEAMWORK", or "INTEGRITY", or even "ACHIEVEMENT".

Well, it seems that someone took this idea and gave it a Star Trek theme. I have a sample here. Feel free to check out the rest of them! Funny!

Some Mashed Pulp for Breakfast!

It's Saturday! Time to unveil a new video!

Sometimes, you search and search until the right one comes along. And sometimes, they just fall into your lap. In this case, it was the latter. This is a hilarous mash-up of the "Pulp Fiction" trailer, Muppet-style! Enjoy!

Y'know, Some People Are Funny...

I just got word this morning that an old high-school friend of mine is moving back to Southern California this fall. From Mississippi.

Okay, so her husband got a new job out here. That's fine. But just a couple of weeks ago, when gas in L.A. was knocking on the $4.00/gallon mark (and it was in some places), she expressed her incredulousness of how expensive gas was in her town (around $3.13).

Well, at that time, the AVERAGE price of SoCal gas was about $3.42/gallon. Now, it's about $3.19, with some places venturing back under the $3 mark (Thank God!). My friend, whose name is Winnifred, swore she would never come back to L.A.

Well, guess what? Hubby got a new job. Guess you're coming back, girl! :)

Now, for a simple lesson in petroleum economics:

Gas is more expensive here than anywhere else in the country. As of this writing, California, then the whole West Coast, lead with a 1-2 punch of an average of $3.236 and $3.188, respectively. The Rockies come next at $3.181, and the Gulf Coast rings in at the cheapest, with $2.903.

Why? Distance from refineries, for one. It costs a lot of money to ship fuel from the refineries, many of which are where? That's right, places like Houston, New Orleans, and Mobile, and other Gulf Coast towns. But the real difference is that California (and Colorado) have very aggressive environmental policies when it comes to fuel emissions. As a result, gas in these (and other) areas is refined a different and more costly way. And guess who has to pay for this relatively clean gas? We do. Though it's a couple of years old, this article on the Department of Energy Website explains it very well.

(Gee, I was talking about Winnie coming back, and I ended up explaining the price of gas! Boy, do I digress, or not!).

With that in mind, Winnie, you are welcome to come home! Just don't expect to see gas prices come down in your honor (unless, of course, your husband owns Shell Oil). :)

My Own Space Again (Temporarily)

For the last two weeks, I've been staying at my mother's house because the house she and her boyfriend recently bought had to have paint and carpet put in. Now, I'm back in the new house, and they are once again enjoying a few private nights together.

I gotta hand it to Tom. This man will go to bat for you until either you success or you become a lost cause in his book. With my recent hiring at Metropolitan, it seems that I will fall into the former category. One thing's for sure: In the unlikely event I get drummed out of the District, at least I still have the pizza gig to fall back on. I may even return to being a courier (only for a different company than before). So, either way, I'll survive.

Now, before any of you paint a "LOSER" label on me, let me make one thing clear: I was forced back under my mother's roof. It's a long story, so let just say that the guy from whom I had been renting a room has been in jail for two months now, and he gets his day in court on Tuesday. I just wish I could be there, just to watch him squirm.

To my knowledge, he has been (or should be) charged with the following crimes:

1. Unauthorized alteration of rental property (including the addition of two bedrooms, one in the garage).
2. Subletting property without owner's consent.
3. False claim of property ownership.
4. Theft by deception (multiple counts here).
5. Failure to pay rent.
6. Illegal possession of personal information.
7. Overuse of a karaoke machine.

Okay, that last one isn't a crime, but it should be! But this (How should I put it without offending anyone? Ah! Got it!) asshole left several of us in a lurch, and I hope the judge throws the book at him! I'm not one to make threats. If you ask anyone who knows me, they'll tell you I'm a teddy bear. But if I ever see this... gentleman again, I will put him through a wall! Yes, this is on the record. And from what I've heard, the Garden Grove PD would all but condone such a response! That's how much of a weasel this guy is. More, it seems this guy (or one like him) got the attention of the California Association of Realtors. My mother is a member, and at their convention in Sacramento earlier this month, she heard about a case nearly identical to mine from Orange County.

I'm sure you've noticed that I have intentionally left his identity secret. The case is still pending, and I will not stoop so low as to divulge the suspect's name in this forum. Hey, I do have some morals. :)

New Video - A Classic!

Time to unleash a new YouTube clip, and this time I present one of my favorite cartoons of all time!

This is a 1984 short called "Jumping", a brilliantly done animation tour-de-force! I say this because in this short, there are NO static backgrounds!

As always, if you have problems watching the clip, you can see it here.