Here's some things that I just don't understand:

1. Having an office with a view of the front of the building, I frequently watch people walk up the stairs to the landing of the second floor. They enter the building and head straight for the elevator to go up to the third (top) floor. The way the building is set up, the stairs outside frame a doorway into the first floor (think antebellum plantation home with the extravagant curved staircases up to the porch). People are happy to trot up those stairs, walk all the way to the back corner of the building to get on the elevator and go up to the third floor. One of the stairwells is even right next to the elevator. If you are able to walk up one flight of stairs, surely you can walk up one more. Today I saw a woman go up the stairs and back to the elevator and go DOWN to the first floor!!!! What's wrong with you? Why didn't you enter the door on the ground floor?
   
   
   
2. I can't tell you how many people I see on a weekly basis that circle the parking lot at the rec center waiting for a close parking space. Sometimes I've had people cut me off to speed down an aisle because someone is backing out. This completely defies logic. These people are going to work out. Since they don't have a handicap placard, I'm assuming they know how to walk. That extra 10 yards from the car to the door is not going to kill them and if they can't handle that, working out might not be in their best interest.
   
   Earlier this week, as I drove down an aisle, I noticed a car pulling out and another car waiting, so I paused to allow everyone to get out of the way. After the car pulled out, the car that was waiting actually backed up (toward the rec center) because another car was pulling out two spaces closer. I took the open spot and walked past the spot the other person was waiting for before she even turned off her car. I could only shake my head in disbelief.
   
   
   
3. I've noticed lately that car dealerships have begun parking some of their vehicles across the exits of the car dealership as a security barrier. Do they really think this is effective? A thief shows up and says "Damn, I can't steal any cars here. I'll never get it past that big SUV blocking the exit. I guess I'll try a different dealership". I can just hear the employees at the dealership at the end of the day. "Joe, don't forget to park the quadruple wide, triple long pickup at the exit tonight. We don't want anyone driving in here and running into our cars." I hope someone goes in and keys every car on the lot.
   
   
   
4. On the news, why do they preface a story by saying "You won't believe what happened." Well, if I won't believe it, why are you bothering to tell me about it. Chances are, unless it looks completely fake, I will believe it because people are inherently retarded. Next week, when aliens invade, don't bother showing me the video because I shouldn't believe it. Here's an idea, maybe I should have the opportunity to decide for myself if what I'm told or shown is believable. Just give me the news, as unbiased as possible, and let me think for myself.
   

Marvel Studios has its act together. Two great movies a month apart. Here's hoping that The Punisher is of the same quality despite a September release. A review for The Incredible Hulk has been posted.

Ode to Wii Fit

Oh, Wii Fit,
You are a wiley one,
Making us think
That exercise is fun.

Oh, Wii Fit,
Deceiving you are.
Just to make us work
For one more gold star.

We lean and stretch
and wiggle our hips all about,
Hoping at least
That we won't pass out.

Oh, Wii Fit,
You heckle and abuse.
Is it worth it for
The weight we want to lose?

It was a great shock to me this morning when I turned on the news and found out that George Carlin died. Wow. For me, this is the first major celebrity that I am a fan of to die. For anyone that knows me, I'm not a big fan of death, mine or someone else's, but George Carlin's death quickly reminds me that I'm getting older.

George Carlin was a comedic legend, one of the funniest comedians around. He wasn't afraid to speak his mind and provide insight on society. I was lucky enough to see him in Cleveland several years ago. Unfortunately, I missed a second opportunity to see him in Birmingham last year while I was in Isle of Palms. Not that I'm mad that I didn't get a chance to go, but when something like this happens, I think it is natural to wish that you had one last chance to experience that person.

Here's to you George. Thanks for the laughs.

It's hard to believe that the year is almost half over. The summer keeps rolling along, often a little faster than I want it to. The summer blockbusters are showing no signs of slowing down either. We've already seen five movies over the last seven weekends two more movies in the queue. I posted a review for the last movie we saw: Kung Fu Panda.

Kung Fu Panda

I was a little pissed off last night when someone I was playing against online suddenly disconnected as the momentum swung in my favor. It could be that his/her Internet connection dropped, but it didn't seem like a coincidence considering what had just transpired in the game. I had just taken down his most powerful character and was moving in for the kill. It was irritating that I didn't get the satisfaction of finishing what I started, but I was even more aggravated by the fact that I had just sat there for 20 - 30 minutes trying to obtain that satisfaction of victory. If you were just going to quit, couldn't you have saved me some time and done it a lot earlier?

This quitting thing happens all too often. Somebody starts to lose and bolts out of the game. In a one-on-one game I can see this as a concession I suppose. When you think that you have no chance to win, generally you admit defeat vocally to the other player. For the game I was playing last night, that was impossible, but it generally doesn't matter what type of communication tools are available because people just disappear in a puff of smoke with no explanation.

What's more bothersome is when someone quits during a team-based game. If a person isn't doing well, he/she quits, leaving the rest of the team crippled and likely to lose because the team is missing a person. Even if a person is doing terrible, the team needs the extra man. Play it out, get the practice. Obviously that person needs it.

Not that I'm exempt from being a sore loser. I've done plenty of grumbling and have been unpleasant after a loss, but I never just got up and quit. I'll frequently restart a level or a race because I made a mistake, but that happens when I'm playing solo. It's not like the computer cares if it wins or loses; it is there to provide competition. When I know I have to do certain things in order to beat the computer, why waste time by continuing after I make a major mistake?

Sadly, I don't expect this type of activity to disappear. So many 15-25 year olds feel as if they are entitled to something. When they go to college, they expect a good grade regardless of how much effort they put into the assignment because someone paid tuition. That mentality bleeds over onto gaming for them. If they play a game, they think they should always win. When the game goes against them, they just walk away. When these people are in a real job, will they quit because they didn't get the raise they wanted? If a project isn't turning out like they expected, do they just throw away that work and do something else, leaving the rest of their team to pick up the slack? Sometimes in life you can't just quit when it looks like things aren't going your way.

What a start to the week. Woke up at 1:00 when the power came on. Sometime after 11:00, the power decided to go off. The whirring of the printer and VCR woke Erika up. She had to wake me up, and I had to look through the apartment for my watch to set the alarm clock. Went back to sleep and got up at the normal time.

A stopped up toilet at 6 AM that spilled water all over the bathroom floor wasn't what I envisioned when I got up. Took 20 minutes to clean up. We don't have a mop so it was time for the old towels to feel useful. After all that we needed to do a load of laundry right after I got ready for work. Erika was awake and helped me clean up even though it wasn't her problem to deal with.

I don't know if she ever got back to sleep. The cat could have cared less that there was an eighth of an inch of water covering the bathroom floor. She wanted fed right then. After the cleanup while I was showering, she decided to bother Erika more and then another wrong number call at 6:45 aroused Erika yet again.

For some reason, some couple has it in their head that Erika is some sort of paint contractor. They called several times Saturday. Erika told them they had the wrong number but they called back a couple more times even leaving a message on her voice mail. Guess they don't understand plain English. They called again this morning from a different number. Maybe this time no means no.

Today they are painting my office at work. I had to clean it out Friday: pack up books, lock things away in filing cabinets, etc. They should be done by lunch, but I have class at 1 so I won't see my office until 3 and I have to put everything back together. That will pretty much kill my afternoon.

Yesterday we bought Wii Fit. Finally something that can hold us accountable and track progress with some fun little games in the process. My hula hoop skills are terrible as are my soccer ball header skills. Even my balance is suspect at times. The balance board asked me if I tripped over my feet when I walk. It also doesn't help that Mr. Balance Board thinks I'm obese. I know I'm not skinny , but my muscle to fat ratio is pretty high. Wii Fit won't take the place of normal exercise, but it's something fun to do for a little bit. 15 minutes of play and I broke a sweat. I should combine it with 15 minutes of Wii Sports and see what happens.

Why do women like Sex and the City? To me, it's a foursome of women who all get together and talk about their sex lives over a cosmopolitan. I've been told that there is much more to the show than that, but perhaps my testosterone blocks it all out. It surely doesn't make me want to watch the show given the cast. The only one remotely attractive is Kristin Davis. We can probably blame Sex and the City for creating the "cougar" syndrome, too I'm all for women being proud of themselves, but let's face it, a 50 year old woman shouldn't think she can pick up a 20 something year old guy.

I never thought I would see the Sex and the City movie. As soon as the trailers came out, I announced that Sex and the City was the one movie I would not watch. One week after the opening weekend I was sitting in the third row of a theater full of cougars. I couldn't have been more out of place. But, I did put my foot down and refused to buy the tickets alone. Erika thought I would fall for "you get the tickets while I get the refreshments", but I was too quick. Oh the things guys will do when their gal is sick. Since I saw the movie, I naturally felt compelled to write a review.

It's no surprise that everything in New York is more expensive. A typical meal, including breakfast, runs at least $40 before the tip. All the touristy spots try to wring every penny out of your pocket which is really no different than anywhere else. In most cases, the high prices were tolerable, but there were some things that were too expensive. The Cyclone at Coney Island was $8 a ride. $8 to ride a roller coaster for a couple minutes. That's a little too much. Gas in New York was hovering around $4.20, but why anyone would choose to drive instead of hopping on public transportation is a mystery. A primetime movie will cost you $12 which isn't really that big of a mark-up considering the set-up. The theater we visited had an elaborate lobby with facades of old theaters surrounding each entrance. Inside the screening rooms were furnishings reminiscent of the time period. The theater we were in even had a balcony section which seemed to by the preferred seating section. It seemed like an awesome place to see the new Indiana Jones movie. Now that I'm back, my review of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is posted.