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Sunday, July 19, 2015

Bravery and Heroism - Do They Really Need A Definition?

This is probably going to be one of the shortest blog entries that I will probably do, but there is a reason for it.  It'll be short, but sweet.

I'll also be incorporating a couple of Sunday Jukebox songs into this post...but I won't actually be doing any trivia about the song itself.  Instead, it'll serve as background music for the more serious post that these songs represent.



This is a post about heroism and bravery...and it's a post that comes just a few days after a horrific shooting that took place in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  A total of five people were shot and killed including four Marines and a U.S. Navy Petty Officer, and it is reported that the gunman had reported ties to terrorist activities.  And, you know, with so much unease in the world, and with domestic terrorism being a hot button issue since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, it had me thinking a lot about heroes, and heroism, and how the very word can be used to define anybody in the world.

Well, anybody except the shooter who caused all this pain on July 16, 2015.  He is no hero.  He will never be a hero.

You want to know who the real heroes were?  Carson Holmquist.  Randall Smith.  Thomas Sullivan.  Squire "Skip" Wells.  David Wyatt.  Those are the names of the five people who lost their lives in the tragedy.  Five men who devoted their lives to protecting the American public.  Five men who did everything possible to save others, sacrificing themselves to protect the people of the United States.  Five men who are definitely considered heroes.

Believe me, here in Canada, we know all about heroism.  We felt the same way about Nathan Cirillo and Patrice Vincent - two Canadian soldiers who were killed in two separate incidents last October.  And anybody who has ever lost a loved one while they were engaged in combat during Operation: Iraqi Freedom, Desert Storm, The Vietnam War, The Korean War, and even World War II, I'm sure that they'll be the first ones to tell you that their lost loved ones were true heroes as well.  Nobody would ever argue against that.

But, I also believe that the words "heroism" and "bravery" can also be used to describe anybody.  Everyday people can become heroes in their own right by doing something extraordinary for other people, for animals, and for the environment.



I know that there has been a lot of debate over using the word "bravery" to describe Caitlyn Jenner, but you know what?  Her story probably helped thousands of LGBTQ youth realize that they did matter in the world, and that they should never feel as though they are worthless.  She probably saved a lot of lives with her poignant speech at the ESPY Awards, and for her to put herself out there like that - I consider that to be brave.

I also consider it brave to put yourself out there in the world, and showing people who you really are.  I like to think that I do this every single time that I post in this very blog.  This whole blogging experience over the last four years has been an eye-opener, and I have shared things on here that I never thought that I would share.  And now that I have, I feel at peace and content with how things are going.  I no longer need to be afraid to share myself with the world.  I can be brave.

And hey, if any of my stories and tales inspire other people to blog, write, dance, sing, cook a souffle, or anything of that sort, then it's all worth it.



I don't think that there should be any one definition of what a hero is, or what it means to be brave.  As far as I'm concerned, we can be heroes...just for one day.



So, go on.  Show yourself to the world while you still have an opportunity to.  I want to see you be brave.

Saturday, July 18, 2015

What To Do With Slanted Ceilings?

I know nothing about interior decorating at all.  I am no Martha Stewart, or Nate Berkus, or even any of those Trading Spaces people.

(Remember Trading Spaces?  I do.  It was an interesting show, I have to say.)



Of course, the whole idea of interior decorating has been a foreign concept to me for my whole life.  Having grown up in a renter's family where we could not make any improvements to our living space until we got permission from a landlord first, I was pretty much going to have to accept living in spaces with off-white walls and dinginess all around.

So because this is the very first time in my whole life that I will have total control in how a structure looks, I want to feel comfortable and safe the minute I walk inside. 

And I think I've gotten off to a really good start.  I've gotten some colours in my mind that I think will look good together (an amazing feat since I'm a male and most people believe males to be colour and pattern blind), I have an idea as to what kind of furniture that I will need to make the place as showroom ready as I can make it, and I've been watching every possible home improvement show that I can possibly watch to get some ideas for my new place of residence. 

I've even posted photos of the place on social media and have gotten some really creative ideas from my pals, which is always very appreciated.  Some of them have been really good ones, and every bit of advice certainly helps.



For instance, have a look at my bathroom cabinets.  The geese were probably cutting edge in 1986, but much like Wham!, The Bangles, and Bananarama, they're quite out of date now.  Sorry, birdies.  You gotta go.  And apparently, 90% of my friends agree with my initial decision to remove them from the cabinet.  Oh well...it's for the best.

And to my relief, the new place doesn't need nearly as much work done on it as I thought it did.  Sure, there's a lot of projects that need to be tackled, but most of it is in phenomenal shape.  I got a great deal on it, for sure.

Of course, some projects will be harder to tackle than others, and when it comes to getting ideas, a couple of my friends suggested that I create a Pinterest account, so that I can get some ideas on how to incorporate pictures of rooms posted there into my own home.

And well...I thought that I would use this space today to talk about one challenge that I will be facing in my own home.

I'd like to show you a couple of pictures of what is going to be my bedroom. 



The bedroom itself is not going to be much work to prepare.  The blue walls will be repainted in different colours, and I have a walk-in closet (which is definitely an asset). 

The one thing that will be difficult to work with is the fact that the ceilings are sloped.  It's not the first time that I've had sloped ceilings in a home - our attic was filled with them.  But trying to maximize space in a sloped ceiling room while still making it look good will be the ultimate challenge.  And while I'm sure that I can get most of my bedroom furniture in the room without any problem, I'm not sure how to arrange it so that it looks great.

Hence the need for Pinterest.  Would you believe that there are hundreds of ways to camouflage a sloped ceiling?  And when I look at these photos, it gives me a lot of interesting ideas. 

I thought I'd share some of them here, and comment on them.  And, if any of you reading this have any ideas, feel free to post them here!



You know, the size issue is definitely an issue with this design.  My room is not that big.  However, I like the concept of putting the bed diagonally.  It opens up room for other objects around the perimeter.  Other than that, I really like the layout.



I also like the layout of this room as well.  Granted, my room won't be as child like...well, not the bedroom anyway.  But this set up will likely be similar to what I want my own room to look like.



Now this design, I get mixed feelings about.  Certainly the design looks comfortable, and I do love the look of the room.  The only thing that would throw me off is that every time I would sit down in it, I would feel compelled to order a bacon double cheeseburger, a side of fries, and a chocolate malted.  Still, it's a very creative use of space.  Kudos to the designer.



My upstairs den also has slanted ceilings, and my goal for it was to make it into a little mini library.  These shelves are a brilliant idea to maximize the space!




Okay, so this space is a little barren, but this is exactly how I think I'll be positioning my bed when I get it in there.  I was going to have the headboard next to the window, but I think I would have more room by lining it up sideways.  Just my thoughts.



I also like the idea of putting up lots of pictures and decals to take your attention away from the bare slanted walls.  I honestly see so many pictures on this wall that I never notice that it is a slanted ceiling.  Of course, I don't nearly have that many pictures to put up on my own walls, but I like the concept.



I also like this idea to cover up the slanted walls...but if I do this with my own room, I'll be doing something more masculine than this.



Another idea would be to put the bed in the corner, and have a nightstand with a lamp on it beside it.  That way, I could put my TV and Blu-Ray player in the corner...if I wanted to keep it upstairs that is.  I haven't decided yet.



But ideally, my dream room design would be something like this...especially in my mini library room.  But instead of drawers, they would be shelves for books.  I do like the little daybed area though.  It would make a great nook for reading!

But ultimately, I tell myself this.  It doesn't really matter what the room looks like in the end...because no matter what I do to it, I can always change it later.  I have the freedom to do that now, and believe me.  I'm taking full advantage.

Friday, July 17, 2015

New Archies Reviewed: Episode 1A - The Visitor

Okay, so I want to warn you ahead of time that there will likely be a break in the action as I move the majority of my stuff over to the new place within the next two to three weeks, but I thought that I would at least START the cartoon feature.  And just as a back up, I've uploaded screenshots of the first six episodes on my iPad, so I can continue to do it while I move.  Trust me.  I've seen all the episodes that I can get my hands on like seven or eight times.  I know them from memory.

I've randomly chosen Friday as the day in which I will be doing the NEW ARCHIES REVIEWED portion of the blog.  To be honest with you, Fridays work best for me anyways.  I work most Thursday nights, so I can do my reviews during the day on Thursday.  And since I will be posting on average 15-20 screenshots of each half episode, it won't take me long to write the text. 



Okay, so let's begin this with episode 1A:  The Visitor

So, just to clarify, this show (which debuted September 12, 1987) is set during Archie's junior high school years.  Think of it as an animated Degrassi Junior High, only without the controversial subjects.  So, don't be shocked at the fact that Archie, Reggie, and Jughead sound like they've been inhaling helium.  They're supposed to be 12.  Or, if you want to take their 1941 birthdate in effect, they're 46-year-olds pretending they're twelve.

Anyway, we open the episode with Miss Grundy (who apparently is a glutton for punishment as she has followed Archie and the gang from preschool to high school) looking over some of the students' science fair projects and after seeing some of them in action, she wonders why she took up teaching in the first place.

At least we have Eugene to represent Riverdale Junior High with pride.  And Eugene is a rather strange character.  Apparently, he's kind of a hybrid of Chuck Clayton and Dilton Doiley.  Perhaps adding both of those characters in the show would have been too much work for the animators, and the producers were told to throw in a couple of African American characters to round out the cast.  But they already had Chuck and his girlfriend Nancy.  I mean, sure, Nancy is a third tier character who does nothing but kiss and yell at Chuck, but Chuck was an important character in the Archie universe.  And Dilton appeared in Little Archie comics!  What, did he go to a different junior high school and then attended Riverdale High with everyone else?

And Eugene seems to be a character who only appears in The New Archies.  Maybe he went to Central High, or skipped five grades and went to Yale, or fell in an open manhole or something.  You'll meet another character like Eugene around episode 2B.



Anyway, Archie decides that science class makes him narcoleptic so he falls asleep in class using Eugene's science project as a pillow.  He accidentally turns the thing on, which causes Archie to sport the awesome face above.  There's also a sound effect that goes with this face that sounds like a cat in heat.  It's quite scary.



Anyway, Eugene and Jughead (whose hat is hot pink for some reason) arrive just in time to see Eugene's project hop out the window and bounce down the street.  Eventually, the contraption crashes into a tree, which causes a huge laser beam to shoot up towards the sky. 

And the next moment, an unidentified flying object lands on Eugene's project smashing it to smithereens before settling on the ground below.  Now, I've heard of tales of aliens abducting human beings before, but I think this is the first time we've seen a human abducting an alien.  At least it's original.



Don't worry though.  This cute little guy wouldn't hurt a fly.  He was kidnapped in peace.  And surprisingly enough, when he finds out that his ship is damaged, he doesn't pull out an atomic ray gun to shoot Jughead's nose off.  Instead, he pouts about not being able to go home again. 



Well, Archie and his friends decide that they will help him find a way back home, and they dub him "Dude", as that seems to be one of the few English words our alien knows.  Funny how Dude can't speak English, but he can fully understand it.  Maybe his planet has Rosetta Stone or English for Dummies or something like that.

Of course, walking around Riverdale with a space alien who is only two feet tall would be a red alert right off the bat, so Archie and Eugene decide that he will blend in with an oversized sports jersey and Jughead's hot pink chapeau.  Because oversized jerseys make everyone invisible. 



They decide to take Dude to school where Coach Kleats is holding a basketball practice session, and where we are first introduced to the perky and sweet Betty Cooper, and the snobby, Valley Girl Veronica Lodge.  And if you thought these outfits were the worst that these characters could be wearing, you ain't seen nothing yet.



We also get to meet Reggie Mantle for the first time, and Reggie is just as egotistical and obnoxious as he is in the cartoons.  And naturally, Reggie decides that he wants to make fun of Dude.  Of course, Archie passes off Dude as Jughead's cousin (which would have worked had Archie called him Souphead), but Reggie is unimpressed and knocks Dude out with a basketball.

Seriously, Reggie throws a basketball at Dude and sends him flying across the gym.  Archie is pissed off at Reggie, but Dude is even more pissed.  You know that they're setting up for something.

In the meantime, Archie proceeds to wipe the floor with Reggie on the basketball court - which is out of character for Archie.  Usually whenever Archie plays basketball, he either knocks over a cheerleader, trips over a bench, or crashes through a wall.  But hey, it's The New Archies.  They created a character by removing character traits from two others.  Anything is possible.



Meanwhile, Dude discovers the love of his life on Earth, and how could anyone not resist Betty?  With her sweet personality, warm smile, and hair that looks like it was put together by seventy cans of Aqua-Net, how could any alien resist her?

And to show how much Dude wants Betty, he sinks a spectacular basket which causes Coach Kleats to salivate over the fact that this little Dude could be his next star player.  Well, Reggie decides that he won't let anyone steal his thunder so he proceeds to try and humilate Dude.



But a Dude never forgets when he has been wronged, and using his laser pointer finger proceeds to make another basket - with Reggie as the ball!

Back at Eugene's house, Eugene discovers the reason why the spaceship won't run.  It's out of fuel.  And Dude remarks that the only thing that will make his ship go is something called Feltzig - which Archie and Eugene have no idea what it is.  Archie decides that he may as well take Dude on a trip through town, hoping that he can find out what this Feltzig is.



While Reggie - who was hiding in the bushes and overheard the whole conversation between Archie and Eugene - wants to find the highest paying research facility to sell Dude to for the highest bidder.

So, Reggie decides to fill Veronica in on his plan (because Veronica can be just as bitchy as he is), and Veronica decides that taking Dude to her father's laboratory will be the best way for them to make lots of money and become famous for finding an alien.  Never mind that Reggie and Veronica are two of the richest kids in town already.  They're just being greedy.  Sometimes it's hard to find things to like about them...like how Reggie seems to think that pink argyle is sexy, or how Veronica seems to think that leopard tights, lime green star earrings, and purple boots go together.  I don't recall fashion being THAT bad in '87.



And for that matter, when did the Chocklit Shop become a video arcade?  Granted, arcades were all the rage in the 1980s, but Pop's Chocklit Shop is sacred! 



And while Archie asks a confused Pop Tate what Feltzig is, Dude proceeds to blow up an arcade game inside Pop's, which amazingly nobody seems to feel is worth mentioning.  Man, Riverdale must have been a very laid back community in the 1980s, huh?

Veronica comes up to Dude, tells him that Betty is outside, and feeling his heart throbbing out of his chest, Dude proceeds to let love make him stupid as Reggie easily catches him with a potato sack.  Veronica and Reggie proceed to then use a tandem bike to take Dude to the research facility with help from an old friend.  Hey, there Smithers!  Nice to see that you stayed employed with the Lodges the whole time!

But Archie is not willing to let Dude go without a fight.  He grabs his skateboard and chases after them. 

Yeah, a skateboard/tandem bike chase.  Welcome to 1980s Riverdale!



Interestingly enough, the bike passes a hamburger stand in the middle of the park, and Dude is excited.  He screams at Archie FELTZIG!  FELTZIG!  And Archie finally clues in that Feltzig = hamburgers!

Which he probably could have found out at Pop Tate's since Pop's sells HAMBURGERS.  Heck, all Dude would have had to have done was see a poster of a hamburger on the wall of Pop's and had his FELTZIG moment.  But we never explored this because of plot issues, so we're left with a bizarre bike/skateboard chase, an alien screaming about Feltzig, and Archie looking like an idiot because they were practically at a Feltzig station just two minutes ago!



Eventually, this mercy chase comes to an end when Betty comes a walkin' down the street, which makes Dude's heart go doo-wah-diddy-diddy-dum-diddy-doo.  Betty looked good, she looked fine, and Dude nearly lost his mind.  He leaps out of the bike, into Betty's arms, and Archie rescues Dude, getting a big fat kiss from Dude in the process.

Okay, so Dude was trying to kiss Betty.  Mistakes happen.



At the same time this is going on, Archie passes Eugene and Jughead who explain that Feltzig is hamburgers, and Jughead decides to throw his half-eaten burger in the ship, causing it to zoom all the way to Pop Tate's, where it lands in the parking lot as Archie and Dude arrive.  Archie orders a platter of 25 burgers from Pop's (or in Jughead terms, lunch), throws them into the spaceship, and stiffs Pop for the bill.  What's Archie's tab with the Chocklit Shop now at?  $76.98?



But it's worth it.  The tank is filled up, Dude can go home, and he bids Archie and Jughead a tearful goodbye.  It's actually a very sweet moment, given that it's a cartoon.



And not more than a few seconds after Dude blasts off, Reggie, Veronica, and Mr. Lodge show up at Pop's to grab the alien.  But Archie and Jughead play it cool as if there were no alien, and soon Mr. Lodge turns on his spoiled brat of a daughter and her stupid friend, and they go home in Mr. Lodge's limousine - which I am sure he turned off the A/C to punish them further.

(Told you I wouldn't go easy on Reggie or Veronica.)



And as the first episode closes, Archie and his dog, Red (Archie's second of three dogs - I'll explain it in the episode centered around Archie's dog) look up towards the sky where a blinking white light fills the sky and faint sounds can be heard.  Archie knows that it's Dude saying goodbye, and he says "Welcome home, Dude".

Okay, so the first episode was kind of rough.  You can automatically tell that it's the pilot episode, as sometimes the background music was fading in and out, and the voices are hard to hear sometimes.  But for the plot of the show, it's not a bad one.  It's a unique twist on a classic sci-fi plot.  Dude was definitely a cute character, and it's nice to see Archie, Jughead, and Eugene come to Dude's aid - even though they caused the situation to begin with.

So, that's the first part of Episode 1.  I'll present Part 2 next week.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

My Thoughts On The Dukes of Hazzard and The Confederate Flag

This past month in the world has been one crazy one, hasn't it?

From Caitlyn Jenner's dazzling debut in Vanity Fair Magazine to Subway's Jared Fogle being linked to a child pornography investigation to the voluntary admission by Bill Cosby that he used quaaludes for the sole purpose of having sex with women...is it just me, or has pop culture been flipped on its side over the last few weeks?

Though, just to confirm a few things...Caitlyn Jenner still looks beautiful, Jared Fogle technically hasn't been charged with anything (though someone who worked for his non-profit charity certainly has), and as for Bill Cosby...well, he's making it incredibly difficult for people to believe him.  That's all I will say on that matter.

But do you want to know what I find the most shocking news of all? 



The fact that some television stations and retail chains have taken it upon themselves to erase "The Dukes of Hazzard" from pop culture history.



Now, I'll be the first to admit...I didn't understand it.  I still don't understand it.  My family grew up watching "The Dukes of Hazzard" since it first started airing.  Reruns in Canada have been screening off and on since the show ended thirty years ago, and I can't imagine there being anything remotely offensive about the show at all. 

Well, okay, some people didn't really like Daisy Duke's short shorts (I myself was NOT one of them).  But when you consider that "Baywatch" revealed more skin on a weekly basis, "The Dukes of Hazzard" seems tame by comparison.

So, why the outcry over "The Dukes of Hazzard" now?



It's because the car that was used in the show - the orange 1969 Dodge Charger dubbed "The General Lee" - happens to have a Confederate Flag plastered right on the top of it. 

And it is because of that flag that TV Land opted to pull the show from its schedule, and prompted retailers to pull any merchandise that featured "The Dukes of Hazzard" in any capacity.

The decision to pull the show came days after the horrific June 17 church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, where a young man shot and killed several people.  He was also a Confederate sympathizer and extreme racist who targeted an African American church because he felt the world was a better place without them.

A real prince of a guy, wasn't he?  I hope they throw the book at this piece of work.

Anyway, the racially motivated shooting caused a bit of a stir in South Carolina when people noted that Confederate flags were flying at government buildings all over the state, and people felt that in the wake of the shooting that the flags should be taken down completely. 

For what it's worth, I agree with THAT decision.  The Confederate States of America haven't been around since 1865, and even its formation was filled with controversy as the Confederate States of America were created in response to statements Abraham Lincoln made condemning slavery.  As far as I am concerned, the Confederate Flag is a banner that was created out of defiance towards a nation and hatred towards a group of people because of their skin colour.

Mind you, not everyone will agree with my opinion.  I know musicians like Kid Rock and Ted Nugent have made it clear that they will support the Confederate Flag.  But I suppose that's the beauty of America - the power of free speech.  Certainly people have the right to embrace the Confederate Flag as much as I have the right to say that it is one of the most controversial symbols to come out of the last 200 years.

But that's all the flag is.  History.  The Confederate States of America only lasted four years before it completely collapsed, and since 1865, America has been one nation.  And, when it comes to the world, people are a lot more accepting and tolerant of others.  Okay, so the world isn't perfect in that regard, but we're a far sight better in 2015 than we were in 1915.

But let's take a look at "The Dukes of Hazzard".  Is the main focal point of the show the Confederate Flag?  No.  Does the show feature segregation and racism in the show at all?  Well, not that I've seen anyway.  If racism were an issue before, don't you think that TV Land would have never aired the show in the first place?  The show itself doesn't demonstrate any negative values at all (or if it did, I must have missed that episode), and pulling the show simply because of a flag decal that is just there for decoration and authenticity is not a good reason.

Even the stars of the show, John Schneider and Ben Jones have spoken out against the decision, stating that there was no good reason to pull the show, and I agree with them completely.

But, hey...let's pull "The Dukes of Hazzard" off the air, and instead sit down and watch a marathon of people getting raped and brutally murdered on "Criminal Minds".  That's such a better example to show people.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

And The Winner Is...

Today's going to be a bit of a short entry, as I have a lot that is going on at the moment - but it's all gravy, baby!

Wow, I must be delirious.  I'm using outdated slang.

Anyway, today's blog is a bit of a thank you, as well as an announcement of sorts, so I'll try to get through this as quickly as possible.

First things first, thank you to everyone who voted in the "Choose Which Classic Cartoon You Want Me To Review" poll.  I definitely appreciate your input, and I absolutely believe in the power of democracy. 

I have to tell you though, the race was really close.  Right off the bat, there were two major frontrunners in the competition, and I was convinced that I would be doing two shows at the same time. 

Then out of nowhere, a long shot comes into contention, and less than twelve hours before the poll closed, I had a three-way-tie!  In a way, it was brilliant because at that point, I didn't know how the contest was going to go.  But at the same time, I was hoping that someone would break the three-way-tie because I didn't really want to do three shows in a row!

Well, in the eleventh hour (literally, the last vote was cast shortly after eleven o'clock), one final vote was cast, and it broke the tie, giving me a clear cut winner.



Ladies and gentlemen, your winning choice is...



THE NEW ARCHIES!!!

Yes, for the next few weeks, I will be reviewing every single episode of The New Archies!

Here's how it is going to work.

"The New Archies" is more or less a forgotten gem of a cartoon produced by Haim Saban and distributed by DIC.  Although the show was first broadcast on NBC in September 1987 and ran for two seasons, wrapping up in September 1989, only thirteen episodes were made. 

So, basically, NBC ran the same thirteen episodes for close to two years straight - with maybe a break in between for summer.  You'd think that they would at least have a second season with new episodes.

Anyway, the good thing about "The New Archies" is that each episode is actually two mini-episodes, each one spanning approximately ten minutes each.  So, I'll be doing one half-episode per week.

So, let's just use this coming Friday as an example (and it will be an example, as I still haven't decided when I'll be starting this project yet).  Here's how it will look.

Episode 1A:  The Visitor                     July 17
Episode 1B:  Ballot Box Blues               July 24
Episode 2A:  The Last Laugh                      July 31
Episode 2B:  Thief of Hearts                     August 7

And, so on and so forth until we reach episode 13B.  This will make this project last 26 weeks.

What I can promise you is that I will be making fun of all of these episodes.  I'll make fun of the fashions, the slang, Veronica's uber-lame Valley Girl accent, and so on and so forth.  And because I'm an expert in Archie comics, I will be inserting some facts and trivia about the comics as I go on with each review.

What I may have an issue with is presenting appropriate screenshots.  I do have screenshots for the first four episodes, but not all of them are posted online.  I'll do some research and see if I can find a video streaming site that has them all available, but for episodes in which I can't, I'll have to rely on my good descriptive skills to make it work.

(I do have all the episodes on VHS, but have no idea how to switch them to DVD format so I can do the screenshots.  Don't worry though, I'll figure it out.)



So, I'll let you know when this will begin.  With everything going on, it could be a while...but trust me.  I'm good for it!

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

July 14, 1989

I'd just like to remind all of you before I go ahead with today's Tuesday Timeline entry that today is the last day you can vote on which classic cartoon series you want me to review over the next few months.  As you can see in the poll, the votes are really close, so definitely make your voices heard!  If there happens to be a tie, I will do both shows.

So, while you're pondering what choice to pick for the poll, I'll try to entertain you by choosing the topic for today's Tuesday Timeline entry.  And your only hint is that it is all about a film with a rather memorable scene.  So memorable, that people often quote one of the lines ad nauseum all these years later.

Ah, but I can't reveal too much more than that.  For now, let's have a look at what was going on in the world this fourteenth day of July.

1789 - Parisian citizens storm the Bastille in the defining moment of the French Revolution

1798 - The Sedition Act is passed in the United States, declaring it a federal crime to write, publish, or utter false and/or malicious statements about the United States government

1853 - The first World's Fair takes place in New York City

1865 - Edward Whymper and his crew (four of whom pass away on the journey) become the first mountain climbers to ascend the Matterhorn

1874 - A huge fire in Chicago kills 20 people and burns down 47 acres of the city

1881 - Billy the Kid is shot and killed outside Fort Sumner by Pat Garrett

1910 - Animator William Hanna (d. 2001) is born in Melrose, New Mexico

1911 - Harry Atwood lands his airplane on the South Lawn of the White House

1913 - Former President Gerald Ford (d. 2006) is born in Omaha, Nebraska

1918 - Swedish director/producer Ingmar Bergman (d. 2007) is born

1930 - Actress Polly Bergen (d. 2014) is born in Knoxville, Tennessee

1943 - The George Washington Carver National Monument is established in Diamond, Missouri - the first monument honouring an African American

1960 - Jane Goodall begins her famous study of chimpanzees in the wild

1969 - Riots break out in Honduras against migrant workers from El Salvador after El Salvador defeats Honduras in a soccer match

1976 - Canada abolishes capital punishment

1992 - Singer Olivia Newton-John publicly announces that she is battling breast cancer

2000 - A powerful solar flare causes a geomagnetic storm on Earth, known as the Bastille Day Event

And celebrating a birthday today are the following people; Harry Dean Stanton, Nancy Olson, Sid Haig, Vincent Pastore, Tommy Mottola, Bruce Oldfield, Franklin Graham, Eric Laneuville, Joel Silver, Bebe Buell, Vladimir Kulich, Anne Hegerty, Angelique Kidjo, Jane Lynch, Mike McPhee, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Fox, Jeff Jarrett, Nina Siemaszko, Ross Rebagliati, Deborah Mailman, David Mitchell, Taboo, Jamey Johnson, Chad Faust, Sara Canning, and Sean Flynn!  Hope you and everyone else celebrating a July 14 birthday is having a great day!

And now for today's date. 



July 14, 1989.

Now aside from it being the 200th anniversary of Bastille Day, it was also the day in which a movie debuted at the box office.  And this particular movie had one of the most memorable scenes of the 1980s. 

Memorable not because it was filled with explosions, deadly stunts, or scary scenes.  It was memorable because...well...see for yourselves.



"I'll have what she's having".  Could a movie quote not be quoted more?  Well, okay, maybe "May the force be with you" is more quoted.  The point is that it was just one scene that got everyone's attention and had a lot of people guffawing at the big screen.



It was just one of the scenes in the movie "When Harry Met Sally", a romantic comedy starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan.  A movie that was released exactly twenty-six years ago today.

Written by the late Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner, "When Harry Met Sally" is a movie that asks the question "Can men and women EVER be just friends?".

Well, what do you think?  Can a man and woman be just friends without ever trying to make a move on them?  Well, I can tell you that I believe this to be true.  I've been friend zoned so many times, I feel like I could build my own condo on the spot.

But, enough about me.  Let's talk about the film, shall we?

The film takes place over a period of twelve years, beginning in 1977 and ending in 1989.  The two main characters of the film, Harry (Crystal) and Sally (Ryan) meet each other for the first time after graduating from the University of Chicago.  They share a car together on their way to New York City, where Sally is furthering her education and Harry has just landed a new job.  And it is during this car ride that the subject of men, women, and friendship comes up.

You see, Harry believes that there is no way that a man and a woman can ever be just friends because he feels that the sex card will always be played.  Sally, on the other hand, disagrees, believing that you don't need to have sex in order to stay friends.  And over the next twelve years, Harry and Sally have several chance encounters that really tests both theories.  In some instances, Harry tries to make a move on Sally, but Sally coldly turns him down, and in other instances, Sally wants more out of the relationship, but Harry doesn't seem interested.  Basically, when one person's theory is close to coming true, something happens that causes that theory to be blown out of the water.

And this goes on for TWELVE YEARS.  Man, both of them certainly stuck to their guns, didn't they?  At least, they do until the night of New Years' Eve, where a simple act of trying to set the other one up with someone else sets the stage for the ultimate test of friendship.  And by the end of it all, will that friendship survive or be left in tatters?

Well...I won't spoil it for you.  Even though this movie is over 25 years old, when I used to do the Monday Matinees, I swore that I would never reveal movie endings.  And, I remain true to that stance even now.

But in celebration of the anniversary of "When Harry Met Sally", why not have twenty behind the scenes facts about this film? 



1 - The infamous scene that I showed you above was filmed at Katz's Deli in New York, and at the booth where Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal were sitting reads a plaque that says "Where Harry met Sally - hope you have what she had!"

2 - Sally's picky eating habits were inspired by someone who worked very closely on the film - Nora Ephron.

3 - Billy Crystal suggested the "I'll have what she's having" line.

4 - The woman who says the line?  Rob Reiner's own mother!

5 - You know the part where the random voice shouts out "Hey, everybody, 10 seconds until new year"?  That was Rob Reiner.

6 - Nora Ephron reportedly hated the title "When Harry Met Sally", and she would have changed the title if she could do it over.

7 - Other names that were considered for the film were "It Had To Be You", "Boy Meets Girl", "Blue Moon", and "Playing Melancholy Baby".

8 - Initially the orgasm simulation wasn't in the original script.  Meg Ryan was the one who suggested it, and everyone agreed.

9 - Albert Brooks was considered for the part of Harry, but he turned it down.

10 - Molly Ringwald was offered the role of Sally, but she had to turn it down - though she did play the role in a 2004 London play adaptation.

11 - Harry and Sally are loosely based off of Rob Reiner and Nora Ephron.

12 - There's a small goof in one of the scenes set in 1977.  There is a Mastercard logo on one of the doors they enter - But the credit card company back in 1977 was known as "MasterCHARGE".  Mastercard didn't come into existence until 1979.

13 - Coincidentally, in one scene set in 1982, there is footage of a Boeing 737-300 - which didn't start being flown commercially until 1984.

14 - Nora Ephron received an Oscar nomination and a Writers Guild of America Award nomination for her screenplay.

15 - The movie grossed a total of nearly $93 million at the American box office.

16 - The movie from planning to finish took about five years to complete - partly due to Reiner working on "The Princess Bride" and "Stand By Me".

17 - When asked the question "Can men and women just be friends", interestingly enough, Ryan and Crystal gave the same answers their characters gave, though Crystal admitted that he was more optimistic than Harry.



18 - This film helped launch the career of Harry Connick Jr., who had several songs on the film's soundtrack.

19 - And the work he did on the soundtrack earned Harry Connick Jr. his very first Grammy Award!

20 - It holds a ranking of 88% Fresh on the film review site "RottenTomatoes.com".

So, what have we learned from "When Harry Met Sally"?  We learned that sometimes the best friendships can come from the opposite sex.  We learned that some romantic comedies can become huge blockbusters.  We learned that Meg Ryan can do a very convincing job at simulating an orgasm.

And to think...it was 26 years ago today that this film first screened.  Does it make you feel old yet?

Monday, July 13, 2015

What I Learned By Watching "Catch A Contractor"

I definitely don't claim to be a handyman of any sort. 

Although I do work in the hardware section of a department store, and have learned a lot about the items that I sell in that area, I will be the first to admit that I have never used about 65-70% of the products that we sell there.



Of course, everyone knows how to use a tape measure.  I know everyone knows what a toolbox is.  Most everyone has owned a portable fan at some point.  And I am quite positive that everyone here has painted something with semi-gloss, satin, flat, or eggshell finish paint.

But I've never installed any sort of plumbing.  I would flood the whole place.  I've never done any sort of wiring whatsoever.  I would likely burn down the structure.  And please, for the love of God, do not let me near a circular saw, a hacksaw, or a reciprocating saw.  I like my arms and legs just fine ON my body, thank you!

Thankfully, I happen to know a few people who are willing to help me with home improvement projects.  I have a home, and it needs improving, and I know I can't do it all by myself!  Though I definitely don't mind learning how to fix things.  Now that I have the opportunity and the responsibility of having my own home, I should bone up on it so that I can save money by doing it myself.

Or, at the very least, not strive to be Canada's Worst Handyman.  Thankfully, the show is on hiatus right now, so I won't have to worry just yet.

But when it comes to big jobs and huge projects such as replacing a roof, or fixing a staircase, or knocking out a wall in a house to make a room bigger...I think I'll play it safe and leave it up to a professional.

And hiring a professional to redo your home can be a risky thing in itself.  I know you have sites like Angie's List to help you out in finding the perfect contractor for your home, but aside from that you really have to do your research when it comes to finding the right people for the job.  Things like finding out if they have the specific license to do home repairs, seeing samples of their work, talking to people who have hired them before.  It never hurts to know who you're hiring.

After all, you definitely don't want to spend a lot of money on home improvements if the work done does nothing to improve the home. 

Now, luckily, I did my research, and when it comes down to working on fixing up the home, I trust the people who will be working on it completely.  But so many people have had great expectations, and they end up nearly broke and with a home that is completely uninhabitable.  And that would be a complete nightmare.



I suppose that watching the Spike show "Catch A Contractor" has served as the inspiration behind today's posting, and if you've ever watched this show, you know how scary it can be.  And, I'm guessing that when Adam Carolla and Skip Bedell agreed to host a show where they find the worst built homes in the state of California, they didn't quite expect there to be so many hack contractors!



I've watched several episodes of the show, and I can't believe what I see a lot of the time.  Ceilings that are one crack short of collapsing on people.  Windows that are so drafty that there's no point of even putting glass on them.  Kitchens that have no drawers, bathrooms that have no bathtubs, and backyards that are deemed unsafe for the general public. 

And the reason why these homes are in such horrible condition?  Well, a lot of the times, the contractors that they hire have absolutely no license whatsoever.  This makes it really hard to call them professional contractors.  And for another reason, many homeowners make the mistake of paying for the work to be done before a single nail is hammered in.  There was one episode where a couple paid a contractor nearly $20,000 up front before anything was done, and what they ended up with was having a home that was one step away from being condemned.

Now, fortunately, Adam and Skip always have a team of investigators to help the homeowners find the contractors to try and get them to fix the mistakes that they made.  Skip's wife, Allison, who is a private investigator, is often the brains behind the operation, and with help from a decoy, they manage to lure the contractor to a sting house in order to confront him.



It is here that the contractor has three options readily available.  The first option is that he/she pays the money back to the homeowners, but nobody ever chooses this option, as most times the money is spent...and it would make for a really short episode.  Choice #2 is that they roll up their sleeves and help Adam and Skip do the work the proper way, hopefully learning some things along the way.

And Choice #3 is that they do absolutely nothing about it, refuse to help put things right, and the homeowners take them to court to settle things.

In most cases, the contractors choose #2.  But even if they build and dash, Adam and Skip will at least stick around and redo the rooms that were mangled up the first time. 

And I have to say, watching the work get fixed is actually the best part of the whole show.  Not only do we see them do the work the right way, but in between segments, Adam and Skip give us tips at home on how to do our own home improvements, what materials to use to do the best job possible, and the consequences that can take place when shortcuts are taken.  And, yes...I have been taking notes lately.  It's good advice!

By the end of the episode, the results are absolutely worth it, and Adam and Skip's work look like something that you would see in a furniture showroom.  It is definitely like night and day for sure.

And usually there is one final confrontation between the contractor and the homeowners that the contractor screwed over in the first place.  In some rare occasions, the contractor has seen the error of their ways, and has made peace with the homeowners.  And in one even rarer occasion, the homeowners were the one in the wrong and the contractor was the one who looked more like the victim.  But usually the final meet and greet usually involves the homeowner telling the contractor to go to hell.

Which is strangely satisfying.

So, after watching "To Catch A Contractor", there are some rules that should apply to anyone who owns a home.

1 - Do your research and make sure your contractor has a license.  In most cases, databases are available and their names should at least show up in a general Google search.

2 - Never pay the full amount that a job is worth until the completion of the job itself.  Doling it out in small installments will keep the contractor coming back to do the job the right way.

3 - Don't be afraid to check on the contractor and offer some input.  Just because the contractor is an expert doesn't mean that he/she isn't receptive to any ideas.  Working together is definitely an asset.

I'm sure I'll have more to add as I get into my new place and fix it up.  Not too much longer now!