43 Things I Could Be Doing Instead Of Watching the Super Bowl

A random post demands a random fractal. Maybe you’d like to enjoy a plate of Fractal Fruit while you decide what you’re going to do instead of watching the Super Bowl.
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“Super Bowl Sunday” comes around every year and every year people go crazy. As for me, I pretty much could care less (actually I couldn‘t care less but that‘s a post for another time) and I have to find other entertainment. SO--here’s a list of 43 things I COULD be doing instead of watching the “big game.” I'll be doing at least one of these things--I'm just not sure which yet...
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XLIII: REFRESH MY KNOWLEDGE OF ROMAN NUMERALS. I learned Roman Numerals back in grade school and I was actually pretty good at converting them into our system (Arabic Numerals). Sadly, like so many other things I learned that ability has faded away. Now might be a good time to see if I can pick up the skill again.
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XLII: SHAVE MY LEGS. No, I don’t shave anything but my face (and ears) but I’m more likely to shave my legs than watch the Super Bowl.
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XLI: DEVELOP AN APPRECIATION FOR HIP-HOP AND RAP. Yeah right: that's so not goign to happen.
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XL: TOSS THE POINSETTIAS. Two of the three poinsettias we bought as Christmas decorations are still alive (although looking rather the worse for wear). Since the weather has warmed up a bit we left them outside and the Santa Ana Winds have not been kind. Maybe it’s time to throw them away or plant them. (Yeah, we'll just run out with the gardening tools... Oh wait--we don't have any!)
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XXXIX: SWEEP THE PATIO. The Santa Anas bring lovely warm temperatures--but deposit a lot of trash (mostly pine needles, leaves and dirt) on our patio and it really needs to get cleaned up.
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XXXVIII: ORGANIZE THE GARAGE. I’ve been needing to do this since we moved in and it hasn’t gotten done yet. I’ll get to it--eventually but don’t expect it to happen any time soon.
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XXXVII: ORGANIZE MY SOCK AND UNDERWEAR CUBBIES. Just one of those dull tasks that needs to get done.
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XXXVI: TRY TO INSTALL “MBF” ON MY NEW COMPUTER. I finally located the hard copy of the program and tried to load it on my system--only to be confronted with “FILE NOT FOUND” messages. Dunno how to get past those…
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XXXV: PUT NEW POEMS UP IN MY POETRY BLOG. What? You didn’t know I had a poetry blog? Why aren’t you reading it? Go there now! ( http://ronwritespoetry.blogspot.com/ ). I have tons of old poems I wrote back in college (depressing stuff mostly) that I could share with the world.
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XXXIV: DUST. I always need to do that.
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XXXIII: START THAT DIET. See above.
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XXXII: CATALOG ROBYN’S JEWELRY. Someone (me) needs to catalog all the stuff she has--note what she has and where she keeps it. I should probably take pictures of everything too…
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XXXI: CATCH UP ON THE DVR BACKLOG. As of now our DVR is about 70% full. I have about half a season’s worth of The Mentalist and Life On Mars as well as a bunch of random stuff that I should try to watch at some point. Maybe this weekend.
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XXX: LOOK AT MY SISTER’S LATEST QUILTING PROJECTS. My sister Jane is probably about the only family member who WON’T be watching the Super Bowl this weekend (unless her kids are visiting than all bets are off). Jane loves to quilt and I’m sure there would be lots of interesting and pretty things to see. We could even try the new BBQ place down by her before we come home…
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XXIX: CHECK OUT THE “GOING OUT OF BUSINESS” SALE AT CIRCUIT CITY. Just because someone is having a run of bad luck there’s no reason I shouldn’t shop for a bargain. After all--I really DO need some I-Pod accessories…
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XXVIII: TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE CORONA LIBRARY. I don’t even know if they have Sunday hours but I need to find some time in there figuring out how the place works. I think they have the place divided into “fiction” and “nonfiction” and then organized by author. I’m not a big fan of that but that’s the way they do it. Guess I’m going to have to get used to it if I ever want to use the local library.
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XXVII: SPEND SOME TIME IN THE “GREAT” OUTDOORS. There are some nice parks and nature preserves near us. This would be a good day to visit one.
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XXVI: LEARN “BEADING”. I always envied “crafty” people: I have the soul of an Artist but my dexterity is sadly lacking so I’ve never been able to do much of anything that requires physical ability. I imagine I could master stringing beads for necklaces and earrings (with Robyn’s help) and I’ll bet I could do some pretty inventive designs.
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XXV ORGANIZE MY BOOKSHELVES. We had the bookshelves nicely organized in our old home: it took a good long time to do it but we finally had everything set up the way we wanted things. When we moved all the books went out of the cartons and came out haphazardly onto the shelves. Now I don’t know where anything is is--except the books I haven’t read. I/we really need to get things put back together in a half way reasonable manner.
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XXIV TOSS THE OUT-OF-DATE COUPONS. I’m one of those people who uses coupons whenever I can. I admit it, I’m cheap--make of that what you will! I don’t have a problem saving a buck where I can (and in these times don’t you dare turn up your nose at me!) Sadly, I’m also one of those people who saves a lot more coupons than they use: I have several months of stuff just sitting around--and a lot of it needs to be tossed. I should get to that.
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XXIII CLEAN OUT MY “IN” BOX. I have over 3000 e-Mails sitting there in my “IN” box--most of them stuff I could easily delete. Why I haven’t I don’t know (probably lazy). Still, that’s getting silly. I need to do something about that…
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XXII ROTATE THE MATTRESS/WASH THE PAD. Another of those odious little chores that needs to be done. I could do it instead of watching the Super Bowl.
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XXI THINK OF WAYS TO INCREASE MY BLOG READERSHIP. Maybe if I spiced it up with posts like “Why my wife and her girlfriend are crazy for pussy!” (Robyn and some of her friends are mad for cats you dirty-minded person!)
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XX: BAKE SOMETHING. We haven’t made brownies, “Triple Chocolate Orgasm Cake”, chocolate chip cookies or anything else for a long time (mainly because Robyn isn’t supposed to have chocolate and neither of us really NEED desert items). Still, it’s something to do…
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XIX: GO THROUGH MY CDs. I have a sh#t load of compact discs--many of which I don’t listen to any longer (and haven’t listened to since I bought them). I could really stand to go through them and decide if I “really” want to keep these things. (I could use the storage space in my CD Cases.)
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XVIII: PLOT GLOBAL DOMINATION. No wait, I always do that…
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XVII: FINISH MY “HEROES” FANFIC. I just started writing and the next thing you know I had most of a chapter. But then I just sort of ran out of steam (I blame Robyn--mainly because I can) and never got back to it. Super Bowl Sunday would be a good day to do that.
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XVI: GET ROBYN’S VALENTINE’S DAY GIFT. “V” Day falls on a Saturday this year--which means I have to go the extra mile. I’ve got to find something to get her that she’ll like (and won’t break the bank!)
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XV: BUY A BATHING SUIT. Yes, I have a fabulous body (yeah right!) and it’s still too cold to swim around here--but it’s NOT too cold to get a start on the summer tan. I might even be able to wear shorts this summer. (Bet y’all can’t wait for that!)
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XIV: PRAY FOR RAIN. We had our week of winter back in December and I didn’t like it much but this weeks-long “summer in January” is getting to be a bit of a drag. I’m actually getting TIRED of all the clear skies and warm weather. I’m not quite ready to put away the coats and long sleeve shirts.
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XIII: BAR-B-QUE. Sunday should be a bit cooler than today but it should still be nice enough for dinner outside. (The weather will turn cold again soon enough I should enjoy my time outside while I can…
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XII: VISIT “HISTORIC” TEMECULA. Temecula is a charming city less than forty miles directly south of us on Interstate 15. Old Town Temecula is a nicely-restored collection of old buildings filled with interesting shops and galleries. There are also some pretty good restaurants down there as well: Robyn and I have eaten at the First National Bank of Mexican Food (it‘s really in an old bank building!) and found it pretty good. I understand there are lots of other good places to eat and drink down there.
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XI: NAP. What else needs to be said?
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X: TAKE IN A MUSEUM. The Getty Museum, The Huntington Gardens and Galleries, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art are all (relatively) short drives from us. Hell, Riverside has a pretty decent Natural History Museum and there are railroad and plane museums in rural Riverside County.
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IX: EXPLORE MY NEW HOME TOWN. Turns out Corona still has a lot of nicely preserved old buildings (Victorian houses, Craftsmen Bungalows, Mission-style architecture, Tudoresque structures) that are pretty well preserved. Add to that the fact that nothing goes in nice orthogonal patterns around here and it makes for interesting travel. We’ve been intending to do some serious exploring just to see what’s in the neighborhood. Maybe we’ll do it Sunday.
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VIII: VISIT A FRIEND. I imagine our friends Alison Young and Andrea Pitzenbarger are about as uninterested in watching the Super Bowl as Robyn and I are. We could go hang with them and do pretty much anything BUT watch the game…
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VII: DAY TRIP ON METROLINK. I imagine this would be a good day to travel (since everybody will be at home or a bar watching the Super Bowl). We could take a trip into downtown Los Angeles to see the sights or maybe down to San Juan Capistrano. Day trips by rail are an easy and fun way to explore your surroundings.
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VI: CATCH UP ON MY POSTING. I’m way behind in all my on-line games and I’m sure the other Players would really appreciate it if I sent in the posts I owed…
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V: TRANSFER MUSIC TO MY i-POD. A little less than half my collection of Compact Discs has been transferred to my I-Pod and I REALLY need to get the rest loaded on: it’s not hard work--just deadly dull.
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IV: READ. When we moved I discovered I have 30+ unread books on the shelf. As I grow older (and blinder) I can’t get through books nearly as fast as I once could. This Sunday would be a good time to do a little catching up.
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III: DINNER OUT. Avoid Sports Bars (like we spend a lot of time there) and Pizza Places (ditto) and Super Bowl Sunday is a wonderful day to dine out. All the other potential diners are either at home or at a sports bar of pizza place watching the game. Of course service can be a bit slow (since the cooks and servers are back in the kitchen watching the game) but it’s a good day to go out.
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II: SEE A MOVIE. Robyn and I have gone to see a movie on Super Bowl Sunday every year since we’ve been together. We love it: the theater is never crowded and we pretty much have the place to ourselves so we can get crazy if we want to.
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I: SAME THING I DO EVERY SUNDAY NIGHT--NOTHING! Nuff said.

Ho Hum "Hotel"

A simple, uncomplicated movie demands a simple uncomplicated fractal. Zimple Zpiral, rather like Hotel For Dogs is as simple and uncomplicated as they come. I doubt you’ll find my review any too complicated as well. Read on (unless you’ve made other plans.)
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Anyone with half a brain can figure out the entire plot of Hotel For Dogs from the title and the first scene. Andie and Bruce are cute and plucky orphans--basically good kids trapped in a really bad situation: they’re hiding their mischievous but loveable Jack Russl Terrir Friday from their dim-bulb foster parents. When they are forced to find new lodgeings for the dog they stumble into an abandoned hotel (conveniently filled with all manner of useable stuff--in surprisingly good condition too!) and set about creating a “hotel dor dogs” (populated by cute and quirky canines) assisted by some other kids. Hijinks ensue. Will Andie and Bruce find a home and acceptance? Will there be “puppy love” for people AND dogs? Will there be at least one spectacular chase and will everything end in a happy ending for all the good people? I’m sure you already know the answer.
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Emma Roberts provides cuteness in plenty and Jake T. Andrews provides the pluck. Don Cheadle (as about the only adult with anything resembling a brain) lends some much needed class to the movie. Kevin Dillon and Lisa Kudrow have the thankless task of playing wacked-out rock-and-roll Foster Parents Carl and Lois. The dogs (many of whom are shelter rescues) are all cute. (My favorite was “Lenny” the brindle Mastiff.) and there are a LOT of dogs (both pure bred and mutts) to cheer for and they are all well cast for maximum cuteness.
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Hotel For Dogs is harmless family fun: the kids will love the “Rube Goldberg” devices created to keep the “Hotel” functioning while the kids are away and dog lovers will cheer for the cute canines. Anyone over the age of eight will need to check their brain at the door otherwise the whole movie falls apart under the weight of sheer impossibility. Still, if parents are looking for a safe, fun movie to see with the kids (without losing their minds) Hotel For Dogs fills the bill quite nicely. Critical adults will probably find the movie slow in spots and should probably find something more intellectual (unless they REALLY love dogs.)
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FINAL GRADE: C+

A New Day Dawns In America (My Take On The New President)

Like it or not, today is the dawn of a new era in American politics and I couldn’t resist commenting: Fractal Dawn seemed like a fine image to choose for today’s post.
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Today, for good or ill, (depending on your take on the political scene) Barak Obama becomes the 44th President of the United States and a new era dawns in Washington DC and the nation--wel maybe... Liberals see it as the dawn of hope and change. Conservatives see it as the day of disaster when a super left-leaning liberal is going to retreat from war and spend the nation into complete ruin. Me, I see it as a hopeful disaster. Obama comes into office with more hope and expectation than has been seen since John F. Kennedy was inaugurated back in 1960--and with even more hype. But things are much different today then back then: our economy is in the toilet, our country is involved in two (in my opinion) unwinnable wars and our people are divided more even than during the days of the Viet Nam War.
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The “Yes We Can” sloganeers who follow Obama (for now at least) disturbs me just a bit. They have A LOT of expectations for our next President and Barak Obama is only one man--and a politician at that. He has the unenviable task of pushing a HUGE allegorical rock up a high and steep metaphorical hill--more or less on his own. The nation has come to demand instant gratification, a quick and easy fix that solves everything painless RIGHT NOW. When we don’t get it we’re not happy and a lot of Obama’s supporters are going to fall away when he doesn’t magically fix all the problems he inherited. Repairing the damage (if that is even possible) is going to be a long, difficult process for everyone.
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The anti-Obama conservatives frankly disturb AND annoy me. They want to blame the media for Obama’s election and brand his supporters as hopeless trendoids jumping on the hype bandwagon while completely failing to recognize the fact that their candidate (John McCain in case you've forgotten) seemed completely out of touch and selected a running mate that scared the crap out of political independents and reasonable people throughout the United States. They are STILL complaining about his lack of experience and preparedness (as if anyone could REALLY be prepared to take the office.) They refuse to acknowledge in any way the mess George W. Bush left and McCain’s desire to continue going down the same road to nowhere. That’s not cool.
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As for me, I HOPE Barak Obama will do wonderful things for our country but in all honesty I doubt he'll live up to the hype. First and foremost he is a politician--and y’all know how I feel about that weasel-y lot. (If you don’t you should now.) I HOPE he makes good on his promises but in all reality I really doubt that things are going to change much because that’s just the way politics work here. But, at least things will be DIFFERENT…
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Think about it.

The Curious(ly Dull) Case Of Benjamin Button

There simply is no better fractal than Button for my review of The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. What else need I say?
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The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button started as a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Now it is transformed and made its way to the screen as a big, bloated creation, heavy with symbolism but light on meaning. The “curious case” is baby Benjamin (mostly played by Brad Pitt) who is born old but lives his life in reverse (growing younger with each passing day. (He starts out life as a baby--with arthritis, cataracts and a host of other aliment: oddly enough, he ends as a baby too--but that’s a minor point compared to the many major things in the plot.) What follows is a long, drawn out examination of Benjamin’s life-in-reverse. His mother dies in childbirth and his father takes the baby and abandons the child on the steps of an “Old Folks Home” in 1918 New Orleans where he is raised by a single black mother. It goes on to chronicle Benjamin’s life and love for Daisy (played by the always-radiant Cate Blanchett.)
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The movie, directed by David Fincher, is meticulously crafted with every detail perfectly realized, be it custmes, hair, music, architecture and even dialog. Brad Pitt proves once again that he’s more than just a pretty face as he goes from little old man to teenager. (He was nominated for a Golden Globe and well may be nominated for an Academy Award--but I doubt he’ll win.) The digital effects and makeup used to transform him are almost perfect through the whole film. Cate Blanchett makes magic with the little she’s given to work with and Taraji P. Henson straddles the fine line of sympathy and caricature playing Queenie. Tilda Swinton is perfectly cast as Elizabeth, a married woman who Benjamin has a love affair with at the opening of World War II.
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Sadly, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button suffers from being “interesting” rather than enjoyable. It’s “interesting” to see Brad Pitt act the various ages in the movie and it’s “interesting” to wonder what part is makeup and what is digital enhancement. It’s “interesting” to see the sets and costumes through the ages and it’s “interesting” to hear the music. The movie is VERY LONG and the going is often slow. There are lots of little vignettes that are "interesting" without illuminating much of anything. Fans of symbolism will enjoy the movie but I found the movie to be weighed down with its own sense of self-importance. The “artsy” crowd will probably appreciate this movie a lot but at the end I came away wondering is that all there is? kept looking for a deeper truth or some higher insight but there was nothing. It’s just a simple story of star-crossed lovers that doesn’t have much in the way of a point.
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FINAL GRADE: B-

Hats Off To KTLA!

Floral Magic seemed like an appropriate fractal for a post comment on KTLA’s coverage of the latest Tournament Of Roses Parade. So--on with today’s rant!
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As I grow older I find that maintaining traditions become more important to me with each passing year. Maybe it’s a way of holding on to my lost youth or maybe it’s a way of maintaining some sense of control over a world that seems to get crazier with each passing day. (Robyn and I have even started creating new traditions of our own--but that‘s a post for another time.) One of our longest-standing holiday traditions is that we always watch the Rose Parade on KTLA from start-to-finish Nothing happens on New Year's Day until after the last float, marching band and equestrienne unit has passed the reviewing stand.
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That tradition almost came to an end three years ago when station bigwigs decided to boot long-time Anchor Stephanie Edwards and replace her with younger, more ethnic KTLA Morning News Host Micaela Pererra. This was a class example of television “Ageism“ in action: Stephanie got the boot while Co-Anchor (even older than his female companion) Bob Eubanks got to keep his job. Mind you--I really like Pererra--on the Morning News where she belongs. Still, she was a disaster during the parade coverage. There was no “chemistry” between her and Eubanks: their banner was always forced. Pererra had an amazing case of “fumble mouth“ that, by all rights, should have had her hanging her head in shame. Worse yet, she never got better as the years went by. It didn’t help that the year she joined the coverage it was pouring down rain and the same executive who decided to hire Pererra decided to exile long-time favorite Edwards to the stands. It wasn’t a pretty sight. The next year she was gone entirely without even being allowed to tell her fans goodbye. It took two years for KTLA management to wise up realize what a bonehead move they made and bring Stephanie back to the booth with Bob.
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We endured (there is just no better word for it) the hopeless mess that was the Rose Parade coverage under Bob Eubanks and Micaela Pererra for two years until Management over at KTLA got over their case of Improctocephaly (head up their a##, in case you can’t figure it out) and brought Stephanie Edwards back. I was pleased to see her back in the booth where she belongs and Pererra exiled to the Grandstands (although I have to admit there would have been a certain poetic justice if it had been pouring down rain). Stephanie Edwards really is an old pro (emphasis on the “pro” here) and she has an easy, comfortable way about her that her younger competitor lacked.) So, hats of to KTLA for FINALLY doing the right (not to mention SMART) thing!
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Now a brief personal note to KTLA Management: guys--there’s real merit to the phrase “if it ain’t broke--don’t fix it!” Change, for its own sake is rarely a good idea. You alienated a lot of fans by dumping Stephanie Edwards (and we weren‘t impressed by your none-too-subtle promo campaign suggesting that her absence was somehow HER idea! Not cool guys!) I know you have to justify the ridiculous salaries Tribune pays you but you also need to think about the people the view your product. We like consistency and we get annoyed when you make dumb changes. Thanks for seeing the light but DON’T do something dumb like this again.