Locutus of none

Sometimes I forget things.  Sometimes I forget important things.  Sometimes people are shocked at the things I forget.  Take yesterday for example.  I completely forgot that I had bought a ticket (along with the rest of the systems staff) to go see the restored and remastered Star Trek The Next Generation Season 2 episodes "Q Who" and "Measure of a Man" featured at the local Cinemark Theatre. 

It was simultaneously better and yet not as good as I thought they would be, if that makes sense.  It was awesome to see everything in high-def on the big screen.  It almost gave me the feeling like I was watching it for the first time.  However, from what I was told beforehand, I was under the impression that the special effects would be of a much higher quality, which they were far from.  I was also mistakenly led to believe they would have it in wide screen, which also is apparently not the case.  Somewhat disappointing, but still good stuff, and watching them again only reinforces my hardcore trekkie mentality.

Also what struck me as the show ended, was that it's only a few short days until the decommissioning ceremony for the real USS Enterprise.  It's kind of depressing knowing that there's not gonna be any more U.S.S. Enterprise on Star Trek (at least on TV), the Enterprise Space Shuttle Orbiter has already been damaged and is in disrepair, and now the first and last of the great class of warships of her name will be scrapped and gone in a short amount of time.  It's the end of an era, and truly the worst of both worlds.

P.S.  Note to the U.S. Navy and whoever names their warships: stop naming your warships after douche-bag politicians and give 'em the traditional kick-ass names you used to treasure, like Enterprise, Long Beach, Hornet, Ranger, Cyclops, Intrepid, Lexington, Coral Sea, or Reprisal (that last one is especially cool).  Heck, naming them after admiralty or other beneficial Americans that have already had ships named after them that aren't being used anymore would be good too, because then you can use names like Fletcher, Watson, Cogswell, Ingersoll, De Haven, and Gatling (oh yeah!).

A pic of the USS Cyclops, circa 1911.  (ripped from wikipedia)

Oh, here's an idea: the USS Cthulhu!  Now that's an awesome name for a ship.  Think about it.  Who in the hell would ever want to challenge a ship with a name like that?  Seriously Navy, you're welcome.

know what makes a bullet hole that aint' a bullet? Cuz I don't.

As much as I truly love it, there is one thing I can't stand about KSL's classifieds section; it seems like I see a ridiculous amount of airsoft/bb guns listed in both the Rifles and Pistols categories of the site.  Now, I don't mind airsoft; in fact, I can see some pretty cool benefits to it along with it being pretty fun (not to mention it being slightly cheaper than my beloved paintball).  But it just drives me nuts that 1. people are dumb enough to post something in the firearms category that doesn't involve fire at all (or even go bang for that matter), and 2. that KSL doesn't have a separate category for them on their site.  I'm thinking I'll have to write them an email about that once I get over my laziness to appease my latent OCD.

To me, this is just a warning that it's nowhere near as fun as it could be.

On a less teeth gritting OCD note, I tend to get an even more weird and random sense of humor when I'm very busy.  In addressing a co worker today, I couldn't help but use a high-pitched voice.  When I was asked why, I said, "I dunno, I just thought it would be fun."
She replied, "Hey, I'm a big fan of all types of fun."
"Just don't go saying that around the seedy parts of town."

Tearjerkers

So back to another edition of "Reasons why I am single".  This time it's numbers #1043 and #638, respectively. 

This morning I woke up still coming to grips with just how awesome my night had been.  I had talked to this amazing girl I know on the phone for hours, and near the end of our conversation, she told me that she was crazy about me, and I told her the same.  We set a time to see each other before ending our call.  I was completely elated; so much that I had a difficult time going to sleep the night before.

So there I am, singing praises as I hop into the shower, looking forward to my meeting with this girl.  As I'm in the shower, I suddenly realize I couldn't remember for the life of me, when I was supposed to meet this girl.  Upon further reflection, I couldn't remember placing or receiving that call either.  Then it hits me.  It was a mother effing dream!  Crap in a hat.  That's a real downer to start the day with: I'm so lonely that even my subconscious is trying to make me happy by instilling false hope.  That's bad.

On to the second reason: I have no humanity.  I cry at the things no one else cares about, and am stone-faced and downright disrespectful of all the other things everyone else cries about. 

Like later on this same day, when I was home for lunch, I found the youtube video I had been trying to find for along time, in which one of the last F-14 Tomcats to be retired does a flight demo and runs the engines completely dry before being sent to a display in a park.  Just hearing those GE F110 engines whine while straining and sputtering before they finally quit for the last time may be the single most heartbreaking thing I have ever seen on film.  I was nearly balling, and had to fight the tears before going back to work.  But then, right after I watch that, and hop back in the car to go to work, the radio decides to remind me of it again by playing that song by The Righteous Brothers: You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling.  That's the point in which I lost it.  So yeah, I ended up getting embarrassed (watch the first video while the other is playing in the background for maximum effect).

That actually started a conversation with one of my coworkers about tearjerker films and how I never cry while watching things that everyone else calls a tearjerker.  Things like Titanic, The Notebook (yeah, I will hate that one forever), West Side Story/Romeo and Juliet (same story anyways), Hope Floats, Forrest Gump, Marley and Me, The Lion King, Saving Private Ryan, Spanglish, or whatever the hell else normal people cry while watching.  I like most of 'em, I just don't cry while watching 'em.  However, that's not to say I don't cry when I see certain things on screen.

So let's list some of the media I have cried to, or brought me to the brink of crying (and probably still do):

Stupid questions

So, after exchanging the usual pleasantries with my boss, he asked me, "How was your Thanksgiving?"
To which I replied, "Good."
He then followed up with one of the dumbest questions I've heard in a while, "So what were you thankful for?"
A bit puzzled by the ridiculousness of the question, it took me a second to reply, "That my government continues to refuse to sign the ban on cluster munitions.  Love that."

He was speechless.  The moral of the story?  When people say there are no stupid questions, they're just making a stupid statement.

Time away

Going "home" for the holidays is an interesting thing.  I love seeing all my relatives and engorging myself on good food, all while relaxing away from work. But, it's simply an interesting sensation when you go to a place you've lived a good portion of your life, and it just feels like some place you're familiar with and not like "home."  Not that I don't feel at home or welcomed, it's just not my home, is all.

Also, as much as I complain about the tediousness of the drive to the underbelly of the state, I do enjoy driving enough that I still enjoy the trip.  It is pretty scenic.  That, and you never know what cool stuff you'll see on there way there and back.  I think I mentioned about how last time I saw a KC-135 making touch and go passes at the Cedar City airport, which was cool.  However, the attractions this time were a bit more mundane.  I just ended up counting the inordinately high amount of roadkill deer on the shoulder. I think I got to about 12 before I stopped paying attention.

Darn.  Looks like I just missed getting the roadkill in the frame.

Slipping up the right way

Oh, and here's some good music, and actually on Sunday for once.

more random quotes

So yesterday, I somehow managed to get the roomie to start playing Red Orchestra 2.  It's a really fun game, but with a pretty big learning curve.  When he first got into the game with me and my brother, he accidentally started pouring fine on to a friendly tank, when my brother started to inform him of his error.

Bro:  "Dude, you're shooting at a Russian tank!  You're on the Russian side!"
Roomie:  "Hey, how long have I been playing this game?  I'm not real familiar with what WWII Russian tanks look like.  Besides, I bet St.Grendel has a book for that"
Me:  "Yes. Yes I do.  I actually have a few"
Roomie:  "See?"

Also, a few months back there was another one that made me laugh pretty hard.  I was carrying my gun case (the one shaped like a guitar) from the car to the apartment, when an older woman noticed me and had to say something.

Woman:  "Oh, you're a musician eh?"
Me:  "Not that kind of instrument ma'am."

Good times.

Working holiday

So today was the day of my work's Thanksgiving shindig.  But the real joy is knowing I don't need to go to work next week, and that we practically have no work to do today.  A nice change of pace.   I think the most strenuous thing we had to do today was stock up the supply room with all of our snacks and sodas without our boss noticing, because he'll just end up mooching it off us without asking.  That, and the roomie insisted on test flying some remote control helicopters in the very same supply room.  yeah, hard at work here.

Yeah, hard at work here.

Hey, these are needed buisness supplies.

On a nearly unrelated note, I'm really itching to revisit Hill AFB Museum again.  If I don't go there once every six months I get all jittery.  Though, that may be a good thing for everyone else, since I've been told that taking me there is like letting a drug addict loose in a pharmacy.  But, without my fix, I'll just end up wasting all my time on flight sims and really moto youtube vids.  Like this one, or this one (seriously, these things are like porn for me). 

Just one improvement I would suggest to the guys at the Hill museum, is that they totally need to get their hands on some Harriers and a Tomcat or two, then it would be complete.  Though, it is an Air Force gig, so maybe they just aren't so keen on getting any more of those 'squid' planes.

I wish I could literally knock sense into people

I also forgot to mention a while back, that during the last night of the election, I saw some reporter on BBC, who said on live TV that Obama can't be racist because he's black.  So, just for the record (because a vast majority of reporters don't seem to like to fact-checking), according to logic, reason, and common sense, that doesn't absolve him of jack sh*t.  Being the same thing as something you seem to dislike, work against, or hurt is more likely to just make you a hypocrite on top of racist, in my eyes. 

Kinda like how the title of my last post slurs fat people.  Just because I'm fat doesn't change the meaning of that statement at all......crap.

It's like a million fat people cried out...

So yeah, Hostess is out of business.  Say goodbye to those cupcakes, ding-dongs, and the infamous twinkie.  Thinking about it, the thing that may upset me the most about it, is that a few years from now, when the younger generation watches Ghostbusters (assuming they haven't bastardized it with a crappy remake), the 'big twinkie' line will be just another outdated reference in an old movie, rather than being timeless. 

Actually, the reason I have such an interest in this story is that my close friend's father has worked for Hostess for 30 years at their Ogden plant, but now all that seems to be going down the tubes.

Oh, and as a side note, after doing some research, found out the leader of the union for Hostess workers is one of the executives of Sarah Lee (or was it Little Debbie?).  Yeah, that's not criminally shady at all.  Looks like putting Hostess out of business and throwing the members of his own union under the bus was his plan all along.  Twinkies. They'll survive a nuclear holocaust, but not the 'progressive' socialistic march of union thugs.