Friday Funnies: The Last Display

     I was at Target tonight, picking up a prescription...well, three prescriptions. Anyway, I hit toys, as I tend to. And Target still has their display up for The Last Jedi toys, like they have for about the last two months. The difference, is that now I have seen the movie, and understand better the the display.

     You put your hand over it, "draw on the force" and it is supposed to do something. Except after two months, it s probably glitchy. No matter. I put my hand over it. went on with my shopping.

     One of the target employees, stocking toys, passed by me and asked if I needed anything.

     I told him: "I put my hand over the Star Wars display. There's something that has always been inside me, but now it's been awakened. I need someone to tell me my place in all of this."

     He watches me in slightly concerned silence for a moment, so I tell him: "Actually, I'm fine. I'm guessing not the answer you expected?"

    He said no, definitely not, but thanked me for breaking the monotony of the evening for him.

    I love to give someone an interesting story.

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays

    To you and yours, whatever you celebrate, the best of holidays and a pleasant end to the year

Friday Funnies: Flight Risk

     Tuesday was Sam's first day after finals and I wanted her to have the chance to sleep in.

     I wanted that, but her Green Cheeked Conure Ickabob did not. I could hear her crying shrilly and I knew I needed to do something. So I slipped in on quiet feet and took Ickabob from her cage, and took her to my room.

     And just so Sam wouldn't worry, I left this brief note.

I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have seeds. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let Ickabob go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will climb you, and I will peck you

No ransom was paid, but Ickabob was returned unharmed, with proof of flight. 

Sometimes life gets in the way

     I missed my Monday and my Tuesday posts because I have been dealing with medical stuff- not in a bad way, but just in getting the things I need to keep me healthier.

     Sunday, November 12 Sam and I trucked up to Longmont in my Civic to see and purchase an Oxygen Concentrator from Craigslist. We met a new friend and got to see her Emu. That is one very eerie looking bird. Seeing it close up and in person is like looking through a window into a long ago world or a trip to Jurassic Park on a budget.

     Since the Concentrator had been stored for a while, I thought it prudent to have it looked over by a specialist, and I found contact info for Rocky Mountain Oxygen Repair. He cleaned it, replaced the flow control valve and rebuilt the compressor for me, and I picked it up Tuesday the 28th.

     Friday the 17th, I did a sleep study, and the results were

1. I have severe sleep apnea and need a CPAP and
2. I don't sleep well when someone is waking me up to adjust the CPAP mask.

     Wednesday the 22nd of November, my sister drove me to Lutheran hospital for Phlebotomy. In laymans terms, it means on my pulmonologist's instructions, they drew off two pints of my blood so I could make more. I think they left a third pint under the skin, too. My sister drove me because I wasn't sure I would be able to drive two pints low. I use my blood, when I am driving, as many do.

helluva bruise

     Saturday November 25th, my Father gave me a couple of devices he used to exercise his breathing after his punctured lung last year

Incentive Spirometer

Blowy thing

     Saturday, December 2, I was gifted with a CPAP machine, but I needed a full mask rather than a nasal one, because I sleep with my mouth gaping. After going to site after site looking for something that was not awful in price... I asked the gentleman who repaired and cleaned up my Oxygen concentrator if he knew anyone.... and he had CPAP masks, and would sell me one at a good price! So I picked up a CPAP mask, a humidifier bottle for my concentrator (so I wouldn't have dry air blowing up my nose) and now I am set. He even threw in tubing and a bleed-in thingy that will hook my concentrator to my CPAP, to enrich the air I am breathing in.

     Per Doctors instructions, I am to turn the CPAP up to 11

     Side note- Apollo has picked up the exact tone and duration of the beep the concentrator makes when it starts. Ickabob has started imitating the hisses it makes as it runs.

Toysday: Big Things in Small Packages

     Last Night, I found the first two Power of the Primes figures at my local Target. Today, my last IGear minibot goes back into his box for storage for now

     With G1 Autobots almost complete, I thought it would be a nice time to post minibots again. I'm super-happy with what Hasbro is doing these days. they have only a few to update and they will be complete and I am hoping this new series does the trick!

So to start with... I love this new Windcharger. Make no mistake, the RTS version from 2010 is still the better toy, overall, but if you have the opportunity to have both in your collection, get both. The POTP Windcharger is definitely more G1 in both Bot and Alt modes. Even to the side placement of his faction symbol.

so RTS Windcharger moves to my classics shelf from the minibot shelf.

Beachcomber and Windcharger

I Like the shade of blue in the Hasbro better. He's excellent!

Gears and Swerve

Pipes and Tailgate

Brawn and Bumblebee

Powerglide and Seaspray

Wheelie and Hubcap

Huffer and Warpath. I prefer the deluxe scale Warpath,
 but for the sake of completism...

Cosmos

Gears and Swerve

Seaspray and Powerglide

Pipes and huffer

Hubcap and Tailgate

Bumblebee and Brawn

Roadburn with his Awesome 'Stache and Warpath

Cosmos and Wheelie

Beachcomber and Windcharger

Monday Media Musings: Archaeology

     Saw Coco, yesterday, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. The Frozen short feature beforehand however was...sadly uninspired. The lackluster musical numbers really did not make proper use of Idina Menzel's fantastic voice. Or to put it the way Sam did..."I wasn't interested until everything caught on fire"

    Coco was visually stunning, an excellent story, well performed... nothing bad to say. Our theory is that Disney thought that a Frozen short before Coco might bring in more audience. It appears to be the other way around, in that people are grudgingly sitting through Olaf to see Coco. Sorry Olaf. Also... Why the HELL does Elsa need a fur collar on her dress? in the first movie, she literally made herself a dress out of ice. Animators, take note: The cold never bothered her anyway.

     So I was musing today upon Archaeology. The study of the past. In this case, the study of my past.

     Saturday, I bought the Lego Batman movie. Being me, I wanted to re-watch The Lego Movie before I peeled the shrink wrap off Batman. No problem, right?

    Problem. My DVD filing system is approximate, rather than precise. There are areas for Superhero/comic movies, for westerns, for Sci Fi... and beyond that the waters grow murkier. So there is an area where animation is supposed to go, but things don't always make it back there. Also, to draw an Indiana Jones metaphor, move the wrong thing and the entire temple comes down on you. Also, lots of poisoned darts.

     So I wind up doing media archaeology, trying to remember and determine what I watched or moved around recently, to figure out where in the DVD strata what I am seeking lies. is it lost in the Cretaceous with Jurassic park et al? or perhaps in the age of legends with Your Highness and Stardust and Kull? Has it gotten lost in the far future, with A.I. and Stargate SG-1?

     I finally found it in the back of the shelf, on top of westerns, where ( and I must emphasize this) I had already looked three times previously.

     The end sum? I either need to be a better organizer, or invest in more fedoras and price a bullwhip.

     Throw me the idol, I give you the whip.

Black Friday 2017

     I got my TV shows (Flash, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, Supernatural) is the most recent seasons thanks to Target and Best Buy online sales. I also got the Book of Life for a good price, Now you See Me 2, and walked into Best Buy and got Moana for a pretty good bargain.

     The thing about this year was the lack of panic. I went to Best Buy's site, I put stuff in my cart and saw it go out of stock. So I backup-planned the sucker. I bought most of my shows at Target, with the exception of Legends, which I placed a pickup order for at Best Buy the next morning.

     Maybe it's the new medication, maybe it's the autumn I have had, or maybe I just have learned things have a way of working out. Maybe I just learned the way my Black Fridays go from previous years. in any case, I avoided most of the madhouse stuff, made a brief trip out last night, and went home and did dishes with Tango. I got everything I wanted, looked at some other stuff and decided I didn't need it in my life at this time.

    I hope everyone had a good thanksgiving, and a safe black friday, whatever you did

Thanksgiving 2017

     Today is what we estimate is Tango's 6th Hatchday. We always celebrate that on Thanksgiving too.

     These last few weeks have kind of kicked my ass, but I have a lot to be thankful for. An affordable Oxygen concentrator when I needed it, Doctors with an interest in making me healthier, who understand and sympathize with my limited insurance.

     A roof overhead, good neighbors above, good friends around. A neighborhood full of magpies, blackbirds and doves to watch. and one scrub jay who just moved in.

     My reliable little Honda and a good, trustworthy mechanic who keeps him in good running order.

     My Roommate, the house Flock,

     My family, sharing their own thanksgivings with thoughts of me and I of them.

     My entertainments(t.v., movies, toys, books)

     The fish tank I love to watch with Tango

     And last but definitely not least, my best buddy and favorite co-conspirator, Tango

May everyone reading this have a happy Thanksgiving day and a healthy and happy holiday season

and here is one of my new favorite songs, sort of themed to this day

Toysday: Attack of the Clones

     Back in 1987, Hasbro released two sets of Clones: the story is that they were two pairs of brothers, with the same robot modes and different alt-modes. One pair sympathized with the autobots, the other leaned towards the decepticons. Friends from a young age, they turned foe.

     This year in the titans Return line, They paid Homage to these figures. Hasbro did so in a less than convenient way however. While Takara's plan is to release each pair of clones as a two-pack, Hasbro put Fastclash(Fastlane) in the Chaos on Velocitron gift set. They put pounce in the Siege on Cybertron giftset. Then they released Cloudraker and Wingspan as a Walgreens exclusive two pack.

    I think you know, my collection is primarily autobot focused. I found the Walgreens exclusive two-pack, and I wasn't so concerned with Pounce as I was Fastclash. One trip to ebay later, I found someone who had broken up his giftset and had the piece I wanted for sale at a reasonable price.

    So without further Ado or telling of tales, here they are.

Now for a bit of serious business- A friend of mine is in trouble and possibly looking at losing her farm, or having her rescues starve- times are tough, but if you can help a little, help. if you can spread the word further, spread the word. Thanks folks!
 https://www.gofundme.com/uh6vpsec

Monday Media Musings: Teaming Up

     Sam and I caught Justice League yesterday.

     I found it a good Flick. The breakout fun character was Ezra Miller's The Flash, who was quirky, optimistic, and enjoyable to watch. Second choice for Fun character to watch was Jason Momoa's Aquaman, who was a hard drinking loner, reluctantly drawn into the team. The cast was all great, and I'm sure it's not a spoiler to say Superman's return is among the worst kept secrets in movie history. The interesting misdirections around it all involved the manner of his return, and whether he would be bearded or clad in black.

     It made me think of other team-ups, of a less obvious nature than The Avengers, which has been discussed to death on these posts.

     The current CW Arrowverse is rife with teamups, from the infamous back-door pilot(Arrow Ssn2.8) that forever intertwined Barry Allen with Oliver Queen, to the Supergirl/Flash Crossover (World's Finest) in Supergirl Season 1 to the big 3 part/3 show Invasion! crossover of 2016. With more to come.

    The predecessor to the Arrowverse, Smallville, had an amazing number of hero team ups:

• Bart Allen/Impulse(ssn4.5)
• Arthur Curry/Aquaman(ssn5.5)
• Victor Stone/Cyborg(ssn5.15)
• Oliver Queen/Green Arrow(ssn6.4)
• J'onn J'onzz/Martian Manhunter(ssn6.8)
• And many more

     There were two big teamup events, Justice (which united the Justice League) and Absolute Justice (Which introduced the Justice Society). Clark also teamed up with three members of the Legion of Superheroes.

     I have stuck with DC heroes so far but I would truly be remiss if I skipped this Gem of a cult classic.

     The story revolves around three street level superheroes/vigilantes who put together a team to save their city from the worst arch criminal it has ever known- Casanova Frankenstein!
     The heroes/powers are:

• The Shoveler/He shovels well- he shovels very well
• The Blue Raja/He throws forks with deadly accuracy
• Mr. Furious/His power comes from his boundless rage
• The Bowler/She has the skull of her murdered father in her bowling ball
• The Spleen/Combat flatulence
• The Invisible Boy/He is invisible when no one is watching
• The Sphinx/Circular Aphorisms plus he is terribly mysterious

     This movie is basically the perfect origin story/underdog story. It's a fantastic piece, well worth watching if you haven't seen it. the cast is wonderful, the story imaginative, the atmosphere of Champion city weird and eclectic. 

Now for a bit of serious business- A friend of mine is in trouble and possibly looking at losing her farm, or having her rescues starve- times are tough, but if you can help a little, help. if you can spread the word further, spread the word. Thanks folks!
 https://www.gofundme.com/uh6vpsec

My Body

     I have been at war with my body for a long time. These last few years, it's been counterattacking. The latest act of Guerrilla warfare involved a referral to a pulmonologist, a blood test, and some fun to come. 

     At the appointment monday, my pulmonologist described my breathing tests as "really crappy" but I am not sure what that means in layman's terms. He wants them to draw a couple of pints of my blood so I can make new blood. Apparently my blood is too Ironic. That is to say, it contains too much iron. He also wants me on supplemental Oxygen when needed- more on that later. 

    In Addition to the blood draw next week and the blood test that led to it, I get to do a sleep study this weekend, and the findings will most likely be that I don't sleep well in strange places. 

     So I stopped at my primary physician to discuss changes in medicines and she wanted to do my A1C for my diabetes control. She prescribed me an anti-anxiety and here is the part where it starts getting surreal. As I am leaving the Doctors parking lot, I get a notification from CVS pharmacy that my prescription is ready. I asked them when they merged with Jimmy-Johns, because the fill was freaky fast. 

     And then on Friday. I get a notification from CVS that my presciption is ready-Metformin this time- so i call my doctor, and sure enough, my A1C is up. So I plan to pick up what will henceforth be know as My Surprise Metformin. 

     So Saturday, I take my car in for an oil change, and to look at the choppy acceleration. The choppiness is old plugs, but we found out my radiator is leaking, as is my valve cover gasket. so $30 becomes $338.

     Sunday, i find an oxygen concentrator for supplemental oxygen on craigslist, so we truck up to Longmont in my Honda, which is now performing smashingly, and pick up the device. it needs service before I can use it, but...

     what a week. 

Monday Media Musings: Style and Substance

     I saw three films last week for the first time. All three films had a lot of style. To me only two of the films had substance to go along with it.

     Last Sunday, Sam and I caught Thor: Ragnarok

     It was a fun ride, kind of eccentric and quirky, and excellent in it's characterization. Surprisingly the character who stole the show for me was Korg, who was a good-natured stonegladiator who befriends Thor on Sakaar. It was interesting to see Thor being in his own way as manipulative and duplicitous as Loki. It was also really nice to see Hulk have more lines than "Smash". All in all, an excellent film.


     The second film was Baby Driver, a film not even on my radar until Sam rented it.

     A highly entertaining crime thriller about Baby,(real name Miles) a getaway driver who uses his MP3 player to block out his Tinnitus. Excellent performances all around. Kevin Spacey, whose delivery is almost poetic, is the boss who recruits crews to pull heists, and baby is his getaway driver every time. The films use of action choreographed with the soundtrack in Baby's ears gives it an added touch of Charm.

     And then there was the film I really wanted to like...

     You ever see a trailer and know that you have seen the best parts of the film? Have you ever seen a trailer and not realized you have seen the best parts of the film? This was example 2...
     What I liked:

• the action scenes; there was no problem with those at all. 
• Every time Idris Elba was on screen. The man has a stage presence that is awesome. 
• Matthew McConaughey was fun to watch as the man in black, even if I was still picturing him in  Dallas Buyers Club

     What I didn't:

• A muddled story that relies more on action sequences than character to drive it.
• A mix of western, fantasy and sci-fi that doesn't really make sense. There was so much material here, as there is in most King novels that they could have built a more convincing mythology. 

To paraphrase the movie...

I do not Make a film with my marketing crew.  He who Makes a film with his marketing crew has forgotten the face of his father. I direct with my heart.

Toysday: Veteran

     I got Fanstoys Koot(masterpiece Kup) yesterday about an hour after I came home from the Pulmonologist. (side note: if the doctor uses medical terms like "crappy" in reference to your breathing test, ask him to explain it in layman's terms)With the receipt of that shipment and my fun doctors visit, Old age and treachery are on my mind.

     This is a great figure, excellent in alt-mode and in robot mode- Getting him from one to the other can be challenging, but it gets easier with practice. 

I started off picturing him with Hot Rod

And Springer

But then I decided he would prefer to hang out with someone he can swap stories with

Hanging with the other veterans...