Once again I caught a movie that I definitely should have seen on the big screen (darn Speed Racer, anyway). Iron Man positively ranks up there with my all-time favorite superhero movies (need I say which is number one… and it is NOT Howard the Duck).  I knew absolutely nothing about billionaire industrialist Tony Stark and his alter ego going in which made the movie even better.

I really appreciated the fact that Mr. Stark (played brilliantly by Robert Downey, Jr.) was a man who had conflicts.  He is in the beginning the swinging, drinking, womanizing heir to a fortune which he inherited from his father.  Tony acted as if he could care less about the company which provides state of the art weapons to U.S. forces.  However after a life and death struggle at the hands of Afghan forces, his view begins to change.  While being held captive, the brilliant spoiled rich kid develops the prototype to a new weapon that allows one person to become a nearly indestructible fighting force and uses it to escape his captors.

After returning to society, the industrialist vows to use his technology to fight evil.  However, there are sinister forces that will stand in his way.  Once again, a film in which no one can be trusted.  The supporting cast was also well developed.  Jeff Bridges is memorable in his role as is Gwyneth Paltrow as Stark’s executive secretary, Pepper Potts.

Following the movie, I saw that my favorite superhero movie and its first sequel were playing on TVLand.  However, I decided to break out my DVD collection instead.  I do not like to watch great movies interrupted by commercials.   Now it is time for the sequel.  Have a Super night.  And is it just me, or is Stan Lee quickly becoming the Alfred Hitchcock of this generation by appearing in most of the movies based upon his comic book creations?

Since justj and taylhis have gotten me thinking about fast food and their ad campaigns, I began to think about the characters in the Ronald McDonald family.  It seems that one of the characters that I do remember became the focus of a lawsuit in the mid-late 1970s. It seems that Mayor McCheese was discontinued as the result of a battle between McDonald’s and Sid and Marty Krofft, creators of H.R. Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost.  By the late 1970s, the entire concept of McDonaldland was all but phased out leaving only a handful of characters.  I also remember Grimace, Hamburglar (“Rumble, Rumble”), the Fry Guys, Birdie The Early Bird (introduced when the chain began to promote breakfast on the menu).  I also remember having my 6th birthday party at the old McDonalds which has since moved to the busy side of town where Wal-Mart, KMart, and everything else seems to be.  What is on the other side of town that once had such life including a drive-in theatre (but that is another story entirely).  Wendy’s, Dairy Queen, anything else?

There are also Captain Crook Who peddled Filet O’ Fish sandwiches, the animated pie tree, and a professor who I do not remember at all.  And don’t forget Officer Big Mac.

On another tangents.org blog, justj has been talking about cheeseburgers, namely White Castles and Burger Buddies (aka Burger Bundles), an ’80’s Burger King product.  I found an old Burger Bundles commercial on youtube and posted the link on his blog in the comments section of the cheeseburger post.  While I was looking around on youtube, I found this old vintage McDonald’s commercial where Ronald looks like something out of a horror movie.  Regardless of what his early incarnation looked like, the clown worked for them in helping to create one of the most successful companies of all time.

We’re all adults here, right?  Then you’d think the following sign spotted in the band room at a local high school would be less amusing:

Rectal Gas Policy
– Any student who releases audible rectal gas will receive one after school detention.
– Any student who “reacts” to audible or inaudible rectal gas will also receive  one after school detention.
If you feel the need to relieve yourself of rectal gas you must stand in the hallway to pass it.

Where do I start?  First, it must be said that I was visiting the school while attending a wonderful show choir performance starring (as far as I’m concerned) a good friend and my favorite teenager.  She did an awesome job!

After the concert, another friend gave us a brief tour of the new school where she works.  It’s a really nice school, but we were surprised to find that they apparently have an entire policy about a specific bodily function.  I wonder if students actually go into the hallway to abide by the policy.  And it really makes one wonder about the incident(s) that caused the policy to be drafted in the first place.  Asking my friend to make copies of the policy so I can post it on my blog is juvenile, I’ll admit…  but funny is funny, and I find it amusing.  I wonder if the teacher realizes that strangers come through her band room sometimes and read her rectal gas policy?  Did she have to submit it to the principal for approval before posting it?  Hey, Derek, do any of the schools you sub at have a body function policy?

Just trying new themes out.  Don’t be surprised if things change a bit daily as a take a look at some themes.  I know a couple I tried before had bugs so even ones that look good may change.  Now that I post graphics, I am trying out two-column themes to make more room for them.

I went to search for a bunch of sites about the current plight of frogs, after seeing one daughter write about Frogs.

So here they are for your attention:

Save The Frogs
Year of the Frog
Care to Make a Difference
Nerdy Science
NZ Frogs
😉 Coffee and Frogs
Amphibian Conservation
A thousand Friends of Frogs

Just Frog related:
Wiki Frogs
Frog Land
Expolratorium Frogs
Frog Sounds

Commercial store:
Frog Store

And a local radio station:
I Love Froggy 106.7

Ok, I’m the father of a teenager. She is out tonight watching a movie, leaving Dad home alone to blog away the evening.

My youngest as a rather big heart. She took her sister to the latest teen vampire movie (there has been more than 1 right?) for her birthday. Not anything I was interested in, so I came home and ate cheeseburgers….

Now, I am waiting for them to come home. The movie should be over soon, and I will still be awake when they come in. All the worries of a father when his children are out late. Deer running on the country roads, other cars, and a bit of snow coming down. I hope they like the movie. It looked like a yawner to me, but then it was marketed toward teenagers/young adults.

So, my second youngest will be 21 in a few short weeks. My youngest is a senior in High School. Me, I’m feeling old tonight. Visited my old college this week. So many new buildings, so many old ones. They were taking the seats out of the theater when we were there. Those seats were over 30 years old!!! I thought they were old when I graduated. I guess they had a bit of life in them. I imagine that they could have replaced the seats more than once in the past 30 years, but how many times would you want to buy that sick green color?

Just thinking about what I want to be when I grow up. I think my dream job would be a voice for an animated show/movie. That really sounds like a lot of fun. And I have more than enough voices, I could almost voice a whole show.

Love running on battery power. I can take this laptop anywhere in the house. I will be looking for the best reception on my cell modem card. I should be getting my router next week, so I want to know where to set it up.

They’re home!! good night…

As most of my family knows, I have a thing about cheeseburgers. One of my friends and another blogger here, (Hey taylhis) talked about White Castle burgers. Well I saw them in the freezer section of our local supermarket. I just had to get some. When I got home this evening I cooked a couple up. It has been a few years since I’ve visited a White Castle, but the frozen ones were close to what I remembered. Not too bad for a quick snack. Not much more than that, but fun nostalgia.

Strange thing with this, is that my dog got very excited about the smell of the burger. He doesn’t normally have a vocal beg, he just likes looking at you with his big brown eyes, but he was very vocal when he smelled these burgers. I’ll have to see if it happens again when I cook up some more.

On a side note, anyone remember the Burger King Mini cheese burgers? I think I remember getting 6 bite sized burgers for a buck or two. Fun little burger.

Now that my diet is blown, anyone want a burger?

I don’t usually care for Christmas music before Thanksgiving. A little quirk of mine, true, but a quirk all the same. Tonight it was a little different. Family and friends (and a whole bunch of other people) got together for a dinner and show. It was a fund raiser for the High School Show choir, so the meal was exactly what I expected. The show itself, while way too short, was wonderful for me.

Can a father be more proud? Watching my youngest perform in the show choir was an experience I will not forget. The rest of the show choir was good too. My view was a bit biased. I had eyes for one lovely young lady. I would love to describe the show but words about that escape me.

What I do remember is a show from 5 years ago. Two other daughters performed in another dinner/music show. While not the show choir, it was another wonderful show. It was also the last show my wife saw any of her daughters in. Early the next week she was in the hospital. Two weeks later, we were told things were very bleak.

This is where my thoughts tend to go this time year. It can be very difficult to go to these events when my thoughts turn in this direction. I really wasn’t thinking of it when it started, it just kind of flowed with the evening. Sometimes I wonder how long this will happen to me. At least I don’t break down and cry now. That doesn’t happen much anymore, just kind of a sad feeling. I guess that is better. It could be worse.

I have four beautiful, talented daughters and it is wonderful to see them in whatever they do. Tonight was no exception, even with my melancholy.

Tonight a group of friends and I went to support a theatre family member who is part of her high school swing/show choir (and her beaming papa as well).  I won’t delve too deeply on the performance, but will say that one of the songs deeply touched me.  I know I have mentioned the beautiful piece entitled “Believe” from the magical movie The Polar Express sung so majestically by Josh Groban.  It has become one of those songs that I HAVE to listen to at least 50 times each holiday season.  It speaks of the magic of dreams and how as people grow older they often lose sight of those dreams.  But just look in the eyes of a child and often you can see, remember, and believe what it was like to be that young and have that wonder inside.  Of course, for some of us that wonder can so easily be reignited or may never have left.  I get goosebumps all over just hearing the song everytime.  Just a chill runs through my entire body.  Maybe those words are trying to tell me something?

The evening also took me back huumanah years to my final holiday concert and the festive medley that the choir sang, entitled Cool Yule.  I don’t remember the entire plot but I do remember that Santa (played by your’s truly) and Mrs. Claus had to rap… and I’m not talking about present wrapping  here.  This was the second time that I had put on the red suit and black boots.  In fifth grade, I was the jolly old elf in our elementary Christmas musical Santa and the Snowmobile in which a slick salesman almost convinces Santa to abandon his team of eight tiny reindeer for a gas-propelled vehicle.  I do remember doing some improvising as the sound of the snowmobile was not properly cued.  I think I gave the cardboard cutout a good swift quick and said to heck with it.  This was long before you-know-who or I would have uttered a quick you-know-what.

Children sleeping, snow is softly falling
Dreams are calling like bells in the distance
We were dreamers not so long ago
But one by one we all had to grow up
When it seems the magic’s slipped away
We find it all again on Christmas day

Believe in what your heart is saying
Hear the melody that’s playing
There’s no time to waste
There’s so much to celebrate
Believe in what you feel inside
And give your dreams the wings to fly
You have everything you need
If you just believe

Trains move quickly to their journey’s end
Destinations are where we begin again
Ships go sailing far across the sea
Trusting starlight to get where they need to be
When it seems that we have lost our way
We find ourselves again on Christmas day

Believe in what your heart is saying
Hear the melody that’s playing
There’s no time to waste
There’s so much to celebrate
Believe in what you feel inside
And give your dreams the wings to fly
You have everything you need
If you just believe
If you just believe
If you just believe
If you just believe
Just believe
Just believe

Ok… look at those words.  Definitely.  Not just on Christmas Day.