The Big Day

My sister's wedding. Very beautiful. Very hot... The weather! Sicko.

Steinway

The cutest dog ever!

Finally, We Travel Together!

On our way to my sister's wedding in Salt Lake City!

Fire in the Sky

The 4th of July!

Beautiful night!

Liberty Hall

Trip to Philadelphia

The Liberty Bell... Duh!

The Dome

Capitol Rotunda

Touring the US Capitol

Taking my favorite author, David Brin, on a tour of the Capitol.

My "Superman Returns" Review: AWESOME!

Let me begin by saying I LOVED THIS MOVIE.

I wanted to get that out of the way, because even though I’m going to get somewhat critical in this review, my love for the movie and character remain strong! And no, I don’t mean I love him. I just love the idea of Superman.

First, the good stuff (there was a lot of it). The movie starts out with the awesome, inspiring and (yes) patriotic theme music. I am extremely thankful that the director decided to keep the original John Williams theme. If it had been changed, this movie would not have been as great as it was. The music sets the mood for all that is to come.

Now, I was very timid about accepting a new Superman into my life. Growing up, I admired and idolized Christopher Reeve (notwithstanding his leftist politics) as the Superman. Since my childhood, I have seen the movies a million times (as has every other male in my age group), so whoever took on the role would have a tough act to follow. I am pleased to report that Brandon Routh did a positively superb job. He didn’t look funny, sound strange or act terribly. He was as Superman should be – just right.

The other characters were, with the exception of Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane, fantastic. Kevin Spacey placed a convincing Lex Luthor, complete with witty one-liners and a penchant for real estate. The characters of Jimmy Olson and Perry White were well cast as well. Bosworth’s rendition of Lois Lane, however, was an abysmal failure. As annoying as Margot Kidder was in the original, as least she had verve (like I ever use that word) and panache (again, new words for this blog). Bosworth played the character with all the emotion of a tax attorney. She was no Pulitzer prize winning journalist, that’s for sure.

The eye-popping special effects in this movie were simply amazing. The opening action sequence (space shuttle, airline crash, baseball stadium) is worth the cost of admission alone. I nearly stood up on my seat in applause when Superman saved the victims in that scene! But it doesn’t end there. My heart was pumping during many-a-scene, either from excitement or heartbreak (the prospect of Superman dying, for example). I experienced a wide range of emotions to say the least.

Despite my overall approval of the movie, there were a few notable things that really ticked me off. First and foremost, I was offended and, frankly, dumbfounded to see that Superman’s famous core of beliefs was missing one important piece – He now only fights for “truth and justice,” completely ignoring the third part of that battle cry: “…and the American way!” What a personal blow to the nation that made Superman great. And for what reason? To appease a worldwide audience and placate the liberal America-haters in this country? Sad.

There were a few other annoying things as well. A beer drinking Clark Kent upsets me, as does Lois Lane’s love-child. Also, the lack of a good male sidekick (think Otisburg) for Lex Luthor was sorely missed. And while I mentioned at the beginning that John Williams’ original musical theme was still in place, the rest of the movie’s score was done by a guy named John Ottman. His music in this movie was utterly forgettable. He offered nothing new, no memorable themes and no inspiring interludes. In fact, the only time the music ever evoked an emotional response was when it incorporated the original Williams theme. Why Williams didn’t score the whole movie is beyond me.

So, having said all of this… I must reiterate how much fun I had while watching this movie. It was worth all $10 I paid for it (and the 3 hours of waiting in line). It will also be worth the additional $10 I plan to spend to watch it in IMAX later this summer!

Awesome. Totally awesome.

Alien Spaceships?

No, I'm afraid Independence Day isn't really coinciding with Independence Day. Instead, what you see here is a picture of a rare weather phenomenon called a "gravity wave." Taken by KCRG in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, these pictures show us something that is usually invisible - air moving up and down in atmospheric wave patterns.

Yes, I know that KCRG says that this phenomenon has no name, but I tell you it does! At least, according to this scientific site!

Gravity waves, not alien spaceships.

Hawking Women

No, I'm not talking about the buying and selling of females, but rather, the women that seem to be surrounding famed physicist and cosmologist, Stephen Hawking. Like the famous "Bond Women," from Ian Flemings James Bond franchise, the Hawking Women surround a famous British man, only this time it is the size of his brain that is the draw, and not the size of his, err...gun.

Now granted, this example isn't as obvious as my previous post on the subject, but it establishes a pattern. And I must say, Hawk-man, I'm proud of your effort. And lest people think I'm making this up, they need only click HERE to read his latest quote: "I like Chinese culture, and above all, Chinese women... they're beautiful!"

Ah yes. The first day of the Nordstrom sale.

If you don't get here at 7am, the best ties and dress shirts are history! All said and done, 5 shirts and 3 ties for $425. Yikes! Now, as I edit this at 6pm, my wife is sending me back to the store to return half of it. :)

Fertility Check

If you think its cool in the movies, its not.

A Brief History of Misogyny

So, Stephen Hawking, my favorite scientist, was recently quoted as saying that humans must travel to space if they are to survive. However, that's not what caught my attention. Instead, it was his blonde nurse... man, Hawking is cooler than I thought!

I wonder if Hawking perverts the laws of physics in choosing her outfits using the mathematical formula: 2xDD=36. Jeesh!

My Sushi Makin' Wife!

Yum!

Happy Devil's Day! 6-6-6

People seem to be making the biggest deal about today being 6-6-6. Armageddon's coming, they say. And while that may be true (sometime), it certainly doesn't have anything to do with today's date. They seem to be forgetting the fact that we've seen twenty-one such dates since Christ was born. All of them seem to have passed without a hitch.

Others are taking today's numerical lineup in stride. Residents in Hell, Michigan are even throwing a citywide party to celebrate the date.

Remember the fun we had predicting doom for Y2K? What a bust that turned out to be. Well, the parties were fun, at least. Maybe the folks in Hell (Michigan, that is) have it right. Don't worry about an alignment of numerals, instead, why not party like it's 1999?

Heroes on the Window Sill

These brave guys clean my windows every month. Do they get the respect they deserve? Probably not!

June is Here!

Well, at least after my trip to the beach last week I'm going into the summer with a tan! But I still can't believe June is already upon us. It's my favorite month because it marks the beginning of summer without really being summer (not until the 21st anyway). So, from this point we have the longest possible time of good weather. Yeah, we get a few nice days in April and May, but they're generally unpredictable.

And now that summer is nearly here, the REAL countdown begins which gives me mixed feelings about the months ahead. See, my wife and I got tickets to Playa del Carmen, Mexico (50 miles south of Cancun) for September. So, while I want that trip to get here as soon as possible, September also marks the end of summer. So, I'm torn about how quickly (or slowly) I want the time to pass.

I guess I'll just forget about all of it for now and concentrate on having a great weekend!

Last days...

I don't want to leave...

OBX

Water temp is perfect!

Outer Banks, NC

Beautiful day!

Me and Max

Here is a picture of me with National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield.

Being the weather freak that I am, I invited Max to speak to Congressional staffers for one of the monthly informational "lunch briefings" my office puts together. He talked about the forecasted hurricane season for this year (which is supposed to be nasty).

He gave a great presentation, and all I got was this lousy picture of me half-obscured by him as he finished shaking my hand. He was also suffering from a nasty head-cold, which means I'll probably get sick in time for my vacation that starts in 26 minutes.

Back in the Sweet USA!

Reese's in a BOX?

Canadians...

Emperor Palpatine?

Winnipeg, Canada

Canada money

In Utah for the Wedding

Bountiful Temple

NYC Emergency Operations Center

This is where everything is seen and heard in NYC. I call it the Big Brother room. Very cool.

NYC Emergency Operations Center

New York's command center.

Beautiful Brooklyn Bridge

Brooklyn Bridge

Better Pic

NYC Port Authority

Unloading the cargo ships.

Port of NYC

Our nation's port watchdogs.

NYC Port Facility

Gamma ray WMD detector looking for nukes. This cargo container is from Syria.

Man Pilot!

To "Anonymous"

Dear Anonymous,

Thanks for hiding behind anonymity when trashing the views expressed on my site. It really speaks volumes to your character. I always find that people lurking in the shadows have some of the most well-rounded views.

You claim to be tolerant, yet you trash my opinions while expecting the world to accept yours. You call me ignorant, while you don't back up any of your sarcasm with anything intelligent. If I'm proving "how wrong [you] are," then I have done a service to the world.

This is a blog - meaning, it's a collection of my thoughts and humor. If you don't agree with it, start your own blog. You can make it as friendly to gays, criminals, child molesters and liberals as you want! And guess what... if I disagree with you... I'll have the guts to actually back up my comments with a name.

Thanks for visiting though. I'm sure your anonymous comments left you feeling great about yourself. I mean, that's what you lefties do, right? You tell people how tolerant you are as long as it fits in with your warped views on life. Heaven help the people who disagree with you - those people can't be anything more than old-fashioned racists, bigots and homophobes.

Wow. Thanks for opening my eyes, Anonymous.

Dan

Adam Ondi Ahman

Independence Missouri

The "Other" Temple

Woman Pilot!

The Home of John Adams

I didn't have enough time for the tour since I had a plane to catch, but it was cool just to be there!

John Adams' Resting Place

Note the rainbow signifying gay rights on the church marquis.

Braintree, MA

The church where John Adams, one of my favorites, is buried is covered with gay marriage messages. Makes me literally sick.

More mansions of Newport...

The Mansions of Newport, RI

Bellvue Avenue is world famous for its rows of huge mansions. This looks like the White House for crying out loud.

Rhode Island

Beautiful and patriotic... And COLD!

Rhode Island

Waterfront in Newport

Fun in Boston

Harvard University...

That is a 400 stair climb to look out over the scene of the site where the Revolutionary War started! I did it without stopping and now my back is paying for it.

The Edge of the West

Lovely San Diego

Worst Travel Experience Ever!

I believe my letter (below) to American Airlines speaks for itself.

Dear American Airlines:

I am writing to express my extreme dissatisfaction with my most recent flying experience while attempting a return home to Washington, D.C. from Kansas City (flight 1557) on April 2-3, 2006.

Due to problems originating in Chicago due to weather, all air traffic in Kansas City was delayed at the gate for 2 hours. When we were finally allowed to board, the plane was grounded on the tarmac for 4 additional hours. While on the plane, the male flight attendant angrily shouted at the passengers in attempts to address growing frustration. This lead to several passengers suffering panic attacks, and an arrest threat against a frustrated passenger in first class.

When we finally landed in Chicago well after midnight, I was forced to stay overnight, at my own expense of $220, at a hotel outside of Chicago since it was too late to make any connections. But this was just the beginning of my trouble.

The earliest available connection into DC (IAD) left at 11:44am the following day (flight 4048). After waiting for this flight, watching its departure time come and go, we were informed the flight would be canceled due to mechanical problems.

Following this bad news, I was moved to yet another flight, this time going to DCA, which was due to depart at 1:13pm (flight 4203). By 3pm, the pilots had not yet arrived making this flight significantly late. At 3:30pm, this flight too was canceled due to mechanical problems.

After this, I was sent to St. Louis (flight 1397), so that I could catch a working flight to Washington, D.C. (Flight 5304), which itself was delayed two additional hours. By the time I arrived home at 10pm, my total travel time from Kansas City to D.C. stood at over 24 hours.

While I understand weather problems are beyond the control of American Airlines, bad service, multiple mechanical problems and late pilots are not. Indeed, because of these problems I have missed a full day of work, been forced to spend over $300 in lodging and other transportation costs, and have been away from my family longer than needed.

Recently, I purchased 8 separate round trip tickets on American Airlines because of my past positive experiences. I am now beginning to regret that decision. As a former Gold level AAdvantage member, I was looking forward to my future 8 flights which would again put me at AAdvantage gold status.

In an attempt to seek relief from this situation, I am asking that you please take steps to restore my faith and trust in your airline. Please contact me at the address below with your response.

Sincerely,

24 Hours and Counting and Still not Home

Here we sit, again, in St. Louis of all places. This time weather in DC keeping me from achieving my quest to get home within 24 hours. Left KC 6 hours late yesterday, stayed overnight in Chicago, had 2 flights cancelled on me before being sent here.

The Kansas City Curse

This is the kind of crap that has turned a 4 hour flight into an 18 hour airport and hotel extravaganza. 4 hours on a runway in KC, a night in Chicago and now delayed and cancelled flights into DC. Wonderful.

I forgot my glasses and someone stole my Visine!

So, I have this stupid hereditary eye condition that doesn't allow me to wear contacts (at least not the comfortable soft kind), so I wear glasses pretty much anytime I want to read, type or watch TV. For the rest of the time, I can get by without them just fine (I just squint to make out fine details). It's not your traditional "blurry" vision associated with near-sightedness and far-sightedness. I wish. No, mine is the difficult kind that changes on a daily basis. Pain in the butt.

My point. As I get ready in the morning, I don't need my glasses. However, I have to remember to put them in my dress shirt pocket before I leave otherwise I'm in a world of hurt once I get to work. Normally, I'm pretty good at remembering (I have a twice a year rate of forgetting). Today is one of those days. Of course, I didn't realize I had forgotten them until after my wife had dropped me off at the Metro station and I had settled comfortable into my train seat eager to read the next chapter in my science fiction periodical. Yeah, Buck Rogers wouldn't have to worry about this crap.

Anyway, today has been a struggle. Not only do I have to sit inches away from my monitor, I also have to constantly squint to make out the differences between commas and periods. This gives me a raging headache and very red, bloodshot eyes. Now, being prepared for this kind of eventuality, I keep a stash of Visine on my desk to alleviate my eyes when these types of discomforts arise. Luckily, it doesn't happen too often so the Visine goes mostly unused, but sits there as a refreshing reminder that relief is only a few drops away.

So naturally, today, when I really need it, the Visine is nowhere to be found. Someone stole it. Yeah, that's right. STOLEN. It couldn't have fallen off my desk, because it's on the L shaped portion I rarely use, and sits back over two feet from the edge of the desk - against a solid wall with no gaps. There's nowhere for it to go - except for into some thief's pocket!

I ask all of you: who in the world would steal someone else's nasty, used bottle of Visine? Normally the absurdity of that question would lead me to believe that perhaps I lost it, or that it had fallen down. But as you can see from the picture below, that scenario is unlikely. So I'm left with the unfortunate conclusion that someone has stolen $4 worth of property from me in my place of work. I feel so violated. Well that, and my eyes hurt from typing this.

I've been neglectful, and I'm sorry.

I promise to post more in the future, but right now I'm going to go back to surfing YTMND. It's been a long, slow week and I have tuned out of reality for the most part. That ever happen to any of you? It's not that I'm lazy, or depressed... just, I don't know, bored I guess. I mean, the Olympics are done and now my life is without meaning. Well, that's not true. I still have a wonderful wife who treats me like a king.