Wackadoodle airport codes outside the USA

• BRA (Barrieras, Brazil)
• EGO (Belgorod, Russia)
• BEG (Belgrade, Serbia)
• BOG (Bogota, Colombia) – don’t get bogged down there.
• CIA (Rome, Italy – Ciampino) – got cha!
• CUM (Cumana, Venuzuela) – please wash your mouth out with soap.
• CUZ (Cuzco, Peru) – cuz I said so
• DAD (Da Nang, Vietnam)
• DOG (Dongola, Sudan)
• DUM (Dumai, Indonesia) – hey, I didn’t name it.
• DUD (Dunedin, New Zealand) – must be really exciting there.
• FUK (Fukuaka, Japan) – careful
• IZO (Izumo, Japan) – should call the lounge the Izone. If you aren’t from the USA, you may not get the joke.
• MAD (Madrid, Spain) – don’t get mad, get even.
• PEE (Perm, Russia) – wonder if they are pissed about the code they were assigned?
• PEX (Pechore, Russia) – flex those pex.
• POT (Port Antonio, Jamaica) – pure Karma that this code should go to an airport in Jamaica – LOL
• SIN (Singapore- Changi) – sort of surprised they accepted this code.
• STD (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) – be careful what you catch here – make sure it is just a flight.

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Review of “The Art of Getting By”

Source: en.wikipedia.org

While on vacation, I caught a delightful movie on HBO that I did not recall ever seeing advertised for showings in the theater.  The film is entitled The Art of Getting By and stars Freddie Highmore (Finding Neverland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and Emma Roberts (niece of Julia Roberts), Alicia Silverstone, Rita Wilson, and Blair Underwood.

The movie is about a gifted art student (Freddie Highmore) more or less coasting his way through high school until graduation approaches and he may not receive a diploma. This storyline intertwines with his budding relationship with Emma Roberts’ character. It is very well done and I enjoyed the movie. Also, the soundtrack is simply superb for this film with terrific alternative and indie rock tunes artfully blended into the score.

 

Hence the question, why no release in theaters? Best I could determine by reading between the lines on IMDb is some of the critics were not particularly kind to the film when it was release at the Sundance Film Festival. They praise Mr. Highmore’s and Ms. Robert’s performances, but otherwise were rather tepid.

As a result the film went directly HBO and similar outlets. Granted, I discovered the film there, but I think it would have been even a more impressive movie in a theater. Sadly, the critics’ response to the film and Fox Searchlight’s response to the criticism narrowed the public’s choices versus broadening it.  Once again…money talks.

Is The Art of Getting By perfect? Of course not. Is it deserving of a general release – absolutely. I think a lot of people would like it, warts and all. If you, get a chance, check it out on HBO or rent the film – it is certainly well worth the  time and cost.

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Funny, cute, and silly airport codes in the USA

• BET (Bethel, AK) – Seems this should have been the one for Las Vegas or Reno.
• BFL (Bakersfield, CA) – I am “baffled” why this is so funny.
• BUF (Buffalo, NY) – Hopefully, you do not have to arrive in the buff.
• BUR (Burbank,, CA) – This code would be good for someplace cold.
• FAT (Fresno, CA) – I realize this stands for Fresno Air Terminal, but talk about bad public relations.
• GGG (Longview, TX) – You’d get better internet service if it was 4Gs.
• IRK (Kirksville, MO) – I would be “irked” too if I had to fly there.
• KOA ( Kona, HA) – Who want to fly into a campground?
• LAX (Los Angeles, CA) – I hope this does not signify their attention to details. It also sounds like the abbreviation for Laxative International Airport.
• MOB (Mobile, AL) – self-explanatory.
• PIE (St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL) – I have no idea why it is PIE.
• PUB (Pueblo, CO) – Now this is my kind of airport! Beer for everyone.
• ROW (Roswell, NM) – I hope we don’t have to – flap maybe, but not row.
• RUT (Rutland, VT) – No one wants to be in one, particularly in an airplane.
• SUX (Sioux City, IA) – If I were the Sioux City Chamber of Commerce or Tourism Bureau, I would ask for a new code designation and fast!
• UTO (Utopia Creek, AK) – Who wants to hear anything remotely close to “uh-oh” or “ut-oh” when flying?

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Things you never (or rarely) find in hotels anymore

Source: colonialrot.com

During our current two-week West Coast trip, I have noticed a number of things that are no longer (or rarely) found in hotel/motel rooms any longer. Certainly, other items have been added to make one’s stay more pleasant such as hair dryers, internet, and coffee makers.

Please feel free to send your additions to my list – I am sure I am forgetting some things.

• A telephone book
• A picture postcard of the hotel/motel
• Full-size writing paper with the logo/name of the hotel/motel
• Ashtray – no smoking, no ashtray. Good for health!
• Matchbooks – ditto
• A Bible – to me, this is a good thing as I think it is rather presumptuous in a diverse society to provide only the Holy book of one religion.
• A hotel/motel directory listing the locations – as the internet rules, so these have gone by the wayside.

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Best live albums

Source: en.wikipedia.org

Live albums are  something you seldom see anymore, but back in the day, live albums were quite popular and could be the impetus to superstardom – several of the acts listed below got their big break from a live album release.

There were also a fairly simple way to release a new album in the years when an album a years was commonplace. Today, one every two to three to four years is not unheard of.  So, here is my list:

• KISS Alive
• Frampton Comes Alive
• Cheap Trick at Budokan
• The Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!
• Aerosmith Live Bootleg

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No right is limitless…including gun rights

Source: neorepublic.com

Whenever I upload a blog post with some sort of reference to gun control, even the tiniest bit, I catch some less than gentile digital flak. Today has been no exception following my post last night about assault rifles and body armor.  In the post, I questioned the need for any individual to own an assault rifle or body armor other than for less-than-wholesome purposes. Even though I posted it under liberal on reddit, and included a clearly stated allowance for legally owned hunting rifles, gun collections, and handguns for personal protection, I still received several biting rebukes.

What is the gun lobby so damn scared of? The assault weapons ban of the 1990s certainly didn’t leave out nation defenseless and overrun by the rampant armies of Satan. Sadly, I am beginning to believe that nothing short of the total gutting all gun laws will be enough for the most ardent of the gun lobby. Despite what’s depicted in Westerns, our nation was not founded on the quickest draw or largest arsenal, but on a set of laws and guiding principles. The second amendment clearly says, “a well-regulated militia,” not a “lawless militia” or “an anarchial militia.”

One respondent said something to the effect of gun ownership is a right, not a need. Based on the second amendment, that is essentially true, except when gun ownership starts infringing on my rights as a citizen to free speech, as well as enjoying my life and liberties without having to worry about who may or may not be packing. I think we have reached the stage where gun owners have taken away the rights of other citizens because they have become too powerful, too radical, and much too visible.

In a debate between those packing and those not, don’t tell me those guns are not intimidating. That fact in itself has eroded the rights of non-gun owners who are afraid to speak up.  What gun advocates seem to forget is that every right has its limits. Once you exceed those reasonable limits, as I believe the gun lobby has, you start trampling on the rights of others.

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An assault on our intelligence

Other than to kill, injure, and/or maim other living creatures, what could possibly be the purpose of owning an assault rifle?

• To join the French Foreign Legion?
• Start an army?
• Run an illegal cartel?
• Perform in the circus?
• Make Swiss cheese in a weird new way?

Given the unlikelihood of those thoughts listed above, then why sell assault rifles to anyone when there is a better than even chance the weapon will be used to do evil and harm?

Source: information2share.wordpress.com

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Before I go any further, let me make this perfectly clear – I have no problem with someone legally owning a rifle for legitimate hunting purposes, someone who legally collects handguns or hunting rifles as a hobby, or someone who legally owns a handgun for personal safety and who has taken the proper safety and instructional courses. What I do have a problem with are individuals owning what are essentially “military” guns and large arsenals of guns and related gear that have no credible purpose other than to do harm.

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Even more asinine is the idea of selling full body armor. Is that something that is necessary to defend oneself from a counter attack by deer, elk, or bear? Is it because they are planning to ride over Niagara Falls in a barrel? C’mon folks, let’s get realistic.

The only plausible reasons that someone would need full body armor are all bad and the merchants of death (gun lobby) know that – just like they know that the principal purpose of assault rifles is not for hunting.  The least they could do is to be honest about it.

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It is awful enough to know there are people running about this nation with arsenals larger than some small nations, but please do not assault our intelligence on top of that by saying there are genuine reasons for selling assault rifles and full body armor. It is not only disgusting and degrading, but unethical and immoral.

Finally, I would sure like to know how sellers of assault rifles and body armor (most recently those in Colorado) can possibly live with themselves and sleep at night?

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Facebook can be a pain in the apps

Source: wantickets.com

If Facebook hopes to remain a relevant player in the digital world, it better figure out how to improve its online experience for smart phones and tablets. It takes so damn long to open and update that it is often useless if one wants to do a quick check of their messages.

Nearly always when I try to open the Facebook app, it is like watching an irreversible Wheel of Fortune as the little “loading icon spins around aimlessly. Sometimes it opens after a moment or two, other times it just keeps spinning like a digital toy top on Energizer batteries and sugar. In the worst cases, the whole thing gives up and closes the application altogether. By this time, I am ready to find a new social media outlet and dump Facebook.

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All I know is some enterprising soul is going to come up with a social media alternative that doesn’t take forever to open and Facebook will become toast.

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Hiding from the “D” word

Source: urpe.wordpress.com

When exactly does our “Great Recession” become a “depression?” While I know there are certain indicators to track and measure this economic stuff, I have been wondering for some time if we are just lying to ourselves to avoid using the “D” word. The sub-prime mortgage crisis began more than four years ago, followed by the bailouts on Wall Street, and more recently the deepening financial crisis across much of Europe has caused further economic dismay.

So…I ask again, when does our Great Recession become a depression? We may “officially” have 8.2% unemployment, but everyone knows that is a totally bogus number that does not factor in underemployment or those who have given up the job search. Recent data puts underemployment at over 20% in some areas of the country and in double-digits in many places. Globally, in 2011 under employment was pegged at 18%. Data from February, 2012 showed that more than 87 million Americans were no longer looking for work! That is an astonishing number.

Sure, there are pockets of relative prosperity, but that was true in the 1930s too. Economic downturns are not necessarily universal in their application of pain and suffering – just ask a few Okies from the 1930s or my fellow Michiganders during the 2000-2010 time period.  So…once again I ask this basic question – when do we start being honest with ourselves and call it a depression and not a recession?

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“I’m a Pepper”…in more ways than one

Source: flickerhivemind.com

The famous tag line , “I’m a Pepper” was used by Dr. Pepper for many yeast as its advertising theme and slogan. And while I love Dr. Pepper (my favorite soft drink), it is not the only pepper that I love.

Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers are wonderfully yummy alone or prepared as part of a dish. Green are good too, but not as flavorful. I also like banana peppers and ground pepper. To the left is a photo of stoplight peppers (red, yellow, and green). And yes, they are sold in packages here as stoplight peppers.

I am also a fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, especially after Chad started to sing “Hail to the Victors” (Michigan Fight Song) at a concert in Buckeyetown, peppermint flavored gum and candies, as well as pepperoni served on pizza at certain occasions. I also like listening to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band.

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The only pepper I am not a big fan of are jalapeno peppers, though I can handle the more mild ones.

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