Day 1320: I Already Miss You Davy Jones

Miss me?  I haven’t written for a while because I’ve been tied up with the Oscars and covering them for my entertainment blog EGOTing.   That said… I have been gearing up to finish up ‘The Chair’… I have the final posts mapped out an ready to go… but I was derailed by the passing of Davy Jones.  And I need to honor him before I do anything else.

I have been a fan of The Monkees since before I can remember.  I have even mentioned them a number of times on this blog.  They are and will always be my favorite band.  A few years ago I even had the pleasure of spending the day with Davy Jones.  He is a very nice man and I have a lot of respect for him… and his passing has sparked emotions I haven’t dealt with before.  Not even when Bob Hope passed away.  It’s probably because I have actually met Davy… and unlike a lot of the celebrities I’ve met, he was actually a real person… not just a caricature of himself.  I now know how some people felt when Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston passed… I hadn’t until now.

I wasn’t following the news when it happened yesterday… however, three friends contacted me via email, instant message, and by telephone almost simultaneously… so I’m pretty sure I found out as soon as the story leaked… and since then I have been sharing my Monkees memories as tributes on facebook.

Here they are:

Monkees Tribute #1:  I was first introduced to the Monkees when I was 9 years old, when Nickelodeon started reairing the series.  I remember it coming on at 3:30pm… and I was so obsessed that my mom would let me postpone my homework until after the show.  And I also remember my brother coming in one day saying, “What are you watching?”    Me: “The Monkees.”  Him: “Why?”  Me: “It’s my favorite show… they are my favorite band.”  Him: “How can they be your favorite band?  I beat you don’t even know their names.”  Without missing a beat I looked at him, “Davy, Mikey, Peter, and Mike… they’re my favorite band.”

Monkees Tribute #2:  When I was 10 years old, I earned a reward of some sort… probably for doing some chores or getting a good report card.  My parents probably figured I would get a toy like normal… but I asked if I could go to Turtles to get a Monkees album.  They were surprised and not surprised all at the same time.  A couples days later my mom took me to the old Turtles location on Canton Road (Marietta)… I remember, because we normally went to the Merchants Walk Turtles.  Anyway, when I told the man behind the counter what I wanted he asked, “New or old?”  I said, “The original.”  It was my first album.  It was a cassette of this album: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monkees_Greatest_Hits

Monkees Tribute #3:  When I was 12 years-old I had gone on a trip to Florida with my church.  By the time I returned my brother and dad had already left for Band Camp… so only my mom was on hand to greet the bus.  We got my stuff and got in my car and then she asked, “So, would you be interested in going to a concert with me?”  Me:  “What concert?”  Her:  “The Monkees.”  Me:  “Are you serious?”  Her:  “Yes.”  Me:  “You mean in person?  Of course I would want to go.”  She handed me an envelope and said, “Good, I already got the tickets, I hope tomorrow night is good for you.”   “The Monkees Summer Tour” at the Six Flags over Georgia’s Southern Star Amphitheatre was my first concert.

Monkees Tribute #4:  When I was 14 years old my mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas.  I told her I wanted “The Listen to the Band”, The Monkees’ four disc box set of almost 80 songs.  When my mom found out it cost almost $100.00 she balked… asking me if I was sure.  “This would be the bulk of my Christmas budget for you… are you sure you just want music?”  I said “Yes, I’m sure.”  About a week before Christmas my mother let me know that I shouldn’t get too excited.  She was having a lot of trouble finding the set, which had come out eight months before.  A couple music stores told her it wasn’t really something they keep in stock and would have to special order it… it would take about a month.  However… on Christmas morning guess what was under the tree?  That’s right.  “Listen to the Band”.  In one final effort mom started calling every record shop in Atlanta and finally found one across town a couple days before Christmas who was willing to hold it for her.  She bought it on Christmas Eve.  I have had those discs for twenty years and have since ripped them to mp3’s.  I am listening to them now.  Thanks mom!  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listen_to_the_Band  

Monkees Tribute #5:  When I was 20 years old and living in Charleston, SC my best friend from Atlanta, Jeff Costello, called me.  “Hey, The Monkees are playing Chastain Amphitheatre in October and I’m getting you tickets for your birthday… so you better get you’re a—down here!”  I was thrilled!  “Of course I’m coming!”  There was never any question in my mind.  Oddly enough… about a week later I auditioned for a play what was scheduled to open, in Charleston, a week after the concert.  I was upfront and listed the concert as a potential rehearsal conflict.  I was cast anyway and everyone quickly forgot about my conflict.  About a week before the concert a revised rehearsal schedule came out coving the time I was going to be gone.  When I reminded everyone of my trip, no one could believe I was going to take off for a Monkees concert.  Having worked on over 50 shows, I always put the show first… however I was pretty unapologetic this time because I had listed the weekend of the concert as a conflict when I auditioned.  In the end… I was fired from the show… the first and only time I had ever been fired.  However… Jeff had gotten us great seats and I got to see The Monkees for a second time!  So I still ended up the big winner!

Monkees Tribute #6:  When I was 26 The Monkees FINALLY entered my Vinyl collection.  I started collecting records at a very early age when my dad gave me all of his old 45s.  When I was in High School, I took over my parents LP collection when they switched to CDs.  And that was around the time I really started collecting.  However, I could never seem to find a The Monkees… or at least one in good condition.  Until one day, while working at The Art Place, a co-work came in and said, “I was at a yard sale this weekend and I could help thinking about you?”  Me:  “Really?  Why?”  Her:  “Consider this an early birthday present.  And then she handed an original pressing mint condition Vinyl copy of The Monkees FIRST EVER album:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monkees_(album)

Monkees Tribute #7:  When I was 27 years-old I spent an entire day with Davy Jones.  It was announced that Davy Jones would be performing at the Mable House Amphitheatre, which, like The Art Place, is owned by Cobb County.  Knowing my affection for The Monkees, Elizabeth Weaver and Nelah Gabler, asked if I would like to be Davy’s driver for the day.  We always provided transportation in-house for performances… so this wasn’t too strange… but I was put on the list to drive Davy before it went public to the rest of the staff.  The day of the concert I picked up Davy and his band up from their hotel and took them to sound check… and then just hung out through dinner, the concert, and meet and greet.  Having met a few arrogant celebrities I can say this: Davy Jones was/is a very nice, classy, and a generous man.  I didn’t have any long conversations with him… but he was always very welcoming and engaged.  He put on a great solo performance and afterwards, as we were exiting the amphitheatre, well after the show ended, he asked me to pull over.  I hadn’t noticed her, but Davy saw a woman hanging-out alone in the parking lot close to the employees entrance/exit.  He rolled down the window playfully saying, “Hello darling, are you waiting for me?”  He chatted with her for a couple minutes, signed some autographs for her, kissed her hand, and then we were back on the road.  Classy.  When I dropped him off at this hotel I helped his band unload their stuff out of the van.  I hadn’t noticed, but Davy had stuck around.  When everything was unloaded Davy walked up to me, shook my hand, looked me right in the eye and said, “Thank you very much.”  And I said, “No, thank you.  It has been a pleasure.”  

Monkees Tribute #8:  Last night I cued you the first two episodes of The Monkees on youtube and after dinner Grayson and I settled in to watch. I wish his introduction to my first favorite TV Show and Band had been a more joyous occasion… however, it could not have been more special. After the first episode Grayson started chanting “Hurray! I love The Monkees, I love the Monkees! Dad can we stay up and watch another one.” Me: “Of course we can.” I don’t think anyone would have predicted the last impact of them… what with a 34 and 6 year-old in 2012 being thurally entertained. Davy, thank you for a wonderful life… I just wish you would have stood up a bit more often.

Monkees Tribute #9: I’m now 34… And it has been 25 years since I told my brother that The Monkees were my favorite band… and 25 years later… they still are.  Over the last few years it feels like there has been a string of high profile celebrity deaths that have rocked the music industry.  Although shocking… I never felt emotionally attached to any of them.  However, I feel emotional attached to Davy’s passing... having a chance to reflect on all the great memories after all these years.  I also appreciate all the respectful coverage on his passing.  As a Monkees fan I am used to the jokes and chides about the band… the questions like, “Of all the groups, why the Monkees?”  So today… it means so much that Davy’s passing isn’t going unnoticed.  The truth is, The Monkees made a contribution… and they will not go forgotten… at least not in my household… where I am raising two more Monkee Manics!  Peace Davy!  See you later!  And please… for the love of everything holy… STAND UP! 

PS: Mickey, Peter, and Mike… please take a good look at my profile picture… if you see me approach on the street I’ll just want to give you a hug, say ‘thank you’, and go merely on my way.

Day 1160: ‘EGOTing’ - A New Beginning

Three years ago I started ‘SchutzHappens’ (schutzhappens.blogspot.com), a blog chronicling my life as a husband, father, and United States Foreign Service Diplomat.  When I started writing, the intent was merely to keep my friends and family back in the States up to date with our travels… however, two years in I discovered ‘SchutzHappens’ was being syndicated (via RSS feeds) on numerous Foreign Service and travel oriented websites… honestly, I had no idea and up until then, I was pretty sure my mother was my only reader.  I was wrong.  Apparently, my musings on fatherhood and life overseas had become quite popular.

However… there is slight problem. 

Although ‘SchutzHappens’ is (seemingly) widely read… the blog itself suffers from a general lack of focus.   Since I didn’t think anyone was reading, I pretty much talk about whatever I want.  And to be completely honest, when I’m not talking about my beautiful wife and amazing kids… or our random misadventures around the world… I have a tendency to write (ad nauseum) about another passion of mine: the entertainment business.  I’ll admit it… I am a complete freak about movies, television, music, and theatre.

As avid ‘SchutzHappens’ readers know, I wasn’t always planning to be Diplomat.  Once upon a time I was an actor.  I was an honest to God working actor (and theatre director)… who got paid for it and everything.    Now, keep in mind, I was mainly a stage actor, so if you’re tempted to ask, “Having you been in anything I’ve seen.”  The answer is more than likely ‘no’.  However, I still got paid for it… but as glamorous as it might sound, theatre work isn’t always stable and I found my life moving into a slightly different direction.  Luckily, my theatre connections opened a lot of doors and I ended up teaching high school theatre and eventually moved into public arts management; which I did for over seven years… before my professional life took a much more dramatic turn and I found myself working overseas.

Anyway, when it comes to ‘SchutzHappens’, over the last year its thematic divide between my new Diplomatic life verses my old Theatrical life has become more and more defined… and as a result ‘SchutzHappens’ now appeals to two very different audiences: those who want to read about my family and our life in the Foreign Service, and those who want to read my overly analytical opinions about the entertainment business.

So… what is my point?  Well… I think it’s time to make a thematic split.  Don’t worry.  ‘SchutzHappens’ isn’t going anywhere.  It will always be my primary blog of about life.  However, it is time to give my entertainment obsession its own home… and that is why I created ‘EGOTing’ (egoting.blogspot.com)… a place to let my movie freak flag fly.

Anyway, if you are reading this on ‘SchutzHappens’, sit tight!  I’ve been back from Pakistan and with my family for two months now, AND we arrived in Paramaribo, Suriname last Friday.  And get this!  Our car, UAB, and HHE from Serbia arrived before we did!  Stay tuned, I have lots of stories to share about our Home Leave, our move, Suriname, Grayson’s first day of school… and an xBox I rebuilt for $32.00.  Oh, and to my ‘Adoring Fan’ who commented on my July 15^th post about ‘The Chair’… you are my number one priority.  The fun starts October 1^st. 

As for ‘EGOTing’… there are less than 100 days left in the year and you know what that means… less than 100 days to qualify for the Oscars.  There are going to be some SERIOUS movies coming out and I live down the street from a movie theatre… that actually screen movies in ENGLISH!!!! 

Sweetness!

Day 1060: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema = Greatest Place on Earth

Have you guys seen the news coverage on the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema?

It’s pretty intriguing.

Apparently, the theater chain was founded by a husband and wife who loved going to the movies, but had grown more and more frustrated with their overall movie-going experience.  

From the CNN Online Article:

“What drew us to open a theater in the first place is that we were finding a trip to the multiplex to be, more often than not, a disappointing experience.  Poor projection, bad sound and, worst of all, disrespectful patrons in the cinema were slowly eroding our fun, so we conceived of the idea of opening a cinema ourselves on our own terms.”

Thus, Alamo Drafthouse was born… as well as the Alamo Drafthouse rules:

1. We do not play ads before the film: “If I spend $9 or more to see a movie, I equate that to paying for premium cable. Paying for the movie means you get to skip the ads.”

2. We do not allow children under 6 (except for special children’s and “baby day” screenings): “If you want to take your 4-year-old to see "The Hangover 2" at 10 p.m., however, you'll have to go somewhere else.”

3. We do not allow unaccompanied minors: “There are of lots of great, well-behaved 12-year-old individual kids, but assemble them in pods of four or more and drop them unaccompanied in a darkened theater, and they will pave a swath of destruction akin to feral hogs.”

4. If you persist in talking or texting, we will throw you out: And that’s not just an idol threat.  They really kick people out.  Read on to find out more.

Personally, I LOTH going to the movies… for myself.  Taking Grayson is a blast… but went it comes to seeing a movie for myself I hate it.  However, I used to love going!

In high school I worked at movie theaters… as a young adult I would go to the movies at least once a week (to fill my addiction)… but now that I’ve gotten older, I can stand it… for the exact same reasons mapped out in the above rules.   And texting during movies has become my biggest pet peeve… because it’s always some teenager in the first few rows directly in my line of sight… annoying!

Anyway, although I have never been to the Alamo Drafthouse… I am in love with them and I wish them all the best.

Now, you might be asking yourself.  “Why in the world has the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema received national news coverage?”

Well… they recently posted an advertisement on YouTube.  And the advertisement is merely a voice mail recording from an angry (foul mouthed) customer who had been kicked out for texting during a movie. 

Seriously, the video says it all… and it’s gone viral.  In just a week it’s racked up over 2 million hits.

 In addition, the Alama Drafthouse Cinema started posting other No Talking ‘Public Service Announcements’ that they show before their movies instead of advertizing.  Like this one starting Texas Governor Ann Richards:

However, it’s not just their rules setting them apart from their competitors.  It’s also their cuisine and their commitment to their customers overall movie-going experience.  Just check out this video profiling the Alamo’s “Lord of the Ring Trilogy 7-Course Feast”… and just try to tell me this place isn’t awesome!  I dare you! 

 Link to the CNN Article: http://www.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/Movies/06/10/alamo.drafthouse.league/index.html?iref=allsearch

Day 1053: Raising a Wanderer

Hey folks!  I thought I would pass this on for the good of the group. 

As many of you might recall, last November I held an ‘unofficial’ Toys for Tots drive, and no one was more enthusiastic and supportive than Bethany, over at the blog Raising a Wanderer.

So, when I received and email from Bethany, two days ago, regarding a service trip to Guatemala she is raising money for I thought it would be nice to repost her message for all the SchutzHappeners.

She’s only looking to raise $1150.00 (which seems VERY low) and according to her blog, the last time I checked, she has already raised 72% of her goal… so she only has like $322.00 left to raise. 

Awesome job Bethany!

SO, will the readers of SchutzHappens be the folks who put her over the top?  Who knows… Who cares...  That’s between you and your pocket book.

All I can say is Bethany is legit… and I’ll leave the rest of the details to her:

**********

Dear Friends,

Many of you know that Guatemala has always held a very special place in my heart.  I backpacked solo through Guatemala 7 years ago for almost 3 months, and met the most amazing people and saw the most amazing places.  I also met some of the poorest people in the world with homes most of us would never consider living in...people that still smiled and were grateful for what little they had.

Today I was given the opportunity to join a very special organization Nuestros Niños on a service trip to Guatemala...leaving July 9th...as in next month July...as in just over a month away....for 8 days.  With my love for Guatemala and for being of service to others...I just couldn't pass up this opportunity to give more. 

During this trip we will be hosting field days for preschoolers, building playgrounds, handing out school supplies, shoes, clothing...giving away chickens and fruit baskets, and building safe stoves in homes that are currently unsafe...and that's not even the half of what we'll be doing!

I am so so so excited about this opportunity and my husband and son are in full support of me going....so it's full speed ahead!

So what are you missing, you might be thinking?  Well...that's an easy one.  M.O.N.E.Y.  aka "Sponsors" to help me send me on this service project.  The total cost for the trip is $1150.  Any donations above and beyond that amount will be used to buy more chickens and food baskets for families.  All donations are fully tax-deductible and I will you ensure you will receive a letter stating such.

Please consider donating $5, $10, $15, $25, $50...whatever you can.  Seeing as this is happening so quickly, I don't have the luxury of fundraising all year...so I'm praying that my friends and family can help out if possible.

I will be keeping my blog Raising a Wanderer updated while in Guatemala and will also be providing the link to Nuestros Niños  blog within my posts.

If you're interested in donating, please visit my blog Raising a Wanderer and click on the Donate button on the top right of the page.  You do not need to have a paypal account to donate.  

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me be of service.

xoxo Bethany

Day 1037: Politics, a Love/Hate Relationship

Although I purposefully avoid the topic of ‘politics’ on this blog, don’t be fooled; I am a very politically minded person and I can’t get enough of the stuff…

In real life (as opposed to blog life) I enjoy discussing politics with people of all backgrounds.  And I REALLY like looking at issues from all perspectives in a very methodical, unemotional, and detached manner.  I personally think it’s easier to understand an issue when you turn off your emotions, turn off the talking points of others, and just research facts.

As a result, I have found that I am less interested in individual issues and more interested in political strategy as a whole.  It’s all a big game and it fascinates me. 

How big of a game do I think it is?

Well, back in 2008, I created a Political Primaries Fantasy League, where every player had to pick a Republican and Democratic candidate for each state… and players earned points equal to the percentage of votes the candidates they picked earned in those states.  (You didn’t have to pick the same candidate for all states; you could pick whoever you wanted for each individual state.) 

Now, some of you are probably drooling with boredom already, but I have to admit.  This fantasy league ended up being a lot of fun and it really forced players to research candidates from both parties AND understand what was important to different states… it forced player to step out of their comfort zone a little bit. 

In addition, the game really got us talking about strategy.  There were a lot of heavy hitters from both parties that lost their footing early in the primary process… which begged the question, “What did they do wrong?”

So, yeah… I have a pretty bizarre love affair with political strategy.  Coupled with my background in Theatre, I sometimes wonder if I would have been better suited as a campaign manager.

Sure, I have some platform issues that I personally find important, but for the most part I am pretty middle of the road, flexible, and I have a very eclectic voting record… but that certainly has its draw backs as well.

When you are sitting in the middle you tend to forget how passionate many people can be about “their” side.  And, even during simple conversations that passion can lead to a lot of very negative unnecessary mudslinging and very derogatory comments about the people they don’t agree with… and most of it has very little to do with fact and everything to do with personal nastiness.  

Sure, I enjoy poking fun at politicians when they say or do something silly… but I just don’t see how being nasty is productive or how it benefits ANY part of our country political dialogue.

Anyway, when a conversation gets to that dark place, folks put their defenses up and it’s pretty much impossible to say anything that isn’t taken personal… and well… the ability to have a logical conversation disappears.  
  
And that’s what I hate about politics.

Day 1032: FTD Flowers is a Scam!

As Mother’s Day approached Serena and I thought it would be nice to send flowers to our moms.  We haven’t been around for Mother’s Day for quite a few years now and wanted to do something a little more special than just a skype call.

So, Serena started looking at FTD Flowers (www.ftd.com)... Which is VERY expensive and their cheapest set was like $25, plus delivery.  And if you’ve ever had flowers delivered you’ll know that delivery fees are not cheap… it was pretty much the same price as the bouquet!

Anyway, Serena remembered something!  “A few months ago I sent flowers to my Grandma for her birthday and as a ‘thank you’ FTD emailed me a coupon for 15% off my next purchase!”

Me:  “Sweet!  Let’s do it!”

Serena pulled up her account, found the email, clicked on the special link provide to claim her deal, and then Serena said, “What the heck?  This can’t be right.”

Me:  (Looking over her shoulder) “What is it?”

Serena: “Look at the prices.”

Serena had pulled up the same $25.00 bouquet of flowers… but now, the base price was $30.00 with a huge red ‘X’ through it and in large red writing it said, “ONLY $25.00!!!”

I couldn’t believe it.  Serena even pulled the two windows up next to each other… I really wish I had screen shots to show you.  But trust me.  FTD’s ‘special’ 15% off was totally a scam.  And I am sure many other companies are doing it too. 

Personally, I think lying to customers in an attempt to secure our loyalties is unconscionable.

Anyway, the moral of the story is that.  SchutzHappens DOES NOT endorse FTD.com.

Day 1024: Godzilla, the Musical

(Do you know of a fun video, website, or picture?  Send me a link: schutzhappens@gmail.com)

Day 1010: Charlie Sheen Halloween Costume

(Do you know of a fun video, website, or picture?  Send me a link: schutzhappens@gmail.com)

Day 1002: A (very) Rough Summary of the X-Files Formula

(Do you know of a fun video, website, or picture?  Send me a link: schutzhappens@gmail.com)

Day 990: Favorite iPod Apps

Honestly, I have no idea how many people read SchutzHappens on a regular basis, but I imagine the random visitor stumbling across the site doesn’t know what to make of all this.  Well… to that random visitor I say, “Welcome… enjoy the randomness.”

Anyway, a few days ago I posted about my new carpet shopping obsession… and of course… due to the total randomness of my drivel… the take away for reader Smallbits had nothing to do with antique carpets, and everything to do with my iPod Touch… most importantly the app loaded on my iPod Touch. 

Well, here it goes.

TODO (by Appigo) – http://www.appigo.com/todo - I am a total organizational FREAK!  I’ll be the first to admit that I’m obsessive compulsive and anal retentive about my to-do lists.  I spent a LOT of time researching the various to-do list apps before purchasing TODO… for almost $20.  Honestly, the price totally freaked me out and there wasn’t a Lite version at the time… but I took a leap of faith and I LOVE the end result (plus all of my updates for the last three years have been free!!!).   I can create multiple lists (I have one for home, work, random ideas… SchutzHappens…Christmas… whatever), I can create normal tasks, multistep projects, checklist… you name it.  I have my entire life organized on TODO.  (Also worth noting:  for $20 a year, TODO can sync with a website allowing you access to your lists when working in an environment where you can’t have your iPod… which REALLY comes in handy sometimes).

iFlipr (www.iflipr.com, website was working when I just checked it) – iFlipr is a flashcard program, which is awesome when studying a Foreign Language on the go!

Congress – I’m pretty sure I got this app for cheap and as a novelty.  But it is one of the BEST reference apps I own.  When you work in an environment like mine, where you find out some random congressman is coming to town and everyone in the room say, “Where is this guy from?”  With the Congress app, I’m able to access information on each and every congressman.  A basic biography, their office contact information, campaign information, information on their districts (for House members) and in most cases I can even access what committees the sit on.  I’m even able to access a congressman’s religion… which comes in handy when planning events.  Especially when the congressman is part of a Church that traditional frowns on drinking.  No need to give a congressman who doesn’t drink a bottle of wine.  I can’t remember how much this app was initially, but it’s only $.99 to upgrade every two years with the new congress lists!

Other great reference apps: USA Manual, Presidents, Monarchy, World Facts, WorldWiki, Festivals (a interactive list of all major religious holidays).

Little Chef – This little app converts every possible Standard and Metric cooking measurement, but ONLY cooking measurements.  I would love to find a conversion app that would handle everything.  So, let me know if there’s a better one.

Shape-Up – This app goes back to my anal retentive side.  Shape-Up is an all-in-one calorie counter AND exercise log.  What I really love about this app is how the eating and exercise sections work together.  On days you workout, you should eat more calories than on days you don’t workout… and this app does all the math for you.  When you exercise (burn calories), Shape-Up will automatically adjust your allowed number of calories for the day, giving you more fuel.  (Confession… I don’t use this app as much as I should… but don’t worry… I’m getting plenty of fuel.)

Shakespeare – Listen… what kind of theatre scholar would I be if I didn’t carry the Complete works of William Shakespeare with me where ever I go.

Angry Birds & Fruit Ninja – Seriously… these are the best two games available… and all work and no play makes JP a dull boy.

Lightsaber – This is Grayson’s favorite app… and frankly… I don’t mind packing a little Jedi heat.

Day 980: Scrubs and What’s Happening!!

So… with my copious amounts of free time between getting home from work and bedtime, all of about an hour or two each day, I’ve been SLOWLY working my way through the show ‘Scrubs’.

Have you ever watched this show?  For some reason I never got into it during its first run and I’ve been ridiculed by countless friends who consider it one of the best Sitcoms of the 2000s.  Well… now that I’ve FINALLY watched the first season and now working my way through the second, I have to agree with my friends.  It’s really great.

From a theatrical standpoint, I love how the show is narrated from the perspective of J.D. (Zack Braff), which leans itself to both hilarious absurdism and heartfelt realism… the two, sometimes playing hand in hand surprising the audience… at least surprising me.  Sometimes there will be a really nice tender moment between the characters and I’ll be waiting for the joke… the “Just kidding, this was just a dream sequence,” but then, nothing will happen.  The writers will just let the tender moment play out for real which makes it even more powerful.

Good show.

Now, of course, my sense of humor TOTALLY lends itself to the adsurbism.  My favorite reoccurring bits are how Jimmie Walker from ‘Good Times!’ always appears in J.D.’s daydreams AND how the hospitals lawyer is in a barbershop quartet that only performs TV theme song (which somehow accent the episodes theme perfectly).

But you know?  Seeing Jimmie Walker got me thinking.  Whatever happened to Rerun from ‘What’s Happening!!’?  I LOVED Rerun! 

Well… unfortunately, he passed away back in 2003.  We’ll miss you buddy!  Keep on dancing!

Day 979: You know?

I don’t know if you’re anything like me.  I hope you’re not for your own sake, my brain is a scary place and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone…

But, you know?

Have you ever woken up one morning thinking, “Huh?  I wonder… whatever happened to Jonathan Lipnicki?”

It’s just me isn’t it?… my own personal little nightmare.

Day 978: Mountain Dewplomacy

Okay, I’m going to come clean here.  


I have a problem with caffeine.  But it’s under control… sure I’ll drink a couple cups of coffee in the morning, but my Mountain Dew intake is WAY down.   These days, I may have one a couple times a week with lunch, if that.  And if you talk to my old boss, Nelah, from Cobb County, back when I could polish of a 12 pack in a single work day, she’d say I’ve come a long way.


Honestly, living in Belgrade helped me kick the Mountain Dew habit because as a whole, Europeans don’t like it.  Seriously, I have NEVER seen Mountain Dew on the local market in a European country.  And upon arriving in Belgrade, Aleksandar, the commissary manager of fifteen years, was not prepared for the Dew Monsters cycling in to post.


You see, according to Aleksandar, he would buy a couple cases of Mountain Dew each year just to have a little extra variety in his drink coolers and on the shelves.  And for fifteen year he had never sold all of it by the end of that year.  


That is until my alien belly and his friends rolled up in town.  


Apparently, in the winter of 2008, five Mountain Dew drinkers rolled into Belgrade at the same time, taking Aleksandar completely by surprise.  


In less than two weeks, all of the Mountain Dew in Serbia was gone.


Sure, Aleksandar would always order more, but his quarterly shipments from Ramstein never seemed to keep up with demand… and since it wasn’t available on the local market… you simply learn to live without.


That is… until Qatar.


On my way to Islamabad I had a five hour layover in Doha, Qatar, which is actually a very nice little airport with free Wi-Fi, a GREAT cafeteria and a REALLY GREAT dinner special.  For around five bucks, I ended up with a plate full of rice, lamb stew, chickpeas, and samosas… plus a drink.  Guess what I had?


That’s right.  My old friend Mountain Dew was there to greet me on my travels.  It was a special moment for us as we enjoyed that meal together.  But there was something really amazing about that meal… something about it was just perfect… and I couldn’t quite place it… and that’s when my glass of Mountain Dew looked up at me and said, “It’s because I have real sugar… no high fructose corn syrup.”





Me: Seriously?


M Dew:  Of course I’m serious, would I lie to you?


Me:  No, no you wouldn’t!


M Dew:  And saddle up good buddy.  The good folks over here, in this part of the world, love me just as much as you do!  I’ll be waiting for you when you get off the plane in Islamabad, too.


Me:  Oh, Mountain Dew, you’re my best friend!


Yep… this is pretty much how I remember the conversation going… I should probably also tell you that I hadn’t slept for about 24 hours at that point… so… yeah.


But even if I was mildly delusional at the time, Mountain Dew was right!  He was waiting for me in Islamabad!  It’s a very popular beverage over here.  


Despite all of our differences, Mountain Dew is really something that we all have in common… and can possibly build from! 


I call it, Mountain Dewplomacy.


BTW:  We’ll just leave out the fact that Mountain Dew was originally intended to be a Whiskey chaser, okay?  We don’t need to bring that up… because… you know… some folks don’t dig the moonshine.

Day 973: Burger King Kid Meal Prices

Every once and a while I get an idea for something I want to share, but don’t have time to write.  So, I simply make a note in my iPod and put it in my SchutzHappens queue.  Well… today my queue told me it was time to write about a Burger King on I-26 somewhere between Charleston, SC and I-85… that I visited last July… and had issues with the Kids Meal pricings… and the appropriateness of their Kids Meal toys.

Now… I may have written about this before, if so, please forgive me… but I’m actually a fan of the Kids Meal Toy bans in California and I totally understand where this legislation is going from. 

Grayson could care less about the food that comes in his Kids Meal… it could be a cheeseburger with French fries or a tofu lettuce wrap with apple slices, it doesn’t matter as long as he gets his toy. 

So yeah… companies like McDonalds and Burger King are paid TONS of money to market movies and various brands to our kids.  At the very least they should be able to fill our Kids Meals with healthier food at reasonable prices. 

Frankly, I think it’s sad that a local government felt it necessary to intervene with regulations, but hey, we’re talking about kids here.  I think it’s admirable to stand up and say, “hey, if you can’t make things healthier, than you can’t use our kids as marketing pawns.”

But don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to poo-poo McDonalds.  One of the major counter arguments against this regulation is the availability of alternative healthier options, and I actually think McDonalds does a better job than most Fast Food chains in this category… and most importantly, McDonalds doesn’t seem to trying and charge you more for choosing the apple slices, milk, or 100% fruit juice… plus, McDonalds marketing/toys are always age appropriate and in England they even had this really cool deal worked out with a popular bookstore.  The Happy Meal boxes had coupons on them so you could buy a real, honest to goodness, children’s book for 1 Pound (roughly $1.50), now, the book ,of course, was tied into the overall Happy Meal theme, but I still thought it was a great cross marketing (and educational) platform.

So, yeah…  now let’s loop back to the I-26 Burger King.  They certainly had healthy options to choose from, way more than McDonalds… however each substitution had its own unique added cost.  Want a milk?  That will be 38 cents extra, but if you want 100% Fruit Juice it will be more like 75 cents.  Apple Slices?  45 cents. 

I remember there being this really ridiculous board listing all of their healthier alternatives for kids and all the substitution costs.  For me, it was a complete turn off and again… by charging extra you’re not encouraging healthier eating habits.  For many families eating health at that Burger King would have been cost prohibitive.

Furthermore, that Burger King was pedaling toys inspired by the movie ‘Twilight’… a PG-13 MOVIE!  In a kids meal!  Seriously?  You’re going to pedal a PG-13 movie to my 5 year-old and charge me extra for healthier food options? 

Burger King, you should be ashamed of yourself.   

Day 956: ‘Quijbe’ Sold Me My Last eBay Purchase Ever

So, yesterday I shared why I stopped selling things on eBay… and today I’m going to tell you why I no longer plan to purchase things on eBay.

Despite the issues I had as an eBay DVD reseller… I still thought eBay was a wonderful place to find a deal if you are looking for a specific items, know what that item is actually worth… and you’re patient.

So, last October when Grayson wrote Santa asking for the Star Wars Millennium Falcon for Christmas, being the good Santa I am, I set off on a quest to get it for him.

First, I discovered that the MF which is combatable with action figures hadn’t been reissued since 1995… and on Amazon, the ‘Star Wars Power of the Force Electronic Millennium Falcon’ featuring 4 authentic Star Wars sound effect buttons was retailing (new sealed in box) for $165.00… which was way too expensive… especially since our budget for Grayson was only $150.00.  So, instead of throw in the towel I started monitoring eBay.

 

It didn’t take long to realize that we were going to get a much better deal there.  There were lots of options and the pricings were quite clear:  ‘New, Sealed in Box’ seemed to be going for $100 to $130, ‘Used, Good Condition’ was going for $50 to $75, and ‘Used, Missing Pieces’ was going for around $35.00.

 

Now, I wasn’t opposed to getting Grayson a ‘Used, Good Condition’ toy… but since Serena and I intended the MF to be his big Santa gift this past year we opted to focus on the ‘New, Sealed in Box’ auctions for a while, in hopes to grab one at the low end of the price range.

 

And well… we did.  I found a 3-day auction featuring a ‘Brand New’ Star Wars Power of the Force Electronic Millennium Falcon.  The seller, Quijbe, clearly stated in his auction that the item had been in his attic, sealed in the box, since purchasing it over ten years ago… and that he had only just opened it to make sure the electronics still worked for the purpose of the auction.    Again, he claimed the items had never been used and was in mint condition with working sound effects.

When it looked like the auction might end up in our price range I even emailed Quijbe, letting him know that I’m serving overseas and asked if he would be willing to ship to an APO address.  Quijbe quickly replied saying he would.

So… I bid on the item and won it for $103.00 (including shipping). 

Now, keep in mind, I purchased this item while in Islamabad… and I had it shipped to Belgrade.  So, I wasn’t able to inspect the contents of the box until Christmas Eve, two months later.

I was heartbroken… and angry… I had been ripped off.

Now… the item in question was in fact a genuine Star Wars Power of the Force Electronic Millennium Falcon… however, it was far from ‘Brand New’… and judging by the amount of dust that was inside the box, the idea of it being ‘sealed’ while stored in Quijbe’s attic for the last ten years is highly unlikely. 

The most telling sign of the items age were the decals that had already been adhered to the toy.  I don’t know about you… but if I’m going to open a 10+ year old toy just to check to see if the electronics are still working so I can auction it off… I’m probably not going to adhere the decals.  Furthermore, about a third of the stickers were dried out and peeling off due to age… another sign that things weren’t as Quijbe claimed.

Beyond the stickers, I found that a number of the moving parts on the MF no longer worked properly due to wear.  The retractable legs designed to support the weight of the toy could no longer do so… I had to superglue a number of other parts in place because they were so worn they no longer stayed attached.

And the biggest insult came when I tried to test the electronic sound effects.  They didn’t work.

To say I was angry was an understatement.  But, it was also Christmas Eve and I knew Grayson was going to love it anyway… and as I said before, I have no problem getting Grayson a used toy, but when I buy I used toy I expect to be charged accordingly.  I was ripped off.  And the seller, Quijbe, knew it… there was no way he couldn’t have known.

Serena made me promise not to contact the seller until after Christmas weekend… she didn’t want me having an email battle with some jerk over Christmas… and I agreed and waited until Monday.

By Monday, I had a much cooler head and I wrote an email to Quijbe that I felt was clear, regarding my disappointment, while maintain a somewhat friendly tone.  You attract more flies with honey, right? 

Anyway, I outlined the misinformation in his auction listing, compared the item to more appropriate ‘Used, Good Condition’ auctions, and requested a $50 refund… without really having any expectations of getting one.

Well… as you can probably guess, Quijbe never returned my emails.  He didn’t need to respond.    You see, eBay limits the amount of time a buyer has, from the start of a transaction, to leave feedback for a seller.  Since two months passed from the time I purchased the item to the time I actually inspected it… I could no longer leave feedback regarding my involvement with the sale.

So… as far as this transaction goes… I’m the one who can go jump in a lake.

That said, you might have noticed that I’ve been using Quijbe’s eBay user name quite a bit in the post.  Well… here is the deal.  At some point Quijbe’s vanity is going to take over and he’ll probably Google himself… and I want this post to be his number one search result.  And the same goes for anyone doing a background check on him.

Quijbe, if you’re reading this, I’d like to invite you to read some of my other posts… in doing so, you’ll see that I’m not the kind of guy who flames people publically for no reason… you’re just going to find a guy who loves his family and tries his best to see the best in people, even when it’s hard.    I’m sure you’re a nice enough guy in real life, but for some reason, cloaked in the anonymity of the internet you thought it was okay to rip me off.  That’s not cool man.  Not cool at all. 

At the very least an apology is in order… and I wouldn’t turn down 50 bucks either.