Hey Sailor

I went out swing dancing last week at the club down the street, and one of the regulars there is a war vet named Saul. He is the rare person who will actually attempt intelligent conversation during a dance, so in between spins and swingouts, we were chatting about his service ("Navy. I was a flyer.") and about other places he goes to dance during the week.

He said, "I went down to Alpine Village on Monday night, and suddenly remembered why I stopped going there ten years ago. Too many old people!"

Did I mention when Saul served? He's an octogenarian WWII vet.

These Are the People in Your Neighborhood

Or maybe just in my neighborhood. I see this tree every morning when I walk the beastie. Around it, there is wrapped what appears to be a homemade swing, the bottom of which has been artfully and pragmatically rendered in Sharpie:

Memorial Day

Of course I hope you have a good holiday weekend. But I also hope that, in between the road trips and the barbecues and the beach volleyball, you would take some time to remember why we observe Memorial Day.

My thoughts at the moment are occupied by the most recent "high-profile casualty" in this war -- a young soldier from Torrance, California who was found just yesterday in the Euphrates River, after having been abducted and killed. Torrance is near where I live. I've never met him, but tonight his family is grieving a mere few miles from me, and it is all I can do to pray for their comfort and to honor his sacrifice.

Please do the same.

Please be mindful of what you are able to do this weekend and why you are able to do it.

Please read this Blackfive post, and while you're at it, this one, too. I promise, they are worth your time. There are men out there now, and men throughout history, who have deemed your freedom worth their time, even unto the end of their earthly time.

"Is He Still There?"

Help Me, Amy-Wan Kenobi....

A Candidate for "Pimp My Ride"

Interview With a Wampa

Who Says Nerdy Guys Can't Hang Out with Models?

Too Bad Her Name's Amy

Because "ChewBECCA" would have been a great title for this one.

When 30 Years Old You Reach, Look as Good, You Will Not

Forgive the "landscape" view in lieu of "portrait" -- this is a Blogger bug that has yet to be addressed. Just tilt your head & enjoy.

Anyway, this exhibit full of props, puppets, models and costumes came about as part of the hoopla surrounding the 30th anniversary of Star Wars (the REAL Star Wars, not The Wretched Abomination of Which We Shall No Longer Speak). As the person who once received and read all the incoming resumes and cover letters from potential model makers at New Deal Studios (the best VFX house in Southern California), I can attest to the influence this franchise has had on American culture, the art of film, and guys who were born in the 1970's.

That's a solemn dating credo around here, by the way: "No one born after Star Wars."

Fine, Okay? We're Nerds

One week ago, in a galaxy about 17 miles away, the roomie and I owned up to our collective inner geek and jumped in her freeway-speeder to see the "Star Wars: The Art and Science of Imagination" exhibit at the California Science Center.

We promptly owned up to our collective OUTER geek, as you will see in a series of photos I'll post over the next few days.

I'll begin with this one, though, which will hopefully keep things in perspective for you: WE WERE NOT WEARING COSTUMES. This guy was roaming from car to car as we were waiting in line to pay for parking.

Sure hope he worked for the museum.

Stretching My Lexicon

CRIMINALLY UNDERUSED WORDS

Brobdingnagian
Churlish
Festooned
Widdershins

Profundity

Much of my life of late has been devoted to the canine world, since the arrival of Truman. But as these quotes from "Understanding & Teaching Self Control" by Suzanne Clothier (from Flying Dog Press) illustrate, it's not necessarily just about the dog. Humans, take note:

"Compared to IQ, which some psychologists and educators feel is a relatively unchangeable quality, there is substantial evidence that emotional skills, such as self control, can be learned. The findings of this study highlight the importance of self control as a 'meta-ability' -- one that sits above and affects how poorly or well the other mental skills can be used."

Hmm. Sounds mighty familiar.

"Obedience training is useful, as is any education, when it is built on a foundation of self control. No matter how well educated or intelligent a person might be, if they have no behavioral option but to react to every comment or action or event in their lives, they will lead strange and disturbing existences that do not reflect their 'training.' Likewise, a 'trained' dog is not trained until he has learned self control."

Anyone else out there feeling convicted?

Three Words, People:

World. Beard. Championships.

There is nothing I can offer you that is better than that link. Except, maybe, their blog. Not tempted? Here's an excerpt:

Now meet Hans Langstreth from Norway. According to Guinness, the late Hans sported the world's longest beard. In fact, Longstreth's beard is or was on display at the Smithsonian, the same as the Hope Diamond and the Spirit of St. Louis.

Where is Jenny?

Over here, in puppyville. You people with kids...I don't know how you do it.

I'm Not Just Ignoring You

On a personal note, someone -- maybe you? -- called my home number and left a message for me yesterday (Thursday, March 1). Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties with our phone line, probably resulting from a combination of ridiculous winds and the phone line's general state of everyday crappiness, all I heard on the answering machine was a bunch of static. Didn't get a name, a number, or even two seconds of voice to provide me with an opportunity to play guess-who.

My outgoing calls are also affected by this, so until the fine people at the phone company come out, I won't be using my home phone. Call me on my cell if you need to reach me this weekend, and for the love of all that is holy, please tell me if you were the person who left yesterday's message. For all I know, it might have been important....

Jeepers! It's an Air Raid!

Attention swing dancers, jazz musicians, conspiracy theorists, and WWII/military/Los Angeles history buffs: this Saturday is the "Great Los Angeles Air Raid of 1942" at the Fort MacArthur Museum in San Pedro!

This annual event, which commemorates a controversial night in the early days of WWII when thousands of Southern Californians thought the coast was under attack (from Japanese bombers? weather balloons? space aliens?), promises to "recreate the atmosphere of a 1942 social evening out, interrupted by the reality of war."

Participants are encouraged, but not required of course, to bring their dancing shoes (I'll have mine!). And maybe some earplugs... because in addition to the sounds of the live band playing under the stars, there "may be some loud noises" during the course of the evening's re-enactment.

How cool is that?!?

Technical Difficulties

This week I switched to the new-and-allegedly-improved Blogger, mainly because I had no choice. I had logged in to post on my other blog about the graduation of Guide Dog Lomax, only to discover a friendly "You must switch right now; it'll only take a few minutes and everything will be just like you like it, only BETTER! (smiley-face smiley-face)" message.

So I did. Then I went to log back in, and all of my blogs were MIA. For a few days.

There was of course much cursing, and much eyeball-rolling and forehead massaging at the inadequate and labyrinthine "help" section, whose "known issues" FAQ was not remotely helpful in answering my own particular known issue. Somehow, inexplicably, the blogs returned from their magical hiatus a few days later (long before I received an unhelpful e-mail reply from the Blogger Duh Squad) and now all is basically back to normal. As far as I know, that is.

I'm assuming that since I couldn't even find the blogs, you might not have been able to find them either. Or maybe you couldn't comment on them. Or maybe your hair caught fire when you thought too hard about them (Blogger is part of the All-Powerful Grand and Glorious Google Empire, so I don't know what they're capable of these days).

In any case, I'm still here, and I apologize for any inconvenience or hair-fires those glitchy few days may have caused.

Just in Case

I've been yakking it up on my other blog that Lomax, the puppy I raised for Guide Dogs of America, is graduating tomorrow. I will be seeing him for the first time in six months, and possibly the last time ever, tomorrow morning. Another privilege: I get to meet his new partner, a woman named Barbara. Someone asked me the other day what I would do if I didn't like her.

I said, "My roommate and I will assemble a crack team of professionals and go in for an extraction."

Don't think we won't do it. We know people.

Rolling Victory Fast

Those of you who know me personally -- or those of you who have looked at my sidebar full of links to military blogs I regularly read -- know that I am passionate about supporting U.S. troops, especially those who are currently deployed in service around the globe.

One of my favorite daily reads is Tanker Brothers. Last July, these guys instituted the "Rolling Victory Fast" in response to the "Rolling Fast" hunger strike called by anti-war activists.

I am participating today for the first time.

Knowing that I have many friends, family members and readers here who do not share either my religious beliefs or political views, I wish to first assure you I mean no offense to anyone, and I do not intend to start controversy or heated discussion. This blog has always been more of a personal Web journal than a forum for debate, so if you choose to comment on this post, please be respectful, regardless of your position.

Knowing also the words of God in Matthew chapter 6 of the Bible, in which believers are admonished not to "practice [their] righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them" (as fasting and prayer are spiritual disciplines), I agonized over whether or not to even post about this. In the end, I decided to post in order to show support for the Tanker Brothers' and other RVF members' efforts, to bring it to your attention in case you'd like to join the fast, and to remind my fellow Christian readers and bloggers that it is our responsibility to pray for our government (including our military) on a regular basis, however we choose to align ourselves politically. We are privileged in this country to be able to worship freely and to speak our minds in public fearlessly; let us remember why we are so privileged.

For my first RVF day, I'd like to dedicate my fast to all the military chaplains who care for the hearts and souls of our deployed men and women. War is not just physical -- today I'll be praying for the mental, emotional and spiritual needs of our deployed soldiers, and for God to encourage, equip, refresh and sustain the chaplains and their charges.

In the spirit of today's dedication, I'd also like to point you to another favorite milblog, The Online Chaplain. Deployed to Iraq, with a recently extended tour of duty and a loving family awaiting his return, he could use your prayers as well.