Platypi Muse

Fantastic Trailer

2008-07-03T08:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, Youtube reposts are kinda lame. But I LOVED this trailer for the new Hellboy movie.

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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

Massively Multi-Tasking Offline Real Playing Game

2008-06-28T06:19:00.000-07:00

Well, it's indeed been a while. I can't apologize for that, as our band has been very busy the last couple months and I'm pretty happy about it. Adding a Beach Boys tribute to our repertoire, while not being the most exciting idea to me at first, has opened us up to a whole new group of paying customers. Throw in a little Jan & Dean, Ventures, Surfaris and Jimmy Buffet and we are THE band for your beach themed party.
It's payed well enough, that I got GAS (that's Gear Acquisition Syndrome, a serious medical disorder). I acquired a red Fender American Deluxe Strat with a flamed maple top. It has single coils in all positions and sound more "era appropriate" and "surfy" than my hot rodded, humbucker equipped MIM Black Strat (which may still be the more "fun" of the two guitars).
Then after weeks of agonizing and calling or talking to almost every guitarist I knew and playing through at least 20 All Tube and Hybrid amps, I went for the All Tube, 50 Watt Peavy Valve King 112. Now, I know. I've cracked many a Peavy joke over the years, mostly about their (still) ugly logo and their Bomb Shelter like construction. But I've also owned a Peavey or two, and I was comfortable with the brand (unlike the 3 or 4 Crate amps I looked at).
It was a process. I decided fairly quickly a Hybrid wasn't going to get it for me. I was looking to replace a Fender Twin Reverb I'd been borrowing. And with the new Strat being much quieter than the older one, I decided I probably needed 50 watts over the 30 watt amps I'd been looking at. At that point, it came down to bang for the buck. And the Peavey was channel switching, had reverb, and had a control to dial out one of the power tubes for a pseudo Class A circuit (which is quieter for smaller gigs). That and I turned it pretty much all the way up at Sam Ash and the clean channel stayed clean. Pretty impressive.
So, as I write this, I have another gig tonight in Diamond Bar. So, i better get going. Hope you are all doing well.
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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

Another Blog?

2008-04-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

I know, your saying "You gotta be freakin' kidding me, you hardly write for THIS blog." I know, and I'm not sure how it'll go. But, I eat out a lot. Too much really, but that's another issue. I eat out a lot, and sometimes it's great, and sometimes it's crap. I've often wanted to have a way to let people know what I was experiencing, to praise the good, and offer some criticism for the bad.
So, I've started "Eating I.E.", a place where I can offer up an informal review of the places I've been. If you aren't local, I don't know that it has anything to offer you, save you can see just how often I eat out. But I thought I'd announce it, since I've eaten out three times since last Thursday. This is no competition for West's great Caddywampus Cafe where West manages to cook for himself (and the family).
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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

I wish I would have thought of it.

2008-03-30T21:44:00.000-07:00

Freakin' Awesome!!!!
Link To Orginal
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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

Bleh.

2008-03-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

So, I'm sick. Grandma has the baby. I should have lots of time to blog. But no. I'm feeling like death. I don't want to. But... now I have become sick of my bed. I need to DO something.

So, what's going on? I'll tell you what I just heard that makes me excited. There is a rumor going around that iTunes is going to introduce a subscription plan. All you can eat for something like 20 bucks a month.
Now, I can't say that I have always been so poor I could never buy music. But, I was always spending my cash on surfboards, strings, canvas, and other things that made it hard to keep up with my music purchases. In addition, having to buy the Metallica catalog 3 or 4 times, and still not have it today made acquiring new music problematic.
Well, my tastes have changed over the years, and there are literally stacks of music I'd love to have.
I fell in love with the music of Africa, from guys like Ayub Ogada and Papa Wemba. But I can't drop 12 bucks a CD for all of the stuff I want right now. But, if this rumor is true, I will literally fill an iPod with world music. And a lot of singular hits from bands whos cds I never bought. The Foo-Fighters "Everlong" comes to mind, a song I will probably play a dozen, maybe 20 times times and never listen to again. I'm like that. Certain songs are like stuffing a candybar in your face. It's great tasting, but after a while all that sugar makes you sick.
Now, this wouldn't be the first service to go "all you can eat", but I just happen to LIKE iTunes, and my iPod. I don't want a Zune, or a Sansa or a Nomad. Just give me a subscription service that works with my iPod, and I'll be happy.

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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

A functional music model

2008-03-12T14:46:00.000-07:00

I typed up a bit about the Crossroads concert I watched the other day. Well, I didn't pay for that, obviously. It was free, I tivoed it, and I skipped all the PBS pledgedrive stuff. In a way, it was as if I downloaded it off the bit torrent. So, what's my point?
John Mayer. I never listened to the guy before. he performed "Gravity", a song that surely must be a hit for him, because it has a great hook. I instantly went to his site, where I listened to most of the album, again for free. I loved it. So much so that I fired up iTunes and bought the special edition of "Continuum" with bonus live tracks. I never would have done this if I had not been exposed to most of the album for free. The RIAA needs to forget about theives. They will always find a way to steal. The industry needs to focus on exposing people like me to music they will gladly buy if given the chance. That is, they need to provide a good product, then let me check it out. I have an iPod. I don't listen to the radio any more. But if my buddy could have sent me "Gravity" to listen to, I would have bought John Mayer a long time ago. File sharing is not the enemy.
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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

An old flame...

2008-03-11T07:45:00.000-07:00

I DVRed Eric Clapton's Cross Roads Chicago concert on "Great Performances". So far, I've watched Sonny Landreth burn the place down, A very tasteful Robert Cray and now am watching a Texas favorite Jimmie Lee Vaughn with blues legend Hubert Sumlin. BB King is walking to the stage.
Why isn't there more stuff like this on tv?

Ok, not every note is perfect. And when I'm practicing, I can do a lot of this stuff. But there is something transcendent about a guy like BB bending the the hell out of a note. Something greater than the sum of a good guitar and a good amp on a good day. And there is something life affirming about watching people, musicians, of different colors and creeds blending so easily, so effortlessly.

What I like so much about American music like Blues, Jazz, and Country (although slightly less so these days) is that it is so profoundly respectful and mindful of it's own heritage. I'm pretty sure guys like Vaughn, Robert Cray, and certainly Jeff Beck and Derek Trucks could tear BB a new one any day, and twice on sunday. But, there is a very open acknowledgment that the only reason they can do that is the hours spent listening to and learning BB's licks early on. So, there is always respect for the likes of a BB, a Robert Johnson, a John Lee Hooker. By contrast, who has ever heard Yngwie give props to ANYONE?

Well, it's getting hard to type and watch, so I'm gonna go spend some time with the blues.

:::EDIT::: OMG!!!! Albert Lee!!!!!!!!
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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

Sayin' Hi (and a dumb product name)

2008-02-29T11:50:00.000-08:00

I know, I have been gone a while. Real life has taken over. We've been getting the band ready for our first real gig since a major personnel shake up. First Katie, then I and then Ann got sick. I've been working on some art work and shooting photos. (when I had the time and health).
So, I just watched a commercial for a new acid reflux product. I have acid reflux, so I watched the whole thing. And something I have always felt turns out to be true.

I firmly believe that when you are about to take a product to market you must, and I mean MUST consult a 13 year old boy (or me) to make sure your product name does not have any unintended interpretations.

AciPhex. What the HELL were they thinking?!?!?! If you don't see the problem, it's better that way.
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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

Eddie Van Halen Shreds!!!!

2008-01-07T23:00:00.000-08:00

This guy, St. Sanders, has edited several excellent concert videos, my favorite by far being the Iron Maiden Shreds video, but for most of my audience here, the Eddie footage will be the best. Here is Eddie playing as you've never seen him before! Thanks to Sean Johnson for hooking me up.

Less 5150, more 10-51. If you know what I mean.
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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

Pure Evil, NSFW, you been warned

2008-01-03T09:14:00.000-08:00

This is evil. It's perverse. It is without merit. It is disturbing and wrong. I highly recommend you don't click this link. It's not safe for work. It's not something a Christian can condone. You have been warned.

...But, it's one of the funniest damn things I ever saw. "Why Daddy shouldn't buy baby clothes. You've really, really been warned.
Link.

I can't believe I started the New year with this.
....but I'm still laughing.
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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

My friend Flickr

2007-12-20T22:15:00.000-08:00

I've been shooting a lot the last few days and have something like 120 new images up on Flickr. My personal photostream can be found here. Platypibri's Photos. Riverside actually has it's moments where it is quite beautiful. I did a couple camera safaris to Fairmount Park and The Hidden Valley Wildlife Reserve which runs under and along Van Buren out towards Mira Loma. Here's a panoram I shot there.

If you get a chance to check them out, let me know.

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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

Tangle of Lights

2007-12-11T11:30:00.001-08:00

Before you get to trim the tree, you start with this. I think next year I will be a capitalist consumer pig and just buy all new lights. Still, it has it's own kind of beauty.
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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

Christmas time is here...

2007-12-05T20:32:00.000-08:00

"Christmas time is here
Happiness and cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of the year

Christmas time is here
We'll be drawing near
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year"
- Vince Guaraldi

Kevin over at Massivetruth has a good series of articles going on various Christmas traditions, specifically the tree, the ornaments, and candy canes. They're pretty good reads. While you are there, add it to your RSS reader of choice, as you don't want to miss "Fantastic Fridays".

And in the spirit of the writers strike, I'm offering up a couple re-runs.
First, last year I did a write up of "Secret Santa", the now late philanthropist Larry Stewart. He was the embodiment of the Christmas spirit for 20 years. His story moved me deeply, and I hope it continues to spread despite his passing.
And here is a run down of my favorite Christmas Songs. Just a note on #1. I am not suggesting Bing Crosby and Bob Seeger did a duet. I'm referring to to different recordings. And incidentally, I HATE David Bowie's singing over Bing on their Drummer boy/Peace on Earth "duet".

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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

Where have I been?

2007-11-30T23:06:00.000-08:00

I realize posting has been a bit slow lately. I've had a lot going on. Some of it I'm not ready to talk about. One thing that has sucked gigantic amounts of time, but not in a bad way, is that I've picked up a little portrait work for the holidays. The image pictured here is a respectable 17x25 inch portrait of the five grandchildren of a woman my wife works with. It's true what they say about art. You are never done, you simply run out of time. Over all, I'm pleased with how it turned out, still I see little things and think, If I had another week, I'd rub that out and do it again better.

Rubbing out is actually part of the process. Drawing, followed by vigorous erasing and sometimes even a bit of very fine grit sandpaper only improves the surface of a good quality paper. This one was a nice piece of Bristol Board, which I choose for it's brightness. You give up a bit of tooth for that slick white surface, but I find I much prefer it. ...like most of you care.
Anyway, I have two more to do, at a much more reasonable 8x10 inch size, and rumors abound of another large piece with 4 children. That one had better hurry up and decide if they want it by christmas.

This, coupled with editing a band video, updating a few websites, mashing out my christmas cards, and trying so very hard to get to the gym, all with the omnipresent infant daughter, has made getting a regular post out excruciating. I hope all 3 of you faithful readers had a great thanksgiving, and my sincerest prayers and good wishes for this Holiday Season. Let us remember in all the hustle and bustle that we celebrate because Jesus Christ came as a gift to us.

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

Kodak Z712 is

2007-11-24T07:07:00.000-08:00

I'm really falling in love with photography. I find myself wanting to shoot all the time. And I am fascinated by cameras and I'm always looking for the right one for me. I'm not to worried about the megapixel race, as I could easily do what I do with with a 4 or 5 MP camera. Thing is, from The Wild Animal Park and Sea World to Point Lobos and Monterey Bay, I tend to be far from what I am shooting. Black Friday let me get a little closer to being a serious shooter. Best Buy had the Kodak Z712is on sale for $168. It features a staggering 12x optical zoom. Bad time for me to buy, but such a good deal. So, I am unloading some gear as we speak to pay the bill. (Adding a 2 GB SD card and a 15 minute NiMH AA battery charger took it a little out of my budget) Thanks again to my wonderful wife for letting me be a little irresponsible (within reason). I've only had it for a day, but I really think I've finally found the camera I'll have for a few years. I've attached a few of my early experiments. I like the image quality.

	This is Chani, one of my cats. She gets into moods where she likes to be photographed, and today was one such day.
	This is, of course, my daughter Katie. If you don't know her by now you should read my Dad Blog.
	The night before a full moon and a 12x zoom got me pretty close to our closest celestial neighbor.

I love the night sky. Some day I'd love to shoot long exposures through a telescope to watch the distant stars come out. Anyway, I'll try not to bore you all too often with this kind of stuff (and I'm sure I won't be buying any more cameras anytime soon), but snapping pics is my current obsession. And isn't that what a blog is for?
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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

My New Photographer Hero

2007-11-15T16:45:00.000-08:00

I thought about putting this on the dad blog, but settled on here. I've been shooting a lot of pictures and trying to really get better at photography. I don't always have 10 or 12 hours to spend on a piece, but I am still interested in making images. So I've been checking out blogs and sites of photographers. I came across this guy on digg. Jan Von Holleben has some of the most creative photographs I've seen recently. I particularly like this set I'm linking to called "Dreams of Flying", but I encourage you to check out the whole site. It's good stuff. He's not a hero for technical reasons, like say, Scott Kelby, but he really has a unique way of looking at the world. I found it very inspiring.
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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

You're Pre-Disaproved #2

2007-11-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

More shreddin'. I'm serious about this carp.
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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

New Term: You're Pre-Dis-approved.

2007-10-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

I don't want yer stinkin' card!!!!
Common folks. Let's all make one.
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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

Justice League

2007-10-17T22:49:00.001-07:00

So, there is the persistent rumor of a Justice League movie in the works. Being the comic nerd I am, and having bought at least the last 10 years of JLA, I thought I'd try my hand at casting the film. I realize this is harder than it looks, but I like my choices. I also get to assemble my own JLA, which may or may not be the film roster. Blogger can't seem to format a table, which is like early 90's HTML, so bare with me.

	Clark Kent/Kal El/Superman -Tom Welling. Why Tom wasn't Superman in the feature film, I'll never know. He's ready to put on the cape.
	Bruce Wayne/Batman - Christian Bale. The Best Batman EVER!!! Don't mess with perfection.
	Princess Diana of the Amazons/Wonder Woman - Alicia Coppola. Under utilized, beautiful, and has the right physique. She looks like she can really fight.
	Wally West/The Flash - Jerry O'Connell. Super-heroic, yet casual and funny. Jerry has been a hero too, in the 80's "My Secret identity".
Who knows what Green Lantern Warner Bros. will put on the big screen? I pick one of each.
	Green Lantern/Kyle Rayner- Joe Flanigan. He just makes Stargate: Atlantis for me. The dark haired pretty boy/tough guy, Joe can do anguish, which is what makes Kyle tick.
	Green Lantern/John Stewart - Michael Dorn. John Stewart has a military background and tough exterior. Who better than the ultimate Klingon, Worf?
	Green Lantern/Hal Jordan - Eric Johnson. Currently starring as Flash Gordon on Sci/Fi. The lighter pretty boy/hot dog test pilot, Hal does not know fear. Cocky, even arrogant. Eric IS Hal.
	J'onn J'onzz/The Martian Manhunter - Christopher Judge. Yes, I am taking liberty with established ethnicity, but J'onn is a shape shifting Martian, green in his natural form. I think Chris played the benevolent alien to perfection as T'ealc on Stargate SG1.
	Shayera Hol/Hawk Girl - Lexa Doig. She played the embodiment of of the High Guard Battleship Andromeda Ascendant on Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda. Hawk Girl can be a little less imposing than Wonder Woman, as her power comes from her wings.
	"Eel" O'Brien/Plastic Man - Scott Cohen. Can do the hero thing, but can be very silly, as when he played The Wolf in the mini series "The 10th Kingdom". Silly is Plastic Man's thing. I'd also take Jim Carey, but he's a bit old for the rest of the cast.
	Professor Ray Palmer/The Atom- Kyle McLauglin. Ray Palmer prefers academia over super heroic daring-do. Kyle has aged a bit since "Dune" and can probably do the cranky professor.

Well, that's how I'd do it, anyway. Comments? Don't Care? Anyone?
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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

Oh happy happy, joy joy

2007-10-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

I, in all my cheapness, am spoiled rotten. For example, I have 3 iPods. Small, Medium, and Large. But, I've never bought one. They were all gifts. And my first one was old and used. So what? I loved it.

Anyway, I've been off line for a while, as Katie has learned to roll all over the floor, greatly increasing the amout of attention she requires. Also, I've had family in town, and unlike most, I actually love having my family in town. All this has kept me away from the desktop. So, what happened to the laptop? I sold it! For about 200 bucks. So, that plus some savings and a gift from my mom gets me this, my "new" 800 MHz G3 iBook from Powerbook Guy.com. I love it! Yes, it's not very fast compared to a Macbook, but it blows the doors off of the Toshiba I sold to get it. And, it's a Mac, so I can get some real work done on it. After I redirect Katie's roll, that is.

If I am bragging about anything in this post, it is that I got rid of the lametop and got a laptop I really like without taking any money out of family funds. Yeah, I'd have had to wait a few more weeks if mom had not stepped in, but all in all, I have and iBook, and I still keep my "Cheap Cred". So, theoritically, more posts to the blog, but we'll have to see what Katie says about that.

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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

Fat Platypus #1

2007-09-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

Well, this is it. I'm getting serious about weight loss. I'm putting it out there. I made a short video to jump start my efforts. In the video I mention a weekly report. I think bi-weekly is more likely. And, go ahead and laugh. I did. There's no turning back now.

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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

Chuck Norris Facts

2007-09-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

I need a laugh today. Here's some of my favorite Chuck Norris Facts.

There are no races, only countries of people Chuck Norris has beaten to different shades of black and blue.
When Chuck Norris was denied an Egg McMuffin at McDonald's because it was 10:35, he roundhouse kicked the store so hard it became a Wendy's.
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could Chuck Norris? ...All of it.
When an episode of Walker Texas Ranger was aired in France, the French surrendered to Chuck Norris just to be on the safe side.
In the beginning there was nothing...then Chuck Norris Roundhouse kicked that nothing in the face and said "Get a job". That is the story of the universe.
There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Chuck Norris lives in Oklahoma.
Chuck Norris doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.
Chuck Norris once kicked a horse in the chin. Its decendants are known today as Giraffes.

See tons more at Chuck Norris Facts.com.

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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

5 years today

2007-09-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

Six years ago today, following what at the time was the worst day of my life, I went out on a date. We had to take her car as I had just wrecked mine on the way to the laundromat. After a long night, we came across a girl who had just had a car accident. Ann used her cell phone to call a tow truck and used her Triple A card to have the girl towed home. I said "Boy, that's the girl for me. Better not screw this one up." So...

Five years ago today I was on the beach in San Clemente, California, marring the love of my life. Actually... at the moment I started this, 5 years ago today, I think I was pensively waiting at the door of the Men's Warehouse at Laguna Beach, because the incompetent jerks (sorry, I'm not over it yet) at the Men's Warehouse in Riverside neglected to put my bow tie, buttons and cufflinks in with my tuxedo.(I'm gonna like the way I look, indeed!)

The Laguna Guys were great, by the way, they opened 10 minutes early, inturrupting a staff meeting, and the guy didn't even have the door all the way open before he was asking "What's wrong" and "What can we do?" You can save my wedding day is what you can do! Which is what they promptly did. ...anyway, back to the beach.

Another great wedding story: We had our wedding on a public beach. Time was drawing near and I started clearing the space. So, in as tactful way as I could, I approached a group of 3 of three people and asked if they were willing to move off. "We are having a wedding here today" I said. "We know, were friends of the bride" they replied. Isn't that a wonderful way to start a marriage. Throwing your wife's friends out of your wedding.

Last bit of Norwood wedding trivia. I actually made a few bucks that day, playing my guitar on the board walk. See, I had my guitar with me and I was a bit nervous, so I opened it up and started to play. I threw a couple of bucks in the case for fun, and when I was done, I had a few dollars more. If only I had had a sign that said "Honeymoon Fund"!

I hope you enjoyed this look back at how I keep falling down the stairs and landing on my feet. Happy Anniversary Ann. I think the best is yet to come. I love you.

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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

Hail to the chief, he's the chief and he needs hailing...

2007-09-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

Not that this is a political blog or that I fancy myself a journalist in anyway, but I read with fascination this morning that Fred Thompson finally threw his hat in the ring as presidential contender. Famous (especially to me, I'm a big fan) as District Attorney Arthur Branch on Law and Order (which apparently runs in some form on some channel every second of everyday), Thompson is, among other things, an actor.

Now, it seems like every time there is a hotly debated political issue I over hear someone say "Why should I care what an Actor says about [BLANK]?" But we sure do seem to elect a lot of them, don't we? Ronald Regan was perhaps the most politically successful actor in history, but he's hardly alone. We, especially in California, love to elect entertainers. Why is that? Well, I have a few ideas.

1. The American political system is too boring for the average American Voter. Have you seen a presidential debate this year? I don't know about paint drying, but I know for a fact watching grass grow is more interesting, because at least the grass is producing life! Entertainers, in general, at least inject some personality into the political process. Hulk Hogan similarly announced his presidential bid on the Tonight Show a few years back, and despite the ridiculous idea of President Hulkster, the idea had credibility because not only had Minnesota elected a pro wrestler as Governor, but pro wrestlers happen to be athletic actors. Thank God it turned out to be a publicity stunt of the now defunct World Championship Wrestling league. Could you imagine "Hulkamainionomics" and a foreign policy that included dropping the heavy leg?

2. The American political system is too complex for the average American Voter. What in the Hell is the Electoral College, and, do they have a good football team? The idea that a candidate could lose the popular vote and still be president is either infuriating, confusing, or out right fiction to most Americans (despite the truth of it). And the fact that a president is often declared before the California vote is even counted has contributed to Norwood family electoral apathy for three generations now. How sad that when my little Katie, at 18, asks "Why should I vote, Dad?" My best case scenario answer is "If you don't vote, you can't complain." So, we go with what we know, in the simplest terms. "[Said Entertainer] seems so nice and sincere. I'm voting for them." Scary, but certanly true.

3. The American political system is too corrupt for the average American Voter. At least perceptually. Let's see in my life time... Nixon had Watergate, Ford pardoned Nixon, Carter had the energy crisis, Regan (an actor!) had the Iran-Contra gate, Bush I's New World Order gave us the invasion of Panama and the first Gulf War, Clinton had Whitewater and Monica-gate and Bush II... well, I don't even want to type it all out. His term began with controversy. Most of us think you can't become president without a long streak of lies in your wake, so why not elect someone who makes a living pretending to be something they are not. They are perfectly qualified.

How many entertainers could make a real run at office? I dunno, but I'll close with a few of my favorite Presidents.

Harrison Ford played CIA Agent Jack Ryan(Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger) and President James Marshall (Air Force One) and the Force is with Him whether he likes it or not.

Martin Sheen The self proclaimed "Acting President of The United States", President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet (The West Wing).

Dennis Haybert The All State insurance guy. This guy just drips credibility to me. So much so, I almost bought the insurance he was schilling. You might know him as President David Palmer (24) or Nelson Mandela (Goodbye Banfa) or perhaps Pedro Cerrano (Major League).

Micheal J. Fox Alex P. Keaton was the consummate Republican (I believe he was president in a dream sequence)(Family Ties).

James Cromwell This guy has played many presidents on the big and little screen

Bill Pullman reinvented the 4th of July as President Thomas J. Whitmore (Independence Day) and saved the universe as Lone Star (Spaceballs)

Mary McDonnell "Stands With a Fist" (Dances With Wolves), First Lady Marilyn Whitmore (Independence Day) and now President Laura Roslin (Battlestar Galactica)

Michael Rosenbaum A stretch here, but he's my favorite Lex Luthor (Smallville), and Luthor does become president in the Superman comic titles.

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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

>

Boo doo doot doot doot, Another one writes, discuss...

2007-08-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

(Sad and strained Queen reference in the title)
Well, I used to list my favorite blogs every so often, but I have forgotten my numbering, and I'm too lazy to go look. So, a guy I've had the privledge of playing some music and worshiping with, Nate Brown done all growed up and got himself off of MySpace. His blog has the "I wish I'd thought of it" title of Annotated Nathanography. There aren't too many posts there yet, but I find in conversing with him he's fairly insightful and interesting. I'm watching to see him apply that to a blog. (no pressure).
And no, it's not just returning the "link love", or I could have quietly added him to the link box and said nothing. Not to mention how it'd screw up that whole "authenticity" discussion that flew around the our microcosm of the Christian Blogosphere a few months back.

By the way, proud dad video over at Growing Up Dad.
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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal