Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Hurricanes

Whee! Hurricane season is approaching, once again. For those of you who live in land-locked areas, let me tell you that hurricanes are no laughing matter. Imagine the worst thunderstorm with torrential rain that you have ever experienced, and now imagine it going on for 12 consecutive hours.

As a little boy living in Guam, I can remember the island being struck by Typhoon Pamela in 1976. This freakin' thing passed right over the island with winds in excess of 160 MPH. I lived in base housing at the time. Our house was made of cement and cinder blocks. From my front yard you could see some cliffs and the ocean about 2 or 3 miles away (I'm using the memory of a six-year-old!). I remember seeing the waves crashing onto the rocks at the cliffs and splashing hundreds of feet into the air just before my father boarded the windows shut. Pamela beat the hell out of the island. I remember a washer and dryer being the only things left standing at a house down the street. Mom said we didn't have power for over a month.

So we moved to Kansas City. No hurricanes here. Nope, here I was introduced to tornados. Watched one of the damned things go over the house! That particular one touched down several miles away and severely damaged a junior high school. I also got to experience an honest-to-God blizzard.

So we moved to coastal North Carolina. Yup, still get tornados, but now I learn that NC is #2 in the country for lightning strikes! I lived through the 80's and early 90's without giving hurricanes much thought. We had some near misses, and a few glancing blows, but nothing to really worry about. Then came 1996...

I was working when Hurricane Bertha hit in 1996. I can remember the idiots still driving around town when the winds were approaching 100MPH. I was sitting on a bridge to prevent traffic from hitting some downed power lines when I saw a bicyclist come literally flying by. He was holding open his windbreaker like a sail and using the wind to push him along at a speed of like 45MPH.

I was working when Hurricane Fran hit in 1996.
I was working when Hurricane Bonnie hit in 1998.
I was working in 1999 when Hurricane Dennis gave us a glancing blow before sitting off the coast for a week drenching us.
Then came Hurricane Floyd, about a two weeks behind Dennis. Floyd devasted Eastern NC. (Yup, I was working).
In 2002 I watched Hurricane Kyle screw with us.
In 2003 Hurricane Isabel stomped the area pretty good.
In 2004 Hurricane Ivan bitch-slapped us. Needless to say, my county is one of the best-prepared counties in the country!

2004 was also the year that Florida was pounded by 4 major hurricanes. I felt sorry for the people in Florida. I knew how those folks felt. I know the feeling of helplessness and futility. I know the fear. But...

I'm hoping that Florida gets it again this year. The more hurricanes hit Florida, the less that make it to NC.

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Revenge of the Sith

Well, I just got back from seeing Star Wars Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith. I must say, so-so acting but great special effects. The final duel between Obi-Wan and Annakin was worth the wait! Ok, ok, I didn't really wait. I had connections, so I got my ticket cost-free over two weeks ago, and I went to the noon showing at the local 16 screen theatre.

Star Wars has been an integral part of my life. You would never know it, and I would never hint at it, but the movies and culture have always laid dormant in my soul. I can remember going to see the original movie (Now referred to as A New Hope) at a drive-in theatre with my parents in Kansas City when I was 7. I can remember my father letting me skip school and taking me to see The Empire Strikes Back when I was 10. I can remember waiting in line for over an hour and then sitting in an overly packed theatre to see Return of the Jedi. I still have all of my Star Wars toys from when I was a little boy. I even have the Dixie cups from 1980! I bought the original 3-movie release on VHS. I bought the updated VHS series. I bought the original series on DVD. Imagine my excitement when I found out George Lucas wanted to do the prequels!

On my entertainment center is an original Yoda action figure released for Empire Strikes Back. Yoda was on my dresser as I grew up. When I moved out, Yoda stayed on my television in my apartment and them moved onto my entertainment center in my house. He stoically endured my first marriage and is looked at humorously by my second wife. He is my good luck talisman. Some people use horseshoes. Some hang dream catchers. I have Yoda. May The Force Be With You!

Monday, May 09, 2005

The Greatest Generation

Yesterday was the 60th anniversary of VE Day, or Victory in Europe. The short version of history will recognize it as the day that the Allies defeated Nazi Germany. World War 2 "started" on September 1, 1939 when the German Wermacht invaded Poland. France and England declared war on Germany two days later, and the rest is, as they say, history. Keep in mind that the Japanese had already been at war for years with the Chinese, and Germany and Russia supported (and fought on) opposite sides during the Spanish Civil War just prior to WW2. Also remember that Germany didn't initially invade all of Poland: Stalin had an agreement with Hitler that allowed him to invade Poland from the east. Remember that some French forces fought against Allied forces. Remember that some Italians continued to fight against the Allies after Italy's surrender.

How great was The Greatest Generation? They defeated the Germans, Fascist Italians, Vichy French, Romanians, Japanese, and all others who dared to cross their path. They did it for their respective countries. They did it for each other. They did it for us.

Honor them.

Sunday, May 01, 2005

My favorite movies

I just finished watching the 1992 version of Last of the Mohicans (DVD version). I hadn't watched it in probably 2 years, and was reminded afterwards just how much I enjoyed the movie. I figured this would be a good time for me to post my top ten favorite movies (no special order: I can't pick an all-time favorite).

1. Last of the Mohicans (1992)
2. Star Wars series (If not listed as one unit, it would soon take up six places on my top 10 list!)
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark
4. Dark Blue World
5. Lord of the Rings (I count the trilogy as one)
6. Saving Private Ryan
7. The Right Stuff
8. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
9. Top Gun (Yeah, I know. But what a great "fun" movie!)
10. Shrek

Indeed, there are many other great movies out there that I really, really like, and it's tough to pick just 10. Honorable mentions are: Gladiator, Terminator 1,2, and 3; Battle of Britain, Patriot, We Were Soldiers, and about 20 others! But I realized that the 10 I picked are movies that I'll watch whenever they are on, or whenever somebody wants to watch them. They are movies that I'll sit and watch on regular broadcast television, even though I have them on video.

I can't wait for Revenge of the Sith to come out on May 19. I've had my advance ticket for opening day, 12:00, for over a week.