Dress Rehearsal for the Rainforest

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Day 1

Saturday, August 6, 2011

My trip to the Amazon is coming up shortly so I figured it would be a good idea to field test a couple of things. Now since I don't really live close to a rainforest I did the next best thing and went to the California Academy of Sciences rainforest.

I mainly wanted to check my camera lenses and my shoes in high humidity. I have to say my camera and shoes did great. Me eh I'm going to need a hat and possibly a bandana to deal with the sweat.

	Butting Heads [Map]		Butterfly [Map]
	Lunch [Map]		Piranha [Map]
	Lunch for One [Map]		Frogs [Map]
	Upside-down [Map]		Fauna [Map]
	Butterfly [Map]

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Sent from my iPad by My Vacation HD app (www.myvacationapp.com)

When Good Cartoons Turn Into Bad Movies

We've all had a favorite cartoon that we wish we could see on the big screen. You sit around with your friends and talk about who would be the perfect actor to play the role of the villain or hero. Finally after debating half the summer the perfect cast and even what the story line is set. Then some years later you start to hear rumors of a movie coming out before you know it the movie is being created and you can't wait to see it.

I say be careful of what you wish for because you might just get it...

Here are but a few cautionary tales of some of my favorite cartoons that were turned into movies. Well to be clear they got turned into live action movies but with all the CGI now are they really live action movies?

He-Man

Let's start with one of the older cartoon turned to movies. He-Man was one of the first cartoons I remember watching as a kid. While not the best cartoon out there it holds dear memories of my childhood so I'll still watch it from time to time. Some one figured it would be a good idea to turn it into a movie a "live action" movie and in the process butcher it. It was nothing like the cartoon storyline and they introduced some characters that frankly didn't need to be there.

G.I. Joe

The Joe Movie

Now our second tale of sorrow is G.I. Joe. A great cartoon that was ahead of it's time if you ask me. (See my previous post What Happen to Good Cartoons) G.I. Joe came out with an animated movie back in the 80s and for it it was THE G.I. JOE MOVIE. So the storyline got a little weird with Cobra Commander coming from a strange reptilian race that predated humans. Eh they made it work in my opinion.

In 09 the live action Joe movie came out. I'm not going to lie I was looking forward to the movie but alas a couple of things ruined for me. First the power booster suits. Really that was just lame. Second was Cobra Commander lame leader and origin story. As far as I'm concerned there will always be just one Joe movie and it has a reptilian race trying to wipe out humanity

Transformers

   The last of the cautionary tales is none other than Transformers. Again the Transformers had an animated movie which was great. It had great battle scenes with both Autobots and Decepticons falling. We even saw the great Optimus Prime fall but not before passing the mantel to a new leader. For me this was the Transformers Movie.

As of this summer we now have three Transformer movies to deal with. The first one was actually good but they totally lost me with the second and third movie. The battles scenes were just too busy and sometimes you can't even make out what is going on. The only good thing about the new movies is that they used the original voice of Optimus Prime. 

Let's see what other great childhood cartoon  Hollywood can ruin by trying to make into a live action movie. 

My Things To Do Before I Expire List

I think everyone has a list of things they want to accomplish before they expire. I'm no different but I do refuse to call it a bucket list. For some reason I don't care much for that name. Below are but but a few of the items ,in no particular order of importance, I would like to accomplish before becoming one with the Force. I'm sure I'll be adding more items as I think of things to do.

• Photograph a Leopard Seal (preferably in the wild)

• Photograph a Great White Shark from inside a cage

• Finish my California Mission Project (which I really want to do this year)

• Visit all 50 States

• Visit Washington D.C.

• Go to a Wait Wait Don't Tell Me Taping

• Take a picture with this guy

• To be continued...

MMM 2011 or My Trip to Florida

It was great to travel with my friends again. I think Canada was the last time we were all together so we were due for a vacation together. 

Island in the Pacific

7 Mile Bridge

Key West 

American Alligator 

Farewell to a Coordinator

You sometimes have the fortune to work with a good coworker who you get along with. In some rare instances you work with a great person who at one point stops being your coworker and becomes your friend and I found that combination in my fellow coordinator.

I knew the day was coming when he would be leaving and I have to say it is going to be a bitter sweet day.  After months of being away from his family he is finally going back to be with them and for that I am happy. However, I will be loosing a good friend and great coworker.

"I'll see you in an other life brother"

Suit Up or How I Bought My New Suit

I knew this day would come sooner or later and frankly I don't know why it didn't come sooner. The time had come for me to buy another suit. My old suit has served me well in wedding funerals and a few other events that warranted a suit. I don't care to say how long we've been partners but it has been a while and it was time for my old suit to rest and go where old suits tend to go. 

I have a couple of weddings coming up and it was time to buy a new suit. Now I wanted to get another black suit since I figured black goes with anything but alas I ended up getting a grey suit this time around. Frankly I didn't have as much fun this buying my second suit as I had imagined I would. Now I know what to expect and next time I'm sure it will be a hell of a lot smoother. David , the sale person who helped me, actually made it as painless as possible which was great. 

I should be getting my suit in about a week then I will get it tailored. They said about a week or so after that I should have my suit and oh yes it will be time to in the famous words of Barney Stinson "Suit Up"