ouch!... reposte

Here's something that I heard on the radio many years ago. Personally, I think it's a bit harsh to use except in the most extreme cases.

So you're at a dance and you work up the courage to ask a girl for a dance. And instead of simply and politely saying no, she laughs and is generally disparaging (looks you up and down and rolls her eyes and says something like: "You have got to be kidding"). Here's a comeback you can use to try to save face:

"Don't be so picky... I wasn't!"


********

Which reminds me of something that actually happened, kind of the opposite situation, really uncomfortable. I went to a party in high school, and not being the social type, I was filled with anxiety. A couple of female acquaintances tried to gently get me to dance, but they were understanding. Then some girl I hardly knew asked me to dance, and as I had been doing that entire evening, I tried to get out of it. And she said, "Am I not pretty enough?"

Ever since then I've associated dancing with guilt... oh well, I don't have the rhythm in me anyway.

mr. breezy

Maybe I'm the only one (in the whole world) who thinks this way, but whenever I hear the name Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints quarterback), I think of... Mr. Breezy. Here's why: the television show WKRP in Cincinnati.

You see, there was an episode that had a character named Norris Breeze. He was a radio consultant who was hired to review the station for Mama Carlson, the owner of WKRP. He had ulterior motives, so Andy Travis, the program director, decided to have each of the employees put on an 'act' for him. And Jennifer Marlowe, the blonde bombshell receptionist (and probably the smartest of all the employees) played dumb. Here's a sample dialogue I found online:

Norris: Well hello! I'm Norris Breeze.
Jennifer (in a high little-girl voice): Oh, Mr. Breezy! We've been expecting you. Would you like to sit down? We have all kinds of chairs. There's one over there, and there's another over there, and one - no, that's a clock.

music choice

I've mentioned before that I enjoy watching/listening to the Music Choice television channels, primarily the ones for the '70s and Solid Gold Oldies. I also enjoy reading through the snippets of information that are shown while the music is playing. Although I don't consider myself any sort of expert on each of the performers, I still find myself questioning which photographs are used to depict the artists and occasionally the information shown too.

I have my own ideas as to which photographs would best represent the bands, or in other words, which lineups are most representative of them; should other photographs be utilized as well, then that would 'complete' their careers. But when the focus is put on the artist in such a way that doesn't best represent them, well, it befuddles me and probably others.

Some of the artists that first come to mind are: The Byrds, The Moody Blues, and ABBA.

First, the Byrds. I consider the 'classic' lineup to be: Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, Gene Clark, Chris Hillman, and Michael Clarke. At least this is the most familiar lineup, although there were many as the group evolved, particularly as they moved into country-rock. Yet on Music Choice, the set of pictures that are used only show the band from the later configurations, and the only member I consistently recognize is Roger McGuinn.

The Moody Blues. Again, I'm no expert, but their greatest hits were done with Justin Hayward singing lead vocals. Yet the photos shown of the group have lineups that don't even include him; I am only able to recognize one member of the very early incarnation of the band that is shown.

And ABBA. Naturally, as a big fan, this is the example that bothers me the most! The revolving set of photos that Music Choice uses has not a single one that even shows the iconic blonde Agnetha... ??? What's up with that? And the photos that they do use are only of Frida, Bjorn, and Benny from more recent years, well after they recorded together. I can't believe that they don't have any photos from when the band was at their most popular.

I suppose that I would understand if there is an issue with copyrights and such, but that would be a stretch to believe. What could be the reason then? Wouldn't an enterprise such as Music Choice be able to choose from any number of available images of an artist? And if it's a matter of applying additional effort and doing more research... I wonder if they're hiring?

harmful to fences and forests

The state of Oregon has taken the bold (and I think rather courageous) step of banning the sale of English ivy, starting on June 1st. Why, you ask? Here's an article I found from the website OregonLive.com

I realize that some people will have a real problem with the government banning something as seemingly innocuous as ivy, but if you know anything about kudzu, 'the vine that ate the South,' rampant vegetation, particularly that which is non-native, can have severe costs to the environment as well as our economy. Ahhh, the economy... for those of us not already predisposed to care about the environment, maybe mention of a monetary consequence will get some attention. Because individual actions do matter. We all know it's wrong to dump used motor oil down the storm drain or commit arson to our forests and yet, unfortunately, we can't count on everybody not to do such things, and so there are laws and regulations. Well, even though it may take some more time to see their harmful effects, there are other things to keep an eye on. It could be invasive plants, it could be invasive animals. And it all costs money to bring under control.

And so now, Oregon has banned the sale of English ivy. Imagine what their landscaping and home gardens could look like using other options - they could be quite beautiful - it just takes some getting used to!

a green link to the Chesapeake Bay

I'd like to share a link to an article that expresses much of what I believe when it comes to the ubiquitous lawn:

Redefining the beautiful lawn when it comes to Chesapeake Bay's health

It makes similar points to what I made in a blog entry from last year: no grass is greener.

I'm not against all lawns per se, but considering how much stress they put on the environment with their upkeep, and how much valuable land they have taken up already (I've read an estimate that the amount of lawns grown in the United States is equal to the size of the state of Missouri), their use ought to be vastly reduced. An article in the local newspaper made a good point, something to the effect of: "if the only time you walk on the lawn is when you mow it, maybe you don't need a lawn." And if one must be be maintained, perhaps as required by a homeowners' association, a much smaller patch of it might suffice - in which case, a push mower would be all that is needed to keep it neatly cut.

UDFAs

Ah, the fun continues! The signing of undrafted free agents. There have been some great players that not only had accomplished careers in the NFL after going undrafted, but went on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame - so going undrafted is not the end of the dream. On the list of 49er free agents is the name of a player that I became familiar with on my favorite discussion board as someone they hoped would be drafted, and another with lots of talent but known better for losing his temper.

Which is not a road to be taken lightly... but one made more smooth by having a coach like Mike Singletary. He is a man of such good character that I believe he can bring out the best in people, whether it is their talent as players or their potential as human beings. Whether drafted or not, the list of players that the 49ers are accumulating for their training camp roster is looking fantastic!

It will be exciting to watch how the team comes together over the months until the season starts.

draft over

Keeping up with my favorite 49er discussion board throughout the year, and particularly leading up to the draft, I am able to see which players different fans would like to see get chosen. And then I become familiar with certain players based on several of the mock drafts that are available online. Finally comes the draft itself!

It's not exactly scintillating television throughout the entire process, but it is fun to see the draft day trades, when players get chosen (local Cal and Stanford players, nationally buzzed about names, and so on), then of course which ones are picked by the 49ers and even the Raiders. But it's mostly all about the Niners; as I stated above, I am vaguely familiar with what some fans from the discussion board would like to see happen, but the Niner brass are the ones that are closest to everything that's going on: college film, team needs and desires, measurables, unmeasurables, personal interviews, etc. A lot of picks are made that raise eyebrows amongst fans that seem to spend as much time analyzing the draft as the team itself! When I wonder why certain picks were made, often of players I've never heard of, I remind myself that the organization knows more about what they're after and trying to accomplish than anybody else.

What makes the whole process that much more fascinating is the involvement of 31 other teams, each with the same goal in mind and that's putting together a winning team. And now that the draft is over, it's time to sign undrafted free agents!

non-sexy beasts

From what I've been reading about the 49ers' first-round picks (they drafted two offensive linemen) in yesterday's draft, they did very well. All the reviews have been positive! But it must be a drag being a football lineman, toiling in the trenches. It's not as glamorous as playing the so-called 'skill' positions such as quarterback, running back, or wide receiver. Or cornerback, safety, linebacker, etc. Linemen on either side of the ball are just the guys skillfully pounding away all game, only getting noticed for the mistakes they make or the penalties they commit. Rarely do people think to themselves, "Wow, what a great pickup of the blitz which allowed the touchdown pass!" or "That's cool, taking up two blockers so that your teammate could make the tackle, good play!"

And perhaps worst of all, draft observers describe linemen as not being 'sexy' picks. How insulting!

********

But really, I remember last year's draft where the Niners traded their second-round pick for an extra first-round pick in this year's draft. It was a difficult instance of delayed gratification, but it paid off yesterday. It was such a luxury picking twice in the first-round and fortifying the offensive line so emphatically. In one day, the Niners were able to align their roster with the kind of smash-mouth style of play that they have been working to implement. It shows faith in Alex Smith as quarterback (it's a team sport, and after all, haven't great quarterbacks been surrounded by great players anyway? - let's see what Alex can do now). It also gives starting running back Frank Gore and backup Glen Coffee a mauling line of blockers to run behind; things are looking good. I think it was John Madden who believed that winning football all starts with the effectiveness of the offensive line, so now we'll see how good our unit can be.

Oh boy, the second and third rounds are today - I LOVE the draft!

ugh...

Many years ago, the 49ers had a surprisingly early exit from the playoffs (back when making the playoffs was taken for granted, and going deep into the playoffs was expected) and in response, the team ownership was so upset they wanted to make some changes. The above scan is of an article I saved from way back then. It is dated from February 21, 1991; in fact, I saved the entire sports section, The Sporting Green from the San Francisco Chronicle. As you can see, it is the big change that might have been: what the helmets would have looked like with a new logo.

Isn't it awful? I would have had a difficult time rooting for a team with such ugly helmets! The current 'SF' logo is classic and should never be changed (minor, subtle changes are okay, as have been done through the years).

(photo illustration by Eric Jungerman/The Chronicle)

one side only

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was suspended for six games by the NFL today. I'm not going to comment on that. What I'd like to mention is, although I'm no fan of the Steelers, I've always liked how the logo on their helmets appears on only one side. Off hand, I couldn't even say which side; I just like how when the team is facing one direction, their helmets look different than when they are facing the other direction. I wonder how that came about?

place your order

Did you hear about the guy who ordered a Dos Equis...


and got two?

(this actually happened - I was there).

abbreviations and nicknames

I often listen to the local radio sports show, KNBR, in the mornings. There's a guy they like to call 'Pecan' and I used to think "What a cool nickname!" and wondered what about him made them think of calling him 'Pecan'? His personality? His stature? Then I realized that his name is Patrick Connor, and they were calling him 'PCon.' Oh, I get it.

Dave Flemming calls games for the San Francisco Giants. One morning he was a guest on the KNBR morning show. I realize that the hosts were calling him 'Flem' for short, but really, it sounded like 'phlegm' every time they said it. Not the most pleasant thing to picture. And then the conversation turned to how he had had a sore throat recently and the guys were suggesting that he gargle to help deal with it.

So, let me get this straight, they were telling 'Phlegm' to 'gargle'... c'mon guys, watch it with the imagery!

No. 85

I remember when NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson requested being traded from the Cincinnati Bengals a couple of seasons ago. He was also known as "Ocho Cinco" because of the number he wore on his jersey. It occurred to me that he would benefit if he had a say as to which team he was traded to because, after all, what if No. 85 was already taken by another player on that other team? He might even have to negate the trade. If, for example, he were traded to the 49ers, No. 85 was already being worn by Vernon Davis. I couldn't imagine that Vernon Davis would be willing to give up his jersey number for any new player, even Chad Johnson. I didn't know the rosters of other teams well enough, but No. 85 already being taken could have been a sticking point. And if it were already taken and he had to wear a different jersey, would he then be referred to as "Ocho Uno" or "Ocho Dos" for instance, depending on which number he had to use?

But then I thought, "Nahhh! This is ridiculous, Chad Johnson doesn't identify with the number 85 that much."

red hourglass

This morning I devoted myself to removing a shrub that had started out as a weed near the street and driveway; I'm not certain what it was but I think it was some sort of olive tree. Every now and then through the years I had had to cut it back and figured it was time to get rid of it altogether. Being that our ground is a pretty hard and sticky silty clay, I knew that working when the soil was fairly moist from the recent rains was the best time.

It took quite awhile of slowly chipping away at the clayey soil and using my loppers to cut away the roots as I exposed them. I don't even know why I'm describing all this; I guess I'm just exhausted. Anyway, as I was working I noticed a spider walking amidst the leaf litter. It was an impressive looking thing and I wondered if it was a black widow. Luckily I was wearing gloves and had different hand tools handy, and I managed to flip it upside down enough to see if it had the distinct red hourglass on the bottom of its abdomen. It did.

I figured it wasn't bothering me and it was minding its own business a good distance from the house so I got it on my hand shovel (I don't actually remember what I used) and moved it safely away from where I was kneeling. I'll have to be a little more weary of working in that area from now on though, since there are several more of these olive tree-looking shrubs growing in the same area.

surprise niner

My mind has been so caught up waiting for the draft that I haven't really been paying much attention to what else was going on, like possible trade scenarios. So I was caught completely by surprise when I read online this morning that the 49ers have traded their 5th-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft to the Miami Dolphins for Ted Ginn, Jr.

It doesn't seem like that long ago that Ted Ginn, Jr. was one of the most exciting players coming out of college into the NFL. He was picked 9th overall by the Dolphins in the 2007 Draft. From what I've been reading just now, his career hasn't been as productive as one might have expected with all his potential. The guy is FAST and can return kickoffs. Maybe the change of atmosphere will make a positive difference to what he does on the field. It seems that he has had way too many dropped passes thus far in his professional career, but I imagine that that wasn't a problem in college. I am looking forward to what a new team situation can do for his production and statistics, and what he can contribute to 49er success.

I have all the faith in the world in the staff and atmosphere that Mike Singletary is putting together here in San Francisco and look forward to seeing how the team comes together in the coming year!

great buildings

Back when I was in college, the Greg Kihn Band played a concert on campus, in the gym. Their opening act was a band called Great Buildings. I don't recall much about watching them, as I was anticipating the main act's performance - I just have but a faint picture in my mind of Great Buildings. It was cool though when I found out that two members of that obscure band went on to form the Rembrandts, known mostly for performing the theme ("I'll Be There For You") for the television sitcom Friends.

what's wrong with onus?

Years ago, I was talking to one of my cousins and I made the simple mistake of using the word 'onus' in a sentence. Granted, it's not the most common word to say but I suppose I had seen it used so many times that I thought it would be okay to say it out loud.

Where do I see it you ask? In the sports section! Or online, reading articles about sports. For example, "the onus is on the defense now to win the game." I've read so many football articles that I've frequently seen the word onus used and it's not a big deal. I've even heard sportscasters say it during broadcasts.

But after my cousin was done questioning me about using such a word, ending with: "Okay, Arthur, only me" like he would be the only person magnanimous and understanding enough to let me get away with it (then why did he make such a big deal of it in the first place??) I decided that I would never, ever use that word again. Maybe anus, but not onus.

ladybug laying eggs

A few years ago this month, I was traipsing (did I just say traipsing?) - I was traipsing around my native plant garden, checking out how things were going (and growing). I think by that time I was aware of the occasional strings of tiny golden yellow eggs that I was finding on one plant, a California sagebrush (Artemisia californica - this plant smells wonderful!). I probably knew that they had to be the eggs of the few ladybugs that I was finding walking up and down the slender branches. I found myself so interested in what I was finding, that I knelt down and inspected the sagebrush all over. And there it was: a ladybug actively laying its eggs on one of the older lower branches deep inside! Not knowing how much time I had, I rushed into the house to grab a camera (at the time, a film camera) and quickly snapped some pictures. I wish I could remember more details, but I must have been lucky and had a fairly fast film already loaded in my camera. I was only able to get no more than a few shots, none of them great, but that's the best one above. If you missed the series of ladybug pictures I posted earlier this year, they started here. Make sure you know a ladybug larva when you see one!

it's a bird!

This morning on the radio, it was mentioned that the bird chirping sounds heard during the just held Masters golf tournament weren't real... they were added as sound effects. I didn't watch more than a handful of shots, but I did notice in particular the sound of a bird during the golf coverage and thought to myself how nice it was. But since it turns out it wasn't real, well, I'm just all kinds of cynical. I guess now you can't believe what you hear, even during a "supposed" live sports event.

I'm already used to the idea of live musical performances being enhanced, but that's entertainment. And with the sophistication of image enhancement software so prevalent nowadays, I've had to suspend much of my belief as to what is real visually and what isn't. But adding birds tweeting to golf?

I remember years ago watching a nature show and there was a scene of a Steller's jay feeding out of a tray style feeder. I don't know for certain what a Steller's jay sounds like, but if it's anything like a scrub jay, it sure doesn't sound like a songbird. Yet there it was, chirping and tweeting like a bluebird! Even then, I was positive that the sounds were added later during production (and not very accurately in this case). Adding sounds happens all the time when putting together shows about nature. Apparently, sounds are added to sports events too. So, why stop there? How about adding a chorus of fans 'booing' athletes that don't promote the sponsor, and 'cheers' to the ones that do. And so on. Imagine the possibilities!

Bradyism

I just watched a show on the NFL Network this morning about the Top 10 Clutch Quarterbacks - it was very satisfying to see both Joe Montana and Steve Young on that list. The 49ers were quite fortunate to have both of them.

Now, I'm going to go ahead and dream a little and wonder what things might have been like had the 49ers selected Tom Brady during the 2000 NFL draft. I wouldn't be alone in doing this (as futile an exercise as it might be) - time and time again, all the teams in the entire league passed up on him, including the Patriots who finally chose him; after all, he wasn't drafted until the 199th pick! 199! In the sixth round! Naturally, that also means that a number of quarterbacks were selected before he was, including by the 49ers.

Besides being just one of a league full of teams that must be kicking themselves for not choosing him, what makes the 49ers not picking him even more galling is that he is from nearby San Mateo and grew up a Niners fan. His hero was Joe Montana and in childhood photos, he is seen wearing a Niners jersey. He wanted to be drafted by the Niners. Although I am the first to remind myself that football is a team sport and success rests on more than a single player, I wonder what things would have been like had Tom Brady been our quarterback over the past decade. And he's still playing with no signs of slowing down.

Montana - Young - Brady... WOW! Oh well...

********

A week and a half until the draft!!

M*A*S*H

My late father's service to this country was spent in Korea in a M*A*S*H unit. We have an old newspaper clipping showing him giving an immunity shot to a young Korean boy prior to battle (as I recall, he arrived earlier before the actual military engagements began). Other than that, we have slides of him in uniform and the countryside from the time he spent there.

My siblings and I were still children when the television show M*A*S*H was being broadcast and our father was still alive. I can still picture him sitting at the dinner table eating as we watched an episode where the characters were in the operating room, innocently asking him if his experiences were like what we were watching. All I recall him saying is in real life, there was "more blood." Having a better idea of war now, I can't even imagine the horrors he must have witnessed of wounded and dying soldiers being brought in from the battlefield and what he was protecting us from knowing.

100th/442nd

One of my sister's kids' late grandfather was a WWII veteran, fighting for the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion. They were largely known as part of the fabled 442nd Regimental Combat Team which was the most decorated unit in U.S. military history. One story I learned of his service was that advanced scouts from his battalion liberated a sub-camp of the Dachau concentration camp during the war.

If I could speak with him today, I would ask what more he remembered and if he could give me any details, although our war veterans, particularly of World War II, don't generally like to speak of those times (which is easy to understand). The one small story I do remember amidst the tragic circumstances is rather one of kindness:

The Nisei (second generation Japanese Americans) soldiers were for the most part of shorter stature than other American soldiers and therefore fought in ill-fitting clothing. In this sub-camp they liberated was a Jewish prisoner who had been a tailor prior to being a prisoner. In gratitude to his liberators, he managed to re-fit some of their uniforms.


In creating this blog entry, I did a little bit of referencing on the Internet and found this link which fills in more of the details of the liberation. At the very end of this newly discovered article, I was surprised to see the name of my nieces' and nephew's grandfather (Lieutenant James Kurata).

********

I am also reminded of a favorite film of mine called Go For Broke!, about the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd. It starred Van Johnson and was released in 1951. I am impressed that a film that covers such a chapter in U.S. history was made so soon after the war, covering the heroism and patriotism of the Nisei soldiers as well as some of the prejudice they faced. Reading through the Wiki entry, I see that many members of the cast were actual veterans of the 442nd. Even as great as this film is, I've found myself imagining what would happen if there was an updated version directed by the great Steven Spielberg, whom has created incredible films depicting World War II. On the other hand, besides more realism in battle, perhaps he couldn't surpass the original.

Congratulations to Don Nelson

1,333 wins as an NBA head coach!

It's quite an accomplishment, especially when one thinks of all the great coaches the NBA has seen - Coach Nelson surpassed them all last night to be No. 1 on the all-time victories list.

I wonder if the magnitude of this accomplishment is somehow being overlooked given that Coach Nelson has not won any NBA championships in his coaching career. His contributions to the sport have been many, and I hope that someday soon he is inducted into the Hall of Fame.

There has been discussion about the future of the Warriors and whether Coach Nelson will remain as coach into the final year of his contract. It's a team sport from the ownership to the front office and on down - I think he's done the best job possible with what he's had to work with. And now this season, what with all the injuries, it really wasn't going to be a winning season anyway. But with the prospect of next season and a roster not decimated by missed games, there is a world of potential waiting to return from injury: Brandan Wright & Anthony Randolph at power forward, Kelenna Azubuike at small forward, Andris Biedrins at center, plus there have been plenty of games missed due to illness as well - Monta Ellis hasn't even been able to travel with the team lately. What if Coach Nelson had a full complement of players to work with?

And I have to give my vote for Rookie of the Year honors: Stephen Curry. It's not just an awesome first year he's having; he just keeps getting better and he'll be a premier point guard for years to come and hopefully a Warrior his entire career.

There's so much potential on this roster! They just need the opportunity to all play together, and maybe Coach Nelson will be the one next year to lead them to the playoffs.

twins and birthdays

I read in the newspaper that today is the birthday of identical twins Ronde and Tiki Barber (most famous as professional football players). Which got me thinking about the births of other sets of twins - how many are born on opposite sides of midnight? Then they'd have different birthdays... how would those be celebrated?

And to keep going further: how many are born in different months, the first being born on April 30th and the second on May 1st, for example? How rare has a twin been born on February 29th of a leap year, and the other either on February 28th or March 1st? There is the possibility of having been born in different years (a New Years Eve baby and a New Years baby), different decades, different centuries, different millenniums - even if they were just minutes apart!

Just wondering.

Clapton is Gosh

More thoughts on accents. It's interesting how they appear and disappear in music. For the most part, I've found that bands with accents when they speak lose them when they are singing. The only exception that immediately comes to mind is The Proclaimers ("I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)") who sing with as thick a brogue as I've ever heard.

Back during the British Invasion of the 1960s, I think a lot of garage bands adopted accents so they could sound more like their heroes! From the Beatles and the Rolling Stones though and on to the present, I generally can't detect any accents when performers are singing.

One of my favorite movies is 'This Is Spinal Tap' and I love hearing the accents that the actors use for their characters. I surely don't know much about the regional dialects over in England, but when I hear guitarist Nigel Tufnel speak, it sounds like he's speaking with the very same accent as Eric Clapton. So to go further, I like to imagine 'Slowhand' himself pointing to the knobs of his amplifier, saying that they go one louder.

"These go to eleven."

acting accents

I've watched some episodes of 'The Mentalist' and none of 'House.' One thing I'm impressed with about the actors playing the lead roles is they are from other countries, Simon Baker ('The Mentalist') is from Australia and Hugh Laurie ('House') is from England. Either from watching episodes or seeing clips, it is easy to forget that they aren't American; they speak such perfect American English with no trace of accents. It always throws me for a loop when I see them appear on talk shows and they speak as they normally do.

I had to look up Anthony LaPaglia just now - according to Wikipedia, he is from Australia. He is probably most known for playing the lead in 'Without A Trace'; either that or playing Daphne Moon's obnoxious brother Simon on 'Frasier.' I'm just amazed that he has played both roles - talk about being two completely different people! And speaking with such different accents, American English on 'Without A Trace' and Manchester (England) on 'Frasier.' As I mentioned, I had to look up where he's from.

On the other hand, American actors have so often been criticized for not nailing the accents they are performing with. Even with regional American accents, the Boston accent for example. It's a tough business.

accents and dialects

One of the things I find fascinating is language, dialects, and accents (or should that be several of the things I find fascinating?). Anyway, I've often wondered if there actually is such a thing as an American accent. Maybe only if you're not from America, I suppose. I've always thought of American English as being devoid of an accent, just a plain way of speaking. Then again, there are the regional American accents: the Southern accent, the New York accent, the Boston accent, the mid-Western accent, etc.

And just as there are regional American accents, there are regional accents in other countries. I'm thinking of Britain in particular. There's a Seinfeld episode that finds the characters doing their English accents: "Not bloody likely!" Yet there are particular English accents that even we are familiar with: the Cockney accent, the Liverpudlian accent (the Beatles!), and so on. I recall seeing that Jane Leeves (the British actress who portrays Daphne Moon on 'Frasier') adopted a Manchester accent for her character, although that's not how she speaks in real life.

Aside from having a private chef, a limousine driver, the list goes on, I think it would be fun to have a dialect coach - I'm no actor and I'd really have no practical use for a dialect coach, but I'd love to master accents.

"Not bloody likely!"

snipe hunt!

One of my all-time favorite TV shows is 'Cheers.' And naturally, I followed its wonderful spin-off 'Frasier,' another great show. Even with a smaller cast of characters, it managed to be as good as 'Cheers.' One thing I really like about these shows as opposed to others is the focus on the stories before the humor. I've tried watching other sitcoms and many seem like a series of one-liners with nothing else going on - I'd rather get invested in a good storyline first, and then see the humor in the situation.

Getting back to the character Frasier. When he first appeared on 'Cheers' I didn't care for him much. He seemed so square and proper, not at all like the regular cast of 'Cheers.' What changed my perception of him was the episode that had the other characters send poor Frasier on a 'snipe' hunt. The actor Kelsey Grammer did a fantastic job in having Frasier come out of his shell. I wouldn't be surprised if this one episode was what led to him eventually getting his own show!

As for the snipe-hunt, I guess the gist of that practical joke is the supposed non-existence of a bird called a snipe. The thing is, while looking through my bird books, there is an actual bird called a snipe!

King George V

Back in grade school, 5th grade I think, we were able to spend time doing something other than class study for one period. Those were the days! One of the choices was building plastic models. With video games being so popular now, I wonder how widespread model building is now? Anyway, I signed up to build models, something I already enjoyed doing in my spare time. I wasn't very good at it, but the effort was worthwhile!

My friend Doug P. also signed up to build models and he brought a new model to our first class: the WWII German battleship Bismarck. I don't recall the timing of us deciding which models to bring, but I do recall knowing that Doug had the Bismarck, and I went shopping with that in mind. I already had been attracted to building battleships, in fact, I still have a Revell catalog (1974-75 Model Kit Catalog) on my shelf which I spent hours looking at back then, imagining and admiring them.

I can still picture walking into one of the local hobby shops, Iron Horse Hobbies in El Monte Center, looking for a model. The proprietor never liked me or my friends walking in when we were younger, but by 5th grade, I guess we were okay and not likely to break anything. He was even pretty nice to us by then. And looking over the shelves, the WWII warships in particular, I spotted a ship called the King George V. I pulled out the box and read the caption: The ship that sunk the Bismarck! Obviously, I had to get it! The HMS King George V was a British battleship and was involved in the sinking of the Bismarck, all of this taking place before the attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States' entry into the war. In fact, I'm reminded of one of my favorite films 'Sink the Bismarck!' which I came to know later. The HMS Hood, the HMS Ark Royal, the Prinz Eugen, lots of history and action in that film - the German commander yelling "Fire!" and the British commander yelling "Shoot!" in the climactic battle.

I don't even think I ever completed the model within the time span of the class. I hardly remember finishing any of my battleship models, much less displaying them on a shelf at home. Maybe I did? Oh well, I think I spent more time looking through the Revell catalog. And it included some of my favorites such as the USS Missouri.

Iowa-class battleships

One of the highlights of visiting Hawaii with my mother, sister, and brother (thanks Anthony!) some years ago was going on a tour of Pearl Harbor. My brother and I saw the USS Arizona Memorial and also the USS Missouri. The USS Missouri is most well known historically for being the site for the surrender of the Imperial Japanese forces and the end of World War II.

The USS Missouri was part of the Iowa-class of battleships, along with the USS New Jersey, the USS Wisconsin, and the USS Iowa (only four of six were completed).

The reason I'm mentioning this is decisions are being made over the fate of the 'mothball fleet' which has been anchored in the Bay Area's Suisun Bay for many years now. It's something I have been able to view ever since I can remember whenever I traveled across the Benicia Bridge and along the nearby shore. At the end of one of the rows is the USS Iowa.

Unfortunately, the USS Iowa was where a tragic explosion occurred in one of its turrets, resulting in the death of 47 sailors back in 1989. I don't know what the fate of this vessel will be, and that tragedy alone is perhaps reason enough not to create a similar tourist attraction out of it, but every time I pass by the mothball fleet, I am always looking for the USS Iowa. I wonder how many people are aware that it is there?