Death Penalty

I am not 100% opposed to the death penalty.

I believe that there are certain criminals that deserve death.

Until we have a justice system that guarantees that a wrongly convicted person will not be put to death...

I oppose the death penalty.

That said...

Why are we, as a society, having so much trouble putting deserving criminals to death in a humane manor?

A few years ago, your Blog made the painful decision to relieve his 17-year-old sheltie of her misery.

The vet administered an injection that quickly paralyzed her organs.

Quick and painless.

The shuffling off of her Shakespearian, mortal coil.

I get it.

We think that murderers and rapists should suffer.

But, we want our death penalty people to die, without lowering ourselves their level.

If we really wanted them to suffer, properly, we would condemn these people to years of prison.

Prison = Years of suffering.

Death = Instant non-suffering.

Unless you believe in Hell.

If we must put convicts to death...

We must do so in the most humane way possible.

Just Checking In

Your Uncle PC hasn't posted anything new in nearly a week.

Which isn't really a good thing for a blog.

But...

His first week of "summer" hiatus has been spent with equal parts getting up early and going to work anyway, getting up early for entirely non-work reasons, and sleeping 'til noon.

There has been so much to write about, this week.

But, since you are all on the interwebs, you already know.

Right-wing hypocrisy, misogyny and racism has reached new levels of "What the Fuck?"

Rich people have said things that prove that one does not need to be smart to be rich.

And the plot twists on The Blog's beloved TV series "Once Upon a Time" have twisted so many times that it is beginning to defy description.

But seriously, if you have not been watching "Once Upon a Time" go Netfilx™ it now and binge watch the first three seasons. Then, catch up on the latest episodes. "Once Upon a Time" is the most amazingly creative thing on TV today.

You can thank me later.

The Blog's "stats" report tells me that traffic is still pretty brisk for a blog that has not posted anything new in the last week.

That is pretty gratifying.

The fact is that the first couple weeks of hiatus, (for those that don't know, "hiatus" is show biz talk for "vacation" or "unemployment,") is a bit of an adrenaline crash for your Blog. Your PC gets a bit unmotivated for a few weeks.

But, your Blog will be back up to full steam in a couple of days.

As pissed off and motivated as ever.

Thanks for cutting me some slack and allowing me a bit of a rest.

See you soon.

A Passing Post-Easter Observation

So, your Blog has been driving a rental car this weekend due to the tragic and untimely death of Mrs. Blog's mini-van.

The car is a Volkswagen Jetta™, truly one of the worst cars your PC has ever driven because, oh so many reasons. But, I'm getting it super cheap, so...

But, this car has Sirius XM satellite radio, which is cool. (It also has heated seats, which would be awesome if he didn't live in Southern California.)

Spent the day's travel to and from the BlogSis' house for Easter dinner. Tuned the radio to "The '70s on 7" (which is actually on channel 40 and not channel 7, one of life's small mysteries.) Presumably because it was Easter, there was a whole lot of contemporary, (and by "contemporary" I mean, "written and recorded during The Blog's 50+ year lifetime,) Jesus music.

And your PC observed something...

With the possible exception of The Doobie Brothers' "Jesus is Just Alright," (I say "possible" because I don't know anything about the religious leanings of any of the Bros Doobie,)

("They may not be related, but they do be brothers." Said every clever AM radio DJ, back in the day.)

...All of the best rock and roll music about Jesus was written by Jews.

(This theory does not apply to country music, which is a whole different animal.)

But, think about it...

The gold standard of rock operas, "Jesus Christ Superstar," was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.

Both, Jewish.

                                         "Godspell," music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.

Jewish.

And a song that is not only one of the best Jesus songs of the last 5 decades...

(Although, if you listen closely, it may be just a tad sarcastic...)

...But, one of the best rock and roll songs of all time...

(Man! That baseline and fuzzy guitar! Purely sublime stuff!)

"Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum.

Who was... do I have to draw a picture?

Norman was something of a "one hit wonder."

But, what a hit is was.

Just thought of one more. Not a Jesus song, but a God song.

Recorded by a band whose name some overly imaginative Christianist, evangelical preacher cleverly decoded to mean...

"Knights In Satan's Service"

Better known as...

Three "nice Jewish boys," as Tottie Fields once called them, and one seriously devout Catholic, (that would be "Catman" Peter Criss,) gave us...

"God Gave Rock and Roll to You."


Not their best. Truth be told, the first time your Blog heard it, he said, "That's KISS? Really? That seriously sucks!"

It's grown on me, over the years.

I'll end this post with a digression so far off of the original topic that I don't really know why I am posting it here...

But, here it is, anyway...

Gene Simmons, not just Jewish, but an Israeli born Jew, (who married a "shiksa" who fixes him bacon for breakfast... See "Gene Simmons' Family Jewels.") And has, legendarily, had sex with over 2000 women in his lifetime. Maybe true. Maybe not. Who knows?

Legend also says that the scrapbook of Polaroids™ of his conquests resides in his mother's home.

Unlike the rest of his band-mates, Gene has never tattooed his flesh.

"Why?" He has been asked on several occasions.

"Because," Gene replies, "It would kill my mother."

The Last Act of Lilka Kadison: A Review

Your Blog saw the most amazing play at The Falcon Theater, this evening.

While your PC loves big, commercial, Broadway musical spectacles as much as a straight man can, the intimate theater at Gary Marshal's house feeds my love of the art of live theater. And while I have never left The Falcon disappointed, "The Last Act of Lilka Kadison" was the most astounding piece of theater that I have ever witnessed.

I went in knowing nothing about the play. (We are Falcon subscribers, mostly to insure that we never miss a "Troubie" show, the other plays during a season are just little Christmas presents that we get to unwrap as we encounter them.)

The plot sort of defies an easy description.

I'll take a shot at it...

An elderly woman in Burbank, CA makes life hilariously miserable for a Pakistani healthcare worker, while the ghosts of her past tell the story of her youth...

A Polish Jew who escaped Poland as the Nazi's invaded, losing her family and her soul mate in the process.

Did I mention it's a comedy?

Mindy Sterling, best known for her role as Frau Farbissina in the "Austin Powers" movies...

Leads a cast of four of the best actors The Falcon has ever hosted.

Mindy is "Lily Fisher."




Her younger self, Lilka Kadison, is played by west coast newcomer Brittany Uomoleale...

...who is so "salt of the earth" beautiful that your Blog could not tear his eyes from her, whenever she was on stage. She not only acted the crap out of her part, she sings a song so beautifully that not tearing up was not an option.

                        Nicholas Curto plays Ben Ari Adler, the afore mentioned "soul mate."

And Usman Ally, an actor that has been in every TV show you have watched in the last five years, is the long suffering, former cellist turned home-care nurse.


The play ran 85 minutes without an intermission.

And these amazing actors made your Blog nostalgic for the days when he trod, (treaded?) the boards.

And then, there is the stage design.

Simple and brilliant.

A Burbank living room morphs into the streets of Poland, a Polish cemetery, and a barn, with a few on-stage shifts. Amazing!

Possibly the best line of the play...

As Lilka and Ben hunker down in a barn as the Nazis invade, Ben quips...

"The last time two Jews spent the night in a barn, they launched a whole new religion."

There are also a few simple magic tricks and some wonderful shadow puppetry involved.

Mrs. Blog, who tends to treat theater as an excuse for a very expensive nap, stayed awake, never got fidgety, and sat, literally, on the edge of her seat, for the whole show.

That is high praise from Mrs. Blog!

She slept through most of "Wicked" for fuck's sake.

Angelians tend to give standing ovations to any theater curtain call. (Except for the Pantages Theater's recent production of "West Side Story." Because it sort of sucked, frankly.) Because that is just how we are.

But, at this curtain call, no one stood.

Not because it wasn't the most wonderful performance we had ever seen, because it was.

But, I'm thinking, because there was just something about this that would have made a standing O wrong, in the same way that an intermission would have broken the mood.

But, holy shit, did we applaud? We clapped until our hands were numb.

We clapped. And we wiped tears from our cheeks.

It is a small miracle that enough feeling has returned to your Blog's fingers that he can type out this post.

Bottom line...

If you are in the Los Angeles area, the show's run has been extended to next Sunday.

If you appreciate the art of live theater, run, do not walk, to The Falcon Theater box office and score yourselves tickets to this play.

You can thank me later. 

Memories (or the Lack of)

"When I was a child
I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown
The dream is gone
And I have become
Comfortably numb."
-- Pink Floyd 

Maybe it's age. Maybe something else. I dunno.

I remember certain specific moments of my youth as far back as the age of one or two. Six second "Vine" videos of the mind, if you will.

But, bigger chunks, including things that I thought, at the time, I would remember forever are completely gone.

                        This is a photo of the future PC and his sisters on a trip to Williamsburg.



I remember that that trip happened. And I remember bits of minutia. From that trip and the rest of my early years.  But I don't remember this particular moment.

And a whole lot of others.

And that sort of freaks me out.

Some years ago, I came up with a title for a song that I would never write, because I don't write songs. "I Can't Remember 18."

Oh, I remember my 18th birthday. At least a whole lot of moments.

It was pretty epic.

There was a major party at our church's Fellowship Hall. Friends and peeps who were never my friends attended. Music was provided by my garage band friends and I did the intro laugh to "Wipe Out" and did a stage dive. Later took the mic and sang Alice Cooper's "I'm Eighteen," in my one and only public display of singing.

Still later, escaped the chaos to my house to socialize with a couple of summer camp friends.

Someone, I don't remember who, drove my sisters home and hit the gas when she should have braked, and plowed through our garage door.


Pretty sure my sisters remember that.

Good times.

My memories don't gel much prior to my official adulthood, around 1980. Everything that came before is a dream that dissipates a bit more with every passing day.

Again, that freaks me out.

One would think that one's "first time" would be an indelible memory.

But, no.

I remember that my high school sweetheart and I, because we were going to spend the rest of our lives together, (but no,) gave each other our virginity.

Was it awesome or awkward? Or a bit of both?

Was it in the back of my Dad's van at a drive-in movie? Or was it in my bed while the family was away?

Damned if I remember.

See what I mean? I have forgotten the details of my first time.

Do you get why I am a bit freaked out?

I realize that The Blog's Mom and Dad are probably reading this, right now. And The Blog has ventured into, seriously, TMI territory. Sorry Mom and Dad. But, decades have passed. Since I barely remember it, you don't need to worry about it.

I am now grateful for my Dad's penchant for picture taking and to my sister and bro-in-law for taking the time to archive and share the thousands of slides Dad took.

Probably for the best that no pics were taken of my "first time." Just thinking out loud.

My memories prior to about 1980 live, not in my own mind, but on hard drives.  

But, I am glad that they are there.

-isms

No "ism" can succeed on it's own. No lone "ist" is ever truly right.

The USSR collapsed under the weight of Communism, Socialism, Marxism and Leninism. All variations on the same "ism."

Communist China thrives because it has embraced Capitalism and blended it with their Communism.

Cuba, like Soviet Russia, pretends to be Communist, but that "ism" is buffered with a generous helping of actual Socialism and a healthy dollop of Capitalism.

It is high time that the U.S. understands that, and lifts cold war era sanctions to open free tourism and cigars.

"Socialist" countries like France, Sweden and Iceland balance it out with a good chunk of Capitalism. And they boast the highest "quality of life" standards.

England and all the other countries under the U.K. banner even more so.

The United States is, theoretically, a Capitalist nation.

Also too, a Democracy.

Or, of you prefer, a Democratic Republic.

But, going all the way back to Benjamin Franklin, who may or may not have flown a kite and discovered electricity, definitely introduced the idea of the "public commons." Public services like the fire department, the Postal Service and public libraries...

Through FDR and LBJ and who championed "social safety nets," like Public Works, Social Security and Medicaid and Medicare...

Pres. Dwight David Eisenhower saw federal highways, between the states, built. And warned us about the "Military Industrial Complex."

And that pinko, lefty Richard Nixon, put Food Stamps on the plates of the poors.

Democrats and Republicans, alike, all understood that a Capitalist America could not survive without a balancing dose of Socialism.

Most "isms" look pretty good in theory.

The PC remembers the time, when he was a teen, announcing to a small group of mostly liberal adults, (which included his parents,) that Marxism looked good on paper. The horrified expressions on their faces was priceless.

But, (the teen PC, continued,) Marxism alone goes against the grain of human nature. It cannot work, by itself.

In hindsight, the teen PC was smarter than he knew he was.

Or, maybe, as smart as he thought he was.

So, flying in the face of today's right-wing, Tea-bagging, Libertarian, Ayn Rand Conservatives...

And don't get me wrong...

Your Blog is a Capitalist who loves his personal profit generating Capitalism.

But, your Blog also understands that without a healthy dose of Socialism to balance that Capitalism out...

The Socialist vein that today's GOP and Tea Party would like to twist a tournequet on...

The economy of the United States is doomed to go the way of the Roman Empire.

Communist Marxism cannot work by itself.

But, on a theoretically, academic level...

Marx got more of it right than wrong.

Junk Food Junkie Intervention

It all began when your Blog was a lad in junior high school.

In a move to appeal to the kids, school cafeterias began offering candy and soft drinks along with the usual fare of "Johnny Marzetti" and "Meatza Pizza," and those little cartons of milk.

How your Blog remembers augmenting his "mystery meat" lunch with a pack of "Rollo" candies.

As the young PC entered high school, vending machines began appearing in the school halls, offering everything from chips and candy bars to juices and sodas.

And oh, how the conservative adults screamed bloody murder.

"Just another symptom of a growing liberal permissiveness that will end civilization as we know it!" They cried.

Fast forward a whole lot of decades later.

By the early years of the 21st century, during the days of George Dubbya Bush, more kids were spending their lunch money at vending machines than in the cafeteria itself.

Your Blog knows. The Blog, Jr. was a high school student during that time.

In 2009, the newly minted First Lady, Michelle Obama, made it her cause to get kids to eat healthier.

             And this coming July, junk food will be officially banned from public schools.

You can read about it here.


So, are the conservatives who were outraged by the availability of junk food in schools in 1976 celebrating a victory after all these years.

Of course...

... they aren't.

Now they are screaming bloody murder over the enforced removal of junk food as...

"Just another symptom of a growing liberal nanny state, gub'mint overreach by the wife of the anti-business, anti-free market, tyrannical, Kenyan dictator-in-chief."

Junk food...

Conservatives were against it before they were for it. 

Island Fever

Some years ago, your Blog was working on a Playboy shoot in St. Martin.

In a bar on the island, we met a beachcomber type guy that was selling maps of the island for two bucks a piece.

"You're from Playboy?" he asked.

"In Santa Monica?" he continued.

"I used to work for an ad agency in Santa Monica. I came here on a vacation a few years ago. After three weeks, I made a decision. Fuck it, I said. I wasn't going back. I gave my agency notice, and asked my landlord to sell off my furniture and send me a check."

"I drew up this map of the island and had a thousand copies printed."

"Now, I live in a shack on the beach and sell enough maps to keep me in food and rum."

"I have never been happier."

And that is why island life frightens and appeals to me.

For the Beauty of Mud-Bloods

It's weird that your Blog remembers this...

But...

Back in junior high school, the future PC had a friend that was Archie Bunker's "Mini-Me."

Short, squat and chunky and suffering from asthma, he was the one kid who got picked for gym class teams after your Blog.

I don't remember the context of the discussion, hell, I don't remember what I had for lunch yesterday...

But, I remember him saying, at the wise and ripe old age of, what? 13 or 14? on the subject of interracial marriage...

"Are you okay with a future generation of beige people."

"Beige people?" Indeed.

The little voice in my young head was all, "Dayyumm!  What a BeeGot!"

                                                 In J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" novels,
                                                      she coins the phrase, "mudblood."

Your PC caught up with this Junior Klansman via Classmates.com and discovered that not every youngster outgrows his original prejudices.

Some people never outgrow the bigotry that they learned from their parents.

In a recent post, National Geographic.com prognosticated about the subject of future beauty. 

Your Blog makes his living doing beauty.

And, he observes that some of the most stunningly beautiful people, currently residing on our planet, are "mixed race" people.

Asians and Africans with a dollop of Caucasian mixed in makes for serious beauty.

                                                                           AmIright?

As a beauty professional, I am all for a future of beautiful, "beige" people. 

On Writing

 Being a part time, amateur blogger means getting to blow off your homework whenever you damn well feel like it.

The PC is taking a couple of nights off.

See you in a few.

Bill Maher, the Income Gap and Wealthy, Deluded, Nit-Wits

Back during the later days of the George W. Bush administration, local businesses in The PC's neighborhood were dropping like termites under a circus tent tarp.

In the spring of 2008, President Dubbya visited a successful, Torrance, CA helicopter company, which he used as a backdrop for a speech designed to "prove" that the economy was thriving.

The helicopter company sent a bird to fly the prez from LAX to the Torrance factory.

Had the future Painter-in-Chief taken the more usual limo ride down Hawthorne Blvd., he would have seen the inconvenient truth about the economy in the Los Angeles South Bay.

                                            An actual photo of an actual Hawthorne Blvd. Torrance, CA business.

Mom and Pop furniture stores, hardware stores and auto dealerships were flying "Going Out of Business, Everything Must Go!" banners.

Buildings went empty. Which was only good news for "pop-up" Halloween stores and the burgeoning dialysis center industry.

                                                       This is an actual photo of an actual Halloween store that
                                      "pops up" next door to Mrs. Blog's dialysis center, every September thru October.

(Note to self... Write a post, soon, about the growing business of kidney failure, and why the fuck is this happening?)

The south end of the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, CA, (once, the largest shopping mall in the world,) anchored by J.C. Penny, Macy's and Sears, became a desolate, retail ghetto.

The local Kmart closed, to be replaced by a Walmart "Neighborhood Market."

In the last year or two, there has been a surge in new construction in the area. Lots of new stores are being built or renovated.

Which is a good thing for local construction.

But, here's the thing...

                                        Most of those new stores are Dollar Tree™ stores.

Now, don't get me wrong! The Blog is thrilled that there are more and more nearby places that he can spend $1.00 for Mrs. Blog's Diet Mt. Dew instead of $1.89 elsewhere. And cheap holiday decorations for her classroom.

But, at this rate, the proliferation of stores where nothing costs more than a dollar means, at the current rate, "dollar stores" will soon outnumber Starbucks™.

And that means something less than positive, in the big picture.

The Blog could go on. But, it's late.

                                           Which brings me to the latest from Bill Maher.

Sure, Bill is an arrogant, pasty-faced, womanizing, liberal, Hollywood, millionaire, elitist.

He is also right on point, most of the time.

Click on over to "Americans Against the Tea Party's" site and scroll down and watch the video link.

Take it away, Bill.

The PC's First and Last "Frozen" Post

Your Blog will say this up front.

The Blog loves, loves, loves Kristen Bell.

                                           Wait. What? Where did this come from? Stop it!

The Blog meant to say...

                                                          He loves this Kristen Bell.

The CW's "Veronica Mars" skewed to a way younger demographic than the 50ish PC.

But, her spunky, 21st Century "Nancy Drew" was a guilty pleasure.

I have not seen the amazingly crowd-funded movie and probably won't until it hits the Redbox™ at his local 7eleven™.

Your Uncle PC also enjoyed her Disney™ debut in "Frozen."

"Frozen" wasn't just a visual treat, (and I didn't even see it in the 3D that was probably brain melting.) It was a nice story with good music. And, the first ever Disney Princess™ movie that rejected the notion that a Prince™ was required to define true love.

*And no, paranoid, right-wing, Christianists. It was not about incesting lesbians. It was about that thing you all seem to know and care so much about...

...Family values.*

Where was I?

Oh, right.

Love Kristen.

Love "Frozen."

But, there is that one song.

The one that we just can't seem to escape.

The one sung by the Broadway superstar, Adele Dazeem.

(jk)

                                                                      Idina Menzel

A good song, no doubt.

But, ready to take it's place along side "Titanic's" "My Heart Will Go On," as a song that The Blog would not care if he never heard again.

Can we please just "Let It Go?"

But, back to Kristen Bell.

In the last 24 hours, a live performance of her snowman song has gone viral.

And it is amazing and full of feels.

Go watch and listen, here.

Just because.

You're welcome.

Iquique, Chile: Bonus Post

The PC doesn't even know, precisely, where Iquique, Chile is.

But, I am very glad I don't live there.

According to my QuakeFeed™ app, they have been hit with a series of humongous  earthquakes.

In SoCal speak, "The Big One," followed by a whole lot of other "Big Ones" over the last 48 hours.

The Blog's thoughts and good wishes  go out to the people of Iquique.

*SPOILER ALERT* HIMYM Finale *SPOILER ALERT*

*SPOILER ALERT*
*SPOILER ALERT*
*SPOILER ALERT*


*SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*

*SPOILER ALERT!*

If you are planning on watching the series finale of "How I Met Your Mother" but it's still waiting for you on your Tivo™, or you are in some part of the world where it hasn't aired yet...

GO AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GO AWAY, NOW!!!!!!!!!

If you need someplace to go, go read The Blogs thoughts about the "Noah" movie.

There are no spoilers there.

Did I mention...?

This is a...

__
___
____
_____
______
_______
________
_________

Are you sure?

If you are still thinking about it...

Here is a picture of a cute puppy you can look at while you make up your mind.

Last chance.


Because SPOILERS are coming.

Are they gone?

Okay, now let's get down to this.

Your Blog, after spending two days avoiding spoilers, caught up with the series finale of "HIMYM" this evening.

I went into it knowing only that fans and critics had made it more controversial than the finales of "The Sopranos" and "Lost," combined.

The Blog was a fan of the show during it's early seasons.

Your Uncle PC even got to work with the cast one day, early in it's run. I was pleased that I got to do it, but had no inkling, at the time, that the show would take off the way it did. At the time, Alyson Hannigan was the show's only really established "star," thanks to her run on "Buffy" and as the "Band Camp Girl." Cobie Smulders had not yet become an "Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." Jason Segel's movie star and Muppet reinvigorator days were still ahead of him.

And Neil Patrick Harris was still "the guy who used to be Doogie Houser," and had not yet become the star of everything.

I don't know, exactly why I drifted away from the show in it's later seasons.

I suspect that it is because, I had finally, subconsciously, admitted to myself that I had gotten too old to relate to the story of a bunch of 20 somethings.

But, I check in now and then.

As TV writer/blogger Ken Levine put it...

"...the way you peek in on your kids at night just to see that they’re alright."

By some coincidence, I seem to have caught most of the important points.

The "Slutty Pumpkin," Brittany Spears, one or two "Robin Sparkles" episodes.

Ted's ill fated engagement to Sarah Chalke ("Roseanne," "Scrubs.")

The story arc with Ted dating Jennifer Morrison ("House," "Once Upon a Time.")

I was even there for the episode, at the end of last season, when Ted first laid eyes on "The Mother."

But, to be really honest, I had no real emotional investment in the characters or the show.

But, after nine years, I sure as hell was going to find out how it ended.

Even Mrs. Blog, who hated the show from episode one, felt the need for some closure.

So, we watched the final episode tonight.

And, maybe it's just because I was not that invested in it, but I just don't get the outrage of so many of the hardcore fans.

Mrs. Blog, who has trouble following flashbacks and flash forwards, found the whole thing confusing. I get that. If you had trouble following the plot of "Cloud Atlas," then this episode probably gave you migraines, and I get that.

As a time travel buff, I had no problem with it.

It all made perfect sense to me.

Sure, there may have been too many sad moments packed into a one hour comedy.

I'm going to add one more *SPOILER ALERT* here, because there is no turning back at this point.

Of course, I say, Robin and Barney's marriage didn't work. That relationship never made any sense, says I.

That Robin's successful career took her away from her friends for long periods of time is just a real thing. And, "HIMYM," for all of it's flights of fancy, never shied away from portraying real, emotion. That she managed to put her life on hold long enough to make it to Ted's wedding makes her a better person than you and me.

Or, at least, me.

Barney was never going to grow up, without something... dare I say it? ...Epic... happening.

The moment when Barney holds his infant daughter, the product of a one night stand with a woman that we only know as "Number 31," for the first time, and proclaims his undying love for her, it is not only one of the most moving moments from the entire series, it is also one of the most believable.

It wasn't all sad.

(We will get back to sad in a moment.)

Perpetual sad sack Marshal, after years of toiling in a soul-sucking law firm job, finally gets the judgeship that he once sacrificed to stay with his wife, Lily. And later, a nomination to the Supreme Court.

And, finally...

Ted and "The Mother," who we finally learn is named Tracy, have the "meet cute" to end all "meet cutes," become engaged, have two kids, then finally, get married.

And then comes the emotional gut punch.

(I told you we would get back to sad,)

Five little words...

Some considered it cheap, emotional manipulation...

But, for your humble Blog, if you have followed this space for awhile and read between the lines, or if you know me, personally...

Those five little words hit a little bit too close to home.

"When your mother got sick..."

Those five words ripped the tears from your Blog's eyes.

From there, we were returned to the aforementioned "meet cute."

And the show could have ended there. Many think that it should have.

Some say that the next seven minutes were an unnecessary punchline.

Your Blog disagrees.

Like the last few minutes of "Toy Story 3," that last scene was needed to give the viewers a couple of moments to pull their shit together.

And, to end the story on a much needed happy note.

Series finales for long running, well loved shows, are hard.

Most shows don't even get the luxury.

I found the finale of "HIMYM" satisfying.

And, because federal law mandates that any commentary about "HIMYM" must include this, I will say that the finale was...

"Legend... (...wait for it...) ...ary!"



Cyber High Five!

For me, only one question was left unanswered.

What was the deal with Bob Saget as "Future Ted"/ "Narrator?"

Can someone explain Bob Saget to me?

No, seriously.

Can someone explain Bob Saget to me?  

Prank It Forward

Here on the Left Coast, April 1st is over and it has been a blissfully prank free day.

Don't get me wrong. The Blog loves a good prank.

And that is the problem.

Most April Fools Day pranks just aren't good.

They tend to be pedestrian and lame, or sometimes, just plain mean.

The PC says, when it comes to pranking, go big or go home.

The more elaborate, the better.

Take this amazing stunt that was staged last summer to promote the remake of "Carrie."

Now that is a prank!

But tonight, how about something different.

A series of videos is going viral. A bunch of YouTube™ pranksters have started a series called, "Prank It Forward," in which they stage elaborate pranks that do good for people.

Here are just two examples...

Watch as a food kitchen for the homeless is transformed into a five star restaurant.

And here, a waitress, (and remember, the minimum wage for "tipped" workers is $2.13 an hour, and has been for over a decade,) has the best shift of her life.

While you are wiping your eyes, let me lay a sobering observation, followed by a question...

At the time of this writing, the food kitchen video had 13,410 "likes" on YouTube™.

The waitress vid had 32,006 "likes."

But...

These same videos had 106  and 371 "dislikes," respectively.

Which makes The PC wonder...

Who are these 477 heartless jack wagons?

And who do think they will be voting for in November?

"Psych": So Long, But Maybe Not Goodbye *Bonus Post*

The Blog is back, for a few minutes.

As he calculates the figures, The tax time numbers are looking good.
                                               ________________________________

                                Shawn and Gus. Jules and Lassie. Woody and Chief Vick.

                                                                      The Blueberry.

Pineapples.

Fake Santa Barbara. (Vancouver.)

Steve Franks and The Friendly Indians...


I think I will miss you most of all.

But, seriously. Isn't it time to release an Mp3 of the whole theme song?

Both verses.

Come on guys.

Thank you all for one of The Blog's most favorite shows from the last eight years.

And thanks for interrupting The PC's tears of nostalgia with one laugh-out-loud, also nostalgic, reference to San Francisco's favorite, consulting detective...

*Spoiler Alert, (If you haven't yet seen it yet... skip over the red text...)*

Shawn: We can set up shop, here! We can help you solve crimes!

Chief Karen: We.... already have a guy.

Shawn: You do? I  don't see him. Where is this guy?"

Jules: He's in the kitchen... alphabetizing the pantry.

*End Spoiler*

But, rumor has it that we have not seen the last of Shawn and Gus.

The Blog has it on good authority that the "Psych" gang may yet turn up on some "USA" network specials.

Or, maybe even a feature film or three.

                                                        If "Veronica Mars" could do it...

Never mind Mars...