How do they know that I do my "thing" with a Frisbee?

Have those sneaky bastards been peeking in my bedroom window?

Why are kids so darn loud?

We live in a pretty quiet neighborhood on California’s Central Coast. We’re surrounded by strawberry and pepper fields and it’s very quiet. At the end of our four street mini neighborhood is a grade school. If I threw a rock out of my office window I might reach halfway to the playground.

Like I said, it’s a quiet neighborhood—except for Monday through Friday from around 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.. That’s when they let the kids come out. I can’t remember the last day it rained around here, so they’re outside everyday. And boy do they like to scream.

I’m not really complaining. I could close my window and just marginally hear them, or put on music and drown them out (I used to always listen to music while writing—not so much these days). I always have my window open, so the cats can sit up on the ledge and watch Birdy TV, so I can almost always hear the kids.

I don’t remember yelling all that much as a little kid. My mom was going through menopause when I was a young lad so yelling around the house was probably verboten. But why do kids yell?

It’s my guess that there’re two reasons. Firstly, they are little kids living in a big grown up world and they want to be big themselves. So they climb things and bray as loud as they can to give the impression that they are bigger than they are in reality. Secondly, I think it’s simply a matter of being heard. As adults we (mostly) talk politely and wait our turn to speak our minds. Kids haven’t developed this skill to the degree that most adults have, so to make themselves heard they yell louder than the kid next to them.

I guess I’ve always been too quiet for my own good. I remember in high school my best friend Trent Haynes would be with a group of people at school or at a party and we’d be joking around. I would say something and get no response, mostly because I was so quiet, but then Trent would repeat what I said and get roars of laughter. I didn’t mind it.

Perhaps that’s why I took up writing; so people could finally hear what I have to say.

The kids are kinda quiet right now. It’s after 3:00 so they must be gone for the day. They were really loud earlier but I didn’t mind because mixed in with all the yelling there was plenty of laughter. That always takes the edge off.

What to wear...what to wear

Here's Tony Stark trying to figure out which suit fits the day. I hope he remembers that you're never fully dressed without a smile.

Word on the street...

Word is that J.J. Abrams and Tom Cruise are cooking up a storyline for Mission:IMPOSSIBLE #4 to be set in Tokyo. Rumor is that Abrams will only produce and not direct, but if he has a hand in writing it I think I'll like it just fine.

I've really got to hit the stores this weekend...

The Dark Fish?

Or is the fish Christian Bale carrying an arch enemy? Is he going to bring him home to grill him?

Credit where it's due...

Dudes--do you realize that there's a new Transformers movie coming out in a week or two? How is that possible? Bay turned this sequel out in the blink of an eye. Unless it turns out to be a big steaming pile, it's pretty near a miracle. I was just watching the first one on cable this weekend. Amazing.

The only Starbuck you don't pay four bucks a cup for...

Word has it that next season 24 is going to have a little extra eye candy--not to slight those of you who get a chubby over Chloe.

Here's what they're saying over at Slash Film.
"Katee Sackhoff, the actress best known for playing Starbuck on Battlestar Galactica, has joined the cast of the eighth season of Fox’s 24. Sackhoff will play Dana Walsh, “a highly respected and down-to-earth data analyst at the new and improved” New York City branch of CTU."

That damn dog just won't leave me alone...

It must be my meat-flavored aftershave.

Knowing that you have a problem is a big step toward curing it, right?

Today I bought my thirteenth and fourteenth Mighty Mugg figures. We were at Target and they had the Ghost Rider I've always wanted along with a bitchin' C3PO.

I don't smoke, drink, or take drugs (at least not anymore), so I guess there are worse habits out there. Still, I have guilt. I love the little guys but I always suffer from some degree of buyer's regret---like when I bought the phaser from the new Star Trek movie. I have phasers from the original series and some of the movies. Get ready for some form of fund raiser to pay for my funeral. Val can't sell my toys--I'm taking them with me.