Rise and Shine --- Stupid, but what if?

Good Morning and welcome back to the cool side of the pillow.




So, after much hype, the new TV show 'Revolution' premiered last week. The second episode is on tonight, I think. (It is Monday, right?)

Anyway, I checked out the show mostly because there wasn't anything else on Monday night. The premise, for those that stick with pro wrestling, is somehow all the power was lost around the world in one fell swoop. The lights went out, people went crazy, the whole world became the wild, wild west.

There were some cool shots of an overgrown Wrigley Field and stuff. The acting was kind of pedestrian, but, you know, we aren't looking for Oscar winners here.

If you buy into the fantasy that something like all the power going out at once and nobody can fix it, well, then it's not so bad. Sure, it could never happen.

Then again, as my Firefox browser shut down for the fourth time already this morning, I got to wondering where we would all be without computer access, cell phones and the rest.

Imagine if all the computers went out around the world after some kind of virus. We'd actually have to, gasp, pull out the vinyl to listen to music. We wouldn't know Bobo down the street was heading to the store. There would be no quick reviews of Wawa coffee.

Uh, I think we'd survive without Wrigley Field being overgrown, but you never know.

Rise and Shine --- YAWN

Good Morning and there's something about these rainy days that just make it too easy to go back to bed!




I remember these kind of days (since they didn't come all the time) were kind of cool while in grade school. Usually, we'd get dropped off by the bus and start running around until the bell rung.

We would race, play football, talk about the Phillies game or the latest edition of Sports Illustrated.

Rainy days, though, we were forced inside. We would wait in the cafeteria until the bell. Since nobody wanted to look uncool and carry an umbrella, we'd all be a little wet.

Somehow, though, those mornings with the rain coming down outside hold more memories to me than the ones spent running around outside.

It's probably because that was the days when we were always outside. We'd wake up on, say, a Saturday morning, eat a quick breakfast, then jump on our bikes.

Now, I have a hard time convincing the children to get outside. Ride bikes? Only if it's a miracle.

Rainy days today are celebrated because there is no choice. Back in the day, it was a welcome break.

Rise and Shine --- Doesn't make sense

Good Morning and, whew, that was a full weekend!


So, the violence continues to escalate in the Middle East.

What apparently was the catalyst to all this was some goofy looking movie made by an anti-Muslim filmmaker.

Not only does the movie make some in the Middle East angry, but it also looks badly made. Just watching the trailer, it's pretty obvious the actors weren't even saying the lines that showed up on film.

While, I wouldn't tell anybody their religious beliefs are wrong, I fear that at some point, the film will be just an excuse.

Unfortunately, we live in a world were violence just escalates. It doesn't slow down.

After a while, it's just the reason used to destroy things for the sake of destroying them. A week from now, there might be gangs still attacking embassies, but they probably won't remember the reason.

Look, here people turn over cars and light them on fire when their team wins a championship, so we shouldn't be pointing fingers.

Sometimes, though, cooler heads have to take over, right?

Rise and Shine -- Take your trains and ...

Good Morning! I had to put my heat on in the car this morning. It's too early for my tastes.



I'm sure you've all seen the commercials where a punch of people walk in front of a too-small screen to talk about how taking SEPTA is only way to get to a game.

Uh, no SEPTA. I tried it this past weekend. It was as horrible as I remember.

Now, I've given SEPTA plenty plenty of chances. I took the train down to the Live 8 concert. Then saw as they put too few trains on the line and had people actually jammed in the doorways to get home.

I jumped on SEPTA to take in the Phillies parade in 2008 (We getting another one this year?). After getting pushed and pulled all over the place, I felt it would be easier to walk.

Now, there wasn't much going on in the city this weekend. I had tickets to the Temple/Maryland football game (the 7-year old had been begging to go). Instead of driving down, I thought it would save some money and fun to take the train.

Uh, no. You can get by the rude attitude of the workers selling tickets. You can get by the train schedules that haven't been updated since the 1960s. What you can't get by, though, is the filth.

Have the trains on the Broad Street Line ever been cleaned? How about the stations for that matter? Do we really need the recordings to announce the next station to sound like a drive thru McDonald's?

From now on, it's back in the car.

Rise and Shine --- Nothing at all

Good Morning and, what's that you say, Fall is here?


So, we are a week into school and already I'm told there's been nothing going on.

Here's a typical conversation after the bus pulls away:

So, how was school today?

"OK"

Just OK. What did you do?

"Nothing really."

Nothing? You didn't learn anything new. You don't have some stories to tell about your new teachers?

"Nah. We didn't really do anything."



Now, I can understand the first week. Students and teachers are checking each other out. Both are still trying to shake the cobwebs of summer away.

This conversation could happen (and probably will) in December or April or June.

I know, I know, I'm sure I did the same thing many eons ago.

I would like to know, though, what's going on. Just give me a little bit. A small morsel would be enough to satiate.

Just don't ask what I did at work.