Home

Advertisement

Customize
About this Journal
General blathering and occasionally exciting tales of adventure, usually involving the ubiquitous object of my vehicular affection.
Current Month
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728
Feb. 12th, 2007 @ 09:25 pm I'm not much of a Villian..
But I suppose I DO feel like this right about now:
You are The Joker
The Joker
70%
Apocalypse
63%
Magneto
61%
Riddler
56%
Two-Face
56%
Venom
54%
Lex Luthor
53%
Mr. Freeze
53%
Dr. Doom
46%
Mystique
40%
Green Goblin
36%
Catwoman
34%
Dark Phoenix
30%
Juggernaut
24%
Poison Ivy
23%
Kingpin
21%
The Clown Prince of Crime. You are a brilliant mastermind but are criminally insane. You love to joke around while accomplishing the task at hand.
Click here to take the Supervillain Personality Quiz
About this Entry
face
Feb. 12th, 2007 @ 09:12 pm Missing in action...
Demeanor: Bummed out
Sorry I haven't been around- between the triumph of the Star Wars "Where Science Meets Imagination" exhibit here in L.A. and the tragedy of my brother Tom's murder last week, I just haven't had time for much elife. Add my computer rebuild of the past month, and it's like a forced vacation...

But I'll post a review of the exhibit Gala event shortly. I probably won't feel too motivated until after Tom's funeral, though.
About this Entry
face
Dec. 31st, 2006 @ 06:19 pm Rose Parade Tomorrow!
Demeanor: bouncy
Tags:
Greetings, all! I hope that the New Year is finding you well!

Many of you know of my long association with Lucasfilm through various children's charities, specifically as an officer in the 501st Stormtrooper Legion and a member of the Rebel Legion costuming group. As a thank you for our years of service on the behalf of so many philanthropic fronts, Rose Parade Grand Marshal George Lucas has selected many of us to participate in the parade. I am marching tomorrow, New Year's Day, and thought I would just post an FYI now that I know what my Rose Parade assignment is- watch for me and cheer us on!


About this Entry
face
May. 17th, 2006 @ 03:16 am The Power of Human Voice
Demeanor: enthralled
I live for the opportunity to perform the occasional voiceover, and take a certain delight in mimicry and vocal sound effects. The song in my heart often rises to the surface and becomes the tune on my lips, be it Bono or Bing.

I find an unbridled joy in this ad from the UK, extolling the virtues of the Honda motorcar using a soundtrack of voices in the acoustically marvelous venue of a parking garage. Garrison Keillor, appropriately, does the spoken introduction.

http://ueba.net/html/Civic-ad
About this Entry
face
May. 16th, 2006 @ 02:18 am Which Star Wars character are you?
Got this from [info]colleency; is there any doubt who I'd be?


Your results:
You are Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi
99%
Yoda
82%
Qui-Gon Jinn
80%
Princess Leia
74%
R2-D2
73%
Padme
70%
Han Solo
64%
Chewbacca
64%
An Ewok
63%
Mace Windu
61%
You are civilized, calm, and
have a good sense of humor,
even when those around you don't.
You can hold your own in a fight,
but prefer it when things
don't get too exciting.
(This list displays the top 10 results out of a possible 21 characters)
Click here to take the Star Wars Personality Quiz
About this Entry
face
May. 10th, 2006 @ 01:12 pm H-Wing update...
The H-Wing is mostly restored -and back on the charity-event circuit- thanks to the folks that have helped with equipment and time. We've now had the car for 6 years (5 in H-Wing mufti), and put 90,000 miles on her.

Still to do:
Fixes:
Repaint the hood.
Touch up paint- entire car.
Repair/replace seats.
Repair/replace antenna.
Replace vinyl graphics
Fix the aux lights, either with lights or PA speakers, but plug up the holes.

Install:
Install fog lamps.
Install the gun tip strobes.
Procure and install lights, automation circuit and sound effects for R2.
Procure and install sound effects for car.
Procure and install power supply for computer.

Recently completed:
Alarm installed.
Interior panels reuphulstered.
Nurnies/rivets repaired.
Brakes done.
Wheels aligned.
Front control arms fixed.
About this Entry
face
May. 4th, 2006 @ 04:49 pm Who is more foolish...
Demeanor: amused
Tags:
..the fool, or the fool that calls him one?

Whilst driving to Griffith Observatory via the 10 freeway last week, some kids took advantage of the tragically slow traffic to examine the H-Wing. They were aboard what we call "the short bus", those tiny transports usually reserved for tots political correctness has dubbed "developmentally disabled"; we used to call them "retarded". At the charity events I do, they are called "differently-abled".

Most of the kids were excited to see the car, waving and calling out the windows. Their speech difficulties identified them pretty solidly in the "differently-abled" category. But they were having a great time, yelling at R2 and generally upsetting their bus driver.

As traffic began to speed up, and I finally passed the front of the bus, I heard the following from the window just behind the driver's seat:

"DUDE! Your car is totally retarded!"

It was called out with the slurred voice of authority, and I got the feeling that I had just been dissed by the coolest kid on the short bus, who won a bloodless coup and showed how much cooler he was than I amongst his peers.

I had a smile on my face all day knowing that, among the short bus crowd, I was in the short car.
About this Entry
H-Wing
Nov. 10th, 2005 @ 11:27 pm Home again, home again...
Demeanor: determined
Car Reactions: The usual turned heads, and the wide-eyed mechanic.
The H-Wing has returned home. It still needs an awful lot of work, and I have more questions the more I poke around.

On the plus side, after a lot of pressure from folks I put a "donation" button up at www.h-wing.com, and people are actually helping out! I must say it's heartwarming and humbling. The only tangible feedback on the car I usually get (aside from the occasional note under the wiperblades) is hate mail, so it's really a shock to see people give praise with their pocketbooks. Thanks to those that have helped out- I'll send something more personal directly to you.

More sordid details below... )
About this Entry
face
Nov. 5th, 2005 @ 01:27 am My Life as a number...
Demeanor: blah
Car Reactions: None- still broken.
Tags:
Fascinating to distill my life into a series of bar graphs. I suppose it's accurate enough... I wonder if my wife's would match. If hers is better, would that make me a good husband?

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:
7.3
Mind:
7.3
Body:
7.3
Spirit:
10
Friends/Family:
7.1
Love:
9.1
Finance:
7.9
Take the Rate My Life Quiz
About this Entry
face
Oct. 22nd, 2005 @ 03:09 am H-Wing Update
Demeanor: blah
Tags:

I've received so many questions of late, many due to rumor and misinformation, so I've decided to send out an FAQ. Sorry if you know this already, or if you're hearing this for the first time.
____________________________________________

F.A.Q. below. )

About this Entry
face
Oct. 18th, 2005 @ 02:06 am Not sure I believe these things...
The "What Kind of Human Are You?" Test.
Candy Striper
You scored 84% Do Gooder, 54% Drive, and 64% Intellect!

(That's STRIPER, not Stripper) You are a very helpful person indeed, always ready to lend a hand, ear, shoulder, or any other body part that may be required. You are warm and caring, as well as resourceful and effective. You are actually one of the best categories of human beings on this test. You're smart, but not too smart for your own good. I think you could benefit from some self-preservation because you are such an unselfish giver who is willing to help at a moment's notice. Not that that's a bad thing, just make some time for yourself now and then. The world would benefit from more people like you.

The rest and link below... )
About this Entry
face
Oct. 18th, 2005 @ 01:39 am Tick, tick, tick...
Demeanor: annoyed
Tags:
I'm trying to get the adjuster to contact me back...It is, as expected, like pulling teeth.

I'm operating on the assumption that there is no frame damage, which the estimator said there wasn't any. I'll verify that tomorrow. In the meantime, I've found a parts place in Carson that has everything I need, OEM and brand new (except the head/aux lights and wheelwell/sandguard liner) for around $650. It's $950 if I need the fenders, too.

I expect I'll rent a pickup and go get the parts as soon as I hear from the adjuster and make certain that they're really going to total it out.

On the other side of things, one of my friends is trying to get the car fixed on "Pimp My Ride". I don't fit the age range or demographic, but I appreciate the thought.

He accidentally signed me up for "Pimp YOUR Ride", a HIN sponsorship program where they charge you $89 if you get accepted. :P

Someone also contacted Lucasfilm, but I must say I'd be shocked if they wanted to help me out.

And in the conspiracy theory end of things, an ex-DMV employee at the insurance company thinks that the truck may have tried to run a collision scam, then backed out and ran away after they saw how weird my car was.

We may never know...
About this Entry
face
Oct. 13th, 2005 @ 02:07 am Totaled!
Demeanor: sick
Tags: ,
After a hopeful message from the estimator this morning ("I think it's around $900 in parts"), it looks like the H-Wing is totaled. Repair costs look to be $4K, and the blankety-blank AAA tow yard says they incurred $1K in towing and storage.


Details Below... )

About this Entry
H-Wing
Oct. 11th, 2005 @ 05:29 pm Update from drydock...
Demeanor: nervous
Car Reactions: Lots of well-wishes for the wreck
Tags: ,
The H-Wing is now closer to home- Marina Del Rey, to be exact. Dan, the estimator at the collision center says that the cutoff for determining whether it's "totaled" or not is about $3000.

We've already incurred $500 in towing charges.

I'm hoping that we can cut-rate some of this... I don't need matching paint, or an A/C compressor... I get a bit more info tomorrow morning, and we'll take it from there. Dan offered to reccomend a cheaper shop, but that means more towing fees.

I'm so nervous about this, and it's just a car. I can imagine how strung out I'd be if it were something serious, like someone in the hospital or a baby being born.
About this Entry
H-Wing
Oct. 9th, 2005 @ 12:37 am It had to happen eventually...
Tags: , ,
So, I finally did it. Mashed the H-Wing into another vehicle on the way to a charity event in Norco.

SIGH.

I'm fine, but my car is mushed, and I'm bummed. As if I didn't have enough time off the road this year with the broken leg in May, June and July. I'm hoping they don't total it out. Kelly Blue Book retail is $5745, and trade-in is $1850. That's a wide range... I also don't know what Mercury is going to say about my "modifications". All in all, it was a pretty lame experience, but no one got hurt. Yet.


More below )
About this Entry
face
Jul. 22nd, 2005 @ 12:42 pm General Stuff...
Demeanor: cheerful
Car Reactions: Franklin Sr. And Jr, who followed me from LAX to take pix
Tags:
Colleen and I have been married for 15 years today! It's a pretty neat feeling. I have lived with my wife longer than I lived with my parents, so I guess she officially has ownership. :) As I told the mechanic today, I may make some mistakes in life, but my choice in spouses certainly isn't one of them. I'm just glad she chose me back.

I'm trying out a 'new' mech, as our previous tinker passed on recently. I can't stand that feeling of displacement, where you have to replace a trusted friend with someone new. Plus that annoying conflict that always occurs where you feel sympathetic to the family for their loss, and feel guilty for selfishly wondering what you'll do about getting your car fixed.

Interestingly, I've discovered I don't like to post here when I'm sick. Which is odd, because I have all this time to post...
About this Entry
face
Jul. 11th, 2005 @ 05:00 pm Party Freeway?
Car Reactions: Positive: People on the 405. Negative: People on the 5.
In my travels around the southland, I've noticed that different freeways have different demeanors. The 5 is uptight and cranky, the 710 is nervous, the 110 impatient. But the 405? It appears to be the party freeway, based on the people I meet on the road. Whooping, hollering, picturetaking, screaming, yelling. People play their music louder on the 405. Most people seem to be ready to have fun.
About this Entry
face
Jul. 10th, 2005 @ 03:04 am 10-inch Rock Hard Bazooka of love...
Demeanor: tired
Car Reactions: Positive: Lots of partygoers and park visitors.
Tags:
The most memorable phrase from tonight's "60th anniversary" party. Rock band or something more? You decide.

We had a good turnout and a relaxed evening. It's nice when you can celebrate your 15th anniversary with 3 other couples who've been happily married as long as you've been. Boffer fights and legos... That's entertainment!
About this Entry
face
Jul. 8th, 2005 @ 12:49 am "Funny as a crutch, Rich..."
Demeanor: ecstatic
Car Reactions: Some kids at TRU, and a guy who saw the H-Wing on the Net
Tags:
Had X-Rays taken today, and my right fibula is healing nicely. The cast is off, but I must occasionally wear a brace. I think I'll hang onto the sabercane a while longer, especially through Comicon.

I still have to put off that tap-dancing class, though...
About this Entry
face
Jul. 6th, 2005 @ 03:08 pm Don't tell my wife...
Demeanor: geeky
Car Reactions: Garrett flagged me down for photos, and the Pink Lady below
I wait alone, facing westward at an oddly unoccupied intersection on Hollywood Boulevard. Despite the heat and mid-afternoon sun, the streets are in shadow, shrouded by the run-down buildings of a more romantic era.

The dingy and vacant street to the north is suddenly overpowered by the shimmering pink bubblegum glow of the lone Corvette that has rolled to a stop there. Behind tinted windows, a blond patiently waits for the light -any light- to change. Both of our vehicles are out of place here, though for different reasons.

For the briefest of moments, our eyes meet; two strangers cloaked in dark glasses. Though she may not know me, her reputation has preceded her by decades. I nod my head in recognition; she lowers her sunglasses and smiles in acknowledgement.

Our eyes part as we furtively examine the lines of each other's vehicles, hoping to take everything in before traffic resumes its course. Inevitably the light does change, on her side; she begins to complete her left turn, an agonizingly slow and gentle curve as she passes within inches.

With hand raised to mouth, she blows a kiss and is gone, receding in my side mirror, her name reflected there in the patriotic colors of her inverted license plate.

Angelyne...
More below )
About this Entry
H-Wing