Apologies for re-running the same post from last year, but frankly my dear it’s hard for me to think of anything scarier…

(Courtesy of Salon).

So given all the recent press events launching new iPods, PowerBooks and PowerMacs, does anybody else wonder what is going to be announced at MacWorld in January?

Does anybody (either two of you) also watch the BBC’s Coupling? Easily the funniest relationship comedy I’ve seen. I happened to trip over it late one Sunday night, when KQED (the local PBS affiliate) shows it. Very brilliant take on the sometimes overlapping relationships with 6 friends. I’m re-watching last Sunday’s episode (”Unconditional Sex”) and I’m having a hard time figuring out what the best line of the episode is:

1. “I’m fairly new to mild naughtiness”
2. “[Sex] is like cuddling, only damper”
3. Her: “How many kinds of ‘oh’ noises are there?”
   Him (with complete certainty): “27.”
   Her: “27?”
   Him: “I counted once - I had this long phone call with my mother. My mother only communicates in levels of disappointment.”
4. “It’s the unthinkable - it’s Satan with breasts!”
5. Her: “…We’re supposed to be getting married. I’d like to think the man who I’m going to spend the rest of my life with has a better reason for staying faithful than ‘it might be a trick’.”
   Him: “It wasn’t the only thing, it was just like the…. deterrent.”
   Her: “The deterrent?”
   Him: “Well, yeah, you know, like nuclear weaponry - nobody likes it, but it can help keep the peace!”
   Her: “Steve! You just compared our relationship to the Cold War!”
   Him: “Which may I remind you, really lasted!”
   Her: “So, the nature of the bond between us is in fact the threat of mutually-assured distruction?”
   Him (consoling her, while stroking her arm): “Oh, among many other things…”

If you’re like me, sometimes you don’t make the time to sit down and purposefully listen to lyrics in epics like Genesis’ “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” to fully appreciate the story. Fortunately, every once and a while someone comes along to help.

OK, so I have to admit a little hypocracy here and say that I induldge a little white trashiness in my appreciation for aerobatics. Can’t say that I love it and go to every event possible, but I do enjoy watching it. All while trying to ignore the staggering statistic that I heard from an NPR interview that the Blue Angels typically burn 1,000 gallons of jet fuel per hour per plane in an average show.

That said, last weekend was Fleet Week here in San Francisco. Being the sucker for aerobatics that I am, I was lured by the siren song of the Red Bull Air Race and, of course, the Blue Angels. Thrown in for good measure was “Team Oracle” (a.k.a. Sean Tucker), the civilian Airshows America L-39 Patriot team and taking up the slack waiting for the Blue Angel finale performance, the Blue Angels’ C-130 Hercules transport, “Fat Albert” (which was repeatedly being referred to as “Big Albert” by the monster-truck-rally-trained announcer). An obviously military-oriented event, there were recruiters a-plenty from every branch littered liberally on Marina Green, with overweight & over-machoed men meandering around rutting along to airshow soundtrack selections including classics from Van Halen, “patriotic” unidentified country singers and, curiously, Neil Diamond. Decidedly not your typical San Francisco event.

Fortunately, I had planned ahead, charged up my battery and went crazy with my digital SLR (well, as crazy as you can get with being hampered by a 128MB CF card). Enjoy!

Happy John Peel Day!