Blog – Page 21 – Oddball Update

A Day in Ya’an

March 9, 2007September 23, 2011 Chief Oddball 1 Comment

Today was quite an adventure for us here in China. After staying at our friends’ (very nice) apartment in XinJin yesterday and basically working most of the day, we set out in the evening for Ya’an, an old-fashioned town about an hour from here that is home to China’s single largest population of Pandas — a world-renowned location.

Things Seen on the Road in Hat Yai

February 22, 2007September 23, 2011 Chief Oddball

When you venture to countries in Asia, you typically find that English has invaded popular culture, if only in some small way. Here, English words, phrases or acronyms are everywhere, particularly on cars. If you think our cars in America have a lot of badges — with identification markings for make and model, engine size, optional equipment, trim level, etc.

Star Trek: Remastered

September 12, 2006September 30, 2011 Chief Oddball 2 Comments

September 8th, 2006 marked the 40th anniversary of the airing of the first Star Trek: TOS episode back in 1966. Sitting here today, it’s hard to believe that I’ve been a fan of this show for more than half of that elapsed time — in fact, the colorful sets and hackneyed effects of TOS are some of my earliest (and fondest) television memories, watching syndicated reruns at 7:00 p.m.

The World According To Darfh

July 29, 2006September 30, 2011 Pooch 4 Comments

The last few days have been quite hellish in these parts (heck, the entire summer has been hellish), so I’ve been pretty much cooped up inside my air conditioned house for the past week or so. Getting tired of the same old, same old, today I decided to trek out to the EB Games closest to my house (note: this EB Games is also a stone’s throw from two or three GameSpots as well).

Trash Bandit

July 12, 2006October 2, 2011 Chief Oddball

The garbage truck stopped by a few minutes ago, so I went outside to roll the standard-issue trash can back into the garage. In the process of checking to ensure that the can was empty, I discovered some unexpected new trash in it that hadn’t been there just two hours prior when I checked to see if the trash truck had arrived yet.

Food Long Since Forgotten

July 9, 2006May 8, 2012 Chief Oddball 6 Comments

So I was up late on a recent evening occasion, and although there are far more weighty things with which I could be occupying my brain, I settled instead on the topic of long-forgotten grocery goodies that I once enjoyed as a kid.

The Last Ride

July 8, 2006September 30, 2011 Chief Oddball 2 Comments

I thought the Holden plant in Australia was going to keep building the GTO through August, as they did last year, but apparently I was wrong. The Australian media reported that on June 7th, the last Pontiac GTO — clad in Spice Red metallic — rolled off the assembly line at 9:37 pm.

Dump Truck

July 8, 2006September 30, 2011 Chief Oddball 1 Comment

Apple and I spent the morning hauling another huge load of recyclables and trash to the local recycling center, or as I affectionately call it, “the dump.” We used my boss’ truck to transport all the goods. This was the second time I’ve done this, and I have to say it was a lot easier with Apple’s help.

What Defines an American Car?

June 30, 2006September 30, 2011 Chief Oddball 3 Comments

CNN’s “QuickVote” polls, which they offer on their website for the public to take, are often of questionable value, or at least questionable objectivity. In light of the “Will Renault/Nissan buy a minority stake in GM?” story flying around in the press today, CNN made tonight’s QuickVote poll: “What defines an American car?”

Weekend Vacation

June 25, 2006October 1, 2011 Chief Oddball 3 Comments

Apple and I just returned from our weekend vacation, which we spent at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort in Vero Beach, FL. Actually, we’re still there as I write this — it’s Saturday night, our final evening here, and I felt like writing an update to post when I get home.

Category: Blog