"A Little Time On My Hands For A Change, So---"

And here we are two days past Thanksgiving, and now less than a month until Christmas, and only 5 weeks or so until 2006.

I think I like a White Christmas much beter than a Black Friday, although really, I couldn't tell that it was any busier yesterday at work than, say, an odd weekend in the Summer. I'm sure sales were good as I had to replace several large and pricier items on the shelves tho', and (as usual) people wait until 15 minutes until closing to come pick up some big piece of furniture causing everyone to have to stay over 10 or 15 minutes extra (as if 9-1/2 hrs. isn't enough of a work day). Seems like we just had Christmas last week, this year's gone by so quickly. Well...no more quicly than any OTHER year, but as a kid it sure seemed like it was 5 years between each of them!

No comic book reviews for today, but I did read a copy of Tom Strong's Terrific Tales last night, as well as a couple issues of "Tom's" regular series. There'll be more reviews of ABComics as I receive them thru the mail/read them.

Here after a couple of pretty frigid nights it's supposed to be much warmer next week. In fact, temperatures are going back up in the 60's by day and 40's by night. There seems no way to predict how this Winter weather will be, but I'm sure that next January and February will probably hit us like a ton of bricks.

I've seen several previews for this new live-action version of Aeonflux. Probably not a film I'll make an effort to eventually watch. I do recall seeing several of the animated episodes of her back some years ago, and they were...alright.. They were all drawn in that quirky style that was also used on The Phantom animated series.

Was "supposed" to have someone come over and help me put shrink-wrap over my windows today, but they copped-out on me, so I guess I'll just get tacky and put some blankets over them instead. Don't feel like doing any actual work today on a day off anyway.

And this time of the year the radio is blaring Christmas music it seems 24/7. I really think that's probably some ploy by big businesses paying off these stations just to get everyone to BUY more, but maybe I'm just a "Grinch". Anyway, I've heard the Annie Lennox version ofI'm Dreaming of A White Christmas about 100 times just in the past week. It seems bizarre that this is the song she'll end up being most remembered for, rather than such classics as "Missionary Man", or "Sweet Dreams". Occasionally I've even hear the Bing Crosby/David Bowie duo first performed live on some t.v. "special" a good 30 years ago. Always liked the way their voices blended, especially from two singers whose styles were/are so distinctly different. And it's hard to dislike Gene Autry's version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (such a classic). These, of course, mixed in with such silliness as "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer", and Weird Al parodies.

Tried to get out and do some Christmas shopping this morning; trying to find some of the stuff my wife had listed she would like. Finally gave up in disgust 'cause I couldn't locate anything on the list. So, I guess I'll try again tomorrow. Did find something for me, tho': a Bandai "Astro Boy Laboratory" playset (with figures) in new condition, and a copy of the 1994 Sgt. Rock Special #2 (with some nice work by Russ Heath and Howard Chaykin), both for a total of six bucks at the local flea market.

On to other things...'was talking with someone today about the old Saturday Morning Cartoon Shows and how all of the really good ones simply aren't ever shown any more. A lot of this deals with the silliness of political correctness. Terrytoons were always my favorite of the theatrical releases, especially Heckle & Jeckle's, which were repackaged and shown in the early 1960's on Saturday mornings, but some idiot decided they were too racist. This whole idea of offending some minority or religion or race has gone to such extremes in this country that now everyone's afraid to express any comments on such that they'll be labled as a hate monger. And I, as well, believe this country is well too full of unneeded hate groups, but I also feel like it's really stepping on any freedom of speech or expression we have left here. Plus, I find it strange that those who are in charge of cencoring such cartoons will elimintate those which aren't really racist, while allowing others to still be shown. Let's see... "Heckle & Jeckle" can't be shown, but "Fat Albert" can? Will there come a day that "Our Gang" and "Little Rascals" will be totally banned from existence? And what about old shows (and even new ones) that show caucacians in a poor light? Geez. I guess that covers around 95% of ALL sitcoms? "Hope & Faith" are about two really dim-bulbed blondes, so I guess we'll have to eliminate that as well or all of the blonde-haired, white women in the country will stop watching t.v.! Are "Three Stooges" shorts and "The Marx Bros." films far behind cencorship? Odd that we never hear of major protest groups of hyspanics against "Rickey Ricardo", huh? And, the majority of cartoons (getting back to that), are about the rediculous antics of caucasians as well, such as "The Simpsons" , "Family Guy", "The Flintstones", "The Jetsons", etc., etc. . Really, if one cares about what children may see, it doesn't need to be some executive "somewhere" making that decision, but rather the parent that allows television to be their children's babysitter far too often. Personally, I'd make myself much more aware of what video games a child may be playing and getting "ideas" from than anything still shown on network t.v. . (But...enuff of dat.)

Watched a promotional short for MGM Studios on Turner today, and several pre-production scenes from "Logan's Run" were shown. I wouldn't mind sitting back and watching an unedited version of that sci-fi flick again after not seeing it for several years...if only Farrah Fawcett wasn't so god-awful in it.

Read a rant by a guy on one of the chat boards that I frequent in which he states: "I bought a nice toaster oven on Thursday. Today I found out that someone else already bought a toaster oven for Grandma, and so... I went to return the oven. The young girl at the customer service/refund desk tells me, "You can't return purchases under ten days." HUH!? She went on to tell me that I'd have to bring it back again after the 6th of December for my refund! Thinking she was whacked, I asked for the manager. Guess what!? He told me the same thing."

Now, I'm not really sure "why" a store would have a policy such as that, although all stores DO have some sort of return policy, of course, but that one is a pretty odd. I know...I work in a retail store, and we have a 30 day exchange policy (no cash back and you have the receipt) as long as the item hasn't been used or is damaged (we check all items before they leave the store and initial the boxes). And, at times, I've even bent that rule and given cash back if the item had just been purchased. We did have to elimintae the "Christmas Policy", however. For a few years we'd write "Christmas" on their receipt so they could exchange it after the time limit, but we'd get things brought back as late as April of the following year (I've even had items brought back as late as June or July). I'm not not really sure why his store would have this policy in place (and ideas)? Anyway, it might be a Word to The Wise to call ahead of time, especially here at Christmas shopping season, as ask someone in a store in which you plan to make a purchase, just what are their partciular policies.