I'll keep my "man card" thank you...

I recently had a run in with a couple meatheads outside my gym. They were outside the gym standing by their motorcycles. I don't know why they were out there, they were pretty much just standing there, I guess just looking cool with their street bikes in the gym parking lot...good times. So I pull up on my scooter, and immediately knew they were gonna start talking smack. Sure enough I heard the typical jokes about "getting the training wheels off"and "does my wife know I took her scooter?" I am comfortable with myself and took it in stride, it isn't the most macho of vehicles to be sure. So I laughed with them and we talked for a minute before I went in to work out. I looked out the window and caught the two of them actually checking the scooter out after I went in, but they were laughing while they did. I just want to post a few pics I found online that massaged my ego a bit after that little encounter.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

Leonardo DiCaprio and Bar Rafeili

Charlton Heston

John Wayne

Tony Parker and Eva Longoria

Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts

Jimmy Fallon and Owen Wilson

Daniel Moder and Julia Roberts

George Clooney

Mickey Rourke

The Jackson 5

The Man, Paul Newman

Santa and Darth

So what the heck do I have to be embarrassed about?!!

Here is a pick of the Scooter I ride, an Aprilia Scarabeo 200. It is sweet!

Anyone got a Bob The Builder?

This week the family spent a bit of time at the Alameda County Fair. Always a good time. I really go for the horse racing, which is actually a whole lot of fun. We were walking through some of the display areas and came across a bunch of "collection" displays. There were some pretty cool ones (campaign buttons, antannae balls, old bottles) and also some just straight up lame ones (hot sauces you can still buy at any store? wow. Bobby Crosby memorabilia? what a waste.) So, it got me thinking about my super cool PEZ collection which has been seriously neglected the last year or five. I want to get them all in order and finish out a few of the sets I am still short on. That way I will be ready to maybe show them off at next years fair. So here are some of my awesome PEZ. Enjoy!The whole collection...so far.

The "American Chopper" team; Paul Sr., Paul Jr. and Mikey.

I really like this Pink Panther set. The Ant is great.

Gotta show the Simpsons.

Rarely seen PEZ body parts; Robin Hood, Knight, and Cavalry Scout.

This is my favorite set. They are from a European comic called "Asterix".

I got these Nintendo Pez outta Japan, then they released them in the states. Oh well.

The Daffy Duck on the left is from the 70's. The Mickey Mouse is old too.

SO before you go throwing away those old/empty PEZ dispensers, send them my way, and they may end up winning a blue ribbon. Also, I gotta plug the Pez museum in Burlingame, it is awesome, and that is where I get my stands.

"But you don't have to take my word for it,"

Here are a few recommended reads. I'll admit my taste in books is a little off, but I am usually more entertained by the books intended for younger audiences. Also, I don't have to worry about content. I am going to list books that I don't think most people know of, so I'll just assume you have already read the Ender's Game and Harry Potter books. The first post will be book series.

The Edge Chronicles

by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell

10 volumes

I am a huge fan of these books. The best way to describe them, to me anyway, is equal parts Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, Matilda), Lewis Carrol (Alice in Wonderland), and Dr. Suess (Duh). The stories take place in a fantastically imagined realm called "The Edge" (above is a scan of a map in one of the books) . The characters are original and diverse, the adventures unpredictable, and the amazingly detailed illustrations make the story pop. Oh, and it has pirates in flying ships. Woot!

Artemis Fowl

By Eoin Colfer

6 books + a graphic novelization of the first book

These are just plain fun stories. They take place in our own modern world and follow the exploits of Artemis Fowl, criminal mastermind and boy genius (He honestly kind of reminds me of Brain from "Animaniacs". The stories combine fairytale magic with modern technology. The books make for a light, quick read and the characters are developed well throughout the series.

Inkheart, Inkspell, and Inkdeath

by Cornelia Funke

These books are written for people who love to read. Each chapter starts with a quote from a classic book, which can lead you to some more great stories. If you saw the movie, and not many people did, you got only a tiny fraction of what the books achieve. About the only thing the movie got right was the conflicted and tragic character Dustfinger (thanks to Paul Bettany's superb acting). This character alone makes the books worth a read

Other Recommended Series:
Maximum Ride by James Patterson
Frankenstein by Dean Koontz
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

See ya next time!