Breaking Bad - Promo for Season 4

Greetings Readers

Wow.

That is an excellent promo, first poster, for next month's new season of Breaking Bad. Season 4.

I just love that warning sign next to Walter White's profile.

And of course I saw the next teaser trailer for the new season on AMC's website on Thursday of last week. Nothing revealed for Season 4 mind you, but I have to use this word again, I love, the piano's keys making the music on how the trailer starts and then Walter's voice starts talking over the cut scenes that are from last season. Soon, we hear other voices from the main characters of Breaking Bad. Meanwhile, all this time that piano is playing softly, melodic, giving me restlessness. Only because I have to wait just over a month to see the first episode of Season 4. The trailer is only a minute long, but beautifully spliced together.

Now, let me get back to the poster - Walter White - I am going to bet that most of the viewers are going to say that is Heisenberg in full presence. Meaning, that is not Walter White.

I have to say no. That is Walter White. I have seen the subtle transformation from Walter White from the first season and well into the third season. In my opinion, there is really no way that the character Walter White could have two separate identities with all the "stuff" going on in his life. I think he has a strong character, but as he is progressing into the business he is make that character more of whom we stereotype as who could be a drug dealer type.

Again, that is Walter White. Is he mad? No, that is just the look. And I am racking my mind - what other character(s) in the TV realm with spectacles can make that look "bad!" That is the "Don't Fuck with me" look. And that look works.

We Readers saw that in the season finale of Season three when Walt was about to be shot at the Laundry (Meth Super Lab) by Mike. I think that was probably the best scene of Season Three with Walt turning the tables. I am not rooting for the drug dealer, the bad guy, but I am rooting for Walter White - especially when Walter says...

"You might want to hold off."...

"...6353 Juan Tabo Apartment 6.

Yeah."


Oh, the way Walter speaks that line (starting with 6353...) and delivered that confident look that Walter gives Mike. That is the look and the stance we all perhaps felt or want to feel if in the same or similar situation.

As the first words flash in the teaser trailer.

"Once you break bad"

"You never go back"

There are alot of variables to Walter White at this point in the series and I do not think I could have done any different from what Walter has done to this point.

What I mean is - what would you have done on Episode 12 - Half Measures - Season 3 - when Jesse is walking to the Drug Dealers he is planning to shoot. You Readers who know the story up to this point - what would you have done? Needless to say - that scene fucking blew my mind when I first saw it. That was not Heisenberg - that is Walter White. You know what Readers, that scene is still powerful to me - I mean that scene caught me totally off guard and I never saw it coming. I expected the scene to be about Jesse and the Drug Dealers and what the outcome would be in the finals minutes of that episode.

And Fuck me - even after Walter White did what he did he then gets out of his vehicle and finishes "the job". again wow.

Calmly Walter looks and says to Jesse - "Run."

So, you see I know that this is perfect promo poster for the upcoming Season Four of Breaking Bad.

Even as I write this blog I am just anxious since we faithful Breaking Bad watchers now have a solid start date of Season Four - as well as a teaser trailer and two promo posters.

Which brings me to the other poster I have not talked about nor posted. Basically, it is the promo poster expanded. To Walter's right (or to the left of the warning signage) is Jesse's head. It is okay, but somehow it does not fit. I am sorry I do not know why, but for me it just does not work.

I am not saying the wider promo poster is bad (sorry for the "bad" reference), but just does not fit. Although, if you Readers and faithful watchers look closer - (and yes I know it is a promo poster) - does it look like Jesse's head is/may be shaved? Anyway, from the poster Jesse's left side of the head appears shaved. His hairline on the front of his is that high so you can not tell if his head is bald or not. Hmmmm?

And that is about all I guess I better write since this blog post is getting long.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

Another friend from my Past

Greetings Readers

Another old friend from my past has surfaced into my life. And wouldn't you know it was during the same time I was working at TCI back in the 1990's.

I have not thought of her in about 5 to 10 years and I think it has been 15 years since I last talked to her.

So, how did this come about?

I was on Facebook on Saturday night and somehow her name just popped into my head. I did a name search and was hoping that I was going to be able to be able at least have a chance to find her among millions of people with that name.

Now, her name is common I think, but I had to be general so that was going to open the searching results even bigger than I wanted. Lo and behold, I got lucky and soon I was looking at a picture that would be a picture of the same woman I saw back in 1990's or so. I just had to imagine that person older and what she would look like in 2011. Not to mention that I do not remember where I have that old picture of her, her daughter and the family dog.

What also helped was that the person's picture I was looking at was the same State that I knew she was in when I last knew her. That helped alot. Minutes later I composed a short message on Facebook and clicked send (or whatever button that you click).

Fast forward to the morning, Sunday Morning that is, I see an email from her and it is confirmed it is her and she also remembered me.

We never met face to face, but we talked to each other almost every day that I worked at TCI and her where she did. We got to know each other as well as our family and our lives. Though at present I can not re-collect most of her life anymore. I guess that is the sign of being older. Hah hah. No Readers, mostly likely to not thinking of her in such a long time and losing the memories that I knew of due to new memories of people after her. Readers, there is only so much my mind can hold and remember.

There are times these days that I am walking from one room to another and in that time frame I get to that other room and I forgot what I was getting or going to do. The signs of getting older, I guess. Or perhaps I better hope so. =).

Fast forward a day's time - we exchanged information, phone numbers, email address as this blog site. I called her Sunday evening got voicemail left message and then she called back got voicemail and I got her message.

I have to admit it was the same voice, yes older, but the same voice I talked to day after day while I was at TCI back in the 1990's. As the "man with no name" said

"Well now...
....seems just like old times."

Her voice on my answering machine just made my day - hell, my week. Even my Month.

Anyway, I hope to catch up and at least see what's been going on. And I, of course, will tell her every time that I happen to see that movie "Trapped in Paradise" I remember her dog since her dog had only three legs. Funny how you associated something to someone.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

A Grilling Split-Decision

Greetings Readers

Alright - this is going to be another what would have done situation.

Are you Readers ready? Remember, you have got to put yourself into my shoes, but you are not me - you are you. Okay, let us begin.

Let us say over the Memorial Day Weekend you bought some chicken and decided that weekend you are going to grill / barbecue some chicken at the local community pool.

You get to the community pool a little after noon and immediately see that the pool is packed with people. You walk to the area where the barbecue grills are located. You can already see that out of most them smoke is coming from the closed grills. You happen to see a closed grill with no smoke. You walk over and open up the grill - filled with food. OK. All the grills are being used. Basically, first come first serve. Not a problem. You leave just as quickly as you came since you got to go back home since you can not have raw chicken getting warm. Perhaps try again later in the evening.

Flash forward - it is after 6PM that same day. You do the exact same thing and it appears nothing has changed at the community pool, except the angle of the sun in the sky. All the grills are still being used. At this point you leave again - this time for good. Either grill at home or cook the chicken some other way.

Now, two days later you bought some steak two days ago and basically now it is time that you have to cook the steak you bought from the store.

You bought the steak on sale for 21.32, although the original price was 38.06. With all good steak being expensive these days you need to make sure you cook the steak the way you want it.

You decide that you are going to the community pool to use the outdoor grill at the pool that evening. After a full day of work earning that American Dollar and then some, you get home after 6 PM that evening. Your steak was prepped with a marinade and now is ready for cooking. It is about 6:45 PM that you finally get to the community pool. Immediately, you see that all the grills are available - you can pick and choose which one you want to use.

So, you choose a random one since there is no clear favorite that you want. Now, with this expensive piece of steak, mind you a package of three steaks being of New York Strip Sirloin Steak you decide you are going to cook this slowly and over medium heat.

After a while the grill is ready for you to use and all that time you were waiting for the grill to be ready all other grills filled up with other people and their dinner. Although, not a steak among them. Just hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken and bratwursts from what you can identify when looking around.

Your steak is the most expensive food there at the grill area. Anyway, with these steaks ready to be cooked you decide that you are only going to use the top rack of the grill as opposed to the bottom of the grill. One reason is to keep the steak as far as from the heat and two - to keep the steak juicy. Since you elected to cook the steaks this way you know that you are going to have a longer cooking time from the other people there.

Oh, before even coming to the community pool you packed a book since you know you are going to be cooking for a while and you wanted to keep yourself occupied. You also set your watch timer at 5:00 minutes since that is what you are going to go by and flip the steaks over.

Back at the grills, while you are reading and grilling you notice some other people showing up, but turning away even before getting to the grills since they can see that all the grills are in use. Although, you happen to see one person with a plate of hamburgers walking and talking on the cell phone coming to the grilling area without stopping.

The person eventually takes a table behind you since you can hear them talking on the cell phone almost right behind you.

About five minutes later that person leaves the area still talking on the cell phone and you now see that person is not holding their plate of hamburgers. You have to assume that person left their plate of hamburgers on the table behind you since you do not care to turn around and verify. You are still cooking and reading.

Another five or ten minutes later that person shows up again still talking on the cell phone. Whether or not that is the same phone call or not that is irrelevant.

Now, another five minutes later and at this point in the scenario all the grills are still in use. No one has left their grill nor finished cooking.

You hear that same voice that has been talking on that cell phone came from right behind you.

"Excuse me? I see that you are using the top of the grill. Can I use the bottom of the grill?" is what that person that has the plate of hamburgers and been talking on the cell phone asks you.

Readers - you have a micro-second split decision to make and answer this person. What do you say? I have laid out the facts as well as all what I remember.

Remember Readers, you have the background as well the luxury of what has been read and what you may have already decided. Yet, in life you never know what is going to happen in the future.

I do not remember word for word, verbatim, but I answered

"No, I do not want your 3.99 hamburger's aroma in my 38.00 dollar steak."

There was no hesitation in my answer to her question. I said no for many reason - for example another reason - I was there first. And all the other people came thereafter. Meaning, first come first serve. Basically, when a grill becomes available that person is the next in line to use an open grill.

Whether or not I am not using the bottom of the grill - I am using the grill. Two, how do I not know what ingredients are in that person's hamburgers. Three, the fat from the hamburgers are going to drip and that will cause the grill to flame below thereby causing the heat to rise as well as the possibility of fire flaming up to your steaks.

Now, you Readers are not the first people I presented this to. I actually asked alot of my friends and about 90 percent of them would have said yes - no problem. But, none of them even thought of the hamburger's aroma cooking into the steak. They did not have a problem sharing, but they did not think of that factor of the hamburger's aroma seeping into your steaks. And half of them did not think that the fat from the hamburgers will cause flame ups.

So, with most of my friends saying that they would have share the bottom of the grill I had to find someone like me. Hah hah - impossible, I know. Let me rephrase that - I had to find someone with a type C personality. And yes, I know of two friends who are Type C like me.

I decided to ask one of them since that is all I need the opinion of. I told the above story and here is their answer.

"No. I am cooking a special dinner and I do not want your hamburger's aroma cooking into my special dinner."

I was not surprised. Type C's are always thinking "beyond the path."

For example - you get into an elevator going down. You get on and soon after a few stops the elevator gets crowded with people at each stop. Eventually, the elevator is packed and you have not reached your floor. What are you thinking? Anything? Nothing? Could care less? Not the Type C's - they wonder about the other occupants of the elevator, the people next to them, and more importantly the weight of the elevator with the elevator car filled with people. How many stops are there going to be before you reach your floor?

Bottom line - I was there first and that person, or any person, needs to wait until a grill opens and was out of line asking me to use my grill I was cooking on. It is generally known that if something is in by another person you wait your turn until it opens up for the next person to use.

Oh one more thing to add - one friend asked me - What if your hot next door neighbor, and if she was single that you knew of, was that person with the plate of hamburgers and asked you to use the bottom of the grill you were using? I said I probably would have had said "no problem" without a second thought. They laughed and I laughed, but I will admit I would have most likely said yes and not said no. Discrimination - I know. I might have even said "Sure, but I am gonna need some sugar" LOL.

And yet - another friend pointed out that plate of hamburgers was for three's children dinner and I made those kids go hungry for another hour than they had to. My friends are relentless.

Now, time to end this blog post - by the way Readers that person who asked me to use the bottom of the grill was just an average looking woman about late 20's / early 30's.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete