the snowflake generation

As much as I hate saying this, I've been in denial about something for a long time. Today, I finally admit that we're living in The Snowflake Generation. We're in it hard. We're in it deep. Things have become ugly and it's not about to improve anytime soon.....if ever.

Love it or hate it, but this is how I feel right now. I will attempt to explain why I feel this way. This will likely upset someone, somewhere along the way. At this point, I'm not sure if I care or not.

I can't say for sure when I first noticed this, but over the course of several years, society has been changing more radically then normal. Long before Trump's run for office. Long before Obama gained national exposure. Long before social media, as we know it now.

We'd probably have to go back at least to the days where AOL chatrooms were used by kids and perverts alike. It was somewhere during the mid-'90s where this first became obvious to me on a major level.

Society was starting to become a bit more 'sensitive'. That's me attempting to be nice about it. When I mention this, I'm not talking about a little bit sensitive. We're not talking some small, random group or a select individual or two. Nah....when I talk about this, it appeared as though it were a growing wave of people were becoming more and more sensitive.

When I bring this up, I don't want to single out people or groups who want to make true improvements to society. I don't want to get down on people who are trying to get rid of hate because of race, religion, handicaps (physical or mental) or other good causes. If you're trying to battle problems like homelessness or childhood cancer, keep fighting to end these problems.

My issue? We, as Americans, have turned into a nation full of wimps. No longer can we have disagreements without someone being emotionally scarred because of it. Naaaa......now when we have disagreements in society, someone is walking away butt hurt. Typically, several people are butt hurt over one thing or another. Doesn't even have to be a big reason to be upset. It can be for perfectly idiotic reasons.

If you have a young child, there are people who think you have to stop calling your child a boy or girl. According to people like this, you have to wait for your child to assign gender identity to themselves. Adults are supposed to use third-person pronouns. I'll post the Wikipedia page in order to better explain it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third-person_pronoun#Preferred_pronouns

When I hear of stuff like this, I realize that we've crossed the point of no return. If you're child is a toddler, I'm pretty sure they have no idea what a gender identity is. Toddlers are more likely to be interested in simpler stuff, like wanting that nice shiny toy (as an example). When I was that age, most of my breakfast usually ended up everywhere except in my mouth. Mom was contemplating hitting the bottle (hard) before 7:30 AM.

I'm pretty sure calling me anything beyond a little monster was on her mind.

When you're at an age where you can reasonably understand things like gender identity, fine....let the person make that choice for themselves. If you feel like you should've been born as a man, fine with me. I'll do my best to avoid call you by whatever identity you prefer using. I'll do what I can to better educate myself on such issues.

We've got various roles for identity and orientation. I can still grasp gay/lesbian/bi pretty easily. I understand the concept of Cross Dressing....I forget the actual term for this, off hand. Too lazy to look it up, at the moment.

I think I can grasp pansexual. Outside of that, I'm lost. That's something that needs to be dumbed down for me.

When you're at the point where you can clearly say you have a certain identity, be proud of it. When people like myself are confused by the terminology, don't assume we're trying to be hate mongers. Not all of us are. Some of us just don't understand it. Those of us that are old geezers are used to using crude language.

Not going make excuses for inappropriate langue to anyone. I, as an example, don't even realize I'm saying mean or offensive stuff. I often struggle to avoid saying "fuck off" to co-workers. Imagine my struggles with more offensive language. I'm amazed I haven't gone off the deep end on this post.

It's not like I want to be offensive or crude. I could probably blame a lot of things for my stupidity. My folks aren't one of those excuses. They did what they could to teach me better ways of communicating.

Meh....I'll use that for a latter discussion. I had a point I wanted to work with. Let's see if I can get my dumb ass back on track.

Play dates. That's another piece of stupidity that I still can't grasp. Really? We can't simply allow kids to just play? Kids can't simply have some unadulterated, unrestricted time to have fun. Nope! Simply getting together with your friends is no longer spontaneous. It has to be planned out in great detail, much like you'd plan out a business merger. Everything must be done in great detail.

Seriously, people. We shouldn't have to recruit Harry Kissinger to help arrange play time. It shouldn't be necessary to go through several days of planning, just for 30 minutes of playtime with involving a few kids. Don't make me break out one of my "back in my day" stories. You know the kind of stories. Usually involves over-exaggerated stories of stuff that I claim I could do in my youth.

If you're concerned about what your kids are doing, fine. Lay out some ground rules first. Maybe become familiar with who they are friends with. Get to know the parents of the other kids, if you want/need to. To plan things out in great detail is a bit overboard.

If you need to, make sure your kid has a phone available. It's not like my youth where you needed change for the pay phone. At least these days, your kid can call up the parents if a problem occurred.

Besides, parents are way too involved in the daily activities of their kids anyway.  Kids could use a break from adults, much like parents need a break from their kids. Trust me, kids need a certain amount of independence if they're ever going to learn anything on their own.  I know they need guidance and I get it. But, if they have adults monitoring their every comment and/or action, they'll never get the experiences they need to be better people.  Kids, like adults, need time to figure certain things out without someone else acting like a helicopter.

Here's something else I need to rant about. This is something we've all done.....yes, including the ladies themselves. At one point or another, we've all been guilty of looking at each other like a piece of meat. It's standard stuff most of us have heard or said numerous times. It's things like 'check out the ass on her', 'did you see the rack on her?' and numerous other comments.

You get the drill. Men, honestly, are pigs. I admit it. Even if some of us don't admit to it, we all think with our dicks. Some do it more then others. Some have better control of their urges. We're still pigs, to one degree or another.

Most women I know don't deny being equally guilty. Fine. We're all human. We all have urges. As long as you aren't doing anything illegal, then what's the worst that can happen? Get yelled at for staring at a great ass too long?

I know the snowflake community won't like my attitude on this, but I'm being man enough to admit to stuff. Too many people these days are trying too damned hard to not offend anyone, anywhere......EVER!!!!! Lots of luck with that. Let me know how well that works for you.

I'd rather be the jerk that admits to still having urges in life then the jerk that tries deny having any urges at all. I'd rather listen to music that pisses a few people off then listen to garbage that nobody is capable of enjoying. I prefer TV shows and movies that strike a few nerves as opposed to something that doesn't make me think at all. I would rather have comedy that pushes the envelop then comedy that nobody laughs at for fear of being offensive.

Like it or not, there will always be something offensive to someone in society. I've been offended by stuff, just like anyone else. Depending on the subject, I can completely understand why people are offended. When a white cop is accused of shooting an unarmed black man, I can see why the black community would be royally pissed off. They have every damned right to be pissed about stuff like that.

Stuff like this is a real reason to be offended. I can't say I blame anyone in the black community for seeing cops as the enemy. Now, if you're the type to get offended because I didn't say African-American, then it's not my problem. Seriously, if you've been born in the country, you're an American...just like I am. If you've been naturalized, you're American. If you're still working on gaining citizenship, I hope you get it. Having a fresh supply of new people and new ideas makes this a great country, IMO.

Making America great by overdoing political correctness? I don't think so.

Disagree with me? Agree with me?  Want to add your own comments. Feel free to do so in the comments section below.

Which do you prefer: Sonic the Hedgehog or Super Mario Brothers?

Back with another round of "Which do you prefer?" Again, we're going with classics from the video game realm. In this case, it's deciding which games you preferred between the Super Mario Brother games or the Sonic the Hedgehog.

Both game series were mainstays for their respective game systems. I question how well NES would've faired if Mario wasn't involved. Same could be asked of Sega without Sonic.

Super Mario Brothers:

Sonic the Hedgehog:

Which game appealed to you more?

Please leave any comments in the comments section below.

Which do you prefer: NES vs. Sega Genesis

NES:

SEGA GENESIS:

In the home video game console wars, the NES and Sega Genesis are the two systems that I remember initially going head to head. Both systems had plenty of success for several years before other systems would eventually replace them.

Anyone that played with these systems are likely to have great memories. I know I do. My question is, if you had to pick one, which system do you prefer?

NES?

Sega Genesis?

As usual, leave your comments below.

Man Laws: Dating

This is the 3rd installment of my knowledge of Man Laws. It'll cover dating, as I'm aware of it. Add any additions, corrections, or whatnots in the comments section below. I'm sure I'm likely to forget crucial points.

DATING:

1. If dating a friends' sister, caution should always be used....regardless of whom you met first. Intimate details MUST be remain as such.....private. Under no circumstance should you share what you're doing with your girlfriend. Not to other friends. Not to her family. Not to yours. Doesn't matter. Keep it private.
   
   This includes, but is not limited to arguments, sex life, living arrangements, so on and so forth.
   
   Marriage discussions depend heavily on who's planning on initiating a marriage proposal. If the man is planning on proposing, an additional rule will be suggested further on.
   
   Under no circumstance do you mention anything involving sex. It doesn't matter how close you are with your male friend. Discussing your sex life with his sister is strictly forbidden.
   
2. If, by some chance, you're interested in dating older women, you should avoid dating the mother to any friend. Do I need to spell this one out? Seriously.....we're talking about the mother of a dude that we're cool with.
   
   With a sister, it can be argued that you knew her before you met him. A sister is more likely to be in your age group. A mother takes dating to a whole new level.
   
   With a sister, you know things will happen you don't want to hear about. With your mom, things become a bit more sensitive.
   
3. You should avoid hanging out with your friends' girlfriend/wife alone. Exception is if you were friends/dated the gf/wife before they hooked up. If his girlfriend/wife is a close relative of yours, you don't owe your friend any explanations.
   
   If she's not related, if you were friends with her before you knew the male friend, you can still remain good friends with his woman.
   
   If you previously dated his current girlfriend/wife, your friend should be able to trust you and/or his wife/girlfriend. If he's unable to do so, you're required to question his status as your friend.
   
   Your friend has good reason to be suspicious if you and/or his woman still have "feelings" for each other.
   
4. If you're interested in dating a sister of a friend, it's highly suggested you mention it to your friend before interacting with the woman you're interested in. This will avoid serious problems with your friend in the long term. Also, if she's already got people she's interested in, your friend may be able to warn you of this.....minimizing your odds of embarrassment.
   
5. If dating a friends' sister, never put yourself in a position that could create problem. Having side chicks would be one of the worst offences you can do. If caught cheating, your friend is justified in kicking your ass. It would also be his obligation.
   
6. If dating a friends' sister, no sharing problems involving her to your friend or his other friends. It makes you look like a douche canoe and creates more drama.
   
7. If your friend gets into a fight, shit-faced, lands in jail over the weekend, offer up an alibi and/or make up excuses. Whatever is appropriate for the situation. Never leave a friend high and dry when his woman starts asking unwanted questions.
   
   The only exception to the rule that I can think of is if your friend is caught being a pedo, in which case, let him suffer.
   
8. Cock blocking is a serious violation of man law. It is forgivable if friend is trying to score with a woman who has a nasty STD, in which case bros have to protect each other.
   
   If a friend has committed a serious man law violation, like ruining your chances at scoring with a hot chick, you are allowed to retaliate in kind. Retaliation, however, may not exceed the original violation.
   
9. When a friend is trying to ho
   ok-up with a gorgeous woman, it's your obligation to act as a wingman. If that means keeping her women friends distracted, you're honor bound to keep them busy......even if they're built like linebackers and could eat your arm like a chicken wing.
   If this means having sex with one of her ugly friends, don't hesitate to take one for the team.
   
   
   Your friend, in turn, must return the favor. Though, this favor must be repaid within reason. Your buddy can't stall to avoid repaying the favor. You can't ask for the repayment to be made several months after the fact. If you wait to long to collect on the debt, the debt shall be considered forgiven.
   
   
   Favor must be repaid in a reasonable time frame. What's considered reasonable to be determined on a case by case scenario. I'm going to estimate 6 months, for the sake of argument. I'll need outside opinions to see if this is within reason.
   
   
   If the wingman is relying on the friend for a ride, the wingman is obligated to find his own way home.....assuming your friend was able to hook-up with a hot chick. Again, favors can be repaid somewhere in the future.

This is the best I can remember for dating rules, at the moment. Any additions to this section of man law, add to the comments section below.

Man Laws: Using public restrooms

I'm back for a 2nd round of this. Since there are quite a few man laws, I'm going to try and break it down into differing categories. Depending on what site I go on, man laws can be a bit of a clusterfuck to read or make sense of. Some man laws, depending on who's writing them, don't always make sense...at least to me.

They might make sense to other people. Then again, maybe I'm used to living under a simpler variation of man law.

I'm hoping that breaking this down into sections will make it easier to read, add or remove things (as needed), or even make discussion a bit smoother.

This section is for the use of public restroom.

1. When using a urinal, eyes must face forward.
   
2. You should avoid using the middle urinal. Exceptions: if there's a barrier between urinals, you don't need an empty urinal between men.
   
   If you're at any sporting event (boxing, hockey, b-ball, MMA, NASCAR, etc.) that'll require heavy use of the restrooms, the rule is null and void. Relieving yourself and getting back to the event has higher urgency.
   
   This exception also applies to a few other events including, but not limited to: rock concerts, certain country concerts, some comedy shows....shows that are generally male oriented. However, the exception only applies if heavy use of the toilets/urinals will be required. If lighter use of the facilities will occur, then the rule applies as though you're in a normal situation.
   
3. Conversation is acceptable while using public restrooms so long as you avoid eye contact. Eye contact can be made if everyone involved in the conversation isn't actually using a urinal/toilet. This includes using the sinks.
   
4. Eye contact that is made in the restroom should still be limited to 2 seconds, at most.
   
5. Once done pissing, you may only give your junk a couple good shakes. Anything more is jerking off.
   
6. When using a stall, you're obligated to make sure sufficient toilet paper is available to get the job done. If in a crowded facility (such as an arena/stadium), this is an absolute necessity. Last thing any man wants is to run out of toilet paper when he wants to get back to the game/concert/whatever.
   
7. If the unfortunate should happen, any man that's able to help should make the effort to help procure replacement toilet paper ASAP. If another stall has sufficient paper, try to hand over a wad under the divider (if a roll can be rolled under/tossed over, even better). Paper towels can be handed under, if it's needed.
   
   When a man helps out on this regard, he's only obligated to help out enough so you can finish the job in reasonable fashion. If you're in a position where you might be awhile, through no fault of your own, then the only obligation is to get staff to bring in some fresh rolls.
   
8. If you discover that a toilet/urinal is out of order....this assumes no notes are posted by the staff....you're obligated to warn other men entering the restroom of the problem. Any man that's aware of the problem may mention the problem to the staff....even if you're not the one discovering the problem. It's really a courtesy to other men who may need use of the toilet as well as to the person who first discovered the problem.

At this moment, I can't think of anymore man laws that really needs stating. There are bound to be a few scenarios that should just be common sense and go beyond man law.

If you feel that I missed anything important, let me know in the comments below. Perhaps certain rules are absolutely unnecessary. Maybe some simply need rewording. There may be scenarios that I'm simply not used to dealing with that are more commonplace in other areas.

Beats me......I live in an area that simple rules are usually enough. If anything "difficult" comes up, we usually sort it out as needed.

I don't know what segment of man law I'll try discussing next. It'll probably depend on my mood.

Until next time, I'm JD Storm and this is the song that never ends. :D 

Man Law: Introduction

I know this is generally unspoken amongst most people. But, I feel maybe this could use some sort of discussion. Maybe it'll help the women better understand why we do the things that we do, even if it seems completely boneheaded, pointless, a huge waste of time or whatever else you can think of. I'm sure most women have largely been told that we (the men) have our reasons for doing the crap we do.

There's a small percentage of women that actually understand the dumbass shit that we do. I've known a few over the years that at least "get us", if they thought some of the stuff men do was pointless, was outdated or whatever other point you could bring up. Not going to say that the women were wrong, by any means.


Me, personally, I have a hard time finding any clear and definitive set of rules on what is acceptable behavior and what isn't. Some rules seem to remain consistent, like punching another man in the nuts. Other situations never seem to be discussed, like how to properly interact with other men with mental health issues, such as PTSD, depression, bi-polar disorder or other problems.

Maybe it's just the male bravado that doesn't allow us to have meaningful discussions with each other on a personal level. That's always been a major men, as a whole, have a problem discussing.

We need a man-bible, in a manner of speaking.....something we can go to make Man Law Official. It makes sense, as far as I'm concerned. Religious groups have their own set of rules. Society has it's own set of rules of what people can and cannot do. Sports leagues have their own rules. We need a guide that we can rely that everyone can reference so we know what's cool and what's not cool.

It's time we at least organize our thoughts a damn bit.

When time allows I'll post various rules that make sense to me and see what everyone else thinks. Give me your feedback so I can do a better job updating my understanding of man law.

Corner Gas: Tax Man

The following is the 2nd episode of Corner Gas, with background info HERE!

Episode beings at The Ruby, where Brent finds out that Lacey is changing the coffee refill policy. Previously, Aunt Ruby had allowed free refills all day long. Lacey, finding that to be a bit excessive, changes the policy, making it $1.50 a cup. Depending on the character, the reaction to the new policy elicits a different response.

In Brent's case, he doesn't appear to be too thrilled with the new policy. Not truly upset by it, but isn't thrilled with it, either. Tries to claim that Tommy Douglas fought for free refills....or something to that extent. Lacey mentions it was Universal Health Care he fought for, but...as Brent put it....with all the coffee people were drinking, there was a lot of kidney disorders going around.

Brent has to take off when he hears the "dinging" from Corner Gas (indicating new customer at the pumps), making the comment he'll have to owe Lacey a buck-fifty if the customer doesn't spend enough on gas.

The customer ends up being Marvin Dray.....A tax man. Gets upset quickly when called THE Tax Man. Marvin's only real concern is a high tax exemption claimed by Corner Gas from the prior year, when Oscar was still running the place, prior to Brent taking over as the new owner. What should be a simple case of Oscar simply showing documentation on why he claimed high exemptions ends up being anything other then "simple", involving Oscar flipping out on the Marvin.

Recaps of Oscar on the phone with Marvin, presumably, screaming out stuff like "if you want to talk to me, come down here. A car is a handy invention. I'll show you how to use one sometimes"......or something to that extent, is mentioned.

Early in the episode, it's made clear that Oscar doesn't understand that simply showing the paperwork would resolve the issue quickly. Brent tries to act as a intermediary, only for Oscar to continue flipping out. Stories of Oscar calling a butterfly a son of a bitch are mentioned, to demonstrate how unstable Oscar is.

For one reason or another, Brent keeps insisting on calling Marvin "Muffin Tray".

Meanwhile, Davis becomes upset when he finds out that he, and Karen, are expected to pay for their coffee consumption at The Ruby. Davis' argument is that when Ruby ran the place, coffee was free.

Lacey manages to make matters worse when making comments something along the lines of "when Marlon Brando and the Wild Bunch ride into town, throwing ketchup packets around, i'll give out free coffee" and "this seems like a pretty peaceful town. I think I'll take my chances".

Karen tries to smooth things over by offering to pay for the coffee, only for Davis to think Karen's going to be shunned by the force. Karen tries to remind Davis that they are the force, only for it to fall on deaf ears.

Davis' attitude is so bad, he issues tickets to people for the most insane reasons possible. Tickets were issued over parking tickets....while people were in a parking lot. Hank, I believe, got a ticket for being stopped at a 4-way stop.

Oscar becomes so annoyed over Davis' mishandling of the tickets that he threatens to put diesel in his gas tank.

Davis continues his childish ways, refusing to acknowledge Karen anymore then necessary. Karen gets weirded out by Davis' behavior, partially to the Serpico references the other characters begin referencing.....as well as a couple references to Scent of a Woman. I don't feel like being shot in the face....or sniffing women's hair. LOL!

Meanwhile, Oscar recruits Hank to help him trick Marvin Drey. Oscar is somehow convinced the Government is out to screw him out of more tax money. Hank tried coming up with a few ideas to get Marvin off Oscar's case, all of which involve recycling old ideas from M*A*S*H. The ideas basically boil down to getting Marvin drunk, only to have him do something humiliating....which involves being drunk & naked, messing up the "paperwork" or something else that could be embarrassment to himself.

Wanda sarcastically suggests Hank should just "take one for the team" at one point, mostly to creep Hank out. Wanda brings up the obvious point by asking why Oscar just doesn't look for the paperwork. The point is generally ignored by Hank & Oscar, who seem to find it easier to trick Marvin.

Karen, on the other hand, is busy trying to find ways of convincing Karen to just let Davis have his free coffee. Lacey, understandably, feels she shouldn't have to take the hit just to stop Davis from having fits.

Marvin comes up with the solution, using tax law (of course). Marvin briefly explains that Lacey could let them have the free coffee as a promotional expense and could get away with giving away X-amount of coffee during a year and reasonably be able to write-it off.

This, in turn, demonstrates to Brent that Marvin isn't such a scary person. Lacey's able to use this new info to refund Davis' money, while allowing Davis to think Karen "applied pressure" to Lacey. This puts Davis back in a great mood, while giving Karen more cred with Davis.

At the town bar, Hank is drunk as a skunk. He's getting ready to help Oscar to frame Marvin in an embarrassing situation (running down Main Street drunk & naked). Emma brings in the tax papers to verify the exemptions. Hank tries to mess the papers up, only for Oscar to blow up on him instead.

While I'm pretty sure I'm missing or forgetting details (reviews aren't my strong point, yet), I've got to state that this was a pretty good episode. It demonstrates the stupidity and impatience that Oscar & Hank. While I failed to go into detail about this, Emma shows quite a bit of frustration with Oscar & Brent, as she had told them numerous times where the tax papers where....only for both of them to ignore her repeatedly.

Davis' ability to be easily upset/offended is displayed rather effectively, as well. If I haven't mentioned this yet, it's worth mentioning now. Corner Gas is great for showing certain aspects of small town living. I have the benefit, or misfortune, of living in a community that sees a mix of small & larger town living.....where all the subtleties tend to show up eventually. Little things that wouldn't bother most people eventually show up in small towns quite a bit and it's played up well on the show.

The episode shows how easily a no-big-deal situation can easily become a big deal in certain towns. When I have more time, I'll work on the next episode.

alternate realities

What if?

That's a huge question that humans have been asking for eons. For many people, "what if?" has an infinite amount of answers.

Alternate reality, also known as a parallel universe, is considered a possibility by at least a few scientists. Nothing is considered fact, mind you, but it's still a possibility.

Imagine if alternate realities are reality. Imagine, if for a moment, parallel universes are more then science fiction. It's easy to imagine this being true. I'm sure most of you have already played scenarios in your minds. Simple thoughts you contemplate are all you need.

As a personal example of a alternate reality, I'll use a personal example. I think it was the autumn of 1997. My brother & I worked a part-time job at a hotel conference center in Moorhead, MN. We worked a late night shift washing dishes. I think they had a wedding party or two. I don't recall details very well.

What I do remember is that we got done with work quicker then we expected. Everything simply went so smoothly, we got out of work in record time......at least it felt like record speed. We stayed at work long enough to have some grub, as it was one of those "benefits" that we got. Once we finished our food, we decided to just go straight home.

At the time, we were too broke to afford a place of our own, so we shared a place with our folks. The moment we opened the door, the parents had this huge moment of relief. For some odd reason, dad was listening to his scanner that night. He could pick up police channels, fire, some EMT......so on and so forth.

From what I can recall, there was a section of road that we had to travel on our way home intersected with an old highway. Minutes after we passed through this intersection, another vehicle that was traveling in the same direction was hit by a drunk driver. The drunk driver came from the old highway, went into a small embankment/ditch, going mid-air into the other vehicle. The driver and his passenger, a father/daughter combination, were killed instantly, if memory serves me right. Never stood a chance.

In an alternate reality, bro & I could've been delayed leaving our job.....being killed instead. In an alternate reality, the drunk driver could've found a safer way home (taxi, sober friend). In an alternate reality, the drunk driver could've avoided drinking that night altogether.

Anyone reading this will have moments in their own lives where one simple change would effect their lives forever. Perhaps it's accepting one job instead of another. It could involve dating someone different during college. Instead of meeting your spouse, maybe you get pulled over for a simple traffic violation.....stopping you from ever meeting that spouse.

There are countless scenarios we could cover.

Some people like to cover big issues in the "what if" scenarios. What if the Confederacy actually won the American Civil War? During World War 1, what if someone had killed Hitler when he served in the German Army? What if Hitler were never born? What if the Soviets landed on the moon before the Americans?

Can you imagine how the world would look now? For any given scenario, imagine just one small change taking place. It could be a small change in your own life. It could be a change that happens on a national or international stage.

Mind boggling, isn't it?

Ruby Reborn

I know I've been a bit slow, but I'm finally getting this done.

As previously mentioned here, I was going to start reviewing a Canadian Television Show, Corner Gas. The first episode of the show is titled Ruby Reborn.

This is the first episode of the series. Lacey Burrows had recently moving into town after inheriting the coffee shop from her Aunt Ruby. Lacey's been spending the last several weeks making changes, such as repainting the walls. For the record, the color was Desert Rose.....not pink, according to Lacey anyway.

What kind of name is Lacey, anyway?

Lacey has to put up with some rather idiotic stuff, including the local paper (The Howler) claiming "Woman Destroys Local Landmark"......something along those lines. The Howler is known for being so inaccurate, "woman" is the only word that's accurate.....which is good for the Howler.

Since this is the first episode, we learn different things about each character. Fortunately, we're talking about simple character traits. It helps that Corner Gas was intended as a light hearted show.

Anywho, the coffee shop is attached to Corner Gas. Corner Gas is owned & operated by Brent Leroy, who took over the business a year earlier from Oscar. In this episode, Brent has decided to do video rentals at the store, stating that people would have to drive to Wullerton (*spit*) if they wanted to rent videos.

Once Oscar learns of this, he flips out, accusing Brent of turning Corner Gas into a movie house.....and doing a bad Ed Sullivan impression. Oscar makes references to Brent trying to turn the station into a circus as well.

Emma Leroy finally convinces him to rent a video before making a fool of himself. Brent convinces Oscar to rent Jaws, leaving Wanda to question if this is a good idea, stating "he's wound tight enough as it is." Brent makes states that Oscar doesn't even know own a VCR. Why they were renting VHS was really beyond me, as DVDs were already more commonly used anyway. I'm probably over thinking this, so I'll move on.

Meanwhile, Davis and Karen end up in an argument over who's Car 1. This is one of the few episodes where two squad cars are used. Davis keeps insisting that he's always Car 1, despite Karen's car actually having a 1 on it.

When they aren't squabbling over car numbers, Davis convinces Lacey to brew some coffee. Hank claims the coffee at Corner Gas tastes like it's been filtered through a wig. Once Lacey agrees to brew a fresh batch, Davis informs Karen (running radar at the "surveillance bush") that good coffee is being made.

In a big hurry to get that fresh coffee, Karen has lights & sirens on. When using the radar, she clocked a bird "doing 40".

Once Lacey's done remodeling, Hank complains that the place looks like a gay bar. Being clueless, Oscar asks "Who's gay?" Hank ends up boycotting The Ruby because of a variety of small changes made (paint color, table clothes, salt & pepper shakers). At the end of the episode, Brent becomes ticked when he finds out the chili cheese dogs were removed from the menu, as that was his favorite food order.

During a scene at the local bar, Brent & Lacey manage to give Oscar a load of crap involving his rental of Jaws, convincing him that the shark has a sword fight with the sheriff before going back to its home planet. Oscar also thinks he needs a variety of tools to help him hook the VCR to the TV. When Emma shows him how to do it (Oscar thinks she's gonna blow it up), he's convinced she did something wrong when he doesn't see the sword fight.

At one point, Wanda & Hank suggest to Lacey that "egging" The Howler is a perfectly acceptable response to the misinformation they're spreading about her. They go so far as suggesting a few melons as well because "they make a good splat".


Since I'm not used to reviewing anything, this review is going to be lousy. I realize that and I apologize for that.

Overall, I find this to be a good start for the series. Characters were established. Storylines were kept basic. Simple humor was involved. To a certain degree, I can relate to the show. Some of the aspects of the show could relate to my life, at least to the point that I've seen a lot of real life humor from idiotic moments.

Corner Gas doesn't work on a huge budget, by any means. Doesn't seem to hurt the show one bit. For me, having great production or elaborate sets really wasn't necessary. Since the show was based in small town Canada, simplicity was key. No need for a huge budget on anything.

I find that whether you live in Canada or America, many of us could relate to the show to one degree or another. This is especially true if you've ever lived in a smaller community. A lot of small town traits are played up on in the show.

Where I found it refreshing is that Corner Gas catered more to those who understood small town living. I find that so many shows today show aspects of large city living, forgetting that many viewers still live in rural areas.

If you appreciate a more simplistic approach to TV viewing, Corner Gas is worth watching.

Corner Gas (television series)

In the coming weeks, I’m going to be doing a retrospective on a variety of movies, TV shows, and whatnot. Depending on how bored I am, I may or may not do this on a frequent basis. If I’m so inclined, this could be done for different wrestling DVDs at my wrestling blog, located here!

For now, I’m going to start with a Canadian television show, Corner Gas. Based in Saskatchewan, Corner Gas is about the daily lives & activities of the people who lives in the fictional town of Dog River. Anything filmed indoors was done in Canada/Saskatchewan Production Studios in Regina. Exterior shots were done in Rouleau.

Corner Gas was created by Brent Butt, who also was a writer, showrunner executive producer, actor and occasionally directed the show.

Each episode typically revolves around 2-3 story lines, with the primary story line opening & closing each episode. Story lines do intertwine at times.

Regina is often referred to as “The City”.

The Howler is the local paper, which is known for frequently getting stories wrong, sensationalizing headlines, inaccuracies, and idiotic misspellings.

The police department has two squad cars. In most episodes, only one is actually used.

Dog River residents have a hatred for the people of neighboring town, Wullerton. Whenever Wullerton is mentioned, people have an unconscious habit of spitting. Their hatred is never discussed during the TV show, though is brought up on the 2014 movie.

Corner Gas is a good show for those looking for a family friendly programming. There’s plenty of dry humor The worst you’ll hear for language is “jackass” from Oscar Leroy. In the Pilates Twist, Paul (bartender) mentions how Wanda was “pissed” at Lacey.

Outside of that, I can’t think of anything that would be viewed as bad language.

The regular cast members are as follows:

Brent Leroy (Brent Butt):

Owner of Corner Gas, having inherited it from his father, Oscar Leroy.

Sarcastic & fun loving.

Participates in curling, softball, and baseball.

Reads comics.

Loves chili cheese dogs.

Fans of the Saskatchewan Roughriders & Minnesota Vikings.

Best friends with Hank.

Implied that Brent & Lacey have feelings for each other. Not acted on during the series.

Lacey Burrows (Gabrielle Miller):

Inherits the coffee shop from her Aunt Ruby, which was previously unnamed.

Names the coffee shop after her aunt.

From Toronto.

Constantly trying to fit in with the small town life, typically with bad results.

Terrible liar.

Jumps to conclusions quickly.

Poor winner.

Thinks everyone has a crush on her.

Thinks of herself as a sweetheart.

Knowledgeable about hockey.

Insecure.

Has regrets about where her life has gone.

Frustrated she can’t find a stable man in town.

Implied that Lacey & Brent have feelings for each other. Not acted on during the series.

Richard Henry "Hank" Yarbo (Fred Ewanuick):

Best friends with Brent.

Chronically unemployed.

Enjoys hanging out at Corner Gas, talking to Brent.

Frequently borrowing money from others, rarely paying them back.

Works various jobs, never holding anything down long term.

Can’t focus on anything long term.

Loves the CFL, especially the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Hockey fan (Vancouver Canucks).

Jack-of-all-Trades.

Not known as being bright.

Screws up constantly.

Wonda Dollard (Nancy Robertson):

Cashier at Corner Gas.

Self-professed smartest person in town.

Has a sardonic, caustic personality.

Loves to remind everyone of how smart she is.

Single mother to 6-year-old Tanner.

Tanner is a hell-spawnish child.

It’s implied that Hank is Tanner’s father.

Has a degree in linguistics and comparative religion.

Has a mild case of agoraphobia.

Oscar Leroy (Eric Peterson):

Brent’s father.
Previous owner/operator of Corner Gas.

Stereotypical elderly father (grouchy, irritable, signs of senility).

Uses “jackass” as an all-purpose word. Episode 1 of the first season is the only time he doesn’t say it.

Frequently wants the cops to arrest people who annoy him.

Exclaims “Holy Hell!” when dealing with something new or things that surprise him.

Brain capacity is similar to Hank’s.

Often schemes with Hank.

Like Hank, Oscar is known for making frequent mistakes.

When dealing with government employees, he exclaims “my taxes pay your salary!”

Likes to build and fix things, only for his handy work to fall apart easily.

Emma Leroy (Janet Wright):

Mother to Brent.

Wife to Oscar.

The brains of the family.

Argues with Oscar constantly.

Usually has to fix Oscar’s problems, often making things worse.

Known for being strong.

Still manages to love Oscar, despite his faults.

Reacts poorly when it looks like other people are “taking her place” in Brent’s life.

Hobbies include knitting, crocheting, and gardening.

Active in various committees in town.

Others look to her for advice.

Cunning.

Domineering personality.

Quick tempered.

Sergeant Quinton Davis (Lorne Cardinal):

Senior officer.

Overly sensitive.

Naps on the job.

Tends to misspend the budget.

Makes up laws as he goes.

Doesn’t take his job seriously.

Obsessed with Cosmopolitan magazine, retro-TV and classic cartoon shows.

Loves sci-fi.

Believes the original Battlestar Galactica legitimately happened.

Commonly blurts out “All Right!” enthusiastically.

Fan of the Saskatchewan Prairie Fire.

Fan of the Hardy Boys books.

Obsessed with Cosmopolitan magazine.

Cree Indian.

Divorced during the series, eventually marrying at the end of the series.

Constable Karen Pelly (Tara Spencer-Nairn):

Ambitious junior officer.

Can be neurotic at times.

Ranked 5^th in Canada for static apnea.

Good cook.

Doesn’t know how to ride a bike.

At least 10 years younger then most of the other characters.

Wide range of skills (martial arts, drawing, cooking, drumming, etc.).

Takes her job seriously.

Tends to have petty disputes with Davis.

Along with the regular characters, there’s a short list of recurring characters. They are:

Fitzy Fitzgerald (Cavan Cunningham):

Mayor of Dog River.

Takes his job seriously.

Thinks everyone else wants his job and will sabotage him to take his job away from him.

Personal life is largely unknown.

Has 1 child, possibly a son.

Wes Humboldt (Mike O’Brien):

Owns & operates liquor store and insurance agency.

Father died saving his platoon during Korean War. Was told he ran off to join the circus.

Paul Kinisto (Mark Dieter):

Bartender at the Dog River Hotel.

Cree.

Does speak some Cree.

Claims to have masters in History.

Replaced by Phil Kinisto (relations unknown) in season 4.

Josh the Cook (Josh Strait):

Chef at the Ruby.

Silent & reserved.

Quits temporarily so he can be a llama farmer.

Helen Jensen (Jean Freeman):

Fitzy’s grandma.

Myrtle Runciman (Gwen Seed):

Elderly neighbor of Oscar & Emma.

Batty.

Participates on Oscar & Emma’s curling team.

Vague & senile.

Corner Gas is an easy show to enjoy, as far as I’m concerned. The humor is dry and simple. There’s no complex set up just to get a cheap laugh. Anyone that gets the chance should give the show a chance. I believe the episodes are on YouTube for those who are interested.

If you’re interested in a clean cut show, Corner Gas is worth watching.