School, the First Day

First (half) day of school!

New Jersey's gator remains at large. 

We hit the gym yesterday for the first time in about 3 weeks. We added a serious stretching routine, one that is just as much a part of the exercise regimen as running or rowing. That's the plan going forward. This morning we feel a touch tensed up, but overall fine. The scale says we're 242 pounds, down a pound from the previous month. That's after a week at the beach ordering take out. Time to play an 80s training montage and break through the 240 line.

The writing of World War 1990: Norway is going well. The ideas are coming. Always a good sign. We know how we're writing and finishing the NATO ground counterattack. We may add a Marine M-60 tank commander. Brigade? Battalion? We don't know. 'The Americanski's are here. The Americanskis are not supposed to be north of Trondheim.' Adding an American M60 tanker story line would really fit with the opening and the counterattack chapter. The spots are right there for the taking. 

Colonel Sasha 'Tema' Timonen is having a great character arc. And we love what we're doing with Alexandre Lebed. 'General at this altitude we may crash!' said the pilot. 'Crash then!' We can't print that, obviously, but reader(s) will get the point. What is Ruski word for cavalry? 

We did a few tweaks if World War 1990: The Final Storm. That's all that's left. Unless we really want to drive our self crazy [Crazier-Ed].

Monday Metal (on Wednesday). So we were watching America's Got Talent on Sunday night, when we saw Steel Panther was coming on after the break. 'WTF,' we said. 'How are they going to do anything on broadcast TV?' Mrs. Stroock asked, 'You know them?' We replied, 'Do I ever.' We've known about Steel Panther for over a decade. This is our favorite, which we've probably done for Monday Metal before, Death to all but Metal. And so we have. Anyway, Here's Steel Panther doing a clean version of Death to all but Metal on AGT:

The best satire is sympathetic, see The Church Lady, or Austin Powers or the Dragnet movie. Good satire parodies from a place not of mockery but of love. We're just taking something and exaggerating it a little bit. Okay, a lot. Steel Panther is excellent satire. A little research reveals some bands aren't in on the joke. Motley Crue slammed Steel Panther, which is typical of them. Eddie Trunk bashed them too. He has to kiss heavy metal butt.