A blast from the past in rec.arts.sf.fandom

The thread was about smart and/or aliented kids. Someone said:

>> Smart But Bored: Bart Simpson, Homer Simpson (the result of
>> a SBB kid growing up without ever being motivated, except
>> Homer has a severe clue deficit as well), Ender Wiggin (before
>> Battle School),

to which someone else replied:

> Given the context, I thought "The police chief's kid?"
>
> Then I tried to remember the episode where he went to Battle School.

Which caused a horrifying image to spring to my mind, and of course, I had to share it with everyone:

Thank you for _that_ terrifying image.

[Ralph Wiggum voice]
The enemy's gate is DOWN!
[/Ralph Wiggum voice]

With, of course, Bart Simpson as Bean ("Eat my shorts, Blue Team!")

Nelson as Peter Wiggum ("I'm the Oligarch of Earth--HAH HA!")

Lisa as, uh, Ralph's sister (Valentine--thanks Google).

Principal Skinner as the CO of Battle School.

And Groundskeeper Willy as Mazer Rackham ("Ock! Those bugs are wily!")

Well, this sucks

Just opened an envelope from AAA, thinking it was a renewal notice. Nope. It's a bill for $75.00 for three tows over the last few months. "What!?" I think in outrage, "what's the goddamn point of joining AAA if not to get roadside service for free?"

This will not stand.

So I hopped on the internet, cruised over to the AAA site and looked up the details of their memberships.

...

Well...shit. If you require more than four roadside service calls in a member year (not calendar year), they charge you $25 a pop for the excess calls. We had upgraded from the basic membership to the "plus" membership a while back because it increased the free tow range, but it doesn't allow more service calls. Damn, and--hmmm. Three $25 surcharges. Four free service calls. Has it really been seven times now that we've had to rely on AAA to rescue us? Yup.

Clearly it is time we stopped driving the cars down to Salem and back, especially the Honda. Hondas, as rule, are pretty reliable cars--but this one is 20 years old and just doesn't have its youthful vigor any longer. Actually, we'd already decided to dispose of the Honda (as soon as we get it running again--it's currently languishing on the street in front of our house).