| 7/29/2005 |
RUN TO THE WATER by Live
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Now... bless my little co-workers heart for thinking of us here in the States when she was in China. She wanted to bring us home some authentic Chinese candy. Now I know that Chinese eat a lot of seafood, but I have a hard time believing their candy is seafood flavored.
Of course none of us thought anything of it until another co-worker tried one and descirbed it as "fish jerky." So there you have it.
Fish Jerky!
I must admit. In a foreign country, I'd be confused by the brightly colored wrappings.
Our guess is that it is probably some kind of fish bullion cube. |
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I posted this @ 7/29/2005 02:38:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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BOUNCE WIT ME by Bow Wow
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Ever wondered what 100,000 super-bounce balls would look like tossed off a roof?
I want a roof and 100,000 bouncy balls! |
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I posted this @ 7/29/2005 08:05:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
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| 7/27/2005 |
HERE COMES SANTA CLAUSE. HERE COMES SAN-... WTF?!
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 Did you know they had conventions? |
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I posted this @ 7/27/2005 01:02:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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AIR THAT I BREATHE by The Hollies
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You might have noticed the Netflix queue has changed.
That is because Valley of the Wind has been viewed. The English version has such well known actors as Patrick Stewart, Uma Thurman, & Chris Sarandon. I am always a little surprised when I see English speaking actors in anime. I have a hard time thinking that anime reaches such a wide variety of people. I think of it as more of a tailored and niche auidience that it draws. Basically, I have a hard time thinking Jean-Luc Picard is sitting down with a bowl of Fruit Loops and the first volume of Sailor Moon.
So yeah... Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind. (C-) Coming off the heels of Howl's Moving Castle and being a fan of Spirited Away I was looking forward to seeing this movie. What can I say..? Meh. Nausicaa is Princess of Valley of the Wind. She is also a very adept fighter and pilot. She hangglides her way around through most of this movie. The world has been burned and reborn. Poison forest cover much of the planet. Insects with bad tempers patrol these forests. The inhabitants of the valley want to live in peace with the forest/insects. Nausicaa seems to have a way with animals. She calms an ohm (like a roly-poly bug but the size of a whale) and a ferel little animal that is some sort of Pikachu cousin. There is a legend about a warrior dressed in blue and fields of gold, but it's never really explained what this chosen one will do or what will happen when he arrives.
Nausicaa is on a crusade to save the planet and cure the illness that her father/King has come down with. It's never really explained what made him sick. Was it the forest? He looks to be about 100 anyway... Could it be old age? Anyway... The movie doesn't roll like that. The Valley is drawn into the middle of a conflict between two neighboring countries. The Tolumekia and Pejite are at odds with one another. A warrior from the past has been unearthed. A "God Warrior". These were the the monsters that burned the world before. Now whoever controlled one of these monsters would rule.
Tolumekia swoops in a steals the warrior from Pejite, but the warrior is too heavy for the aircraft and crashes in the Valley. As part of a 'hostage' envoy Nausicaa and several Valleians go back to with the Princess of Tolumekia (Uma Thurman). Along the way they are attacked by Pejite airships and go down in the poison woods. Everyone survives, but they land in the middle of an ohm nest. Nausicaa clams them, but only briefly as they take off in a rage. Where are they going?
Well you see, the Pejites have caputred a baby ohm and they know how to use it. They are leading the the ohms and other insects to trample right through the valley. Yeah... I'm not quite sure why either.
I'll stop there with the recap in case someone decides to watch it. I will however say this... quit reading now if you don't want to know how I feel about the ending. NOW!
S
P
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Ok... so the ending was very unresolved. It's pretty clear from the beginning who the chosen one is going to be so I'm not spoiling anything be saying it's the girl. Whoo-hoo! But... ok... so... she does what? In the end, the three countries aren't really at peace. The insects are still around. The earth is still poisoned. Nausicaa now knows that the poison forest is trying to purify the planet. Ok. Cool. So... now what?
Truly. It's like the writers just decided rather than explain any more let's just stop now that we've resurrected the hero. I'd imagine a conversation with Nausicaa right after the last scene in the movie would be like.
VILLAGERS: You're the Legend Fulfilled!
NAUSICAA: Me?
VILLAGERS: Yes. You! Lead us!
NAUSICAA: Well, I was already your Princess and my father is now dead, so yeah... I would have done that anyway.
VILLAGERS: Oh... So what does this legend hold in store for us.
WISE WOMAN: I don't know exactly. Only that the warrior would come. It's a little fuzzy after that.
NAUSICAA: Everyone keep your masks on! The air is still poisoned!
VILLAGERS: But I thought you were going to cleans-...
NAUSICAA: Did you not hear me say to keep your masks on? If you die... it's your own stupid fault. |
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I posted this @ 7/27/2005 08:55:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
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BBQ KABOBS
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BBQ KABOBS
I use pork for this recipe, but you can use any meat or combinations of meat you prefer. It's more about the sauce!
KABOBS
4 pork chops
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 medium onion
1 pound of new potatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
-If using bamboo skewers soak your skewers for 30 minutes prior to grilling so they won't burn as easily.
-Chop all meat and veggies into one inch pieces. New potatoes can be put on whole, but you can cut the bigger ones in half as needed. Alternate items as you thread them onto the skewer. If you have any veggies left over after all the meat is gone you can put them in a foil packet and cook them along side your kabobs or just make a veggie only kabob.
-Place kabobs on a baking sheet or large serving platter. Drizzle with olive oil. Salt and pepper them to your liking.
I've played around with this sauce quite a bit. I've tried to measure it out as best as possible, but honestly... I just eyeball it.
BBQ SAUCE
3/4 cup of ketchup
2 full squeezes of mustard
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon teriyaki sauce
2 full squeezes of honey
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne powder
fresh ground black pepper to taste
-Combine all these ingredient in a microwave safe bowl or cup for one minute. Stir. Microwave for another minute. Makes about one cup of bbq sauce.
-As you are grilling, apply the sauce to kabobs. Repeat application each time your turn or flip the food. Grill to your preferred state of doneness.
-You can make a million substitutions and additions in this recipe. You can add finely minced jalepenos, garlic, or onions. You can use any kind of spicy or Dijon mustard. You can substitute brown sugar for honey. You can substitute worstershire for the combination of soy and teriyaki. You can easily adjust how hot and spicy it is by adjust how much of the hot pepper sauce, red pepper flakes, cayenne and chili powder you put in. Pour a bit of jalepeno juice (from the jarred varieties) in the sauce. Pour a shot of whiskey or tequila in the sauce. |
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I posted this @ 7/27/2005 05:00:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
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| 7/24/2005 |
CANDY EVERYBODY WANTS by 10,000 Maniacs
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| I wrote about Charlie & The Chocolate Factory. It can be found here. |
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I posted this @ 7/24/2005 02:24:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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| 7/21/2005 |
CAR WASH by Rose Royce
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Does you dog hate getting a bath? Do you hate giving him one?
Well... this may be the invention for you!
Even better? Go here and do a search for "dog gone clean machine". I'd directly link you, but unfortunately it won't let me and I can't find the video anywhere else. Trust me! It's worth it!
(no animals were harmed in the making of the video) |
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I posted this @ 7/21/2005 12:17:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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COME TAKE A TRIP ON MY AIRSHIP by Natalie Merchant
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I am a map geek. I love maps. I don't know why. I was always the 'navigator' on family vacations. I have a good sense of direction. I don't need to ask for directions. Just give me a map and I'll figure it out.
So you can understand I am in love with Google Earth and Google Moon.
Google Earth is a free application that you can download and find virtually anything on the planet. Want to see a volcano? Central Park? The Gateway Arch? Rosenblatt? Your Grandma's house in Scranton?
You can just barely see my treehouse behind where I used to live.
Click on Google Moon. Click on the "F" Apollo 17 option on the right and zoom in as far as you can. |
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I posted this @ 7/21/2005 06:01:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
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| 7/20/2005 |
YOU GOTTA BE by Des'ree
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I read that James "Scotty" Doohan died today. I'll refrain from any "What will his grave epitath read?" jokes because I'm sure the Internet is already full of them.
I read that he had Alzheimer's. I've only known one person with Alzheimer's and that was a grand uncle's in-law. So it wasn't someone that I had a lot of interaction with. When I did see her she wasn't too bad off yet. She still recognized people and had a hard time getting around prior to any other afflictions of age.
I think I could deal with a lot, but I'm not sure Alzheimer's would ever be something I'd 'want' to do have, if I had a choice. It was pointed out to me that I really wouldn't know what was going on. Yet, during the times when I was lucid, it wouldn't be a time I could 'enjoy' being lucid because I would realize what I was putting my friends and family through.
I fully intend to be kind of cranky crotchety old fogey that people like to be around. I don't want to be a mean spirited geezer, but rather the type that'll make them say, "Oh! That's just our Grandpa" as I stand outside watering large trees with a tiny quirt gun while wearing a paper Burger King crown. The spitfire septuagenarian who would pull out his false teeth to scare the younger neighborhood kids. I want to be the kind of Grandpa that kids are a little freaked out by only because they don't know what crazy shit I may pull.
"Your Grandpa's mean because he tricked me into eating dirt." To which, my own blood relatives would respond, "Well you should know better than to trust someone wearing a T-Shirt that says Food In. Poo out. I don't know how I'd accomplish that, but I've got time to plot.
Is it wrong to want a license to get away with things just because of a person's age? Like when you are a little kid and you can get away with virtually anything because of your age. A bathing suit is acceptable dinner attire when eating at a fast food restaurant. You can wear a pointy birthday hat for no good reason other than you purchased it from the impulse aisle at the grocery store.
I want to be the old man who parks in a handicap spot and then uses a walker to get inside only to ditch it when I get in the door and cruise about Super Target at regular paces.
I want to be the old guy on the block who is known for having the spookiest looking house on Halloween. Where the kids just might easily get a shot of water in the face from a squirt gun as they would a 3 Musketeers bar.
I want my best friend to worry about what I might do on April Fool's day.
I want to be the Grandpa that can sit around with the Grandkids and make fun their parents, my some-day children, because consarnit! They gave me such hell growning up. It's their turn now. I'll live vicariously through them. "Pop rocks in their Rice Krispies should wake your dad up." "Go tell you mother you want to grow up to be LaToya Jackson."
I want a bumper sticker that says "Ask me about my Grandchildren," but when you ask I'll tell you about this potato I bought at the store that looked like Jay Leno.
I want overhear my Grandchildren say, "Grandpa's crazy. Can we come over next weekend mom?"
I want a license to cut someone off in traffic, flip them the bird, and speed off. "Enjoy my bumper stickers, bee-yatch!"
You better watch out world! Because I've got a vivid imagination and plenty of time to plot. |
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I posted this @ 7/20/2005 12:46:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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GARLIC LEMON DOUBLE STUFFED CHICKEN
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They say the best way to write is to write about what you know. So, I thought that I would try something. I love to cook and know enough about cooking to at least share some recipes that I've learned and love. My plan is to post a different recipe each week. I'm just sharing some of my favorite recipes. Maybe it's something new I've tried or learned to make. Maybe it's something basic. I ain't looking to be the next Food Network star. A lot of people I know also enjoy cooking and trying new things.
If you try any of the recipes PLEASE leave a comment (good or bad) about it.
GARLIC LEMON DOUBLE STUFFED CHICKEN
oil, for greasing pan
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 (8 ounce) package Cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
2 or 3 cloves of minced garlic
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon paprika (optional)
fresh parsley as desire (optional)
-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a baking dish with oil.
-Set up an 'assembly line' for yourself. In one dish put your milk. In another dish put your combine your seasoned bread crumbs, garlic salt, and romano (or parmesan cheese "shaker cheese"). Have the baking dish ready to go and sitting next to these.
-If you can find pre-flatten chicken breasts, GREAT! If not... pound out each chicken breast so that it's approximately 1/2 inch thick. (Not paper thin) Cut your cream cheese and cheddar cheese into 1/2 inch slices. You can use shredded cheddar as well, if you prefer. Place a slice of your cream cheese and cheddar cheese on the chicken. Roll up the chicken around the cheese. Secure with a toothpick if needed.
-Dip the chicken breasts in the milk, then in the breadcrumb mixture. Pat each one down to make sure mixture is decently applied. Don't not over crowd the baking dish. Leave a half inch on all sides of the stuffed chicken. You can top the chicken off with more cheddar cheese if you desire.
-Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until center is no longer pink and juices run clear. This is where the flattened chicken will come into play. If your chicken is thicker it will take longer to cook.
-While chicken bakes put your minced garlic, lemon juice, and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave until butter is melter. (Can be done on the stove, but the microwave takes only a minute or two.) Pour on top of chicken once it's done. Sprinkle with paprika or fresh parsley.
I've played around with this recipe a little. You can butterfly your chicken breasts if you don't want to pound them out. I think you can more of the stuffed cheese in each bit if you roll them. If you like more garlic, you can put some in the cheese stuffing. You can make the dish 'lighter' by using light cream cheese and butter. Using day old dried out bread, you can make your own seasoned bread crumbs with some dried parsley, oregano, and basil all food processored together.
Enjoy! |
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I posted this @ 7/20/2005 05:36:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
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| 7/19/2005 |
THAT INTERACTIVE INTERNET QUESTION GAME
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Here are the instructions:
1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below saying "Interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you five questions - each person's will be different. I'll post the questions in the comments section of this post.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions. |
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I posted this @ 7/19/2005 05:34:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
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| 7/18/2005 |
HEY by Gary Glitter
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| Some days I wish I had a cheering section like this. (Or at least a mascot) |
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I posted this @ 7/18/2005 09:52:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
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| 7/17/2005 |
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- Tolerate:: Put Up With
- Release:: Me
- My soul:: My Chi
- Sax:: -amaphone... Saxamaphone...
- HP:: Printers
- Worth:: A 1000 Words
- Rockstar:: Mick Jagger
- Terrify:: Frighten
- Knock me off my feet:: Swept Off My Feet
- Taunt:: Tease
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I posted this @ 7/17/2005 06:23:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
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| 7/15/2005 |
LINES IN THE SUIT by Spoon
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A new Time Killer for you.
It gets hard fast. Before you know it you've lost it and thrown your monitor out the window.
I got to Level 11 before my computer flipped out on me. |
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I posted this @ 7/15/2005 10:43:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
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| 7/14/2005 |
SHOCK THE MONKEY by Peter Gabriel
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There's an evil monkey that lives in my closet. |
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I posted this @ 7/14/2005 12:23:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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YOU ARE MY JOY by The Reindeer Section
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 I've added a new song to the playlist.
The Reindeer Section is merry band of musical misfits fronted by Gary Lightbody, on the band Snow Patrol. Reindeer is a collection of many musicians, a "musical dream team" of sorts from the UK. Boasting members of such bands as Mogwai, Belle & Sebastian, Teenage Fanclub, as well as Lightbody's band, Snow Patrol.
I heard You Are My Joy on a rerun of Grey's Anatomy. ABC shows have some of the best songs to go with their shows; Lost, Grey's Anatomy, Alias. I've found many songs that way.
Give it a listen. It's happy. |
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I posted this @ 7/14/2005 05:46:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
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| 7/13/2005 |
UNCONSCIOUS MUTTERINGS
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- Do-it-yourself:: Kit
- Pickpocket:: Theif
- Ballet:: Dancer
- Resumé:: Job
- Phenom:: Gifted
- Love/Hate:: Relationship
- Unusual:: Behavior
- Intense:: Fire
- Interruption:: Excuse me
- Not Enough:: The World Is
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I posted this @ 7/13/2005 10:07:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
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I HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU by Three Days Grace
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ABC has a new show starting called Brat Camp. They have been pimping it for weeks, showing home video footage of some very unruly teens behavior. In one clip we see a kid pull out a dagger. Another beats the begeezus out of some lawn furniture. Yet another girl discusses her sexual activities. It's pretty hard core for something that is on during prime time.
These kids are sent to a wilderness camp where they are forced to face the harsh realities of life at camp. As a result change their behaviors and go home with their new found respect for living a better life. These kids are in the Oregon wilderness for almost two months with trained faculty helping them deal with their personal issues.
I am totally dreading this being a show. I'm sure the work that these camps do is a good thing and I hope that the kids left the camp having learned something about themselves and the at-risk behaviors they were taking part in. What I don't life is the 'false hope' it might give a lot of families.
When I worked at the call center we would occasionally get a rush of calls from family members (typically Moms) who were watching a talk show where a boot camp type facility was used as a behavior modification tool. These Moms would see how these teens were miraculously changed people after attending such a camp. Sometimes camp information would be given on the show directing families where to seek help. A lot of these families needed immediate help. Many would miss the information when it was given and as a result they would call an operator and through the magic of telephonics be transferred to The Hotline.
These were tired families calling. Moms who had "tried everything" and "nothing worked." There was so much desperation in their voices. To see a program where a child could be sent to straighten up their act seemed like a prayer answered. Unfortunately the reality isn't always as easy as that. Many treatment facilities require a great deal of money to take care of your kid. I wish I could recall the exact cost per day that was said, in order to take care of a youth at the facility I worked at. It was a lot. However much you think it might cost, add about $250 to it. It's a lot. Many programs offer "scholarships" or financial assistance to attend such programs. Payments based on a sliding scale will also help those families that have a hard time making ends meet. This doesn't mean "free." Nothing is free.
So these parents that are calling in to The Hotline are wanting to place their kids in boot camps, but many don't understand the finances involved in doing so. Since The Hotline was part of the treatment facility we were always willing to tell them about our program as well. Which seems like a "bait and switch" tactic, but, whatever...
Such things are not cheap. I don't know if Brat Camp will discuss that as part of their show, but I know that the talks shows typically didn't. Parents would balk when our own facilities financial requirements were mentioned.
Part of me always wanted to ask, "What did you think was going to happen? That someone would take your drug addicted, promiscuous, law-disobeying child and turn them into a prince/princess for free?" Not that the money mattered to me, but I don't know that a lot of people really thought about.
I always wanted to know how the family got to the point with the child that Mom and/or Dad were ready to ship Junior off without not much of a second thought. What lead up to the call? How has his behavior been over the last few months, a year ago, 5 years ago. Has there been a drastic life change? Maybe their issue could be helped by not sending the child away for a couple months (or more if some of these parents had their way) and could be solved at home with help. This is where the Tried Everythings began. Nothing worked. He just started getting in trouble with the law. She just started staying out all night. Perhaps, but nothing just happens overnight, when it comes to behaviors. If it does. There is probably something else causing the problem. Behaviors grow over time.
What have these Brat Camp parents tried before sending their child away? What other options have they looked into? Has anything worked, even a little bit?
What about putting your "problem child" on television? Do I need to even explain this? How much of what we see is real and how much is put on for the camera either because they think it's cool or funny, or maybe because they think this is what they want to hear/see? Not to mention how footage is edited to make situations look more dramatic.
Who is going to explain to the single mother in Brooklyn, that her 14 year old son can't go to boot camp because she is unable to pony up the money required to send him to a forrest located across the country? I doubt Brat Camp will. |
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I posted this @ 7/13/2005 09:56:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
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| 7/12/2005 |
RED RED WINE by UB40
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or
MEXICAN WINE by Fountains of Wayne
So I finally watched Sideways! Yes, you will notice that I've updated the Netflix queue to the right, (that's "rite" for you users of the metric system). So I thought I'd spout off about it.
When the Oscars winners were still a mystery and everyone was placing bets on who would win Best _____, I would always root for Sideways. I don't know why. Maybe it was because of the Alexander Payne / Omaha connection. Maybe it was because I liked Sandra Oh from grease Anatomy. Maybe it was because I remember Virginia Madsen from Highlander. Either way... Sideways! Woo!
Sideways (B-) I honestly think this is one of those movies that I was so psyched to see that I was somewhat disappointed that it didn't live up to the image I had in my head. It was a good movie. It had a great cast. I think the main thing of the movie is that it just seemed to drag in places where it shouldn't have. The more I think about it, I blame it on the music. Soundtracks provide audible clues as to how the movie is going. Even when you don't understand the language, the music can help you figure out if it is a sad scene or a tense moment.
Having seen a lot of previews and commercials I knew of a couple scenes that I was looking forward to. Why do they drive their car into a tree? Why does Sandra Oh purse-whip someone?
The basics: Miles (Paul Giamatti) is a divorced English teacher who takes his good friend Jack (Thomas Hayden Church), who is about to be married, on a wine tasting tour through California. On the way they discuss their life and they direction their lives are going. We learn that Miles has a book that may be published and Jack is about as much of a flirt and uses his 'fame' as an actor to get his way with women. It seems like an odd mix of best friends. They know each other from college, where I would be willing to wager Miles wrote more than one term paper for Jack. Jack promised to hook him up with his girlfriend's friend, but it never happened because Jack probably kept them both for himself. Just speculating.
Without spoiling anything, my favorite scene is when Miles and Maya (Virginia Madsen) are sitting on the front porch discussing how they got into wine as a hobby. I think I shouted "Marry her. Marry her now!" to Miles, but he couldn't hear me.
The movie takes you on a very introspective ride through these two guys lives. They are very regular. You could pick anyone on the street and they might have had a moment like what's shown in the movie. For that the movie redeems itself for the times when the story gets a bit dry. (That's my only attempt at a wine-related tie-in to this review, and even IT is choking on how dry of a tie-in it was.)
I would buy this movie. I would have to be in an introspective mood when I did it. A mood where I feel like asking myself, "How am I like Miles?" "Am I writing such an open ended book that leaves people wondering about my own life?" |
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I posted this @ 7/12/2005 05:04:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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| 7/05/2005 |
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- Statistics:: Analysis
- Grin:: & Bear It
- Saturn:: Rings
- Fulfilled:: Complete
- Life plan:: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
- Cult:: Of Personality
- Lily:: Of The Valley
- Stalemate:: Checkmate
- Celebration:: 4th of July
- Underwear:: Boxers
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I posted this @ 7/05/2005 02:40:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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THOSE WERE THE DAYS by Archie & Edith Bunker
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I'd said that I would tell this story another time. So I am...
My Great-grandmother passed away almost 20 years ago. She never met my little brother. So doing the math poorly in my head I figured I was about 13 at the time. My Great-grandmother (GGM) was a nice enough woman. She was born just before the turn of the century and, at the time, was the only person I knew who was born in an 1800-numbered year. That just added to idea of how old I thought she was.
I lived with my Grandmother. The reason is simple, but which is a story for another time. My Grandmother still worked. So my GGM, who normally lived an hour-and-a-half away moved in with my Grandparents. She took care of my toddler-self during the day. As I got older she wasn't needed as a baby-sitter, but remained living with us. If memory serves, I was about 10 when she moved out.
My memories of her are not bad. They are not good, but not in a way that means anything happened. She was a parent from a different era. I was a child from messed up parents who had issues of his own. Sometimes the idea of my Grandmother leaving for work was an issue. I remember her being cold, in many ways. Temperature. Her room was always cold. Being in her 70s, she was always cold. Her house in Falls City smelled. I didn't like going there. Which was something we did pretty regularly. My Grandparents and I would go there to mow her lawn, pick up any mail, and run any errands that might need to be done, when she was living there again. When I say her house smelled, it isn't a bad thing. It is just an association I've made. Smells can be very powerful stimulants. We would go to her house and I would find boxes full of Reader's Digests and TV Guides from decades past. National Geographics from before when NG had photos on all their covers. National Geographics were like grown-up Ranger Rick magazines for me. So to find a treasure trove of them in a closet was an exciting day.
Her house was filled with out-dated furniture. Nothing that was worth any money or that even held any significance to anyone. Just old furniture. I would often take naps on her couch while my Grandparents worked outside. Her couch was covered in an old blanket that had knotty nubs of thread/yarn that would form delicate patterns on the fabric. I would be later reminded of this when we'd make string art projects in school. The fabric hurt my face to lay on, so I used one of the only two throw pillows available. They were hard plastic, the color of bars of soap. They smelled like the house. The couch smelled like the house.
She had a television inside. Black and white, with two knobs. One dial I recognized the numbers as stations I could watch if I was home. The other knob had significantly more tick marks on it, indicating more numbers. A UHF dial, if I recall correctly. Falls City didn't seem to be ideally located to get any of the channels that I was used to finding. I imagine having a TV that was just still a few generations shy of High Definition was probably part of the lack of viewable programming. So outside I stayed.
My Grandparents would spend the afternoon mowing her lawn. My job was to pick up any sticks or rocks that might be in the yard before the mower hit them. She had an electric mower for them to use. The cord was damaged in several places where it had accidentally been ran over. Duct tape marked the incidences clearly. I would sit on the back porch a they mowed the backyard. Across the alley was a restaurant. I would guess that it was probably a Dairy Queen, but I'm not sure. They served the same type of food as a DQ. I remember the smell of cooking hamburgers and greasy french fries. Occasionally we would stop there on the way back home. The street in front of her house was lined with brick cobblestones. The cars made a distinctly different sound on brick than they did on pavement. Even on my own home town streets, I'd notice this. That sound still reminds me of 'old'. I would hear stories about Model T's that my Grandparents could remember driving around town on those old streets. That just added to the already old mental image I had of the place.
My GGM owned a Ford Rambler, I don't recall the year, but I've always thought in my head it was 1963. I can't find photos to verify anything tho. Plastic seat coverings. No power anything... and I do mean anything! This was the car in which I would eventually learn to drive. In a gravel parking lot. I'm was not a strong kid. It was like pulling a mule to make a left hand turn. I'd have to stop and catch my breath. The car eventually went to my Aunt who drove it for years. I don't know how she did it.
The house was small, but there was a basement. Your typical creepy basement found in old homes that smelled in old towns whose streets made funny noises. There wasn't much ever kept down there. A 'cave' as we called it where canned good were kept. I don't recall a washer or dryer and the more I think about it, I don't know how she did laundry. Because she didn't drive anymore, to be able to get to a laundromat.
I wasn't privy tot he conversation if it did happen, but she moved back to her home a few years before she passed away. The same way an animals finds shelter in which to take it's last nap.
It was a humid summer morning. I think it was June 21st (or somewhere close to that, since it was the longest day of the year). I had been awake for sometime and was already outside playing with the other kids in the neighborhood. We were going to have a picnic. Pack up some lunch and take it somewhere. Who knows where we were 'really' going, but it was what the plan was. I went inside to make myself a couple peanut butter sandwiches when the phone rang. My Grandmother went from calm to shot nerves in the matter of a few sentences. It was my Uncle Ken (My Grandmother's brother) who had found his mother. She passed away in her sleep. No one had heard from her in a while so, Uncle Ken was the one to drive down and check on her. Their concerns were all part of conversations that I wasn't privy too.
My Grandmother hung up the phone and called for my Grandfather who was outside working in his garage. She went to the bathroom and was getting ready as though she was going out for dinner. I wasn't quite sure what was going on. I don't recall that she specifically ever did say what had happened. I think I eventually just figured it out from the way she was acting.
She said she was going to Falls City. I asked if I could stay home and still be able to go on my picnic. Looking back I realize how bizarre and insensitive that seemed. Yet, I had no experience with death prior to this moment. I'd never seen a dead body. I never had a family member pass away. I'd never been to another person's funeral that I could recall. What did I know?
I stayed home while they went to Falls City.
Within the next few days the funeral was held. It was such an odd event for me. Having already told you about my experience in the matters of death, it was odd on many levels. It was like a family reunion with relatives that I rarely saw, except everyone was sad. My Aunt was in a skirt (which never happened). There was someone that I was supposed to have known laying not to far away. Yet I didn't recognize her. I can only manage a vague image of the scene as it unfolded.
This was the woman who taught me how to read. We'd spend hours going through the newspaper and I'd pick out the word 'the' every time I saw it and would circle it. Then we'd move on to another word. This was the woman who scolded me for not eating my Cream of Wheat while it was hot. It tasted better (if such a thing was possible to begin with) to me when it was cold. A liking that I'm pretty sure I don't still have. She was the one who I can remember holding the door shut as I tried to get inside the house. I don't know why she was blocking the door, but she was. I doubt it was anything mean-spirited. This was the woman who taught me how to count to ten in German.
I don't know what brought up any of these memories now, other than just the memories themselves wanting to be told. They do that sometimes. |
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I posted this @ 7/05/2005 01:16:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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ONE by U2
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ONE WORD (via Dead Batteries & Wild Flower)
Please leave a one-word comment that you think best describes me. It can only be one word.
No more.
Then copy & paste this in your journal so that I may leave a word about you. |
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I posted this @ 7/05/2005 08:05:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
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| 7/03/2005 |
R O C K in the U.S.A. by John Cougar Mellencamp
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HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!
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I posted this @ 7/03/2005 10:01:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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| 7/01/2005 |
GROUND CONTROL TO MAJOR TOM by David Bowie
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EDIT: Related link.
Ok... So there is all this attention on Scientology lately because Tom Cruise promotes the philosophy like it's his lately movie, War Of The Worlds. Which in a creepy way it kinda... is rather similar. But the original WotW freaked me out so I'm not sure I want to watch this one. If you want to know what I'm talking about in regards to Scientology you can easily look it up. Some of it's more intriguing ideas involve 'rehabilitating the thetan' (read: soul), restoring it's superhuman abilities to control matter, energy, space and time. Sounds like good stuff. When reading up on Scientology don't skim the part about the galactic tyrant who came to Earth and blew up his victims with hydrogen bombs and brain washed them with three-d super colossal motion picture. It's good times!
But I'm not here to make light of the latest craze. I'm more concerned with statements that are being made by actors in regards to Psychiatry and Psychology. Tom Cruise and Brooke Shields have dispensed with warning shots and are going for direct hits when it comes to medication, mental health, and ranting for the media.
If you haven't heard the latest... let me give you the Cliff's Notes version.
-LRon doesn't like psychiatry and psychiatrists.
-Scientology doesn't care for the mental health profession.
-LRon makes claims that Psychiatry has been an agent of repression for billions of years and responsible for inventing pain and sex.
-Tom Cruise is knee-deep in Scientology.
-Tom Cruise criticized Brooke Shields for taking Paxil for post-natal depression. Going on to say that there no such things as chemical imbalances that need to be corrected with drugs, and that depression can be treated with exercise and vitamins.
-Kelly Preston (John Travolta's wife and fellow believer) says that if you are going to advocate taking such drugs you should tell people the potential risks.
-Shields comments back about how obviously Tom has never experienced post partum.
Now that I've lined them up, let me get out my six shooter.
LRon is a science fiction author. Who was under scrutiny for possibly starting a religion for profit.
Remember when there was a whole group of people who were following the Star Wars Jedi code as a religion? What did you think then?
Scientology doesn't have to agree with Psychiatry and Psychology. It is actually offered as an alternative to Psychiatry. I guess in as much of a way as mashed cauliflower is an alternative to mashed potatoes. It's palatable, but deep down you know it's not as what you wanted.
Tom Cruise has the money to be educated in the ways Hubbardism. To be educated to a level of OT III (a high level Scientologist) it costs $360,000.
There are chemical imbalances in the body. Medical fact! Some affecting the brain as well as other parts of the body. They happen all the time. Some are able to be rectified with changes in our lifestyle. Some are not. Some need the assistance of medication and work on the person it's affecting.
It is irresponsible for celebrities to make such statements about an entire profession. Mental Health professionals deal with some of the most serious issues out there. There are a lot of people who go undiagnosed or even those that are over diagnosed. I don't claim that Psychology is perfect. My concerns comes from people in such notable and in-the-news positions making such drastic claims that people who are unable to really investigate such statements for themselves may be lead astray. Not everyone who is on meds needs to be on meds as the sole means to help themselves through an issue. But saying that no one should need to be on meds is not the answer either.
Tom goes on the Today show. He says Matt Lauer doesn't know what Ritalin is, where he does. He tells Matt Lauer:
Cruise: You should be a little bit more responsible in knowing really-
Lauer: I'm not prescribing Ritalin, Tom. And I'm not asking anyone else to do it. I'm simply saying, I know some people who seem to have been helped by it.
Cruise: But you're saying this is a very important issue.
Lauer: I couldn't agree more.
Cruise: It's very... and you know what? You're here on the "Today" show.
Lauer: Right.
Cruise: And to talk about it in a way of saying, "Well, isn't it okay," and being reasonable about it when you don't know and I do, I think that you should be a little bit more responsible in knowing what it is.
Lauer: But...
Cruise: Because you communicate to people.
HELLO!?! Tom!? What are you doing? You're communicating too! He says he knows about Ritalin? What does he know? He claims he wants medical evidence it works. Where is Tom's medical evidence that his claims work? How is he communicating to Johnny Everybody without first asking they pay the price of several new luxury cars?
Let's take a look at Oprah for example. It could be said that she is responsible for thousands of people getting back into reading books. She is very influential and has started many clubs and organizations to promote her beliefs. Her wisdoms are followed by many as a doctrine. If she was to make such claims against any treatment of any kind there would be a media frenzy. Why? Because she is someone that people look up to for advice and for guidance. "She did it and is successful. Why can't I?"
Tom Cruise is in a similar light with his stardom. To go around making such claims and to think that someone somewhere doesn't idolize him and think that if "Tom can do it so can I" is ludicrous bullshit. What happens when someone goes off their meds because someone takes his preachings as truth, but couldn't afford to hear his evidence of his claims?
When Kelly Preston said that the risks of drugs/medication should be told as well... They are. We call it the FDA. They come with every legal prescription. What about the claims Tom is making? Where is LRon's Surgeon General Warning? What about all those people who want to believe what he is saying, but can't afford to sign up because they don't have the money to do so? What will happen to their thetans?
When you are in an influential position you need to be careful of what you say. I wouldn't doubt what Tom says he thinks is spot on. Maybe it's right for him in his life, but that won't be the case for everyone else. Just like Ritalin or Paxil isn't right for everyone.
I hope that someone comes to their sense soon. At the risk of sounding morbid... while it would be tragic, I look sheepishly forward to the day someone blames a celebrity is such a position as this, when his or her life has gone to shit. I hope that would serve as a wake-up call. |
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I posted this @ 7/01/2005 11:35:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
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CANDY EVERYBODY WANTS
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So I caught a movie over the weekend. It is the tale of an eccentric recluse who was raised by a strict parent who didn't let him experience some of the normal things a growing boy would. Even though the boy is older he still has some very man-child behaviors, but is loved by all. Eventually there are people who try to steal his secrets, so he casts everyone out and hires a group of fiercely loyal employees. One day, he decides to open his magical factory and home to five very lucky children who get to tour his compound. The promise is made that one very special child will win a fabulous prize beyond his or her wildest dreams.
No... I am not talking about the Michael Jackson Unauthorized Biography. It's...
Charlie & The Chocolate Factory! (A-)
I've never read the book, but I can remember seeing the original with Gene Wilder. The older I got the more i realized how truly eerie the story is. The kids are judged and disposed of in somewhat ghastly ways, but you really don't think much of it because everything is so happy and bright and chipper and oh look... I've got a cavity just watching that last scene.
When I first heard that Tim Burton was going to helm the remake, I was excited. Not hard nipples excited, but... well you get the idea. I've thoroughly enjoyed Tim Burton's other films so I couldn't wait to see C&TCF.
The story begins with usual Burton-esque style. A cold feel to the setting. Exaggerated characters living in exaggerated structures. A child-like, yet eerie soundtrack plays as the voice of the Jamaican James Earl Jones narrates.
I'm sure there were other contenders for the role of Willy Wonka, but I'm not sure who else might have fit the bill in such a movie. I'd want someone who was a little off-kilter. Cillian Murphy was busy. Depp had some very hilarious lines in the movie, many of which they play to death in the commercials for the movie. We get to see a little backstory of why Willy grew up to start such a company. Like I've said... I've never read the book so this was interesting to know and see.
The children in this movie were excellent! They all reminded me of animated mannequins which was slightly unsettling at first, but it just added to the feel of the already eerie feel. My weekend was topped off as I was filling a bag of Jelly Belly's and from another candy aisle a stout lad who bore an uncanny resemblance to Augustus Gloop came waddling towards me. I looked around to make sure I hadn't stepped into the movie. The girl who played Veruca Salt was fun. She was such a spoiled brat (as expected). It's nice to know she at least turns her life around and finds a career.
I have two chief complaints about the movie that I feel to distract somewhat. Deep Roy. The man plays every Oompa Loompa. All 165 of them. Would it really have been so bad to hire a lot of little people to file the roles? Secondly... The music. I liked the Willy Wonka theme that is played when he first appears. It is 'performed' by a few dozen It's A Small World Afterall Rejects. Eerie! Yet, the other songs have been updated to fit a generation. Ok... that's fine and dandy. Yet they didn't seem to have lend to the overall effect. You get this cheery/eerie (cheerie if you will) movie and then thrown in a couple rap and funk songs. They seemed very out of place.
The movie has been a classic for so long and spoofed in so many different ways that it might be hard to watch this film and be objective about it. You will probably either love or hate Depp as Wonka. You'll either be annoyed of find yourself tapping your foot to the music. You'll either feel compelled to go to the concession stand or dentist half way through the movie. It's worth full admission price, and you might even buy a copy for yourself. Since most people already know the general story, there is no rush to see it. |
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I posted this @ 7/01/2005 09:20:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
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