They are Attacking!

I'm just driving to work one day and I notice the Ohio car tag (Ohio is like the #1 or #2 tourist here) Anyway I'm looking at it and I wonder... is this a flag of sorts?




That's the flag for Croatia and either I'm just full of it (very likely) or they (Croatians) have taken over Ohio and are now moving into South Carolina. You heard here first kids.

Classic Film Friday: The Gay Divorcee

This movie stands out to me as one of contrast. The white dresses, the black tuxes. Really it doesn't even matter if the movie is in black and white, but it also underlines the theme if the movie... the girl is trying to find her way out of a failed marriage. This is again a Rogers-Astaire movie and it doesn't let anyone down.

Sure none of the performances are Oscar quality, but you don't expect them to be. Many of the cast in Top Hat are in The Gay Divorcee (yes I know this movie pre-dates Top Hat) so if you liked one it stands to reason that you'd like the other. Fred Astaire is Guy Holden, dancer, while Ginger Rogers is Mimi Glossop who is looking to get out of a tricky situation in her marriage. She doesn't like him, but of course he is mad about her. This is a good movie and me and my 12-year-old caught ourselves laughing many a time. From the clothes to the silly Italian man you'll laugh and the dancing, you know there's going to be dancing.

Every divorce should be so gay, after all it's worth it. ;o)

15 Minutes of Peace

I went out for lunch the other day. When I say I went out, that just means I went outside, I didn't
go to McDonald's or anything like that. What a peaceful time! I listened to a mocking bird pouring its heart out, I smelled the sweet air, I watched in a nearby pond all the minnows swimming around, I felt the sun on my back trying to burn... basically I just took in everything that was offered. And for just 15 minutes I was somewhere else, though not really.

A brief escape from the grind of working, I bet if you do the same you'll probably want to stay even longer.

Yeah It's Like That

Pool Party

I've always been a kind of low rent guy, I mean through working and marriage I've somehow slipped up and managed to get in to the mid-rent sector, but at heart I'm still low. Maybe that the Army talking, or even my childhood, I really can't say. But I was used to people not having the money to pay there electric bill, driving a what I call a Mississippi paint job car, and essentially not partaking in the finer things in life.

Now I have a sprinkler system, live right up next to a lagoon, and have a screened in back porch. Life is good. Certainly better than I ever would have imagined even 10 years ago. So anyway we were at our community pool (yet another thing I wouldn't have dreamed of) and I overhear these people who are either oblivions or trying to make everyone hear them, that are so not what I come from, that it actually pains me to hear them talking.

I'm just a working schlub who made his life a bit better than my parents. When I was growing up, we had less than 800 square feet for at least 5 of us, sometime less than that. Now I have more than 2000 square feet for 4 of us. So back to those people they were talking about boats and parties and so on and so forth... The guy looks all buff and the girls are skinny and I'm thinking I don't have time, nor do I feel good enough to workout, go to parties or much of anything else after working a solid day. How do they do it?

I don't know but here is one telling clue. One little boy, of which belonged to one of the "aristocrats" came to my wife and asked if she could fix his goggles, his mother was only steps away, but he wanted my wife to do it, and she did. Later the same kid tells us "get out of MY way... please." It takes all kinds to make the world go around, but I do have trouble with some of the higher sect.

Things a Baby Sees

My daughter, the little one, notices all kinds if things that you or I take for granted. Never is this more apparent then when we enter the grocery store. Things like the huge rotating chicken, the picture of cheese, or the dancing vegetables simply must be acknowledged by her, and by you, because you are right next to her. I guess some parents could just ignore it, or blow it off, but I can't. Sometimes it's the littlest thing that makes a big difference. Now I have her to remind me of all of them. Thanks!

Adventures in Bedding

We have bed issues. I mean really bad bed issues. Last night we spotted beds at Sam's and we came to the conclusion that we shouldn't suffer any longer. But the problem is I don't really have an appropriate means of getting said bed home. We decide that another dreaded night with the old mattress is inevitable, but first thing in the morning we'll get the bed. In fact the price is so low we haven't looked anyplace else. (Maybe a mistake by us, maybe not.)

So we go back to Sam's, get the bed, and strap it to the top of our mini-van. And let the adventure begin. We opened the sun roof and checked the bed's position and headed west down 278 at the blazing speed of 35 MPH. We soon realize that at 36 MPH we hear a "buzzing" noise... We keep going anyway. It turns out that the plastic wrapping was making the noise. No harm I think, but we think holding on to the bed is probably better than not.

Then we get to the bridge... the one that connects Hilton Head Island with the mainland... and the wind picks up substantially from there. I'm still holding on to the bed, my wife is driving and all I can do is laugh. Once we get over the bridge I have my wife pull over as my hand is really cramping up. It seems that there has been some shifting but for the most part the bed hasn't gone anywhere.

We switch sides with me in the driver's seat now as the whole stroke thing has left my right arm pretty much useless. Everything is going well, but I did not hit one red light in Bluffton, so if you want to know how to do that, simply drive 35-40 MPH and you'll escape the town without ever having to stop. Except we were kind of counting on stopping... so now we 're both holding onto the bed, arms cramping, and still a ways to go.

And that's pretty much my story... well there was almost hitting a sign right about Eagle's Point, but other than that, nothing much. We got the bed inside and took a nap on it, and have this story of strapping it down and dragging it home to tell now.

Popeye's

When I was little, I had the Popeye and Pals show. It was a regular part of Saturday morning in houses throughout New Orleans. You see thats were it all got started. I know that maybe you haven't heard or tried Popeye's but if your from New Orleans it is pretty much where you got Fried Chicken. Though now it is not nearly as good as it was back then.

In this video, the miracle of YouTube, you see each child is asked what they want to be when they grow up. Teacher, Football Player, Nurse, Nun??? Yeah we're all good Catholics down there. Anyway you can see everyone chomping down on their Popeye's. And they played Popeye cartoons in between. Just another thing that makes me, me.

Classic Film Friday: To Kill a Mockingbird

This film is one that again I think everyone should see, at least once. It stars Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, a lawyer who is selected to defend a black man against a white mob. Now I must warn you, this is 2 hours and 10 minutes long not long for a lord of the rings type of movie, but still, this movie tackles some real life issues. It's mostly about day to day life of two kids in the south during the depression.

Atticus Finch is the man that everyone wants to be, though most can't. The kids get in to trouble, but that's part of growing up. The movie is much better explained by watching it, so add it to your cue... Also I'm getting something that will greatly help in my movie quest, and it's a bit of a present to my wife too. I'll explain more about it in coming weeks.

PACT Testing

Yes it's that time of year where our kids are busy taking tests. You might think that they should have end of year or end of semester tests, nope, not at all. In fact all they have to do is kinda' take the PACT test... which takes 5 days or something and they're done. Done with school completely. Yes I know there is still 2 weeks of school, but they are done. All they have to do now is go to parties and watch movies.

Remember when school started, they had two weeks or so to get everything in place, watch movies, and go to parties then too. So that's a month that kids are in school and no learning takes place. Wonder why South Carolina is in the education dumps now? Well the kids get two weeks of no learning at the beginning and two weeks at the end, that could be part of it. And don't think I'm blaming teachers, at least not completely. Everything is hinged on these PACT tests... once they take them it doesn't matter what happens, this system has got to change.

Ted Kennedy

I just have to interrupt today's funniness to wonder how/why we care about Ted Kennedy. Getting ready this morning it was all over the news and people were talking like he was already dead. The man is 76? Good god I hope to make it that old. Looking at the man's record I remain unimpressed. He gave us No Child Left Behind. Excuse me while I throw up.

I understand that he has led a long career in politics, but the way people are tripping over themselves to say good things about the man is a bit hypocritical. He's 76, and he aint even dead yet. At least let him die first.

Kitty Threats

Late Night Cruises

It seems a little nuts to me, to turn an accident into anything more than an accident. I know alcohol was involved, but you just never know when your number is going to be pulled. In case you don't know what I'm talking about this past weekend was prom, and of course a teenage boy out at 3am was hit by a drunk driver, and the drunk driver was Latino, probably here illegally.

About a year before I met her, my wife had her a Toyota MR2, convertible, and from what I hear, it was nice. Then while driving in Hilton Head... pretty much in the middle of the day, a drunk totals it. He rear ended her. He also was Latino and here illegally. She still has problems with her back, and no the person who did it had no insurance. She was wearing her seatbelt at least. That was 5 years ago.

It sucks, it down right sucks, but honestly you probably would not be here if Latino laborers weren't here, working to make that possible. What I'm saying is, we can only control what is in our hands, we have no authority over anything else. We only have the power to change ourselves. Should the drunk driver go to jail? Yes. Should the boy, who was not wearing his seatbelt hold some (not all or even most) of the blame as well? Yes. How many people travel at 3am? Why do you think that is? I hope this boy pulls out of this, I really, really do, but I'd hate to see him as a poster child against illegals. You simply can't make it a "If _____ wasn't here we'd be ok" it just doesn't work that way.

The Cost of Living

I've opined here about the cost of living, especially the price it costs to fill up your gas tank. But now I think they, the "they" being big business, or government or whatever, broke me. I just don't have it in me to bitch about it anymore. I also think that this is in part my own fault anyway. I don't have to live where houses go for 2 or 300,000 (on the low end). I don't have to be close to the beach (if you consider 20 minutes "close"), I could live elsewhere, but I like it here, and I have work here.

Thus I live here, and I can choose beans over steaks, I can't really do anything about it. Maybe my recent trip to the beach has softened me, I'm not sure, but you pay what you pay and if you don't like it, you can always move. I'm not trying to sound blasé about it, but seriously it's a pretty big country, and while I believe some may be hurting but it's not as bad as it seems... at least not yet.

So I go on as I always did, conserving where I can and perhaps having a vacation every other year, instead of annually. The way it is. Good times will come again. But I believe Americans in general have had it good for far too long, too much credit card debt, mortgages, you name it we've got it. It's time that we get serious about our debt problem.

Movie Weekend

So it's Monday, a time to reflect on the weekend that past and somehow make it to Friday again. We did the beach thing on Saturday, Sunday was spent getting things ready for the week. My mom had to go back to work, so we had that to get ready for too. Which was a 4 hour drive. I always appreciate my mom's visits, because now more than ever you just don't know when it will be her last.

We watched 2 turds of a movie and 1 half way decent one. No Country For Old Men, what the hell? I realize that this was about the sheriff, but really, maybe he should have been in the movie more? The last few minutes of that movie were just stupid, if I would have paid the theater to see that film I think I would have demanded a refund. It was building up to a showdown between Anton Chigurh and Llewelyn Moss, but it really didn't happen. Maybe I'm missing something, but everybody else felt the same way... it's just messed up.

Cloverfield. Ok I get the premise of this movie, but it was just not my cup of tea. 15 or 20 minutes of filming a party, I think you could easily cut back on that, way back. And in the end, we really know nothing more about the monster. Does he destroy the earth, do we find a way to kill it, where is he from... nothing. Again I understand the premise, which is like Blair Witch Project, I just don't hold much esteem for those kind of pictures...especially when you look at everything these people went through, ultimately to not make it.

And finally we took the whole family to go see the Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian. My two-year-old sat though over 2 hours of this movie, that alone should tell you something. I would say that the only thing this movie is lacking is an evil foe. I mean there is bad guys in it, but they seem to fall at a moments notice. Other than that this one is pretty good.

As you can see, it was a movie packed weekend. Too bad two out of three were stinkers, but hey, thats what classic film Friday is all about.

Saturday... Beach Day

So it finally came to pass that we got to go to the beach. It's been some three weeks in the making. Anyway my mom also happened to be in town, so off to the beach we went!

As you maybe can see... we made a rather large mermaid. I can't really be responsible for this photo, but it's all I have. Needless to say it was about 8 feet long, and maybe 4 feet at it's widest point... It was a sight to behold.

The rest of our beach trip was spent trying to keep my youngest daughter from drowning. In fact she took more than a few mouthfuls of water. I did manage to get a picture of her standing but not facing the camera.


A great day, with great weather and great people to boot.

Gator Bites

I'm forced to wonder, why? Why would someone move to a neighborhood in South Carolina, in the swamp, right next to a golf course... and suddenly become upset because an alligator moved into the lagoon... A lagoon that you have to pay more money to live by. I just don't get it. This animal is not a danger to you, it has not tried to come in your yard, or eat your kids. It simply IS... well it IS until you pay money for somebody who will remove it. I hope they're charging you good, and I also hope that either you move or I do and I hope I wind up with neighbors who understand the ebb and flow of how things really work... or another gator comes along instead.

Crayfish

I just got reminded of a New Orleans regular as far as TV goes. You see my mother shipped in some crayfish and that is a smell you can only dream about. So anyway when you think about crayfish you think about Seafood City, because they had a snappy little jingle, and liked to advertise. Well now with the proliferation of the internet I have come across these commercials again, and so now I share them with you.



Yes, later today I will be feeling... very pretty indeed

Classic Film Friday: Jesus Christ Superstar

So what’s to review? Honestly, it is the last days of Jesus as told in a rock opera. One thing that I find strange about the movie is there is no talking… at all. Everything is a song, everything. Is this a movie that I would show to others to entertain? Probably not, but if you’re in the right frame of mind it can be fun… in a Jesus/show tune/Broadway kind of way. I think everyone should see this movie at least once, so go ahead and drop it into your Netflix cue.

Worry... Over Nothing

Lately I have this problem, and it’s related to the stroke, you see some event happens and then I wind up all worried about it but really all I have to do is wait it out. This mainly involving work related issues. I’m not particularly proud of it, but my life as a whole is in change, and this provides at least some small amount of relevance (talking about it). I know that if I let the problems of the day simply wash over me, instead of trying to fix it right there, right then… it will all work out.

That’s not to say if I come up on something that needs my attention I won’t attempt to address it… but it’s not imperative, it’s not life or death, it is simply a job and though I’d hate to lose it, I can get another. That’s what I keep telling myself anyway. Getting wrapped up in your work can be a good thing if you like what you’re doing… but maybe not so much if you don’t. I’m neutral at this point, I don’t hate my job and my wife is trying to further her career, so I’d like it if it just stayed the same for a while longer. But change they say is always coming. What the future holds for any of us is a mystery.

Nobody's Perfect

Cave Man

I wonder when we die, if we'll leave something important to the future generations. Will we go the way of Neanderthal Man or will we have something more to offer? Anyway my older daughter and I were going to the store Sunday evening. That's when we saw a lady walking two dogs and talking on he cellphone. Lord have mercy, this town can't even enjoy its free time with the pooch without having our cellphones cut in.

I can understand, in today's world, you have to be available, in fact I'm on call 24/7...so I really know about it. But I've seen people pulling out their driveway and already they're on the phone... I'm sure my neighborhood isn't the only one. It's bad enough people talk while driving but I could list the litany of places people use their phones and everybody hates them... but still we have them anyway.

Why is this? I wish I knew. Anyway back to the cave man reference how do we in a wold of hundreds of millions, even billions leave something behind? Will a blog become one's personal cave wall to draw pictures on... or is it yet more garbage to just throw out? I'm not really sure, but I would like to leave something behind, but I know my cellphone will not be it. Just something to think about.

Rush

We don't really take time to "smell the roses". Often times we're in such a rush, with work, or events, or just everyday life, we can't stop and look around us. I did stop just yesterday, and the wife and I just enjoyed a 15-30 minute time to listen to the frogs and crickets, to feel the wind in our hair, to love each other. Afterwards we had to step back into reality, but still, it was nice to just be something other than a human consumption machine. To sit and listen and notice that we were not necessarily the most important thing is good... If you know what I mean.

Back From the Fest.

Well I just got back from the festival, and I must say, it was the biggest I've ever seen. Our friends at Daily Affirmation won the Ugly Dog Contest and man oh man was it hot. Hope you got out there and met somebody with your black drawers on... if you know what I mean. If not maybe you scooped up something for mom instead.

Early Morning

So here I sit... at 5am on Saturday, a day I'm supposed enjoy sleeping in and the like. Call it another victim of the stroke, I can’t explain how or why. My wife is snoozing away next to me, I really should be asleep. I saw a couple of recent movies lately and I guess now is as good a time as any to comment on them.

The Golden Compass. Before I had the stroke this movie (and books) was hated by Christian types because the author wanted to kill god. You know what? That’s about the only thing this movie relies on. Really in the world of Harry Potter, all it looked like was a cheap imitation. I have the books, I’ll see if it really is about killing Jesus. Though I doubt it.

I am Legend. What a let down. This movie was pretty much like other end of the world/zombie movies. My wife ended up crying at the end… Mostly because her brother died… that’s an inside joke you’ll have to know me to get. The movie has a lot of scary parts, mostly where something jumps out at you, but little else. My daughter quit this one half way through, it’s something that leaves you more stressed out than entertained. Not a good movie.

Now what do I do... maybe I'll try going back to sleep...

Classic Film Friday: Top Hat

How about some singing and dancing? This Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers movie is set in Europe and the premise is mistaken identity. Which caused me to ask... Did people actually go out of their way to not talk to each other? Other than that glaring problem, the movie is pretty good. Apparently the best money grosser of the pair.

Astaire Plays an American dancer Jerry Travers to Rogers Dale Tremont, who is associated with Alberto Beddini (Erik Rhodes) as he is a clothing designer. It turns out that Dale is in a hotel room just below where show producer Horace Hardwick (Edward Everett Horton) and Astaire is staying. Some late night dancing starts everything off.

The "Cheek to Cheek" song is the most memorable. What else could you want? It's a Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers movie.

Grand Isle

When I was a young child… between the ages of say 4 and 11 we used to go to Grand Isle. Just getting there was an adventure, but even when we got there, it was still maybe a mile or so to the Lafourche rocks. It was about 110 miles from our house to what I would like to say is the fishing Mecca of the world. Driving past sugar cane fields and shrimp boats, it was a trip I liked and hated at the same time.

It was a rock jetty, and it was unlike anything else in the world there. You could catch red fish, mackerel, white and speckled trout, mullet, and drum, not to mention catfish, or flounder, or shrimp and crabs. It was a fisherman’s paradise. In fact there were some people that fished for shark there too.

We would get there early in the morning, my father would get us up and half the time we’d quickly fall asleep in the car again. And we practically had the place to ourselves, now my grandma used to have a camp in Cocodrie that was also nice… but before my time… anyway I always felt like we were going though a lot of trouble to get to this place; we had better make the best of it. Even my brother would tease me less going out there, than he would other times… we were on a mission.

We had crab lines to put out, and things the setup, and sand castles to build (I guess it wasn’t all work). My dad always stopped at the ice house and the grocery store along the way to get ice, food and drink, and chicken necks for the crab line. We would have two sticks usually two net poles and a string running between them. Every so often we’d have a neck and we would check it every 5-10 minutes. By the end of the day, we’d have at least one, maybe two ice chests full of crab. We would go out there with about 4 or 5.

One time my dad brought his trawl and boat with him, he never did get the boat out there, but did manage to pull the trawl by hand… that day we were giving everybody there some shrimp, because we simply could not take it all. The funny thing is, I thought this was how it was everywhere, so I really didn’t think twice about it. No mercury poisoning, no regulators, no limits. It was just fishing. I didn’t know how good I had it.

We eventually moved away from Louisiana, and Grand Isle, and never even came close to the success we had there. In fact I’ll tell my greatest fishing story, which had me perched up on the rocks, just fishing (we took breaks in-between fishing, to swim and what not… yes in the very same waters that some people were catching sharks in… felt plenty of “things” brush up, or even knock you down… freaks me out now… but not then), so anyway, my attempt was half hearted at best, but I did hit something (because really, one or two casts was all you needed) and boy oh boy was I in for a fight.

All I had was a Zebco 202 “Snoopy” pole and it was quickly becoming a pretzel. In fact the reel really didn't want to pull whatever was on the other end so I had to resort to an old fisherman's trick. Pull up and on the descend to pull up again reel it in. This was something that deep sea fisherman do, not Zebco Snoopy poles. The reel was literally whining as the fish came closer and closer. I almost fell in the water, because the fish really was a fighter. Eventually I won out, and my dad even took my picture with the fish, a sheepshead. The thing was big, I don't really know how big, and we would have simply thrown it back but it was a moment of pride, especially for my dad. It a very bony fish, not good eating, but we brought it home and my mom cooked it anyway. I'll have to dig around and find the picture, it really was big... maybe even record. lol

Bluffton Village Festival

Sooo who's going to Bluffton's premier event of the year? Strange how the event, now 30 years old, is getting no build up, no hype, virtually no nothing. Ah well. I'll be there, and from the looks of it, so will Thumper and his owner (Daily Affirmation contributor and Thumper is the ugly dog contestant).

Maybe it's like the Cinco de Mayo... people are going, but just not talking about it. Maybe I should stop talking about it, nah. If anything it's a chance to catch up with friends, get a bite to eat, or take in some scenery. And there will be dogs there. How can you beat that? Yep, I'll be in attendance maybe you'll see me...

It's THAT Time of Year Again

A fitting 200th Post? Maybe

VOX

I know I said no shooting straight from the hip, but this thing bothers me. And at first I thought it was a good thing, but now I don't. I'm talking about the VOX or Latin for "voice". People basically call in to the newspaper and say pretty much whatever and then that gets put in the newspaper (which is free).

You could say, "uh hey MH, that's pretty much what you do" and you'd be right, but believe it or not I do feel some responsibility in my posts, and for the most part if anyone cares to reply (in the comments or by email) they can, but there is absolutely no account in the VOX. And maybe that's the problem, it's not really communication because the transmit button is stuck, there really isn't any receive in there... if you know what I mean.

Then we come to the really bad part, the paper is low on content just throw some VOX in there. Literally they don't need anything but one person, to copy down what they say, and you have pages and pages of content. No investigative reporting, or any reporting at all. It's cheap, it's prevalent, and the dumb public loves it.

Maybe instead of VOX it should be called rapere, lethe, or simply the plagiarization.

Cinco de Mayo

Nobody else said this and I'm wondering why... today is Cinco de Mayo. You can bet your ass, I'm going to a Mexican restaurant, and probably having a drink too. I'm not going to get shitfaced drunk or anything... I'll leave that to the locals, but still you have to celebrate the holiday. Maybe it's the Cajun in me... just looking for an excuse, I don't know.

Maybe they can't say they are going to party, but party anyway... as hating on Mexicans is the right thing to do. Or maybe they are just honestly stupid. I'm going to have to party up for all those people I can see.

But alas, I did see people drinking it up... so there is definitely party atmosphere somewhere.

Mondays

I don't really have anything to post on, it seems Mondays are a lull. Sucks I know, but looking at the rest of my compatriots... they don't have anything either. I do have some upcoming issues but I want to give them the proper time I think they deserve, not the 15 minute off the cuff thing I'm doing now. Mondays are about getting to work, or simply getting things together so they work ENOUGH. And that's pretty much what I'm doing today. Putting out fires until the real solution comes.

The Weekend

Well this sure shaped up to be quite a weekend. Friday we went to see Iron Man, which was a pretty good movie, and a semi-date night which doesn't happen to me often. We had dinner at the pizza place right by the movies, a salad for two and we shared a ravioli dish. Not bad. But with my stomach still not working so good, I feel I can't give anything a proper review. Iron Man was pure summer blockbuster fun, nothing out of the ordinary, but man are they a slew of films coming out related to superheros.

Saturday we wound up going to the Taste of Beaufort. I would have come out better if we ate before going and just enjoyed the music, but it kinda was all about the food, so we were stuck with $60 for the four if us. The bands were good, the food... well nothing struck me as gotta' have it, so no like I said before, eat before getting there, have a few drinks and enjoy the music and I'll be ready for them next year.

Today, we were to go to the beach. But a 102 fever decided otherwise. Really I don't think I've had a weekend where I have so much fun, in a long, long time. So the beach will wait. I told my wife that we should put a crab line out when we do go. But since I'm the only one who eats them, it'd probably be a waste. Man I do like some crabs though. I think I going to do a post about Grand Ilse very soon.

Semantics

My page is still quite young, and while I have not had the success of youtube or myspace for what it is, just a local blog that talks about nothing, I think I'm doing ok.

1,250 Views

My Case Against Organized Religion is the most popular story thus far with My Case For Having Children doing a close second and ironically is just one day before my stroke... the last time I wrote with all of my brain function. Really I don't know what to think of that.

The most popular movie is His Girl Friday and comes in at 3rd. And the most "colorful" entry will have to be 300 pound, Naked, Escaped Mental Lady. Some people are looking at some weird stuff. Anyway...

The top cities are Hilton Head, Savannah, and Bluffton. With North and South Dartmount MA and Greenville SC the top cities not in the Lowcountry. (please comment if your from there, or even have a blog). As you know I'm always searching out new people.

I've been read in French, German, Japanese, and Portuguese. and of course English. I recommend that everyone has a translator on their page, you just never know!

I want to thank you the reader again, because I need this not only as an outlet to get things off my chest, I need it for therapy too, you'll probably have no idea what it feels like to go through a stroke, how helpless, hopeless, and useless one feels. I don't have to feel like that anymore, but every now and then I think its nice, if for nothing more than to see where I've come from, to look back at myself. Anyway, if you the reader didn't read it, it wouldn't be nearly as effective. Keep on reading... :o)

Side Notes

Just a little couple of side notes:

1. There is no movie with today's post. I looked, but could not find anything.

2. There is quite a run in hits in my May 3 flood post, some even from New Orleans. I thought that it had been forgotten. I am pleasantly surprised.

3. I am nearing the 200th post. I don't know what I'll do on the 200th post, but I think the 200th post, especially given my condition is good.

Classic Film Friday: The Sun Also Rises

Get ready for 2 hours of drinking, bull fights, and self regret. The movie stars Tyrone Power as Jake Barnes. He is a newspaper man in Paris after WWI. He really only wants to be left alone, but people keep pulling him back in. Ava Gardner, Lady Brett Ashley mainly does just that, the two were in love, but because of a war injury that has left him impotent they cannot get the relationship going. Which is where the drinking comes in.

All of the characters have been wounded somehow by the war, and wish to drown themselves in one way or another. Jake is taking a vacation in Spain, down time, just to fish and watch the bull fights. But it all comes down around him, his plans unraveling before him. All he wants is to be left alone, but in the end he invites everything that’s happened to him on himself.

This movie, is an adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s book, and is done true to it. We (my wife and I) used so many clichés while watching this movie, She’s not that into you, He’s not that into you, telling Jake to just run but that’s something we have that they didn’t. Knowledge of dysfunction. Still it is a movie, a pretty good one, and you could say you read Hemingway in 2 hours.

Power Hungry

An old friend mentioned that papers like the Bluffton Today is about controlling people. I really didn't think that, but I'm beginning to wonder. First of all the paper is rammed down everybody's throat. Unless you call them and tell them you don't want it... but even then it's hit or miss. Then you look at the stories, which for the most part is non-news, but even pay for papers seem to be full of. But the stupid public seems to take it all for granted, that they are the paper and they got to tell the truth.

Actually it's their version of the truth, and they don't always have their facts straight. Add to that a image or heartfelt plea, and suddenly you have a very different story on your hands. They can use half truths or god forbid "photo-illustrations" to control how you feel about something. I'm not saying you should or shouldn't believe every story, but a little cynicism never hurt, did it?

Gullibility is so last century.