She Doesn't Make Any Excuses...

Another Year, Another Garden

Yep, I am doing another garden. This one started a few weeks ago.

It has Squash and tomatoes...

And green beans and Peppers

Right now it looks like the green beans and the squash are really taking off. I think I may just transfer those and leave the tomatoes and peppers to "stew" a bit longer in the little Jiffy mold.

The Difference a Week Makes

Well this past weekend was better for me than the last... the weather could have cooperated a little more, but anytime it ends on a good note, that is alright with me. I started the weekend off with my wife and the songbird went to see the ballet in the Snow White show. They both loved it, and said as such. Me, the teenager, and the baby, stayed home and watched the most incredible movie. You'll find out about that on Friday.


Saturday was coldish, but I fired up my new grill anyway, and made the most delectable chicken leg quarters since the last time I made chicken leg quarters. I mean they are cheap to make, and they are dark meat... which is my favorite. They just take time.
We followed the BBQ up with a fire and s'mores.

Sunday the weather was about 10 degrees warmer, and it just made the day. We took advantage and got all the flower beds weeded, and started thinking about mulch. What I mean is, I think it is cheaper to have a truck load delivered rather than buy it by the bag. But I don't know, so it is on the back burner for now.

Now to plan my next BBQ grill session, which is tonight, and we are having steak!

The Nu Nu

Just a few words about nu nu's. That's pacifier or Binky or whatever. For me, it's nu nu. My only question is... why do they gather?

We Got a New Grill

I know, my life must be pretty boring if I have to tell everyone about my purchase of a new grill. But it is an interesting story... I think. First things first. I had to get rid of my old grill, a grill that has served us well for 4 years. I had to go to the dump. Well, all except I could not transport it because my car, or SUV could not fit it. So after a bit of dismantling I loaded it, sort of, sideways, and with a hammer. It was all good. I think.

But it brings me to a more tricky problem, I was going to have the people at Lowe's put the grill together, I mean they do so for free, so let them. Except, if my old grill wouldn't fit, this new (bigger) surely won't fit. So I have to call down to Lowe's, and tell them, we'll take it unassembled.My heart was breaking as my wife made the call. My turn key project, was turning into a DIY before my eyes.

We drop off the grill at the dump, and then go on to Lowe's to pick up the new grill, in the box. The box was very, very heavy. And it barely fit into my SUV. How was I going to get the heavy bastard moved or put together? I'd have to piece meal it, take one piece at a time, until it is all gone. It took me (and my daughter the teenager) about 3 to 4 hours to build it and the base I have it sitting on. And I had to "season" the grill per the instructions that came with the grill. That is done, now all I have to do is grill up some grub...

Here it is, yes it is a propane and a charcoal grill.

Non-Classic Film Friday Inglorious Bastards

Ok I failed to watch a Classic film. What I watched instead, over two days, because this is one "big" movie in Inglorious Bastards (153 minutes). Now I don't necessarily endorse this movie, but I don't detract from it either. It is a Quentin Tarantino film, that is to say... it is a little out of bounds for some folks.

The plot is pretty simple, in this fictional WW2 movie, Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) is a lieutenant in the army. He has been authorized to reek havoc on the Germans in occupied France. He likes to kill, disembowel, bludgeon, or anything else unpleasant to the enemy. And he does this to a great extent. He leads 8 Jewish-American men, on a tear through the French countryside.

Shosanna (Mélanie Laurent), a Jewish teen-aged girl that has just watched her family killed by German soldiers, runs away with SS Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) watching. She takes over a movie house and assumes a new identity in Emmanuelle Mimieux. This is all important because Shosanna meets Landa again, as a cinema owner.

Meanwhile lieutenant Raine concocts a plan to get into the cinema for the premiere of a German propaganda film that all of the German elite will see (Hilter, Goebbels). And Shosanna plans to burn the theater down with all the Germans still inside, so there is a bit of double screwing going on, but the end result is the same.

I left out the last 10 minutes of the movie in case there was somebody out there that hasn't seen it yet. It was a good movie, a little "round about" in storytelling but that is Tarantino all the way.

Cage The Elephant

This is another one of those groups I like because they were on Guitar Hero/Rock Band. Well I thought they were on there, turns out that it is not so. I heard of this band through my daughter. I guess there is no better way to stay up with the latest greatest in the music scene than to talk with a teenager. In their self titled debut, Cage the Elephant is somewhat like Cake, in that the lead singer doesn't always sing... as he just kind of says the lyrics. I'm ok with that.


Now this album has been out more than a year. So It is a little old, but I find it is new to me, and so, pretty good. See if you agree, or maybe you don't, but if you do then I take donations, if you don't then oh well.

Ok, But Only if You Take My Good Side

How the Weekend was Perfect... Except Not

We had some pretty big plans for the weekend. One I had some shopping to do to bottle up my limoncello, we had the Wingfest to go to, we even planned on going to a play. Well I came home Friday and I wasn't feeling quite right, not bad, but definitely not good either. My wife came home feeling even worse. As it turned to night time she was up throwing up... and had it coming out the other end as well. I didn't feel that bad, that was until 3AM when my wife woke me up because of the baby. So off I go to make a bottle.

And up until this point I still feel ok. Then when I get half way up the stairs, it hits me, it hits me so hard, I cannot take another step. I call up to my wife that I'm not feeling so good. She brings a bucket, and I use it, and use it, and use it some more. I'm not a person that pukes well. I mean, I don't hurl and 5 minutes later I can party again. I think I can count on one hand the times I've been so sick, that I had to throw up.

So no shopping, no Wingfest, possibly no play... we might still make it. But it was a beautiful weekend, highs in the mid-70's, sun, I or my wife could not enjoy it, but I hear it was great. Thank God none of the kids got sick, in fact, the baby, after waking up at 3AM I gave her a pacifier just before I went down stairs to make her a bottle... she slept through it all.

Scratch that... On Monday, the songbird did get sick, and it was awful. She woke up enough to know she threw up, but but enough to do anything else. So she threw up, and rolled around in her own vomit... it was a sight and smell, to behold. She looked like Linda Blair in the Exorcist (my wife says it was even worse than that. She said we will refer to it as the measuring stick), yeah really that bad, with chunks of lasagna stuck to her... it was gross. So we got a three day weekend but never got to enjoy any of it.

Maybe I Won't Get "Burned"

So I tried out this deal where I post on my blog and it instantly posts on my twitter. It is with feedburner. We'll see, I always feel kind of funny opening up my posts, but honestly, my posts could not be more open anyway. So anyone who "follows" me on twitter, will get at least one post a day (as that is what I post to my blog) leading them to my blog.

What exactly does that mean? Well it means I'll get more people viewing potentially. So I guess I better be on my best behavior from here on out... or perhaps I'll get burned... because I'm sure there is some form of licensing or legal mumbo-jumbo taking away my rights... sort of like my hatred of BT, that used it's website against its own users. Now that is long removed, but still it is a reminder that unless you pay for webspace, anything you put up can be taken down, and anything you post can be distributed however the person that is paying for the space wants.

Thankfully I am so far removed from anyone who is important, or who matters, that the additional lookers, won't matter much... I think. You just never know.

Health Care

So what about the Health Care Reform? Well, they say it will be upon us... soon. I still can't make heads or tails from it. In fact I'm still not sure if it will have a negative or positive affect on me. Or that I should be for it or against it. Now I know folks on the conservative side say "how are you going to pay for it" and it is true, exactly how are you going to pay for it? Especially when Medicare is supposedly broke and the whole economy being in the dumps. No one can really say.

But if I look at it from a more liberal mindset, and yeah we need help, yeah maybe insurance is too high, yeah I would like to be covered in case I lose my job and not have to worry about preexisting conditions. But there is no "free lunch" it has got to come from somewhere. So where?

And as far as the whole "rationing" thing goes... I'll offer this much, after I got out of the Army, I had to go to the VA for various things. You quickly realize you just become a number in the huge VA machine. Get in line here, wait there, why? Because, it is the best way to handle a bunch of people. It made me shrug the whole thing off. I'm just sayin... I had to wait so long just to get an appointment, then wait some more, and then I had to travel to Columbia. It wound up being more trouble than it was worth. I gave up, and thus I don't have a problem anymore. Not exactly the cure I was looking for, but what are you going to do?

So even with all that said, I can still hope, that somehow, good will come out of this "reform" right?

Hate to Say It...But It Was Bound to Happen

In the course of just a few weeks, my baby the cute quiet kid... has become something altogether different. Not saying that is bad or even unwanted, but it is different. She is now eating, and if you happen to take a second too long to give her the next spoonful, she let you know her displeasure. She tries to copy whatever you are doing. Like speech-wise anyway. She is not very good at it yet. But given some time I think that will change.

There is no more trachialmalasia. The thing with her throat is over. No more quiet baby... bring on the loud boisterous kid instead. And oh yeah... she can roll. She rolls all the time now, from her back to her belly to her back again.

I know these changes had to happen. Heck we mark them in the calendar. I understand that they are a requirement to grow up. But it does make me a tiny bit sad to see them come. They are moments that I'll never get back again. Which make me cherish the time I do have with her. And the time I get to teach her how to blow raspberries too.

Limoncello

So because Danny Devito said so... what I mean is, Danny is on twitter, I added him, and thus Danny was endorsing his own brand of limoncello. So my wife, seeing that I want to try this particular kind of drink, not necessarily Danny Devito brand, just the drink, buys me a bottle and slips it into my Christmas stocking. Now to be fair, this is a summer time drink, but I really wanted to try it... which is what I did... some three months later when it warmed up a bit.

Well, it tastes pretty good. Expensive, but still it is pretty good all the same. But a quick search on the internet reveals that it is pretty easy to make yourself, and I think I will. All you need is vodka, lemons, sugar and water... and time. like 80 days or something. But that is ok, I mean I aint going anywhere anyway. The first thing, that is the next time I need to look or do or anything is April 15, tax day. But I still have to wait another 40 days to actually drink it.

I looked at the local package store, (liquor store to those outside SC) and they have a very small amount of limoncello for $23.00. Using a recipe on the internet, I can make nearly a gallon for:

Vodka - $35.00
Lemons - $ 6.00
Sugar - $ 1.00
Water - Free

So about $42 bucks and I'll have about 5 maybe 10 times as much. Now I do have to wait. But I think the reward is worth it. Yes I know, I could just drink the vodka and let that be that, but I don't work that way. I want to see if making it tastes better than the food coloring, mass produced stuff, (that probably cut some corners and doesn't sit up for 80 days). We will see.

Classic Film Friday: The 7th Voyage of Sinbad

Yes, I know, I just did Jason and the Argonauts, but this is a bit different. Sinbad (Kerwin Mathews) is sailing back to Baghdad to marry Princess Parisa (Kathryn Crosby), the daughter of a neighboring country's Sultan. They are supposed to marry and bring the two counties together.

They are together, and they love each other, so what's not to like about that? Well they've been knocked off course, and make a landing at the island of Colossa to restock on food and supplies. And everything is going fairly smoothly, that is until Sinbad sees a cave with a carving and wonders what the heck is in there. (Stupid white guy moment) Well he is stopped by the magician Sokurah (Torin Thatcher) running, and chasing after his is a huge Cyclops that is half goat, and has a rhino horn on his forehead.

Sinbad saves Sokurah, or Sokurah saves Sinbad... as he calls on the Genie of the Lamp (Which he stole, and is the reason the cyclops is chasing him) to save them all. But then the cyclops throws a rock, it sort of sinks the boat they are in, and Sokurah loses the lamp. He becomes obsessed with the lamp, and offers Sinbad jewels, and anything else to go back and get the lamp (that the cyclops has now recovered). But Sinbad is hearing none of that, because he is to be married to Parisa, and he wants to make that happen as soon as possible.

On to Baghdad the Caliphs (Alec Mango) (the leader of Baghdad) commands Sokurah to put on a show, to which he agrees, for the price of a boat and crew. Well Caliph declines, but he still makes the magician perform. And he does, and again he asks for a boat and crew, and again Caliph turns him down.

So later that night Sokurah sneaks into Parisa's room and casts a spell that shrinks her down to about the size of a hamster. Everybody is up in arms, (because nobody knows that this is Sokurah's doing) the Sultan and the Caliph are suddenly not friends anymore, the wedding is off, things just go down the drain quickly.

In comes Sokurah, savior to everything and everyone (not really) and it just so happens that he can fix the shrunken princess but he needs the egg shell of the Roc, a giant, two headed buzzard, which can only be found on the island of Colossa. Imagine that?

Sinbad takes his "little" woman and Sokurah, and prisoners (because nobody else was crazy enough to go... This is stupid white moment number 2) and they're off. Sorta' I mean there is a mutiny to deal with, and harpies to pass, but otherwise they make it to Colossa alright.

This is where Sokurah reveals his true nature, or at least so that Sinbad can see. So do they make it? Will the pint sized princess become a regular sized princess, will Sokurah get his lamp? What about the cyclops? or the Roc? or anything else? You can watch it in episodes here or just get it on Netflix like I did.

Panic at the Disco: Pretty Odd

Ok, I've reviewed part of this album, check it out if you didn't before. So why am I doing the whole album now? Well there is an interesting story behind it. Basically, we were perusing the Dollar Tree, you know, everything is a dollar, and I happen upon this, a relatively new album. So I think to myself, "Damn, I really can't go wrong for $1." So I bought it.

Now you could swing the other way and say "Man, they must really suck if they are giving it away for $1". But it is just a buck, so it is not like I'm giving up a kidney or sawing my leg off. So I settle in and give Pretty Odd a listen. Hmmm... Ok Van Halen, or even a Twisted Sister it isn't, but it is feel good music, and my daughter (the teenager) loves them, so I give the CD to her if I just don't like it. But the thing is, it is kind of catchy, no guitar licks or anything, but it has snappy drum-lines, and infectious lyrics.

It is music you pop in the CD player on the way to the beach or cleaning the house. The kind where you really don't pay attention to the music. You could turn it down and have a conversation if you wanted.

What to Order, What to Get...

The Check Up

So I went to the doctor recently. I had to get a new doctor, because the old one had lost some or most of the incentives I had gone to him for in the first place. Anyway... I am the picture of health... for a 30 something year old man, who drinks too much beer, had a stroke, and is type 1 diabetic. I mean, my A1c was normal... ok not normal, but all things considered 6.4 is not too shabby.

This doctor was the first to admit my drop in blood sugar, is probably what caused my stroke. Yay! My wife is vindicated. She thought that all along... but just like before, there is nothing anyone can do about that now.

I did like what I heard from him though. He is aggressive in getting my whole blood sugar in check, and will probably mean some kind of work from me as well... that or food I cannot eat. Which sucks, but that is the way it goes. I mean I can't keep this girlish figure any other way could I?

Labels

This thing kind of got my blood boiling. You can see it here. Yes, yes, I know. Number 1 I'm not supposed to go there (by my own volition). But number 2 why do I even care? Well I don't really, but it is always funny to see who gets called out, who runs, who fights, who stammers off... who does what I guess.

I can't for the life of me understand, how anyone is going to get any money out of a blog, but there are all kinds of people, so I guess you never really know. Why someone would go asking for some help, for a van, is beyond me. I just can't fathom it. But just because I can't understand it, doesn't mean it is not so.

It turns out this is a real person, with a real disabling problem. I don't know if it warrants a wheel chair accessible van. Help, sure... maybe not a van though. I find it somewhat funny, that we are expected to provide, something. I mean look, the girl has gotten a bad hand, and for sure it is a shame, but how does that affect me, you, or anyone else?

I think BT or at least Mr. Tim Wood, cuts its own nose in spite of its face. It used to be a free paper, now it costs, which is weird, because Yahoo! started this news feed, and I never see anything from BT... but that is a whole nother' story. In fact I thought Tim Wood, who I used to like, now... I could take him or leave him. I think he let's his own "truths" get in the way of real journalism, but quite honestly, BT has been one human interest story after another... pretty much since it started.

So where does that leave us? Well the girl still needs a van, (though if she had one and then saw how much it costs for regular maintenance, gas, insurance...which Medicaid won't pay for, it would probably take the shine off of that "want") and bloggers are left wondering, why, and how did this happen, and are left generally confused. I feel though I didn't participate, like I just got sent to the office, like I was a kid again, off to see the principle. But really, I shouldn't nor anyone who actually did participate in the blog be forced to feel bad. Even if Tim Wood said "The rest of you are pathetic little people." Well, maybe to Tim, but many of us people would be tiny next to Tim anyway. I'm just saying.

I don't blog because I have a large sum of money, and I'm looking to get rid of it. I wish, but I don't. I could use a van, or maybe just write me a check for whatever and I'll take care of the rest (make all check payable to cash). No need to worry about what may or may not be good for me... just give me the money dammit!

Now I'm not trying to say anything about this particular girl, I don't even know her. But you take what sounds like a good idea and bring it to fruition, and suddenly it is not such a good idea anymore. I don't think they will keep up with the bills, maybe they will, I don't know. I know this person is suffering, and that is bad. But that doesn't mean you pick on the pathetic little people, A.K.A. bloggers just like you don't pick on what this person has either. And we have the BT to thank for it all. Kinda, sorta'.

What I am trying to say is this. Never be too quick to tell anyone, be it blogger or someone putting themselves out there asking for bloggers' help how pathetic they are, because you just never know who or what you are labeling.

Fire!... Heh Heh Heh... Fire!

What makes flames higher than burning a Christmas tree? Nothing. Especially when it has been 3+ months since it had any water.




Over the weekend it actually got to a temperature that didn't make one freeze. It still got down into the 30's at night, but otherwise it was not quite beach weather, but certainly not cold either. And so I decided to burn up some stuff. And when I burn things, I get my drink on too, and thus have a good time. Though, I must admit, a major headache is what I woke up too, it was so worth it. I think.

I hope to have more adventures out and about, rather that staying inside, which is fine, but I have a touch of cabin fever. Getting out and doing something is a good cure methinks.

Just a Picture

This was taken last week. It is of my youngest, eating cereal for the first time. My wife said the doctor said it was too soon. I say what the hell do they know? Apparently, not much, my kid is on to sweet potatoes and green beans next. She is an overachiever, and I'm ok with that.

Two Songs...

Way back, when I was in the army, and in Korea crazy shit happened. My daughter, the teenager, was going through an old CD case, which brought back memories. Hence the thinking about Korea and how crazy it was there.

I have two songs, in completely different genres that most would label "offensive". Why these two particular songs? The first one (Gin and Juice) was in my roommate's CD player, and he played it everyday. The same could be said about the other (Bad Habit) was in the CD player across the hall, and it too was played repeatedly.

Gin and Juice



Bad Habit



Both are loaded with curse words. Although I think Offspring's use of Stupid dumb-shit, Goddamn, Motherfucker probably wins in the contest of... I'm not really sure, but it is a powerful statement, you can't say that and just be kidding around, it has anger inside of it. I certainly would not want to be on the receiving end.

Gin and Juice is a Snoop Dog song, that in and of itself, does it for me. There are a lot more curse words in it, but nothing quite so angry. And while they were having dueling songs (not really, at least I don't think) where was I? Easy, I was at the Main Post Club, listening to the Filipino rock band, with a heavy beer order, or maybe a shot of tequila, drowning my troubles away.

Ok not really, I did become somewhat of a lush, but we all did really. My dorm refrigerator could hold 2 cases of beer, and if it had less than a case, we were low. In fact when I finally came home, I got the shakes, because there was so much alcohol, and to go from having it, to quitting cold turkey, was a little much. But anyway, those Filipino women sounded like shit, that is until you drank 5 or 10 beers, then, they sounded just like the real thing. Seriously.

Classic Film Friday: Caveman

I know this film doesn't exactly scream Oscar, or anything like that. But it is a part of my childhood, and it has a former Beatle in it. What's not to like? It is a slapstick comedy. You'll like it... I hope.

Atouk (Ringo Starr) is the low man on the caveman totem pole. He wants to be higher up, but physically, he doesn't stand a chance against Tonda (John Matuszak) who is muscle bound and little brains. Lana (Barbara Bach) is the apple of Atouk's eye, she is also Tonda's mate.

Atouk gets in trouble trying to steal Lana away, and thus becomes the misfit king. He finds a gay couple, a dwarf, a blind man and his daughter Tala (Shelley Long), and Lar (Dennis Quaid) who is "pooka", which is caveman for broken. So this group of misfits leads the way, in evolution... sorta'. They fight off dinosaurs (though no dinosaurs existed from caveman days) or "macha", discover drugs, fire and cooking, music (I mean, come on, he is Ringo after all), even walk upright, though everything was quite by accident.

There really is no dialog, though there is an Asian caveman who gives all of the caveman words a translation. Watch this movie, but understand that it is not Gone with the Wind, or much of anything, but it was 90 minutes of fun. Even though the special effects left a lot to be desired and there was no talking, it still brought home a message, that message? You just never know who is going to win. lol

New Rock Band Network

Holy Crap. Have you looked at the Rock Band Network? There is probably a million songs on there, Ok maybe not, but there is a hundred or more. And at 200 points, or $2 each, well it is somewhat costly. But, if you just got to have that song, it is that much easier to do.

Now I'm not busting Guitar Hero's chops, but when you think about what they have for downloadable content versus Rock Band, well you want to get all of your music in one place... and that one place seems to be RBN. But GH has at least half of those songs too. I had to check, just to be sure. But it doesn't have the shear number that RBN has.

So what to do? Is one better than another? Not really, I find the Rock Band a little easier to play, but Guitar Hero has some of the more challenging songs (for when you want to step up a bit). I would wholeheartedly be a Rock Band person, if I didn't get Guitar Hero first. So will I switch? I don't know. Eventually, maybe. I just don't know.

He's Trying to Make an Offer You Can't Refuse

Lazy Much?

I feel like I'm getting lazy. What I mean to say is, I push though to make a post everyday, because I think (and this is just me) if I want to keep this whole Blog Jam thing going I have to. I like places that update daily, and I want to be that place for whoever may be reading my blog. It is my gift to you, really it is. Do you know I'm coming up on 1,000 posts since I started this thing? More than 1oo movies have been reviewed, more than 100 online comics have been created, and I have pretty much given my opinion on almost everything. I have left my life open to see, especially the most vulnerable parts, i.e. my stroke. I have taken local media to the wood shed, and I have endorsed the good parts of life. I have given more of myself, but in doing so I have reaped the returns that are 1000 times better than what I've sown.

But as I close in on that 1,000 post marker, I look around and nobody has even come close to that. I'm not really looking for competition mind you, but I simply cannot be the only game in town. I sent out an email to everyone in the Blog Jam, asking for help. Help posting, help getting the word out, just general help, because I really don't know what to do to make the membership grow.

My hope is to one day leave the Lowcountry and know that the Blog Jam is still there, still pumping. But so far, I've got zero responses to my email, and I can only wonder what that means. Now I am not leaving any time soon. Heck I might never leave. But I hope than if/when I do, there will be others willing to take up the torch and march on. Big dreams right? Yeah, maybe.

But back to feeling lazy. I think blogging, has hit a stagnation, and it is a struggle to think of new things to say. I can't stand it when a topic gets regurgitated again and again... and I know, I have done it too. So I'm looking for something new, something different. Though my job, I am exploring different career paths. Which means schooling.

And that would take up a lot of time, I simply wouldn't be able to, or at least I don't think I'll be able to keep a daily post, plus go to school, plus do my day job, plus all that other stuff clean, cook, wash etc. etc. So maybe that is my outlet, my way to take up my time, Schooling instead of blogging... Who knows.

Oh Humanity... Why Must I Deal With You?

Everybody does things for a reason...

This keeps echoing in the back of my head, what seems like forever. What I mean is let us say that there is a bill collector on the phone, and you have already spoke with the person/company that you owe money to, you have done your job... or tried to. Now what about this bill collector? Well you explain things to him/her as best you can, but they have a job to do too. Maybe s/he is having a bad day, maybe you are the 30th person s/he has heard say exactly the same thing, maybe I just don't even know.

But more than likely I'm pretty sure that person is not here just to make my day go all hay-wired. So what do you do? Hmmm... I wish I knew.

What about your kids? (If you have them) They lie about something... their homework, their chores, where they were, you name it, they'll lie about it... at least it is the case with me. Are they lying because they are out to get you? Not hardly, though through unintended consequences it could appear as such. Like say they flunked their English test, or math, or history, or whatever and the teacher has them get the test signed, because the teacher wants the parents to know that the kid is not holding their end up. Well the kid forages a parent signature, doesn't tell their parents that they are failing, and for the most part, the parents are oblivious. The kid fails another test, this time the teacher decides to drop an email to the parents.

Holy Shit! What do you mean my kid is failing?!? Yeah. The parent looks (and sometimes feels) like an ass, and doesn't know what his/her kids are doing. When in fact, the kid hid the truth, because he/she didn't want to get in trouble. There is a reason there, not a very good one, but a reason all the same.

Or how about at work? Your boss is a complete asshole, or that special someone that nobody likes to deal with because she can be the bitch from hell. Well, did you ever stop, and look at things from his/her perspective? Not just his/her point of view, but from his/her perspective and you had his/her education, social experiences, how would a particular instance look from his or her life reactions.

It's hard. I know it is. It's really really hard, sometimes it is impossible. But if you just take a deep breath, and push though it, maybe it is not so bad as you think. Maybe the guy is just a prick, I guess that is possible... not everyone will get along with certain personality types. But we are all human... most of us anyway. I'm just sayin'...

The Baby Picture

Sometimes words can do nothing, so I'll just put up a picture. I like it, I was holding her, and nothing really happened, but the picture is precious. Yeah she was a bit drooly but I think she is getting some teeth in...

Belated Birthday

I was going to make a post about how it was Dr. Seuss's Birthday Tuesday, but things happened, and I'll just have to wish him a belated birthday instead. This is really no big deal, as the man is dead, and I didn't know him, but in the world of children's literature, it is huge. As you know my wife has a lot to do with that, and if it means a lot to her, then it will mean a lot to me.

We have this tit for tat "rhyming game" that we play, and because I've had a stroke and still suffer from aphasia (knowing the word, but not being able to say it) or just because my wife is so smart... she beats the pants off of me... pretty much every time we play it. So anyway I wanted to write a silly poem, because that was what Dr. Seuss was all about, rhyming, he was the original rapper, I think.

Happy Birthday too you
I hope you don't have the flu
I think I am just a little bit Seussian
Because of what you wrote was loosian
Loosian? what the hey...
You can be what ever you want, say whatever you say
Because this is or was your day

I know that was a pathetic attempt, but I could'nt get my wife to write a poem, so there you go.

Classic Film Friday: A Night in Casablanca

This 1946 classic is a Marx Brothers movie, which means it's a comedy. A is loosely based on Casablanca, but not really. Ronald Kornblow (Groucho) is hired as a hotel manager, after the previous 2 managers were killed. Count Pfefferman (Sig Ruman) also known as Heinrich Stubel, a Nazi, wants the job as there is quite a treasure trove in the hotel, he is responsible for the previous two managers' deaths.

Of course the Count can't go out in public, because Rusty (Harpo) his valet, has vacuumed his toupee right off of his head, and he cannot let anyone see who he really is, and hilarity ensues.

Beatrice Reiner (Lisette Verea) is supposed to seduce Kornblow, and thus help The Count put another manager on ice. Groucho is seduced, but he is never in any danger since his "friend" Corbaccio (Chico Marx) is his "bodyguard" and he pesters him into leaving, and thus cannot be seduced.

From there we see the Count is sneaking out, with his treasure, which really isn't "his" treasure... more like his loot. And this is when the Marx Brothers shine, as they rearrange all of the Counts clothes, while not being caught and then we have a car/plane chase.



The movie includes the song "Who's Sorry Now?", and I put a copy of it here, thought it is not sung by Connie Frances in the movie. But because she made the song so famous, it is the only one I could find.

3.50 (or Three Fiddy)

I was joking with the wife because there is this sign for a new queen bedroom set that can be seen all around town, for $150. And it made me think of The Loch Ness monster, and $3.50... it was a bit played out on an episode of South Park. I'm not an avid fan of the show, but that particular show is quite funny.

We are, that is me and my teenage daughter are finding all kinds of reasons to say "Three Fiddy". Is this healthy? Probably not, but we do it anyway. Back to this $150 queen bedroom set. WTF? It looks like a hand written sign, but it is everywhere. And you's think someone has already bought it... but no. So I would guess someone is in the furniture business, or it is an actual store that has this marketing campaign. Maybe, I can't for the life of me think that one person has this bedroom suit... still, but you just never know.

And what other $150 (one five zero) numbers are out there? When I was stationed in South Korea, back in the early 90's. You could cash a check for $150 at the PX. And that is what we did every Friday and Saturday. Because we had drinking and partying and general carousing to do. And man, how we did it.

Which of the Three?

Wolfmother, Cosmic Egg

So I've been wanting to review this album for a while. Why? Mainly because they had a song on Guitar Hero, and I liked it, and I wanted to see if the band's other offerings were good too. I can say that it is pretty good, IF you like a heavy dose of Black Sabbath. I'm just sayin'. They have lots of bass guitar, like truck loads, hell they can fill up a train, or even a big oceangoing ship.

It is hard to believe that Wolfmother can be more Black Sabbath, than Black Sabbath, but they are... pretty much. Some of the licks almost sound exactly like Sabbath. Which, early on might be Ok, how that holds up is questionable. What I'm trying to say is... Wolfmother is an awesome band, they have some incredible songs, but it has all been done before. And I don't know if that "cover band" quality will make me want to listen to them, 6 or 12 months down the road. I like Black Sabbath, but I don't listen to them all that often, I'll hold judgment to the test of time I suppose.

Here is the title song off of Cosmic Egg. See what you think.

Damn It Is Cold

WTF!?!? I really can't stand this, like really, really can't stand this. I guess I could take it if I got to spend the two days when it got real nice and all here... but I had to go (for work) far away instead. When I came back? More cold.

More and more and more. I can't remember when it has been this cold for this long. Which you know is making the anti- global warming believing people happy, or sad, I really don't know, I just wish it would warm up. And all of the tree-huggers, hippies, and Al Gore say that this is just what they predicted (erratic weather).

Me? I don't care, I just want it a little warmer, above freezing at least, because we can't handle it being so cold for so long. If I was in Ohio, or New York, or Pennsylvania, well it would be expected. But I am in the "toe" of South Carolina, and this is not at all expected. Nope not at all.