Spicy Ice Cream for the Soul

Saturday moring suprise

2009-07-18T15:58:00.000-07:00

So, I got into work this morning not quite as bright eyed and bushy tailed as one would wish but I arrived early and fully prepared to meet the day's challenges. As I pulled into my parking spot I noticed something in the alley, not so much be hind my store as behind the bakery one door down. I investigated and found the following: a dead rat.
Some might be used to finding deceased animals as they start their day and some might find rodents to be a pleasant part of life. I belong to neither such camp. I will spare you the gory details of this encounter, but suffice it to say I was a bit put off. Though others may have been concerned with the well being of any other rats in the vicinity I was more worried about the possibility that there were indeed more rats in the vicinity.
Hoping against hope, that this macabre find was not evidence of an infestation, but instead was simply another different bakery "sending a message," I proceeded inside.
As is my custom, I made my way first to the back room, disarmed the alarm and poured some water into the coffee pot. I then headed up front, started the coffee, logged into the computer, and filed the overnight paperwork. I was about to unlock the front door when I saw something out of the corner of my eye.
I whirled, letting out an angry "Whoooo" of terror, half expecting to be pounced on by a gnarled, grizzled, fanged beast carrying rabies, cholera, and bubonic plague. But it was no rat before me. I found myself looking down in utter incomprehension at a small package, about four inches by eight and an inch thick. Closer inspection revealed that a carefully written note had been rubber around it. The note read "Sorry this is late," signed Fouad. The package was a VHS video tape. I hurriedly unlocked the door, turned on the open sign and rushed back to the work area to examine this strange interloping package. The note was not hurriedly scribbled but instead obviously printed on a computer, but using a font emulating fine penmanship. The tape itself was an exercise video, made in 1994 called Step Reebok The Video. On the cover, an athletic woman with strong calves is bathed in an eerie blue fluorescent glow. The video belonged, a dozen years ago, to a video store. It said Three Day Rental. Twelve years previous, the owner chose to follow other pursuits and closed up shop. At the time, the store I manage was located next door, where the bakery sits now. A former video store being quite spacious and well suited to the sale of high end paint, my boss moved over and occupied this current location almost at once. I opened the terse note and found that it had been printed on the back of a flier for the old video store. I had coupons that expired in February of 1997. I was not yet 18 when this coupon outlived its original purpose.
I spent much of the rest of the day considering the intervening years: my own adventures and missteps and those of this tape.
Fouad also included a phone number. I considered calling several times. I thought about thanking him, congratulating him, berating him, demanding an exorbitant late fee... And what to do with the tape itself. Perhaps I will place it on a shelf next to some exterior high gloss and wait for someone to rent it again, wondering where I might be in 2021 when it is returned.

much ado about an old song

2009-05-04T07:10:00.000-07:00

SO, weirdly, this song has come up several different times over the last few days, and in each instance, a different incarnation has revealed new aspects. The song, Don't Forget Me, was written by Harry Nilsson and released on the Pussy Cats album, produced by John Lennon. One of my most fervent hopes is to one day hear this particular durge sung by tom waits.

But in the absence of that particular cover, I opt to share many others:
First, the orginal

	Harry Nilsson - Don't Forget Me

	Found at skreemr.com

Next, Neko Case,and a dizzying array of photos

Now how about some Macy Gray

And to finish this study, I offer Marianne Faithfull, who is honoring Mr Nilsson himself

Don't Forget Me

by Harry Nilsson

In the wintertime
Keep your feet warm
But keep your clothes on
And don't forget me

Keep the memories
But keep your powder dry too

In the summertime
By the poolside
While the fireflies
Are all around you

I'll miss you when i'm lonely
I'll miss the alimony too

Don't forget me, don't forget me
Make it easy on me
Just for a little while

You know I'll think about you
Let me know you think about me too

When we're older
And full of cancer
It doesn't matter now
Come on get happy

'Cause nothing lasts forever
But I will always love you

Overkill accomplished.

cool enough for this post

2009-04-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

So, I might be the last to have seen THRU-YOU, but it merited a mention.
I also came across this on TV and felt like listening to it again.

	Guided By Voices - Game Of Pricks

	Found at skreemr.com

see ya next blog post

still here....

2009-02-14T06:33:00.000-08:00

so i've been working a lot, etc, etc, etc.
but i got something for you.

van rijn

2009-01-18T18:37:00.001-08:00

retro indy

2009-01-07T16:09:00.000-08:00

so sometimes you just need a sham-wow for your brain.

now here's this...

happy 2009

2009-01-04T15:27:00.000-08:00

So, here's hoping the new year will bring you only the very best. Peace, harmony and beauty.

merry everyone

2008-12-25T06:23:00.000-08:00

merry christmas, y'all

2008-12-18T14:16:00.000-08:00

retro seasonal

2008-12-07T06:35:00.000-08:00

some songs for writing

2008-11-25T16:06:00.000-08:00

nothing in english.

MEH

2008-11-18T15:07:00.000-08:00

meh

more throwback comedy

2008-11-09T15:35:00.001-08:00

an inspiration

2008-11-04T21:38:00.000-08:00

a man just spoke in a park in Chicago,
a psalmist echoing affirmation,
detailing a litany of adversity-
challenges met by a people undivided

grown men wept as dreams were realized
as a man spoke in a park in Chicago

the weight of the world held aloft by hope
public men were humbled
and a new day dawned at midnight
as a man spoke in a park in Chicago

some chapin

2008-10-27T16:18:00.001-07:00

So, I felt like putting up a video of Harry Chapin singing a song called dreams go by but I couldn't find it on you tube so here is the audio Dreams Go By - Harry Chapin
I also thought of another song that was on the tube of you. It is called Story of a Life. I hope you like it, if you don't....

everybody needs a medley

2008-10-26T08:34:00.001-07:00

political periphery

2008-10-09T17:47:00.000-07:00

So, if you listen carefully, you will note that behind the din of quasi-political rhetoric spewed forth by the obnoxious talking-point parrot pundits, is a barely audible chorus of of intellect. Yes, there are a few left amid the legion of commentators that can still think AND speak.
Though, I often disagree with their conclusions, I hold in high esteem the arguments of scarce few of the talking heads that have maintained their integrity. Such craft is a rare thing. More often, politicians and pundits alike, forgo the clarity of a sound argument in favor of a sound bite. The systematic logic that I admire seems all but lost in this day of bumper sticker policy.
So I was terribly saddened when I read of P.J. O'Rourke's recent diagnosis of cancer.

Fortunately, his prognosis is favorable and he will again rejoin the company of George Will, Robert Reich and Joe Klein. His sarcasm and wit have also been spared and I am glad that they now extend to his ponderings of the metaphysical.
Get well soon, Mr. O'Rourke. Prayers and Whiskey.

life is a series of compromises

2008-10-04T07:21:00.000-07:00

so, seriously, consider, for a moment, the bagel. you know you would prefer a donut, but you should have some bran flakes (remember what the doctor said about cholesterol?). So you go for the bagel. (you could have tried the huge muffin, but come on) So you eat something that sort of resembles a donut and you feel a little better about yourself (because you don't acknowledge the impact of the pumpkin flavored cream cheese.)
Right?
what?
You really prefer the bagel?
well, fine, you can think that all you want, but I know I would rather have a jelly donut and if it was served on a bed of bacon, all the better.
But I think there is something to this compromise thing any way.

David Sedaris Delivers Pizza

2008-09-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

So, Finally a youtube vdeo that answetrs the old question, what would it be like to hae dinner brought to you by an NPR personality.

Next week: washing the dishes with Teri Gross

today is Harpo's birthday

2008-09-28T07:34:00.000-07:00

so,

harpo's birthday is coming up...

2008-09-23T11:01:00.000-07:00

more music charts
may contain grouchist exaggeration.

lightning round:

2008-09-13T07:31:00.000-07:00

So, a bunch of thoughts...
-took a new career out for a test drive. turns out that gross, dangerous and scary beats the living daylights out of dull, familiar, and quasi-familial

-palin: scary and dangerous, but in a bad way. gives non-answer answers. censorship. we don't need more shooting from the hip. informed decision making only please.

-media: stop with the thing about the kid having a kid. sure its juicy but i need you to focus, OK?

-did some exterior painting and caulking...looks better in dim light, but still an improvement.

-Saturdays: mrs honeyface has clinicals all day. the dude will take the opportunity to sit around and eat junk food.

-bill maher show: better guests please. the eastern bit of the nation is teaming with pundits that can hold a heady entertaining conversation. garofalo makes me more sympathetic to conservatives. stop with the divisive personal crap. also please note distinction between conservatives and neo-cons.

-fannie and freddie. i told you so. and that was years ago and i'm not even that bright.

upcoming projects: patch wall and hang paintings in living room. rearrange furniture. also, develop new energy source in garage.

a bit of Laurie and Fry

2008-08-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

So all this convention stuff has me feeling a bit patriotic. So here are some brits.

and this one is a bit of the funny as well

What if.... McCain miscue edition

2008-08-22T12:17:00.000-07:00

So, imagine...
The McCain confusion over who's who and what's what continues all the way to the oval office... Could we see this headline?
MCCAIN CALLS FOR MILITARY DEFEAT OF BALABAN

actor Bob Balaban seen here not hurting anyone.

just checkin in

2008-08-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

So, Its been a while, I've been distracted, and I still am. Here is a little Edward Hopper (of Nighthawks fame). more soon.

On cinematic bloodletting

2008-07-29T15:45:00.000-07:00

So if blood freaks you out or you have even a mild case of Hemophobia, just stop reading right now. go look at this or something.

SO I have been taking this phlebotomy (from the Greek "phleb" meaning vein and "otomy" meaning trying not to splash) class and it has gotten me thinking about blood in movies. I am not talking here about the gushing gore of slasher films, but about the use of blood ad bleeding in pop-cinema.

Reservoir Dogs- Ok I now this is a pretty graphic, even gratuitous example of exsanguination but Tim Roth owns it. And Harvey Keitel's conflicted cradling gives pause.

The Natural- this is subtlety. Roy Hobbs is about to knock the lights out and go back to the farm for the story book ending but first has to get past the pain, the scars from so long ago, from before he "got a little side-tracked."

Young Sherlock Holmes- yes Holmes, that damn cut from Rathe never seems to heal. but you need the image to strike a chord.

Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade- River Phoenix explains both Harrison Fords chin scar and his affinity for the bullwhip.

Psycho- Hitchcock understand his medium and pours Hershey syrup down the bathtub drain (the only time in history that such behavior is accepatable)

The Untouchables- Sean Connery is mortally wouned after accusing one of his assailants of bringing a knife to a gun fight and then gets mowed down, but still crawls accross the floor as his cardigan gets soaked,
to share some final thought with Elliott Ness. And honorable mention to the bat at the dinner table scene

Code names

2008-07-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

So Honeyface and i watched Vantage Point last night. We both found it entertaining and enjoyable, but one thing struck me about the prtrayal of the Secret Service: the lack of imagination regarding the President's code name. Vantage Point chose only to call the President POTUS. I have always found the Secret Service fascinating especially when it comes to their blatant lack of secrecy. Sure, as a bracnch of the Treasury, they do a bunch of covert, under-cover work to deal with couterfeiting and the like, but when it comes to protecting the President, They really go in for the overt. They want you to know that big dudes with big guns are all about. These guys are not posing as spectators, but are prominently looking, not at the dignitary, but at the crowd. And they are even forthright when it comes to the codenames of the folks they are protecting.
In film and literature, we have seen the President code named Traveler (In the line of Fire), Eagle (West Wing) and Swordsman (Tom Clancy novels). In real life they have given names Lancer and Lace to JFK and Jackie; Rawhide to Reagan; and Halo to JPII. But some of these names are, well, hilarious. Bush2 is also known as Tumbler. Nancy Reagan was Rainbow, Al Gore was Sawhorse, Ted Kennedy was Sunburn, Barbara Bush was Snowbank, and Frank Sinatra was Napoleon. Of course the best is the name given to Prince Charles: Unicorn.
So Honeyface and i decided to think up some code names for eachother. Here is what I have so far for her: Nightingale - Blue Bonnet - Espresso - Pooky Lumps - Gadiva - Straightener - Cocoa Bean - Accountant - Charlemagne - Giggler - Argyle - Alabaster - Demander - Cuddler - Sharps -Sugar Cookie.

my bro-in-law is awesome

2008-07-25T05:41:00.000-07:00

So, I just wanted to share this memory...

bad ideas i've had

2008-07-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

So, sometimes I am hit with these flashes of moronic or depraved inspiration. I am in the shower or at work or sitting on the couch and suddenly the cosmic forces align in the scar tissue of my mind and i am illuminated. Unfortunately, these eureka moments are informed, not by the oracles of brilliance, but by the ramblings of a lunatic.
Take for instance my idea of the "plenger" where the plunger meets the blender to restore free flow to even the toughest clogs in your drain. Problem: how do you clean the damn thing?
These ideas do not confine themselves to potential products available only on TV, touted by Billie Mayes. No, they also involve the entertainment industry, take this unlikely Paul Rudd, Hugh Laurie, Gwen Stefani vehicle: a musical in the style of Across the Universe but featuring the music of Burt Bacharach. It is the story of a love triangle, where one of the male leads (not sure which yet) is a stalking serial killer. we begin with the killer meeting our leading lady and breaking into Walk on By. we continue with the girl, whose cat has become stuck up a tree and is save by our hero whilst he croons Whats new Pussycat. Back to our antagonist, the serial killer lamenting of his unrequited love, longing to be Close to You. Back to the hero who is Wishin' and Hopin'. Back to the killer, now dismembering someone in a gory, sloppy mess as bloody Raindrops Keep Falling on his Head. Now he, the killer, abducts the girl, and while they make their way across country he explains that What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love. The hero pursues hitching a ride with a trucker (Jack Black cameo) who gets lost and has to ask Do you Know the Way to San Jose? When the hero catches up, he is also captured byt the killer who and the two expalin the predicament to the girl in a duet version of This Guy's in Love With You. The girl is terrified that her true love will fall victime to the killer's rage and tries to encourage the hero I Say a Little Prayer for You. The killer warns the hero to Make it Easy on Yourself, but his dastardly plans are foiled and the girl tells the hero Thats what Friends are For. And as we leave the happy couple all is not well because as they try to go on with their life together they find that ther is Always Something There to Remind Me.
So that is why I should keep my ideas mostly to myself.

twilight benny

2008-07-05T07:19:00.000-07:00

This is classic.

more art

2008-06-30T13:11:00.000-07:00

These are by Brent Lynch

Todd Jones: Method Actor

2008-06-26T04:29:00.001-07:00

this is awesome:

News Crisis or Flatulence Reference?

2008-06-24T06:02:00.000-07:00

"Gas Shortage"

"Strained Economy"

"Clean Air Act"

"Wind Brakes Turbines"

"Tomatoes: Friend or Foe?"

"The Wind Beneath My Wings"

"The Winds of Change"

"Rumblings in Capitol"

"Bean Futures Plummet"

"Nation Divided Over Air Travel"

"Residents Feel Pressure"

"Natural Gas Can Be Affordable Option"

When accepting invitations, consider

2008-06-19T04:04:00.000-07:00

Lord Stanley's Cup!

2008-06-05T04:28:00.000-07:00

h pitty

2008-05-31T21:17:00.001-07:00

more art

2008-05-28T17:35:00.000-07:00

'cause ya don't get enough...

OK maybe you do get enough but still, I am trying to be e-social and not bitter and whiney, so...art. QED

L'Empire des Lumieres

2008-05-21T20:06:00.001-07:00

Both by Rene Magritte

brief words

2008-05-20T17:42:00.000-07:00

So its been a while. The recent tidal fluxuations have bade me stay away.
So honeyface has started nurse-school. I have been transferred to the downtown hovel. Something new soon.

2008-05-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

I am not offended if you skip anything you dont want to listen to.

oh, by the way, the second song is the ass ponys covering "all by myself" which i think is originally by gilbert o. sullivan...but i could be wrong. and here is a little extra ass ponys for ya, cause its the weekend and i myself want to see it. i wish i had a less selfish reason, but alas...

The walkens are a tolerant tribe

2008-05-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

Indy Lumps

2008-05-01T15:36:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday, John and Paul

2008-04-18T04:17:00.001-07:00

Congratulations, Buddies!

List of words

2008-04-15T18:48:00.001-07:00

These all sound naughty, but are completely acceptable in polite company. and therein lies my bemusement:
-subpoena
-angina
-analgesic
-diorama
-buttress
-titular
-Microsoft
-Aretha
-cul-de-sac
-niblick
-peonies
-shih tzu
-shiitake
-succulent
-craptastic

a touch of nilsson for ya

2008-04-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

So, when I was just a kid, this was one of my favorite songs. Strangely, unlike many other childhood opinions, the years have not dimished the affection I hold for this little ditty about an odd kid and his dog. Stranger still is the innocent, unironic appreciation and enjoyment this song still brings.

Many thanks, Mr Nilsson.

story about the D on a radio show I like

2008-04-08T07:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.npr.org/blogs/bryantpark/2008/04/listener_checks_in_hanging_on.html

in case you were wondering...

2008-03-31T16:02:00.000-07:00

Yes...I do love new socks.

and also you might want to see some pics of my sister and new brother

Congrats, you crazy kids.

signs that things have gone too far

2008-03-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

I try to answer truthfully when people ask how i am.
I spend more than five minutes a day comparing the merits of varying cable news networks
kroger-brand
I have to use portions of my brain to try to decide which dvd player is less broken
my job is copying numbers by hand
billy mays
I might have to shovel snow on Easter
the major political parties lately seem to have more in common with religious cults than with schools of philosophy
I forgot how funny Bubble Boy is
Cheney
puppies
the warm comfort of Hebrews 12:6
filigree
Lord Byron
buying factory direct
Army surplus
arugala

Crap is the new gold

2008-03-14T17:49:00.000-07:00

SO inappropriate

2008-03-11T06:53:00.000-07:00

messy-potamia

2008-03-02T17:19:00.000-08:00

So we seem to be suddenly enroilled in a cleanliness quagmire. It all started with the canine committee (representatives from Indiana and Delaware) "passing" an "authorization bill" on the couch. This was earlier this morning and I am at least glad that the pup did not try to "table" the measure.
We seemed to have actionable intelligence on the "stock pile of missiles" and immediately deployed the unmanned spot bot to combat the mess under the theory that "if I don't clean it up there (the couch) I will surely have to clean it up here (my hands and clothes)." It seemed that the mission had been accomplished: the couch was again safe for democracy (sitting on) and some of those involved were captures and detained briefly.

We could not have known at the time that the couch was couched in a conspiracy of untidiness that would last well into the night. One of the dogs exploded a pen and we agreed that the best course of action was a surge in our housekeeping forces. Initially the surge seemed to be working and then one of the dogs got into the green zone and attacked a bystander with a "spew-a-cide bomb," leaving at least one civilian nearby covered in puppy puke. Luckily the spot bot was already on the scene and reaction was immediate. Recent reports indicate that a can of store-brand diet orange soda may have been involved with yet another couch decleanification. All we can say for sure is that the spot bot will not be put away any time soon.

Meg is 21!

2008-03-01T09:42:00.001-08:00

And happy birthday to mom as well

which goes first?

2008-03-01T07:05:00.000-08:00

the salad or the pasta?
the milk or the eggs?
the bread or the chips?
the eyes or the mind?
the brakes or the radiator?
the cable or the internet?
the phone lines or the powerlines?
the beer or the punch?
the light bulb or the candle?
the dynasty or the legacy?

and now here is the kung fu infant:

My Morning with Barack

2008-02-28T18:49:00.000-08:00

My morning of Thursday, February 28, 2008 was spent watching Barack Obama speak in Austin about his future plans for our economy.

I have many pictures of the event so if you would like to see them I openly encourage you to do so via my flickr page

i'm a backwards sort of guy

2008-02-26T17:43:00.000-08:00

So I just threw some red stuff in the wash on the gentle cycle and I still think I am masculine.

I would rather hear "rhetoric" than concrete unworkable plans from a presidential candidate and I don't see what's so wrong.

I would rather hear concrete workable plans from legislators than more empty rhetoric.

I think I can be conservative and not want the government paying any attention to my phone calls or the brain-bran.

I simultaneously believe that casablanca and the rock are good movies.

I think people can change their minds

I think there is rampant agism against the young.

I think there is nothing un-american about the designated hitter rule.

I think it is weird that the nra doesn't get on board with ecology.

I will take a great deal of time with my word choices and gramatical intricacies but i don't particularly care about capitalization

or punctuation

I want smaller government and more consumer protecting enforcement.

I wish the ascot would make a comeback

info description of a show on tv

2008-02-25T18:05:00.000-08:00

"in a magical world full of puppies, children are led on an advenurous educational journey of classical music..."

So i want to be the official Great Describer for cable TV so i can give such info to potential viewers.

BREAKING NEWS FROM FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS!!!!!!!!

2008-02-10T17:55:00.000-08:00

Conchords Develop Powers.

Last week while visiting New Zealand metropolis Palmerston North city, Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement of Flight of The Conchords were exposed to radiation from an explosion at a power generating wind farm leaving them with super powers. McKenzie found that after exposure to the radiation he was able to send text messages with his mind and Clement reported that he was a bit stronger than usual and could lift about three or four more shopping bags than he usually could. But really full ones though. Effects wore off after ten minutes but during that time McKenzie managed to text his mate Dave "HPPY BRTHDY DAV. I M SNDNG THIS USNG MND".

Courtesy of http://www.conchords.co.nz/

the house divided that reagan built

2008-02-08T20:23:00.000-08:00

So, I can no longer hold my tongue.

The superness of the tuesday and the bowl has been dwarfed by the superness of recent republican irony. We are not talking here about the ironies we have become so used to. This is special reagan irony. The basic idea is that a bunch of the talking heads (ann and rush) came out and condemned John McCain for not being republican enough and specifically for violating the Reagan Eleventh Commandment: "Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican." But here is the thing that astounds me.

So by attacking (swiftboating?) the likely Republican nominee, are not these pundits essentially committing the same sin they are so offended by? This is not "Alanis Morissette irony." this is "future generations will mock us irony."

A New Lost Theory...

2008-02-07T19:15:00.001-08:00

Tommy & I have postulated a new Lost theory after viewing and analyzing tonight's episode.

First, let's review a couple of facts.

Fact 1: In tonight's episode we saw Charlotte find remains of a polar bear (which I correctly called before she announced that is was in fact, a polar bear) along with Darma remains (from the hatch?).

Fact 2: We, at this point, assume that the island was not previously visible to anyone before the "radio transmitter blocking thingy" in the hatch was turned off. We can also possibly assume that the anyone mentioned previously also includes the "rescue" boat.

Ok, now time for our theory: What if the "radio transmitter blocking thingy" was not really blocking radio transmissions as it would seem so? What if it was keeping the island in some sort of prehistoric world from the past? This would make sense seeing as how Charlotte was able to find polar bear remains in the present day desert. And by Desmond turning off the whatever it was in the hatch, the island was suddenly transformed through time to present day (black hole maybe?) and that was how the "rescuers" (are they from the Darma Initiative?) were able to find the island.

In addition, during one of the first 2 seasons, wasn't there an episode in which an unidentified "monster" was heard roaring and shaking the branches and leaves of tall trees? Yes, this could have been a polar bear or the "smoke" monster, but what about ... a dinosaur? What if the Darma Initiative was studying dinosaurs on the island during prehistoric times? Maybe that's why they used underground hatches...

Well, this is our mind boggling theory for this week. Tune back in next week for our newest strain of crazy. Please feel free to share your own Lost ideas and theories!!

Lost, oh how I've missed you

2008-01-31T19:05:00.000-08:00

WOW!!!

WOW!!!

WOW!!!

Did anyone else just see the new Lost????

GIMME MORE!!!

Only in the D

2008-01-31T11:32:00.001-08:00

ponder

2008-01-24T07:01:00.001-08:00

this is not a statement

op-tommmmmy-ism

2008-01-12T07:16:00.000-08:00

So sometimes, life sits you down for a big steaming poo sandwich and when you are done you don't even get dessert. Mercy, mercy, mercy. But on those occassions where all the brakes are against you, sometimes a little chuckle can do wonders.

human tetris

2008-01-04T18:04:00.000-08:00

A powerful neural stimulus for ya

and some matrix-style ping pong

And a Happy New Year

2007-12-31T08:23:00.000-08:00

Happy and safe New Year.

All the best!

Merry Christmas

2007-12-24T08:34:00.000-08:00

I wish you the very best of the holidays. Give your grandma an extra kiss. Give your self an extra hour of sleep. Give your wife an extra chocolate. Take some extra pictures. And take some extra time to reminisce.

a great white north christmas

2007-12-20T20:34:00.000-08:00

Best of 2007

2007-12-19T19:59:00.000-08:00

SO, I want to be the type of blogger to get in on the "best of" listing, but there is a catch. When it comes to music, movies, TV, politics, books, fashion, cars, pamphlets, etc. I don't have anything important to say. So instead, I offer my own autobigraphical best of 07. Everythiing is in play here, provided that it had some impact on me during this year. This list is comprised of things that have held enough importance that I feel like writing about them. Also, I offer no numeric values. Some items may be more weighty than others, but it is their inclusion on the list, not their place on the list that be noted. Except this first item which is more profound and wonderful than ony others.

1. Honeyface. For all things spoken or unsaid, started or avoided, completed or broken. She makes the darkest hours luminous.

~Live Ireland: This site broadcasts 24 hours a day. Trad Irish music is surprisingly diverse, ranging from ancient instrumentals to drinking songs to ballads to modern.

~ Doctor Zhivago: Somehow I avoided this film my whole life. Finally sitting down to watch it, I had the rare opportunity of seeing soemthing truly classic for the first time. I can't remember when I first watched Casablanca or Citizen Kane, or Virtigo. There is something spectacular about a first viewing, even when you have some idea what is coming. And the romance and power of this film are worth seeing with fresh eyes.

~Bathroom Fan-Light: A simultaneous hum and glow eminate from this appliance in the ceiling even as it draws atmosphere into and through itself. This "refreshing" addition to the house was long overdue and very welcome.

~Dr. David Brodbeck's Psychology Lectures: Edu-tainment at its finest. These podcasts have helped me through more than a few mind-numbing hours taxation. This guy is a great lecturer and really inspires excitement about the science of the mind. And he throws some great music on to boot.

~U-verse: I hate to give the megalith AT&T much space here (it is already such a beloved bohemoth) But I have to say that the product and customer service they provide is far superior to any other media provider I have ever dealt with.

~Blogging and podcasting: fun.

~Treasures of the Trust: This is what HD is for. Spectacular vistas, gardens, architecture, art, decor, decadence and ruin. Englands National Trust maintains historic homes and properties and presents them in a matter-of-fact manner.

~The Deathly Hallows: I doubt I will ever be in line for such a release again. I doubt I will ever again draw on my forehead and wear a robe to work. A shared cultural experience, mass hysteria, a weekend of pleasure reading. Good times.

So that is a short list of some stuff.

Some Snow

2007-12-16T18:40:00.000-08:00

It snowed and it is just lovely.

The lights in the early evening

And this one would look great if I were more steady of hand

A Little Bit of Elfish Fun...

2007-12-13T15:16:00.000-08:00

I don't even know how to begin to explain this.

Just watch for yourself.

Enjoy...

A Little Bit of Elfish Fun!

carrrrrrrrrrrrrrrol

Finals week

2007-12-10T16:04:00.001-08:00

By 11:59 pm, Saturday, I must conclude my half semester long study of the human mind. As this is an online class, I intend to finish in my underwear. I thought about standing on my computer and saying "Oh, Captain, My Captain," but I am kind of a big boy.
Last time I finished a class I simply walked back to my car and drove home without any fanfare. Terribly anticlimactic.
Do you have any suggestions for completing a class?

New Green Day??

2007-12-09T06:46:00.000-08:00

Speculation is that this may be the Green Day boys concocting a little something new...

CLICK HERE TO SEE FOR YOURSELF!!

p.s. all songs are downloadable for free!!

...and thanks to perez for bringing this to my attention.

Weekend eve

2007-12-07T15:32:00.000-08:00

All the best this weekend. Prepare well for holiday enjoyment and Imagine how wonderful things may soon be. Here are Mark Knopfler and Chet Atkins. Just for you.

stupidity in action

2007-12-02T07:15:00.000-08:00

this is especially for estevan. Many thanks to honeyface for bringing it to my attention

Some retractions

2007-11-30T15:24:00.001-08:00

It seems I have been a bit unfair, recently in my public comments and, on advice of council, I am taking this opportunity to clarify and recant a few prior statements.

As for my comments on those involved in the mortgage industry it was unfair to describe all involved as "criminals and pirates." I should have been more responsible and referred to them as opportunistic goons.
I regret my statement that baby boomers are all ignorant, obtuse and near-sighted. In point of fact, many have decent vision.
I should not have disparaged the political parties currently in power and I would like to say to the leaders of both parties that I was wrong-your parents were married.
As to my description of political pundits as mental-munchkin stooges who see public life as a game of jenga, I stand by my word.
As to my vulgar comments about my dogs, I want to say that they are least deserving of my venomous verbiage.
As to my assessment of the the modern romantic comedy as a hollow shell of its predicessors, I was correct.

SCTV

2007-11-27T20:14:00.001-08:00

One more of these

and maybe this one too

Its been a bit of a while...

2007-11-23T07:51:00.000-08:00

Since I have put something personal and meaningful on the bloggy

Since I watched the 2 George Washington mini-series starring Barry Bostwick

Since I took out the ole guitar

Since I spent an evening with my dad watching the George C Scott Christmas Carol

Since I listened to a few hours of Old-Time Radio on a long car ride

Since I was optimistic about certain financial matters

Since I could over-do the partying and feel fine the next day

Since I built something really awesome

Since I tackled anyone

Since I last had the snow blower in working order

Since I put something extra in my hot cocoa

Since I read some Sherlock Holmes

Since I was on a sled

Since I got excited about seeing a train

Since we were all together

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

2007-11-22T09:58:00.000-08:00

All the best on this day. Watch some football and have a feast.
I am thankful for you!

an there is this

2007-11-15T20:52:00.001-08:00

if you have time

dervish

2007-11-15T20:33:00.000-08:00

I think this is pretty gorgeous and very calming.

From intro to psych

2007-11-14T15:40:00.000-08:00

The question was regarding removing caffeine, alcohol and nicotine from society. should they be banned and what would happen. This is actually the only question for which I have not gotten full points, so i thought I would share my answer with you. I thought it was sort of entertaining at the end.

It’s a darn good thing that the government has declared the “war on drugs.” The use of illicit drugs is nearly non-existant. Drug dealers have to look far and wide for customers. Crime is at an all-time low. The prisons are nearly empty. Teens are less likely to make poor decisions. Illegal smuggling no longer provides tax-free financial support to violent cartels. All the money formerly spent on trying to enforce drug policies has been diverted to feeding poor children. And the Red Sox have won the World Series twice.
OK, the last one is true. But all in all, governmental attempts to curb drug use have been dismal failures. Except for one. The “Don’t Drink and Drive” campaign of the early eighties actually worked. It was simple, specific, and attainable. It changed one very specific behavior and now all sorts of people designate a driver. Even underage kids. So, there are ways to stem harmful elements of illicit behavior.
In a country where alcohol, caffeine and nicotine were illegal, people would still find ways to get what they want. But some things would definitely be different. Take for instance the Halloween party I just went to. People would be standing around drinking bathtub gin and someone would say “Hey, I just got a pack of lights from this guy in Canada. He can get anything, man. The other day, he hooked me up with 20 grams of Folgers, really primo stuff, ya know, real smooth. I think we might have a bag of Earl Grey left from the summer. You wanna go out back and steep some tea? Oh no, I think it’s the cops. Quick, eat all that chocolate. Make sure it melts in your mouth and not in your hands.”

NOOOOOO!!

2007-11-10T22:42:00.000-08:00

Why, Lord, why?

This is a sign that I need to stop wasting time on youtube

Some plans

2007-11-10T07:19:00.000-08:00

Dinner with friends
-before that:
Find directions to Friends' house
-before that:
Wash and get ready
-before that:
Get house looking like I am ready for fall, remove leaves, put summer plants in back,
-before that:
Borrow leaf electrical leaf blower
-before that:
Fix out-door electrical outlet
-before that:
Go to hardware store and get essential things like new out-door GFI outlet
-before that:
Visit the library (maybe get a book on electical work)
-before that:
Gather materials to be returned to Library
-before that:
Change out of pajamas
-before that:
Waste a lot of time on the interweb
-before that:
Make coffee
-before that:
Remember the things that I really should do online, ya know, thing that affect my life and future
-before that:
Enjoy this:
-

geography

2007-11-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

Della Patella

2007-11-03T16:10:00.000-07:00

Honeyface made me post this picture. It is our dog Delaware wearing some sort of aweful pink tubesock. Please enjoy responsibly.
(Correction: it is a sweater)

One not so sick puppy

2007-10-30T17:45:00.001-07:00

So right around the time when I should have been exercising or preparing dinner, our dog Della started doing a dance. I thought she just wanted to be on youtube but Honeyface was worried. It seems Delaware has some luxating patellas and the dance was her way of saying "wow, i think my patellas are luxating."
So we went to the after hours vet which worried me as Della does not have an HMO, what with the whole S-Chip thing, but we love her so we took her to the doggy doc. By then she was just fine and the vet checked her out and said don't worry and it turned out not to be all that expensive.
Like I say, I think she just wanted to be on youtube.

holding on while on hold

2007-10-29T15:47:00.000-07:00

So, even in this age of the World Wild Interweb, I still have to deal with toll free phone numbers, by which i mean i have to sit there and wait through the delightful electric piano extended version of "He ain't Heavy, He's my Brother" until finally someone in Turkmenistan picks up and has to transfer me to someone in the Ottoman Empire who tells me that he can't help because an unrelated server is down, OR I have to sit through the monotonous halting monosyllabic governmental zombie robot finishes telling me exactly the series of numbers I have already dialled and then gets to the part I need to hear.
The latter is so bad that during the hours I have to spend at work at the mercy of this slow talking she-puter, I have to actually stand up and remain on my feet as I will fall asleep, lulled by her soulless mocking.
So you can imagine my trepidation upon arriving home knowing that i was going to have to call the electronic communication provider to once again provide my name, number, account number, account description, product serial number, storm door height and width, name of my mothers grade school and the last three numbers of my social security and bank statements.
In a fit of futility I decided to try the service again one more time to see if it had been fixed before sacrificing my evening to the hot line. And then something wondrous happened. Everything worked as it had been foretold to me by the sales woman and various pamphlets. I can not fully describe my elation. The knowledge that I could go the rest of the night without waiting on hold.

So now we can all enjoy this

havin some class

2007-10-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

So i just started this online class and i am older and more cynical than just about everyone else, except for this one very sweet lady, my virtual classmate "sccrmom378," who is very supportive.
And now here is this.

Friday

2007-10-19T06:50:00.000-07:00

Hey, Mr. or Ms. Fancypants-
So its Friday and its time to spin that wheel

Hope your weekend is fun, relaxing and productive

All the Best

T-shirt Protuberance

2007-10-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

So I tried to outsmart the weather today going with a polo and a coat. But I am at a tremendous disadvantage in the whole being a person thing in that I am not so bright. I put on a dark tee under the gray (grey? charcoal?)shirt and fail to realize that the tee shirt sleeves reach my elbows and the polo sleeves end an inch and a half north. So all day I walk around unaware and looking like a toolbox. Which I suppose is only part of the reason why the compu-dudes don't necessarily take me that seriously.
The following is completely unrelated but nonetheless cool

streams of drivel

2007-10-16T15:25:00.000-07:00

So it is a mere day past the ides of October, which used to be the eighth month hence the "oct" part but is now devoted entirely to Michigan's bumper pumpkin crop, and long story short, it is dark out too early and in a few days we will all fall back and it will seem darker though our sleep patterns may briefly improve.
I have more to say but some things are better left...

This made me very happy

2007-10-15T16:24:00.000-07:00

Paul especially,
Enjoy the force out of this

Weekend

2007-10-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

A lot to do, but there's always time for a quick "I love you" for my Honeyface.

DeNiro ate something Sour

2007-10-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

So another hurdle in the quest to pour wisdom through my fingertips onto the computer is the very placement of said computer in relation to other pieces of furniture. By simply turning my head 90 degrees to the left (your right) I find my self no longer staring at the beckoning screen. The channels in my head have been re-tuned, for I am staring...

At Myself!

Immediately to my left is a dresser with vanity mirror.

Sure i am just as egotistical and narcissistic as the next attractive intelligent and talented guy, but that is not why I stare. I stare because at some point in my misspent youth, I developed a penchant for making faces.

So you see, I am not merely staring at myself. I stare at a cast of funny-looking individuals and beings that stare right back at me. And as hard as it is to gaze on such creatures it is many times harder to look away when they are in their glory. My face seems to do things of its own accord: now Stanley Tucci, now a fish, now John Kerry, now a lizard, now Mr Surprised-Happy-Guy, now concentrating infant, now Ed Grimley. It is like trying to stop staring at a dryer in a laundro-mat with "reds" in. And finally, as if with a crowbar, I pry my eyes back to the warm blue glow of the monitor, and the faces have taken their due. My mind is now devoid of the brilliant chunks of gooey wisdom I was about to smear on both our monitors.

I have failed you.

But you should see what my eyebrows just did.

nightmare theatre

2007-10-10T20:07:00.000-07:00

So I heard a scary idea today and the more i thought about it, the more it terrified me. The idea goes some thing like this (very very over-simplified version)-
Scientist have been making progress restoring sight to the blind with electronics, a camera pics up images and transcribes them directly onto the brain. This sort of thing is in its infancy, but the technology exists. The perception of visual elements of dreams appear on brain images in the same way as do images a person sees. So by simply perfecting and reversing the technology, dream images can be taken from a brain and captured to be viewed as from a camera.

This scares the Scott Farkus out of me.

I am not scared just that someone else could see me show up naked to play tennis at school when I forgot I had an exam, though that is a scary thought, or that someone would see me doing things my mother would not approve of. I am scared of those other dreams, the kind you are glad to wake from. Some dreams, at least for me have been so terrifying that many interveneing years have not softened their grotesque. Some dreams are meant to be awakened from. Some are so disturbing that the brain forces an exit.
Most are harmless, surreal narratives that in the light of day are innocuous if not funny. Many dreams are enjoyable.
But some dreams are best left to fester and rot in the neural scar tissue from which they spawned.

How my day isn't going

2007-10-09T10:28:00.000-07:00

The sun was beating down like the heels of a first baseman as I walked down the boardwalk to return to my job as Postmaster General of Hazard County when I man I never met before handed me a pamphlet for the Biggs Tinker Company. “I have played billiards with Annie Lenox,” he said with a smile. I grinned back like a 52 Plymouth but avoided meeting his eyes and continued my promenade. The boardwalk gave way to asphalt and then to gravel and I found myself whistling songs John Foggerty never wrote. I passed a long since defunct department store now used by an underground extreme salsa dancing group called El Nariz Calliente! who were currently away ransacking the apartment of a former chess champion turned track star, who was in turn, away having a gallbladder operation and pedicure. The only sign in the window said Death to the Ford Ranchero: Unholy Amalgam. Across the street a woman nearly fell off her pedestal while her children cheered and squeezed lemon juice into their tumblers of Ginger Ale. So I turned around and sauntered back to my houseboat. The mail would wait until morning.

in dog years he is 133

2007-10-05T17:03:00.000-07:00

So many many years ago, i was cold and tired and very hungry, many many miles from home and it was one of those situations where I had no choice but to try to pilfer some food from a state funded institution. That is how I met my very old friend "Nathan not Nate,", aka "Mr. MagsMan," aka "Mr Picky," aka "Happy McSmileypants." He was there to help with my defrauding on the condition that I smile and wear his hat.
At the time, he seemed...mature and ... worldly.

(Digitally aged three days)

Now I realize that he is just very very old. And here we have his birthday.
Happy Birthday, my friend! And Many Many More!

a little more Harpo

2007-09-28T16:06:00.000-07:00

All media-ed out. but watch this anyway

All the best,

Tommmmmmmmmmmmmmy

HARPO MARX

2007-09-28T15:54:00.000-07:00

My hero, Arthur "Harpo" Marx, died on this date in 1964. Amazingly, he died on his wedding anniversary, and so, to his family, September 28 has always been a day of remembrance and celebration of his life.

Here is just a taste of life with Harpo as he described in his autobiography Harpo Speaks:

"We didn't run a very proper or conventional household, but the joint was never dull either. At the end of the war we enlarged our house.
We threw out the butler, disconnected the buzzer on the dining-room floor and got rid of all the rest of the Beverly Hills nonsense and converted the dining room into a poolroom. The next thing we threw out after the butler was Dr. Spock. I was the same kind of father as I was a harpist - I played by ear. But I've been lucky on both scores. The harp has given me a decent living and my children have given me more pleasure than I ever thought a man could possibly have.
What rules we had, as a family, stemmed from the fact that all of us has been adopted by each other. We've always had equal amounts of gratitude and respect mixed in with our love for each other. Susan, an only child who never had any roots, and I, a lone wolf who got married twenty years too late, were adopted by the kids as much as they were by us. Somehow, without lecturing or threatening or studying any books, we all followed the same rules, from the time the kids were very young:
Life has been created for you to enjoy, but you won't enjoy it unless you pay for it with some good, hard work. This is one price that will never be marked down. You can work at whatever you want as long as you do it as well as you can and clean up afterwards and you're at the table at mealtime and in bed at bedtime.
Respect what the others do. Respect Dad's harp, Mom's paints, Billy's piano, Alex's set of tools, Jimmy's designs and Minnie's menagerie.
If anything makes you sore, come out with it. Maybe the rest of us are itching for a fight too.
If anything strikes you as funny, out with that too. Let the rest of us have a laugh.
If you have the impulse to do something you're not sure is right, go ahead and do it. Take a chance. Chances are, if you don't you'll regret it - unless you break the rules about mealtime and bedtime, in which case you'll sure as hell regret it.
If it's a question of whether to do what's fun or what is supposed to be good for you, and nobody is hurt by whichever you do, always do what's fun.
If things get too much for you and you feel the whole's world's against you, go stand on your head. If you can think of anything crazier to do, do it.
Don't worry about what other people think. The only person in the world important enough to conform to is yourself.
Anybody who mistreats a pet or breaks a pool cue is docked a month's pay."

If you are still reading and want to have a good laugh and a cry read this

HONK! HONK!

Happy Birthday, Carrie!

2007-09-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

A streak has com to an end. Without the fanfare of Cal Ripken Jr., or the moving speech of Lou Gehrig, a longer lived but less well known Iron-man race has quietly closed. For twenty eight years, five months and thirty days, my mom and dad have had as few as one and as many as five minor children. Today, the youngest , my baby sister, has legally become an adult.

A chicken dinner, Grandma's cake, a little candle, a few cards and poof... you grew up. Just like that.

Welcome, adorable one, to the ranks of adulthood. Go get yourself a lotto ticket!

P.S. You are still the baby!

P.P.S. And you still can't swear in front of mom.