I've had a few people say that they can't see my shoutbox and the list of movies Shemp has listed are of interest of some (who also loved Joan of Arc). So I'm listing them here:
Fritz Lang's "M"
Haxan
The Third Man
Black Orpheus
L'Avventura
Last Year At Marienbad
Knife In The Water
Contempt
Playtime
Le Samourai
Walkabout
Au Revoir Les Enfants
Tokyo Story
I notice that most are labeled cerebral. Thanks for that vote of confidence Shemp!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Passion.
I realize I appear fanatic at times although I prefer "tempestuous", the truth is I'm bored out of my aching skull. I try to find things to occupy myself in this dark hell I call my house, but as the years go on, I'm less social. I throw myself into causes and study. I recently posted on the shoutbox at the BDiH forum that I hate to research. I need to clarify. I like to research so long as it proves fruitful. I'm not content to make up codes or maps and pat myself on the back for having done what no one else could for the past 60+ years. Those who have been foolish enough to think they have are nothing more than internet jesters. I'm not less haunted by the Black Dahlia case, I'm just confused.
I love this place. I LOVE MY BLOG!!! It's my outlet and I tend to rage and laugh, cry and verbally lash out here, because I can. It's what it's here for. What I never considered was that I'd pick up an odd following. I can tell who some of my visitors are and though it's absolute nonsense and of little use to some, I have a friend that reads it. It seems like we have had less time to talk lately but I know when he stops by. He doesn't agree with my politics but likes my writing style. Shout out to him because sometimes that's the only thing that keeps me going. My friends and oddly the people who feel more like family that the people I'm genetically linked to (my children aside). The people who love me and expect so little from me yet understand my odd need for approval.
I know who has popped in on accident and I know who has me bookmarked. Some of the peeps that bookmark me, I don't know why they have, but they visit on a fairly regular basis. I have a reader in France. I was checking out the sites in the area that my reader lives and I'm always stunned at the beauty that exists in this world. Especially in the countries that are so much older and the history so rich in beauty and tragedy. As I was checking out my French readers home area, I remembered that I had gotten a movie yesterday from Netflix. I knew I'd be watching it solo because it's not something the fam will love but unfortunately they WILL be watching it.
I've always been moved by Joan of Arc because it's increasingly rare that someone would be so brutally sacrificed for what they know to be true. The story isn't from the Bible yet it's so much more believed and revered than the story of Joseph Smith who lived and died refusing to deny what he knew to be true. Martyrdom isn't something that happens so much in our current shallow society.
The story of the films very existence is nearly as moving as the movie itself. The movie was filmed by Carl Theodor Dreyer in France in 1928. He chose not to use the screenplay but to stick to the actual transcripts of Joan's trial. I'm not a huge fan of silent film fan, but this one was different. They didn't use make up on the actors at all and it was filmed on panchromatic film which was new to the time and much of the camera time was on actress Maria Falconetti's very expressive face. The film depicts the trial, torture, imprisonment and execution while captive to the English. Shortly after Dreyer was done filming and onto the editing, the master copy was lost in a fire. He tried to cobble together a second one of the film he's left on the cutting room floor. Miraculously, a copy was discovered in a closet in a mental institution in Oslo. Dreyer died not knowing his masterpiece would live on.
In the DVD I watched, I started silent but went back and chose the soundtrack "Voices of Light", an Oratoria written for this movie by composer Richard Einhorn in 1994. It's truly inspired and I recommend it that way. I also used subtitles and the entire dialog isn't translated but that doesn't matter. The story is conveyed by Falconetti's eyes. It also is less cumbersome.
I can't properly convey the wonder I feel about this movie. It must be seen to be appreciated but it IS a cerebral movie. If you don't know what I mean by that then you probably won't appreciate the movie. I have found it in it's entirety online. Here's a link:
The Passion of Joan of Arc
Also Roger Ebert's review is exceptional: *Link*
Ebert mentions an essay on the blog of Matthew Dessem: The Criterion Contraption
Anyway, this is just a blog on how my mind skips from one thing to the next and the treasures I occasionally unearth. Enjoy.
I love this place. I LOVE MY BLOG!!! It's my outlet and I tend to rage and laugh, cry and verbally lash out here, because I can. It's what it's here for. What I never considered was that I'd pick up an odd following. I can tell who some of my visitors are and though it's absolute nonsense and of little use to some, I have a friend that reads it. It seems like we have had less time to talk lately but I know when he stops by. He doesn't agree with my politics but likes my writing style. Shout out to him because sometimes that's the only thing that keeps me going. My friends and oddly the people who feel more like family that the people I'm genetically linked to (my children aside). The people who love me and expect so little from me yet understand my odd need for approval.
I know who has popped in on accident and I know who has me bookmarked. Some of the peeps that bookmark me, I don't know why they have, but they visit on a fairly regular basis. I have a reader in France. I was checking out the sites in the area that my reader lives and I'm always stunned at the beauty that exists in this world. Especially in the countries that are so much older and the history so rich in beauty and tragedy. As I was checking out my French readers home area, I remembered that I had gotten a movie yesterday from Netflix. I knew I'd be watching it solo because it's not something the fam will love but unfortunately they WILL be watching it.
I've always been moved by Joan of Arc because it's increasingly rare that someone would be so brutally sacrificed for what they know to be true. The story isn't from the Bible yet it's so much more believed and revered than the story of Joseph Smith who lived and died refusing to deny what he knew to be true. Martyrdom isn't something that happens so much in our current shallow society.
The story of the films very existence is nearly as moving as the movie itself. The movie was filmed by Carl Theodor Dreyer in France in 1928. He chose not to use the screenplay but to stick to the actual transcripts of Joan's trial. I'm not a huge fan of silent film fan, but this one was different. They didn't use make up on the actors at all and it was filmed on panchromatic film which was new to the time and much of the camera time was on actress Maria Falconetti's very expressive face. The film depicts the trial, torture, imprisonment and execution while captive to the English. Shortly after Dreyer was done filming and onto the editing, the master copy was lost in a fire. He tried to cobble together a second one of the film he's left on the cutting room floor. Miraculously, a copy was discovered in a closet in a mental institution in Oslo. Dreyer died not knowing his masterpiece would live on.
In the DVD I watched, I started silent but went back and chose the soundtrack "Voices of Light", an Oratoria written for this movie by composer Richard Einhorn in 1994. It's truly inspired and I recommend it that way. I also used subtitles and the entire dialog isn't translated but that doesn't matter. The story is conveyed by Falconetti's eyes. It also is less cumbersome.
I can't properly convey the wonder I feel about this movie. It must be seen to be appreciated but it IS a cerebral movie. If you don't know what I mean by that then you probably won't appreciate the movie. I have found it in it's entirety online. Here's a link:
The Passion of Joan of Arc
Also Roger Ebert's review is exceptional: *Link*
Ebert mentions an essay on the blog of Matthew Dessem: The Criterion Contraption
Anyway, this is just a blog on how my mind skips from one thing to the next and the treasures I occasionally unearth. Enjoy.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Who's who in this farce we call Government?
So we have a Democrat President with a Democrat majority of House and Senate (although I could have lost count in the deaths, sex scandals, and replacements. Feel free to correct me if this is the case). This happens as often as Haley's Comet. So what do they do with this power? They freak out. So.... Let's figure who is what.
We have them Dems that are supportive of our President's monumental effort to get the country on track. We will call them Democrats. Examples: the late Ted Kennedy, Former President Bill Clinton, Former President Jimmy Carter, etc.
Then there are the Democrats that thought that they would have a puppet in office and pee their pants every time they are expected to follow up on the walking the walk that they've been talking. We'll call them Hippocrats (a hippo is like an elephant without all the parts and love to wallow in mud. a Hippocrat is DEFINITELY missing something, but most notably morals, ethics, and conviction.) Examples: Joe Lieberman, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid.
Then we have two kinds of Republican:
1. Old school. Ultra conservative, far-right wing. Not bad, necessarily, but unrealistic. They are usually caught in a scandal dealing with a bill they helped pass or cause they shout from the rooftops.(Usually it's Democrats that do the nasty but the GOP has been on a roll). Also tend to speak the name "Ronald Reagan" with reverence blind to the fact that Reagan was far from perfect, but he was progressive. Because, every student of history knows progress is unstoppable so you must find a middle ground especially in times of turmoil. (Don't do your compromising in airport bathrooms, though. BIG mistake.) Example: Orrin Hatch, Larry Craig, Gov. Mark Sanford...Oh sheesh, this could go on all day. *Here's a list*
2. Are the more moderate, middle of the road, Republicans who see the necessity to choose their battles. That the most important issues are the issues at hand are the priority. That perhaps you may have to leave moral issues to God's judgment. Jon Huntsman, Collin Powel, and General David Petraeus.
Then we have the Whackadoodles. They may call themselves Republican or Democrat but they are really the people who insist that the sky is green if the President says it's blue. In fact, they'll say that President Obama has made a deal with the devil to make it green and we're all going to get green sky cooties and die. That the old and the disabled will be marched off to their death. These fear peddlers and they are not confined to government positions, they've been given power by those who believe in little green men, chupacabra , and false intelligence that lead to unnecessary wars. They have no fact to back up their wild accusations. Example: The majority of Fox News people more notably Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Art Bell, etc.
Sooo two things have set me off today on this blog:
Petraeus Takes on Chenyism
"I have always been on the record, in fact, since 2003, with the concept of living our values. And I think that whenever we've perhaps taken expedient measures, they've turned around and bitten us in the backside. We decided early on, in the 101st airborne division, we just said, we decided to obey the Geneva Conventions...
"In the cases where that is not true [where torture takes place or international human rights groups aren't granted access to detention sites] we end up paying a price for it, ultimately," he added. "Abu Ghraib and other situations like that are non biodegradable. They don't go away. The enemy continues to beat you with them like a stick.... Beyond that, frankly, we have found that the use of interrogation methods in the army field manual that was given the force of law by Congress, that that works."
Petraeus wasn't done there. In another contrast with former Vice President Cheney -- as well as the vast majority of congressional Republicans -- he reiterated his support for closing Gitmo, albeit without a date-specific time frame.
Click on the titles to read the entire articles. Especially the killing too many terrorists. You know the world can never have too many terrorists. What exactly is it that the Republicans miss? The torture? The fact that we are finally sending a message that we won't tolerate the murder of their innocent people and the enormous loss of service men and women, not to mention the staggering cost???
When will these people finally give up the crazy tea parties, lies, nonsense, and hypocrisy and pull together to put our country back together? Probably never.
We have them Dems that are supportive of our President's monumental effort to get the country on track. We will call them Democrats. Examples: the late Ted Kennedy, Former President Bill Clinton, Former President Jimmy Carter, etc.
Then there are the Democrats that thought that they would have a puppet in office and pee their pants every time they are expected to follow up on the walking the walk that they've been talking. We'll call them Hippocrats (a hippo is like an elephant without all the parts and love to wallow in mud. a Hippocrat is DEFINITELY missing something, but most notably morals, ethics, and conviction.) Examples: Joe Lieberman, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid.
Then we have two kinds of Republican:
1. Old school. Ultra conservative, far-right wing. Not bad, necessarily, but unrealistic. They are usually caught in a scandal dealing with a bill they helped pass or cause they shout from the rooftops.(Usually it's Democrats that do the nasty but the GOP has been on a roll). Also tend to speak the name "Ronald Reagan" with reverence blind to the fact that Reagan was far from perfect, but he was progressive. Because, every student of history knows progress is unstoppable so you must find a middle ground especially in times of turmoil. (Don't do your compromising in airport bathrooms, though. BIG mistake.) Example: Orrin Hatch, Larry Craig, Gov. Mark Sanford...Oh sheesh, this could go on all day. *Here's a list*
2. Are the more moderate, middle of the road, Republicans who see the necessity to choose their battles. That the most important issues are the issues at hand are the priority. That perhaps you may have to leave moral issues to God's judgment. Jon Huntsman, Collin Powel, and General David Petraeus.
Then we have the Whackadoodles. They may call themselves Republican or Democrat but they are really the people who insist that the sky is green if the President says it's blue. In fact, they'll say that President Obama has made a deal with the devil to make it green and we're all going to get green sky cooties and die. That the old and the disabled will be marched off to their death. These fear peddlers and they are not confined to government positions, they've been given power by those who believe in little green men, chupacabra , and false intelligence that lead to unnecessary wars. They have no fact to back up their wild accusations. Example: The majority of Fox News people more notably Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Art Bell, etc.
Sooo two things have set me off today on this blog:
Petraeus Takes on Chenyism
"I have always been on the record, in fact, since 2003, with the concept of living our values. And I think that whenever we've perhaps taken expedient measures, they've turned around and bitten us in the backside. We decided early on, in the 101st airborne division, we just said, we decided to obey the Geneva Conventions..."In the cases where that is not true [where torture takes place or international human rights groups aren't granted access to detention sites] we end up paying a price for it, ultimately," he added. "Abu Ghraib and other situations like that are non biodegradable. They don't go away. The enemy continues to beat you with them like a stick.... Beyond that, frankly, we have found that the use of interrogation methods in the army field manual that was given the force of law by Congress, that that works."
Petraeus wasn't done there. In another contrast with former Vice President Cheney -- as well as the vast majority of congressional Republicans -- he reiterated his support for closing Gitmo, albeit without a date-specific time frame.
Bush Official Criticizes Obama For Killing Too Many Terrorists
Quote: Just how unpopular are President Barack Obama's anti-terrorism policies with his Republican critics? Even when he's killing terrorists they find flaws.Click on the titles to read the entire articles. Especially the killing too many terrorists. You know the world can never have too many terrorists. What exactly is it that the Republicans miss? The torture? The fact that we are finally sending a message that we won't tolerate the murder of their innocent people and the enormous loss of service men and women, not to mention the staggering cost???
When will these people finally give up the crazy tea parties, lies, nonsense, and hypocrisy and pull together to put our country back together? Probably never.
I stand corrected (slightly)
'Family Guy' Actress Responds To Sarah Palin's Criticism
Andrea Fay Friedman, the voice actress who played the role of "Ellen" --the character depicted as having Down syndrome on the Valentine's Day episode of Family Guy, has responded to the criticism of sometime-Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Of special significance, Friedman herself has Down syndrome. Palingates has Friedman's complete response:
My name is Andrea Fay Friedman. I was born with Down syndrome. I played the role of Ellen on the "Extra Large Medium" episode of Family Guy that was broadcast on Valentine's day. Although they gave me red hair on the show, I am really a blonde. I also wore a red wig for my role in " Smudge" but I was a blonde in "Life Goes On". I guess former Governor Palin does not have a sense of humor. I thought the line "I am the daughter of the former governor of Alaska" was very funny. I think the word is "sarcasm".I have to say, that's a pretty good burn.
In my family we think laughing is good. My parents raised me to have a sense of humor and to live a normal life. My mother did not carry me around under her arm like a loaf of French bread the way former Governor Palin carries her son Trig around looking for sympathy and votes.
I have to agree with Jason.. BURRRRRRN! I have seen many different kinds and levels of disability among family and friends. Everyone handles these things in their own way. I love what Andrea said about the way her parents raised her. She's obviously talented, bright, and a mind of her own. I have a niece with a boy with Downs. She's a great mom and he plays with the rest of the kids with no special treatment. When I discovered the degree of OCD my children suffered from I wanted each of their teachers to understand exactly what was the triggers and what to expect. I even asked permissions for my youngest to leave the classroom without notice if her obsessive behavior took over. We've been open and we've taught them that we aren't crazy. Kids don't need more reasons NOT to fit in!
BRAVO Andrea!! You are great.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Don't ask, don't tell, don't watch...WTH???
If you want my opinion (which you must, that's why you're here *wink*) the whole "Don't Ask/Don't Tell" thing was among the more insane laws put into effect. And yes, I know which President put it into effect, I voted for him. But as I recall he was fighting congress on the issue homosexuality and service to our country (you know, The Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave) are incompatible. This was following a hate crime in which a young man was beaten to death. Here's a Wiki-refresher:
What set me off on this today? I missed the men's short program in figure skating on Tuesday and I got to see Evan Lysacek's Silver Medal performance but with Scott Hamilton I'm lost. I was looking for it WITH the commentary which usually explains the costume's relation to the music. I didn't recognize the music and still looking for Scott (I love him, he doesn't talk too much). So, not knowing why Evan chose to wear an outfit that looked like a cross between Jack Skellington and Bea Arthur's Maude days, I found a sports page. Talking about how gay he is and that his girlfriend is just a front. How all the gay skaters who had to stay in the closet are rejoicing in his pain of unrequited "outness". They talked about Johnny Weir, and also talked about the little known gayness of GW Bush (Laura was a front) and John McCain (Cindy was bashed on several levels, but nothing I haven't thought of myself.) But my question is this... I realize that some men are all physically painful, rough and tumble, dog fighting, sports fans. I myself, enjoy men with more refinement and education. But if the beauty of figure skating is lost on you and you somehow fear the gay cooties will jump through the TV and infect you, why are you watching it? And who cares about sexual preference? I literally saw commentators SAY they were pulling for other countries whose skaters didn't set off their gaydar. What is that? The UNreal Americans that Palin spoke of in Virginia? Joe the Sportscaster? I think this country is regressing.
*Update: Weir skated the best I've ever seen him do and he was robbed.
Airman Apprentice Terry M. Helvey, who was a member of the ship's weather department (OA Division, Operations Department), stomped [Allen] Schindler to death in a toilet in a park in Sasebo, Nagasaki. Schindler had "at least four fatal injuries to the head, chest, and abdomen," his head was crushed, ribs broken, and his penis cut, and he had "sneaker-tread marks stamped on his forehead and chest" destroying "every organ in his body" Schindler was left lying on the bathroom floor until the Shore Patrol and the key witness to the incident carried out Schindler's body to the nearby Albuquerque Bridge. leaving behind a "nearly-unrecognizable corpse."So this young man was murdered in the service of a country that ABUSES it's freedoms on one hand and cherishes them on another. So all that time, it was dishonorable to feel same sex love (as opposed to some of the heteros that took such pleasure in the Abu Gharib prison torture. Does that fall under DADT if it's a hetero American soldier ordering sex acts as a means of torture and humiliation.). I'm not sure that's what our forefathers had in mind. So with all of this freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of press blah blah blah, it's always been okay to slander our President with outrageous claims but you can't tell your sexual orientation. That's so stupid. So I have to reason that the idea came from Stupid People..
What set me off on this today? I missed the men's short program in figure skating on Tuesday and I got to see Evan Lysacek's Silver Medal performance but with Scott Hamilton I'm lost. I was looking for it WITH the commentary which usually explains the costume's relation to the music. I didn't recognize the music and still looking for Scott (I love him, he doesn't talk too much). So, not knowing why Evan chose to wear an outfit that looked like a cross between Jack Skellington and Bea Arthur's Maude days, I found a sports page. Talking about how gay he is and that his girlfriend is just a front. How all the gay skaters who had to stay in the closet are rejoicing in his pain of unrequited "outness". They talked about Johnny Weir, and also talked about the little known gayness of GW Bush (Laura was a front) and John McCain (Cindy was bashed on several levels, but nothing I haven't thought of myself.) But my question is this... I realize that some men are all physically painful, rough and tumble, dog fighting, sports fans. I myself, enjoy men with more refinement and education. But if the beauty of figure skating is lost on you and you somehow fear the gay cooties will jump through the TV and infect you, why are you watching it? And who cares about sexual preference? I literally saw commentators SAY they were pulling for other countries whose skaters didn't set off their gaydar. What is that? The UNreal Americans that Palin spoke of in Virginia? Joe the Sportscaster? I think this country is regressing.
*Update: Weir skated the best I've ever seen him do and he was robbed.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
I need a break.. I'm going crazy.
I guess that isn't a stretch since it's the OCD blog that is MAKING me crazy.
I need a topic to vent on... Hmm, lemme check out HuffPo. I'll be back with something.
Ohhh I just remembered I have a few controversial opinions on matters I've seen in the news lately.
1. Yes. Obese people should be charged for 2 seats. I can take a child that weighs half as much as an adult and the weight and size of carry-on is an issue too. So unless my child pays for half of a seat but the fat dude next to me invades my personal and very small allotted space on an airplane it's not discrimination, it's a wake up call. We are a fat and unhealthy people. I know this because I am fatter and unhealthier lately.
See? No brainer. Besides there's a weight limit that an airplane has to abide by. I do not want to become to become an episode of Lost because of some lunacy over discrimination.
2. Mitt Romney politely asked a passenger to move his airplane seat forward during take off (that's the rule, last time I flew). The stupid guy turned around and decked Romney. Our man Mitt (who is NOT my favorite politician on the planet and frankly I think this is out of character for him and yes I can site examples) did NOT physically retaliate. My favorite part? The Mittster was flying economy, not first class. Also a bit of character switcheroo, a politician that practices what he preaches. Classy, Mitt! Keep up the good work.
3. Sarah Palin's hissy over the barely veiled joke (and that is an understatement) on The Family Guy. I've never watched The Family Guy, but it sounds similar to my guilty pleasure Southpark which is equal opportunity in it's spoofing of things and the ones I'VE seen have usually had a weirdly touching moral. I think in this case Family Guy went too far. Sarah Palin has been on each side of the spectrum of what is tasteless. Her actions since her nomination for VP hopeful has been fraught with things that have been wrong and off base. She seems able to dish it, even trot the kids out to help her chances (I won't say she's pimped them but... Okay she's totally pimped them). I believe her stand against the Fox network was appropriate and an apology is in order. I would understand a complete boycott. Call them on the carpet for being a stupid, nasty, evil network. Have an anti-Fox tea party. I've always maintained that Fox is out of control! Go Sarah GO!!! What? You work for them? Spewing your brand of lies and fear mongering in hopes of drawing in the more paranoid, gullible, uneducated people in America? Ooooo! Can I just say AWKWARD! Yeah, Sarah, I agree that Family Guy crossed a line. Does it violate a personal conviction that you will stand by to show the world that you won't take this insensitivity? I'm guessing the paycheck will outweigh your feigned outrage.
I need a topic to vent on... Hmm, lemme check out HuffPo. I'll be back with something.
Ohhh I just remembered I have a few controversial opinions on matters I've seen in the news lately.
1. Yes. Obese people should be charged for 2 seats. I can take a child that weighs half as much as an adult and the weight and size of carry-on is an issue too. So unless my child pays for half of a seat but the fat dude next to me invades my personal and very small allotted space on an airplane it's not discrimination, it's a wake up call. We are a fat and unhealthy people. I know this because I am fatter and unhealthier lately.
See? No brainer. Besides there's a weight limit that an airplane has to abide by. I do not want to become to become an episode of Lost because of some lunacy over discrimination.
2. Mitt Romney politely asked a passenger to move his airplane seat forward during take off (that's the rule, last time I flew). The stupid guy turned around and decked Romney. Our man Mitt (who is NOT my favorite politician on the planet and frankly I think this is out of character for him and yes I can site examples) did NOT physically retaliate. My favorite part? The Mittster was flying economy, not first class. Also a bit of character switcheroo, a politician that practices what he preaches. Classy, Mitt! Keep up the good work.
3. Sarah Palin's hissy over the barely veiled joke (and that is an understatement) on The Family Guy. I've never watched The Family Guy, but it sounds similar to my guilty pleasure Southpark which is equal opportunity in it's spoofing of things and the ones I'VE seen have usually had a weirdly touching moral. I think in this case Family Guy went too far. Sarah Palin has been on each side of the spectrum of what is tasteless. Her actions since her nomination for VP hopeful has been fraught with things that have been wrong and off base. She seems able to dish it, even trot the kids out to help her chances (I won't say she's pimped them but... Okay she's totally pimped them). I believe her stand against the Fox network was appropriate and an apology is in order. I would understand a complete boycott. Call them on the carpet for being a stupid, nasty, evil network. Have an anti-Fox tea party. I've always maintained that Fox is out of control! Go Sarah GO!!! What? You work for them? Spewing your brand of lies and fear mongering in hopes of drawing in the more paranoid, gullible, uneducated people in America? Ooooo! Can I just say AWKWARD! Yeah, Sarah, I agree that Family Guy crossed a line. Does it violate a personal conviction that you will stand by to show the world that you won't take this insensitivity? I'm guessing the paycheck will outweigh your feigned outrage.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Three Day Weekend... Is it over yet???
My family is trying to take over my new favorite show: Supernatural. Today was a marathon of fan faves (I think) but I'm on season 3 and now they are all taking it over. I didn't want to watch the marathon because I am doing good not watching ahead on the internet and taping the new season but not watching 'til I'm caught up. I personally think it's completely rude because it's MY show.
Why do I love this show? Because..
They are funny! (Sam's funny too, but THIS is a Dean classic!)
Why do I love this show? Because..
They are hot!
AND
Saturday, February 13, 2010
OCD blog is officially a go!!
Waiting for some permissions but I got the first post up. I have 2 projects in the works still! Here's the link:
OCD. Oh Calm Down
OCD. Oh Calm Down
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Oh Calm Down!
YAY!!! My second blog is under construction!!!
Okay, I know I've mentioned a million times that I have obsessive/compulsive disorder (OCD). You may not know I've mentioned it a million times because I usually don't publish them. It's odd, I know, because I post a lot of personal things. Cathartic and all that. So, I've started a new blog (a bit of a controversial one, I think that goes without saying) on my opinions and experiences for OCD.
OCD IS genetic so I will also (with their permission, of course) share my daughter's obsessions and compulsions, as well. We've all been diagnosed, medicated, and had therapy. I will be sharing how we cope with these things. One of our major coping tools is laughter. This WILL offend some people because it's a serious issue and I know that full well.
To give you a preview of what's to come, I noticed that this would be my 301st blog entry so I went back and deleted a post to make certain this one is #300.
Here we go: OCD. Oh Calm Down!
Okay, I know I've mentioned a million times that I have obsessive/compulsive disorder (OCD). You may not know I've mentioned it a million times because I usually don't publish them. It's odd, I know, because I post a lot of personal things. Cathartic and all that. So, I've started a new blog (a bit of a controversial one, I think that goes without saying) on my opinions and experiences for OCD.
OCD IS genetic so I will also (with their permission, of course) share my daughter's obsessions and compulsions, as well. We've all been diagnosed, medicated, and had therapy. I will be sharing how we cope with these things. One of our major coping tools is laughter. This WILL offend some people because it's a serious issue and I know that full well.
To give you a preview of what's to come, I noticed that this would be my 301st blog entry so I went back and deleted a post to make certain this one is #300.
Here we go: OCD. Oh Calm Down!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
When it rains it pours...
The following is clipped from a review by Joe Sinclair on the movie Letters from Iwo Jima:
Convictions.
Kuribayashi straddles the traditional and modern worlds. He is of samurai descent, but he has also visited America. He carries not just a samurai sword but also a pearl-handled 1911 Colt pistol. A flashback shows an American friend presenting him with the gun at a dinner party.
He tells his hosts that if the two countries ever come to war he will have to follow his convictions. His personal convictions, or the convictions of his country, he is asked. "Are they not the same?" he responds.
Convictions.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Who are you, really?
"There's a difference between opinion and conviction. My opinion is something that is true for me personally; my conviction is something that is true for everybody - in my opinion."
~Sylvia Cordwood
So.. I'm pretty opinionated. No really, I am. I know I seem shy and retiring...
I had a pretty cool childhood. My mom was simply the best ever and my dad was perfect. Well, I thought so. I grew up in a small town (population 100, seriously). I have very hazy recollections of life before Kindergarten. We moved from Vegas when I was 4 and the transition was different for everyone in my family. It set a course for all of our lives that was very different than it WOULD have been had we stayed in Vegas. I'm going to stick to my story even though every one of us have a story to tell. Mine is perhaps the least interesting, mostly because I don't remember the pain of leaving friends behind but I do remember how I made all of my new ones and how they shaped me. My PERSONAL story lacks the real tragedy that others could express and how they became who they were because of it.
One huge sacrifice, for me, was that I saw my dad for 2 days a week. He stayed on working for the electrician's union he'd worked for when we lived there and Utah is a pretty union free state. He would NOT work in Utah. Had my parents been divorced, I would have spent more quality time with my dad but was content waiting for him to retire.
Shortly after we moved there (across the street from my maternal grandparents)my grandfather passed away. I don't remember him much at all, I just remember the overwhelming sadness of his loss in others, especially my Grandma, the last grandparent I had.
There's few perfect things in the world but one of them was my Grandma. She was the best and her contribution to who I am is huge and one I feel unworthy of. She didn't like being in her home alone at night after my grandpa died so my sister spent nights with her there during the summer and my grandma stayed nights in my bedroom during the school year. This went on until my sister got older and had other things that conflicted, so I stayed with her. Then as I grew older my niece took over but it was something each of treasure. She passed away when I was 15. The first huge loss to me. I'd experienced death before, but she took a part of me with her and left a part of herself with me.
My dad was so different than anyone I ever knew or have known since. When he died I was 17. I asked my mom and sisters to not speak ill of him in front of me because I planned on believing he was perfect for the rest of my life. I felt I'd been cheated. Even then I knew it wasn't true. I remember knowing then that his moods were not your normal, run of the mill, moody person moods. More like childish tantrums that no one really understood. I took note and when I recognized that I'd inherited that from him, I wasn't going to ruin holidays for everyone for no apparent reason. I never understood how a happy family gathering could be thrown away by the person I loved and cherished my short time with. I was determined to fight it and it has gotten the best of me from time to time but until The Headache From Hell, it was never as difficult a battle. My dad was a Democrat, BIG TIME!! I remember him coaching my sister to debate with her teachers in school who were Republican sheep. The one she debated the most with was my driver's ed/history teacher when I got into high school. He slept in the passenger seat as we did our student driving but had an uncanny ability of knowing when we took the car above 55 mph and nearly threw us through the windshield if we rolled through a stop sign. In history, HIS copy of the textbook said "Murdering Bastards" when the books we had mentioned a Kennedy and "Filthy A-rab" when teaching us of anyone of middle eastern origin regardless of actual geography. This could be an explanation to why history is my least favorite subject in the world. Anywho.. I knew nothing of politics but if my dad said the sky was blue, I would argue it was green. I inherited my argumentative and opinionated nature from him. I was a Republican because he was a Dem and I'd rather be a fat pachyderm than a stupid ass any day of the week... Ahh the ignorance of childhood. He was born and raised in Pennsylvania so Steelers and Pirates were a given (I can't remember if I've ever mentioned that he and his brother was approached by minor league scouts when he was younger). When I was 15, Superbowl XIX rolled around and the Steelers were out. SF 49ers vs. Miami Dolphins. I know zilch about football but Joe Montana was hot. Naturally this meant my father was rooting for the Dolphins. I had advertised our epic battle of wills a bit too much because our home teachers (scroll to the last definition) came at the time the game began and spent well over an hour telling us the evils of worldly pursuits such as television, football, and especially the Superbowl on the Sabbath (pretty sure they were both Republicans). As soon as the door hit them in the backsides the game was on and let's just say that I've also taken the opposite approach to my father's handling of being wrong. I don't think of myself as a loser or an idiot, I think of myself as a the person who had a fairly major part in bringing my brilliant little chiclets into the world. Though I can't take all of the credit, I try to take the things that have shaped me and teach them to my children. I won't ever even come close to thinking I'm mother of the year material, maybe unorthodox mother of the year, but I do my best under the circumstances and I'm proud of the little people I'm raising. I'm also my biggest critic, therefore constructive criticism is unnecessary.
I've also mentioned the evolution of my life since the headache. I'm not as good a mother as I once was. Not as good a friend, family member, daughter. Maybe not as good a person. My days were so full. Hobbies, yoga, PTA, volunteer work in my kids classrooms, LOTS of church callings. I love to read and learn so more and more time is devoted to that. I have varied interests but we all know that much of my time has been devoted to President Obama for over a year now, actually close to two.
I'm often astounded at the amazing ignorance of rural Utah and the intolerance that is taught to children from their birth. The town I live in now is a bit more liberal because it's a University town. I'm not a racist or intolerant at all and I've tried to make my kids understand the cancer of hatred towards someone different than they are. You can't explain it, they have to see it. After one of my daughters informed my that she was out of school for Milk Day which baffled the heck out of me did I realize she meant Martin Luther King Day. I showed them his most famous speech and explained segregation but still, they didn't begin to comprehend it. My nephew who I love like a brother married a gorgeous black woman who I LOOOOOOVE talking to. They have four beautiful children and if we lived closer our oldest daughters would be so close because they are so similar. I swear, they communicate through telepathy.
The first taste of racial history came from the remake of Hairspray which was funny and the completely bizarre thought of John Travolta as a woman with husband Christopher Walken was hard to look past but my kids were appalled at the idea that people in America was treated that way. Second was the play my oldest daughter and her friends wrote and acted in and won their way to the regional history fair based on Rosa Parks. But the thing that drove it home was when I began campaigning for Senator Obama to be our President. They believed they could handle the opposition at school and (I'm ashamed to say) church. Even to the point that eventually they were afraid to defend him which made them feel weak. Instead they stayed silent.
When the campaign began I had no idea who to vote for, partly from ignorance and partly because I didn't like the candidates I did know. I used Glass Booth to help narrow down to the candidates that shared my views. First place was John Edwards but something about him screamed sex scandal. Mmmhmm, I called it. Senator Obama was my next choice. There are few things I don't agree with him on and oddly I'm more liberal. I loved the grassroots support that some people interpreted as worship of an imagined incarnation of the Messiah. I see it as American people coming together to put a man in office that they truly love and are inspired by. Is there anything more American than taking the future of the country into your own hands? It was historic in THAT sense alone. I recognized that I could take an active part in history. My children will remember how I fought for my beliefs. My convictions. I didn't do it for shock value or popular opinion. I did it because I listened to a man speak of hope and change for the country I live in that seems to have lost many of IT'S convictions. Vaclav Havel said: “Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out”. We couldn't go on in the direction we've been going. That is how ruts are formed. We MUST have change because the world around us is changing and like it or not, so are we. Our children need to know that in order to improve the world around us, we must take risks and we've never been cowards before.
I'm proud of my small part of the election of the first black President. I'm honored to listen and be moved by him and know deep down that, though he doesn't know who I am, he appreciates what I've done and admires MY convictions. I'm also happy that my children see me never falter in what I know is right and know they are proud of me too. I know that, like me, they will not follow the path of least resistance or fall in with the ignorance of the people around them but will question the veracity of what seems wrong to them. I will support them in all that they do, so long as they make educated choices, form their own opinions, live according to their own convictions. In the end THAT is what I learned from my dad. He was flawed and sometimes he was wrong but he was true to his beliefs and formed them in an educated manner. I'm not perfect either and as I spent this last weekend with my family I discovered that I stand apart from them more now than I ever have. Not because I'm a half sister or because my headache has changed me and I'm reclusive, but because we've all changed. Every single one of us. We can't go back to who we were but we can examine ourselves and ask if who we are and what we think is true to ourselves and if our convictions are truly a hope for a better existence for everyone our lives touch. Or are we so shallow that we lack true beliefs? Do we want what is true for us to benefit the people around us? I certainly have MY opinion on that one but that is something that belongs to me. Kind of like the Patch does.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Keith Olbermann becomes a liability to MSNBC
My guest on the shoutbox up yonder shared a link with me and I've read it and have to say thank you as I've not been in the Olbermann loop. I enjoyed his back and forth with O'Reilly mostly because I feel O' Reilly's a cockroach. While Olbermann seemed to have the intellectual upper hand, Bill-o the clown was on uncertain footing with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert mainly because their self deprecating approach seemed to set him off balance and he seemed to sense he was being trounced but wasn't certain exactly how it was happening, particularly Colbert.
I have enjoyed many of Olbermann's smack downs, but he's spends a little too much time angry and honestly, I haven't watched him since the election.
I certainly would rather see him cut from MSNBC that have it turn into the circus that is Fox News. Either way, I'm with the majority of American's that have thrown their belief in Jon Stewart.
I'm a pretty regular reader of HuffPo although I can only take small doses of Arianna. I enjoyed her recent guest visit with Fox News Channel President Roger Ailes who insists that Fox New is no longer at war with the White House which confirms what we knew all along. They've been at war with the White House despite claims to the contrary. But unfortunately, Ailes statement is completely false. Otherwise why would Fox news cut the last 20 minutes of the GOP retreat where the Republicans literally had him where they wanted him yet he STILL came out the winner.
Jon Stewart Q&O If you can't handle the spanking, skip to the 6 minute mark.
Ailes also defended Glenn Beck's inflammatory and completely off base accusations about President Obama. Suggesting that Glenn Beck wasn't speaking of President Obama:
One would think that Ailes would be the first to realize that proof is only one Youtube search away:
"Anyone not onboard look out, because you too could be the next victim of the killing spree"
Umm, who's the one holding the bat here?
Glenn Beck insists he'd never used the word "slaughtered":
Yes I wandered off topic, but here's my point. Yes Olbermann is getting a bit radical, along with Maddow, Limbaugh, Beck, O'Reilly, etc. I can't really say I agree with radicals, unless it's me. But he wasn't wrong about Scott Brown.
Thank you for the link, guest. I'm happy to have a topic even though I can't stick to it!
I have enjoyed many of Olbermann's smack downs, but he's spends a little too much time angry and honestly, I haven't watched him since the election.
I certainly would rather see him cut from MSNBC that have it turn into the circus that is Fox News. Either way, I'm with the majority of American's that have thrown their belief in Jon Stewart.
I'm a pretty regular reader of HuffPo although I can only take small doses of Arianna. I enjoyed her recent guest visit with Fox News Channel President Roger Ailes who insists that Fox New is no longer at war with the White House which confirms what we knew all along. They've been at war with the White House despite claims to the contrary. But unfortunately, Ailes statement is completely false. Otherwise why would Fox news cut the last 20 minutes of the GOP retreat where the Republicans literally had him where they wanted him yet he STILL came out the winner.
Jon Stewart Q&O If you can't handle the spanking, skip to the 6 minute mark.
Ailes also defended Glenn Beck's inflammatory and completely off base accusations about President Obama. Suggesting that Glenn Beck wasn't speaking of President Obama:
"Well, he was talking about Hitler and Stalin slaughtering people, so I think he was probably accurate," he said. "I think he speaks English, I don't know. But I don't misinterpret any of his words. He did say one unfortunate thing that he apologized for. But that happens in live television."
One would think that Ailes would be the first to realize that proof is only one Youtube search away:
"Anyone not onboard look out, because you too could be the next victim of the killing spree"
Umm, who's the one holding the bat here?
Glenn Beck insists he'd never used the word "slaughtered":
Yes I wandered off topic, but here's my point. Yes Olbermann is getting a bit radical, along with Maddow, Limbaugh, Beck, O'Reilly, etc. I can't really say I agree with radicals, unless it's me. But he wasn't wrong about Scott Brown.
Thank you for the link, guest. I'm happy to have a topic even though I can't stick to it!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Funny? Not so much...
The Patch exists because I drive everyone insane with my political opinions. I tend to be a realist so the the crazy outlandish accusations about the President are ignorant, counterproductive and tiresome. Especially when you consider the source(s).
Two things that are notoriously sensitive subject matters are politics and religion. I recently took exception to a joke about President Obama on Facebook, actually two, but I struggle to not offer my opinion or pretend I don't notice. Pfft, like I can do that, but I try. Both of these friends are ladies I go to church with. The most recent one even followed up with a personal acknowledgment to me knowing it was going to bug me. And when it did, she told me to lighten up and just laugh along with her because if I take it personal I'll be miserable. Ahh, the cure to my misery, compromise my beliefs. Among the many things I hear bandied about our President is that he thinks he's Jesus Christ (or the anti-Christ, depending the person) but I've defended my faith with as much passion. Ironically among the crazy, outlandish accusations of the LDS church or more specifically Joseph Smith is that we believe he is Jesus Christ. That would mean we weren't Christian. We're a cult. So am I expected to keep my faith to myself? Ignore the jokes? Or laugh along with people and stop taking the things that are important to ME so seriously?
I respect people of other faiths and their beliefs. I can respect other political opinions and even share some beliefs. Religion works like that too, it's not all or nothing.
When I was younger, I remember Polack jokes. Why don't we share those on Facebook? Ethnic slurs? Sticks and stones, right? What is the big deal with sexual harassment? We have the constitutional right to say whatever we want, right? I guess so.
I think at my house I will be doing all the things I've always done. I will take my children to churches of other faiths so they can be certain of THEIR OWN faith. I'M certain and I know a lot of people who are absolutely certain of their faith and perhaps it isn't Christianity.
I will always question the people who govern our country. Some, quite frankly, frighten me. I don't believe that either party has the corner on heroes or really stupid people. I'm frustrated with President Obama sometimes, I think he is too. He takes a hit with that smile and even a laugh of disbelief (across the board tax cuts like Reagan and Kennedy) I roll my eyes and yell at my TV. Then I see a commercial for Black History Month and everything is okay. I had a real part of that. He's a good man and I've never doubted him.
Two things that are notoriously sensitive subject matters are politics and religion. I recently took exception to a joke about President Obama on Facebook, actually two, but I struggle to not offer my opinion or pretend I don't notice. Pfft, like I can do that, but I try. Both of these friends are ladies I go to church with. The most recent one even followed up with a personal acknowledgment to me knowing it was going to bug me. And when it did, she told me to lighten up and just laugh along with her because if I take it personal I'll be miserable. Ahh, the cure to my misery, compromise my beliefs. Among the many things I hear bandied about our President is that he thinks he's Jesus Christ (or the anti-Christ, depending the person) but I've defended my faith with as much passion. Ironically among the crazy, outlandish accusations of the LDS church or more specifically Joseph Smith is that we believe he is Jesus Christ. That would mean we weren't Christian. We're a cult. So am I expected to keep my faith to myself? Ignore the jokes? Or laugh along with people and stop taking the things that are important to ME so seriously?
I respect people of other faiths and their beliefs. I can respect other political opinions and even share some beliefs. Religion works like that too, it's not all or nothing.
When I was younger, I remember Polack jokes. Why don't we share those on Facebook? Ethnic slurs? Sticks and stones, right? What is the big deal with sexual harassment? We have the constitutional right to say whatever we want, right? I guess so.
I think at my house I will be doing all the things I've always done. I will take my children to churches of other faiths so they can be certain of THEIR OWN faith. I'M certain and I know a lot of people who are absolutely certain of their faith and perhaps it isn't Christianity.
I will always question the people who govern our country. Some, quite frankly, frighten me. I don't believe that either party has the corner on heroes or really stupid people. I'm frustrated with President Obama sometimes, I think he is too. He takes a hit with that smile and even a laugh of disbelief (across the board tax cuts like Reagan and Kennedy) I roll my eyes and yell at my TV. Then I see a commercial for Black History Month and everything is okay. I had a real part of that. He's a good man and I've never doubted him.
You're kidding me, right???
I just traced a hit right to the House of Representative in Washington DC. Who in the heck has time, in the House of Representatives, to read my blog. FIX THE COUNTRY!! STOP READING BLOGS!! Don't make me have to draw it in crayon!
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