These aren't the movies you're looking for

Star Wait clip (first 10 minutes or so)

I just got this DVD called "Star Wait" for $5 at Half-Price Books, it's a documentary about the hardcore Star Wars fans who lined up 6 weeks in advance for Episode II: Attack of the Clones. I have to say, I really enjoyed it. Hardcore fanaticism is something that is bound to weird you out, but only if the level of it higher than your own. Yes. It is definitely waaay over the top to wait in line for a movie for 6 weeks on the sidewalk, as these people did (a lot of them did it all 3 times... and that was after Episode I disappointed them as they admitted later), but as the whole thing progressed you could see what an absolute blast they were having, and how so much of it just about bonding with others - plus I would absolutely LOVE to watch a movie where the crowd is loving it so much that it's like a live concert of your favorite band. Anyone seen Fanboys? I want to see that one. I am a fangirl at heart, and I've gone overboard for more than one passion in my lifetime. I tend to obsess until I wear myself (and people around me) out - then move on to something else. One of the things I obsessed over briefly was Star Wars, and I am talking about roughly ~1980-1985. (I was an adult.) I was hit with too much real-life between that time and when Episode I Phantom Menace came out to maintain the same level of interest, but, because of Phantom Menace I have developed a love-hate thing for George Lucas - whatever I worshipped about him is either gone or maybe never was there. It's like being in love and later seeing things differently when your head clears. The trailer for "The People vs. George Lucas" below really illustrates a lot about this particular passion/obsession. One quote from the trailer struck me: "The hatred that people claim they have for the new films proves how profoundly they love them." It actually makes a lot of sense to me. I have watched Ep III Revenge of the Sith, (which most people agree is the best of the newer trilogy) many times, and I think that I am hoping it will grow on me, that my old love will be redeemed. Not so far. Here's a vid that I always get a big kick out of. It's "what if George Lucas had directed The Lord of The Rings," which is my Reigning Favorite Trilogy Ever (also favorite movies ever). I saw Hayden Christiansen in a movie called Shattered Glass which was made in between the 2 SW movies, and I thought he was good in it, but Lucas managed to even get mediocre performances out of Ewan McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson and many more good actors (biggest. waste. of. Sam Jackson. ever.)... and the script in this trilogy!!! Blehh. (The only acting exception for this trilogy in my book was Ian McDiarmid/Palpatine). Ditch the good stories and character development in favor of special effects, computerize as much as possible, and merchandize! I still love the SW Original Trilogy, especially Eps IV and V. That's good moviemaking. I still don't think I could have spent 6 weeks on the sidewalk though, not even for those (or for Lord of the Rings either).

Countdown = Caption Kings

 

On Countdown they did a little feature on Karl Rove's Twitter and the recent hunting pictures he's been posting. I have to say that this is one of the best captions I've seen them do:

Something else I stumbled across is Karl Rove's Youtube channel. Click here to see the happy dancing turd having a going-away card signed for Dubya (yes, he dances). I have to admit, I was just as happy about it.

The Sodom and Gomorrah Teddy Bears

Amusing.

Conservative columnist is outraged by "How inappropriate commercials have cheapened an important holiday."

You know... ever since the "Saint" part was removed, it's hard for a right-wing conservative Christian to celebrate it properly. He's disgusted with the teddy bears and pajama-grams and the suggestiveness of...everything! He even used the phrase "galloping towards Gomorrah." Some background on Vs-Day is provided by the History Channel here:

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor's daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure.

February 14 has been a "romantic" holiday since the Middle Ages. Not sure what the columnist thinks the holiday should go back to...

I would tend to agree, though, that some of the advertising has become obscene simply because of the plugging of diamonds. Ugh. It's just not the kind of obscene he's talking about.

Weinermobile brings excitement to otherwise uneventful day

Yesterday (Saturday) turned out to be chillier than hoped for (cooler than 60°, overcast and breezy) so Central Market moved The Quebe Sisters onto the smaller patio and surrounded it with plastic, so of course, with less room there it was jam-packed so we bailed and went up the road to the Triangle. Mandola's (love that name, because I love the mandola!) provided some really really good pizza although it was packed to the gills too. Right across from that is the Flying Saucer, which has one of the best beer selections you can find anywhere, so we had a couple of pints and spent the rest of the evening in. Today was much nicer, weather-wise, and the highlight of the day - at least for MrB - was a close encounter with the Weinermobile. The camera was ready for the big event:

They were also giving away these provocative little whistles:

Stuttering cat ironing in kitchen

This is one of my dad's old Valentines from school. I have a bunch of these somewhere in the trunks (::: looking for them :::). On the back it says "To Junior from Andy" Below is a pic of my dad in school in 1929 so it's likely that Andy is in the picture too.

Any plans for V-Day? I am notoriously unromantic, hate receiving cut flowers, and hate diamonds and all the bullshit that surrounds them (from the cruelty involved in their harvest all the way to the ad campaigns that tell you that expensive gifts create love).

We don't exchange gifts for any holidays, including this one... not that we won't do anything on Saturday. There might be a movie in store but I'm not even sure what I want to see. If you live around here, you might want to head over to Central Market North Lamar where the Quebe [quay-bee] Sisters are playing and singing old-timey western swing starting at 12:30 (noonish). Always a delight, and weather should be great. I probably wouldn't mind some red wine and chocolate on the patio.

Double Dog Dare - Hard to Resist

Furbaby Friday - Fully vetted

Henry had his routine weigh-in, and although he's doing pretty well in general, unfortunately, he hasn't gained an ounce in the last month - but hasn't lost either.

While I was there with Henry, I mentioned that Jax was very itchy even though he supposedly had a depo medrol shot at the dermatologist's... so... I unloaded Henry at home and hauled Jax up there for a shot (cortisone, I think) that should get him out of this beautiful plastic cape (a.k.a. his e-collar) for a little while anyway. The shot went in the muscle - and it HURT. Also, he starting spitting foam while he was there (the vet thinks she may have accidentally smeared mineral oil on his mouth) - so all the rest of the afternoon he was a foam-spitting LOUD MEOWER who was definitely mad at all of us.

Tags and links: Friday Ark - Carnival of the Cats - This week's carnival is at Three Tabby Cats in Vienna on Sunday - Cats - Catblogging

Low rent travelogue, Chapter 2

Here's Chapter 2 of my Growing-Up-Military series, which I started last summer when I wrote about my first 2 years in Phoenix (1953-1955). After spending 6 more months in Colorado while my dad took a class, he was headed for Johnston Island and we were to follow shortly. I was a precocious little thing (disgustingly so), and managed to get in front of an open mic radio broadcast where I recited the Lord's Prayer from memory, and dedicated it to my mother and to each grandparent and to my daddy who was on his way to Johnston Island.

Johnston Island was originally used as a bird sanctuary until the American military took it over. The island was only a quarter mile wide and a mile long at the time (it has since gotten larger through dredging), so the base took up every square inch of it and made it resemble an aircraft carrier.

These scans are from an orientation booklet that they gave the guys - and I do mean "guys" because there were almost no women on the island at all - and the booklet points out in a couple of places that they can get all their necessities there - except "dolls".

My dad was very lucky that he wasn't there after 1958 because they started doing nuclear testing. The detonations were in space overhead, but there was one mishap (Starfish Prime) that caused the island to get a good dusting of plutonium, along with quite a few other thermonuclear events (Operation Dominic and others)



The base was used as a storage facility for all sorts of WMDs in the 70s, including nuke stuff, chemical weapons, sarin, Agent Orange, mustard gas... and there were a number of accidents involving those too during the 1990s (see the link). By 2003 the incredibly massive stockpiles and the facility were destroyed, and the island has been redesignated as a wildlife sanctuary, although not exactly the same condition that Mother Nature would have preferred. Below, a few barrels of Agent Orange, some leaky, from this website.

My mother and I didn't go to Johnston Island. The military didn't end up allowing us to go there, so our poverty forced us to have to move in with my maternal grandparents in Carbondale IL. They had a "room" in their basement, and those quote marks are appropriate as it was just an area with a couple of cots. The coal furnace was down there with us, and somebody had to continuously shovel the coal into the furnace to keep the heat going so it was a sooty and smelly place to live, although not the worst place I ever lived. It was very much the opposite of our next destination: Hawaii 1956. That will be Chapter 3.

[Unofficial website Johnston memories]

Waiting for the Cable Guy

(posting this remotely) Our cable went out yesterday afternoon, which also means no internet or email. I am so tied to those things, it's amazing - not to mention that I can't get any freelance work done, or even know that something has hit the InBox. I have been reduced to scrapbooking - looking through the trunks, sorting and scanning moldy old things. If I don't respond to something, it's because I probably didn't see it. It's times like these that I wish I had an iPhone.

{sigh}

Barking up the wrong tree

I got this survey along with a letter, addressing me as a member of the Republican Party. PHFFFFT! This note is what they will be getting back, and they will be paying for the postage.



(dontcha love this Obamicon? I can't take credit for it)

Post Cards from Nowhere, pt. 5

Either this poor, absolutely helpless and clueless man is utterly unable to get dressed without his daughter's assistance - or - his daughter has taken a fancy to his only shirt and run away with it.

This one seems to be both to and from Canaan, MO, although I can't blame Anna Weymeyer for spending the penny rather than walk the message out to R.F.D. No. 1 herself.

Pointy Bird House

My second birdhouse made from a yard sign turned out stylish. It's made from the corrugated plastic sign left here by the tree trimmers, a company called "Good Morning Tree." Cute name but I keep wanting to call them Morning Wood. Down the street there's a sign from another company called "Adam's Apple," but the very best name of a local tree company is "They Might Be Monkeys."

Anyway, I decided to see if the birds will like this triangular pointy architecture. Just thinking of the words "pointy" and "birds" brings down the hell of getting a damned silly phrase stuck in my head, this one courtesy of Steve Martin in The Man With Two Brains:

O pointy birds, o pointy pointy,
Anoint my head, anointy-nointy.

Steve Martin used to be so funny, it almost didn't matter what he said... HE was funny. The Pointy Birds had a little impact. There was (maybe still is?) a band called The Pointy Birds, and you can see them on YouTube googling themselves.

There is also this prize-winningly (although intentionally) hideous website based on the ode to the pointy birds. Oh go ahead - click it!

Must. Have.

[sent to me by a co-worker... and I do appreciate it!]
hee hee