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 My blog was filled up. I'm too lazy to clean it out. So I started a new one. |
| Ever had a day when you had several thoughts or trains of thought that you just had to write down? But you were driving or at work or moving the lawn, so you had to wait. By the time the day's chores are done and you sit at your desk, your mind is blank. And you think to yourself, "What was so important? What made me think I had something to say?" Then nothing comes out. You sit stymied. You couldn't make polite conversation if someone were in the room. All you can think about is washing your face and going to bed. Did that moment of grand inspiration really exist? Was it just a wish or a moment's fancy? Are great thoughts so fleeting, so slick that they can't be held? Maybe it's like walking on the precipice. You have to throw yourself in right then and there to get the most of it. Walk away, and you forget how it feels. The adrenaline tapers off; the emotions, whether fear or thrill or passion,drift away. Nothing remains but the ashes of your mind's passion. Maybe, it will come back another day. Probably not. How often does the same muse visit with the same agenda? That's life, I guess. |
| Okay, I'm usually a little late. I just saw the movie Chicago with Richard Gere from more than a decade ago. It wasn't at all what I was expecting. It was wonderful. My favorite scene, I think, was the puppet scene where Gere is the featured performer with the rest in the chorus. They had to shoot it many times to edit together the final film. The girl Roxie was real at times, just a puppet at others. Same with the chorus members. Only Gere was himself the whole time. And his voice is unusual. We see why he didn't have a musical career, but he can still carry a tune well. The effect is memorable. I also liked the song Mr. Cellophane. I'm sure a lot of viewers can identify with that. Queen Latifah was great, as always, singing or not. In some movies, editing, flash shots, short scenes, darting back and forth, etc., just flops. Here, it was clean, artistic, and tastefully done. The kaleidoscope, if I can call it that, works in this case. A nearby theater group is doing Chicago very soon. It's a bit of ride for me, but I'm thinking about going. I just have to round up some friends. |
| There is a revival of interest in old westerns. GetTV, a channel owned by Sony, runs a lot of old shows, but has certain hours and seasons dedicated to very old westerns. I discovered Nichols, Tombstone Territory, Restless Gun, and Hondo on GetTV. I had never heard of them before. They're entertaining. INSP runs a lot of westerns and is responsible for getting me hooked on them about 3 years ago. Encore has a western channel, which runs a lot of mini-series. Of course, TCM and AMC still run classics with James Stewart and Audie Murphy, et al. I like the really old ones, and am thrilled to see some of these stars when they were very young. This past year, it seems they've pulled even older movies out than they had run previously. I've taken up reading westerns, too. There's a lot of mediocre ones. The Desperadoes was a great story, but not perfectly written. (It was written in the 1950's. My copy was printed in the 80's.) I just read one called The Streak by Max Brand, from the 1930's. It was surprisingly well-written. It was placed in the overlapping time of horses and autos. It had humor, realism, and psychological insight. It was quite enjoyable. It seems that a lot of people have misconceptions about westerns. I keep watching movies and reading books that defy the stereotypes. On the other hand, I've studied western lore and history so much on my own, that I can't help but pick apart some things I see or read as historically inaccurate. |
| Aerosmith made an elevator sound sexy, but I've got other descriptions. Today I had a new adventure on one. I got on the middle of three elevators at the hospital. I wanted to go up one floor to exit. I was done and had the rest of the day off. Two employees were on with me, one in a uniform. They were both on a late lunch break. Almost as soon as it started up, the elevator abruptly jerked and made a tremendous thud. The lady in uniform went, "Oh, oh". We hesitated a few moments before the blue uniform punched the help button. The second one told her to push the open button. Nothing worked, so she hit alarm. We didn't move. Nothing happened. Finally, after what sounded like outside phone line recorded messages, someone asked if we needed help. The button pusher told her where we were and what had happened. Apparently, he was from outside the hospital and said he would report the incident. He asked how many were on the elevator, if anyone needed medical help, and what her name was. "Casey," she said. Minutes passed as we listened to the whooshing of the other elevators, and clanking sounds, and bells. We kept expecting one of the clanks to be someone opening our door. I imagined that the elevator was starting to move, then realized it hadn't. We learned they were both on lunch, and I was leaving an appointment. Finally, the alarm guy called back and asked Casey if we were okay. He promised someone was on the way. More time passed, when Casey decided to call her office or station and tell them why she hadn't returned. That woman promised to report it from within. I started studying the inside. In the movies, some guy can always stand up and get through a tile in the ceiling Nope. Nothing but an electric light fixture in that ceiling. I started trying to pry some side panels with my fingers, but they weren't going anywhere either. These elevators were not movie elevators! No one was going anywhere to be a hero or escape a villain. There was no fire extinguisher. It began to get really warm in there. We could feel the movement of the other shafts as the air was sucked from ours as they passed. It was about 20 minutes before we felt someone was aware that we were in there and trying to rescue us. Suddenly I saw light at the bottom of our door. The second lady said, "I hope we're at a level where we can just step out". Just then the doors barely began to part at the bottom only, and I could see the top of the opening in the wall. It was not matching the top of the elevator. "No, look there," I said pointing. "We're going to have to jump down." Well, these two guys struggled to part the doors, finally turning another power switch off that was forcing them to close. (They had the stationery doors open. It was the doors that actually close the shaft that wouldn't open.) Then they played with the ladder, trying to figure the safest way to get us out. I wanted to just sit down and slide off the edge, but they wouldn't allow it. By then, the lobby, where I had started was filling with onlookers. They decided to leave the ladder closed, propped against the raised floor with one of them holding it in place. We had to turn around and back out of the elevator, with the opening at about our waist or lower. I was not wearing the right shoes for this. Casey, the smallest and youngest, went down first. It seemed like it took forever. Then it was my turn. The second lady took my purse, I turned my back to the audience and moved my foot to the side. The man, whom I did not know, put his hand on my foot to guide it to the rung. I think I moved fairly quickly once the first foot was planted. The second man handed me my purse. He had stood beside the ladder to catch me just in case. The last one off came down fairly quickly, too, having watched us. I still needed to leave the hospital, but I didn't want to try another of their elevators! Someone standing there offered to show me the stairs. Lady #3 wanted them, too. We walked up 3 full flights of stairs to get to the level I wanted. (Hospitals have high ceilings.) This is a beautiful building with lots of light and artistic touches on the side of a mountain. I didn't panic, but now I'm afraid to trust elevators. Here's my advice. It's healthier to walk up the stairs, if possible. Go to the bathroom before you get on the elevator. Have a bottle of water, just in case. If it's almost lunch time, have a cracker or a piece of fruit on stand-bye. I have to think about what to do if my elderly father is with me. He couldn't have turned around and slid to one side to go down a ladder. And he couldn't walk up that many steps. His joints just won't do it. I'd have to rant to the alarm guy about getting help for someone not stable on his feet immediately. But don't panic for yourself or someone else. You'll waste the oxygen. |
| I have never liked horror movies. They scared me when I was young, and my younger brother was obsessed with them. I couldn't even follow what was going on, but he would explain them to me. It took years for me to work up the courage to watch Cujo with my husband, only to discover it wasn't a horror movie after all. Now one of my favorite TV shows is Grimm. Go figure. It's full of blood and gore. People morph suddenly into scary ugly creatures. I can't get enough of it! But it's the story line that keeps me coming back, not the hideous effects or violence. I've seentoo many creepy movies with no decent story line. The action didn't make sense. And there's usually gratuitous sex or nudity in horror movies. Why female breasts and horror are so closely tied I don't know. Or maybe I do. At least to men, both are thrilling, just in a different way. It just cheapens the movie for the women viewers. Still, I liked the movie Needful Things with Gregory Peck. But it was a good story told by Stephen King. It wasn't horror just for the sake of horror. And it was scary and creepy. But then Gregory Peck added class to everything he did. |
| Don't know why I'm wasting time thinking about this, like one of the meaningless scenes from Seinfeld. There are some things that you can add to any dish and not go wrong. You can overdo it, but that seldom happens. The first one I think of is bacon. It's not my personal favorite, but it's very trendy now, especially maple bacon. Crumble it on doughnuts, cupcakes or in cookie batter. I haven't tried any of these, but they are everywhere. There's even bacon crusted pizza. That sounds like a heart attack I'm not ready to have. Bacon sales must be way up. If you're a baker, or run a restaurant, and need something new, just add bacon crumbles to something tried and true. Parmesan cheese is one I like. A lot. Sprinkle it on pasta pizza, buttered bread, a salad, a casserole or soup. It's yummy. This one is hard to overdo. Freshly grated, or canned, it works for me. I forgot eggs; sprinkle it on eggs. Pecans are my favorite nut. Not only do they go in and on desserts, they go in a lot of breads and salads. Put them on ice cream, with or without chocolate syrup. Eat them plain, or mixed with raisins or craisins. They really go well with sweet potatoes or winter squashes. Coconut is not just for desserts. It goes with homemade trail mix and works with fruit salads. It's great with oranges, fresh pineapple, cherries optional. I had a brother who could eat any and everything with ketchup. I never acquired the habit. He put ketchup on mashed potatoes, eggs, all meats, and anything that wasn't sweet. My husband used it on hot dogs, which was new to me. I like cinnamon on almost anything. Other people don't, so I don't add it to recipes. I put it in my tea, and sometimes to meat dishes. Any baked item works with it, and it makes the house smell good. It goes with fruit and apple cider or party mixes. These are staples to keep on hand. Try some when you entertain, and see what the reaction is. |
| The other night I walked into the room where my father was watching a movie already in progress. The first person I saw was my hero (one of them) James Drury. I was hooked immediately. It didn't take long before I was wondering if this movie was a spoof. I grabbed the clicker to get a little background, and all I found was that it was made in 2005 and had the name "Hell To Pay". Drury's lines were very brief, and the younger actors dominated the story. Soon I was thinking about the terrible dialog. From that point on, I tried desperately to find something redeeming about it, but it was very difficult. The script was just pitiful. I seldom watch a movie and think about the script writing or the lousy story line. I might pick at the costuming according to the time in history or historical facts or maybe one actor's lousy acting. But this film was just terrible. I kept watching because of my devotion to Drury and hoped that he would appear again. (Actually, the leading lady's wig was horrible-an unreal color with enough hair for two or three humans.) There were a couple of very brief appearances by some marshal, which I discovered later was Lee Majors. His hat was low on his face which was expressionless. His lines were brief and stiff. The other characters acted like he was a beloved presence in the town, but it was never demonstrated in this film. When one actor was allowed some solo time and spoke paragraphs, he or she usually did a commendable job. I felt like even the ones unknown to me would do better in some other film. The acting wasn't bad considering they had such lousy roles and lines. Stella Stevens was one of those who did okay when allowed. I discovered later, when I did research, that Peter Brown and Andrew Prine were also in the film. They probably were done before I started watching or I just didn't recognize them. They were stars in shows back in the 50's, 60's and 70's, so I wouldn't know how they've aged. (Prine played Helen Keller's brother in The Miracle Worker.) Brown died in 2016. There was some terrible editing, when a kaleidascope of still shots and brief action shots told several chapters in a few seconds. That wasn't artistic. It was garbage. The listing of so many older stars spoke volumes. The director/writer Chris something or other was trying to showcase of the big names from the past and didn't really have a good story or direction. It didn't work. It was cheesy, cheesy, cheesy. The cliches and corniness were there. You can put good actors in a lousy film, and it's still going to be lousy. |
| I'm sick of this war between the media and the politicians. The news is about the news, not what's going on. They need to stop worrying about themselves or how they are perceived and just report without emotion. Get mad behind the scenes, not on camera. The more you complain and rant, the more fuel you give the speech makers. I just witnessed an interview with a journalist on the left guessing what was in someone's heart and assuming things about her life. What kind of news is that? What self-righteousness is this that passes for news? Stick to the facts. Where did he get his degree in psychiatry? Reporters and commentators are not supposed to be the subject of the news. They need to back off comments by others and just do an unbiased job. It might be hard, but that's part of your profession. Do not make your business the news. As long as you do the news with integrity, let your opposition roll off your back. Celebrities are self-indulgent, self-righteous and feel like their opinions are more important than the rest of the public. Their children brag that they write their own books because there are no good books out there to read. The parents then brag about how smart and creative their children are. They aren't dealing with reality. They think the world revolves around them. Please, news people, don't follow behind them. Don't believe that you are the center of the universe. Move onto other subjects. Your public gets tired of the same old stories and whining. |
| Whether you're in a relationship or not, have a good day. |
| Turning the other cheek has always been a dilemma for me. How do you do that without being a doormat? Yet, I am a Pacifist at heart. I want to demonstrate tolerance, peace, and forgiveness without becoming a victim of bullies. I finally heard a different take on the Biblical passage which cautions us to be forgiving. In the Sermon on The Mount, Jesus told the crowds to turn the other cheek when slapped in the face, and gave two other parallel examples. This new lesson on it explained that when striking someone, usually the back hand was used. You'd backhand a servant or a lower class person. But to someone of equal station, you'd use the palm of your hand. Most people are right handed, so to use the palm, you'd be striking the right side of the one facing you. This was not done frequently in that culture at that time. Backhanding was done frequently, so the assumption is that if you have been slapped, it was a back hand. To offer the other cheek is to say to the first party that "I am of equal station. Do it properly." It is actually standing up to the person without retaliation. It's not submitting to abuse. The next example is to offer your cloak if the offender demands your coat. The coat is the outer garment that keeps you warm on the cold nights. No one at that time would take your inner garment and leave you in your underwear. That would be beneath them and make them look bad to everyone else. To offer him even your inner garment (their garments were a little weird to us) is telling him to go ahead and degrade you, he has not offended you. It just wouldn't have been done back then. It's a way of showing you haven't lost complete control. The last example is to walk a second mile with one who demands you walk a first mile with him. The implication is that if you walk with him, you must carry his package or luggage. By offering the second mile, you are showing that you are in control. You are making the decision and doing more than asked. You take back your dignity in this way. None of these prevent the bullying. There is no guarantee that the bully will relent or back off. At some point you may have to defend yourself or a loved one. These admonitions are about attitude. You face the enemy, the abuse, or degradation with your dignity and peace of mind intact. It is not a directive to be spineless, to lie down and let people walk on you. Jesus was not telling the crowd to be wimps, but to be bigger than their aggressors. We have all known very strong people who did not react to a bully, who did not retaliate when provoked. Being able to stare down, or use soft words, or compromise works better than striking back. |
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