Use Your X-Mas Money Wisely

I'm still working on "My Perfect World", so that blog will have to wait to be posted. What I want to impart unto you on this day is how you should spend your holiday booty/take/pull/bones/cash....whatever. These are items I may or may not own, which isn't the point. They either are great or might be great.

Music: Here are some high quality albums every music lover should own

Pleased To Meet Me: The Replacements (think alternative Rolling Stones)

Rubber Soul: The Beatles  (one of the best albums ever)

Dark Side Of The Moon:  Pink Floyd  (it's an album, listen to it all, not just the hits)

I Feel Alright:  Steve Earle (first album after his release from prison, classic)

Sky Blue Sky:  Wilco  (the best band you've likely never heard of)

Evil Urges: My Morning Jacket (great local band that's made it BIG)

Best Of Frank Sinatra: Frank Sinatra (classics from a classic crooner)

Strangers Almanac:  Whiskeytown (Ryan Adams best record, real country)

I've Always Been Crazy:  Waylon Jennings (his last great album)

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere: Neil Young (this or "Harvest", you can't go wrong)

Movies: Great films that you must see.....at least twice, and get a blu-ray player already!

The Shining (not just a horror film, it's psychological)

The Big Lebowski (I've seen it 20 times...it's that funny)

Vanilla Sky (what if you could live on after you die? what if it went wrong?)

Tropic Thunder (Downey and Cruise are awesome and wickedly hilarious)

The Union (what you should know...)

Forrest Gump (an epic film with lots of passion and heart)

Millers Crossing (one of the best gangster films...EVER)

It's A Wonderful Life (great acting, great story)

Field Of Dreams (not REALLY about baseball, it's about relationships)

The Godfather & Godfather 2 (and you already know this, man!)

Old Yeller (watch it with your kids, laugh, cry, learn)

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, enough said)

Heat (DeNiro and Pacino together)

Books: I love to read and I read a lot of different stuff

Ragamuffin Gospel: Brennan Manning  (if you are a believer and haven't read it, do so)

Ball Four: Jim Bouton (great book on baseball and what happens behind the scenes)

The Shining: Stephen King (the book and movie are not the same)

The End Of Faith: Sam Harris (compelling book on why religion needs to go)

Cash: Johnny Cash (tells you a lot about his life and people who were in and out of it)

Other Stuff

Blu-Ray/DVD Player (if you own a high def TV and watch movies...you HAVE to have one)

Acoustic Guitar (it's time you learned to play an instrument)

PS3 (you can play games, watch movies/blu-ray, store and play pictures, video and music, surf the web, access your computer....it's the ultimate home entertainment system)

Popcorn Machine (come on, admit, you always wanted one)

So there you have it. My post-Christmas list for you. Of course, you could always get your favorite blogger a $100 gift certificate to Best Buy or Indie's Chicken. Take care, hope you all had a great Christmas.  

"Money don't matter tonight, it sure didn't matter yesterday. And just when you think you got more than enough, that's when it all up and flies away."--- Prince

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/X-mas....whatever

Alright. I'm not a big Christmas guy. But, in the spirit world of the holiday season, I thought I'd share some funny pictures I found related to the season. I'll be back with a real blog called "My Perfect World" pretty soon.

 

 

 

Everyone have a great holiday. Make certain you check your tree for squirrels and if your head is sewn to the carpet when you wake up on Christmas morning, be thankful Cousin Eddie isn't sleeping on your sofa.

"Simply having a wonderful Christmas time...."--- Paul McCartney

Drunk Hims. Drunk Hers.

What's up with all these friggin' rookie drunks these days? Can't anyone get piss drunk and act like they have a little sense? I know we (well, YOU, not me so much) get drunk so we can let down our (again, YOUR) guard, feel good, and escape from the pressure of our every day life, but come on, enough with the stupidity. This isn't about drinking and driving. That's stupid beyond stupid. I'm not going to lecture anyone on that. I don't care if you kill yourself, but have some consideration for others Otis, and don't drink and drive. You could kill a bunch of kids or something, you jackass.

What I want to rip on, is the amateur drunk. You know Him or Her. I'll describe the "Him" first. The  "I'm Funny" drunken him thinks everything he says is funny and if you don't laugh, they are going to keep saying and doing the same thing over and over until you do laugh. They will be too wasted to realize that you are putting them on with a fake "ha ha", so they will take your false laugh as the real thing and continue on. There is no way to control this guy. You can't encourage or discourage him, he will carry on. Then we have the "I Am Rocky" drunken him. This jackal thinks he can whip anyone. Usually he couldn't whip cream, and that's sober. He picks fights with people. He's a smart ass to those who are not drinking and just wanting to enjoy themselves. The guy can't stand to have a good time unless he has some drama going on. He will push and prod until someone finally beats his ass nearly to death. So, how about the "Stumble Bum" drunken him? This is the biggest of all assholes. He can't walk. He stumbles into everyone, spills his beer on you, and half smiles as if he expects you to hand him a meddle for not dumping the whole thing. "Hey, saved it dude!" The Stumble Bum is the moron who believes vomit is controlled voluntarily and will try to spit up into a friggin' Dixie cup. Someone who hasn't had a drop usually has to babysit this buzz killing pud. That same someone usually spends the next day cleaning up vomit and spilled Miller out of the carpet. You can identify the Stumble Bum easily, as he has Chinese eyes, his cheeks are red, and he's mouth breathing. He will almost always look just like this;

Now on to "Her". The female drunkard. Consider the "I'm Too Sexy" drunk her. She is funny to watch, but quickly becomes annoying. This girl is usually wearing a belly shirt and low rider jeans. This girl generally has no business wearing either. This little harlot thinks she can dance way better than she actually can and the only reason she is remotely cute, is because all the drunk guys think they have a shot at "hitting that", and probably do. She drinks to lose her shyness and wants to get so drunk she wouldn't care if she squat humped the Pittsburgh Steelers.....all of the Pittsburgh Steelers. If the girl is pretty, she just wants you to notice her, and then she'll blow you off after you buy her a drink. She usually gives you the wrong phone number and then the trollop.......hey, never mind....I really....ummm....don't know anything about those kinds of girls. Let's move on, shall we? Seriously...

There is also the "Bitch" drunk her. If there is a weak one in your group, then this girl will pick that person out and let them know everything that is wrong with them. Ugly? Have a bad job? Shitty car? Have a pimple? It won't get by her. Her drunk pleasure is  anothers sorrow. Anywhere you go, she won't have a good time. She's the one who talks too much and finally someone has to yell at her. She swings she misses and now she hates everyone. Her best friend has to take her home, undress her, lay her down and kiss her on the forehead, and comfort her, before moving down her neck and on to her supple breasts......wait a second, I'm going to take a break here.........OK, huh?....what was I writing about? Also, the "Fran Drescher" drunk girl is way out of line. You know her, right? For whatever reason as soon as she finishes off her second beer, she begins to get a very nasally laugh; "ah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah".....go ahead, pinch your nose and try it if you don't think it's annoying. Do that very often and you'll be ready to stick a meat themometer in your ears. That one also talks way too loud. It's as if she is trying to talk over a jet engine.

OK.....if any of these people are you.....stop being an a-hole. How about having some drinks and fun? How about actually remembering the time you had? Let everyone else have some fun without you dicking it all up. If you are lucky, you won't wind up having to call your lawyer or mom first thing in the morning. 

"...as a matter of fact, I like beer." --- Tom T. Hall

Thinking About Movies

After I saw “Inglourious Basterds” at Cannes, although I was writing a daily blog, I resisted giving an immediate opinion about it. I knew Tarantino had made a considerable film, but I wanted it to settle, and to see it again. I’m glad I did. Like a lot of real movies, you relish it more the next time. Immediately after “Pulp Fiction” played at Cannes, QT asked me what I thought. “It’s either the best film of the year or the worst film,” I said. I hardly knew what the hell had happened to me. The answer was: the best film. Tarantino films have a way of growing on you. It’s not enough to see them once.----Roger Ebert

That's why I love film and watch movies over and over. I'm not a big fan of Roger Ebert, but I think he catches the essence of what I feel sometimes when I see a really good piece of art (film). A really well made, intelligent film, is hard to digest or really sort through on the first watch. There are things going on that you can't consider, because you don't have the time. I didn't care for "O'Brother Where Art Thou?", "The Big Lebowski", "Kill Bill", "Millers Crossing" or "The Royal Tennenbaums" when I first saw them. But, because of who directed them, I realized I had to watch them again to see why I didn't "get it". I knew what was going on, so I could take the time to enjoy the performances and/or the intent of the film. Most Coen Brothers and Tarantino films have layers to them. Tarantino directs his movies as if he were writing a book. He loves dialogue and lets the actors BE the characters in the film. When you see Carradine playing "Bill", you realize that it IS David Carradine. Nobody else could play that part. The same with Brad Pitt playing Aldo Raine in "Inglorious Basterds". Their pacing and "physicality" lend part of themselves to their character and Tarantino gives them the freedom to take over their scenes.

I've converted a couple of people over to the "dark side" when it comes to watching movies more than one time. I've heard it said that once you have seen it, you know what happens, why bother? Well, for many movies that is true. But who watches "It's A Wonderful Life" just once? Any fan of the Kubrick film "The Shining" has seen it multiple times. Ditto for classics like "The Godfather", "Fight Club", "The Wizard Of Oz", or "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance". If you love an album or a song, you don't listen to it once and put it away forever do you? Hell, radio plays the top 3 or 4 charted songs EVERY hour of the day. Great cinema is not to be viewed and put away. Like any other form of art, it's meant to be challenging. It should stimulate conversation and possibly allow you take notice of something in the world or in yourself that you haven't thought of or seen before. Granted, it's the rare film that does that, but if you tie your interest with directors, you will find movies much more satisfying for you.

Everyone loves to love an actor. But it's the directors that I follow. They are what the film industry is about. It's their medium. It's their craft. It's their art. Sure, I'll watch anything that Seth Rogen is in, he's entertaining. But, if I really want to know that I'm likely going to see a quality film, I follow certain directors. John Ford, Stanley Kubrick, PT Anderson, the Coen brothers, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorcese, and Ron Howard all produce or have produced stellar work. And not just once, they do it time and time again. And they put so much work and care into it, a person who really appreciates film, has to sit with their movies several times. I have seen "The Godfather" and "Millers Crossing" countless times and they still don't bore me. I get something out of every viewing.

Just thought I'd share that. Now, go rent "It's A Wonderful Life" again and take the time to watch the film unfold and to see how Jimmy Stewarts character "George Bailey" goes from a wide eyed, world in front of him young man, into a resentful middle aged man who blames his inner misery on those around him. You have seen it....you know the story....so focus on what made the film great. The performances and the story of hope, failure, and satisfaction. And......look for "Alfalfa" from The Little Rascals. He's in there.    

One flew over the cocoo's nest
The movies are the craziest
I'll be a movie nut until I die
The movies are great medicine
thank you Tommy Edison
For giving us the best years of our lives

The Statler Brothers

I Don't Know

How is it possible for a person to be so happy, loving, fun, understanding, sentimental, curious, thoughtful, and hopeful one day and then be sad, angry, bitter, deranged, careless, mean, dispirited, down, and done the next?

Every so often, I go through a spell of wishing my existence away. Would I act on it? Probably not. But, there it is. Creeping just below the surface, waiting for a crack to form so it can wiggle to the surface. And when it gets there, I function at a low level. It spoils all of the goodwill, grace, love, and patience that I have been working towards.

I miss my grandmother. I took down my "shrine" that I put up when she died, thinking that not having the daily reminder would put my sorrow in the back of my mind. I don't understand how my wife can put up with me. I'm probably not as moody and angry as I was years back, but it can't be easy having to live in a house where you don't know what to expect out of your mate day in and day out. The only thing I can think of , is that she is indeed, the 2nd best human being I have ever encountered. My grandmother being the top. There are certain people in the world who can be gracious, kind, and giving in any circumstance. That's my wife and my grandma. Nancy gives more than she gets and isn't that usually the way it works?

I'm tired of my ears ringing, moodiness, back pain, being tired, not being motivated enough to give my kids 100%, being selfish, hating to go to work, thinking about death, waiting for more family members to get sick, old and die, not having a normal family relationship with my mom, dad, and brother, and generally being disinterested in life. In reading this, I'm sure most people who know me, won't understand. That's not how most people see me. When I'm right, I love to have fun, cut up, get to know my friends better, make others happy, and be someone to lean on. But, there is THIS side to me that I am not too bad at hiding. It's always been there, but manifested itself in different ways when I was younger; suddenly losing interest in girlfriends and treating them poorly, locking myself into having just a couple of friends, staying away from social gatherings, not working hard on athletics or school work, ripping on people, and generally being an asshole to anyone who didn't interest me.

There is so much I'd love to go back and change. But I can't. I treated some people unfairly, rudely, and down right mean. I let opportunities slip by. I let the abuse I went through as a child, to become a crutch and an excuse for my moodiness, displeasure and hate. I really felt like I was coming a long way. I have been more open and willing to embrace some things in my life in a much more positive and rewarding manner. But then, THIS happens. Ruins it all.

I'm pretty sure if you have made it this far, you are thinking "I didn't click on this site to read Freddy's depressing bullshit.". Well, I really felt like it had to come out and come out now. I don't often put my deepest feelings out for people to see. But, if I can add anything positive to this writing today, I'd like to tell you that if you know someone that suffers from depression or anxiety. Try to understand. They don't ask to feel that way. It's not a matter of just thinking "I have a lot to live for" and then going on your merry way. I'd love to just turn this off. It's not possible. I KNOW full well that I have a great life, and it doesn't matter. I still want to get in my car and drive away from everything I know. I've seen a counselor. I take medicine. I can be fine for weeks.....but it always comes back.

How do I make it stop? I don't know.


One foot in the door, the other one in the gutter
The sweet smell that they adore, well I think I'd rather smother
(4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12)
Are you guys still around? (I don't know)
Whatcha gonna do with your lives? (Nothin'!)
"I Don't Know"--The Replacements

Get 'em Tiger!!

All this Tiger Woods stuff is amazing. I'm not sure why I'm amazed, but I am. The media runs wild with any kind of dirt they can get their hands on regarding celebrities in our country. The feeding frenzy is just shy of the circus that surrounded the death of Michal Jackson.

Almost any time you read about something insane happening in the middle of the night, it's going to be bad for the celebrity involved. Crash your car into a tree, in front of your own home, at a speed of 25 mph? Your wife is trying to "free" you from your vehicle by smashing the windows out with a golf club? Sounds more like Tiger was trying to avoid being grabbed by the tail.

Woods is just another in a long line of men who can't seem to be satisfied by the family they have. They don't value commitment, because they feel they are above such things. When you are given the keys to life's Jaguar before you have to actually work to buy and feel good about earning a Pinto, you just can't build a true appreciation for what you have. It's all too easy and you never learn to have respect or to really care about those who love you.

Men like Tiger Woods don't really deserve (in some sort of cosmic or karma approach) what they have. They don't know how to treat their lives. They have never seen things from the other side. They want what they want when they want it without having to practice self discipline or to feel that tug on their heart that they may be hurting someone else with their selfish actions. If their is any justice, the air horn of life will start blowing every time he lines up a tournament winning putt. Up yours Tiger.........and by the way.....Mr. Ed wants his teeth back.

 

 

 

Where's that tiger where's that tiger where's that tiger where's that tiger
Hold that tiger hold that tiger hold that tiger hold that tiger
Hold him choke him kick him pokin'

 

"Tiger Rag"--Claude King

Some Things That Pass For Logic I Don't Understand

Stupidity seems to be at an all time high on our planet. We live in a modern society, yet we still cling to ancient rules or patterns of thought as being truth. Many times, these "truths" are products of religious texts. Isn't it high time that we got past some of this? I'm not talking about throwing the baby out with the bathwater. There are some parts of religion that are helpful and maybe even necessary in our society. But there are some things that we need to take a second look at.

As a nation (the United States), we like to pride ourselves on compassion, understanding, ingenuity, and charity. But, we have done a couple of things over the past 8 to 10 years that are simply perplexing. Mostly done by a fundamentalist view of Christianity and a willing President, George W. Bush (a man I supported, and still hold in higher esteem than most). Our long held societal misconceptions also foster running in place over moving forward.

First off, it was criminal that Bush and the Republican led congress shut down federally funded stem cell research. Those who are opposed to abortion (and I am one) were the ones mostly responsible for the outcry that this research was killing off innocent life. Give me a break, already. Simply a case of those who are hungry for their beliefs to be law, feeding off of a political climate that was ripe for the picking. Yes, it's true that embryos would be destroyed in the research, but they are not taken from a woman, they are developed in a test tube. At the stage they are used, the embryo would be called a blastocyst and would be microscopic, consisting of about 150 cells. The cells have potential to become any sort of specialized cell in the body. Thus, studying their growth and manipulating that growth could lead to cures or advanced treatment of alzheimers, cancer, heart disease, brain injury, spinal cord injuries, burns, arthritis........do you get the point yet? No? Well, what it means is, taking that blastocyst, which is not a human life and is less advanced than a fly's brain (which has THOUSANDS of cells) and using it to possibly help real human beings. People like you and me. People like our children, parents, grandparents and neighbors. Developing healthy cells that can replace damaged or dead cells hold the key to a better way of life for us and our species in the future. This was a clear cut case of science, research, and the advancement of medicine taking a back seat to religous belief. Thankfully, President Obama had the good sense to over turn the ban by executive order. Personally, I may be contradictory in this given what you just read, but if people who profess to want to protect the sanctity of life want to be taken seriously, they should focus on more pressing issues like 2nd and 3rd trimester abortion. That debate is one that should be given full attention by both sides. Also, how can a person who raves about how precious life is, stand firmly behind the death penalty as a manner of punishment?

Another thing that was done in recent times was the decision by our country and its leadership *cough*, is to cut off funding to family planning groups in foreign countries that provide INFORMATION about abortion as part of its platform. I was and am a huge cheerleader for former President Bushs' support for bringing the African continent into the modern era in regards to AIDS treatment. It can be said that President Bush did more for the health and welfare of black people on the planet than any of his predecessors (even if you combine a few, and that includes Bill Clinton). But, to hold back US dollars based on groups merely giving information to people about abortion gears down what was and is being done. It doesn't help that a large portion of the money given to third world nations to help prevent AIDS has to go towards teaching abstinence. It's not that I'm against abstinence, but teaching those who are less educated than we are about safe sex and condoms should be priority number one. Because of our status as a Christian nation, we are going to possibly cause millions more deaths and problems. Sex education/condoms = BAD.......abstinence = good.........OK, go tell that to the parent of a 15 year old pregnant girl. And I'm not talking about a 15 year old girl in a foreign land. Education and responsibility can't be a bad thing, can it?

Lastly, how about gay marriage? This is a very hot topic in our political society today. I've never been in favor of "gay rights", simply because I believe we are all equal and nobody should get a special benefit because of their color, religion, or sexuality. Maybe it's necessary, but that's a debate for another time. My contention is, is that gay marriage will not rot society and send us to the depths of hell. Marriage is pretty much a religous institution. If a religion, denomination, or church is against gay marriage, simply don't allow it to take place under their sanction. But, so far as society goes, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists or whoever should not tell two consenting adults that they can't enjoy the benefits of a civil union. If my wife and I are united, under the law,  and enjoy state and federal benefits why shouldn't two men or two women? And I don't even consider their sexual preference. If two friends have made a commitment to one another under the law, that they will financially support one another, I think they should get the same tax shelter and rights as my wife and I. It shouldn't be an easy thing to enter in to, but it should be on the table. Will that be a popular sentiment? Certainly not. But think this through. Most homosexuals, are not these mouth breathing idiots that parade around half naked in parades a couple of times a year. No more than abortion doctor killing evangelicals or suicide bombing radicals represent Christianity or Islam as a whole. Most people want to love, be loved, and live a decent life. Our society is getting more and more complex. Earning a living is becoming more and more difficult and it's nearly impossible for the average family to survive on one income. Not to mention that there are countless kids that need to be in stable, loving situations that many homosexual couples could help out. (And for the record, I'm not even sure how I feel about gay adoption, but I'm at the least willing to discuss it) Why hold people back? Because some people believe homosexuality is an abomination (well that's what the Bible says)?

Are we really going to allow ancient documents to dictate our society overall? Can we afford that? We like to pound on Islam about being a violent, unforgiving faith, but certainly we can see the same things in Christianity. If we think homosexuality is a sin, then why are we not debating whether or not to put these people to death. Adulterers.....don't shun them, kill them. Those who don't observe the Sabbath? Don't look down at them, stone them to death. Wanna curse or hate your parents? That's OK....but you die. Unbelievers? Get in line, you go down next. Everyone knows why we don't do those things. Because they are absurd, illogical, and in contradiction to our humanity and sense of right and wrong. We have moved on as a species. Two thousand years ago, we thought the earth was flat, and that we were the center of the universe. We thought that "bleeding" a person with leeches could cure them of illness. We thought that mental illness could be cured by drilling a small hole in a persons skull. We thought people with Downs Syndrome were possessed by demons. Anyone still believe those things? Do any of you believe that eating meat on a Friday will send you to hell? How many of you believe that when you take communion you are ACTUALLY eating the body of Jesus and drinking his blood? How many people actually think the world is 10,000 years old (OK, except for Sarah Palin)? How many of you believe that Joseph Smith talked to God and was given the outline of Mormonism? Are you on board with Muhammad jumping on a winged horse and flying up to heaven?

If we can give up those things, why can't we take a more practical approach in other areas of religion? Especially given the dangerous world we live in today. People dying and killing for their faith is more dangerous than ever. We now have the potential to end millions of lives very quickly. There are folks out there who want to hasten the end of times, so they can see the return of their god. Isn't it time we stood back and took a critical look at what we believe and hold as truth? If one more person has to die, if one more child has to suffer disease, and if two more people who love each other are ostercized simply because of beliefs, that's too many. I'm sure I will get a couple of back slaps for this and probably a couple of mouth slaps. But, so be it. It's where I'm at, and I welcome dissenting comments. Knowledge is power and if someone knows something I don't, help me out.

"Come on people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together right now"

Get Together---Youngbloods

Sites You May Find Relevant To This Blog

http://www.experiment-resources.com/stem-cell-pros-and-cons.html

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/895264/Pros-and-Cons-of-Stem-Cell-Research

http://www.bidstrup.com/marriage.htm

http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/aids_afr.html

http://www.heritage.org/research/africa/bg2204.cfm

Thanksgiving and Thankstaking

Tis' the season for wishing each other well and being thankful for what we have. Most of us have been given great opportunity to flourish in our lives. Whether through education, friendships, family, or plain ole' luck, we have been put in positions to have success. We should actually start taking the time (if we don't already) and reflect on how much we have each and every day. Once a year is nice, but how about throwing, hard work, fate and luck a bone now and again?

Since most of you will be taking the time to be thankful for friends and family (which is great), I will take up the slack and do some thanking for things we sometimes don't notice in our every day life.

Here are things that I will be thankful for, on behalf of humanity, and many of these "thankings" go hand in hand.....

Pauley Shore is no longer a part of our celebrity culture.

Elizabeth Banks is.

The incredibly simple, useless, no talent of a toy, the Slinky isn't taking the nation by storm again.

DJ Hero is.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are losing games.

The Dallas Cowboys are not.

There will be no more Rocky sequels.

There will be a sequel to The Boondock Saints.

Don Rickles is still alive!

Jerry Falwell isn't.

Michael Jackson is as popular as ever.

Richard Marx is back to singing in high school gyms.

Parachute pants never made a comeback.

Mickey Rourke did.

Robin Williams has never done a nude scene.

Naomi Watts has.

Nicole Kidman has.

Charlize Theron has.

OK....better go ahead and stop there!

Nobody that I have known has died, and come back as a zombie.

I have yet to die.

Caller ID was invented.

The ability to ignore a ringing phone.

TiVo is taking the nation by storm.

VCR technology is dead.

Clay Aiken and Lance Bass being gay is not hot.

Anne Heche and Portia DeRossi being gay is hot.

And here is a list of honorable mentions to be thankful for;

chicken wings, Seth Rogen, The Office, The Godfather films, Christopher Hitchens, Frank Sinatra's music, Fenway Park, Freedom Hall, PS3, blu ray technology, pizza, Sixlets, Al Green, gotvape.com, having a job, funny friends, Woodford Reserve, Waylon Jennings music, flip flops, MP3, MP3 download sites, the Coen Brothers, boxer-briefs, marijuana, indoor plumbing, Paul Rudd, art that my kids make, times that I'm alone, and finally, sweet tea!

And finally, to end this on a serious note.....I am personally thankful that we have brave men and women who are selfless enough to serve their country and other human beings around the world. It can't be said enough that our nation owes a huge debt of gratitude to those in the armed services. If anyone needs a big "THANK YOU" today, it's those folks.

And so today, my world it smiles, your hand in mine, we walk the miles,
Thanks to you it will be done, for you to me are the only one. 

"Thank You" by Led Zeppelin

Say It Ain't So Sammy!

Alright, anyone who knows me or has read this blog knew this was coming. What in the hell is going on here? Sammy Sosa is now white? Before continuing, I have to ask; why would someone do this? He has a look in the picture like "Yo, man, jou know I'm loogin' vantastic, baby!" It's absurd.  You don't see white people painting themselves black!!

OK, strike that last statement. The thing is, Sammy Sosa was just a regular looking Hispanic dude. By any measure, he wasn't a terrible looking human being. Sure, the guy has a head that would put Bill Clintons to shame, but it wasn't that bad. Maybe he thought turning white would take the attention away from his large cranium? If that was the case;

Sammy is just flat out creepy now. He almost has a "Joker" vibe going on. And his hair is all greased and matted down like John Tuturro's in "Millers Crossing", or I suppose it even looks like Betty Boops, sans the grease (because it's a cartoon, what does grease look like in cartoon?).

Perhaps he just wants to follow in the footsteps of the incomparable Michael Jackson? Hey, ever notice in this picture that MJ's left eye is off kilter? Did he have that altered too? Maybe to retain some blackness in honor of Sammy Davis, Jr.???

Or perhaps with the success of the "Twilight" movies, he's going for the male vampire look?

Jack White of the appropriately named "White Stripes" can't even beat out Sammy for white and creepy. And by the way, I think Johnny Depp may want to have his lawyer talk to Jack's lawyer. He stole his look for Edward Scissorhands.

Yes, I realize this blog is full of pictures and not so full of my words. Honestly though, you must admit that the pictures speak volumes and my adding very much to said pictures would probably take away from their sheer ability to creep a person out.

So congrats Sammy.....

You are now creepier than this kid....and I thought this was a creepy a picture as I ever saw. 

(Jeebus kid, it's just bread and jam, not a filet mignon)

I Said If
You're Thinkin' Of
Being My Brother
It Don't Matter If You're
Black Or White

"Black or White"---Michael Jackson

Religion: It's not always about a god

When most people think about religion, they think God, Jesus, Islam, Buddha, Muhammad or something of that sort. But there are a lot of things in this world that can be called religion. Religion is just not about spirituality.

For instance, environmentalism has become a religion. There is nothing wrong at all with wanting to be conscious of your surroundings. There is nothing wrong with wanting to take care of the planet you live on. It's something we should all think about on a daily basis, and it wouldn't hurt if every person acted in some small way, each and every day. John Mayer is a big proponent of getting people to make small steps which add up to giant leaps. Most people are not aware that it can be less efficient, energy wise, to recycle plastic and paper than to simply produce new plastic and paper. Environmentalists block our nation from getting to oil reserves we have domestically. Environmentalists want to impose strict sanctions on business that will probably cause some business to move overseas costing us jobs. It's not the run of the mill, Joe Blow picking up cans and paper on the side of the road that are wanting these things. It's those that have an agenda, political or otherwise.

Politics has slowly but surely evolved into a religion. Right versus left. Conservative versus Liberal. Republican versus Democrat. Politics have always been littered with issues that are highly charged. In my lifetime, I've seen it go from Tip O'Neil and Ronald Reagan having differences but a mutual respect to Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell just outright disliking one another and leaving no room for compromise. People like Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Stuart Smalley, oops, I mean Al Franken, and Jeneane Garafalo breed hatred and division with their inflammatory and comments. Today's politics are all about identity and choosing a side. No matter the issue, a conservative Republican will rarely agree with a policy that is seen to be a Democrat idea, and vice versa. Gone are the days of give and take and really staring down the barrel of an issue and taking a heartfelt stance. People tune into a liberal or conservative agenda like it's following Jesus. It can't be wrong and anyone who disagrees  is labeled unpatriotic. We should be moving forward and breaking free of the chains that bind. If we do, we can get more common sense candidates to run for office. Moderates need to start making a difference and stop letting the fundamentalist right and the lunatic left set the agenda for the future of our country.

For anyone living in the state of Kentucky, it will be easy to understand what I'm getting at next. College/University identity has, or always has been, a sort of religion. I've heard time and time again that it's impossible to like more than one team. Fans love their school and hate their rivals. And that's OK....it's part of it. But, when the hate carries over to actually disliking people or verbally beating someone because of the team they like, it's gone beyond being a common fan and has crossed over to fanaticism. I get it, I'm a part of it. Less and less, but still, I have my UL posters up and I will still on occasion argue basketball and football. But, when it takes me to the point of anger and frustration, it's time to move on and take the importance off of it.

None of the things I mentioned are inherently bad. But, anything that isn't dealt with in moderation, integrity, and respect eventually gets out of hand and causes hate or a climate of "I am right and you are wrong".  Nobody has it all figured out and we'd do well as a society and as human beings to be able to respect how someone else feels or views things.

"...and no religion too..."

John Lennon

The Best Friggin' Band Ever!

Most of us in the 1980's missed this band. We missed it because we were either to wrapped up in the spoon fed music that radio gave us, or we didn't care enough to search out different kinds of music. The Replacements were alternative before anyone knew what "alternative" music was. They were not slick, over produced, pretty boys. They were four guys who liked to play music, wore their hearts on their sleeves and didn't double over for the record companies. It's been about 20 years since the band played together, but their influence can be heard in music from such bands as; The Goo Goo Dolls, Nirvana, Green Day, Soul Asylum, and Wilco.

If you get a chance, check them out. They have a couple of "Best of" compilations that hit on the high points of each album they made. Do not allow yourself to stand in front of your maker and say that you don't know who Paul Westerberg is. You will be asked!   

"the ones that love us best are the ones we'll lay to rest and visit their graves on holidays at best, and the ones that love us least, are the ones will die to please, if it's any consolation, I don't begin to understand it"

"Bastards Of Young"---The Replacements

Fox News is biased? Really? No kidding.*** UPDATED!!!!***

 So now, the Obama administration views FOX news as an enemy and not to be dealt with? Very good. That will probably kill FOX off, right? WRONG! FOX is the most watched news network and a couple of their news analysis shows are among the highest rated on all of cable. Ripping and attacking FOX is only going to make those on the fence more curious about the network and actually encourage them to tune in.

In all fairness (and balance), if I watch cable news, I watch FOX. Do I believe FOX is biased to the right. Of course I do. Anyone who thinks their news analysis is not skewed towards conservatives, well, you are kidding yourselves. But I don't see anything wrong with that. There is a market for it. MSNBC unabashedly goes after liberal viewers by having Keith Olbermann and his twin brother Rachel Maddow fall over themselves kissing Obama's ass every night. And, put that together with Chris Matthews getting a tingling feeling in his leg when he hears Obama speak and you have what I would call a pretty damned Obama favoring network. Hell, MSNBC actually had a news analysis TV host(Olbermann)covering the conventions. Not news people, like Brian Williams or Sheppard Smith,they had the former host of Sports Center doing it. So, the obvious question is,with me being conservative,do I have a problem with that? No.

CNN  leans to the left. What does it matter? Almost all of the right or left of it all is coming directly from their news analysis, not the reporting. I've never noticed the actual reporting of a news story on any of the cable news networks to be biased. Sure, maybe each network cherry picks what they want to cover. But, if Obama is favored at 60% and everyone knows it, would it serve FOX to say that he's at 30%? No, they would not be able to be taken seriously.

Really, what we are talking about is news analysis. Bill O'Reilly, Anderson Cooper, Chris Matthews, and those guys are paid to get ratings. They are paid to push their biases and tell people how they should feel about or react to the news. They are not reporters. Why is it that some in the Obama administration do not want to talk to FOX or be involved with them, but at the same time, they say we need to engage our enemies (Iran, South Korea) and hold a dialogue? It's OK to possibly sit down and talk with the Taliban (which isn't even an elected political party), but not with FOX news? Where is the common sense in that?

And, for the record, I gained quite a bit of respect for Barak Obama when he went on Bill O'Reilly's show last fall. It was a good move. It showed that he wasn't going to wave off an entire segment of the population. O'Reilly grilled him and Obama was up for it. I really don't believe that Obama has some hard on for FOX.(looks like I missed the boat on that one)  I believe it's some on his advisory staff. Obama has done the right thing by distancing himself from this. But, he really should direct his staff to shut up. Why alienate people who like FOX and have an open mind on politics (like myself)? It's foolish. FOX does not pander to Obama. MSNBC did not pander to Bush. It's the way it is....get over it....it's no big deal.

Media denies Obama's attempt to exclude FOX news....

I see you, heh, on down on the scene...Foxy
You make me wanna get up and scream....Foxy

"Foxy Lady"--Jimi Hendrix

Driving Miss Crazy

 *Another piece I wrote some time ago*

This is really going to sound  sexist and it probably IS sexist, but are there any women out there who
can drive without putting themselves or others in grave danger?

 
It just absolutely makes my a-hole bleed to be behind a woman when I drive to work every morning. If
it's not putting on make-up, it's reading the paper, talking on the phone or texting. Yeah, that's right, I did say reading the paper.....while driving.....a car......a real car. Now, men are not exempt from this either. But, the vast majority that I seem to catch in this bold act of reading, are indeed, women. 

Let's go with make-up first. Don't do it. It's ridiculous. Quit knocking down shots of tequila and squat humping your boyfriends softball team all night, set the clock and get out of bed.....EARLY!! Take a shower, play with your hair for 2 1/2 hours, then put on your make up. If you have to put your make-up on while speeding down a freeway at 7 am, you are a gawd dammed idiot. You are a stupid ass. People are taking their kids to school or day care. Have a little compassion and think about someone besides yourself. You more or less look like the same weathered old bag with or without the makeup. You are either a weathered,
time worn hag without make-up, or you can be a weathered, time worn hag that looks like a clown at
Barnum & Bailey's Circus. If you want to look like a clown, at least drive a Volkswagen.

 
Next is reading while driving. Stop it. For crying out loud you are operating a vehicle that weighs  

thousands of pounds! Isn't that enough to make you think that reading isn't a
good idea while speeding towards your secretarial desk at whatever company you answer phones for,
at 65 MPH? "Kathy" or "The Family Circus" just won't be as funny if you have to read it with your head
sticking through the windshield.

 
Can I get a consensus on this statement......"NOBODY should operate a vehicle while talking on the
phone"!!! And I won't stop there, try not to watch TV while driving. Everyone else in the car is
allowed to, you can only listen. I don't give a damn if it is your favorite episode of "Who's The Boss?",
wait until you get home or pullover at a rest area. I would say the same of texting. Really, you think it's a good idea to basically use a typewriter while driving? Really? Update your Twitter when you are safely home. Believe me, the world can wait to hear that your cat can wear the little Dallas Cowboy booties you bought him.

 
Here's another tip (and we are all human beings here, should I have to be doing this?), if you are in
the far left hand lane of a highway that is larger than 2 lanes, you are in the fast.......FAST......lane. That
means you should try to at the least drive the speed limit. Do NOT drive the same speed as the car
beside you. Go around them and get out of everyone else's way. Most people expect to
drive 5 to 10 MPH over the limit in the fast lane. Your father should have taught you that when you were
10 years old.

 
There is so much to cover on this topic, but I'll end with this one; don't play your music so loud that you
can make the dead sit up and give you the finger. I get it all you 18 year old, pants hanging off your
ass, sandal wearing, wife beater sportin', sideways cap with the tags still on it donning jackals....you
like to feel your little pea brain rattling around when you listen to music. That's fine when you are out
on the open road or at home. As for a red light, or a friggin' drive thru, turn that shitty, useless, garbage
down. Do they actually sell soundtracks of just a bass drum booming over and over and over and
over? Oh, yeah.....they do. And that's stupid too.

 
I need all you women and other morons to do a better job of paying attention on the road. I have
enough to deal with, while I drink my coffee, swing at my kids in the back seat and look for a CD in my
glove box.

"Baby you can drive my car...beep, beep, beep, beep, yeah!"--The Beatles

Losing My Religion....A reboot of sorts.....

Well, since I went on record last week with the confession that I am drifting away from my love of sports (especially the Red Sox and Louisville athletics), I may as well go ahead and let it rip.

I have given up on religion. It's not been a short journey....nor has it been a very long one. I have been a believer in Jesus Christ, most of my life. It began with my grandmother and grandfather being believers and hard core, fundamentalist church goers. They didn't really push it on me, I just loved them more than anything in the world, so I wanted to learn about what they were on fire for. I read some books by David Wilkerson, Hal Lindsey and others and really got into the "end of times" prophecy and the Book of Revelation (as well as Daniel). As I grew up, I kept a belief going (not sure that I would call it faith) though I wasn't really following up on it.

About 5 or 6 years ago, I took a new interest. I found a church (Highview Baptist) that I really liked and people that I liked even more. It fit for me. I finally was at a place where I could dedicate myself a little more.....I took baby steps, but I was walking towards Christ. My wife really started dedicating herself to Highview. She became a member and started helping out in different capacities. I began to attend a Sunday school class with Nancy and had two "teachers" who I really took to and appreciated (Ed and Andy).

In the last year, I began to question the Bible more and more, as I became more familiar with it. I was shocked at some of the things I read. There appears to be quite a contradictory nature in God's being. I started to read about God intentionally hardening mens hearts to do harm to others. I started reading about how God allows evil and how it is totally based on his mercy that anyone goes to heaven. It's not my choice. God knew before I was born. So, now I'm back at the predestination questions I have had for most of my life. I got a little more familiar with Calvinism and it shook me. All of these things I was learning about was hardening my heart towards God, not opening it. I decided that I didn't need to simply believe.....I had to find out for myself what I believed and why. I started deconstructing my faith.

I continued to pray. I continued to read and study the Bible. But, I also let other options in. I studied up a little on Islam. I listened to some speeches by Islamic teachers. I read books by Dawkins and Hitchens. To keep things honest, I read Stroebel's "The Case For Christ" and a book that was designed to refute Dawkins' "The God Delusion", which was called "Atheist Delusions". After all of this, the only thing that stood out in my mind was "I do not believe in Jesus as the Christ, and I don't believe in religion, period." That's quite a shock to my mind after praying EVERY night for 30+ years. It was hard to accept, but there it was.

Well, it's been about 6 or 8 weeks since I have been solid on this. In that time, I feel different. I actually feel free from the guilt and pain that I have always carried around with me. Was it self-imposed? Sure. But it came from a lifetime of being told that I was worthless and probably going to hell. I was constantly tormented about every little thought....every little utterance....every little mistake. It's no secret I suffer from depression and if you throw a nice chunk of religous guilt on top of it, I was being crushed by the weight of it all. I have let that go. I'm living my life. I'm not any less moral than I have ever been. I'm not any less friendly than I have ever been. I don't love my family and friends any less. My mind has opened to life. I will seek a life that is fuller. I will take the time to love people more. I will spend less of my time worrying about pushing my morality on the population in general, or on my friends. I actually feel like a better human being. But more than that, I finally feel like "me". I guess you could say, I've been born again.

So, there's that. I have come clean. I still have a great deal of respect for those who follow religion. It's their walk, and I would never think of trying to push them away from what they have in their hearts. I hope that I will be afforded the same respect. I don't need to be prayed for. That implies that there is something wrong with me that needs fixing. If you feel the need to pray, pray for the kids out there who don't have anything to eat tonight or are drawing their last breaths due to cancer, AIDS, or some other terrible affliction. I will correspond with anyone who wants to discuss things with me in a respectable manner.

Yeah, this is heavy stuff.....I'll try to get back to my rants and observations soon!

With the threat of hell hanging over my head like a halo
I was made to believe in a couple of beautiful truths
That eventually had the effect of completely unraveling
The powerful curse put on me by you
When you set the table
When you chose the scale
Did you write a riddle that you knew they would fail
Did you make them tremble So they would tell the tale
Did you push us when we fell
David Bazan (When We Fell)

Losing My Religion

Well, here I am. Over the past 6 or 7 months I've changed quite a bit. My old interests are starting to wane (or have already deteriorated badly) and I just don't have a desire to go back. For most of my life I have been identified with baseball or Louisville sports. I still hold a place in my heart for those things, but they do not define me or my personality any longer.


I have revealed how I've felt, slowly but surely, to all of my "baseball" and "UL" friends in the past few weeks. I think it weirds some people out. Most people don't like change. When you are friends or whatever with someone, it's nice to know what to expect out of them. Every time you get together there is an expectation of what that experience is going to be like. When someone changes, it throws a monkeywrench into the situation and I would guess that it may cause some to reevaluate that friendship.


I have been a really hardcore fan of Louisville for 30 years and now I find myself not interested. I follow them. I read the paper. I will put on the game for a few minutes, but I just am not feeling it anymore. I'm moving on. I'm starting to find my love for music and film again. I want to find a few experiences that are different. I don't want to put my short term joy or contentment on whether or not a sports teams wins. I can't do that anymore. This hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be. I guess what is hardest on me is having to explain my feelings over and over to mostly unbelieving friends. Some friends and co-workers have chose to ignore my disinterest and speak to me as if I'm watching every play of every game and staying on message boards all day long. I assure you guys........I do not.


So, what happens from here? I'm not sure. I went to the service yesterday, but never went into the church. I hung out with friends and did what I could have done at home. Cookout, play games, and goof off. I guess what I'm trying to make myself say is that I don't need it. I have moved on from my religion. I have left it (or am leaving it) behind....in the rear view mirror....it gets smaller and smaller as I move forward. I feel free. I feel liberated from the trappings of being a part of the congregation. It's not in my heart......

Good bye.

"Life is bigger. Bigger than you, and you are not me..."--Losing My Religion--REM

Star Wars Ranting

This is probably old hat by now, but I want to visit it, since I didn't have a web site to vent about this over the past few years. George Lucas, the magnificent bastard that he is, has given and taken away. He first gave us "A New Hope". The original Star Wars. Very much a space western that had a great villain, a cute damsel in distress, and a couple of swashbuckling heroes. My how fun that movie was to watch, especially in the early days when special effects were anything but special. Star Wars changed that and was fresh. A few years later, Lucas gave us the much anticipated sequel and the grandaddy of all the Star Wars films, "The Empire Strikes Back"! Easily, it's the best of the original trilogy. It was a dark film that exposed what we all thought the Jedi vs Sith battle was all about ; freedom vs control, dark vs light, and uncertainty vs power. Well, then Lucas "jumped the shark" as they say and brought us the greatest Muppet movie ever, in "Return of the Jedi". I like about an hour of the movie....maybe a little more. The Ewoks being able to take out the stormtroopers makes my stomach hurt to this day. They were gawd dammed camping Teddy Ruxpins! The plot line of the trilogy was getting complex but the direction of the fine actors and the dialogue they were given was bringing people to tears. ROTJ was the first time that anyone realized that Lucas' writing was way too simplistic and wooden. What was "camp" in the first two films, seemed to be just bad movie dialogue in the third. But the trilogy was complete and we all could be happy that the first great film legacy was born, with apologies to the James Bond films.


But, that wasn't enough. We kept on loving Star Wars. We kept wanting more. So Lucas gave it to us and issued the Special Edition Star Wars Trilogy. He tinkered with the special effects, which for the most part, I had no problem with. BUT, when he actually started pulling his pants down and shitting on the actions of the characters, it ruined it a bit. It's absolutely unforgivable that he changed the canteena scene to Greedo shooting first. Han Solo shot Greedo so he could escape being taken in to Jabba for the bounty on his head. But Lucas wanted a kind and gentle Solo. He made Greedo shoot (and miss) from point blank range. Blasphemy! It's like Spielberg did in "ET", when he changed the federal agents guns to walkie talkies in the Special Edition that he vomited on.All of the above brings me to what I really want to piss on and that's the prequels. These films were so anticipated and took so long to make, I can't understand how they are so mediocre. Where is the suspense? The drama? The jealousy?The slow corruption?


"The Phantom Menace" should have been a great movie. Except Lucas wanted to make it a 2 hour toy commercial. Jar Jar Binks is the single worst character ever placed into a Hollywood feature film. About 15 minutes into the movie I started to wonder what the hell Bob Marley was doing in that galaxy so far away! If Lucas was not ashamed of the Binks character, then here's some news.....I was embarrassed for him. Hey, what's funnier than an animal ass belching into Jar Jars face or Jar Jar stepping in a big pile of shit? I still can't believe those two scenarios are actually in the movie? Who wrote that pizzel?


Here's something to think about; how come there is so much racial stereotyping in the Phantom Menace? Watto, the slave owner and junkyard dude, had the big nose and Jewish (or was it Italian?) accent and was money hungry. The Viceroy were power seeking, sycophants of the Emporer, that spoke in Chinese accent. Of course the obviously Rastafarian Gungans, "Messa people, gonna get high!" And then there were the robot troops. They were smart asses and couldn't fight their way through a Jawa led game of duck-duck-goose! Just terrible. And Annakin as a kid was a know it all blow hard. I had to download the fan edit version just to see the movie twice. "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith" were better attempts by Lucas, but he had pigeon holed himself by the ridiculous "Phantom Menace" and was limited in his ability to overcome his mistakes.


I think I'll stop here, because you get the point, right? George Lucas took a great idea and ran with it.....and ran and ran and ran with it. Unfortunately, he took it right over the cliff with him. I'm still a fan and that's why I care. I'm still interested in the entire six film affair, but the prequels just left me feeling like I was being manipulated by the marketing and the idea of Star Wars. I was hooked and instead of being true to the nature of the first three films, Lucas took advantage of my loyalty and addiction and created a politically correct, over the top prequel trilogy that only a newbie to Star Wars would be able to buy , hook, line and stinker.

"Chewbacca, what a wookie!"--Supernova