Sunday, March 30, 2008

The Sunday Morning Muse, March 20, 2008


Reverend Dan works overnights
at the mini mart.
He used to host a Sunday Gospel Hour
on the local radio station,
but he got behind on his bill.

Now he spreads The Word to the
late night crowd
when they stop by for cigarettes
or lottery tickets.

He keeps a gun on top of the
Bible under the counter.
-
M. J. -Copyright 2004

Friday, March 28, 2008

A Look Back - Spanish Love Song

no remembro how to say Eleven.

Can't We Just Vote Already?


I wonder what else is going on in the world that is going unreported because every frigging night newscasts are devoted to the latest he-said/she-said or an apology, or a mis-speak or a racist remark? I live in Pennsylvania and I simply can't take it anymore.

May just pull the plug on the TV altogether, thanks to the millions of dollars worth of commercials we have to contend with as well, between now and the primary election here.

I wish I could link it, but I lost this story about how years ago, before the internet got really big, and we had a hundred TV stations, that people predicted we would have MORE NEWS. That's right. More stories of the plight of everyday people. More stories about our friends and neighbors and what is going on, and who is making a difference, and what needs done and how to do it.

Actually we have LESS news.

Go Figure.

Monday, March 24, 2008

I Can't Wait for Golf Season



So he didn't win at Doral today. He's still Tiger Woods.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

The Sunday Morning Muse, March 23, 2008



My cousin from Ohio said her church doesn't bless Easter baskets anymore. It's kinda sad that traditions like that are being lost. When I was a kid, Easter baskets were blessed at a special ceremony on Easter Saturday. It was a chance to see what all the other kids were getting for Easter, and snoop around your own basket when mom wasn't looking.

I remember the old ladies would have wicker baskets with cotton cloths on top of their homemade Easter breads and meat and eggs. They'd pull the cloth aside as the priest went by with his holy water flying from some sort of thing on a handle he carried.

Mine was always a store bought Easter basket… wrapped in purple plastic. I worried that it wouldn’t get any holy water inside it and therefore my blessings would be voided somehow. Maybe that’s what is wrong with me. My food has never been properly blessed.

Funny how kids think.
-
Happy Easter!

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Your Mama Won't Like Me- Suzi Quatro



Most people remember her has Leather Tuscadero from Happy Days.
Cool Stuff.My 1983 hair cut looked like that.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Easter Weekend Muse


You know, it's amazing to me that I have lived this long on the planet and never inquired as to why we celebrate Easter with bunnies and colored eggs. As usual, when you look up one thing you tend to find something else completely unexpected and this was no exception. Something I was never taught in Sunday school way back when, is how many of the Christian stories and customs parallel pagan and other traditions that go back thousands of years.


You can read more here.



Easter celebrations were held hundreds of years before Christ was born as festivals of spring honoring Eostre, the great mother goddess of the Saxons. This name was fashioned after the ancient word for spring, Eastre. The goddess Ostara was the Norse equivalent whose symbols were the hare and the egg. From this comes our modern tradition of celebrating Easter with eggs and bunnies.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Who Could be You?



Ever think about who could play YOUR part in a movie about your life? Someone was kidding around at work and made a list... pictures and all... of who would "star" in
a movie about our workplace.

It was a funny but dangerous attempt at humor. You can really hurt someone's feelings.... fortunately, I wasn't included on this list...perhaps there's no one who could play ME... except maybe...

The Mid-week Video Muse.... Sharon Stone.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

I Remember the Red Barn, Not Much Else



It's hard to be nostalgic when you can't remember anything. ----Unknown
There's an old saying about those who forget history. I don't remember it, but it's good.
--Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report, March 10, 2008


On the news the other night was a story about this guy who could remember EVERYTHING. He could tell you what he ate for lunch on a specific day, 40 years ago at the Red Barn. (He also knew what the weather was like, who he was with, and what else he did that day. )
-
It wasn't quite clear what disorder he had, but they showed him on a call in radio show where people would try to "stump" him.
-
To me, forgetfulness is a blessing. Everyone has days they would rather forget. Things that were said that ought to be forgotten. People who enter your life and then pass out of it, usually for a very good reason. Forgetting the past is part of the healing of old wounds, too. I try to remember the good times I had with some people and not all the crap. If I could remember every hurtful word or wrongful act, well, I'd just rather NOT.
-
But then again there are times you would love to remember and cannot. I've kept a journal since I was a teenager. When I go back and read a page here or there it is amazing - it's like reading about the life of a stranger. There are names I would never recognize, let alone recall on my own. And there is always a lot of emotion when you come across something that really meant a lot to you at the time... enough to write it down, and now, all these years later you can re-live that brief moment, feel those same feelings, and maybe even remember just a little bit, like a little journey back in time.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Sunday, March 16, 2008

The Sunday Morning Muse, Sunday March 16, 2008




A kiss is still a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh ...
The fundamental things apply... As time goes by ...




India's top court suspended an arrest warrant Friday against Gere, wanted for allegedly breaking public obscenity laws by kissing Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty at a public AIDS awareness event last year.


--------------------
Let's check it out again for ourselves.... shall we? I really need to muse about this more...




Oh my! THAT really was a Kiss! However, I didn't see a tongue involved... It could have been even more indecent with little trouble. Anyway... I think this requires more research. I think he should kiss me that way just to be sure... then I would really know if it offended my sensibilities.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

To Pose or Not to Pose, What is the Question?


A million dollars. That’s how much Larry Flynt reportedly offered Ashley Alexandra Dupre, the New York X-Governor’s call girl, to pose nude in Hustler. This is a tough one. Whenever I have to make a tough decision I rely on the old ‘make a list’ routine.
--
Yes, do it:

1. A million dollars. I could use the money. Besides, this is MY FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME.

2. A million dollars. I deserve it, I have to pay lawyers.

3. This could lead to maybe even better offers down the road…. movies?

4. A million dollars. ( can’t get past that, huh?) It wouldn’t even be like… real WORK.

5. Who would it hurt? May even help my singing ‘career’.
---

No, forget it:

1. A million dollars minus taxes doesn’t buy much, I could hold out for more.

??

Little Girl Blue- Janis Joplin



Saturday Morning Blues for those who are blue.
-
This is from the album Pearl... her last one. I bought it first. I had to work my way backwards after that. She was only 27 when she died. Sometimes I think about what she would have gone on to do. The blues just came through her, somehow.

Note: If this gets posted twice, it is because I am having difficulties posting
video today...

Friday, March 14, 2008

Who's the Boss, Now?



Incase you missed this headline this week, an Australian woman pleaded guilty-- and got eight years in prison for fatally stabbing her boyfriend who didn't want her listening to Bruce Springsteen.

The woman said she "just got tired" of her boyfriend bossing her around during their two-year relationship.


(snip)

"I couldn't even play Bruce Springsteen on my stereo. Can you believe that? Can you believe that?" Cooper told police, according to the Courier Mail newspaper. Later, in a formal police interview, she repeated her claims: "I mean, who doesn't like Bruce Springsteen? I am 49 years old and I want to play my own music."

-
Cooper's lawyer told the court she experienced a "brain snap." She ran to the kitchen, grabbed a knife and stabbed Watson, 49, after he said he didn't want her to listen to a Springsteen CD, the newspaper said.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Politics of Pets


Petlane is making dog treats in the shapes of little donkeys and elephants. I guess they hope to profit off all the political hoopla and partisanship this year. Here is the article in the PG. It's silly really.


--

Cats so far are not included in this. Not suprizing. Cats are not interested in politics. Sweet Pea is neither a Democrat or a Republican. She is an Aristocat.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Hallelujah Leonard Cohen



...Congratulations on Leonard Cohen's induction into the Hall of Fame... and on the announcement of his first tour in 15 years! In lieu of a speech he recited those famous words...

-
...But you'll hear from me baby, long after I'm gone.I'll be speaking to you sweetly from my window.. in the Tower of Song.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Quit Cloning Around...


Modern times mean modern sins. In that spirit the Vatican listed today a few new sins that folks should be aware of. Genetic manipulation, drugs that weaken the mind, and pollution are targets of the church today. Cloning is a big no-no, but no word on whether it's a venial or mortal sin. If you are a scientist out there, watch out because it is probably more than 10 Hail Mary's and 10 Our Fathers as punishment. You may have to make a Novena for that one.
-
In all seriousness though, the cloning thing does constitute a problem. Actually several. If it is a mortal sin to kill someone, how can it be a mortal sin to create someone? I'm just saying.
-
The whole idea of a soul certainly plays into the argument. If and when a human being is cloned... genetically identical to it's mother, like Dolly the Sheep, it will be interesting to see if that person has the mother's soul. We really don't know that right now, but I'm certain more scholarly people than I have speculated about this. Perhaps even coming to the conclusion that if the clone even has a soul at all, and it IS different than the mother's soul...
there is more reason to believe in a God because something other than genetics is in play here.
-
Unless the clone has no soul at all, indeed, just a shell of a human destined to walk the earth similiar to an extra from Night of the Living Dead. It occurs to me that I may have seen some of these people in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Fury in the Slaughterhouse- Dead and Gone




I don't normally post 'cover' songs, but this German band's version of Dead and Gone by McGuinnes Flint really isn't bad. It made me smile. The funeral procession people remind me of movie extras from Night of the Living Dead.

The Sunday Morning Muse, March 9, 2008

Today's Blue Sky.... is The Sunday Morning muse.


Neatorama had this post that caught my attention ... the Skies of New York. A guy took a picture of the sky outside his apartment everyday for a month or so and then put all the "blue skies" side by side to compare the unique colors. He learned that the skies of New York are more often gray than blue.

Friday, March 7, 2008

March Used to be Kite Flying Month


-
The view from the kitchen window shows the snowfall today. More on the way tonight. The little yellow things next to my salt and pepper shakers are
pepper seeds I am drying to one day plant in the greenhouse, hopefully in the
next few weeks if it ever quits snowing.

Nyah.. and Your Mother Wears Army Boots



Today's presidential primary miscue.... this story. Samantha Power, an adviser to Barack Obama, resigned after calling Hillary Clinton a monster. I did an image search for MONSTER, and suffice to say, the term means many things to many people. I bet monster wasn't even Ms. Power's first choice of words, but she was talking to reporters-- you have to temper your real thoughts a bit.

I will pause here and just let the ridiculousness of this whole matter settle in.

--

UPDATE: Why not some fresh NEW insults? I found this cool insult generator website.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Non Searchable Title to be Inserted Here



This man is not the man who sings a copyrighted song called Brown Eyed Girl. He is similiar....if you keep the hat and glasses and lose the moustache, then age him a bit, so you can probably guess the singer... HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED.

Keep It Simple is the copyrighted name of a CD that allegedly will be available for purchase March 11th. De Bumzac says no one is really talking about it yet, but HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED did perform some songs last month from the CD on tour in Germany. Those who attended were not at liberty to whistle the tunes on the way out. Web Sheriff hired Matt Dillon to track down anyone who attempts to get the CD before it's time. Like a fine wine, let's hope it is not flat.

photo credit: Honore de Bumzac

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Leonard Cohen - Joan of Arc

"... I love your solitude... and your sense of pride.." The Mid Week Video Muse.

Need a Tony Fix


I've been missing the Soprano's lately. I see Paulie Walnuts on the Denny's commercials. I guess it pays his bills.
-
I decided to look and see what projects the man formerly known as Tony is taking on. Check them out for yourself here at this link at the IMDB. Not much catching my eye.


Hmmmm.





There's this movie-- Sexual Healing. Shall we re-open the Bing?

-
Nah... he's going to play the part of Marvin Gaye's manager, promoter Freddy Cousaert.

Monday, March 3, 2008

La Vie En Rose -Trailer

Bravo Marion!

Strains of Regret for Rose


It's been a couple of days now since I spent two hours of my life watching LaVie En Rose... the film about the life of singer Edith Piaf. I was so looking forward to it, having seen a documentary about her several years ago. Then when I saw that the best actress award went to the woman who portrayed her.... well... I had REALLY high hopes for the movie.


This review in Salon pretty much sums it up.


----snip----

But (Olivier) Dahan's filmmaking damn near sabotages the performance. Dahan understands that Piaf's life is the stuff of melodrama, but instead of just setting it all up there on the screen, plain old Hollywood-style, he has to chop it up and reconstitute it -- as if Piaf's life story, so elemental in both its triumphs and its sadness, needed to be dressed up by technique. His approach draws more attention to the filmmaking than it does to the life. Dahan seems to believe that chronology is bourgeois: Pure storytelling is all fine and dandy, but he wants us to know he's making art.

----snip-----

Putting it bluntly, I got lost. One minute she's young, next minute she's old, she dies, she comes back, she's young again, she's older, she's old and having flashbacks, she's half dead, she's really dead...then she's back.... then.... and I can't keep track. Especially trying to read subtitles in French... so I have to glance up and figure out who is who... and what year it is...and I can't keep track of husbands or lovers.... and the story line got completely lost. Poof.

But what a performance by Marion Cotillard! I believed in her... I was fascinated by her. There were times I saw the inner beauty of Edith shine right through...and other times I saw Edith again in her demanding, 'I don't give a damn what you think'-mode.... just ripping through the scene with a depth of character far beyond a 30 year old actress. Bravo! Cotillard deserved the award for sure.

The movie--- is terrible though. It's a fractured mess. Maybe someone could re-edit it.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

The Sunday Morning Muse, March 2, 2008


I am fortunate that I live in a town of Italian immigrants. Some of the best pizza, if not THE best pizza outside of Italy is right here. The pizza crust is delicious, the sauce is tasty and there's numerous toppings to choose from. The Cheese is thick and gooey.... and the price is reasonable. Actually better than reasonable.... for now.


Unfortunately, I knew about this story 3 weeks ago. I heard it at the Pizza shop. The owner was saying how the price of wheat has skyrocketed.... because of the Chinese -if you can believe that, so now the cost of making the dough is going up.... this on top of the sky high price for cheese...well, you know what all this means.... more expensive pizza. So much for all the amber waves of grain in this country.

And delivery? Fahhhgettaboutit. With the price of gas... gas surcharges are being tacked on, too.

Yeah, the big Pizza chain stores are out there, I'm sure they'll survive, and remain competitive. But the mom and pop stores are struggling to compete.
-
So, if you like your neighborhood Pizza shop throw them as much business as you can. Pay the extra buck or two if you must.

But do your part. Go get a pizza. Extra cheese and hot peppers for me.