Henry's Asylum

Blog is Set Up !

2006-10-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

My new Blog is now open for business at : http://www.henrybrennan.com
I'm actually beginning to enjoy figuring out how to make changes to it (downloaded a freeware .php editor, today for example)

Updating

2006-10-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

I am currently working on transferring my blogs to my home website:

http:\\www.henrybrennan.com

This seems to be turning into a pretty big deal that may require me to steal some technology from the Borg. Anyway, this will be my project for the next few days. I still can’t figure how to transfer my old comments, etc. since the tools for the Wordpress free blog differs from the Wordpress for existing sites. It’s a good learing experience, though, and the end result will be something I can actually own - as opposed to just borrowing.

Is There a Technician in the House?

2006-09-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

Not much happening, these days. The steady dull routine of work has taken on a new dimension of boredom. As I had mentioned earlier, my current project is slowly coming to an end. This means that most of my focus lies in maintaining the level of current production while everyone transitions into some other aspect of the organization. This makes things relatively simple for those who know where they’re going. Most of my technicians are headed towards Apple laptop repair and have taken the test to enter training for that section. There was a week-long training class just to prepare for the exam. On one of the test days, I decided to take the exam, myself, just to see if I could pass it (and also to relate to those who were concerned about the exam content). It was one of those exams where some of the questions had more than one correct answer and you had to choose them all. I’m happy to report that I got an 86% - taking the exam “cold” with no preparation material or having attended the class. Not too shabby, since that score placed me at number 3 for the top scores (the other 2 highest scores were 90% and 92%). I cheated, though – I have an extensive background in computer hardware (not software – as my blog and website can attest to). Anyway, it was just an exercise on my part, since I’ll still remain in management, though I sometimes long for the peace of just me, a bench, a computer to work on and the stars to guide me (like in the “old days” of early PC repair). Enough with the management hassles, meetings, unpaid overtime, etc. – hand me that screwdriver! Ah well.
Last night, though, I had the opportunity to watch one of the “House MD” episodes that I had recorded on the DVR so nicely supplied by Dish Network. For those of you who have yet to catch this series, I would daresay that “House MD” is every bit as good as “24”, but way more cerebral. It almost plays like a mystery\morality exercise for physicians and various other healthcare professionals. Here, we have Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) – a brilliant diagnostic surgeon who has all the antisocial tendencies of a superlatively insightful and accurate healer. I use the term “healer” in the formalized hospital arena sense because the only spirituality present seems to be that which God presents to House in way of opportunities to expand his perceptions beyond the confines of his bitterness (he has a crippling and painful medical condition) and his own endless ego. The pacing is extremely well done and there are quite a few twist s and turns that, while based in cutting edge medical topics, are presented clearly enough not to lose those without a medical background. An amazing accomplishment. The writing is extraordinary. Imagine a child, for instance, with rectal bleeding that states he was abducted by aliens showing two different DNA patterns in his cellular structure. Now imagine that same child showing symptoms of medical issues that seemingly come and go with no observable pattern, at first. And what about that piece of metal lodged inside his neck that he claims is a tracking chip placed by the aliens? Now imagine trying to find a logical medical explanation for all this, while battling pain medication dependency and the possibility of becoming a cripple. That’s “House MD”. Check it out, if you get the chance.

Going Forward

2006-09-26T14:16:00.000-07:00

Due to the persistant problems I'm having with Blogger - my new home will be on WordPress :

http://hbrennan.wordpress.com/
However, I'll still post to Blogger as a means of backup. (My site looks a lot better on WordPress, though).

A Good Cast Is Worth Repeating

2006-09-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

It recently occurred to me that I never really give the supporting cast in my life enough recognition or credit for their never failing roles in providing inspiration to my asylum. Too often, I attribute my perceptions to things that happen in my life (change of job, illness, fortuitous circumstances, voodoo, etc.) without considering the influences that people have on my journey through this existence. So without further ado, I’d like to have everyone take a bow and introduce yourselves. Well, since they appear to be too shy, I’ll introduce them for you.

Estranged Wife (as played by Cheryl B.) – An intellectual with an amazing history spanning street corner evangelizing in the 70’s (while yours truly served in the Army) to an illustrious academic career leading to over a quarter century in the nursing profession. Now, once again, embarking on a business adventure (a successful one, at that), her ultimate goal is … Disney World! That – and a clean house.

Older Step- Daughter (as portrayed by Angela Y.) – One time pizza parlor\restaurant employee with a penchant for computer technology and possessor of various mechanical skills. She now assists her mother with the new Nurse Staffing Agency and is considering a liaison with her boyfriend (an amiable programmer and former potential candy company heir). Gravitating towards music with an unusual avant-garde\downbeat approach to life (see “Belle and Sebastian” or Morrissey), I’m reminded to “fold my hands” lest I be accused of walking like a peasant.

Younger Step-Daughter (as assessed by Rhiannon T.) – 12-year old daughter that looks to be about 14 (depending on your point of view). I’ve known her since she was four years old, therefore she ranks as the only “real” daughter that I have ever known. Very pretty, yet sensible – having inherited a small sense of cynicism from yours truly. This should assist her in understanding the many pitfalls awaiting, in the form of teenage males, as she encounters them in the years to come. Likes country music, hip-hop and rap – yet is learning to play the clarinet. Not much I can say about that. She will be the subject of my next novel for NaNoWriMo. She will either be a young vampire or a vampire slayer (her weapon of choice will most likely be the clarinet).

Granddaughter (portrayed by Kirsten W.) – eight-year old daughter of Angela. Calls me “Granddaddy” or “Grandfather”. I try not to show how disconcerting that is. I’ve known her since she was less than 4 weeks old and to her, I’m a constant in her universe. She has a strong sense of family and is currently studying Tae Kwon Do (which she solemnly states “must not be misused”). I’m assuming she means that she must refrain from killing any family members. One of her favorite DVDs: “Star Wars – The Holiday Special”. How could you not find that just adorable?

The Menagerie (background characters as played by…)
“Kitty” – Ancient cat kept alive with Little Caesars dog food and tanna leaves.

“McGhee” – The little poodle man. Will insanely guard a ball of lint for hours on end. That pretty much sums him up.

“Cocoa” – The Shih Tzu. Star of stage and screen. Must have all of the attention. Period.

“Dinah” – Apathetic calico nurse cat. (a non-speaking role)

“Sonya” – The Halloween Cat (black with orange highlights). Loving to the point of embarrassment. Along with McGhee, Cocoa, Kitty and Pup-Pup comprise my “posse”.

“Pup-Pup” (aka “Lady” aka “What? Another dog?!”) – Jet black miniature Schnauzer. Quite cute. Serves as a foil for Cocoa.

“Zandor” (as portrayed by Peter Lorre) – Insane shut-in cat. Beautiful Persian male who suffers from acute paranoid delusions. Briefly made it down the stairs after years of house arrest in Angela’s bedroom. Has since retired to the upstairs bathroom with occasional forays into the upstairs bedroom hallway for a random poop or two. His food needs to be brought to the upstairs bathroom lest he suffer a complete breakdown.

“The Rabbit” (as portrayed by the rabbit) – Makes up for any lack of cuteness by being unreasonably aggressive.

There you have it. The supporting actors of “Henry’s Asylum”. Please hold your applause till the end of our play.

The WordPress Experiment

2006-09-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

Thank you Beckoning Chasm...

http://hbrennan.wordpress.com/

Get Your Red Hot Techs Over Here !

2006-09-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

Today, I began the basic construction of my new\old website located at www.henrybrennan.com . I’ve decided to do a little bit each day since I’ve never had the time to mess with all the fancy html that everyone in the world but me seems to understand. Maybe, over a period of a few months, I’ll be able to master some of the basics (or at least learn how to steal code from those more talented than myself. I’m even considering some B-movie reviews (like we more of those – from me, no less). I spoke (via email) with Nathan over at Million Monkey Theater and he seems to have reached a temporary impasse regarding his completing more extensive reviews. Sounds similar to Ken Begg’s need for a vacation resulting in the much-missed current lack of updates on Jabootu. Ah well. The Agony Booth seems to be doing well, though.
Other than that, not much else going on, today. My own company ( http://www.staffingcapital-llc.com/ ) is just starting out. It’s sort of an add-on to my wife’s pretty successful nurse staffing agency ( http://www.nursingcapital.com/ ). I’ll have to start making some room in my schedule in order to try to fit it in with my current career at Flextronics. Right now, it’s just the basics (tax ID, business license, etc.). At least I have office space that I sublet from Nursing Capital in downtown Olive Branch – so the overhead is cheap. It turns out the estranged wife is not so estranged, after all. That’s the amazing thing about life. You can find yourself walking on an Alaskan glacier one minute, enjoying the colorful tropical shores of Okinawa, the next – then end up hawking computer techs to various companies from an office in Olive Branch, Mississippi in the year 2006. If life were a rollercoaster, it would be banned by Six Flags and condemned by Disney World as “unsafe” (and their rides actually kill people). (note the two links)

Modern Love (sans Bowie)

2006-09-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

I’ve been lamenting the loss of my combo VHS\DVD player for a few weeks, now. It stopped functioning in small pieces. Much like an elderly person slowly losing control of their faculties. The first thing it did was to refuse to read DVDs all the way through. This wasn’t too bad, since I could view my DVDs on my PC (which is a newer model with a decent LCD screen). But when the VHS player decided to take an extended holiday, that was just unacceptable. I have some tapes of obscure films that never made it to DVD release and I was not a happy camper. Especially since I’m cheap and my wife had informed me that the combo player was pretty expensive. However, I had failed to realize an important fact. The combo player was expensive when we first bought it, which was a few weeks just before the fall of the Roman Empire. Prices have changed, needless to say. I saw a good deal for about $70 on Overstock.com (highly recommended – they have great deals and $2 shipping across the board!). But, as it turned out, when I found myself at the local Wal-Mart Superstore, this past Saturday, I decided to check out what they had to offer. Sure enough, I found pretty much the same deal and loaded it into my shopping cart. However, something told me to turn around and take a look at the opposite shelving.

There sat my reason for praising the Modern Era. (not to mention marveling at how certain areas of technology will occasionally slip by me – affordable technology, that is – not the technology, itself). Here, we had the VHS\DVD combo units that allowed dubbing from VHS to DVD and visa-versa. Thus the clouds parted, the sun shone and the angels sang.
And YES, it wasn’t that expensive.

Once home, I was amazed at how user friendly the setup and user interfaces were. The first thing I did was to watch my “Castle of Blood” DVD. The one with the scenes removed for American audiences that appeared in their original French. Next up was the pièce de résistance. A VHS copy of “Return of Dracula” starring Francis Lederer with the original Chiller Theater intro (the newer one with the 6- fingered hand) that I effortlessly dubbed to a blank DVD. Life is good.

Yesterday, I decided to take the steps necessary to have my domain hosted at Host Monster, which seemed like a good deal. This was the first step in accomplishing two things. One was setting myself up on WordPress, which mentioned that I would have more options if I used my own site. The other is to actually set up my own personal website (like I had at one point in the dim recesses of the past). Who knows, a new adventure may await.

Next up – Has my domain transferred yet or do I have to come over there Mydomain.com?

Don't Forget the Fish Oil Capsules

2006-09-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

Enough with the hospital, already. Suffice it to say that, besides the family, my other visitor was the Director of Production for my building, at work. Which was definitely a nice gesture. He’s a good guy who happens to be my immediate supervisor but who’s comfortable enough to talk to, so that he ended up visiting for about an hour with no awkward “forced hospital talk” that makes those kinds of visits so awkward. For example - “So, they got you in the hospital, eh? How’s the food? Hope you feel better. (long silence) Well. I know you need your rest (which never happens). I guess I better be running along. Bye. Hope you like the flowers. (Yeah, sure. Just what I needed for that funeral parlor ambience).
Suffice it to say, I was released and I’m doing better.
Although, I had to re-visit my eating habits. One good thing about the year 2006 is that there is an abundance of nutritional information right on the packages of food. Not only that, but there seems to be a plethora of pre-prepared, frozen, microwave-ready dinners that contain a sensible amount of fat and calories. They’re tricky, though. Finding the ones with enough food for an actual meal can be daunting. I tried a couple that would only qualify as a meal if you also ate the cardboard packaging that it came with. Even then, you’d still need dessert. So far, the “South Beach Diet” dinners fill me up the best. I’m not sure what the heck the “South Beach Diet” is all about (I’ll be looking I up right after this post). They should just call it “You Get Enough Food – But We’re Watching the Fat Content Diet”. Fine by me.
Hey, who says you don’t get pre-occupied with your health when you turn 50. I guess the next stop for my attention will be bowel city. Lord – I hope not…
Next up – How I fell in love with my new VHS\DVD player (Got it Saturday).

I've Had Better Vacations

2006-09-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

The first three days of my hospital visit were spent in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit). This is similar to an obscure form of “friendly torture” practiced by the Monty Python version of the Spanish Inquisition. Everyone was very cordial as they proceeded to awaken me every hour on the hour for lab samples. Between the lack of sleep, food and Dilaudid cocktails, by the time I made it upstairs to my own room, I was certifiable. By now, I was feeling bold and negotiated a “clear liquid” diet consisting of broth and Jell-O (yay!). I also began to notice that the clock on the wall had these peculiar red lines running along it’s face like a miniature laser light show. Interesting. To add to the festivities, it appeared that I was being paid a visit by a small hoard of mechanical spiders that were checking in on me to see if I was OK. I didn’t recognize them as colleagues from work, so I assumed they were from some other reality. This actually helped a bit, since my sense of humor kept me from being too disturbed at this latest development. It was the voices on the other side of the wall that occupied my thoughts with more focused attention than anything else. This required some inspection on my part. After crawling out of bed and dragging my IV pole along with me, I made good time to the entertainment center that housed the TV. My reckoning was that the trip took less than a month. When I arrived, I noticed that I had been deceived. There was no door leading to the promised party on the other side of the wall (and here I had my heart set on some form of debauchery to while away the hours). Oh well, back to bed. This took the better part of several weeks to navigate since the IV tubes had taken on a life of their own and refused to cooperate. Fortunately, none of this was noticed by the hospital staff, thus I avoided any embarrassing restraints to keep me from my periodic sojourns. I still don’t understand how I managed all this and still didn’t miss my once-every-four-hours Dilaudid fix. I attribute this to my refusal to adhere to linear time. Things were looking up.
Next – a visitor! (human, this time).

And Now a Word From Paddy Chayefsky

2006-09-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

Well. That was an interesting adventure. It all started on Tuesday night, August 29th. I was feeling rather poorly with a sickening anticipation of a possible ulcer attack. This didn’t surprise me, since I had been under some unusually heavy stress on the job, as of late. But my diet didn’t really hint at an ulcer attack. But there it was, getting stronger every minute. Finally it reached a ridiculously painful point whereby I phoned the wife at her job (she was working as a nurse supervisor from 3PM –11PM) and casually mentioned that I might need a ride to the emergency room (or the local morgue, whichever was closer). She hurried on home and away we went.

Upon arrival, we were told that it might be a few hours before we were seen. This was the point when my wife went into full RN mode and demanded to see the nurse supervisor of that hospital (not the one where she had been working – this was more of a “country club” type establishment). My wife not only works as the occasional nurse supervisor, but runs her own nurse staffing agency – so you don’t want to mess with her. She’s all business. Needless to say, we were seen immediately. Good thing. First of all, it wasn’t an ulcer attack – it was a cyst on my pancreas causing acute pancreatitis. The kind associated with high cholesterol that accounts for 80% of the fatalities associated with pancreatitis. They took three blood samples and couldn’t get a reading of my electrolytes because, somehow, I was dehydrated and according to them, my blood was turning to “sludge”. That precipitated IV’s of saline given pronto since I was NPO (nothing by mouth – but I negotiated for some ice chips). Next up was a shot of morphine for the pain. Which worked about as well as a half of a St. Josephs Aspirin for Children tablet. So out came the Dilaudid. This was injected straight into my vein at the junction where the IV was inserted. This was followed by a phenergan chaser for possible nausea. Now, if you’re not familiar with Dilaudid, then consider this – it’s pretty much synthetic heroin about eight times as powerful as morphine. They ended up giving this to me every four hours (on the dot) for a period of five days! Next up – “Is that really a gang of spiders and why haven’t I been invited to that party on the other side of the wall?”

Down But Not Out

2006-09-08T09:17:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I was hit with a serious case of pancreatitis, last Wednesday and just got out of the hospital early Thursday morning. More details on Monday.

Rainy Days and Mondays

2006-08-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

Today feels like I’m dragging myself through a thick sea of mud. It’s probably due to the fact that it’s a rainy day. I never do well on rainy days. Oddly enough, getting up is no problem but after that, it’s a struggle. I had a great birthday weekend. Spoke to all the standard relatives and friends. Received the standard birthday cards, etc. I had dinner out with the estranged wife on Saturday. Spent the day by myself on Sunday. Watched “Star Wars – The Attack of the Clones”. On second viewing, I think I appreciated it a bit more. I had a little more patience for Anakin’s whining and, overall, I guess my expectations were lower than when I paid to see it in the theater. The Jedi’s battle was the highlight for me as well as Yoda taking on Christopher Lee. I have a feeling that when I get an opportunity to see the final chapter (actually Chapter 3) again, I’ll enjoy quite a bit. It didn’t strike me as all that bad when I saw it originally. They were wise to keep a dark edge about it. Not to mention the scene when Darth Vader was outfitted with his new armor and “flipped out” (not a term you would use to describe him in his presence) when he was told that his wife had died. The scene, of course, was reminiscent of the Frankenstein monster being brought to life. Probably the only truly great scene in the last 3 “Star Wars” films. I’ve also noticed that my mind is beginning to spawn new ideas for NaNoWriMo (even in my dreams). It’s amazing how participating in that competition really brings out one’s creative side in day-to-day life.

The Shat Hit the Fan

2006-08-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

An uneventful end of the week. I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with the estranged family. Wife, older stepdaughter and I went over some business issues with the Staffing Agency, later in the day, on Sunday. Earlier that day, however, I had the chance to hang out with daughter Rhiannon, who explained to me the various types of current music she appreciates. I have to admit that my eyes rolled far into the recesses of my cranium when I heard the “new” tune that borrows (steals) the riff “I ain’t got nobody (dum dum dum dum dum) – that I can depend on.” She didn’t believe me when I referenced the ancient verses of one Carlos Santana. Not only that, but for some reason she likes modern day Heavy Metal tunes that are nothing more than poorly recycled 70s – 80s fare. She asked me what music I liked to listen to and I replied “Jazz”. I refrained from sounding snooty. After all, bonding takes precedence, here.
Later in the evening there was a terrific lightning storm that took out my power for about an hour. I didn’t have any emergency lights, etc. handy – so I just sat there in the creeping darkness. Fortunately, the power came back on for me to check out the William Shatner roast on Comedy Central. Parts of it were hilarious. Other parts were just vulgar for it’s own sake. My favorite bit? Uhuru (Nichelle Nichols) approaching Shatner as if to give him a hug and a kiss – then immediately turning around and telling him that he could kiss her black a__ (!) He quickly replied “If I could find it.” (!!) Everyone was a good sport. I was a bit amazed at the wit exhibited by the ageing Betty White. She managed to be vulgar and funny at the same time.
Right now, I’m beginning to collect my thoughts for this year’s NaNoWriMo competition. It’s not until November, but it’s never too soon to begin thinking of ideas for a possible storyline.

Pimp My High School

2006-08-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was an exercise in normalcy. Nothing unusual which is rather startling for a Monday on the job. As it turns out, Rhiannon had a good first day in school – which is always a relief. I remember my first day in high school. Talk about not fitting in. But that was OK, since it was the Bronx High School of Science in New York (as opposed to Nebraska, I guess). At that school, you had a mélange of students from the far corners of the city (and beyond), eager for a good education and willing to ignore the fact that most of them were considered nerds in their previous environments and ostracized for their academic achievements. Getting straight A’s has rarely been considered “cool” (just look at Jamie Lee Curtis in “Halloween”. I thought she was almost hot. But, then again, I went to Bronx Science). It was like a vast sea of strangers who were more or less accepting of diversity in a Star Wars cantina scene sort of fashion. Which was good for me, since it gave me a day to change my clothes. Maybe I should explain.

For the first eight years of my academic life, I attended parochial school. St. Clement Pope in Queens, to be exact. I’m sure you know the drill regarding Catholic school uniforms. These have never looked “cool” (At the risk of sounding perverse – the lone exception was when I lived in Japan – I think you know what I’m getting at.). Anyway, the students at St. Clements talked incessantly regarding all the cool clothes they were going to get at graduation and subsequently wear to their new high schools. I distinctly remember the wonderful ensembles that I hounded my parents into buying for my upcoming debut. Let’s just say that this was the summer of 1970 – not a great year for fashion. We’re talking medallions and white vinyl vests, here. Don’t forget the bell bottoms and psychedelic shirts with the Sister Betrille collars. Now, my mom warned me that these kids would be a) not fashion conscious and b) would be more of the Bob Dylan school of “cool”. I refused to listen. Therefore, on my first day in high school, I looked like I just stepped out of a 70’s disco on my way to a job interview for the position of assistant pimp. Fortunately, we were all dazed (since some, like myself, took over an hour by train and bus just to get there). Next day – jeans and a t-shirt.

Odd side note (Thanks, Cullen):
Your results:
You are Iron Man

Iron Man		80%
Hulk		75%
Catwoman		75%
Spider-Man		60%
Green Lantern		60%
Supergirl		50%
Robin		45%
Superman		40%
Wonder Woman		40%
The Flash		40%
Batman		30%

Inventor. Businessman. Genius.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...

Oh No !! Not Monkey Woman !!

2006-08-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

On “Who Wants to be a Superhero?” they eliminated Monkey Woman. Well. Now I only have a small vested interest in how the show turns out. It’s like watching “American Idol” and having a relative tossed off in the preliminaries. What now? Do I attach myself emotionally to another character? Is that healthy? Was the deal with Monkey Woman healthy? Still, it’s a good show, so I’ll continue to watch. Not to harp on Monkey Woman, but I did agree with Stan’s reasons for getting rid of her. She was compromising the “integrity of the show”. Whatever that is. If she had somehow won and was subsequently turned into a comic, I’d buy every issue. Sad, when you think about. I’m turning 50 on the 26th. But that’s a whole other crisis.

Today, my stepdaughter, Rhiannon, starts back to school. She’s been doing the home school deal, so this is a pretty stressful leap for her. Not only that, but it will be in a Jr. High School\High School setting which is vastly different from her experiences in Elementary School. I don’t envy her.

I still haven’t gotten around to see “Descent”, yet. Hopefully by the end of this week, I’ll have the time and opportunity. I’m meeting with the estranged wife, Cheryl, to discuss a new joint business adventure. That should be interesting. As I told her, this weekend, I love my job but I can’t see retiring in Production even if it is in a management position. I’m just praying for a lack of chaos that seemed to permeate all of our previous business ventures. It’s amazing that now that we are working apart from one another, we seem to be doing so much better. This confirms what I have always maintained. That marriage (successful ones, at least) is more of a business proposition than what traditional concepts would lead one to believe. It’s easier to love a good business partner than the person you live with, while attempting not to get on each other’s nerves.

50, eh? As my good friend Paul mentioned - 50, today, is like 35 a few decades ago. Just one of the thousands of reasons why everyone needs good friends. More later…

Who Wants to be a Superhero?

2006-08-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

A short while back, I noticed the commercials for a new “reality series” entitles “Who Wants to be a Superhero?” brought to us by none other that Stan Lee. I’ve always been a fan of Stan Lee going back to the days when one of my best friend’s mom used to craft his hair pieces and my friend subsequently received some nice autographed comics that I envied. Of course, Stan Lee is the legend that brought us some of the greatest comic and film superheroes of all time from the Marvel universe. However, I was convinced that senility had set in when I saw the ads for this new show. Be that as it may, I still decided to check it out when it finally aired. I was quite surprised. The man is truly a genius.

The show features a group of would-be superheroes ranging from the ridiculous (Cell Phone Girl) to the sincere (Fat Mama) to the hot (Monkey Woman – at least in my opinion. I’m not really sure why). But here’s the catch. These folks are given tasks to perform which, on the surface, appear to be tests of strength, speed and other “superhero” attributes. But, in actuality, the tests are designed to illustrate the less tangible aspects of a worthy superhero. Things like character, honesty, kindness, intelligence and resourcefulness. For example, in one test, the contestants were tasked with changing into their costumes in public (in an inconspicuous manner) and then run to a designated point while being timed. Sounds pretty straightforward, does it not? But here’s the catch. After changing into their costume, each “superhero” found themselves running past a crying child who appeared to be lost. Would they make it to their goal in the least amount of time possible? Or would they risk losing the race to stop and help that child? I couldn’t believe that nearly half the contestants screwed that one up. Time for one to be eliminated. More on that later.

Shakes on a Plane

2006-08-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

Here I am, on the road to the half-century mark. It’s funny, but everyone around me seems to age, yet I don’t. It really caught me off guard when I took a moment out to contemplate what my next birthday actually means. Maybe nothing. After all, it’s just a collection of years. Maybe, when taken in context, a decade might mean something, in and of itself, as a whole. But the jump from 49 to 50 only has serious significance if I actually place an undue importance on that one event. Sort of like when I turned 40. I was in Japan, at the time, and as I started up my Toyota Carina (they don’t sell those in the States), the radio came on with that Pink Floyd tune with the line “…but you’re older. Shorter of breath and one day closer to death…” How nice, I thought. Anyway.

The trip to Albuquerque was, as I had described earlier, absolutely perfect. Once I got there. The type of vacation that I really needed. Speaking of death, though, allow me to relate the flight over there.

Leaving Memphis International was rather uneventful. We were a few minutes late, but that was offset by my interest in flying in one of the newer American Airlines smaller aircraft. They’re called “Regional Jets” and they resemble large corporate aircraft with 2 seats on one side of the aircraft and one seat on the other. No problems landing in Dallas and finding my way to the connecting flight to Albuquerque. But that’s where the fun started. First of all, we managed to make it as far as the runway when the pilot informed us that we had to turn back, due to a failure in the auxiliary power supply. Back we go. The engineers had it “fixed” and certified in about an hour. Off we go again. Now, you have to understand, the connecting flight wasn’t one of those new Regional Jets. It was more in line with the aircraft William Shatner was flying on in that episode of the Twilight Zone. Except that the bolts on the wing (over which I happened to be sitting) were quite rusty. We take off. And we arrive in Albuquerque just in time for a major thunderstorm. This, in a city that had been experiencing a recent draught. Timing is everything. We can’t land. Then the pilot informs us that we are running out of fuel and will have to divert to Lubbock, Texas (!) for some more gas. Lovely. We land at the nearly deserted Lubbock airport and they begin fueling (right at the wing that I was sitting over) when I noticed something strange. They were fueling the plane with the engines still on (!!). The captain came on the PA system and helpfully announced that they were leaving the engines on to keep the air conditioning running since the auxiliary power supple still wasn’t working! How does that work? Did they lie about fixing it the first time? I kept thinking about the warnings you see on gasoline pumps at your local gas station and somehow I did not find it comforting when the flight captain assured us that this was “perfectly safe”. It was around this time that I called up my wife and reminded her, that in case anything happened to me, she should make sure to collect on my 401K plan as well as the insurance and whatever she gets from suing the airline. I don’t think my conversation went over well with the person in the seat next to me. Or the people behind me, for that matter. Anyway, we finally took off, landed in Albuquerque and discovered that there was only one crew to unload luggage for the three flights that had just arrived. That took another hour. All in all, my flight to Albuquerque took six hours longer than scheduled. But at least I made it and the wife will have to wait a bit longer for that trip to Disney World.

Back

2006-08-01T16:33:00.000-07:00

Here we are at August 1st and, as promised (to myself), I’m back in the blogging zone. Every now and again I need a break from my self-imposed “obligations” that really make no sense considering the real obligations that I face on a daily basis. Now that things are heating up at work, I can see that my timing for my recent vacation to Albuquerque was quite fortuitous. It really couldn’t have come at a better time. The moving of my project to a different building plus various drastic (although not bad) changes in my home life had taken their toll and I needed a change of scenery. Just to give you an idea of my need for a vacation, consider this – I still have 4 weeks of vacation time coming to me! Amazing.
I had anticipated that gas prices might drive up airfares, so I purchased my flight tickets on-line about 2 months early. After securing myself in my new living quarters (read new apartment), I informed my family, in Albuquerque, of my impending arrival. This was met with great enthusiasm and immediate inquiries regarding my menu choices. There were a few items that I had really missed over the years and these were to be prepared. The list goes like this:
Lasagna, manchupa (pronounced in the shortened Cape Verdean version “manchup” – phonetically mun – choop), fried codfish cakes, linguica and a trip to a good quality New Mexican restaurant.
I felt like I had hit the lottery.
Tomorrow – “The Journey Home”

Sabbatical

2006-07-13T10:49:00.000-07:00

Nope. I'm not dead. Work increases and just plain fatigue have brought me to the decision of taking a break from writing until August 1st. By the way, my vacation in Albuquerque couldn't have been more perfect. I'll write about it when I get back...

Pass the Munchupa

2006-06-19T16:09:00.000-07:00

I didn’t sleep very well, last night. Sort of a hold over from Father’s Day. A detailed psychological evaluation of myself revealed a combination of no longer having my own father around (he passed away a little over a year ago) and the lack of any critical success of fatherhood on my own. Introspection is best avoided during certain times of the year. Valentines Day, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day and the Christmas holidays (for Christians – substitute any other main religious holiday where appropriate) come to mind. I think this is why Halloween is so popular. Not only do you get to face your fears, but you get to do it while justifying eating a lot of candy. Or giving it away – I like both. Anyway. I’ve always enjoyed writing the most when I’m depressed, so today is made to order. You’ll know if I become suicidal – my sense of humor will start to kick in. You should have seen me back when my house burned down in Yarmouth, Mass, back in the 80’s. Standing in the Red Cross office with girlfriend and her little boy, I was literally turning into David Letterman. I’m surprised they didn’t sedate me. I think it was looking out the window and watching the snow beginning to fall that really triggered me. Oh well, life is like that.
I did get a chance to watch “The Last Samurai” with Tom “Call Me Crazy” Cruise. A fine actor best seen in the theater as opposed to talk shows (or anywhere else for that matter). The film was extremely entertaining to someone, such as myself, who has actually lived in Japan. But it still seemed like a slightly watered down version of the miniseries “Shogun” and a hugely watered down version of the 2 book set of “Shogun” that I read many years ago. Except for the battle scenes, which were done well. With commercials, it ran over three hours and never really dragged at any point (that’s really saying something with the running time and historical setting). The acting was top-notch and locales were amazing. Highly recommended.
Well, time to get back to my life. This Sunday I fly to Albuquerque to see my mom, sister and various family members. I’m looking forward to my mom’s planned menus of lasagna, munchupa (Portuguese) and fried codfish cakes. All righty, then...

I See Dead People

2006-06-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

Life moves along as always. At the end of this month, I have tickets to visit my mother, sister and her family in Albuquerque. I lived in Albuquerque for about eight and a half years. It’s where my first wife went to school and I met her while selling Kirby vacuums all those years ago. I haven’t seen my mother or sister in over six years, so we should have a lot of catching up to do. Maybe not. After all, I speak to her on a regular basis by phone and after a certain point in your life, the changing tides begin to slow. At least it feels that way.
I saw “The Sixth Sense” this weekend. It’s the first time that I ‘ve seen the movie from start to finish. Wonderfully creepy. Fantastic acting, for a child, by Haley Joel Osment. Bruce Willis was in top form, as well. If you’re one of the three people in Nicaragua who haven’t seen it, I won’t give away the ending – although it was telegraphed like Western Union on crack. It had lots of nice little touches like the sudden appearance of a boy who asks “Would you like to see where my dad keeps his gun?” then he just walks into another room and we don’t see him again. Just an odd footnote from a dead child but a strong reminder why it’s usually not a good idea to keep firearms in a house that has children. The story had an excellent balance between sentimentality and outright horror. It’s definitely one of those films you can watch more than once, like the original “The Haunting”.
Other than that, I decided to spring for a pay-per-view Dish Network all day ticket for “King Kong” on Saturday. Way over the top – but, then again, it’s fantasy from the guy that brought you “Lord of the Rings”. So there you go.
Anyway, that pretty much sums up my weekend beyond hanging out with the wife, kids, pets, etc. My life used to be more interesting. Maybe I’ll write about some of that and hope no one from the pool of relatives and friends (well, maybe friends) reads it. Trust me, some of it’s pretty hair-raising (which is probably why I don’t have much hair, these days.

Oddly Enough, This is Post # 100

2006-06-05T11:16:00.000-07:00

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve written to my blog. Actually, that can be a good thing since I tend to write more when I’m depressed over some unforeseen negative change in my life. But give me sunny skies and a reasonable amount of prosperity and there seems to be no motivation to write. I think one of the difficulties I’m encountering is the actual focus of this blog. Therein lies the dilemma. Notice how I said “this blog” as if this were an actual attempt at material to be viewed by others as opposed to an actual diary. I’ve found that once I decided to write for myself, there really wasn’t all that much to say. After all, I chatter endlessly to myself throughout the day, so what’s left over to write? You know, that’s something I’m going to have to figure out in the next day or two…

Shape Shifting

2006-05-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

A pretty busy day at work.
Presenting a desirable image to those in upper management is always a humorous exercise. Take, for example, one of our senior quality engineers. He spends endless unpaid overtime hours drawing up various charts and reports on the finer aspects of our quality standings. Yet, he is the target of blatant derision and commands little respect from his seniors. I’m always amazed at the number of otherwise competent individuals who “miss the point” on a regular basis. It’s not how good you really are, it’s how you can manipulate your image that matters. A very similar concept was presented in the Carlos Castaneda books when the Yaqui “man of knowledge”, Don Juan, talked about the art of “Stalking”. Stalking is basically how we deal with our fellow humans. It’s not a deception, per se, but a shift in the way we touch upon the realities perceived by others. If you’ve ever noticed how one person may admire you and another may view you with contempt, even though they are in the same group and are presented with identical actions from you, then you may understand what I’m referring to. What most people don’t understand, however, is that the perceptions of others can be tailored to fit our current needs or desires. This amounts to a miniature version of a “universal image” that is projected to an entire group simultaneously. This is the goal of politicians and generals. But these are high profile people. In my opinion, the greatest accomplishment is to manipulate one’s image while remaining just out of reach and only making an appearance when it is needed or to facilitate a desired outcome.

Decent Weekend

2006-05-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am. Back from a “well-earned” vacation from writing, posting, reading, doing, etc. I think the rain has something to do with it. The only decent days have been on the weekend and I value those, too much now, to spend them squint-eyed and bleary in front of a computer monitor. I sincerely hope that we will eventually reach a point in our cultural evolution when less time is spent on computers and more face time is given to our fellow humans. Although, you can always argue that computers give the opportunity to communicate with more people than would normally be possible.

I was going to write an article on “The Ape Man” (1956 – a good year for trashy movies and the birth of folks like myself. Of course Bela died that year too, so I guess it’s a strange year, at best). But then I decided that rehashing that pathetic old flick was a rather redundant exercise. Besides, it’s not like I’m shooting for any kind of readership. This is more of an exercise in self reflection than a scrambling for attention or validation. Heaven knows, I’ve spent enough hours with that pursuit.

I got paid on Saturday and noticed I picked up a thousand dollar raise based on my review. Not all that much, but I’m thankful for any pat on the back, at this stage of the game. It also looks like I may be heading up one of the new projects due to start in a couple of months so I guess I get to keep on working. Always a good thing. I didn’t do much this weekend except rest, visit with the animals and watch a little TV. I’m really enjoying my new satellite dish. The digital recorder that came as a free add-on to new subscribers is amazingly cool. Tonight is a “24” night. I hope Jack Bauer gets a bathroom break during this "real time" hour…

Write With Caution

2006-05-03T10:51:00.001-07:00

Nice day all around, so far. I like to write stuff like that, lest this turn out to be one of those “Night Gallery Blogs” ala Patty Duke in that episode “The Diary”. In that one, she played a mean spirited celebrity gossip person who enjoyed ruining careers as much as she enjoyed dated 70’s New Years Eve parties (complete with diapered midget – don’t ask). She was given a one-year diary by a fading starlet that had been the recent target of her venomous commentaries. Shortly thereafter, the unfortunate woman committed suicide and the diary begin to produce some rather interesting entries that it’s owner doesn’t recall writing. It has a nice twist at the end that I won’t reveal and I recommend seeking the episode out. You can find it in the First Season collection of “Night Gallery” on DVD. It’s a nice box set and well worth the money. Anyway, as I said earlier, I like to write nice things occasionally with the hopes that anything I place in this blog will eventually come to pass. Hey, that’s a decent idea for a story.
Last night, I got out my old VHS tapes and re-visited “The Black Sleep” which has an amazing cast and “Night of the Ghouls” (Ed Wood) – which doesn’t. Each has it’s charms which I may go into tomorrow. Or not. We’ll see.

Spider Baby

2006-05-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned, yesterday, I had the opportunity to re-watch “Spider Baby” (1964) starring Lon Chaney Jr., Carol Ohmart (“The House on Haunted Hill”) and Sid Haig (“The Devil’s Rejects”). The alternate title for this film is “The Maddest Story Ever Told” amongst others. Amazingly enough, the opening credits start off with Lon Chaney singing the theme song (!!). The story involves the sinister doings of the Merrye family and their chauffer/caregiver named Bruno (Chaney). Evidently, the Merrye family suffers from an inherited malady that causes age regression and eventually leads to deformity and a reverting to a cannibalistic state of primitive behavior. The film, itself, plays as a black comedy which is something that Chaney stated he had always wanted to do, but never got the opportunity. Here, his performance (as well as the rest of the cast) shines. According to Jack Hill (Director - this was his first feature film), Chaney, who was a serious alcoholic at the time, wanted to do this film so badly that he actually went on the wagon for the 12 days that it took to shoot the film.
As I mentioned, the cast is excellent. Of particular note is actress Jill Banner. Although only seventeen at the time of shooting and with no prior film experience, shows herself to be a natural. Every hand and body movement was improvised and adds a creepy understated value to the performance. It’s a shame that she was killed at a young age as a result of an automobile accident (although she had left the acting profession, by then). The most touching scene is the one where Chaney is explaining to the children how “everything” is going to be OK” while setting up a suicide scenario. In the director’s commentary, Jack Hill mentions that while shooting that scene, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house and the crew gave Chaney an ovation.
Made in 1964, the film wasn’t released until 1968 due to legal issues and, even then, only enjoyed a very limited release. This is truly a shame, since Chaney never got to see it released nor was he able to enjoy the cult status this film has since achieved. The DVD has some nice extras on it, including deleted scenes and a short feature on a cast reunion at a screening in Los Angeles. Though offbeat in nature, I highly recommend this film if you have a taste for well-acted dark humor or if you are a Chaney completist and you’re tired of seeing how pathetic he could look in his later films. This one is an absolute gem.

Them Changes

2006-05-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

Here I am. Back in the blog after an extended “vacation”. Quite a few things have been going on to alter the existing path of my life. Good things, for the most part. But change is always tough to take after you reach a certain age. It used to be that I welcomed the unexpected. One day, working in advertising a half a block from Seattle’s Space Needle. The next, being driven by a Navy corpsman assigned as my assistant, along the coastline of Okinawa on a beautiful Fall afternoon. The ocean painted with iridescent reds, greens, and blues. Then driving through Atlanta on my way to a rented restored home in the heart of Buckhead. Now, writing this in a mostly deserted warehouse\factory in Memphis, Tn. contemplating “a day without an immigrant”. Strangely, after 12 years, I find myself living alone, again. I have a nice place, though and after all these years, I have extra money. Interesting concept that. “Extra money”. I didn’t think that was even possible.

I’m watching more movies, these days. Just revisited “Spider Baby” with Lon Chaney Jr. This time, with the director’s commentary turned on. Great film with an amazing cast. Maybe tomorrow, I’ll write a more detailed review. See you then.

Middle of the Road

2006-04-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

Things have certainly taken a change for the better (?) in my life (he said with mock bravado). At least they’ve changed. It’s ironic, but I used to look forward to change and now, as I get older, I find myself needlessly dreading it. I keep having to buffer my experiences with lists of positives vs. the negatives. But even if the positive far outweigh the negatives, I still lie awake at nights re-hashing the same old scenarios over and over. I won’t go into any details because we’ve all been there in one form or another. To be honest, my move\leap of faith from Japan to the southern portion of the United States took far more guts then what I’m doing now. So did joining the Army at the age of nineteen while giving up a full scholarship to NYC University (I went to school later, though). Each quantum leap, in retrospect, has been a positive moving forward. But the midnight chills still reign free.
This new turn of events will finally offer me the freedom to complete the development of my adult self before old age sets in. At least those are the opportunities at hand. At my disposal are all of the tools I’ve honed through a myriad of crises while coming through with flying colors. We’ll see, now, how really good I am at taking on the mundane and making something interesting out of the grey fabric that tends to drape over the tar pit of mediocrity. We’ll see…

"Murderball"

2006-04-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

Today is clear with a slight chill to the air just as a reminder that spring can be a variable month in the Memphis\Mississippi locale. Here, we're subject to the whims of the hot humid breath of southern regions like Georgia or cooler, less intimate waves from our northern neighbors. The change can occur at any given moment. Having originally come from the north, I tend to prefer my brisk kindred cousins to my newfound plantation dwelling friends. I’m now back in a more stable frame of mind and, as such, I now have the time and inclination to view my Netflix films on a more regular basis. Last night, I found myself invited to witness a few gripping games of quad-rugby – otherwise known as “Murderball”.
I had read a lot about this documentary on the Internet, however it never played in my location. Not to make light of the folks in my particular location in Mississippi – ok, but just this once. You can forget anything in the realm of “Grizzly Man” or “Murderball” at the local redneck theater complex. How astonishing. I guess that’s what Netflix is for. Anyway, it was an engrossing and ultimately uplifting group of entwined studies of human nature and the will to overcome amazing physical obstacles (unlike “Grizzly Man” – which was also fascinating. But face it, that was a seriously depressing tale of a someone out of touch with reality). “Murderball” is reality staring you in the face and forcing you to see another side of human accomplishment that we sometimes tend to look away from.
For the uninitiated, “Murderball” is full contact rugby played by quadriplegics in wheelchairs that are armored like something out of “The Road Warrior”. But it’s far more than that. It’s a statement of once again gaining control of one’s life after being struck down in the most helpless fashion imaginable. “Murderball” is also about relationships. A father who is a legend in the quad-rugby arena coming to understand his non-athletic son who wishes to play the viola more than participate in sports. The young man who caused the crippling of his best friend and can’t connect to his emotions because they are so deeply buried in guilt. The recent quadriplegic coming to grips with his new disability sitting in his wheelchair while staring at his beloved competition motorcycle on which he had his accident – helmet in his hands – knowing he’ll never ride again. The look in that same man’s eyes when he is allowed to try out an armored quad-rugby chair and feeling, once again, a sense of empowerment.
This is something you don’t see too often in life. It’s like the scene where the U.S. quad-rugby team visits Walter Reed Hospital to speak and mingle with disabled vets from the Iraqi War, showing them their sport. Standing amongst them is an attractive young female soldier in her 20’s. She was looking intently at their demonstration and listening very closely to what they had to say She was also missing an arm and one of her legs. These are images that tend to be kept from the public, at large. See this film.

Nope, I haven't gone anywhere

2006-04-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

I've just been super busy with some personal changes as of late. I'll be back in a day or two...

A Nice Day for a White Wedding

2006-03-27T10:36:00.000-08:00

Had a nice weekend, for the most part. I attended the wedding of one of the employees on Saturday. She’s from Romania, speaks five languages and is one of the sweetest young ladies you could ever hope to meet. She was a teacher in her native country. Where I work, she repairs plotters (very large printers about the size of an electronic piano). The ceremony, itself, was beautiful with a reception and dance that followed. This was the first opportunity that I had to dance in quite some time. The music was standard fare with the notable exception of “Brick House” by The Commodores, which really got me going.
Anyway, nothing much new beyond that. Tonight is “24” night at my house. Those darn terrorists.

Code 46

2006-03-24T12:31:00.000-08:00

Brilliant, crisp clear day. The kind I absolutely enjoy. About 10 degrees warmer than yesterday which puts it in the mid 50’s. Just perfect for a brisk walk or allowing for a nice comfortable temperature where I work. I’m looking forward to the weekend since I have a wedding to attend tomorrow. A very nice young lady from Romania (who is not a vampire – see previous post) is getting hitched to a fine young gentleman which will afford her American citizenship. She and her brother are friends of the family and we’re extremely happy for her.
Didn’t do much, last night. But I did get a chance to see a movie that I had not even heard of before. “Code 46” with Tim Robbins (“The Shawshank Redemption”) and Samantha Morton (“Minority Report”). It was a bit slow moving, but I found it haunting and it riveted my attention throughout. A minor science fiction film, there’s really nothing to distinguish it. It actually plays out as more of a romance with the sci-fi elements in the background as opposed to being the drivers of the story. It involves Robbins investigating the theft and subsequent black marketing of “papelles” which is a necessary form of ID (replacing passports, etc.) if one is to travel to any location outside of one’s home city. Robbins has been given an “intuition virus” that allows him to learn just about anything from anybody merely by having them tell him something about themselves. Using this ability, he discovers that Morton is the one committing these crimes. However, rather than turn her in, he falls in love with her and they have an affair. The other main issue in the story is “Code 46” which is a law that is designed to prevent accidental in-breeding in a society that utilizes cloning to a great degree and one cannot be sure who they are related to.
As I mentioned, it’s a slow moving romance story that relies on mood more than anything else. Most people dislike it for this. I happened to be in a meditative state of mind when I saw it, so I can appreciate what the director was trying to do. I originally noticed that it was rated "R", yet 2/3 into the movie and there was nothing to indicate that. Not a hint. Even the clothes were conservative with no "see through" features (even when Morton was wearing a t-shirt at home and seducing Robbins). Then, all of a sudden, voila! A completely unexpected scene of graphic nudity preceding an unusual sexual encounter. Wow - I didn't see that coming! An interesting touch. It was like instant "R" rating in a can. A directorial decision that only further illustrates that this film was more arthouse than mainstream. Don’t see it if you’re looking for instant gratification entertainment. See it if you’re relaxing with your significant other or with your own quiet thoughts.

Spring Day

2006-03-23T11:17:00.000-08:00

Cold, clear day. The sort of day that immediately wakes you up when you step outside for the first time. It’s also the kind of day that makes me grateful that I’m originally from the Northeast and not from the Tennessee\Mississippi area. These people think it’s actually cold when it’s in the 40’s. Not me. I hate the heat. You can always dress more warmly, but when it’s hot… What are you going to do? Show up for work in your underwear? Hot pants? Actually that’s a thought. I’d probably get invited to fewer meetings that way. Meetings are like vampires, except with less class. They just suck the life right out of you without the decency to be charming or sexy.
Speaking of which, I’m currently reading “Midnight Mass” by F. Paul Wilson. A light, interesting read in which the author (a former Catholic) starts off by methodically bashing Catholics, then does a complete 180 “upholding the faith”. I find that pretty hilarious. I guess you can take the kid out of the parochial school, but you can’t take the parochial school, etc. etc. The ghost of Sister Mary Maladjusted lingers on long after the slap marks disappear. Not that I’m one to talk. It took me forever to pin down the various theological errors in Catholicism. I guess I won’t be appearing in any Mel Gibson flicks any time soon. Not that that was ever a remote possibility. I hear the movie was horrible. I’ll have to see it.
Good day. Feeling good. Who could ask for more?

I've Been Tagged

2006-03-22T15:14:00.000-08:00

I’ve recently been “tagged” by Beckoning Chasm to list seven songs that I’m currently into, then tag seven other people to do the same. Sort of a paradox, since the only people I really write to in blog form are the folks who have already been tagged by Chasm. Wrong damn generation, I suppose. None of my old friends blog. Oh well. Wait, I take that back – I could tag Ken Begg, but he has enough to do, what with being on constant alert for horrid films that lurk in the shadows awaiting the unsuspecting. I’ll reprint the list here:

1."The Romantic Warrior" (Return to Forever)
2. "The Dreaming"(Kate Bush)
3. "Elephants in Love" (Jean Luc Ponty)
4. "Night Song" (Noel Pointer)
5. "Hejira" (Joni Mitchell)
6. "Night Flight" (Joe Sample)
7. "Ironbound" (Suzanne Vega)

I recommend them all (although Suzanne Vega can be a bit depressing at times. Witness “Luka” and “Small Blue Thing”. If I had to replace Suzanne, it would be with Rickie Lee Jones’ “Coolsville” or Bruce Cockburn’s “Inner City Front”). Nothing too obscure on this list, yet nothing really mainstream, either. The thing about each tune is that each one represents a milestone in my life. From driving back to the Army post through the snow after a weekend at home (New York City to Ft. Monmouth, N.J.) listening to “Hejira” to hanging out in a rooming house in Hyannis, MA listening to “The Dreaming” for the first time and standing there, astonished. Sometimes, music is everything.

Moving on ...

2006-03-21T11:51:00.000-08:00

Well. After a bit of a vacation to reflect on my life and it's current path, I've finally decided to continue on with the blog. That's kind of a funny way of looking at things, I guess. "Continue on with the blog". Sort of a metaphor, I suppose. I'm making a few changes in my life - hopefully for the better. Although, in my heart, I pretty much know they're for the better. So I guess that's where my blog is ultimately heading. No more writing (or doing) to please others. No more tired slogging through life and writing. I've decided to be more focused on what I truly understand vs. what I think should happen or shouldn't happen. As I close in on the 50 year mark, it's time for a change. I either grip the mid-life crises stick in a panic and run out and buy a Harley or I use what I know to make a few improvements. I've chosen the latter. Sure, I may write a review or expose a piece of creative writing. But that won't be my objective. My objective will be to re-affirm the things that I've know all along, but never had the guts to fully use. I kind of like that. So here it begins. A collection of daily antics, metaphysical observations and, who knows, maybe a bizarre movie review, here and there. Join me if you wish. Or not. But man, I've waited a lot of years for this. Onward...

The Only Thing Constant Is...

2006-03-08T11:50:00.000-08:00

The last few days have gone by quickly. Things were pretty muck OK at work. Nothing really new. But with my boss being out for the last three weeks, on vacation, I'm left taking up the slack, so there’s been little time for writing. I was reading Beckoning Chasm’s thoughts on the direction of his blog. I’ve been considering that, as of late, too. Unlike Jabootu’s Bad Blogging Dimension, there’s no inherent direction that I’m pointed in. I can appreciate James Lilek’s work on his “Bleat”, but his talent far outshines my own. He can ramble on about his daughter for a considerable length of time, then suddenly insert a humorous aside that comes straight out of nowhere. If I could accomplish that, then I wouldn’t need a specific direction. Shoot, I don’t even have artwork to display like Cullen or Chasm. It was different when I was doing NaNoWriMo. I was in fever pitch mode and I was really excited about something. But when the days slip one into the other, it can be hard to be creative or humorous. So I think I’ll consider a new direction for this blog. Movie reviews have been done to death – so maybe something along the line of psychological observation. Or not. We’ll see…

Excuse me

2006-02-28T15:41:00.000-08:00

Today was a pretty decent day. The sun's out and it's in the high 60's which is pretty decent for February. Work went along just fine - no major issues. Attended a customer meeting for Hewlett Packard with my rear intact afterwards (they can be extremely confrontational, sometimes). But the day wouldn't be complete without some form of insanity. Here's today's peek into the asylum:
When I got back out on the floor, my Lead (assistant) hands me two "Personal Time Off" request forms from two techs, from the day before. It seems they (boyfriend and girlfriend) decided that it would be a good idea to come in for an hour and just leave to go home. Mind you, these are two of my best techs. But to top it off, they had the nerve to submit time off forms for my approval. Needless to say, I wrote "not approved" on both of them. So today the male tech comes over to my desk and asks me why I didn't approve the time off. I told him that coming into work and then running off with your girlfriend is not an acceptable business practice and violates our "48 hour" rule for requesting time off. His reply - "I had to go home because I drank too much was hung over from the night before"!

I just looked at him.

So, I asked him, are you telling me that you and your girlfriend needed to leave the job, after one hour, because you were hung over? That's your excuse??

"Yup".

I didn't write him up (or her, for that matter). I figured it would make me look too cruel to be writing someone up while I was laughing...

Happy Birthday, Dad

2006-02-27T15:30:00.000-08:00

Today's is my Dad's birthday. He would have been 97. But since he passed away, last April, this is pretty much the only way I'll get to wish him happy birthday. So that's what I'm doing. His was a remarkable life. He served in two wars - going into the military as a private and retiring as a major. (As a dad, he never wanted me to call him "sir" - just "dad"). He then started another career with the City of New York's Dept of Hospitals. He began as an ambulance driver and retired as Chief of Transportation for New York City's Dept. of Hospitals (the highest civil service position in that sector without being elected Commissioner). Somewhere, in there, I was born. Somehow he found time to do everything that a dad should do. Even going so far as to be an Assistant Scoutmaster for my Boy Scout troop. I remember him going to summer camp with me and getting our troop camp site "into shape". He even taught us how to march. Most of the other scouts thought this was pretty humorous and a bit too "military". But that summer, we were given the award of "Best Camp Site" in a Jewish Boy Scout camp where they only served Kosher food. We were the only non-Jewish troop there, made up of mostly African-American scouts from St. Clement's Catholic school. Me - I just mostly get by. I haven't achieved all that much. Oh yeah, there've been a few bright spots in my life and I'm grateful to be where I am. But nothing like Henry Charles Brennan Sr.
Happy Birthday, Dad...

The Rambling Man

2006-02-23T17:15:00.000-08:00

well, I just returned from my self-imposed "vacation" from everything but the necessary. It's strange, but I actually feel like I took a nice trip somewhere peaceful and I guess, in essence, I actually did. No obligations other than just family and work. No "extras". I didn't watch any movies - Just "24" with the wife. I found it pretty intense and absorbing - but seriously. I'm supposed to believe all that took place in "real time". Are you kidding me? Here's Jack chasing down some terrorists. Now, here's Jack in an airplane crash. Now he's removing a piece of metal from his leg and running from some gunmen. Criminey! I can't even get on a plane in an hour. What about bathroom breaks? How about some treatment for that leg? I know what he was thinking - "PLEASE don't let me hit rush hour traffic! I only have an HOUR, here!" Good show, though. Well, back to work. My assistant on 2nd shift is off the next 3 days for his birthday. That means I get to come in at 11 a.m. to check on 1st shift, then stay until 2nd shift ends at 12:30 a.m. the next morning! Good times. I'll have to make up for it by scheduling some vaction time in March. More on that, later.

Out of Town

2006-02-16T11:57:00.000-08:00

I'm out of town this week. I'll be back on Tuesday 2/21. See you then...

If you can't stand the heat...

2006-02-08T11:20:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is, a few days later and I finally get a minute to update my blog. It’s been amazingly cold for the past few days and that is always a cause for concern. My heating bills have more than doubled with the price of gas skyrocketing. Just this last month, my utilities (gas, water and electricity) came out to over $500. That’s almost half my mortgage! It’s ridiculous. My family has a membership to the YMCA, where they exercise daily and take their showers plus we keep the house temperature just above arctic level and still the utility bills are that high. Anyway, I guess I should just be grateful I can afford to pay them. I feel sorry for those who can’t take the hit.

I watched a couple of films, this weekend. “Corpse Bride” was excellent. A great family movie with a lot of style, fantastic visuals and some pretty slick humor. I highly recommend it. The other one was “Grizzly Man” which really should have entitled “Moron Man”. Give me a break. It isn’t so much that the guy was a whack job that somehow managed to avoid being eaten for 13 years. It’s the tree-hugging leftist whackos that encouraged his insanity. C’mon, now. These are dangerous animals. They are not and never will be “people”. Their brains are wired completely differently. As my wife put it, “The bear that got them wasn’t thinking about anything but his next meal.” The real tragedy was that this nutcase managed to get his girlfriend killed in the process. That wasn’t a spoiler, by the way. This is a documentary and everyone knows the outcome. It was nice, although, to see Werner Herzog demonstrating his filmmaking talent. Worth a look.

Another rainy day in February

2006-02-02T11:35:00.000-08:00

Well, it seems that I’ve been out of touch, for awhile. Quite natural, actually. Now that I’m a Senior Supervisor running two shifts, it’s amazing how time can get away from me. The next thing you know, several days have gone by without me taking the time to do some of things I enjoy rather than just meeting obligations. This, of course, includes writing and watching films. I better get back with the program, though. Otherwise my Netflix money is being wasted.
There will be a review sponsored by yours truly on Jabootu.com coming up, this month. It’s kind of strange seeing my name in BIG LETTERS on a site that I visit just about everyday. But Ken’s site is definitely worth supporting as it has provided me with many hours of entertainment over the years.
Nothing all that much new on the home front. Ms. Cocoa, the Shih Tzu princess, is getting big and continuously torments McGhee (the little poodle man). The day, itself is rainy and gives rise to reflection on some of the things that have occurred in my life. This month marks three years with my company. It also is the first February that I won’t be sending my Dad a birthday card. Funny, how some things can strike you simultaneously. Like a song that suddenly transports you to your childhood. I really should write more. It feels like I’ve temporarily forgotten how much I enjoy it. Or maybe it’s more like I’ve temporarily forgotten how much I need it. Can you tell it’s raining out? It appears that my writing is weather sensitive.

At Work and "On the Bounce"

2006-01-25T15:34:00.000-08:00

Well, the last few days certainly sped by in a hurry. My new position, at work, seems to have some of the characteristics of an inflatable raft that has been accidentally opened in a rather narrow closet. Everyone seems to “want something”, now. It’s like there’s a radar that hunts down anyone with a spare moment, lest that moment not be filled. But no matter. There may be a lot to do, but it’s not nuclear physics, as I like to say. Common sense usually fills the bill nicely. Although, when you get right down to it, common sense is usually what’s in short supply in most areas of life.

Had the usual day. Nothing too interesting to comment on. Last night, McGhee (the little poodle man) was a bit put off at all the attention the family was lavishing on Miss Cocoa (the shih tzu princess). When it was time for everyone to retire to bed, Miss Cocoa left with my daughter to the upstairs bedchamber and wife and I retired to the master bedroom, downstairs, with McGhee, as usual. However, he refused to sleep on the bed at our feet. He opted, instead, to sleep on his small pillow on the floor, completely ignoring us. I’m sure he was seriously trying to make a statement, because it was COLD last night and we make the most of our electric blanket, fuel bills being what they are and all. This morning, when my wife left for work (I don’t go in till 10AM), McGhee decided that we had had enough and asked to get up on the bed with me and defrost himself under the covers. That’ll teach me.

I was too tired, after work, to do much of anything, last night. Just a couple of chapters of “Starship Troopers” by Heinlein, which I’m re-reading. Carefully, this time. I missed too much the first go-round. I highly recommend it for science fiction fans and\or military buffs. Even if you don’t fall into one of these categories, the philosophical issues brought up can be rather fascinating. Especially the concepts of civil responsibility and who should be entrusted with handling the welfare of the state. Having served in the military, I can identify with many of his points. By the way, the movie, while entertaining, is no more than a superficial spoof of the novel.

One if by land. Two if you've had a few.

2006-01-19T15:21:00.000-08:00

Today has been pretty standard. Nothing special. I’m still enjoying my new schedule which means I don’t have to get so early and I can spend some time with the family, at night (although the obligatory watching of “Will and Grace” with the wife is starting to grate just a little. The show can be funny, in places, but most of the time it just seems that they’re going for the raunchy joke just for heck of it, without being all that clever.). Still, I got to slap 128 megs of additional RAM in little daughter’s computer so she can do a few more things a little faster. She still insists on playing “Serious Sam” on my computer, though. I don’t know. It always strikes me funny to see an eleven year old play an FPS (First Person Shooter). I guess if we ever get attacked by alien monsters, she’ll be good for backup.

Miss Cocoa, the little Shih Tzu, is getting cuter every day. Now she runs when you pretend you’re going to “get her” (possibly for a bath and the much dreaded hair dryer). However, anytime I find myself near or opening the refrigerator she immediately runs over to me and sits down studiously in case it’s time for something to eat (which is pretty much always). McGhee (the little poodle man) is blissfully unaware of his impending trip to the vet for a slight “reorganization of his priorities”. Namely, the propagation of his species, if you get my drift. The cats are alternately aloof and attention vortexes, depending on their level of neediness at the moment.

Last weekend was the “party weekend” to celebrate my promotion. I can always tell when I’ve been “having a good time”, just by checking my Ebay account to see what I’ve been possessed to order. Sure, daughter needed RAM, but did I really need my own personal Revereware frying pan with a supply of “Twinkle” to clean the copper bottom? Don’t be silly. Of course I did.

No More Rain, Please

2006-01-18T15:02:00.000-08:00

It’s a bright, crisp sunny day outside. The dreary, “chilled to the bone”, rain has finally left and we can all WAKE UP, now. Haven’t done much in the way of movie viewing, in the last few days. I need to catch up, otherwise I’m tossing away Netflix money. I’ve got five that I need to take a look at within the next few days. They are:
“Grizzly Man” (which really sounds more like “stupid man” when you read the storyline and reviews)
“Brother John” (an often overlooked Sidney Poitier film that I liked as a kid, when it first came out. I’ll review it after I see it to see if it’s held up against the test of time).
“Hush…Hush Sweet Charlotte” (Grand Guignol at it’s finest)
“Black Sunday” (“La maschera del demonio” – Mario Bava’s first starring the amazing Barbara Steele. I’ve been in love with her ever since “Castle of Blood” aka “Danza Macabra” I have the European version of that with all the "naughty scenes" left in. They're in the original French and, trust me, they're not all that "naughty" - face it, it was 1964 for crying out loud.) and finally...
MSTK 300 “Gunslinger” (just because)

The new position is going well. More responsibilities, but I’m keeping up. The office folks seem to relate to me a little differently, now. Like, all of a sudden, I know what I’m talking about as opposed to the volumes of useful information they use to ignore, coming from me. Schmucks. Oh well, so the Lord grows my tiny empire…

"The Others"

2006-01-16T16:44:00.000-08:00

I saw an excellent film (from Netflix) last Friday. “The Others” starring Nicole Kidman. I had been putting it off for a bit since anyone (or anything) associated with Tom (“I’m Just Plain Nuts”) Cruise has been a pain in the left side of my brain, these days. Plus, it didn’t help that Mr. Cruise was one of the Executive Producers. But I was pleasantly surprised. Not only was the film an excellent example of the way ghost stories should be made, but Ms. Kidman did an outstanding job in the acting department. Go figure. I guess next time I think I’ll actually pay attention to the Netflix reviews, which were basically very positive.

The story takes place on an island formally occupied by the Nazis. We find ourselves observing a mother and her two children trying to cope with the disappearance of the husband\father during World War 2. He’s missing and assumed dead since the war evidently ended two years prior to the events that are taking place. The children, we are told, have a severe allergy to light and must forever be kept in the dark or in light no brighter than a candle. The servants have run off for some reason and the mother has advertised for replacements. Shortly thereafter, three potential employees show up at her door and seem to be the answer to the mother’s prayers. Or are they? As things develop, we begin to understand that the new servants have a hidden agenda, which meshes with some surprising events from the past. I thought I had everything figured out until a double twist completely caught me off guard. If you like traditional creepy ghost stories that rely on the story telling as opposed to blood and gore (ala “Dead of Night” and the original “The Haunting”), then this film is for you. Definitely worth a look.

On the other side of my life, I was promoted, last week. I guess they didn’t want to wait until April to move forward with that small item. Now, I’m Senior Supervisor in charge of both shifts (120 employees). This is great for two reasons. Number one, of course, is the increased salary. Secondly, since I run both shifts, my hours are situated in the middle of the shifts. That means I no longer work till 1:30 in the morning. I come in just before lunch and leave early enough in the evening to actually see my family. I think I startled them for the first couple of days, but thankfully, no one dialed 911. This is Henry's version of "The Others":
“Who’s that?” (door opens)
“It’s me” (me)
“Me who?” (wife)
“Henry.” (me)
Everyone comes rushing out with various weapons and telephone at the ready (finger poised on "9")
“Oh it’s YOU! (read - "I thought you were dead") How was your day?” (everyone)

And "life" returns to normal…

You know the name of...

2006-01-10T11:25:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to go see “King Kong”, last Sunday. Let me just say this – it’s a BIG movie. “Lord of the Rings” big. Which is understandable, since both were directed by Peter Jackson. There was a lot of initial speculation as to whether or not it was a wise decision to re-make a classic. But I can honestly say that it needed to be done. It was so breathtaking, that afterwards, I mentioned to my wife that “this is how the audience must have felt back in the 30’s when they saw the original”. First of all, there were hardly any missteps which is incredible for a film that’s nearly three hours long. It was also a stroke of genius to devote a sizable section of the film to character development. Every time one of the characters died, you really felt it as opposed to the “cannon fodder” approach that was taken in the original. The special effects were nothing short of “stunning”. The battle between Kong and the T-Rex’s as they’re falling though the vines (with Ann Darrow hanging on for dear life) was jaw dropping. The depiction of the natives sent chills up my spine as opposed to the ridiculous racist caricatures from the original. You may notice, that in a clever twist, the original native types are depicted in the later stage show. That actually made me laugh. All in all, a visual, technical and emotional masterpiece that should be viewed on the big screen, if you have the opportunity. Don’t miss it.

Happy Holidays - Well, not really

2006-01-09T13:48:00.000-08:00

Wow. That was a close one. I hope everyone had a great holiday, because mine was the “holiday from hell”. Oh, Christmas was just fine. Did the usual family things, Dinner, presents, etc. However, New Years was a completely different ball of wax. It started with me feeling a bit under the weather. This quickly blossomed into a full “where did this come from?” illness. The thing that was so misleading was the fact that I was running a fever which indicated that I had the flu. So antibiotics were prescribed and I was taking aspirin for the pain. Bad mistake. You see, it wasn’t the flu but a developing ulcer! As you may know, taking aspirin when you have an ulcer is similar in concept to imbibing a sulfuric acid martini. The pain was, shall we say, “unique”. Even my feet began to spasm from the muscle tension. Fortunately, something told me to drink some milk and when I noticed a slight dip in the pain level, I knew what the deal was. Back for a completely different set of medication and I was on the slow road to recovery. Unfortunately, by this time, I was weak from lack of food and I still couldn’t keep anything down. But, by Tuesday, I was well enough to drag myself into work. The day was rather stress-free, so I was OK. However, on the very next day, I was informed that the first shift supervisor had been fired and I was needed to run both first and second shifts! Criminey! In order to do that I had to immediately adjust my sleep cycle by four hours so I could be present on both shifts. So there you have it. From the outside, it must’ve looked like one of the extras from Romero’s “Land of the Dead” trying to direct over 100 technicians and support people in some meaningful manner. On the plus side, I feel a lot better, today and now I’m convinced that I can do just about anything. Oh yes, I also had to cancel B-Fest again, this year. How nice.

As the Holidays Approach

2005-12-20T17:11:00.000-08:00

Finally, a spare moment when I actually feel up to writing a sentence or two. Once I get past these next few days, I’ll have about ten days for some serious downtime which will allow me to reflect on the past year (not to mention some serious movie watching). I picked up a copy of “Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny” and it’s companion “Santa’s Christmas Elf” on Ebay to watch with my granddaughter. Maybe I’ll convince the whole family to join in. Merry Christmas, everyone!! Hey, what are you guys looking at? No, seriously. Hey, wait! Ow, ow, ow!!! Hmmm. Maybe we’ll skip the “family viewing” part. I can’t even find “Santa’s Christmas Elf” on the Internet Movie Database. I’ve read the reviews on “Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny” and it seems appropriately insane.
Anyway, not much going on, besides work, at this point. We had a decent “secret Santa” gift exchange in which I picked up a very nice fleece lined shirt which will come in handy during these low temperatures. It’s that time of year when being at work has a more social atmosphere to it. Upper management is rather scarce as they make their way to various locations throughout the country to visit family. There’s that familiar feeling of not really being on the job (even though you are). It’s like a big party where everyone still has tasks to perform, but with less tension and a heightened sense of good will. Christmas is really the only time of year that you can experience that type of work scenario in the business that I currently happen to be in. If you’re out there working, right now, I wish the same for you…

A Golden Turkey Award

2005-12-14T18:36:00.000-08:00

Whew. Now here I sit, stuffed with turkey, dressing and a few other tasty items. Today was the day that my company hosted a dinner for everyone at work. I ate mine rather hastily, since I was needed to be one of the servers. All the management folks served the rest of the employees in a desperate attempt to “look humble”. Although, I have to admit, that I was feeling pretty humble when it came time for me to be relieved at around employee number bazillion (actually it was more like # 150 – but you’d be surprised how heavy turkey with stuffing and gravy can get - especially after you've just eaten). Now, I seriously need a nap. There’s nothing like L-tryptophan and serving the masses to bring the evening’s ambitions to a screeching halt (yes, I know that it’s a myth about the L-tryptophan in turkey making you sleepy – but it sounds better than “I ate like a pig and now I can’t work.”). They gave out company baseball caps, as well (mind you, this is a multi-billion dollar world-wide corporation – but I’m not bitter. Even after they cancelled my last quarterly bonus. Ok. I’m bitter. But I’m stuffed and that’s what counts, my friends. So, I’m thankful. Sleepy, but thankful.
For those of you who like to read bad movie reviews, Ken Begg’s got a deal going where you can sponsor Jabootu for a month and you get to choose the film that Ken so artfully takes his gleaming hatchet to. January is scheduled to be sponsored by yours truly and I’ve chosen "Billy Jack Goes to Washington". It should be interesting Don’t miss it..

Making My Way to a Small Vacation

2005-12-13T15:13:00.000-08:00

Well, back to the daily grind, this evening. My nose is recovering from a really nice bite mark from the new Shih Tzu (“Miss Cocoa”). She didn’t mean it, of course. She just got a little carried away while attempting to “attack” me while jumping around on my bed. I’ll have to remember not to stick my face so close to her (or dogs in general, I guess) while we’re playing, At least until she develops some control over her enthusiasm. McGhee (the “poodle man”) was very disapproving of Miss Cocoa’s antics and I expected him to suggest an attorney, once he noticed the spot of blood on my nose. The cats were ambivalent (as ever). Just two more weeks of work and I get nine days off for the Christmas\New Years holiday. Until then, though, its eleven hours a day at my job, so my movie viewing and writing times are a bit restricted. I’ll be catching up, though. I need to start getting myself in shape for B-fest in January. That’s my wife’s Christmas present to me, if I haven’t already mentioned it. Yes, she’s sending me to Chicago. In January. To watch 24 hours of bad movies. Ya gotta love her.

Cryogenic Workplaces

2005-12-08T18:14:00.000-08:00

The weather is beginning to take a turn for the worse, here, in Mississippi. I actually had some difficulty getting up for work, this afternoon. When the sky is a leaden grey and the cold winds blow, it just doesn’t seem right to have to get up to go to work. The animals don’t make it any easier. Especially the cats. They just lay there on the bed and look at me as if to say “You go out there, dude. We’ll just stay where it’s warm and comfortable, thank you.” McGhee, the poodle man is no better. Sure, he’ll get up to go outside in the backyard for the day's first whizz, have some breakfast, but then it's back to sleep. The only one who shows any enthusiasm to start the day is the new Shih Tzu (“Mei Ling Wu Shen Tao” aka “Miss Cocoa”) and she’s just a puppy, hence, clueless. (If you’re wondering, she was named after my best friend Paul’s martial arts school.)

Anyway, I’m surprised the night’s going by as quickly as it is (I work in the evenings till about 1:30 AM). Not too shabby. Maybe I can get some more of that revision done on my breaks. Things are slow and the techs are slower. I think it’s because they turn down the heat, once upper management leaves for the day. It doesn’t bother me, since I come from New York, originally. But I know it must play havoc with the folks who were born and raised in the South. Hey, can you tell I have nothing to write about, today? You can? Oh. Well, in that case, that’s it till tomorrow.

Dogs and Santa. Oh yes, and Daughter

2005-12-07T19:34:00.000-08:00

It’s been a pretty cold day, here, in Mississippi. They predicted a snowstorm that has subsequently decided not to exist. I think this is part of a pattern of over-reaction that has instilled itself ever since we had that ice storm that incapacitated the whole city for several days. Several areas were without power and the streets were un-drivable in some sections. There wasn’t even a hint of a warning from our beloved meteorologists. So now, we have full scale paranoid alerts every time a dark cloud meanders over from Arkansas. My wife took my daughter and our new Shih Tzu over to Old Towne in Olive Branch to have a picture taken with Santa. I printed up the photos (that they stuck up on a website) at work since my techs repair the highest quality HP printers and there’s tons of photo paper lying around. The dog is so cute that I have to watch myself and make sure I point out my daughter first.
“Hey, look at this. That’s my new dog!”
“Who’s the person?”
“What?”
“Who’s the person?”
“Oh. That’s Santa.”
“No. The girl.”
“Oh. That’s my daughter.”
Needless to say, I don’t get many appreciative looks from the moms I work with. It’s that damn Shih Tzu, I tells you. Just too cute for it’s own good. You can take a look at: Daughter's photo (see, I'm getting better)See what I mean.

A Revision Awaits

2005-12-06T15:33:00.000-08:00

It seems that I’ve now entered into the final critical phase of my NaNoWriMo writing adventure. That would be the revision of my work for possible publication (like my writing actually merits publication). I guess I’m doing this just to say that I did it. I don’t know, it might be nice to have an actual tangible result to hold in my hand, so when someone asks me, I can say “Yes, I’m a published writer.” (I'm referring to a book, of course, I've actually had items published before) Not only that, but I’ve been reading a lot of published dreck, lately (along with some noteworthy items - to be fair). I look at it this way, if others can inflict garbage on me, why should anyone begrudge me a little trash of my own. I say that, well, because it sounds as good as any justification that I can think of at the moment. So, here I am, at the start of a massive revision that I need to complete by mid-January for the publication deadline. We’ll see how it goes.

The weather has taken a turn for the colder, here, in Northern Mississippi. But the sun’s out and the air is crisp. It’s almost too bright outside. But I love it. It reminds me of childhood Christmas anticipation in New York. I can do without the snow and slush (except for that first morning glimpse of a night time snowfall), but a clean, clear winter’s day – yes that’s the way it should be. I’m almost in too good a mood to write horror fiction. Maybe that’s what will allow me to give it that eerie twist of perception. You always expect horror on that “dark and stormy night” but when horror greets you on a cold, beautiful sunny day – now you’re talking…

Some NaNoWriMo Thoughts

2005-12-01T18:31:00.000-08:00

Well. Now that NaNoWriMo is over, I can resume my normally scheduled life. I’ve had some time to think about that particular writing experience and I’m quite surprised by some of the revelations that were presented to me over the course of that month. The thing about speedwriting at high volume is that it unblocks the bottlenecks that normally hinder one’s flow of creation. They tell you that, sure, you’ll be writing a lot of crap but you’ll also find that there are pockets of genuine inspiration mixed in with the sludge. That’s the way it definitely was with me. It was a stream of consciousness exercise that took me places that I had never been before. Tapping into latent abilities translated into several different benefits in my non-writing world, as well. I found my verbalizations to be crisper. I found my wit to be sharper. In essence, my social skills improved. Even things like dream interpretation became more acute. All in all, I would recommend the experience to anyone. I’m definitely in for next November. Hey, even if you don’t finish, like the NaNoWriMo folks say – “You rock for trying.”

IT'S OVER !!!

2005-11-30T17:09:00.000-08:00

11,000 words in three days to make up for lost time - but I did it! I'm on the distinguished list of NaNoWriMo Winners. Thanks for the support from three truly great writers and friends (you know who you are). It's been a tough month, guys. More later - I need to rest for a bit. Whew!

Yeeee---haaaaa!!!

2005-11-29T21:07:00.000-08:00

Sorry about that title, but I feel like I'm riding a wild bucking stallion. Yes, that's right, folks - another 4,500 words today! The weird part is, it isn't half bad. I'm actually making an argument for a demon to enter our plane of existence, even though their nature is diametrically opposed to a human's. Of course, I could just be delirious and be typing out "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" over and over. I'll have to check, in the morning. Well, that leaves me with slightly less than 2,000 words to go. That means I can do a thoughtful job on my ending. Watch, there’ll be a power outage tomorrow and I’ll be forced to commit Seppuku. Maybe not.

Heading For the Finish

2005-11-28T23:37:00.000-08:00

Didn't get as much done for NaNoWriMo, today, as I wanted to. But I did manage 4,500 words - which still keeps me in the running. Just 6,500 more to go in two days. Hey, no sweat (he said, sweating).

Winding Down

2005-11-23T17:51:00.000-08:00

Well, it looks like I might be finished with NaNoWriMo by the end of this weekend (if I don't eat too much turkey). I'm glad to see that they exceeded their fund raising goal, too. You know, I even might consider doing this again, next year. For those who have never attempted this, I more than recommend it. At least, when I'm done, I can add to my short list of things that I actually finished (big time challenge-wise). Well, the holiday looms ahead. We'll see you, tomorrow...

Picking Up Speed

2005-11-22T21:43:00.000-08:00

As we come down to the wire on NanNoWriMo, I find that my excitement level has picked up considerably. I think part of that is due to the way I paced my writing. I stayed away from complex descriptors and focused mostly on the main plot points. That means that, right now, I'm actually coming to the climax of the story. Everything is now shifting into real time (like the TV show "24"). Once the conclusion is reached, I can end my novel, collect my 50,000 word win and then go back to edit, as I please. The bonus is that I think I have an actual viable story worth enhancing. 14,000 more words to go. That's 3,000 a day with a 3 day cushion. Time to move into high gear.

Up and Running

2005-11-21T20:59:00.000-08:00

Well, I have 9 days to do 17,000 words. Not too shabby, I can cruise at 3,000 words a day through Wednesday. That will leave me with a light load to finish off by Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday will be a buffer. This has been a remakable experience. To tell you the truth, I feel motivated to try to get everything done as soon as possible. We'll see.

Winding Down the Week

2005-11-18T22:15:00.000-08:00

Today was a ridiculous day at work. So much so, that I seriously had a hard time focusing to do my writing. Therefore, I only ended up with about 2700 words done instead of my intended 3,000. The good news is that I'm finally caught up and slightly ahead of the game count wise. It's time for a little rest and playtime session with the new dog.

Tough Day

2005-11-17T22:32:00.000-08:00

Today was a really difficult one, at work. This placed a lot on my mind and I didn't think I was going to get my writing completely done. But I truly amazed myself and completed my 3,000 words. I cheated a bit, though. I had to break away from any dialog and jump into a narrative (which always goes faster). I'm glad that tommorrow will see me break away from the 20's to past the 30,000 mark. This is a good thing.

Keep on Truckin'

2005-11-16T20:10:00.000-08:00

Another 3,000 words and I've sprinted past the half way point only a day late! Not to worry, though. At this pace, I'll be well ahead of the game by Friday. I've got to build some serious cushion in case I'm slowed down by a random turkey dinner, next week. I can feel one out there, wielding it's arsenal of mash potatoes, candied yams and cranberry sauce. It's a trap, I know. But I suspect the family is plotting against me. No matter. I'll pay them back with endless references to NaNoWriMo! They'll be sorry, then, I tell you. Yes. Yes, indeed...

It's All ComingTogether

2005-11-15T20:06:00.000-08:00

Another good writing day for NaNoWriMo. I'm keeping to my 3,000 word a day schedule, in order to get back in the running. It's working out just fine. All the plot holes have been patched and all the loose ends have been tied. Now, it's just one nice revelation after another. I've gotten past the point where I say to myself "just another 500 words" to the point where I don't want to stop at any one point because I want not only to finish a train of thought, but start the next one. Good times. At work, we're on overtime till the Thanksgiving holidays. That doesn't leave much time for anything else but writing and bodily functions. When December gets here, I suspect that I will suddently be faced with free time that I used to waste. I bet I'll start filling it with more valuable pursuits.

Moving Into High Gear

2005-11-14T21:16:00.000-08:00

This weekend was seriously filled with distactions. First, I was sick. Really sick. Then, on Friday, we got (or rather my 11 year old got) a new puppy. My wife's mom bought bought it for her as an early Christmas present. The lady they had spoken to, had a Bijon Frize for sale for $300. I had mentioned to my wife that I really wanted a Shih Tzu (I've owned two in my life), so she casually asked the woman if she knew of anyone selling them. Amazingly, she was (!) She had a recent litter that she was going to put in the classified ads the very next day (!!) We asked her how much she was selling them for and she told us $350 (!!!) I haven't seen a price like that in years. So now we have an adorable female shih tzu named Mei Ling.
So, anyway, the best I was able to do with my NaNoWriMo novel was make a few key plot changes and a few edits, here and there - which put me behind. The good news is that the cahnges have put the story on a much faster track and today I knocked out 3,000 words. Since I've decided to keep this as my new daily goal, I'll be caught up in no time flat. On to the finish!

I'll be back

2005-11-10T23:33:00.000-08:00

Whew, that was a doozy. My daughter had the same thing. Some type of 24 hr Intestinal Virus. I guess I used my weekly NaNoWriMo day off on that one. But no problem, I'll make it up over the weekend!

Sick

2005-11-09T20:27:00.000-08:00

Wow. I'm sick as a dog. Had to go home early from work. Some kind of stomach virus thing (it's been going around). But I still managed 2,000 words! I don't know how I did that.

Running With the Monsters

2005-11-08T21:13:00.000-08:00

Here it is, the close of day 8 of NaNoWriMo and I'm back in the fast lane. I'm not sure what it says about me, but every time I feel myself slowing down, I just kick the creepy stuff up a notch and everything is just fine. Talk about going off on a tangent, though. I've gone from a straightforward "girl meets ghoul" type of tale to a murder investigation. Now, it's a battle of demons taking place in a 16th century Native American village that sets the backdrop for all the events that occur in our present. I had to do a couple of small revisions to the beginning of that scenario to make it all fit, logically ("logically"?). Anyway, I'm just glad this stuff hasn't invaded my dreams, yet. Hmmmm.

A Day Off Did Me Some Good

2005-11-07T20:40:00.000-08:00

I got back in the swing of things, today, after a day off. I was concerned about getting back into the groove and I'll admit, the first 10% of my daily 2,000 words was a little rough. However, today, I found myself focusing on more of the essence of the horror angle of the story - which is the way I want it. I want it to continue to build instead of periodically lapsing into more character development. I can always add that on the front end, later. Right now, I need the true horror story-telling that comes from the gut, like a nightmare, while I still have the creative juices flowing. Besides, who wants to read a "horror" story without any horror?

20 Percent and I'm Off

2005-11-05T20:59:00.000-08:00

Sheesh, I had to work, today. But the good news is that I completed 10,005 words in NaNoWriMo and as such, I've earned a day off. Which I'm taking. Things are looking up!

Now, We're Cookin'

2005-11-04T22:58:00.000-08:00

Today was a little easier in the NaNoWriMo dept. I think I'm getting in the groove and the novel seems to writing itself, at this point. I'm a little more motivated to focus on quality since one of the young ladies, at work (an Engineering tech), was very interested in seeing an excerpt from the part of the novel that focused on a character based on her. Oddly enough, I had hit the nail on the head and highlighted something that actually was a reflection of an event in her life. She liked it and told me I should definitely continue on. Man, that felt good.

And here I thought day 2 was tough

2005-11-03T23:10:00.000-08:00

Day 3 of NaNoWriMo and I'm beat. Today was a bit of a struggle since my 2nd in command, at work, took a day off. My 3rd in command did a great job, but it still left me with a bunch of extra duties to take up the slack. Getting in those precious minutes on breaks, lunch ,etc. was tough and the writing, I'll admit, was a bit forced. But I still hit my goal of 2000 words a day and you know, I feel really good about that. This is an experience every writer should try at least once. Sort of like B-fest.

Hear My Train A'Comin'

2005-11-02T21:41:00.000-08:00

Day two of the NaNoWriMo. I’m truly surprising myself. After keeping track of my word per minute count, I came to realization that I can hammer out 500 words in 40 minutes stretched out over the evening in various odd sections of time. Hmmm – didn’t think I could do that. That’s good to know if I ever decide to jump off the train at the end of NaNoWriMo and continue on foot to some hellacious volume of Internet ramblings. Why, I could even turn out to be another Ken Begg or James Lileks! Yes! Then I'll learn to play guitar like Jimi Hendrix! Just kidding folks. Obviously, the effort has made me delusional. Oh well, back to work…

Off and Running

2005-11-01T21:20:00.000-08:00

First day of NaNoWriMo. How nice, it’s also a hellish day at work and my family didn’t let me get my full night’s\morning’s rest (I work nights). And I have to work overtime. I love it when things come together. But you know what, in between the cracks of the work night hours, I actually managed to hammer out 2000 words. How? You got me. I thinks it’s just latent hostility since I’m using people I work with for characters in the story. I plan on killing a few of them off. Check out the excerpt if you wish.

On Your Mark...

2005-10-31T19:31:00.000-08:00

This is just a quick note for this splendid Halloween. NaNoWriMo is fast approaching and beginning midnight, I’m off to the races. I’ll be posting excerpts from my novel as it progresses. Wish me luck…

I'm Ready to Leave Tonight - Trust Me

2005-10-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

Today was absolutely gorgeous outside. Which made it a wee bit difficult to entomb myself in the windowless factory\warehouse that I now inhabit. Production must go on. Ah well, it ends shortly after midnight. At which time, I will drift off into the darkness. The night air chilled to perfection. For a vampire, that is. Speaking of which, that’s the subject of my soon to be NoNoWriMo novel “If You Leave Me Tonight”. That’s right, I joined, last night. Yes, I’d had a few – so what? I didn’t need November, anyway. I’ll just save everything that needs doing until December. I can hear some of you, now – “50,000 words isn’t such a big deal” – and you’d be right. Except that I work some tough hours. 10 hours a day (afternoon\evenings) Mon-Fri and some Saturdays. This means I’ll be doing most of my writing in a noisy warehouse environment during lunch and breaks. Therein lies the challenge. By the way, in case you’re wondering (or not), the title of the novel comes from an old “Night Gallery” episode “The Tune in Dan’s Café”. My favorite part was when the jukebox needle kept getting stuck on the line “…till death (scratch)…till death (scratch)…etc.” The line is actually “till death us do part.” Pretty darn creepy. Anyway, I’m going to give it a go and we’ll see what happens. I’ll keep you posted.

Oh yes, I need to write mo

2005-10-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

Today has been rather interesting. Major changes in upper management, at work. People running scared. Others in flames screaming “My job! My job!” Fortunately, my position with the company is such that when I ask if my position is secure, they say “Of course! And you are…?” Yes! I’m the Invisible Man. At my place of employ that’s an honest to gosh REWARD for work well done. Flat out invisibility. They only see you when there’s trouble abrewin’. “Well done faithful servant – I can no longer perceive your existence in my universe”. “Thanks, boss!”
This night is going by pretty fast. It seems my major dilemma is deciding whether or not to participate in NaNoWriMo this November. Thanks, Cullen (as he reaches in his pocket for the Spyderco Harpy). Basically it’s a month long event where the participants attempt to write a 50,000 word novel within that 30 days. I think I can do it. I’ve got this story that’s been rattling around in my head for ages, now. It would be nice to extract it, give it life, embrace it, have it rejected and die a lonely bitter old man. Oh wait, I was going to do that last part anyway. They tell you up front that you’ll be hammering out a lot of trash – but I do that all the time. We’ll see. With my luck it’ll probably come out like “Varney the Vampire”…

Footnote

2005-10-25T23:45:00.000-07:00

By the way - if you're looking for a really good bad movie site (and you've read through Ken Begg's jabootu.com) look no further than one Mr. Nathan Decker's site at "Million Monkey Theater"
(http://www.geocities.com/nmdecke/TheMovieList.html)
As Lord Vader would intone - "Impressive".

Cross-eyed Henry

2005-10-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am during a free moment at work – surrounded by the production ambience of a material existence. These last few days have had a similar motif with the exception of me spending money, as opposed to making it. The Yin and Yang of the “responsible” adult life. When I was much younger, it was mostly just Yang with someone else’s Yin (parents, you know). Now I get to hear the cheeping of baby birds waiting for me to deposit the goods in those needy beaks and you know what? It’s my pleasure to do so.
This weekend was excellent. My wife and I postponed our Monday anniversary till Saturday (I hear you can do that) since I had the foresight to check TicketMaster on a regular basis and found out, a couple of months ago, that Jethro Tull was playing at the Grand Casino which is pretty close to where we live. I'm glad I looked, too, since there was no local advertising. No need - they still sold out. We drove out there, ate at the casino buffet – which is amazingly good and very inexpensive (thanks to the good folks stuck out at the slots happily paying for a good portion of our meals). I have to admit, Cheryl and I did gamble a total of $11 between us. But it’s really not gambling. You see, for us it’s just fun to watch the machines light up and do their thing. So if you gamble a few dollars at the nickel slots and the machines do light up (which of course they do) – then you have bought and paid for entertainment (which is not really a “gamble” now, is it?). Shortly thereafter, we hustled ourselves over to the concert area for 2 solid hours of extremely well done vocals and instruments as only Jethro Tull can provide. The only disconcerting thing about a Jethro Tull concert is the sight of all the ageing fans. Of course, we’re not really “ageing”. We’re just “seasoning” – like wood (or something).
I’m also happy to report that I had a chance to watch “Oasis of the Zombies” in its’ entirety. I’ll go into the details in a day or so – but I’ll say this much now. Who gave these people the go ahead to do this movie. I’m not kidding – I could grab a camera (I wouldn’t even have to be in Italy – Mississippi will do, nicely), scope out some young women, have them slap on bikinis, shoot pictures of their butts and still outdo this film. “Inept” doesn’t even come close as a description of the proceedings paraded here. As far as monsters go, the kids that show up at my door on Halloween have them beat. Shoot – I have them beat when I first wake up in the morning. But, I’ll get more into that later. Until next time – I hope you have a peaceful evening…

Do you have your resume with you?

2005-10-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

Today was “interview day” at work. We’re currently hiring a number of new technicians to fill some vacancies in my department. Since I’m the Production Supervisor for the section, it falls on me to do the interviews as the agencies filter the hopeful candidates through their own system. I feel sorry for these guys. Here you have a whole range of life circumstances arrayed before you. Jobs that are needed to support families. Kids with degrees – the ink still wet. No jobs to be had without experience. No experience to be had without a job to begin with. Ridiculous.
They come in all shapes and sizes. The savvy ones who "know how to interview". Any questions for me? Answer: “When can I start?” I try not to roll my eyes. The funny thing is – they never really understand what it would take for me to sign them on. “ I need a job, badly and I promise to do my best”. Interview over. You start Monday – we’ll see how it works out. Of course, this only works with your standard candidates. You always get one or two that make you wonder whether or not the agency had run out of decent applicants and had taken to checking out the alleys behind the various liquor stores in town. It wears on you pretty fast. Makes the whole day drag afterwards. Two more hours to go, then it’s home, the family (asleep), the dog (awake) and the cats (ambivalent – till the food comes out). I have tickets for a Jethro Tull concert at the Casino, this Saturday. Things are looking up (until I suddenly remember “Oasis of the Zombies”) Must. Not. Think. About. That.

Well, at least NOW I'm back

2005-10-19T17:40:00.000-07:00

Whew. Now I guess I really am back. It’s funny how the urge to write just seems to dissipate every now and again. Then something will trigger a note inside me (usually a melancholy one – but not always). I used to write when I was depressed and then marveled that it was actually me that did the writing (an almost “out of the body experience “you might say). This time though, it’s more of an upbeat note. I’d been teetering on the edge for a few weeks when I discovered my long anticipated copy of “Oasis of the Zombies” DVD from Netflix comfortably nestled in my mailbox (looking “oh so innocent”).
I don’t know what the hell my wife was thinking when she offered to watch it with me this past weekend. I had sincerely warned her against such a foolhardy leap into unparallel misery. But – what the heck. I popped the disk in and off we went careening into the abyss. Well. No. Not quite. I kid you not when I say we didn’t get past the first FIVE MINUTES. I looked at this thing and just said “Sorry, I can’t do this to you.” And I meant it. It’s truly a testament to filmmaking when a movie can gently tap you on the shoulder; look you square in the eye and seem to say, “I’m sorry, man. Maybe you should watch something else”. I immediately turned it off and cleansed our eyeballs with a couple of Reno 911’s from the 1st season DVD. I’m going to try to get through “Oasis of the Zombies” solo, this weekend. I’ll post the results (if I’m still able)…

Attend the tale...

2005-05-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, I’ll admit it, I’m a bit quirky at times. Aren’t we all? Recently, I did a couple of quick reviews of films that I would rather not even admit that I sat through. I’m like that. I can be transfixed by the bizarre and rarely do I get so disgusted that I’ll just turn something off (or walk out of a theater). Generally, a film has to be extremely boring for me to consider that (with a few exceptions such as “ The Star Wars Holiday Special”). But there’s another, sordid, side to this pseudo sanctimonious saga. There are a select few presentations that I don’t speak of, much, around the family and good folks at my place of employ. Items that you might think I would rather avoid or, at the very least, be willing to hurl some insanely ponderous barbs at. But alas, no. Mostly because I thought they were pretty damn good. So, now, why don’t we…

Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd…

His skin was pale and his eye was odd.
He shaved the faces of gentlemen ,
Who never thereafter were heard of again.
He trod a path that few have trod.
Did Sweeney Todd.
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

A while back, I paid a hefty $100 in a fierce bidding war on Ebay for an out of production VHS tape of this Stephen Sondheim classic stage presentation starring Tony Award winner Angela Lansbury and George Hearn. Recently, I came across a similar television presentation version that was almost identical (only the audience reactions were slightly different) on Netflix. It’s on DVD, of course, and the sound quality is amazingly better. The subject matter is quite grim and certainly not for everyone (especially if you happen to be partaking of a meal while viewing). But not only does this not bother me, in the least, I find myself humming the opening ballad at work. Yikes.

The story is loosely based on a series of murders committed in 18th century London by a barber who not only robbed his victims but also, along with his lover, used the victim’s remains as the chief ingredient for some rather popular meat pies they sold. The true story is pretty straightforward with no real romantic nuances to raise it above your common psychopathic rampage. Although it is quite curios to see how an obvious murdering maniac could escape justice for so long due to the ineffectual legal system in England, at the time. The play, however, changes things drastically by making Mr. Todd (his “real” name is Benjamin Barker in the play) an object of sympathy, as he was sent to Botany Bay on a trumped up charge so that a local judge could satisfy his lustful cravings for Sweeney’s wife. That ploy, having not been successful due to the faithfulness of Mrs. Barker (leading to an unfortunate fate for her), the judge ends up caring (and really imprisoning) Sweeney’s daughter.
Vowing his revenge, but not really knowing how to extract it (he has no money and is an escaped convict), he is assisted by one Mrs. Lovett. Mrs. Lovett owns a failing meat pie bakery located below Sweeney’s old residence. She remembers him from the days when he was the respectable barber Benjamin Barker and has always had an unrequited love for him that he was not even aware of. When the authorities arrested him, she saved the objects of his original trade – a lovely set of silver straight razors. Now Sweeney has a trade with which to, not only provide for an existence, but to move towards his ultimate goal – death to those who harmed him and his family – and anyone else who happened to need a shave at the wrong place and time. Mrs. Lovett also earns a bonus. She has Benjamin Barker as her companion – and a wonderful source of free, delectable filling ingredients for her, soon to very popular, meat pies.

The play is a masterpiece, with equal parts horror and humor. The vocal performances are absolutely captivating. I recommend it, highly – but be careful whom you plan to watch it with. You might find them looking at you rather strangely for quite some time.

Comfort Zone

2005-05-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

It’s another beautiful day in the neighborhood. Actually, it really is. Earlier, it was a perfect May afternoon, which I had the opportunity to appreciate on my way to work. My day off on Sunday having been mostly a day for chores around the house and an abundance of that, oh so rare, commodity – sleep. As I wind down (hopefully) this season of grinding overtime, I’ve come to understand a little more about myself. Some of this has to do with increased intrinsic value of spare time, something I used to take for granted. There’s also the holding fast to what I call “comforts”, like a child holds on to that special teddy bear or tattered security blanket. Now, when I wake up and see my aging poodle, McGhee, looking for attention in the form of a rubbed tummy, I find myself looking into those curious eyes and saying to myself “Hey guy, stick around for a while, huh? When I get home, tonight, I’ll give you a taste of my ice cream when it’s time for bed and little light reading before sleep. Just be here when I get back. Promise?” Of course, he promises (anything for a taste of ice cream). So here it is, 3 hours before I’m scheduled to leave work and this cacophony of forklift driven boxes of technology. Then I’m home. To see McGhee. And to have a little ice cream.

I'd like quite a few Singapore Slings, if you will

2005-04-30T21:48:00.000-07:00

"Singapore Sling" (n English with Greek subtitles)

An in-depth review as inspired by my various responses to this film:

Please.

Oh Ricky

2005-04-29T16:40:00.000-07:00

I like martial arts films. I’ve been a fan since the days when my high school friends and I would take the el (elevated train) from the Bronx, transfer to the subway and head on down to 42nd and Times Square to catch the latest Bruce Lee flick. We all began studying various forms of martial arts at the time and my friend, Paul, even went on to own his own martial arts school and became something of a celebrity in the field of Tai Chi Chuan. Back then, you didn’t have the “wire-fu” productions that have since become (rightfully so) so popular, here, in the United states (finally!). Bruce Lee was great, I’ll grant you – but none of his films were any match for a spectacle like “Hero”. Sometimes change is a good thing.

Sometimes, it’s not.

Enter “RIKI OH the Story of Ricky”.
I had heard a lot about this film. Mostly, that it consisted of an over-the-top, cartoon-ish approach to the martial arts genre. The story revolves around a young martial arts master who is sent to prison for killing an opium dealer. The opium dealer had kidnapped Ricky’s girlfriend and to get away, she decided that the most intelligent thing to do would be to leap to her death from the building she was held captive in. Yes, that’s exactly what I would do. When faced with a threat, one should always consider jumping off a building.
Anyway, while in prison (which appears to be privately owned), Ricky becomes involved in a conflict with the evil warden (of course) and his “gang of four” (martial arts masters – of course). It seems, not only is ridiculous brutality used to control inmates, but the prison itself is an opium factory. Ricky, being the valiant hero, takes exception to this. This is when all the “fun” begins. There are no words to describe the level of violence depicted. Personally, I love a violent film. I’ve always been that way. But seriously, strangling your opponent with your own intestines? Alrighty, then. We also have the infamous “head crushing” scene shown on “The Daily Show”. Yowza! I’ll admit, the scene where a blow from a fist punches in somebody’s skull shown in “x-ray vision” is pretty cool, but most of it just had me staring in stunned disbelief. As the movie draws to a conclusion, the violence escalates to a point where I just had to stop and say, “What the hell is this?” This movie is in a class all by itself. Some movies are just plain repulsive. But others can keep you glued to your seat in shock until you realize you’ve just spent a couple of hours looking at something you had no intention of wasting your time on . Bravo Ricky!

Next up "Singapore Sling"

Extreme? Why yes, it is.

2005-04-28T10:29:00.000-07:00

So there I was, contemplating a new direction in movie entertainment. I had felt like branching out and the usual fare of 1950’s, childhood “Chiller Theater”, take me home country roads B-movies just weren’t doing it for me. I needed a break. I needed something new. Hey, what’s this I’m hearing about “Extreme Japanese Video”? I had never heard of anything like that before. The video site said “unusual”, “experimental”, “not for everyone”. Hey I’m not everyone. I’ve seen just about everything this world has to offer in my oft-times jaded, but never dull life. Forget that – I’m from New York City, dammit! Netflix is bound to have the one I just read about. Hey, it does! OK, sign me up.

The DVD arrived in 3 days. I came home from work about midnight. Poured myself some adult refreshment. Made myself some popcorn, inserted the DVD into my computer (using headphones, of course – I didn’t want to wake the family) and fired up WinDVD. I sat back and passed the bowl of popcorn to my viewing partner on the right. Unfortunately, it turned out that my viewing partner happened to be Mephisto.

Now showing – “Visitor Q”.

It’s an interesting commentary on our society that we keep pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable behavior. Obviously, when one considers that a relatively tame film such as Todd Browning’s “Freaks” could actually have been banned from viewing altogether for many years, we know that we have made several quantum leaps on our tolerance meters. Is there a limit to what should be filmed and is there a relationship between skillfully crafted films and a cut-off point where the costs outweigh the gains? Yes, of course. In my opinion, that cut-off point lies well within “Visitor Q”. The insidious thing about a film like this is that an argument could very well be made for the brilliance of it’s technique and the guts of it’s director, Takashi Miike for pushing the limits of cultural mores in order to realize his vision. You betcha.

The story, in a nutshell revolves around a TV show reporter who’s career has taken a nose-dive. In his panicky endeavor to create a documentary depicting violence and sex among the current Japanese youth, he begins to use his dysfunctional family as material for his project. Enter Visitor Q. Here we have a character that says and does very little. However, his actions have a profound effect upon the direction and focus of each of the four family members. The family, consisting of the father, mother, son and daughter each have some serious issues that break just about every Japanese (and non-Japanese) taboo regarding incest, drug use, violence and compulsion. This is not for the squeamish.

The most bizarre aspect of “Visitor Q” is how it makes a technically skilled attempt to turn the horrendous into twisted humor. The greatest horror that the movie evinces is the soiled feeling many are bound to experience when they finally have a chance to contemplate exactly what they may have momentarily found amusing. Afterwards, I had to watch 3 showings of “The Neanderthal Man” (1953) before I felt like I was back to a healthy state of mind. And that’s saying something.

Next up: "RIKI-OH The Story of Ricky"

I'm Back (Whew!)

2005-04-26T22:59:00.000-07:00

Well, that was a long spell of frantic work and sleep. Oh yes, that’s right – eating. I did get some meals in there, as well. I think. Now, that I have budgeted my time, I can still work the insane hours and still have time for a microscopic semblance of a life until the rest of this typhoon blows over. The only really tough part is coming up with things to write about. It certainly won’t be about too many things current, since I’m not sure how interesting a diary of daily work issues would be (unless my name was Scott Adams – which it’s not).
My wife, Cheryl, has a distinct advantage over me in that she’s worked in psychiatric nursing for a number of years. There was a time, there, when just about every day she came home with some bizarre anecdote involving some patient and their “alternate” view of reality. Sitting here in the relative quiet of an after hours time in my cubicle, I’m reflecting back to a conclusion that I'm sure many folks share. Namely, we’re all insane to one degree or another. It’s mostly a question of functionality. How often have you been associated with an individual and just wanted to say, “Do you realize how crazy you actually are? I don’t mean as in a ‘wild and crazy guy’. I mean as in Hannibal Lector crazy.” No lie – I’m amazed at how some people function. It’s as if the world is providing this amplified buffer. As long as you can avoid ending up on a street corner talking to that interesting person who just isn’t there (and having that meaningful argument), chances are you’ll be OK. You’ll find work, of some sort. Find a mate and by golly, reproduce. Then your brood can trundle off to infiltrate the world and assist us all by providing us with fast food selections we neither ordered nor wished to try. After all, variety is the spice of life.
Next up, movies I wish to all that’s holy, I had never sat through.

No Blog for a Couple of Days

2005-04-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

My commitments at work has increased my hours to over 12 per day for the next couple of days. I'll be back to my old routine soon, though.

Sunday

2005-04-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday - my day to take it easy and get some rest.

Star Bore

2005-04-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are. Another beautiful day, outside, while finding myself in the dungeons of work. I'm seriously looking forward to Saturdays off, again. It's especially tough at springtime. The winter has worn everyone down and now things are beginning to feel new, again. Maybe if this place had a few windows. I've come to cherish the memories of places I've worked that gave me the opportunity to look out a window on a brilliant, sunny day. Maybe I'm getting old, but I feel like life's come to a sudden halt and I find myself on an endless treadmill. The hamster and the wheel scenario.
Or maybe it's because I decided to watch "The Star Wars Holiday Special", again, last night (yes, you got that right. I said "again"). Man, what a depressing bit of crap that was. I keep getting drawn to it like a masochist to the whipping post. It's like watching a very long, drawn out train wreck with body parts a-flyin'. Although, I have to admit a certain fondness for Diane Carrol's number. There's something about that song that I find extremely haunting. The rest of the show is just plain wretched. You know you're in for some pain when you're watching something that involved Carrie Fisher singing (!). Was she high or what? I guess she decided to get coked up after reading the script. Not to mention the fact that she seems to have left her bra at home. The horrors of type-casting. Just ask Anthony Perkins (well, if he wasn't dead, that is). One minute you're in a hugely successful movie with pastry buns affixed to the sides of your head. A year later, there you are - strung out, braless and embarrassing yourself by singing a bizarre version of the "Star Wars" theme. Badly. With pastry buns affixed to the sides of your head.

People - You Can't Live Without Them

2005-04-15T19:50:00.000-07:00

Ah yes, Friday – and it’s tax day. Actually, it’s not really “Friday” for me, since I have to work tomorrow. Oh well, I’ll make the best of it, I guess. People are amazing. I was just called down to the floor and I thought "another problem". But it wasn’t. Everyone gathered around me to express their condolences on the death of my father. Then they gave me a card with $314 they had collected amongst themselves! We’re talking about factory workers, here. They don’t make much money. I was truly touched. I think that’s all I’m going to write for tonight. For me, today, this pretty much said it all.

Money for Nothing, etc.

2005-04-14T17:49:00.000-07:00

All righty, then. I just received 4 DVDs from Netflix ahead of schedule:
“Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (Angela Lansbury and George Hearn, of course)
“Mr Sardonicus”
“Victor Wooten: Live at Bass Day 1998”
“Donnie Darko: Director’s Cut”
I’ll review these as I watch them, of course. Although, I ‘ll admit that I’m already quite familiar with Victor Wooten’s work through his association with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. I had the opportunity to see them live, in Seattle, a few years back. It was an excellent venue – small college auditorium, which gave it a nice intimate feel. Bela even came out into the audience to play. That’s one of the reasons why I’ve always preferred small jazz concerts to large “big name” extravaganzas. There are a few exceptions, of course. I seriously enjoyed Santana when he played on Mud Island (Memphis, TN) as part of his “Supernatural” tour. I also wouldn’t trade my experience at a Grateful Dead concert (more on that some other time).
I’ve also seen “Sweeney Todd”, as well, but it was on an old VHS tape (long out of print at the time I purchased it on Ebay for a million bucks). Who knew it was coming to DVD with amazingly better sound quality. Oh well.
Not only that, but I found out that I’ve acquired a $1000 raise in pay. Talk about strange. I’m able to access my pay stub on-line (a day before my actual payday) and I picked up on the fact that my pay was going to be more than usual. When I did the math I came up with a figure that was exactly $1000. Then it hit me – my boss mentioned that he submitted a good review for me (just as he was leaving to work for another company). So I put two and two together and deduced that I had been given my annual pay raise. Nobody bothered to say anything but that’s ok, I’ll take the money, thank you. So it boils down to this – with the addition of another supervisor to back me up, I’m making more money for less work. It doesn’t get any better than that. Pass me one of those meat pies, Mrs. Lovett. Uh, maybe not.

Back Again

2005-04-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

I’m afraid that my writing has been a bit sparse as of late. As I had mentioned in my previous blog, my mom had called me on Friday to inform me that my dad had just passed away. It wasn’t really unexpected, though. He was 96 years old, suffered from Parkinson’s disease and had just been hospitalized for pneumonia. They set up a hospital-type bed at their home in Albuquerque and enlisted the assistance of Hospice which sent an RN three times a week plus nursing assistants for bathing, etc. and a housekeeper once a week to help my mom (she turns 80, this month) with cleaning. Even so, when these things happen, they tend to hit you as a bit of a shock since you’re dealing with the subconscious, at that point. It really wasn’t the grown up, “been there, done that” experience hardened man that my mom was talking to, at that moment. But rather some hidden small kid that hangs out in the innermost recesses of my subconscious thoughts and who only comes out in dreams (or when I feel irrationally pissed off at something). Anyway, I’m back at work and things are normal, once again. There was no funeral service. My dad who, in the end, reasoned that all of his friends were dead and his aging family members would’ve had a hard time making the trip from the east coast to New Mexico stipulated that. So he went for the straight cremation / no service route. A seriously impressive move, in my opinion. He still amazes me. Tomorrow – back on track ...

Sad News

2005-04-08T14:04:00.000-07:00

I just received a call from my Mom. My Dad passed away. The blog may be on hold for a bit...

Standing on the Shores of Slumber

2005-04-07T21:31:00.000-07:00

Darkness has descended, but the bustle of activity around me is ceaseless. It’s as if I was standing on the shores of a restless ocean under the springtime moon. Everything lit by its fluorescent glow as the waves crash in front of me. Each harsh sound folding into the next as the tempo stretches across time to a place beyond all thoughts of home. People scurry unseen – but they’re there. I can hear them. A cornucopia of dreams and a distant southern cemetery of cast off hopes. All huddled and bustled. Regulated and ricocheted from one task to another as the clock ticks away the dollars to fill meager coffers. The dream becomes a bed – a place to sleep with stomachs fat from grateful meals of bread and meat. The prayers, the closing of leaden lids and the welcome darkness while flying towards dreams of home and those long lost and those now held dear. The sweet saccharine quiet until sunlight taps those sleep encrusted lids open. The new day. The old day. The march towards the familiar huddles and soothing sounds of another epoch at work...

You know – I think playing “Painkiller” before bedtime has really mellowed me out.

Speaking of Godzilla – I was over at correspondent Cullen’s site where he’s busy posting capsule synopsis reviews of the various films that this famous halitosis-challenged dinosaur has appeared in. I’ve always been a huge fan of the original film (“Gojira”) and I feel that it’s the best one ever made (let’s face it, some were downright silly). My tastes, recently, have turned more towards the experimental although I’ve always leaned a bit in that direction (“May”, “Audition”). This is one of the primary reasons why I’m so grateful to Netflix. As I snake my way through the labyrinths of various Internet movie sites, I find myself slowly composing a formidable list of heretofore unknown (to me) treasures that I can instantly add to my queue (which currently sits at 114). This is truly one of the great joys in my life. Man, have I become pathetic, or what?

Stormy Weather

2005-04-06T18:08:00.000-07:00

Moving right along in the recovery department, I’m still climbing my way out of the pit of infirmary. There’s just a residual annoying cough, now, and I have lots more energy. Things are going well except for the weather. A huge storm woke me up around 4:30 AM. You know you’re in for it when the flashes of lightening and thunder share the same moment in time instead of the thunder arriving fashionably late. No damage to the house, though, which is more than some of my fellow Mississippians (cringing – I’m from New York, dammit) can claim. People. When will it become apparent that trailer homes are to storms and tornadoes as Godzilla is to Tokyo. You might just as well strap a lightening rod to your head and toss all your belongings in the nearest creek. Okinawa is the poorest prefecture in Japan, yet no one lives in a trailer home. Why? One word – “typhoon”.
Well. I was recently adding to my collections of obscure and/or cult films. In this case, “El Topo” (not to be confused with that mouse on "The Ed Sullivan Show") and “David and Lisa” (the DVD – I already had a copy of it on VHS) and it occurred to me that I might practice my writing skill by attempting a few reviews. It’s always a challenge approaching something like this since most films have already had extensive coverage. Therefore, the trick is in the subtleties of perspective, which requires a good deal of thought. Needless to say, this will have to begin after I come off this current overtime schedule at work. But, there’s hope. I have, just today, been authorized to hire an additional 15 technicians along with some extra support personnel so that we can catch up on our backlog. This will allow us to wind down to a 5-day workweek. It’s strange to think of something like that as a forgotten luxury. You can be assured that I will be overseeing some intensive training to get us where we need to be as soon as humanly possible. Tonight, after work – “Painkiller” and the B-movie de jour.

Well, not quite Dead Man

2005-04-05T17:25:00.000-07:00

Ah yes, that’s a little more like it. I’m feeling a bit better, today. Still some congestion but, thank goodness, no fever. There’s still a general feeling of malaise that will usually accompany such spirals in health. At least I was able to get some much needed rest, which I’m sure will be a more obvious benefit in the next day or two. Finding myself completely waylaid and bedridden was like a scene out of “Dead Man" (Johnny Depp). I’ve viewed that film a few times and I can never get over the genuine attempt at realism in terms of presenting images of the old West. It occurs to me that most moviegoers really don’t want to see the filth and insanity of that place and time. They would rather maintain a fictionalized view more in keeping with the notions of traditional “heroes” and villains” (with the occasional crossover). I’ve read enough about the old West to have a pretty decent understanding of the danger and squalor lurking on every street and back alley. So, when I see a film like “Unforgiven”, I can appreciate the vague stab at authenticity at some level. However, to equate that view of the West with true authenticity is seriously laughable.
One of my favorite scenes in “Dead Man” involves Depp traveling by train from the East to the far reaches of the frontier West. This was done in brilliant fashion and gives us the sensation of slowly leaving civilization while heading straight to an outlying suburb of Hell. Average, everyday people begin to give way to ruthless primitives as Depp's character heads to a promised accountant job in the nightmare town of "Machine". Watching Depp’s character initial introduction to the town is, probably, the most realistic vision of the extreme frontier that you’re ever likely to see on film.
Depp’s subsequent encounter with an enigmatic Native American named “Nobody” and his alternating horrific and hysterical adventures serve to illustrate the effects of the barbarism of the old West and it’s ability to wear away one’s veneer of civilization. Add to this a highly appropriate and haunting soundtrack by Neil Young and you have a film that tends to stay with you for quite some time. Although it occasionally tries a little too hard to be “meaningful” and cutting edge, it certainly is a solid cult film. I recommend it highly.

A Bit Under the Weather

2005-04-04T15:10:00.000-07:00

I made it in to work, today, but only for a brief amount of time. I became pretty ill, yesterday, and it continues throughout today with congestion in my lungs and a slight fever. I took some medication and forced myself in to check emails and to make sure things got off on the right foot on 2nd shift. I’ll certainly be leaving early. Needless to say, this makes for a short blog entry. Hopefully, I’ll be on the mend by tomorrow.