A Troy Foster

2011-12-31T14:10:00.002-06:00

I can't decide which is more annoying; people who are overtly religious or people who are vegetarian.

20 minutes I'll never get back

2011-12-23T00:43:00.001-06:00

How Does Nicholas Cage make a paycheck. I just watched about 20 minutes of Season of the Witch and just couldn't bear any more. Add together Cage's dull acting abilities, Ron Pearlman's even duller acting abilities and poorly written 20th century dialog in a 14th century setting and you have a medieval fantasy flick with less to offer than an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard.

Just a couple of thoughts.....

2011-12-21T16:51:00.001-06:00

I've come to realize that although there are a few people I like and consider to be friends, none of them call me except for the couple of times per year when they need something sewn. My mother is the only person who calls me just to call me.
Also I'm wondering why people don't just take pictures anymore. Why is everyone using these programs like Instagram to make their photos look like they were taken in 1972 using bad film and subjects who couldn't comb their hair? I guess it's easier to let the software fudge for poor photo-taking abilities or a crappy camera than to get a good camera and learn how to use it.

Worth and Purpose

2011-10-25T21:17:00.000-05:00

One of the larger local churches maintains a very prominent billboard at the Youree Drive and King's Highway intersection. A couple of the billboards that they often post feature the faces of somewhat distraught looking people on a stark white background asking one of the two following questions:

Where do I find Purpose?

Where do I find Worth?

I guess I've never really understood the continual bewilderment that some folks glean just from the act of living because for me those two questions can really be broken down very simply.

In the simplest of terms we humans have two very basic purposes to fulfill. They are food and shelter--that's it. Sure there are other things we want to do, other things we aspire to and that's fine but basically all we need, really need, is something to eat and a place to rest. Everything else is just lagniappe.

If you can fulfill those two purposes and, along the way, make a few friends, find love, smile, laugh and even cry a few times, then haven't you answered the question about worth?

Think about it. If you stare out from that stark cold billboard at the world and ask those two questions--if you ask them of other people, groups of people and books rather than look in the mirror and ask yourself, you may never get the correct answer.

Just a thought.

The Picard

2011-09-21T18:56:00.000-05:00

I believe that Star Trek The Next Generation was filmed in the same studio set as The Golden Girls. This can be the only way to explain why Captain Picard showed up on one of Blanch Devereaux's old blouses.

Papa's got a brand new bag.

2011-09-19T18:54:00.000-05:00

If you've seen last month's post about the new 7" tablet I got and the prototype case I made for it. Well, I decided that wanted more screen real estate so I upgraded to the 10.1" model. I also found a really nice case online for it so there was no need to construct my own.
However, the new tablet didn't fit in my current bag.
I carry a bag because I have too much stuff to fit in my pockets. I usually call it a "my bag" but often, especially when asked by strangers, refer to as "my purse". That's usually because strangers who are bold enough to ask about it will ask "do you call it a 'manbag' or a 'murse' or a 'satchel'?" to which I reply "it's my purse". I just don't have any insecurities or hangups about calling it a purse. I do find the more popular terms a little silly though. "Manbag" sounds like you are talking about your scrotum. And "satchel" sounds like something from which you would dispense bread crumbs on your way through the forbidding forest so as not to get lost while on you way to be eaten by a wicked witch. "Murse"? I mean really "MURSE"??? Who the Hell came up with that? It sounds like a slight against male nurses.
So anyway, I carry a bag; I carry a purse. And here is my latest one. Oh and I forgot to mention that I make my own.

I choose to construct it out of this Olive Duck (Canvas). After pre-washing the fabric to remove the factory sizing. I started by making the strap from a piece 5" x 72" folded lengthwise in quarters and top-stitched. It is 1.25" wide finished and cut down to about 60" length when put on the bag.

I drew only one paper pattern for the entire project. The front and rear panels for both compartments and the flap were cut from a 10" tall by 12" wide pattern with the two bottom corners rounded off; I used a 3.5" round coaster to draw the corners. All of the others pieces cut for the bag were just squares or rectangles.
The side pieces for both compartments were cut at 2.5" making each compartment 1.75" thick on the inside; However I did taper the top edges of the front compartment inward just after easing in the corners so it would not droop.
I used regular snaps this time instead of a magnetic closure so I gave the base of the snaps rear access as shown in the photo so the snaps can be closed without pressing on the contents of the bag.
I also set in a short handle where the overflap attaches at the rear top for hanging on to the bag off-shoulder and added a keyring attachment for the front compartment.
Both the front and rear compartment are lined with the same fabric as the exterior with all raw seams enclosed and reinforced. The rear compartment that holds my tablet also has 3mm foam inserts embedded into the lining for added protection.
The last step was to wash and dry the bag twice using a little extra fabric softener to relax the canvas.

A good afternoon with my hubby!

2011-09-07T16:58:00.000-05:00

Today, Cass and I caught the matinee at the Boardwalk. We saw Final Destination 5. Then we strolled the boardwalk and had a couple of burgers on the outside deck at the Sonic on the second level of the Bass Pro Shop. It's probably the only Sonic Restaurant in the world with an actual "view".

Heterodrama

2011-08-27T00:23:00.000-05:00

New drama from the heterosexuals......my niece/daughter. I'll never understand why people with children who live life as if they get a new script from the drama department everyday.
Let's see, we've got: daddy; daddy-wanna-be; interfering babysitter; stalking; impending separation (re-separation); the threat of clothes burning on the lawn; and another domestic disturbance call for the LVPD.
I want to help, but I don't want to help. I care enough to want to know what's going on and hope everything is ok, but I don't want to get involved. It always turns out bad and raises my stress and BP.
During the last episode of heterodrama some very hateful things were said about me and even Cass who had nothing to do or say about the whole thing.
Like I said, I hope everything works out ok. Mainly I'm concerned for the baby's safety and well being. The adults can take care of themselves--or at least try to.
My main focus in life now is enjoying life, trying to improve my health and staying stress free. So I wish them luck but I'm staying out of it.

Tablet Schmablet

2011-08-25T19:30:00.001-05:00

This is my new Tablet. It's an Acer Iconia 7" Tab. I love everything about it....except the battery life could be a little longer, still I only have to plug it in to charge about every day and a half.
I had been thinking about getting an iPad2 but am really glad I decided to shop around.
Everything about this device surpasses the usefulness and quality of the iPad it's hard to understand why so many people are willing to pay more and settle for less----of course they are usually the kind of people who also shop at IKEA and Whole Foods just for appearances sake.
To compare: this thing has ports (Micro HDMI and USB)--iPad2 has none; front camera is 2.0mp and rear camera is 5.0mp--neither of iPads camera even hit the 1mp mark; The home page is orientation-correcting (rotates) and allows customization of app buttons widgets (app devices that actually provide updated information on your home page without having to launch the app)--iPad2 you have to hold with the home button at the bottom to view the home page in the correct orientation and you only get a screen full of little square app buttons that do nothing; Web browsing...not only do you get Flash support but the Chrome browser is literally 10 times faster than safari. I use both browsers in their latest versions on the same wifi network and the iOS Safari browser crawls in comparison to Androids Honeycomb 3.2 version of chrome. My device came with 8gb internal storage which is expandable to 48gb by simply inserting a $50 micro sd card. The iPad2 comes with 16gb for $499 and 32gb for $599; The Acer does not come in a 3G model but still offers real GPS functionality (it has a built in receiver to pick up GPS satellite signals.)

No mater how cool the very-thin, cleanly-designed iPad looks in comparison I just couldn't justify paying $499 for inferior equipment. Acer offers their Tab in 2 sizes and I went with the smaller version for more portability. I got the Acer 7" Tab for $328 and the 10.1" version is only $398.

Once I got it I decided to make my own cover/case for it. I got my inspiration from DodoCase an online vendor who makes custom covers for the iPad and Blackberry Playbook. When finished, my case should look like a book. I'm starting with the device holder first which is made of basswood. Then I'll complete the book jacket using a combination of mounting board, fabric and paper as shown below in my swatches.

So far I have the device holder part complete and will begin working on the book jacket this weekend.....but here's how it looks so far.

Comming back to the blog world.

2011-08-25T00:13:00.001-05:00

<p>I'm back from a hiatus from blogging. I've decided to reinstate this blog minus the pretensious Magpie Tales posts. I'll just be posting pictures and rambling thoughts. Who knows, I may post everyday or every two or three weeks. I'm mainly back here as a way to better organize my photos. I'm also testing out my new tablet's abilities. So, hello again.....

Recycled Coolness

2011-04-25T08:49:00.001-05:00

I've had several of these Crown Royal bags for a while now. Cass used to bring them home when he worked at the casino. This quilt took 50 bags to make and I still have boxes of bags left. I don't think I'll be starting another one of these for a while though; it involves a whole lot of work. But Felicia has been asking me to make something for her out of these bags for a few years now and I finally got around to it--and just in time to send to her for her birthday.

Rabbit-Proof Fence

2011-02-18T18:15:00.002-06:00

One of the best movies I've seen in a long time; it's a true testament to being human. This story will make you angry and warm your heart at the same time.

What I'm doing these days

2011-01-29T14:47:00.001-06:00

I haven't blogged much in the past few months so here's an update on things going on.

My brother Joey past away December 16th 2010. After many troubled years, he seemed to be getting things on track for himself so it was a bit of a shock to us all. He was 52.

A couple of weeks ago, Cass' grandfather fell and broke his hip. It was just a fracture and he didn't have to have surgery. He is 95 and while he was hospitalized, I believe on the second or third day, his wife who is 88 and staying at the hospital around the clock with him, fell and broke her wrist. These folks have been so independent and self sufficient that it has taken a couple of weeks to get through to them to let the rest of the family help them out. Cass' mom came up from Baton Rouge this week for his grandmother's day surgery to fix the broken bone in her wrist. Grandpa went into the nursing home; Cass' brother and uncle live here in town and we all have a loose schedule for visiting the nursing home and running his grandmother around.

Christmas came and went. And, although I'm not religious, I do enjoy the cultural aspect of the holiday. So many religions and cultures have celebrations focused around the winter solstice and many of those ancient traditions have melded into or at least have been adopted by what we westerners celebrate as Christmas. I love the ancient traditions and detest the commercialism. The past couple of Christmases I've given hand made gifts but have never really started early enough to make things for every one that I wanted to.

So this year, for me at least, Christmas starts in February. Everyone on my gift list will get handmade items either knitted or crocheted. So if you are reading this then there's a good chance you are on that list; you now have 11 months (or less) to start dropping hints about what your favorite colors are!

I've already given a shawl/wrap to my mom for her birthday and as soon as I finish the sweater pictured below for myself I'll start on everyone else.

This is the only way I know how to do Christmas. If I wait till November and go out and fight with the zombies at the shopping centers over cheap crap made in Chinese sweat shops, I don't feel like I've really done something meaningful.

I don't understand why more people, especially women, don't knit, crochet or sew these days--it's really sad. And I say especially women because it's "OK" for women to do it but men really should as well in my opinion.

Needle work is the most incredibly effective relaxation therapy ever invented. Knitting and crocheting, aside from being incredibly easy to learn, has a hypnotic rhythm to it. The written patterns, which resemble algebraic formulas written in some yet unknown alien language, are actually very easy to read/follow; and most patterns have this repeating rhythm to the pattern that you really only have to look at the written pattern for reference. And once you get into the rhythm of the piece you actually begin stitching without thinking about it; it's like traveling without moving---like using the spice melange to fold space.

Anyway, I love doing this---it's going to be a fun, and relaxing, year!

Shell Crochet Beanie

2010-12-26T08:06:00.000-06:00

This is a great, one-size-fits-all, uni-sex beanie

Hook-Size G Crochet Hook
Yarn-4-ply worsted weight
Size Estimate - 22 inches around

Abbreviations
SH = Shell
DC = Double Crochet
CH = Chain
MC = Magic Circle

I am providing two starts for the cap. You can pick which one you want to use.
Start 1: Magic Circle for starting loop.
Start 2: Chain 7, join

Round 1: CH 1, *SC in starting loop. SH of 5 DC in loop, complete 4 times from *, join in beginning SC. (4 Shells)

This next round is preparing for the shell increases. It takes two rounds to complete an increase for shells.
Round 2: SL ST to 3rd DC, CH 1, *SC in same ST, (this will be an increase shell)SH- 3DC, CH 1, 3 DC. SC in 3rd DC, complete 4 times from *, join in beg SC. (This is the first part of the shell increase, you will have 4 shells with 3DC,CH 1, 3 DC in each shell. There will be 4 more shells added to each chain 1 space in the next round.)

Round 3: SL ST to 2nd DC, CH 1,*SC in 2nd DC, SH of 5 DC in CH 1 space, SC in 2nd DC, SH of 5 DC in the next SC, Complete 4 times from *, join in beg SC. (This is the second part of the shell increase. When this round is complete, there will be 8 full shells with 5 double crochet each)
Round 4: SL ST to 3rd DC, CH 1 *SC in DC, SH-5 DC in the next SC, Complete 8 times total from*, join in beg SC. (This is just a normal round of shells. You will have 8 shells with 5 DC in each shell)

Round 5: SL ST to 3rd DC, CH 1, *SC in DC, SH-3DC, CH 1, 3DC in next SC. SC in 3rd DC. SH-5DC in next SC. Complete 4 times from*, join in beg SC. (First part of the increase. There will be 4 shells of 3DC, CH 1, 3 DC. There will be 4 shells of 5 DC. 8 Shells all together.)

The hat will take on the shape of a square at this point. This is normal for the previous and next round.

Round 6: SL ST to 2rd DC, CH 1, * SC in 2nd DC, SH-5 DC in CH 1. SC in 2 DC. SH-5 DC in next SC, SC in 3rd DC, SH-5 DC in next SC. Complete 4 times from *, join in beg SC. (Second part of the increase.There will be 12 shells total, with 5 DC in each shell) in the next SC.

After this there are no more increase rounds. The hat will shape into a hat even though it may not look like it at this point.

Round 7-17: SL ST to 3rd DC, CH 1 *SC in DC, SH-5 DC in the next SC, Complete 12 times total from*, join in beg SC. ( You will have 12 shells with 5 DC in each shell for the remainder of the hat)

Last Round: Finish off by stitching a single crochet in the top of the shell and on each side of it with a HDC in the ditch between the shells to level off the last round.

HeLLo!

2010-11-09T01:55:00.002-06:00

I'm still here. Just reading and working much lately. I'll tell you more soon.

Recent Reads

2010-10-27T16:54:00.003-05:00

Pillars of the Earth

   I really enjoyed this book. It covers a 50 year period in 12th century England chronicling the struggles of a family, an order of monks, and a community in their efforts to build a magnificent cathedral. Wonderful captivating plots, characters you really care for, and characters you love to hate make this epic hard to put down.

Blue Like Jazz
   I don't particularly care for the inspirational--spiritual journey genre and after reading this I'm reminded why.
   I saw this on a friends blog so I looked up some information on the author. I found an interview he did when this book was published and was a bit put off by his notions about homosexuality---straddling the fence as it were---on the one hand claiming to love and accept his gay friends, even agreeing that we are born gay but exclaiming that it is still a sin and the reason we are born this way is because the devil still rules the world and is unfair.
   Still I decided to give Miller the benefit of the doubt and his book a read. He fleshes out in autobiographical terms the very thing that has always turned me off to Christianity, spiritualism and religion in general. He talks about being challenged by his pastor to seek out and befriend people who are different--"homeless people and Gothic people and gays and fruit nuts." I don't know exactly how he determines if someone is a "fruit nut" but I'm certain that I don't like being lumped together with them.
   And that's one of the problems that I have with Christianity. Many Christians (not all) fail to realize that the very act of being a Christian is a "lifestyle choice" and that makes them different--not me. I didn't choose to be born homosexual and I don't believe in the Devil or God or that anything supernatural had anything to do with the circumstances of my birth; but I'm certainly proud enough of who I am to not make lifestyle choices that go against my nature.
  Moving past his statements about homosexuality in his interview and his many in-book references to people who are "different" and "fruit nuts", the book is a bit of a tedious read. It starts out OK and his sometimes abrupt and choppy writing style is actually enjoyable enough to read in the beginning. His style works well for the first half of the book where he jumps from one humorous anecdote to the next describing his early life experiences.
  The second half of the book seems to dawdle this sort of coma-inducing drum banging out the same ideas over and over in sometimes pages long paragraphs.
   With Blue, Miller attempts to do what every generation of Christians before him has done, which is to take the same old dogma and religion and repackage it into something contemporary and marketable, to make it neat, mod, cool, hip, dope, sick or whatever contemporaneous vernacular applies. But in the end his message ends the same as all those tired old sermons I nodded through as a child--with an alter call.
   Overall, Blue Like Jazz, made me fell as though I had sat down with a car salesman for about 8 hours going over the details of a car I really had no interest in buying.
   I think I'll just steer clear of the Inspirational books.

NEXT READ:
The Strain
   I'll start this book in a couple of days. I like Vampire stories and there certainly is no shortage of vampire stories these days. This one promises to be interesting. This treats vampire-ism as a spreading infection and I prefer my vampires to be horrible evil monsters rather that sparkly emo heroes who mope and whine.

Take THAT, You.....Pears!

2010-10-07T12:18:00.001-05:00

   So I was in the cupboard getting something out to fix a meal the other day. My cupboard usually stays fairly organized but it was a little crowded at the time. I was moving things around looking for something in particular when this can of pears decided to escape and jumped from the fourth shelf. It landed, edge first, on my bare foot. The pain was so sharp and sudden that I immediately let out a howl and literally cried.
   Cass was in the kitchen and saw what happened. There wasn't anything he could do to stop it but, being concerned, he felt he should do something. So, as I'm rubbing my throbbing foot, he decides humor will make the situation better. He grabs the can of pears and give it a good talking to.
   "Say, mister, you mess with my husband you're gonna have to answer to me" he exclaimed animatedly. Then, in a very Three Stooges manner, he reared his fist back to give it a punch in the face. Obviously he intended this to be very comical but didn't realize how much force he was exerting until after he smashed the can.
   So we stood in the kitchen, me dancing on a sore foot and he wringing out a fist full of sore knuckles, and just laughed at each other.

Reading Again.......

2010-09-30T04:14:00.001-05:00

   Last week I bought an early birthday present for myself: a Nook eReader. I haven't read much in recent years, not that I haven't wanted to but because I get eye fatigue after only a few pages, even an interesting read, and would soon find myself nodding off or getting a mild headache. So I just kind of gave up on reading anything of any length.

   Still, I wanted to read but every time I picked up a book--the same problem. But I think I have found a solution in the Nook eReader. I am a gadget geek so it's very natural and comfortable for me to use such a device. More importantly the eye fatigue is minimized--at least for me. This reduction in eye fatigue is accomplished in a couple of ways:

   First, the page of this reader is slightly grayish white and the text is soft black so the glaring contrast that you normally get with printed paper is greatly reduced.

   Second, the text can be set in three fonts and six sizes from extra small to extra extra large. For me this is a big plus. I slightly increase the font size and change the font to Helvetica. Most typographers agree that sans serif fonts like Helvetica are the most readable for text. And glancing at some of the books in my book shelf the majority are printed in very small serifed fonts.

   I know this all sounds extremely picky but my eyes tell me there is a definite difference.

I just finished reading Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and will start the second in The Millennium Trilogy, The Girl Who Played with Fire  in the next couple of days. Tattoo is one of those hard-to-put-down mysteries that make you stay up past your bedtime. I've read for hours at a time without eye fatigue.

I love my Nook. I may be back on the road to becoming an avid reader...YaY!

So Long Splenda

2010-09-18T14:32:00.002-05:00

   I've posted a couple of cake recipes that I've made using Splenda sugar substitute. They both taste great, but there's a problem; My body cannot handle Splenda. This realization has been the result of trial and error--or should I say trial and headache!
   Back in March of this year I switched from regular sugar-sweetened soft drinks to diet soft drinks to get a handle on my sugar intake. My sugar was really high (350) during a visit to my Mom's to see my new nephew but since I made the switch I've been able to maintain a average reading of 100; and I've lost weight as well.
   My albatross was Pepsi--lots and lots of Pepsi. I got used to the taste of caffeine-free Diet Pepsi and soon realized that I was drinking less soda than before. Before, when my sugar was high, I was very thirsty all the time (a symptom of high blood sugar) so I drank regular Pepsi like it was water.
   Well, a couple of months ago I found some Diet Rite Cola on sale and picked it up. It tasted pretty good and was sweetened with Splenda. After a couple of days I got a migraine headache--first I've had in a while. It took about half a day in bed to get over it. When I felt better I got up and made some steamed chicken and vegetables and drank another Diet Rite with my meal. Before I finished my meal and the soda my headache was back and I went back to bed. When the same thing happened the next day I started looking for information on Splenda and headaches.
  I found a lot of anecdotal information on blogs from people who reported getting headaches after using Splenda. However I found 10 times more information from USDA and independent studies that said there was no evidence that Splenda was harmful or that is caused headaches. I also read more anecdotal information from people who said that Diet Rite with Splenda gave them headaches while other soft drinks sweetened with Splenda did not. There even seems to be a debate that the Splenda Headache theory was started by the makers of Nutrasweet to hurt sales of Splenda products. The internet is the worlds largest library of misinformation--so who knows.
   Well, none of that made the headache go away. On day three I switched back to Diet Pepsi and--no headaches. To test this, I had one more Diet Rite after four days of Diet Pepsi and no headaches and--major headache. So I gave the Diet Rite to my cousin and went on about my business.
   Now in the mean time, we would occasionally buy cookies made with Splenda and I never had any problem with them so I figured the whole headache thing might have more to do with some other ingredient in the Diet Rite than the Splenda. Even after this I've had a couple of soft drinks out of vending machines sweetened with Splenda and got no headache. So, not being convinced one way or the other about Splenda, I just stayed away from Diet Rite and everything was fine.
   Well recently, I found a couple of cake recipes that I wanted to try out. And, not wanting to bump my sugar intake, I decided to bake them with Splenda instead of sugar. The first cake I made was a Hummingbird Cake then a week later when that was gone I made a Fresh Apple Cake. No, I didn't eat two whole cakes in two weeks--Cass had about half of each as well.
   Even though they were made with Splenda I knew that were not completely sugar free since both contained fresh fruit but I figured that one moderate slice per day would not bump my sugar too much and it didn't at all.
   I had actually forgotten about the whole Diet Rite episode so it took about a week and a half for me to realize what changes were happening to my body. I started feeling tired, and I started getting headaches then I thought about the Splenda.
   My last slice of cake was yesterday afternoon. I felt fine when I sat down to eat it. Before I was through with it I had to go get in bed my head was pounding so.
   So, no cake today.  I think my cakes in the future will have real cane sugar in them though I may cut back on what the recipe calls for.
   The experts and bloggers can debate over the studies and rumors all they want. I'll stick with the evidence-- and that is, for me, Splenda is one big headache!

Fresh Apple Cake

2010-09-17T10:53:00.003-05:00

I found this Fresh Apple Cake on Paula Deen's web site the other day and decided to try it out. This is the best Fresh Apple Cake I've ever had. You can find the original recipe here (Paula's Original Recipe). The recipe below includes the minor changes I made to the original.

This is actually the Humming bird Cake but the Apple Cake looks very much like this

Ingredients:

Cake:

Butter, for greasing pan

2 cups Splenda

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1/4 cup orange juice

3 cups Self-rising flour

2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups peeled and finely chopped apples

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts

Sauce:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 cup Splenda

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease a tube or bundt pan.

For the cake: in a large bowl, combine the Splenda, eggs, oil, orange juice, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract; and mix well. Fold apples, coconut, and pecans into batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours.

Shortly before the cake is done, make the sauce: Melt the butter in a large saucepan, stir in the Splenda, buttermilk, and baking soda, and bring to a good rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Pour the sauce over the hot cake in the pan as soon as you remove it from the oven. Let stand 1 hour, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

Why I Grew Up to be a Famous Football Star

2010-09-13T07:44:00.002-05:00

This is where it all began!

Me and My Brothers

Kevin, Me, Joey

The Haunting in Connecticut

2010-09-13T07:23:00.002-05:00

The greatest gift given to mankind by the Catholic Church is the often cheesy and always cliché ghost-story/haunting/possesion movie genre. Seriously, if not for the inane superstitions that permeate Catholicism these types of movies would not exist. Now, to be fair, I personally think that all religions are based on superstition and fear of mortality--not just Catholisism--but if you've seen enough of these types of movies and/or have read books in this genre you can't help but notice the overabundance of Catholic symbolism. Here are some of the elements:

--The lead will usually be person or group of people who are either absent of faith or experiencing a crisis of faith.

--Often, as in The Haunting in Connecticut, rosary beads, shrines, churches and other specifically Catholic icons make an early appearance.

--The Priest--there's always a priest who crosses paths with the person or group being haunted just in time to offer his holy services.

--Exorcism--there is always some ritual performed to send the tortured spirit on its way.

This movie--The Haunting in Connecticut--features all of those elements. The rosary beads show up early dangling form the rear-view mirror. The priest shares a chemotherapy session with the family's son. The son's cancer and the family's stuggle to cope with it is the crisis of faith.

Everything else is just cliché nicely repackaged--Family going through hardship moves into a house with an evil past. Things start to move around, visions manifest, people turn against one another, preacher-man sprinkles water on stuff, tortured spirit is expelled and everyone goes on their way.

Maybe that's an oversimplification, but that really is the gist of it. It is cliché. It is Amityville Horror repackaged but not nearly as fun or as frightening. But, yes, I did watch the whole thing through--turns out that 102 minutes is just enough time to crochet another potholder for my new kitchen set.

Hummingbird Cake

2010-09-10T09:22:00.003-05:00

Today I made Hummingbird Cake (modeled with one of my new potholders I'm working on). It has bananas, walnuts, cherries, pineapple and cinnamon--no hummingbirds though. The recipe has been around for years. This is my version which substitutes Splenda for sugar and adds cherries.

CAKE

3 cups self-rising flour

2 cups Splenda for baking

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 can 8oz crushed pineapple with juice

1 cup oil

3 large eggs well beaten

3 medium bananas

1 jar 8oz maraschino cherries

2 cups walnuts

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

GLAZE

1 cup Splenda

1tbsp butter melted

Preperation:

Preheat oven to 325F.

Grease a 10" bundt pan.

Stir together flour, splenda and cinnamon.

Drain juice from jar of cherries and set aside for glaze.

To the flour mixture add the can of pineapple with juice, oil, eggs, bananas, nuts, cherries and vanilla.

Stir mixture until just blended. DO NOT BEAT. The batter will be thick and heavy.

Spoon batter evenly into prepared pan and bake at 325F for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes and invert onto serving dish. Refrigerate until completely cool before adding glaze.

To make glaze: in a small bowl combine melted butter and 1 cup of Splenda. Add Cherry juice one tablespoon at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency (about 3-6 tablespoons).

NOTES:

the above recipe uses Splenda instead of sugar. To use sugar--substitue 2 cups or regular sugar in the cake mix and 1 cup powdered sugar in the glaze (you will generally need to use more juice for the glaze if you are using powdered sugar).

Red Riding Trilogy

2010-09-10T04:50:00.004-05:00

   On of the things I love about Netflix is the little surprises you find when browsing for something to watch. I found this trilogy--Red Riding Trilogy--browsing the Crime Drama section. This trilogy was adapted for television from David Peace's novels; keep in mind that adapted-for-television in Britain translates to better-than-your-average-Hollywood-Production.
   Peace's tale spans several years and is loosely based on the facts of the Yorkshire Ripper case. Gripping and plot driven. If you like crime drama's--especially based on actual events--you'll enjoy this series.

More Movies.....

2010-08-31T22:49:00.004-05:00

Here's a couple of movies I watched this week.

   POPaganda is an interesting documentary about artist Ron English. He was a lead player in the movement that killed Joe Camel.
   This film follows English, an activist and instigator who goes after corporate giants, from his guerrilla billboard-takeover days to to some of his more recent work.
   If you've seen Supersize Me you'll recognize his bloated Ronald McDonald.
   More interesting to me than his politics was the method behind his art so I was glad to see this include some footage shot in his studio highlighting the creation process.
   Some footage is grainy and editing is choppy but this is an interesting documentary worth the watch.

   Soylent Green Is one of the most important films made in the last 320 years....ok maybe not but it is a fun watch.
   I love the whole end-of-world, armageddon, future-chaos genre. And while I really enjoy going to the theater and watching contemporary films in the genre like 2012. It is even more interesting, and fun, to watch these classics 20-30 years past their prime to see what the people who are now collecting Social Security and going to Tea Party rallies thought the future would bring.
   Charlton Heston reveled in this whole man-facing-the-demise-of-humanity type of role during this part of his career (e.g. Omega Man, Planet of the Apes, and even Earthquake to some extent). He plays a 2020 NYC police officer who through the course of a murder investigation discovers the secret ingredient to a super-nutritious food produced to feed the masses called Soylent Green. Of course his performances are very 70's hip-macho but still fun to watch.
   One bright note; Edward G. Robinson gives a memorable performance in his last film role here as Thorn's best friend.

Gypsy

2010-08-30T23:23:00.002-05:00

This is, without doubt, the only woman in the world who can hypnotize me--she does every time I hear her sing.
I heard "Gypsy" a few days ago and it has been playing in my head.
If you don't know who this is by now it would be pointless to explain.

I'm Back!

2010-08-29T06:18:00.001-05:00

   I noticed earlier this month that a few of my blogger friends decided to take an August break. "Oh, I'll keep posting stuff" I thought. Turns out, I took one too.
   It has been just too hot to do much of anything the past three weeks.
   Our apartment is on the second floor of an old house in the Highland neighborhood in Shreveport. This wood frame four-plex was built probably 70 to 100 years ago and the insulation has more than likely evaporated by now. We run three window air-conditioners full time. The problem is that the longest exterior wall and the roof directly over us gets full sun from about 1pm until the sunsets around 7:45. By 4pm the temperature inside has been reaching nearly 80 degrees.
   So for the past three weeks we've taken to sleeping during the hottest part of the day and staying up all night. It works out for the most part because we can cool off the bedroom better than the rest of the apartment.
   Still, the heat that radiates in from the attic doesn't let up until about 3am zapping any enthusiasm I have for accomplishing anything.
   That changed a bit this week. The daily temperature has dropped from an average high of 101 to nearly 93 and the humidity and high barometric pressure has backed off as well. I can already feel the pre-autumn change in the air.
   Despite my joy over the sudden relief from the heat I have to keep in mind that September is still two days away and the next two months, at least here in Louisiana, are no stranger to last minute heat waves before Fall arrives.
   But for now.....ahhhhh!

It doesn't get any hotter than this!

2010-08-05T07:08:00.000-05:00

We've now had two or three or four or five days of triple digit temperatures. I really cant recall how many days because I've spent most of it staying inside trying to stay cool. I did my grocery shopping this morning at 3am just to beat the heat. I wanted to crawl into the freezer bin and cover myself with bags of frozen salmon--but people were looking.

Anyway, I can't get this song out of my head so I thought I would share it. Enjoy!

Good Morning Pug Shine!

2010-08-05T06:53:00.001-05:00

Old Photos

2010-07-21T00:10:00.003-05:00

I came across these two old photos in a box today.

Top: (right to left) My cousin Melinda's son Jesse, my niece Felicia, my cousins Jeremy (behind B Ball) and Clay. Taken in Grandma's house on W 75th Street '88 or '89.

Bottom: My cousin Melinda (about 1980) sitting on the tailgate of my dad's old truck.

The Absent-Minded House Husband

2010-07-18T13:47:00.000-05:00

I'm hungry! I think I'll steam some chicken breast and vegetables with lemon pepper.

But first I'll have to clean the kitchen. The pile of dishes in the sink have laughed and sneered at me every time I walk by them today; but I'll have the last word.

So I lay out the dishes on the counter in the order that I'm going to wash them (yes I'm funny that way) and start the dish water. I put the stopper in the sink and add a little dish washing liquid. Running dish water always makes me have to pee so this will just have to wait a couple of minutes.

So I head to the bathroom to pee. As I walk in I'm faced with the reminder that I had started cleaning the bathroom earlier. The toilet still has cleaner foaming in it and I haven't brushed and flushed it yet. My bladder can't wait for another second so I pee in the bathtub; I know, you think that's gross but it's OK. Really, it's OK, because I run the water plus I plan on cleaning the tub later.

With my bladder relieved, I turn and grab the toilet brush and give the bowl a good scrubbing. I flush it then grab the cleaner to spray and wipe down the porcelain and tile floor around the toilet. Good--I've wiped away all evidence that grown men still aim like little boys.

Oh, and before I forget, I'll spray the tub with cleaner and let it soak so I can come back later and finish cleaning it. Done. As I leave the bathroom, I turn to breath in and admire the sparkly bleachy wonder of it all.

Now, what was I doing before? Oh, Lunch.

I head back to the kitchen and as I round the corner I behold the most amazing, frothy and foamy waterfall cascading from my kitchen sink, down the cabinet facing and onto the floor.

"Oh crap"! is all I can say. If we had kids I could fuss at them; even though I know I was the one who left the water running, I could at least fuss at the kids for distracting me or something. Isn't that one of the rules of parenthood? Ah, but not in this house. When you only have two grown adults in a house, you never get to say things like "who did this?" or "who did that?"; you know who. If I didn't do it, he did. And if he didn't do it.....well suffice to say, he didn't didn't do it. So "oh crap"!

Oh well. I needed to mop the kitchen floor anyway. And I suppose there's no better opportunity than when it is covered with ten gallons of soapy water. So I head to the wash room to grab the mop.

Oh, look, there's a bag of groceries I forgot to put away............

Summer Rain

2010-07-17T13:00:00.002-05:00

   One of the simple pleasures in life, especially living in the almost unbearable heat of Louisiana, is the sudden summer thunderstorm.
   Thanks (I think) to El Nino, we've had more than our usual amount of these this year.
   I take each one as an invitation to stop what I'm doing and camp out on the back porch and smoke my pipe for a while.
   The dogs both hate the rain and take it as an invitation to hide under the bed.

ROFPWD--Rolling on the floor playing with dogs!

2010-07-14T11:39:00.003-05:00

Cass with Jolson and Rusty

Leaving Facebook

2010-07-12T16:46:00.003-05:00

Yes I'm leaving Facebook
For the third time in about as many months, I received an email notification from Facebook that my account needed to be re-verified and my password reset. The reason given was that failed attempts to log in to my account had been made from an ISP in Canada and Germany. I'm not really sure why someone would want to hack my Facebook account but the intrigue of finding out why is not worth hanging around for (yes, that is a preposition at the end of this sentence).
Add to that, I occasionally get messages from my web business customers saying "I think I found you on Facebook. Add me as a friend"; and I can just see too many problems that can come from blurring the line that separates my personal life from my business. This also comes at an time when I am on the outs with my Mom and Felicia; so I'm sure many will think that is the reason.
I'm sure I'll continue this blog for the foreseeable future as it hasn't yet posed any sort of security threat. So if you want to keep up with me, please follow my blog. If you have a blog, share it with me and I'll follow too.

Dog Days

2010-06-26T23:42:00.001-05:00

The dog days of summer are early this year. I can't imagine how hot it is going to be come August. After chasing squirrels in the morning, Rusty is content to drink a little water and find a cool place near a fan to curl up. In fact, I tend to do the same thing too; without the squirrel part!

Steven Wright

2010-06-23T15:27:00.000-05:00

I found this list of quotes attributed

to comedian Steven Wright

and thought it worth sharing.

I’d kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Borrow money from pessimists — they don’t expect it back.

Half the people you know are below average.

99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.

82.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.

A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

If you want the rainbow, you got to put up with the rain.

All those who believe in psychokinesis, raise my hand.

Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?

I almost had a psychic girlfriend, ….. but she left me before we met.

The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

How do you tell when you’re out of invisible ink?

If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.

Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

When everything is coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.

Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy!

Hard work pays off in the future; laziness pays off now.

I intend to live forever…. so far, so good.

If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?

Eagles may soar, but weasels don’t get sucked into jet engines.

What happens if you get scared half to death twice?

My mechanic told me, “I couldn’t repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder.”

If at first you don’t succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.

A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.

Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.

The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread

To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.

The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.

The sooner you fall behind, the more time you’ll have to catch up.

The colder the x-ray table, the more of your body is required to be on it.

Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don’t have film.

OK, so what’s the speed of dark?

If your car could travel at the speed of light, would your headlights work?

I spilled spot remover on my dog. Now he’s gone.

What’s another word for Thesaurus?

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T12:30:00.000-05:00

My Dad....about 1968

The Man From Earth

2010-06-12T23:29:00.001-05:00

Melinda, this is the movie I was telling you about. Just a really good "thinking" movie. Great dialog.

Why would anyone do this??

2010-06-12T19:45:00.000-05:00

Look What We've Done

2010-06-10T14:44:00.004-05:00

So are you angry and frustrated about the oil spill in the gulf?

Why?

Honestly do we have the right to be angry?

We humans have the distinction of being the only species on our planet who have the ability to contemplate the effect we have on our planet's ecology. We also happen to be the only species responsible for causing massive, sometimes irreparable damage to our planet's ecology. But the fact that we can contemplate it doesn't seem to stop us from doing it.

Not one of us on this planet goes through the day without relying on the use of fossil fuels. It's in everything we do. It's how we get to our jobs. It's in the zip-lock bags and Tupperware we use to take our lunch to our jobs. It's how the food we use to prepare our lunch gets to the market. It's how the beans and disposable cups get to our favorite Starbucks. It's in the plastic lid they snap on top to keep us from burning ourselves and ruining our suits made of polyester-cotton blend. The light by which you read this most likely comes from a piece of ancient coal burning in a power plant somewhere. Practically everything we do in our daily lives would not be possible without it. And it doesn't matter whether your mantra is "Save Our Planet" or "Drill Baby Drill", we--all of us--would not be able to live our current lifestyles without oil, natural gas and coal.

Do I like it?

No.

Have I done anything about it?

No.

Have any of us--have you--really--done anything about it?

No. Unless you've gone back to life the way it was lived about 200 years ago--no you haven't.

So I can't be angry. I am saddened by the Human tragedy in this; the 11 lives lost. But for me, the human tragedy ends there. The vacation plans put off or changed don't matter. And the fact that folks will lose their livelihoods over this is inconsequential. People will still gas up their cars and drive to other beaches. They'll find other places to go, other things to do, other ways to make a living off of the land and water--other ways to survive. That's what we humans do.

And we won't learn from this. No, we won't. Oh, we'll think about it for a while and talk about how awful it is. But once it is over and somewhat cleaned up we'll go on with the way we do things--just like the thousands of oil spills before.

The real tragedy in all of this is the animals that will die and their habitats that will take decades to recover. Not for the selfish fact that our children might not get to enjoy them, but for the fact that they should have the right not to suffer for our lifestyles.

So, most of us will rally and protest BP. We'll complain that the government is not doing enough. We'll make signs, wear the t-shirts, shout "shame on you" to anyone but ourselves and, in general, display some form of righteous indignation--as if pointing a finger alleviates our own culpability (something else we humans are good at).

Me? I see the pictures and say to myself, "Wow, look at what we've done. We."

My Contributions to The Spirit of the Gulf Challenge are my thoughts and this simple vacation picture of Pensacola '93

The Village Barbershop

2010-06-01T09:44:00.001-05:00

A feel good movie with solid acting, directing and character development. John Ratzenberger plays an old barber who's just about given up on everything in life. Shelly Cole plays Gloria, his unwanted new helper who refuses to give up in the face of her lifes challenges. Together they rescue each other in this heartfelt and touching (even if predictable) story.

Surprise!

2010-05-23T10:29:00.003-05:00

I watch movies on Netfix...a lot!

I have them running while I'm working on embroidery designs, sewing, crocheting or doing housework.

So I was watching this 1973 Jack Nicholson flick called "The Last Detail" when I got an unexpected surprise; Gilda Radner's face appeared (lower left) and I had to rewind and watch the scene again to see if it was really her. It was.

She even got listed in the credits as a Nichiren Shoshu (Buddhist) member with one line, "....but now I, well, I really love the clarinet and I..I can't even remember why I wanted the flute in the first place."

This is about two years pre-SNL. I really miss Gilda and the old SNL days.

In the very back, in the middle beyond the beaded curtain, stands a very young Randy Quaid.

Plucked and painted

2010-05-21T12:38:00.000-05:00

Kim Novak in Vertigo. Paramount Studios reportedly bought up all of the stucco, chicken wire and brown deck paint in San Fransisco hardware stores to construct those eyebrows.

Big Fan

2010-05-21T11:25:00.001-05:00

   I don't remember putting this movie in my Netflix instant queue. But there it was so I watched it. Generally I despise professional sports because of the whole "go-team-go" group mania that sports fans generally display and consequently any movie that portrays that mentality as cute and funny. So I figured this was going to be one of those movies and that I would not finish more than 15 minutes of it. I was wrong.
   Patton Oswalt's portrayal of Paul the sports fanatic is both sad and funny. but Paul is not the only character who's life is exposed as sad and pathetic; His quarterback hero, his brother, his artificially enhanced sister-in-law and his mother all become targets of the camera's cynical eye.
   Big Fan doesn't offer much action and it is not intellectually deep but I found it fun to watch.

Crazy Love & Wisconsin Death Trip

2010-04-26T19:54:00.001-05:00

Here's a couple of disturbing yet interesting documentaries to check out. It helps if you have Netflix; both are available instantly.

Crazy Love--They date until she finds out that he is already married and breaks it off. The stalking begins. I can't give away any more than that with out spoiling. This true story is revealed in chronological order and is as unbelievable as it is disturbing.

Wisconsin Death Trip--Mass insanity takes over Black River Falls Wisconsin in the 1890's after hard times and diphtheria take their toll. Filmed in black and white, and narrated with readings of original newspaper articles, journals and old letters this is one of the most visually striking documentaries I've seen.

Stamps, Lies and the Fifth Estate

2010-04-25T11:56:00.000-05:00

I got a chain email the other day from a customer who put my business address on her personal mailing list. You know, the type of email that says "blah, blah, blah, blah, blah....please forward to everyone on your mailing list." Here's the email she sent; click on it to see it larger.

   The USPS actually does sells a stamp that commemorates two Muslim Holidays (referred to as the EID stamp). I have no problem with that as there are also stamps that commemorate Christian and Jewish holidays as part of the Holiday Celebration series of stamps sold by the USPS; the series also includes Kwanzaa stamps. The problem is that the email shows an image of the stamp that is not authentic and was designed on the zazzell.com website to insinuate deception on the part of the USPS and the Obama administration in an effort to push Islam on the public. The original stamp has no butterflies and hearts just a blue background with gold and white print.
   The Email goes on to say that President Obama directed the USPS to issue the stamp. That is not true. The EID stamp, as well as the entire Holiday Celebration Series of stamps, was introduced and first sold by the USPS in August of 2001. So this stamp is not a subversive attempt on the part of the Obama administration to push Islam on the public. And even though it was introduced during the Bush administration, Bush had no part in it either; it was the post master general who commissioned the series.
   Now, I am not a fan of Islam. Nor am I a fan of Christianity, Judaism, or any other religion. But the email, I think, unfairly lumps all Muslim's into one. Nearly two thirds of the world's population practices Islam and the vast majority of them were not involved in the terrorist acts mentioned in the email. That would be like saying that all Christians act like Fred Phelps and the members of his Westboro Baptist Church.
     Neither am I a fan of Obama. I think he has done an OK job so far but I would really like to see him stop dragging his feet on Gay Rights issues. I still think we would have been better off with Hillary Clinton as president but I'm getting off subject here. Expressing opposition to the president and his policies is a good thing. The First Amendment guarantees our right to do that. But the constitutional guarantee of free speech is as much a responsibility as it is a right. It is a responsibility to be truthful and rational--to not be libelous, slanderous nor to incite violence.
   Many more emails, Facebook groups and other social networking blogs use lies and hateful rhetoric to detract from the president as well; claiming Obama is a socialist, a Nazi and a Muslim--that he is not an American citizen, has cancelled the National Day of Prayer and plans to take away everyone's guns. There is even a "prayer" for Obama's death circulating on Facebook. Many of these rumors are even nodded to in the nonsensical haranguing of people like Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck
   If, as the email says, you are a "patriotic American", then why would you tell lies about the President of the United States? And if you are a Christian, then why would you pray for anyone's death? I think it's time for everyone to just take a deep breath and relax.
   So, if you want to oppose or even hate the president then at least base it on the truth. And if you send me a letter or card when the holiday's roll around, put any religious stamp you want on it. I won't be offended. But please--PLEASE--don't waste my bandwidth with this hateful, useless crap.

A moment with Grandma

2010-04-24T16:52:00.000-05:00

In my first post I said that Grandma was the only person in my family who was truly understanding and accepting of my being gay. It was a tribute to Grandma but not intended slight others in my family who love and accept me for who I am.
That was my introductory post and I jumped on several topics without going in to much detail. So here's more.
Years ago, Grandma and I made crafts and sold them at local craft shows. It was a monthly affair that we continued for a number of years. We accumulated a small circle of friends made up of other vendors.
One of those friends, Sandra, was sitting in our booth one day visiting with Grandma. I had just returned with our lunch when another vendor, a man who sold antiques, said hello as he walked by.
"You know he's gay?" Sandra whispered after he turned the corner.
"You know I am too?" I replied.
Sandra nervously said "oh, OK."
Then Grandma spoke up. "You remember Mr. Picket that I worked with? He was that way." she said matter-of-factly then added "Well, everybody's just gotta live".
That was it. There was no sigh of disappointment, no discussion, no argument, no questions like " how do you know if you've never been with a woman?" She didn't even say "what--in--the--LAND?" That was just--it. It was done.
It was as if I said "I like tomatoes." She registered the information and we went on from there. And she never, ever treated me any different than she had before.
Now, to be fair, a few other relatives love me, accept me and don't treat me differently either--namely my cousin Melinda and my sister Tonia. Mom and I are good now but we had our moments.
That was 20 years ago when attitudes were different than now. Grandma was nearly 70 at the time and from a much different generation. That brief, simple moment I use to measure other relationships. Grandma set the bar high.

The Atomic Cafe

2010-04-23T21:12:00.001-05:00

I've watched this documentary a few times now. A compilation of US post-WWII propaganda films, military training films and news reels, this film is both hilarious and disturbing. It is an excellent study of 1950's zeitgeist.

Stop looking at me!

2010-04-22T22:11:00.001-05:00

I sew. I think most people I know are aware of that. And because I sew, I go to the fabric store occasionally. It's always the same store. The old Hancock's on Kings Avenue. I don't have to go very often because, like my mom and grandmother, I have several storage containers full of fabric and notions. The employees there are always shocked to see a man come in their store. Let me clarify. Men come in to the fabric store on occasion but they are always sitting in a chair or leaning against something while they wait on their wives. So when the women in the fabric store see a man come in by himself they assume he is lost.

"Hello sir, welcome to Hancock's Fabric Store." I suppose the woman who greeted me inserted the "fabric Store" part to let me know that I was lost. "Can we help you find something?" The folks there have such a pleasant way of letting me know that I'm lost and that they would really like to help me find out where I'm supposed to be that it's hard to really get mad. "No thanks" I said. "I know what I'm looking for."

I was there to pick up some fabric for a man's handbag that I'm making. While I browsed, I could see the store employees and other customers (all female) keeping a close eye on me, I guess so they could decide whether or not to call Homeland Security. After a bit of browsing I found some camouflage that was perfect for the look I wanted. I don't normally like camouflage, especially not the redneck hunter kind. But this camouflage was really cool . Like vintage military uniforms--kind of dusty and worn looking.
And the fact that I went to the cutting table with camouflage seemed to set the cutting women's mind at ease that at least I was there for something manly. "Oh, are you making duck blinds?" she asked. I knew that I had to put an end to her confusion immediately, I said "no, I'm making myself a purse."

Long Pause.

"So you sew?" she asked. "Better than all of you women in here put together!" I thought to myself but only shared a "yes" with her verbally.

The eyes continued to follow me as I checked out and paid for my fabric. But the audience that was so engrossed with my presence in the fabric store failed to applaud when I exited the stage. I was glad.

2010-04-19T18:55:00.001-05:00

This is a scene from the movie "Donnie Darko". You just gotta love a movie with an imaginary evil 6-foot rabbit!

Day One

2010-04-19T10:15:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure how this blog is going to evolve. I suppose it will begin as a collage of thoughts, ideas, opinions, photos and videos. Some of the thoughts and opinions that are to follow may very well offend many of my family members considering that I am not Christian, Republican nor socially conservative. I think the only person in my family who was truly understanding and accepting about my being gay is unfortunately no longer with us--miss you Grandma.

I'm sure I'll write some about Grandma and some of the funny things she would say. I really miss taking her to the grocery store every month. It was an adventure.

I don't watch broadcast or cable TV. I just cannot bear the commercials nor the over paid screamers on the so-called news networks. I do, however, play World of Warcraft and also watch a lot of movies and documentaries on Netflix. So I suppose I will spend some time here talking about some of the great movies I've seen.

I don't read. I mean, I can read--I just don't; at least not novels. I watch a lot of documentaries and read a lot of news online--by that I mean real news from The Associated Press and Reuters. If I want to be entertained I'll watch a movie. If I want an opinion I'll formulate my own.

I don't belong to any churches, sports groups or community organizations. I've never wanted to be part of something larger than my self. I guess I just never felt that small.

I just reviewed what I've written so far and see that it is a bit discursive. I'll have to work more on organizing my thoughts.