8/8/8 - The get-together and the ER Visit

Tonight after work we went over to a friend's house to hang out on their deck. It was a beautiful evening, the kids were happy and content, there was a Brewers game on the radio and a fire pit roaring.

And then Smiley and our friend's dog collided. I'm not sure what happened except that it was an accident and seems to be nothing more than two bodies trying to occupy the same space at once, but it was not good.

Smiley started screaming immediately. We think it was the dog's tooth or claw, but whatever it was it ripped a inch long, very deep gash into Smiley's forehead just above his left eyebrow.

I drove him to the hospital and Lisa met me there (she needed to make sure the kids could stay, etc). Boy was I glad she was there! When it comes to important things, in Smiley's eyes there is 'Mama' and 'Not-Mama', to steal an old joke.

The male half of our couple friends had driven Lisa to the hospital and stayed to keep us company, leaving just before the stitches went in.

Unlike YaYa, who at the same age took her Easter stitches it in stride, Smiley fought like a lion. He was doped up with oral tranquilizers with his arms encased in a pillowcase and his body wrapped in a restraining papoose. Even so we STILL needed Lisa to hold down his legs while I strained to hold down his torso and a male nurse struggled to keep his head still.

He screamed and screamed and bucked and fought the whole time, at many points crying 'Mama! Mama!" .

Along with the visuals, it wasn't a very comfortable 10 minutes. In the end, a mere one internal stitch and 5 on the outside.

And then it was over. Smiley had wet himself in his fight and was clearly embarrassed even through the fog of the drugs, but he soon fell asleep  in Mama's arms; he's scream if I even tried to take over the duty.

I overheard the doctor joking that they'd have to rethink what the maximum dosage of the drugs would be in the future, alluding to how it failed to calm him down, and that he hadn't had such a fighter in years. That wasn't a compliment. The doctor was worn out and definitely ranked it as an unpleasant night of work. I'm with him on that.

It's one thing to take it without flinching like YaYa but there's something to be said for a steadfast refusal to accept the unacceptable and fight on. Props to Smiley for that.

Here's a pic of him pre-stitches in the ER.

Fool's Gold - A review

     

Even if you hate this movie, which I didn't, you have to acknowledge that Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughy have great chemistry together on screen.

And they're not exactly hard on the eyes either.

The pair play a divorced couple obsessed with finding a 18th century shipwreck that holds the Queen's Dowry, a kingdom's worth of treasure. A new clue to its location has come to light, forcing an uneasy alliance between them. Unfortunately, McConaughy's character owes money to a rap star/underworld leader with his own eye on the fortune, and the race for the treasure won't be an easy one after all.

No, it isn't Million Dollar Baby (which, come to think of it, I didn't like) but it isn't a bad film. It certainly could've used a better edit since its 112 minute runtime includes a ridiculous amount of deadwood.

One storyline that had potential and went nowhere was the millionaire's yearning to be loved by his estranged daughter. Donald Sutherland really sold his character, only to see it cast away (no sea pun intended) by a careless script.

Fun. But not as much fun as it should have been.

2.75 out of 4, 65 out of 100.

How Lump spent her birthday

As luck would have it Lisa and a friend had planned a family trip to Six Flags Great America for this very day. No significance was attached to the date at the time; rather it was decided by the fact that 'this Thursday' calendars were clear. I say 'clear' even though I had to work, because I was more than happy to pass on the amusement park.

"Should we cancel?" Lisa asked. No, I said. Take the kids and have fun. Her party's on Sunday anyhow.

It was only when I promised to do something special with the Lump that Lisa gave the 'ok' to the trip, thereby saving us hours of screaming from the rest of the pack.

So after work, with the rest of the family down in Gurnee, I took off of work early for a doctor's appointment then hitched a ride from my sister over to my in-law's, where I was planning to take the Lump swimming (truly a rarity for me - I tend to avoid pools and water of late). I say 'hitched' a ride because our friend had borrowed my car for the trip to IL.

We walked from my Mother-in-law's apartment to the pool only to find it closed for 'bacteria'. So we just sat around and enjoyed the sun and grass around the pool deck. I dang near fell asleep in a pool chair myself.

She's got 12 teeth now and looks so big. Sadly, her 'baby' days are slipping away.

Then we went back to her apartment where we grilled hamburgers, sang 'happy birthday' to the gal, and ate some teeny-tiny cupcakes.

Then it was home to crawl around and get into trouble for awhile before going to bed. Any minute now Lisa and the kids will return and she'll get her birthday kisses from Mommy.

Our party, as I said, is this Sunday, so be prepared for a barrage of family posts over the weekend.

aoljurlAdd, aoljurlAdd_11

Happy 1st Birthday to Lump!

Today is Lump's 1st birthday, a grand occasion indeed. My Mom called near midnight to wish her well but she spent the night at Lisa's Mom's. Later today I'll take the little girl swimming and out to eat.

If you are one of the many people online who wish us to change her nickname, use this occasion to post your ideas in the comments section. Then maybe we'll host a poll to pick a winner. Who knows?

We Love you Lump! Happy Birthday and a 100 more!

How the AP twisted an article on the Korean War

The Associated Press recently published an 1800 word article alleging that United States bombing raids killed Korean civilians 58 years ago. In contrast, an article today concerning the threat of a North Korean nuclear program deserved a thousand fewer words, topping out at 780.

Apparently a story with an anti-American bias is worth more column inches than the 'mere' threat of nuclear war.

I don't use the word 'bias' lightly. A factual story, delivered in context, has a right to be told whether or not it presents this country in a good light. The AP story fails to live up to that ideal.

In the article people were not 'killed' by the U.S. They were 'suffocated, burned and shot to death' in air raids. Despite contrary explanations in the very text, attacks were 'indiscriminate'. The South Korean government - not the North - is referred to as having been a 'right wing dictatorship'. Story after story of terror and pain are told to enforce the article's slant.

"Of course the U.S. government should pay compensation. It's the U.S. military's fault," said survivor Cho Kook-won, 78.

I am not indifferent to his suffering, or that of any family member who suffered a loss in the Korean Conflict. But in my opinion, instead of clamoring for cash Mr. Cho and his countrymen should instead be thanking the U.S. and U.N. servicemen who came to their aid.

Context: In  June of 1950 communist North Korea, backed by financing from the Soviets and with the eventual direct assistance of Chinese troops, crossed the border into South Korea and began a war that nearly erupted into WWIII.

Despite the recent victory in WWII the U.S. armed forces had been dramatically downsized. In the chaos of the war's opening weeks the North Korean forces ran roughshod over the peninsula, truly killing indiscriminately and nearing a total victory. U.S. forces were beaten back time and again, suffering great losses, including an American General taken as a prisoner of war.

By the war's end three years later more than 36,000 Americans were dead, with another 92,000 wounded and 8,000 MIA.

North Korea remains, by all accounts, a bleak nation controlled by a dictator that has established a cult of personality that borders on idolatry. Personal freedom is non-existent and the military is all powerful. Threats of war emanate constantly from the government.

Assuming they had survived the hands of the invading North Koreans, that was the future that awaited South Korea.

U.S. and U.N intervention prevented that from happening.

It's in the confusion and terror of the war's beginning, with the North Koreans advancing steadily and a wave of thousands of refugees fleeing before them (inadvertently blocking lines of retreat, supply, and reinforcement) where most of the A.P's. stories occur.

Without question civilian casualties took place, and at American hands. But this is no My Lai or even Dresden. Instead this is a tragic case of confusion, fear, and pure survival instinct.

To quote parts of the article seemingly ignored by the author as he crafted his conclusion:

* . . . a report by U.S. inspectors-general that [said] pilots couldn't distinguish their South Korean civilian allies from North Korean enemy soldiers.

*  "The declassified record shows the Americans' fear that enemy troops were disguising themselves as civilians led to indiscriminate attacks on "people in white," the color worn by most Koreans

* "Civilians in villages cannot normally be identified as either North Koreans, South Koreans, or guerrillas," wrote the inspectors-general, two colonels.

* the U.S. Army, fearing infiltrators, had adopted a policy of shooting South Korean refugees who approached its lines despite warnings [emphasis mine]

* "I'm very, very sorry about hitting civilians," said [a] retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, who flew with the 6147th Tactical Control Squadron.

It is certainly not a flattering portrait, but hardly that of an army killing for pleasure or hate. Most Nazi's, I'd imagine, did not feel remorse over accidentally killing a civilian.

And you'll forgive me if I discount the memory of an elderly man, only twelve at the time, who swears there were no North Koreans near his village. Or the woman who claims the killings were deliberate because pilots should have recognized their status by the presence of cows in their village.

Tragedies? Yes. Acts of calculated malice? No.

It does very little good to point fingers at a group who sacrificed much to defend your people.

If blame is to be laid anywhere, point it clearly at North Korea and its communist allies.

Tags: North Korea, AP, South Korea, Korean Conflict, Korean War, blogplugs

Lump takes her first steps!

After the play last Friday (8/1/08) my nieces decided to stay overnight. That evening Lump, who's stood unaided for awhile now, took two careful steps towards the youngest of the pair!

Excited, I called Lisa's attention to the feat and she again repeated the two-step walk towards a Sesame Street doll called Abby Cadabby!

Now in our household you aren't 'walking' until you do ten continuous steps, so this doesn't 'count'.

Note how she grabs some food from the table, smearing it all over her face for yet another messy picture, then positively sighs with contentment!

All this is very exciting as we come up on her 1st birthday!

The College for Kids Play

Last Friday was the final day of College for Kids. For the finale we were given handmade invitations to attend their theater performance of 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff'.

That night as I tucked YaYa in she began to cry. "My play sucked! There was no music for my dance and people forgot their parts. It was embarrassing!"

"Yeah," I said truthfully. "It wasn't the best, but none of it was your fault. And you know what? Once I blog about it no one will even care. All they're going to do is say 'oh how cute YaYa and LuLu are' and smile. I guarantee it."

Sure, I could have told it was a grand play. But she was there to see it wasn't she? Why lie? The room was cramped and as hot as summer asphalt with ten fewer chairs than audience members, there was no music for an extended dance number, the dialogue was inaudible, much ofthe cast hemmed and hawed and acted shy, a screaming toddler  drowned out the opening narration, and the costumes were half-baked. 

Worst of all, I brought the best snacks for the after play social, and mine were dollar store cookies for Pete's sake!

[that's a lie. There were some great brownies]

We got there early and stole some chairs from a neighboring room to seat ourselves.

Lisa was braving a horrendous toothache that day. That's my Dad and two of my nieces off to her left.

LuLu played the evil cat of an evil witch.

YaYa was a cat. Her dance was entirely made up of moves from her spring recital.

At the end they all sang a song and held up a banner.

And that was that.

Here are the girls with some of their pals

Then we had the after-theater social.

My sister was at the play too - I tried to include the photo near the top of the post but it wouldn't take.

Even the baby had a snack!

* * * * *

Afterwards we laid on the grass and waited for the inside of car to cool off before loading up the kids. Danged if there wasn't a cloud that looked just like a rubber ducky.

Once we were in the car we remembered leaving the girls clothes behind, so YaYa and I ran back. When we left the building Lisa was nowhere to be found, so she and I repeated our cloud-watching for a good 10 minutes until Lisa spotted us in the traffic and picked us up.

Despite the production value, a very fine afternoon indeed. :)

Three Pics of Lump

Here's three pics of Lump taken at UWM on the 1st day of College for Kids.

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay - Review

                         

Before we kick this off, a word of warning: offensive (to some) material ahead.

A little secret: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle is one of my favorite comedy films of all time. I just plain laughed my ass off.

Not so much with the sequel, Harold and Kumar escape from Guantanamo Bay.  While on their way to Amsterdam Kumar decides to light up a bong on the plane and the pair, mistaken for terrorists lighting a bomb, are tossed in Gitmo. They promptly escape and start a cross-country odyssey to clear their names and ruin Kumar's ex's wedding.

On the way they run into a 'bottomless' party, the KKK, an inbred cyclops child, a unicorn, George W Bush, and of course, Neil Patrick Harris.

Most of the movie is just a rehash (no pun intended) of the first film and so the jokes seem played out. It's not difficult to watch but I don't remember laughing at many parts -with the exception of the Neil Patrick Harris scenes.

NPH plays a heterosexual drug addicted prostitute loving version of himself. He does shrooms. He drinks and drives. He waxes poetic about his love child. He frequents whorehouses. He sees mythical animals. And he's funny as hell.

Neil Patrick Harris: I have a lost love story of my own.
Kumar Patel: Oh yeah?
Neil Patrick Harris: I'll never forget her. Her name was Tashonda. She's Whoopi Goldberg's stand-in. Her skin was so soft, her lips were so sweet. She had these tiny little Hershey kisses --s that you just wanted to -- on all night long. Anyway, last day of shooting I told her. I said "T-Bird, we're gonna have to break up".
Kumar Patel: Why'd you do that?
Neil Patrick Harris: I didn't think I could take on that kind of responsibility. What a big mistake!
[slaps himself in the face]
Neil Patrick Harris: The point is boys, even though I loved having sex with some hot random shrooms, a day hasn't gone by where I haven't thought of Tashonda.

* * *
Neil Patrick Harris: Let me be clear. There is nothing on the planet that I love more than a hot, new [redacted].
Kumar Patel: Sure.
Neil Patrick Harris: Nothing. What does the P.H. Stands for in N.P.H?
Harold Lee: Patrick Harris.
Neil Patrick Harris: No, common mistake. [redacted] handler.

Note: at this point I damn near peed myself

Without question this is a vulgar, childish movie. I giggled at the moronic menage a trois between Kumar, his girlfriend, and the woman-sized bag of marijuana. I found humor in lines like  "Had I known that the monkey had AIDS I never would have done that." And I'll no doubt see H&K 3 when it inevitably comes out.

Still, all in all a big dissapointment.

2.5 out of 4, 60 out of 100. I assume you can add 10 to 15 points to my totals  if you're stoned, drunk, or very tired.