How I spent my Birthday: A grade-school essay ? answered by a 34 year old

I had a pretty darn good 34th birthday. Nothing spectacular, like the surprise party Lisa threw for my 30th or the sorrowful alcohol induced haze I expect to announce my 40th, just a consistently pleasant day.

The kids presented me two homemade cards when I woke up, and then Lisa took the girls to school, sparing me that daily drama (God forbid they travel from the house to school without at least one soap-opera worthy meltdown). A few hours later I took Smiley to school, since I don't get to do that on a normal day. Then we dropped off the baby by some Grandparent (I forget which one) and started the day.

Of course, by then the day was halfway over.

We snuck into Benihana's downtown for a hibachi lunch. We'd never been there before, having been scared off by the fierce dinner prices, but lunch was a reasonable $8.75/each.

We'd never had the 'cook it at your table' experience either. We were seated at a large table, right next to a guy with a huge gold grill covering his teeth. That ended any thoughts that I was underdressed for the lunch, but he turned out to be a swell guy with a lot of knowledge of the menu.

While Lisa opted for a fork, I gave a go with the chopsticks. I was pretty successful, up until I flung a bunch of rice into the air and across the table. From that point on it was a fork for me too.

Great lunch, by the way - we'll be back.

As this was close to the Central library where I used to work, I asked Lisa if we could run in for a minute. Because it was my birthday, she consented, knowing full well that for me a 'minute' in either a bookstore or library means an hour, minimum.

I found what I was looking for, bought the kids some books from the used book store inside the library, was surprisingly recognized and greeted by an old supervisor of mine from 10 years back, and interrupted a homeless man masturbating at a urinal.

(For the love of God man, use a stall - comfort is important!)

From there we journeyed to . . . another library, where I picked up some more books.

I should mention that I told dang near everyone in Milwaukee it was my birthday. It was rather childish, agreed, but I found a myriad of ways to work it into the conversation with everyone from store clerks, people in line, a mortgage lender, a business contact, you name it.

[Quote of the day, not funny at all except in the context of having heard me pimp my birthday all day long:

Lisa, in a singsong Barney happy-voice after I apologized for doing something stupid. "Oh, it's all right. After all, it is your birthday today."]

Then, as agreed, I went shopping with Lisa for Easter outfits and basket supplies. This entailed a hellish 90 minute escapade thru both Kmart and Target. At Kmart I did however pick out and buy a gorgeous Christmas dress  for the baby to use this year and bought some used books from a display there. I did ask the cashier what the used bookstand was about - rather ghetto, even for Kmart - and I guess it was a March of Dimes promo.

Might think about mentioning that on the stand itself, before folks assume you're now a glorified rummage sale.

We then headed over to the mall to pick up my standard 16" decorated oatmeal birthday cookie, then to my Ma's to pick up the kids, and home. 

Lacking a set of birthday candles we used a large pillar candle as the centerpiece of my "Happy Birthday" song and then shooed the kids off to bed.

We'd stopped at a liquor store - did I forget to mention that? - with the intention of later getting tipsy watching a DVD I got for my birthday, and then wock-a-chicka-wow-wow.

Except Lisa misplaced my gift, a copy of Family Guy's Blue Harvest, and by the time I was finished destroying the office looking for it the night was almost over. We did fire up another Family Guy DVD she'd bought me (The Untold Story of Stewie Griffin) and managed, if not a wock-a-chika-wow-wow, then at least a wock-a-chicka before retiring for the night.

Gifts I received: the two Family Guy DVD's, dominoes from the kids, an issue of The Writer, a CD of the 'Into the Wild' soundtrack, and a gift card for shoes from my Mom.

[Oh, we did find the Blue Harvest DVD the next day. Not the best they've ever done; I think you have to be a hardcoreStar Wars fan to enjoy it to the utmost ]

And yes, my Mom did call me at midnight.

Lost: Meet Kevin Johnson (Season 4, Episode 8)

This was the last pre-writer's strike episode and serves as a mini-cliffhanger for the season.

It was a solid, straight-forward action episode without a lot of hidden meanings, unless I was too dense to pick up on them.

The show chronicled some of Michael's post-isle life, which in this case goes from the day he left the island after betraying his friends to his arrival on the freighter in late December, a period of perhaps 30 days.

(btw, just in case I've never mentioned it. The show is set in the South Pacific. It is 'now' approaching Christmas 2004. . . will the Tsunami play a role in the show?)

He is distraught with guilt over his murder of Ana-Lucia and Libby, and separated from Walt after the disclosure of his actions drove the boy away

.

Walt now lives with his Grandma, who mentions that Michael and Walt now live under assumed names without mentioning the crash.

Because of this stress he tries time and again to kill himself, failing every time.

Enter Tom, aka Mr. Friendly, aka, my favorite Other, who tells him that the Others have been monitoring the pair and that he will always fail to commit suicide because the island won't let him.

Since Tom seems to be telling the truth, it appears the island is sentient and has the power to stretch its reach across an ocean.

Later, Michael meets with Tom at the Hotel Earle (the name for the manifestation of hell in Barton Fink) where he convinces him to board the freighter under an assumed name - and kill everyone on board.

Two things here:

1. Tom is 'outed' as homosexual, something he hinted at when he rebuked Kate a season or two ago

2. Tom presents 'evidence' that Widmore staged the 815 crash site. Whether he's being honest or not, and I vote 'no', this fills in some holes in the story - like where the bodies came from. Note also that the quiz show answer, right before the 'special report' about 815, was 'Kurt Vonnegut' - a reference to Slaughterhouse Five perhaps?

So Michael, now known as Kevin Johnson, boards the ship. Despite initial misgivings after getting to know the crew he goes ahead with the plan to blow up the vessel. When the counter reaches zero on the explosives a simple flag pops up with a note saying 'not yet'.

He is later contacted by Ben via radio and agrees to do his bidding and become 'one of the good guys'.

Thus, we learn who destroyed the radio room and compiled the info on board; we also 'learn' that Ben uses the lists to determine who are the 'innocents'.

Sayid, learning of Michael's new allegiance, turns him in to the ships captain as a traitor. I suppose we're supposed to smirk at Sayid's stance, given that he's later to become Ben's pawn, but what stuck in my mind was the captain's reaction. Ten to one he's in on the deal.

On the island Locke makes a feeble attempt to appear like a decisive leader, and Ben convinces Alexandra, Karl, and Rousseau to make a run for the 'temple sanctuary'.

Apparently it was a trap, and Ben willingly fed his daughter to the beast. Karl is shot dead, Rousseau is also shot (although we see no blood, so we don't even know it was a bullet that knocked her out, or that she is, in fact, dead). Alex makes an attempt to surrender, although we don't learn if it was successful or not.

So much for Ben being such a good Dad. I guess Alex was no longer an 'innocent', huh?

A good episode, but nothing overly stellar.

 I look forward to the new episodes in late April. Thursday's are gonna be mighty boring without Lost to look forward to.

Tags: Lost

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A piece on race in America, featuring Obama and the Houston Chronicle too!

Recently I suggested visiting a website called Stuff White People Like. I labeled it, properly I believe, as a comedy site, albeit one with a non-PC attitude that gently poked fun of Caucasians.

I guess I was riding the cutting edge of a fad, and a darn controversial one too, since this headline appears online at the Houston Chronicle today:

Race-related blog causing controversy
Caucasian site is flooded with hits

At the risk of sounding like a right-wing kook, what  horses**t.

It's not a blog, except in the sense that it's a website where the most current information is displayed on top of the page and older information below. It's not some guys running commentary on his life or his business or what interests him; it's scripted comedy.

'Race related'? 'Caucasian'"? By the dictionary definition, sure, but that headline is intentional race-baiting. The site is not derogatory towards any race (other than perhaps my own) and even then it's intended as comedy.

The older I get, the less the 1st amendment seems to matter in the face of political correctness.

It's a mild COMEDY site people!

To be fair, I blame the editor, the person who traditionally writes the headlines. The writer himself is pretty even-handed:

Dean Rader, a pop culture critic who authors weeklyrader.blogspot.com, says readers flock to Stuff White People Like because it's hip and hot and the place to be seen and heard online. "It's just as much about class and coolness and yuppiness and consumption (as race)."

the boundaries of good taste, readers seem to find liberation in an environment unfettered by political correctness.

Amen.

But he did sneak in one idiotic tie-in.

To date, there have been 14 million hits, reflecting the nation's current obsession with race and gender, too. For confirmation, check out the comments and speeches by presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton just this past week.

Yeah, no. After all, if you listened to the fine words of Obama's speechwriters as their candidate recited them, you'd have learned that we, as a nation, don't spend nearly enough time talking about race.

I am not a black man, I am not a minority. But for what the word of a white guy is worth, we spend far too much time obsessing about race BUT not nearly enough time holding everyone to the same standard.

In the wake of the Obama speech I caught newscast after newscast explaining that this was all overblown, that some (not all) Black churches are, and I quote from memory "theaters of exaggeration"  that reflect the conflict between Christian beliefs and the American experience.

Then we cut to a local story about a mixed couple (black woman, white husband).The woman repeats the national story's point about it being 'theater' and then a very nervous husband says he doesn't mind hearing such things about his own race in church because, after all, this country condoned slavery two centuries ago.

Again, crap.

(BTW - why doesn't anyone ever comment on the fact that it is almost always black reporters dispatched to do stories like this? Locally Mike Andersonhas paid his mortgage by devoting his time almost exclusively to stories set among the black community. Is it just me, or is that not instituional racism right out in the open? Why are black reporters confined to their own communites? Why don't more African-American reporters protest this fact??)

 God help me, I'm going to repeat an Ann Coulter example I heard, and I am no fan of Coulter's over the top 'theater of exaggeration' myself.

 If a white pastor was to repeat the words of Rev. Wright from the pulpit, word for word, without changing a thing, he'd be called a loon and a danger. Now imagine if he repeated them but tossed in some anti-black statements just for fun; imagine the uproar.

It would never end.

Again - oh, and it's almost painful to me -  but again, referencing Coulter, note that in Obama's speech he vilifies his white Grandmother as "[one who] on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe" while excusing Wright's comments as the result of racism he experienced.

A) his Grandmother couldn't have been too much of a racist, given that she raised, fed, housed, educated, and LOVED her half-black Grandson.

and

B) Wright was 12 years old and attending a integrated school by the time Brown V. Education took place. He may indeed have felt the sting of racism, but it was not all-pervasive as Obama hints.

I don't have the time or space to argue this to its full conclusion, but I think its poppycock to say America ignores the subject of race. We don't; what we ignore is that as time goes on it has become more and more a one way conversation.

White racism still exists, to be be sure; it hasn't slipped away into the ether.

But in response we have sadly allowed the establishment of a seperate - but unequal - culture that has a free pass to practice racism of its own.

I thought the goal of generations of Americans, both black and white, was the establishment of an equal society capable of frank and open discussions on race.

What we've acheived is a twisted and incomplete version of that; a divided culture content to spin its wheels without searching for a common ground or a way to improve relations.

And that itself is more frightening than anything Rev. Wright - or even Obama's maligned Grandmother - have ever said.

 

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Happy Birthday to . . well, me!

I'm now 3 minutes into my 34th birthday. As usual, the phone rang at midnight.

"Ugh. I can't believe work would call you again this late." Lisa said.

"What are you talking about? It's midnight," I said. Duh!

As anticipated, it was my Mom, who always calls at midnight at the start and end of my birthday to wish me well.

And thus, the annual celebration of what will [eventually] become a national holiday begins anew.

I'll fill you in on all the fun later.

[Quote of the day: Lisa looked over one of the kids schoolwork. "You Catholics are a trip. Look at this coloring book - twelve pages about "Jesus fell", "Jesus was whipped" and "Jesus was nailed to the cross" and then what's on the last page? "Benny the Bunny has a huge Easter egg. Can you help him color it? Happy Easter!" LOL . In fairness, I think the teacher added the bunny pic ;)]

* * *

In the meantime . . .

I thought I'd start the day with some pictures taken in September of 1975, when I was eighteen months old. The pics were taken by my Godmother's husband (Uncle George) as part of a photography course he was taking at the time.

Take a look at this next one and tell me Smiley doesn't resemble his Daddy!

Check out the pants in these proofs! The girl in the photos is my sister Katie, six months old at the time.

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Smiley's 1st Field trip 3/18/08

Having joined the class midyear, Smiley was treated to his first field trip a mere week into his scholastic career. He went to the zoo, and Lisa chaperoned.

For the day Lis bought him a Spiderman lunchbox, which he went nuts over. He also went nuts over FINALLY riding a school bus!

According to Lisa the animals were in rare form, coming right up to the edge of the exhibits.

At the zoo the group split up. Technically Lisa was in charge only of Smiley, but in practice several parents and their kids grouped together.

Note the signs around the kids necks. They  put a sticker on each animal on the sign when they saw it in person.

Smiley had a blast, was well behaved, enjoyed the animals, and walked the whole day without complaint. Of course, he fell asleep on the bus on the way home!

A great introduction to field trips for the little guy!

Tags: Smiley, Milwaukee County Zoo

On Obama, Rev. Wright, and my objection to restrictions on speech

Notice anything funny about this picture? Here's Barrack Hussein Obama, likely nominee for President, at age 46  . . .

and my daughter, recent candidate for K4 lunch line leader, at age 4

It is very old fashioned, but I do put an empasis on respecting the flag. I fly it from my front porch. I fly it at work. And I get disgusted by anyone careless or stupid enough to treat it like its just a colored piece of cloth. I don't let it touch the ground and I teach my kids to treat it the same.

If you are running for President, you should have no moral or social qualms about pledging allegiance to the nation you're trying to rule.

Period.

I'm perplexed by the recent controversy over Obama's spiritual leader and how relatively quietly the whole mess was settled.

On one blog I read a verbatim back and forth that took place on a university newsgroup. The Obama supporter continued to dismiss the importance of Rev. Wright's comments by comparing it to her own casual dismissal of Catholic teachings on birth control and the like.

Hmm. Whatever your stance on birth control I don't see how that compares to:

- stating  "No, no, no, not God bless America - God D**n America!"

- preaching that HIV is a plot to kill Blacks

- spouting various other rants against this country and both Caucasians and Jews 

Remember, up until this latest barrage Obama publicly embraced Wright as "like an old uncle who says things I don't always agree with". 

Nu-uh. He might get a pass on this issue because most of America wishes to avoid discussing race, no matter the cost, but I don't buy it. Put the shoe on the other foot; what if Hillary attended a church that routinely preached against Blacks, Hispanics, and denounced America; think it would all blow over within a week or two?

If he really objected to these sermons, as anyone of right mind, much less a Presidential candidate, should, then he should have left the church. Hypocritically, that's what the Obama supporter admitted she did - she left the Catholic church over disagreements with their preaching on birth control and abortion.

But Obama didn't think of leaving a church that preached hate and anti-American sentiment? As late as December of last year Obama was still appointing Wright to a campaign leadership committee.

Really???

* * *

I am glad Wright was asked to move out of the limelight of the Obama campaign because of all the reasons listed above.

Aside from that, I  whole-heartedly object to the recent spate of forced resignations on both sides.

Someone says something harsh about their candidates opponent, the media and the opposition have a tizzy, a resignation is accepted. It's happened for both Obama and Clinton (with the most famous being the Ferraro backlash).

Here's my take:

A. This is America. Let 'em talk.

B. This is American politics. Like it or hate it, aggressive attacks are part of the game. Live with it.

C. None of these people (again, Wright isn't part of this equation) said anything so horrible as to warrant the attention they've received. Frankly, I don't think they're saying anything a vast number of their supporters haven't already thought.

So far the motto of the year is "shut your mouth, don't mention race or gender, and if you dare speak, have your resume ready".

Way to promote free speech. Woo-hoo!

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Tags: Barrack Hussein Obama

Picture with the Easter Bunny 2008

We took the kids to have their picture taken with the Easter Bunny at the local Walgreens this Saturday. It went surprisingly well. 1-2-3-Cheese and click, that was it. Simple as pie.

Picking up the free 5x7 today was a different experience, but who cares.

If you're a family member that wants a hard copy of the picture I'd be happy to email you the file. I don't believe it's covered under any copyright laws, since it was rather an informal setup. Just let me know.

Tags: Easter Bunny, 2008

Stupid Human Tricks Dept.- Here's an odd talent of LuLu's

She can jam a complete crayon between her top and bottom lips, to the point wher she resembles a fish. Neat huh?

Tags: LuLu

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Some Comedy Sites to Check out

Has anyone noticed that the AOL people connection page, which lists 'recently updated blogs' has been taken over by spam? Twice in the last day the list of blogs was dominated by spam generating journals. AOL needs to get on the ball.

Anyway, I wanted to introduce you, fair reader, to two new sites of note. Both are humourous but probably an aquired taste. Proceed at your own risk. .

The first, Stuff White People Like, is either a self-deprecating, tongue in cheek creation of a white guy, or a mildy insulting, very funning page written by a minority. Either way, it's a great read. I'm kind of hoping it is written by a minority, because then my acceptance of the humour, as I shrug off the insult without overreacting, would definitely fall among the life habits White People Like.

"It is also worth noting that a gay friendship of any sort allows white people to feel as though they are a part of the gay rights movement. While white people love being a part of any movement,  . .

Gay friends are an essential part of a white person’s all-star diversity roster. But they are always on the lookout for the ultimate friend; a gay minority.

It is generally accepted that a gay black friend with a child is considered a once in a lifetime opportunity - like a quarterback who can pass, run, kick, and play linebacker. White people will crawl over each other for the opportunity to claim this person as a friend and add them to their roster of diversity.

Once a white person has told you about their gay friends, it is recommended that you say “I wish more people were like you,” every few months. This will allow them to feel good about their progressive choice of friends and remind them that they are better than other white people."

OR

The most time and cost efficient way of gaining a white person’s trust and friendship is to talk to them about their time in high school.

Virtually every white person you meet was a nerd in a high school-it it is how they were able to get into a good arts program and law school. As such, their memories of high school are painful, but not tragic since they were able to eventually find success in the real world. . .

If you cannot properly gauge the type of music a white person liked in high school, you should always say that you were really into The Cure. All white people know that liking The Cure in high school is an invitation to be tortured by the cool kids.  . .

It is also acceptable to discuss how you were in love with a cool kid who never loved you back."

* * * * *

I'd also recommend A Site of Jean's Own, featuring the world renowned wisdom of Jean Teasdale, long time columnist for the renowned Onion, America's Finest News Source.

"If you're considering starting your own business, keep a few things in mind. First, you can't call in sick, and you may have to work very long hours, even if no customers show up for the entire day. Second, be prepared for weeks, or even months, to go by before you clear $50 a week in sales. Third, consider that you may have to rethink your business plan, even though you devoted a whole month to creating it.

I gotta say, Jeanketeers, after two months of helping my dad run his Off-Season Santa store, I'm ready to throw in the towel—and the giant plastic candy canes, and the colored lights, and anything else in our store that isn't nailed down! Frankly, Dad and I overestimated the level of year-round yuletide cheer in our community. We're lucky if we get three serious customers a day (and by serious, I mean people willing to pose for a photo with Dad/Santa or buy a Christmas knickknack). Mostly, Dad and I sit around in our costumes playing Go Fish and Crazy Eights.

I don't get it. We've made Santa Claus' lap available seven days a week, 365 days a year, but no one seems to care! You'd think, what with the war, that people would be chomping at the bit for a little whimsy and delight! True, we're located in a dilapidated strip mall in a seedy part of town, but people have cars, don't they?"

It's a pip!

Oh, andI love this article from the Onion:

Novelists Strike Fails To Affect Nation Whatsoever

LOS ANGELES—The Novelists Guild of America strike, now entering its fourth month, has had no impact on the nation at all, sources reported Tuesday.

The strike, which scholars say could be the longest since 1951, when American novelists may or may not have voluntarily committed to a six-month work stoppage, has brought an immediate halt to all new novels, novellas, and novelettes from coast to coast, affecting no one.

Nor has America's economy seen any adverse effects whatsoever, as consumers easily adjust to the sudden cessation of any bold new sprawling works of fiction or taut psychological character studies.

"There's a novelists strike?" Ames, IA consumer Carl Hailes said. "That's terrible. When is it scheduled to begin?"

 

Tags: Jean Teasdale, The Onion, Stuff White People Like

On the legalization of marijuana

You’re going to start reading this and think it’s political; it’s not. Then you’re going to keep reading and think it’s about pot.

It is.

This was written weeks ago and held at bay because I wasn't sure it was kosher for a site that, right or wrong, is now largely seen as a Daddy blog.

Read on at your discretion.

 

I spent a good part of the evening at The Socialist's house on Wednesday. For those of you who question his rather unusual nickname, it's simply his professed political belief. I've known the guy since '93 and roomed with him for a year or so. Great guy, good friend, groomsman at my wedding. Self professed left-wing, non-violent Socialist, tho’ I think he’s mainly just a left of center Democrat.

It takes all kinds, as they say.

Inevitably we went through the usual political rigamarole. Let me see . . Bush is a moron, but paradoxically he's a moron that orchestrated the largest, most complex conspiracy in history (Iraq) to drive up the price of oil. And don't even get him started on Cheney, etc etc.

Socialist put more thought into all of this then I'm letting on, as he is an intelligent and thoughtful man, but by and large it was the same stuff you hear nightly from sports anchor turned respected(?) political commentator Keith Olbermann.

Naturally, I debated him point by point, largely referencing the works of my own political gurus, John Madden and the late Harry Carey, and by the end he was screaming and waving his arms and professing that I was just 'too smart' of a man to actually believe what I was saying, God *(&*(& it.

So, a pretty typical get together for the two of us.

And then wouldn't you know it, we came across something we both agreed upon.

I mentioned a customer of mine who sat down and told me about how he spent the mid-'90's engaged, while in the military, in the identification and destruction of marijuana fields in Texas. It seems his unit would fly around, spot a field, then dispatch raider teams to confiscate and destroy the plants and arrest the growers, in many cases old Willie Nelson wanna-be's.

Here's my opinion: what a [redacted] ridiculous waste of my tax money.

Yes, I know. The government can do whatever it sees fit to do with my dollars, being a constitutionally elected body and all. Lord knows there are plenty of people reading this who, contrary to me, despise the idea of one red cent heading to Baghdad. There's enough bitter little pills out there for all of us to share.

But . .

You can argue about the validity and effectiveness of the overall war on drugs all you want, but concede this: the 'war' against Marijuana isn't just lost, it's been lost for so long and so overwhelmingly that you have to wonder how we even remember where the front lines are anymore.

Claiming the result hasn't already been decided is no more logical than wondering if Ross and Rachael will ever get back together, or standing outside Rome and announcing you'll turn back Atilla any day now.

It's OVER.

You might not like the stuff, or approve of it. I’m not saying you have to, because this isn‘t an issue of what vice you personally enjoy or detest. I don’t drink (and frankly, am a bit contemptuous of those who do in excess) but I don’t advocate a return to prohibition; it isn’t practical.

I think the world as a whole would agree marijuana has no place in the hands of minors. I would rather it not be allowed in public places, other than perhaps designated bars. I'd prefer that you don't pilot my plane with a doobie in your shirt pocket, if you don’t mind.

But I do not believe, nor does anyone I know believe (even the most ardent anti-weed advocate) that it is addictive, physically dangerous* or on par with meth, coke, or crack.

In my opinion, alcohol has ruined the health and relationships of more people than marijuana ever could, from drunk driving to broken marriages and more. I have encountered many a drunk fool who's turned violent. In my experience, the worst that will happen with an intoxicated pothead is that the potato chips vanish too quickly.

- If something relatively benign penetrates your culture to the extent that it becomes a common denominator of most (tho' certainly not all) people across multiple generations

-  if its nicknames and its terminology, and the methods of its use, all become part of the national consciousness;

- if most places have de-criminalized personal use;

- if you can go to a party of normal, middle aged overweight bookeepers and know that there is a strong likelihood that every single person in the room tried it at some point in their life

Then its time to give up the ghost and legalize it.

Prohibition, right or wrong, failed. This is nothing more than more of the same.

Ah, but I'm too flippant you say, too quick to minimize its risks and effects? I honestly don't think so, and I think neutral researchsupports my position, but either way legalization is the only feasible solution. Certainly the vain and costly method of criminalization isn’t doing the job.

[Ironically, I think national legalization would temporarily drive up the price of illegal weed, as the government would probably do it's darndest at first to pay lip service to the notion while regulating it right back onto the black market - low THC levels, no purchase with a prior criminal record, only approved sellers, extraordinarily high taxation, etc. Only with time would things level off]

Legalize it, but tax it (taking care not to re-create the example I make above). In theory, put the tax revenue and the money saved on law enforcement and incarceration aside for drug education and rehabilitation programs, if that suits your wishes, and more aggressive attacks on harmful street drugs.

{I am, however, a realist. For every dime diverted to those projects, no matter what is promised, another 90 cents will go to defense, pork barrel projects, and Bridges to Nowhere.}

What about the slippery slope argument? Does legalizing marijuana imply that somewhere down the line we’ll do the same for meth or coke? I doubt it, unless those drugs suddenly lose their addictive and destructive nature. Apples to apples folks.

So there you have it, another reason why Dan S. will never get elected to public office. Let me know your thoughts.

* lung cancer from heavy long term use being the exception

 

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Tags: marijuana, weed, legalization, prohibition

A brief update on our week thru the Ides of March

Quite honestly, this week has been pretty anti-climatic around here, coming as it did on the heels of Smiley's 3rd birthday and his first day of school.

Other than the countdown for my birthday (next Wednesday) the most interesting event 'round here was the morning where we were all a half hour late for school/work. Why? Because Lu had fallen asleep with gum in her mouth and woke up with it plastered to the side of her skull.

We were a breath away from having to chop her hair into a mullet before Lisa hit the internet and came up with a household tip to do the trick; olive oil.

She made it to school having lost less hair than I do in the shower.

Other than that . . beautiful weather all week, almost all the snow is gone. (so naturally, I'm coming down with a chest cold). We cleared off the trampoline again and Lu was a Godsend, singlehandly pushing blocks of ice from the middle of the mat (where I couldn't reach them) to my waiting hands. I think the trampoline just might survive the winter after all.

BTW - it's officially the snowiest winter of my lifetime, according to reports in the paper this week.

Smiley continues to grow his own homemade sign-language vocabulary and said his first ever two word combination: 'buh-bye momma'. Other than that, still at the grunt and scream stage.

The baby was a terror all week, and an upper tooth broke through a few days back (that puts it out of sequence).

YaYa is addicted to a Disney online game, like World of Warcraft but obivously non-violent and more Mario World-like than anything. She knows the 'world' inside and out, and lately I've taken to logging in and earning coins for her by playing the games myself.

Tonight she is at her Grandma Jeanne's and had her IM to ask me to please log off so she could go on.

"In a minute!" I tersely replied. I was in the middle of a aqua-grabber game, people. Hello! What was I supposed to do, give up the 50 coins I'd earned? The gall!

For those concerned about her time online: in addition to AOL parental controls and our physical presence a room away, there's the fact that it's a moderated Disney site so I'm not overly concerned.

Follow Up to The Legend Trip

If you paid close attention, you'll notice that one of the folks involved in the movie I reviewed earlier in the week must have picked up the review's existence via Google and read it.

No less than the director of the movie left a comment on the entry.

 Comment from jasons@... | Email jasons@XXX
3/13/08 4:04 PM | Permalink

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How bizarre that someone gave you a copy of the film from a craigs list posting.  I'd be curious to know who's giving out our film.  

I've read and appreciate your comments about the film- and I think you've hit the nail on the head.  I really wish that people had the chance to see the story as it was intended rather than suffer through what quickly became a rather disjointed mess story wise.  

Most of the good reviews that the film has gotten were based on production value, (at least it doesn't look like an $8000.00 movie).  I think plenty of people give it a pass just because making a film in Wisconsin isn't the easiest undertaking and they appreciate the attempt.  I think the film has a lot of great "moments"  - but unfortunately some great moments don't equal a great film.  

Although I directed the film, (might be a little biased) I'm proud of what the small crew accomplished and only too aware of the faults.  Thanks for watching and hopefully our next offering will make up for your disappointment in THE LEGEND TRIP.

 

* * * *

My response:

 

Jason,

 

Thank you for your generous response to my review of The Legend Trip. As you may have read in the post I was hesitant to critique the film as I was proud it was made right here in Wisconsin, and I respect how much effort it must have taken to pull a feature length film together.

 

I didn't realize the movie was produced on such a limited budget. You're right, it doesn't look anything like a $8000 production. You have a right to brag about the work you did directing the film - as I mentioned in the review, some of the shots were staged with a great eye.

 

I stand by my comments on the script and plot development and hope that area improves in the future.

 

I'm more than willing to give your next film a look, and I look forward to hearing from you again.

 

Thanks

 

Dan

 

ps: I believe I received the film from the man identified on the DVD cover as 'Supreme Overlord'

Tags: The Legend Trip

Lost: Ji Yeon (Season 4, Episode 7) Spoiler Alert!

Right up until around 8:55 central time, I'd have started this post with a complaint about how my parent's dropped off my kids in the middle of the show, causing me to miss a chunk of my self-described 'sacred hour'.

Instead, I can only open with 'Wow'.

For the first time in a very long time, Lost floored me. I have been surprised before, and shocked, and in awe of the writers ability to spin a tale, but never at the same time. Not until tonight.

Throughout the episode we witness a 'flash forward' to Sun giving birth to her child in Korea. It is very clearly the future, as a nurse identifies her as a member of the 'Oceanic Six'. Throughout the labor she calls for her husband In , but he is encountering a series of mishaps. He purchases a panda bear toy on his way to the hospital, but it vanishes in a taxi just as he drops his cell phone and has it broken by a passing motorist. He wishes to purchase another but it is on hold for someone else.

It seems he will never get to the hospital in time.

Meanwhile back on the island Sun is convinced the newcomers are up to no good and wants to join Locke's camp. In a scorched earth bid to stop her and improve Sun's chances to leave the island, Juliet tells Jin about Sun's affair.

He is angry and hurt. Still not speaking to her, he  ventures offshore with Bernard to go fishing.

Sensing the pair are fighting Bernard gives one of the wisest and most memorable monologues I've seen on the show. [Once a transcript appears online I'll try to come back and post the actual dialogue.]

He speaks of the difficulties of marriage, and about how, in opposition to her own health, Rose has chosen to stay with Jack's group. Why? Jin asks. Why not join Locke and stay on the island that has cured her of her cancer?

"It was the right thing to do", Bernard says. "Locke is a murderer." He then describes his own philosophy of karma. "if you do bad things, bad things happen to you" he says. Unaware of Jin's past he labels them both good guys.

Later, in a beautifully written moment, Jin reconciles with Sun. He demands no apology or explanation from her for the affair. He says that before the island he was a different man, a bad man who withheld his own affections and pushed her to her actions. What she did, he explained, she did to that man, not the Jin before her at that moment. He asks only if the baby is his, although by that point the viewer (and Sun) knows that he will stay regardless of the answer. She tearfully replies that it is. 

UPDATE: Transcript

(On the beach, Sun is in her tent, Jin comes in with food) <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

JIN: I made... dinner.

SUN: (in Korean) I thought you had left me. Will you let me try to explain?

JIN: (in Korean) It won't matter.

SUN: (in Korean) Just listen, maybe--

JIN: (in Korean) I know why you did it. I know the man... I used to be. Before this island, I withheld my affections... And I know... that whatever you did... you did it to that man. His actions caused this. So I forgive you.

In the future, Sun gives birth to a baby girl, as Jin predicted. It appears he will arrive only a moment too late, but the audience learns he is not on his way to Sun; his journey is a flashback to a time before the island, when he was still a member of the Korean mafia and running an errand on their behalf.

THEN Just as the episode concludes, Sun, her daughter, and a visiting Hurley visit a centograph (tombstone over an empty grave).

It is Jin; he is dead, and Sun tearfully ''introduces' him to his daughter Ji Yeon.

* * *

I bought the Jin storyline completely. It was seamlessly integrated with Sun's labor and the romantic reconciliation on the island. Moreover, the buildup was such that the viewer has no choice but to be filled with regret and horror for the loss of this man.

I do not look forward to the episode where we watch Jin's fate.

There were some clues that things were fishy, and I caught them prior to the revelation but misinterpreted them.

1. The shop owner identified it as the year of the Dragon. I recognized this as a means of identifying the year in the future. In truth, the year of the Dragon had to be either 2000 or 2012.

2. The cell phone looked awfully old for a current model.

3. Jin reacted with menace to both the shopkeeper and with threats of violence to the cabdriver, ala his old self.

Going back to the post-isle 'present' note that the monument carried the date of the crash. In their story, Jin must have 'died' aboard the plane The possibility exists that he is still alive on the isle, but it is unlikely the spiritual visit with the baby would have taken place if that were true.

 * * * *

In other plot areas of the episode, the not so secret surprise return was Michael, now calling himself Kevin. Desmond, Sayid, and Michael all kept up the pretense of his alias for the moment.

I have no idea why the woman committed suicide, why the captain is not to be trusted, who's blood was on the wall, and what happened to the kitchen aboard the ship.

I didn't really care tonight.

I returned from shooing the kids upstairs to overhear the tale of the 815 crash site being a completely staged setting, allegedly orchestrated by Ben.

Who is that freak?????

Note Juliet's line from last week, which I caught on the replay tonight: "they're here to wage war against Ben. And Ben will win Jack."

Next week, for the final pre-strike episode: one cast member will die.

 

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Tags: Lost, blogplugs

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Smiley's 1st Day of School! 3-10-08

At quarter to noon I left work and met Lisa and Smiley at his new school. He'd just woken up from a nap when he got  there and therefore didn't look too happy in this shot.

He seemed a little apprehensive when he saw all the big kids on the playground, but as his Mom said, he'd probably have jumped the fence to join them if we'd given him the chance.

Armed with his Spongebob backpack packed with diapers, a pair of new shoes from my Mom, and a sharp sweater vest he was ready to go!

The classroom is on the lower level, a cozy little room where about 8 kids gather to do intensive speech related activites. Then, for an hour or so, they move over to join the K4 kids for storytime and the usual kindergarten curriculum.

We met his teacher, Ms. Heidi, and he seemed fascinated by the other kids, spending a long time watching in awe as they hung up their coats in their cubby holes. After a few minutes it was time to leave, and the teacher asked Smiley to have a seat around the table.

Uh-uh. Wasn't having it. He let out a squeal and swatted her hand away. As we were walking out the door he was crying at the top of his lungs, reaching out for Lisa and yelling 'momma momma momma'.

The girls couldn't have cared LESS about our leaving them on the first day of school, and they were no older than he is now.

It genuinely freaked me out for the rest of the day, as if I wasn't wistful enough over having my only son start school. Thankfully the report from the ride home after school was positive. He cried only for a minute or two, was all smiles as he left the school, and was very animated and noisy on the way home.

Later, when I asked him if he liked it, he nodded enthusiastically.

Here's Lisa's emailed report from Day Two:

drop off went smoothly ....

 

talked to the other 2 parents that do the drop off thing [note: we turned down bussing] ...

 

one man said his son only started 2 weeks ago.....and that he says a lot more then when he started.

 

i said Smiley spent 2 hrs w/ miss heidi and said a lot of new sounds just on the car ride home....

 

another lady said her daughter finally just started calling her momma for the first time about 3 weeks ago....

 

no crying.....lined up really good with the kids, waved goodbye w/ his pack on his back like a little man but so cute and cuddly, lol...

 

....only 4 kids (that includes ours) get dropped off....

 

sooooo.....very promissing...very nice kids/parents....

 

She went on to note a fistfight she saw on the playground that seemed to go unnoticed, but I'm betting that's just a fluke; it can certainly happen anywhere and the school gets rave reviews.

 

So little Smiley is now in school and even has a zoo fieldtrip coming up! What a big week for him!

 

Tags: Smiley, school

The Legend Trip

I've bombarded the reader with fun family stuff for awhile, and have more to come, so I thought I'd take a short break and talk about something else.

Back in December I bought a Christmas present for my wife off of Craigslist.

When I picked it up the seller cheerfully included a free DVD of a locally produced horror movie entitled The Legend Trip; I think he had a role in producing it.

Kind of an odd incentive for buying a Tresor gift box, but allrighty.

Look, I’m always hesitant to criticize someone else’s artistic work.

A) Because they’ve done something and I’ve done jack diddly to date

and

 B) if I eventually do ‘do’ something it might come back to haunt me. Best to treat it like a jalapeno and assume it could could back to burn my ass tommorow.

But really, this film was nothing more than torture porn.

The plot revolves around a ‘legend trip’ a nocturnal visit to a place of evil misdeeds, in this case ‘the fabled Buth House’. We’re treated to a series of stories going back at least 75 years, with characters/victims including prohibition era gangsters, college kids, a priest (played by Mark Metcalf from Animal House), and the researchers intent on making the visit.

For a local film the acting was unusually good (except, in my opinion, for the physciatrist and the female student that initiates the trip) and some of the shots were staged with just the right creative eye. The brief story of the college kids was intriguing and entertaining.

So much for the good.

On the bad end of things I couldn’t follow the plot, and frankly if it exists outside the DVD cover I couldn’t find it. We get it – the house inspires bad deeds – but do you have anything more to offer than that revelation?

That was the main downfall for me. I can forgive many a sin if it’s concealed within the boundaries of a solid story, but I’ve never been one to enjoy a bad script, no matter how visually stunning.

There was also the issue of gore. I don’t think it was necessary to include an odd and out-of-kilter self disembowelment, nor the shot of a man stabbing himself through the eye, or the kidnapped woman strapped to a chair as her captor wraps barbed wire tightly around her face.

Why? I mean really. I love horror, but ‘horror’ and ‘fright’ are different than gore and sadism. Enough of these Hostel/Saw copycats. The world’s a messed up enough place even on a good day. There’s no need to get off on showcasing it at its worst.

Over at IMBD.com the reviews are largely glowing, so maybe I’m out in left field (but at least one review smacks of being written by someone involved in the film).

I’m happy someone in the Milwaukee area successfully brought a film to the screen. I just wish the result was something I could be equally proud of.

* * *

I also had a chance to see Fantastic Four. Not nearly as bad as I feared, but I still wouldn’t have paid to see it.

Ditto Daredevil. It was a very passable film but I agree with some reviews that say it didn’t do enough to explore the hero vs. vigilante aspect of his personality. I loved the effects that represented Matt’s hearing but deplored some rather lousy CGI at other parts of the film. And what’s with DD being able to leap up two stories? He’s just a plain jane human after all, albeit one with super hearing.

Warning: Spoilers ahead

National Treasure:Book of Secrets was a fun popcorn movie even if the history and motivation were goofy.

To paraphrase a line of dialouge from the movie: 140 years later no one cares who the (non-Booth) Lincoln conspirators were, aside from historians, and it hardly slurs your family name.

 I also don’t see the US government covering up the existence of a city made of gold during the Depression, if ever. Melt the damn thing. What, Americans of the 1930’s would object on the grounds that it was a Native American artifact? Get real.

And if memory serves it took the US  a wee bit of time to secure the Dakotas. How was the financially and militarily strapped Confederacy going to invade, secure, and hold that area against both the natives and the US? C'mon - really, the whole movie is bunk.

But fun bunk.

Frankly, of interest only to my family

Franky, for no other reason than the fact that I doubt my sister has a copy, here's a few poems my nephew Jonah wrote Oct 26th of '04 for a 5th grade project.

He's the same kid who started the Jonah's Wail blog on the sidebar then ditched it for Myspace. If he - or his sister - would start up a journal and stick with it, I'd reward them. I think it's a great way to develop their writing skills before high school.

Crunk

When I go into my room

I can kinda hear my hampster say voom-voom

He wants to go in his car and drive very far

And go to the hamster bar

The bar is on 85th and Nar

That’s where you’ll find his blue car

Bugs

Bugs crawl through the dirt

Birds come down and eat insects

They are really small

Leaves

They fall from all trees

And can not get stung by bees

You might not lose your keys

Monkeys

They might feel funky

Some are very chunky

And I like monkeys

Money

Fun essential

Spend buy save

Car home school food

Cash

Six Flags

Thrilling intense

roller coasters game prizes

Fun food nausea families

Park

Cocoa

My dog is brown my dog is round

She always makes a sound

Her nose is wet

She hasn’t been to the vet yet

You wanna make a bet?

She’ll pull off your hair net

That’s all the time for the rhyme

That’s my dog

Cocoa

Crunk

When I go into my room

I can kinda hear my hampster say voom-voom

He wants to go in his car and drive very far

And go to the hamster bar

The bar is on 85th and Nar

That’s where you’ll find his blue car

Bugs

Bugs crawl through the dirt

Birds come down and eat insects

They are really small

Leaves

They fall from all trees

And can not get stung by bees

You might not lose your keys

Monkeys

They might feel funky

Some are very chunky

And I like monkeys

Money

Fun essential

Spend buy save

Car home school food

Cash

Six Flags

Thrilling intense

roller coasters game prizes

Fun food nausea families

Park

Cocoa

My dog is brown my dog is round

She always makes a sound

Her nose is wet

She hasn’t been to the vet yet

You wanna make a bet?

She’ll pull off your hair net

That’s all the time for the rhyme

That’s my dog

Cocoa

 

 

Tags: Jonah

JLand Photo Shoot #130 - Photographer's Choice

The subject this week over at Sometimes I Think's J-Land Photo Shoot is "Photographer's Choice", meaning you're free to choose any current or old photo of yours as the weeks entry.

I spent a good deal of time looking through old digital photos to find something appropriate, and I had a blast. It's great reliving some of the memories of the last few years. I only wish digital cameras had been around for more than just the last decade - no way anyone took as many pictures in the ol' film era.

I still had trouble finding something that would thrill a viewer, but I kept coming back to this one.

It's a pic of YaYa taken on Cinco De Mayo of '05, one of a series of shots of her and Lu I took  as they enjoyed the playset that day. And, I guess, as they enjoyed climbing the porch too. :)

To me it's startling how different YaYa looks in just three years. You can still tell undeniably that it's her, but the face is so much rounder, the distance from elbow to wrist so short, and the hands so pudgy.

You see the kids everyday and you don't notice how they change. Then you look at an old photo and  . . .wow. 

Tags: YaYa, JLand Photo Shoot

Just a nice photo, looking out my 2nd floor hallway window

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