This is driving me crazy!! Here it is summertime and I don't have squat to post because my life seems to be in a perpetual holding pattern because of my ERO/EEOC case and the fact that nothing interesting has happened recently. I'm also not in the mood to continue my biography at the moment because we're getting to the parts that were really difficult to live through back then. I'm not sure I want to bring them up to the surface again now.
I am finding it very interesting looking at the map that shows from where people who read my blog are. The other day Australia took the lead. So far today the Irish have a substantial lead over the Americans. And what people are reading is even funnier. My reviews of Combat Cash and Mythbusters seem to be the favorites. Someone clicks on them almost every day.
So, yeah, I'm behind in my posting. But when it's hot and sticky outside and it makes the house all hot and sticky, the last thing I want to do is sit in front of the computer in the hottest room of my house and type some drivel that people may or may not read. I've also got an appointment with my therapist today, so who knows what goofy crap will come up that will make for decent topics?
Showing posts with label television. Show all posts
Showing posts with label television. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
"Dallas" is still dull as dishwater....
Oh, the 1980s. When not everyone could have cable television and even if you did, you didn't have 800+ channels of crap from which to choose your evening's entertainment. Back then, people actually made plans around their favorite television shows. Well, unless they were wealthy enough to own a VHS or BETA video recording machine to record a show for them, commercials and all. No DVRs. No commercial skips. Watch it when it airs or wait until rerun season and hope the episode you missed is there.I had to explain all of that to Youngest Son tonight as Husband sat on the couch (and for over an hour did NOT fall asleep!) and watched the new series of Dallas on TNT. He was a big fan of the show back in the 1980s and wanted to see how stupid....I mean....good the modernized show would be. Of course, when you get the old actors on there playing their old roles, you can't help but remember what the show used to be and wonder if they can actually get it to be that good (or bad) again.
Now, I didn't watch Dallas when it was on in the 1980s. The only episodes I ever watched were when J.R. was shot (because, who didn't watch that one?) and the one when Southfork burned. That episode I was somewhat sort-of forced to watch because I was at a sleepover at a friend's house and all of the other girls loved Dallas but I had no idea who anyone was other than J.R. and Bobby. Oh, and I did see the episode when Bobby comes back in the shower -- but that was a rerun many, many years after it originally aired.
So, I'm watching the show with Husband and it's as goofy as ever. Youngest Son asked, "Is this a male soap opera?"
Yes, Son. Yes it is.
Nighttime soap operas like Dallas, Dynasty, and Falcon Crest were heavily watched by women but they were designed to get the men-folk into the sittin' room to watch as well. They weren't as silly as the daytime soaps, but you still knew that every scene had to have someone looking off into the distance as if they're thinking, "Did that cat pee in the litterbox?" (it's an acting trick) while the camera either gets closer or pulls back before the scene changes. Or before a commercial came on. Or before another ad for the same show you were watching came on to preview the next week's episode. As if you'd miss it....
So, yeah, I'm not particularly thrilled with the new version of the old show. I liked how they tried to keep the intro credits the same with the music and scenes of Dallas (Texas). But, a neat intro does not a great show make. I might give it a few more episodes before I totally write it off as a bad job. Seeing Larry Hagman and Patrick Duffy talking about what Miss Ellie did or didn't want with her will is still interesting. Goofy, but interesting.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
The Woman in Black -- My Review
AWESOME!!!!
That's really all that needs to be said. I never finished the book. I did see the play when I was in London. A friend of mine sent me a copy of the radio show. Now I've finally gotten around to seeing the movie and I loved it.
Daniel Radcliffe was very good. He's always had that haunted look in his eyes, even in his first production. He played the lead as young David Copperfield in BBC One's television movie. I've seen him in that, My Boy Jack, The December Boys, and of course the Harry Potter series. He's also been on Broadway and in the West End. I was worried they'd try to take this ghost/horror story and try to "jazz" it up by getting the young Radcliffe so a younger audience would attend. And when I saw that it was rated PG-13, I really feared the producers would try to play to a much younger audience (okay, specifically, teenage girls with a crush on "The Chosen One").
They didn't. The movie does not disappoint. Even Husband jumped a few times during it.
If I have to rate the productions I've seen/experienced, I still have to give the play top honors. In the play, there are only two men onstage and in the program's notes. They never say that there's a female who also appears and you never know if/when she'll show up. The skin-crawling creepiness of the play was excellent. I would have to place the movie and the radio play as a tie because with the radio play you still use your imagination and can be genuinely scared. With the movie, you get the great visuals and an expanded cast that helps make it more dramatic.
So, there it is. Didn't see anything worth watching on television so I figured I'd see the movie on Blu-Ray. Now I'm watching Waiting for Guffman. Yeah....I have weird tastes.
That's really all that needs to be said. I never finished the book. I did see the play when I was in London. A friend of mine sent me a copy of the radio show. Now I've finally gotten around to seeing the movie and I loved it.
Daniel Radcliffe was very good. He's always had that haunted look in his eyes, even in his first production. He played the lead as young David Copperfield in BBC One's television movie. I've seen him in that, My Boy Jack, The December Boys, and of course the Harry Potter series. He's also been on Broadway and in the West End. I was worried they'd try to take this ghost/horror story and try to "jazz" it up by getting the young Radcliffe so a younger audience would attend. And when I saw that it was rated PG-13, I really feared the producers would try to play to a much younger audience (okay, specifically, teenage girls with a crush on "The Chosen One").
They didn't. The movie does not disappoint. Even Husband jumped a few times during it.
If I have to rate the productions I've seen/experienced, I still have to give the play top honors. In the play, there are only two men onstage and in the program's notes. They never say that there's a female who also appears and you never know if/when she'll show up. The skin-crawling creepiness of the play was excellent. I would have to place the movie and the radio play as a tie because with the radio play you still use your imagination and can be genuinely scared. With the movie, you get the great visuals and an expanded cast that helps make it more dramatic.
So, there it is. Didn't see anything worth watching on television so I figured I'd see the movie on Blu-Ray. Now I'm watching Waiting for Guffman. Yeah....I have weird tastes.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
I wanna hollar the loud, funny words!!!
Good grief. Another Wednesday evening spent watching American Diggers on Spike TV. Why do I torture myself so?
Tonight they went to St. Augustine, Florida and down in the bayou area of Louisiana. There were some neat relics found and I do have to give them kudos for finding a $20 double eagle, St. Gaudens' design gold coin. They're rare and worth a LOT of money these days.
I could probably enjoy the show if it weren't for one thing -- the owner/host/announcer/blowhard Ric Savage. He gives history and information about the places they go and the things they find as if he's rehearsed whatever the production team's researcher has pulled off the Internet. He yells at the camera during the entire show and heaven help you if your television is accidentally turned-up a bit loud and he finds something he thinks is wonderful 'cause you're going to hear him scream about it. And not just any scream -- the well-rehearsed scream that comes from professional wrestlers.
He fully admits that he used to be a professional wrestler (I still don't remember ever seeing him in a match). I once had some "professional" wrestlers (they got paid but weren't on any of the big circuits) come into our store years ago and they talked about how they had to practice their "speeches" that they'd give after every match and there were classes on how to yell at the camera. They also admitted that the hardest thing to do was to keep from laughing when their partner/friend/ally/opponent/enemy/whatever said something incredibly stupid. That's why when you watch professional wrestling, especially from the 1980s-1990s, you'll see people gritting their teeth or sucking in their cheeks. They're not trying to look mean and vicious. They're just trying to not blow their cover as an actor.
And Ric's got it down to a science. Every time he yells he throws his arms up in the air and sticks his gut out with a loud howl. And it's usually a "boo-yah" or "woo-hoo" followed by something either unintelligible or the name of the place where they're digging. You can predict where every scream is going to happen in a show and they conveniently edit it so that you have to hear it multiple times.
Sadly, every time I watch the show I'm reminded of another show. One that many people watched over the years and caused many parents to complain. There's an episode of the old Ren & Stimpy Show called "Mad Dog Höek" where the guys have just finished a wrestling match and both the winners and losers get a chance to make their cases. It's hysterical and I end up quoting it at one point during the show or another because it fits so perfectly.
And now, for your viewing pleasure, I give you the Ending Speech Scene from "Mad Dog Höek" -- try to watch American Diggers and not think of this. I dare you.
Tonight they went to St. Augustine, Florida and down in the bayou area of Louisiana. There were some neat relics found and I do have to give them kudos for finding a $20 double eagle, St. Gaudens' design gold coin. They're rare and worth a LOT of money these days.
I could probably enjoy the show if it weren't for one thing -- the owner/host/announcer/blowhard Ric Savage. He gives history and information about the places they go and the things they find as if he's rehearsed whatever the production team's researcher has pulled off the Internet. He yells at the camera during the entire show and heaven help you if your television is accidentally turned-up a bit loud and he finds something he thinks is wonderful 'cause you're going to hear him scream about it. And not just any scream -- the well-rehearsed scream that comes from professional wrestlers.
He fully admits that he used to be a professional wrestler (I still don't remember ever seeing him in a match). I once had some "professional" wrestlers (they got paid but weren't on any of the big circuits) come into our store years ago and they talked about how they had to practice their "speeches" that they'd give after every match and there were classes on how to yell at the camera. They also admitted that the hardest thing to do was to keep from laughing when their partner/friend/ally/opponent/enemy/whatever said something incredibly stupid. That's why when you watch professional wrestling, especially from the 1980s-1990s, you'll see people gritting their teeth or sucking in their cheeks. They're not trying to look mean and vicious. They're just trying to not blow their cover as an actor.
And Ric's got it down to a science. Every time he yells he throws his arms up in the air and sticks his gut out with a loud howl. And it's usually a "boo-yah" or "woo-hoo" followed by something either unintelligible or the name of the place where they're digging. You can predict where every scream is going to happen in a show and they conveniently edit it so that you have to hear it multiple times.
Sadly, every time I watch the show I'm reminded of another show. One that many people watched over the years and caused many parents to complain. There's an episode of the old Ren & Stimpy Show called "Mad Dog Höek" where the guys have just finished a wrestling match and both the winners and losers get a chance to make their cases. It's hysterical and I end up quoting it at one point during the show or another because it fits so perfectly.
And now, for your viewing pleasure, I give you the Ending Speech Scene from "Mad Dog Höek" -- try to watch American Diggers and not think of this. I dare you.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Last episodes of "American Stuffers"
Yes. It is with a heavy heart and a hanging head that I admit that today I actually watched the American Stuffers episodes on Animal Planet.
You have to understand, though. The satellite signals on the movie channels were spotty and there was nothing on network television worth watching. Plus -- and honestly, no disrespect to the Ross Family and their employees -- but the show is just like a really bad car wreck. You know you shouldn't look but once you do you just can't turn away from it.
I didn't watch all of the episodes today. I watched "The Dog Named Precious," "The Cat Without a Nose," "The Hairless Dog," and "A Tornado Hits Romance." I will say that I'm very glad Daniel was able to put the cat's nose back on before its owner came to pick it up (and no one noticed the problem). The skin coming off of the Chinese Crested (which the owner proudly stated she'd paid $250 as a puppy) though was a close one. And her having the dog's testicles removed to have sperm harvested by a company in Washington just had me rolling on the floor. Yeah, I'm not a biology major, but I can't imagine them living in there for very long, much less long enough to ship them to Washington from Texas (where they drove from to get the dog freeze-dried).
The pet chicken being freeze-dried, though, had me baffled. I know people keep chickens as pets. I have friends that have had good and bad things come from doing that. But if the chicken dies on its own, I'd be thinking about disposing of it correctly, not how it's going to look in the center of the dinner table as a centerpiece. Okay, the lady with the chicken actually said she was going to decorate her chicken coops with all of her pet chickens after they die and she has them freeze-dried. And she named all of them after characters from Jersey Shore. So, take from that what you want.
I can say that I was moved by the lady who had her Yorkie for 14 years and met the crew from Xtreme Taxidermy at the Big Buck Classic Hunters' Convention (where most of the other attendees were grossed-out by the pets on display). She'd had a lot of loss in her life and having her dog preserved as a way to help her cope may not be for me but I sure hope it helps her. Plus, she wants the dog buried with her when she passes away. Sadly, the dog will look better longer than she will, but at least they'll be together.
And I also have to admit that the story about the dog that had been skinned by another taxidermist and left the crew of the shop with a puzzle on how to make him look good again was interesting. Mostly because they were very careful to not tell the lady who brought in the dog how badly butchered the job the previous taxidermist did. I was glad to see that they were able to take that idiot's mistakes and fix it so the lady was happy. Now I just hope she doesn't watch the episode and see exactly what was done to her dog.
So, yeah, I let the redneck in me have a few laughs and sat agog at some of the things said/done on the show. There aren't any future episodes coming (it was cancelled), but Romance, Arkansas isn't too terribly far from my family's old stomping grounds. I'm pretty sure I could find it if I felt the need.
You have to understand, though. The satellite signals on the movie channels were spotty and there was nothing on network television worth watching. Plus -- and honestly, no disrespect to the Ross Family and their employees -- but the show is just like a really bad car wreck. You know you shouldn't look but once you do you just can't turn away from it.
I didn't watch all of the episodes today. I watched "The Dog Named Precious," "The Cat Without a Nose," "The Hairless Dog," and "A Tornado Hits Romance." I will say that I'm very glad Daniel was able to put the cat's nose back on before its owner came to pick it up (and no one noticed the problem). The skin coming off of the Chinese Crested (which the owner proudly stated she'd paid $250 as a puppy) though was a close one. And her having the dog's testicles removed to have sperm harvested by a company in Washington just had me rolling on the floor. Yeah, I'm not a biology major, but I can't imagine them living in there for very long, much less long enough to ship them to Washington from Texas (where they drove from to get the dog freeze-dried).
The pet chicken being freeze-dried, though, had me baffled. I know people keep chickens as pets. I have friends that have had good and bad things come from doing that. But if the chicken dies on its own, I'd be thinking about disposing of it correctly, not how it's going to look in the center of the dinner table as a centerpiece. Okay, the lady with the chicken actually said she was going to decorate her chicken coops with all of her pet chickens after they die and she has them freeze-dried. And she named all of them after characters from Jersey Shore. So, take from that what you want.
I can say that I was moved by the lady who had her Yorkie for 14 years and met the crew from Xtreme Taxidermy at the Big Buck Classic Hunters' Convention (where most of the other attendees were grossed-out by the pets on display). She'd had a lot of loss in her life and having her dog preserved as a way to help her cope may not be for me but I sure hope it helps her. Plus, she wants the dog buried with her when she passes away. Sadly, the dog will look better longer than she will, but at least they'll be together.
And I also have to admit that the story about the dog that had been skinned by another taxidermist and left the crew of the shop with a puzzle on how to make him look good again was interesting. Mostly because they were very careful to not tell the lady who brought in the dog how badly butchered the job the previous taxidermist did. I was glad to see that they were able to take that idiot's mistakes and fix it so the lady was happy. Now I just hope she doesn't watch the episode and see exactly what was done to her dog.
So, yeah, I let the redneck in me have a few laughs and sat agog at some of the things said/done on the show. There aren't any future episodes coming (it was cancelled), but Romance, Arkansas isn't too terribly far from my family's old stomping grounds. I'm pretty sure I could find it if I felt the need.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
How bored am I today??
Got a chance to sleep-in a bit this morning. Mostly because I forgot to set my alarm and Celeste realized I was sleeping soundly and didn't want to wake me. Sadly, that made me late for taking my medication. Oh, it wasn't so late that it made me ill or have a bad reaction -- it just meant that the time I would be zonked-out because of the side-effects would be much later in the morning and could have screwed up my schedule for the day.
But then I remembered, I didn't have a schedule for today. Laundry was done by Husband (THANK YOU!) and the dogs and cat were watered and fed this morning by Youngest Son.
So, what have I done today? Sadly, I've sat and watched a marathon of The Pink Panther, Return of the Pink Panther, and Revenge of the Pink Panther. If I wanted to, I could switch the channel at the moment and watch A Shot in the Dark -- the funniest of all of the "Pink Panther/Inspector Clouseau" movies. Actually, my favorite characters are Cato and Inspector Dreyfus. Burt Kwuok was hysterical and Herbert Lom perfected the nervous tic that showed just how insane Clouseau made Dreyfus.
I remember watching the early "Pink Panther" movies on television (since I wasn't born when they were made) but the later ones I remember going to see in the theater. Of course, as a kid, I thought the slapstick was hysterical. Now that I'm much older, the same things don't make me laugh but I still get a big chuckle out of the jokes I didn't understand years ago.
Classic movies are the ones that can stand the test of time. I worry, though, that these classics will soon be removed from the "classic bin" because many people today would not get the jokes and/or cultural/current event references made in them.
But then I remembered, I didn't have a schedule for today. Laundry was done by Husband (THANK YOU!) and the dogs and cat were watered and fed this morning by Youngest Son.
So, what have I done today? Sadly, I've sat and watched a marathon of The Pink Panther, Return of the Pink Panther, and Revenge of the Pink Panther. If I wanted to, I could switch the channel at the moment and watch A Shot in the Dark -- the funniest of all of the "Pink Panther/Inspector Clouseau" movies. Actually, my favorite characters are Cato and Inspector Dreyfus. Burt Kwuok was hysterical and Herbert Lom perfected the nervous tic that showed just how insane Clouseau made Dreyfus.
I remember watching the early "Pink Panther" movies on television (since I wasn't born when they were made) but the later ones I remember going to see in the theater. Of course, as a kid, I thought the slapstick was hysterical. Now that I'm much older, the same things don't make me laugh but I still get a big chuckle out of the jokes I didn't understand years ago.
Classic movies are the ones that can stand the test of time. I worry, though, that these classics will soon be removed from the "classic bin" because many people today would not get the jokes and/or cultural/current event references made in them.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Busy! No time! Got to hurry!
Sorry y'all but I'm really busy today. Have eBay auctions that are ending, ones that have ended and paid for that have to be packed for shipping tomorrow, and I've finally heard from the EEO officer and have paperwork to read and sign for him.
Plus I've not been able to get all of my playing with the dogs, television watching, napping, and all-around laying-about done today. Guess I'll do that tonight. Maybe. Or I might just brave the couch and see if it causes me to pass-out like it does the guys.
Gotta be ready for tomorrow -- Youngest Son has his last junior high dance that night. He swears he's not asked anyone to go with him but I think he'll find someone or at least hang-out with "the gang" while he's there.
Plus I've not been able to get all of my playing with the dogs, television watching, napping, and all-around laying-about done today. Guess I'll do that tonight. Maybe. Or I might just brave the couch and see if it causes me to pass-out like it does the guys.
Gotta be ready for tomorrow -- Youngest Son has his last junior high dance that night. He swears he's not asked anyone to go with him but I think he'll find someone or at least hang-out with "the gang" while he's there.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Still irritated at Mythbusters' "Swinging Pirates" episode
I know it's just a minor thing, but I really liked the effect in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie that showed the six pirates swinging in a ball made of bones and climbing their way to the top of the cliff and saving themselves. The Mythbusters tried to recreate the myth that it could be done and messed it up. Big time. In my opinion anyway -- I'm not a scientist.
They used metal to create the ball -- good idea. They had openings at the bottom of the ball large enough for them to crawl through -- bad idea. They used two cables to hold the ball above the ground -- not accurate since in the movie it's supposed to be a single vine. But they did prove that they could climb up the "cliff" by having everyone help climb a cargo net on the side of a building. They really should have replicated the actual conditions. The two safety cables impeded the ability for the momentum to increase.
However, on the same episode, the Build Team made a pulse jet and had an expert come and show them an effective way to build one and how it should run. I wonder how many WWII British survivors watched the episode and had bad memories afterwards? The one their expert built sounded just like a V-1 flying bomb, also known as a "Buzz Bomb" or "Doodlebug" by the British who listened to them as they flew overhead before crashing and exploding. And if you've never heard of the V-1 -- go look it up. They did lots of damage.
Now I'm going to watch the new episode for this week -- any time you make a hot water heater explode on television is awesome.
They used metal to create the ball -- good idea. They had openings at the bottom of the ball large enough for them to crawl through -- bad idea. They used two cables to hold the ball above the ground -- not accurate since in the movie it's supposed to be a single vine. But they did prove that they could climb up the "cliff" by having everyone help climb a cargo net on the side of a building. They really should have replicated the actual conditions. The two safety cables impeded the ability for the momentum to increase.
However, on the same episode, the Build Team made a pulse jet and had an expert come and show them an effective way to build one and how it should run. I wonder how many WWII British survivors watched the episode and had bad memories afterwards? The one their expert built sounded just like a V-1 flying bomb, also known as a "Buzz Bomb" or "Doodlebug" by the British who listened to them as they flew overhead before crashing and exploding. And if you've never heard of the V-1 -- go look it up. They did lots of damage.
Now I'm going to watch the new episode for this week -- any time you make a hot water heater explode on television is awesome.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Stupid not-feeling-well kind of day
I hate it when I wake up to crummy weather. I hate it even more when from out of nowhere I have a sore throat, horrible headache, and crummy weather. Add a low-grade fever and you've got a great snapshot of me today.
I do have to give a big "THANK YOU!" to Husband and Youngest Son for straightening up the house and running errands while I was in my medically-induced semi-coma this morning. Husband and I thought we could stay up late on Friday night like we did when we were younger while Youngest Son was at his friend's sleepover. Both of us are feeling the ill effects of trying to be "young" again today. And, yes, the evil couch has been taking its turns on the guys -- each of them having a moment or two to drift off to sleep. I've been staying on the loveseat but the curse is beginning to spread.
Anyway, EPIX is showing Iron Man 2 at the moment. It will be followed by Thor (which Youngest Son hasn't seen yet) and then the evening will be capped-off by Captain America. Yes, we're getting our Avengers prepping done tonight.
So, back to the living room and my attempts at keeping my own personal global warming in check. It's not terribly warm or humid but I feel like I'm in a sauna. Iced tea, anyone?
I do have to give a big "THANK YOU!" to Husband and Youngest Son for straightening up the house and running errands while I was in my medically-induced semi-coma this morning. Husband and I thought we could stay up late on Friday night like we did when we were younger while Youngest Son was at his friend's sleepover. Both of us are feeling the ill effects of trying to be "young" again today. And, yes, the evil couch has been taking its turns on the guys -- each of them having a moment or two to drift off to sleep. I've been staying on the loveseat but the curse is beginning to spread.
Anyway, EPIX is showing Iron Man 2 at the moment. It will be followed by Thor (which Youngest Son hasn't seen yet) and then the evening will be capped-off by Captain America. Yes, we're getting our Avengers prepping done tonight.
So, back to the living room and my attempts at keeping my own personal global warming in check. It's not terribly warm or humid but I feel like I'm in a sauna. Iced tea, anyone?
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Another speedy post!
Yup, still watching television. Oh, I've slept since my last post and now, but the weather outside is crummy and I'm not in the mood to go anywhere. Youngest Son had a blast at his friend's birthday party/sleepover last night. Watching the St. Louis Cardinals' game at the moment, and will probably watch Iron Man 2 tonight. Yes, I've already seen it and have it on DVD, but Robert Downey Jr. is just perfect for the role! He's had problems with alcohol; he looks like Tony Stark; and he's got a quick wit and good timing which makes him perfect, in my opinion, as a fan of the Iron Man comics.
So, back to the loveseat!! (The cursed couch has already claimed Husband today.)
So, back to the loveseat!! (The cursed couch has already claimed Husband today.)
Friday, April 27, 2012
Quickie post tonight
Youngest Son is away at a birthday party/sleepover. Tonight Husband and I went out to dinner and watched the Stan Lee special and Thor on EPIX. It's the free weekend to try that channel on satellite and they have neat shows. Now I'm watching/listening to The Secret Policeman's' Ball 'cause Eddie Izzard is hosting it along with a bunch of other comedians and musicians. I usually never get to watch it live and since it's on, I figured I might as well.
So, don't be surprised if all of my posts are short this weekend. With EPIX channels 1, 2, 3, and Drive-In free, I plan to watch a lot of good (and bad) movies!
So, don't be surprised if all of my posts are short this weekend. With EPIX channels 1, 2, 3, and Drive-In free, I plan to watch a lot of good (and bad) movies!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Busy day makes for tired gal
Today's been busier than I expected. Woke up at 5 a.m. (as usual) and smelled something awful outside when I let the dogs out to go "walkies." Only Celeste came back stinking like she'd rolled on a skunk or something. Had to give her a bath quickly because she was stinking-up the house in record time. Husband went outside to look for whatever it was she got the smell from but there wasn't anything and the smell had left.
So, I crammed her in our small bathtub and tried to get her clean as quickly as I could. Not as easy as it sounds. She's in the process of shedding her winter coat, so there's lots of hair that liked coating the walls, the tub, the floor, me, and the drains. I was finally able to get the stink down to a tolerable level (just barely noticeable if you stick your face into her fur). Then I spent about 30 minutes trying to get all of the hair into the trash and off of everything to which it was sticking. I still have no idea what caused it but I've never wanted to own my own professional dog wash so much as I did this morning! There's one self-serve dog wash table in town but they're not open at 0-Christ-Hundred in the morning. If I had my own, it would be open when I need it!
Then I went to my therapist appointment today. I took her the three page list of things I can and can't do at work and what makes things easier and harder for me to work. She asked if I'd applied for disability benefits. I said I hadn't because I didn't believe I needed them. She held up the list and said that if I had that many things I should have applied years ago. That's something I'll wait and see what happens as I continue to look for answers on why I wasn't rehired from my old job.
Tonight I watched a neat show on PBS called Radioactive Wolves. It's about the wildlife that has returned to the area around Pripyat (outside of Chernobyl) and how the radiation has affected them. Very interesting show. I know it's kind of weird but I've always wanted to go to Pripyat and see the ruins left behind after the 1986 explosion. It's amazing how nature is taking back the area where people lived for so many years and doing so even after all of the damage done.
I then watched a segment on NBC's Rock Center about how Big Box Marts (like Costco) trick people into overspending on items and buying things they never meant to buy before they went into the store. And that's a reason why I don't have a membership card to any of these places. The lure of buying something you've never seen before but just have to have is too strong at times. I don't need 5 pounds of mayonnaise but I guarantee that if the price is right, I know people who will find a reason to make more egg or tuna salad sandwiches than could ever be eaten at one picnic.
Now, I'm tired and I've kept to my rule about posting each day, so I'm gonna relax and probably watch more television. And check the dog. And maybe think about taking her for another bath tomorrow. And making sure I've got something with me before I let them out in the morning to make sure that if there's an animal making the stink that it doesn't anymore.
So, I crammed her in our small bathtub and tried to get her clean as quickly as I could. Not as easy as it sounds. She's in the process of shedding her winter coat, so there's lots of hair that liked coating the walls, the tub, the floor, me, and the drains. I was finally able to get the stink down to a tolerable level (just barely noticeable if you stick your face into her fur). Then I spent about 30 minutes trying to get all of the hair into the trash and off of everything to which it was sticking. I still have no idea what caused it but I've never wanted to own my own professional dog wash so much as I did this morning! There's one self-serve dog wash table in town but they're not open at 0-Christ-Hundred in the morning. If I had my own, it would be open when I need it!
Then I went to my therapist appointment today. I took her the three page list of things I can and can't do at work and what makes things easier and harder for me to work. She asked if I'd applied for disability benefits. I said I hadn't because I didn't believe I needed them. She held up the list and said that if I had that many things I should have applied years ago. That's something I'll wait and see what happens as I continue to look for answers on why I wasn't rehired from my old job.
Tonight I watched a neat show on PBS called Radioactive Wolves. It's about the wildlife that has returned to the area around Pripyat (outside of Chernobyl) and how the radiation has affected them. Very interesting show. I know it's kind of weird but I've always wanted to go to Pripyat and see the ruins left behind after the 1986 explosion. It's amazing how nature is taking back the area where people lived for so many years and doing so even after all of the damage done.
I then watched a segment on NBC's Rock Center about how Big Box Marts (like Costco) trick people into overspending on items and buying things they never meant to buy before they went into the store. And that's a reason why I don't have a membership card to any of these places. The lure of buying something you've never seen before but just have to have is too strong at times. I don't need 5 pounds of mayonnaise but I guarantee that if the price is right, I know people who will find a reason to make more egg or tuna salad sandwiches than could ever be eaten at one picnic.
Now, I'm tired and I've kept to my rule about posting each day, so I'm gonna relax and probably watch more television. And check the dog. And maybe think about taking her for another bath tomorrow. And making sure I've got something with me before I let them out in the morning to make sure that if there's an animal making the stink that it doesn't anymore.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
More Mythbusters tonight
Tonight there will be a rerun of the "Duct Tape Island" episode of Mythbusters on Discovery Channel. I've already written a review of it and it still gets lots of hits every day. I keep seeing strange questions in the "Search Engine Terms" on my Stats page that refer readers to my blog.
IMPORTANT NOTE -- If you're looking for answers about something in the show but I don't already have it in the body of the post, feel free to post a question in the Comments section! Then I'll let you know if I have any information about it and/or get the answer for you! I don't mind answering questions!!
The rerun of the popular episode will be right after the premiere of their "Men vs. Women" episode. No idea how that one is going to turn out but I'm sure it will be interesting. And controversial. I know there's a lot things considered easier for men that I'm able to do than most of the males I know. And I know some guys who can do a lot of the "lady-type" things better than me (laundry, housekeeping, etc.). If the episode is decent, I might post a review tomorrow.
That's all for today. It's been cold and dreary outside so I've decided to curl up on the couch (yes, the cursed couch!) and let myself fall asleep. Hasn't happened yet. Will have to change spaces before the shows air tonight.
IMPORTANT NOTE -- If you're looking for answers about something in the show but I don't already have it in the body of the post, feel free to post a question in the Comments section! Then I'll let you know if I have any information about it and/or get the answer for you! I don't mind answering questions!!
The rerun of the popular episode will be right after the premiere of their "Men vs. Women" episode. No idea how that one is going to turn out but I'm sure it will be interesting. And controversial. I know there's a lot things considered easier for men that I'm able to do than most of the males I know. And I know some guys who can do a lot of the "lady-type" things better than me (laundry, housekeeping, etc.). If the episode is decent, I might post a review tomorrow.
That's all for today. It's been cold and dreary outside so I've decided to curl up on the couch (yes, the cursed couch!) and let myself fall asleep. Hasn't happened yet. Will have to change spaces before the shows air tonight.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Couch potato time: Redux
St. Louis Cardinals game on television. St. Louis Blues game also on television. Family wants to get caught-up on the episodes ofCommunitythey haven't seen.
I shall become one with the loveseat (y'all know about the couch) and try to avoid junk food. No guarantees, though....
Update: Cardinals lost but the Blues won in the 3rd period and clinched won their playoff series 4-1. Just FYI....y'know....in case you were wondering....
I shall become one with the loveseat (y'all know about the couch) and try to avoid junk food. No guarantees, though....
Update: Cardinals lost but the Blues won in the 3rd period and clinched won their playoff series 4-1. Just FYI....y'know....in case you were wondering....
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Couch potato time
Move along....nothing to see here. Too busy watching TV and catching up on reruns of shows I missed the first time around.
You can go on about your business.
Move along. Move along
You can go on about your business.
Move along. Move along
Monday, April 16, 2012
Top Gear brings back car memories
I'm taking the rest of the day off so I can get ready for the Season 18 premiere of Top Gear on BBC America. I've wished that I could go and see the show live or someday become famous enough to be the Star in the Reasonably Priced Car. Heck, I only got Grand Tourismo 5 for the PS3 so I could "drive" the Top Gear track!
I was working away from home this time last year and living in a hotel that had crappy cable channels and didn't get to see Season 17 until this past weekend when I finally saw it on DVD. I love cars, even though I've not owned many remarkable ones. My first car was a 1980 Chevrolet Chevette. I usually referred to it as either "My 'vette" in the hopes someone would confuse it for a Corvette (never happened) or as "Fred." If I didn't give it a name, I wouldn't have anything to call it when it wasn't working correctly!
Mine was a petrol/gasoline 5-door, manual transmission, vinyl seat version in that shade of beige that makes your car look like it's a perpetually dirty white car. The seats had a "patchwork" pattern embossed in them which gave you the look of someone with a strange skin disorder if you sat on them in the summertime with shorts on. It always seemed like hours would have to go by before the pattern would disappear from your flesh. And heaven forbid that you jump into the car on a hot summer day wearing shorts or a skirt! The dark brown vinyl collected the heat of the sun better than solar panels and nearly branded that ugly pattern into your legs! But Fred wasn't all bad. It at least had air conditioning -- one of the few optional extras added. I've always joked that the owner's manual said "Zero to 60 mph -- pack a lunch" and if it didn't really, it should have. But mine was better than the diesel versions my Biological Father bought himself after he moved-out. Many a winter morning was spent giggling under my breath when I'd have to stay at his house and he'd jump into the car and forget that the engine heater was still plugged-in and tried to back out of the garage. Those were my first introductions to the large "SNAP" of a live electric wire and the smell of ozone that comes before an electrical fire.
After I'd married the first time and Fred was getting-on in years, I traded it to my then-Father-in-Law in exchange for a Ford Tempo. The Tempo had automatic transmission (something new to me), cloth seats (no more having to fear sitting down in the summer), FM radio stations, and cruise control. Yeah...I thought I was living the big time with that car....for a little while. Ex-Husband sold his car and started driving mine because (1) it actually ran and (2) he like the "newer" car better. However, I knew the Tempo's live would be short-lived because Ex-Husband didn't know squat about cars and had no idea what to do other than put gas in the tank -- and even that was a challenge. In the divorce settlement, the Tempo (which I never really named because I didn't get to drive it as much) became mine since Eldest Son was going to be living with me and I needed transportation for work (something else Ex-Husband didn't have). He had treated the car so badly that one time after a day of rain I went outside to look for something and found that the trunk was flooded. Everything in it was ruined. Only my Ex could damage the seals around a trunk lid that badly.
So, Future-Husband (who is now currently Husband and will be for the quite foreseeable future) helped me get financing for a new car. Well, not a "new" car but a "new-to-me" car. It was a 1994 Ford Aspire. "George" looked like a jelly bean on a roller skate. It was a two-door green tiny thing with automatic transmission, air conditioning, AM/FM AND Cassette Player (moving up in the world!) that looked as if it would have difficulties getting down the road. Nothing could be farther from the truth! That little car got 55 miles-per-gallon on the Interstate and if you had a good tailwind, it would be pushed along and your mileage was even better. I swore that if I had enough people in the car and we stuck our arms out of the windows they'd act like wings and we'd take off like a small airplane.
Husband, Eldest Son and I enjoyed the Aspire for quite a while. Husband and I even took it on our honeymoon which helped a lot with the cost of the trip. But a few years later, when we were told that Youngest Son would be arriving in the world, we knew we needed to get a larger car so everyone would have plenty of room. I took "George" to the dealership and traded-up for a 1997 4-door Ford Aspire!!
Okay, a 4-door version of the same car isn't really any bigger, but we needed the back doors so we could get Youngest Son in-and-out easily in his car seat. Plus, Eldest Son was beginning to hit puberty and he was already pretty tall, so squeezing-in behind the front seat with his added height wasn't going to be an option for long. The 4-door Aspire was blue and had all the bells-and-whistles we could ask for and still got excellent gas mileage. I only had it a year when a distracted driver plowed into the back of it and shoved me under a pickup truck that was stopped in front of me. I had stopped as well and Husband, in his large Dodge Ramcharger, was ahead of the pickup and heard the accident behind him. The poor thing was totaled but for a subcompact, it protected Youngest Son in his car seat in the back and me in the driver's seat pretty well. We weren't too badly banged-up and everyone was surprised at how well the tiny car did.
After the insurance settlement, I got a 1998 4-door Ford Escort in their version of "British Racing Green." I liked the car but missed the gas mileage and the way I could zip in-and-out of small spaces with the Aspire. Husband finally had to sell the Ramcharger after it was too old to repair anymore and I gave him the Escort. I'd gotten another "new-to-me" car in a weird deal. I went to a large dealership "show" (where all of the big town's dealerships bring cars they want to sell and compete against each other for the customers' attention in an old parking lot) when I spotted a strange-looking black car. I'd never seen anything like it. It was a tiny station wagon but had a streamlined shape that just made it unique. I asked about it and was told it was a 2001 Suzuki Esteem Wagon and they were willing to sell it to me there with the best financing I'd ever gotten AND they didn't want a trade-in but gave me credit for one anyway. I secretly began to wonder what was so wrong with it that they'd want to unload it quickly but that little car is still running today with over 200,000 miles on the odometer!
Of course, Husband drives that one now. I'd had my fun with it while he drove the Escort and even decorated the back with Irken Army symbols from the show Invader Zim (and if you've never seen it you're missing out!). But when the Escort became too expensive to repair after we'd paid-off the title, Husband began his ownership of the Esteem. I was working away from home for up-to 8 months at a time and when I came home for a 2-week vacation in 2006, we traded-in the Escort for a 2005 Suzuki Forenza Wagon. It was to be my car when I finally was able to come home but Husband could drive it to keep it running. Two months later while I was in Texas a large tornado wiped-out a town south of us but the hailstorm hit our town and did over $3000 worth of damage to my new car! And it was a NEW car -- less than 300 miles on it!! Fortunately the insurance paid-off all the damages and the car ran well for a while. Then, we discovered that it wasn't really a Suzuki (built by them) but was really a rebadged Daewoo wagon. As a matter of fact, when we were taking it to be serviced once we passed a Daewoo EXACTLY like my car -- so we knew that we didn't have what we thought we did. And that explained why my Esteem -- designed and built by Suzuki -- still runs but the Forenza crapped-out on us early. I went to the Suzuki dealership and was not happy.
Fortunately, they were willing to take the "Forenza" off my hands and gave me an awesome deal on a 2011 Suzuki SX4 4-door sedan. It's black, like the Esteem, so everyone thinks we're just addicted to black Suzukis. I bought it and then was deployed away from home with my old job so much that I'd owned it a year before I could put any actual mileage on it. Husband could have driven it but he was afraid to since it was brand new and didn't want to get it scratched or dinged and make me upset.
So, if I ever do become famous enough to drive on Top Gear, you can tell that Jeremy Clarkson is going to have a hard time trying to say anything remarkable about my car-ownership history. But I like my cars. Husband and I used to have a 1941 Willys MB Jeep that I got to help tinker with as we restored it, but that's for another story. Meanwhile, I'll watch some of the old episodes on TV and wish that I had the Stig nearby to show me how to zip around the track without crashing or flipping-over on Gambon.
I was working away from home this time last year and living in a hotel that had crappy cable channels and didn't get to see Season 17 until this past weekend when I finally saw it on DVD. I love cars, even though I've not owned many remarkable ones. My first car was a 1980 Chevrolet Chevette. I usually referred to it as either "My 'vette" in the hopes someone would confuse it for a Corvette (never happened) or as "Fred." If I didn't give it a name, I wouldn't have anything to call it when it wasn't working correctly!
Mine was a petrol/gasoline 5-door, manual transmission, vinyl seat version in that shade of beige that makes your car look like it's a perpetually dirty white car. The seats had a "patchwork" pattern embossed in them which gave you the look of someone with a strange skin disorder if you sat on them in the summertime with shorts on. It always seemed like hours would have to go by before the pattern would disappear from your flesh. And heaven forbid that you jump into the car on a hot summer day wearing shorts or a skirt! The dark brown vinyl collected the heat of the sun better than solar panels and nearly branded that ugly pattern into your legs! But Fred wasn't all bad. It at least had air conditioning -- one of the few optional extras added. I've always joked that the owner's manual said "Zero to 60 mph -- pack a lunch" and if it didn't really, it should have. But mine was better than the diesel versions my Biological Father bought himself after he moved-out. Many a winter morning was spent giggling under my breath when I'd have to stay at his house and he'd jump into the car and forget that the engine heater was still plugged-in and tried to back out of the garage. Those were my first introductions to the large "SNAP" of a live electric wire and the smell of ozone that comes before an electrical fire.
After I'd married the first time and Fred was getting-on in years, I traded it to my then-Father-in-Law in exchange for a Ford Tempo. The Tempo had automatic transmission (something new to me), cloth seats (no more having to fear sitting down in the summer), FM radio stations, and cruise control. Yeah...I thought I was living the big time with that car....for a little while. Ex-Husband sold his car and started driving mine because (1) it actually ran and (2) he like the "newer" car better. However, I knew the Tempo's live would be short-lived because Ex-Husband didn't know squat about cars and had no idea what to do other than put gas in the tank -- and even that was a challenge. In the divorce settlement, the Tempo (which I never really named because I didn't get to drive it as much) became mine since Eldest Son was going to be living with me and I needed transportation for work (something else Ex-Husband didn't have). He had treated the car so badly that one time after a day of rain I went outside to look for something and found that the trunk was flooded. Everything in it was ruined. Only my Ex could damage the seals around a trunk lid that badly.
So, Future-Husband (who is now currently Husband and will be for the quite foreseeable future) helped me get financing for a new car. Well, not a "new" car but a "new-to-me" car. It was a 1994 Ford Aspire. "George" looked like a jelly bean on a roller skate. It was a two-door green tiny thing with automatic transmission, air conditioning, AM/FM AND Cassette Player (moving up in the world!) that looked as if it would have difficulties getting down the road. Nothing could be farther from the truth! That little car got 55 miles-per-gallon on the Interstate and if you had a good tailwind, it would be pushed along and your mileage was even better. I swore that if I had enough people in the car and we stuck our arms out of the windows they'd act like wings and we'd take off like a small airplane.
Husband, Eldest Son and I enjoyed the Aspire for quite a while. Husband and I even took it on our honeymoon which helped a lot with the cost of the trip. But a few years later, when we were told that Youngest Son would be arriving in the world, we knew we needed to get a larger car so everyone would have plenty of room. I took "George" to the dealership and traded-up for a 1997 4-door Ford Aspire!!
Okay, a 4-door version of the same car isn't really any bigger, but we needed the back doors so we could get Youngest Son in-and-out easily in his car seat. Plus, Eldest Son was beginning to hit puberty and he was already pretty tall, so squeezing-in behind the front seat with his added height wasn't going to be an option for long. The 4-door Aspire was blue and had all the bells-and-whistles we could ask for and still got excellent gas mileage. I only had it a year when a distracted driver plowed into the back of it and shoved me under a pickup truck that was stopped in front of me. I had stopped as well and Husband, in his large Dodge Ramcharger, was ahead of the pickup and heard the accident behind him. The poor thing was totaled but for a subcompact, it protected Youngest Son in his car seat in the back and me in the driver's seat pretty well. We weren't too badly banged-up and everyone was surprised at how well the tiny car did.
After the insurance settlement, I got a 1998 4-door Ford Escort in their version of "British Racing Green." I liked the car but missed the gas mileage and the way I could zip in-and-out of small spaces with the Aspire. Husband finally had to sell the Ramcharger after it was too old to repair anymore and I gave him the Escort. I'd gotten another "new-to-me" car in a weird deal. I went to a large dealership "show" (where all of the big town's dealerships bring cars they want to sell and compete against each other for the customers' attention in an old parking lot) when I spotted a strange-looking black car. I'd never seen anything like it. It was a tiny station wagon but had a streamlined shape that just made it unique. I asked about it and was told it was a 2001 Suzuki Esteem Wagon and they were willing to sell it to me there with the best financing I'd ever gotten AND they didn't want a trade-in but gave me credit for one anyway. I secretly began to wonder what was so wrong with it that they'd want to unload it quickly but that little car is still running today with over 200,000 miles on the odometer!
Of course, Husband drives that one now. I'd had my fun with it while he drove the Escort and even decorated the back with Irken Army symbols from the show Invader Zim (and if you've never seen it you're missing out!). But when the Escort became too expensive to repair after we'd paid-off the title, Husband began his ownership of the Esteem. I was working away from home for up-to 8 months at a time and when I came home for a 2-week vacation in 2006, we traded-in the Escort for a 2005 Suzuki Forenza Wagon. It was to be my car when I finally was able to come home but Husband could drive it to keep it running. Two months later while I was in Texas a large tornado wiped-out a town south of us but the hailstorm hit our town and did over $3000 worth of damage to my new car! And it was a NEW car -- less than 300 miles on it!! Fortunately the insurance paid-off all the damages and the car ran well for a while. Then, we discovered that it wasn't really a Suzuki (built by them) but was really a rebadged Daewoo wagon. As a matter of fact, when we were taking it to be serviced once we passed a Daewoo EXACTLY like my car -- so we knew that we didn't have what we thought we did. And that explained why my Esteem -- designed and built by Suzuki -- still runs but the Forenza crapped-out on us early. I went to the Suzuki dealership and was not happy.
Fortunately, they were willing to take the "Forenza" off my hands and gave me an awesome deal on a 2011 Suzuki SX4 4-door sedan. It's black, like the Esteem, so everyone thinks we're just addicted to black Suzukis. I bought it and then was deployed away from home with my old job so much that I'd owned it a year before I could put any actual mileage on it. Husband could have driven it but he was afraid to since it was brand new and didn't want to get it scratched or dinged and make me upset.
So, if I ever do become famous enough to drive on Top Gear, you can tell that Jeremy Clarkson is going to have a hard time trying to say anything remarkable about my car-ownership history. But I like my cars. Husband and I used to have a 1941 Willys MB Jeep that I got to help tinker with as we restored it, but that's for another story. Meanwhile, I'll watch some of the old episodes on TV and wish that I had the Stig nearby to show me how to zip around the track without crashing or flipping-over on Gambon.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Can we stop with the Titanic stuff now?
Yes, yes, yes....I know it's the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. I would have known that without all of the televised fanfare and the re-release of James Cameron's movie in 3D. You know how I would have known that? Because I read! Because I studied in history class! Because my life isn't so shallow that I only believe things shown to me on Twitter or Facebook as so many people over the past week have shown in their posts that they didn't know the movie "Titanic" (1997) was based on an actual historical event!
And I make sure to put the year 1997 behind the title of the movie because, yes, there is more than one movie named "Titanic." In 1943 the Third Reich attempted to make a propaganda film espousing the positive reasons to invade Britain by using the Titanic disaster as the backstory. "Titanic" (1943) showed Bruce Ismay, owner of the White Star Line, as an evil capitalist and all of the British as greedy while a lone German crew member who seemed to know that something bad was going to happen tried to warn everyone but was ignored. This German officer was later the hero of the movie -- even though "Titanic" (1943) never played in Germany until the 1950s. It was deemed too controversial because of the passengers in Second and Third Class areas trying to scramble for safety and being locked-out or denied passage was too reminiscent of the Holocaust. With Germany beginning to lose the war, no one in the Third Reich wanted anyone to recognize similar goings-on happening in Germany and other occupied areas where concentration camps were in operation. A lot of that type of footage was removed before the movie ever played in Germany.
But "Titanic" (1943) wasn't completely lost to history. There were many scenes of the ship and people running to the lifeboats that came from "Titanic" (1943) and were used in "A Night to Remember" (1958). "A Night to Remember" was considered one of the most accurate depictions of the sinking of the Titanic because a lot of the information used to write the movie came from interviews with survivors in the book by the same name. It was the most accurate at that time because it did not show the Titanic breaking apart because no one had ever confirmed it and there were different memories of what exactly happened that night.
Not until Robert Ballard discovered the RMS Titanic on the ocean floor in 1985 was it confirmed that the ship had broken apart before it sank. After his discovery, more movies were made. "Titanica" (1995), narrated by Leonard Nimoy, was shown in IMAX theatres. "Titanic" (1996), a two-part miniseries, was made for television and got a lot of facts wrong but somehow still pulled out an Emmy win.
Finally in 1997 the world was "graced" (and I use that term sarcastically here) with James Cameron's version which was fictional but based on historical fact and recent discovery. Even now he has said that there are parts he got wrong but he's not going back to fix them all because "when would you know where to stop?" And Celine Dion's song and chest-thumping visage on every awards show and commercial hawking "authentic Titanic reproductions" became embedded in everyone's subconscious. And I do apologize to all of my readers who are now tortured with it running through their heads at the moment -- I feel your pain 'cause it's stuck in mine, too.
By the way, those "authentic Titanic reproductions" were usually of the blue diamond necklace Rose (not a real person on the RMS Titanic) wore while in the nude being sketched by Jack (another non-real person on the RMS Titanic). The necklace never existed. Actually, there is historical reference to a blue sapphire necklace similar to the one depicted in the movie, but it would have only been an inspiration for the one in the movie. And, sadly, I've been seeing more and more replicas of the necklace, the gemstone, etc. being advertised late at night in "honor" of the 100th anniversary of the sinking.
The latest incantation of the story is "Titanic" (2012) and is a four-part television drama based on the sinking. As if we needed another re-telling of the story.
And movies weren't the only things created about the RMS Titanic! Even if you don't count all of the books and memoirs written or related by survivors and their relatives, along with historical accounts and fictional dramatizations, there's still tons of stuff out there! In 1997 there was a Broadway musical about the sinking -- and it WON five Tony Awards!!
So, now that you've had your history lesson for today, can we please stop all the hoopla?
Don't get me wrong, though. It was an important event in history. Seafaring changed forever after the RMS Titanic sank and the International Ice Patrol was created from this disaster. Also, there now has to be 24-hour monitoring of communications channels, something that had the Marconi operators on the Californian not gone to bed, they would have received the Titanic's distress signal and been able to render assistance. And there are many who spent the last moments of their lives doing their jobs in the belly of the ship in order to keep it level and keep the lights on in order to help others escape, even though they knew they would be no way out for them.
Yes, remember and honor the memories of those who perished, etc., etc., etc. But now that the official time and date of the sinking 100 years ago has passed, can I please stop being bashed about the head with shows, movies, posts, and documentaries about it all? Just for a little while??
And I make sure to put the year 1997 behind the title of the movie because, yes, there is more than one movie named "Titanic." In 1943 the Third Reich attempted to make a propaganda film espousing the positive reasons to invade Britain by using the Titanic disaster as the backstory. "Titanic" (1943) showed Bruce Ismay, owner of the White Star Line, as an evil capitalist and all of the British as greedy while a lone German crew member who seemed to know that something bad was going to happen tried to warn everyone but was ignored. This German officer was later the hero of the movie -- even though "Titanic" (1943) never played in Germany until the 1950s. It was deemed too controversial because of the passengers in Second and Third Class areas trying to scramble for safety and being locked-out or denied passage was too reminiscent of the Holocaust. With Germany beginning to lose the war, no one in the Third Reich wanted anyone to recognize similar goings-on happening in Germany and other occupied areas where concentration camps were in operation. A lot of that type of footage was removed before the movie ever played in Germany.
But "Titanic" (1943) wasn't completely lost to history. There were many scenes of the ship and people running to the lifeboats that came from "Titanic" (1943) and were used in "A Night to Remember" (1958). "A Night to Remember" was considered one of the most accurate depictions of the sinking of the Titanic because a lot of the information used to write the movie came from interviews with survivors in the book by the same name. It was the most accurate at that time because it did not show the Titanic breaking apart because no one had ever confirmed it and there were different memories of what exactly happened that night.
Not until Robert Ballard discovered the RMS Titanic on the ocean floor in 1985 was it confirmed that the ship had broken apart before it sank. After his discovery, more movies were made. "Titanica" (1995), narrated by Leonard Nimoy, was shown in IMAX theatres. "Titanic" (1996), a two-part miniseries, was made for television and got a lot of facts wrong but somehow still pulled out an Emmy win.
Finally in 1997 the world was "graced" (and I use that term sarcastically here) with James Cameron's version which was fictional but based on historical fact and recent discovery. Even now he has said that there are parts he got wrong but he's not going back to fix them all because "when would you know where to stop?" And Celine Dion's song and chest-thumping visage on every awards show and commercial hawking "authentic Titanic reproductions" became embedded in everyone's subconscious. And I do apologize to all of my readers who are now tortured with it running through their heads at the moment -- I feel your pain 'cause it's stuck in mine, too.
By the way, those "authentic Titanic reproductions" were usually of the blue diamond necklace Rose (not a real person on the RMS Titanic) wore while in the nude being sketched by Jack (another non-real person on the RMS Titanic). The necklace never existed. Actually, there is historical reference to a blue sapphire necklace similar to the one depicted in the movie, but it would have only been an inspiration for the one in the movie. And, sadly, I've been seeing more and more replicas of the necklace, the gemstone, etc. being advertised late at night in "honor" of the 100th anniversary of the sinking.
The latest incantation of the story is "Titanic" (2012) and is a four-part television drama based on the sinking. As if we needed another re-telling of the story.
And movies weren't the only things created about the RMS Titanic! Even if you don't count all of the books and memoirs written or related by survivors and their relatives, along with historical accounts and fictional dramatizations, there's still tons of stuff out there! In 1997 there was a Broadway musical about the sinking -- and it WON five Tony Awards!!
So, now that you've had your history lesson for today, can we please stop all the hoopla?
Don't get me wrong, though. It was an important event in history. Seafaring changed forever after the RMS Titanic sank and the International Ice Patrol was created from this disaster. Also, there now has to be 24-hour monitoring of communications channels, something that had the Marconi operators on the Californian not gone to bed, they would have received the Titanic's distress signal and been able to render assistance. And there are many who spent the last moments of their lives doing their jobs in the belly of the ship in order to keep it level and keep the lights on in order to help others escape, even though they knew they would be no way out for them.
Yes, remember and honor the memories of those who perished, etc., etc., etc. But now that the official time and date of the sinking 100 years ago has passed, can I please stop being bashed about the head with shows, movies, posts, and documentaries about it all? Just for a little while??
Sunday, April 8, 2012
100th Post!
I'm actually stunned I made it this far. If this were a television show, they'd have a big cake and a special episode. If this were a birthday, I'd get a letter from the Governor, Senators, and possibly even the President. If this were an anniversary, it would be covered on all channels, both cable and network, in one way or another.
On the other hand, I always knew I'd get this far. Yes, having ADD makes it difficult to keep myself focused and I can always find something else to do instead of sitting here and typing something. However, also having OCD makes me get up and type at least a little something every day because I can't stand the thought of having a date without a post. That just wouldn't be organized and I'd never forgive myself. Of course, if the reason were something I couldn't control -- severe illness, natural disaster, death -- then I could cope with it but would still be disappointed.
So, what have I done to make this event special? Nothing, really. I took a nice nap today. I did the special effects makeup for my friend again. I watched tonight's episode of Mythbusters where they tried square wheels on a truck. I think they needed a four-wheel drive truck, but no one asked me. The episode of Unchained Reaction (theme = flight) is boring....again. I don't really see the show going for another season, but there's already worse crap on TV so what do I know?
I'm looking forward to watching the National Geographic special with James Cameron about the Titanic. Yes, I know it's the 100th anniversary of the sinking. Yes, I know the movie was hideously long and all you really needed was the last third of the movie where the ship hits the iceberg and the sinking. There was a Broadway musical made about Titanic and I've never seen it. I don't think I will either because I can't imagine what the songs would be. "Glub, Glub, Glub! This water is cold!" or "Are You Getting My SOS?" Even Cameron said that his pitch for the movie was "Titanic plus Romeo and Juliet." I don't remember teenage suicide in Titanic but if you're going to try to cram a love story into a disaster, it's better to go big or go home.
Time to plant myself in front of the television and become one with the couch. Let me rephrase that -- become one with the loveseat. The couch has already claimed its first victim of the night. Better poke Husband so I'll be able to hear the show without having it turned-up so much that it annoys the neighbors across town.
On the other hand, I always knew I'd get this far. Yes, having ADD makes it difficult to keep myself focused and I can always find something else to do instead of sitting here and typing something. However, also having OCD makes me get up and type at least a little something every day because I can't stand the thought of having a date without a post. That just wouldn't be organized and I'd never forgive myself. Of course, if the reason were something I couldn't control -- severe illness, natural disaster, death -- then I could cope with it but would still be disappointed.
So, what have I done to make this event special? Nothing, really. I took a nice nap today. I did the special effects makeup for my friend again. I watched tonight's episode of Mythbusters where they tried square wheels on a truck. I think they needed a four-wheel drive truck, but no one asked me. The episode of Unchained Reaction (theme = flight) is boring....again. I don't really see the show going for another season, but there's already worse crap on TV so what do I know?
I'm looking forward to watching the National Geographic special with James Cameron about the Titanic. Yes, I know it's the 100th anniversary of the sinking. Yes, I know the movie was hideously long and all you really needed was the last third of the movie where the ship hits the iceberg and the sinking. There was a Broadway musical made about Titanic and I've never seen it. I don't think I will either because I can't imagine what the songs would be. "Glub, Glub, Glub! This water is cold!" or "Are You Getting My SOS?" Even Cameron said that his pitch for the movie was "Titanic plus Romeo and Juliet." I don't remember teenage suicide in Titanic but if you're going to try to cram a love story into a disaster, it's better to go big or go home.
Time to plant myself in front of the television and become one with the couch. Let me rephrase that -- become one with the loveseat. The couch has already claimed its first victim of the night. Better poke Husband so I'll be able to hear the show without having it turned-up so much that it annoys the neighbors across town.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Curse of the couch
Not much happened here today. Youngest Son went to work on his school's play which will be showing next weekend. Husband and I actually got to have lunch together. The star of our community theatre production came by the house for some special effects makeup work for his church's Easter pageant (will be back in the morning for more). Sat and watched A Bugs Life and Cars with the family.
Well, sort of. I sat and watched A Bug's Life and Cars. Youngest Son fell asleep on the couch and I had to send him off to bed. Husband decided to take his spot ("Because it's warm there" was his reason) and promptly fell asleep. I kept having to wake him up so he could watch the parts he likes in the movie. There must be something in the cushions of the couch that affects males because both Youngest Son and Husband will fall asleep there regardless of how much sleep they got the night before or what they've been doing during the day.
I usually sit on the loveseat because it's closer to the television and there's just enough room to stretch-out a bit (it helps when you're short). I let the guys argue over who will sit in the chair or fall asleep on the couch. At times when I sit in the chair so I can work on my laptop, they'll each take either the loveseat or the couch -- and invariably one or both (usually Husband first) will fall asleep. It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't snore loudly. Even the dogs are often awakened from their sleep by the noise, which is odd because even the dogs snore around here.
It's late and I've got to get this posted so I won't miss my personal deadline of posting every day. Maybe I'll go to bed early. Maybe I'll stay up and watch television. Maybe I'll get some sleep in-between everyone else's snoring.
Oh, and what they say about me snoring....I've never heard myself snore so I can neither confirm or deny whether it happens or not.
Well, sort of. I sat and watched A Bug's Life and Cars. Youngest Son fell asleep on the couch and I had to send him off to bed. Husband decided to take his spot ("Because it's warm there" was his reason) and promptly fell asleep. I kept having to wake him up so he could watch the parts he likes in the movie. There must be something in the cushions of the couch that affects males because both Youngest Son and Husband will fall asleep there regardless of how much sleep they got the night before or what they've been doing during the day.
I usually sit on the loveseat because it's closer to the television and there's just enough room to stretch-out a bit (it helps when you're short). I let the guys argue over who will sit in the chair or fall asleep on the couch. At times when I sit in the chair so I can work on my laptop, they'll each take either the loveseat or the couch -- and invariably one or both (usually Husband first) will fall asleep. It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't snore loudly. Even the dogs are often awakened from their sleep by the noise, which is odd because even the dogs snore around here.
It's late and I've got to get this posted so I won't miss my personal deadline of posting every day. Maybe I'll go to bed early. Maybe I'll stay up and watch television. Maybe I'll get some sleep in-between everyone else's snoring.
Oh, and what they say about me snoring....I've never heard myself snore so I can neither confirm or deny whether it happens or not.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Discovery's "Unchained Reaction" premiere - Meh...
When I heard that Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman were going to "sponsor" a new show on Discovery Channel, I figured that it would be entertaining and educational, just like Mythbusters. I knew it couldn't possibly be as good as Mythbusters because the guys weren't going to be in the show. They just present the task for the episode and "watch" until it's time to judge the efforts.
Unchained Reaction at first sounded like an awesome idea because everyone enjoys seeing Rube Goldberg machines and even the Mythbusters had created one for the holiday season one year and showed how hard it can be to get it to work correctly. However, the official definition of a Rube Goldberg machine is that it's an overly complex invention used to perform a simple operation. If you've ever played the board game Mousetrap, you've used a Rube Goldberg machine. Many cartoons throughout the years have shown Rube Goldberg machines for everything from waking a sleeping person to peeling a banana. They're fun to see and even more fun to try to create in your mind. Youngest Son keeps telling me he wants to make one. I discourage him only because (1) he doesn't really have a task for it to perform and (2) I'm afraid of the damage it will cause my house.
The new show, however, doesn't give the teams a specific task to perform. There's a theme for the program -- such as heavy-versus-light and fire-and-ice -- but no ending operation that has to be completed. That would make sense on why they don't refer to the contraptions that are built as Rube Goldberg machines. The teams are given five days and the same materials with which to make their contraptions. When I saw the previews, I thought they'd be competing to see which could complete the task in the most inventive way. They are judged on their inventiveness, but without the common task at the end, it's just not as thrilling. Well, it's not as thrilling to me, anyway.
Rube Goldberg machines have become more and more popular recently. As mentioned above, the Mythbusters completed a very complex one for their show. The band OK Go made a music video that incorporated a large Rube Goldberg machine that assisted in playing some of the music and giving the "big finale" at the end. Some companies are even putting them into their commercials as entertainment and to stimulate consideration of their product, as if they could design one then their product must be just as ingenious.
However, watching two groups trying to sift through a pile of junk to create a "machine" which doesn't perform an actual operation other than to have one gag trigger another isn't quite as interesting. In the premiere episode, they paired-off a group of electrical engineers and a movie set/prop construction team. Right from the beginning it was obvious who was going to win. The winning team had the advantage of practical building experience, a firm understanding of what Jamie and Adam wanted to see, and the ability to work together. (Hope I didn't spoil it for you if you didn't see it.)
Maybe the next episode will be better. But if they can't get them to have a reason for the machines or at least show more of the building and less talking about what Adam and Jamie are "watching" (it's SO obvious they're not "tuning-in" via their laptop), then I don't know if I'll be able to watch the whole series. And that will be quite disappointing.
I'll give it another shot next week. For now, I'll just look forward to the season premier of Mythbusters as they have their "Duct Tape Island" episode.
Unchained Reaction at first sounded like an awesome idea because everyone enjoys seeing Rube Goldberg machines and even the Mythbusters had created one for the holiday season one year and showed how hard it can be to get it to work correctly. However, the official definition of a Rube Goldberg machine is that it's an overly complex invention used to perform a simple operation. If you've ever played the board game Mousetrap, you've used a Rube Goldberg machine. Many cartoons throughout the years have shown Rube Goldberg machines for everything from waking a sleeping person to peeling a banana. They're fun to see and even more fun to try to create in your mind. Youngest Son keeps telling me he wants to make one. I discourage him only because (1) he doesn't really have a task for it to perform and (2) I'm afraid of the damage it will cause my house.
The new show, however, doesn't give the teams a specific task to perform. There's a theme for the program -- such as heavy-versus-light and fire-and-ice -- but no ending operation that has to be completed. That would make sense on why they don't refer to the contraptions that are built as Rube Goldberg machines. The teams are given five days and the same materials with which to make their contraptions. When I saw the previews, I thought they'd be competing to see which could complete the task in the most inventive way. They are judged on their inventiveness, but without the common task at the end, it's just not as thrilling. Well, it's not as thrilling to me, anyway.
Rube Goldberg machines have become more and more popular recently. As mentioned above, the Mythbusters completed a very complex one for their show. The band OK Go made a music video that incorporated a large Rube Goldberg machine that assisted in playing some of the music and giving the "big finale" at the end. Some companies are even putting them into their commercials as entertainment and to stimulate consideration of their product, as if they could design one then their product must be just as ingenious.
However, watching two groups trying to sift through a pile of junk to create a "machine" which doesn't perform an actual operation other than to have one gag trigger another isn't quite as interesting. In the premiere episode, they paired-off a group of electrical engineers and a movie set/prop construction team. Right from the beginning it was obvious who was going to win. The winning team had the advantage of practical building experience, a firm understanding of what Jamie and Adam wanted to see, and the ability to work together. (Hope I didn't spoil it for you if you didn't see it.)
Maybe the next episode will be better. But if they can't get them to have a reason for the machines or at least show more of the building and less talking about what Adam and Jamie are "watching" (it's SO obvious they're not "tuning-in" via their laptop), then I don't know if I'll be able to watch the whole series. And that will be quite disappointing.
I'll give it another shot next week. For now, I'll just look forward to the season premier of Mythbusters as they have their "Duct Tape Island" episode.
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