Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Scenes from an Idiot's Marriage

I miss SCTV...

Saturday, January 27, 2007

quote for today

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of freedom."
- John F. Kennedy, 1961

40 years on

Edward H. White II, Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, and Roger B. Chaffee were locked in their Apollo 1 capsule on the launch pad for a live test countdown in preparation for a later orbit mission when something happened. A flash fire swept the concentrated oxygen environment of their capsule and incinerated the three men in seconds.

An Accident Review Board found no single ignition source of the fire was conclusively identified. The rapid spread of fire caused an increase in pressure and temperature which resulted in rupture of the Command Module and creation of a toxic atmosphere. Death of the crew was from asphyxia due to inhalation of toxic gases due to fire. There were no medical or fire crews nearby, and the crew was never capable of effecting emergency egress.

I was 8 years old at the time, and my only remembrance of the tragedy now was Life Magazine's coverage.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

My Father and Mother


I'm guessing...Just about the time before he was drafted and went to the Korea War.
He was a handsome boy!

And my mother...well, she's a Saint.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

thirsty?

why yes...yes I am...



Monday, January 22, 2007

Regina Spektor/Jolie Holland

2 I love....

Fidelity...


Crush in the Ghetto...


Sunday, January 21, 2007

snow


I live about 100 yards from the highway. Slipping in and out of sleep overnight Saturday on into the morning I could hear the dull scraping of the lonely plows clearing the road.

A glow from the outside washed the inside of the living room even before I opened the blinds. When I opened them I saw a painted landscape. Snow! At last! I grabbed the camera and went out. I fell down. You can see the mark in the photo just above the date. I didn't care. Yes, that's only because no one was around to witness.

Children are throwing snowballs and laughing. The deathly silence that usually engulfs the neighborhood is gone. I'm drinking hot coffee and looking out.

Life can be good sometimes.


Thursday, January 18, 2007

speaking of Audrey...

...A lovely tribute...

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

free hugs (abrazos gratis)

Heck, I could use a hug.

Monday, January 15, 2007

wonderful tonight

Eric Clapton.Enjoy!

Sunday, January 14, 2007

a vagabond's secret to a happy life

laugh 'til you poop...


...and that's all there is to it!

I need your love


A song from my youth -
This Guy's In Love With You,
the Bacharach/David gem from 1968.

Used to play this almost everyday after coming home from school amongst a top ten playlist, imagining I was a disc jockey. My dad would ask "you really like that song don't you?" and I'd blush and nod and say "yeah."

Monday, January 8, 2007

my first Czech film....


...is the magnificent! 1966 Oscar© winner, Closely Watched Trains.

This gentle, perceptive, film brilliantly directed by Jiri Menzel, follows a shy, sexually inexperienced novice train dispatcher at a village railway station in occupied Czechoslovakia during WWII.

My all time favorite coming-of-age film! See it if you can!

Saturday, January 6, 2007

putting the dog to sleep....

...a title just for an attention grabber
for my favorite dog poem...


The Revenant by Billy Collins

I am the dog you put to sleep,
as you like to call the needle of oblivion,
come back to tell you this simple thing:
I never liked you--not one bit.

When I licked your face,
I thought of biting off your nose.
When I watched you toweling yourself dry,
I wanted to leap and unman you with a snap.

I resented the way you moved,
your lack of animal grace,
the way you would sit in a chair and eat,
a napkin on your lap, knife in your hand.

I would have run away,
but I was too weak, a trick you taught me
while I was learning to sit and heel,
and--greatest of insults--shake hands without a hand.

I admit the sight of the leash
would excite me
but only because it meant I was about
to smell things you had never touched.

You do not want to believe this,
but I have no reason to lie.
I hated the car, the rubber toys,
disliked your friends and, worse, your relatives.

The jingling of my tags drove me mad.
You always scratched me in the wrong place.
All I ever wanted from you
was food and fresh water in my metal bowls.

While you slept, I watched you breathe
as the moon rose in the sky.
It took all my strength
not to raise my head and howl.

Now I am free of the collar,
the yellow raincoat, monogrammed sweater,
the absurdity of your lawn,
and that is all you need to know about this place

except what you already supposed
and are glad it did not happen sooner--
that everyone here can read and write,
the dogs in poetry, the cats and the others in prose.

Monday, January 1, 2007

mister 880



Congratulations, Coach. We sure miss you in Hoosierland.

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