Blog number 299 **** 06 May 2009
Sitting in an easy chair in the mall, waiting for my lovely one to finish shopping, I was reading "The Kindly Ones". I think I was lead to the book by an article in "The New Yorker, but I'm not sure. Anyway, a man walking by stopped and asked me if it was a good book. I replied that it was starting to get good, that I had a little trouble with it in the beginning. In fact, I had stopped reading it and was thinking of taking it back to the library, but I got to thinking that the author, since it is a big book, must have had something to say, so I decided to try again. I'm glad I did.
The man who had asked me about the book stated that he had heard about the book on National Public Radio, and the personality that mentioned it said the first hundred pages was hard to get through, but after that it was a wonderful read.
The story is about a Nazi war criminal and how he got to be one. Right in the beginning he philosophies that anyone could have wound up in his place under similar circumstances, which mirrors pretty well my own take on the average human. People are sheep, after all. Pretty much.
He also philosophizes that the animal killing another animal for food does not enjoy the activity as much as the prey abhors it. That the pain one suffers in life does not balance with the joys one experiences.
While killing Jews early in the invasion of Russia, he states, after graphically revealing what is contained in such an endeavor, that although the killers were merely performing a dirty job, the killees were losing everything. Not an even balance.
From the mall, mine wife and I went to Barnes and Nobles. While there I overheard a girl ask a clerk if they had, "The Gift of Fear." I asked her if someone had recommended it to her, she said they did. I said, "Good book."
It's one of those books that should be required reading in High School. It talks about how to use the emotion of fear to guide you away from danger. I am one who insists one should listen to that "still small voice" always, anyhow.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
THEY DON'T WRITE 'EM LIKE THAT ANYMORE
Blog number 298 **** 05 May 2009
Went to Mimi's in Phoenix this morning.
Mimi's plays 40's music. Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Doris Day, et al.
I don't know why.
This morning we happened to hear the lyrics to a couple of songs I don't remember hearing before.
One went,
"Hug me squeeze me 'til I'm red
'til my eyes bug out my head."
The other one, and my favorite;
"To my mind she's my kind of girl
Pretty little face knocks me off my feet
Pretty little feet sweet enough to eat."
Hah!
Went to Mimi's in Phoenix this morning.
Mimi's plays 40's music. Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Doris Day, et al.
I don't know why.
This morning we happened to hear the lyrics to a couple of songs I don't remember hearing before.
One went,
"Hug me squeeze me 'til I'm red
'til my eyes bug out my head."
The other one, and my favorite;
"To my mind she's my kind of girl
Pretty little face knocks me off my feet
Pretty little feet sweet enough to eat."
Hah!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
FUN AT MIMI'S
Blog number 297 **** 22 April 2009
It was only afterwards that I remembered seeing them sitting in a booth and getting up to leave Mimi's.
As Teresa and I were leaving, Teresa said she had to use the ladies room. I waited by the door. The man and the woman came back in and talked to the hostess. The hostess said to them, "Sure. Be glad to."
The man gave the hostess a camera and the three walked out the door. As they passed me, I said to the man, "Could I get in on this too?"
He laughed.
A lot.
I didn't think it was all that funny, but maybe the unusualness of my saying that was what tickled him so much.
The hostess took a picture of them standing in front of Mimi's door.
The "photographer" came back in and I asked her if that happened much. She said it was the first time. I commented that they were probably tourists. I searched for them through the window to see if I could get a glimpse of their license plate to see where they were from. I saw them standing by the plants away from the door, so I went outside and asked them where they were from. The lady turned out to be from New Mexico, worked as a legal representative. The man was a border agent from Casa Grande. They had recently found each other after ten years. Evidently they had been very good friends before events took them apart and they were here renewing an old friendship. Thus the photo, I guess.
Teresa came out about then, told about her stint working in prisons, then there was talk about "six degrees of separation," my being the only one there not associated with perps, and so forth.
We exchanged names and Teresa told them about how we came to be in Arizona to such an extent that I asked the man if he had ever seen the movie, "Mother." He laughed in a way that I was sure he understood what I was suggesting.
Nice interesting people.
It was only afterwards that I remembered seeing them sitting in a booth and getting up to leave Mimi's.
As Teresa and I were leaving, Teresa said she had to use the ladies room. I waited by the door. The man and the woman came back in and talked to the hostess. The hostess said to them, "Sure. Be glad to."
The man gave the hostess a camera and the three walked out the door. As they passed me, I said to the man, "Could I get in on this too?"
He laughed.
A lot.
I didn't think it was all that funny, but maybe the unusualness of my saying that was what tickled him so much.
The hostess took a picture of them standing in front of Mimi's door.
The "photographer" came back in and I asked her if that happened much. She said it was the first time. I commented that they were probably tourists. I searched for them through the window to see if I could get a glimpse of their license plate to see where they were from. I saw them standing by the plants away from the door, so I went outside and asked them where they were from. The lady turned out to be from New Mexico, worked as a legal representative. The man was a border agent from Casa Grande. They had recently found each other after ten years. Evidently they had been very good friends before events took them apart and they were here renewing an old friendship. Thus the photo, I guess.
Teresa came out about then, told about her stint working in prisons, then there was talk about "six degrees of separation," my being the only one there not associated with perps, and so forth.
We exchanged names and Teresa told them about how we came to be in Arizona to such an extent that I asked the man if he had ever seen the movie, "Mother." He laughed in a way that I was sure he understood what I was suggesting.
Nice interesting people.
SHE THINKS I'M AN IDIOT
Blog number 296 **** 22 April 2009
Mine wife and I are getting ready to go to the movies and she says, "I'm going to turn on all the fans so it will not be so hot when we get back."
I think a bit on whether or not to say anything, but then think I might as well take a chance, so I say, "I don't want to argue and I'm not trying to get you to do anything, I just want to give you some information.
There is so much heat in the room right now. Turning on the fans will merely spread that heat around, it will not cool off anything. In fact, the heat from the fan motors will actually make the rooms hotter."
She stared at me for a couple of beats and then said, "I'll ask Derek." Walking away, she mumbled, "I'm going to leave them on anyway."
Mine wife and I are getting ready to go to the movies and she says, "I'm going to turn on all the fans so it will not be so hot when we get back."
I think a bit on whether or not to say anything, but then think I might as well take a chance, so I say, "I don't want to argue and I'm not trying to get you to do anything, I just want to give you some information.
There is so much heat in the room right now. Turning on the fans will merely spread that heat around, it will not cool off anything. In fact, the heat from the fan motors will actually make the rooms hotter."
She stared at me for a couple of beats and then said, "I'll ask Derek." Walking away, she mumbled, "I'm going to leave them on anyway."
Thursday, April 9, 2009
IT'S NOT TV. IT'S THE MOVIES
Blog number 295 **** 09 April 2009
We went to see the movie, "I love you man" yesterday. We had been passing on that one for many a day. The trailers made it seem like something I wouldn't like - like one of those teenage gross movies. But it wasn't. I was pleasantly surprised. I liked it a lot. Funny - to me. Not so much to my wife, but what does she know?
One thing happened on our way out of the movie. We passed by these three posters advertising upcoming movies and I thought one looked interesting, "Public Enemies", but I thought I saw a picture of Keenu Reeves or Johnny Depp, both of which I can't stand. I tried to make out who was in it, but this woman was standing in front of the posters, about ten feet from them. She was too far away to read, was standing between two posters, staring at the wall. I didn't want to be rude and get in front of her, but I really wanted to see who was in the movie. So I waited. She never moved. What the hell was she doing? Never could figure it out. Hypnotized? Entranced? Who knows? I don't. We left.
We went to see the movie, "I love you man" yesterday. We had been passing on that one for many a day. The trailers made it seem like something I wouldn't like - like one of those teenage gross movies. But it wasn't. I was pleasantly surprised. I liked it a lot. Funny - to me. Not so much to my wife, but what does she know?
One thing happened on our way out of the movie. We passed by these three posters advertising upcoming movies and I thought one looked interesting, "Public Enemies", but I thought I saw a picture of Keenu Reeves or Johnny Depp, both of which I can't stand. I tried to make out who was in it, but this woman was standing in front of the posters, about ten feet from them. She was too far away to read, was standing between two posters, staring at the wall. I didn't want to be rude and get in front of her, but I really wanted to see who was in the movie. So I waited. She never moved. What the hell was she doing? Never could figure it out. Hypnotized? Entranced? Who knows? I don't. We left.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
MY TULPA
Blog number 294 **** 08 April 2009
Teresa made up an Easter basket for Anna, my next door neighbor. I lowered it onto where she plays. Later today I heard her and I went out to my perch and she was there, along with her little brother - cute little fart, and her mother. Anna saw me and said she had gotten an Easter basket. I asked her if the Easter bunny had left it and she looked puzzled and said she thought I had left it. I confessed I had.
Her mother introduced herself and told me that Anna calls me the "neighbor boy." Hah!
Doesn't sound like all that much, written down, but it meant a lot to me and that's what counts, yeah?
Teresa made up an Easter basket for Anna, my next door neighbor. I lowered it onto where she plays. Later today I heard her and I went out to my perch and she was there, along with her little brother - cute little fart, and her mother. Anna saw me and said she had gotten an Easter basket. I asked her if the Easter bunny had left it and she looked puzzled and said she thought I had left it. I confessed I had.
Her mother introduced herself and told me that Anna calls me the "neighbor boy." Hah!
Doesn't sound like all that much, written down, but it meant a lot to me and that's what counts, yeah?
TWO THINGS...
Blog number 293 **** 08 April 2009
(1) This guy in a book I was reading said that he can't listen to Celine Dion. He said she has a terrific voice range and a beautiful voice, but her singing has no character. Tom Waits, on the other hand, has a small voice range and not a very good voice, but his singing has character. I immediately recognized what the guy in the book was saying. In fact, for instance, I used to love the Beatles, but now I can't stand to listen to them. Rolling Stones, however, never gets old. I think that once again, here the Beatle's singing has no character, while the Stones have plenty.
Willie Nelson falls in the singing with character arena too.
I can't really defend or describe what I mean, but I recognize it. It's like beauty or art. We recognize it when we see it, but we can't describe it.
There are people too with "character." Maybe charisma is anyone with large positive character.
Maybe not.
(2) Saw a trailer today at the movies and this guy steers a speed boat into a sharp left turn and the lady in the back falls out the boat to the LEFT! What's the matter with Hollywood? Don't those guys ever look around them into the real world? They never heard of inertia? Never had an experience of going around a curve?
I also saw two instances of people falling out of a moving car and rolling AWAY from the direction in which the vehicle was traveling. One was in a Simpsons' episode and the other was in a movie where a Black guy kidnaps a white guy and the white guy's feet catch on fire and he dances to a fast beat. I don't remember the name of that movie, but that's the plot.
Why is it "Black guy" with a capital B and "white guy" with a small w? Or am I mistaken?
All done.
(1) This guy in a book I was reading said that he can't listen to Celine Dion. He said she has a terrific voice range and a beautiful voice, but her singing has no character. Tom Waits, on the other hand, has a small voice range and not a very good voice, but his singing has character. I immediately recognized what the guy in the book was saying. In fact, for instance, I used to love the Beatles, but now I can't stand to listen to them. Rolling Stones, however, never gets old. I think that once again, here the Beatle's singing has no character, while the Stones have plenty.
Willie Nelson falls in the singing with character arena too.
I can't really defend or describe what I mean, but I recognize it. It's like beauty or art. We recognize it when we see it, but we can't describe it.
There are people too with "character." Maybe charisma is anyone with large positive character.
Maybe not.
(2) Saw a trailer today at the movies and this guy steers a speed boat into a sharp left turn and the lady in the back falls out the boat to the LEFT! What's the matter with Hollywood? Don't those guys ever look around them into the real world? They never heard of inertia? Never had an experience of going around a curve?
I also saw two instances of people falling out of a moving car and rolling AWAY from the direction in which the vehicle was traveling. One was in a Simpsons' episode and the other was in a movie where a Black guy kidnaps a white guy and the white guy's feet catch on fire and he dances to a fast beat. I don't remember the name of that movie, but that's the plot.
Why is it "Black guy" with a capital B and "white guy" with a small w? Or am I mistaken?
All done.
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