My friend and his kids got all creative and arty one Sunday afternoon. Here you have the results:
Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
36
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Maybe I'm jumping the gun but what the heck. Tomorrow, Suzanne reaches the all-important milestone of 36 weeks. I'm sure some of my readers are like, "Enough with the freaking countdown, Count. Just tell us when the baby gets here." Sorry about that. It's just that for two months we've been waiting for this day to come. We have been anxiously praying that we could at least make it to a point where the baby would be reasonably safe. Well, hopefully tomorrow is that day. Obviously, childbirth is a tough thing and there can always be complications but the likelihood of those complications drops dramatically after tomorrow. So I'm glad. Sigh.
In other news, I'm on the verge of making an executive decision. Executive decisions for me don't come often. In many ways, I'm a go-with-the-flow sort of guy. I try to do what I'm "supposed" to do and it's fairly rare that I will make the choice to not. When I was a zone leader on my mission, my zone was in charge of our annual Christmas conference including the clean-up duties. We didn't finish up until after midnight (unheard of for a bunch of faithful missionaries) and so as we all heading back to our apartments, I announced an executive decision: everyone sleeps in until nine tomorrow. My Elders seemed to think that was inspired leadership.
Anyway, I have a copy of Quo Vadis sitting near the tv waiting to be watched. The thing is, I just can't bring myself to do it. It's a 3 hour long sword-and-sandal epic from 1951. It's a precusor to later movies like Spartacus and Ben-Hur. Those movies are important because they represent the beginning of the end of the Blacklist era - but Quo Vadis is. . . not so much. As near as I can tell, it's just long. From what I've read, it's similar to The Robe, which was fine but no big deal.
So I think I'm just going to drop it back in the mail and not watch it. I'll just eliminate it from my QE list and that will be that. I don't want to watch it. Not even a little. No one is going to break my fingers if I skip it - so I think I will. I've watched around a hundred films so far which is more than enough. So I think I'll let Quo Vadis go on its way undisturbed.
Now I'm in the process of batting clean-up. There are important movies I haven't seen in almost two years and I need to review them so they're more fresh. I've got Double Indemnity here and I probably need to get Scarface and Public Enemy again. There are also a couple of important ones I haven't seen yet that I probably need to get. G-Men, Brute Force, Kiss of Death to name a few. I've yet to nail down an exact date with my committee but the exam is coming soon and I need to be ready.
I finished a book on genre the other day, finished Thomas Schatz's Genius of the System last week, and I'm about half through Stephen Prince's Classical Film Violence now. I'll finish it in another two or three days. I need to order a couple of Film Noir Readers from the library and I need to finish Bordwell's Classical Hollywood Cinema. I've been nursing that sucker for months and months. It must be finished.
Friday, August 21, 2009
The Bets So Far
Clark - Aug. 26
Ang - Aug. 27
Me - Aug. 29
Admiral - Aug. 30 (night time)
Linda - Aug. 30
Dan - Aug. 31
Shalee - Sept. 7
Mel - Sept. 9
We've got quite a range here, people. We shall see who will win the fabulous prize.
And So It Goes
In a brief, less-than-two-minute consultation, a ten-year process ended. Today I had my last "required" cancer visit. The doctor breezed in, told me my CT scan looked fine, told me to be on the look out for future markers, and then sent me on my way with the understanding that I don't ever have to go back if I don't want to.
It's been ten years now since I was originally diagnosed with testicular cancer. I was 25 years old and had only been married for six months when we found out. I was delivering pizza for Papa Kelsey's in Pocatello, Idaho and Suzanne was working for Officemax.
I had one surgery and about three weeks of radiation treatments and then I was more or less done except for the hawk-like surveillance from my doctors. First, it was every couple of months, then it was every six months. After year 5, I was able to make a once-a-year visit. Now, I'm free.
I'm healthy, chubby, and cancer-free. Yay for me.
It's been ten years now since I was originally diagnosed with testicular cancer. I was 25 years old and had only been married for six months when we found out. I was delivering pizza for Papa Kelsey's in Pocatello, Idaho and Suzanne was working for Officemax.
I had one surgery and about three weeks of radiation treatments and then I was more or less done except for the hawk-like surveillance from my doctors. First, it was every couple of months, then it was every six months. After year 5, I was able to make a once-a-year visit. Now, I'm free.
I'm healthy, chubby, and cancer-free. Yay for me.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Place Your Bets
As of this last Tuesday, Suzanne passed the 35 week mark. This coming Tuesday is the all-important #36, the point where the baby is considered full-term and it's more or less safe to deliver. Maryn was born at 36 weeks and Avery was born at 36 and a half. So last night as Suze was holding her belly and moaning and saying, "What the heck is she doing in there?" I thought, it's getting close.
I told Suzanne I think she'll deliver sometime in the next week to ten days. She says she doubts it will happen in a week. So what's it gonna be? It must be time to play:
YOU BET YOUR BABY! The fun and exciting game where you get to start a baby's life off right by gambling on the day of her birth!
My bet is that Suzanne will have the baby on August 29th. I think this based on the number of contractions she's been having lately, her age, her history, and the fact that it stays in my 7-10 prediction window.
So what about you? Any takers? When do you think this special deliver is going to show up? The person with the closest guess will be awarded a special prize.
I told Suzanne I think she'll deliver sometime in the next week to ten days. She says she doubts it will happen in a week. So what's it gonna be? It must be time to play:
YOU BET YOUR BABY! The fun and exciting game where you get to start a baby's life off right by gambling on the day of her birth!
My bet is that Suzanne will have the baby on August 29th. I think this based on the number of contractions she's been having lately, her age, her history, and the fact that it stays in my 7-10 prediction window.
So what about you? Any takers? When do you think this special deliver is going to show up? The person with the closest guess will be awarded a special prize.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Truth, Justice, and the TLC Way
There are things that divide us in this country. Some people think the new universal healthcare plan is what we've been waiting for while others think it's Armageddon in a box. Some people are all in favor of Cash for Clunkers, some think it's going to kill the country. There are those who like Rascal Flatts and then there are those who do not (and never the twain shall meet).
But I think there are certain things that everyone can agree upon, things that draw us together as a nation - things like the pursuit of happiness, things like Truth, Justice, and the fact that Jon and Kate Gosselin need to get the heck off of TV.
Seriously, the ongoing saga of the ever-disintegrating relationship between these two people and the eight other lives bound up together with them has left even the realm of the lurid and just become pathetic, petty, and sad.
The most recent development, detailed here, is just another stop on the downward train to Therapyville for the Plus Eight. These two people just need to get out of the public eye, stop profiting off their children, and focus on being decent human beings.
I guess people are dividing into "Team Kate" or "Team Jon" but I can't get behind either of them. I've hated Kate Gosselin almost from the first moment I saw her. I couldn't believe how rude, dismissive, and bossy she was when it came to her husband. I wouldn't treat a dog the way she treated him and I often found myself cursing her under my breath, unable to believe the seeming utter lack of basic respect and kindness for her spouse.
Jon was never interesting. He's just kind of a lump of a human being, not terribly smart, not talented, certainly not very dynamic. He's the sort of guy that never would have come to anyone's attention except for the freakish turn of events resulting in his wife having so many kids. So I find it kind of lame that suddenly there's talk of him starting a clothing line, that the news makes a point of mentioning that he buys $900 shoes, that our celebrity-crazed-media-driven culture has somehow made him famous for basically leaving his family.
It's clear that Jon and Kate are going to ride out their show until it turns to dust and bones beneath them. They are not going to say, "You know what, even though this money is nice, the publicity has irreparably damaged my marriage, the fame is making it hard for me to have a normal emotional life, and I worry about my kids' well being amid all this chaos - I think we should call it quits."
It's equally clear that TLC isn't going to pull the plug on its golden goose either. It is a business, after all, and businesses are built to make money. It's possible the producers and execs worry about the kids on the show but you can bet none of them are going say, "I know this is our highest rated show and that we're blowing other cable networks out of the water with it, but we should just do the right thing and put a stop to this train wreck."
The only thing I can do is not watch. That's pretty much the only way I can register my disapproval. Maybe if enough people get turned off by a witch, a tool, and eight innocent kids in the process of getting royally messed up, the show will get canceled and the Gosselins can spend more time thinking about being decent and less time worrying about what tabloid cover they're featured on that week.
But I think there are certain things that everyone can agree upon, things that draw us together as a nation - things like the pursuit of happiness, things like Truth, Justice, and the fact that Jon and Kate Gosselin need to get the heck off of TV.
Seriously, the ongoing saga of the ever-disintegrating relationship between these two people and the eight other lives bound up together with them has left even the realm of the lurid and just become pathetic, petty, and sad.
The most recent development, detailed here, is just another stop on the downward train to Therapyville for the Plus Eight. These two people just need to get out of the public eye, stop profiting off their children, and focus on being decent human beings.
I guess people are dividing into "Team Kate" or "Team Jon" but I can't get behind either of them. I've hated Kate Gosselin almost from the first moment I saw her. I couldn't believe how rude, dismissive, and bossy she was when it came to her husband. I wouldn't treat a dog the way she treated him and I often found myself cursing her under my breath, unable to believe the seeming utter lack of basic respect and kindness for her spouse.
Jon was never interesting. He's just kind of a lump of a human being, not terribly smart, not talented, certainly not very dynamic. He's the sort of guy that never would have come to anyone's attention except for the freakish turn of events resulting in his wife having so many kids. So I find it kind of lame that suddenly there's talk of him starting a clothing line, that the news makes a point of mentioning that he buys $900 shoes, that our celebrity-crazed-media-driven culture has somehow made him famous for basically leaving his family.
It's clear that Jon and Kate are going to ride out their show until it turns to dust and bones beneath them. They are not going to say, "You know what, even though this money is nice, the publicity has irreparably damaged my marriage, the fame is making it hard for me to have a normal emotional life, and I worry about my kids' well being amid all this chaos - I think we should call it quits."
It's equally clear that TLC isn't going to pull the plug on its golden goose either. It is a business, after all, and businesses are built to make money. It's possible the producers and execs worry about the kids on the show but you can bet none of them are going say, "I know this is our highest rated show and that we're blowing other cable networks out of the water with it, but we should just do the right thing and put a stop to this train wreck."
The only thing I can do is not watch. That's pretty much the only way I can register my disapproval. Maybe if enough people get turned off by a witch, a tool, and eight innocent kids in the process of getting royally messed up, the show will get canceled and the Gosselins can spend more time thinking about being decent and less time worrying about what tabloid cover they're featured on that week.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
34
As of yesterday, Suzanne safely passed the 34 week mark. This means that, even if she were to go into labor even as I write this, a Lifeflight to Peoria will not be in order. Yay for her, yay for us, yay for childbirth!
So now we're whittling away on week 35, hoping to make it to week 36 at least. Maryn came at 36, Avery came at 36.5. Neither of them required any extra hospital time or special care and we're hoping for the same for Baby X.
Yesterday was also important because it was the last day of the summer term. I collected 45 new papers plus about that many revised essays. Allowing revisions was pure foolishness on my part. I didn't realize how quick the turnaround had to be - final grades in by 10 a.m. tomorrow. So roughly eighty papers in about forty eight hours. As I repeatedly pointed out to my students, that's ridonkulous.
Nevertheless, ridonkulous or not, I'm done. I did about twenty yesterday and then went in this morning and stayed until a little after four. I graded, tabulated, and submitted my finals at 4:15. It was a long day of staring at papers, wincing at some, cheering for others. One girl just didn't show up to hand in her final paper at all. Another girl handed in a big portfolio of her work and the four pages that were supposed to be her final paper were blank. One guy included a note with his final asking me to not judge him too harshly for what he wrote. Ah, semester's end - everyday is an adventure.
Movie Catch-Up:
42nd Street - Snooze. A "backstage" musical - one that features song and dance strictly as actual performances rather than the "integrated" musicals that came later that featured song and dance as expressions of the actors feelings. Young Dick Powell creeps me out.
On the Beach - surprisingly sophisticated. For those who haven't seen it, it's about sailors on an American submarine who dock in Australia after nuclear war and the subsequent radiation have wiped out the United States. The ever-stalwart Gregory Peck is the sub captain who lost his wife and two daughters in the war while he was at sea. Ava Gardner plays a woman drinking herself to death as everyone in Australia waits for the radiation to drift their way. Fred Astaire gives a surprisingly effective performance as a dissolute scientist weighed down with guilt over helping to develop the bomb. The best sequence is when the sailors travel to California to investigate a Morse code transmission coming from San Diego. The images of a hazmat-suited sailor walking alone through a completely empty city are spooky and compelling. I really enjoyed this one.
Top Hat - I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am not a musical kind of guy. Nevertheless, I can appreciate certain things about certain ones. I've gotta say, I can see what the big deal is about Fred Astaire when it comes to dancing. He really is that good. As they say, Ginger Rogers had to do everything he did only backwards and in high heels, so she's no slouch either. It's a silly movie but joyful and fun to watch. Helen Broderick as the very dry, long-suffering Madge made me laugh more than once.
Pinky - As I write this, I'm about a third of the way through Elia Kazan's film about a black woman who spent several years "passing" as white in the North who then returns home to her poor, Southern home. I admire Kazan's devotion to films addressing social problems and he obviously took on some touchy ones - but I'm sorry, I really can't get past the casting of Jeanne Crain as an African American. I get that she's supposed to be so white she can "pass" but come on.
This woman as a Sister? I don't think so.
So now we're whittling away on week 35, hoping to make it to week 36 at least. Maryn came at 36, Avery came at 36.5. Neither of them required any extra hospital time or special care and we're hoping for the same for Baby X.
Yesterday was also important because it was the last day of the summer term. I collected 45 new papers plus about that many revised essays. Allowing revisions was pure foolishness on my part. I didn't realize how quick the turnaround had to be - final grades in by 10 a.m. tomorrow. So roughly eighty papers in about forty eight hours. As I repeatedly pointed out to my students, that's ridonkulous.
Nevertheless, ridonkulous or not, I'm done. I did about twenty yesterday and then went in this morning and stayed until a little after four. I graded, tabulated, and submitted my finals at 4:15. It was a long day of staring at papers, wincing at some, cheering for others. One girl just didn't show up to hand in her final paper at all. Another girl handed in a big portfolio of her work and the four pages that were supposed to be her final paper were blank. One guy included a note with his final asking me to not judge him too harshly for what he wrote. Ah, semester's end - everyday is an adventure.
Movie Catch-Up:
42nd Street - Snooze. A "backstage" musical - one that features song and dance strictly as actual performances rather than the "integrated" musicals that came later that featured song and dance as expressions of the actors feelings. Young Dick Powell creeps me out.
On the Beach - surprisingly sophisticated. For those who haven't seen it, it's about sailors on an American submarine who dock in Australia after nuclear war and the subsequent radiation have wiped out the United States. The ever-stalwart Gregory Peck is the sub captain who lost his wife and two daughters in the war while he was at sea. Ava Gardner plays a woman drinking herself to death as everyone in Australia waits for the radiation to drift their way. Fred Astaire gives a surprisingly effective performance as a dissolute scientist weighed down with guilt over helping to develop the bomb. The best sequence is when the sailors travel to California to investigate a Morse code transmission coming from San Diego. The images of a hazmat-suited sailor walking alone through a completely empty city are spooky and compelling. I really enjoyed this one.
Top Hat - I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am not a musical kind of guy. Nevertheless, I can appreciate certain things about certain ones. I've gotta say, I can see what the big deal is about Fred Astaire when it comes to dancing. He really is that good. As they say, Ginger Rogers had to do everything he did only backwards and in high heels, so she's no slouch either. It's a silly movie but joyful and fun to watch. Helen Broderick as the very dry, long-suffering Madge made me laugh more than once.
Pinky - As I write this, I'm about a third of the way through Elia Kazan's film about a black woman who spent several years "passing" as white in the North who then returns home to her poor, Southern home. I admire Kazan's devotion to films addressing social problems and he obviously took on some touchy ones - but I'm sorry, I really can't get past the casting of Jeanne Crain as an African American. I get that she's supposed to be so white she can "pass" but come on.
This woman as a Sister? I don't think so.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
237.6
What? What's that you say?
Oh, that's right. I'm supposed to be losing ten pounds over the next couple of months, not gaining ten pounds.
Whew. Good thing you told me now.
Oh, that's right. I'm supposed to be losing ten pounds over the next couple of months, not gaining ten pounds.
Whew. Good thing you told me now.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Because Michelle Malone Rocks
Here's a little somethin' somethin' for you. Sorry about the quality. Hopefully, it's good enough to get the gist of the song across.
What My "Most Played" Say About Me
Yep, another iPod post.
The other function of iPods and iTunes is the counter. It keeps track of how many times to listen a song all the way through and then, on iTunes, organizes your songs into your "25 Most Played." This is fascinating because I think the things we consider our favorite of anything aren't always the things we consume the most. For instance, I may say that Double Indemnity is one of my favorite movies of all time but the truth is, I've only seen it a couple of times. When I'm recommending great movies, I don't often bring up Bob and Doug McKenzie's Strange Brew but, then again, I've seen that one probably close to fifty times. Music-wise, when somebody asks me who my favorites are, I usually say U2, REM, and the Indigo Girls. But is that who I actually listen to the most?
We may say we love one thing but where do we really spend our time? The iPod counter reveals all. Frankly, I'm a little obsessive about it. Sometimes when I hear a song on the radio that I have stored on my player, I feel a small pang of disappointment that I'm hearing the song but not getting credit for it. Sometimes I listen to a song all the way through twice just because I know that extra spin will move it up the list by a notch. Messed up? Sure, but you don't read this blog for examples of good mental health, do you?
Anyway, here are my top ten most played and what they say about me:
1. "Panama" by Van Halen
I am filled with awesome, 80's rockitude. I love air guitar. I secretly wish I had David Lee Roth's hair from 1980.
2. "Tell Me 'Bout It" by Joss Stone
Deep down, I am a white boy who likes to shake his butt.
3 "Let My Love Open The Door" by Sondre Lerche
I'm a soft, wussy, little, sensitive-ponytail-man folkie.
4. "Man Sized Wreath" by REM
I have an angry little rocker inside me.
5. "All These Things That I've Done" by the Killers
I love the poetry of the line, "I've got soul / but I'm not a soldier."
6. "Believe Me, Baby, I Lied" by Trisha Yearwood
I didn't come away from my time at the country radio station with nothing of worth. I came away with exactly one song that I like.
7. "Crazy In Love" by Beyonce
See #2
8. "Tighten Up The Springs" by Michelle Malone
I don't know if this song says anything about me in particular but I do know this song is completely awesome.
9. "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5
When no one's around, I pretend I'm Jermaine and I dance to this song.
10. "Stronger" by Kanye West
Sometimes when I'm mowing the lawn, nothing sounds better to me than a little synth-rap.
So, those of you with iPods, what is your #1 most played song?
The other function of iPods and iTunes is the counter. It keeps track of how many times to listen a song all the way through and then, on iTunes, organizes your songs into your "25 Most Played." This is fascinating because I think the things we consider our favorite of anything aren't always the things we consume the most. For instance, I may say that Double Indemnity is one of my favorite movies of all time but the truth is, I've only seen it a couple of times. When I'm recommending great movies, I don't often bring up Bob and Doug McKenzie's Strange Brew but, then again, I've seen that one probably close to fifty times. Music-wise, when somebody asks me who my favorites are, I usually say U2, REM, and the Indigo Girls. But is that who I actually listen to the most?
We may say we love one thing but where do we really spend our time? The iPod counter reveals all. Frankly, I'm a little obsessive about it. Sometimes when I hear a song on the radio that I have stored on my player, I feel a small pang of disappointment that I'm hearing the song but not getting credit for it. Sometimes I listen to a song all the way through twice just because I know that extra spin will move it up the list by a notch. Messed up? Sure, but you don't read this blog for examples of good mental health, do you?
Anyway, here are my top ten most played and what they say about me:
1. "Panama" by Van Halen
I am filled with awesome, 80's rockitude. I love air guitar. I secretly wish I had David Lee Roth's hair from 1980.
2. "Tell Me 'Bout It" by Joss Stone
Deep down, I am a white boy who likes to shake his butt.
3 "Let My Love Open The Door" by Sondre Lerche
I'm a soft, wussy, little, sensitive-ponytail-man folkie.
4. "Man Sized Wreath" by REM
I have an angry little rocker inside me.
5. "All These Things That I've Done" by the Killers
I love the poetry of the line, "I've got soul / but I'm not a soldier."
6. "Believe Me, Baby, I Lied" by Trisha Yearwood
I didn't come away from my time at the country radio station with nothing of worth. I came away with exactly one song that I like.
7. "Crazy In Love" by Beyonce
See #2
8. "Tighten Up The Springs" by Michelle Malone
I don't know if this song says anything about me in particular but I do know this song is completely awesome.
9. "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5
When no one's around, I pretend I'm Jermaine and I dance to this song.
10. "Stronger" by Kanye West
Sometimes when I'm mowing the lawn, nothing sounds better to me than a little synth-rap.
So, those of you with iPods, what is your #1 most played song?
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