Winter Olympics: part 3, or so

You know you are a winter olympics lunatic when you vow to despise NBC for life because you live way out in the coyote hills with only a rabbit ears driven TV which gets only ABC and CBS, and because NBC is a [expletive deleted], they only show bits of things on stupid video shorts online, and they have no taste in what they show, so you rarely get the good stuff, but on your long drives home from work, civilization, etc. you listen to the radio station which carries olympics, and being such a glutton for anything going on in Vancouver, you actually try to form a mental picture of the USA couple doing their ICE DANCE routine, puzzling over what is meant when the announcer says they moved into "a butterfly" at the finale of their program. I think he said "a perfect butterfly". Ice Dancing on the radio, and I listened intently because it was Live Winter Olympics. I wasn't even drunk.



My first awareness of winter Olympics was when Jean Claude Killy took a few medals in Grenoble, France. That's 42 years ago. Yikes. 1968.

Now, this was something I wished I could go for, but living in Miami, and being mired in other dysfunctional non-sense, not to mention the pressure of the draft, even seeing snow was out of reach, let alone skiing it. Somehow ice dancing and figure skating never stirred me to the point where I would say without qualification that I would absolutely do that with my life should I reincarnate in some appropriate form which would allow the chance. I do understand dedicating that sort of time and focus to figure skating or anything else of that nature.

Those people think they miss out on cool stuff, but they are actually not missing a thing. Only Hollywood and misguided ne'er-do-wells would make them believe that. I'd love to be in the right place at the right time to have such a single minded passion, but I believe snow boarding or downhill skiing would be more my choice.

Thanks AM 1700 San Diego for not being as screwed up as NBC. Good thing mental pictures come easily to me, accurate or not.
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Not exactly winter olympics, but one could argue it fits in with the topic of hitting the slopes. Or something. I found the brunette's gaze especially intriguing.

Jayne Mansfield. This was prior to the era of implants. At least they were uncommon, if done at all. Maybe reduction would have been wise. Or not.

Another Post bites the dust

More and more, I will write about a topic then figure it is too politically incorrect, liable to be misconstrued, not worth it. The way things go, half of my views are considered semi illegal anyway. I have been shocked that anyone who does not approve of certain long standing agencies of our government gets labeled as a right wing kook who is likely to be a trouble maker of the worst variety. That is unfortunate. Believing in freedom and seeing the way crossing certain lines doesn't justify ends, and in fact comes back around to be used in unexpected ways, is a far cry from any sort of ethnic bias or threat to polite society. The assault on free speech and the independent individual is a bizarre development, but has always been there in one form or another. Now it is becoming a little more broad and insidious.

Song of the South; part 2010

Another of the surprises which befell me after moving to SoCal is the general attitude toward the south. It comes out in off-handed comments on radio and TV, and elsewhere. Clearly, these people have not experienced much of that region.

Just like CA, it depends upon where you live whether you are surrounded by rednecks and ignorance and narrow mindedness, or not. CA is a beautiful place with a mostly nice attitude, but there is an abundance of what would be considered rednecks if we were in the South. Often people appear to be one dimensional, then when you know them one on one they prove to be intelligent and kind.

Most of my life has been spent in various parts of the South. I guess I get defensive when I hear an obviously uninformed slur which is born of a Hollywood construct. I lived in several parts of that region and I still consider parts of NC to be among the best places in the country.

I think it is the same mentality that suggests the public is too stupid to know how to govern themselves, that also assumes that people in the heartland and in the south are somehow too narrow to read or hold passports. I've heard rants to that affect on air America before it went belly up for the last time. It is often the stuff of the banter of smarmy political comic commentators.

Most people do not enjoy hearing their group lampooned or slammed, regardless of the basis of delineation; race, region, hair color, etc. When it is done from an obviously uninformed perspective it annoys. Most of us can laugh at ourselves, and do. But the humor comes from the knowing first hand of which we speak. When the outsider paints the picture based on hearsay and Hollywood stereotypes, then we don't laugh.

Wisdom From the 1930's

Even then advertising was aiming to press your buttons.

Fool, you probably thought smoking wasn't healthy and that she was faithful and telling you no lies.

Winter Olympics: part 2: Curling ROCKS !!!

Finally, I had a chance to watch some of the winter Olympics on a regular TV. A big one. I don't get NBC on my antenna driven box, so I've not seen much of it.

The flying tomato, Shaun White---clearly the best. I like that type of thing, always have. For some reason, almost anything to do with winter olympics holds my attention. Last night, after the spectacular stuff and speed races, all that was on was curling. You'd be surprised how engaging that can be when you pay attention. It was all women, and some were pretty. The skill and strategy are interesting to observe.

After awhile I was wanting to text the Canadian team, advising them on strategy. I didn't do it. It was late and I had work to do this morning so I forced myself to go to sleep without seeing how the matches ended. And without exerting influence on the teams.


They not only practiced curling at the 1924 Olympics, but they also knew how to dress for the occasion. Chamonix, France

Bears: have we given them too many rights?

One of the most surprising revelations from my experience on the BallisticTour was that everywhere you go in the west you are badgered about how to treat bears. No one seems to be asking the bears to be polite, only the people. Of course many people have fed and otherwise trained bears to know where junk food is, what coolers are for, and to seek human activity for free meals and vandalistic entertainment.

Even so, I hold that they need to observe at least a few rules themselves. Number one would be, don't mess with my stuff. Or eat my children. Well some children might not be missed, but most of them should be off limits. I think this is a real fear.

Just check out this evidence of a bear about to eat a cute child, then tell me this special bear treatment hasn't gone on too long. It is time our fellow mammals are taught manners, as well as those humans who appear to be witless.


case closed

Ooops!!! Maybe we were too late

Movie Review: Eli

Actually, it is called The Book of Eli. I won't spoil it but there is a twist to it here and there. The tough part is buying into the premise of the villain's motivation. Denzel's screen presence works regardless of story or script. The acting was good enough all the way through. Pretty much. Jennifer Beals and Mila Kunis were good just because they are naturally hot.

Much of the story uses the same technique some promos for local news teams use; slo-mo walking with camera angle shooting somewhat from the ground up to give that bigger than life effect. The NFL promos used to do some of that too. If you like slo-mo walkin', this is the flick for you.

It held my attention throughout and I would have stayed and watched the sequel had they kept going. It looks like one could happen, but I doubt it would work well unless they are more clever than I think they are.

It's set in a post massive war era. Must have been a nuke fest. This won't spoil anything, but the people who made cannibalism their main dinner habit all had very shaky hands. That's how people knew. You go into some strange place and they want to see your hands to be sure you won't filet them when they aren't looking.

Now I need to find out if a steady diet of human really does that. It could prove useful in avoiding cannibals down the road sometime. You never know. And since predators generally like herbivorous prey, I fear that normal omnivorous humans who turn cannibal might want to eat vegetarians first. Of course, I'd be happy to throw the obnoxious ones, who try to influence the diets of others, to the wolves, as it were.

I'm going to learn that slow motion power walk thing. People automatically think you are special, somewhat mystical, and tough when you can do it right. It is better for your image than even the moon walk.

I give the movie a solid B maybe a B+. Just solid B I think. Not bad. I actually wanted to see The Blind Side, but it wasn't playing there any more, and this was the movie that was playing in just a few minutes when I arrived at the theater.

A side note: the place is called Edward's Cinemas, however at night, since the neon is not working throughout the sign, it becomes "Edwar inemas". I never enter after dark--just in case.

This was a late birthday present to myself. One of many, I'm sure. It seems I've only seen one other movie there. I don't hit the theater much. A costly place. I wait for Hulu or Redbox. Or the library.

Winter Olympics: part 1

Since my boondock connection is spotty and slow tonight, I can only cover a bit at a time. So, rather than the usual marathon entry, bla bla bla

Tonight I want to know why sports like the following haven't been displayed since 1928. If they didn't want to use horses they could use fast running humans, or snowmobiles. I guess engine power is not in the spirit. Maybe some form of ice boat with a sail?


The good old days--

Random memories

A day from last big road trip. Montana, playing a little music with a bluegrass ace. Not bad on blues either. I liked playing with Bob.

Did I ever tell you about the phys ed coach at South Miami Junior High who took sips of Aqua Velva throughout the day? I suspect he substituted something in there for the after shave, or else he figured he'd smell good inside and out and no one would suspect he was a little drunk. I think half the faculty and administration of that school were perverts and un-convicted felons. They'd fry quickly in today's world, and should have probably fried back then.

There is a story my brother recently brought to my attention. Years ago in Miami, I was at a wedding and some strange girl decided I was approachable. She beamed as she announced, "I might be pregnant". I forgot my response, byt reportedly I replied that I may be happy for her. The girl was not quite right. I used to attract weirdos like a super charged magnet. I still do but not as powerfully. They used to travel miles, I'm convinced, just to drop little gems like that on me. It was supernatural.

I had a "67 MG sometime toward the last months or year of my drinking. That last couple of years was a blur. I do not have the slightest idea what happened to it. No clue whatsoever. I think I may have forgotten where it was parked, then forgot I owned it. That may have been when I ended up in the home for wayward musicians, siphoning heating oil from the abandoned house of the Cat Lady, who'd been institutionalized some month's prior to that. We had a big oil fired heater which I fixed so it would work We did not freeze. That is where I learned to wash clothes in a sink.

If you know what happened to my burgandy MGB, please advise. It ran well and the top did not leak. I remember putting new batteries in--two 6 volt batteries in tandem under that panel behind the seats. So, I know where I put the batteries but not the car.

This is not a story but I will advise with convinction that if any third parties ever try to interfere mediate or otherwise serve as some sort of agent between you and a love interest, boot them out, ignore them, do not explain anything to them, and if possible kick them within an inch of their lives.

Comedians often annoy me. Cheap shots on personalities which are borderline cruel get old quick, like years ago. I think the art of lampoon, satire, and that sort of thing has turned into something different. Sometimes it is still done cleverly and with style, but too often it is just thinly veiled cruelty or sadism. No examples given. It just happens.

A good combo for some entertaining ad lib is Rickles and Greg Ferguson.

A friend of mine was once murdered by a gangster and everyone knew who did it and that it was not self defense but he never even stood trial. Clearly much of Miami's law enforcement community and the attorney general of the state of Florida were corrupt. later the news caught that A.G. taking bribes on film, and he still did not suffer so much as a forced resignation. There was enough evidence and eye witness info that I wrote a letter to the state attorney general. Representatives came to the house while I was in school and grilled my mother about irrelevant info on me, assured her they'd 'look into it" and that was that. They knew I'd be in school. The letter included enough info on me and my relationship to the 17 year old that got shot on Christmas eve that past year.

A lot of people dream up reasons to support their belief that they are superior to the majority of the people they know. Unfortunately, I have had to listen to this while one of those sucked a relative into that conversation. They both concluded they were simply more evolved than losers like me. They did not mention me by name but every plus they analyzed was an achievement or outward reward that I did not possess. I felt like dirt that day, and I was visiting, and had flown in, broke, so there was no immediate escape. First time we came within spitting distance of the airport, I bolted. I took the earliest flight out. That visit still haunts me.

I don't know if one ever comes to grips with the lack of respect felt from flesh and blood, especially when it is not directly stated, just demonstrated. That is extremely difficult because it can't be hidden and probably not helped. But it would never be admitted. Lack of respect is pretty hard to hide and it stings in a way few things do. I suppose the source is what gives it weight or not. I regularly soak myself in motor oil hoping things like that will roll off, like water off a duck's back. No wonder some of my kin silently think I'm an idiot.

I probably think I'm not the brightest bulb in the chandelier myself. Or is it brightest bulb in the shed, or on the tree? See how this works?

Andy Roddick has one damned good looking wife.

I wish I did not have to do paperwork in order to live life. I'm behind on a lot of it. and I lose important documents regularly. It used to be that I was always losing my shoes somewhere in my dwelling or car. Now it is document loss. The trouble is I'll know there is some doc that needs attention but I'll forget which one or what it pertained to.

I'm going to save up so I can take another long winding road trip. Life keeps getting shorter. I'm pretty friggin old to be as young as I am. You can take that 2 ways. Only one is real. I want to parasail across the fruited plains. maybe catch some thermals and make it last for a hundred miles or so.

Astral projection

You have to wonder how I know it is snowing in Dallas and was able to bring back a picture of this snowman in that city without leaving home. I did not search and find it on the internet.

I put myself into a trance, tucked a camera in my shirt then mentally left my body, flying straight across the desert and other terrain until I reached Love Field. Dodging aircraft I made my way to the other side of town where I caught this snowman. By then it was time to come back home.

You can travel faster than planes when astral projecting. No sonic boom or anything because you don't actually bring that much mass along.
So, here's proof of the adventure, in case you doubt my story.