Young Frankenstein – 1974

Director – Mel Brooks

Starring – Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Teri Garr, and Madeline Kahn

I grew up on Spaceballs.  Not only that, I co-grew up on History of the World, Part 1.  It would seem to be a no-brainer that anything Mel Brooks would do should appeal to my basest movie watching self, right?  Then, along came Blazing Saddles.  Everyone that I ever talked to about Blazing Saddles loved it.  It was the summit of comedy for a 10-year-old kid (not to mention a lot of 30 year olds that I know now), so why did I think it to be so, blah?  Was I wrong about Mel Brooks?  Are his other movies even funny?  Long story short, my so-so opinion of Blazing Saddles had managed to color my opinion of Brooks’ other films, such as Young Frankenstein, long before I ever even saw them.  It’s really too bad, because Young Frankenstein was a great piece of fond nostalgia.

The story is simple, it is essentially a campy, comedic, re-telling of the story of Frankenstein.  Gene Wilder plays the grandson of the famous Victor von Frankenstein, Frederick.  Embarrassed by the legacy his disgraced grandfather left behind, Frederick goes so far as to alter the pronunciation of his telltale last name to “Fronkunschteen”.  But after receiving the diary of his grandfather, he makes his way to the castle in which the original monster was created to put some of his theories to the test.

Along the way he picks up a sidekick, Igor (pronounced Eye-gor for obvious reasons) played by British comedian Marty Feldman, and a sexy lab assistant played by Teri Garr.  It is by this point the spoofs, and loving jabs begin to fly. Young Frankestein’s success is not so much because of how it points out the ridiculous nature of the original, but because of how lovingly it treats its source material.  In fact, most of the props and set pieces in the castle are actually props from the original 1931 Frankenstein.

Gene Wilder is perfect as the pseudo-serious mad scientist with Garr and Feldman both playing well comedically against his strait act.  Peter Boyle as the monster is able to combine the original humanity of the character, pioneered by Boris Karloff, and twist it just slightly to the bizarre side of things in order to make it funny.  His bit with the “lonely blind man” played by a young Gene Hackman is a particularly stand out moment. And finally, what Mel Brooks movie would be complete without the fantastic Madaline Kahn, as Frederick’s fiancée swept off her feet by the appropriately endowed monster.

Based on the films that I have seen thus far in my life, did Young Frankenstein cross any lines, or break down any borders for me?  No.  It did however, make me remember why it was that I enjoyed movies like that in my youth…they are fun.  I’m looking forward to giving Blazing Saddles another try.  Big thanks to my buddy Mike for recommending and lending this to me, good lookin’ out!

William James “Bill” Pullman (born December 17, 1953) is an American film, television, and stage actor.

Trivia:

When promoting Independence Day (1996) in South America, some people actually thought he was the President of the United States,

Brother teaches English at Ithaca High School in Ithaca, NY

While teaching at Montana State University one of his students was director John Dahl. Later Dahl gave him a role in his film The Last Seduction (1994).

Received an honorary doctorate of fine arts on 24 May 2008 from The University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Currently co-owns a ranch in Montana with his brother.

Lost his sense of smell after a head injury and two-day coma.

Children: Maesa (b. 1988), Jack (b. 1989), Lewis (b. 1993)

Attended the State University of New York at Oneonta in the mid-’70s, but did not graduate. However, he was guest speaker for the Oneonta graduating class of 1992.

Appeared in both Cold Feet (1989) and Bright Angel (1990) during the time he was teaching at Montana State University in Bozeman. “Bright Angel” is one of the few films in which he played a bad guy. “Cold Feet” was shot in Livingston, MT, only 30 miles or so from Bozeman, and “Bright Angel” was shot entirely in and around Billings, MT.

Is the sixth of seven children. His father was a doctor and his mother a nurse.

Robin Hood – Men in Tights / Spaceballs

Disc 1: Robin Hood-Men in Tights WS Disc 2: Spaceballs WP

Reviews from Customers

“Mel Brooks is awesome”
We bought this movie mainly for Men in Tights, and when we saw for only $5 more we could own Spaceballs as well, we jumped on it. Absolutely love Mel Brooks. And Cary Elwes is just spectacular, it’s a shame he hasn’t had more roles than he has. If you are a fan of Star Wars, Spaceballs is the best (heck you don’t even have to be a fan of it, the movie is hilarious nonetheless) Of course the comedy is a bit crude, and there are some jokes in there I still don’t quite understand, but anything by Mel Brooks is sheer genious!

“Prepare to be in stitches…”
Oh my goodness. When my friend pushed me to watch Robin Hood Men in Tights I resisted with all my might. I’d seen previews of the movie and had no desire to see it. However, somehow I missed the part that it is a Mel Brooks film. That instantly changed my mind.

Except for maybe one other, I don’t think I’ve ever laughed the entire way through a movie. Ever. This Movie was the exception. Oh my GOODNESS. If you like Young Frankenstein, hell, if you like Mel Brooks, this is a must see!

“A Dream Come True”
Growing up, there was 2 comedys I watched ALL THE TIME. One, was Spaceballs. The other, was Robin Hood: Men In Tights. When I recently signed up for Amazon, I was browsing around. I was a bit exhausted at the time, and then I came across this DVD. I thought I may have been dreaming. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Two of my ALL TIME FAVORITE comedys on one DVD? No way. But sure enough, it’s true!! This is instantly one of my favorite DVDs. Simply one of the best DVD purchases I have ever made. Two of the funniest comedys ever made, one one DVD. It’s a dream come true!! BUY THIS DVD!! NOW!

See all detials of Robin Hood – Men in Tights / Spaceballs

This is a list of good movies to watch while high on Pot that I decided to compile, after smoking a little Pot. I started it and got quite most of it done and then pawned the rest off on a couple of buddies! These are in no particular order, and this list isn’t "The Best Movies to Watch High on Pot," just some good movies to watch while enjoying the green.

• Any Monty Python Movie (but especially Monty Python and the Holy Grail)

  • ADDED LATE: At first for got to add any Monty Python, mostly due to smoking pot and getting distracted by shiny things!  Anyway, anything by Monty Python fits the bill for good watching while high…anything. I especially like Monty Python and the Holy Grail, though, as I believe it just may be the pinnacle of humour!
• The Big Lebowski
  • Just an all round cool movie with cool characters. Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey Lebowski (aka "The Dude") is amazing, and John Goodman as The Dudes friend Walter Sobchak is a performance you won’t soon forget. A mix up around two people with the same name that leads to an epic battle to get the Dude’s carpet replaced or cleaned after a thug pissed on it… Never mind that, just take a few puffs and watch the damn thing!
• Caddyshack
  • One of the best Summer comedies of all time! Trouble’s brewing at an upscale private golf course/country club when a crass, fun loving loudmouthed millionaire plans on joining the quiet and normally reserved club. Bill Murray puts in one of the funniest performances ever captured on film (in my opinion, at least), as the messed up, pot smokin’, gopher hunting groundskeeper Carl Spackler. Great performances from Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield (his best performance!) and Ted Night make this one a gem.
• Spaceballs
  • Mel Brooks takes on Star Wars. Brooks comedic genius combined with alumni of the great Canadian Second City Television (SCTV) Rick Moranis and the late John Candy makes this a winning sci-fi cheesefest.
• Evil Dead 2
  • A Sam Raimi masterpiece. I know it’s it’s Evil Dead 2, but it’s not necessary to watch the first. Evil Dead 2 is written as if the first didn’t take place, despite both staring the great Bruce Campbell and taking place in the same old scary cabin. It’s just that I find the second movie superior. Even so, I still suggest watching the original Evil Dead.
• A Scanner Darkly
  • An award winning book by Philip K. Dick, translated into an animation meets reality festival for the eyes with a story that draws you deep into itself. A twisted tale of a deep undercover vice cop trying to find the source of the drug "Substance D," a drug that he himself has become addicted to. A myriad of twisted characters and plot drive this movie. A great cast of actors including Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., Winona Ryder and Woody Harrelson certainly doesn’t hurt either. Try to make sure you smoke your good, heavy mental stuff for this movie.
• Pink Floyd The Wall
  • An over the top, self indulgent whiny story about how shitty life would be if you were a fabulously filthy rich monster rock star made of equal parts Syd Barret and Roger Waters. Oh, and it totally freakin’ rocks. Pink Floyd’s monster Rock Opera concept album, The Wall fuels this warped, cool stylistic animations mixed with live action. A feast for the ears, eyes and mind. Puff away!!!
• Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
  • A truly funny, stupid movie about two stoned buddies trying to score some White Castle burgers. Neil Patrick Harris (as himself) steals their car, and the dubious duo end up riding on the back of a cheetah so you know this is a good movie!
• Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters 
• One of the most disjointed plot-lines I’ve ever seen with a bizarre collection of animated characters including a floating, super-powerful "fries", a milkshake with tiny hands, a suggested omniscient watermelon and his side-kick, Rush’s Niel Peart. The "Let’s All Grab a Snack" retro intro is classic.  "Don’t talk, watch! Don’t talk, watch! You came here, watch it! You don’t like it, walk out!

• Heavy metal

  • An awesome movie to watch after smoking a little something,something. It is animated, there is great music and boobs, it took forever to get on vhs , just waiting for a blu-ray copy of it.

• The Kentucky Fried Movie
  • The very first movie from John Landis (He even has a cameo). This collection of skits, satire, and parodies from 1977 stands also as one of the first efforts from the creative team of Jim Abrahams  and the Zucker Brothers of Airplane! and The Naked Gun fame. It sports a "movie within-a-movie" called "A fist Full of Yen" which is a spoof of Enter the Dragon. Classic. Any movie that starts off with a news anchor stating "The popcorn you are eating has been pissed in…film at 11" receives high accolades.  

As you probably know, a list like this could go on and on… but it won’t!

That’s it for now, folk. Hope you enjoy!

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so i know i missed another day of this, but i was busy. monday evening i chilled at my boo’s house (the iraq veteran i mentioned in the last post), he hasn’t officially asked me to be his girlfriend yet, so i’m just calling him my boo for right now. we had so much fun. his house has a wraparound enclosed screen porch, and we periodically chilled out there for cigarette breaks. there’s empty flower pots all over the porch that they use for ashtrays. he shares the house with three roommates, one of whom is a huge stoner. so me and him smoked a bowl together that was the SHIT. and of course me and my boo couldn’t keep our hands off each other for very long so we periodically made sweet sweet love in his room, which is conveniently right behind the porch, so if you open the windows in his room you can converse with people on the porch. one time after sex, i stayed in bed wrapped in his comforter naked, while he went out to the porch for a smoke, and he opened the window between us and let me have a few drags through the window. it was so romantic. then later, he made us chicken tenders and fish sticks and pizza bites, which were quite yummy and we watched austin powers with his buddies. then later, we were laying next to each other after sex and he was telling me how beautiful i was and i was telling him how sexy his voice was, and how i’m a sucker for sexy voices, and then i asked him if he could sing. and he started doing these corny raps, lol, which led us to me admitting to having the biggest crush on eminem when i was younger, which led to me pulling out my mp3 player and we shared the earplugs and listened to music together for a long time. the first song we listened to was “superman” by eminem cuz when i told him about my crush, the first lyrics he thought of was “we just met, and i just fucked you” from that song. it was so cute, we were sharing my earbuds, listening to that song, and i was doing the girl part and he was doing em’s part, and at the end, he was like “this should totally be our song” hahahaha.

i had class at 9:30 the next day, and it takes me about an hour to get back on the bus to my apartment from his house (5 minutes by car, how crazy is that?), but i hate rushing, so i woke up when he woke up, and while i was supposed to be in my first class, i was instead having morning sex with my boo. then he made me some coffee and sent me on my way so he could get ready for work, and while i was supposed to be in my second class, i was riding the city bus through downtown watching construction dudes put up christmas wreaths on the streetlights. now, i’m not one for being all “too cool for school”, but i definitely felt like a badass that morning.

when i got back from my last class of the day and was officially on thanksgiving break, i got something to eat and chilled on the couch, having a beer and watching a law and order svu marathon. later, i said goodbye to my roommate who was leaving that night. then, my buddy matt came over and we watched spaceballs, and yes, i let him fuck me again, i wasn’t sure how our friends-with-benefits relationship was gonna change now that i was seeing this other guy, but so far, not much has changed. i told him all about my boo, and he’s so kind and understanding, he thinks it’s great that i have someone like that. he said he’d totally be cool with us being just friends with no benefits, but that didn’t work out so well….

this morning, i met up with this guy named jay, whose mother works with my father and they arranged for us to carpool together when going home for thanksgiving break. he turned out to be a pretty cool dude and the four hour trip home went really smoothly for the most part. we mostly talked about music the whole way. he likes country and rock and jimmy buffett and tracy chapman, lol, and we bonded over our similar concert experiences. that’s what’s great about being well-versed in all different kinds of music–i can connect with pretty much anyone about their favorite music.

i don’t know if i’ll be able to blog for the next two days, cuz i’m not sure if i’ll have computer access. i’m traveling down a couple states to visit my mother’s side of the family and celebrate both my grandfather’s birthday and thanksgiving. i can’t say i’m looking forward to it, as i am by far the blackest sheep in the whitest family (personality-wise, not race-wise). plus, they don’t know that i have sex or smoke, so i’m gonna have to make it two whole days without either….phew, this is gonna be tough. god, i can’t wait for saturday.

ugh. so i already missed a day of this daily blogging thing. but nothing incredibly exciting happened yesterday. i did laundry. it was freezing out. i found a dollar bill on the ground.

saturday night i drank so much i puked. i never do that. and the bathroom didn’t have a sink so i had to clean myself up with toilet paper. that was shittiest house i’ve ever been in. there was trash everywhere. and everyone was smoking continuously inside so when i left, my whole outfit reeked.

tonight i have a date with an iraq veteran. he’s so very sweet and interesting and we can connect on so many different levels. and there’s been all these mysterious signs i’ve been noticing lately that suggest he really may be the one for me…..signs like dreams and dead deer and another man’s wife….don’t ask, but they’re spooky, trust me.

tomorrow i’m seeing matt (my weekend friend from the past posts) again and we’re gonna chill at our spot in the park by the lake and maybe come back to my place to watch his favorite movie (spaceballs, lolol). i don’t know what the story is with him and his ex, or what the story’s gonna be for me and the iraq veteran, but as of right now, me and matt are just friends with benefits, and we’re both really cool with that. he’s so much fun. we’re planning a road trip to nyc together soon to see all the holiday decorations. that should be exciting.

Thursday, November 19, 2009
FDR’s Martini

This seemed like an appropriate cocktail after my Martin Sheen/West Wing analogy of the other day, except with a real President this time. I confess, prior to looking up how FDR and Teddy were related, I had no idea that Eleanor and Franklin were already both Roosevelts prior to marrying (they were, apparently, fifth cousins).  Teddy was actually Eleanor’s uncle.  I have absolutely no idea what that makes him to FDR.  Makes me think of the dialogue between Dark Helmet and Lone Starr in “Spaceballs”:

FDR and Teddy Roosevelt meet in another dimension

Dark Helmet:  I am your father’s brother’s nephew’s cousin’s former roommate.
Lone Starr:  What does that make us?
Dark Helmet:  Absolutely nothing!  Which is what you are about to become.

In The Martini Book, there is a quote above this recipe, which reads:  “FDR was a serious martini drinker [I like the guy already] and carried a martini ‘kit’ with him whever he traveled.  During the Teheran conference, he insisted on mixing one of his specialties for Joseph Stalin.  Stalin found it ‘cold on the stomach,’ but liked it.  FDR’s martini was most likely the first ‘Dirty Martini’.”

Definitely like the guy.  Although his Dirty Martini is kind of wussy as far as dirty martinis go.  2 parts gin, 1 part vermouth, 1 teaspoon olive brine, lemon twist, and a cocktail olive.  But as I’ve noted earlier, more vermouth to gin is okay with me when it’s gin.  When it’s vodka, not so much.  Me, I prefer a vodka dirty martini and I like it very dirty, as you’ve probably figured out by now, and very dry.  But I’m not FDR, and we’re talking a good … yikes, what, 70-80 years ago?  Oh dear.  Anyway, this was educational for me, reading up on FDR and his infidelities (ditto with Eleanor and hers, some of them with the same gender, but not until after he committed his).  I had no idea.  Alas, my high school history education ended somewhere between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.  Why?  Because I was taking Chemistry II, which met at the same time that the “gifted” history class met, so I ended up in the so-called bonehead history class for my senior year.  After the first quarter/semester (whichever it was – we’re going back waaaaay too far for me to remember which), my history teacher realized that everyone in the class was going out of their way to copy off my paper/tests and that I was throwing the curve way off.  So he gave me a “research” assignment to find all of the CIF championship victories for my high school dating back to something like 1898 when the school was established, which I did, to the best of my ability, given the fact that there was no internet in that day and age (1980).  That encompassed the 2nd half of my senior year and thus took the place of learning about anything beyond the early 1800’s.  I’m not sure why I know about WWI and WWII and various other things, I must have learned that in junior high on a more peripheral level and remembered it.  But I never got to learn about Teddy or FDR or Eleanor.  Or martinis.  Not that martinis would have been appropriate subject matter back in my high school day.  Now?  No idea.  But you gotta like FDR for the fact that he carried around the fixings with him.

As for the namesake drink itself – I give it a “DNS” rating.  Which stands for “Does Not Suck”.  Not quite a 4 stars but definitely a 3.75 stars.  As I mentioned before, I think I like the higher proportions of vermouth when gin is invovled but not vodka.  The lemon twist (rubbed around the rim of a chilled cocktail glass before serving, then discarded) and the olive are a nice touch.  I liked this one more than I expected I would and give FDR credit, assuming credit is due, for coming up with a good one.

Cheers,
Cathy

Relief for Old Legs

As previously noted, I have decided to add running to my off-season training program.  Derick at Durata Training suggested I run twice a week for 20 minutes at a ridiculously easy pace to get my running legs back.  The first two runs went fine, although I was a little sore after.  But on the third run, things began to unravel.

Apparently my inner athlete thought that a “ridiculously easy pace” was not manly enough and that I needed to go harder.  [After all, I had two 20 minute runs under my belt and that qualified me for Olympic status]. I decided that the run should be at “Ludicrous Speed” – see Spaceballs, the Movie.  In the words of my 14-year-old son: FAIL or quite possibly EPIC FAIL.

I’ve learned two valuable lessons from this fiasco:

1. Listen to the experts.  There is a reason they are the Coach and I am not.
2. Getting old sucks.

So close, and yet so far!  The New Moon premiere, I mean.  Can’t 11/20 just be here already?  Mainly because I want to finish the last two books in the Twilight saga (and read that never-to-be-published Edward POV book, if I can find it).  I’ve been waiting to read them, lest I experience what I did with Harry Potter — not caring about these last few movies because my zeal for the series has ended (from HP, I moved on to Twilight).  I would love to hear recommendations on the next big YA series to read, so let me know!  Someone had recommended Evermore by Allyson Noel, so I think that will be next — any others?  Anyhoo, I decided not to read the last two Twilight books until the New Moon movie came out (didn’t want any spoilers – plus, I’m totally Team Jacob and I hear his character changes in the last couple books).  Anyway, is it here yet?  Huh, huh, huh?  Nary.

(For information on REAL new moons, check out this blog:  paradelle.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/new-moons/.)

Secondly, NASA found water on the moon.  Not just a teaspoon.  A “significant” amount.  (Read more here.)  You think, big deal, who cares?  It’s a huge deal.  A cosmic deal, if you will.  And yes, you should take an interest.  But my question is why did it take us forty years after the first moon landing for us to discover this amazing bit of information?  Don’t you think we would have already searched for moon water?  Or already known that there was water on the moon?  Unless…dare I say…we were never on the moon to begin with?  GASP!  More likely, it’s because the earlier moon missions were digging through a moon desert with sand shovels.  Or maybe they were doing something like this (WARNING, LANGUAGE):

Anyway, how long do you think it will be before the scavengers of American capitalism start packaging and selling “Moon Water” in re-labelled Dasani bottles?  Maybe they can serve it with your next Denny’s special.

This image contains information about the apocalypse, or something.

Island Packet — ‘What do you think about this 2012 madness?” Paul Mitchell asks me via the newsroom’s instant-message system earlier this week. Paul Mitchell is a line of high-end hair care products, but he also is an actual human person who works in the newsroom. At one time Paul, being of a considerably younger vintage, failed to correctly identify Bruce Springsteen on the television. Illogically, we’re friends anyway.

The movie looks like silliness, I reply, but on the other hand, “Independence Day” was a pretty great movie in which many objects were indiscriminately exploded, such as the White House and Lone Star from “Spaceballs,” so it might be fun.

“Not the movie,” Paul says, an icy fear creeping noticeably into his online voice. “All I gotta say is I’m panicking if that mess comes my way in three years.”

Paul was, I surmised, referring to the Mayan prophecy that says the end of times will take place in the year 2012. It’s also the hook of “2012,” a new movie by destroyed-landmark fetishist and director Roland Emmerich (“Independence Day,” “The Day After Tomorrow”) that stars John Cusack, both of whom, it turns out, appear in a strong percentage of Mayan prophecies. In their lore, Cusack is actually immortal.

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DJ Gauffie – Oops! Slim Shady Did It Again

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Now, I’m not here to debate the legitimacy of Mayan prophecies or anything, but I do know this: apparently they believe this pretty seriously, because I haven’t seen any Mayans around here in weeks.

But I did my best to reassure Paul. Well, I replied after some thought, if you only have three years left, the first thing you’ll need to do is figure out who Bruce Springsteen is (which is a joke — he knows, having attended a 2008 concert in Charleston which, and I’m quoting here, “rocked his face off”).

Then, I said, you should probably dig a nice underground bunker. It worked in “The Road,” although I suggest that Paul’s bunker should encourage much less corpse-eating. But that’s just me. I don’t want to tell anyone how to run his bunker or anything.

“OK, well, I saw the trailer for that movie and people are saying it’s gonna happen and I want u to tell me that it’s just Mayan folklore,” he continued. He says “u” because he’s like 15 years old and that’s what young, speedy people do to conserve time. They also say “obvs” and “whatevs.” I am lucky if I can keep up with like 40 percent of the conversations in the newsroom anymore.

It’s Mayan folklore, I replied, trying to appear the picture of calm, which is not easy to do to someone who believes with some urgency that we’ll all be a floating space smudge in the near future. Besides, you don’t want to use your last precious time alive to absorb sci-fi movies. I tell him he needs to get on his Britney Spears thing  QUICK LIKE because time is running out.

Paul has a Britney Spears thing. When everyone thought she was a Marlboro-chaining hilljack who kept running her cars into things, Paul loved Britney Spears. When everyone got angry at the way she kept dropping her children on pavement and lip-synching her custody hearings, Paul loved Britney Spears. To this day, Paul travels great distances to see Britney Spears. But Paul has never actually touched Britney Spears, and I have, and Paul hates this.

“I know,” he replied to my Britney advice, “So much to do.”

The Endtimes actually is not that big of a deal to me, as I have some serious credit card balances and could frankly use the slate-wiping. But I’m reasonably sure that the world will not be ending in 2012, so I’ll keep going along with that, until I hear anything further from the Mayans. Paul still seems frightened, but cautiously optimistic.

“Well,” he IMed, “at least I got to see Springsteen,” he said. Salvation!

Today, a friend and her daughter came over and we hung out and worked on some organizing around the house.  I decided to tackle the trash bags sitting in the computer room that had been brought from AFD– John’s personal things from his locker.  I haven’t had the strength to look at them.  They’ve been here for well over a month.  Today, with my friend here, I decided to open them up.

John’s life at the firehouse was separate from our life together.  I’m not a firefighter.  I don’t know much about firefighting.  John’s told me a lot and I’m eager to learn, but like the horses are my thing- firefighting was his thing.  He could tell you the names and breeds of the horses and knew that Tiny and Amber were decedents of the great Doc Bar.  But he didn’t know the intricacies of riding or horsemanship.  Same with me and firefighting, although honestly, I probably had more interest in firefighting than John had in my “lazy assed horses.”

But he respected my passion and my love for horses, just like I did his love and passion for firefighting.  Both are hobbies/careers that take up a lot of time and can cause rifts in relationships.  That is one of the many things that I’ll always love about him.

Going through his stuff there were some things I knew I wouldn’t find.  I knew I wouldn’t find a photo of me in his stuff.  No wedding photo.   No photo of the two of us.  No photo that he liked of me.  I’m sure some people would think that was odd and maybe it is.  But, that’s the way John was.  If you asked him, he probably would have had a reply like- why do I need a photo of Mary, I see her all of the time.  I often missed him when he was gone, he rarely missed me.  I think a lot of that is that he just saw it as part of the job- John was a professional through and through.  Maybe he even took our relationship for granted to an extent- like it would always be around- always be there.  We had a great relationship and we loved each other very much.  Maybe he figured we were adults and adults don’t miss somebody when they don’t see them for 24 hrs.  John really wasn’t a very emotional person.  Sometimes I think that comes with the job- firefighters and police officers see a lot of things that normal people don’t.  Things that normal people don’t want to see- death, dying, blood, body parts, fires, sickness, etc.  What they experience can also be confidential information in some cases.  John also had experienced a lot of loss- he lost his father in 1994 and his mother in 2004.  That can change a person.

Having Nathaniel changed that for him… he smiled more than he ever had and you could just see the love for his son… it shines through in all of the photos of the two of them.  I know he missed his boy when he was at work.  He’d come home and just hug Nathaniel and tell him how much he missed him.

Being diagnosed with stage IV  made John more emotional, too.  Not to say we had gushy emotional in depth conversations about feelings, but he shared more than he had before and he started telling me “I love you,” more than he ever had.  He used to rarely say it.  He knew it bugged me.  He would reply that it was trite and overused and that I should know that he loved me.  It just felt nice to hear it… to know that he meant it.

I had gotten John some photo magnets of Nathaniel for Christmas or for his birthday or both.  They were in there.  Along with our Christmas card from last year.  He loved his son more than some fathers will love their children in a lifetime.  John was the best father.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that he had actually taken the little fan that I had gotten for him to work.  Often times things that I got for him were just put aside.  Now, who knows if he actually used the fan or not, but at least it made it to work.

There was one thing that I didn’t know he had, but I sort of knew why he had it- a stuffed flying flingshot frog It is reminiscent of the “No Balls” frog.  John also had “No balls”  listed on  his FB page as  his quote.  “Young buck.  Old School,” used to be his quote on the firefighting forum, The Watch Desk.  “Young buck.  Old School,” made sense to me.  “No balls,” I just didn’t get it.  Once I asked him about it.

His explanation was showing me “Frog in a Blender” on Joe Cartoon.

I understand the “Frog in a Blender.”  I found it funny, but not hilarious.  I also missed the point of why he would use it as an avatar and quote on his pages.  So… if anybody wants to explain the significance… I’d appreciate it…

Of course… you can’t always be a serious all business sort of guy.  He did love watching “The Simpsons“, “Family Guy“, and “American Dad.”

There were a  few DVDs.  Typical firefighter ones like:  “The Complete First Season of Rescue Me” & “Ladder 49.”  I loved “Ladder 49,” but hated the ending… isn’t everything supposed to have a happy ending… sigh…   Of course in my “movie”, my firefighter dies of cancer… so no happy ending here either.  There was “Saving Private Ryan.”  John love Mel Brooks.  I being deficient in movie watching have seen very little Mel Brooks.  Geez… every since John and I were dating he mentioned how I needed to watch Mel Brooks movies… in particular “History of the World Part I.”  That was in his locker.  Along with “Spaceballs,” “Young Frankenstein,” and “Blazing Saddles.”  Sadly, I don’t think I’ve seen any of them– I can say I’ve watched “The Producers” and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Maybe I’ll just have to watch some DVDs…  There were 2 vidoes from a comic I’d never heard of, Bob Nelson.  Probably everybody but me has heard of him, but me.  I’m not a whiz when it comes to pop culture.

There was a baseball glove with some balls.  The firefighters used to play at work.  I remember when John bought the glove and some balls.  I believe he got a great deal on a large quantity of balls and sold the ones he didn’t need on E-bay.  He commented that the Navy didn’t like it that much when their balls when over the fence.  I know he looked forward to playing when they had the chance.  One of John’s comments when he was stage IV is that he wanted somebody to teach Nathaniel to play catch.  With my ball handling abilities… that’s not me… volunteers gladly appreciated.

There were some tools that I don’t know what they are and locks without combination.  At least the locks are open.  I don’t know if there is symbolism or irony there or just two locks.  I’d love to ask John to explain what the tools are are or how to use them, but I can’t.  I saw something that was blue nylon.  I wondered if that was his rigging for lifting people (sorry, I don’t know the technical terminology).  John was an expert at knots and doing different rigging.  He was part of a Cecil County rope rescue team.  Once he wanted to practice, so we went over to the firehouse and I ended up hoisted quite high in the air…. lol… a lot of fun, but the harness was NOT comfortable… lol… Part of me wanted to investigate.  Part of me knew, I’d crumple if that’s what it was.

There was a computer cable, a jump drive, and some CDs.  John was a computer whiz.  It’s not surprising that he had some type of computer stuff at work.

A comb, his razor, lotion, a LiveStrong band, a mosquito repellent bracelet, boot polish, and leather cleaner (actually my leather cleaner for my tack– no problem, I’m sure he got more use out of it) were also included.  I brush Nathaniel’s hair with one of John’s combs.  I’ve thought, what will I do when it breaks?  Now, I have a backup.

There was an envelope of some paperwork.  It looks like some reports and classes that John had written up.  He’d been the instructor for a lot of them.  John LOVED teaching.  He was so excited about AFD having their own academy.  He was going to be an instructor.  His eyes lit up when he talked about it.  Sadly, he got sick and was barely able to teach at all.  His helmet with the instructor shield was in the box.  It even still smelled smoky- who knows when he last used the helmet- he was pulled out of work immediately upon his stage IV diagnosis in February.  It’s hard to believe that after all of that time it still smelled smoky.  I love that smell.  I still do, even knowing that his firefighting may very well have contributed to his death.  Bottom line- firefighters have a higher rate of melanoma than the general population.

He had a lot of clothes and his bed linens.  They’ll be nice to keep for Nathaniel and if I ever loose a lot of weight, I know I’d love to wear his t-shirts.

There was a Thank You note from an elementary class that Menassa, Joe, & John had visited to teach fire safety.  I wondered if Joe & Menassa had gotten Thank You’s also or if they’d put it in there for my benefit.  Whatever the case…. I appreciated it.  John participated in a lot of fire safety events at schools and he did a spectacular presentation for becoming a firefighter that he presented at our local (I think) middle school (may have been HS).

John was passionate about firefighting.  He loved being a firefighter.  If only all of us could share that same passion and love… we’d all be happier and the world would probably be a better place.

I think about my desk at work.  If anything happened to me… what contents would get boxed up and returned to Nathaniel.  Most of my things would be discarded- confidential company  info.  Then, there are some printed and cut out photos that I used to display (of the horses, cats, John, and Nathaniel) that are now in desk drawers.  There are the trinkets that people bring back for the team when they go on vacation and an American flag that the company gave us several years ago.  There are a few commendations from when they used to give commendations.

Right now my desk is pretty bare.  I have a laminated funeral card and my calendar from Shutterfly that I made with Nathaniel (and Nathaniel & John) photos.  For the past several years, I’ve delighted in making calendars and photo books.  I think I’m done for a while– too emotional– back to generic.

It was hard going through John’s  things and hard writing about it.  It’s getting to the point- what is left?  I know as I eventually get the house cleaned and if I ever get the basement cleaned, I’ll run across more things of John’s that I didn’t know about.  But I feel like his work chapter is closing.  I don’t want it to close, but sadly, I feel that  it is.

It was some time between ‘88 and ‘89.  Lots of excitement was in the air, mostly due to the approaching futuristic 1990’s.  Defender “The Small” was performing his weekly ritual of cartoons, grandparent visitations, and movies that just arrived on WSBK-TV38.  One particular movie exploded on the screen of my grandparent’s floor model Zenith, melting my brain in the process.  It was one of Mel Brooks’ best works of the time, and still is if you ask me.  That movie was SPACEBALLS.

Just about every person in the world remembers where they were the first time they saw SPACEBALLS.  Most of the time, the memory walks hand in hand with a particular scene from the film.  For me, it was right after Princess Vespa was being chased by SPACEBALL-1.  Her father, King Roland, was just about to call Captain Lone Starr to save the princess.  That’s when the music kicked in.  Eagle V, a flying Winnebago, came cruising through space blasting a song I had never heard before.  As awesome as that was, I nearly shit my footies when John Candy’s character “BARF” was shown.  His circle dancing, furry feet, and passion for eating became goals that I new must be achieved at some point in my life.  I now bring to you the very song that laid dormant in my subconscious until my mid teens.

Bon Jovi: Raise Your Hands

By the time I was of sound mind to make musical opinions, I was shocked to find out who it was that penned that wonderful tune.  But some times you just have to forget everything you’ve learned about music, disregard your beliefs for a bit, and just have a good time.  I did just that this past Saturday night.

Not only did I make John Candy proud that night, I also scored a $10 gift thing.  If you ask me, people need to put more thought into their costumes.  But much like Dark Helmet, they’ll never learn. \m/

“Omg, talk about awesome collection of movies. This Mel Brooks Collection includes Blu ray editions of: Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs, Young Frankenstein, High Anxiety, History Of The World Part 1, Robin Hood Men In Tights, Silent Movie, To Be Or Not To Be, Twelve Chairs. I totally want this!!!” – Ben

"Leave us alone Mel Brooks!" - Robin Hood Men in Tights Opening.

Source: Amazon

Microsoft Announces Facebook and Twitter Partnership with Bing.

Google Comebacks with Twitter Partnership.

The fight is over social search engines, aka the next level of searching the web. Basically, how can one optimize Twitter, Facebook and whatever else into one easy search engine to find easy, relevant and current (as in NOW NOW) info. This will be very interesting to see who comes out on top, and whether this really affects how people search (which in term affects everything on the web).

Debo admitir que le había perdido el rastro a este proyecto. En 2005 Mel Brooks anunció que se haría la serie animada de su famosa parodia de Star Wars, estrenada en 1987. “Spaceballs” fue una película que utilizaba el humor absurdo para parodiar aspectos básicos de la saga de George Lucas… y lo hacía espléndidamente.

En la comic con de 2007, se anunció que la serie estaba pronta a estrenarse, pero las cosas se fueron postergando hasta el 21 de septiembre, fecha en la cual fueron estrenados cuatro de los 13 episodios que, se planea, tendrá la primera temporada de la serie.

No hay mucho más que comentar, excepto que las voces de los personajes no estarán a cargo de los actores que los interpretaban en la película Live Action, pero que la serie promete mantener el espíritu de su antesesora, por esos años en los que aún la Nueva Trilogía no existía.

“>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkrJqlo_k28&feature=PlayList&p=575D561E0DC7B125&index=0]

Que la Fuerza los acompañe

=Malena=

I think I almost died last Friday morning, right outside of Macon, Mississippi. The weather was atrocious, as it has been for the past two solid weeks; the rain was torrential (FYI: that’s a word on My Favorite Words List, which I keep in my glove compartment), the wind was ridiculous, and the roads held pockets of watery vengeance…but that’s not what I thought was I dying from.

Because I’m a fairly safe driver. It’s one of the good qualities I inherited from my father.

I kept my cruise control right on 60 mph, stayed in the slow lane, and I’d successfully steered cleared (literally) of any MDOT lane closings and the ubiquitous trucker. No one was on the road with me. Oh, and I had my lights on, too, naturally.

No, what almost killed me was a heart attack.

This reminds me: I need to lay off sweets.

At least, that’s what it felt like.

For nearly thirty pure and unadulterated minutes, my entire chest cavity ached unlike any pain I’ve ever encountered, and I had a bad experience when I had my wisdom teeth removed. The whole suffocating episode was very Spaceballs, I must admit, though in intensity only. No miniature alien burst forth from my stomach and started tap dancing – I would have enjoyed that.

This was the complete opposite of enjoyment. This was like a miniature alien bursting forth from my chest and lecturing on Vibrational Spectroscopy.

Now, I’ve heard a lot about heart attacks and chest pains, and the near misheard moniker of angina – U.L.’s been battling heart issues for several years – but I’ve never directly been involved with one myself. I’ve always been the one who arranged the Get Well cards and got the nurse because he wasn’t sure how the call button worked.

At first, I tried to burp this discomfort away. I always assume that any type of unease in my chest is simply gas on Va-Ca (that’s what the kids call “vacation” these days). So, I spent a good ten minutes trying to make myself burp. I’ve never been able to do that.

I just can’t burp on command.

It’s something I’ve had to come to terms with in my journey to Masculinity. (Though, trust me, it ain’t the only thing). And if by journey, you think that what I really mean is wasting half my time on color coordinating my travelwear to match my luggage, then Yes. You are correct.

I’ve not taken the first step toward any such journey. And, yes, to answer your question, I’m sure it’s far more than a thousand miles away…from where I am. So, what good’s taking the first step.

I’m hardly ashamed to say that I can’t burp on command. I think it’s rather crass, and usually, they seems to appear unannounced – at least for me. But, don’t say that in front of Matt or Mandy, about the crassness of burping. (I’m certain that between the two of them they could recite the Magna Carta, one belch at a time. If they knew the Magna Carta, that is).

Please tell me you remember the Magna Carta.

You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.

(And then, remind me what it is, when you do. I’m not sure but I think it had something to do with the Board of Alderman allowing Sunday sales of alcohol in Starkville). Of course, that only applies to restaurants, not liquor stores. The theory is it’s OK to drink if you’ve got food to eat with it. That works for me, just fine; I never drink without eating. That’s what makes dirty martinis such a perfect beverage. Besides, liquor stores don’t sale olives.

Excuse me. I’ve gotten off topic. Again.

I was talking about gas, the manmade kind. I don’t want to say that I have a problem with gastric distress, unless I’ve eaten raw broccoli. Then, it’s every man for himself. But, lately, I must admit, I’ve been having rather difficult heartburn.

I’ve become addicted to Tums. I’m dropping antacid like it’s the 60s.

And it’s not really working. Which is, I’m afraid, problematic. Let’s not discount the fact that I’m also a hypochondriac, but that aside, I could be in serious trouble.

I certainly thought I was, last Friday.

There I was, driving down the road in Tigi (I named my car after my great grandmother), barrelling through a downpour (excuse me, I mean, safely cruising at just under 60 mph, as I stated earlier and with my lights on), thinking I was having a heart attack. It reached such a pain that I did something I rarely do when traveling, I stopped driving altogether.

I pulled under a defunct gas station (God, the irony, the near-miss of a good pun when I typed that, it’s killing me), and I stopped the car. I opened the door, because when you’re in a crisis, no matter what is, you always do one of two things: you either  go outside because you “need fresh air,” or you get up and head to the sink because you need a “glass of water.” This is a learned behavior, starting in Vacation Bible School, and sometimes, the Boy Scouts.

I got out of the car and my first instinct (and thus, the root of a much deeper problem) wasn’t to call 911. It wasn’t to call anyone, not U.L., not Amanda, not an ambulance. (Amanda informed me, later – since I’m not dead, that I’d more than likely experienced a panic attack. Great, one more thing to stress about).

No, my first instinct was how should I fall on my way into death. If I fell forward, I might hit the side of the door and scratch my smooth, ageless cheek. If I fell backward, I might scrape down the side of my car and land too close to the tire. The side of my car was filthy with mud and wet from rain; the tired was caked with grease from the eroding back brakes. That’d look too messy, I thought.

I was only clear on one thing: to leave the keys in the ignition. That beeping sound was very dramatic. It’d last until the battery went dead, like me, and I’d just gotten a new battery a few months back, so no worries there.

I should probably, I also thought, tuck my shirt in. But neatly. 

This picture needs no caption.

“God,” I prayed throughout the whole ordeal, “if this is my time to go, then I’ll go, but why didn’t you just let me drive a little further south. I can’t die here, not this close to the Mennonite bakery.”

I consoled myself by thinking the positives: U.L. would at least be pleased that I looked neat and tidy, until the very end. And, if he got hungry, I couldn’t argue with the culinary skills of a Mennonite. Of course, I was devastated about what the rain would do to my hair. Curly hair and humidity, which I knew would follow closely behind the tail end of the rain, never worked well together.

I’d have to grab my Fedora. Give it one last hurrah.

At this point, I realized that my chest pain had stopped, mostly. In an effort to make it leave completely, I pulled a Celine Dion and hit my chest a couple of times…why I did this, I couldn’t tell you. Even though the pain had dwindled to a mild irritation, I wanted it thoroughly gone, and thought if I beat myself in the chest it would return to its place of residence: my stomach.

Eventually, it subdued enough that I felt I could keep driving. However, I still had half an hour on the road, to go.

Be prepared. Somewhat. Or, at least, mostly.

I finally got to my office, and went to the restroom. I looked so pasty, I wasn’t sure I hadn’t had a heart attack. I dismissed it though; I had been recently cast as a British character in a play downtown, wasn’t I supposed to look like this?

But, it’s gotten me worried, I must say. I’m not old, not yet, but I’m not young anymore, either. Something’s got to get me, one way or the other, right? I’ll have to be prepared, as much as I can be…

FanBoys (2009)

Running Time: 90 minutes

Rated: pg-13

Fanboys was created through the eyes of comedians and teenage boys written by comedians. The thought of the legendary Star Wars Trilogy created by the great George Lucas was going to be the subject matter, you literally had to see and hope for the best. Films like Spaceballs and lego star wars were great adaptions. One was a parody while one was a cheesy yet entertaining toy flick. This film is a little different. To serve justice to its diehard fans. Thus the title Fanboys. This film delivers a sight to see where you dwell into a world where in previous teenage comedies were often ridiculed. The life of a galactic space nerd. When Lucas leaked out to the public that a prequel to his legacy was in the work, every Star wars fanboy jumped into sky with happiness. Little must be known that it recieved mix reception from fans and the uninitiated. Nevertheless, the hype was bigger then ever. Last time I saw such hype was when Lord Of The Rings, Harry Potter, and Twilight were made into films. Hype that can liter a entire city block full of fans. Thats the kind of hype you can get. So a guy like Kyle Newman decides to do a film that narrarates the hype and the story of these faithful fanboys. Wether your opinion of them are positive or negative, this harmless fan flick does enough to serve its purpose. While to others who dont care, wont really care. What made me care was that it did just enough to stay within formula while being momentarily funny. If it does that, the movie can always fly by me with a recommendation. The rift between Fanboys and trekkies can always be hilarious but what works out the best is that it has a goal. Filled with motivation of seeing the film of the decade. How some fans will go for the jugular with no regrets. Now I am sure no one has ever attempted this but I am sure it can be a fun fantasy.

The film starts of in Halloween of 98. When in six months, the greatest film of all time was going to be released. So four friends decide to raid the Skywalker estate (Lucas Estate) in order to view Episode one and be the first people on earth to do so, especially for free. Three of the friends are diehard fans that play Mario Kart in a garage while another spends time doing real life accomplishments. Being a car salesmen and maintaining a solid life. But in part to try and amend relationships with his brother and which the two vowed on being comic icons, he decides to go through with it. Using a 12 year old girl while bickering with Trekkies, this cameo filled flick will burn time without you having to wait for something special. You are just enjoying the simple moments it presents to you at the time. There are hookers, hot girls flashing on the road for wookies, and William Shatner. What more can you ask?

The cameos are done in part to relieve of comedic effect. Trying to get a snicker or two. Everything else serves its purpose to nerds and them alone. The perfect nerd movie as one will say. This film ultimately doesnt try to do anything else like poking fun of themselves but since a film is based on fanboys, doing so will just kill the films integrity. But it couldve made the film a lot funnier. It has its quirks and its cliches but it does well with it. A film can be cliched through the last detail but if it has the slightest entertainment value, it can be forgiven. This film has it. Not only does it have just trekkies and skywalkers but it presents real kids who in part want to be the first people to witness what some people call history. To make the moments even more credible, they make one of the kids very sick. Not the “hes a pervert sick” but “this kid has an illness sick”. With that potent drama, I guess this film can be enjoyed afterall. I guess it can relate itself to other kids. I guess this whole thing was set up as an accomplishment and not a sorry film to promote dorkiness.

Its cheap and the countless Darth Vader references can scream out success but its often silly moments piled by dork minded capabilities can really torn a film down. Sometimes you see kids with a goal. Sometimes you see 40 year old virgins just trying to come out. It can divide itself to both comedy and just sad presentation but what does work is that its funny. It has Kristen Bell whos a dork in this movie. What fantasy can a nerd have other then to have one of the worlds hottest chick to be Star Wars frenzy. Nothing is better to a nerd then a hot nerd to talk to. Especially when she dresses like a slave girl in Star Wars. Yay, golden suit showing lots of skin!

Its cliche yet harmless fun and Seth Rogan does his best to cameo three different people to shake up a comedy with better comedy. Its pointless and silly but the cast and their awkward performances fillered with a Dan Fogler hell bent on breaking peoples bones who calls Han Solo a bitch can certaintly make up for this. Although it doesnt serve well to non-star war fans, it can present itself as a comedy and therefore can be the slight appreciated for its attempt. Wether its condemned for being nerdy or ravished for being good fun, this film certaintly is enjoyable.

3/5

Written By: Xou Xiong

Watch the goliath eat a small exiled snack

First, let me apologize for the long delay. My hobby (teaching/coaching) has taken away from my day job (blogging).  Can’t say it won’t happen again, but hopefully the break will not be a month plus next time.

The Beatles are big again. Not that they ever really went away. But with the whole catalog being remastered, and Beatles: Rock Band being released, they are back in the news.  You know who hates this more than anyone else: The Rolling Stones.  Yes, the eternal debate is always Beatles vs. Stones, with the Beatles seemingly more universally regarded as the most popular/influential/best band in the history of music.  There are those sad, mistaken souls who somehow think the Rolling Stones were more influential, and more popular. And true, the fact that they have been able to continue to put out albums and tour does skew the perception a bit (some would say it dampens their legacy, but that is another debate).  But how can you argue against all that the Fab Four squeezed into the years 1962-1970?

The Beatles juggernaut continues to march on. In the words of Yogurt from Spaceballs, “Merchandizing, merchandizing, merchandizing!”. Now, I don’t think we will be seeing Beatles toilet paper or flamethrowers anytime soon (although I do plan on start an online petition when I finish writing this). But since they are now branching out into video games, it is opening them up to a brand new audience.  The Stones, on the other hand, are left to pick up the scraps, grasping for whatever they can grab.  Perhaps they are in talks with Leapfrog to come out with a Rolling Stones themed game for small children (Hey kids! Count the pills in Keith’s hand!).

I will admit that the Rolling Stones put out some great music.  And I was late to recognize that, beyond the obvious hits such as Jumping Jack Flash and Satisfaction.  But can someone please teach them a bridge? Maybe it is just me, but I think Paint it Black would be ten times better if there was some middle eight to break up the verses and chorus.  Instead, they get a verse, insert chorus, and repeat 3-4 times, and voila.  This works to perfection on songs like Tumbling Dice, which has a nice coda to break up things.  Also on Honky Tonk Woman (I often find myself wishing the intro cowbell and drumbeat lasted for 4 minutes and was the actual song-that may be my favorite moment of all their music).  But when it is repeated so much throughout their catalog, then the music dominance of the Beatles becomes crystal clear.

So, sorry Mick and Keith.  You will always play second fiddle to the lads from Liverpool.  Just as hamburgers will always  be better than hot dogs, dogs will always be cooler than cats, and Star Wars will always be vastly superior to Star Trek, you too must assume your rightful position, next to the throne you will never inherit.  Unless of course you outlive all other humans, in which case, the crown is yours for the taking.

Jebkādā gadijumā iesaku noskatīties šo parodiju par “Star Wars”.