Confessions of a Cluttered Mind

The Great Race-2008: The Land of Candy and Sunshine by John P. Stevenson

2008-10-23T10:23:00.002-05:00

The Great Race—2008

The Spectacle of the Modern American Election Campaign
The Land of Candy & Sunshine

As you no doubt have been hearing from the unceasing stream of Barack Obama’s campaign commercials played in a continual rotation on TV screens nationwide, all of our worries will soon be over. Yes, Barry’s preparing for his official anointing as the Chosen One, when the clouds of despair will lift, birds will sing, the lion will lay down with the lamb, the rivers will flow root beer, and all will be right with the world.

It seems that Obama has an answer for everything, and those answers all sound amazingly similar: Let the Government take care of it. Can’t afford Health Insurance? No problem… Let Uncle Sugar pick up that bill. Your antiquated, out-moded, over-priced Union job disappearing? Don’t worry, we’ll make those evil Auto corporations keep operating in the 1950’s, paying twenty-five bucks an hour for an unskilled laborer to screw Widget A to Framazam B. Are you stressed about what the rest of the world thinks about us? They’ll soon love us, when our shipment of French-made Surrender flags arrives in late January. (Soon to be appearing on a battlefield near you. What’s that you say, there are no battlefields near you? Just wait…) Oh yes, all will be sweetness and light under an Obama administration—does anyone know the lyrics to Tommy James and the Shondells’ Crystal Blue Persuasion?? Perhaps we should have a new National Anthem.

Contrary to what so many now believe, Government is not meant to be the solution to all life’s problems. In fact, there are very few problems Government can, or should, solve. The founders envisioned government (note the small ‘g’…) as a necessary evil; something that had to be, but also something to be feared, and kept under a tight leash. They had just fought a long, costly war to rid themselves of a tyrannical monarchy, which regarded the people as mere subjects of the Crown; the last thing they wished for was a government that had the power to intrude into every facet of American life. They saw government as having a sharply defined, and greatly limited, scope of influence… The conduct of Foreign Policy and keeping us safe from our enemies being chief among them. Things that modern Americans take for granted… smoking bans in public places, regulating trans-fats, income tax, abortion on demand… would have provoked open warfare in the early days of our independence.

The strongest party for the first decade of American politics, the Federalist Party, was a strong advocate of bigger, more powerful, more centralized National Government… not unlike today’s Democratic Party. And the first true test of the Federalist’s policies came in the early 1790’s when, at the urging of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, Congress levied a tax on each gallon of whiskey produced. Since many western farmers depended upon distillation to refine their excess grain into this more easily transported, and therefore more profitable, form, this directly penalized those small farmers.

In 2008, there would be protests, of course. Letters would be written to Congressmen and Senators, even the President. There would be pundits on every news net arguing both for and against the tax, and the blogosphere would be up in arms. Figuratively speaking, of course.
That was not the case in 1794, however. Oh, letters were written and protests were raised, to be sure. But the farmers who felt themselves threatened by what they perceived as an abusive over-reaching of power on the part of Congress and President Washington did what they had done nearly twenty years before—picked up musket, ball, and powder and said “NO!”
In response, President Washington called out the militias of Pennsylvania and Virginia to put down the insurrection. Assembling an army of nearly 13,000 men, roughly equal to the entire Continental Army of the late war, Washington marched them into the Monongahela Valley of Western Pennsylvania, one of only two times that an American army took to the field with a sitting President at it’s head.

The Whiskey Rebellion, as it came to be known, accomplished very little, ending with a mewling whimper rather than a bang. Twenty rebels were rounded up; only two actually were jailed. Two were sentenced to death, but were pardoned by Washington. Most were simply fined and released. Within a decade, the tax was repealed, ending the first effort by the US Government to increase the powers allotted it by the Constitution. It was, of course, not to be the last.
Perhaps the most important consequence of the short-lived rebellion was that it led to the demise of the Federalist Party, and the rise of the Democratic-Republican Party, which, like the Anti-Federalists ten years before, argued for smaller, less powerful government.

But that was 214 years ago. Now, politicians routinely buy our votes with our own money, promising they’ll deliver this program or that entitlement to cure whatever ails us… all of course bought with our own tax dollars. Yet there are millions who, like the children of Hamlen town, line up obediently behind the pied piper, eager to dance to his tune no matter where it may lead. To many, there is no problem that can’t be solved by growing Government just a little larger. Can’t handle your unruly child? Just let the Government step in and take over for you. Can’t make your business succeed? Why bother… the Government’ll bail you out. Just can’t deal with life in general? Ok, just trust Uncle… he’s got it all planned out for you. Obama’s got it all worked out.

And for us proud descendents of the Anti-Federalists, the ones who prefer to parent our own children, thank you, or take the credit for our success or the responsibility for our failure, or deal with life according to our own plans, not Obama’s?

Who do you think gets to pay for the candy and sunshine?

That Time of Year Again...

2008-09-23T10:51:00.003-05:00

This is normally a giddy time of year for me. I should be deep in the throngs of my fall and Halloween decorating. This year, it seems that The Ghost of Christmas Past is still haunting me, and I cannot get "through" things quickly enough. Perhaps part of it is that I am just burnt out of decorating for now. Perhaps it is that menopausal "THING" rearing its ugly head. Perhaps the "non-accidental" destruction of more than just the decorations in our home last December, has scarred me more deeply than I care to admit. Whatever the case, I need to.....and MUST get over this FUNK. So, I am determined to do that. Somehow. I don't know HOW....but somehow.

Dear Mr. Obama

2008-09-08T14:30:00.001-05:00

This says it better than I could...

Why We Fight by John P. Stevenson

2008-07-26T07:41:00.000-05:00

Why We Fight by John P. Stevenson
Why We Fight…

The Reasons and Motivations of the War for Civilization

A Choice between Here and There

You hear it everywhere… “What are we doing in Iraq?” “Why are we fighting?” “When will the War end?” These are valid questions, questions that deserve straight, honest answers. And it’s not factual to say that the Bush administration hasn’t provided those answers; they have. It’s just that some people haven’t liked the answers they got.

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If you find yourself wondering why we’re engaged in conflict, think back to a bright Tuesday in September nearly seven years ago. Do you remember where you were? What you were doing? Do you remember what went through your mind when the second plane hit the second tower, live on nationwide TV, and the realization dawned that what had been a horrible accident had become an act of war?

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I do. Vividly. I can recall the shock as I watched the flashing silver shape cut across the screen from left to right, banking sharply just before impact, flames and glass and debris blowing out the other side of the building as though it were blood and tissue from an exit wound. The shock lasted perhaps ten seconds, then I turned to a friend standing next to me and said, “Someone just declared war on us.” In my mind, the transition from peace to war took just that long, just that 10-second gap between seeing, and knowing. For some, especially the heroes who would be the first to fall in this war, it would be much quicker; for many, that transition has never been made.

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Our President, the man charged with the responsibility of keeping us safe from foreign aggression, the man who is the ultimate commander of the armed might of the United States, resolved that this would not happen again on his watch. He vowed, before Congress, before the Nation, before the World, and before God that we would go anywhere, pay any price, endure any hardship, to bring justice to those who brought terror to us. He made it clear that there would be nowhere to hide, no sanctuary from our wrath. The doctrine was simple and direct… there were only two sides in this War: Stand with us, on the side of civilization, or cast your lot with those who sought the end of civilization. He stated plainly that this would not be a war like any other. Many things would be done in the darkness, concealed from all save those who would feel the effects of our anger. Many things would be done for the world to see, and to learn from. And it would not be a war that would end with the liberation of one country, the death of one man, or the capture of an enemy capital. It would be a generational conflict, and we who began the struggle would not likely live to see its end.

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And thus far, he has been a man of his word. We followed Al-Qaeda to Afghanistan, where they were sheltered and supported by the brutal theocracy of the Taliban. Warlords who came to power following the collapse of the government, they returned the country to medieval times, banning all modern conveniences, forbidding the education of females, and instituting the death penalty for even the most minor infractions of shari’a law, the same laws that saw Saudi police force dozens of young girls back into their burning schoolhouse because, in their haste to escape the flames, they had not properly covered themselves. Carried out in front of large crowds at outdoor stadiums, even children could find themselves convicted of some offense and facing public execution.

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Into this maelstrom of hate, the President sent our combat forces, into a land that had not been conquered since the time of Alexander the Great. The British found defeat there in the 1880’s, as did the Soviets one hundred years later. Analysts boldly predicted massive casualties for the Americans, and Russian experts, wounds still raw and exposed from the Soviet Union’s disastrous Afghan war, proclaimed certain defeat for US forces.

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But we were not defeated, and though brave men and women died, our casualties were comparatively light. By the first spring after the towers fell, Afghanistan was secured, the Taliban had been routed from power, thousands of terrorists were dead or captured, and Al-Qaeda had lost it’s most important sanctuary.

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Though the fighting in Afghanistan would, and does, continue, soon a new threat would emerge; or rather, an old one would reemerge. Saddam Hussein, a despot so barbaric that he had used chemical weapons on his own people, once again moved to the forefront of international threats. After repeated attempts to use the UN to cajole him into compliance with the terms of the 1991 cease-fire, the decision was made. Given the new calculus that governed in the wake of 9-11, no longer could we be content to merely watch and wait for the inevitable. We had to act pre-emptively, alone if necessary, before madmen with weapons far more dangerous than machine guns and high explosives could once more strike our homeland. Saddam fit every definition of evil, and his hatred of the west in general, and the US in particular, meant that his time had come.

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On the evening of March 19th, 2003, our President announced the beginning of the end for Saddam’s regime. As our troops began the campaign to liberate Iraq, he said these words in an address to the nation:

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“Our nation enters this conflict reluctantly -- yet, our purpose is sure. The people of the United States and our friends and allies will not live at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder. We will meet that threat now, with our Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and Marines, so that we do not have to meet it later with armies of fire fighters and police and doctors on the streets of our cities.

“Now that conflict has come, the only way to limit its duration is to apply decisive force. And I assure you, this will not be a campaign of half measures, and we will accept no outcome but victory.”

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Though his words were clear and measured, still there were those who failed to grasp their true import. Among these were the liberals who denounced the war at every turn, eager to pounce on each death, setback, and error as though war could be a perfected endeavor, and anything less would be justification for opposing it. Some of the loudest of these critics were the very ones who voted to authorize the invasion of Iraq to begin with, the 100 or so Democrats in Congress who voted “Yes” on the resolution. Some familiar names top that list, notables of the Democratic party such as Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and John Kerry.

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So now the war is in, not it’s fifth year since the invasion of Iraq, nor even it’s soon-to-be seventh since that bright September morning etched in our memories. This war didn’t begin when the twin towers fell, or when Flight 93 plunged into a meadow in Pennsylvania. It had been a long-running conflict when a small boat exploded against the hull of the USS Cole, and when terrorists brought down two American embassies in Africa. It was an old struggle when Iranian militants took 52 Americans hostage in our embassy, and when savages shattered the peace of an Olympic village in Munich.

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In truth, this conflict has always been with us, for it is the fundamental struggle between civilization and barbarism. Since ancient man took the first tentative steps to reach out and peacefully coexist with his neighbor, thereby improving their common lot, there have been those who seek to tear apart the fragile bonds of civilization. And make no mistake… they will succeed if given the chance. As a quote often attributed to the Irish philosopher Edmund Burke reads, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” That’s as true now as it was in Burke’s day, and we have all too many otherwise good people advocating the doing of nothing.

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We currently have two men vieing for the job of Commander-in-Chief of this nation at war. Though I have doubt and misgivings about John McCain’s political stances, I have no doubt that he will do something when it comes to this war in which we find ourselves called for service. He’s a man who’s experienced the triumph of evil precisely because people did nothing to oppose it. Some even campaigned actively for it’s success. The likliehood that he would sit still, waiting for terror to once more visit our shores, is virtually nil. Despite Barack Obama’s high-sounding calls for inspiring hope and change, neither is the responsibility of the President. Keeping us safe is.

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Whether or not liberals wish to admit it, we are in the midst of a World War. How can a man who can’t even rule out sitting down with our enemies be expected to lead us in that conflict? How can a man who will hold a campaign rally in a foreign capital, yet refuse to visit a nearby hospital full of our wounded soldiers because it would be “inappropriate,” seriously consider himself ready to be Commander-in-Chief of those soldiers?

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And, more importantly, how can we consider possibly casting a vote for such a man?

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John "The Unimonster" Stevenson is a friend of mine who is sans full computer access at this time. Until he can post regularly on his own blogs (links will be posted later), I will give him full access to mine. If anyone knows someone who could use a good writer for a paper, magazine, ezine (that PAYS), I can put you in touch with John.

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He deserves a shot.

Indescribable, by Chris Tomlin

2008-07-15T08:11:00.001-05:00

I heard this song on Sunday and CANNOT get it out of my head.

Fugitive Alien Medley

2008-07-08T14:25:00.001-05:00

Since I haven't posted anything in awhile, I thought I would send up this little gem from my little puppet show from cowtown. Sandy Frank movies provided MUCH of the early cheese for Mystery Science Theater, yet somehow Mr. Frank was not amused and will not release these movies for consumption by fans....Since then, ALL MSTies have been telling Sandy Frank..."if you don't like it, then come kill us with a forklift!"

Does it make sense? Of course not! Neither does Mr. Frank's actions and neither does this silly medley!! :-D

Logan, the Sky Angel Cowboy

2008-04-10T10:57:00.001-05:00

Had to share this. It is incredible.

Let the Worshppers Arise!

2008-04-06T19:49:00.001-05:00

Father I see that you are drawing a line in the sand
And I want to be standing on your side, holding your hand
So let your kingdom come, let it live in me
This is my prayer, this is my plea

Father I see that you are drawing a line in the sand
And I want to be standing on your side, holding your hand
So let your kingdom come, let it live in me
This is my prayer, this is my plea

[Chorus:]
Let the worshippers arise
Let the sons and the daughters sing
I surrender in my all
I surrender to the King

Let the worshippers arise
Let the sons and the daughters sing
I surrender in my all
I surrender to the King

Father I hear it growing louder
The song of your redeemed
As the saints of every nation
Are awakening to sing
From our hearts there comes an anthem
Oh, hear the heavens ring
This is our song, a song to our King!

[Chorus:] [3x]
Let the worshippers arise
Let the sons and the daughters sing
I surrender in my all
I surrender to the King

1974 Xenia Tornado Reprise Radio Bulletins

2008-04-03T11:03:00.001-05:00

This is a very WELL done video of the tornado that hit Xenia, OH on April 3, 1974. The Superoutbreak of April 3-4, 1974 is considered by many to be the most infamous weather event in U.S. history. Just listening to the AM radio broadcast sent shivers up my spine.

Saying So Long To The Man-Fish...Good-Bye Ben Chapman

2008-02-21T17:43:00.005-06:00

Lucas: There are many strange legends in the Amazon. Even I, Lucas, have heard the legend of a man-fish.

I make no secret of the fact that my favorite movies coming out of Hollyweird are those primarily made BEFORE 1960. SURE, there have been many, many great blockbusters and fine movie franchises since then, but for me, I am happiest watching a set of WELL-WORN Bette Davis dramas from ANY studio she chose to be associated with than ANY of today's perceived "drama queens". No one holds a candle to the soap, the style, the substance....or THE STORY. By contrast, as much as I love watching Bette Davis, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland, Joan Crawford, and many others from Hollywood's Golden Era, I AM EQUALLY at home with the pickings of familiar faces from my horror movie stable. I love mystery, horror, and suspense....and for me, the A and B-Movie of this genre and it's brother, The Sci-Fi Category, has kept me enthralled for decades.

With the advent of the internet, this love of monster movies has also made me some very dear friends as well. We gather together in our groups from one coast of this country to the other and points beyond, encompassing nations around the world, and we all have a common interest: We LOVE THESE MOVIES.....These characters....These stories have touched us. Within these characters, we see a little bit of ourselves. We've been that misunderstood monster at one point (OR MORE) in our lives. We feel compassion for the monster and identify with him as much as our own reflection in the mirror.

As such, these characters (and the actors who play them) become "ONE OF US" (to steal a line from the movie, Freaks) and when one passes on, we are sad. Today is one such day.

Ben Chapman who played the land Creature in The Creature From The Black Lagoon passed away today. I never had the pleasure of meeting Mr Chapman, but from what I have heard from the people who did and the people who knew him well, this was a man who enjoyed his iconic place in Monsterdom and had an appreciation for his fans. Up until very recently, he was still active in Fan Shows. He attended them, signed autographs and talked to those who still appreciated the "Creature" he helped bring to life over 50 years before.

I can tell you I saw this movie, for the first time, OVER 35 years ago. I thought The Creature From The Black Lagoon was one of the most frightening movies I had ever seen (heck, I was barely 12 years old)...And the image of The Creature swimming after Julie Adams, or lumbering and gasping for breath (which had to be played by two different people)...well, those are memories that stay with you for a lifetime.

Fast forwarding to the present, TCFTBL seems tame....In fact, there is a remake in the offing that is suppose to come out this year. I'm sure it will be chock full of CGI EFX...and sadly, a lame story line.

But I'll be waiting for a dedication. I'll be waiting to see "Dedicated to the Memory of Ben Chapman, The Land Gill-Man".

Rest in Peace, Ben Chapman. Aloha......

So it's been awhile...

2008-02-15T10:27:00.004-06:00

Always lots going on...so I haven't had time to keep the dust off here. In fact, it's starting to look like my house.,...hmmmmmm.

I hope to get better focused. I'm having a hard time doing that just now. I think it is because I tend to take on HUGE projects and when I get interrupted, I get off track.

Such is the life of a genius.

*insert laugh track here*

ahem...yep....

Be back soon....I hope.

Aftermath...

2007-12-28T08:59:00.000-06:00

Basically, this is how this holiday season has left me ( setting Jesus' birthday and all that means aside for the moment). From the draining family ordeal that began just after Halloween right up until now...I am just a skeleton of my former self.

I sit in front of a computer, hoping to spill out something worthwhile to write and the words do not pounce forth. Sometimes I burst out crying...and sometimes I beat back the tears in angry defiance.

As all things, "this too shall pass", I have been dealt a good deal of "things" on a personal level over the last few months and it is getting harder and harder for me to get over them (though I know I must) and harder still, to see the proverbial "light" at the end of the tunnel. But I shall and I will...

It will take perseverance. It will take prayer. It will take forgiveness. It will take all those things and much more that I cannot grasp JUST yet, but I will.

I will.

When Life Hands You Lemons....

2007-12-18T12:18:00.000-06:00

In total height, it is probably about 7 1/2'... more than likely taller to the very tip. A real Frasier Fir that I bought at our local grocery store. It is VERY SIMPLY decorated with white lights...red and silver glass balls. VERY small green, blue, and red glass balls...and red berry sprays throughout.

So...we did not go through Christmas without a tree gracing our living room.

But from this Christmas and many Christmases to come, the tree that DOES enter our primary living space will no longer be the same as it once was.

That will be entered into the ledger book into the Ghosts of Christmas past....not to be seen again....until its necessary time..

For now, this tree, and 11 months of thinking about what the other options will be...will have to suffice.

It's A Wonderful Life - Middle School Play

2007-12-13T10:48:00.000-06:00

This is a compilation of pictures from the play my oldest was in. You will see a picture of my youngest taken by the stage as well.

A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words

2007-12-10T13:52:00.000-06:00

Before and After shots....guess which is which...Last post for awhile..Thanks for stopping by.

A Christmas Carol--1951

2007-12-03T08:35:00.001-06:00

This is my favorite scene from my favorite version of this Dickens story. Alistair Sim was amazing in his conversion from "covetous old sinner" to the man who "knew how to keep Christmas well". This scene makes me cry EVERY time I watch it.

That Light from the Southern Sky, Part 3

2007-11-29T08:48:00.000-06:00

So....this is LAYER 3...Can you IMAGINE the tree IS NOT DONE YET????????

I still have to find the star....I still have to fill the Shadow Boxes...AND...the bottom of the tree STILL has to have a village...and a couple of other surprises..

God help me...

That Light in the Southern Sky, Part 2

2007-11-26T10:21:00.000-06:00

Believe it or not, this is LAYER 2 of my tree!!....Oh, I know..YOU might say, "It looks done", YOU say, "It looks fine", YOU SAY, "Wow, YOU ARE ONE CRAZY WOMAN!"

Well, that may be true.

But I have much work to do and I'm so very behind schedule, so I must get OFF my BEHIND and get to work...kiss kiss.

Of Thanksgiving Day's Past....

2007-11-21T09:27:00.000-06:00

I miss the Turkey Day marathons of my favorite show. There was nothing like spending the day cooking your favorite meal and watching bad movies being skewered with precision....

Oh....how I miss those days...Here's to you Mystery Science Theater 3000, for making us laugh at bad movies again and again.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!! May the only turkeys you encounter this holiday week be the ones you decide to stick a utensil into (unless that also happens to be a relative...an then..well...all is fair in love and war...and all that jazz).

That Light in the Southern Sky...Ummm ...Well....

2007-11-19T13:19:00.000-06:00

We started this holiday season with a Christmas Tree conundrum in our household. I was TOLD to look for a replacement tree this year. THIS was after I was told we would be replacing our lights with the energy efficient LED strands...'sigh'.....

My tree....was purchased nearly 20 years ago. It is a VERY nice artifical one that has to be put together branch-by-branch. This tree works well, because the branches hold MANY ornaments and lots of lights. I short-shifted my light quantity last year because most of my light sets had seen better days.

I told my better half (and today I use that term loosely because he's been appearing on the "Naughty" list more than the "Nice" one lately), that IF we were NOT switching to LED lights (a look I LIKE, but he does NOT) or BUYING a new tree (the only ones I've LIKED near the $300 price range), then I would have to have NEW REGULAR lights .....regardless.

So....while we were at Wally World....we bought TEN boxes....AND I'M STILL SHORT!!!!!!! This is with two more extra sets of clear lights I found mixed in with the Halloween stuff....So, I wait some more and try and DECORATE THE BOTTOM of my tree until I get MORE lights later on today.

The tree is 7' tall.....and I've put over 1000 lights on it!!!! HOW IN THE HECK DID I DO THAT????

Take the journey with me....This will transform into something beautiful...I PROMISE!

MST3K The Christmas Essay Segment

2007-11-14T09:45:00.001-06:00

During episode #321 Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, they all write their Christmas essays...stay tuned for a touching turn..Before and after, you'll see a bit o' riffing.

MST3K - Patrick Swayze Christmas

2007-11-14T08:50:00.001-06:00

I can't help myself. I need to laugh. This helps me.

MST3K - Merry Christmas...if thats okay

2007-11-14T08:34:00.001-06:00

I love this...especially since I'm tired of being POLITICALLY CORRECT.

What's a Few Tears Between Holidays....

2007-11-06T11:59:00.000-06:00

It's sad taking down the decorations.....I'll cheer up when the Christmas stuff starts going up.

Allow me this moment....sniff..sniff...

Happy Halloween 2007!

2007-10-31T09:08:00.000-05:00

AND I have found my cape! I was a little worried because I usually have it readily available but...I have it.

The picture to the left is LAST year's costume. this year's will be similiar, I imagine. My hair is shorter and I have fishnet stockings and some longer gloves...Anywho, it should be good fun...

Now, I have to get off my duff and get some things done...

So in the MODIFIED immortal words of Zacherley...."Happy Halloween, WHATever YOU ARE!!!!"

The Nightmare Before Christmas - What's This?

2007-10-17T14:40:00.001-05:00

Second times a charm!

The Nightmare Before Christmas - What's This?

2007-10-17T14:30:00.001-05:00

The above video shows one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite holiday movies, Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas. It is being released this Friday for three days only in 3D. I'm looking forward to the chance to seeing this cinematic delight on the big screen this weekend.

It is truly a special film.

Of Hershey Bars and "REALISTIC" Pumpkins...

2007-10-16T14:24:00.000-05:00

A few years ago, the "realistic" pumpkins hit the retail market.....What makes them so cool is that you can carve a FAVORITE image and keep the pumpkin year after year. Unfortunately, the cheaper of these CARVEABLE orbs WERE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to cut into and most of the end result made you wish you'd just LEFT it to be thrown into the compost heap. The easier to cut, realistic pumpkins were/are VERY expensive and you still need to have patience and a modicum of skill with a cutting tool to do anything. There is a guy every year who sells EXQUISITE pieces of artwork each year with his realistic pumpkins. I believe his eBay ID is "Pumpkinking"...Look him up, they ARE AMAZING!!

Anywho....since my skills with an X-acto knife are not that great, I begged Santa to get me cordless Dremel drill a few years ago. I planned on using it for many tasks; however because my mind is SO very cluttered and my focusing skills are dulled...'sigh'....I have sadly only used my precious drill on these pumpkins...

Now, here's my problems....I KNOW that I had two more at least either completely or partially carved and another was sketched out. This was verified by my offspring...One Creature, One Dracula (he may have been the partial one), and the BRIDE of Frankenstein was sketched...

But they have disappeared....Has the Creature fled to the Lagoon? Did Drac go back to Transylvania? I DON'T KNOW.....WHAT OF THE BRIDE??????? WHAT HAPPENED????

Anyway.....SOME OF THESE PUMPKINS ARE GETTING THE DRILL IN THE NEXT DAY OR SO...

Or ELSE!!!

Oh....and the Hershey Bar part of the blog...oooh...I ate one of those before I started typing. YUM YUM!!

Eating More Fibre...Or Do I NEED Help Moving BLOGS In the Morning?

2007-10-11T13:17:00.000-05:00

I sit here and I do not have time to write anything. I've been out of town, I've been volunteering, I've been decorating, I've got laundry piled up, movies to watch...and NOW -- I'm dealing with the POSSIBILITY of moving my primary Blog: http://360.yahoo.com/mombie61

Yesterday, I spent WAAAAAAAAAAAY too much time moving a YEAR'S worth of blogs on my Yahoo! 360 Page to some document files on my computer. I still need to clean the files up and move them to disk, but at least from here on out I can write EACH individual blog on a .doc file and then transfer it. I ALWAYS preached this practice to others....but failed to do it myself most of the time. WHY WOULD I DO IT NOW, YOU ASK???? Only for one simple reason -- NO ONE at Yahoo! seems to be willing to give the bloggers an answer to a simple question: Is 360 STAYING, GOING, MERGING, UPGRADING? Will bugs be fixed? We are completely being ignored.

My 360 blog is a different blog. It is my "GOD" blog. I've got my formats that I'm comfortable with, my tags set up...my friends.. Sure, I don't have many comments, but at least it is all together.

So yesterday, I played Salvage Truck....

Tomorrow, who knows.

I just know I have spent HOURS and HOURS writing and Yahoo! is NOT GOING TO TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME!!

Pumpkin Facts

2007-10-09T12:49:00.000-05:00

Since it " 'Tis the Season", I thought you might enjoy the following facts about one of my favorite fruits....YES, FRUIT!!! ENJOY, while pretending the Lucy and Linus Theme is playing in the background.

Source: http://www.farmersalmanac.com/

1. The word ‘pumpkin’ comes from the Greek word, ‘pepon’, which means a ‘large melon.’

2. Pumpkins originated in Central America.

3. Pumpkins are actually a fruit. Many people think it should be our national fruit.

4. Pumpkin is really a squash. It is in the Curcurbita family along with squash and cucumbers.

5. The yellow-orange flowers that bloom on the pumpkin vine are edible.

6. Pumpkin seeds taste great roasted and contain medicinal properties.

7. Native Americans grew and ate pumpkins and its seeds long before the Pilgrims reached this continent. Pilgrims learned how to grow and prepare pumpkins from the Native Americans.

8. Pumpkin was most likely served at the first Thanksgiving feast celebrated by the Pilgrims and the Indians in 1620.

9. The earliest pumpkin pie made in America was quite different than the pumpkin pie we enjoy today. Pilgrims and early settlers made pumpkin pie by hollowing out a pumpkin, filling the shell with milk, honey and spices and baking it.

10. Early settlers dried pumpkins shells, cut it into strips and wove it into mats.

12. Pumpkin has been prepared in a variety of ways from soups to stews to desserts since the immigration of the first European settlers.

13. The ‘Pumpkin Capital of the World’ is Morton, Illinois. Home of Libby’s pumpkin industry.

14. The state of Illinois grows the most pumpkins. It harvests about 12,300 acres of pumpkins annually.

15. Each year, growers compete for the title of growing the world’s largest pumpkin. The largest recorded pumpkin grown was on October 1, 2005 at the Pennsylvania Giant Pumpkin Growers Weighoff. It weighed in at 1,469 pounds, breaking all previous world records. It was grown by Larry Checkon of North Cambria, Penn.

16. Pumpkins were formerly considered a remedy for freckles and snakebites.

17. Natural medicine practioners have proven that consuming pumpkin seeds reduces the risk of prostrate disorders in men.

Overwhelmed By Manifested Clutter!!

2007-10-03T07:35:00.000-05:00

I do have to apologize for being SO absent this week. I have been preoccupied with LEFTOVERS from last weeks' mess where I closed my MySpace page, dealing with the finishing touches of Halloween, trying to work on the beginnings of another HUGE series for my other blog, AND getting ready for a trip out of town to go to a wedding.

I'm tired just thinking about it!

First off, I had to close my MySpace page. I got so tired of the WHINING and no one REALLY communicates, but just copies and pastes little things back and forth...and then the same old bulletins and quizzes...and it is WORSE if you have family as a circle of friends (GOOD GRIEF). I just didn't have the time or stomach for it any more, it was DEPRESSING to go on there every day and see which "friends" had changed their profile names ....for the BILLIONTH time...and which ones were still griping...

Had to let it go....It was fun to play with the pages and add videos and such...but I wanted more, I guess.

Secondly, the outside of our house would've been decorated this past weekend EXCEPT we are going out of town this weekend and have put it off. That is okay, though it gives us less time to tweak it and enjoy. The inside is done, but I have a few more pictures to take--that'll have to wait until later.

Next, is the HUGE series that is coming up on the other blog. I don't know why God is giving me LARGER projects like this now, but I have to be OBEDIENT to what He's telling me and just write it as HE sees fit and NOT as I SEE FIT.

Lastly, we are heading to my husband's hometown of Milwaukee and surrounding area this weekend. We are attending the wedding of his oldest niece. We haven't been up there since his Mom passed during Memorial Day week of 2006. Hubby has visited briefly with his youngest brother and his family, but has only seen them for a few hours. Our trip will be quickly up and back as we leave tomorrow afternoon and then have to come back Sunday. My boys are on Fall Break this week, so today, I need to finish getting stuff packed up and re-attach my head. It's always tense going on trips with my husband.

Needless to say, I've had a high-powered week, fraught with emotion and danger...BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.....Not really, I just wanted to use the word "fraught" in a sentence.

You see? Completely and certifiably CLUTTERED!!

I'll see y'all on the flipside o' Sunday where I HOPE the Kentucky Wildcats, Wisconsin Badgers, AND Green Bay Packers are STILL having UNDEFEATED seasons!!

The HHS Epidemic...

2007-09-26T10:19:00.000-05:00

I know people who are afflicted with HHS (the HEE HAW SYNDROME)...They are always singing, "Gloom, despair, and agony on me...." and they always wring their hands talking about their horrible life and can NEVER SEE anything GOOD..

Do you know people like that?

Moniker Mayhem HEAVY EYE ROLL

2007-09-24T09:50:00.000-05:00

I didn't think that when I chose the moniker for this blog (among the varying ONLINE names I possess as I DO NOT like using my real name under any circumstances) that I would stir someone to want to "stomp" me out...but ...as the subject title indicates...*HEAVY EYE ROLL*, Whether the "stomp out" be in jest or serious (because I can't tell), I got a couple of UNFRIENDLY comments this weekend that I decided NOT to post, you can get the idea from this person's angst by going here: http://iamservocrow.blogspot.com/

What follows is my personal note to "servocrow":

OBVIOUSLY, I am using a different Google-based domain and NOT a "gmail" account and I watched MST3K during its FIRST run (possibly while you were still in short pants). I have NOT used the name "servocrow" for as long as you say you have, but since you do not own exclusive RIGHTS to it and I WAS NOT BLOCKED FROM USING IT, I picked it because of its nice flow and how it looks on checks. If I could've thought of a SWELL name combining Servo, Crow, Gypsy, Cambot, Mike, Joel, TV's Frank, Dr. F., Pearl, Bobo, Brain Guy and Dr. Erhardt---THEN I WOULD HAVE used THAT as an online moniker instead. As it stands, I will REMAIN "ServoCrow" with the capital letters because I love both of those little bots equally and since their names are PROPER NOUNS, they should be capitalized. As for your comment about NOT knowing which show the clip (posted earlier) was from??? There, I must take MSTie humbrage with you again, as it is (and I'm not going to accuse YOU of not knowing this) from episode #421 Monster A-Go-Go and happens to be my favorite quote. So PLEASE, PLEASE....take a little break from the disease which you are suffering: ARS -- Angry Robot Syndrome and watch a couple of seasons of the show and post again when you've calmed down a bit. I'm sorry you cannot get a government check for it yet. There's room enough on the World Wide Web for everyone and remember, "....Repeat to yourself, it's JUST a show, I should really just RELAX..."

Now, for those of you who want to know MORE about the show, go here: www.mst3kinfo.com .....I hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing day doing things that are FUN and enjoyable. I'm going to continue with some picking up and putting away all the things that happen around the house during the weekend...and maybe I can squeeze in a Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode. I suddenly have a hankering for some cheese-skewering.

So You Think It's Too Early For Halloween?

2007-09-21T09:22:00.000-05:00

Well, as Wilford Brimley barks during his Liberty Medical commercials, "THINK AGAIN!!!"

I did 20 years HARD TIME in the retail INDUSTRY, and I KNOW EARLY....and this ain't it...

This is only PART of the INSANITY I put myself through beginning each Labor Day weekend. The frivolity DOES NOT end until I'm watching College Bowl games on New Year's Day (Go BADGERS!! Go WILDCATS...um THAT would be KENTUCKY...and yeah, SOMETIMES we know what to do with those little balls that have the points on the ends...oh how I digress again....).

ANYWAY....This picture on the bottom is just a little corner of a HUGE bookshelf. I do plan on taking more pictures next week and release the glory of my Home Decoration Creation in bits and pieces to the roving eyes who may skid by. I don't know if the AVERAGE, NON-Holiday-decorating Homo Sapien could handle it all at once, so I MUST BE CAREFUL...

With great power comes....great...something-something....

As you can see by this picture, I am a HUGE fan of the Jack-O-Lantern...Now, as a PRACTICING, Born-Again Christian I am well-aware that many people sitting on church pews get all bent out of shape celebrating Halloween and whatever Pagan rituals that might be associated with it. I DO NOT get caught up in this MESS...TO ME, a Jack-O-Lantern is a wonderful, cut-up, GOD-CREATED vegetable, emitting a wonderful glow when the sun goes down. Pumpkins make GREAT PIES, and the seeds are delicious too. There is ONLY something inherently evil if it is in your heart to make it so....SO, I shan't Picard this holiday. Halloween is a fun time for dressing up, eating candy, watching scary movies, and ENJOYING the wonderful change of season. Besides, Halloween is ALSO my Dad's birthday, so IT WILL ALWAYS BE a celebratory time. I also have this corner shelf adorned with some Peanuts memorabilia (another long-time seasonal tradition of ours) and some cards.

Now, the picture on the top is our front doorway. Each year I have to slightly modify the decorations somewhat. This time last year, we did not have our plasma TV OR our new living room set, so things that I had for my "sit-abouts" are no longer available to me (or are in different rooms). The ghost hanging on the door was one I made over a decade ago. The orange covered "table" that is sitting on the floor is ACTUALLY a large DOLL CASE. In it, is a $500 Scarlett O'Hara doll from The Franklin Mint! I covered her with orange material and put a black tree on top (which has ornaments on it -- I'll have a better picture later in my Flickr Album). In front are two ceramic owls which belonged to my late Mother-in-law.

So, you see....I've only begun to fight...er...um...decorate...OR AT LEAST SHOW PEOPLE...The outside will be started in the next couple of weeks. The inside, except for some odds and ends stuff is nearly complete and there is NOT ONE ROOM that doesn't have SOMETHING in it.

You see, I have to start early.....If I didn't -- I'd NEVER get done!!!

Okay, I Have to Add This....Explanation Tomorrow

2007-09-20T11:49:00.000-05:00

MST3K: Gypsy Doesn't Get Crow

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Why Here..

2007-09-20T08:28:00.000-05:00

Let me tell you that I have tried many different places. I currently have a thriving blog (actually two of them) in the Yahoo! 360 world. I like the format there. I also have a MySpace page which is such a WASTE of time because NO ONE actually does anything worthwhile there except post inane quizzes, upload songs, and pimp (steal) pictures from one another. It would be okay if you networked with family members or a like group of people (I suppose), BUT I enjoy by anonymity online and really don't like to harness myself to private pages (just so my family can read it). Of course, since I am a Christian, many of my family members AVOID ME LIKE THE BLACK PLAGUE, and don't invite me into their world anyhow. That is fine. I left my hometown free and clear 20 years ago this November and never looked back. I do not need their approval or their affection in my life -- I've pretty much been without it for a very long time anyways.

It is different with my Dad and Step mom...AT LEAST they come and see me (along with one niece who makes the effort now that I live within a few hours driving distance to home). Most family members believe the interstate only travels one way. And even on the times when I visit my hometown, my own BLOOD siblings do not make an effort to see me then. And so the apathy grows....

But I digress....

I was prompted by a friend to use this blog spot and I promise the posts to be wittier and weirder. I just had to let off some steam; knowing I have no previous family members on this reading list; nor do I plan to.

So I am here to veg....to talk about things I don't get to talk about normally to anyone (save the voices in my head...muahahahahahahahahahahaa)....I hope to figure out the little idiosyncrasies of this page to upload a few more pictures and make it, at the very least, VISUALLY interesting.

Until then....My Cluttered Mind has some Halloween Decorating to do...Early you say? Ah, well, we'll discuss that tomorrow....along with "Where did that weird moniker come from?"

Well, So I Begin...Again

2007-09-19T12:56:00.000-05:00

I will post randomness that enters this often cluttered mind of mine....I could be here many times or rarely. I'm going to try this on like an outfit found at a yard sale -- It is picked it up cheaply, if it fits well, then by gum, I'll wear it all the time...

If it doesn't....to the back of the closet you go with the other blog pages I've tried on.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Confessions of a Cluttered Mind

The Great Race-2008: The Land of Candy and Sunshine by John P. Stevenson

That Time of Year Again...

Dear Mr. Obama

Why We Fight by John P. Stevenson

Indescribable, by Chris Tomlin

Fugitive Alien Medley

Logan, the Sky Angel Cowboy

Let the Worshppers Arise!

1974 Xenia Tornado Reprise Radio Bulletins

Saying So Long To The Man-Fish...Good-Bye Ben Chapman

So it's been awhile...

Aftermath...

When Life Hands You Lemons....

It's A Wonderful Life - Middle School Play

A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words

A Christmas Carol--1951

That Light from the Southern Sky, Part 3

That Light in the Southern Sky, Part 2

Of Thanksgiving Day's Past....

That Light in the Southern Sky...Ummm ...Well....

MST3K The Christmas Essay Segment

MST3K - Patrick Swayze Christmas

MST3K - Merry Christmas...if thats okay

What's a Few Tears Between Holidays....

Happy Halloween 2007!

The Nightmare Before Christmas - What's This?

The Nightmare Before Christmas - What's This?

Of Hershey Bars and "REALISTIC" Pumpkins...

Eating More Fibre...Or Do I NEED Help Moving BLOGS In the Morning?

Pumpkin Facts

Overwhelmed By Manifested Clutter!!

The HHS Epidemic...

Moniker Mayhem *HEAVY EYE ROLL*

So You Think It's Too Early For Halloween?

Okay, I Have to Add This....Explanation Tomorrow

Why Here..

Well, So I Begin...Again

Moniker Mayhem HEAVY EYE ROLL