To be renamed Texas II.
That's all I'm going to say on this subject because I have to watch my bloodpressure.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Every Day Is Memorial Day
There is little I can add to bring any new insight to today.
I grew up during Vietnam and its aftermath. I remember how badly returning soldiers were treated because of the internal fighting going on here.
I hope we never mistake bad wars with good men and women fighting them again.
Whatever we may feel about the current wars, it does not negate the overall sacrifice made by the men and women in uniform and the families they leave behind to hopefully return to one day.
They are all heroes in their own way. And when they come home...and come home they will, I pray we treat them as they deserve and take care of them as they have earned.
I grew up during Vietnam and its aftermath. I remember how badly returning soldiers were treated because of the internal fighting going on here.
I hope we never mistake bad wars with good men and women fighting them again.
Whatever we may feel about the current wars, it does not negate the overall sacrifice made by the men and women in uniform and the families they leave behind to hopefully return to one day.
They are all heroes in their own way. And when they come home...and come home they will, I pray we treat them as they deserve and take care of them as they have earned.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Gays in the Military: Don't Ask/It Smells
So....I'm watching Rachel last night and finding out about yet another member of our military being ousted for being gay. (see video below)
It isn't enough that they lay their lives down for us, or for wars of choice. It isn't enough that they are exposed to horror, blood and death almost every day of their lives. It isn't enough that we demand that they carry with them the knowledge that as they are preserving our freedoms or fighting to preserve other's lives, that they are killing.
Nor is it enough that we repay them with degraded healthcare. It isn't enough that Veterans had to fight tooth and nail for a modernized GI bill last year (That John McCain "friend to veterans" fought tooth and nail against, only to take credit for its passing}.
No...none of that is enough. We have to tell them who they can and cannot love or they lose the "right" to protect us.
Barack Obama promised to deal with Don't Ask/Don't Tell when he was campaigning. We are still waiting for him to at least take some small action so that our forces aren't diminished for stupidity.
In this time when we need every single willing and able bodied person to serve. What the fuck are we thinking? Who the fuck are we and what the fuck do we stand for when we actually FIRE people from the military?
As has been asked before by John Stewart, "So...we can waterboard a guy 187 times but the other guy that can interpret and understand what the hell that jerk we're waterboarding is saying can't have a boyfriend?"
As a near middle aged straight male I am beyond offended by this. I am outraged. I don't give a flying rat's ass who you love, why you love or HOW you love. If you love, that's good enough for me. Love As Thou Wilt, a phrase from a favorite series of books, is something that I will eventually have tattooed on my arm this year. I believe its how we ought to approach life and each other.
If we find out a soldier is gay, the response should be "We are grateful for your service" not "you're fired".
This isn't a game, this is life and death. Grow the fuck up.
It's time we stopped letting backwards thinking dumbasses run shit in this country.
President Obama, STEP UP! This is one of the many reasons I voted for you.
It isn't enough that they lay their lives down for us, or for wars of choice. It isn't enough that they are exposed to horror, blood and death almost every day of their lives. It isn't enough that we demand that they carry with them the knowledge that as they are preserving our freedoms or fighting to preserve other's lives, that they are killing.
Nor is it enough that we repay them with degraded healthcare. It isn't enough that Veterans had to fight tooth and nail for a modernized GI bill last year (That John McCain "friend to veterans" fought tooth and nail against, only to take credit for its passing}.
No...none of that is enough. We have to tell them who they can and cannot love or they lose the "right" to protect us.
Barack Obama promised to deal with Don't Ask/Don't Tell when he was campaigning. We are still waiting for him to at least take some small action so that our forces aren't diminished for stupidity.
In this time when we need every single willing and able bodied person to serve. What the fuck are we thinking? Who the fuck are we and what the fuck do we stand for when we actually FIRE people from the military?
As has been asked before by John Stewart, "So...we can waterboard a guy 187 times but the other guy that can interpret and understand what the hell that jerk we're waterboarding is saying can't have a boyfriend?"
As a near middle aged straight male I am beyond offended by this. I am outraged. I don't give a flying rat's ass who you love, why you love or HOW you love. If you love, that's good enough for me. Love As Thou Wilt, a phrase from a favorite series of books, is something that I will eventually have tattooed on my arm this year. I believe its how we ought to approach life and each other.
If we find out a soldier is gay, the response should be "We are grateful for your service" not "you're fired".
This isn't a game, this is life and death. Grow the fuck up.
It's time we stopped letting backwards thinking dumbasses run shit in this country.
President Obama, STEP UP! This is one of the many reasons I voted for you.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Congratulations!
Dollhouse is saved thanks in no small part to our efforts as fans.
FOX said the took a good hard look at DVR numbers as well as HULU and Fox On Demand orders. They don't seem to have mentioned iTunes but I'm sure that had an impact as well.
I do wish they'd have gone for more than 13 episodes and moved them to Tuesdays with Fringe (except they moved Fringe to Thursdays...that's another issue altogether, grrrrr). But I'll take Friday night over no night any day.
Good work on us all, I say.
Now come September we need to keep it up. Encourage our friends to buy the DVD that will included the unaired Pilot as well as the infamous 13th episode, "Epitaph:One" Spread the word...
There is a rumor that the 13th ep may be aired after all.
FOX said the took a good hard look at DVR numbers as well as HULU and Fox On Demand orders. They don't seem to have mentioned iTunes but I'm sure that had an impact as well.
I do wish they'd have gone for more than 13 episodes and moved them to Tuesdays with Fringe (except they moved Fringe to Thursdays...that's another issue altogether, grrrrr). But I'll take Friday night over no night any day.
Good work on us all, I say.
Now come September we need to keep it up. Encourage our friends to buy the DVD that will included the unaired Pilot as well as the infamous 13th episode, "Epitaph:One" Spread the word...
There is a rumor that the 13th ep may be aired after all.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Texass
Despite the fact that there are a few people (The Bloggess being one of them)in the state that I am fond of...I have always considered Texas to be astoundingly over-rated...especially by Texans themselves. DALLAS in particular.
Austin being the exception I haven't seen anything in that state worth a hoot. It doesn't have anything you can't find in any other more interesting state, like Arizona, New Mexico, Arkansas.
So when the Governor of that state repeatedly talks secession I figure its time to blog about it.
And then Keith Olbermann, as usual, beats me to it and makes ALL my points. Bastard.
Austin being the exception I haven't seen anything in that state worth a hoot. It doesn't have anything you can't find in any other more interesting state, like Arizona, New Mexico, Arkansas.
So when the Governor of that state repeatedly talks secession I figure its time to blog about it.
And then Keith Olbermann, as usual, beats me to it and makes ALL my points. Bastard.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Dad
Its been a week since I've blogged here. I've been tired or just not able to prod my lazy ass to write what's been on my mind. There's a Star Trek blog coming up soon, I just haven't been up to it.
This time of year is a weird time for me. I am easily distracted, often irritable and yesterday I was reminded it was indeed that time.
11 years ago today, my father's body was found after suicide a few days earlier. It happened in what was a period that seemed to be a step up from a very hard several years for me and served as a major setback, not only emotionally, but spiritually and financially.
In a lot of ways I'm STILL recovering. I've never quite forgiven him for the mess he left behind, both literal and figurative. For the pain he left his granddaughter in who was just shy of turning 8 at the time.
I have, however, come to miss him. As with us all, our father's shape so much of who we are. My love of movies comes from him, pop culture and the like. My political nature is my mother's, my geekdom, entirely from dad.
In the last few years I've thought a lot about how he would have loved the reboots of our old favorites; Battlestar Galactica, James Bond and now Star Trek. He was a big Western fan too. GOD he would have loved Firefly.
I think he would have loved them. Especially Casino Royale. He was in a great deal of psychic pain, obviously, but I can never understand how he shut himself from the experiences he had yet to have. Watching his granddaughter grow and become a college student, the shows she was in...all that.
And as I said, there's Star Trek. I think he would have gotten a big kick out of this last movie. It had a lot of nods to the old sci fi movies of the 40s and 50s that he loved as well as being Trek itself. I can even see tears in his eyes as it brought back good memories of his youth and how so often pop culture comes fill circle for us.
Dad, I hope you are resting peacefully. I hope one day I can forgive you for being so fucking stupid and selfish. And I hope you can watch movies wherever you are and that they have an IMAX.
Below are a couple of old pics of him.
Dad's Headshot from 1963 when we moved from Tucson to New York so he could start his career as an actor. I was a year old. He sold the car and we took the train from Tucson, through Chicago and into NYC.
The only real break my dad's career ever got. This is from an ad campaign from the 70s. Of this particular campaign dad's was the most popular, appearing in more places than any of the others. There's a picture of dad on some highway standing under a ginormous version of this picture... I mean Godzilla big. Alas, it didn't translate into much further work.
This time of year is a weird time for me. I am easily distracted, often irritable and yesterday I was reminded it was indeed that time.
11 years ago today, my father's body was found after suicide a few days earlier. It happened in what was a period that seemed to be a step up from a very hard several years for me and served as a major setback, not only emotionally, but spiritually and financially.
In a lot of ways I'm STILL recovering. I've never quite forgiven him for the mess he left behind, both literal and figurative. For the pain he left his granddaughter in who was just shy of turning 8 at the time.
I have, however, come to miss him. As with us all, our father's shape so much of who we are. My love of movies comes from him, pop culture and the like. My political nature is my mother's, my geekdom, entirely from dad.
In the last few years I've thought a lot about how he would have loved the reboots of our old favorites; Battlestar Galactica, James Bond and now Star Trek. He was a big Western fan too. GOD he would have loved Firefly.
I think he would have loved them. Especially Casino Royale. He was in a great deal of psychic pain, obviously, but I can never understand how he shut himself from the experiences he had yet to have. Watching his granddaughter grow and become a college student, the shows she was in...all that.
And as I said, there's Star Trek. I think he would have gotten a big kick out of this last movie. It had a lot of nods to the old sci fi movies of the 40s and 50s that he loved as well as being Trek itself. I can even see tears in his eyes as it brought back good memories of his youth and how so often pop culture comes fill circle for us.
Dad, I hope you are resting peacefully. I hope one day I can forgive you for being so fucking stupid and selfish. And I hope you can watch movies wherever you are and that they have an IMAX.
Below are a couple of old pics of him.
Dad's Headshot from 1963 when we moved from Tucson to New York so he could start his career as an actor. I was a year old. He sold the car and we took the train from Tucson, through Chicago and into NYC.
The only real break my dad's career ever got. This is from an ad campaign from the 70s. Of this particular campaign dad's was the most popular, appearing in more places than any of the others. There's a picture of dad on some highway standing under a ginormous version of this picture... I mean Godzilla big. Alas, it didn't translate into much further work.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
My encounter with the Master
Several years ago I was dating fairly heavily. Nothing to write home about, but I was learning to enjoy the process for its own sake and even when dates did not lead to more, I was having a good time.
One early summer I met someone and we hit it off very well. She was very much my type and had a certain wit about her that charmed the hell out of me. The feeling was quite mutual right away and I thought there might be something here to look forward to after a long time of loneliness and (quite honestly) sexual frustration.
Such was not the case. As is common in NYC dating circles, things can turn on a dime. Without going into detail, a slew of plans were suddenly called off and it was all done with no real explanation or logic. It left me in a very sour mood for a week. Not that things ended, mostly because I had felt misled and taken for a ride.
A few days later I had my weekly visit with my daughter in Queens and had a lovely time with her. We had dinner and watched an episode of Buffy I think. I had spent the last couple of years acquainting her with Buffy and Angel, or possibly Firefly.
It was then time to head home, a fairly involved trip that required a couple of train changes.
This was a nightmare. Once my night with my daughter was done I was back to my foul mood and the sluggish train system was no help. At one point I waited for a particular train for 45 minutes. Then it hit me that I was being a complete idiot and could get out of that station, walk 5 blocks and get on another train without it costing me an additional cent.
So now, I was also pissed off at myself as well as the girl and the universe.
Stomping up Seventh Avenue over to Broadway, I began to pass an old diner that had been there for decades and in my mood managed to feel grateful that it was still there. One of my few old haunts that hadn't been demolished or swallowed up by the Yuppie onslaught of the last 20 years.
And there, sitting outside in the corner of the outdoor section of said diner, sat Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy, Angel, Firefly etc.. He was with someone, an older man, I imagined they were discussing post production details of Serenity which was due in a few months.
I stood stock still a few feet from him. Total fanboy geekdom took over.
I've met and known many famous people. Including Charleton Heston and several other greats. This was the first and thus far only time I was spellbound.
I had been a fan of Whedon's for years. I admired his play with words, his storytelling and his perspective. And there he was in the flesh.
Finally I spoke and offered my hand, not expecting him to return the favor or thinking that he even should. I'm a stranger after all. I told him that I was a great fan of his work and admired him and had been turning my daughter on to his work from the time she was 11 and that she was now enjoying Firefly on DVD and it was the first time she liked anything that had anything to do with spaceships.
He was extremely gracious and kind and I can't even tell you how many times he said thank you. Then I got my shit together and remembered that I was a straight man in my early 40s and had to stop being such a girl. I thanked him for letting me talk with him and wished him a good night. Nodded to his friend and thanked him too and then walked on.
When I was a block away I called my daughter. "Guess what just happened to me"
Non chalant "I have no idea"
".............................I JUST MET JOSS WHEDON"
Suddenly Screaming "ReALYY!!!!!????"
And then I told her what happened.
I forgot about the woman, the subway and my crappy life and ended up walking for another 30 blocks before finally getting on the subway home, grinning the whole time.
One early summer I met someone and we hit it off very well. She was very much my type and had a certain wit about her that charmed the hell out of me. The feeling was quite mutual right away and I thought there might be something here to look forward to after a long time of loneliness and (quite honestly) sexual frustration.
Such was not the case. As is common in NYC dating circles, things can turn on a dime. Without going into detail, a slew of plans were suddenly called off and it was all done with no real explanation or logic. It left me in a very sour mood for a week. Not that things ended, mostly because I had felt misled and taken for a ride.
A few days later I had my weekly visit with my daughter in Queens and had a lovely time with her. We had dinner and watched an episode of Buffy I think. I had spent the last couple of years acquainting her with Buffy and Angel, or possibly Firefly.
It was then time to head home, a fairly involved trip that required a couple of train changes.
This was a nightmare. Once my night with my daughter was done I was back to my foul mood and the sluggish train system was no help. At one point I waited for a particular train for 45 minutes. Then it hit me that I was being a complete idiot and could get out of that station, walk 5 blocks and get on another train without it costing me an additional cent.
So now, I was also pissed off at myself as well as the girl and the universe.
Stomping up Seventh Avenue over to Broadway, I began to pass an old diner that had been there for decades and in my mood managed to feel grateful that it was still there. One of my few old haunts that hadn't been demolished or swallowed up by the Yuppie onslaught of the last 20 years.
And there, sitting outside in the corner of the outdoor section of said diner, sat Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy, Angel, Firefly etc.. He was with someone, an older man, I imagined they were discussing post production details of Serenity which was due in a few months.
I stood stock still a few feet from him. Total fanboy geekdom took over.
I've met and known many famous people. Including Charleton Heston and several other greats. This was the first and thus far only time I was spellbound.
I had been a fan of Whedon's for years. I admired his play with words, his storytelling and his perspective. And there he was in the flesh.
Finally I spoke and offered my hand, not expecting him to return the favor or thinking that he even should. I'm a stranger after all. I told him that I was a great fan of his work and admired him and had been turning my daughter on to his work from the time she was 11 and that she was now enjoying Firefly on DVD and it was the first time she liked anything that had anything to do with spaceships.
He was extremely gracious and kind and I can't even tell you how many times he said thank you. Then I got my shit together and remembered that I was a straight man in my early 40s and had to stop being such a girl. I thanked him for letting me talk with him and wished him a good night. Nodded to his friend and thanked him too and then walked on.
When I was a block away I called my daughter. "Guess what just happened to me"
Non chalant "I have no idea"
".............................I JUST MET JOSS WHEDON"
Suddenly Screaming "ReALYY!!!!!????"
And then I told her what happened.
I forgot about the woman, the subway and my crappy life and ended up walking for another 30 blocks before finally getting on the subway home, grinning the whole time.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Joss Whedon story tomorrow.
Hello folks.
Fantastic promotion for the Dollhouse DVD here. I want to give you the link again for the Echo Alert store, but their server is down today. They get a small percentage of the profit from Amazon.
Ah well. Their blog can also be found at www.echoalert.blogspot.com.
Fantastic promotion for the Dollhouse DVD here. I want to give you the link again for the Echo Alert store, but their server is down today. They get a small percentage of the profit from Amazon.
Ah well. Their blog can also be found at www.echoalert.blogspot.com.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
The new week
I wanted a lazy day. But I really needed to straighten out my little room. But between the weird weather in New York, then up to New Paltz where it was warm and dry, then cold and dry and then today rainy and cold, my hip has been killing me.
I have to find a way to make more money and I need to figure out what the next act of my life is.
I suspect that it has to do with writing. Beyond that...I haven't a clue.
Finally saw Dollhouse today. BRILLIANT episode.
Please hear us, FOX. KEEP THIS SHOW.
Maybe I'm supposed to write for Joss Whedon...I WISH...actually, I just want to act in his shows...say his words. THAT would be bliss.
Tomorrow I'll tell the geeky story of how I met him.
I have to find a way to make more money and I need to figure out what the next act of my life is.
I suspect that it has to do with writing. Beyond that...I haven't a clue.
Finally saw Dollhouse today. BRILLIANT episode.
Please hear us, FOX. KEEP THIS SHOW.
Maybe I'm supposed to write for Joss Whedon...I WISH...actually, I just want to act in his shows...say his words. THAT would be bliss.
Tomorrow I'll tell the geeky story of how I met him.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Mutant Enemy
I have a big day and won't be back til very late. I haven't seen the latest Dollhouse yet, which they say is amazing. But in honor of that and my lurve for Robot Chicken, I leave you my dear readers, with this:
,
Friday, May 1, 2009
Friiiday
Today is the second to last episode to be aired of Dollhouse, whose fate is still unknown.
I lot has flown back and forth about Fox executives wanting to renew it and waiting for numbers, but I don't buy it.
If they cared about numbers they wouldn't have aired it on Fridays with Terminator in the first place. Unless they are that stupid.
Anyway, continue to up those numbers by enjoying Hulu and Fox on Demand and iTunes downloads of the show.
Alan Tudyk appears in tonight's episode. I'm very happy about this.
In other news I don't know anything about my new niece as of yet. I haven't heard back from anyone but am hoping to meet her on Sunday.
Also heading back up to New Paltz to see my daughter in the chorus of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum.
I know I'm boring the last couple of days. Bear with me.
I lot has flown back and forth about Fox executives wanting to renew it and waiting for numbers, but I don't buy it.
If they cared about numbers they wouldn't have aired it on Fridays with Terminator in the first place. Unless they are that stupid.
Anyway, continue to up those numbers by enjoying Hulu and Fox on Demand and iTunes downloads of the show.
Alan Tudyk appears in tonight's episode. I'm very happy about this.
In other news I don't know anything about my new niece as of yet. I haven't heard back from anyone but am hoping to meet her on Sunday.
Also heading back up to New Paltz to see my daughter in the chorus of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum.
I know I'm boring the last couple of days. Bear with me.
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