just trying to make sense of it all...

Well hello! Nice to see you again.

2011-03-23T23:02:00.004-05:00

Long time no see!

What's it been? A year or so now, right?

Wow man, you look the same.

A bit grey, and moving a slightly slower, but otherwise you seem to be doing ok.

So what's going on man? Anything new to report?

Huh. Yeah, I guess it's the same ol' with me too.

There are a few new things I'd be happy to divulge over a beer or few.

I'm sure I've got a couple'a suprises and some funny stories to tell.

Besides, It'd be nice yammering with someone from back in the day.

Well I've gotta get going now. it's 12:28, and I have to get up early tomorr-today, so I"m going to catch you later, alright?

Hey it was really nice bumping into you like this...

I'm looking forward to talking with and catching up with you again soon.

Well, take it easy, and I'll get with you.

Peace.

Back In Effect!

2010-05-11T07:30:00.002-05:00

Ah! So here you are. Man, I was beginning to think you were gone for good! Geez, I guess it takes a move to find all things you lost/misplaced. Here I am doing some last minute cleaning and packing, and I find you dusty, and hidden underneath some old bills (paid), personal files (forgotten eons ago), and compromising photos nestled DEEP within my favorite sites section of my laptop.

It sure is nice to find you again.

Wow. It's been more than a year since I last scribbled electric letters on this thing. No wonder my life is erratic! I need to write to maintain my sanity. I think the reason I have not been doing so, is I have been socially nonexistent. I think I may have found a remedy though. I will be contributing reviews to Yelp.com on a regular basis, which will prompt/force me to get out and do stuff. So keep an eye on this blog, and look for reviews I will be posting on Yelp in the VERY near future.

Peace y'all!

Click This and Just Watch.

2009-06-04T11:22:00.002-05:00

Dick Cheney is out of control.
PLEASE-just stop interviewing him.

My How You've Grown...

2009-06-04T08:44:00.003-05:00

Haven't posted photos of the boy in a while, so-
HERE HE IS FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE!!!
THE BOY!

R.I.P. 1928-2009

2009-06-04T07:56:00.003-05:00

One of the GREATEST blues women has passed...

Cockblocking PART 2 (John's Revenge)

2009-05-04T22:38:00.001-05:00

These guys are HILARIOUS!
They have a whole cockblocking series on youtube.
Check 'em out.

Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video: 2nd Attempt

2009-05-02T06:56:00.001-05:00

Funny video.
Doesn't make me want to go.

? and the Mysterians

2009-04-12T07:38:00.007-05:00

Friday nite I went to Rhumba cafe' and saw ? and the Mysterians.
They are the band most known for the song "96 Tears".
Thankfully they graced columbus with their presence, and thankfully I didn't stay home and veg out like I originally planned.
I arrived to see the band Vegas 66 playing the opening set. They were a pretty good Rockabilly band, who mainly played original music, with a smattering of covers, by the Stray Cats and Elvis Presley.
After a brief break and a pint of Guinness, a rather crusty individual with a whiskey slur, and a voice marred by WAAAY too many unfiltered cigarettes came up and introduced the band. At that point, four older mexican gentlemen made their way to their respective instruments, and then ? sauntered up and greeted the crowd with "Are ya'll ready to rock and roll BA-bay?"
They started off pretty slowly as I must admit I expected. With each following song, they gathered more momentum, and became more and more comfortable on stage.
They ended up doing a good amount of their old rowdy/sexy garage standards-
I need somebody
(Girl) You captivate me
Got to
Do you feel it (excellent song which showed just how tight the band still is)

and ?, even though his singing voice was a tad bit weak, knew how to get the crowd motivated, and folks were writhing, jumping, and just grooving to his requests to "Feel it Ba-Bay!" He was an excellent performer, almost like a mexican Iggy Pop, but cooler.
They also did a couple of great covers- James Brown's "Try Me" which I must say, I have never heard a cover of, and the Stone's "I can't get no satisfaction.
Their signature piece- "96 tears" was then played, almost as an afterthought, and by the time they performed it, the crowd was already too hyped up for it to make a big deal.
Well, I take that back.
There were audience members there that I am SURE either saw them live back in 66'-67', or was listening to them back then.
They were the ones who immediately recognized the very recognizable keyboard line in that song, and they went bananas upon hearing it.
All in all, I am very happy I got off my lazy duff and went to check out the band credited with being the first mexican garage band to reach #1 in the billboard charts, and the band considered by some to be the first "punk rock' band.
These geezers were well worth the $15 cover I plunked down.
It was a great performance, and if you get the chance, check em' out live cuz' given their ages, I'm not too sure how much longer they will be able to keep doing this.

Peace.

Thanks Easter bunny! Bawk Bawk!

2009-04-12T07:15:00.003-05:00

Happy Easter!
Last night, we colored eggs for the boy's Easter basket.
I must say, I think we had a bit more fun than the boy.
I believe he understood what was going on, but he wanted to drink the dye rather than dip eggs at first.
But once he got the hang of it and realized that the eggs would look all colorful and cute-like, he was all about dipping.
This morning his basket was waiting for him, and promptly after his diaper change, he came into the living room to find that the Easter bunny left him a neat basket.
The boy got Curious George stamps, Two Matchbox planes, coloring books, eggs, a ball that looks like a tire, magnets, and Easter lil' debbie cakes.

No. the boy is NOT spoiled.

Well, maybe a little bit.
HAPPY EASTER!
Peace.

Watch Out For Werewolves Y'all!

2009-04-08T22:07:00.005-05:00

Man!
The moon is bright out tonight!
The lovely wife and I were in the hot tub at around 9:30 this evening, and we saw moonbeams shining VERY brightly.
Fortuitously for me, It enabled me to see just how lovely the wife REALLY is as she emerged, skin glistening and bathed in moonlight.
Thanks Moon Man! (You can almost make out his face)
I hope the photo does my (second) favorite heavenly body the justice its due.
Peace.

"Life comes at you fast"

2009-04-06T17:22:00.000-05:00

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!

2009-04-06T16:56:00.005-05:00

The Boy and I fell victim to a coney craving.
Pretty good coneys.
Greasy, but very satisfying.
Phillips is essentially the equivalent to White Castle's.
You hate that you find something that SHOULD be disgusting so tasty.

Pope Benedict: "Condom Distribution Will Fuel AIDS Epidemic"

2009-03-26T08:50:00.001-05:00

Sigh...
What is WRONG with the vatican???
The time is now to discontinue the belief that adherence to Dogma (above common sense) will result in salvation.
We aren't STUPID pope. (Notice the lack of capitalization?)

McDonald's - Mint Shamrock Shakes and Sundaes (1980)

2009-03-17T06:47:00.001-05:00

One more...

McDonald's -

2009-03-17T06:46:00.001-05:00

Happy Saint Patrick's day to all the Irish and once a year irish folks out there!
Erin Go Bragh, and don't drink too much y'all!

Stylish!

2009-03-09T09:55:00.003-05:00

CHECK
OUT
THE
BOY.

FREAKIN' GODZILLA vs. MEGALON!

2009-02-28T23:32:00.004-05:00

Off Beat Cinema on the Retro Television Network is showing Godzilla vs. Megalon tonight.
In fact, I'm watching it now.
This is one of my favorite movies for two reasons.

1. When I was a kid, my dad took me to the local art house Drexel theater. At that point, I had never seen a Godzilla film on the big screen. My head nearly exploded when I saw Jet Jaguar and Godzilla team up to take out Megalon and Gigan.

2. While watching the film my dad and I really got into the film, cringing at the scary parts, cheering (quietly) at the fights, and marvelling at the technological parts (building of the robot Jet Jaguar) The film was an experience, and it STILL is a treat to watch in it's cheesy goodness.
I can't wait to watch it with the boy in a few years, and see if he enjoys it as much as I do.

2009-02-26T12:10:00.008-05:00

Just got back from, and had a GREAT time in Los Angeles y'all.
We were visiting our friends, the Lovely Ms. (pronounced MIZZ) Jess, and quite debonaire Matt Olman.
We were there from last friday 'til this monday, and we had a ball!
Highlights include:

Eating ethnic/ethnic inspired food for pretty much the entire visit
Visiting a neat comic shop
A beautiful afternoon drive through "The Hills"
My morning sabbatical to the latin bakery and asian doughnut shop (and getting lost on the way back)
Matt and my game of slugbug with cars that cost $400K and up.
Our yard sale shopping trip at a home in Beverly Hills (excellent spontaneity my lovely wife)
Great insightful conversation
A surprise visit to a pirate bar(?) (excellent spontaneity Matt)
And Flashy Bike man

The weather was warm, our friends were gracious hosts, and the lovely wife and I got to see lots of interesting things we would not see here in the midwest.
I'm looking forward to going back to L.A. ASAP!
Thanks again Matt&Jess!
PEACE.

Republican Response to Pres. Obama Address to Congress

2009-02-26T00:28:00.001-05:00

I mean, REALLY?

2009-02-25T23:53:00.005-05:00

There the republican party goes again.
First Vice Presidential runner up Sarah Palin was used to cater to women too shallow to realize how shallow she is.
"Hip-Hop" GOP chairman Michael Steele is looking to recruit all the young homeys homettes into the republican party by creating a GOP that feels a bit more "urban".
Joe the plumber was part-timing as an Iraq war correspondent.

...

And then there's Bobby Jindal.
Just watch his response to last night's congressional address and form your own opinions.
I think his party considers him an Obama doppleganger helping to create hope for republicans- without having to participate in all that pesky bipartisanship.
The republican party (those in charge) seems to think that all people need is someone who looks like, or has the same sensibilities as them, and voila!
New republicans will be spawned!
Who gives a damn about what their previous political views/policies are, this is someone the people can RELATE to!

Ease up on the patronization republicans.
You are insulting our intelligence by assuming we have none.

Wow. So Blatant Rupert?

2009-02-19T22:43:00.007-05:00

RUPERT MURDOCH allowed this cartoon to be published in his magazine the NEW YORK POST.

Oh yeah, back-handed apology NOT accepted.

Speaking Of The Devil...

2009-02-17T23:11:00.005-05:00

I think I may have given Face Book a bad rap.
Upon further introspection, I have come to the conclusion that it is a tool which can be used to find old friends, boost egos, keep in touch, and fuel the fires of nostalgia.
It's a FUN tool.
But as of late, for me, that tool has wriggled into the daily/nightly routine.
I was mistaking the fun tool being the bad part.
The problem I've been having is with the ROUTINE.
Every day has become a sort of cyclical chain of events.
Nothing different is happening.
By "different" I mean something that I probably wouldn't consider happening at all on that particular day.
A surprise if you will.
My lovely wife and I need a little bit of Something New happening every now and then to make the routine a bit less boring and unchanging.
So I offer this request to you my lovely wife, how about we commit to helping each other try something different on a regular basis.
Tonight I want to plan our trip and take a look at some old pictures of the boy and compare them to how he looks now.
...
Hm.
That wasn't very hard at all.
I wonder what's gonna be different about tomorrow?

FORCE FIELDS... ON!

2009-02-16T07:46:00.008-05:00

So, do you remember when you were a kid how you would prop up pillows, and couch cushions and then place a sheet or comforter on top to make a tent, or fort?
Yeah...
That was great fun. I remember it fondly.
I don't like it so much now.
Pretty much every night, the lovely wife prepares her fort with the precision, and consideration of an architect. Using about twenty pillows, (all hers) she meticulously builds a body fort all around herself.
I must admit it's quite effective.
I'm not 100%, but I am quite sure that its virtually airtight, blocking out all light, sound, and snuggly advances.
Every so often, I am able to slip a hand in between the impenetrable pillows of her fort allowing me access to a hip or thigh, and if I am lucky, I may be able to graze a bit of her torso.
Alas, unfortunately my feat of manual dexterity is usually met with a grunt, and a swift brushing away of my hand.
Curses!
Foiled again!
Now I don't fault her, because I believe she is asleep when I try to snuggle, and the slightest brush against her skin can tickle her into consciousness.
Tickles and my wife just don't seem to work.

SHE CAN NOT STAND TO BE TICKLED.

Also, in her defense, the lovely wife has back problems of the
upper
lower
and middle kind,
and she says she needs the pillows for support.
I understand this, and accept it (to an extent) but the situation does become a pain at times.
Not just because of the karate chops my advances receive, but mainly because it's oftentimes uncomfortable.
You see, I am a rather slight individual, and therefore I take up very little space in the bed.
(My wife would disagree)
All the pillows my wife piles up tends to leave me with about just under eight inches to move around.
By the way, we have a queen size bed.
Very uncomfortable.
Hmmm.
Maybe Ozzie and Harriet had separate beds because one of them had the same dilemma as me?
Not willing to go to those lengths for a solution.
Maybe a King size bed?
Nope.
We live in an area of columbus permeated with cape cods, and cape cods ain't known for being super spacious.
Honestly, I don't believe that we could get one to fit upstairs.
So no dice.
Hey!
The boy and I are around the same size, so I know there's plenty of room in his bed,
and I know for a fact that he likes snuggling, soooo...

Ugghhh...

2009-02-13T17:49:00.001-05:00

EVERYONE in our home is sick.

Ooooooh, Scary! (Kinda)

2009-02-09T21:12:00.006-05:00

The lovely wife and I saw Coraline last night.
It was a pretty good film.
Actually it was quite splendid.
Not the Greatest film of all time mind you, but I was VERY impressed.
To think that the ENTIRE film was stop motion, and that so much work went into creating TWO miniature parallel worlds is astounding.
The Premise of the story is neat, but the story itself lagged just a bit in the middle.
The villain was both sweet and scary, and all of the supporting cast was interesting.
All in all, it was a BEAUTIFUL dark film that I will buy when available, but the boy will not get to see it until he is at LEAST 5 or 6, due to it's dark and slightly terrifying nature.
Go see it. It's a true feast for the eyes.

Ahhhhhhh.

2009-02-06T21:21:00.004-05:00

This is what my lunch looked like today.
Awww yeahhh.
I think you know how I feel about coneys...

RIBBIT-RIBBIT pt. 2

2009-02-06T01:05:00.006-05:00

Here is the boy, at Cosi.
He thoroughly enjoyed the frogs in all their amphibious glory.
After viewing the frog/toad exhibit, he ventured on to the ocean exhibit,
and from there to the kids play area. It was a great trip, and just being able to hang with my lovely wife and #1 son this morning before work made the late evening appointments sorta' worth while.

Romantica Italiano

2009-02-05T09:39:00.001-05:00

Mitzi
by Alessandro Alessandroni
puts me in a good place

RIBBIT-RIBBIT!

2009-02-05T08:56:00.001-05:00

This morning we are going to Cosi to let the boy play and check out the frog exhibit.
I'm pretty sure he is going to crap when he sees all the different tropical frogs
pictures to be posted later today.

EVIL!!!

2009-02-04T22:56:00.007-05:00

Face Book is the Devil y'all.
Beazlebub
El Diablo
Satan
Old Nick
You see, my accusations are not unfounded.
Like the devil, Face Book (I'm splitting the name into two words to avoid any legal ramifications)
offers us friends, recognition, attention and various other things which appeal to our ids.
Time passes, and everything is peachy keen until, you decide to carry on with your life outside of Face Book.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
By this point, Face Book has its' clutches deep within you.
You find that you are unable to carry on a normal day without checking your profile at least 3, 4, 10 times a day.
You find that with EVERY Invitation, request, or gift you accept, your ability to decline said invitations, requests, and gifts becomes weakened twofold.
You find that your dependence upon/loathing of Face Book increases exponentially each time you log on (usually 3,4, 10 times a day).
Face Book is evil.
EVIL, I SAY!
And I can't finish this rant fast enough, because I want to see if anyone commented on my last post.
Peace.

Aaaaaayyyyycchhhh-Deeeeeeeeeeee Babeeeee!!!

2009-02-04T09:08:00.004-05:00

Wheeee-haaa!
We got some HD tv goin on in the house now, and I tell ya',
I CAN NOT PEEL MY EYES FROM THE TELEVISION!
I have spent hours watching
channels I would otherwise never view, like:
HD HGTV
HD FOOD NETWORK
HD LIFETIME NETWORK
HD NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL
HD FOX NEWS (!?!)
and
HD HBO
and also a smattering of HD ESPN

I
AM
A
JUNKIE.

Can an "Intervention" be far away?
Oooh, speaking of which, I wonder if there's an HD A&E?

2009-02-03T20:18:00.011-05:00

I went to see my grandmother today, and I must say that it was quite trying.
You see, she has bouts with Dementia, and that- coupled with Alzheimer's can make for an interesting/embarrassing/confusing/upsetting visit.
While hanging with her in the television area of her retirement facility,
(A top-notch one, I must say. It really is very nice. They have an immaculate Baby Grand piano in the sitting room for God sakes!)
she and I sat and conversed about her upcoming birthday, and various other subjects considered small-talk.
Then I HAD to bring up my grandfather's grandfather.
That's about when the fun began.
Y'see, I am not aware of any family history beyond my great-grandfather.
As far as I know, there was a terrible tragedy that befell his parents and some of his siblings by the hands of others.
I only know bits of what really happened, but I am aware of the gist.
To make matters even more complicated, my great-grandfather's history is pretty spotty as well.
So you can understand why I asked my grandmother about who he was.
Well, I guess today wasn't the day to ask. Immediately after I asked, she shouted my grandfather's-her husband's name.
Immediately after that, she asked where he was. I realized that at that point in time she was unaware that he is, and has been deceased for quite some time. I saw that outburst as a reason to diffuse the situation. I said to her, "well, granddad isn't here grandma. He passed away a while ago." With that, she became upset with me. She looked at me like, Dumb Ass I KNOW my husband is dead, and then she mumbled something under the blanket she had pulled up to her nose. I know what she said couldn't have been too favorable, because she ended whatever her comment was with "shit"
Oops.
From that point, I spent the rest of my visit trying to get back in her good graces.
FAIL!
Nah, I wouldn't go that far. There were glimmers of joviality, but primarily when others came by to inquire as to who I was.
Seeing that the ship was going down, I decided to make my descent beneath the waves as pleasent as I could.
I convinced her to sing some of the oldies but goodies along with me.
We sang "Let me call you sweetheart", "Take me out to the ball game", "Yes we have no bananas", and "By the light of the silvery moon".
Well,
I sang the tunes, and grandma screamed them bloody murder style.
Maybe not that bad, but she was pretty damn loud.
Heh.
When each song concluded, she became inanimate after propping herself up against the arm of the chair opposite me, and to watched the Dr. Phil program.
I believe it was about online chat sites and the underage victims, and potential victims of sexual predators.

It is a sad day my friends when your visit to your grandmother is deemed less captivating than sexual deviants on the Dr. Phil show.

Realizing that the titanic had reached the ocean floor, I said my goodbyes, and told her that I planned to see her for her approaching birthday, and got up out of there.
I hated that my visit went that way, but hey, I guess you win some, you lose some right?
I make light of the situation, but I do so only to help cope with the fact that her situation is one that I can not fathom, and one that scares me beyond any other malady that I could be faced with.

Weekend recap

2009-02-02T22:09:00.005-05:00

This was an interesting weekend.
The Steelers won the Superbowl (I am quietly happy)
My son is able to proclaim to all that he is TWO years old to all those who inquire
"How old are you boy?"
"Tchoo!"
"Yup."
The wife gets the credit for that one.
My second Tai Chi class was both challenging and relaxing-
just what I needed.
(Remind me to tell ya' about my instructor. the guy's a piece of work)
Lastly, I watched Rock n Rolla directed by Guy Ritchie.
Good flick. I'm a sucker for new wave/modern English gangster films
Layer cake
Snatch
Sexy Beast
I really enjoyed Rock n Rolla, albeit the labyrinthine storyline, and some nearly unintelligible dialogue. I wont be giving the synopsis tonight. I haven't seen my wife all afternoon, so I want to spend the waning hours of the evening with her.
Anyway, check it out if you are interested in a slightly different kind of gangster film.
So all in all, my weekend was full of some fun stuff.

On a side note, it sure feels GREAT looking forward to tapping random keys and having them somehow make some sense when my fingers and or brain gets tired.
See ya.

Well, look what the cat's dragged in...

2009-02-02T01:43:00.007-05:00

Wow. It sure is dusty in here.
Cobwebs.
Dank and dark...
Ah. The light switch.
Hm. Looks just the way I left it.
Ha. Still has that slight electric feeling.
It leaves a metallic taste in your mouth-
and it smells like it does when you pull on a sweater that went through a cycle without a dryer sheet.
That static-y sulfur smell that surrounds you, while miniscule fireworks pop all around your head and light the darkness.
It feels good here.
Lots of memories.
A bit of an education.
Some self awareness.
Quite a lot of fun.
I tried something NEW and it didn't seem to work out.
Just didn't feel the same.
A clone missing ONE piece of DNA.
Close, but no cigar.
I didn't feel COMPELLED to write, to share the things I was experiencing like I did here.
I guess I didn't CARE by that point.
So I didn't write.
And by not writing, I had no reason to seek out interesting and artistic things to broaden my horizons.
And that for me is NOT GOOD.
When I'm not working on something interesting and positive in the old noggin, well then, that's when negativity, passivity, and complacency becomes prevalent.
Idle hands/Devil's playground eh?
So the only way to remedy my dilemma is to do what
makes me happy
relaxes me
stimulates me
makes me easier to be around.
So,
I guess I'm back.

I just better not have any more problems with editing

JW Signing Out...

2008-01-29T22:31:00.000-05:00

Well blog it's been fun.
I have enjoyed scribing on this electronic tome for the past- I don't know, couple of years, but I have become disenfranchised with your behavior as of late. I expressed how I felt about you disregarding my need for editing, and I have to show you that I wasn't kidding.
This is the last post I will be entering on this blog, and I must say, that it doesn't feel very good to be doing so.
The inconvenience of not being able to go back and correct any mistakes is driving me nuts.
That and the fact that when I go to the edit page, safari continually shuts down causing me to curse and go though the tedious task of re-opening safari, navigating to the page, signing in, and going to the edit page, only to have the same damn thing happen to me again and again.
I just can't take it.
So, unless any readers have any suggestions to what may help me with my dilemma, Sayonara y'all!
It has been a gas!

PEACE.

Birthday Party Photos

2008-01-29T22:02:00.001-05:00

2008-01-29T22:02:00.000-05:00

Birthday Photos

2008-01-29T14:20:00.000-05:00

Member' When I Posted Last? I Think It Was Waaaaaaay Back In Nineteeeeen Seventy Two...

2008-01-28T22:57:00.000-05:00

First off, Laziness may have had a bit to do with the delay in scribing on your static-y pages dear blog, but the MAIN reason I haven't been writing is YOUR fault friend.
You see, the fact that you are not allowing me to edit out any typos, and boy oh boy are there typos...

...Because you don't allow me to edit, I can't begin a thought, save it, and then come back later to expound upon the initial thought.
To put it simply, the boundaries you have set for me have put a strain on our friendship.
I can't be expected to tell you about all the stuff going on with me in one sitting every time I sit down to write.
So, there it is blog. You gotta get yourself together, or I'm gonna have to see you later slick.

Alright, I have quite a sum of things I will be talking about this evening, starting off with the most important, then moving on to other subjects that are important, just not AS important.
This weekend my son turned one. He had a pretty awesome birthday weekend.
On friday, The Lovely Wife brought the boy to the salon, and she cut his hair. He got to walk around the salon, and schmooze with the ladies getting their hair done. "Ohhh he's sooo cute!"
Yeah, my boy will have no trouble in the heart melting dept.
I got off early, and we took the Sprite to our favorite mexican restaurant. It's really authentic, and the boy enjoyed every minute of it. (Once he got some food that we packed "just in case". Hey, we're getting pretty good at this mom and dad thing)
He did his famous side to side Ray Charles/Stevie Wonder dance moves to the Ranchero, and Mariachi tunes, conspicuously listened in on peoples conversations in the neighboring booth, and flirted with the waitresses while swiping the rice off his plate and to the floor.
After dinner, we went to Target to pick up the boy's Radio Flyer care of Poppi and Mimi.
It's a pretty sweet wagon. We wanted to get the old school steel jammie, then thought about the newer wood model with the rails, after realizing the roll out/injury likelihood would be pretty high. We decided against the railed one when we saw the new fangled Radio Flyer for the new millennium!
It's got front tires that swivel, lift up seat backs seat belts, and cup holders!
Cool! He's ready for the zoo.
We ended the evening with a birthday cupcake from a local vegan bakery which he seemed to like, and then it was off to hit the hay.
He slept like a champ, thanx to all the activities he took part in.

On sunday, he had a nice Mickey Mouse themed birthday party.
We decorated during his nap, so when he woke, he noticed all the Mickey stuff. I'm sure the boy peed himself.
The kid LOVES the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on Disney, and if he sees Mickey or Goofy, he starts screaming
"Didee, DIDEE!!!
Who knows which character he's yelling for, but we know it's one of those two.
Anyway, the family came by (both sides) and brought him arm loads of cool toys, and clothes.
He got a Mickey cake of his own to tear into (he did not, opting to stay relatively clean- that's my boy), he had a spaghetti, meatball, lasagna dinner, got to hang out with his favorite cousin, and he had a captive audience to laugh at and prompt
an evening of entertainment. (consisting of clapping, holding his hands up in the air whenever the word "touchdown" was
mentioned, and making raspberry noises to simulated truck sounds when asked "what does a truck sound like?")
He had a heck of a birthday party, and the highlight for me was seeing him awestruck by hearing 16 people singing the birthday song to him at the same time for the first time.
I've decided to put the Kung Fu Review to rest for a while, only to be dusted off when I get the bug.

It's about time for a coney.

I dissed some good friends I hadn't seen in a while recently because I was salty that the details didn't seem to be worked out until the day I was to leave. I didn't bother to call and confirm/deny the opportunity to hang out, and after reviewing my selfish, and passive/aggressive behavior, I am truly ashamed with myself. I want to say that I am sorry for my behavior in this matter, and I hope all can be forgiven fellas.

I got to see Ms. Rohr if you're nasty, and Minty&Christian last weekend at a Jeffro Jam concert in the Short North. Seeing the ladies made me mighty happy. It was a fun evening full of Glenfiddich, great Improv(!) Space-y tunes, ego boosting, and just catching up. I got to see a guy who looked like the future version of my son, AND he had the SAME NAME!
I shit you not.
I also met a guy who had a brother with my name, and HE had MY brother's name, and their last name sounded exactly like ours, but ours has an "h" and theirs has an "r".
Weird night.

Last week I learned that one of my co-workers who I'll just call Ms. Le Fay-
(The Ms. part is gonna change soon, but it will do for now)
has the most guttural, hard-core, he-man belches that I have ever heard.
AWESOME.
I pretend I'm put off by this, but actually, I'm quite jealous.
I can't make a big giant burp like that without ending up with bile in my mouth.
Yeah.
Gross.
So I don't even try anymore.

Aqua Team Hunger Force's new season is weird (but strangely satisfying).
Watch Gareth Marengi's Darkplace for a weirder and funnier show.
Both are on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.

Eddie Bo and Inez Chetnam's "Lover and a Friend" has got to be one of the funkiest love songs I have ever heard!!!!
By the way, I will be replacing the Kung Fu Review with the "Dusty Platter Critique". I'll be giving heads ups on old 45 records, rare groove tunes, garage rock, boogaloo, italian soundtrack music, surf rock, and old school (50's/60's) r&b.
Keep your ears peeled, and your eyes to the ground for more details.

Really, it's about time for a coney.

Aaaannnnnd- I think that's about all I have to say today.
It's getting late, and I've got to get to bed.
So, See ya.
PEACE.
(Oh yeah, if there are any typos, don't blame me)

1922-2008

2008-01-12T14:25:00.000-05:00

R.I.P.???

Down At The Ceement Pond...

2008-01-12T11:31:00.000-05:00

My boy is Schwimmin" y'all!
The lovely wife enrolled him in a swim class, and he was out of control!
We knew he loved water based on how he behaves when taking a bath, but he was in hog heaven at the pool.
When we entered the room where the pool was located, he began squirming and squealing like a pig.
The kid is a regular tadpole, and I can't wait to see him when they begin doing more advanced things.
(SORRY 'BOUT THE SMALL PHOTOS)

Peace.

Kung Fu Review #5

2008-01-07T15:34:00.000-05:00

Whew! It's about time y'all!
I know I promised you some Kung Fu goodness weeks ago, but i have been VERY VERY busy.
My bad.
Without further ado, here is the next installment of-
Bum-Bum-Buh-Buhhhhh-

KUNG FU REVIEW!!!!!

Ok. so the maybe the fanfare was a bit much.

The film I'll be reviewing is Five Fighters from Shaolin- the sequel to Ninja Hunter
The film opens with a Pai Mei type character offering up a woman as a human sacrifice.
It's got a weird satanist feeling, with shades of reds and blacks and a spiritual slant.
All this is not accidentally subliminally sexual in nature, and Pai Mei cofirms this by penetrating the woman with a dagger
through the heart, and blood gushes everywhere in an ultra-fake stream the way it notoriously does in martial arts films.
Cut to ninjas infiltrating a Buddhist temple. Their reason for doing so is to destroy any threat to Pai Mei, by confiscating their Kung Fu manual of fighting styles.
They are then stopped by a strange monk who then reports the strange activity to his peers. They then ungratefully jeer him and disbelieve his actions, so he decides to leave the temple and recruit martial artists on his own to learn what's what with the Ninja.
During his travels he meets up with 1 hero, 1 acrobat, 2 thieves/charlatans, and 1 strongman.
They then return to the temple to provide protection, but are turned away.
realizing the temple is doomed, the monk decides to build his own temple. While doing so, our five heroes learn various fighting styles (pole, tiger, chinese boxing, some kind of kickboxing, and gymnastic), which will help them to defend their new temple from Pai. The training session is pretty neat, and there are bits of slapstick, and even a song(!?!)
Soon the temple has been built, and the 5 fighters concentrate on perfecting their skills.
Meanwhile we learn that the Ninja have'nt forgotten the monk's efforts to keep the manual from them, and they decide to jump him. That's to no avail though, because he easily dispatches them.
The monk is not out of the woods though. Pai decided to accompany the ninja, and ends up handing the monk his ass, seeking revenge for their previous fight (as seen in Ninja Hunter).
The monk escapes, but not before Pai uses some voodoo type Kung Fu skills to kill the monk.
After using an EXTREME method, the monk stops the effects of the voodoo.
As the monk makes his way back to his temple, the Ninja clan then attacks and kills one of his deciples in a particularly evil way.
The rest of the deciples then begin training even harder to exact their revenge.
They also steal the manual from the old temple and take it to the new one for safe keeping.
Pai soon visits the old temple, demanding the manual, and gives the monks three days to turn it over.
The five fighters then get the word out to pai that they have the manual, and they dare he and his ninja clan to come and get it from their temple.
He and his clan do, and that is when all sorts of Kung Fu hell breaks loose.
Using Boxing, Tiger, Pole fighting, Wuxia (swordfighting), and a cool ring acrobatic style, (Yes, the rings used in olympic competition) the fighters easily handle the ninja. The fighting is totally over the top, but it's beautifully choreographed.
Each martial artist flows with whomever they are fighting. It's a Deadly dance if you will.
I also noticed that the five fighters used the tools they trained with to whip some serious ass. Neato.

Each fighter is pretty accomplished in terms of their martial art, except of course the gymnast. He pretty much just used the rings to tie up or confuse his enemies. (No real Kung Fu skills)
They do pretty well till Pai Mei shows up & uses his funky fresh voodoo and Invincible armor type skills to gain an advantage.
I wont even go into the fact that he can detonate weapons and heads(?) at will.
His fight with the five is pretty boring until the final battle. This is WELL worth the wait.
All in all, I was pretty pleased with the film despite Extensive wire work. Although I generally don't like martial arts films with an abundance of training, there is CRAZY action throughout.
The only gripe I have about the film is the COMPLETELY unbelievable ending of the last fight. Now you know that if someone complains about a Martial Arts film being unbelievable, then that's really saying something.
Beyond the lame ending, I thought the film was an enjoyably cheesy action-packed movie, well worth a watch.
So I'm gonna give it 3 1/2 Kung Fu kicks out of 5- It would have gotten 4 but the end was the living end.

Peace.

A Little Late, But Still...

2008-01-05T20:51:00.000-05:00

Just bought the CD, and it is Great!!!
(Didn't want to download it earlier for the "set your own price" deal. The quality of the download was less than what is offered on compact disc)
Awesome disc, still slightly inferior to O.k. Computer though...

Goodbye 2007...

2008-01-02T01:57:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year everybody!!!
May 2008 be Peaceful, Prosperous, and Positive y'all!!!

Peace.

Explanations Are In Order...

2007-12-29T22:31:00.000-05:00

O.k. So here's the deal.
A couple of Saturdays ago, the boy cut his finger on a cheese grater sort of thing.
It was tucked back in a cabinet and forgotten about, and leave it to Indiana Jones to find it.
Well, I guess it bled for a while, and so an in-law who happens to be a nurse was called in for duty.
She then bandaged him up after putting some cellophane bandage/tape type stuff on to stop the bleeding.
It's my understanding that the tape stuff goes on a cut, bonds to the skin, thereby stopping the bleeding-and after days of tenacious adherence to your "boo-boo" the tape dissolves off and viola! The cut has healed.

The boy had the stuff off five minutes after he got home.

The cut re-opened, and he had'nt realized it yet.
At this point, I've got him in one arm, and he is squirming like a split worm doing what he normally does when you pick him up.
Whenever he is up off the floor, his perspective changes.
So naturally he is gonna want to look around and touch/feel/grab and taste everything he sees.
The bathroom is starting to look like a crime scene, and I'm trying to grab and bandage the kid's hand:
1. As quickly as I can
2. As quickly as I can before he notices
3. As quickly as I can before his mother gets home
(I thought, "no telling WHAT might happen if she sees the boy BLEEDING." I didn't even WANT to know.)
Anyway, I finally got it bandaged up, and all was well.

Mom got home shortly after, and the boy was behaving normally.
And by normally, I mean, touching/feeling/grabbing and tasting everything he sees-
including his bandage.
The boy continually thwarted our attempts to redirect his attention from his wound, and eventually the bandage was free from
his finger.
THAT was when I found out what would happen if the wife saw him bleeding.

Once composure was gained by the two of us, we re-bandaged the boy's finger, and got him to bed.
The next morning, he managed to get the new bandage off.
How I don't know, his finger was sealed tighter than Fort Knox.
Again with the bleeding.
(Not so much-but there was blood)
So off we go to Children's Hospital.
After a brief wait, a rather surly nurse lady enters the room to wrap the Sprite's digit one final time (We thought).

When we retuned home, we all cooled our heels until the fourth and final (seriously) bandage removal/replacement fiasco.
He managed to keep this one on for the remainder of the day, and well into the next.
When we next checked his cut, it looked much, much less mangled...

Almost like a real finger.

Just kidding Mom&Dad the boy is fine.
(The photo is from the following day after the hospital visit)

Peace.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T18:33:00.002-05:00

Santa and Jesus want to wish you a very Merry Christmas!!!

Peace. (On earth)

And For My Next Trick...

2007-12-24T14:48:00.000-05:00

The boy can WALK!!!
Today marks the first day that the boy consistently WALKED on his own.
Last night, he would take a few steps here and there, but today, with a little prompting, a launch pad, and a whole lot of praise, the Sprout has officially earned his name change to Sprite.
He is also pulling himself up to a standing position and walking to get to whatever/wherever he wants.
He has realized that it's a totally new ballgame when he walks.
Methinks seeing things from this new perspective interests/challenges him more than the one from all fours.
We could'nt ask for a better Christmas gift.

Happy Ho Ho Ho day to all, and to all a Merry Christmas.

Peace.

P.S. my apologies to everyone for neglecting to do the Kung Fu Review, but the boy had a bit of a grater/chopper razor blade accident at the grandparents house that prompted heavy bleeding, and a trip to the emergency room the following morning.
I'll bore you with the (literally) gory details after the holidays.
By the way, the boy is o.k. So, keep your undergarments unbunched blog.

reservoir dogs trailer

2007-12-20T13:16:00.001-05:00

See this movie NOW!!!
(If you don't mind seeing profanity, violence, and criminal activity)

Reservoir Dogs...

2007-12-20T10:22:00.000-05:00

Saw this cool picture from the movie on the "internets", and realized I don't have it.
What?!?
One of the BEST Heist movies EVER, ( "Rififi", "Killing Zoe", and "The Killing" round out my top 4) and I DON'T HAVE IT!!!
What is wrong with me?
I will remedy that problem this weekend.

Kung Fu review to come tonight...

Peace.

Better View of the Teef!

2007-12-17T19:59:00.001-05:00

After bath-time photo...

We Interrupt This Regularly Scheduled Blog For A News Flash...

2007-12-17T15:50:00.000-05:00

After weeks of sleepless nights, endless bickering, and concern about the Sprite's swollen gums, more teeth have broken through!!!
I don't know what the deal is, but his teeth seem to be coming in pairs.
If you don't remember, his bottom two came in at the same time. (See Nostferatu post}
Hopefully, the lovely wife and I will be resting easily tonight, and the next few weeks till more new teeth begin to give him trouble.
This photo was an attempt to show off the boy's new chompers, but it was to no avail. New pics will follow as soon as his teeth can be seen a bit more clearly.

PEACE.

Kung Fu Review #4

2007-12-14T14:44:00.000-05:00

Yeah boy! It's about time for another Kung Fu Review y'all!
Look out for my review of Five Fighters From Shaolin coming soon!

Peace.

Hai-who? #2

2007-12-10T16:46:00.000-05:00

Man ignores the red
Steel crumples steel when we meet
credentials absent
too bad for me in this case
must now put a friend to rest

PEACE.

First Thanksgiving For The Boy!!!

2007-12-02T08:49:00.000-05:00

This year's Thanksgiving was great! The boy enjoyed eating all sorts of new things (On his own) like greens, smoked turkey, and mac&cheese (See Gobble Gobble Baby entry) He is really an amazing kid in that he is so advanced. At just a few days into his tenth month, he is dexterous enough to pick up foods like mac&cheese bits with his index finger and thumb and navigate to his mouth with the greatest of ease. Just a few weeks ago, he had trouble keeping the food in the palm of his mitt. He is also able to use his "Hippo Walker", a push/riding toy which helps him balance for walking, and scooting. The boy is growing up fast blog. Don't blink, 'cuz next thing you know, he'll be heading off to college.

PEACE.

1938-2007

2007-11-30T23:29:00.000-05:00

Gobble Gobble, Baby.

2007-11-22T21:25:00.000-05:00

HEY HEY HEY, blog.
Rather than waste time apologizing for my colossal display of
LAZINESS
I'll just get right down to business.

Today is turkey day, and if you didn't know it, friendly blog, today is my very favorite day of the year.
Well, maybe the third or fourth favorite DAY, but it's my favorite HOLIDAY.
Thanksgiving was particularly exceptional this year.
First and foremost, the wife and I got to spend the sprite's (nickname change) first Thanksgiving at HOME,
(this decision was met with silent, yet palpable opposition from each of our in-laws, but we stood firm)
AND I got to smoke the bird. I also smoked a ham, and some redskin potatoes. I must admit, that I did a pretty tight job considering I've never used a smoker before last week.
The lovely wife made GREENS(!)
(Just wait till I tell my family how GOOD they were {they won't believe it})
I also made the lovely wife's favorite- My famous Macaroni and cheese!!!
I wanted to make a whole Hell of a lot more stuff, but i didn't want to be a COMPLETE glutton. I will be the first to admit that i am certainly not opposed to turkey day engorgement, but we took it easy this year.
All in all, the day was a HUGE success.
Everything tasted excellent, we got to relax, we took a bajillion photo snaps of the boy, and we had two visitors- one brought us a home made apple pie and the other provided some wine.

I am most thankful for this perfect day that I had the privilege to spend with my beautiful wife and beautiful son.

Hope yours was just as right on as mine.

Happy Thanksgiving & PEACE.

1927-2007

2007-11-03T19:41:00.000-05:00

The Opry is now a little less Grand...

Happy Halloween!!! (Again)

2007-11-01T15:46:00.000-05:00

Just some photos of us from the boy's first Halloween last night...

PEACE.

Bad Dog!

2007-10-31T22:11:00.000-05:00

Duane Chapman's (Dog the Bounty Hunter) son sent a recorded message he received from his dad to the National Enquirer magazine chock full of the word Nigger- describing his unhappiness with his son's descision to date a black woman. His major concern with the son dating the woman ("This has nothing to do with her being a Nigger") was the chance that this "Nigger" would overhear their family using the word in normal conversation(?!?!), and report the news to the Enquirer, thus ending his "career".
Ha.
Hopefully that's the LEAST that happens, duane.

Happy Halloween!!!

2007-10-31T20:56:00.001-05:00

Hey everybody!
Hope your halloween is extra scary this year!
Well, I didn't make it to any haunted attractions, but it was a pretty spooky halloween week for me despite the absence of haunted houses, forests, and that sort of thing.
I ended up going to the movie on monday, and I saw "30 days of night". It was a pretty scary vampire flick, dealing with a group of bloodsuckers that decide to relocate to a small village in alaska where for a month they are covered in darknesss- day and night.
It was gory, and full of suprises, and there was a decapitation that looked so real, I ended up applauding in the theater.
I know the people in front of me were appaled, but hell- I've seen some chopped heads in films before, and none of them have made me wince and want to look away as much as that scene.
I must say, that I am a fan of vampire and zombie movies.
I love them so much because they scare me so much.
Two reasons why they scare me so are:
1. They both chase you relentlessly. My worst nightmares generally have to do with me being chased, and that's all that zombies and vamps do in movies. You can't get away from either one, because neither of them tire out.
So, if either is on your ass, then you've had it friend.

2. They freakin' EAT people!!! I mean, that's gotta be the worst way to go right? To be eaten alive would NOT be good.
I think the notion of being devoured plays on the most base of our fears, and it is certainly not lost on me.

Despite the anxiety, fear, and uneasiness that these films make me feel, I still LOVE em'.
I could watch them all day long.
And on Tuesday, I did.
I watched about four cheesy zombie movies back to back off and on broadcast on the sci-fi channel. Micah even watched them with me in between playing, and napping.
Tonight I'm going to finish out my Halloween festivities with "The Horror of Dracula", but first the lovely wife and I will be taking the boy out for tricks and treats to our neighbors houses. (photos to come tomorrow)

Rest In PEACE.

Dam, Man!

2007-10-22T22:20:00.000-05:00

Today the Lovely Wife, Sprout and I went to Hoover Dam to walk around and look at the fall foliage.
Oh, and of course the dam.
The wife, the boy and I enjoyed the scenery, and the beautiful fall day.It was pretty fun.
We have'nt gotten out to just hang for a long time, so this was quite a treat.

PEACE.

Look Ma! I'm Dancin! I'm Dancin!

2007-10-22T21:28:00.000-05:00

The boy really LOVES to dance y'all!
These were taken today, while he was digging in his toy drawer.
See, my lovely wife emptied all the crap out of a regular drawer that he gravitates to, and put some of his toys and other junk in there so he can also root around in the kitchen like his mom and dad do from time to time.
Anyway-
a song he likes came on, and he started bopping around.
Yeeeaaah buddy!
My boy was movin!
This weekend, while hanging with Scotty-D, he danced to nearly every commercial that had some tunes playing in the background. Incidentally, you'd be amazed by how many commercials have some form of music behind them hyping you up, and getting you amped to consume their product.
Anyway-
I COULD'NT be more proud of the boy.
But what's cool is, I know he'll do something tomorrow to outdo all the amazing stuff he did today.

PEACE.

Haunted Attraction time baby!!!

2007-10-21T22:08:00.000-05:00

OOOOOOOOoooooooo folks!
It's that time again. The end of October is swiftly approaching. The time when ghouls, ghosts, witches, and warlocks emerge from their hiding places and roam from dusk til dawn.
Spooookyyy!
It's also the time when droves of people visit haunted houses, forests, hoochies(?), and baseball parks to voluntarily have the CRAP scared out of them.
I am one of those people.
Last year, I made plans to visit an attraction with a few of my then co-workers. Unfortunately, those plans never came to fruition.
THIS year though, I have a whole new group of pidgeons, er-
co-workers to coerce,
CONVINCE
to join me for a scary evening.
I'll kep you posted as to the status of my frightful folly.

PEACE.

Should I be mad?

2007-10-21T21:40:00.001-05:00

Are these fans oblivious to how offended someone could potentially have been by their make-up jobs?

They're OBVIOUSLY oblivious to the fact that their make-up jobs likely increased the potential for ass whippins by those same potentially offended people.

PEACE.

Snip Snip Snip...

2007-10-09T13:42:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been about 24 hours and the kid's wee-wee is still attached, so I guess all is well.
He still has gauze around his appendage, so I have'nt been able to see the surgeon's handywork.
It should just slide off by tommorrow according to the doctor, so I will get a look then.
The hospital visit was pretty routine, meaning that the operation was scheduled for noon, and we ended up sitting and WAITING an extra hour and a half till he was taken back to the little operating room. (Keep in mind the hospital had us check in at 9:00)
Once the operation was underway, the lovely wife and I were escorted to a waiting room full of other parents, grandparents, and various other folks smiling, joking, crying, and solemnly waiting for good news.
We waited for about 35 min. and then checked in with the nurses, who informed us that the boy was finished, but had to wait in recovery for another 30.
Damn, Man!
So we waited some more.
When we finally saw the boy, he was just kinda looking like, "Hey mom and Dad. What's goin' on? I'm a little fuzzy, but otherwise, everything's cool."
We were happy to see him, and relieved that his willie did'nt seem to be causing him the pain I had anticipated.
We then made our way home, and after a nice relaxing nap, he was back at it, moving around on all fours like a madman!
It was as if the surgery had'nt even occurred.
My guess is, he was hopped up on codine, and was feeling ALRIGHT...
He had a pretty good night's rest too- although he woke up this morning at about 5:00.
Damn, Man!
It was cool, though.
Cuz my boy is A-ok!

Weekend Recap

2007-10-07T21:09:00.002-05:00

This is shaping up to be a pretty busy weekend.
After work on Saturday, (I arrived home at 5:30, after going in at 9:00) the lovely wife and I watched the Ohio State vs. Purdue football game with a couple neighbors.
I made my annual "Night Game Chili" that cooked ALL day.
The Indians WON.
Sunday, I TRIED to install a folding door in our newly named sitting room. It used to be the t.v. room, but we took out ALL the electronics and moved them to what used to be the "sitting" or living room.
The t.v./electronics sat in what used to be a closet, and the doors which used to be on the closet were stored in the VERY damp room where our sump pump is located. Needless to say, the future of wood (particle board) does not bode well when extended exposure to moisture is in the cards.
I made the lovely wife mad.
REAL MAD.
The Indians LOST.
The boy goes in for weiner (tee-hee- see Visitors for Us- Strike That. Visitors for the Boy entry) surgery tomorrow.
I'm still a bit nervous, but I 'm cool. He will be a new boy tomorrow, and it will just be a new challenge for the lovely wife and I to face.
Good Luck to us.
And finally, my Dad and my Brother will arrive sometime tomorrow.
RIGHT ON!

Well, I guess you're up to speed in terms of what's what, so I guess I should say-

PEACE.

Kung Fu Review #3

2007-10-05T21:29:00.000-05:00

Curse of the Golden Flower

What up people! It's that time again.
Kung Fu Review y'all!
I re-watched Curse of the Golden Flower, and was amazed by the sheer beauty of the film. It is a film which was directed by
the same director of Hero with Jet Li (stay tuned for a review). It's a visually breathtaking Wuxia, or swordfighting film which is saturated with near neon colors of golds, reds, pinks, blues, and blacks which seem to fit the moods, the personalities, and the actions of each character.
The film takes place in china during the tenth century, and opens with the emperor (Chow Yung Fat) returning home from a campaign suspicious that eldest of his three sons is planning to usurp his position. He later spars with him in order to learn of his true intentions, his skill level, and discourage him from entertaining any thoughts of rebellion.
Also during the opening, we see the emperess (Gong Li) during her preparation to receive the emperor. Before she meets with her husband she is required to drink a mixture of herbs to counteract her life threatening illness. She soon learns that she is slowly being poisoned by the elixer she has been taking for nearly a year. She had suspicions about what was happening but had been powerless to discontinue her medication because it was the will of her husband. Betrayed, she becomes a woman scorned. She decides to try and sway her sons to side with her and overthrow her husband, utilizing the golden flower (Chrysanthemum) as her symbol for revenge, rebellion, and liberation.
The film is feels Shakespearean throughout, full of betrayal, contradiction, deceit, and death. This makes for a feeling of uneasiness throughout- almost as if you know something bad is most certainly about to happen at any moment. There are amazing action sequences, but I have to complain about the amount of wire work. There was no real physical prowess exhibited by the actors, (neither Chow or Gong are martial artists) but their acting chops more than made up the difference. Chow makes for a very imposing and overbearing emperor, and Gong is just as powerful in how reserved she is, with a seething hate boiling for her husband beneath the surface. If you liked Hero, and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, then give this film a try. It is beautiful to look at, and a very well done and acted film.
I would have given it a higher rating, but this is a MARTIAL ARTS film review, and there is very little within. Also, the actors are not martial artists, so I will give the film four kung fu kicks out of five.

PEACE.

Sound Tribe Sector 9

2007-10-03T22:24:00.000-05:00

Just got back from a Sound Tribe Sector 9 concert that my homeboy Scotty-D was so gracious to invite me to.
It was a great concert. I even got a t-shirt. (I ONLY get concert tees from bands that prove themselves in their live shows)
The concert was definitely an experience, and can be summed up by the words
Tye-dye
Patchoulli
Marijuana Smoke
Jazz Electro Funk
Trippy Light Show
Funky Breaks
AWESOME Music
Positive Vibe
Neo-Hippies
Fun
The only thing that the night was missing was Ms. Rohr if You're Nasty.
She's the one who turned me on to STS9.

Thanx again for the ticket Scotty-D

PEACE.

Curse of the Golden Flower

2007-10-03T16:44:00.001-05:00

BEAUTIFUL FILM.
ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.

Visitors for Us- Strike That. Visitors for the Boy

2007-10-03T15:39:00.000-05:00

This coming monday, my brother will be moving back to Columbus from Pensacola Florida.
I'm pretty happy about it, because there will be a member of my immediate family in town to help influence the sprout
in the ways of our clan. (Not so sure that's a good thing...
...JUST KIDDING MOM&DAD)
My parents will remain in P-cola, maintaining the ideal vacation spot they call home. I'm sure they will miss my brother, even though he had his own place, and his job (Archeologist) kept him out of town for months at a time. So even though they were used to him not being home, at least he was in the same city.
Anyway, in order to get here, he and my dad will be driving a truck with all his crap from there to here.
Man, I tell ya, I don't envy them a bit. I'm not the one to be driving 12 hours in a U-Haul, thank you very much.
They are scheduled to arrive on monday, which is the same day the boy has to go in for his "surgery".

Yeah, yeah, blog.

I KNOW I didn't divulge anything about the Sprout's medical procedure.
I didn't feel it was THAT big a deal. He's just going in for a bit of a weiner snip.
He was born with a partially circumcised wang, and the baby doc said the extra skin was really no big deal.
So we left it alone.
Time passed, and the decision to just leave his dipstick alone was revoked, and so, snip snip.
When my family arrives on monday, there is a good chance we will either be in surgery, on our way home, or tending to the boy's pecker needs.
(I tried to use as many lewd penis references, because
1. I hate the word penis {Even though that will be the name we refer to it with him}
and
2. How often do you get the opportunity to use dirty words to describe a wanker?)

If I get a chance though, I'm gonna take some time out to help my dad and brother move some stuff into his place.
I'm sure the effects of the anesthesia will not wear off for the entire day, and he will be catching some major Z's, so that may give me a chance to help out.
I will keep you posted, dear blog as to the details of the boy's surgery, and how he is doing afterward.
So, that's about all that's going on, and I want to wish my dad and brother a safe, swift trip up, and I can't wait to see you guys.

PEACE.

The Sprout Likes Hats...

2007-09-24T15:41:00.000-05:00

...Just a little fun with hats.
I'm sure as time passes, his collection of hats will grow as fast as he does.

1923-2007

2007-09-23T13:20:00.000-05:00

Au Revoir.

Kung Fu Review #2

2007-09-18T21:47:00.000-05:00

Tonight's Kung Fu Review is of Dance of the Drunk Mantis aka Drunken Master pt. 2.
Now let me begin by saying that I am biased from the get-go. I don't like the idea of casting an actor to star in a martial arts film, only to use a stunt double for damn near ALL of the martial arts he's supposed to perform. Such is the case with Simon Yuen who is playing Sam the Seed, a character seen in about 5-6 martial arts films. Sam Seed is used for comic relief, and he is Known for crazy over the top slapstick humor. The IDEA of an old drunk Kung-Fu master is cool, but Simon Yuen is simply too old for the role and the fact that he has a double is WAAAAAYYY too obvious.
That having been said, let's get to the review.
The film opens with Rubberlegs(!?!), a Pai Mei like northern drunken boxing master (played by the excellent Hwang Jang Lee) and his student (Corey Yuen) seeking Sam Seed. Rubberlegs' intent is to determine whose skill is best-Seed's southern drunk style or his own. They soon meet and dispatch a Seed imposter who is milking the benefits of a kung-fu expert. This only fuels Rubberlegs' fire making him more intent to find and destroy Seed.
We then see the real Seed returning home years later after having taught Jackie Chan drunken boxing in the first Drunken Master film. When he returns, he finds that his wife has adopted a son named Foggy, played by the superb Yuen Shun Yee (Simon Yuen's real son). After being met with a series of protests, Foggy finally seems to convince his "dad" to teach him the drunk fist style. Foggy is made to carry out all sorts of gruelling tasks in his training, only to find out that Seed had no intention of training him. Humiliated, Foggy leaves to resume working, and meets with Rubberlegs' student. The student then realizes that foggy could lead his master to Seed. Foggy ends up doing just that, and the inevitable fight between the two styles begins. Seed ends up getting a serious beatdown, because Legs has combined mantis fist style with drunken style. Seed escapes, and sends Foggy to his brother who is a master of the Sickness style of boxing.
Yeah.
Sickness.
The Master has a pale and sullen look about him, he can't seem to kick his dry hacks, his voice is low and raspy, and he hangs out in a casket!
What???
What should be LAME by description is anything but.
The sickness style looks pretty sweet-especially during the training scenes.
When Seed recovers from his ass whippin', he goes to visit his brother to see how Foggy is, but he's out and about.
While Foggy is out, he meets with Legs' student again, and has a rematch, keeping him occupied while Rubberlegs makes his way to Sick Master's place to finish the job on Seed.
Foggy, armed with the sick style combined with the drunk style easily handles the student, and swiftly makes his way back to Sick Masters place just in time to save Seed.
I liked everything about this film- crazy fighting styles, revenge plot, weird characters, and punishing training sessions, but I have to give this film a paltry 2 Kung-Fu kicks out of 5.
The stunt double had more screen time than the guy he was playing, and even though Simon Yuen's other son played the part, it was just too obvious. That constantly annoyed and ruined the film for me. What was cool though, was the action. Each fight was HEAVILY choreographed, and each move was an almost perfect representation of the strange and incredibly interesting art of drunken fist boxing. Rightly so, considering Yuen Woo Ping directed the film. He would go on to direct the martial arts action in the Kill Bill films, the Matrix films, and Crouching Tiger hidden dragon.

Till next time,
PEACE.

Dance of the Drunk Mantis

2007-09-18T20:54:00.001-05:00

Funky fresh drunken boxing!

You're A Big Boy Now...

2007-09-17T16:54:00.000-05:00

My boy is growing up on me...
It's killing me because every time I look at a photo of him, he seems to have changed.
It's crazy.
I thought he would stay the same forever, but I guess that's not gonna happen.
The sprout is swiftly becoming a little boy.
It's slightly bittersweet, but It will be nice when he is able to walk, because we can then experience more things as a family.
We will be able to go to the zoo, the park, the museum etc.
The boy is amazing! He is now able to maneuver himself from one end of what he has pulled himself up to standing to the other end. He has perfected the "Geronimo Drop" from standing- down to either his knees, or his diaper padded bottom. And he can imitate us at the drop of a hat- patting his hands, beating on pots, and coughing at will.
All is well in his world except for the cold he seemed to have caught from me which left him wheezing all night long. After a visit to baby doc today, we were assured that the only danger he or we faced was the possible smearing of snot on himself or on us...
Yeah, we thought it was pretty Gross too.

PEACE.

2007-09-15T20:53:00.000-05:00

I LOVE YOUTUBE...

...Can you tell?

Yo Gabba Gabba

2007-09-15T11:40:00.001-05:00

This show is new on Nickelodeon, and it has elements of Pee Wee's Playhouse, The Electric Company, Teletubbies, and Old School Hip-Hop all mixed in with lessons in manners, counting, addition, and healthy eating habits...
All the stuff a growing boy needs.
My son is getting used to all the craziness, and manic movement/psychedelic colors, but I think it will grow on him soon. It sure has grown on me.
Plus, it has cool musicians like the Aquabats, Smoosh, and the Aggrolites.
Awesome!

Biz's Beat of the Day

2007-09-15T11:32:00.001-05:00

Biz Markie on a children's t.v. show giving beat boxing lessons?
This is the show for my son!

Yo Gabba Gabba FROG DANCE

2007-09-15T11:29:00.001-05:00

See what I mean? Yo Gabba Gabba! is literally Old school Hip Hop!!!!

I'm Bored...

2007-09-14T16:57:00.000-05:00

So I'm sitting at home sick, and I am bored out of my freaking skull! Last nite, I had to leave a client to brush her own hair, because I was literally about to pass out. Before leaving, I stretched out on the floor of our office to take a breather, and I slipped in and out twice(?)
I'm not sure.
I had a crazy head pounder, and I felt super queasy.
I was sort of fine the whole day up until that point, but had been feeling the effects of an oncoming cold for the whole week despite the copious ingestion of airbourne.
I guess I looked bad when I explained to a couple of employees that I was leaving, because their expressions were similar to those of people looking at a dead man walking.
They, and their clients asked if I would need a ride home, but I graciously declined.
I'm sure they all thought I would buy the farm on the way home.
Not so.
When I finally arrived home, It was not soon enough.
I trudged into the crib, grunted something to the wife, (the boy was already in bed) and crashed on the couch fully clothed, tie and all.
I remember mumbling something about leaving a trash can next to me, and that was about it till this morning.
Today I'm still a bit fuzzy, but I've been taking it easy so I can hit it hard tomorrow.
Man I tell you.
You know I'm doing bad when a co-worker orders pizza with double cheese, mushrooms, and extra pepperoni, and I can't even stand to smell it.
But I'm a million times better, and tomorrow will certainly be much more productive than today...

PEACE.

John Edwards - Response to President Bush

2007-09-14T13:55:00.001-05:00

Bitch slap to George Bush AND the democratically controlled Congress for the support of the surge in Iraq...
Wow.
That puts quite a dent in my cynical armor.
PEACE.

I'm Doomed...

2007-09-10T11:26:00.001-05:00

To watch Higglytown Heroes on the Disney Channel EVERY DAY for the next few years.
The boy loves them.
Oh well, at least the theme and all the other music is by They Might Be Giants.
Peace.

1935-2007...

2007-09-06T16:39:00.000-05:00

The world's greatest modern tenor passed from this plane today...
R.I.P.

Invincible Armour Trailer

2007-09-03T22:37:00.001-05:00

Sweet.

Kung Fu Review #1

2007-09-03T22:06:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the first of many Kung Fu Reviews.
In order to get all the dust off of my kung fu/karate movies, I will be watching them and writing a review for every single martial arts film that I own.
I will give my point of view as to whether the film is first-rate, or if it stinks worse than dog poop.
So without further ado, here we go.
The film I watched last night was called "Invincible Armour", and i must admit, having forgotten just what this film was about, I felt more than a little skeptical about if it should be the first one to review. The opening credits were more than enough to get me hyped up. During the opening, the narrator explained that the technique known as Iron Armour was the most effective martial art in terms of defense, while Eagle's Claw was the most effective in terms of offense. Combined, the two styles were considered unbeatable.
So at this point, I'm thinking "somebody is gonna be a bad mofo up in this if they've mastered BOTH styles!
On to the plot.
The story begins when a traveler named Hu Long happens upon a Ming Dynasty Minister, a Pai Mei, or Bak Mei like character. They briefly test each other's abilities, and compare notes, and in a beautifully choreographed exhibition match, Hu Long cheats and kills the Minister.
His right hand man, General Chow tries to subdue the assassin, but fails, and at the same time is accused of the murder. Before the authorities can apprehend him, he vows to avenge his master. He then sets off on his task, and the news of Minister's murder makes its way back to Ming Minister Chang. (Another Bak Mei)
He then sends out his own man Security Chief Shen Yu to find General Chow and kill him on sight as immediately as possible-no questions asked.
During his search for Hu Long, General Chow meets and helps out a young
boy's sister stop the lewd advances of a bully, and the boy and Chow become fast friends. The boy then teaches Chow a new technique called Iron Finger, which is even more fomidable than Eagle's Claw.
Minister Chang, having grown tired of waiting for Shen Yu to report General Chow's death, decides to find use his mastery of the Iron Armour, and Eagle's Claw styles to kill Chow.
Remember that bad mofo I was telling you about?
Now that you have the gist of what the film is about, go out and rent/buy/see it!!! The various styles of Kung Fu are excellently excecuted, the special effects (reverse camera jumps/slow motion/blood spurts) are everything you would expect in a martial arts film. The fight choreography is spot on throughout the entire film, and although the acting is'nt top-notch, the passion and emotions of the actors are almost palpable. All in all, Invincible Armour is a great film, and I give it 4 Kung Fu Kicks out of 5. It would have gotten a 5, but the acting could have been better, and Chow's training scene seemed slightly rushed.
Peace.

Camouflage Back Massage

2007-08-31T00:17:00.001-05:00

Ha.
Long-
and too many tub scenes,
but pret-ty damn funny.

C'mon, Dummy!

2007-08-27T19:34:00.000-05:00

Now I'm not trying to jump on the bandwagon and bash Britney Spears.
I won't lie- I thought she was pretty hot until I saw those photos of her coming out of a public restroom with no shoes.
ON TWO SEPERATE OCCASIONS!!!
That is BEYOND nasty.
That's just straight up STANK!!!
I wouldn't even touch her with a hot poker.
But anyway, I could care less about WHO she is, it's WHAT she's doing.
Damn Britney!
Pay attention to that F-in square!
You are either going to burn your kid, or expose him to second hand smoke which is not illegal, but considering what we now know of cigarettes, the health risks involved with just being in the vicinity of a smoker are nothing to sneeze at.
C'mon Britney.
Wise/Grow up...

Ok.
I'll get down off my soapbox now.
PEACE.

NOSFERATU Jr.

2007-08-27T18:28:00.000-05:00

So did I mention that the boy now has teeth?
If I did, it was surely during the "not yet thru his gum skin stage".
If I did not, yeah-
the kid has some Teef with a capital T.
He has also learned how to use said teef-
er-
teeth.
Whatever he sees, he bites.
HARD.
When he latches on, he's like a little bulldog.
No matter how hard you try to shake him off, those new chompers enable him to adhere to you like glue.
No matter how loud you scream bloody murder, he instinctively grinds his teeth into whatever body part he has leeched onto.
No matter how much physical pain he is causing you, HE WILL NOT LET GO. (Until he laughs at the funny way his little teeth can punture your skin so easily)
Yes, our son is a feral little vampire baby beast.
Unfortunately we will have to do this 18 more times,
but we love him, so it's ok.
PEACE.

Devo - Satisfaction

2007-08-24T01:14:00.001-05:00

Another one that almost pulled me away from Hip Hop...

Europa And The Pirate Twins

2007-08-24T00:45:00.001-05:00

This Thomas Dolby tune was one of my favorite New Wave joints...
It really left me torn between "New Wave", and Hip-Hop culture

Shout Outs

2007-08-23T09:26:00.000-05:00

What up to my former Akada Peeps Wisconsin, Minty, The Canuck, Xtina, and Ms. Rohr
What up to Papi and Mimi
What up to Scotty-D
What up to Jeffro and Rachel Jam
What up to Sage tha Wisecat
What up to Lee and her family
What up to my main man Terrell Dunbar
What up to Papa, Little Man, and Wifey
What up to The Lovely Wife
What up to The Boy-aka Sprout
And What up to the ladies of Frederic's Hair Design (No nicknames as of yet)

Hope this Blog finds you all well.
PEACE.

(Insert Name Here) As Neil Diamond!!!

2007-08-23T09:20:00.000-05:00

This guy and I have the same name...

Yikes.
PEACE.

The 5 Deadly Venoms

2007-08-22T07:47:00.001-05:00

Just getting you ready for my upcoming Kung Fu Review series of posts...

The Boy...

2007-08-21T09:54:00.000-05:00

Some new photos of the little sprout.

Thanks for being so gosh darn groovy...

2007-08-19T20:05:00.000-05:00

Tonight's thanks for being so gosh darn groovy award goes to Ka-
the lovely wife!!!!!!
...
...Ok, ok, that's enough applause-
...
Seriously, save your applause for when I finish presenting the award.
I know it's hard...
I KNOW IT'S HARD TO CONTAIN YOURSELVES, BUT JUST LET ME FINISH, AND THEN YOU CAN CLAP!!!
OKAY NOW...
Sorry.
Okay now.
The lovely wife is the latest recipient of the groovy award.
Why, you ask?
Well, let me expound on that question.
This woman has been working her ASS off at all 4 of her jobs, ( Wife, Mom, Employer, and Employee)
and still she manages to consistently be upbeat, nice to those around her, despite the seemingly consistent stress, confusion and fatigue caused by those jobs.
She manages to ignore my stress- vocalized in unintelligble grunts, and snorts directed at her.
She manages to keep her cool when the boy won't keep still as she tries to change his poopy diaper.
When things get a little hairy at the salon (no pun intended) she remains level headed.
She treats me like a KING, our son like a PRINCE, and the poodles like-
uhhh...
Royal dogs...(???)
Despite ALL this crap she has to deal with, she continues to be a Beautiful QUEEN inside and out.
Thanks for being Groovy my lovely wife.
PEACE.
You may resume your applause.

Well hello stranger!

2007-08-15T21:44:00.000-05:00

It has been a looooooooooooooooooooooooooong time since I last posted.
Too long according to some folks. (Sorry dad)
Well, the boy is nearly seven months now, and I shit you not- he can pull himself up to a stand as of yesterday. (!)
No really.
With no help at all.
All we do is hold our hands out, keeping them nice and steady, and he will use them as a solid surface to pull himself up to his knees, and then will push himself the rest of the way up to a standing position.
Crazy.
The lovely wife and I have a slight wager on when he will be walking. I say 9mos., and she says earlier...
We'll see.
Methinks my Apple Mac Mini has bitten the dust.
I've been having problems with it for a little while, and when It would konk out, all I would do is reinstall the Os 10 program into the hard drive, and voila! Instant internet access!
Well, I went to do that this weekend, and cue The Price is Right loser music
(Bum Bum Buh Buhhh-Whuuhhhh)
No dice. the computer could'nt detect a hard drive to place Os 10 in.
Mac Mini is just a plastic shell of a computer. It's little electric soul has gone on to that great computer cafe in the sky.
Sniff.
So the hunt is on for a snazzy new laptop model.
This will enable us to be more mobile while working at home.
Until then, I brought home an extra computer the previous owners left at the salon when they left. It's a Dell PC, and frankly, it's killing me. I will admit that I've become one of the Apple Computer cult, and reverting back to PC use is proving to be a bit difficult. I'm used to the subtleties and the charm of the Mac, and yes, I have become quite the Apple snob.
It's cool though. It could be worse. I could have 59 unchecked messageges as opposed to the 58 that I currently have awaiting my perusal.

I ABSOLUTELY must recommend this site to those who are reading this right now.
It's a great little blog, and the kid takes some good photos...

My dad had a birthday on the fifth of August- Happy B-Day Dad!
Wow. 60.
Congratulations for accomplishing all tht you have, and being such a great man, and model dad...
Dad.

And finally, the lovely wife and I celebrated our SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY on the fifth of August. We were in New York, and it was Sweet! We were there to celebrate US, and take in a play that my wife's cousin acts in on Broadway. The play was funny, hanging with her cousin was fun, we made our way to Greenwich Village, all over SoHo, were cramped in Times Square, burned up alive down in the subway (Jesus Christ was it hot down there), ran into people we knew from Columbus, ran into three people with Ohio State Tee shirts, (and only got an I-O response to my O-H from one of them) and stumbled into Chinatown, in just three days, and two nights!
But I must say that the best part of our weekend was our Anniversary dinner. We ate at Churrascaria Plataforma, and it was wonderful! The staff all seemed to be of Brazilian descent, and the joint was incredibly classy. My lovely wife and I conversed, observed, ate and drank Caipihrinas all nite long. Just when we felt the night could get no better, we realized that the rocks glasses we were drinking from were "official" Pitu glasses.
Pitu is the brand of Cacaca that we use to make our favorite Brazilian drinks man!
So I decided to ask for the glasses we were using, and they one upped me by bringing us two NEW ones!
Class, I tell ya!
What a GREAT anniversary evening.
Romance
Excellent Food
Great Conversation
Stiff drinks
And my lady was looking BEAUTIFUL in a dress that she made me wait about a week to see her in...
Man, was it worth the wait.
Sorry about the public displays of affection New Yorkers, but nothing else but us existed that night.

So now you've been brought up to speed in terms of what's been happening with me, so until next we speak,
PEACE.

1942-2007...

2007-07-21T22:51:00.000-05:00

Um, what's one step up from rated XXX?

2007-07-15T20:04:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I watched a good movie called "Short Bus". It's a kind of "dated" "hip&cool" film that is about a sex club and a group of "hip&cool" New Yorker regulars of said club who experience self-actualization, self loathing, self doubt, and self-neglect through SEX-and sex only. Nothing is even remotely close to love that ANY of these characters are feeling.The film almost stresses the point that there is NOooo lovemaking going on. Period.
I quite enjoyed the film, because the actors convinced me that they, and their situations/dilemmas were "real".
Now, this is in no way a recommendation to run right out there and rent this movie. It's not for everyone.
You have to be in a seriously liberal and open minded place to view it. If you ARE in that place, then you will witness a film with-
Great Dialogue

Great Actors

Good Story

EXPLICIT SEX
(but you become more aware of why its necessary as the film progresses, and you learn how each act mirrors each character's desperation)

EXPLICIT SEX
(ALL IMAGINABLE COMBINATIONS left me pretty uncomfortable, which I'm positive was director John Cameron Mitchell's intent- but I understand that those scenes were integral to the story, and how each character views themselves and their lives.)

AND EXPLICIT SEX
(BEWARE, oh faint of heart!)

This film blindsided me. It provoked thoughts, and evoked some feelings and emotions that I didn't like, but that's the beauty of film to me. If a film is acted or directed so well that it can intentionally instill feelings or emotions within you- good or bad, then man, that's a great film to me.
Mission accomplished on the part of the filmmakers.
So, if you can be VERY open minded, (seriously, this movie is VERY VERY EXPLICIT)
give the film a try, and see how it makes you feel at the end.
PEACE.

Crazy karateman resists arrest...

2007-07-08T01:42:00.001-05:00

...

Just checkin' in...

2007-07-05T09:01:00.000-05:00

Not much time to write today...
It's 10:01, the boy has just been put down for a quick nap, and I still have to get ready to be at work by noon.
First and foremost, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BROTHER DEF JEFF! (We're getting OLD bruh)
On to the post.

All is right with the world.
After a bit of a setback at the salon, we were able to rectify it with a new addition to the team. She is bubbly, committed to professionalism, and pretty computer literate.
Whew!
Big shout out goes to Nicole for helping maintain the salon during this time...

The boy experienced his first Comfest. See this page for an idea of just what comfest is, if you are'nt quite sure. (And if you live under a rock here in columbus) He also got to see the Doo Dah parade. He was mildly impressed by both...
I had a birthday on the second, and I will NOT tell how old I am.
(Let's just say that I am coasting down the hill of my 30's and into the next decade. Sigh...)
HAPPY BELATED FOURTH OF JULY!!!
We did not make the fireworks displays in town this year for fear that the boy would be traumatized by the loud ass bangs and booms...
This is a BIG disappointment to me because I LOVE FIREWORKS.
I DID'NT EVEN HAVE MY "POST CLINTONVILLE FIREWORK DISPLAY FIREWORKS DISPLAY...
Ah well, there's always next year.
I found some cool summertime chillout conducing podcasts...
Check out:
Caribbean Chill Podcast from Paradise
The JuJu Orchestra Podcast
Mashed Potato
and Radio Bamboo...
Burn 'em, and play 'em at your next backyard BBQ.
Well, I gotta iron some clothes, and get the boy ready to take to Grandma's house, so I am signing out...
PEACE.