The Earth's Mightiest Movie Review - King Kong

I want to thank Lee of The Butler Did It as my inspiration for my movie reviews....I hope I can do a tenth as good as him. I only review movies my wife and I watch. Visit his blog and keep track of 21 Movies to make your Drop the Remote.

That being said.....(Small Spoilers....after all this is King Kong....you know what happened!)

It must be nice to have a billion dollar movie under your belt. It can get you all kind of favors. Peter Jackson parlayed his success with The Lord of the Rings trilogy to ask the studios to let him make his favorite movie of all time. King Kong, this version, was definately a Peter Jackson movie.

From the opening, New York was in its matte and model excellence. However, I think he might have done a little better by including more of the ACTUAL city in it. I wish I knew the number of matte and effect shots in the first 30 minutes of the movie. The first part of the movie moved so dreadfully slow. It was painful to sit through. Thank Goodness for our new couch! Jack Black just did seem like he fit in this movie. He did ok, but ..hmmm...I dont know....I just didn't buy him as this character. Adrien Brody was ok as Driscoll, but could he have spoken any softer. I could barely hear him during this movie? Naomi Watts was ok as Ann Darrow, but her scenes with Kong....well, just didn't spark anything. It did seem to me that other than the obivious relationship she had with Kong, it just didn't gel with me. I couldn't feel the connection between the two even after what all Kong did to save her. She was much better in the first 30 minutes of the film. I would liked to have had one scene in the movie that was set on the ship on the way home showing Kong on board, but I can understand this because of the grand appearance of Kong in shackles. My favorite scene was the end. No..not the end of the movie, but the Empire State Building sequence. In my opinion, this was done perfectly. Ann was moving kinda fast and sure footed for being up that high, but I can overlook that. I have acrophobia and my gut was in knots when they were up that high. Thats how bad I have it. Kong's demise was played perfect. That was great moviemaking. The only thing that was wrong at the end was Jack Black saying the last lines "....twas beauty killed the beast....." Shouldn't he be in police custody by now?? Did Denham finally get a heart? Great words, but wasted on Black. I guess the Denham character said it in the original so Jackson kept it in this one.

All in all, a good movie. Jackson was able to make his dream movie. Now, lets move on, shall we? Three out of Five Stars.

By the way, the spider picture is the only surviving still remaining of a cut scene from the original movie. This scene was at the bottom of the pit after Kong threw the giant log down in it, including the rescue party that was clinging to it. It was considered too shocking for the time and took away the menace of Kong. Jackson instead used the pit filled with giant bugs and maggots. I was wondering if Jackson was going to pay homage to the cut scene, but two consecutive movies with giant spiders would be too much, ya think?

"....this is why I love comics and the AVENGERS.....'

Broken Frontier | The Portal for Quality Comics Coverage!

Well, I am back. My house is in order. My wife is not upset with me any longer. Life is good at the Icehouse.

Years ago on another message board, I wrote a suggestion to then-Avengers writer Kurt Busiek about the relationship between the Avengers Big Three of Thor, Iron Man and Captain America. The suggestion was to have a story about the three heroes which put more light on their friendship. Three heroes and three brothers who have braved life and death for years fighting side by side each other. I would love to have seen how the three men would put their relationships in perspective.

Busiek, whose run as Avengers writer I really enjoyed because he brought such a feeling of nostalgia back to the title, snidely remarked that he wasn't going to have the three sitting beside a creek fishing and singing ~Row, Row, Row Your Boat~all day. I lost a great deal of respect for him that day.

This article touches a bit on their relationship but mostly on the characters themselves. Its a good read if you are a comics fan.

The Doghouse

Yesterday started with a lot of promise ....then went downhill fast...and it was my own fault.

I took off work yesterday to take my mother to the Social Security office to help her clear up a problem. Everything was worked out to her satisfaction.

....then the day went south.

For some reason that I havent been able to figure out, I went on a mini spending spree yesterday without Nanners permission.

Let's open the Loot Sack and see what Daddy brought home, shall we?

1) Two Small Barrister Bookcases
2) London for Dummies
3) 2 Disc Set of King Kong
4) A really BIG clock for our living room.
5) A empty container of a Rice Krispy treat I got at Barnes and Noble.

When Nanners came home from work and saw "Big Ben" hung proudly from the wall, the gig was up. I was told to IMMEDIATELY take it down and take it back. "What were you thinking about getting a clock that huge for our small house?"

"Yes, dear."

"My Gosh, How much was those bookcases???" I told her. She wasn't TOO angry about that but said next time she needed to be in on the decision making on a purchase like that.

"Yes, dear."

London for Dummies? I just got a roll of the eyes for that.

The empty Rice Krispy treat box. Another eye roll.

To make room for the bookcases I had to move a chest of drawers to our bedroom. In the process in doing that, I scraped the floor which is going to require me to buy about 4 pieces of laminate flooring to replace the damage pieces.

Another eye roll and a stern look. Nanners was not happy with chest of drawers being in the bedroom but she was easy on me for that one.

All in all, the evening wasn't too bad, however, I do not know for the life of me why I went on that little spree yesterday. Did I need all of that stuff? No. Why, then? Especially when there are other things I need to be concentrating on.

My answer.

I am taking a few days off from blogging to get my house.....literally both of them back in order. I will be back when the cleaning is done. =)

...and I apologize, my dear. Please forgive me.

Deja Vu

I was just sitting here reading a blurb on CNN.com about the lead singer of the Village People (The Policeman) facing jail time.

As I was reading, my attention was attracted by a song that was playing on the XM Radio channel for 70's music on Directv.

The Song?

YMCA by the Village People.

....toooo weird.

That is all. You may all go back to whatever illegal Internet activity you were doing.

( Insert your favorite banjo riff here.....)

NBC 15 :: Close to Home - Donkey dragged behind truck will soon have a new home

You know this is a terrible story......it really does piss me off to see this happening in this day and age. No wonder the South has a terrible reputation.

I will bet the mortgage that these two guys were sitting around drinking and decided that they would just "haul ass". Well, they were the ones hauled. They were hauled all the way to jail.

The Earth's Mightiest Movie Review Part Two - Good Night and Good Luck

Good Night and Good Luck is a movie set during the McCarthy Hearings in the 1950's and shows how CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow confronted Sen. McCarthy on his tactics of trying to expose would be Communists in the United States. Actor David Strathairn portrayed Murrow and George Clooney played Murrows producer, Fred Friendly.

I have wanted to see this movie since it came out. I am not that familiar with this time of American history and the movie definately kept my attention throughout. A dry movie, it was hard to watch at sometimes and I can see if the causal moviegoer would take a pass on this one. In fact, I was surprised it held Nanners attention for so long.

The movie was filmed in black and white and at times, I felt like I was watching a old episode of Playhouse 90 or some other live television production set during the 50's. The movie ran a brisk 1 hour and 30 minutes and further made me think I was watching a tv show.

Strathairn was perfect as Murrow. Perfect. You can see why Murrow was such a great pioneer for tv news. Clooney was also good as Friendly.

As much as I want to hate Clooney for being the epitome of a "movie star" with the gossip, lifestyle and the women. I have to give it to him for being a risk taker and a good director. When he acts like "George Clooney..movie star" in productions like Ocean's Twelve, I usually want to pass. However, when he makes quality motion pictures like this one, my opinion of him changes immensely.

I give it three out of five stars. Like I said, the movie is very dry and long if you are not interesting in learning about this time. If this part of American history does not suit you, then I suggest not renting it.

The Earth's Mightiest Movie Review - Crash

My wife and I watched Crash last night. I was skeptical of it when Nanners picked it up and really didnt want to sit down and watch even after that last night. I came to that assumption by being so tired from a full Saturday and a few of my coworkers who said they saw it and were not impressed.

My opinion after seeing it?

Watch it. In fact, run and get it. I have never had a movie effect me this way in a long time. I have had it on my mind since I have seen it. The one scene of the Arab storekeeper stalking the locksmith and what happened between them has stayed with me all night.

A in your face movie with great acting. Some quick cameos by people you would not expect to be in this movie. You have to keep your eye out for them.

To sum it up, rent it. Watch it. It may not be for everyone, but I really was mesmerized by it.

41/2 out of 5 stars.....the 1/2 deduction is for Tony Danza. LOL....just kidding. You have to give the director props for having the testicular fortitude to use him, though.

"....ummmm, ok..."

Leprechaun Spotted In Alabama

Believe it or not, I actually heard about this last week. A woman at work told me that everyone was seeing this leprechaun near where she lived.

....and just think, I almost didn't believe her.

=/

"Easy stomach...Don't turn over now. Easy."

NEWSARAMA - MR. T #1 COVER

I provide the link with no comment.

I am sorry. I can not comment on this.

We have truly reached the end of life as we know it.

I pity the fool who thinks otherwise.

Comic Book Saturday Wish List

I am going to have to start selling lemonade or get a paper route because this Saturday is going to be one of the most expensive days I will ever have at the Ye Olde Flea Market. A whole ton of comics are coming out this week. Let me run down the list of the ones I want to get......

Amazing Spider-Man #530 - "The Road to Civil War"
The Incredible Hulk #93 - "Planet Hulk" (Also #92 Variant Cover Reprint)
Infinite Crisis #5 (Pencil Sketch Variant)
New Avengers #17 (I always buy 2 copies.)
Squadron Supreme #1 (3 Variant Covers...Sketch Cover Variant 3c pic at top.)
Supreme Power: Hyperion #5

Plus the ones I missed last week.

Annihilation Prologue #1 (2 Variant Covers including Sketch Cover Variant.)

So the damage expects to be great. I count 12 comics just here, not counting any that I have missed.

God, I am such a geek.

The Best Damn Chuck Norris Jokes. Ever.

This is funny but would be funnier if Chuck Norris could, well......act.

The Power of Giving

Anduin's World

Please take a moment and read this wonderful story from Latin Lover's wife Anduin. If this doesn't show the power of giving of ones self, nothing does.

"Springtime in Alabama brings thoughts of Wheezing, Coughing and Fender Benders..."

Ugh.

I absoultely hate this time of year. I thought I had it bad when I lived at home when all the pecan trees bloomed and my nose springs a leak for about 6 weeks. However, my sinuses are running like the Flash and there is nothing I can do for it. I walk around like I am crying all the time and I dare not stay outside for too long or it gets worse.

Together everyone......wahhhhh!

I had to stay home from work today. I feel terrible. I haven't slept any. My head is pounding. I have taken some over the counter stuff but I have to be real careful because I do not want to walk around like a zombie. The non drowsy medicine doesnt help me at all I am afraid.

I wish that my allergies were my only problem. I beg your attention to the pictures posted below.





I was taking the "Nannermobile" to work yesterday morning and when I was backing out of our driveway, Lo and behold, someone set a tree trunk on the side of the driveway. How in the hell did that get th.....oh thats right. Katrina left it there for me. (by the way, for you trivia buffs out there, not only did we lose a tree from Hurricane Katrina, it came from our neighbors yard, a woman who used to be my supervisor at work.....her name? You Guessed It!!!!! Katrina. Katrina knocked over a tree from Katrina's yard. Geez. So now I am going to have to try and get that fixed. Nanners was not too mad at me. I am just wondering how she parked it because when I backed out, I ran straight into it. I mean, it almost like she had to pull a Dukes of Hazzard on it just to get it in the parking spot.

Only other news I have is that Google sent me a invitation to join a new service called GooglePages. Its a template maker for blogs and websites. I played with it for a bit this afternoon but soon gave up. I thought Google owned Blogger? Looks like they would try to improve this service, wouldn't it? Meanwhile, it seems I am starting to have problems some other people now with Blogger. Oh well.

Lastly, I saw this on Will Wheaton's website. WWdN: In Exile It's a squirrel with huge nuts. Talk amongst yourselves.

"...and the news just keeps getting better...."

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Busy hurricane season forecast

Accuweather

Dr. William Gray

The National Hurricane Center

All of these outlets have or will predict that we are indeed up for another above average hurricane season. My wife and I are already planning on purchasing our plywood and other necessities before hand. If a storm even remotely looks like its going to enter the Gulf, you can forget about getting most things, most of all gasoline. I want to have enough on hand just for our vehicles. We are already stocking up on water.

I know everyone who reads this and is not from the coast will say that getting ready this early is asinine. However, you wait in a 2 hour gas line and see how you like it.

Sunday Afternoon

Not much going on today. We had a busy day at work and it was made longer because its that time of the year for me now. Allergies. I am so allergic to all the pollen and everything from all the azaleas and other flowers blooming here in south Alabama. I was absolutely miserable at work today. I came home and took my old friend, Mr. Tavist. Actually half of one. If I took a full one, I wouldn't hear the clock go off in the AM. I will be glad when it rains and washes all the pollen to points unknown. Anyway. In other things gravitating around the Ice household......

I just listened to my buddy Ender's first podcast. He was smart and decided not to put it on the web like I did. LOL However, I think he did an excellent job. He has experimented more with Audacity than I have. When it started, my first thought was how professional it sounded. I think with these little babysteps we are making prior to the debut of The Gun Show will be beneficial. The Grand Poobah is in the process of making us a few logos. We had a photo shoot last Thursday to do that. Yes. You heard that right. We engaged the services of a well known south Alabama photographer and well...the finished product turned out very well. The first logo that Poobah did was great I thought and we are looking forward to the finished result. We are having a blast doing this and we haven't even made our first podcast yet. We have a executive producer and a techincal advisor. This is going to turn the world of podcasting on its head.....or destroy it one. LOL.

The Butler Did It has updated his 21 movies that will cause guys to drop the remote. The Shawshank Redemption is the latest entry. This is a great movie. However, being a former corrections office I can say that some of the techincal stuff like the tunnel going undetected for so many years is stretching it. The little stuff like that is overshadowed by the great performances of Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. The scene where Red has his final parole hearing and he declares that he is institutionalized rather than rehabilitated always puts a lump in my throat. You cannot get more real than that, ladies and gents. His readjustment to society is also great to watch. All in all, a great movie. Stop by his website and give it a read. Oh, and The Butler is going to Disney World too. And I thought we worked there. ;-)

Nanners and I enjoyed a nice evening out at my best friend's house last night. I am glad that Nanners and I are enjoying the social circuit a little more.

Well, that wraps it up for tonight. See ya when there is something brewing!

"Welcome to The New Earth's Mightiest Kneejerk Reaction Blog!"

This is going to be a short post.....I found this nice simple template that I decided I would use. This way I can start to redeem myself for the tonguelashing I got earlier tonight.

I removed the dreaded weather ticker. I took off the audio book and the DVD. I didn't have the heart to take off the comic book section. In the words of G.H.W. Bush, "... ain't gonna do it..."

It looks neater. Cleaner.

Oh, and I added the IT2M button. Rat Bastards. LOL I shouldn't complain though. They led me back on the path to the straight and narrow. I just get this itch when I pass a 24 weather channel or a online weather ticker. :-/

"Excuse me, Sir?, how does it feel to have been ripped a new one?"

Ok, a little pleasure before business......I just got through watching the first two episodes of the new Doctor Who series on Scifi. I am biased, but I really like it. Not only does it capture the charm and some of the history of the old series, but it certainly breaks ground as far as making the Doctor a whole person as far as bits and pieces of one. It does, however, maintain his mystery. Billie Piper is fantastic as Rose. I can see now how the British audiences have fallen in love with her.

Now, on to the topic at hand. My blog review finally came up on I talk too much [we're rude - deal with it]. I was ripped a completely new one by Merciless Minx. Remember before clicking on this blog, there is a lot of very foul language on it so if you are at work, be warned.

When you send in your blog to be reviewed, you must be able to grow thick skin in the meantime because they do not hold back any punches. Most of the blogs are ripped to shreds. I think this is the purpose of a lot of people sending them in. In reading their reviews everyday waiting for mine to come up. I would say that probably 75% of their comments are probably offbase and the other 25% are actually pretty good recommendations. However, I am not complaining in the least since I am the one who sent them my blog for review so I am bound by their opinions. I agree with some and others, well, lets say I take it all in with a smile. Most of it I have to say is "she loves tomatoes, and I do not."

So lets break it down, shall we?

"Mighty bad graphics and mighty boring posts are what I found." - Agreed on the graphics. Template making or template editing are not my strong point. There are thousands of others that are way better than mine. Boring posts. Well, I can't say that I have climbed Mount Everest so yeah, I could agree that most of them are boring. My post on my father not included in that assumption, however. She can just get bent over that.

"The header graphic is way too compressed. GIF format would be much better for that kind of image." - Agreed. Nothing I can argue there about.

"The sidebar is a pointless collection of “mighty” media. What are these, books you’re reading? Books you’re selling? Well, whatever it is, I don’t give a rat’s ass. I’m here for a blog, not that crap." - You were right on the first guess, toots. Books I am reading. Who gives a rats arse what you think anyway.....oh I am sorry. I did sent it in to be reviewed, so I must be nice.

"And please get rid of the f***ing weather forcast. The fact that it’s 71 degrees over there (and we’re talking early morning at the time of this writing) while I’m freezing my ass off over here is just making me mad." - I put the forecast in their simply because it might be interesting to see weather from my area. It could either stay or go. No big whoop either way. Oh, and you left off a e in forecast, by the way.

"I tried to find something interesting to read over here. I really did. It reads like a diary. I think if I was this guy’s mom I would be interested. But for anyone else, it’s a huge yawn-inducing disappointment." - I was thinking today that I might be suffering from blogger burnout. I do admit that a lot of my posts lately haven't been as interesting. I think a lot of that has to do with some of my latest posts being so depressing because of the all the deaths that have been near me lately. I could say this would be a good incentive to actually improve my writing and things I have talked about. I did go back several weeks ago and deleted a lot of my older posts. I regret now doing so. Especially my posts on Hurricane Katrina. She mentions also that the blog reads like a diary. Well, I ask everyone to Google blogs and their definition. I thought that was what blogs were. I guess that I do have a boring life. I agree with the person who commented about The Weather Channel post. Yeah. It was geeky. It was kinda weird. However, it was me. I do search for a lot of things online when I am bored or have a lot of time on my hands. I am a mark for the Weather Channel. Not near as much as I was years ago. I do not like it as it is now. I simply recall the way it was YEARS ago. Hey, this is me, however. I love scifi. I love comics. I love movies. So sue me. And for the record, my mom wouldn't know what a blog was. LOL

Oh well, I asked for it so I am not complaining. I will take what their suggestions were and try to improve this blog. I have been reading most of their technical comments in between the profanity and the put downs. They make a lot of great points and suggestions. I will definately try to write better. I will try to make my comments more interesting. I will try to write about subjects more indepth than just a one line comment here or there with a link or two. I might even find a halfway decent template. One thing I will not apologize for is being myself. If there is anyone that does not like me, then they can just get over it. I must challenge myself to improve the way I present the way I am. Not to try to make myself out as someone I am not.

At least, she didn't listen to that pitiful blogcast. LOL

Doctor Who Debuts Tonight on The Scifi Channel

The longest running science fiction television show debuts tonight at 8pm central on Scifi. If you want a crash course lesson about the Doctor, just visit Outpost Gallifrey.

Tonights episodes are Rose andThe End of the World.

Enjoy. I know I will.

Wednesday Evening

Wow. I have just gotten off the phone with my Mom and its taken about 4 of us (including me on the phone) to sift through the growing mound of paperwork to submit for my father's insurance. I have gotten a new respect for this whole process. What a way to learn, however.

Nothing pretty much to report here. A friend of mine from work and I were going to take a couple of games of bowling today, but I left work today with a mild headache and came straight home and napped. I woke up this afternoon looking up into the lovely face of my wife, Nanners. We enjoyed a nice meal tonight at one of our favorite Mexican eateries, Sabora Mexico. Right now, Nanners is enjoying a TIVOed American Idol. I must admit I am not a huge American Idol fan but I would like to see Alabamian Taylor Hicks do well.

Other things going on in the Ice household.......

I just signed up to take Conversational French 1 at the University of South Alabama College of Continuing Education. My mother in law and I will be going on Wednesday nights in April in preparation for a our trip to France next year. I would like to take the second part also. Nanners works so late its hard for her to do classes after she comes home so she is going to bow out this time. Oui!

I want to give a big EMB shoutout to my blogging friend from Mobile, Leigh of ....tell me I am beautiful. You can find her blog on my blogroll. Although I do not comment on everyone of her posts, I do enjoy reading her blog. I know this sounds cliche' but you can feel the love and passion for her family in everyone of her writings. Please give her a visit and tell her the Iceman sent you!!

I want to give another shout out to a high school friend who I haven't talked to in a while. The Montgomery Disco Queen. DQ, I haven't forgotten about you and I cannot tell you how many times I have picked my cell phone up to buzz you and then I get distracted. I think about you and your wonderful family often and I hope that you are doing well. I promise I will get in touch with you very soon.

My friend Lee (Mr. Hollywood to those who know him well....) is currently listing the 21 Movies to Make Guys Drop the Remote. Our resident Professor at the American Film Institute (the AFI for all of us outside of Tinseltown) is breaking it down for all of us and I, for one, am enjoying reading his incredible knowledge on these movies. Pay him a visit and see why this man has Ebert and Roeper shaking in their boxes of popcorn. You can find him in the balcony at The Butler Did It on my blogroll. Remember, however, keep your ticket. They may check it later.

Nanners and I watched the DVD on Hurricane Katrina produced by WLOX in Biloxi, Ms. We sat and watched spellbound. Their coverage was incredible and they should be commended for what they were able to do during that time. If you want to get the TRUE story on Hurricane Katrina as to what happened in south Mississippi, please go their website and order the video. It's an amazing story to watch.

I bumped into a former Gulf Coast celebrity the other day. I ran into former WABB DJ Paul Fuller. Fuller was a mainstay at the station years ago when they had the top morning crew of Paul and Bill, The Goofy White Boys. I loved to listen to their show. Bill Evans was the other part of the duo and did the weather for WALA Channel 10. Fuller and Evans moved on to Texas and then broke up, I believe. Evans moved on to the big time working for WABC in New York City with former WALA reporter Lisa Colagrossi. Fuller told me that he was working in Providence, RI with 94 WHYJ with another WABB DJ Al Matthews. I wish him the best, he is a great guy. I would have loved to talked to him more. I may drop him a email!

Lastly, tomorrow is the day that my friends in the Port City Posse are getting together to start a Mobile institution. Stay tuned!!!

The First Episode!

The Earth's Mightiest Blogcast

My first attempt at podcasting.

Please be kind.

The Weather Channel

TWC Classics No One Knows The Weather Channel Like We Do!

Ok, let me tell you a little hobby I have.

When I am extremely bored, I start looking people up. I believe that I could easily be a detective for the FBI and assist in looking up persons. It may take me awhile but I will ALWAYS find who I am looking for. Sometimes its real scary.

This week, for some reason I started looking up some of the old meteorologists from The Weather Channel. I am talking about when they first came on the air. When they had the one studio with their one static camera. There were no fancy video packages. Graphics were very rudimentary. The radar was primative. And you know what. It was fun to watch. I remember Ray Ban, who is still a executive with TWC. I remember Craig Weber, who had the greatest sense of humor. His banter with Bob Richards was classic in the morning. It was sad for me to find out that Richards was killed in a plane crash years later. Don Buser, who loved the Alabama Gulf Coast so much and was the first one I can remember who mentioned my hometown of Bay Minette during his weathercast. He spoke of times he drove from Bay Minette to Foley on business. I can remember the gentleman, Charlie Welsh, the grandfatherly Bill Schubert and the professional Charlie Levy, who actually was the one who signed off every evening about 7pm for a couple of hours every night as The Weather Channel "took care of business" and ran infomercials. Today, of course, that would be unthinkable. I can even remember founder John Coleman when he left ABC's Good Morning America to start The Weather Channel. Of course, OCM Bill Keneely is still there. As well as Dennis Smith. I am sure a few others behind the scenes are still there as well.

Also, how can one forget the legendary John Hope. His expertise on Hurricanes were so great that one could tell he was bored giving mold and pollen counts in the springtime. It was even more difficult to see him forecast a snowstorm.

Of course, the ladies were there was well. The beautiful Gay Dawson and Vicki Williams, later married fellow meteorologist Rick Griffin. I found out only the other day that overnight meteorologist Andre Bernier later married fellow TWC'er Sally Schmies. I later found Andre's website, andrebernier.com. Andre and his wife, Sally now work at a station in Cleveland, Ohio.

I really wish The Weather Channel would have a "Where are they now" segment on these great people. At least, it would be more entertaining than some of the primadonnas who are there now.

Nannerisms

Nanners - "well, what did everyone have to say at work about our dinner the other night.....?"

Me - "....just that they enjoyed it ....I did mention however that you were sick all day Saturday
with a headache and throwing up all day. I told them it was the ONE drink you had...."

Nanners - "hmmmm......"

Me - 'in fact, everyone kinda of looked at me funny and started smiling......as if......."

Nanners - "...as if what?...."

Me - "well, they all was wondering if you were having morning sickness and were expecting....."

Nanners - "expecting what? Another drink???"

Me - =/

The Man who let the Good Times Roll

NBC 15 :: Close to Home - Mobile musical legend Bob Schultz passes away


I had the chance of knowing Bob when I worked at the old Stouffer Riverview Plaza Hotel back in the early 90's. He and his band would all pull up in a old, black, Cadillac and all pile out with their instruments and play the wonderful Sunday Jazz Brunch the hotel always had on Sundays.

A wonderful man and a great musician, his music literally had the people dancing through the hotel. I have seen a conga line more than once go up the escalator and down again all holding their green umbrellas during Mardi Gras.

RIP Bob.

Friday Afternoon

As the great John Cleese would say......" and now for something completely different...." and I hope, more cheerful.

Our cat Rocky is still doing better. He is definately tired from his ordeal the other day but we are not taking any chances. We have him on Fancy Feast cat food so it will be easier for him to digest. I am sure that he will be back to normal ASAP.

Nanners and I are meeting Ender and his wife "Tater", another co worker and the Mayor of Hollinger's Island, Handyman Jason and his lovely wife, Mitzi Gaynor at the brand new Macaroni Grill this evening for dinner. Before we go in, Jason and I will walk over and pay our respects to the building that once was Hooters next door. We remember her fondly.

I have not been able ...yet....to master the medium that Ender, The Verbal Assassin and the Grand Poobah are hoping to conquer very soon. Pixeldigger will hopefully be sitting in this same chair Monday providing the techincal expertise that we need. Ender has already done some inital work on one part of the project. TGSDN is coming soon......we hope.

The Washington Post had a very interesting article on the rebuilding going on in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. Louisiana definately needs to pay attention. Speaking of Hurricane Katrina, my DVD on the storm I bought from WLOX-TV in Biloxi should be shipping very soon. The one that the University of South Alabama did on Hurricane Ivan was excellent.

It looks like I will not be making my usual flea market run tomorrow morning. Nothing interesting in the comic world is out this week. However, Marvel's Civil War is due out soon. It looks good.

and finally.......I may have to go and see our company softball team in action next week. That is if there are any more healthy people to play.......LOL

See you at the Boatdock, Danny.......

This was supposed to be my Friday afternoon update. Well, it still is but it seems the Grim Reaper has been working overtime.

A very good friend of mine and neighbor of my mother and father passed away yesterday morning. It was not unexpected. He had a kidney transplant about 11 years ago and was in moderately good health until recently. In fact, he was right down the hallway from my Dad when he was in the hospital. However, I was always unable to see him due to his condition. The day after my Dad's funeral, I took my mother to the hospital for her to check on some paperwork for my father's insurance. When we finished, my mother asked me if I wanted to see Danny. I was amazed that he was still hospitalized. I did not realized his condition was that bad. We entered Danny's room and was met by a horrible sight. The nurse was trying to put a IV into his arm and Danny was struggling against her. He did not know where he was at or who we were. He was a brute of a man. It was very heartwrenching to see him like that.

Danny was a saint of a man. After his son and my friend was killed in a car wreck, Danny aimed to make sure that the rest of his life was aimed at helping others. He was always calling my mother and asking her if she wanted fish or some other type of game since he was an avid outdoorsman. I remember once I was walking by their house when I heard his gruff voice call my name and call me over. "I want ya to try somethin"...." As I walked in the house, he had every burner on the stove on and the smell of fried fish filled the room. Next thing I know I had a plate full of fish in front of me and enjoying a lively chat with this remarkable man. Danny was also very successful in the buying and selling of land. He once sold some acreage where he took the land and the timber revenue and gave it all toward his church. He made a point when he received his kidney to look up and visit the parents of the young girl whose death provided the kidney he had in his body. He was larger than life and crude and filled the room when he came in. Most of all, he was a good friend. I will miss Danny.

I wish the story ended here. However, it does not.

Last night, his daughter in law's mother and father decided to come and visit Danny's wife, Mary. They left their other daugther at home as they went over to pay their respects and to deliver soft drinks. Their other daughter was born with birth defects, however she was old enough and in good enough shape mentally and phyiscally to stay by herself for brief periods. When her parents came home from Danny's house, they found their daughter collasped on the floor. She was dead.

As I was visiting my mother today, I saw a report on CNN about teenagers and blogging. How they have made up this secret world and use their blog to either exaggerate the truth and / or outright make up things to post.

I wish the story I just wrote of was made up.

Dreams

I really hate dreams.

Why, you ask? It always seems like you have a dream that is so terrible that it wakes you up and lingers with you for a while. I was awakened a few minutes ago by one of those dreams. My dream had to do with a good friend who told me something that totally blew me away. Something that I wasn’t surprised that this person told me but shocking when I actually heard the words. I effected me so much that I was unable to go back to sleep.

I have always been fascinated by dreams. I look at them as “windows into your subconscious”. This particular one did bother me a lot. It had to do with a close friend of mine. We were in a workplace setting. We were both employed at a job that neither of us had ever done before. It seemed that in the course of the day, we stopped work to go and admire a flower arrangement. (???) It was then that this person told me this particular thing. As this person walked away, oblivious to what the statements meaning had for me, I remembered just standing there completely stunned. The statement totally shattered something I had come into my mind only recently. The statement completely shattered a long lasting desire of mine. How ironic I thought. A “dream” about the ending of a “dream”. I immediately woke up and could not go back to sleep.

I know what you are thinking. What did I eat for dinner? LOL

I could go into a lot of detail but I am feeling better now so time to move on.

However, I still hate dreams.

Update on The Rock

Our vet called us about 6pm and told us that Rocky was doing great and will be ready to be picked up in the morning. I told Nanners late this afternoon and she, of course, was concerned saying the same thing about all the deaths recently.

I will be picking up the Rock tomorrow and bringing him back to his humble abode.

Maybe now this blog can concentrate on something more positive......!!

Rocky

Will this week ever end?

I came home from work today and settled in to check the news headlines while getting ready to go to the gym. As I was reading, I kept hearing a muffled cough. Things quieted down and again I heard the coughing. I decided to check on the our pets when I suddenly saw Rocky race by into the bedroom. When I reached him, he had a long strand of saliva hanging from his mouth. I thought for a minute that he simply had a hairball stuck in his mouth. I pulled on the strand and noticed that it wasn't hair. This cat was choking. I tried for a brief second to pat the cat on his back and stomach to see if he would cough whatever it was that was choking him. After that failed, I scooped him up and off to the vets we went. As we drove, Rocky's breathing and coughing became worse. I knew that he would die before I got him there. I finally reached the vets office and brought the cat in. The nurses took him and called for the vet to come back to the office. My truck had saliva and barf everywhere. His poor little mouth was contorted and wet saliva was coming out of even his nose. I stood in the waiting room and peered in the back where I saw them working on Rocky. The vet came in and finally came to talk to me. He told me that Rocky was resting comfortably and a chest xray showed that he had fluid in his chest. This was probably caused by aspiration...if I got that right. A cat is almost impossible to choke. However, they are easy to get fluid down in their chest. They are going to keep him over night and start some antibiotics on him to hopefully clear his chest up.

I left the vets office and went by the store and picked some things up. When I started home, I just lost it. I pulled up in my driveway, sat there and just put my head in my hands and completely broke down. I hate to see anybody and anything suffer. Rocky was suffering and there wasn't anything I could do for him. Hopefully, this afternoon, the vet will call and give a good prognosis.

Go away Death. Please leave me along for a while. I think that I deserve a break.

"...and while we are on the subject....."

Apple - Trailers - X-MEN: THE LAST STAND - Trailer

Wow.

Well, it had to happen.....

I have been waiting for everything to "catch" up with me and today, it did. Kinda.

They say that Death comes in threes. Wrong. Since my Dad passed it seems that Death had come and decided to linger around a little longer than it should. I finally had the chance to speak with my boss at work. The Boss. The person that stirs the drink. The Big Cheese. Once again, I told the story of my father's passing. This time, the person on the other end responded in a different way. My boss cried. I felt bad for her. As sad of a story as it is, I sure did not want to bring anyone, not even my boss to tears. I thanked her for their support and I told her that as an only child, I considered my fellow employees and peers my "extended" family. On that remark, being the person who has much demand on her time, she suddenly made a comment I truly could not make out and departed. Did I offend her in any way, I wonder? Who knows. Life goes on.

Scene shifts to our training room at work where I was taking a moment to catch up on the day's headlines before we are excused for the day. I read that Dana Reeve passed away. I had forgotten that she was suffering from lung cancer. Baseball Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett passed away yesterday. I left work and as I was driving home, my thoughts turned to my Dad. I started thinking about all the times we did things together. The trips we took. I remember the breakfast we had together the morning of my wedding. Our trip to Orlando where I had gotten us a suite at the Residence Inn. He never stopped talking about that suite. All the times he helped me move or was there for me. As I pulled into my driveway and walked to the door, I saw something on the porch. It was a huge potted plant. I admired it and then read the card. It was from the office from where I worked. I brought the plant inside and after placing the plant where our pets would not harm it, I simply sat down. I then allowed myself to finally mourn my Dad. After I regained my composure, I thought to myself, "Wow. We had some great times together. I can't wait to see you again."

A Verbal Assassination ( Not Safe for Work, Play or Anything In Between )

It seems that the Verbal Assassin has finally struck. He has verbally assassinated The Butler and The Grand Poobah.

If you want to listen to it....just click on his link. However, you do not want to play this at work, around small kids and animals and keep the speakers away from any plants.

I have listened to it. I already feel like I am going to get called in front of the grand jury. Does anyone know of a good attorney?

Sunday Afternoon

Well, I just awoke from my long afternoon nap and I thought that I would update everyone on some things that have been going on.....

Today was my first day back at work. I hate to admit it, but I was glad to be back. I had a fun day with working with some co-workers that have been there with me from the start and the joking banter flowed like red wine. Of course, the day wouldn't be perfect if I didn't screw something up. Not only was I a few minutes tardy on one of my breaks ( Sorry, Mrs. Ender! ), I left the thank you card that I was going to post for everyone at home. Doh! However, I did have the pleasure of spending a few extra minutes with Mrs. Ender as I had to take her home this afternoon due to her hubby going home sick.

Friday night, Nanners and I enjoyed dinner with some friends at the Santa Fe Fajita Company located in the Eastern Shore Center in beautiful Spanish Fort, Alabama. I have been wanting to dine here for sometime and was very much looking forward to the experience. The food was great with some items on the menu not traditionally found at a Tex-Mex restaurant. We had a great time, but I was surprised the restaurant was not as upscale as I thought it was. Not that my tastes demand upscaled dining, but I was surprised by the outside decor and its other dining neighbors, that it didn't give off the same feel on the inside than the outside.

Yesterday, I helped Nanners at her place of business for a little while then dropped by Petpalooza in the afternoon to see their selection of animals that were available for adoption. As it turned out, the pickings were very slim. Mostly large dogs were the rule of the day and we simply do not need another large dog right now. Still, it was hard to walk away from those innocent faces.

Before I took Nanners to her office, I made my quick Saturday ritual of stopping by the flea market for my weeks worth of comics. I picked up Infinity Crisis #5 ( both the Lee and Perez covers ). Infinite Crisis #3 and #4 ( second printing with their black and white sketch covers ), Ms. Marvel #1 ( I always pick up first issues ) and the latest Wizard. I renewed my subscription to it so I will probably start picking it up again at home very soon. A nice little haul if I say so.

Finally, our little outside project jumped a major hurdle Friday as we get closer to preparing and releasing the latest craze to hit south Alabama and soon the world. Get ready because.......its coming.

The Earth's Mightiest Movie Review - Walk the Line

Great Movie! Nothing like I thought it would be. Phoenix and Witherspoon were great in their roles and intelligent enough not to attempt an exact portrayal of Johnny and June. Kudos to Gennifer Goodwin and Shelby Lynne in their portrayals of Cash's first wife and mother respectively.

My wife and I had a nice evening watching this movie. 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

The World is My Oyster and all I have done today is....

....nothing.

I had grand intentions on working out and then running my errands then coming home. I am so totally wiped. I havent even felt like blogging or commenting on my friends blogs, even though I have been reading them.

Tonight, Nanners and I are going to have dinner with friends at the Santa Fe Fajita Co. at the Eastern Shore Center. Thats if I gather enough strength to crawl into the shower to get ready.

I think the weeks events have finally caught up to me. Sunday I go back to work and hopefully things will start getting back to semi-normal.

ALL HAIL THE KING!!! ALL HAIL KING ROLO!!!

Wow. I take off for a few days and people start getting delusions of grandeur.

It looks like a "verbal" war has erupted between The Verbal Assassin and The Butler.

This is gonna get a whole lot uglier before it gets better.

All I have to say is.......lets get ready to rumble.

BTW Assassin.....nice video. The judges on Dancing with the Stars give you all 10's. In fact, Bruno calls you a "Weapon of Mass Humiliation" =)

Goodbye, Dad

Yesterday was Mardi Gras. Hundreds of thousands of people from New Orleans to Biloxi to Mobile celebrated Fat Tuesday by watching parades and catching throws.

Yesterday was also the day that my mother and I buried my father.

Saturday was a cold, miserable rainy day in south Alabama. I worked overtime that morning and after I got off work my wife and I braved some of the worse weather we have seen in sometime to get to my parents house. When we arrived, we found a houseful of relatives. My mother was in good spirits but she was very tired. The hospice nurse was there with my Dad. He was breathing very hard and unresponsive. His last good day was the day before where he was able to greet people and converse with them. My mother in law had visited and he took great joy in seeing her because he asked about her often. However, Saturday he took a major turn for the worse. The hospice nurse was there and said that although his heartbeat was strong, his blood pressure was very low and his extremities were getting cold. His brain was apparently swelling and the end was near. She said that she would guess he would pass between 1 and 3am. The rest of the day consisted of family and friends coming by and spending time with us. My wife decided that she would go home around 4pm. I wanted her to go because of the second round of showers that were moving in and also I knew that she did not want to see what was coming up. After she left, it seemed that Dad began his struggle. From 430pm onward, Dad fought a courageous struggle to stay alive. I believe in my heart that he could hear everybody there. I sat by the bed and watched his every move. About 530pm, the decision was made to call the nurse. I told my Mom that it wasn't anything she could do for him but the point was made by my Aunt that she really needed to come. I realized then what she meant. The nurse arrived around 6pm. She looked at my Dad and told us that he didnt have very long. He was so tired and he was fighting a magnificent battle to stay alive. The nurse gave my Dad some medicine about 615pm to help him breathe better and to relax him. I know these times because it seemed that I looked at the clock every time something happened. At about 620pm, an amazing thing happened. My Dad began to breathe normally and then....he opened his eyes. The nurse stood up and told us that he could hear us now. If we wanted to say goodbye now was the time. My Mom and I embraced him and told him to go to sleep that everything and everybody would be ok. My family did the same thing. One tear came from my Dad's right eye. He then slowly closed them. His breathing began to get more slower. He then took one last long breath and then.....he was gone. It was 625pm. I called my Mom over and we all surrounded him and said a short prayer. My Mom took his passing very well. Although she was crying, she pretty much kept her composure. My Aunt, who has helped us throughout this whole ordeal, broke down and wept very hard. The nurse waited for about 10 minutes over him and again checked his vitals, declared he was gone. It was 635pm.

Monday was a sunny, breezy and a cool day. I love this type of weather. The day consisted in visiting with family members and preparing for that night. My wife and I met my mother in a local shopping center so she could look at buying a nice outfit for the burial. We sat down and had lunch together and we spoke of Dad and what was to come. My mother has been so strong throughout all of this. As much as I wish the my Dad was still here, I am glad for my mother that the burden of his illness is now gone. She was there with him the whole time. At 520pm, we made it to the funeral home for the wake. I had waited for this moment with dread. We entered the parlor to view Dad. He looked so peaceful. I had put a Alabama ball cap in the coffin with him. My Dad never went anywhere without his ballcap and this would be no exception. It rested on his waist. My Dad always loved to wear blue button up shirts and thats what he had on. Mom thought about putting a tie on him but we decided that Dad would have not wanted that. An American flag was folded neatly on the coffin in respect for the time Dad served in the Army Corp of Engineers in the late 1940's. Throughout the night, family and friends came by. My friends from work made the trip over and I cannot put a price on what that meant to me. My wife remarked that if it wasn't for them, she doesn't think she would have made it through the night. Three former high school friends also came by and I cannot think of words to describe how much it meant for me to see them. I wished I could have spent more time with all of them. Dad had a great turn out for his wake and I know its something he would have been very proud of.

Yesterday was the same kind of day as Monday. Maybe a little warmer. My cousin from North Carolina came in and surprised my Mother by being there. Once again, my family assembled for the funeral. My Dad always told me not to make a big fuss over his funeral and I tried to respect that. We had a small graveside service. My Mom and I picked his plot out at the very back of the graveyard near the treeline. It was a quiet spot and yet very easy to get to. During the service, the bumblebees decided to visit us and caused some of the family to find a better place other than near the trees. LOL. Luckily, no one got stung. I think it was the bees wanting a good look at the flowers. Then as fast as it all began, it was over. We departed the gravesite and all had a very nice lunch. My wife and I picked up my Dad's flowers at the funeral home and brought them to my mother. We then left for home. Before leaving town, we visited the gravesite again. It was very quiet. The gentle breeze pushed through the trees. I think my Dad would have liked where he was put to rest at.

My wife and I would like to take this time to thank everyone who has written, called and came by offering their support. I want to thank everyone at work who has been there for us. Words cannot describe how much your friendship means to my wife and I. I am grateful beyond words. A huge thanks to my high school friends, Martin and Peggy for being there for us the whole time. Most of all, thank you to my Aunt and Uncle, Alice and Richard. You have been there for my parents since the beginning of all of this and despite the loss of my Uncle's mother and my Aunt's good friend during this week, you both were still here for my mother and I. We will never forget that.

Goodbye, Dad. Tell everyone hi for us. We will see you soon.