Monday, October 31, 2005

We got back last night from Herndon, VA, where we stayed with the most fabulous and hospitable lesbian couple we've ever met. We were in that part of the world to attend the installation of our denomination's new moderator....a woman. She was installed at the National Cathedral which is actually an Episcopal church but looks very Catholic. It was a wonderful ceremony filled with promise and hope for the future. The couple we stayed with are more than comfortable in their lives (as far as money is concerned) but they are very down to earth and do not flaunt their wealth in the least. They are both very funny and it was such a treat to see them bickering (for a long time I thought my spouse and I were the only ones who bickered). The whole weekend was a bit exhausting but in a good way. And as our denomination moves to the next place we're hopeful that it will open up more doors for us and move us further to the forefront as a place where ALL who are hurt and broken can come without being judged.

paul

Thursday, October 27, 2005

I watched Madonna's new movie the other day, I'm Going To Tell You A Secret. It wasn't much to write home about. It showed Madonna performing in different countries during her last tour, auditions for her show, and her musings on Kabbalah. The best parts were of her children Rocco and Lola (Madonna has bratty kids too) and the scenes with her and Guy Ritchie (her hot husband). Also good were the scenes that showed the vulnerable Madonna; the scenes where it's obvious she's just another human being. I remember when Madonna first became popular. The year was 1984 and I was 11 years old and in fifth grade. Everyone thought that she was just a flash in the pan and wouldn't outlast the Rubik's Cube (Rubik's who?) It's gone, more or less, and more than twenty years later Madonna is still going strong in her 40's. I know many people don't like her or her music but she is very talented and has not only conquered music but management, the theatre, tv, and movies. Her new album comes out next month like all of her other albums the release of this one is an event of huge proportions. Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit. However, I've been hearing her new song Hung Up and I'm really digging it. Yes it does sample (Abba's Gimme Gimme Gimme, a fun song in itself) but it's got a good beat and it gets the head bopping. Is it her best song? No. Is it worthy of buying the album? Yes.

Speaking of fun and head bopping songs....I wrote a couple of weeks ago that I had been listening to a lot of Christian music lately. Well I started hearing a version of Open The Eyes Of My Heart that was upbeat and rockin' yet everytime the song was played the artist wasn't announced. I finally heard the artist's name the other day and I was shocked to learn that it is.......John Tesh. I never would have guessed him.


Enjoy your day.

Peace,

paul

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

The rain has finally stopped and the sun was actually out briefly just a few moments ago. I hear the weekend is supposed to be nice too. Now if only I could get out there and rake those leaves.

Green is for Gay: I remember growing up in Texas and seeing the Walgreen's stores around town. They are still quite abundant in the south though in the past several years they've been popping up in the north too. In fact we have some in Rochester. Anyway, Walgreen's has ponied up $100,000 in support of the gay games. This has caused the conservative Christian group Illinois Family Institute to threaten to boycott the store. Harris Bank and Kraft Foods, both of whom coughed up $25,000, previously drew criticism from the IFI. I don't know about you but I plan on shopping at Walgreen's from now on every chance I get.

A picture of a rainbow over Chicago's O'Hare airport on 10/24/05. The pot of gold is still missing.

I realize I haven't written very much lately. It's not that I want to neglect my poor blog I've just been in a "I don't feel like writing" phase. Besides I've been busy watching all of those damn Oscar movies. I haven't even watched one lately that I thought was so excellent I could talk about it. Some of the old black & whites I have watched are The Razor's Edge, Watch On The Rhine, The Great Lie, Going My Way, and Mildred Pierce. Whatever you are watching today I hope your day is a good one.

peace,

paul

This picture of Mars was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. On the 30th of this month Mars will be 69.4 million kilometers from Earth or 43.1 million miles. Kind of gives new meaning to the phrase, "are we there yet?"

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Nuke you. No, nuke you!: Two women at a Florida Walgreen's got into it over who was going to use the microwave first. The two women, Mellesia Grant and Merloze Tilme (stage name or real?) didn't get along to begin with. They were in the break room and started fighting over who was going to heat up their cup of soup (I made up the food item although it could have been that). That's when Grant went ballistic and stabbed Tilme in the abdomen with a large knife. Don't people know you're not supposed to leave knives lying around like that. Very dangerous. Anyway, the two women began wrestling for control of the knife and each cut their hands until finally the store manager broke it up. Detention both of you!!!! Tilme is expected to recover while Grant was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Say it with me people: Knives don't stab people, people stab people with knives.

It's still raining in Western NY and has been almost non-stop for the past two days. Thank you Wilma. In NJ there's flooding and Florida is cleaning up. And there's still a month left in hurricane season.

Hope you are staying dry and warm.

paul
Hello,

I went to see the film North Country, the new film by Whale Rider director Niki Caro, which tells the story of a landmark class action suit. Set in Northern Minnesota (it's not called South country), the film stars Charlize Theron once again deglamorized yet not as hideous as she was in Monster. Theron plays Josey Aimes, a woman who leaves her abusive husband, moves in with her parents and attempts to start over by finding good paying work at the local mine. The problem is the mine is a veritable den of testosterone and harrassment and Josey is a girl no matter how tough she claims to be. The men start out harrassing Josey (the other women have resigned themselves to it) but they start small. Little things like comments and leering looks but once she starts the complaining the men start turning it up a notch. BAM! Josey is groped. BAM! Dirty words are written on the walls of the women's changing room with something truly dirty. And in one truly disgusting scene a couple of the guys topple over a port-a-potty with one of the women inside. While the acts of the men are shocking and appalling, I felt as if the director was intentionally trying to outdo himself with each new act.

Theron does a good job in the acting job, although she doesn't have the emotional heft of Sally Field in Norma Rae and is not as riveting as Meryl Streep in Silkwood. Also her beauty is an asset and a distraction. Her character is accused numerous times of being a tease and of "asking for what she gets" and the fact that she is not as homely as the other women made me not totally believe a woman with her looks would work in such a place.

The film is inspired by actual events which only means there was an actual case and events leading up to the case and the case itself were used for the movie but no doubt a lot of adding and tweaking were used.

The film is played out with the Anita Hill hearings playing in the background. Hill's story is the same one only on a larger scale. And in one scene we see a clip of the quintessential tv show about sexual harrassment in the workplace: Alice.

The supporting cast is wonderful: Sissy Spacek (with not enough to do) and Richard Jenkins as Josey's parents; Woody Harrelson as the lawyer who takes Josey's case; and Frances McDormand (who I wouldn't be surprised to see nominated for this role) as Josey's friend and the labor union rep.

I can see Caro getting a director nom but I don't see the film getting nominated for best picture.

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

the leaves are really falling now and Mother Nature is having her way with our country and the rest of the world too. Mudslides, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis. I can picture the Christian Conservatives are rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of the end of the world.

Free at last, free at last, free at last: The frail 77-year old man in India is Machal Lalung. He was sent to a mental institution back in 1951. His epilepsy was mistaken for insanity; not unlike the way manic depressives were mistaken for being possessed. A National Human Rights Commission discovered the error (that's putting it mildly) and Lalung was released. His senses have been dulled, he's forgotten what foods he likes and he has forgotten his family; his immediate family have all died. He lives with his nephew and has "no use grumbling now"(about what happened). Today he is "just waiting for death."

Today let's all be thankful that we are free.

paul

Friday, October 14, 2005

Anytown, USA: I went to see Cameron Crowe's (Say Anything, Jerry Maguire) new movie Elizabethtown. The film stars Orlando Bloom (he of the flowing blond hair in the Lord of the Rings movies) and ever effervescent Kirsten Dunst. Bloom plays Drew who is fired after a major failure at work. And after he finds out his father died, he goes down to Kentucky to bury him and mourn him. Along the way he meets Claire (Dunst) who teaches him about life and eventually the two end up falling for each other. As with many of his other movies Crowe douses the film with music; the music ultimately makes the film upstaging both Dunst and Bloom. Having said that Bloom does do a fine job in a modern role. Dunst, however, is a different story. Don't get me wrong she is perky and fun but everytime she was on screen I kept picturing her in a truly evil and nasty role. Someone with no morals who hides behind that bubbly smile. I've never been a fan of romantic comedies; there are some out there that I really enjoy but I can't think of any right now. I did really like Shaun of the Dead but that was technically a zom rom com (zombie romantic comedy).

Oscar video pick of the week: Have I ever picked such a recent film (if 10 years is recent) to highlight. Braveheart, the ultra violent and historical film directed by Mel Gibson is this week's pick. I remember when this film was nominated for the Oscar and reading about how it was so violent and that such a film could not possibly win the prize. It ultimately did win the prize and Gibson won best director too. The film tells of Scotsman William Wallace who leads a revolt against England's Edward I, the tyrannical king of England in the 13th century. It's the country of Scotland that's at stake and Gibson's film is really an art film in disguise. It's evident in almost every scene. Not only that but the film is a precursor to Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, it could even be considered a companion piece. All of the elements are there right down to the cross that Wallace is placed on as his fate is sealed. Angus MacFadyen shines as Robert the Bruce, the man who betrays Wallace only to discover that he wants to be as courageous as the man. Unfortunately the film garnered no acting noms. Oh well, you can't win them all.

Jaw dropper of the day: As if you needed more proof that we live in a truly sick and twisted world, here it is. Peggy Jo Conner of Ford City, PA, was arrested on the charge of aggravated assault and attempted homicide after she clubbed her neighbor, drove her to the woods and tried to cut her neighbor's baby out with a knife. Conner hit Valerie Oskin over the head with a baseball bat. Luckily a driver happened upon the women and Oskin had to undergo a Caesarean section at a hospital. Conner's home contained baby paraphernalia and her husband believed she was pregnant. Thankfully Conner is now in jail without bail.

One more: I've written about this show before but I can't stop raving about it. I recently watched the entire second season of Arrested Development. This show used to be on Sunday nights, a night that my spouse and I watch other shows that conflicted with Development. The tv Gods have smiled on us (or me anyway) as the show moved to Monday night this season. This show has a lot of truly laugh out loud and irreverent moments. 97% of the comedies on tv don't make me laugh out loud; chuckle, yes, giggle, certainly, but Arrested causes me to guffaw. And with such guest stars as Martin Short, Henry Winkler (gone now), Ed Begley Jr., Ben Stiller, Zach Braff, and Dick Van Patten, the show has it going on. I wish the ratings were better. I've never believed that just because a show doesn't get good ratings that it's not a good show. Throughout tv history there have been many shows that have gotten good ratings that weren't very good at all (in my humble opinion anyway). And now this season has Charlize Theron as hunky Jason Bateman's (yes hunky) romantic interest.

that's all for now,

paul

Thursday, October 13, 2005

According to James Dobson (yes, Mr. Focus on the Family), Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers belongs to a church that is almost universally pro-life. Huh? Alrighty then.


Happy coming OUT day.

I'm out, are you?

paul
Rotten/Rockin' Remake: There was a song a few years ago called Grey Sky Morning (Best I Ever Had) by a group called Vertical Horizon. It was a mournful song that sounded pretty (even if it was a ballad). Now Gary Allan, a country singer, has remade it and it sounds like a mournful country song. It sounds quite similar to the original but with a country twang. I don't like it; it's worse than the original.

A remake I am enjoying is Melissa Etheridge's remake of the song Refugee, originally done by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. She of course has her own sound and sings the song in a way that gives it new meaning and importance (factor that in with the fact that she recently came through breast cancer and it's a homerun hit all over again).

Wednesday, October 12, 2005


The caption for this pic is, "Why FEMA never got the call." I couldn't resist. AWWWWWW poor Bushie. Actually I disagree with those who say it is all Bush's fault. It's mostly not his fault.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Lock your doors, hide your pets, and hold your kids up high. There's an epidemic in Florida. Hot on the heels of a 6 ft alligator being half eaten by a 13 ft python, a 12 ft Burmese python had a 1-year-old pet Siamese cat for breakfast.

And Harriet Miers: Conservative or Libertarian? In her bid for city council, Miers filled out a questionnaire saying she favored equal rights for gays and supported AIDS education. However, during her run as a Texas lawyer, she tried to get the ABA to vote in favor of abortion rights. She believes in the rights of women yet also believes in the right to bear arms. Not only that but many conservatives are not happy at all with her as a choice for a judicial nominee.

paul

Saturday, October 08, 2005

I went to see the film In Her Shoes, the new film by director Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential, 8 Mile) and while it is a chick flick it's a well done chick flick. I've never been a fan of Cameron Diaz; do I think she has talent? Everyone does to some degree (some more than others). But do I think she is a good actress? No. I do think that she was born to play the role of Maggie Feller; the selfish, spoiled, thoughtless nymphomaniac she plays in the film. Toni Collette, on the other hand, is talented and a good actress. She is homely, as my spouse likes to point out, but, thankfully, that does not mean someone can't be a good actor/actress. Shirley MacLaine is as always cast in the matronly role but this time she is not as harsh or imperious as she usually plays. She's toned down and quite good.

If you are planning on flying Southwestern airlines then leave those offensive shirts in the closet. This past week a woman from Washington was booted off a Southwestern flight when her offensive shirt kept showing. Passengers originally complained of the shirt and then passenger Lorrie Heasley put a sweatshirt on but when she dozed off the sweatshirt revealed the shirt again. She was ordered to keep it covered or get off the plane; she and her husband chose the latter. The shirt: A picture of George Bush, Dick Cheney, and Condoleeza Rice with the words Meet The Fuckers (a play on the film title Meet The Fockers). I want one of those shirts!!!!! I'd wear it EVERYWHERE.

I'm liking the songs Soul Meets Body by Death Cab For Cutie (that's really the name of the group), the Casting Crowns song Lifesong and Chris Tomlin's song Indescribable. That's what I'm listening to.

Enjoy your day,

paul
I went to see the film In Her Shoes, the new film by director Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential, 8 Mile) and while it is a chick flick it's a well done chick flick. I've never been a fan of Cameron Diaz; do I think she has talent? Everyone does to some degree (some more than others). But do I think she is a good actress? No. I do think that she was born to play the role of Maggie Feller; the selfish, spoiled, thoughtless nymphomaniac she plays in the film. Toni Collette, on the other hand, is talented and a good actress. She is homely, as my spouse likes to point out, but, thankfully, that does not mean someone can't be a good actor/actress. Shirley MacLaine is as always cast in the matronly role but this time she is not as harsh or imperious as she usually plays. She's toned down and quite good.

If you are planning on flying Southwestern airlines then leave those offensive shirts in the closet. This past week a woman from Washington was booted off a Southwestern flight when her offensive shirt kept showing. Passengers originally complained of the shirt and then passenger Lorrie Heasley put a sweatshirt on but when she dozed off the sweatshirt revealed the shirt again. She was ordered to keep it covered or get off the plane; she and her husband chose the latter. The shirt: A picture of George Bush, Dick Cheney, and Condoleeza Rice with the words Meet The Fuckers (a play on the film title Meet The Fockers). I want one of those shirts!!!!! I'd wear it EVERYWHERE.

I'm liking the songs Soul Meets Body by Death Cab For Cutie (that's really the name of the group), the Casting Crowns song Lifesong and Chris Tomlin's song Indescribable. That's what I'm listening to.

Enjoy your day,

paul

Thursday, October 06, 2005

Just finished a gruesome yet fascinating book called The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin. Well researched and quite descriptive, the book tells of the storm that wreaked havoc on the open prairielands; Minnesota, North & South Dakota, and Nebraska. The storm was so powerful it even affected Texas and Mexico. It was a wake up call to the immigrants who had so excitedly settled in the midwest. On January 12, 1888 a cold front that had been travelling from Canada hit the midwest and was so deadly that in a matter of hours the temperatures plummeted; In Kansas, 29 degrees in seven hours; Iowa 55 degrees in a matter of eight hours; In Nebraska 32 degrees in 13 hours and so on. The storm was so deadly that people and animals froze in their tracks. The book tells of the many stories of teachers, parents, children as they tried to brave the storm or find loved ones who may have been out doing chores or at school. The eerie part is that January 12 started out as a quite mild day; the first one in a while. It was, for many, a veritable "heat wave." The book is called the Children's Blizzard, and this is where the gruesomeness comes in, because once the storm passed many children were found frozen to the ground. Many children had been in school that day because the weather had been so nice and they tried to make it either to their home or a warmer shelter, warmer than the schoolhouse anyway. The estimated death toll was around 500. Adults and children lost limbs, died of cardiac arrest, or froze together (literally). Of course people wanted to place blame and while the very new Signal Corps weather indicators (the name was a precursor of weather forecasters) was partially to blame, it's an eerie reminder that mother nature does strike (as she so violently did recently in MS and LA) and people should be quite aware of where they live and how weather can and does affect them. It's a fascinating book and if you have any interest in weather it's a must read.

tv update: I had too many shows to watch and I've already dropped the shows CSI, Bones, and Grey's Anatomy. As my spouse says, "It's only tv."
Oscar video pick of the week: A 1931 film starring Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper, The Champ is a moving movie that never falls into melodrama or schmaltz. Not to be confused with the half baked 1979 version with little Ricky Schroeder, the original features Beery (in his Oscar winning role) as an unglamorous former heavyweight champion boxer. His sidekick and caretaker is none other than Dink, his nine-year-old son. When The Champ's ex-wife/Dink's mother comes back into the picture, the Champ realizes that Dink needs a stable homelife. He makes a sacrificial decision only to have it backfire. It's a shame the supporting Oscar categories were not around in 1931 because Cooper would have been a lock for supporting actor. He delivers a superbly percocious performance. As it was, the previous year he became the youngest actor (at age 9) to ever receive a lead actor nomination; a record he holds to this day. The youngest actress is Keisha Castle-Hughes who was nominated a couple of years ago at the age of 13.

Jaw dropper? More like jaw catcher: A 13-foot python in Miami, FL, tried to eat a 6-foot gator. It's the fourth such reported incident. Sadly for the python it didn't make it. It was found with the hindquarters of the gator protruding from its midsection. The snakes stomach was filled with the gator's forelimbs, shoulders, and head. The snake apparently exploded; probably a result of the gator clawing at the stomach of the python. Talk about gruesome.

Welcome to America, you're a winner: How's this for the first day of being a US citizen? A Kenyan man took the oath to become a US citizen last Friday. Soon after he played Iowa's Hot Lottery game and discovered he had the winning ticket. The prize: 1.89million dollars. I've often said that in order to win one is usually trailer trash, a ex-con or in this case a new US citizen. My spouse and I play but we are not obsessive about it. We often say it would be nice to win so we can both go back to school and fix up our home a bit.

Enjoy your day,

paul

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

"Wanna braid my beard, baby?" Another contestant in the Beard and Mustache Championships.
Check out this pic of a contestant in Berlin's World Beard and Mustache Championship. There's a porcupine on his face.

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Could President Bush's have been lazier in his pick for a justice to replace Sandra Day O'Connor? Harriet Miers, whose most high profile role has been legal counsel to Bush, has never even been a judge. What's more she has no record on any of the hot button issues. Bush took the easy way out with this nomination. Neither the Dems or the Repubs can latch on to something about her they don't like; there's nothing there. I'm not sure what my feeling is just yet. These hearings should be interesting.

more later,

paul

Monday, October 03, 2005

Court is back in session and John Roberts is right there with the other 8 justices. Of course Sandra Day O'Connor is still in the Supreme Justice chair and will be until a new one is confirmed.

The predictions of tropical storm Stan is that it will weaken; let's hope it does because frankly the people on the Gulf and in the south have probably had more than enough.

It's the first week of October and the dog days of summer are behind us. The smell of winter hangs in the air like the sick after a night of bingeing.

Enjoy your day,

paul

Saturday, October 01, 2005

We just saw a deeply moving movie called Rory O'Shea Was Here. It's about two wheelchair bound youths who just want to be out in the world on their own. Along the way the experience discrimination, rejection, love, loss and death. The two actors, James McAvoy and especially Steven Robertson, who needs an interpreter to decipher what he is saying, are terrific in their roles. It's a touching movie, a bit depressing at times, but fulfilling. It's one of those independent, artsy-fartsy films I enjoy so much.
I went to see the movie A History Of Violence, David Cronenberg's new movie. This movie was well done and thought provoking and disturbing. There are some graphic moments and of course the movie does live up to its title. It's the story of a man with a past and he wasn't a nice guy. Now he has a family and the respect of the community but his past has caught up with him. There are a couple of things in the movie that don't quite add up but that's true of most movies. Maria Bello and Viggo Mortensen are nicely cast and the film features two of the best placed, storyline appropriate and realistic heterosexual sex scenes that I've seen in a long time. They are both vastly different as well. It's even got something in the film that I am tired of seeing; a vomit scene. Thankfully they don't show the person throwing up but it seems that no matter what I watch on tv or film, there's a throw up scene. The film does feel like it's missing something like there's some story we're not getting or maybe I wanted something more from the film. Anyway if you like violence this movie's got the V for YOU.

paul

A two headed tortoise found in Havana on 9/27/05. How cute!!!! Mommy can we get one? Doesn't it look like they are thinking, "Excuse me, but would you please put us back in the water?"
I'm so glad I didn't grow up Catholic. Don't get me wrong, I know some wonderful people who grew up Catholic and growing up Missouri Synod Lutheran was not great for my psyche, however, hearing and reading about the stories of fear, hurt, anger, apathy, and doubt that the Catholic religion has caused in people, I'd choose Luther over the Pope anyday. Now reading about the fact that the Catholic church wants to crack down on homosexuals in the priesthood, it's like gays in the military all over again. Kudos to the Rev. Gerald Chojnacki, a Jesuit, who wants to lead a strike and petition denouncing this witch hunt. If I were clergy, I would be right there with Rev. Chojnacki on strike to show just how important gays are in the priesthood. The statistics show that 25%-50% of Catholics are gay. The irony here is that the Catholic church wants to hunker down and get the gays out but that's not necessarily going to curb the pedophilia that is rampant within the church. Statistics show that pedophilia has nothing to do with being gay but being in control. Hello!!!!!! Let's get the facts here, just because you keep the gays out doesn't mean the priests are going to be celibate and not abuse their parishioners. This is America; the people should demand the truth, the facts, the real story.

Ok, I'm done ranting for the night. I'll write again tomorrow.

Good night,

paul