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Saturday, March 26, 2011

Song Saturday- Hound Dog

Watched the movie 'Hound Dog' this week which was actually pretty good. A story about filling up emptyness so it doesn't hurt you or someone else. Anyway, it featured Big Mama singing. I love this eversomuch more than the Elvis version. Happy Song Saturday

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Still Unpacking and More Updates

I just got back from a trip to Monterey, Ca.  Usually March is a most excellent month to visit this section of the northern California coast.  It can be quite clear and warm and there are little to no tourists. 

This year it was just surreal.  When we were still packing the nuclear reactors in Japan were in full on melt down and while I expected some craziness in California I really wasn't prepared for the amount of shocked reactions from people who knew I was going away.  There was genuine concern from my neighbor who I almost never talk to except when I'm going away so they can keep an eye on the house.  "Aren't you afraid of radiation?"  was the question. Ummm, aren't you?  We only live 3 hours inland, do people really think if radiation levels are high enough to be concerned about in Monterey that we are going to escape it in Chico?  I think that freaked them out a bit because I saw them heading down to CVS not too long after that, probably to buy iodine and duct tape. 

Speaking of Iodine I read more than one article in which drug stores were running out of this 'precious' commodity in California.  Which made me wonder what the other west coast states were doing, if they were reacting with the same level of crazy door slamming after the horse has left the barn.  I was on vacation though and didn't care enough to look it up.  I was also too busy listening to my new Ani De Franco Album purchase, which is what I generally do when something big happens. Step 1: assess what I can do.  Step 2: Do everything I can do.  Step 3: Keep calm and carry on. 

We did actually get one very nice sunny day down on the coast.  It had been our plan to day trip down to Big Sur and pay for a massage/soak pass at Esalen,  I was really really glad I hadn't paid in advance because it turns out the road had crumbled into the sea sometime between 5 and 6pm the night before. Apparently it was just time, the road had had enough.  People said they noticed cracks earlier in the day, which kinda begs the question, "Why didn't anyone report it?"  Anyway it's going to be a while before they get that fixed and the 101 detour is long and a pain in the ass, so we spent the day in Carmel instead. 

The rest of our trip was ruled by rain which gave us the excellent opportunity of checking out hole in the wall thrift shops and eateries.  We were a half vegetarian group and while I have said it before I will repeat it.  Lighthouse ave has everything you need in the way of eateries for the meat lovers and the vegetarians and you will not break the bank.  If you want good food, stay away from the wharf.  That touristy crap will cost you an arm and a leg and will taste just like every other chain restaurant in America.

Back from holiday I took to bed sick for two days, immensely grateful that I hadn't gotten sick away from home, there's nothing worse than being sick away from home, except maybe having to drive home sick...yeah that's a bit worse. 

But I also returned to boxes of awesome from Black Phoenix Trading Post and Alchemy Lab.  Boxes filled with serious scents like Black Tower, The Bow and Crown of Conquest, Doc Constantine's Medicine Show and Cthulhu.  Cthulhu was really the only disappointment, while everything else smelled close to what I imagined I couldn't get my head around Cthulhu smelling exactly like fabric softener.  I had also ordered a T-shirt from their Neil Gaiman collection, The Vampire Tarot and while they messed that order up by sending me their monthly special shirt, their customer service more than made up for it, a replacement was sent right away and I was told I could keep the "oops" shirt.  I had a lovely couple of messages from whomever was handling shipping and really cannot speak more highly of their service and products.  If you like scents you will fall in love here, merely reading the descriptions had me absorbed for the better part of a morning. 

Aside from everything in my house now smelling excellent I am feeling a bit odd.  The world is in an odd place isn't it?   I'm terribly disappointed in our President whose promise of "Hope" has fizzled to something like "Suck it."  I'm not understanding why he finds it necessary for us to be involved in Libya but not as involved as we could be in helping Japan which will be cleaning up for years to come and needing clean water and food for most of that time.  Plus, it's winter there, it's flippin' snowing out and people are displaced.  But I'm really not surprised I mean we still haven't taken care of our own mess in the Gulf of Mexico and Haiti is, well, exactly the same as it was before if not worse. 

Which reminds me, a water walk is being hosted on Saturday by Bridging the Gap by Giving which I hope to be participating in, cheer me on! It's a good organization and has been doing a lot of good work around the globe, but has anyone noticed that water is the single most needed thing in all these areas of disaster?  I fear small organizations like this just aren't going to be able to cover it all, which is why I am looking up plans for roman -style cisterns. Why aren't people planning to capture and use as much water as possible?  I plan to begin digging up my yard this spring, hopefully I can get some decent stone masons in here to make the arches...offers? 

Anyway.  I'm still unpacking and probably will be for a while as there's work to be done, a lot of it.  

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Song Saturday-Emancipate Yourselves From Mental Slavery

Waking up this morning to the news of reactors blowing on the island nation of Japan almost had me posting The Pixies' 'Wave of Mutilation' this morning.  It also had me making remarks about Godzilla, I think it's probably too soon for that though. 

However, I am a little bothered by trends I've been watching on line, in conversations on the streets, at coffeehouses in churches, etc.  I'm hearing two things that are really troubling to me.  They may not be troubling to you but let's find out. 

1. End Times- There have always ALWAYS been people predicting the end.  There was before the cult of Christ and there will be after.  Somehow it comforts people.  I think it does this in one of two ways.  For some people it helps keep them in line.  They may just barely have a reign on their moral reasoning and looking forward to some big finale keeps them "good" or whatever good is in their minds.  For the second group its a reason to party, hell everything's going to shit, why not?  Why not screw over my whole state. (I'm looking at you Gov. Walker) Why not keep Palestine in an 'Escape From New York' like lockdown?  The end is coming damn it!  I forgot a group, there are just the bat-shit crazies. 

But really in the past couple of years every single swivving time a natural disaster occurs, out come the megaphones and the biblical and Mayan support "evidence" that the time is drawing nigh, get ye to a kirkyard baby!- P.S. I really think the Mayans just ran out of room and were bloody done and figured they could start a new calendar anytime, we do it every year after all.  How were they to know they would be decimated? 

I don't think earthquakes happen because God or Gods and Goddesses want us to run out and worship them more heartily.  I think it's pretty well laid out scientifically how plate tectonics works.  And I know God works in mysterious ways, blah blah blah... In the song I chose today Bob Marley states "Some say it's just  a part of it. We've got to fulfill the book."  What the shit?  Why do you really believe that a loving parent would set up a disaster for us?  Or is it just possible that man, or satan or whatever boogey man you believe in whispered in some overworked monk's ear as he was transcribing, "don't forget this part, it's going to make things a lot more interesting."

 Think about this.  If your parents were mean angry punishing assholes would you live in their house?  Hell no, you'd hightail it outta there as soon as you could.  Conversely if your parents are kind, loving and give direction with the ability to make your own choices wouldn't you come home for Christmas more?  Of course.  Why then worship and angry punishing parent-god? 

It doesn't make sense.

But that's just me.   And before anyone gets their panties in a was and starts calling me a god-less heathen-pagan, I'll let you know I am decidedly a heathen-pagan but god-less, no.

2. The other thing that has been bothering me is that in the same span of time-the past couple of years or so, the Atheists out there have been becoming as vehement and angry and persecuting as the religions they claim to hate.  I have watched as numerous atheists call all believers in, well anything foolish, stupid, insipid, retarded, lovers of fairy tales.  I am wondering how that is helpful to their own belief (or non-belief) system.  If you have to name call, you should be looking inwards at why. 

I'll just say it.  Atheists you are getting ugly.  Clean up your act, so we can take your arguments seriously again.

Anyway the song I chose today is Redemption Song.  Why?  Because we all need it from the Atheists to the Crazies.  We need to cool it down, take a step back start thinking about what needs to be worried about, what can be done and work on the things we can. "Have no fear for atomic energy"  or anything else because really it is us we need to be afraid of and that is something we can do something about.

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Song Saturday- Hows it Gonna End?

Some of you may know it was announced that Tom Waits will be inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame along with Alice Cooper and some other people I don't care about that much. And while I'm on the topic of Alice Cooper why oh why do we only get to hear the same three songs from media outlets when they are talking about him.  Can we have a song besides School's out, I'm 18 or Welcome to my Nightmare?  Seriously.


Back to the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame...Who cares really, after all places like this basically mean you are the musical equivalent of a dinosaur and need to be preserved so uninformed children can learn about your life. I wonder how many musicians are actually lying about it being a "big honor" or more importantly how many are being honest? I mean if they are really just doing it all for the accolades then what is the point? Where is the art?


Anyway I love Tom Waits, there is dark truth in all of his music and his voice, well it just makes you have to listen. Even if you don't like his style, the gravel and grain and life ground into his voice makes you stop and say what's this all about?



So How's it Gonna End?





Friday, March 4, 2011

Movie Picks for the beginning of March

Somebody asked me about movie suggestions so you all get subjected to hear about my picks.

At  House Rhuad we are in early spring, what that means is one can never really tell from one day to the next unless they have psychic barometric abilities if it is going to be kick-ass picnic weather or you need to run out in the early morning hours and turn off the sprinklers. So we have had some really nice days for strolling and working in the garden and generally kicking back taking in the clouds.  We have also in the same week had some cozy up to the fire days which posed a bit of a problem as my Cthulhu sweatshirt keeps getting stuck to the glass I now have a permanent imprint of the Dark Lord on my fireplace which is in a way ...kewl, and starts plenty of conversation.  It looks like this only a lot melty-er


Anyway here's my two must see movie picks of the week.  They were both surprises to me as nobody had recommended them and I had heard nothing about them


1. In Bruges- with Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes and a really under appreciated and excellent performance by Brenden Gleeson, a character actor best known for playing Mad Eye Moody in the Harry Potter franchise and a bunch of other supporting roles in which you probably didn't know who he was.   I say under appreciated because Colin Farrell received a BAFTA award for his performance in this which all things considered, he deserved but Brenden was the heart of the movie in my opinion.

Basic synopsis- Hit men hiding out in Bruges awaiting next assignment.  The story is dark comedy and a British to boot, so don't expect Fargo, but it has quite funny moments, watching hit-men site see in Bruges made me think of trying to get teens excited about visiting missions and haunted lighthouses.



2.  My second recommendation is from Canada and is called One Week.  If you're looking more along the lines of a feel-good movie without all the gooeyness this is it.  It is about a young man who finds he has stage 4 cancer and his decision to re-write his life on a road trip.  What I loved was it was realistic, no crazy love stories, no big-time glamour and glitz, just maybe what would happen to us if we decided to travel our countryside.  While I'm on that topic I loved seeing the Canadian countryside and his stops at roadside attractions just made me smile, that's my big thing too.

 It also raises the age old question "What would you do if you knew you were going to die."  Which is always a good conversation starter so if it's date night, pop this in, have the convo and decide now whether or not to move on, no sense in wasting time because here is the secret: You are absolutely going to die, we all are. 

Anyway I sincerely hope you have amazing outside time this weekend, but if you're on the fence about movies and haven't seen these give them a go and let me know what you think. 

P.S. no idea why I can't get the highlighting off of Cthulhu, the Dark Lord must need recongnition

Movie Picks for the beginning of March

Somebody asked me about movie suggestions so you all get subjected to hear about my picks.

See more here: http://grainnerhuad.blogspot.com/2011/03/movie-picks-for-beginning-of-march.html