Author: wrekehavoc
the space shuttle
i feel sick now.
i just read about the space shuttle Columbia apparently blowing up upon re-entry. i still have terrible memories of watching the Challenger blow up, over and over and over and over, while i was in college. we all just sat in my dorm room, seeing the footage just repeat ad infinitum.
valentines
BC and i just made valentines for just about everyone i could think of. her grandparents, her cousins, her uncles and aunts. i thought we were done. i said, “honey, i think we hit everybody.”
“no, mama. can we make valentines for your grandma and grandpa?”
my grandparents have been gone for many years. i looked at her sadly, trying once again, as usual, not to cry. but before i could say anything, she saw my face.
“i guess we can't, can we, mama.”
“no, sweetie, we can't. but what a lovely idea.”
this rant is all <lj user="maddening">'s fault ;-)
a trend i have found most interesting — and for which i blame randy newman – is the trend of “pop” or even “rock” artists to suddenly try their hand at scoring movies or broadway. the movies are usually cartoons – for example, phil collins (“tarzan”) or elton john (oh please, there are several – that “el dorado” movie, i think he is also responsible for “the lion king”, along with master lyricist tim rice), and the resulting material is generally mass-marketed pap. say what you want about phil collins or elton john – they have been capable in their careers, at times, of writing some solid material. but they have become newman converts. their work for film is, IMO, crrrrrap. and now, lest we forget, billy joel’s music is currently on broadway. which is a good thing considering he will need the extra money to buy a new car after his most recent run-in with a tree.
what really sent me over the edge, tho, was when, about 10 years ago, i went to see the broadway show “tommy.” i wanted to be lobotomized after the experience. yes, the music was mostly the same. but. it-had-been-SO-sanitized. it had been disney-fied. i mean, there are some really icky issues teased out here – a pedophile, heavy drugs, death – and it all sort of flitted away. it was a serious relief when, a few years after, i had the pleasure of seeing 3/4 of the Who plus guests do it onstage. someone refreshed pete townshend about what he had originally written, i guess.
two of the onlies who, IMO, have successfully made the leap are mark mothersbaugh (Devo) and danny elfman (Oingo Boingo). their work continues to be interesting — even when, like mothersbaugh, they write for children’s shows. believe me. i know. i get to watch some of those children’s shows.
i, too, hate the @#$@#$ MS Paper Clip
with thanks to jacks:
Mr. Paper Clip Works Overtime.
and ya don't want to ask me how much my mouth foamed last night while watching dubya…
oh, another one.
I'm a generally unfuckwitted, liberal, not-too-generous, not-too-selfish, relatively well adjusted human being!
See how compatible you are with me!
Brought to you by Rum and Monkey
now, on the lighter side…
my hospital has a site where you can peek at the newborns (if you have a password.) how cuuute!
sometimes, life is worthwhile
this really, truly happened today. it sounds like a scene from a bad Lifetime movie, but i am not making this up. really.
today, i went to the supermarket early, and i do mean early, to avoid the superbowl snack binging public. it was still zooey, even at 8am on a sunday. i was getting a bit cranky, but, knowing my mission, i took a deep breath and plowed on. i waited on line behind two elderly ladies who were just slower than slow. but i bit my lip and continued. when i got to the front of the line, the cashier, a tough-looking man with a shaved head, said hello and was quite nice, so i was quite nice back. he saw my protruding belly.
“ma'am, forgive me for asking, but have you ever heard about the cord blood registry?”
“why yes. as a matter of fact, when our daughter was born, we donated her cord blood, stem cells and all, to NIH for a program they sponsored to provide that for experimental cancer and leukemia treatments.”
suddenly, the tough-looking cashier broke into a smile. “ma'am,” he said, turning to the side and pulling out a portrait of a little girl and a bald little boy, ” this is my son, ian. he has been on the experimental stem cell therapy now for his cancer, and it is helping him so much. you are an angel, and i am so honored to meet someone like you who has done so much for people like us. we don't have a lot of money, and this stuff is very expensive, so we really depend on this sort of thing.”
i nearly started to cry. “sir, i am the one who is honored to know you and know that this sort of thing really does help people. if they let me, i will be honored to donate the cord blood from this baby to the registry again. it makes me feel so wonderful knowing this this is helping your son, i cannot begin to tell you.”
“my daughter (who could not have been more than 9) has donated 7 times to help her brother. we are just so grateful for people who donate. i am just so glad i have the opportunity to thank you. it is like G-d sent you to my line so that i could have the pleasure of thanking you,” he said. “G-d bless you, ma'am.”
“G-d bless you and your family, sir,” i said.
now everyone out there, repeat after me: i am so lucky, i am so lucky, i am SO lucky.
there, but for the grace of G-d, goes all of us.