Wednesday, November 30, 2005

WORLD CLASS FAD

I am still using song titles from the Mat's (and former Mat's frontman, Paul Westerberg, my favorite, who went solo in the early 90's). The subject matter I am about to share has nothing to do with the song itself but if you give it a little thought, you will see why I chose World Class Fad as the title for today's post.

Something very disturbing has been occurring in our small PA community that I had not been aware of until today. I will not go into how the news media came to have the footage they aired on the 11:00 News last night, but the videotape showed the following: Two teen-aged boys, in a cemetery, of all places, performing wrestling moves much like you would see on those ridiculous shows on television. I am hesitant to use the name of the "federation" but it starts with a double letter that comes between V and X in the alphabet. At the beginning of the tape both boys are fully clothed, but as the action progresses, they remove their coats and shirts. At one point they are diving off and throwing each other off a ladder onto the ground which is covered with thumb tacks and what look to be broken glass holiday ornaments. They proceed to wrestle with each other and you begin to see that their faces and backs and arms are bleeding. Later in the tape one boy beats the other's back with something like a golf club. Later, one wraps a rope around the other's neck and drags him to the ground. There are groans of pain throughout the tape and you also hear laughter in the background. The reporter comments that he has seen as many as twelve other boys participate in this "new sport."

I was sickened to think that these kids have such low esteem that they would allow themselves to be subjected to this kind of behavior. I was enraged to think that these kids have parents who are either blind to the possibility that their children would involve themselves in something like this or even worse, that they don't pay enough attention to them to notice cuts and bruises all over them. This will be on my mind for days. If this is indeed, a "fad" of somekind, how may kids will be seriously injured before it runs its course? I was reminded of the MTV series I'm sure you've heard of or seen, but Geeze Louise, to see it on tape, realize it is in your own town and then to have several people tell you that one of the boys is the son of an ex-co-worker is just to real and close to home for me.

World Class Emergency if you ask me...

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

KICKIN' THE STALL

Every once in awhile you may stop by and I won't be here. Not because I don't care, not because I have nothing to say, heaven forbid. It would be because I have too much other freakin' crap to take care of that supercedes my taking out time for myself or do something otherwise enjoyable. Just the kind of thing that makes me nuts! Makes me feel like a pent-up animal. Unacceptable.

Monday, November 28, 2005

PLEASED TO MEET ME (continued...)

As I have not yet chosen a theme or direction that I would like my Blog to follow, I will use some of the next few posts to acquaint you with myself. I will include as much interesting, informative information (re-duh-ndant?) as I can, or until it no longer sounds interesting to me. I have a chronic tendency toward sarcasm but will try to curb that until you get to know me better. I think it will be obvious if I am being sarcastic. If I sound snotty, it will be pretty safe for you to assume that I am - Being sarcastic that is, not snotty. I am not and never will be snotty. Now where was that line when I was trying to name my Blog?

Now I shall attempt to utilize my daughter, JuJubee Jenny's blog-tool of choice- bullets! Here's hoping I don't shoot off my foot. (Bad, huh? I know. So what, this is my Blog and I will damn well shoot off my foot if I wanna.) Now where was that line when I was trying to name my Blog? Here we go:

On second thought I can't seem to find my bullets. *foot heaves huge sigh of relief*

Let's settle for numbers.

1) I love music. It is rare to find me not listening to something. And I love to dance. (Both close ties with making out and eating, don't ask me to pick one). I do not like jazz, it makes me uncomfortable. You can have most rap and I'll pass on opera, thank you. I can always make exceptions. My present playlists include Death Cab for Cutie, Arcade Fire, Interpol, and I seem to be getting over a short-lived fascination with Coldplay. I'm constantly digging up old music. Earlier this year I discovered Morphine (the band, silly), Jeff Buckley, Guster, Yo La Tengo, Echo and the Bunnymen, the Mighty Lemondrops and Del Amitri, among others. Not that I hadn't heard them before, I just really got into them.

Ok, we have #1. This is way more typing (and thinking) than I bargained for. Maybe tomorrow we'll do #2, etc., etc.

Until then...

Sunday, November 27, 2005

TIME FLIES TOMORROW

Just in case my post titles don't seem to always make sense to you, don't assume that they don't make sense to me. If you had been around in the early 80's, you might be familiar with a band called the Replacements (sometimes referred to as The 'Mats- like in "place mats"- get it?). Then again, I was around in the 80's, and I had never heard of them until a bit over a year ago when they quickly became my second-favorite band of all time. Whenever possible, I will use one of their song titles for a post title or inspiration. That out of the way, on to why I chose this song title for today's writing.

I have just come off one of the fastest five-day-spans of my life. My lovely daughter and her two beautiful children were here for that many days to help us celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. It seems like they arrived, ate, slept a bit, played some and then packed up and drove off. Like a blur. I had a wonderful visit and hope they did too, but man alive, couldn't the clock have slowed just a teeny bit so I could savor the precious hours we had together? Someone explain to me then, why does one 8-hour work day feel longer than these past five days???

Speaking of the workday, I must close now and deposit these weary bones into my nice warm bed which sits beside that dreaded alarm clock which is set for 4:45 am. Please, please, please, let time fly tomorrow...

Saturday, November 26, 2005

PLEASED TO MEET ME

Due to the fact that I presently have no control over my own thoughts or even the thinking process itself, the next several (hundred, maybe) posts will be erratic and random bits of who I am, where my past history has brought me, things that make me go "ugh" or "ha ha ha", whatever it takes for me to impress upon you, Reader, that I am real and worthy of the time you invest reading here. In my humble opinion, I am a pretty cool, interesting person with ideas and wisdom to share. There are lots of sides of me, hopefully one or two of them will appeal to some of you. I suffer from the dreaded "People-Pleaser Syndrome" so expect plenty of kissing up and begging for support and validation. You be there for me and I'll deliver to the best of my ability. Till next time... I bid you a fond adieu.
Oh, btw, this page seems to interpret "spellchecker" as a pop-up, so until I get that straightened out, you'll have to settle for misspellings on top of my ignorance of proper punctuation.

Friday, November 25, 2005

WRITES OF PASSAGE...

It is with a teensy bit of trepidation that I embark on this new, exciting but overdue and long-anticipated endeavor. For the past year, give or take, my fondest wish has been to have my very own blog. I am addicted to reading several daily and feeding that addiction has been a rewarding and enjoyable part of my day. I vow to you my readership, limited as you may be, to make this as informative and entertaining (or one or the other) as I am able. Welcome to my world...