Transition Time

I can't remember how many years it took for us to transition from 8-track tapes and tape players to cassette tapes and tape players then again how long it took us to transition from cassette tapes to CD's and CD players. It seems like that last one wasn't that long ago.

But my real question is how long have I got before VHS tapes will go the way of the Dodo? I'm hopeful I've got at least another 5 years so I can still get maximum enjoyment out of the 150 or so tapes I still have (that's only after giving away twice that many). I really don't want to replace all of them with DVD's and certainly not right away. Let me reword that, I can't replace all of them in the foreseeable future.

I do think I should buy up a couple of combo DVD/VHS players to have on hand as the ones I have bite the dust though or I may end up stranded at some point. I think I'll take a risk for awhile yet though to wait and see if there's any warning before it happens.

I also wonder what he next iteration will be...tiny little disks or perhaps something that looks like those skinny little thumb drives. Who knows, whatever it is it will start out outrageously expensive but within 5 years everyone will have one. Sad to say, this has become the way of things.

Is Shia LaBeouf Transformable?

Will Shia require continuing Transformers episodes to retain his stardom, that's my question? I know he was in something prior to these movies but I couldn't tell you what. He certainly doesn't have masculine appeal like a Johnny Depp or George Clooney for instance, I'm thinking it's his vulnerability that appeals.

What I love most about these movies is Optimus Prime's voice so I'm glad he was resurrected from the metal junkyard to give the continuing saga yet another go in the future. I need to figure out whose voice it is to see if he has been in anything else. I just like to listen to it, it resonates. (OK, I looked it up and I'm sorry I did, the fantasy was so much better.)

We were surprised to hear them refer to President Obama in the script although it sounded to me like it might have been dubbed over the original speech. A timely replacement but wierd because all of a sudden you felt like you were watching reality, Autobots and Decepticons notwithstanding.

During the previews, there were at least 4 or 5 blockbusters that involved the end of the world, the transition into another future world, both natural and unnatural disasters and then a little off the wall Tim Burton thrown in. His movie is called "9" and is launching on 9/9/09; what a coincidence.

I'll have to take muscle relaxants before I go see any of them though. My poor neck.

Who's Reading My Mind?

OK, it wasn't really reading my mind but it was a freaky experience. I was watching "Hellboy" with my sister this afternoon and one of those obnoxious commercials with Billy Mays came on and I said, "We lose Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett who weren't harming anyone and had some grain of talent, well Michael did anyway, but this creepy guy who yells everything just keeps on going."

Then I take my sister to the plane, come back home and log into the computer and there's the headline, "Billy Mays Found Dead by His Wife". I am totaly freaked out. And, FYI, he was the same age as Michael Jackson, both of whom were younger than me.

On top of that, we saw an investigative piece on the mind reading machine you see here, no not the one that resembles a pointless umbrella, the other one which is located in Germany. Very eerie.

You know how they always say bad things happen in three's, well, Billy makes five:

David Carradine

Ed McMahon

Michael Jackson

Farrah Fawcett

Billy Mays (not that I'd put him on the same level as he rest but everyone knew who he was so I think he belongs on the list)

???? ????????

I wonder who it's going to be? Maybe I should say I'm afraid of who it's going to be. Even though I know I had nothing to do with it, I'm not thinking those bad thoughts about anyone else.

The Eyes Have It

OK, so answer this. If Elizabeth Taylor's eyes had been flat blue, if Paul Newman's eyes had been hazel, if Megan Fox's eyes were nondescript gray, if Steve McQueen's eyes had been muddy brown, if Julianne Moore's eyes were grayish blue or if Halle Berry's eyes were small and blue, would they have been as big of stars or stars at all? Questionable. In each of their cases, it's their eyes that have had so much of the press.

You could say the same thing about hair. What would Farrah Fawcett have been without her hair, just another pretty face? Liv Tyler with her long black hair in Lord of the Rings. What if George Clooney and Cary Grant had been bald from the get go?

Does this mean we are a supremely superficial society, focused on eyes, hair, figures and looks in general? Of course it does, otherwise Playboy and all its cohorts would never sell. Oh wait, I forgot about the high quality of the articles, snicker, snicker.

What it really boils down to is the fact that each of us wants to project what we see in the famous into what we want to be instead of what we are. The eternal Fountain of Youth or Holy Grail or just the brass ring. I guess we are all Indiana Jones at heart (without the muscle and endurance in reality).

Driving In Wrecks

I was just noticing today how more and more people are not repairing their obviously damaged vehicles. At one point in time on my commute home, I was surrounded by three different cars all of which had sizable dents in their backs, their sides or even their fronts. I've always been bothered even by little door dents, I can't imagine driving around in the wrecks I saw today. And they weren't old cars either.

I am assuming this is simply another sign of the times, people just don't have the discretionary income to repair them, or they can't afford to file a claim with the insurance company, or I don't know what other reason unless maybe they're from Maui. I've never seen so many sad sack cars as I saw there. Rusted out wrecks, many of which were deserted on the side of the road. Considering how much everything costs in that place, I can't imagine just walking away from anything on that island.

Last night John McCain's daughter was on Bill Maher, well technically she wasn't on the show last night, that was just when I saw that episode. He was so careful not to upset her it basically gagged me; she couldn't handle a joke, she was offended most of the time, defensive the rest and she sounded like some "Valley" girl. All she could talk about was how she had taken so much grief for coming on his show, she kept throwing out these hyperbolic statements but could never provide specifics when asked for them. She really ruined the tempo and typical "in your face" discussions you look forward to on his show, everyone on the panel was walking on egg shells except the CNN guy who basically got sick of all the mollycoddling and eventually let her have it; I did enjoy that.

I'm all for listening to another perspective if it's well thought out, based in fact and well stated but not, "Like" "you know" "I really believe" "I don't understand what's so funny"...blech!!!

A demain.

It's Summertime and the Livin' Is Breezy

Wind, rain, cool temperatures, how else would you start your summer? If we could simply elevate our entire lives aout 10,000 feet, we could have summer everyday, there's just something about living on the "ground floor" that keeps working against us. Mother Nature heard that our June rainfall was behind our typical record so it dumped gallons yesterday, bring on those backyard barbecues!

Yes, it's better than tornadoes but still...

A Question For The Ages

What is truly more frustrating; dealing with the elderly person who can't hear, who doesn't feel good and bites your head off more often than not, who can't remember what they have or haven't told you and who can no longer control one or more of their bodily functions, OR, being that person?

Apathy Creating a Culture of Force

When you hear the term force, it's probably physical force that immediately comes to mind, but what about force that's applied to your behavior or your actions due to the absence of any options? That's the direction I feel us moving when it comes to all that is broken in this country.



We couldn't and wouldn't voluntarily stop the greed, lying and cheating practices of those in control on Wall Street, so we are now moving toward a much more regulated environment to ensure the behavior of those at the top remains on an
ethical track.

We couldn't and wouldn't voluntarily make necessary adjustments in the gargantuan US auto industry to address environmental and obvious oil consumption impacts, so we are now going to own those that have survived in the hopes some miracle worker can remove the miles of sand covering the corporate heads who have finally been dethroned.

We couldn't and wouldn't voluntarily deal with the exponential growth of the financial and supply sides of the health care industry while stark gaps between these aspects and the demand and quality sides grew wider and wider. So, the talk is finally heading toward inevitable federal intervention. Are you really surprised?

We couldn't and wouldn't address the blatant abuses in the massive credit industry, so we are now dealing with the other end of the slingshot spectrum where credit has become a highly sought after but rarely granted event.

We couldn't and wouldn't admit to the environmental impact of our modern conveniences and now act surprised at what we've done, and that's only if we are even willing to believe the evidence.

We have spent billions possibly trillions on space travel and study, yet we continue to ignore or disbelieve what that research is telling us about the state of Earth and it's universe, because it doesn't make us feel good.

On one channel you hear about North Korea creating and testing nuclear weapons, on another you hear about the colossal flood that's inevitable as the massive glaciers rapidly melt.

I'm not saying everyone directly caused these problems, I'm saying no one has stepped up to make things right, hence the appearance of force. I'd love to see someone step up who has a better idea, and no, that doesn't include merely griping about the action that is being taken; give us your creative, realistic solutions.

You heard me, come up with a better informed idea.

All I can say is while riding the crest of the wave to the top the view was phenomenal, now it reminds me of the trip along train tracks through El Salvador hobnobbing with the residents of the decrepit shanties along the way; so how's it making you feel?

Behind The Eight Ball

I'm so behind on things I'm trying to figure out how to dig out.  I desperately need something to blame it on and it can't be blogging 

(since I haven't posted for a week) so it must be the 

garden. 

All of a sudden I'm having to water and to 

weed for hours on end, yikes, it's taking over my life!  

How do people who are single parents work full time AND go to school at night?

What am I missing here?  How are there enough hours in the day for that?  I guess if you completely ignore your family it might be a little easier but I suppose that's where I draw the line.

Between my kids, grandkids, parents, sisters, assorted nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles and some cousins more than others, I'm swamped.  

Then of course there are friends who seem to be those left out more recently then not.

I think the overpowering intensity of work is playing a part in this too.  Oh, and not to mention the fact that I am having difficulty playing any of the piano pieces I'm assigned at the moment.  And let's not forget my daily workouts with 5 miles a day walking minimum on top of that (captain of the team you know).

You start to think maybe we're all going to follow Susan Boyle into the stress clinic to figure out how to deal with all the stuff coming at us from all directions.  Does anyone lead a simple life anymore?  If so, I'm not sure how they do it.  It's beyond my comprehension I'm afraid.

Time to fall back on the old British stiff upper lip.  Pretty soon though, it might crack right off my face.  I actually think I can blame all this coming to a head on the fact the air conditioning broke yesterday so we're looking forward to another sleepless night of hot, stuffiness inside our asbestos-shingled house.  Fortunately, I believe it's going to be repaired tomorrow, at least that is the current goal.

I'm off now to go sweat somewhere else in the house.