Been awhile and angrier than ever.....

     Hi, readers. Been awhile. Still overweight, still not handling stress well and still frustrated by our societies lack of grace or decorum. This disconnect between our country's professed values and it's behavior is huge. We even now base our daily information gathering on those values, not simply the quality of the news itself. I find more and more people living under the expectation of being misguided and mistrusting one another. Cynicism reigns supreme with no good deed going unpunished. So what do we do, how do we fight back?

     First, let us accept the fact that politics is not the answer. As George Carlin said, "the fix is in". We have no real voice or representation, they are strictly beholden to the money men and lobbyists. They throw us a crumb, but on the whole you cannot give any genuine hope or expectation of getting anything done there. Most of our country's ugliness comes from political discourse anyway. So, where does this leave us? 

     If our leaders are out, it is left up to individual discretion now. That's right kiddos, we have to get off our sorry arses and create our one change. Create and change our personal "country". 

Economics:

Look at your budget, find the waste and Cut It Out. Kids, we don't need cable anymore. Stop that drive-thru mess (goes along with our health) and start putting away for retirement. No beer, cigars or Spike TV. Get yourself out of your hole first and foremost. 

Health:

You are gonna die of something, but the battle of the bulge should not be the way. Let's stop eating crap, stop lying around and let's start taking care or ourselves, and each other. Take a walk, play some ball, run in circles. Let's all just stay active. "The Man" wants you sedentary, pull together as a unit and make it happen. This leads to family.

Family:

I do an OK job as a Dad. I do tend to get lazy push the TV as a babysitter, but I accept it as a flaw and will try to do better. Let's put the iPhones down and communicate. This is a huge admitted weakness for me and plan on working on it. Need to play with him more, need to educate more. Need to look the boy and the wife in the eye more.

Party More:

All that grown up stuff I listed? Ever once in awhile you gotta throw it out the window. If you don't you will burn out and give up. When it is ugly and rainy, get a pint of ice cream, turn on a movie and plop your butt at the TV. Go out with friends and have a few to many and catch a cab home. Live it up, but live it with the knowledge of the responsibilities at home. 

     My final piece of advice we all need to take is to live more, pray (meditate or just listen to peaceful music for 10 mins) more and love more. The bible says a lot of things but without quoting scripture there is often some talk about how we should witness not only by words but through our outward behaviors. That should also apply as to how we should create real change in our country. We need to start creating our own countries at home. Make our personal life a light for others to follow. Now I will try if you will. I am going to make mistakes, gonna mess up. Feel free to call me out when I do. But realize the borders are up. We have rules here and when you are in Halcomb country we play by a certain set of rules. Love my country or leave it, but from now on, it's mine.

Peace and Hair grease.

Netflix-o-rama Episode 1: Season 1 of "Red Dwarf" and the 2010 remake of "Clash of the Titans"

     No prefacing needed; let's dig in.

     "Red Dwarf" is a sci-fi sitcom that has a cult following in Britain and has been off and on in short series since the late 1980's. Warnings: to sci-fi nerds, this is a low-fi 1980's sitcom on par with the likes of Alf or later episodes of Mork and Mindy. Don't look for science fact, don't even look for science fiction; this is a buddy comedy set in space, simple as that. Now as I understand it, about season 4 or so they delve into an over-arching mythology and actually become a "real" sci-fi show as time progressed. It is now considered a classic series, but I tell you there is no promise of that in the first six episodes of this season. It is silliness that should have aired after a very special episode of "Herman's Head." If you didn't get that joke please don't waste your time on this show, it is not meant for you.

     Remember when you used to get that little folded guide from The Movie Channel each month. I used to scour that thing for three movies: "Superman", "For Your Eyes Only" (was my favorite James Bond movie for a long time) and "Clash of The Titans". The gods, the monsters, that stupid owl: all of it made me giddy. Through this movie I learn to love Sir Lawrence Olivier, Maggie Smith (Dowton Abbey rocks) and the stop motion work of Ray Harryhausen. The only reason I watched LA Law was because of Harry Hamlin! So bias exists, but I didn't hate this new movie. I just don't think it had anything original to say.

     I won't bore you with plot details or actor and director resumes, but I did think the cast,direction and effects were great. I see how it made a mint at the box office, but to me it seemed a glossy do-over and sequel-setter-upper for me. Plus, they dissed the owl! I loved the owl! I will be much more interested in its sequel "Wrath of the Titans" when I watch it later this week, to see where the story (hopefully the writers took some time to think about it) goes. Also, it needed more Liam Neeson as Zeus. Hearing him say "RELEASE THE KRAKEN" was a highlight for me....

Peace and hair grease to all.....

2013: Busy Year So Far, So Good

      The best part of blogging is it's ability to allow you to procrastinate more important things: homework, sleep so that I will get up and go to gym or reruns of Red Dwarf on Netflix. Ya know, the important things.

     Tonight I am listening to some Brian Wilson (Re imagines Gershwin from 2010) and drinking tea and honey whiskey and smiling a bit. Quinn had a glowing 3 year check up and that is always a relief. He is increasingly becoming a handful, but he is just a party hound. He just wants to dance and sing, read a book, work a puzzle and watch some TV. He is my little twin and he loves his Momma as much as I do.

     School is progressing (though as I said, at a pretty slow to nonexistent pace tonight). I am excited that I will achieved a MBA and begin working towards my nursing degree. It isn't often that I feel accomplished as a member of the American work force, but I am holding myself up a little higher these days. The only downside is that I increasingly see so many of my work friends moving on to other departments. I have developed great respect for these folks and I hate to see them go, but the will all go on to achieve great things. Me, I like my desk, I just need to change the color of my scrubs and go up another pay grade.

     Proud of Tammy for working on getting her SRNA liscence. While it has taken her away from home this month, I know it will pay off and advance her career. So proud.


     At this point I warn you that things will get "nerdy" so if you need to step away so that it won't wash over you like it has poor Tammy... GO NOW!


     Boy's Nite has not been happening lately. We all have our own things going on right now that have slowed us down a bit.Though Jarrod and I recently saw Taken 2 in a theater with about 5 other people and the heater wasn't working. I can honestly say it was in the lower 40's in the theater before we left. It was an unforgettable experience. The movie is terribly silly and no where near the greatness as the first, but will be worth your time if you see it pop up on Netflix anytime soon.

     Speaking of Netflix, I do love it for the 70's and 80's obscurity that it has. I recently watched a movie called "Charlie Varrick" starring of all people Walter Matthau. Tarantino has often spoke of this movie as an inspiration for both Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction (with a couple of lines of dialogue from Pulp Fiction being lifted from it). I had never heard of it and it just blew me away. Matthau plays a pretty tough guy and the action is pretty rough and gritty for a pretty simple crime caper piece. It has "late" drive-in written all over it. Highly suggested.

      I decided to make my turn to the Dork Side complete by watching the sci-fi comedy "Red Dwarf". It is a British sci-fi sitcom that has been around off and on for around 20 years or so and it is pretty revered by the nerd community so I am giving it a whirl. It is pretty cheesy early going but I have red that it gets better as it progresses, so I will stick it out.

     Well that is about it. My glass is empty and I have rambled myself out.

     Peace and hair grease to all.