Happy 4th Of July 2010!

Here is an awesome fireworks video I found on YouTube presented for your viewing pleasure!






-Carly :)

He Made Me Laugh...

"Honestly, it's the kids that made us successful. They had a good outlook, and we made it fun."

-Dick Martin, referring to the show "Laugh-In."



It made me sad today to find out the comedian, Dick Martin, had passed away last night. It always makes me sad to hear that someone with so much talent for easing the stress and sadness of the world, has passed on. As you know, humor has saved me more then once, in fact, humor mine and others, continues to heal me in all sorts of ways. Part of what is keeping me going, when it comes to Elvis's illness, is the fact that he is a natural comic. He does something unusual or funny every single day.

Most recently he made us laugh by belching. See, he has to take a certain anti-biotic by mouth twice a day. He hates the taste, but he takes his medicine with very little complaining, however, he does get a little nervous about it, and usually swallows a lot of air, as he swallows the medicine, resulting in... well... belching. And not just little kitty belching... lion sized belching! LOL. It might sound mean, but I can't help but snicker. It's so cute, and yes, funny.

Elvis likes the sound of laughter, so after he is done with the excess air, he usually gets a little grin on his face, similar to a baby who has just passed gas, and then comes over for giggle time which included playing with his favorite mouse and a ball of yarn. There are more funny little routines he has, but I have gotten way off topic, the death of Dick Martin.

I loved watching him on Laugh-In when I was a child. Martin was the comedy to Dan Rowan's straight man. I loved his humor. I loved his facial expressions, and I loved how he interacted with the cast members and the guest stars. I especially loved the clip above, which I found in YouTube a few months back. In my opinion, it is one of the best moments out of the series. Watch it... it will make you laugh out loud. It's a classic. It is a performance of Tiny Tim, singing his uber hit rendition of, "Tiptoe Through The Tulips."

Thanks Dick Martin for making me laugh, and laugh, and laugh.

"Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it."

-Bill Cosby

-OndineMonet

Twenty-Twenty-Twenty Four Hours To Go

"Without music, life would be a mistake."

-Friedrich Nietzsche

You should have seen me. There I was, stereo up about as high as I could get it to go, and me in my bright pink sports bra and jeans, dancing around my kitchen to the soothing sounds of the Ramone's song, "I Wanna Be Sedated." I bet I was the only 45 year old woman on my block doing that, at that particular moment, which is probably why my neighbor over the back fence was watching me so intently, big grin on his face and all. Sheesh. He was fresh! LOL. Don't you just love hot days in April?

Sing it with me...

Twenty, twenty, twenty four hours to go, I wanna be sedated
Nothin to do and nowhere to go-oh-oh, I wanna be sedated
Just get me to an airport, put me on a plane
Hurry, hurry, hurry before I go insane
I can't control my fingers, I can't control my brain
Oh no, no, no, no, no...



-OndineMonet

Cynicism... Does It Have It's Time And Place?

"Idealism is what precedes experience, cynicism is what follows."

-David Wolf

If it's Sunday, it must mean I am running a video on Ellipsis. I think I am going to give myself a break, and make this a regular feature on my blog, at least until the big thaw in the spring. We will see how it goes. If you hate it I will lose it, so be sure to leave me some feedback. I want my blog to be interesting and fun to visit, so your input means a lot to me. Now, let's talk about cynicism.

When you think of the word, what initially comes to mind? Do you think of cynicism in purely negative terms, or do you see a good, does of cynicism as more of a instinctual alarm? Do we become more negative as we get older? What does it mean to be a full, complete, card carrying cynic? Can being cynical have a positive outcome? How does cynicism work in your life?

Here's why I am asking. I find myself sometimes really getting in touch with my cynical side, especially during election years. But don't get me wrong, my cynical radar doesn't just go off when politicians talk, it happens when I hear, or see, certain other dynamics. One such subject might be when I hear those cheesy commercials which promise every man over 35 will suddenly burst into song and sing the "Viva Viagra" song, if they will pop that little pill, or that I could "Lose 300lbs In Just 5 Weeks," just by replacing all my meals with a liquid squid supplement, and 6 hours of exercise a day!

Do I miss out on opportunities because I am a "Doubting Thomas?" Are most folks honest, or do we, in an effort to avoid being labeled "cynical," fall for the lines in life because we want to believe that this party, that religion or maybe even that boyfriend, will make life perfect? I am a Christian, but I rarely mention that fact on Ellipsis. I am also a Christian who also knows she will more then likely never step back into a church again. I always came out of the services I was attending, feeling worse then when I went in, but it didn't have to do with God, it had to do with the people who were around me, including the church leaders. Sigh.

I have mentioned before that I dated a Church minister before Alan. In fact, I met him through Alan, and I fell for that guy... hook, line and sinker. He, come to find out, was the last person in the world who should have been preaching. I think I honed my cynicsm skills just by dating him, and all these years later, I still feel the same. Cynicism can creep, oh so subtly, into our lives, but is that a bad thing? Let's take a look at cynicism in politics.

Did you hear about the incidents this week, regarding the statements made by Bill and Hillary Clinton? Let's start with Bill Clinton's "misstatement" first. This last week, Bill Clinton used the word, "fairytale" to describe the campaign of Barack Obama. Afterwards, it was held up to scrutiny by S.Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, who told the New York Times that he found the remark to be "a slap at the image of a black candidate, running on a theme of unity and optimism." You know, I don't understand this reaction.

I saw the clip that caused such an uproar, and what I got from it was exactly what I have been saying about the Obama campaign. Other then using the word "change" ad nauseum, I have no idea what real change Obama will bring. He never really gets specific enough for me. His speeches do feel a little like a fairytale to me. Sometimes, he reminds me a lot of George Bush when he was running for president. Remember when Bush said he was going to be a "uniter?" He was going to bring a more "moderate" era to the White House? George Bush's White House, has been anything but moderate, and as for unification... well... you tell me.

I wish he would. I want to hear more before February 5th. I take my politics very seriously, but this pointing of fingers, and manipulation of everything that comes our of everyone's mouth is disturbing. We don't seem to be able to tell the true offenders from the good guys anymore. Bill Clinton was well liked among the African American population during is presidency, so has he suddenly become racially intolerant? I don't think so. But here we are, once again, distracting ourselves from real issues, and at the same time, embracing cynicism. Deciding to automatically think the worst. Ok, just a question here, was the incident being used to sway voters who might be on the fence, toward Obama? Am I asking an honest question or am I allowing my cynicism to run free.

Now, how about what Hillary said. Did she mean that Dr. King's role in the Civil Right's Movement was not as great as Lyndon Johnson's? Of course not. She was merely pointing out the relationship between what the White House can accomplish when pared with the talents, drive, and accomplishments of true American heroes like Martin Luther King. It should have been a nice thought. It should have been seen as yes, it's true, we can have a president in office who not only cares about the needs and well being on all classes, all races, all genders and all economic backgrounds, indeed an example has already been set. We can have that again. True unity. And you know what... experience is something to be embraced. So where is the cynicism coming from?

Do we all have "Bush fatigue" to the point we are looking for the negativity? Is it all a case of "preemptive strike?" Are we all so tired of the fact that it isn't all that easy or reasonable to try and figure out who is speaking from the heart and who is speaking from the hip? Are we lazy in our cynicism, because thinking positive can hurt us? Kinda like dating a really bad boyfriend, you never really get over how it feels to find out how wrong you can be, especially when you have had the fairytale right in your hands, and you want more then anything to believe it.

Share your thoughts with me. Do you think you lean more towards the positive or the negative in life. Do you feel you come into most situations in life with an attitude of cynicism or are you more inclined to be open-minded? Do only certain subjects cause your negative meters to go off? Religion, Politics, the Economy, the Military... what is your first thought about the futures of those things? Opinions, opinions please!

"Cynicism is an unpleasant way of saying the truth."

-Lillian Hellman

-OndineMonet

Friends Say I'm Acting Peculiarly...

"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent."

-Victor Hugo

It's still raining here off and on. According to the news it will probably be raining for at least the next week or so. It's ok I suppose, rain has it's place, but it has certainly played with my moods and my sleep. I woke up really early this morning with all kinds of energy, and nowhere to take it. Sigh. So, I have this restlessness in me. What to do, what to do. I did spend a little time today looking over some of the upcoming movies that will be released this year. There is a lot to look forward to at the cinema. A new Indiana Jones movie, the big screen version of Sex And The City, which I am looking forward to BIG time, and there is a new X-Files movie in the works. Ahhhhh... David Duchovny... Yes, he could cure my restlessness. Yes, if anyone could he could. Oh David...

Everywhere
By Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac)

Can you hear me calling
Out your name
You know that I'm falling
And I don't know what to say

I'll speak a little louder
I'll even shout
You know that I'm proud
And I can't get the words out

Oh I
I want to be with you everywhere
Oh I
I want to be with you everywhere
Wanna be with you everywhere

Somethings happening
Happening to me
My friends say I'm acting peculiarly

C'mon baby
We better make a start
You better make soon
Before you break my heart

Oh I
I wanna be with you everywhere
Oh I
I want to be with you everywhere
Wanna be with you everywhere

Can you hear me calling
Out your name
You know I'm falling
And I don't know what to say

Come along baby
We better make a start
You better make it soon
Before you break my heart

Oh I
I want to be with you everywhere
Oh I
I want to be with you everywhere
Oh I
I want to be with you everywhere
Wanna be with you everywhere

:) I will have some new photos next week, but for now, enjoy the song and how it makes you feel.

-OndineMonet

My Favorite Political YouTube Moment Of 2007

"I never vote for anybody, I always vote against."

-W.C. Fields

2007 has come and gone. The Gulf Coast still hasn't been rebuilt. America's reputation around the world still remains, at best, tarnished. Osama Bin Laden is still alive and well, and apparently living somewhere in the mountainous region of Pakistan. We found out that the lies coming out of the White House went deeper then we ever imagined, and I would be willing to bet that we haven't heard anything yet. We saw health care denied to children, and the CIA quietly destroying documents that proved that America has engaged in torture. We saw our president commute the sentence of a convicted Scooter Libby, to no time served, because Bush considered the 20 month sentence too harsh. Scooter Libby was convicted of perjury, and obstruction of justice in the investigation into the outing of CIA agent Valarie Plame Wilson. And as if that wasn't a big enough slap in the face to American justice, I want to know why, to date, no one has ever stood trial on charges of treason for that outing.

I remember the day that I saw that "Breaking News" announcement, that Scooter Libby had gotten away with that treasonous act, because the anger was so great I began to shake all over. My head began to pound, and a deep sadness welled up in me. I don't know why, I should have known the Bush administration would do what they did. I should have known that Libby would beat the charges, but I always want to believe that Bush would just once do the right thing. And it was while I was grieving for America that I had to ask myself, "Is the pride I put in America worth it?" Our country is in the hands of liars and opportunists who have their own agendas. Is my writing about my opinions of their dirty deeds reaching anyone, and is it making any difference at all?

I have no delusions about who my simple blog might be reaching, but sometimes I hope that while I am showing you the beauty of the world with my camera, I can show you the more poignant moments I see as well. Maybe I can make a difference with what I choose to share, or maybe I can't. I guess there is no real way of knowing. I just sit down here at the keyboard and hope for the best. I haven't written much about politics in the last few months, because I am feeling like a lot of folks right now... I have Bush fatigue. What more can be said, that hasn't already been made known? I know that if I spend too much time watching the political news, my blood sugar goes sky high, which harms my health. I don't want to be a diabetic, and I don't want to be someone who lives in a rose colored world, afraid to speak her mind, and call a liar a liar. So what to do, what to do.

Sigh.

I can't give up on my ideals. I won't let the Bush administration tire me that much. In fact, I am going to aim my focus to the 2008 election. It's now 11 months away, and while that might seem like forever, it really isn't. So let's start talking again. If we do, we might actually put someone in office who will work for us, instead of the other way around. We might find someone who will actually protect us from terrorists, instead of pouring billions of dollars into the very country that is harboring these fugitives. Remember when America wasn't at war? Do you remember how you felt on September 10th, 2001? Do you remember when you didn't have to choose between buying your child an ice cream cone, and buying a gallon of gas? We can have those times back, but we have to be willing to get a little tired once in while. We have to be willing to be courageous enough to say ENOUGH!

Here is something I am looking for this next year, beginning with the Iowa Caucuses. I don't want to hear what's wrong with a politician's political opponent, I want to hear what the politician speaking to me plans to do with America. End of discussion. The mudslinging on the republican side makes me laugh. As usual they have learned nothing. It always comes down to, "I'm more religious then he is... or she is for that matter." LOL. They still miss it. They still don't get that I won't be voting in my moral leader, because I have enough backbone to be my own moral leader.

The Democrats seem to want to ignore the failings of the Bush administration, and focus on the future. That's both good and bad in my opinion. I am focusing on the future as well, but I will be damned if I will forget the past. And I have no more patience with those politicians who do. I am a big supporter of John Edwards, but lately I am seeing less and less passion from him. I liked Barack Obama, until he brought in Oprah Winfrey to stump for him. I don't know. Of course celebrities should be able to speak their minds like all Americans, but unfortunately we Americans also like to let others do our thinking for us. Let's face it... we can be sheep, especially when our spirits are tired. Is Barack Obama really a good choice for you, because you respect Oprah Winfrey?

Lately I have been turning my attention toward Hillary Clinton. There are several things about her which have gained my respect. She does plan to do more then bandage the nations deep cuts. She does have a viable plan for universal health care, she can be called a BITCH by a nitwit planning to vote for a republican, and she can ignore it with class and yes, courage. She isn't perfect, not by a long shot, but she has demonstrated a lot of the values that the republican party likes to claim is theirs alone. She kept her marriage together, she raised her daughter to be a wonderful young woman, and she has held her head high despite the nitwits of the world. So what exactly earned her the disparaging name of BITCH? Is it because she hasn't caved? She didn't say it was ok to turn America into a shadow of itself? Is it because she can admit that if she knew then, what she knows now she would have made different decisions? What exactly is it that makes her a BITCH?

I don't know... but I know I want to know more. And that renewed energy feels damn good!

So, this is my last political rant of 2007, and I say, let's get a dialog going. Tell me, how close will you be following politics in 2008, beginning with the Iowa Caucuses? How much do you know about the politicians currently running for office? What is your personal list of priorities when it comes to the next president? What do you want the next president to do as their first official act in office, regardless of the party elected?

Go ahead...tell me what's on your mind.



-OndineMonet

My Favorite Duh Moment Of 2007

"Humor is vague, runaway stuff that hisses around the fissures and crevices of the mind, like some sort of loose psychic gas."

-Jonathan Miller

2007 brought me many different kinds of moments, some poignant, some sad, some infuriating, some absurd, but thankfully, none of my many moments even can close to being as abstract and bizarre as the moment you will see in the above YouTube video. Here is my favorite "Duh" moment of 2007, as experienced by Miss Teen South Carolina, Caitlin Upton. So tell me, why do you suppose some Americans can't find the U.S.A on a world map? Ummm... could it be their tiara's are on too tight?

You can read her explanation for her answer right here.

-OndineMonet

Are We Having Fun Yet?

"I love Thanksgiving. It's the only time in Los Angeles that you see natural breasts."

-Arnold Schwarzenegger

Are we having fun yet? Have your holiday pies burned? Is your bird improperly plucked? Did you buy sweet potatoes, when the recipe called for yams? Is your Flan, bland? Did cousin Ben bring THAT woman to your house? Did you roast your turkey upside down? Is your mother in law helping? Well is she? If you need a reason to smile, watch the above YouTube video, and laugh your cares away. Go ahead, you deserve it.

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

Note: The original video I had posted in this entry went poof, so I am replacing it with this very cute, very funny, baby video. Tee Hee. A great stress buster as well. Enjoy!

-OndineMonet

YES, YES, YES, YES; Now I'm In The Mood!

"Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday, and celebrate just living."

-Amanda Bradley

With Thanksgiving just next week, I am already looking forward to watching some of my favorite holiday movies. When Harry Met Sally, is one of the movies I make it a point to watch. Not that it is a holiday movie per se, but the movie does feature enough holiday moments that I always associate it with the holidays, and therefore think of it as a holiday movie. The above YouTube clip is my favorite part of the movie, it never ceases to make me laugh. YES,YES,YES!

Maybe someday I will get to visit New York City, and if I do, how could I not drop by Katz's Delicatessen for a little noontime fun? I wonder how many folks have visited there, just to play out the scene, from what I think might be the funniest 3 minutes and 58 seconds in film? Would you have the nerve to do what Sally did, just to make a point? If you visited Katz's deli, would you play out the scene just for fun? Have you ever done anything similar in public?

Now, I bet you are asking yourself, "has Carly ever done something like that?" Well, yes, not exactly to the same degree mind you, but hey, a girls got to do what a girls got to do! LOL. Although, I have to admit that it is also true that I can be very shy at times as well. I guess I am a bit complicated... or is it difficult? Hmmmm? Either way, that movie always puts me in the mood for the holidays, and ummmm, a big, delicious, succulent, hot, Corned Beef Sandwich, with a big pickle on the side! Oh waiter, I will have what she is having!! :)

-OndineMonet

To Meme Or Not To Meme, That Is The Question

"You can't wake a person who is pretending to be asleep"

-Navajo Proverb

I found this cute little meme over at Phinney's blog, "Always So Busy Inside My Head" and thought it sounded like fun. I love doing memes, I think they are the best way to get to know one another, but I hardly ever get tagged for them anymore. I have to wonder why? Have I gotten boring? Have you learned everything you always wanted to know about me?Do you have a personal ethic about tagging folks for memes? I know some people find them intrusive, which is ok, memes aren't for everyone, but have you ever have someone hurt your feelings by refusing to do a meme you sent them? Is it proper to tag folks for memes, or does that break some type of unwritten Internet rule? Share with me your thoughts. And now Phinney's meme, which was sent to her by Nancy...

4's

Four Jobs I have Had

1. Receptionist
2. 800 Operator
3. Floral Designer
4. Draftsman for a Title Company (I drew maps of properties for clients)

Four Movies I Could Watch Over And Over

1. When Harry Met Sally
2. The Fog (The original John Carpenter's The Fog)
3. Bridget Jones' Diary
4. Chicago

Four Places I Have Lived

1. My Parents House
2. My Sister's House
3. My First Apartment
4. The Cottage Where I Live Now

Four Shows I Love To Watch

1. Desperate Housewives
2. Pushing Daisies
3. Grey's Anatomy
4. Real Time with Bill Maher

Four Places I Have Been To On Vacation

1. Richmond, Virginia
2. Lake Tahoe, Nevada
3. Reno, Nevada
4. Los Angeles, California

Four Websites I Visit Daily

1. One Touch Gold Diabetes Support and Management
2. YouTube
3. Quote Garden
4. Martha Stewart

Four Favorite Dishes

1. Spaghetti w/Meat Sauce
2. Pot Roast w/Veggies
3. Chicken Cordon Bleu
4. Turkey with all the trimmings

Four Places I Would Rather Be Right Now

1. San Francisco, California
2. Santa Barbara, California
3. The Marin County Coastline
4. Half Moon Bay, California

Four People I Am Tagging

Well, see, here is where I need your assistance. Please let me know how you feel about tagging. I have been reluctant to tag folks as of late, so I would love to make a list of those who enjoy playing alone with memes. Please leave me some feedback, and guys, you are not exempt from this! Your opinion counts with me as well. So come on guys... SPEAK OUT! :)

Thanks Phinney and Nancy!

-OndineMonet
"Autumn Duck"
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
October, 2007
Late Afternoon

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #173: Share A Joke

"Nothing is better than the unintended humor of reality."

-Steve Allen

Weekend Assignment #173: Share a joke. Make it funny. Also, since I'll want to link back to them, and I am, after all, but a cog in the great AOL machine, keep it reasonably clean and free of ethnic/sexual put-downs. You know.

Put the joke up on your blog or journal and then come back and leave a link in the comment thread (if you don't have a journal/blog, you can leave the joke in the comment thread. But remember, if you have a journal/blog, the point is to let the massive attendance of this blog push people to your online home, with fame and fortune to follow!)

Extra Credit: So, ever been to Kansas City? Because that's where I'm going.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Every once in a while John Scalzi chooses this subject for one of his Weekend Assignments. I rather like this subject, and posting jokes, because humor is... well... fun. Life gets way too serious at times, so thank you Blogfather, for the fun assignment for this week! I thought and thought about what kind of joke I wanted to tell, and what might be an unusual and creative way to present it, and then it hit me like a bolt of lightning... how about posting a joke by way of a YouTube video? So, I grabbed my cat Elvis, and recruited him as my audience, and then I was all set.

The problem was, Elvis wasn't in the best of moods. He had to pay a visit to Dr. "B" and have some more blood drawn to see where his blood sugar levels are. We are still working on getting him back to his old self. I will have a full update on him, later this weekend. He is a little less animated then usual, and he and I have a lot of work to go with our video making, but for it being our very first try I think we did ok. :) The video runs for 30 seconds, which isn't very long, so if you just have a little patience while it loads, you will get to meet my cat Elvis. :)

Here is an additional joke to make you laugh. Enjoy!

Einstein Dies And Goes To Heaven

Einstein dies and goes to Heaven. At the Pearly Gates, Saint Peter tells him,

"You look like Einstein, but you have NO idea the lengths that some people will go to to sneak into Heaven. Can you prove who you really are?"

Einstein ponders for a few seconds and asks, "Could I have a blackboard and some chalk?"

Saint Peter snaps his fingers and a blackboard and chalk instantly appear. Einstein proceeds to describe with arcane mathematics and symbols his theory of relativity.

Saint Peter is suitably impressed. "You really ARE Einstein!" he says. "Welcome to Heaven."

The next to arrive is Picasso. Once again, Saint Peter asks for credentials. Picasso asks, "Mind if I use that blackboard and chalk?"

Saint Peter says, "Go ahead." Picasso erases Einstein's equations and sketches a truly stunning mural with just a few strokes of chalk.

Saint Peter claps. "Surely you are the great artist you claim to be!" he says. "Come on in!" The Saint Peter looks up and sees George W. Bush. Saint Peter scratches his head and says, Einstein and Picasso both managed to prove their identity. How can you prove yours?"

George W. Bush looks bewildered and says, "Who are Einstein and Picasso?"

Saint Peter sighs, and says, "Come on in, George."

Extra Credit: Nope, never been to Kansas City. Nope. Never. Not even once. Don't think I have ever flown over it in an airplane. Nope. :) Maybe someday I will. I would like to take a long road trip sometime. :)

-OndineMonet
YouTube Video
Elvis And The Bush Administration Light Bulb Joke

Let's Go Down To The Kwik-E-Mart

"Owww look at me Marge, I'm making people happy! I'm the magical man, from Happy Land, who lives in a gumdrop house on Lolly Pop Lane! By the way, I am being sarcastic."

-Homer Simpson

How cool is this? As a promotion for the new 20th Century Fox film, The Simpsons Movie, eleven 7-11 stores in the U.S. and one in Canada, have been temporarily made over as Quik-E-Marts, just like the one Bart Simpson gets his nachos, Krusty O's and Buzz Cola at. Here in the Bay Area, Mountain View to be exact, was a 7-11 lucky enough to be chosen as one of those special 11 stores. :) A few days ago, Alan and I took the long ride down the peninsula, to see what the hubbub was all about. It was a very cool experience, if not a little on the surreal side. As we pulled up there were about 20 or so people, with cameras of all kinds, taking a ton of photos of the outside of the building, which had been completely transformed. Smiles all around.

I had a great time taking photos of the novelty displays, but watching the crowd was just as enjoyable. One thing happened that was unexpected, while I was waiting in line to pay for my Slushie... I mean Slurpee... I mean Slushie, a very nice looking man, who bore an extreme resemblance to David Duchovny, tapped me on the shoulder and asked, "Excuse me, do you know why everyone is taking pictures of the sandwich and cola displays?" My first instinct, before I looked up was to say, "Hey buddy... where you been?" But when I looked at him, and saw the face of the almost exact Davide look-a-like I kind of froze. Eventually I got the words out to explain it was a movie promotion, but it was all very surreal... and lots of fun! The YouTube clip above, is a movie trailer for The Simpson's Movie, which comes out on July 27th. I am kind of looking forward to it. How about you, do you plan to go see it?

By the way, Karen, over at Outpost Mavarin had her own encounter with The Simpsons this past week. Go see her entry here.

-OndineMonet
"The Simpsons At The Kwik-E-Mart"
7-11
Pear Avenue
Mountain View, California
July 3, 2007
Afternoon

Wherever You Are Tonight...

"There cannot be a crisis today, my schedule is already full."

-Henry Kissinger

God I love retro! Well, almost everything retro... I will never think highly of bell-bottom jeans. LOL. But almost everything else goes. One of the reasons I think Alan and I get along so well, is that we both enjoy old movies, and the wonderful old shows from our childhood. We will play a challenge game with each other on long car rides, sometimes quizzing each other on the theme song of a particular show, or maybe even asking a trivia question about a character. He and I both always enjoyed the secondary characters as much as the stars of the show. Here we are in our 40's, and we still enjoy popping popcorn, and watching the old Kolchak: The Night Stalker, on DVD on a Saturday night. Is that boring? :) I hated the new version that ABC came up with a couple years back, it lacked the truly spooky feel that the original one had. I loved Darren McGavin in the title role. He could both make me believe in the fantastic and fear it as well. As scared as Karl got, he stuck it out to the very end, he solved the mystery, even if no one around him accepted his conclusions.

I guess I am feeling in a nostalgic mood, because yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the release of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band. What a magnificent album that was. God I miss John Lennon. Sigh. In just a few weeks it will officially be summer, and that will bring another anniversary to the Bay Area, see, 1967 was the Summer of Love. If you were a hippie, then Haight/Ashbury was the place to be. If you were in the East Bay, you were up here in Berkeley, probably in People's Park. A lot of social changes were taking place all over America, not just here in the heart of the hippie movement. I was a little girl, I was 5 years old, so I was for the most part, unaware of what was going on, but I knew about the war, and I was missing my brother who was in Vietnam. I didn't understand his leaving then, and even now I struggle to come to terms with why he had to go. War sucked then, just as it does now. Sigh. I took a lot of comfort in the old black and white TV we had, and all those sitcoms that didn't talk too much about war, or fear. Bewitched was one of them. Did you watch it too?

My brother came home for a visit in 1970, and we sat together on the couch and watched, among other things, Bewitched. It was a night I won't really forget. The guest stars were Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. I remember very clearly watching this episode with him, and singing and dancing. My sister had painted a flower on my cheek, as she often did, and the three of us watched the show together. This episode dealt with Samantha's cousin Serena, and her kidnapping of Boyce and Hart, so they could play at the very groovy Cosmos Cotillion. LOL. I found this clip on YouTube, and thought it would be the perfect accompaniment to this memory of mine. If you were a Bewitched fan I am sure you have seen it. It's a true gem of a TV moment. One I never forgot. A lot has happened between my brother and myself. I haven't seen him in years, and it is better if I don't, we are very different people. But there are moments, I will always be glad we had. Sigh. Yeah... war definitely sucks.

Still, in the middle of all the crap that was happening that I didn't understand, I had little moments here and there that made perfect sense. I am still a huge fan of Boyce and Hart, and was heartbroken when Tommy Boyce committed suicide a number of years back.They made beautiful music, but sometimes wars wage within ourselves as well. Again... war sucks. It's the little moments that saves us I think. The ones that always makes us laugh, or smile, or just feel good inside. I have a lot of those little moments in my brain, I call them up when I need to take a step back from whatever makes me sad. Sometimes though, Alan and I throw in a DVD of some great old show or movie and get totally caught up in it. I think later tonight we are going to watch an old Godzilla movie... LOL. Isn't Raymond Burr great? Lord I'm old! LOL.

Do you have a favorite old TV show? How about a favorite song from the late 60's or 70's? Share if you like, I would enjoy hearing what you watched on TV as a child. Any decade is fine. It always surprises me to learn how many people were watching the same episodes of TV I was all those years ago. :) It never occurred to me I wasn't the only one watching. LOL.

Enjoy!
Bewitched
episode 190
"Serena Stops The Show"
February 19, 1970

" I'll Blow You A Kiss In The Wind"
By Boyce and Hart

-OndineMonet

Good Day Sunshine

"Information is moving... you know, nightly news is one way, of course, but it's also moving through the blogosphere and through the Internets."

-George W Bush, May 2, 2007

I don't know... lol... this is just funny no matter who it happens to! Welcome to my first YouTube video posting. I was thinking about posting a video of one of the many cat fights that The View has brought us over the last year, but with the announcement Friday, that Rosie O' Donnell has asked for, and been granted, an early release from her contract with ABC... why go there? Although ABC World News Tonight News did feature the conflict between Rosie and Elizabeth Hasselbeck in their weekly feature, A Closer Look. They seem to feel like I do, that we are polarized in this country, and while our voices are getting louder... not much is being accomplished. We don't and sometimes can't talk amongst ourselves. Sigh. I would like to see this disturbing trend change. I would like to see the congress and the senate keep it's promise to end this war, and not bow to pressure from the Bush administration. There will be hope for this again at the end of the summer. In the mean time... there's always time to laugh. Right? :)

-OndineMonet