Write something profound...
C'mon, I know you have it in you...
Surely you have something to say on Memorial Day...
Maybe it's the pain, maybe it's the fatigue, or maybe I am just dried up today. I don't know...I can't focus beyond a few words. The two in the title here being the most important.
My buddy Arne had more to say check it out here...
http://eastlund.tumblr.com/
As for me I will just say...
"You are my brother, you are my friend,
But I'll never hear your laugh again."
And,
Thank You All.
Cheers,
g
31 May 2010
24 May 2010
A Day At The Races or What's In A Name?
Liverpool
Aintree Racecourse,
The Grand National Steeplechase
So I still don't quite know what I think about horse racing, (I know the Missus likes all things horse related) but maybe after going to the Grand National Steeplechase I have a better idea. I know that some people think nothing of the races, it is what it is. But I have to question a little more (I mean at least they aren't eating the horses but...) you know is it fair for the horses. They really don't have a say in the whole thing, but they do seem to be up for it. Would it be better if there was an actual place for them to run wild and free (ask me about the video sometime, I would have posted it but since I use the F word in it I don't know if it meets the obscenity requirements...yada yada yada) but watching them as they kept running after they'd shed their riders, some even still jumping (for the uninformed {like me just prior to going to the race} a steeplechase is were they run like crazy and then jump over stuff) I may be closer to giving it a thumb's sideways or whatever. As we watched the horse run and jump on their own, looking wild and free and pround I say, "Looks like Fekin Colorado." (It may well have been the pints of John Smith's Bitter (also the sponser of the event) followed quickly by, "That's where they have the wild mustangs, yeah?" It may not be a perfect world, but I think that in a perfect world maybe the horses would say, "Yeah, I'll have a go!"
Aintree Racecourse,
The Grand National Steeplechase
So I still don't quite know what I think about horse racing, (I know the Missus likes all things horse related) but maybe after going to the Grand National Steeplechase I have a better idea. I know that some people think nothing of the races, it is what it is. But I have to question a little more (I mean at least they aren't eating the horses but...) you know is it fair for the horses. They really don't have a say in the whole thing, but they do seem to be up for it. Would it be better if there was an actual place for them to run wild and free (ask me about the video sometime, I would have posted it but since I use the F word in it I don't know if it meets the obscenity requirements...yada yada yada) but watching them as they kept running after they'd shed their riders, some even still jumping (for the uninformed {like me just prior to going to the race} a steeplechase is were they run like crazy and then jump over stuff) I may be closer to giving it a thumb's sideways or whatever. As we watched the horse run and jump on their own, looking wild and free and pround I say, "Looks like Fekin Colorado." (It may well have been the pints of John Smith's Bitter (also the sponser of the event) followed quickly by, "That's where they have the wild mustangs, yeah?" It may not be a perfect world, but I think that in a perfect world maybe the horses would say, "Yeah, I'll have a go!"
Interlude: Iraq
I wanted to say to him, "Yeah I do. I have to live here for a year with another guy. So yeah I've got a lot of shite. What does you fekin room look like?"
Do you share with someone else? (Probably not.)
Do you have a bloody bathroom? (Probably.)
Do you live like a fekin Spartan?" (I Fekin Doubt It, Batard!)
REALLY!?!?
This is what I have to deal with? This and the fact that this fat bastard makes more than I do, and the poor guys who have to snap to his every order and do all the bloody work get paid no more than a couple hundred dollars a month probably. These contractors and the companies that pay them have developed a whole new brand of slavery. They may not own these Third Country Nationals (read anyone from a poor country just trying to get ahead) but they own their contract, they can send them home anytime they want for whatever reason (or none at all) that they can make up, they don't pay them shite-especially compared to the contracts they get from the government, and they do all the work.
If we've bollocked anything up during this war...there it is. You want to know why we are in a recession? Don't blame the Soldiers, blame the Fat Cats...those in Washington DC and in the Corporate World. You want to make a difference in the world try this, no matter where you live go vote and don't vote for ANYONE who is now or has ever been in government before.
And on my 'Day Off."
Fekinell!
End Interlude
So I was 'Off' the other day, and just my luck it is time for KBR to come inspect my trailer. Just what I need some contractor getting paid way too much of your and my money, and his lackies getting paid way too little of KBR's money invading my privacy and rest. Anyway so in they come, and they aren't really doing anything but taking stock of what is in the room. "So you've got three wall lockers, two nightstands...do you have any lights?" At which point I look up at the ceiling light and raise my eyebrows. "Lights, lights," he say. "Lamps?" I tell him that there are two, one red and one black and he continues to look around and has the balls to say,
"You've got a lot of stuff in here."
Really?!?!"You've got a lot of stuff in here."
I wanted to say to him, "Yeah I do. I have to live here for a year with another guy. So yeah I've got a lot of shite. What does you fekin room look like?"
Do you share with someone else? (Probably not.)
Do you have a bloody bathroom? (Probably.)
Do you live like a fekin Spartan?" (I Fekin Doubt It, Batard!)
REALLY!?!?
This is what I have to deal with? This and the fact that this fat bastard makes more than I do, and the poor guys who have to snap to his every order and do all the bloody work get paid no more than a couple hundred dollars a month probably. These contractors and the companies that pay them have developed a whole new brand of slavery. They may not own these Third Country Nationals (read anyone from a poor country just trying to get ahead) but they own their contract, they can send them home anytime they want for whatever reason (or none at all) that they can make up, they don't pay them shite-especially compared to the contracts they get from the government, and they do all the work.
If we've bollocked anything up during this war...there it is. You want to know why we are in a recession? Don't blame the Soldiers, blame the Fat Cats...those in Washington DC and in the Corporate World. You want to make a difference in the world try this, no matter where you live go vote and don't vote for ANYONE who is now or has ever been in government before.
And on my 'Day Off."
Fekinell!
End Interlude
So anyway back to the good stuff, yeah. Here are a few differences noted from the Races. Now I've only been to like Bay Meadows sometime in the 90's so I have little frame of reference, bear with me yeah. But not only did they have much better beer (seriously I remember drinking lukewarm Bud our of a wax cup at the Meadows) but they also get dressed up for the event. I reckon they do this at like the Kentucky Derby or whatever. Let me put something else straight here in American (I sound like Yacov Shmirnoff for crying out loud) if you get dressed up you may well put on fancy clothes. Well in Britain Fancy Dress means something else entirely. It means not coat and tie, but silly costumes. And while the former is preferred (but not required) at the Grand National, the latter is strictly verboten. (Yet some of the ladies hats and feather clip would have looked right at home at a masquerade party.) So you get dressed up... As you can see below. Me and the Missus, and the wife with a new friend and one of our many pints of bitter.
And then the all just cop a squat down on the hill that's covered with asphalt. Men and women can be seen queuing in long lines to go to the toilet, and even coming around from behind them. Most woman's feathers that were so proudly displayed on centered and lovely on their heads are now in disarray. And that which disturbed the missus so, they are barefoot, too high heels slung over their shoulders or carried and dropped from their hands. Yes they are walking in split food and beer, probably some vomit, and who knows what else. But they are all happy, again that could have something to do with the better beer sponsors (really the worst thing they had was Fosters which is better than lukewarm Bud any day. They'd also be carrying around bottles of wine, laughing, winning, loosing, etc, etc. It was also unseasonably warm and sunny that day that added to the drinking for us at least. So here is the crowd, there are other grandstands and stuff too but that is where the fancy people sit. We were even able to get pretty close to the course on a little patch of grass, I think we had pizza. Plus I just like this picture of us.
So there you are, a day at the races (still under review, but had a good time, yeah.)
And what's in a name: Fancy Dress = Costume.
Yeah.
I'll have to read the thing about obscenity and see if I can post the "Fekin Colorado" video, until then.
Cheers,
g
And then the all just cop a squat down on the hill that's covered with asphalt. Men and women can be seen queuing in long lines to go to the toilet, and even coming around from behind them. Most woman's feathers that were so proudly displayed on centered and lovely on their heads are now in disarray. And that which disturbed the missus so, they are barefoot, too high heels slung over their shoulders or carried and dropped from their hands. Yes they are walking in split food and beer, probably some vomit, and who knows what else. But they are all happy, again that could have something to do with the better beer sponsors (really the worst thing they had was Fosters which is better than lukewarm Bud any day. They'd also be carrying around bottles of wine, laughing, winning, loosing, etc, etc. It was also unseasonably warm and sunny that day that added to the drinking for us at least. So here is the crowd, there are other grandstands and stuff too but that is where the fancy people sit. We were even able to get pretty close to the course on a little patch of grass, I think we had pizza. Plus I just like this picture of us.
So there you are, a day at the races (still under review, but had a good time, yeah.)
And what's in a name: Fancy Dress = Costume.
Yeah.
I'll have to read the thing about obscenity and see if I can post the "Fekin Colorado" video, until then.
Cheers,
g
20 May 2010
Conflict
Iraq
So having listened to the People, here is a musical interlude if you will. Last time y'all got treated to some Echo & the Bunnymen, this time it is all me (and Johan of camera.) It just looks like a singing head this time around (I really need to work on camera placement.)
Anyway this is one of my originals, its called "Conflict" and it has been being battered around for awhile now. I was never really sure what it was about until recently then it all came together. This one is for Raven. It is still a work in progress (like the camera angle, yeah) but the first verse and the last verse are pretty clear I think so I will write them out.
So having listened to the People, here is a musical interlude if you will. Last time y'all got treated to some Echo & the Bunnymen, this time it is all me (and Johan of camera.) It just looks like a singing head this time around (I really need to work on camera placement.)
Anyway this is one of my originals, its called "Conflict" and it has been being battered around for awhile now. I was never really sure what it was about until recently then it all came together. This one is for Raven. It is still a work in progress (like the camera angle, yeah) but the first verse and the last verse are pretty clear I think so I will write them out.
"Everyday I wonder,
Where it was I turned Wrong.
Mistakes I'd Never seen,
Until they were all too late to Change.
Will You Come?"
"An apology may sound Strange,
Never be enough to take Away all the Pain.
If I say, 'I'm Sorry' Anyway,
Then Maybe I'm not to old to Change.
Will You Come?"
There it is in a nutshell ("I could be bounded within a nutshell, and call myself the King of Infinite Space, were it not that I have Bad Dreams") I like the song, always have. Don't necessarily like having to sing it (if that makes any sense) but maybe we can all laugh about it someday. So the invitation, or challenge, or whatever you want to call it is there daughter. "Will You Come?"
Cheers,
g
Where it was I turned Wrong.
Mistakes I'd Never seen,
Until they were all too late to Change.
Will You Come?"
"An apology may sound Strange,
Never be enough to take Away all the Pain.
If I say, 'I'm Sorry' Anyway,
Then Maybe I'm not to old to Change.
Will You Come?"
There it is in a nutshell ("I could be bounded within a nutshell, and call myself the King of Infinite Space, were it not that I have Bad Dreams") I like the song, always have. Don't necessarily like having to sing it (if that makes any sense) but maybe we can all laugh about it someday. So the invitation, or challenge, or whatever you want to call it is there daughter. "Will You Come?"
Hope you enjoy the song (if not the video, I am actually playing guitar not just having arm spasms) I'd really love to see what everyone (someone especially) thinks.
Cheers,
g
SuperLamBanana (No That's Not Mispelled)
Liverpool
Day ?
Another reason that you've got to love Liverpool... Superlambanana! (That's not misspelled either, both are acceptable, yeah.) Here's the deal (in a nutshell) the original sculpture was bright yellow and part of some "Let's art up the North of England" campaign. It's part lamb and part banana, and is supposed to be a warning of the evils of genetic engineering or some such. And based on the fact that bananas and lambs used to come through Liverpool's port. The artist built a little like 4 inch model and then a 17 foot multi-ton monstrosity was built and put on display. Now you have to figure that this Superlambanana-thing must've brought Scousers to scratching their heads and saying, "Fekinell, wot does it mean then?"
Superlambanana was a talking point to be sure, you can almost see the folks in the pubs, on the trains, shopping for trainers discussing this bizarre thing that had sauntered into town.
But in true Liverpool fashion once it was rumored that it might be sold and taken over to The Dark Side (Manchester, yeah) they grabbed a hold of it and made it their own. "Who cares what it is right, it's Ours, yeah." So what they do is they move the big one around the city and for the Capitol of Culture event they made a bunch more that also evidently travel around. We'd seen them around before but never this particular one..
Yep that's yours truly (in my totally cool Elvis t-shirt) and the Bunnymen. Down by the Royal Liver Building. How cool is that. So this is Liverpool, yeah? It may not make sense but it is ours and now we love it. It just shows the spirit of the town. Always the outsider, always the underdog, and always taking care of its own.
You can see here in this other one that they can be quite creative with the Superlambanana, we saw one that looked like a tiger too. You can see one that looks like a clown in the background (for all of you with clown-o-phobia...avert your eyes) there are also cows, and one that has all kinds of little Superlambananas that are dressed like everything from The Beatles to (dare I say it...) Evertonians (worry not dear reader there was a little Red on there with the little Blue, there's even been a full-sized Red, yeah.) So here are me an the Missus with the herd.
So lesson learned, yeah. Take something that may or may not make sense make it your own and never let it go. Lessons of Liverpool 101, yeah. Yet another "Show of Strength" from Merseyside.
We actually were going to buy a bunch of little ones and give them away to folks. You know talismans to give them a little bit of the strength and spirit of Liverpool. But the little buggers are expensive. We'll have to pick one up when we are there during December, maybe a Christmas ornament, yeah. Taking orders now, get your own little slice of weirdness and Spirit of 'Pool {to ward off the Dark Side yeah.)
No interlude tonight, gonna do a whole non-travel thing tomorrow. Taking in some of the suggestions from you the reader as well. The People have spoken!
My dad likes my hat... I do too. I am sure that wearing a hat will probably piss off the same folks who now know I have a full and luxurious head of hair as well. I guess the people who are going a bit bald up top thought I was one of them. Fact was I was just lazy. And the new do is really getting some of their panties in a bunch. (That really was almost an interlude, oh well.)
Last note, you'll all be glad to know that Superlambanana won't be going to Manchester anytime soon. It's home will be Liverpool for the next 80 years. Some places have bears and eagles, or lions and tigers. Not the 'Pool though...SUPERLAMBANANA! And the Reds, yeah.
Cheers,
g
Day ?
Another reason that you've got to love Liverpool... Superlambanana! (That's not misspelled either, both are acceptable, yeah.) Here's the deal (in a nutshell) the original sculpture was bright yellow and part of some "Let's art up the North of England" campaign. It's part lamb and part banana, and is supposed to be a warning of the evils of genetic engineering or some such. And based on the fact that bananas and lambs used to come through Liverpool's port. The artist built a little like 4 inch model and then a 17 foot multi-ton monstrosity was built and put on display. Now you have to figure that this Superlambanana-thing must've brought Scousers to scratching their heads and saying, "Fekinell, wot does it mean then?"
Superlambanana was a talking point to be sure, you can almost see the folks in the pubs, on the trains, shopping for trainers discussing this bizarre thing that had sauntered into town.
But in true Liverpool fashion once it was rumored that it might be sold and taken over to The Dark Side (Manchester, yeah) they grabbed a hold of it and made it their own. "Who cares what it is right, it's Ours, yeah." So what they do is they move the big one around the city and for the Capitol of Culture event they made a bunch more that also evidently travel around. We'd seen them around before but never this particular one..
Yep that's yours truly (in my totally cool Elvis t-shirt) and the Bunnymen. Down by the Royal Liver Building. How cool is that. So this is Liverpool, yeah? It may not make sense but it is ours and now we love it. It just shows the spirit of the town. Always the outsider, always the underdog, and always taking care of its own.
You can see here in this other one that they can be quite creative with the Superlambanana, we saw one that looked like a tiger too. You can see one that looks like a clown in the background (for all of you with clown-o-phobia...avert your eyes) there are also cows, and one that has all kinds of little Superlambananas that are dressed like everything from The Beatles to (dare I say it...) Evertonians (worry not dear reader there was a little Red on there with the little Blue, there's even been a full-sized Red, yeah.) So here are me an the Missus with the herd.
So lesson learned, yeah. Take something that may or may not make sense make it your own and never let it go. Lessons of Liverpool 101, yeah. Yet another "Show of Strength" from Merseyside.
We actually were going to buy a bunch of little ones and give them away to folks. You know talismans to give them a little bit of the strength and spirit of Liverpool. But the little buggers are expensive. We'll have to pick one up when we are there during December, maybe a Christmas ornament, yeah. Taking orders now, get your own little slice of weirdness and Spirit of 'Pool {to ward off the Dark Side yeah.)
No interlude tonight, gonna do a whole non-travel thing tomorrow. Taking in some of the suggestions from you the reader as well. The People have spoken!
My dad likes my hat... I do too. I am sure that wearing a hat will probably piss off the same folks who now know I have a full and luxurious head of hair as well. I guess the people who are going a bit bald up top thought I was one of them. Fact was I was just lazy. And the new do is really getting some of their panties in a bunch. (That really was almost an interlude, oh well.)
Last note, you'll all be glad to know that Superlambanana won't be going to Manchester anytime soon. It's home will be Liverpool for the next 80 years. Some places have bears and eagles, or lions and tigers. Not the 'Pool though...SUPERLAMBANANA! And the Reds, yeah.
Cheers,
g
17 May 2010
Seeing Red or "Ring of Fire"
Liverpool
Thursday Night, Europa League Quarter Finals, 2nd LegLiverpool FC 4-1 Benfica (agg. LFC 4-2)
"You'll Never Walk Alone"
Another great European Night at Anfield, and even though we know what we know now we must just go back to that night that feeling. After falling behind in Portugal during the First Leg, every supporter in the ground knew what they had to do. Be that 12th man the way only Liverpool supporters can. The flags were waving and as you can see from the video the crowd was in fine voice.
Liverpool if nothing else have been the come from behind masters this campaign. Falling behind is seemingly ever Leg. Of course there are only so many miracles in any team. We had great seats down int he lower paddock only feet away from the pitch, though a little close to the away fans for me. Now I know what other teams supporters must feel like when the Travelling Kop come to town. They gave all, the fans even after goal after goal came smashing in.
And the best part is...I was in the toilet when they say Lucas scored (plausable deniability for me yeah, cos I don't really believe it. But even a broken clock is right twice a day and lightening has to strike something sometime. So why not I guess it could have been him what scored, but I didn't have to see it, so I don't have to acknowledge it. Wouldn't change my mind anyway, he's still shite.) and just got to come back and say, "Yes!"
I wish I'd gotten some footage of the crowd doing "Ring of Fire" amazing stuff really 40 some odd thousand swinging their scarves in the air like lassoes. Na-na-na,na. Na-na-na-na (I was going to title this entry that but thought it just might confuse folks) brilliant. And you'd think scoring 4 times I wouldn't have missed it...but I did. I don't have any pictures from the match either (Jennifer has the big camera at home) but I think the video will suffice, yeah. As cool as it all is here, it is a million times better in real life.
I've tried to describe a match at Anfield before, and you know all the old cliches come out, "Like a religious experience" and "something to remember" those are all true, yeah. And it does move you. This was a cracker, yeah. We'd had a nail bitter last season, and would have another stomach churner later on, but this one 4-1... Amazing!
What did we do all day waiting to get to the match? Yeah, I don't really know (I am sure the Missus does though) I remember having a few pints, I might have made breakfast that day, maybe we took a nap. Its funny how 90 minutes can change everything, I might have met the bloody queen and all I would remember was the match. We had a pint or two as we waited for traffic to die down and get a cab back to the apartment. We heard the city party into the wee hours of the night, almost like they knew that this might be it.
It was too, another great night among a season of so many disappointments. But for that night we, the city, the players...we all knew we were the best. We all did it together, the players gave their all and looked magnificent, and we supporters took on, if not the Red Shirt then the responsibility of letting the men down there in the Red Shirts know that we were all in this together. And that were were unbelievable. I mean think on it yeah, if the stars hadn't all aligned and force me to the gents and threw the ball and Lucas at each other, it might have only been 3-1.
This is why I didn't want to do any interludes this time around, just to live in the moment again, forget the future (and the present) and submerge into the wonder of Anfield and Liverpool Football Club.
It was a good night and a good match and it will always mean something to me and the Missus, even if things didn't turn out the way we'd have all hoped. That night was and will remain Magik. She has pictures and I have more video, so maybe you'll see some more (when I need to escape) later.
Until then, remember...
"When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of the lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on walk on with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone
When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of the lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on walk on with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk
You'll never walk
You'll never walk alone."
Cheers,
g16 May 2010
"Someone, Somewhere In Summertime"
I was going to go with the "Hot in the City" but that is too obvious. Well it must be summer cos everyone is putting up their thermometers and saying things like, "It's 106 (thanks Yahoo) today." And hanging around said thermometers (not for long though, cos it is hot) and talking about the weather. "It always ends in dark" though, if course it supposedly dips down into the 80's sometime "after midnight" but I am not really looking to "let it all hang out" too dusty.
The weather, what is there to say? It sucks. Move on. It rained the other day, of course it was dry almost before it hit the ground. And didn't do a damn thing to cool anything off. But time marches on. (Don't get me started on that one unless you want a contractor-like tirade) we have days left. Who cares about the number. Move on. Everyone wants to countdown, but to me it would help if the days weren't all alike maybe. I can't even keep track of when the World Cup starts, or if this week has been 6, 7, or 9 days long. It sucks. Move on.
Isn't this cheery? Uplifting? I don't want to bring anyone down. I also didn't want to intrude on the next R & R posting with anything from here. (That will all get intruded upon and beaten down in all due course.) And this whole temperature and countdown thing has to be addressed somehow. If for nothing else to try and extricate it from my system (like the contractor, that probably isn't going to happen though) and try to follow my own advice and move on.
By the time I'd walked home from work today I was drained of all energy. Not sleepy but just tired. (I know who cares right this is like those duesch bags who Twitter about watching TV.) Maybe I'd better move on. (Instead of "Ramble On" you mean? {Fekinell, maybe you'll start talking about yourself in the third person next.})
This next bit might be offensive, so Kevin Costner & Danielle Steele (among others) fans may want to skip to the end. But we watched part of "The Guardian" yesterday (on AFN to boot) and seriously made "Waterworld" look like "Citizen Kane." Beyond awful... a new entry into the Top Five Worst Movies (look out "The Shadow" Astin Kutcher and Costner are on your tail) I swear they just took "Ladder 49" (another Top Five) and "Heartbreak Ridge" {Really Clint?} and mashed them together. Did a find and replace on the names and proffesions like Danielle Steele and let the director phone it in then called it a day. Its funny they change so much in some movies (you know ones made from books, etc.) change the ending, add shit that doesn't need to be there etc. Half the time it is to make a "Happy Ending" or over explain things, or whatever. You know what I would have changed about "The Guardian"? I would have cut out the bit from the opening credits to the end credits added some white noise and added a caption like, "You might feel like the makers of this film have stolen your money, we have. But we didn't steal your time. You are welcome!"
"Excuse me Editor, did I make my word count?"
"I don't have an Editor?" (As if that wasn't self evident.)
"Well then let's see...ranted about the weather, time, people...
Slammed "The Guardian"... wondered about Mr. Eastwood's sanity when they dropped off the script for "Heartbreak Ridge" and said, "No it'll be great Clint-baby. We've got this great kid...Mario Pebblesandbambam...or some such. It'll be great." UGH.)
Held back on messing with the Coast Guard (everyone has a job, and most of them suck, and the movie really wasn't their fault, or was it? Someone should be held to blame.)
Yup that sounds like it.
Cheers,
g
The weather, what is there to say? It sucks. Move on. It rained the other day, of course it was dry almost before it hit the ground. And didn't do a damn thing to cool anything off. But time marches on. (Don't get me started on that one unless you want a contractor-like tirade) we have days left. Who cares about the number. Move on. Everyone wants to countdown, but to me it would help if the days weren't all alike maybe. I can't even keep track of when the World Cup starts, or if this week has been 6, 7, or 9 days long. It sucks. Move on.
Isn't this cheery? Uplifting? I don't want to bring anyone down. I also didn't want to intrude on the next R & R posting with anything from here. (That will all get intruded upon and beaten down in all due course.) And this whole temperature and countdown thing has to be addressed somehow. If for nothing else to try and extricate it from my system (like the contractor, that probably isn't going to happen though) and try to follow my own advice and move on.
By the time I'd walked home from work today I was drained of all energy. Not sleepy but just tired. (I know who cares right this is like those duesch
This next bit might be offensive, so Kevin Costner & Danielle Steele (among others) fans may want to skip to the end. But we watched part of "The Guardian" yesterday (on AFN to boot) and seriously made "Waterworld" look like "Citizen Kane." Beyond awful... a new entry into the Top Five Worst Movies (look out "The Shadow" Astin Kutcher and Costner are on your tail) I swear they just took "Ladder 49" (another Top Five) and "Heartbreak Ridge" {Really Clint?} and mashed them together. Did a find and replace on the names and proffesions like Danielle Steele and let the director phone it in then called it a day. Its funny they change so much in some movies (you know ones made from books, etc.) change the ending, add shit that doesn't need to be there etc. Half the time it is to make a "Happy Ending" or over explain things, or whatever. You know what I would have changed about "The Guardian"? I would have cut out the bit from the opening credits to the end credits added some white noise and added a caption like, "You might feel like the makers of this film have stolen your money, we have. But we didn't steal your time. You are welcome!"
"Excuse me Editor, did I make my word count?"
"I don't have an Editor?" (As if that wasn't self evident.)
"Well then let's see...ranted about the weather, time, people...
Slammed "The Guardian"... wondered about Mr. Eastwood's sanity when they dropped off the script for "Heartbreak Ridge" and said, "No it'll be great Clint-baby. We've got this great kid...Mario Pebblesandbambam...or some such. It'll be great." UGH.)
Held back on messing with the Coast Guard (everyone has a job, and most of them suck, and the movie really wasn't their fault, or was it? Someone should be held to blame.)
Yup that sounds like it.
Cheers,
g
13 May 2010
"Ferry 'Cross the Mersey"
Liverpool
Day ?
Picture 2. (Bottom) Me and the Missus on the ferry, yeah it was a little cool out there on the water (oh yeah, cool I remember that... sounds like a good time for an Interlude.)
So we've been up we've been down. We've walked down the lanes of the park and down Memory Lane. We've gone on a boat and to a pub (I didn't mention it but there is always a pub.) We've learned about rockeries and even talked a little bit about the heat (there will be heat from now on, so expect to keep hearing about that too.)
A good outing then, yeah? So in the immortal words of Gerry & the Pacemakers...
Day ?
Part One:
"We don't care what your name is boy,
We'll never turn you away."
"We don't care what your name is boy,
We'll never turn you away."
We listened to the calling of Gerry & the Pacemakers and took the Ferry. It is not like all those people who did it day after day to go to work and back or whatever, they have actually made it real nice. They give you a running commentary and take you past the sites. We'll worth it. This is where my new Facebook picture of me under the Red Ensign (flown on British Merchant ships, natch. The White Ensign is flown over Royal Navy vessels and buildings.) We also got a good seat 'cos a old man was telling tales to his grandson as we cruised around.
Picture 1.(Top) The Three Graces as seen from the River Mersey. From left to right: The Royal Liver (Li-ver, not liv-er {not the organ})Building, the Cunard Building, & the Port of Liverpool Building.
Picture 1.(Top) The Three Graces as seen from the River Mersey. From left to right: The Royal Liver (Li-ver, not liv-er {not the organ})Building, the Cunard Building, & the Port of Liverpool Building.
End Part One
* * * * *
Interlude: Iraq
Picture 4. (Bottom) Me and the Missus atop the rockery (Note: She wants to build one of her own now. Remember what I said about being like a madwoman?)* * * * *
Interlude: Iraq
So the other night when I went out for my "final pee" of the night (sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't, but I always tell myself that I really shouldn't get up and go pee after 0100) it was still like 80 or so degrees. Makes you just want to scoop up some vacation property here doesn't it? I know that I am thinking about it. Could be the new hot spot (argh, horrible again.)
I've been really horrible about calling people this time around (actually I was pretty horrible last time too) and I want to apologize to everyone that I should call. If it helps at all I think about it everyday (actually depending on how you take that it could seem worse.) There are actually alot of things that I think about everyday... I think about never coming back here again, I think about my dad and how different (and the same) things probably were in Korea, I think about why I don't write more, why I don't know more chords, if I am doing right by my troops, about if I want to work in a bar for awhile before opening one, about moving to Liverpool, about friends and family, about Isaac, about Raven (my daughter) and loads of other things. These are not excuses, excuses are worthless. These are just facts.
Is that melancholy enough?
So it's hot.
End Interlude
* * * * *
Part Two:
Birkenhead Revisited
(A Little Better, Yeah?)
I've been really horrible about calling people this time around (actually I was pretty horrible last time too) and I want to apologize to everyone that I should call. If it helps at all I think about it everyday (actually depending on how you take that it could seem worse.) There are actually alot of things that I think about everyday... I think about never coming back here again, I think about my dad and how different (and the same) things probably were in Korea, I think about why I don't write more, why I don't know more chords, if I am doing right by my troops, about if I want to work in a bar for awhile before opening one, about moving to Liverpool, about friends and family, about Isaac, about Raven (my daughter) and loads of other things. These are not excuses, excuses are worthless. These are just facts.
Is that melancholy enough?
So it's hot.
End Interlude
* * * * *
Part Two:
Birkenhead Revisited
(A Little Better, Yeah?)
Last time we were in The Promised Land, we took the tunnel under the Mersey (I can see why no one has written a song about that, just doesn't roll of the tongue) and we really didn't see much of the other side. This time was much better we got off at one Terminal and got back on at another. So we were able to walk through, see some of the docklands and the like. It also gave us a chance to see Birkenhead Park.
Great place really. I guess the guy who designed Central Park in New York, got most of his ideas from there. He was also involved in The World's Fair in Chicago in the late 1800s. Side note to those of you who know about the fact that the missus is a little obsessed with The Titanic, on board The Titanic when it sunk was a man who worked with the Central Park guy on the Chicago World's Fair. Another World's Fair guy was also on the Olympic (one of Titanic's sister ships) that very night. Jennifer didn't know all this though so I got to be the guy who trumped some of her Titanic knowledge (or course without the Internet at my fingers it was all much more muddled {seriously I have 10 tabs open right now so I could get the story straight}) I read it all in "The Devil in the White City" a book by Erik Larson (not the Savage Dragon comic book artist/writer.) Good book its about all kinds of stuff, the Fair, serial killers, bricklayers, architects, and park designers to name just a few.
Wow, that was a long way to go to try and make some point about the more trivial aspects of my brain. You know I don't know what day it is unless I think about it, but I (more or less) remember all that kind of stuff.
So the park is really nice, you can see some of the Central Park stuff. You can see people just sitting and fishing too. Don't know that they ever catch anything (hopefully not) or what they do with 'em (hopefully the fish just sit beneath the water and have a laugh at them) but there they sit. All kinds a ducks and geese and things. And a rockery which is what it is called when they lump all kind of rocks together and make hill-like things or whatever. Learned something, there... just thought that was a whatever... rockery sounds like a place where rocks are born or something (that'd be a rookery.) Anyway it was a nice way to spend the day checking out the Roman boat house and the Swiss bridge and all that. Woulda been a nice place to sit and have a beer, next time we'll have to take a few cans and a few sarnie/sammies (sandwiches, yeah) and relax. Next time, yeah.
Picture 3. (Top) Birkenhead Park, just thought it kinda looked cool in Black & White.
Great place really. I guess the guy who designed Central Park in New York, got most of his ideas from there. He was also involved in The World's Fair in Chicago in the late 1800s. Side note to those of you who know about the fact that the missus is a little obsessed with The Titanic, on board The Titanic when it sunk was a man who worked with the Central Park guy on the Chicago World's Fair. Another World's Fair guy was also on the Olympic (one of Titanic's sister ships) that very night. Jennifer didn't know all this though so I got to be the guy who trumped some of her Titanic knowledge (or course without the Internet at my fingers it was all much more muddled {seriously I have 10 tabs open right now so I could get the story straight}) I read it all in "The Devil in the White City" a book by Erik Larson (not the Savage Dragon comic book artist/writer.) Good book its about all kinds of stuff, the Fair, serial killers, bricklayers, architects, and park designers to name just a few.
Wow, that was a long way to go to try and make some point about the more trivial aspects of my brain. You know I don't know what day it is unless I think about it, but I (more or less) remember all that kind of stuff.
So the park is really nice, you can see some of the Central Park stuff. You can see people just sitting and fishing too. Don't know that they ever catch anything (hopefully not) or what they do with 'em (hopefully the fish just sit beneath the water and have a laugh at them) but there they sit. All kinds a ducks and geese and things. And a rockery which is what it is called when they lump all kind of rocks together and make hill-like things or whatever. Learned something, there... just thought that was a whatever... rockery sounds like a place where rocks are born or something (that'd be a rookery.) Anyway it was a nice way to spend the day checking out the Roman boat house and the Swiss bridge and all that. Woulda been a nice place to sit and have a beer, next time we'll have to take a few cans and a few sarnie/sammies (sandwiches, yeah) and relax. Next time, yeah.
Picture 3. (Top) Birkenhead Park, just thought it kinda looked cool in Black & White.
So we've been up we've been down. We've walked down the lanes of the park and down Memory Lane. We've gone on a boat and to a pub (I didn't mention it but there is always a pub.) We've learned about rockeries and even talked a little bit about the heat (there will be heat from now on, so expect to keep hearing about that too.)
A good outing then, yeah? So in the immortal words of Gerry & the Pacemakers...
"So ferry 'cross the Mersey
'cos this land's the place I love
and here I'll stay."
'cos this land's the place I love
and here I'll stay."
Cheers,
g
g
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