Our health care system in this country is perfect as is

Just ask anyone with full benefits and a $10 co-pay. But for so many others, it's not so hot. I have an online friend who has failing kidneys. She is on the transplant list, but was just told she will not get the operation because she can not afford to pay for the drugs she will need after the operation for the rest of her life. These meds she needs are not covered by Medicaid. But let a f'ing crackhead need heaven knows what for as long as can be, and all is well. What the hell is wrong with anyone who does not see this as a system that is in serious need of something being done?

I don't know the answer. I have no idea how to solve the health care situation, but I do know saying it's the best in the world is a bunch of claptrap.

Right now, I am paying over a thousand dollars a month for insurance (not particularly good insurance at that) and medication and various and sundry items. Based upon what I have paid so far, including a couple expenses I doubt I'll have again this year, I expect to pay out over $16,000 in health care costs, just for me. If I worked and made minimum wage, that would be about my entire paycheck, if I got some overtime. How can these people survive?

It pains me to no end to see that 4 of the top ten billionaires on the list are from a company that does not believe in paying benefits for its workers. This same company used to pride itself on supporting American factories, but now it imports mostly from China. The only Americans it supports it pays minimum wage and gives no health benefits to. They should be embarassed, but instead, they point with pride to their father and his legacy.

Shouldn't there be more to business than the bottom line?

When I think about some of the great business leaders of the last century, I see men of vision, men who understood the old adage, everybody eats. Today, I see men and women who are so distanced from their employees, who only live by numbers. They import crap from companies that use deadly poison in food products (but it's cheaper) and use lead paint on kid's toys (but they were cheaper.) They kill our planet and our people while filling their pockets. Get mine, get enough, then get some more. For shame.

And this health care dilemna is just an extension of this same self-centered attitude. And, sadly, this attitude has trickled down. As long as I can get my Viagra script filled for 10 bucks, screw the person who is going to die because she doesn't have the money for her kidney meds. Some days it's hard to admit being a member of the human race.

I like the Pope as much as the next guy, but...

does he have to be on nearly every channel?

Sure, it was a big deal that His Holiness came to NYC, but he was on my cable system in the NY market, channels 2,4,6,7,9,11, and 68. At the same time. Who knows, he may have been on even more, I just got tired of checking the other ones on the dial. And the worst part of it all? He was simply getting on his plane, Shepherd One.

And what surprised me also is that it was an Alitalia plane. I thought the Pope had his own plane. Even John Travolta has his own plane, and the Pope is the top man in a bigger religion, while Travolta is what, a uber Theton or something like that? Should be no contest. But the Pope does have the cooler ride, that must count for something, I suppose.

Gawd, I love Bollywood

I just watched Dhoom2 (available from Netflix) and I truly love Bollywood movies. Just something about them that is hard to describe. First, the movies are long. Bollywood films generally give about 25% more movie for your money. This one was 2 hours and 15 minutes. And it was loaded with action, beautiful women, and according to the Crotchety Old Lady, very handsome men. (Direct quote from her--"My, isn't he fit!)
One thing that must be understood to really appreciate a Bollywood film is that it really doesn't flow like an American or Hollywood one. Dhoom2 started out with a daring robbery to set the tone and introduce the thief, and an equally exciting, (re: unbelievable) introduction of the police officers on the case. A drug deal broken up by, hell, you have to see it to believe it. Just as we settled in for a good old-fashioned spy/action/thriller/police movie --Bam--a dance number.

In case anyone had thought it made sense at that point, well, no, it didn't. Other scenes just randomly put in involved a basketball game in the pouring rain, a ride in a dune buggy on the freeway, and a few more dance numbers. The plot is pretty unbelievable, sort of a love story, sort of a mystery.

I give up. The only genre it fits is Bollywood entertainment. But somehow, the movie works. It is really entertaining, if long. But I stayed awake during it, which is more than I can say about most movies. I love Bollywood movies. Have I mentioned that before?

Here's one of the female leads, Bipasha Basu

Daytime TV stinks--TGIM

I'm pretty much on my own all day, just me and close to 200 channels of bad TV. Fortunately, Comedy Central runs repeats of the Daily Show and Colbert, so that the vast wasteland does have the occasional entertainment oasis.
Another break from terrible TV is Monk. I'm not entirely sure why I like the show. It doesn't have the suspense even of Scooby Doo and doesn't come close to a fair to middlin' whodunit like Murder She Wrote. But there is something about the character, Adrian Monk, that is endearing. It must be that he is one of the greatest detectives in the world, yet he is called, behind his back, the defective detective.

He is able to excel despite his flaws and fears. While he rarely overcomes his negative character traits, he continues to do his job in spite of them. The show is more comedy than detective show, more human interest than interesting crimes.

A typical episode would be one like Mr Monk and the Psychic. A local official's wife is killed (by the way, the opening of the show details who did it--mystery solved) and the rest of the episode is used to discredit the psychic who found the body, and to pin the rap on the murderer.

Monk begins nearly every case by deciding "he's the guy," and then setting out to gather evidence. It is sort of a reverse whodunit, may be the best way to explain it. But the show maintains my interest through the interpersonal relationships of Monk, the San Francisco PD, Monk's assistant, his psychiatrist, and occasionally, various ancilliary characters.

Monk's assistant (there have been a couple from season to season) has such duties as providing nursing care for Mr Monk, along with maintaining his list of fears. Naturally, his list is in perfect order. A recent episode included an encounter with frogs. Mr Monk had to decide if he was afraid of frogs (he decided he was) and then had to determine where they went on the list.

I rate this show pretty highly, putting it at a very solid 7.2.

Instant Gratification Gone Wild

I was watching a TV program (ok, I admit it was Oprah) about waste. First was featured a family that just was on the verge of bankruptcy. It was shown how much they wasted. By one week of living without wasting, they were able to save about $400!!! I was shocked people lived like that. Mom made 4 seperate dinners for her family w/3 kids. She threw out huge garbage bags full of spoiled food because they refused to eat leftovers. One kid had a half-dozen or so a day bottled water habit. After making breakfast, which the kids didn't eat, they went out to Dunkin for another breakfast, buying donuts and bagels. The one kid probably had 100 or so outfits in her closet, many of which she never even used. The family kept the heat between 75 and 80 because one kid felt a chill.
The second family had a kid (maybe around 7) who had a twice a week Starbucks habit, along with a 5 year-old with a video game habit. Dad had lunch packed for him, but most days he threw itout to get something different.

According to audience response, this large scale waste is apparently a common problem.

This all got me thinking about various things.

How freaking stupid are these people?

Who doesn't know that throwing out hundreds of dollars worth of food every week, along with keeping the heat on 75 is going to lead to ridiculously high bills? Who is surprised that eating out multiple times per week is expensive? And who didn't know how costly, both to the pocketbook and the environment, bottled water can be?

What I'd like to know most, I suppose, is who has hired these folks and why are they paid so much when they are not able to make the most common sense decisions?

The best we can do

As the election process winds down, it appears, barring any last minute miracles, that Obama will run against McCain for President. Not for nothing, but is this the best we can do? Once again, I will not be able to vote FOR someone, I will vote against someone.

Is it me, or are these choices really terrible? Not saying Mrs. Clinton is any better, either. The last person I voted for (with a legitimate chance to win) was over 20 years ago. I supported Reagan, and to be truthful, he didn't do as much as I'd hoped. Looking back, his record is not nearly as good as folks give him credit. To borrow a word that is making the rounds, there appears to be a Santa Clausification of Reagan. He has taken on mythical qualities, delivering prosperity and fulfilling dreams. Among Republicans, he is considered one of, if not the greatest, Republican President ever. I can only presume they never heard of Teddy Roosevelt or Abe Lincoln.

What is the answer? The only one I can see is a movement towards additional political parties. How likely is it that I could find someone who stands for me when I generally only have 2 choices? One of the most beautiful parts of our system is our President is powerful, yet not all-powerful. I can only imagine the progress we could make as a people if our Congress was composed not of 2 parties, each with around 50%, but instead a legitimate 3rd or 4th party, with enough clout to swing a vote either way. Voting would not always follow party lines, but representatives could actually wind up speaking for the people who selected them.

Goodbye Verizon

I only have only one other option to Verizon, and that is Cablevision. Tomorrow, they will show up and switch me over. It costs a bit, but I will save around $40 per month, so in a month or two, I'll be even.
It stinks that we have such few choices, but, for today, at least one exists. Competition makes every one better, and keeps prices down. I wonder how good things would be if true competition was allowed to exist in a free market?

Not too much to say today. Feeling kind of bummed. One of the guys I went to grammar and high school died last week, and it was pretty impressive reading all he accomplished. Made me realize how much I screwed up, I guess. It's said, it's all about the dash. The part of a tombstone that is between the year of birth and death. I just got to feeling that my dash is pretty lacking.

All I can do is the best I can from this point on.

**sigh**

The Money Mess

I watch the ads for instant loans (Cash call and the like) and I wonder who is using them. The rate is a Mafia-like 99.25%. I thought we had laws against predatory lenders. Or is that considered a fair rate of return? Credit cards are bad enough with the 30% they charge some customers, but this is triple that usurious rate.
I realize they claim the rates are valid because the individuals are credit risks, but if they are that bad a risk, they shouldn’t get any loan at all, let alone one that is so high it almost guarantees that the borrower will default.

I’ve read a lot of the stories about people defaulting on their mortgages. Many are quick to point out that the reason people over extend themselves is greed, wanting it all at once--instant gratification gone wild. Certainly that is a lot of it, but it should be pointed out that in many cases, buyers were assured that before the ARM became too expensive, the buyer could convert from the ridiculously low teaser rate into a regular mortgage. So, who’s at fault? Do we blame the person who tried to make it work, or the lender lying to make the deal? Seems to be a combination of the 2. Couple that with plunging housing prices, and that makes it nearly impossible to get out of a house with a mortgage that is strangling one’s budget.

The folks I feel the most empathy for is the homeowners who borrowed to either make needed repairs, or to pay medical bills or some other unusual expenses. They tried to do the right thing, and are getting punished for it. One of the biggest problems with government intervention is that it either becomes too onerous, or it will exclude those who are normally responsible and truly need the help.

What is the happy medium?

I made it!!!

The Crotchety Old Lady goes back to work tomorrow. She's been home recovering from her toe surgery, 24-7 for 5 years. Ok, it's felt like 5 years. It was only about a month, but one of the longest months in recorded history.

Not that she isn't fun to have around. She has a great sense of humor, and is fun to talk to, but I need my space, dammit! I've watched so many Soap Operas and Oprah, I think I'm beginning to menstruate. If there is bad TV, I swear that woman will find it, and become enamored of it.

And speaking of Oprah, what is her deal? I admit I have seen the show a few times, and it is occasionally interesting, but the majority of it is basic celebrity yammering. I don't give a crap what 99.9999% of Hollywood types say or think. I could not possibly care less about what book Oprah is reading. I don't dislike the woman, but oy vey, her program is annoying as hell.

Some odds and ends

I watched a pretty decent movie last night. Surf's Up is an animated film that kids would like, but I enjoyed it a lot. Sure, it had a lesson, and was very predictable, but it was funny.

I have seen a trailer for the new Harold and Kumar movie, Escape from Guantanamo Bay. They are the Cheech and Chong of a new generation, but much funnier. And NPH as himself is the best.

Kal Penn, the Kumar of the duo, has appeared in a serious Bollywood film, The Namesake, and I highly recommend it. It's not what one usually associates with Bollywood, as it had no musical numbers, or lame comedy. It was a touching, dramatic family film.

A little teaser for Guantanamo Bay

http://youtube.com/watch?v=y_NOc6yH5JY

I'd like to give a shout out to Jesus

I was watching The Price Is Right the other day, and I was amazed by what I saw. First of all, the show is much better without Bob Barker. I started to find him rather smarmy-- an old man surrounded by “Barker’s Beauties.” I only watched the show when I’m in the hospital as channels are limited. But I have started viewing it since Drew Carey became the new host. Drew is one of my all-time favorite comics, a very funny guy, although he does tone it down a lot on the show. Still, it cracks me up when he gets the occasional hot chick contestant. It’s subtle, but he definitely acts differently. He also does get in some really good one liners during the show.
But I digress from what had been the main focus of today’s writing. Drew always asks the contestant spinning the big wheel to try to get into the showcase at the end of the game the same question: “Is there anyone you’d like to say hello to?” At least twice this last week, a contestant said, “I’d like to give a shout out to my Mom, and to Jesus.”

This really starts a stream of questions in my mind.

Will Jesus then help the guy on the wheel?

Does Jesus think, “Hey, that guy just gave Me a shout out. Cool”

And probably the last question, and the one that resonates most loudly in my demented brain, what would the show do if the contestant said, “I would like to give a shout out to the hoary Lord of the Underworld, Beelzebub. Satan Rocks!!!”

And lastly, everyone always thanks Jesus or God when they do well. Did anyone ever complain that they lost because God liked the other contestant better? I would.

The ethanol "solution"

Once again, government is foisting some phoney, feel-good scheme upon the people of the USA. And, once again, we are falling for it.
"Let's get fuel from distilling corn," is the latest example. On the surface, it looks great. After all, we produce millions of tons of corn. Corn is a renewable resource. Alcohol burns cleaner than petroleum based fules. What could be better?

Woohoo, time to go order my new SUV. My fuel woes are over.

But wait, Newton postulated that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Does his theory apply equally to economics as to every other immutable law of the universe? Can it be stated that for every action, there is a reaction? Certainly, for our economic systems are so integrated that a significant shift in one industry will disrupt various other industries. This new use for corn will drive up the price of corn (there's that pesky old economic law of supply and demand kicking in) and so, therefore, other grains will be used to replace corn for animal feed and human consumption.

Guess what happens as the demand for wheat and soybeans begins to rise? If you guessed they will also go up due to demand, then you are one of the few Americans who are paying attention. Unfortunately, again due to the silly one person, one vote rule, you get the exact same ability to make an impact in the next election as the clueless voter down the block who gets all their information from Fox News. Isn't it sad that ones who confuses news with infotainment get to choose our leaders?

Isn't it equally interesting/sad that a self-described "fake news show" like the Daily Show has more journalistic integrity than most of the major news outlets?

I've got to go buy soybean futures. Hope I make enough to pay for fuel for my Hummer.

The Player's Edition works for me.

Getting political

I am so annoyed at the latest government subterfuge--the economic stimulus payment. On the surface, it appears to be a good idea. Pump up the economy by putting more money into it. But wait, isn’t that then inflationary? Of course it is. Each additional dollar in an economy makes the other dollars worth less. I’m not sure of the impact of the money being released, but what really cheeses me is that radio stations are running PSA’s encouraging those who don’t file due to low income to file just so they get the “rebate.”
According to dictionary.com a rebate is

return of part of the original payment for some service or merchandise; partial refund

So please explain to me how someone who doesn’t pay taxes gets a rebate on them?
I call shenanigans. That is all it is. An attempt to get more votes. The Romans placated the masses, and thus controlled them, through bread and circuses. Anyone who doesn’t believe this is the same method being used by modern governments is foolish. And the worst aspect of this is we are creating an entire class of people who not only regularly feed at the government trough, but develop an entitlement mentality whereby they start to believe this is the way it should be. And government, whose ultimate goal is control, is complicit in this. After all, who is easier to control than one who is dependent for food, clothing, and shelter?

Just look at families today. It was reported that 1 in 5 NYC kids eat from a food bank. And, while I don’t have the statistics available, I’m sure more than half of NYC kids eat 2, sometimes 3 meals at school. While I do not think kids should go hungry, don’t parents have an obligation to provide for their families? If one can’t feed one kid, should they continue to have more? I have seen families with generational welfare recipients. The government has created this system to control people. It’s a shame.

And all this government deception knows no political boundaries. I have always believed one can’t tell a Republican from a Democrat without a scorecard. It has never been more true than today.

Verizon still sucks

Quick update: my phone is working, but it won't be correct and static free until Verizon comes through with fiber. In the meantime, I can expect the occasional 1 week interruption in service.
They advertise the new fiber network on TV a few hundred times a day. They ask me to switch and get the whole package from them, TV, DSL, and phone. Guess when they estimate I'll have fiber available?

20 freakin 10. I live in one of the largest and most wealthy counties in the country, and it will be 2 years to get phone service that isn't much better than that of some 3rd world countries?

WTF??????

At one time in our country, monopolies made sense. We never would have had the Transcontinental Railroad if it was totally left up to private enterprise, and anyone was allowed to build. We would have been left with dozens of RR's connecting some East Coast cities and Chicago or some other cities that were more or less towards the West. Same thing with communications systems. Cities would have hundreds of telephone poles per block, and the sun would be blocked out by the veritable spider web of wires strung between them.

But that time has passed. The infrastructure is in place. Real competition, whereby 2 or more cable companies can be in the same area, along with multiple phone companies. But, as usual, business has influence over the politicians, and, as usual, we get the fuzzy end of the lollipop.

DA DEATH OF LANGUAEG AS WA KNOW IT

“Such exquisite and admirable things can be done with words. They can be used to build great cathedrals of thought, and to decorate those cathedrals. They can arise from the depths of the soul and ascend to the heavens.”

Edwin Faust

Language, or rather the misuse and abuse of it, has always fascinated me. Not the comic things like parking on a driveway, and driving on a parkway (why do we do that, anyway?) but instead the dumb things that are said.
“I need to use an ATM machine.” Really? An Automatic Teller Machine, machine.
Or “we need a new hot water heater.” If the water is already hot, why heat it?

Colloquialisms also give me pause. The one I have the most trouble understanding is “I could care less.” What the hell does that mean? And why does that mean exactly the same thing as “I could not care less?” While I’m at it, how is it that flammable and inflammable mean the same thing? Excusable and inexcusable are opposites, just as effective and ineffective are.

My mind is starting to wander. Again. Back to the topic at hand. The written word seems to have taken a back seat today to basic communication on a level which is, for lack of a better term, sophomoric gibberish.

For example: “This is pretty stupid becomes:”

THES SI PRETY STUPID ISNT IT?!?!???!! OMG LOL

I wonder what will happen to our rich language and its nuances in 25 or 50 years when an amalgamation of Spanglish, Hip Hop, and text combines into some form of communication that a person from just a few years ago would be hard pressed to understand.

While language constantly evolves, and always has, it seems to be doing so at such an alarming rate. I fail to see the upside of this.

Verizon Sucks

I hope I can get this entire blog written because my computer keeps shutting down because, well, quite simply, Verizon Sucks. Big time. My phone went out on Saturday. I used a cell (fortunately, I have service with a different company that doesn't suck like Verizon) to call Verizon. They scheduled a repair for Tuesday. I'm disabled, and it takes me half an hour to put on the equipment that it would take to get out of the house in case of an emergency. So, I talked to a rep who said since it is a medical emergency, they will get someone out Sunday. No one showed. I called back, and they rescheduled for Thursday. I called again, and spoke to some sarcastic supervisor/bitch who told me everybody has a medical emergency, so they could not accomodate me.
So, until Thursday, I have limited DSL service (it cuts out every so often due to the line problem) and the phone will ring once in a while, and sometimes the call waiting will work. Sometimes the phone will work, sometimes not.
I should expect this since I live way out in the middle of nowhere in a 3rd world country. Oh wait, no, I live in a highly populated county, which also happens to be one of the richest in the USA. What possible excuse could they have? They have none, they just suck. I'm so happy to write that check for $82.00 a month for such shitty service for my phone and DSL.
So far this morning, I got 2 calls. Both were from Verizon. Both let me know my phone was fixed. Of course, there was so much static on the line, I could barely hear them tell me it was fixed. Bastards. So, I called them on my cell (using my prepaid cell cost me to do this) and they are still coming out Thursday. Guy said he wanted to make sure I was going to be home. I asked him if he missed the part where I said I was homebound and couldn't walk. Stupid bastards.

Verizon sucks.

And for the visual learners:

Living la vida loca

Why can't I get this stupid song out of my head? I barely know the lyrics, in fact, about all I know is the refrain. One song, which I will not name because the mere mention of it makes me have to sing the entire song in my head for a few days. It's that hard to get it out. It's sort of like the South Park episode where Cartman had to sing all of Sail Away if he heard any part of the tune. The mind works in strange ways. Right now, I have been watching "I Can Make You Thin" on TLC with Paul McKenna. (http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/make-you-thin/make-you-thin.html) The premise is that he can help reprogram a fat person's brain to make them think, and eat, like a thin person. Both the Crotchety Old Lady and me could stand to lose a few pounds (ok, for me, a lot) so we are trying his methods. So far, we seem to be doing better. The scale will be the final judge. I'm not going to hit it for a month, though. I want to give it some time to work. This ain't the Biggest Loser.
I'll provide updates next month.

Just got back from AC

I just got back from Atlantic City. I had a very interesting and enjoyable time. The Crotchety Old Lady and I played the slots and found video roulette, a new addition to the casino floor. One can get the feeling of gambling like James Bond in Monte Carlo using quarter “chips.” Maybe I was wearing a Yankees shirt instead of a tux, and she was in a sweat suit, but damn we looked as fine as any jet-setter.
The Old Lady also discovered the joys of 3 card poker. This is a very interesting game. From what we saw, and how we played, simply put $45 on the table in stacks of 3, and (usually) the dealer laughs and scoops them up. Every few hands he would give us a couple back. We sat next to a guy who knew the game very well. We lost a hundred bucks in about a half-hour, while the guy who knew the game dropped over $600. I’m hoping we don’t learn to play as we can’t afford to get better.
We stayed at the Trump Taj Mahal, and Mr. Trump does it right. We usually stay at the Showboat, which is right next door, but we found we like Trump much better. The food is superior. We ordered room service, and had the best onion rings and burgers ever. And, most surprising of all, the pizza was great, too. Thin crust, and a tasty sauce made for a really good pie. The first night that’s what we ordered and liked it so much, we had the same thing the next night. Who knew?
We also visited the buffet. Because we went at 3:00 on a Tuesday afternoon, the place was empty, and the choices were fairly limited. The Old Lady had a steak smothered with onions and mushrooms. It was cooked to order and she loved it. I had some pasta and a small piece of chicken.
But a casino is more than great food. The room was really well appointed, with a beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean. I need handicapped “facilities” and they made my stay very pleasant. Also, the staff was wonderful. Showboat staff is fine, but Trump’s people were so friendly and helpful, it was as if we were the glitterati renting the penthouse, rather than some schmoes who had a free room.
One of our favorite hobbies is people watching. We like to notice things at various spots in the casinos. Some of these things really gives one pause. We notice a lot of seniors who look like they can barely afford to eat, let alone gamble, sit at the dollar slots. I was surprised at the number of folks dragging oxygen tanks with them. African Americans seem to crowd around the dice tables, while Asians fill the tables in the big money rooms. This doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but it is fun to speculate.

It's Opening Day

Finally. The Yankees were rained out, but that makes me pretty happy. They play tomorrow, which is my birthday (yeah, what a surprise, April Fool's Day) and I'll be in Atlantic City wearing my birthday present. A Joba Chamberlain shirt. Yeah, it's kind of wacky wearing a shirt with another guy's name on it, but it's not like I'm wearing Joba's bowling shirt because we're going steady.
Since it's opening day, here's my predictions for the division champions

AL East
Do you really need to ask?
Yankees, Yankees, Yankees. Pitching is going to be ok, and they score like a machine.

AL Central
The Tigers and the Indians are the obvious choices. I'm going with the Indians. CC and Carmona are just so dominant.

AL West
It's gonna be the Angels.

Wild card will be the Red Sox

If they can keep those stupid bugs away, Yankees will beat Cleveland for the AL Championship.

NL East
The Mets look good with Santana, as long as they can get one more year out of Pedro. Maine is looking good, too. I predict a big year for him.

NL Central
It's been 100 years since the Cubbies won the Series. This ain't the year, but at least they will take the division.

NL West
Everybody is going with the Rockies or the d'Backs. I'm going against conventional wisdom, and picking the Padres. I'm not sure why, maybe I'm just feeling religious.
The Phils will take the wild card.

The Mets pitching is strong in a short series, so I look for them to return to the Series.

Should be a re-match of the Subway Series of 2000, and while I'm rooting for the Yankees, I'm predicting a Mets win, but I won't be happy about that. It's almost as bad as a Sox win.

My Guilty Pleasure

Everyone has them. The little silly thing we do or enjoy that, while not necessarily bad for us, is something that not a lot of people know about us. It's usually something we like to keep secret, too. Or that we only share with a few others. Here's possibly my biggest guilty pleasure: I like Kiddie movies. A lot.

Monsters, Inc. That was a "Date night" flick with the Crotchety Old lady. I promised to take her out to see some romsntic chick flick, and when we got to the theater, I went to get the tickets while she procured the popcorn and Milk Duds. What a surprise!!! The chickflick was sold out , but they fortuitously had 2 seats for Monsters, Inc. So we were the only two adults there without kids.

I liked Finding Nemo, Cars, all the Muppet Movies, and most Disney movies. In fact, kiddie movies are perfect for me because I have a short attention span, and hate to think while being entertained. I prefer mindless drivel most of the time.

Last night, we saw what may be one of my all-time favorites: Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit. The movie was funny, sweet, and in a way, geared towards a more mature audience. Inferences were present throughout to such classic horror movies as Frankenstein, various were-wolf flicks, King Kong, and others. The movie had plenty of little jokes, ones kids would surely miss, but which would make an adult laugh out loud. This is available on DVD, and if you enjoy movies that are just simple entertainment, pure and without those nasty additives that require an in-depth thought process, I highly recommend this film. It's suitable for the entire family, and can be enjoyed by all on many levels.

Man vs Wild

Yeah, I know that is the name of some cable TV program which I've never seen. The premise just seems a little too contrived even for me. And that's saying a lot. I watched a TV show about Cavemen in our midst. I can even sing the theme song from "My Mother, the Car," generally considered to be the worst show of all-time. But I digress. This quote really made me think today:

I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less
time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness
and respecting her seniority.
E. B. White

I'm just feeling all warm and fuzzy lately, with a desire to commune with nature. I don't know if it's a result of spring or just advanced cabin fever. I have this overwhelming desire to frolic in the woods. This is kind of strange since I haven't frolicked since 1974, I believe it was early June of that year.

Nevertheless, The Old Man is feeling pretty good. Life's sweet nectar flows into every pore of his being. I'd start quoting poetry, but the only line I know is from Jabberwocky:
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.

For some reason, that just seems to fit today.