shocked to find gambling going on here!" (Renault, played by Claude Rains, in "Casablanca" from 1942.)
This display of nerve leaves Rick at a loss. The croupier comes out of the gambling room and up to Renault. He hands him a roll of bills.
Croupier: "Your winnings, sir."
Renault: "Oh. Thank you very much"
From the script of "Casablanca", 64 years ago...
The above has been much in my mind, repeating over and over since last Friday when the State Department announced they were shocked that Israel "might" have used American made cluster bombs in civilian areas of Lebanon last month, and they would begin an "immediate investigation to make sure that none of the agreements we had with them about the use of such weapons had been violated"...
Jim Clancy of CNN was on the ground there last week, showing the bomblets scattered everywhere by the thousands, and speaking to doctors and nurses in the hospitals who were trying to save some of the children injured by these miniature airborn mines. One child had not even been playing with one or touching it at the time he was "hit". It fell from the tree where it had been stuck, next to the front stoop of his home...
He was about a year older than my grandson.
CNN also showed people trying to go out and clear the bomblets. There aren't enough of them of course, and they are scattered not only all over the ground, rooftops and in trees, but in the rubble of every building that dropped from other bombs, etc..
What a wonderful world...
alan
Monday, August 28, 2006
Friday, August 25, 2006
Friday morning...
almost 3AM. Playing beat the clock again, as I need to do a few things and hit the shower and be in bed by 3...
Good week in the gym, personal bests all 3 days for weight, reps or both. Feeling it very much tonight, lol!
Grandkids are spending the night tonight, then Saturday is my "little" sister's birthday party, postponed from two weekends ago because we couldn't get everyone together for more than an hour that weekend. Grilled chicken with that marinade I shared so long ago on the menu, along with corn on the cob, baked potatoes and rolls.
I might not be around much until late on Sunday, so forgive me for not checking in sooner...
Hope you each have wonderful weekends!
alan
Good week in the gym, personal bests all 3 days for weight, reps or both. Feeling it very much tonight, lol!
Grandkids are spending the night tonight, then Saturday is my "little" sister's birthday party, postponed from two weekends ago because we couldn't get everyone together for more than an hour that weekend. Grilled chicken with that marinade I shared so long ago on the menu, along with corn on the cob, baked potatoes and rolls.
I might not be around much until late on Sunday, so forgive me for not checking in sooner...
Hope you each have wonderful weekends!
alan
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Playing "beat the clock" tonight...
I was trying to make it to bed by 2, now I'm going for 2:30, lol! My intent was 8 hours sleep before I get up to hit the gym tomorrow, and I may still get it. I'm still trying to do a 3 day split (chest and back, legs, then arms and shoulders) and get some cardio in each time, but keep getting there later than I want to and the cardio is suffering, therefore I'm not bouncing right back down to the weight I was when vacation began last month!
Of course, fighting through the Ruffles and Vanilla Wafers withdrawal after spending two weeks mostly in the car and munching isn't helping that battle, either! The week I went back to work I did even more damage, as I touched peanut butter for the first time in a year (when I came home, worse yet) and went through a half a large jar of Skippy in about 3 days...with a spoon!
Slowly gaining control over my diet again, and the rest will fall into place...or fall off of place...or something like that, anyway!
Happy Wednesday!
alan
Of course, fighting through the Ruffles and Vanilla Wafers withdrawal after spending two weeks mostly in the car and munching isn't helping that battle, either! The week I went back to work I did even more damage, as I touched peanut butter for the first time in a year (when I came home, worse yet) and went through a half a large jar of Skippy in about 3 days...with a spoon!
Slowly gaining control over my diet again, and the rest will fall into place...or fall off of place...or something like that, anyway!
Happy Wednesday!
alan
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Saturday finds me being lazy...
I slept 'til noon, despite my better intentions. 8 hours for the first time in a week!
I should be cleaning, mowing, running errands; instead I've been catching up virus definitions and updating Ad-Aware, etc..
I did upload from the memory card of my phone finally...not a great photo, but something to make you appreciate your own "look in the mirror" all the more!
Off to change a water filter!
alan
I should be cleaning, mowing, running errands; instead I've been catching up virus definitions and updating Ad-Aware, etc..
I did upload from the memory card of my phone finally...not a great photo, but something to make you appreciate your own "look in the mirror" all the more!
Off to change a water filter!
alan
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Monday, August 14, 2006
It's strange to sit here...
with thunder and lightning all around and be writing a post instead of worrying about a lightning strike! I'm on the laptop, Dottie went to bed a bit ago, and I'm heading for the shower when the lightning slows a bit.
We did an "us" weekend, 2 movies in the theatre yesterday, then one last night off DVD after we got home. Today we slept late, stuck a turkey in the oven and went to another, then came home and ate and watched a second, then watched the 2nd episode of "3 Moons Over Milford".
The worst "discussions" of our 30 years have always been over gay rights and women's rights; the events of the last month have added a 3rd to that list. She of course, has no idea about my friend in Beirut and her family. She also thinks that as long as a single missle lands in Israel they have a right to target the entire population of a country instead of just the ones firing them...
Perhaps I've offended some of you as well over this last few weeks as well as my wife; if so I'm sorry for that.
Somehow the idea of "killing the patient to cure a boil" bothers me!
We saw Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center" on Saturday. I had heard interviews last week with some of the people who were there, and they had good things to say about it. It was a good movie, well done. Apparently the events of last week made it poor timing for it's release, as people seem to be avoiding it. Maria Bello is always stunning, and it's really a very good ensemble.
That afternoon we finally got to "An Incovenient Truth". This one needs to be seen in all the schools when it hits DVD, and I hope it is. This might be one more time when the kids can help save the parents!
On the way home last night I stopped and rented "Brick". I had wanted to see it at the "art house" but it only stayed a week, and those are really hard to get to on my hours. I had read about it somewhere (USA Today, maybe) being a Raymond Chandler "Sam Spade" type of yarn, set in high school. It was, it was good, and has me digging for my copy of "The Maltese Falcon". Chandler and Hammett have been on my reading list for a long time, just to see how they compare to those old movies I love; sometime I'm going to have to get to them.
Today, after the turkey found it's way into the oven, we went to see "Prarie Home Companion". I love the radio show, my wife is bored by it, but I really wanted to see the movie, so we went. I liked it a lot, and love having faces to go with the voices I've treasured for so long now. Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly slipping in as the cowboys didn't jar me as badly as I had feared, and Meryl Streep can sing! This may not be ranked with Altman's "MASH" but it's a really good movie! Dottie still doesn't care for the radio show, but laughed pretty hard during parts of the movie. I had hoped it might draw her into fandom, but no such luck.
We came home, I did chores while she made gravy, then we ate and watched "Failure To Launch", one we had missed in the theatres and had been looking forward to. We both enjoyed it very much, and the interviews with McConaughey and Bradshaw in the making of stuff are a riot!
Hope you all had nice weekends!
alan
We did an "us" weekend, 2 movies in the theatre yesterday, then one last night off DVD after we got home. Today we slept late, stuck a turkey in the oven and went to another, then came home and ate and watched a second, then watched the 2nd episode of "3 Moons Over Milford".
The worst "discussions" of our 30 years have always been over gay rights and women's rights; the events of the last month have added a 3rd to that list. She of course, has no idea about my friend in Beirut and her family. She also thinks that as long as a single missle lands in Israel they have a right to target the entire population of a country instead of just the ones firing them...
Perhaps I've offended some of you as well over this last few weeks as well as my wife; if so I'm sorry for that.
Somehow the idea of "killing the patient to cure a boil" bothers me!
We saw Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center" on Saturday. I had heard interviews last week with some of the people who were there, and they had good things to say about it. It was a good movie, well done. Apparently the events of last week made it poor timing for it's release, as people seem to be avoiding it. Maria Bello is always stunning, and it's really a very good ensemble.
That afternoon we finally got to "An Incovenient Truth". This one needs to be seen in all the schools when it hits DVD, and I hope it is. This might be one more time when the kids can help save the parents!
On the way home last night I stopped and rented "Brick". I had wanted to see it at the "art house" but it only stayed a week, and those are really hard to get to on my hours. I had read about it somewhere (USA Today, maybe) being a Raymond Chandler "Sam Spade" type of yarn, set in high school. It was, it was good, and has me digging for my copy of "The Maltese Falcon". Chandler and Hammett have been on my reading list for a long time, just to see how they compare to those old movies I love; sometime I'm going to have to get to them.
Today, after the turkey found it's way into the oven, we went to see "Prarie Home Companion". I love the radio show, my wife is bored by it, but I really wanted to see the movie, so we went. I liked it a lot, and love having faces to go with the voices I've treasured for so long now. Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly slipping in as the cowboys didn't jar me as badly as I had feared, and Meryl Streep can sing! This may not be ranked with Altman's "MASH" but it's a really good movie! Dottie still doesn't care for the radio show, but laughed pretty hard during parts of the movie. I had hoped it might draw her into fandom, but no such luck.
We came home, I did chores while she made gravy, then we ate and watched "Failure To Launch", one we had missed in the theatres and had been looking forward to. We both enjoyed it very much, and the interviews with McConaughey and Bradshaw in the making of stuff are a riot!
Hope you all had nice weekends!
alan
Friday, August 11, 2006
So true...
My feelings in a nutshell!
Tomorrow (a UN resolution) has been coming for weeks now, and it isn't here yet!
Everyone puts their positive spin on things, and so far the only proposal that might actually do anything to help NOW is the Russian one, which Bolton is saying "is a distraction".
I'm ashamed of my country and it's inaction; let alone it's supplying the means of destruction!
Sorry but this has my stomach in knots, and I can't help but write about it...
alan
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Just a recurring thought...
If some guys did at home what they'll do in a public restroom, they'd be "Bobbittized"!
alan
alan
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Tagged...
a few days ago for "Five Weird Things About Me". I've been mulling trying to come up with some I haven't listed before...
1. I've set myself on fire once! Burning paint off a motorcycle frame I couldn't afford to sandblast. It was lying on a patio, I covered it and lit it, then when the flames went out, I used a 1/2 gallon pitcher to pour more on it. Apparently, it was still hot enough to provide instant ignition, and the fire came right back up to the pitcher, and up across my face as I tossed it. I lost part of my goatee and moustache, most of my eyebrows and my hair was singed. After driving to get my wife we went to the base dispensary (I was her dependent in those days) and they ran cold saline solution over my face for a long time, then checked my eyes to make sure they were OK. The cold drew out the heat, the saline drew the moisture to keep it from blistering, and I never blistered or peeled!
A few years later I read in another magazine that the best thing you could do for a sunburn was to make saltwater with as much salt as you could dissolve in it, then chill it with ice cubes, and dip washrags or towels in it to apply it to the burn. Change them when they don't feel cold anymore...
2. I have an ugly scar on the inside of my left elbow. We moved when I was in the 5th grade and the new house was on a septic tank. Dad gave away Mom's automatic washing machine and bought a wringer one so less water went through the septic. The first thing Mom said was to never walk my fingers on the wringer. I didn't understand what she meant, and got her to explain it. Everytime I went to the basement she would utter those cautionary words; after about 6 months I tried it.
I had on a long sleeve nylon shirt and my arm got sucked in up to the elbow, then it couldn't go any further, so it just sat there and spun while I screamed. I wasn't strong enough to pop the safety release, or smart enough to pull the plug. It peeled the hide off the inside of my arm from about the time it was halfway to the elbow, then as it sat and spun it got down into the meat a bit. Mom finally came downstairs, unplugged it, then used a hammer to open the release bar.
Of course, all the way to the doctor's, she said "I told you not to do that!"
3. I listen to a lot of jazz, big band, swing and classical. I grew up listening to swing era stuff, and found earlier and later jazz on my own. I played classical through school, only to get myself into the stage bands, but these last few years have come to love it as well. I never really listened to rock until I was in the service! Working where I do with so many radios on throughout the assembly plant, either on classic rock or country or rap stations, you can only listen to those 50 songs that are in rotation so many times before you burn out...consequently (and for commercial free listening) I gravitate to the left end of the dial...I'm happy with New Age, Celtic, trance, techno, world, reggae, Asian...there are times my wife will get in the car and it's Tejano or Persian music; then she'll ask if I can at least play something in English...
4. I don't have a savings account, and no prospect for one...
5. I have no stock, PSP, 401K or any of that...only my GM retirement, which seems to be more endangered everyday!
Sorry if those last two are "wimping out" but it's Saturday night now, I've been mulling these for days; Dottie stayed home sick today so I didn't get here until midnight, and I'm heading for the shower and to bed! I did laundry, replaced the alternator on my Chrysler and shopped today, fixed dinner, and spent a few hours watching "Ghost Whisperer" with her, along with trying to transfer our phone books to two new cellphones and figuring out how to load MP3's onto mine (Gayanne, the ballet score, Gerry Mulligan and Astrud Gilberto were first, see 3 above...)
I don't have the heart to tag anyone else...hope I'm forgiven!
Hope you're all having wonderful weekends!
alan
1. I've set myself on fire once! Burning paint off a motorcycle frame I couldn't afford to sandblast. It was lying on a patio, I covered it and lit it, then when the flames went out, I used a 1/2 gallon pitcher to pour more on it. Apparently, it was still hot enough to provide instant ignition, and the fire came right back up to the pitcher, and up across my face as I tossed it. I lost part of my goatee and moustache, most of my eyebrows and my hair was singed. After driving to get my wife we went to the base dispensary (I was her dependent in those days) and they ran cold saline solution over my face for a long time, then checked my eyes to make sure they were OK. The cold drew out the heat, the saline drew the moisture to keep it from blistering, and I never blistered or peeled!
A few years later I read in another magazine that the best thing you could do for a sunburn was to make saltwater with as much salt as you could dissolve in it, then chill it with ice cubes, and dip washrags or towels in it to apply it to the burn. Change them when they don't feel cold anymore...
2. I have an ugly scar on the inside of my left elbow. We moved when I was in the 5th grade and the new house was on a septic tank. Dad gave away Mom's automatic washing machine and bought a wringer one so less water went through the septic. The first thing Mom said was to never walk my fingers on the wringer. I didn't understand what she meant, and got her to explain it. Everytime I went to the basement she would utter those cautionary words; after about 6 months I tried it.
I had on a long sleeve nylon shirt and my arm got sucked in up to the elbow, then it couldn't go any further, so it just sat there and spun while I screamed. I wasn't strong enough to pop the safety release, or smart enough to pull the plug. It peeled the hide off the inside of my arm from about the time it was halfway to the elbow, then as it sat and spun it got down into the meat a bit. Mom finally came downstairs, unplugged it, then used a hammer to open the release bar.
Of course, all the way to the doctor's, she said "I told you not to do that!"
3. I listen to a lot of jazz, big band, swing and classical. I grew up listening to swing era stuff, and found earlier and later jazz on my own. I played classical through school, only to get myself into the stage bands, but these last few years have come to love it as well. I never really listened to rock until I was in the service! Working where I do with so many radios on throughout the assembly plant, either on classic rock or country or rap stations, you can only listen to those 50 songs that are in rotation so many times before you burn out...consequently (and for commercial free listening) I gravitate to the left end of the dial...I'm happy with New Age, Celtic, trance, techno, world, reggae, Asian...there are times my wife will get in the car and it's Tejano or Persian music; then she'll ask if I can at least play something in English...
4. I don't have a savings account, and no prospect for one...
5. I have no stock, PSP, 401K or any of that...only my GM retirement, which seems to be more endangered everyday!
Sorry if those last two are "wimping out" but it's Saturday night now, I've been mulling these for days; Dottie stayed home sick today so I didn't get here until midnight, and I'm heading for the shower and to bed! I did laundry, replaced the alternator on my Chrysler and shopped today, fixed dinner, and spent a few hours watching "Ghost Whisperer" with her, along with trying to transfer our phone books to two new cellphones and figuring out how to load MP3's onto mine (Gayanne, the ballet score, Gerry Mulligan and Astrud Gilberto were first, see 3 above...)
I don't have the heart to tag anyone else...hope I'm forgiven!
Hope you're all having wonderful weekends!
alan
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Sadness ensues...
I awoke at 11 and came here to "check in" and change the shipping on an Amazon order before I left for the gym. First I turned on the Weather Channel (like always) then CNN International...something about the "train wreck" of our world always draws me.
They were showing satellite photos of southern Beirut from before the present madness began, and then from yesterday.
They look like the aerial photos of Berlin or a number of other European cities after the 8th Army Air Corps raids of the 2nd World War!
So much for "precision bombing of selected targets" and all of that fooforaw about "only targeting sites due to intelligence". There are entire blucks missing!
My friend was interviewed by the BBC for their noon broadcast today; I'm hoping they repeat part of it tonight at midnight when I get to tune in from work...
Sorry about going on about all of this. My next post was supposed to be my "5 weird things about me" answer to being tagged, and I have been working on it, trying to come up with ones I haven't used before. So far I have 3...more soon I promise!
alan
They were showing satellite photos of southern Beirut from before the present madness began, and then from yesterday.
They look like the aerial photos of Berlin or a number of other European cities after the 8th Army Air Corps raids of the 2nd World War!
So much for "precision bombing of selected targets" and all of that fooforaw about "only targeting sites due to intelligence". There are entire blucks missing!
My friend was interviewed by the BBC for their noon broadcast today; I'm hoping they repeat part of it tonight at midnight when I get to tune in from work...
Sorry about going on about all of this. My next post was supposed to be my "5 weird things about me" answer to being tagged, and I have been working on it, trying to come up with ones I haven't used before. So far I have 3...more soon I promise!
alan
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
I've been biting my tongue...
for days now, and just can't stand it anymore!
14 artillery shells fired into a clearly marked UN observer post.
6 phone calls pointing out the error to those firing the shells.
Guess they were tired of the phone calls because next it was a 500 pound American made laser guided bomb that found it's way to them!
It was bad enough when people were being told to leave after the bridges and roads had already been blown up...
When our government was planning on charging the Americans that were trying to leave for their transportation to Cyprus and then home...
When the BBC announced that the US military aircraft ferrying the smart bombs and other munitions to Israel (more of our tax dollars at work) were stopping over at an airbase in the UK without having asked permission (big no-no)...
Then we have the 2nd massacre at Qana on Sunday, with at least 60 dead, mostly women and children (again). Last time (1996) the residents had gone to a UN base for their safety as they couldn't evacuate.
It was shelled by artillery! 106 dead...
This time two more American made laser guided bombs were dropped on a building "that was close to where we thought some missles were fired from"!
They regret the loss of life...Bush regrets the loss of life...
They say they'll stop bombing for 48 hours to let people leave and let aid convoys in; tonight on the BBC Oxfam said that they are requiring clearance for each individual convoy and 72 hours notice before they can move. Of course, the 48 hours will be over before the 72 hours is!
So much for a pause...
Bush says we're going to send aid...
Guess we should, we already sent the bombs!
My friend in Beirut was OK as of yesterday. Her company is trying to get their employees to relocate to offices in other countries "for the duration". If she doesn't, she goes on half pay for the forseeable future. She doesn't want to leave her parents and grandparents (in their 90's and not in good health). I can't blame her...
I can't imagine her Dad and what he must be thinking. A Palestinian Christian, born in Haifa in what is now Israel, uprooted and exiled as a boy...
My head is spinning as I think of all of this...my heart is heavy...
There are so many ways to die in this world...traffic, disease, accidents...
Why do we have to kill each other as well?
alan
14 artillery shells fired into a clearly marked UN observer post.
6 phone calls pointing out the error to those firing the shells.
Guess they were tired of the phone calls because next it was a 500 pound American made laser guided bomb that found it's way to them!
It was bad enough when people were being told to leave after the bridges and roads had already been blown up...
When our government was planning on charging the Americans that were trying to leave for their transportation to Cyprus and then home...
When the BBC announced that the US military aircraft ferrying the smart bombs and other munitions to Israel (more of our tax dollars at work) were stopping over at an airbase in the UK without having asked permission (big no-no)...
Then we have the 2nd massacre at Qana on Sunday, with at least 60 dead, mostly women and children (again). Last time (1996) the residents had gone to a UN base for their safety as they couldn't evacuate.
It was shelled by artillery! 106 dead...
This time two more American made laser guided bombs were dropped on a building "that was close to where we thought some missles were fired from"!
They regret the loss of life...Bush regrets the loss of life...
They say they'll stop bombing for 48 hours to let people leave and let aid convoys in; tonight on the BBC Oxfam said that they are requiring clearance for each individual convoy and 72 hours notice before they can move. Of course, the 48 hours will be over before the 72 hours is!
So much for a pause...
Bush says we're going to send aid...
Guess we should, we already sent the bombs!
My friend in Beirut was OK as of yesterday. Her company is trying to get their employees to relocate to offices in other countries "for the duration". If she doesn't, she goes on half pay for the forseeable future. She doesn't want to leave her parents and grandparents (in their 90's and not in good health). I can't blame her...
I can't imagine her Dad and what he must be thinking. A Palestinian Christian, born in Haifa in what is now Israel, uprooted and exiled as a boy...
My head is spinning as I think of all of this...my heart is heavy...
There are so many ways to die in this world...traffic, disease, accidents...
Why do we have to kill each other as well?
alan
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