From Sunday Stealing
Big Bad Meme
1. Is there anyone else in the room with you atm? What are they doing?
A. I don't have an ATM in my house, but I certainly envy anyone who does. How great would that be, to have money available like that. Oh. Wait. You mean "at the moment." I'm alone.
2. Do you show your teeth when you smile, or do you prefer smiling with your lips closed?
A. I've never given this much thought, but my teeth show in my photo here.
3. Would you rather be told the truth, even if it isn’t what you want to hear?
A. I prefer the truth, yes. Unless it's Christmas and you've bought me a present. Then you don't have to tell me the truth.
4. What is something that you plan to buy, as soon as you’ve saved up the money for it?
A. I may purchase a MAC if Windows 10 continues to be the bane of my existence. But I have other things that need to be taken care of before I do that.
5. Do you play Sudoku?
A. No.
6. Have you ever had a migraine?
A. Yes. I used to average about three a month, for three days each, and ultimately this led to my starting a freelance career. No employer wants to keep around an employee who is sick that often. They have diminished as I've aged. Also, for fellow migraine sufferers, I have found that a combination of magnesium malate (has to be that kind) and Vitamin B2 makes a big difference in the frequency and severity of the migraine.
7. What was the last book you read for pleasure?
A. Salvage the Bones, by Jesmyn Ward. I am currently listening to V is for Vengeance, by Sue Grafton.
8. What was the last item of clothing you purchased for yourself?
A. Last night I bought myself a new pair of house slippers.
9. Your first serious relationship, do you still talk to him/her?
A. No.
10. Who is the last person you texted?
A. I don't text.
11. How close is your family?
A. My brother and father live about seven miles from me. My mother-in-law is within sight distance (about 1/2 mile away).
12. Is there anything too serious to be joked about?
A. Gun violence. Slavery. Rape. Murder. Etc. I know those things are joked about but they should not be.
13. Do you like to understand and have good knowledge of things?
A. I do.
14. What is worse? Back pain or shoulder pain?
A. Pain is bad wherever one has it.
15. Have you ever almost fallen off of something high off the ground?
A. I don't recall.
16. What’s one fruit you love in drinks?
A. I only drink tea or water.
17. What is something simple that you’re afraid of?
A. I'm not a fan of rats or spiders, if that is what you mean.
18. Has this weekend been good?
A. It's been okay. My husband took me to dinner. Winner winner!
19. How much time do you take to get ready in the morning?
A. About 45 minutes, including shower and everything.
20. Last movie you watched in theaters and with whom?
A. The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies with my husband, which premiered last December. We don't go to the movies much.
__________
I
encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday
Stealing posts and leave a comment.
Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.
Sunday, November 08, 2015
Saturday, November 07, 2015
Saturday 9: Random
Saturday 9: All Random
This week's Saturday 9 is refreshingly theme free, featuring questions submitted by regular Saturday 9ers. Crazy Sam really appreciates all the help she received with this week's meme, and is jealously protecting all your unused questions. Expect to see them sprinkled throughout Saturday 9s in the future.
1) Do you prefer your pickle sliced thin, sliced thick, or in a spear?
A. I like Gherkins or small pickles which look like baby cucumbers, and they have to be bread and butter. I don't like dill pickles. I guess that a baby cucumber would be like a spear.
2) What kind of eggs do you like best for breakfast?
A. Scrambled.
3) If you got 2 pennies for change, would you pocket them or leave them on the counter for the next person?
A. If the counter has a "leave a penny, take a penny" cup, I leave them. If not, I put them in my pocket.
4) You’re now in charge of the manners for the planet. Tell us the new rules for cellphone etiquette.
A. OMG. Put that thing away! You are not allowed to use it when you are outside of your home unless you are an emergency services person or an expectant father whose wife is due to give birth within 24 hours. If you must take a call, then you (a) stop the car and pull over, if you are driving, and if elsewhere (b) go into the restroom (but please not into a stall, that's just, eww!) or outside away from other people (preferably sit in your car in the parking lot) if you are somewhere in public and (c) don't scream into it so that everyone can hear your end of the conversation no matter where you are. For heaven's sake, people. Look at one another when you're talking and stop playing Candy Crush. You only have one life. Live it! Feel the air, see the sunshine, hear the crush of grass beneath your feet, not the tweet of some damn machine.
5) You’re about to write a novel. What genre will it be (sci fi, chick lit, historical fiction, comic …)?
A. Magical realism. (Magic in a realistic world.) I'm actually participating, poorly, in National Novel Writing Month right now (NaNoWriMo). See me writing blog meme answers instead of working on the novel?
6) Is it a bad thing to lie to save a friend’s feelings?
A. It depends on the situation. "Do I have spinach between my teeth?" rather demands a truthful answer. If she is wearing an orange dress that she obviously loves, but it makes her look like she has jaundice, then "it's a lovely dress" is fine. After all, the dress might be lovely (just not on her) so you're not exactly lying. Right?
7) Is your big toe your longest toe?
A. Nope. My second toe is my longest toe. I think this is supposed to mean something, but a quick search of the Internet, our great god of knowledge, reveals multiple suggestions as to what it might be.
8) Hot stone massage: yea or nay?
A. Any massage receives a yea.
9) Do you check the mirror before going out?
A. Depends on where I am going. Grocery store? No. Meeting with high ranking officials? Yes.
_____________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
This week's Saturday 9 is refreshingly theme free, featuring questions submitted by regular Saturday 9ers. Crazy Sam really appreciates all the help she received with this week's meme, and is jealously protecting all your unused questions. Expect to see them sprinkled throughout Saturday 9s in the future.
1) Do you prefer your pickle sliced thin, sliced thick, or in a spear?
A. I like Gherkins or small pickles which look like baby cucumbers, and they have to be bread and butter. I don't like dill pickles. I guess that a baby cucumber would be like a spear.
2) What kind of eggs do you like best for breakfast?
A. Scrambled.
3) If you got 2 pennies for change, would you pocket them or leave them on the counter for the next person?
A. If the counter has a "leave a penny, take a penny" cup, I leave them. If not, I put them in my pocket.
4) You’re now in charge of the manners for the planet. Tell us the new rules for cellphone etiquette.
A. OMG. Put that thing away! You are not allowed to use it when you are outside of your home unless you are an emergency services person or an expectant father whose wife is due to give birth within 24 hours. If you must take a call, then you (a) stop the car and pull over, if you are driving, and if elsewhere (b) go into the restroom (but please not into a stall, that's just, eww!) or outside away from other people (preferably sit in your car in the parking lot) if you are somewhere in public and (c) don't scream into it so that everyone can hear your end of the conversation no matter where you are. For heaven's sake, people. Look at one another when you're talking and stop playing Candy Crush. You only have one life. Live it! Feel the air, see the sunshine, hear the crush of grass beneath your feet, not the tweet of some damn machine.
5) You’re about to write a novel. What genre will it be (sci fi, chick lit, historical fiction, comic …)?
A. Magical realism. (Magic in a realistic world.) I'm actually participating, poorly, in National Novel Writing Month right now (NaNoWriMo). See me writing blog meme answers instead of working on the novel?
6) Is it a bad thing to lie to save a friend’s feelings?
A. It depends on the situation. "Do I have spinach between my teeth?" rather demands a truthful answer. If she is wearing an orange dress that she obviously loves, but it makes her look like she has jaundice, then "it's a lovely dress" is fine. After all, the dress might be lovely (just not on her) so you're not exactly lying. Right?
7) Is your big toe your longest toe?
A. Nope. My second toe is my longest toe. I think this is supposed to mean something, but a quick search of the Internet, our great god of knowledge, reveals multiple suggestions as to what it might be.
8) Hot stone massage: yea or nay?
A. Any massage receives a yea.
9) Do you check the mirror before going out?
A. Depends on where I am going. Grocery store? No. Meeting with high ranking officials? Yes.
_____________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
Friday, November 06, 2015
More Autumn Color
 |
| Tinker Mountain |
 |
| Leaves at my physical therapist's office. |
 |
| View from my cousin's house |
 |
| Additional view from my cousin's house. That green field in the middle there at the foot of the mountain has a house backed up against the woods; that is my father's home. |
 |
| Again, from my cousin's driveway. |
 |
| Lovely mountains. |
 |
| More yellows this year, I think. |
 |
| Recent rains really greened up the fields. |
Thursday, November 05, 2015
Thursday Thirteen
Thirty years ago today, my area was inundated with 6.1 inches of rain, which caused what is known as the Flood of 1985. Ten people died.
So here is a list of 13 things you should have in an emergency preparedness kit.
Everyone should have a grab-and-go duffle bag full of things they may need for an overnight emergency, if nothing else. (Check its contents periodically to keep things updated.) But many things you should also keep in your home.
1. Water. You should have a least a gallon per person per day. This is not realistic for a grab-and-go bag, so place a few bottles of water in that.
2. Food. Canned food with tops that don't require a can opener or refrigeration are good ideas, such as crackers, etc. For the grab-and-go, place a few peanut butter crackers or other nabs in there.
3. Medication. If you take any medicine, you should always try to keep that refilled and on hand. Stick a few pills in your grab-and-go bag (you may need to tell your physician what you're doing in order to get a few extra pills in your prescription).
4. A change of clothes. These should be something hardy, like jeans, and maybe good walking shoes.
5. Rain gear and/or lightweight jacket.
6. A first aid kit (bandages, stuff for cuts and beestings, something for upset stomachs, aspirin, etc.)
7. An extra pair of glasses if you need them to see.
8. A blanket or sleeping bag.
9. Credit cards and cash. I suspect cash is the better way to go; without electricity the credit cards won't do you any good.
10. A full tank of gas in the car. I never let my car gas tank go below 1/2 full. If the power is out for days, the pumps won't work. You may also want to keep gas in a can somewhere, so long as you're safe about it.
11. Batteries and battery-powered flashlight.
12. Portable battery-powered radio. (They make a solar portable combination flashlight/radio/cellphone charger these days. Good to have.)
13. Any other personal items you may need, particularly for elderly folks, infants, or disabled people.
Another thing you may consider is a generator. They make whole-house generators today that will kick in and keep the refrigerator running. Even a small generator can be useful.
You never know when an emergency will happen. The grab-and-go bag could be useful if, say, you get a call in the night that a relative is sick. You could take the duffle with you and at least you'd have a change of clothes and your medication.
You can see a 1/2 hour documentary of the flood on youtube at this link.
The flood of 1985 is one of those things you don't forget. My husband of two years was a firefighter and on duty. He and his fellow firefighters saved many lives that day.
I spent hours trying to get home from Roanoke (going from one flooded road to another in a desperate attempt to get on the interstate) only to find I could not reach my house because of mudslides and flooding. After finally finding a way home, I found the basement had four feet of water in it even though there was no creek or anything nearby; it was all run-off from the rain water.
This was the era of no cell phones so I had no way of knowing if my husband was okay; nor did he know if I made it home from the city. The phones weren't working, though he finally got through to my in-laws later in the day. I remember his first words to me: Thank God you're okay!
My father-in-law was the fire chief of the local fire department; they were running rescue calls as well. I spent the night with my in-laws, who were not experiencing the basement flooding that I was.
Hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes - the weather is unpredictable. Try to be prepared!
______________
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 419th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
So here is a list of 13 things you should have in an emergency preparedness kit.
Everyone should have a grab-and-go duffle bag full of things they may need for an overnight emergency, if nothing else. (Check its contents periodically to keep things updated.) But many things you should also keep in your home.
1. Water. You should have a least a gallon per person per day. This is not realistic for a grab-and-go bag, so place a few bottles of water in that.
2. Food. Canned food with tops that don't require a can opener or refrigeration are good ideas, such as crackers, etc. For the grab-and-go, place a few peanut butter crackers or other nabs in there.
3. Medication. If you take any medicine, you should always try to keep that refilled and on hand. Stick a few pills in your grab-and-go bag (you may need to tell your physician what you're doing in order to get a few extra pills in your prescription).
4. A change of clothes. These should be something hardy, like jeans, and maybe good walking shoes.
5. Rain gear and/or lightweight jacket.
6. A first aid kit (bandages, stuff for cuts and beestings, something for upset stomachs, aspirin, etc.)
7. An extra pair of glasses if you need them to see.
8. A blanket or sleeping bag.
9. Credit cards and cash. I suspect cash is the better way to go; without electricity the credit cards won't do you any good.
10. A full tank of gas in the car. I never let my car gas tank go below 1/2 full. If the power is out for days, the pumps won't work. You may also want to keep gas in a can somewhere, so long as you're safe about it.
11. Batteries and battery-powered flashlight.
12. Portable battery-powered radio. (They make a solar portable combination flashlight/radio/cellphone charger these days. Good to have.)
13. Any other personal items you may need, particularly for elderly folks, infants, or disabled people.
Another thing you may consider is a generator. They make whole-house generators today that will kick in and keep the refrigerator running. Even a small generator can be useful.
You never know when an emergency will happen. The grab-and-go bag could be useful if, say, you get a call in the night that a relative is sick. You could take the duffle with you and at least you'd have a change of clothes and your medication.
You can see a 1/2 hour documentary of the flood on youtube at this link.
The flood of 1985 is one of those things you don't forget. My husband of two years was a firefighter and on duty. He and his fellow firefighters saved many lives that day.
I spent hours trying to get home from Roanoke (going from one flooded road to another in a desperate attempt to get on the interstate) only to find I could not reach my house because of mudslides and flooding. After finally finding a way home, I found the basement had four feet of water in it even though there was no creek or anything nearby; it was all run-off from the rain water.
This was the era of no cell phones so I had no way of knowing if my husband was okay; nor did he know if I made it home from the city. The phones weren't working, though he finally got through to my in-laws later in the day. I remember his first words to me: Thank God you're okay!
My father-in-law was the fire chief of the local fire department; they were running rescue calls as well. I spent the night with my in-laws, who were not experiencing the basement flooding that I was.
Hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes - the weather is unpredictable. Try to be prepared!
______________
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 419th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Tuesday, November 03, 2015
Electing No One
Today is Election Day here in the U.S.A. It is not a presidential election year, so we are voting for local folks. The ones who really affect our day-to-day lives.
Except I had no choices on the ballot. Every single person, from the state House of Delegates to State Senator to local sheriff, was running unopposed. There really wasn't any point in voting.
Having never missed a vote, I voted anyway. I chose to write in names for folks I am not happy with, as did many other people I know. At least the incumbents won't get 100 percent of the vote, not that 100 percent of the registered voters will have voted. I bet the turn out is abysmal.
Locally there are a few races that matter, just not in my district. Not far from us we have a Crotch Brothers candidate trying to unseat a long-standing Democrat. Turning out to vote matters there.
When your vote makes no difference, I am not sure what you call it, but I do not call it democracy. In fact, I wore solid black to the voting both, to protest the death of democracy. Not that anybody asked.
Locally, the Republicans have a stranglehold on most of the seats. At the state level, this is in a large part due to gerrymandering. My state senator serves an area that has multiple interests and little in common from one end to the other. To be honest, I didn't even know the guy on the ballot was my state senator. I thought it was another fellow. I guess this happened in 2010 when the legislature created its new districts. That process is now being challenged in court because the districts were found to be less than honorable, to put it mildly.
My county has been red for a long time. Folks seeking lower taxes moved in in the 1990s and brought with them their desires for more government services somehow paid for out of thin air. We've had some real winners on the local governing board in the last 15 years. They represented somebody, but they did not represent me. I was a news reporter at the time and had to keep my opinions to myself.
Why aren't there people willing to run for office? For one thing, it's not a regular person's game anymore. Unless you're a millionaire plus, you may as well forget it. Even at the local level, you have to spend thousands to get what you're after. For another, the election process has become as vicious as vultures pecking out the eyes of a calf. If you have the least little crack in your life's history, the opposition will break it open until your guts are strewn all over the floor.
Who wants to deal with that?
Twenty years ago, the candidates for the local board ran as independents, every one. And then the political parties crept into it, and all was lost. Once that game started, there has been nothing to do but sit back and watch the dive into divisiveness and derision. No amount of sanity is going to save us now.
So go vote. I voted to honor the women who lived before me, who died so that I might exercise my right to write-in the name of a candidate, even if that person will only receive the single vote I cast. It is your civic duty, even if you're as jaded and as regretful as I am over the way the process is handled today.
Go vote because it is the right thing to do. And don't hesitate to write in Daffy Duck if you don't like the candidate.
Except I had no choices on the ballot. Every single person, from the state House of Delegates to State Senator to local sheriff, was running unopposed. There really wasn't any point in voting.
Having never missed a vote, I voted anyway. I chose to write in names for folks I am not happy with, as did many other people I know. At least the incumbents won't get 100 percent of the vote, not that 100 percent of the registered voters will have voted. I bet the turn out is abysmal.
Locally there are a few races that matter, just not in my district. Not far from us we have a Crotch Brothers candidate trying to unseat a long-standing Democrat. Turning out to vote matters there.
When your vote makes no difference, I am not sure what you call it, but I do not call it democracy. In fact, I wore solid black to the voting both, to protest the death of democracy. Not that anybody asked.
Locally, the Republicans have a stranglehold on most of the seats. At the state level, this is in a large part due to gerrymandering. My state senator serves an area that has multiple interests and little in common from one end to the other. To be honest, I didn't even know the guy on the ballot was my state senator. I thought it was another fellow. I guess this happened in 2010 when the legislature created its new districts. That process is now being challenged in court because the districts were found to be less than honorable, to put it mildly.
My county has been red for a long time. Folks seeking lower taxes moved in in the 1990s and brought with them their desires for more government services somehow paid for out of thin air. We've had some real winners on the local governing board in the last 15 years. They represented somebody, but they did not represent me. I was a news reporter at the time and had to keep my opinions to myself.
Why aren't there people willing to run for office? For one thing, it's not a regular person's game anymore. Unless you're a millionaire plus, you may as well forget it. Even at the local level, you have to spend thousands to get what you're after. For another, the election process has become as vicious as vultures pecking out the eyes of a calf. If you have the least little crack in your life's history, the opposition will break it open until your guts are strewn all over the floor.
Who wants to deal with that?
Twenty years ago, the candidates for the local board ran as independents, every one. And then the political parties crept into it, and all was lost. Once that game started, there has been nothing to do but sit back and watch the dive into divisiveness and derision. No amount of sanity is going to save us now.
So go vote. I voted to honor the women who lived before me, who died so that I might exercise my right to write-in the name of a candidate, even if that person will only receive the single vote I cast. It is your civic duty, even if you're as jaded and as regretful as I am over the way the process is handled today.
Go vote because it is the right thing to do. And don't hesitate to write in Daffy Duck if you don't like the candidate.
Monday, November 02, 2015
The Leaves Changed
 |
| View from the front yard. |
 |
| View from the Botetourt Sports Complex. That clear hill is part of the farm. |
 |
| Another shot from the Sports Complex. |
 |
| And another. |
 |
| And another, this one uncropped with the phone poles and all. |
 |
| Across the street from the Sports Complex. |
 |
| I like silos. |
Sunday, November 01, 2015
Sunday Stealing: All Hallow's Eve
From Sunday Stealing
Halloween Meme
1. Are you scared of bats?
A. I am scared of bat shit, which can be very deadly to people with lung issues. Also, our local bats frequently have rabies, so you aren't supposed to touch them. But I am not particularly scared of bats. I once traveled miles to visit a cave full of endangered bats for a news article.
2. When you were a kid, did you go out on Mischief Night? (Mischief Night is an informal holiday on which children and teens engage in pranks and minor vandalism. While its name and date vary from place to place, it is most commonly held near the end of October to coincide with the night before Halloween)
A. We didn't have Mischief Night. We did the pranks and things on Halloween night. Not that I did anything like that.
3. What is your favorite trick-or-treat candy?
A. Hey, if it's chocolate, I'm in. Except for chocolate with coconut. That stuff is gross.
4. Have you ever seen a ghost?
A. Many times.
5. The most memorable costume you ever wore?
A. I don't know. Maybe a tramp/hobo costume when I was young.
6. Do you dress up on Halloween?
A. No.
7. Any cooking or baking you do for Halloween?
A. No.
8. Have you ever been to The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland or Disneyworld?
A. I have been to the one in Orlando, whichever Disney park that is.
9. Any element of the season you don’t like?
A. No. Well, it starts getting colder, and I could do without that.
10. What is your favorite scary movie?
A. I don't really have one, truthfully. I don't watch them.
11. Do you cook the pumpkin seeds from your carved jack-o-lanterns?
A. I don't carve jack-o-lanterns.
12. Are you intrigued with vampires?
A. Not particularly. I liked Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but not the vampires. Well, Angel was okay when he was good.
13. What is your favorite written work of horror fiction?
A. I haven't read any in so long. But I think the Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe is a classic.
14. What is your favorite work of science fiction/fantasy?
A. The Lord of the Rings, which I do not find particularly scary, although apparently Cat does.
15. Who is your favorite monster?
A. Milton. "And now for a touch of tenderness, but I must add only a touch. For without a touch of tenderness, he might destroy me . . . oops! Too much. Better hold your breath, it's starting to tick! (Better hold my head, I'm feeling sick!). Hello Dad! What have I done? I'm Milton, your brand new son!" (And I did all that from memory.)
16. What is your favorite Horror movie?
A. Again, I don't watch them.
17. What horror movie gives you the most chills?
A. Not answering, sorry.
18. What character from any horror film would you most like to play?
A. None of them. I'm a nice person. So I guess I'd play the girl who gets killed in the first scene.
__________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.
Halloween Meme
1. Are you scared of bats?
A. I am scared of bat shit, which can be very deadly to people with lung issues. Also, our local bats frequently have rabies, so you aren't supposed to touch them. But I am not particularly scared of bats. I once traveled miles to visit a cave full of endangered bats for a news article.
2. When you were a kid, did you go out on Mischief Night? (Mischief Night is an informal holiday on which children and teens engage in pranks and minor vandalism. While its name and date vary from place to place, it is most commonly held near the end of October to coincide with the night before Halloween)
A. We didn't have Mischief Night. We did the pranks and things on Halloween night. Not that I did anything like that.
3. What is your favorite trick-or-treat candy?
A. Hey, if it's chocolate, I'm in. Except for chocolate with coconut. That stuff is gross.
4. Have you ever seen a ghost?
A. Many times.
5. The most memorable costume you ever wore?
A. I don't know. Maybe a tramp/hobo costume when I was young.
6. Do you dress up on Halloween?
A. No.
7. Any cooking or baking you do for Halloween?
A. No.
8. Have you ever been to The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland or Disneyworld?
A. I have been to the one in Orlando, whichever Disney park that is.
9. Any element of the season you don’t like?
A. No. Well, it starts getting colder, and I could do without that.
10. What is your favorite scary movie?
A. I don't really have one, truthfully. I don't watch them.
11. Do you cook the pumpkin seeds from your carved jack-o-lanterns?
A. I don't carve jack-o-lanterns.
12. Are you intrigued with vampires?
A. Not particularly. I liked Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but not the vampires. Well, Angel was okay when he was good.
13. What is your favorite written work of horror fiction?
A. I haven't read any in so long. But I think the Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe is a classic.
14. What is your favorite work of science fiction/fantasy?
A. The Lord of the Rings, which I do not find particularly scary, although apparently Cat does.
15. Who is your favorite monster?
A. Milton. "And now for a touch of tenderness, but I must add only a touch. For without a touch of tenderness, he might destroy me . . . oops! Too much. Better hold your breath, it's starting to tick! (Better hold my head, I'm feeling sick!). Hello Dad! What have I done? I'm Milton, your brand new son!" (And I did all that from memory.)
16. What is your favorite Horror movie?
A. Again, I don't watch them.
17. What horror movie gives you the most chills?
A. Not answering, sorry.
18. What character from any horror film would you most like to play?
A. None of them. I'm a nice person. So I guess I'd play the girl who gets killed in the first scene.
__________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Saturday 9: Thriller
Saturday 9: Thriller (1983)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) In this video, Michael Jackson is transformed into a "werecat," with fangs, claws, yellow eyes and whiskers. What monster or ghoul frightened you the most?
A. The Wicked Witch of the West on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
2) Michael sings that evil things that will be lurking "close to midnight." Where will you be at midnight tonight?
A. Flying across the face of the moon on my broomstick.
3) Horror movie icon Vincent Price does the voice over on "Thriller." What's your favorite scary movie?
4) Mr. Price's House of Wax, made in 1953, was one of the first 3D movies. What's the most recent 3D movie you saw?
7) According to Yahoo!, the most popular costume of Halloween 2014 was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Will you be in costume this Halloween? If not, who or what would you most like to dress up as?
A. I don't have trick-or-treaters. I live in the country and too far off the road.
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) In this video, Michael Jackson is transformed into a "werecat," with fangs, claws, yellow eyes and whiskers. What monster or ghoul frightened you the most?
A. The Wicked Witch of the West on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
2) Michael sings that evil things that will be lurking "close to midnight." Where will you be at midnight tonight?
A. Flying across the face of the moon on my broomstick.
3) Horror movie icon Vincent Price does the voice over on "Thriller." What's your favorite scary movie?
A. I don't watch scary movies anymore, but when I was young I liked the movie SSSSS. I wasn't supposed to watch it, but when we visited my grandparents they would go to bed early and we would stay up late and watch horror shows. Now my favorite Halloween movie movie is Practical Magic, which says a lot about my change in taste of movie fare, I think.
4) Mr. Price's House of Wax, made in 1953, was one of the first 3D movies. What's the most recent 3D movie you saw?
A. I don't watch 3D movies. They make me sick to my stomach, literally.
5) Horror fans might be surprised to know that, despite his sinister image, Mr. Price enjoyed very genteel and relaxing hobbies, like cooking, gardening and painting. What would we be surprised to learn about you?
A. That I really am a witch in spite of my demur ways and shy smile. Just ask my brother.
6) A Halloween tradition is the jack-o-lantern. Did you carve a pumpkin this year?
A. Sure. I waved my magic wand, and Poof! there was pumpkin that looked like Donald Trump.
7) According to Yahoo!, the most popular costume of Halloween 2014 was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Will you be in costume this Halloween? If not, who or what would you most like to dress up as?
A. If I had the figure for it (which I do not), I would dress up like Xena: Warrior Princess.
8) When you went trick or treating as a kid, did you usually wear a store-bought costume, or was it DIY?
A. Both. It depended on the year. Many times though I went as a hobo.
9) When trick-or-treaters show up at your door, what candy will they get?
A. I don't have trick-or-treaters. I live in the country and too far off the road.
_____________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
Friday, October 30, 2015
The Little Trick or Treat
For a good 20 years or more now, the little preschoolers in my hometown have taken a stroll about the tiny hamlet and visit businesses for trick or treat just before Halloween.
Yesterday I just happened to be in the vicinity of the courthouse when I realized it was tiny tot trick-or-treat day.
I did not ask permission for these photos so if anyone who is involved objects to their posting, let me know and I will remove the picture. It happened too fast for me to think about it. I normally do not post people's pictures unless I have asked permission, especially kids, but they were adorable in their costumes.
Yesterday I just happened to be in the vicinity of the courthouse when I realized it was tiny tot trick-or-treat day.
 |
| Courthouse workers await the arrival of the little ones. |
 |
| Heading out for the next round of treats! |
 |
| So cute! |
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Thursday Thirteen
I am a Virginia girl. My ancestry goes back to the American Revolutionary War here on my mother's side; I've traced it back 9 generations. So I thought today I'd offer up some information on the state that I love, even if the legislators in Richmond are trying to ruin it.
1. Virginia's capital is Richmond, but the largest city is Virginia Beach. Virginia has 95 counties.
2. The state encompasses 39,490 square miles, and has 8 million people living here, or 202 people per square mile.
3. The median household income is $63,907. Just over 35 percent of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
4. The poverty rate in Virginia is 11.8 percent; government officials estimate 12.5 percent of the population does not have health care (as of 2014; this may have changed with the Affordable Care Act).
5. Virginia is the mother of presidents. We have sent eight men to the White House. They are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson.
6. Virginia's motto is Sic Semper Tyrannis, which means Thus Always to Tyrants. This probably makes more sense when combined with the state flag, which shows an image of Virtue standing over a defeated tyrant. (Allegedly, this is supposed to be Virginia over Britain.)
7. Virginia's state bird is a cardinal, the state dog is the American fox hound, the state insect is the tiger swallowtail butterfly, the state fish is the brook trout, the state shell is the oyster, the state beverage is milk, and the state tree and flower is the American Dogwood. (I have always wondered why the dogwood is the state flower. The blooms on the tree are pretty, but they aren't flowers, really.)
8. The state's major industries are agriculture, tourism, construction of U.S. Navy ships, mining, lumber, and government workers.
9. Famous writers from Virginia include David Baldacci, Willa Cather, Ellen Glasgow, Mary Johnston, Edgar Allen Poe, Tom Wolfe, and many others.
10. Famous musicians from Virginia include Maybelle Carter, June Carter Cash, Patsy Cline, Ella Fitzgerald, Dave Matthews, Mary Chapin Carpenter, The Statler Brothers, and Bruce Hornsby.
11. Famous Hollywood figures from Virginia include Warren Beatty, Shirley MacLaine, and Katy Couric.
12. The American Revolution ended in Virginia at Yorktown.
13. Almost a quarter of the Appalachian Trail runs through Virginia (544 miles). Virginia hosts more of the trail than any of the 14 states through which the route passes.
______________
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 418th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
1. Virginia's capital is Richmond, but the largest city is Virginia Beach. Virginia has 95 counties.
2. The state encompasses 39,490 square miles, and has 8 million people living here, or 202 people per square mile.
3. The median household income is $63,907. Just over 35 percent of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
4. The poverty rate in Virginia is 11.8 percent; government officials estimate 12.5 percent of the population does not have health care (as of 2014; this may have changed with the Affordable Care Act).
5. Virginia is the mother of presidents. We have sent eight men to the White House. They are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson.
6. Virginia's motto is Sic Semper Tyrannis, which means Thus Always to Tyrants. This probably makes more sense when combined with the state flag, which shows an image of Virtue standing over a defeated tyrant. (Allegedly, this is supposed to be Virginia over Britain.) 7. Virginia's state bird is a cardinal, the state dog is the American fox hound, the state insect is the tiger swallowtail butterfly, the state fish is the brook trout, the state shell is the oyster, the state beverage is milk, and the state tree and flower is the American Dogwood. (I have always wondered why the dogwood is the state flower. The blooms on the tree are pretty, but they aren't flowers, really.)
8. The state's major industries are agriculture, tourism, construction of U.S. Navy ships, mining, lumber, and government workers.
9. Famous writers from Virginia include David Baldacci, Willa Cather, Ellen Glasgow, Mary Johnston, Edgar Allen Poe, Tom Wolfe, and many others.
10. Famous musicians from Virginia include Maybelle Carter, June Carter Cash, Patsy Cline, Ella Fitzgerald, Dave Matthews, Mary Chapin Carpenter, The Statler Brothers, and Bruce Hornsby.
11. Famous Hollywood figures from Virginia include Warren Beatty, Shirley MacLaine, and Katy Couric.
12. The American Revolution ended in Virginia at Yorktown.
13. Almost a quarter of the Appalachian Trail runs through Virginia (544 miles). Virginia hosts more of the trail than any of the 14 states through which the route passes.
______________
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 418th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Our Unacknowledged Civil War
Yesterday I posted photos of a memorial at Virginia Tech. It is a remembrance area dedicated to the memory of 32 people who were murdered in a mass shooting on April 16, 2007.
It angers me that we have to have a memorial to something like that, something that should never have happened in the first place.
And we learned nothing from it. It happens again. Again. Again. Again. It will continue to happen while the public raises its eyebrows, shrugs, and moves on, because even though 1 in 3 Americans knows someone who has been shot, there is this insane need to own a gun.
This must be a modern thing. I can't imagine a 14th century populace clamoring to own a sword, or a dirk, or a knife. Were there young men in the 14th century holed up in places surrounded by 10,000 knives? I've never heard of that. But there are men in the U.S. (for some reason it is generally males who do this) who have filled their homes with thousands of weapons.
What are we so afraid of?
We have chosen madness and internal strife. We have created our own American version of terrorism and an interior unacknowledged civil war. Our "homeland" is a constant battle ground. Our media and our parents and whoever else influences us advocates for an "us versus them" mentality. Or maybe it's "me versus them." And "them" becomes anyone. Male, female, different skin color, different religion, different political views, someone who likes a different movie, someone who believes anything differently. Any difference is reason enough to shoot.
When did life become just another commodity? Is this the final stages of free market capitalism? Life is reduced to nothing? Everyone is expendable?
This vigilante madness, this wild-west mentality, has created a crisis of epic proportions, a crisis that mandates memorials to dead young people. Memorials that should never have been.
It happens again and again. And it will continue. We made no changes after a young man murdered a school full of youngsters; obviously as a society, we think possessing a gun is more important than life itself. Those of us who want to see some kind of sanity returned to the country are out of luck. If leaders were unable to make changes after Sandy Hook, then change will never occur.
All we do is turn our heads and look the other way. I am so ashamed of us as a people. We must be the craziest and most scared bunch of lunatics on the planet right now. We are unable to learn the basest of lessons, which is that life is precious and the right to keep and live your life matters more than any right to own anything, no matter what the object.
Semi-automatic guns were invented in the late 1880s. Columbine occurred in 1999. It took us 110 years to reach the point of mass murders in schools, malls, movie theaters and other gathering places. There were other mass shootings - mostly gang-related - but they were rare and the general public did not fear to leave their homes. No one barred the door and poked a shotgun barrel out the window. Now everyone wants to be armed. Big men need to carry assault weapons into the supermarket. Women want little handguns to fill their purse. Shoot first, ask questions later. What are we thinking?
We're not thinking - that's the problem. We're reacting.
I am in favor of more stringent gun control. I am not, as the crazy people think, advocating that the government come and take all guns, although frankly I think there are some people who need their guns taken. I should not be able to walk into a store and leave with a gun. There should be a waiting period. If you need a gun today, then you need a police officer or a mental health counselor, not a weapon. If you can't wait 72 hours to get your gun, then you have a huge problem, and it isn't the government. Something in your synapses is all screwed up.
In 2010 in Virginia, there were 875 gun deaths. There were 740 traffic fatalities. Guess which one is regulated? It isn't the first one. It isn't guns. I can only imagine that this statistic has remained the same - or increased. I do not think it has declined.
We are at war with ourselves. We are not one another's enemies, but we treat one another with disdain, with lack of courtesy, with innuendoes, snubs, and immorality. We are not nice people. The United States is not a nice place. We are not first in everything, and we are not the best. We are, in many instances, the worst place among first world nations. We don't provide adequate health care, we don't provide maternal leave, we don't provide a living wage, we incarcerate more people than any nation in the world, we have a higher infant mortality rate than many third-world countries, we still don't have equal rights for women. We're 7th in literacy and 49th in life expectancy. Frankly, we suck. We've been going downhill for the entirety of my life. No wonder we kill one another and ourselves.
Meanwhile, today's a new day. There's another shooting being talked about on my local TV station, and on your local TV station. On an average day in the United States, about 35 people are shot and another 160 or so are wounded by gunfire. Another 50 or so kill themselves with a firearm.
Every. Single. Day.
You tell me why this acceptable. You tell me why you think you have the right to kill me. You tell me what I have done to deserve such a death. You tell me what all of these young people, from Virginia Tech to Sandy Hook to whatever school or mall had the most recent shooting, you tell me what those people did so I know why they deserved to die. Tell me why their life did not matter.
And then tell me why you get to be judge and jury, and carry your weapon in the supermarket. Carrying your gun isn't going to save you; if that were the case, there wouldn't be a dead police officer in the land. Your Second Amendment rights? Bullshit. Do you believe your right to carry a gun outweighs my right to live? If so, when you're the one in the line of fire the next time the bullets fly, will your Second Amendment right be the last thing you think about just before you die?
It angers me that we have to have a memorial to something like that, something that should never have happened in the first place.
And we learned nothing from it. It happens again. Again. Again. Again. It will continue to happen while the public raises its eyebrows, shrugs, and moves on, because even though 1 in 3 Americans knows someone who has been shot, there is this insane need to own a gun.
This must be a modern thing. I can't imagine a 14th century populace clamoring to own a sword, or a dirk, or a knife. Were there young men in the 14th century holed up in places surrounded by 10,000 knives? I've never heard of that. But there are men in the U.S. (for some reason it is generally males who do this) who have filled their homes with thousands of weapons.
What are we so afraid of?
We have chosen madness and internal strife. We have created our own American version of terrorism and an interior unacknowledged civil war. Our "homeland" is a constant battle ground. Our media and our parents and whoever else influences us advocates for an "us versus them" mentality. Or maybe it's "me versus them." And "them" becomes anyone. Male, female, different skin color, different religion, different political views, someone who likes a different movie, someone who believes anything differently. Any difference is reason enough to shoot.
When did life become just another commodity? Is this the final stages of free market capitalism? Life is reduced to nothing? Everyone is expendable?
This vigilante madness, this wild-west mentality, has created a crisis of epic proportions, a crisis that mandates memorials to dead young people. Memorials that should never have been.
It happens again and again. And it will continue. We made no changes after a young man murdered a school full of youngsters; obviously as a society, we think possessing a gun is more important than life itself. Those of us who want to see some kind of sanity returned to the country are out of luck. If leaders were unable to make changes after Sandy Hook, then change will never occur.
All we do is turn our heads and look the other way. I am so ashamed of us as a people. We must be the craziest and most scared bunch of lunatics on the planet right now. We are unable to learn the basest of lessons, which is that life is precious and the right to keep and live your life matters more than any right to own anything, no matter what the object.
Semi-automatic guns were invented in the late 1880s. Columbine occurred in 1999. It took us 110 years to reach the point of mass murders in schools, malls, movie theaters and other gathering places. There were other mass shootings - mostly gang-related - but they were rare and the general public did not fear to leave their homes. No one barred the door and poked a shotgun barrel out the window. Now everyone wants to be armed. Big men need to carry assault weapons into the supermarket. Women want little handguns to fill their purse. Shoot first, ask questions later. What are we thinking?
We're not thinking - that's the problem. We're reacting.
I am in favor of more stringent gun control. I am not, as the crazy people think, advocating that the government come and take all guns, although frankly I think there are some people who need their guns taken. I should not be able to walk into a store and leave with a gun. There should be a waiting period. If you need a gun today, then you need a police officer or a mental health counselor, not a weapon. If you can't wait 72 hours to get your gun, then you have a huge problem, and it isn't the government. Something in your synapses is all screwed up.
In 2010 in Virginia, there were 875 gun deaths. There were 740 traffic fatalities. Guess which one is regulated? It isn't the first one. It isn't guns. I can only imagine that this statistic has remained the same - or increased. I do not think it has declined.
We are at war with ourselves. We are not one another's enemies, but we treat one another with disdain, with lack of courtesy, with innuendoes, snubs, and immorality. We are not nice people. The United States is not a nice place. We are not first in everything, and we are not the best. We are, in many instances, the worst place among first world nations. We don't provide adequate health care, we don't provide maternal leave, we don't provide a living wage, we incarcerate more people than any nation in the world, we have a higher infant mortality rate than many third-world countries, we still don't have equal rights for women. We're 7th in literacy and 49th in life expectancy. Frankly, we suck. We've been going downhill for the entirety of my life. No wonder we kill one another and ourselves.
Meanwhile, today's a new day. There's another shooting being talked about on my local TV station, and on your local TV station. On an average day in the United States, about 35 people are shot and another 160 or so are wounded by gunfire. Another 50 or so kill themselves with a firearm.
Every. Single. Day.
You tell me why this acceptable. You tell me why you think you have the right to kill me. You tell me what I have done to deserve such a death. You tell me what all of these young people, from Virginia Tech to Sandy Hook to whatever school or mall had the most recent shooting, you tell me what those people did so I know why they deserved to die. Tell me why their life did not matter.
And then tell me why you get to be judge and jury, and carry your weapon in the supermarket. Carrying your gun isn't going to save you; if that were the case, there wouldn't be a dead police officer in the land. Your Second Amendment rights? Bullshit. Do you believe your right to carry a gun outweighs my right to live? If so, when you're the one in the line of fire the next time the bullets fly, will your Second Amendment right be the last thing you think about just before you die?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)