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Frog

October 25, 2009: Crossroads
October 24, 2009: Parenthood
October 23, 2009: Modern Problems
October 23, 2009: Drop Dead Fred
October 18, 2009: Yellowbeard
October 17, 2009: South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut
October 17, 2009: My Blue Heaven
October 17, 2009: The Nightmare before Christmas
October 16, 2009: 1941
October 16, 2009: Johnny Thunders: Live in Cold Blood
October 15, 2009: Four Rooms
October 15, 2009: Strange Frequency
October 13, 2009: Scavenger Hunt
October 11, 2009: Blazing Saddles
October 10, 2009: The Raven
October 9, 2008: Wall-e
October 9, 2008: The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood Jr
October 6, 2009: The Lion King 1½
October 4, 2009: Robin and the 7 Hoods
October 3, 2009: Oscar
October 2, 2009: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
September 29, 2009: Carwash
September 29, 2009: The Pirate


Still Smoking (Cheech and Chong)
Labyrinth
The Hunger
Videodrome
Tales from the Dark Side
Sweeny Todd
The Great Escape
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Absolute Beginners
Bella Mafia
Cry Baby
The Point
Still Crazy
Roadie
Times Square
Mighty Wind
Mafia
Party Monster
Return of Spinal Tap
Reefer Madness
Kids are Alright
Tunnel Vision
Grifters
Really Rosie
Rock 'n' Roll High School
Blues Brothers 2000
Lisztomania

Does Humor Belong in Music? Frank Zappa Live
Pure 80's DVD: Totally New Wave
Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute To Cole Porter
Lou Reed - Live at Montreux, 2000
Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux, 2005
T. Rex: Born To Boogie
Stephen Lynch - Live at The El Rey
Morrisey Presents The Return of The New York Dolls - Live from Royal Albert Hall 2004
Stephen Lynch: Live at the El Rey
Cat Stevens: Tea for the Tillerman Live - a Classic Concert
Born to Boogie

Via Cynthia

  • Aug. 27th, 2009 at 12:20 PM
Frog
1. Can you fill this out without lying?
i don't lie

2. What was the last thing you put in your mouth?
Coffee

3. Have you ever kissed anyone named Matthew?
No Matthew....

4. Where was your profile picture taken?
Outside Zee's

5.Can you play guitar hero?
never tried

6. Name someone that made you laugh today?
the junkie up the street said i look beautiful - i just crawled out of bed

7. How late did you stay up last night and why?
2300

8.If you could move somewhere else, would you?
yep

9. Ever been kissed under fireworks?
yes but i hate that guy now

10.Which of your friends lives closest to you?
Melissa up the street - five houses away

11. Do you believe ex's can be friends?
not yet

12. How do you feel about Dr Pepper?
It's drinkable

13. When was the last time you cried really hard?
Can't remember - I've become cold and hard

14. Where are you right now?
bed but i need to get my ass in gear - but the Gentleman Caller is online so ...

15. What bed did you sleep in last night?
alas, my own

16. What was the last thing someone bought for you?
Andee got Sally's Apizza on Sunday <3

17. Who took your profile picture?
One of Donna's friends

18. Who was the last person you took a picture of?
the Miss Tattoo pagent

19.Was yesterday better than today?
had dinner with Cindy and Ian - can't beat it

20. Can you live a day without TV?
Sure

21. Are you mad about anything?
often. Have you met my brother in law?

22. Are you upset about anything?
money and health

23. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it?
you better believe it

24. Are you a bad influence?
depends on who you ask

25. Night out or night in?
depends on with whom

26. What items could you not go without during the day?
coffee and my cell phone; i'd also prefer clean clothes and a shower

27. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital?
Daddy

28. What does the last text message in your inbox say?
jennifer asking about the block party

29. How do you feel about your life right now?
surprisingly happy

30. Do you hate anyone?
See #21

31. If we were to look in your facebook inbox, what would we find?
discussion of Ted Kennedy

32. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass?
with flying colors

33. Has anyone ever called you perfect before?
I can be a perfect idiot

34. What song is stuck in your head?
Billion Dollar Babies - Ian sang it to me

35. Someone knocks on your window at 2am, who do you want it to be?
the police or Andee

36. Wanna have grandkids before you’re 50?
I'm spayed

37. Name something you have to do tomorrow?
I WANT to see Andee

38. Do you think too much or too little?
can't focus amidst my thoughts

39. Do you smile a lot?
no

40. Who was your last missed call on your cell phone?
reminder about tonight's SSDI support meeting

41. Is there something you always wear?
underwear, med alert bracelet

42. What were you doing 30 minutes ago
at the Bookmobile

43. Did you have an exciting last weekend?
it was lovely

44. Have you ever crawled through a window?
no

45. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Yep

46. Are you wearing a necklace / Chain?
not today

47. Are you an emotional person?
overly

48. What is something that can always make you feel better?
a message from the Gentleman Caller

49. Will this weekend be a good one?
almost certainly

50. What do you want right now?
plans for Saturday when the Gentleman Caller may meet my Mommy

51. Have you ever worn the opposite gender's clothing?
sure - see #41

52. Have you ever worked in a food place?
briefly

53.What's on your schedule for tomorrow?
Hope to see Andee

54. Does anyone know your facebook password?
no but I know my Sissa's



No tags - do it if you want but, if you do, let me know

AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN FIVE SHORT CHAPTERS

  • Aug. 5th, 2009 at 5:32 PM
Frog
AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN FIVE SHORT CHAPTERS

by Portia Nelson

I

I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I fall in.
I am lost ... I am helpless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes me forever to find a way out.

II

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in the same place
but, it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

III

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in ... it's a habit.
my eyes are open
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

IV

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

V

I walk down another street.

Tr Meme

  • Aug. 5th, 2009 at 5:12 PM
Frog
Via my bloggin' mom, on the  “A Place of My Own” venue. It's scary how many of my answers match my mom...

Not tagging anyone but let me know if you do it.

Here’s what you’re supposed to do: Create a new note or page or whatever way you want to do it. Copy and paste this message, delete my answers and type in yours. I tag no one, as you know. The theory is that you will learn a lot of little known things about your friends and family. Have FUN!

 

  1. Can you fill this out without lying?
    I think so.
  2. What was the last thing you put in your mouth?
    Iced tea. Peach.
  3. Who was your last text message from?
    Scott
  4. Where was your default picture taken?
    Outside Z's Corner Cafe
  5. Last person you rode in a car with under the age of 20?
    Samantha
  6. Name someone that made you laugh today?
    Nothing
  7. How late did you stay up last night and why?
    It has been a little taxing. I was asleep by ten last night.
  8. If you could move somewhere else, would you?
    Yep
  9. Ever been kissed under fireworks?
    Once
  10. Which of your FB friends lives closest to you?
    Mom, across the hall. Next closest are Andrew or Kari.
  11. Do you believe exes can be friends?
    Probably some of them can but not all. None of mine. 
  12. Calling or texting?
    Calling. Txting hurts my hands a lot. HINT HINT
  13. How do you feel about Dr. Pepper?
    It’s all right, as an occasional change from cola. But most restaurants don’t stock the kind without sugar.
  14. When was the last time you cried really hard?
    I don’t think that is something I can share.
  15. Where is your biological father right now?
    In a nursing home, which he completely needs.
  16. Where are you at right now?
    Where I usually am, at home in front of my computer.
  17. Whose bed did you sleep in last night?
    I sleep in my bed.
  18. What was the last thing someone bought for you?
    Mom took care of some stuff for me. Donna bought me a beer on Sunday.
  19. Who took your profile picture?
    Donna's husband
  20. Was yesterday better than today?
    Hard to say
  21. Can you live a day without TV?
    Give me a computer and a book or two…
  22. Are you mad about anything?
    Do you mean angry? Not particularly. Do you mean mad like crazy? I'm going slightly mad...
  23. Do you think relationships are really worth it?
    Most of them are.Friendships most definitely
  24. When was the last time you were extremely disappointed and why?
    That my dad was short one Father's Day card. Again.
  25. Are you a bad influence?
    Not only am I a good influence in most cases (there might be an exception, I suppose); I also teach others to be good influences.I miss being a bad influence. Donna is a bad influence!
  26. Night out or night in?
    Mostly in.Alas.
  27. What items could you not go without during the day?
    Oxygen, food, water… and a bathroom! I think for anything else, I can manage. I'd prefer books.
  28. Would you share a drink with a stranger?
    Where? What kind of stranger? What kind of drink? I might — if my instincts told me s/he was okay. I will buy a water for someone on a hot day.
  29. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital?
    My dad, who has been in hospital or nursing home for the past three weeks.
  30. What does the last text message in your inbox say?
    It's personal from Jennifer
  31. How do you feel about your life right now?
    Ennui is a good noun.
  32. How many times have you been pulled over by the police?
    Only once.
  33. Do you hate anyone?
    Hatred hurts the person who hates more than his/her target. Not liking is something else again, but you can manage that. I hate only one person because he made my parents really upset.
  34. If we were to look in your inbox, what would we find?
    You won't. It's MY inbox.
  35. Can you easily tell if someone's fake?
    Not easily. I want to believe people are good, even though I know so many who are not.
  36. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass?
    If I could show my medalert bracelet first, I'd be cool.
  37. Has anyone ever called you perfect before?
    Yep. damn fools.
  38. What song is stuck in your head?
    none this moment thank goodness
  39. Someone knocks on your window at 2 AM, who do you want it to be?
    Someone on a Harley
  40. Wanna have kids before you're 30?
    I've been spayed
  41. Name something you have to do today?
    I tanned and went to Edge of the Woods and Shop Rite. And started a load of laundry... I guess I need to fold it
  42. Can you whistle?
    Poorly
  43. Do you sleep on your side, stomach, or back?
    side
  44. Do you think too much or too little?
    Way too much'
  45. Do you smile a lot?
    I try to. Sometimes I forget.
  46. Can you handle the truth?
    Usually not
  47. What was the last book you read?
    The Last Thing I Remember
  48. Is there something you always wear?
    My MedAlert bracelet
  49. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
    Reading my mom's version
  50. Honestly, who was the last person to tell you that they love you?
    I think my dad mumbled it but it could have been gas
  51. Have you ever dyed your hair?
    Yes.
  52. Are you wearing a necklace?
    Not this minute
  53. What's something that can always make you feel better?
    Ice cream. If that doesn’t work, I’m in bad shape.
  54. Will this weekend be a good one?
    Probably not
  55. What do you want right now?
    To finish what I’ve started.
  56. Have you ever worn the opposite sex's clothing?
    I wear men's underwear. Longer lasting, cheaper, and who's gonna see
  57. Look behind you, what do you see?
    My headboard
  58. Have you ever worked in a food place?
    Burger King. Lasted three weeks
  59. What would you name your future daughter?
    N/A
  60. What are your summer plans for 2009?
    Survival
  61. Does anyone know your FB password?
    Nope. But I know others'
  62. Would you like some cake?
    Cake? Not particularly? How about some pastry?
  63. Did you lie in this quiz?
    Of course not. This is the Truth Meme.

Tags:

Frog
Most people who know me personally know about my admiration for Andrew Vachss. He's a lawyer who dedicated his practice solely to working for abused children, and who has advocated for stronger punishments for child abusers and rapists, along with improved support systems for victims for 40 years.

Andrew was instrumental in getting The National Association to PROTECT Children off the ground and serves as a senior advisor. PROTECT (www.PROTECT.org) is the first lobbying organization exclusively dedicated to strengthening legal protections for abused children and has mounted several campaigns across the country to repeal states' incest exemptions for child rape, among other issues.

Mr. Vachss is also an author. He created the Burke series of mystery novels both to educate the public about the real horrors of child abuse and rape and also as a means to fund his child protection efforts, since his practice quite obviously can't pay him much of a wage.

Last year he ended the Burke novels, as he felt the storyline had reached its natural conclusion. That doesn't mean he's stopped writing novels. His new novel, Haiku, is being released on November 3.

However, his publishing house realizes that ending a best-selling series and going in a new direction is a financial risk. They could count on a guaranteed number of sales from a Burke book, since it was a brand. There's no such guarantee from a stand-alone. As a result and to minimize their exposure, they aren't going promote the book. No book tour, etc.

It's also a likelihood that if the book doesn't sell beyond a given threshold, they may drop him from their roster.

So, what does this mean? It means if you're already a fan, you should go to Amazon and pre-order it. If you're not a fan, but know someone who likes mystery as a genre or has read Mr. Vachss' other books, you should go to Amazon and pre-order it as a gift. If you're not a fan, don't know anyone and don't think you'd enjoy the book, yourself, you should go to Amazon and pre-order it as a way to help out in the fight against child abuse then donate it to a library or charitable book drive. You might even get a deduction from it.

You can also help by spreading the word on your own pages.

You can pre-order from here: http://www.amazon.com/Haiku-Novel-Andrew-Vachss/dp/0307378497/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240448677&sr=8-1

p.s. If you really want to support the amazing law-changing work that's being done, take a look at http://www.PROTECT.org. Roland and I have been card-carrying members for years.

Tags:

Frog
We just came home from shiva.

My cousin Jon told me that his wife, Revi, and he believe that the soul flits around for a year after the body's death before the soul settles into resurrection.

Outside their parents', outside Larry's parents', house, I saw fireflies for the first time in years.

Tags:

Larry Bellin

  • Jul. 9th, 2009 at 8:33 AM
Frog
My cousin Larry died Monday. He was 37, my little brother's age. I think it was a respiration problem gone horribly awry. My cousin Liz emailed me to make sure that my family knew.

I went to the funeral. My dad was in daycare, and my mom stayed home because someone has to be there to open the door to let him in when he gets out. (He can't be left home alone.) Because my family is Orthodox, out of respect I wore long sleeves to cover my tattoos. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, and I was uncomfortable, but I figure that his parents were way more miserable, and I survived.

Larry and I had drifted apart, but we used to stay in touch by phone. His parents and brother, my cousin Jon, made sure to tell me that Larry loved me.

Before the service, I knelt in front of my cousin, Tami, Larry's mom. She was surrounded by people, but I hoped I could add comfort. I managed to distract her: my dad was orphaned very early (infant?) and Tami is the one who told me my medical history. I got to tell her that, when I was in the hospital in May, I told the doctors that I wouldn't be able to be so thorough if it weren't for my cousin Tami. That made her happy.

Her husband, Ed, Larry's dad, whom I'd met three times, maybe, threw his arms around me and thanked me for being there. Ed has a knack for making people feel good, and welcomed, even when he was mourning outliving his child.

The rabbi broke down during the eulogy. I didn't know that Larry was frum, but he was known as "the one who took his father to Chabad."

At least fifty people showed up - not bad considering that Jewish people bury immediately, and word has to get out quickly. Jon's wife flew in from Israel, a twelve hour flight, and made it to the grave side early. Her cousin made it from California.

I went back to the house for shiva. Believe me: I didn't want to. I don't want to believe that my vibrant cousin is dead. However, shiva is for the family, and it's a mitzvah to go, obviously. Tami and I talked more about my medical problems, but she wouldn't let go of my hand. It really hurt, but I figure that Tami was hurting more. Seriously, I managed to distract her, and I was glad I sat there.

Tami also told me more about my heritage, too. The information I lost out on because I didn't have a grandmother to tell me.

I talked to Revi, Jon's wife, for a bit. I told her what I was thinking as I drove to the Bellins' home. The only people who showed up for the funeral were people who either loved Larry, or who loved his family and wanted to support them. No one needed a ticket to mourn. There were no musicians or people looking for a moment in the spotlight; Larry was simply eulogized by a rabbi who knew him, and by his father. Just a thought.

I'm still crying - it's the first time in a long time that I've cried, whether I need to or not - and I need to get in the shower - but I wanted to write about Larry for a little bit. This weekend, if my dad is lucid, I'll take him for shiva.

Bye, Larry. I should have kept in touch, and I'll try to act more like you to keep your memory alive.

Tags:

notes to self

  • Jun. 24th, 2009 at 9:38 PM
Frog
  • By some lucky coincidence, a very nice Social Security lawyer just took my case.

  • Until one of my sister's friends directed me to her blog, I had no idea that my dad's favorite dinner is spaghetti and meatballs. (I thought it was meatloaf; my TVP loaf tanked. but whatever) Unknown to me, I made a vegan marinara sauce with texturized vegetable protein chunks and he was VERY happy. Who knew?

  • I'm mostly packed to see Sworn Enemy on Thursday and Friday. Basically, I need camera and batteries, GPS, power bars, and clean underwear. I pack light. (Floyd the Laptop's sitting out this one.)

  • I am very pissed that this entry shall now be cut short because my fingers ache from typing "so much."

  • Good luck with Christian C's surgery!
Currently reading:
In This Way I Was Saved: A Novel
By Brian DeLeeuw

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