This Blog is Postponed

 Folks. Geez. I have so much going on it's not even funny. I won't be blogging any time soon, so please be patient, and thank you for following me all these years. I'll be back--eventually.

Until then, please follow me at all of these lovely social media sites, where I WILL be posting regularly.

Thanks!

Me and You Newsletter For June 2024

 

Hello one and all!

As you've noticed, I've had a very hard time keeping the blog up this year, because, well, reasons. Some of it is due to lack of post ideas, most of it just due to being so busy. But right before writing this I thought, "Why not just tell people what's going on in my life?" Sounds simple enough! Not everything has to be about a long-lost YouTube clip or something. Therefore, I've decided to keep it simple by writing a "newsletter" of sorts, which may become a monthly feature. So, let's try it!

First, the good news. My son Brian has graduated high school! His graduation ceremony was on June 7th, and we had a big family party for him on June 15th. Everyone had a great time, and we are all very proud of him. He also turned 18 back in March! He joins his older sister at college in the fall, majoring in Civil and Environmental Engineering. He's always enjoyed science and is very good at math (even if he doesn't enjoy math), and he hopes to put those talents to use in this field. Someday, he could be designing highways, bridges, water treatment facilities, who knows? Congratulations Brian, we love you!

Now, the bad news. Back in April, I learned that I and many of my colleagues at work are being laid off this summer; my last day at my current job is August 6th, just shy of my 19th anniversary with my company. This, of course, is not welcome news. However, there is a silver lining: I'm getting fairly generous severance (six months at full pay!), and the company is hiring a job placement service to help me and my colleagues find new employment.

I'm taking a Zen approach to this. I'm certainly not happy about it, but I do have a good cushion to help me transition to new employment. Is it a blessing in disguise? We'll see. Until then, the job hunt has started in earnest this week. Wish me luck!

Those two items have been the background of my life the past three months. Let's see what else I'll have to share at the end of July.

Thanks! Have a great summer!

OK, So Maybe It'll Be Awhile

 

Hello everyone! Yeah, that message from January when I say I'll be blogging soon! Obviously, I was incorrect. And I'm afraid it will still be some time before I post anything new.

Life is just extremely busy, from my daugher turning 21, to my son turning 18, and now we're preparing for my son's high school graduation. So it appears this blog will continue to be quiet for some time, perhaps even until this year's Countdown to Halloween. We'll see.

But I refuse to throw in the towel. I get too much joy from posting here. If you want to enjoy my more frequent ramblings, please check me out at my various socials at this here Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/brianarnold

Otherwise, see you here soon!

Yep, I'm Still Here

 

Hello all! I hope you had a great holiday season and are starting off the new year on the right track.

For me, blogging during the winter months has become difficult as I've gotten older. I'm busier, have different responsibilities than when I first started blogging way back in 2007 (!), and my inspiration for blogging takes a hit. After being so focused on blogging about holiday-related topics for three months, I'm left with an "OK, now what?" situation January through September. I'll get the occasional idea, but if I don't note it down somewhere, it vanishes in the ether between my ears, often never to appear again.

Plus, on top of the usual "getting back to business" activities that seem to make up January, this week in particular I've been hampered with COVID (bout number 3 for me since January of 2022) as well as snowy/frigid weather. I nearly slipped on ice on the stairs outside my house; I caught myself, but not without twisting something in one of my knees. COVID plus snow shoveling plus twisted knee equals WTF!!!

So please be patient with me. I do intend to be a year-round blogger; just hang in there and I'll amaze you with some wondrance you didn't know you needed but can't do without!

Thanks! Happy New Year!

Bye Bye, Desktop Computer!

 

After many years of lying dormant, I finally put our 20-year-old tower-style desktop computer out to pasture. It hasn’t worked correctly for years (I don’t even know how many), and even if it did work, it’s far too obsolete to be valuable today.

I took it to a local computer repair guy because my wife and I wanted to save any personal files we had on there (family photos, old teacher files of my wife's, music files, etc.), if they could be saved at all (the computer didn’t even start up correctly, so I was skeptical to say the least).

Fortunately, he was in fact able to get the files off of the hard drive. He saved them to a separate drive as well as giving us the old hard drive. I looked through the files saved and couldn’t believe what was on there. There was stuff I didn’t remember we had. Some of it personal, some of it inconsequential, all of it no more recent than 2014. It was like time travel!

So anyway, above is the shell of the desktop, keyboard, speakers, and monitor. We bought this in the early 2000s; definitely before 2006. It ran on Windows XP operating system, and it only had 256K of RAM when we bought it! Soon it will be picked up by an e-recycler or just put in the trash. I can’t imagine any use this equipment would have today.

I can’t say I feel nostalgic about this computer—it really wasn’t very good—but just the fact that it sat in our basement for so, so long—over 15 years at our current home, and at our previous house for a few years before that—and now it won’t, feels weird.

End of old computer rant.

Welcome to Wallflower Avenue!

Do you like jewelry? Do you like handmade items? Are you looking for gifts for your closest friends and loved ones this holiday season?

Look no further!

Let me introduce you to Wallflower Avenue, a new handmade jewelry shop owned and operated by none other than my daugher Megan. She makes quality, handmade jewelry by herself for satisfied customers--and you can be one of them!

Please see her work at her Etsy store at https://www.etsy.com/shop/WallflowerAvenue as well as the store's Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/wallflowerave.shop/. Get your order in early so it arrives in time for the holidays.

Thanks!

Shameless nepotism plug over. :)

Please Stand By

 

Hello everyone! I hope it's not too late to wish you all a Happy New Year!

Sorry for the lack of posting, but it's been a bit hectic since the holidays. I had a great Christmas and New Year's Day, but last week I became ill with what would later be diagnosed as COVID, so tag, I'm it! I'm doing much better this week, if not quite 100% just yet, but I'm confident I'll be back to speed next week.

I just wanted to pop in and say something, lest anyone suspect I wasn't coming back. Posting will definitely not be at the level of Halloween through Christmas, but I hope to post at least one article a week going forward. Keep me honest, folks!

Again, I hope you had a wonderful holiday season, and I wish you all the blessings possible in 2022 and beyond.

See you soon! Thanks!

The Serenity of November

 

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a great Halloween season and are looking forward to the final weeks of 2021 ahead.

Considering how many of my Internet friends are diehard autumn and Halloween fans, it's common for me to see them lament the arrival of November. For them, November means not only the end of their beloved Halloween, but the start of the Christmas season and all of its hustle and bustle.

I also love October and Halloween--I wouldn't participate in the Countdown to Halloween if I didn't--but instead of being sad about the end of that season, I embrace the new month.

I love November!

For me, November is the perfect transition from the gothic nature of October to the grandeur and pomp of December. November allows time for contemplation and reflection, a time to pause between two months defined by the fantastic and the spectacular. November is a more sober month than October or December, and I'm very glad it is.

For me, November is the most autumnal of months, at least in my area of the country. September is basically Summer Lite, and October still has plenty of greenery and warmth. November is the one month that is consistently "fall." Cool temperatures, changing leaves, earlier darkness--everything people love about autumn really doesn't hit its stride until this month.

These conditions allow for the contemplation I mentioned earlier. November is a month to feel the nip in the air and take a deep breath while you meditate on your place in the world and how you wish to spend your time on this earth. It's a great month to get a handle on your mental health. I recommend you take full advantage of it.

So go for a stroll through your neighborhood after sunset. Feel the cool wind embrace you. Smell the neighbor's fire pit and enjoy the scent of burning hickory. Let November wash over you. You've earned it. You deserve it.

Enjoy November!

How I Spent My Pandemic Vacation

Hello everyone! I hope everyone is safe, healthy, and happy out there. The pandemic has affected every person on the planet in different ways, and I hope we can finally put the virus in its place as soon as possible. The time apart from our loved ones and our favorite places will hopefully inspire us to never take them for granted. Once this is over, and it WILL be over eventually, let's all get out there and celebrate our lives and each other!

In the meantime, we're all doing what we can to keep in touch with our family and friends and passing the time in creative ways. Some are learning new skills, some are creating art and writing stories, songs, and poetry, and others are fighting on the front lines against the virus and making sure essential services continue. My hats off to all of you!

What have I been doing during the pandemic?

Not much, actually.

I certainly haven't been blogging much, as you can see. I work at home during the day, and at night it's time for dinner, some light chores, and TV. Here are some of the things I've been watching.

DCTV on The CW: Several of the shows had been on hiatus for most of March and April, but they've finally come back the last couple of weeks. I enjoy Batwoman, Supergirl, and DC's Legends of Tomorrow (although the silliness of Legends goes too far sometimes). I'm looking forward to the new Stargirl series starting May 19th on the CW, with new episodes debuting one day earlier on the DC Universe streaming service, to which I subscribe. Speaking of which:

Harley Quinn on DC Universe: This is an original animated series featured exclusively on DC Universe, and it is NOT for kids! This TV-MA rated series is filled with curses, extreme violence, and rude humor. I was a bit put off by the first episode of season 1, but I've been a big fan from the second episode right through the recently started second season. These are different, highly comedic versions of the characters we know and love, but the creators make it work as long as you're open to the outrageousness of it. A new episode debuts every Friday.

The Midnight Gospel on Netflix: Wow. This is a difficult show to describe, but I'll do my best. This is another TV-MA animated series, but goes in a completely different direction than Harley Quinn. Gospel features a character named Clancy, who uses a computer and "simulator" that carries Clancy's consciousness to parallel universes, which are usually on the brink of destruction, where he meets strange characters that he interviews for his "spacecasts" (podcasts that are broadcast through space). Clancy is voiced by comedian Duncan Trussell, host of the podcast The Duncan Trussell Family Hour, and the interviews Clancy conducts are largely edits from Trussell's real life podcast. Guests from the podcast that appear on Gospel include Dr. Drew Pinsky, Damien Echols, and Trussell's own late mother Deneen Fendig, who passed away in 2013. The discussions are highly philosophical and existential, and the quiet dialogues between Clancy and his guests are contrasted by chaotic events surrounding them, told in wild animation. The series is co-created by Pendleton Ward, creator of Adventure Time. The show isn't for everyone, and even I had to blink my eyes a few times at the images in front of me, but I enjoyed the series. If nothing else, I'm inspired to check out Trussell's podcast.

DCI Banks: This is a British series that is available on Amazon Prime. The title refers to the main character, detective Alan Banks, a stern, devoted cop who leads a dedicated team of detectives to solve grisly murders and bring justice for the late victims. The series is well written and acted, and while many may compare it to police procedurals here in the U.S., Banks is much less sensationalistic than most American police series. This is one of the few series my wife and I both enjoy equally. Highly recommended!

Much to my own surprise, I haven't listened to much music since sheltering at home, which is odd considering it seems like something that would increase under these circumstances. Right before the quarantine I started listening to Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia, a box set of great 70s soul music released on Philadelphia International Records, home of Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes, The Delfonics, The Three Degrees, and other great R&B acts from the 1970s. Every Philadelphian and/or lover of music should give this a listen!

Just a week or two ago, I became eligible to receive a 90-day free subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited. I began subscribing to a bunch of their playlists, one of which was a collection of '80s New Wave Hits, which I enjoyed a lot. Get out a can of Aqua Net and spray your hair to these great tracks!

There are a couple other things I may mention in a future article, but I don't want this one to get too unwieldy, so I'll save them for another time. I need to change things up and really take advantage of the extra time. If you have any recommendations for movies, TV series, music, books, comics, or hobbies, please let me know in the comments. Or simply let me know how you've spent the time inside. I always love to hear from you!

Be smart, Stay safe. Stay sane. Love one another!

Camden Catholic High School Virtual Choir, "I Am With You Always"

In these crazy times when we are all shut in, we do our best to overcome obstacles to coming together. My daughter's high school choir of which she is a member has done just that. She is the first person in the third row.

Please enjoy the Camden Catholic High School Virtual Choir performing the gospel song "I Am With You Always."

Stay safe!

The Real Haddonfield of Halloween--Haddonfield, New Jersey!

Halloween night is tomorrow! The season is almost over! I'm running out of material! I'd better hurry!

Everyone knows that the fictional town of Haddonfield, Illinois is the home of the season's number one killer, Michael Myers, but what some might not know is that the town is influenced by a real life Haddonfield--Haddonfield, New Jersey, childhood home of Halloween producer and co-writer, the late Debra Hill.

It just so happens that I live right by the town; I drive through it all the time. If you were to see it, you would think you stepped right into Haddonfield, Illinois from the film (minus the errant palm tree that creeps into a shot here and there). In fact, you can see for yourself. I took some very brief footage (only a minute's worth) for you to get a glimpse of the real Haddonfield. 

Do you think it resembles the movie version? Please let me know in the comments.

Thanks!

Merry Christmas 2014!

Hello everyone! It's Christmas Eve Eve, and I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you for reading all year long--many years, in some cases. I love writing this blog, and I hope you enjoy reading it just as much.

Every year at Christmas I wish to be as prolific as I am during that other most wonderful time of the year, but alas, the duties of the holiday and the workplace make that too difficult. Still, make no mistake--Christmas is my favorite time of year. Period.

In that spirit, I heartily say to you--Merry Christmas!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Ho Ho Ho! Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Now it's a new week, a new month, and another opportunity to experience what I find to be the best time of year.

Christmas time is here, happiness and cheer...

I've said this before, but I pretty much spend the first eleven months of the year twiddling my thumbs waiting for December. I love celebrating all holidays, but when I do, I'm usually trying to imitate the celebration of Christmas. There's always been a strong connection between me and Christmas to the point where I have a hard time putting it into words. I guess it all goes back to being a young child, feeling the holiday in every aspect of life starting the first school day after Thanksgiving and building up more and more every day until December 25th. Decorations were everywhere, music was everywhere (but not nearly as ubiquitous as it is today), it was all over TV, advertising, everywhere. Plus, I attended Catholic school throughout my childhood, so the spiritual significance of Christmas was very much in the forefront of my holiday experience--it still is.

I attended Mass regularly, and of course my church had an advent wreath prominently displayed there. With every passing week, one more candle would be lit--and oh, the joy of seeing that pink candle being lit the third week!--adding to the anticipation. The entire month just seemed so magical--literally magical--that, by the time it was Christmas Eve, the magic felt so tangible, so real, that it actually felt to me that the veil between Heaven and Earth was pulled away and that we truly about to experience Heaven on Earth.

Did I just blow your mind or what?

Lest you think I was completely devoid of the hedonistic pleasures of Christmas, of course I couldn't wait to get my loot from Santa Claus. In my youngest years, I was so excited about it, and so nervous, I actually lost my stomach because of it a couple of times. After that would pass, I would tear through the goodies that awaited me like a rabid monster. After examining my presents from Santa, my parents' gifts were next--oh nice, corduroys, thanks Mom and Dad--and then, there was a pleasantly meditative experience that is best described as afterglow.

Later on we had Christmas dinner, but it was a more casual event compared to Thanksgiving, with a buffet style layout at the table for us to grab what we wanted. By evening time, I simply sat in the living room surrounded by gifts and family, warm and content that the greatest day of the year that just happened, and was worth all the wait.

Another day this month, I'll describe how we spend Christmas today. I hope my children feel the same way about their Christmases the way I feel about mine. The bar has been set awfully high.

Packing On The Pounds

Dude--I'm fat.

I've had bouts with chubbiness most of my life; certainly when I was a boy and teenager, followed by a skinny phase in college, then back to pleasingly plump when marriage and kids came along. Back in 2011, I joined Weight Watchers and stayed in the program for 2 and half years. My starting weight was 203 (my height is about 5' 8"), then I dropped some off, with my lowest weight at 182; then it started creeping back up. It was in the mid-190s when I dropped out over a year ago, and now I find myself at 206. Yeesh!

I enjoyed being in the program, but increased work responsibilities made it more difficult to attend regular meetings, which is why I stopped going altogether. I don't see me returning to Weight Watchers anytime soon for the same reasons, but I have to do something. I just turned 40 back in September, and it's only going to get more difficult to lose the weight as I age, so the time is right. But how?

The first thing I want to do is get back to exercising. I have a Nintendo Wii Fit in my basement, which I've always enjoyed using, so that's a good place to start. There is a set of 3 lb hand weights in our house, so it wouldn't hurt me to use those as well. Plus, there are some free workout videos available on demand on our cable system, as well as DVDs available from the public library. Finally, I should take my dog for more frequent walks, since her vet said she needs to lose weight as well, so the walks will be good for both of us. Based on the above, I certainly have the tools at my disposal.

Then there's the other side of the equation, eating. I loves me some fast food. Especially meat. Boy, do I love meat. And french fries. French fries. And cheese. Delicious, artery-clogging cheese. Tomatoes? Pshaw! Beans? No thanks. Do you see my problem now?

I know this post is atypical of the usual fare you'll find here, but I had to get this out of my system. Thanks for letting me vent. I'll let you know if I manage to take some positive steps toward a leaner, meaner blogger. In the meantime, I'm going to find something to eat. I'm hungry.

Thanks!

Thanks for a Great Halloween 2014!

Hi all! As I type this, I'm sitting in my basement listening to the Halloween music playing on Music Choice on my cable TV system, with a bag of Thanksgiving decorations at my feet waiting to take the place of the Halloween decorations that came down Saturday. In about a half hour, I'll be catching the latest episode of The Walking Dead, which will be my official capping off of the Halloween season.

This Halloween, I wore two different "costumes" to work--a Ghostbusters t-shirt which looked like the suits the boys wore in the movies, as well as a hooded zip-up sweatshirt which looked like Batman's costume--complete with a hood that resembled his cowl! When I got home, I ushered my kids into their bedrooms to get into their costumes, and off we went for an almost two hour haunt (with a half hour break in the middle) throughout our 'hood in search of the ambrosia of Halloween--candy! Our neighborhood was very light on trick-or-treaters, but unfortunately, there aren't as many younger kids in our immediate area than there used to be. The upside--we get to keep all the candy we didn't give out. It's the good stuff, too: Reese's cups, Kit-Kats, and mini Hershey bars. Let the calorie retention begin!

My daughter was a zombie bride (completely her idea), and my son was Darth Vader. I tweeted this picture of them, and it was retweeted by the official verified account of David Prowse, the original Darth Vader. My son for the win!

Thank you one last time to everyone for celebrating Halloween with me all month long. It is, without exaggeration, one of the highlights of my year every year!

But fear not, because although one holiday is over, another great one is right around the corner...



Let's have a great November!

National Lemonade Days are This Weekend, June 6th through 8th!

This weekend, Friday June 6th through Sunday, June 8th are National Lemonade Days, the biggest fundraising days of the year for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, a fantastic organization raising money to fight childhood cancer "One Cup At A Time!" Please check out their Web site if you're unfamiliar with the organization, but I'm sure you've seen their yellow logo and fundraising programs everywhere.

As a kick-off to the event, KYW-TV in Philadelphia is having their annual telethon today from 6am to 8pm today. Other corporate partners include Volvo, Applebee's, and Toys R Us.

Please patronize a lemonade stand in your area, or make an online donation here. Thanks!

List O' Links for Friday, February 1, 2013

Just like that, the first month of the new year is over already, and we begin the shortest month of the year. We'll be singing "Auld Lang Syne" all over again before you know it. At least I have some fun links to pass the time until we get there.

Here are the 50 most essential science fiction novels according to this guy.

Chris Sims went to the Waffle House last weekend, and this is what he saw.

The Video Game Critic is a great site of extensive video game reviews. Not only do they review the latest and greatest games, they also review classic games--even for the Atari 2600!

If you're a fan of classic oldies music of the 50s and 60s like I am, there's a fine radio station in northern New Jersey  that plays a great selection that you almost never find on terrestrial radio anymore--WMTR 1250 AM.

Finally, a personal link for me--here is a recording of my beautiful daughter Megan singing "Castle on a Cloud" from Les Miserables. I love you, Meg! Best of luck in your dance competition tomorrow!

Have a great weekend!

Happy New Year 2013!

By this time, the Thanksgiving turkey is long digested, the busy shopping season is blessedly behind us, Santa has made his yuletide ride, and we've rang out the old and rang in the new. The 2012 Holiday Season is officially closed.

While we pack away the holly and mistletoe and the red and green decorations, the biggest mistake we can make is to pack away the spirit of the holidays. "Peace on Earth, goodwill toward men" is a belief we must practice year round, or it has no meaning. If you're like me, and you hate to put Christmas behind you--don't.  Be of good cheer, eat, drink and be merry, and care for your fellow man (especially when it's not returned) today, and tomorrow, and the day after that. When we all successfully do that, every year will truly be a happy new year.

And with that I say, one last time this season--Happy Thanksgiving. Merry Christmas. Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas 2012!

From my family to yours, we wish you the happiest of holidays, and the best wishes for a healthy, happy new year filled with love and good fortune.

Merry Christmas!

Happy 5th Anniversary to the Blog!

Hello everyone! As you can see, I've put away the blog's Halloween decorations for another year. I really hope you enjoyed the Countdown to Halloween here. Whether you did or didn't, please let me know in the comments. I'm always looking for ways to make the blog better.

Speaking of the blog itself, a momentous occasion has passed. Last Tuesday, October 30th, marked the fifth anniversary of the blog! It's hard to believe it's been that long. But I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. I love writing here!

The blog is my one creative outlet. It allows me to blow off steam, escape from the everyday toils that we all have, and just gives me a small bit of pleasure, seeing what I've posted and being able to say, "Hey, look what I did!" The blog has been a very positive experience for me, and for however long you've been reading, I hope it's been a positive experience for you.

I don't post as often as I used to, but I have no plans whatsoever of stopping. In fact, I'd like to do some different things with it in the future. I've really enjoyed the interviews I've done with comic creators such as Chris Sims and the Virtual Comic Con, and I plan on doing more interviews in the future. For years I've wanted to try podcasting, but my increasingly limited time plus total ineptitude with the necessary software has pretty much squashed those plans.  Of course, if you have a pop culture podcast and ever need a guest, I'm available (wink wink).

After every anniversary, I go back through the past year's posts and label my favorites as Best of Me and You. They are the posts that I like the most or represent the kind of material I enjoy featuring here, so if you're new to the place and want a better sense of what the blog is about, those posts are a great place to go.

I've patted myself on the back enough for one day, so I'll wrap up by asking you to take part in the survey along the right of the blog. Please be brutally honest with what you think, and I will take all advice and criticism seriously. I can't make the blog better if I don't know what you the reader like and don't like. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting the blog, and stay tuned--the best is yet to come!