other than that, i got nothin! (i'm not watching the pro bowl, but i might watch the grammy's.)
this past week seems to have been one of remembrance and nostalgia not only for me, but for many of you. there were photos, songs, comfort foods, books, authors and in some cases, confessions! i don't know what spurred this look back, but i do know that this past week saw the death of howard zinn. he was one of those people who made me look at things from all directions and to question conclusions that others might try to impose. a simple explanation of the profound effect caused by a man i never met.
"If you don't know history, it is as if you were born yesterday."
— Howard Zinn
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
i'll be back soon. sometimes, i really do have to work.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
31-28 in overtime!
the who dat nation! on to miami, baby!
oh yeah, they'll be playing the colts.
celebrations, games, but most of all prayers for a friend
today is the rockmother's birthday! i'll be raising a glass in her honor while i watch the championship games today!
(oh yeah, we're not saying anything outloud about the outcome...but ya'll know who i'm cheering for!)
******
a good friend to us needs all y'alls support and love. just keep our pal, a.boxer in y'alls thoughts/prayers/chants/meditations - she's done it for me and i know she'd do it for all y'all! i KNOW it works. this community we have formed has sustained me as much as the people i see everyday and i know how much expressions of support help!
Friday, January 22, 2010
no need to call PETA
they make me smile.
they make no sense,
but i need a little
no
sense
right
about
now.
cardboard heads
some decided to play or yeah, it's drive by friday again!
MITM is the Dread Pirate Cash
Like the famous Dread Pirate Roberts, you have a keen head for how to make a profit. You're musical, and you've got a certain style if not flair. You'll do just fine. Arr!
captain chaos is Iron Harry Roberts
A pirate's life isn't easy; it takes a tough person. That's okay with you, though, since you a tough person. Two things complete your pirate persona: style and swagger. Maybe a little too much swagger sometimes -- but who really cares? Arr!
mago is Mad William Vane
Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. You tend to blend into the background occasionally, but that's okay, because it's much easier to sneak up on people and disembowel them that way. Arr!
leah is Captain Bess Flint!
eleanor is Dirty Jenny Rackman!
roses is the Dread Pirate Bonney!
mark is Iron jack Kidd!
eryl is Dread Pirate Bonney
kim is the Dread Pirate Vane and as he said, it's time for him to start plaiting his beard!
*******
sometimes the laughter fades so quickly it is as if it never happened.
Like the famous Dread Pirate Roberts, you have a keen head for how to make a profit. You're musical, and you've got a certain style if not flair. You'll do just fine. Arr!
captain chaos is Iron Harry Roberts
A pirate's life isn't easy; it takes a tough person. That's okay with you, though, since you a tough person. Two things complete your pirate persona: style and swagger. Maybe a little too much swagger sometimes -- but who really cares? Arr!
mago is Mad William Vane
Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. You tend to blend into the background occasionally, but that's okay, because it's much easier to sneak up on people and disembowel them that way. Arr!
leah is Captain Bess Flint!
eleanor is Dirty Jenny Rackman!
roses is the Dread Pirate Bonney!
mark is Iron jack Kidd!
eryl is Dread Pirate Bonney
kim is the Dread Pirate Vane and as he said, it's time for him to start plaiting his beard!
*******
sometimes the laughter fades so quickly it is as if it never happened.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
names and music and why the hell not?
My pirate name is:
Captain Charity Flint
Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!
Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network
corrine bailey rae said this in an interview when talking about her new album, the sea, about the death of her husband and the inspiration behind the songs.
And then you realize you can’t go back, so you try to get away from it, but that only pulls you down. At some point I thought: I’ll do neither. I’ll just let myself be in it. There’s so much beauty in not trying to control things, just letting yourself float out into the velvet dark and trusting that this feeling will pass.”
She clasped her hands in her lap, still wearing her wedding ring. “That’s one of the most amazing and terrifying things about life,” she said. “Nothing’s forever.”
the other day over at alan's music, he posted this incredible video:
and then at map's, we have another favorite of mine:
and the dear rock mother has a trailer for her film:
it's thursday and i am grateful for being given this day.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
happy birthday, xl!
today is our pal xl's birthday! he's written a lovely essay on time i think everyone should read. drop on over and wish a very cool cat a lovely and delicious birthday!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
nicked from scout
extreme shepherding!
perfect after watching the saints do what they do so well!
who dat!
back to our scheduled fox sports gameday hijinks!
update:
so, the minnesota vikings stomped all over the dallas cowboys 34 -3. good times, good times.
but,
this means that the division championship for the nfc will be minnesota at new orleans.
yes, the vikings v. the saints. so what, i can hear all y'all saying, but here's the deal:
captain chaos is a vikings fan.
is it possible to disown one of your children for just 1 day?
perfect after watching the saints do what they do so well!
who dat!
back to our scheduled fox sports gameday hijinks!
update:
so, the minnesota vikings stomped all over the dallas cowboys 34 -3. good times, good times.
but,
this means that the division championship for the nfc will be minnesota at new orleans.
yes, the vikings v. the saints. so what, i can hear all y'all saying, but here's the deal:
captain chaos is a vikings fan.
is it possible to disown one of your children for just 1 day?
Saturday, January 16, 2010
this weekend
yes, i'm recording the divisional playoffs.
yes, i don't really need to watch the games.
yes, i could follow the game online.
yes, i could wait and find out what happens later tonight.
but, guess what?
i'm going to watch the divisional playoffs today and tomorrow.
and then, i'm going to watch them again when the MITM gets home.
so, i'll see y'all on monday.
enjoy the weekend
and
GEAUX SAINTS!
update: the new orleans saints beat the arizona cardinals 45-14
yes, i don't really need to watch the games.
yes, i could follow the game online.
yes, i could wait and find out what happens later tonight.
but, guess what?
i'm going to watch the divisional playoffs today and tomorrow.
and then, i'm going to watch them again when the MITM gets home.
so, i'll see y'all on monday.
enjoy the weekend
and
GEAUX SAINTS!
update: the new orleans saints beat the arizona cardinals 45-14
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
metropolitan diary
i have read the new york times for more years than i can remember. yes, even when i had the daily los angeles times delivered every morning to my home, i still read the nyt for real news. it's funny, now that i think of it, when we lived overseas, the MITM's older sister, used to send me copies of my favorite columnists from both papers. she knew those were the best part of her letters from home for me. i still have my autographed copy of one jack smith's many books.
i had secretly wanted to be a reporter when i was young. by the time i got to high school i was able to work on the school newspaper where a lovely and thoughtful nun there was able to secure places for some of us at the university of southern california's summer journalism school for high school students. she gave us the opportunity for internships at the christian science monitor which then, as now, was one of the stars of print journalism. i had aspirations.
fast forward to the present, one of the many things that have stayed with me is the importance of the who, what, where, when, why (thank you, xl) and how that should be contained in the first paragraph of your story. i look to media, in all of its manifestations, to still fulfill those requirements. so what, i know y'all are wondering, do any of these vaguely related stories have to do with anything? as always, i'll try to explain...here in the states there was yet another much ado about nothing news event. it was all about what harry reid said (over 2 years ago, i might add) and why, according to the party not in the majority, he should be removed form his post as senate majority leader. i'll not reprint it, just if y'all are interested read the following article:
what some black people think about what harry reid said.
and then, i want you to read some of my favorite entries from the nyt column, metropolitan diary. the entries are unrelated to the reid comment, but for me made sense in probably a way only understood by my addled brain: we all speak in many different ways on a variety of subjects to a variety of different people (how's that for convoluted?) and depending on age, location, socio-economic level and yes, ethnic background sometimes, we might inadvertently use a word or term that to a listener might have another meaning and/or cause offense. in these situations SPEAK UP! immediately, but all that aside let me get back to my original premise (do we even remember what it was?).
anyway, to my mind, the conversation this past weekend has been a red herring, a tempest in a teapot and a real disservice to the people, a monumental waste of time and energy. and bringing it back to media, i want to say to the 4th estate: grow a sack, learn how to say enough, this isn't news, it's manipulation. dig for the deeper stories, people, stop playing the soundbite game and most importantly, stop using talking heads that only know how to yell. volume does not mean correctness. screaming is not debate. oh yeah, while i'm on this roll, not every journalist is going to be bob woodward or carl bernstein and no, the newest new thing in the movies isn't going to portray you in this century's version of all the president's men. don't invent the news, don't be the news, just report it. *standing down*
anyway, read some lovely vignettes from one of my favorite papers. i hope y'all will have a renewed sense of hope in humanity.
Dear Diary:
When I visited a friend living on West 69th Street, I noticed that every apartment doorway except hers was graced with a yellow sheet of paper. My friend explained that the papers were menus for Chinese takeout and that her doorway was clear because she had gone to Chinatown and ordered a sign in Chinese: “No menus.”
She taped the sign to her door and rejoiced that she no longer had to stoop to retrieve the papers.
A few weeks later, she telephoned to tell me that whoever delivered the menus for the new Mexican restaurant did not understand Chinese calligraphy.
Mary Elizabeth Hartz
Dear Diary:
My wife and I pulled into the entrance of a crowded parking lot in the theater district some years ago. The young attendant waved us to a stop, and came to the driver’s side, motioning me to lower the window. “I’ll park the car,” he said. “How long will you be?”
“I don’t know,” I answered. “We’re going to have lunch and then we’re going to the theater.”
“What show?” he asked.
“Le Cage aux Folles,” I told him.
“That’ll be $6,” he said. “And by the way, It’s ‘La Cage aux Folles.’ ”
Murray E. Bovarnick
Dear Diary:
In town for my son’s graduation from Columbia University, I stood across Broadway from the university’s main gate while he ran for coffee.
Within moments, a lone boy of about 8 stood in front of me, tilted his dark eyes upward and spoke in a language that, to me, was incomprehensible. I asked, “Spanish?” and he replied, “Arabic.”
Holding hands, we crossed Broadway to the university’s iron security booth, where a no-nonsense woman stood speaking loudly and authoritatively on an enormous walkie-talkie.
Motioning for us to wait, the boy answered his cellphone, and I could faintly hear the rushed and worried questions from a voice that had to be his mother’s.
The security guard sharply turned to us and I explained our predicament. She grabbed her walkie-talkie and shouted, “We need an Arabic speaker to the Broadway gate and we need him here right now!”
A passing young woman stopped and said, “I speak Arabic.” Quickly, she learned that our young friend, Mohammed, was from Yemen visiting relatives, and that a slight mix-up in the address had caused him to lose his way.
As Mohammed’s mother was comforted in her own language, a security car pulled onto the sidewalk, the officer was briefed, and he said, “Get in, Mohammed, and I’ll take you to your aunt’s house.” The three of us watched the silhouette of the boy’s head through the car’s rear window, bound for his family.
We turned to face each other, and the security guard threw back her head and shouted, “Life is good!”
Siri A. Everett
Dear Diary:
Date: Wednesday after Election Day.
Time: Evening rush.
Place: 33rd Street Station
Cast: Two senior citizens and a crowd of passengers on the No. 6 Lexington Avenue local.
My friend and I were trying to head uptown on the subway. The platform was so crowded that we could not board the first train to enter the station. We waited for another train, and I managed to wiggle my way in.
My friend was still on the platform, so I shouted, ''Please move into the center of the car!''
A passenger replied, ''We can't; it's crowded.''
Then another passenger said, ''Yes we can!''
Suddenly the car was filled with shouts, ''Yes we can!''
Everyone moved farther in and my friend was able to join me on the train.
Sue Falk
(i think this has to be my favorite for so many reasons!)
Dear Diary:
One early spring morning in Manhattan several years ago, I decided to treat myself to a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I was looking forward to a quiet Sunday. When I boarded the subway at Chambers Street, I was relieved to find myself alone in the car.
My happiness was short-lived. At Spring Street, a noisy bunch of high-schoolers wearing enormous day packs flooded in, chatting, shoving one another, and plugging away on their electronic devices. I sighed. Why my car? Why couldn’t my morning have just a little more peace and quiet?
Then, without warning, I heard a high-pitched whistle. It took me a minute to place the sound: a pitch pipe. I looked up. The students began to sing — the “Kyrie Eleison” from Mozart’s “Requiem.” I was entranced.
They continued singing, conducting one another with their eyes, all the way up to my stop.
Lisa Jadwin
so, there you have it. i've been thinking about this since yesterday afternoon (1/12/10 4:06PM thanks to blogger post options). it all made sense to me and probably won't to all y'all but that's ok because i slept really well last night and i feel good today!
i had secretly wanted to be a reporter when i was young. by the time i got to high school i was able to work on the school newspaper where a lovely and thoughtful nun there was able to secure places for some of us at the university of southern california's summer journalism school for high school students. she gave us the opportunity for internships at the christian science monitor which then, as now, was one of the stars of print journalism. i had aspirations.
fast forward to the present, one of the many things that have stayed with me is the importance of the who, what, where, when, why (thank you, xl) and how that should be contained in the first paragraph of your story. i look to media, in all of its manifestations, to still fulfill those requirements. so what, i know y'all are wondering, do any of these vaguely related stories have to do with anything? as always, i'll try to explain...here in the states there was yet another much ado about nothing news event. it was all about what harry reid said (over 2 years ago, i might add) and why, according to the party not in the majority, he should be removed form his post as senate majority leader. i'll not reprint it, just if y'all are interested read the following article:
what some black people think about what harry reid said.
and then, i want you to read some of my favorite entries from the nyt column, metropolitan diary. the entries are unrelated to the reid comment, but for me made sense in probably a way only understood by my addled brain: we all speak in many different ways on a variety of subjects to a variety of different people (how's that for convoluted?) and depending on age, location, socio-economic level and yes, ethnic background sometimes, we might inadvertently use a word or term that to a listener might have another meaning and/or cause offense. in these situations SPEAK UP! immediately, but all that aside let me get back to my original premise (do we even remember what it was?).
anyway, to my mind, the conversation this past weekend has been a red herring, a tempest in a teapot and a real disservice to the people, a monumental waste of time and energy. and bringing it back to media, i want to say to the 4th estate: grow a sack, learn how to say enough, this isn't news, it's manipulation. dig for the deeper stories, people, stop playing the soundbite game and most importantly, stop using talking heads that only know how to yell. volume does not mean correctness. screaming is not debate. oh yeah, while i'm on this roll, not every journalist is going to be bob woodward or carl bernstein and no, the newest new thing in the movies isn't going to portray you in this century's version of all the president's men. don't invent the news, don't be the news, just report it. *standing down*
anyway, read some lovely vignettes from one of my favorite papers. i hope y'all will have a renewed sense of hope in humanity.
Dear Diary:
When I visited a friend living on West 69th Street, I noticed that every apartment doorway except hers was graced with a yellow sheet of paper. My friend explained that the papers were menus for Chinese takeout and that her doorway was clear because she had gone to Chinatown and ordered a sign in Chinese: “No menus.”
She taped the sign to her door and rejoiced that she no longer had to stoop to retrieve the papers.
A few weeks later, she telephoned to tell me that whoever delivered the menus for the new Mexican restaurant did not understand Chinese calligraphy.
Mary Elizabeth Hartz
Dear Diary:
My wife and I pulled into the entrance of a crowded parking lot in the theater district some years ago. The young attendant waved us to a stop, and came to the driver’s side, motioning me to lower the window. “I’ll park the car,” he said. “How long will you be?”
“I don’t know,” I answered. “We’re going to have lunch and then we’re going to the theater.”
“What show?” he asked.
“Le Cage aux Folles,” I told him.
“That’ll be $6,” he said. “And by the way, It’s ‘La Cage aux Folles.’ ”
Murray E. Bovarnick
Dear Diary:
In town for my son’s graduation from Columbia University, I stood across Broadway from the university’s main gate while he ran for coffee.
Within moments, a lone boy of about 8 stood in front of me, tilted his dark eyes upward and spoke in a language that, to me, was incomprehensible. I asked, “Spanish?” and he replied, “Arabic.”
Holding hands, we crossed Broadway to the university’s iron security booth, where a no-nonsense woman stood speaking loudly and authoritatively on an enormous walkie-talkie.
Motioning for us to wait, the boy answered his cellphone, and I could faintly hear the rushed and worried questions from a voice that had to be his mother’s.
The security guard sharply turned to us and I explained our predicament. She grabbed her walkie-talkie and shouted, “We need an Arabic speaker to the Broadway gate and we need him here right now!”
A passing young woman stopped and said, “I speak Arabic.” Quickly, she learned that our young friend, Mohammed, was from Yemen visiting relatives, and that a slight mix-up in the address had caused him to lose his way.
As Mohammed’s mother was comforted in her own language, a security car pulled onto the sidewalk, the officer was briefed, and he said, “Get in, Mohammed, and I’ll take you to your aunt’s house.” The three of us watched the silhouette of the boy’s head through the car’s rear window, bound for his family.
We turned to face each other, and the security guard threw back her head and shouted, “Life is good!”
Siri A. Everett
Dear Diary:
Date: Wednesday after Election Day.
Time: Evening rush.
Place: 33rd Street Station
Cast: Two senior citizens and a crowd of passengers on the No. 6 Lexington Avenue local.
My friend and I were trying to head uptown on the subway. The platform was so crowded that we could not board the first train to enter the station. We waited for another train, and I managed to wiggle my way in.
My friend was still on the platform, so I shouted, ''Please move into the center of the car!''
A passenger replied, ''We can't; it's crowded.''
Then another passenger said, ''Yes we can!''
Suddenly the car was filled with shouts, ''Yes we can!''
Everyone moved farther in and my friend was able to join me on the train.
Sue Falk
(i think this has to be my favorite for so many reasons!)
Dear Diary:
One early spring morning in Manhattan several years ago, I decided to treat myself to a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I was looking forward to a quiet Sunday. When I boarded the subway at Chambers Street, I was relieved to find myself alone in the car.
My happiness was short-lived. At Spring Street, a noisy bunch of high-schoolers wearing enormous day packs flooded in, chatting, shoving one another, and plugging away on their electronic devices. I sighed. Why my car? Why couldn’t my morning have just a little more peace and quiet?
Then, without warning, I heard a high-pitched whistle. It took me a minute to place the sound: a pitch pipe. I looked up. The students began to sing — the “Kyrie Eleison” from Mozart’s “Requiem.” I was entranced.
They continued singing, conducting one another with their eyes, all the way up to my stop.
Lisa Jadwin
so, there you have it. i've been thinking about this since yesterday afternoon (1/12/10 4:06PM thanks to blogger post options). it all made sense to me and probably won't to all y'all but that's ok because i slept really well last night and i feel good today!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
tuesday and i'm still tired
nicked this from psneeze @twitter watch it all the way through. it's worth taking a moment.
Monday, January 11, 2010
monday drive by...
super nana needs some help! in fact, please visit her blog, she is asking for simple recipes for easy dishes to prepare after a long day at work. i've offered a few, but i still cook for an army and don't mind a refrigerator full of leftovers, so i'm only marginally helpful. any and all assistance will be greatly appreciated!
i'll be blogging all day today, so i'll see all ya'll later!
~~~~~
ok, that's done. had to take miss daisy to a doctor's appointment. i'll spare y'all the details, but hand to heart, i need a car service for her!
more later...
~~~~~
what is it that can wake a person at some damndarkinthemorning hour and make it impossible for said person to simply close their eyes and go back to sleep? that was me at 4am and now it's 14:42 and i am so damn sleepy it's ridiculous!
i'll be blogging all day today, so i'll see all ya'll later!
~~~~~
ok, that's done. had to take miss daisy to a doctor's appointment. i'll spare y'all the details, but hand to heart, i need a car service for her!
more later...
~~~~~
what is it that can wake a person at some damndarkinthemorning hour and make it impossible for said person to simply close their eyes and go back to sleep? that was me at 4am and now it's 14:42 and i am so damn sleepy it's ridiculous!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
how it all began or how the coconut krewe came to be and why we don't have our own float
the white rabbit asked for some sort of back story after reading the january 3rd post. i thought about writing the history of savmarshmama, but realized it's not all my story to tell. but, i can explain the people who show up in my tales of the plantation:
the MITM (aka the Man In The Moon aka the husband) will sometimes do a guest blog, but he's not a blogger, so i'll leave his part of the story out.
captain chaos is #1 son, the first born of the coconut krewe, owner of the best dog in the world, ghostface killah and recently engaged to The Girl who is also best friend to super nana.
mr. moose is #3 son and husband to miss nancy who isn't a blogger, but is a very talented fashion designer.
and then, there's super nana, only daughter and youngest member of the coconut krewe. if i'm the queen of eveything, she is the princess of quite a lot!
but wait, i know y'all are thinking, i thought she said 4, what happened to #2 son? the elusive and world weary #2 son aka dr. t is married to the dancing lady and recently returned from living amongst the madridniks for a few years.
those are the players and that's our story and we're sticking to it!
oh yeah, why don't we have our own float? well, they live on the west coast and we live on the east coast and no one ever remembers to register the krewe in time! oh yeah, they'd fit right in at the autocrat club.
laissez les bons temps rouler!
early morning update
i almost forgot (ok, i really did forget, but here i am at 4inthedamndarkmorning telling all y'all) miss daisy the MITM's 87 year old mother who lives with us. she is featured quite often in tales of the plantation.
another thing, the link to mr. moose has now been corrected. i made a mistake earlier and just might have sent any one clicking on the link to a so not mr. moose site. my apologies!
the MITM (aka the Man In The Moon aka the husband) will sometimes do a guest blog, but he's not a blogger, so i'll leave his part of the story out.
captain chaos is #1 son, the first born of the coconut krewe, owner of the best dog in the world, ghostface killah and recently engaged to The Girl who is also best friend to super nana.
mr. moose is #3 son and husband to miss nancy who isn't a blogger, but is a very talented fashion designer.
and then, there's super nana, only daughter and youngest member of the coconut krewe. if i'm the queen of eveything, she is the princess of quite a lot!
but wait, i know y'all are thinking, i thought she said 4, what happened to #2 son? the elusive and world weary #2 son aka dr. t is married to the dancing lady and recently returned from living amongst the madridniks for a few years.
those are the players and that's our story and we're sticking to it!
oh yeah, why don't we have our own float? well, they live on the west coast and we live on the east coast and no one ever remembers to register the krewe in time! oh yeah, they'd fit right in at the autocrat club.
laissez les bons temps rouler!
early morning update
i almost forgot (ok, i really did forget, but here i am at 4inthedamndarkmorning telling all y'all) miss daisy the MITM's 87 year old mother who lives with us. she is featured quite often in tales of the plantation.
another thing, the link to mr. moose has now been corrected. i made a mistake earlier and just might have sent any one clicking on the link to a so not mr. moose site. my apologies!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
sunday, sunday
since we last spoke...
remember when i said i had a story to tell, but it really wasn't mine to share just then....well, it is now! (i mean, it's already been on facebook!)
captain chaos and The Girl are ENGAGED! the wedding will probably be sometime in the summer, but the best news is that she said yes and they are happy. The Girl has been a friend to our family for more years than i can remember, so it is a happy time for us all!
so, here we are only 3 days into two thousand ten and things are happening as if for every good thing there is a bad thing that clouds the joy and steals a bit of your soul. we'll try not to dwell on those, but they are there and all we can do is hold fast to each other and remember the good things in life and remember to tell the people you care about that you love them now and always will.
thank you again for all the lovely birthday wishes and for all y'all have done for me, the MITM and the coconut krewe. i can't say it enough, y'all have held our hands more than y'all can ever possibly know and for that, we are most and eternally appreciative and grateful!
remember when i said i had a story to tell, but it really wasn't mine to share just then....well, it is now! (i mean, it's already been on facebook!)
so, here we are only 3 days into two thousand ten and things are happening as if for every good thing there is a bad thing that clouds the joy and steals a bit of your soul. we'll try not to dwell on those, but they are there and all we can do is hold fast to each other and remember the good things in life and remember to tell the people you care about that you love them now and always will.
thank you again for all the lovely birthday wishes and for all y'all have done for me, the MITM and the coconut krewe. i can't say it enough, y'all have held our hands more than y'all can ever possibly know and for that, we are most and eternally appreciative and grateful!
Friday, January 1, 2010
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