As the Budda quotes, "I am not one's servant. With the knowledge I have gained, I wander about in all the world, being a servant to no one. One could say, like the rain or sky does wander as no ones servant."
"She had lost the art of conversation but not, unfortunately, the power of speech.".....George Barnard Shaw.
The person whom I co-habitate with would surely agree with the latter part of this quote. I, however, do not think I've lost the first part either. LOL
Live never to be ashamed if anything you do or say is published around the world - even if what is published is not true........Richard Bach, from Illusions Amen!
A big thank you to Bill Maher, whose link provided above. Yes, these are from the last show of the season but they stand the test of time..
New Rule: Stop claiming you have an "agenda." It's not an agenda. It's a random collection of laws that your corporate donors paid you to pass. The American people were not clamoring for a cap on medical malpractice awards. If a surgeon leaves an Altoids box in my chest cavity, I want to see him in debtors' prison.
New Rule: Hey, now that you've won and you're safe, you have to tell us, what the hell was that thing on your back during the debate?
New Rule: Hey, it's daddy's big day. Put on a bra. I mean, come on. You've got less support than Nader. And they call Kerry a flip-flopper.
New Rule: Stop saying that blue state people are out of touch with the values and morals of the red states. I'm not out of touch with them. I just don't share them. In fact, and I know this is about 140 years late, but to the Southern States, I would say, "Upon further consideration, you CAN go. I know that's what you've always wanted, and we've reconsidered. So go ahead. And take Texas with you." You know what they say. If at first you don't secede, try, try again. And give my regards to President Charlie Daniels.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I almost forgot, this is the time of healing. The time when blue states and red states come together because we have so much to offer each other. "Spice Rack" meet "Gun Rack." "Picky about bottled water," say hello to "Drinks from a garden hose." "Bought an antique nightstand at an estate sale," meet "Uses a giant wooden spool he stole from the phone company as a coffee table." Sorry, there I go again, kidding when I should be healing.
So, Democrats - Democrats and liberals, stop saying you're going to move because Bush won. Real liberals should be pledging to stay because Bush won. Trust me, you can't get away from Bush by moving to France. Because that's where we're invading next.
Things in our past seem to pop up at the oddest times. Sometimes the thoughts are good, sometimes bad, and sometimes strange.
As I was awaiting sleep to come upon me last evening, I found myself back in time. I’d gone to see Paul Revere and the Raiders. (They were a rock and roll band in the '60's) with some friends. It was an innocent time. When you could wait for "stars", get autographs, snap pictures, even have fun following them home, or getting near the houses.
Getting my drivers license was, as I’m sure all kids feel, was FREEDOM! For myself and my friends, Hollywood was our Friday night hangout, that or Disneyland, usually we did one one week and another the next.
So it was on a warm evening, that I was in my VW bug with my friends after a Paul Revere concert to follow them (well for me Mark Lindsay was my heartthrob) on the freeway toward their homes.
Being shy back then, when we arrived near Marks house, I held back (yes, believe it or not, we could have gone inside the house). We waved and I turned towards home, that dark evening.
A strange twist of fate had me at Marks house that night. It was a house to become famous. The house Mark had shared with Terry Melcher for a time would soon be in the headlines. IT WAS THE HOUSE OF THE MANSON MURDERS!
It seems that it is a little known fact that while many reports say Manson had intended to kill Melcher for not using his music (but found Tate and her friends, not Melcher), that Mark Lindsay had lived there too!
I can still see the gate, the house, the darkness. It felt safe. I'm sure it did to those who moved in later to meet their fate!
The Gift is there you need only see it, to have it......Rusty Berkus Last Friday was the first big snowfall of the season here in Minnesota, or rather in the Twin City metro area. It was typical of everything that one would imagine a snow storm to be. Besides the continuous snow, the dreary day made one feel as if we were living in the Twilight Zone. Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny. The snow plows had been through, and early in the morning I was in my sports car and headed North to Anoka, where my hair stylist is. When driving North on HWY 169, there is an area between Brooklyn Park and Champlin where there is still LAND! UNDEVELOPED LAND! It is true. Silence all about me. Heavenly silence. Suddenly I was made aware of the undeveloped patch of land I was driving by, and all of my senses became alert. It was a picture postcard. The newly fallen show, shimmering in the sunlight, beating down from incredibly blue skies. Trees dotting the area. Such intense beauty. Why it took my breath away!! I could have kicked myself for not having a camera in the car to capture this moment. It was also then that I realized why I live where I do. This type of quiet beauty cannot be found just anywhere. And I was blessed enough to be able to witness nature in all it's glory. So while I miss my mountains and ocean, what I saw for those moments this past Saturday caused me to realize that I was given a gift and that yes, now I know why I'm here.
Just returned from Target. Am STILL trying to locate a FILM camera that allows me to point and click. Yes, I know, they don't exist, unless I want to pay more than my monthly house payment and then some.
However using the knowledge I have learned from various sources (and one Professor), I did actually discover that if I turn the flash mode off on a few camera's, that the camera will click, click, click. Of course not using flash mode won't work in many circumstances, but it is better than nothing. Then I discovered many camera's have only a few zoom settings, not the manual zoom. To make a long story longer, I am probably going to go with an Olympus. There was a zoom to 150 and when on action mode and auto flash off, I could hear the click, click click. I didn't buy it today. I'll wait....I'm sure it will be on sale in a week or so.
BUT!!! I ended up getting into a fight with a customer!! This IDIOT butted into my space to "inform" me that HE would show me THE best camera there, and proceeded to walk over to the digital camera's. To try and keep this short, I told him I did not WANT a digital, that I HAVE a digital, but that I prefer film. He was telling me I'm crazy. LITERALLY. Said he is a professional photographer and how the photos are SO much clearer, blah blah blah, with digital.
So I used the tactic of what I felt was a WONDERFUL article, one which I kept by the way, this past week in USA TODAY, about how people are going to be losing precious memories in using digital camera's (by "deleting" all the 'bad" shots, those photos we look at from times long ago, that are so precious to us, the out of focus shots, the cutting off the head shots etc, will never be seen again and future generations will not see a "realistic" portrait of lives lived). How true.
Another point the article made is that people printing pictures from their printers will not have photos that last. That printers do not have the ink that lasts generations. This article said, which I TOTALLY agree with, that people need to get their pictures done in photo labs to ensure not just quality but longevity.
Well, Mr. JERKO said I "TOTALLY" missed the point of the article, after saying it was a bunch of crap, then kept on about the digital. I mentioned (wanting to punch him in the face) how people who I know are in the photo business prefer kodachrome. He gave me a VERY snide look, laugh..saying they know NOTHING about progress etc.
So sense this blog is incredibly long. Suffice it to say we "exchanged" nasty words to one another about 10 minutes, until the store salesman came to "intervene".
Ohhh...Camera's are so fun, I just never knew they inspired such "FEELING"!!! :)
This guy is incredible. I love his weekly column in USA TODAY. He is one of those gifted people who can say in a few words that which would take me an entire book to write, and THEN I'd not even have expressed myself a fraction of the way he does.
For those who may read this and not see a link to his site (and please do click on the various past articles), just go to the name and it will be highlighted to click and be redirected to his page.
Well, maybe it was only ME who could not tell that the three dots before the "title" meant it was a link?! Hmmm......
Now to learn if I can put a link in the body of a blog..........stay tuned.
Ps...No, this "Lady" has no connections with Craig, except as a groupie. :)
Yet again, in the stillness of the night, when memory appears to kick in, I recalled something I now find vastly amusing..now at least.
When I was young, oh so young, my friends and I went to a pop concert. We went to see the FOUR SEASONS pop group! Yes, that is how "young" I am. Indeed, I was very young, way too young to drive, not yet a teenager. I'm sure the Four Seasons were past their "height" in fame too. (my parents dropped us off and picked us up).
I dressed to the hilt for this totally exciting event. I even put on fake fingernails. Oh did I feel grownup!
After the concert, my friends and I went around to the back of the building to await the group (yes, I was, and am, a groupie). The limousine pulled back from inside the building and THERE THEY WERE! It was dark out and they rolled down the windows of the limo to greet the fans.
Looking back, I guess I've always been pushy when it comes to something like this (watch out President Clinton). Anyhow, I recall so vividly seeing them sitting there, the inside of the car was alight as only a limo, I'm sure, could be. I reached in to shake hands. Who these men were individually I haven't a clue, I was just in cloud nine to do see shake their hands. After a moment or so I realized one, than two of the members were looking down at their laps in what appeared to be puzzlement. I was not sure what was going on.
Then to my HORROR I discovered what they were looking at. My fake fingernails had fallen off when shaking hands!! To say this 11 year old wanted to drop dead on the spot is simplifying the way I felt.
Ah! To be 11 again! :)
Lesson one. Learn how to engage brain before opening mouth. This holds especially true when one is in the workplace, calling a vendor to rectify a situation which has many people involved, including the VP of the company.
If one does not learn to engage brain before opening mouth, the following may occur, and did to this SPACE CADET today!
To Begin: You call the vendor. You reach his voice mail. You begin your spiel and mentally pat yourself on the back as you are being very professional AND using words that actually sound pretty damn good. Words longer than four letters in length! :)
Now, in learning how to be a total ass in one simple moment, do as I did today.
You get the message out, and begin to leave your phone number. I began with, "please give me a call at" and say the prefix, but it is the wrong prefix, so I say, "wait, that isn't right, call me at..." and once again, I give a prefix, which in this case is correct, but then I continue with" xxx". Then say, "Wait! That is the beginning of my home number". Thus, I begin again, "ok, the number is....". and give the correct prefix but the FAX number". By this time I'm so totally pissed at myself that I forget I'm at work and say "OH SCREW IT!" before FINALLY getting out my work number!!!
As soon as I had hung up the phone I was in MAJOR shock. Did I just tell a vendor to "SCREW IT"? My brain asked? OH MY GOD!!
Now! How do I try and rectify the situation!! I pull up my contact person's name in the computer for said company ( a different person). I see the company is in Florida. ( Hmmm, I'm thinking, I may be ok, Florida is a laid back State like CA, right? PLEASE GOD!) So I connect with the man and I tell him my reason for calling (the reason I left a vm for his co worker) and then I told him what I did.
He began laughing and laughing. I asked if the other person had a sense of humor, "OH YEA" he replied. I said lamely, "well, I'm from California, just chalk it up to that". I then heard a great deal about what people think of Californians. (As always, "space cadets", which I could not disagree with after what I pulled).
I felt I'd dodged a bullet. I went for coffee and came back to my desk to see a message light on my phone. It was the guy whose vm I'd gotten. He was cracking up! Said they would keep my message in the "hall of voice mail fame". "WHEW"! (and it's only WEDNESDAY)!! (sniff)
WHEW! I am SO hot. This 90 degree weather is getting to me. Well, at least I'm on the beach. Yes, even at the beach I bring my laptop. I'm SO addicted!! Ah, I'm listening to the ocean waves coming closer, closer to me. Running my hands through the warm sand. Playing with the shells. The sky is so blue, the white billowy clouds scattered about as I look heavenward. Huh? Oh, just was IM'ed....Just a sec...
Ok, I'm back. I recline back on the sand, listening to the swaying of the palm trees. I am going to have to go into the ocean to cool off, it is just so hot. Ahh!! The ocean feels so nice, so cool, the water washing over me, through me, I feel like I'm getting sucked up in the ebb and flow of the waves....................
OH SHIT! What? This was a DREAM? I look at the window, it's covered in frost. I look past the frost, walking towards the window....AUGH!! I'm in prison!! It's MINNESOTA in the winter!!!! IS THERE NO MERCY????
"Behind all your anger and fear, beneath all your sorrow and loss is the need for love. How much love are you willing to accept from others?" Rusty Berkus In the Twenty First century, with all that is around us, it seems we are in such a rush to find some elusive material object, that we have forgotten the simplest things. How to open up to one another, to allow others to see our inner selves. To know that no matter what, we are worthy to give and receive love and acceptance.
As Washington is preparing for the official swearing in of George Dubya (an event I'll pass on watching, unless I choose to upchuck my food), I wanted to post on Prime Minister Tony Blair. I have always thought him the best of the best (and that I think he is incredibly handsome doesn't hurt).
The way I see it is that Blair, directly after 9/11, had the best intentions in coming to the US to show support for the US after the attacks. But in doing so, and continuing to do so, he unwittingly fell into Dubya's bizarre world. Tony has stood strong and determined when I personally believe he wishes he had never met George Dubya.
Yes, I know about power driven politicians. But aren't they all? And isn't the person in private sector also in many ways driven to do things? Sometimes we do things which we feel will be beneficial to us, only to see them backfire. I feel that this is what happened to PM Blair in trying to show support for us.
So as so many in Washington are prepping for Thursday. I'm here, saying, "YOU ROCK TONY!!!"
I'm venting, I admit it. I enjoy going to the photo lab as soon as they open on Saturday's when I've pictures to print. Now I have not been there for a couple Saturday's but this morning they are on my list of "be there at 9 a.m.". So I go out, have breakfast at Perkins, drive over, see a closed sign, think it is a mistake, pull up to the door and see it. The sign. "NEW SATURDAY HOURS". TEN a.m.
So I turn around, drive home, and am awaiting that magical number so I can return. And why am I whining? Well, besides the sub zero temperature I'm having to go out in, I'm whining because I think the photo lab should be open to ME 24/7. Yes, even a parking space with my name would be greatly appreciated. :)
My father was always a debonair man. In style and dress. I came along "late in life" as they say, so I was not aware, except through photos, that when he was younger, he was often mistaken for Clark Gable (whom he knew later in life, but sadly, before I was around). My half sister says that her girlfriends used to beg her to take them to see our father. I can see from photographs that he indeed bore a resemblance to Mr. Gable (Ah, wish I had been "Scarlett"!)
For whatever reason, last night, before sleep overtook me, I was thinking back many years ago about my mother and an "you won't believe what she said" type moment.
I had given my mother copies of VHS tapes of home movies I'd had made from old 8mm reels for viewing. (Four VHS tapes were needed for just the ones she had taken of me growing up). My mother had always been into photography. Had her own studio, before I came along, and had a "dark room" when I was little (I remember opening the door at the "wrong" time...OOPS!!!).
Because of her love of photography, she had captured on movie most of my life, from the time I came home from the hospital, to my first step, and all things in-between. She also captured family members, and all events.
Back in the early to mid '50's, in California, my parents had purchased a new "post war" home. The 8mm movies my mother took were a constant in my life. In viewing them, I am constantly amazed at how in the 1950's, there was only land across the street from my parents house. Land everywhere. Can you imagine that NOW in California?
While my mother took 90% of her movies in color, there is a small portion in black and white, which are spliced (gosh, remember that word?) throughout the color reels. As mentioned above, she would take photos of my playing outside, or helping my father while he worked in the yard.
My mother died from complications of "Alzheimers" in 1993, but back in 1987, while I knew something was wrong, I didn't know what, not at that time. So it was, and still is, quite a humorous memory, remembering when I was sitting at her home with her as she viewed one of the VHS home movies. A black and white portion came on, showing my father, finishing up the tree trimming etc., on our front yard, dressed in work clothes and walking toward our house, when my mother says...
"WHO IS THAT BUM?"! I almost spit out my coffee I was so doubled over in laughter.
Prince Harry. He is in hot water again. The 20 year old son of Princess Diana and Prince Charles, who cannot seem to stay out of the headlines, has found himself in the midst of the biggest "oops" ever. One has to wonder what he was thinking to wear a Nazi uniform to a costume party.
Watching Harry grow up, and after the death of his dear mother, I have seen from a distance how much this child needed to be cared for, and how he was acting out to get the attention his emotionally stunted father could not provide.
Now he is 20, a young 20. But he is more accountable for his actions.
What I personally have observed is that Harry is not a bad person, he is a very kind and gentle person, but a human being who was denied the mother he so very much loved, denied any authority or direction in his life, and has been crying out through his actions, to have someone notice him. Not as the "other brother", the "insignificant" brother.
His father is incapable of disciplining his sons. He was emotionally stunted by the strictness of a military father whom he could not relate too, and a mother who was not "hands on". So the Prince of Wales has not a clue how to raise two children whom I'm sure he was expecting his ex wife to raise to adulthood.
The problem with Harry and this latest faux paux, is that he is older, and given the family he was born into, should be a bit wiser. The poor Queen, who has worked so hard for 5 decades, has had a lot to bear over the past 25 years.
Still, it comes down to this niggling feeling I have, which is that Harry, will self destruct if he doesn't get himself on tract.
Maybe this is what was needed, for from the reports I'm hearing from England, this time, what Harry did isn't going to go away anytime soon.
"I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing Light of your own Being" - Hafiz
How often, when darkness is upon us....not the darkness of evening but the darkness in our minds, our inner being, do we lose sight of the light that is within us? When we are in darkness, no matter the reason, would it not be such a powerful force if we could know that while we may not feel it at the moment, the internal light within us will never diminish, that while there are going to be valley's in life, there are also the tallest mountains to look upon?
Yes, I'm referring to our illustrious President (choke). Now I don't proclaim to be an intellectual political wizard, not in the least. But it has been gnawing at me during the past few weeks about something the Prez was harping about during the campaign.
Wasn't one of Dubya's topics about the importation of drugs to America from places like Canada? Wasn't he blabbing about how much he was against this because if drugs are bought from Canada then they are not as "safe" as those produced here in the "good ole USA" with our FDA blah blah blah????
Now, ummm......let's see, yet again tonight another of OUR drugs was found to have caused a death. How many drugs have been pulled in the past couple of months? And they are all drugs that OUR FDA said were SAFE.
I can't believe it. I'm actually getting a certain doll that I NEVER thought I'd be able to get. Actually, I have not as yet gotten her. I need to pay the person first (that does help!). What doll you say?
Why, it is a VERY limited edition Princess Diana doll made by the Franklin Mint several years ago. There were only 75 produced and they were for a private gathering put on by the Resnicks (if I have my info correct). The Resnicks, by the way, own the Mint. Needless to say, we, the public, never knew this doll existed until one showed up on eBay a few years ago. Holy cow did the shit hit the fan on the Princess Diana doll club I'm co moderator of.
We begged to find out how to get our little hands on this RARE doll. Hell, I even WORKED at the mint and could not get my hands on this doll, which we call "Radiance". The official name is "Diana, Princess of Wales Radiance doll".
When one turns up on eBay, it goes for a few thousand dollars. Yea, uh huh, I'll take two! AUGH!!
Well, over the weekend on the Diana doll club, there were discussions (again) on this elusive doll and I posted my usual "I WANT THIS DOLL" speil. I whine good!
Well, I could not believe it, but one of the long time members of the group emailed me privately to tell me she would sell me this doll, that she got two (I don't know how), and this one she has never taken out of the box! From what I have gathered from the club owner, this person knew she was sitting on a gold mine as this doll is NUMBER ONE of seventy five!!! and she knew the buyers on ebay would go nuts bidding on this doll.
Ok, so back to me (it's all about me, you know...LOL). This person emails me to see with an incredible offer (still high but NOT even in the high hundreds of dollars), telling me of her love of Diana and how she just could not put this doll on ebay as she wanted to make sure it went to someone who loved Diana and would not resell it. (with stipulations I don't post on the board whom I got the doll from nor the number...deal I say).
I jumped on this one, then asked if I could make two installment payments, of which she said yes. I spent the night laying awake, wondering what I was doing, yet knowing I'd never get this kind of deal on this doll again. Then this morning I have an email awaiting me that she has lowered the price for me by $200.00!!! She didn't feel right in selling it higher than the highest price Diana doll the mint ever made! WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So I'll send her the money this week....and have my doll...and you can be sure that THIS doll will of course NEVER come out of the box. And my Franklin Mint Diana doll collection will be COMPLETE!
Now, ok, so all non doll people are scratching their heads at this long winded blog, wondering, what the hell is wrong with this person....well, we KNOW what is wrong, but that is another issue.
Suffice it to say that this blogger is SPEECHLESS and overjoyed and well, hell, this is MUCH better than an orgasm..well, ok, on par (but lasts longer).
HAPPY 70th BIRTHDAY to ELVIS!! What you say? Elvis has left the building? Well, for we Elvis fans (I am one, maybe because of my age.....or not. who liked Elvis in the '70's, not the "early" Elvis). He is still around, somewhere, hovering about us maybe? :) Anyhow, just wanted to acknowledge the King with a Happy Birthday. And to the latest celebrity news...CNN reported last night Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston have separated. Gee, who would have seen THAT happening?! Brad seems cool. Jen seems power hungry, so be it. Since the statement said that the separation is NOT the result of any of the tabloid stories, let me state that I thus believe they ARE the reason. At least some. Will Brad and Angelina Jolie hook up? Stay tuned to see if Brad, sooner than later, hooks up with someone to give him the child he has been wanting.
I wish I knew if I am the only blogger with this problem. (Which problem this time I hear being thought if not said aloud). It is that when I post a new blog, it doesn't show up on my computer for up to two days. Using a computer at work I am able to see the updated blogs, but my computer at home shows no updates. Let's see...to put it in perspective...
Yes it is. While the world is in turmoil (when isn't it?) with things such as the tsunami disaster, GW's war in Iraq, the economy and all, one may wonder why I'm focusing on camera's and dieting and "inconsequential" things.
I have found that for me personally, it is the small things that can keep one sane (a very dark sense of humor also helps) during the constant barrage we have tossed at us from our tv sets, newspapers, magazines, etc. Thank God for my camera quest. My diet quest. The British Royal family, my new computer (which I cannot figure out) and all the little things.
The ongoing camera saga continues. Last Sunday I went to Target in my quest for the perfect camera, as was in my last post. The same salesman who is there every Sunday saw me trying the camera's. (I am happy to report they DO carry camera's that take FILM)! Before he had seen me there, I had chosen several and tried them out. Even the camera with the "action" mode. All had the "hesitation" feature that I deplore.
When the salesman came out, I told him what I was looking for. He took the above mentioned camera for my viewing. I told him it wouldn't serve my needs. In his infinite wisdom he showed me the "action" mode and tried it as I also tried to tell him I'd already done so. He then said, "Ahh...this hesitates also". (no shit sherlock). Actually the man is very nice so pardon my sarcasm, it is my frustration showing. He showed me the camera they had that would serve my needs. Nope..it was the big, bulky camera that would need all the lens'.
After explaining again what I was looking for, he said that he would contact some people during the week and when he saw me "next Sunday" he would hopefully have an answer.
While I felt good that he remembered me, I am pretty sure he won't have an answer. I have a feeling that what I need only comes with a manual film advance, which sadly seems to not be made any longer.
AND.......if anyone wonders what dieting has to do with my wanting a camera...not a damn thing really. Except that when I take the camera on vacation, I may actually look good on film if the dieting works. :)
