Aren’t They Dizzy By Now?
July 6, 2009 at 9:34 am | In Life | Leave a CommentTags: famous, lesson, Michael Jackson, music

Michael Jackson performing on the Victory Tour
When sombody famous dies, it almost always makes news. If that person is also deeply flawed, and publicly so, it makes even more news. Michael Jackson left such an impression that my 7 year old said MJ was his favorite star, and I’m not sure he’s ever seen some of those famous music videos.
At any rate, there seems to be two types of news coverage of his death and the fallout. One focuses on the positives of his life – his talent and humanitarian effort chief among them. The other seeks to accentuate the negatives – his alleged (and ever more likely) presciption drug addiction, his alleged molestation of young boys, and many other things which I won’t go into now. I say “alleged” not because I’m taking sides, but simply because I truly don’t know if every allegation is true. One of the cons that comes with being that famous and wealthy is people tend to try to take advantage of you for monetary gain.
That brings me to something that fascinates me about those who knew and loved him talking about his life. Some of those people, including member of his own family, stand to gain a lot in the future from the MJ brand, and make no mistake about it, he was a real person, but will be a brand for some time to come. There are unreleased songs, videos, interviews and countless other itmes that could be made available to fans in the coming months and years, some for a price. That price is in danger of diminishing with every negative piece of news that surfaces. Admittedly, whoever controls MJ’s estate will still see millions in revenue no matter what happens.
On other side of the almight dollar is the image of MJ himself and the images of those he left behind. Besides wanting to keep out of legal hot water, who want everybody to think they were there but failed to stop a tragedy – even if they tried their best? Furthermore, who wants anyone to think ill of someone they loved? Nobody. I think that would be true of all of us.
So what do I take away from all this? I already know the guy was human and he paid a high price for the talent he was given. He made good and bad choices, some of which were made more public than the choices of the rest of us. About the only lesson for me here, if you can call it that, is the advice to use my talents wisely and not fall into traps that may accompany them. Rest in peace, Michael, and whatever happens, don’t worry about spinning in your grave. There are plenty of other people doing that for you.
Father’s Day, steak and ice cream
June 21, 2009 at 7:46 pm | In Family | 1 CommentTags: Dad, Father's Day

Since my Dad passed away seven years ago, I haven’t done much for Father’s Day. Somehow sitting in church while all the fathers are thanked and prayed for was not my idea of fun. Neither was a cookout where my Dad wasn’t there telling funny stories.
My sister did mention she went to the cemetery today. I was never a person who visited relatives’ graves before, not even my own father’s. I figure if I want to remember him, or even talk to him, I can do that anywhere. There isn’t really much for me in a cemetery, although the one where he is buried is really nice and a great place to walk when the weather’s nice.
So what did I do today? I went out with my Mom for a steak dinner and just had ice cream for dessert. I got to watch my favorite show, Lost, earlier too, and got to play a little on-line. I can’t think of a better day than that.
Bobisms and Johnnyisms
June 15, 2009 at 12:31 pm | In Kids | Leave a CommentTags: Bobby, Johnny

Every once in a while my son comes up with a gem. The other week it was “I can’t wait until I’m 21 so I can drink alcoholic drinks.” He does not have that tough of a life, believe me! He went to to say, “I won’t drink and drive. I’ll drink wait for, oh about an hour, then I’ll drive.” I didn’t explain to him why this would probably not work. I just told him I’m glad to hear he has a plan. I should pull out a paper with this plan written on it on the eve of his 21st birthday and see if he plans to stick to it.
Then, the other day, he walked into Walgreen’s and told the lady at the counter, “I have a Tracfone, and I need minutes for my phone.” Did I mention he is 7 and is using his Dad’s old phone? At least he’s been told he has to buy minutes with his own money. Typically, he wants to buy toys or candy first, which he doesn’t get a lot of either, but it delays his phone card purchases. The sales lady told him how much the least expensive card would be, and he said, “Well, I can’t afford that!” and went to the toy aisle.
The final act came when he was looking at Father’s Day cards for his Dad. He saw a card with the Enterprise on it (Star Trek for you non-geeks!) and asked what his brother Johnny thought. Johnny made me proud when he said, “No, that’s for Mother’s Day!” I guess that one is a Johnnyism. At least I’m still growing my geeks up right!
German-American Day at the Market
June 6, 2009 at 11:27 pm | In Life | Leave a CommentTags: Cincinnati, Findley Market, German-American Day

This morning my Mom, sister and I headed to downtown Cincinnati to go shopping at Findley Market. I was after some mangoes and whatever else I could find, my sister wanted some fresh bread, and Mom just wanted something to do. We found a prime parking spot on Central Parkway, and headed inside. On the way, we walked past a homeless woman selling StreetVibes, a paper some sell to raise awareness and make some money too. She told my Mom she liked her shirt, and said she had pants just like it. My Mom said she thinks they both have good taste. It was all very surreal.

We found the bread right away – some sourdough and 7-grain bread, which my sister broke in half and shared with us. (I still haven’t tried it, but it looks delicious!) We walked around some more, and I found my treat! Delicious fruit mangoes, just waiting for me to come and grab them! I am literally obsessed with mangoes. I must eat anything that has mangoes or mango juice in it – no exceptions! I bought three and promised to come back next week for more. Then, everywhere I looked after that, there were mangoes. The whole market was lousy with them!
We stopped for a much need coffee, then ran into a former neighbor we hadn’t seen in 15 years or more! He was part of a German group that was performing dances and music as part of German-American Day. It’s apparently the oldest such celebration in the country! I’ll try to have some pictures up later. We actually made in just in time for the opening ceremonies, which included the American and German national anthems, several proclamations from city and state leaders, and a small parade which we didn’t stay for, unfortunately. We had to get our fruit and other purchases back to the car.
We had a good morning, and I can’t wait to try the mangoes I bought. Auf Wiedersehen!
The ABC’s of Lost
June 2, 2009 at 10:44 am | In Lost | Leave a CommentTags: Lost, poem
I knocked these out in a few minutes, inspired by a poem I read written by a young girl. Enjoy!
The ABC’s of Lost
A freaky island that moves around and nobody can see?
Bernard and Rose look about as happy as can be!
Claire is still missing, and I fear she’s dead.
Desmond is recovering from a shot by Ben.
Ethan is a baby, sleeping all the time.
Faraday was shot by his own mother! How unkind!
Geologists would love the magnetic properties, how sublime.
Hurley has to grab the food before he’s out of time.
I realize time travel can really hurt your head.
Jin just wants to find his wife – she thought he was dead!
Keamy was so evil, shooting Alex in the brain.
Locke has people thinking he is still insane.
Miles is talking to the dead, I wonder what they say.
Naomi brought him to the island before she passed away.
Only someone who is brave would survive in this place.
Penny told her husband not to leave them, just in case.
Quietly the Others walk by without a sound.
Rose is now retired – she doesn’t want to run around!
Sun has quite a journey, so she better get some rest.
To find her husband and her friends she’ll have to do her best.
Until 2010, we can guess what is to come.
Vincent is safe – for now at least, my worrying is done.
What happened when the bomb went off – did Jughead go kapow?
X-rays to the max – who knows what happens now!
You really have to tune in when the snow begins to fall
Z’s I will be catching, so Stay Lost y’all!
I couldn’t stop there, so I did one for my favorite character, John Locke.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
The A-B-C’s of Locke
Alpert was there on the day that he was born.
Ben later tried to kill him twice, but felt very torn.
Cooper stole his kidney and pushed him out a window too.
Don’t you ever tell him what he can’t do!
Everything happens for a reason, don’t you know.
For he’s a man of faith, and that’s the way he’ll go.
God couldn’t see the island, but that’s where they had to be.
He had to die to bring them back – what a tragedy!
It took a donkey wheel to show him what his life was really for.
Jacob was the only one who really knew the score.
Keamy tried to kill him, but Ben had his back.
Locke had to lead the Others while Ben went on the attack.
Many tried to slay him, but in the end they failed.
No one could beat Locke – in comparison, all the others pale.
Only now he could be gone for good, and what does that mean?
Perhaps he could come back for real and steal another scene.
Quit knocking Locke and telling me that he is just a pawn.
Richard told him that he’s special – that’s the lot he’s drawn.
Season 6 is far away – I can’t wait til then.
To find out what the Locke-a-like is up to – maybe he’ll kill Ben!
Until that day, I’ll just remember him from the days of old.
Very creepy with an orange, but oh what tales he told!
When he fell out of the storage box and onto the island sand,
Xylophones played in my head – I just didn’t understand.
You can’t tell me that he’s really gone – that I just don’t buy.
Zombies might try to kill him off, but in my heart, Locke will never die!
Does it really pay to be honest?
May 5, 2009 at 9:37 pm | In Life | Leave a CommentTags: honesty
Honesty pays, but we might not like the dividend. Sometimes you might get a reward when you return a lost item or a wallet. Most of the time, it might just be a good feeling that we did the right thing (when we were really hoping for money!). Occasionally, it’s anger from someone you thought would appreciate your candor.
I think the best reward we can get sometimes is just finding our authentic selves; being true to who we are and letting our lives demonstrate that. The occasional monetary reward is not bad either!
My headache is not taking over!
April 26, 2009 at 3:19 pm | In Life | Leave a CommentTags: headache, migraine

I have a super-killer migraine today. I woke up with it and just thought it was allergies or something. I looked out the window. The sun had come up not long before and it was very bright already. My head almost exploded with pain!
Other than my aunt, I never knew anyone that had migraines this bad. She sometimes spends a couple days in bed because of this. I vowed I would not be in bed for a couple days because other than drive me crazy and make me really grumpy, I hate not doing anything for that long.
I took some pain reliever this morning and it worked for a while. I did some errands and went back to bed when I got home for a little nap. When I woke up, I felt better, but the bright sunshine outside was still very painful to look at.
I don’t think the headache is a side-effect of the medication I’m on. This is the first time I had a headache like this in a long time and it’s not constant or recurring. Anyway, it’s not taking over my life! As long as I stay in a semi-dark room for a while, I think I’ll be OK.
A new phone can be a humbling experience
February 20, 2009 at 7:04 pm | In Technology | Leave a CommentTags: cell phone, plans, Technology
I am attempting to switch phones. I have no doubt this attempt will be successful eventually, but getting there is harder than I thought. I considered myself pretty technologically savvy before I walked into the store. I found out I’m not. If you’re planning on getting a new phone but don’t know if the hassle will be worth it, consider these:
- Features you need – I orginally decided to switch for a number of reasons, and this was number one: I wanted a touch-screen because my fingers are fat. My soon-to-be old phone, like most of the phones I see, had little, tiny buttons that were designed to be used by Martians – or tiny babies. I also wanted a calendar that was easier to use, and the touch-screen makes that possible. However, I don’t want to watch TV on it – that’s why I have a TV. Other than short video podcasts I used to watch on my iPod before it died, I use my phone strictly for communication. I realize the company that makes the phone will try to sell me other features. We’ll see how long I hold out!
- Monthly vs. pay-as-you-go plans - I switched from a pay-as-you-go phone because it was costing me about what my new plan will, but I could never find the cards I needed to buy to put more minutes on my phone. I’m what I consider a casual user, so I’ll never go over the minutes that come with my particular plan, but I’ll come close, so I won’t waste minutes. If you have a monthly plan, however, and don’t use the phone very much, you might consider a pay-as-you-go phone – as long as the cards are widely available, or the phone is easy to refill.
- Sound quality – I mostly used the phone outdoors and away from home, and the speaker on my old phone was horrible. I’m not hard-of-hearing, but it seems like I couldn’t turn the volume up high enough to hear the person on the other end. You might consider where you’ll be using the phone before you get one, and hopefully, you can test it in the store to see what it sounds like.
Those are just a few of the points I considered when I got mine. I’m sure you’re situation is entirely different, so good luck. I’ll report back next year when I’m done entering my contacts into my new phone.
A Lost teachable moment
February 3, 2009 at 1:49 pm | In Lost | Leave a CommentTags: Family, Kids, Lost

A while ago, the creators of Lost gave us a series of promotional clips called Lost Moments. If I remember correctly, they were scenes from upcoming episodes that were supposed to whet our appetite for more Lost and keep us excited about the show. They worked for me, and held my interest, but really didn’t do more than that.
Recently, I happened to be watching an episode called “The Lie” with my two sons. Usually, I wouldn’t do this. They are six and eight, and the show is little too violent and adult at times for children, in my opinion. However, they happened to walk in the room just before one of my favorite scenes of the series so far, and it’s one I thought they should see.
In the scene, the character of Hurley is obviously burdened with lying about what happened to him after he crashed on “the island.” His mother is concerned, because he is suddenly suspected of murder and she doesn’t know with what or who he is involved. He finally tells her the truth, in a scene that is both funny and touching. When he’s done, she says she doesn’t understand what he told her, but she believes him. I told my sons that they probably won’t ever have a story like that to tell, but that whatever is bothering them, they can share it with me, just like Hurley did with his Mom. I promised I would believe them and give them whatever help I could.
I’m sure that sounds hokey or cliché to some, and I hope it didn’t sound that way to them. More and more I’m finding these little teachable moments in things we see together, whether on TV or out shopping. I don’t expect every one to be life-changing for any of us. It’s just a way for me to use something I love as an example to my kids, and apply it to our real life. Who would’ve thought a little TV show like “Lost” could help a parent out? Stay tuned!
How do you say banana in monkey language?
January 25, 2009 at 3:38 am | In Kids | Leave a CommentTags: Darth Vader, Star Wars
My six-year-old son is amazing and annoying in equal parts. He talked to me for about a half hour about Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader, including the fact that Darth Vader has a Sith mark, which is how you know he’s evil. He told me, in detail, how to play a game online about The Clone Wars. Yet, when I said it’s great that he’s such a Star Wars fan, he replied that he’s not a fan.
Maybe he just doesn’t understand the word. I have problems with it myself sometimes. I may be addicted to Lost, but I rarely call myself a fan because that’s just crazy talk. Indeed, the word fan comes from “fanatic,” which is where the crazy comes in. But what does a six-year-old know about crazy? Doesn’t everybody teach their parents “monkey language” which they made up when they were babies after jumping out of their cribs five times? Apparently, I am losing my memory too. I don’t remember the monkey language or the fake snoring, which he swears he did because he was “overacting.” Personally, I think his Dad is remembering some of this for him, although he still does overact.
I guess I still have time to teach him to be proud of his geekiness – and learn monkey language. By the way, I’m told the word for “banana” sounds a lot like “happy, happy.” Imagine that!
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