Lost and Found – The Stories of our Lives
A couple of times a week, there is a homeless woman who comes into work. She is always dressed in a winter coat – even in August. She carries a few reusable bags that appear to be filled with nothing but plastic grocery bags. I assume that whatever is in those bags is everything that she owns.
She never speaks. She takes the key to the women’s room and usually spends about 15 minutes in there. While I don’t know for sure, I have to think she is using the sink in the bathroom to give herself a bath.
I live in the neighborhood and see her walking around regularly. In the heat of summer and in the cold of winter. She looks to be in her 70’s and I’m always a little amazed when I see her as I keep thinking the harshness of her life would have resulted in her death long ago.
I have no idea where she spends her nights. I hope she finds a bed in shelter but I have no idea if she does so or not. I don’t expect anyone who sees her walking down the street knows any more about her than I do.
Because she doesn’t talk to anyone (as far as I can tell), what anyone can know about her is limited. Does she have family? Is she suffering from a mental illness (probably)? Who was she and what did she do before her life landed her on the street carrying a couple of bags ? Does anyone know the story of her life?
Shit that Pissed me off – 8/8
Awful People Who Don’t Deserve Pets Are Abandoning Animals Because They Don’t Look Good In Pictures
All of my cats are humane society cats. The hardest part of adopting a cat from the humane society is reading the reasons the cat is there. One of my cats was abandoned when her owners moved. They left her to starve to death. If I ever met the people who did that to her, I’d want to punch them in the face.
While the headline for this article is misleading, I’m still annoyed to learn there are a large number of black cats who aren’t being adopted because people are shallow. You can’t find a good pet with a picture. You have to meet the animal and see if their personality meshes with yours.
Fair is fair. You have to send the cat your picture to see if he poops on it or not.
The thing about people who abandon animals is they all have excuses. Aside from allergies, though, most excuses come down to failure to take responsibility for the animal. Pets are a responsibility and not a right. You have to be prepared to scoop up their shit and feed them and pay attention to them.
If you didn’t know that before you picked the animal up, the animal that needs to be returned is you.
Shit That Pissed Me Off – 5/16
Student is Suspended for Exercising His Constitutional Right to Sit During the Pledge of Allegiance
I respect anyone who can resist the peer pressure to stand during the pledge. This kid did that and the Supreme Court has ruled that he is within his right to do so.
The principal has decided the only recourse against this student is to violate the constitution by suspending him.
Lest someone say “Tim, you are an atheist so you obviously would be on this kid’s side” let me point out that this has nothing to do with religion. Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t stand during the pledge. They have just as much of a right to make that decision as an atheist kid.
Stand up! The symbol is more important than what it represents!
And by “right,” I mean an actual legal right that has been upheld by the Supreme Court. If you want to sit during the pledge, that is your constitutional right.
You don’t get to suspend kids for refusing to stand during the pledge. When you do that, you are violating the very ideals the pledge is supposed to be there for.
The principal of a school ought to appreciate the irony.
Alphabetical Movie – The Living Daylights
What a difference twenty years makes.
The Living Daylights was made in 1987 and while it doesn’t have the best of Bond villains, I think it is a solid film in the franchise. I’ve already defended Timothy Dalton as Bond so I won’t bother to do that again.
Watching the film now, what I’m struck by is the depiction of the Mujahideen as heroes and freedom fighters.
I’m not making any value judgements on whether or not that is right. Rather, I’m thinking that to a post 9/11 audience, that depiction might not make any sense. I can think of a few reasons why.
Alphabetical Movie – The Kennel Murder Case
If there is one thing that I really enjoy about the availability of cheap DVDs, it is the ability to pick up an old film I’ve never heard of for just a couple of bucks. Most are horrible, grainy copies of movies that are in the public domain but they aren’t on Netflix so how else am I supposed to watch them?
Aside: Why aren’t they on Netflix? They are in the public domain!!!!
The Kennel Murder Case is just such a movie. I was browsing the shelves at half price books and there it was for a measly $2.00.
Now Half Price Books has a lot of cheap old movies for sale. I don’t buy every one of them. Hell, I hardly buy any of them.
But this one had William Powell in it and I have a hard time saying no to a $2.00 movie starring William Powell.
Voting No Twice
I’ve written a ton about the gay marriage amendment because I’m really pissed off we are even voting on such a thing. When it comes to the Voter ID amendment, I’ve been relatively silent.
I have pretty strong feelings about it but the marriage amendment has been far more important to me because I think it is a fight we have an outside chance to win. Voter ID is probably going to happen. I’m not happy about it but I don’t think I can sway anyone who doesn’t understand the implications of the Voter ID amendment to change their vote.
See, the problem I have with is a seemingly little thing that I believe to be more important than any other talking point. I don’t think we should be putting obstacles in the way of voting.
Alphabetical Movie Project – Jackie Chan’s First Strike
It had been a long time since I’d watched this particular Jackie Chan epic.
So long, in fact, that I spent at least 3/4 of the film thinking that I was watching Rumble in the Bronx.
As you may have guessed, it had also been a pretty long time since I’d seen Rumble in the Bronx.
Alphabetical Movie – In the Bedroom
The challenge I have with In the Bedroom has nothing to do with the film itself. The movie is excellent, though emotionally draining. It is anchored with fantastic performances by Tom Wilkinson, Sissy Spacek and Marisa Tomei. When it was released, it was even considered a front runner for Best Picture.
What I’m trying to say is that it’s a serious movie – and a very good one. Therin lies the problem.
Because, you see, every time I see the name of the movie, all I do is think of The Village People.
I’ve got some more new stuff online somewhere else!
New content by/with me over at www.vilificationtennis.com!
I have a new Movie Dick article about Battleship.
Also, there’s a new Vilification Tennis Podcast up! It has Molly Glover and Jade Cook and Salsa Sterling and me. It also has Matt Allex and Nick Glover, even though they were supposed to keep their mouths shut. We also debuted our new feature: Molly Hopes you get Dick Cancer with fabulous bumpers by The Dregs.
You can’t get enough of The Shat!
This morning, I have the completed show image for “The Complete Works of William Shatner (abridged)!” This one features Windy Bowlsby as Kirk, Duck Washington as TJ Hooker and Tim Uren as the Priceline Negotiator!
I think that the rainbow effect gives it sort of a psychedelic “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” feel – which is appropriate for Shatner. Also it looks a little bit like an unseen alien force speaking to them from above.
Grail Diary 