Game of Thrones - whoo boy hold onto your knickers!

Hi folks, I am getting another fast post in before my littlest elf wakes up and tenderly screams for a snack. you may have heard of a little show called Game of Thrones. I have posted a few things about it on Facecrack but since we have only viewed Season 1, I try hard to skim over the millions of GOT links and spoilers on my fave sites. We anxiously await Season 2. Usually we are big readers, but this set of books was something so far, we haven't gotten involved in. This happens more lately, since the small and big screen versions of multi million selling book series are created and successful through HBO and similar outlets. Here are some of my favorite all times series done very well through t.v. that are not necessarily book related:

Deadwood. - Wow, this is a show that could have gone on for a few more years had they not screwed their budgeting pooch and underestimated the popularity of it (therefor having more actor salary demands and set budgeting issues). It was shocking at first, then grew on me as I watched to see Al Swearington shift back and forth between loud cussing, filthy minded bigot fascist to the every man's hero that you had the honor to see peek out every now and then. Not to mention, Calamity Jane, the brothel women, the sheriff, and "Doc". Its' been a while, but Deadwood is worth revisiting. The dialogue alone was a lyrical flame throwing circus, the best one liners on t.v. in a long long time.

Rome- short, violent end just like the show. Fast moving, lots of half naked people vying for upper mobility in a place of illusion and grandeur built on the backs of captured people. Great actors, and ended with an amazing sad but colossal goodbye to Marc Antony and Cleopatra, with Octavius waiting in the wings. In "Rome" it was hard to tell the good from the bad, it was always relative- people only wanted to live past the age of 25 and fought hard to do it. We wished this show could have lasted at least two more years..there were several long tragic and funny stories than deserved better endings- and it's never fun for the fan when the storylines don't "pay off".  Rome! How you did us wrong!

Game Of Thrones- Season 1. Crazy people,  dark ages style costumes, sets and language, magic, Biblical type family trees that often end in incestual arrangements that produce super evil children with Hitler- youth blonde hair and intent. Lots of snow, walls of ice football fields long that hide ancient monsters we do not really see in Season 1 (or do we?). Wolves as friends, girls who sword fight, headless parents, tragic ends and hilariously smart one line zingers that fill the episodes just when you think your head cannot take anymore blood. Sex. lots of weird, good, mostly not nice sex. It's HBO. It's a good show, addictive due to story telling talent, the actors are top notch US and Europeans well known in theater and film and general mayhem to lure you in. Waiting for the next episode. It's a mad world, Game of Thrones. You may not escape unharmed.

Big Papa

"I always try to write on the principle of the iceberg. There is seven-eights of it under water for every part that shows. " - Ernest Hemingway.

"He looked across the sea and knew how alone he was now. But he could see the prisms in the deep dark water and the line stretching ahead and the strange undulation of the calm. The clouds were building up now for the trade wind and he looked ahead and saw a flight of wild ducks etching themselves against the sky over the water, then blurring, then etching again and he knew no man was ever alone on the sea. " - The Old Man and the Sea.

Side note- I find the above quote a good representation from The Old Man and the Sea, a story written much later than his ballyhooed "love and war" stories of the 30's. It contains longer sentences, flowing on in a way that tells me the reader Hemingway didn't want to skimp on his favorite topic- nature and specifically- the ocean.

My favorite Hemingway novel, "A Farewell to Arms" contains some particulary strong lines. If you have never read this book, I strongly suggest you sprint to a bookstore, library or Kindle (I don't care for e-bookreaders but whatever you need to do!) and read this story. It broke from the tradition of the "romantic" love story of the turn of the century era, and was written from a male perspective.

"Then we'd be both alike. Oh, darling I want you so much I want to be you too.

You are. We're the same one

I know it. At night we are.

The nights are grand.

I want us to be all mixed up. I don't want you to go away...why, darling I don't live at ll when I'm not with you."

To better understand this somewhat child like simple prose, remember the main character Frederick Henry  and British nurse Catherine Barkley are in the midst of extreme stress, falling in love in war time Italy surrounded by dying soldiers, drunken officers and not knowing how the future will play out.

Henry reflects:

"If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry."

Depressing- no, just a look into a soldier's musings while under duress and pondering his future. The novel is full of beautiful lines about the natural surroundings in Italy and later as they flee into Switzerland via a northern lake. There are short, humorous lines of dialogue between Henry, Catherine and fellow comrades "in arms", drinking, joking and eating each night as if it is their last. It may well be. I won't spoil the ending.

long time no write

hi friends. Stay tuned tomorrow for more to read. Your old lady has been gone a while but back with new ideas and hopefully carving out more time to write. As you may know, Hemingway is my favorite author. Something about the concise authoritative way his stories fill a page has always thrilled me. Fitzgerald is my second favorite for similar reasons, but Fitz sometimes meanders into a dreamy world of such super wealthy gauziness that I keep reading, waiting for him to return to Earth, while Hemingway remains, a man of dirt, sun, wildlife and yes people who seem real- although his people sometimes have base animal like instincts that cater to his primal self served "survival" personality. So here is a tasty morsel, and enjoy your night. I love the night, when everyone is quiet and I can return to old loves like reading and writing. I tried scrapbooking- have you ever? wow- talk about a hard hobby for me to get into. My OCD kicks in and it takes about 6 months to finish one page...anyway, I'm leading you lambs astray. Good night

Hello friends! I am trying to see if this blogger will let me go back to the past (when I started this blog 4 years ago) and let me write each post in different colors and or font. This has bugged me for two years now,  a "change" or glich that I could never find time to narrow down. Here goes.


How is your day so far? What troubles are fading away as the evening comes to give us one more chance to reevaluate, make lists, relax and just get a do-over if necessary? I have many ideas to write about this week and a little time later to catch up. 


One thought is pretty simple- if you could have a group of people to dinner, who would they be? We've done this before, in some other form, but it's a fun game. I think having Jim Carey, Will Ferrell and Robin Williams in one place for dinner would be a nice form of high art for a normal person like myself. That would be a whole lot of crazy served up on a plate of hot spicy neurosis. I realize most comedians are not always "on" or funny in their personal life, and in fact most use comedy to cover up some tragic issues. In the end, we benefit from their misfortunes...isn't that a bummer.


 Anyway, what about a nice apertif with some of the tech gurus..I admire their innovative insights and curious minds but when I read interviews with them in Fast Company or Inc., my mind starts to turn to slush as their personalities overwhelm their genius. It's truly mind over matter in those cases. 


So who would it be? Obama? Michelle? Wes Anderson? Bono? Meatloaf? (yes that one). the Palin clan and their snowmobiles (they seem like a fun family, no joke), Bill Dance, Larry Bird, Carl Malone, Steve Spurrier, Rex Reed (I'll take him), Michael Bloomberg, Michael Mann, Tori Amos (hmm maybe a loose cannon at dinner), or Judy Bense President of UWF? Who would you put together for a dinner of conversation, laughs and debate? 


I am talking about this of course because dinner time is approaching soon and everyone in this house is constantly hungry. I had seafood, beach and playground date today with my two year old and it was sublime, but the routine of nightly domestic life brings it down to a quiet notch. Let's revisit soon, perhaps in a hours? see you then.....

22 hours and ...

You have 22 hours and counting until the weekend begins. Are you excited, because we are. I am having a mini vacation (the first 24 hours) and have every hour planned, which means some things will stay planned, and some things will be open for general frivolous pursuits and serendipity dirt roads to follow. 

Know what I mean- thought so. 

See you on the flip side - later, tomorrow or at the end of the rainbow on Sunday evening.

 Must these days fly by so fast? 

Cash. Yoda. Things like that.

Hello mates, I am quietly writing while waiting to see if my oldest son is going to need me for any of the following as his bedtime was this hour: either kleenex (which he has by bed), need another song sung to him, wants to ask what we are having for breakfast tomorrow (Kashi waffles with pear slices), or any other choose your own adventure things that kids like to find excuses to keep their parents' attention for 5 more minutes. In the meanwhile, enjoy this link to salon.com about cash- credit - and not forgetting to keep your head above water and not get below that red line ever ever again.

Short memories we have in this country. Short is the span of attention we have. (yes Yoda we do)....


Ready, set, borrow!

Link below on Adam Yauch " MCA " of Beastie Boys

I really love the Guardian for well written news stories, especially their cultural and lifestyle spots. It was a sad weekend to learn that Adam Yauch had passed away after a long but determined fight with the almighty C. He went out his way, using his personal Budhist beliefs and intense natural paths to remedy his disease, but in the end, the big C won. The reason why I was struck by this passing was that he was so young, early 40's, and the Beasties were surely going to keep making progressive music and progressive stands on world issues for years to come. The band remains, minus one very special man.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/may/07/adam-yauch-beastie-boys-classic-interview

Hello friends. I am taking a few days off from the computer arena ( i know...yeah right). I have some business to take care of that does not leave me much time for creative writing (or as I like to see it, desert for your head). A few gentle reminders- next week is Teacher Appreciation Week and next Sunday is Mother's Day. Don't forget. Moms are sweet souls, mine definitely is a most special woman.

It has been a rough morning. one child woke up crying in the hallway (at 4 a.m.) and in the end, was upset because his planet nightlight had not been plugged in...at 8 p.m. previous night. so this was the beginning of the end of a wonderful morning of sunshine and unicorns for me the mom. I have a hard time going back to sleep and the rest of the early dawn was spent with eyes clinched, waiting for the night fairy to return, but he did not for me. It has been a battle of wills lately in the household. Much love and hugs, much frustration, declarations of independences and other general threats of bad behavior looming in parent's futures. Cannot wait for those times. Maybe we really do need to suck it up and hit the road in an r.v.- our houses never seem like they can contain all the boy noise. Maybe volunteering to be a park ranger in Montana would be just the thing.

In the meantime, you all stay well, behave, be very bad at times and be very very good all the other times.

I will be back in a day or two. It's a hard habit to break, this writing thing I love.