Fur Lined Volcanoes ‘Simple Pleasures’

I meant to get this entry up yesterday, the 11th... But for some reason, it didn't want to cooperate. So here it is today... Enjoy.

I know that I promised to take along my camera for the wedding gig over the weekend, but things got so hurried, I forgot it. Really, the only thing worth noting with a photo was the one wedding attendee who sported a very nice mullet hairstyle. It was the first wedding that I attended where shorts and flip-flops were in abundance. I kept my khaki shorts on only adding a polo type of pullover. It was the first wedding that I had been to where I was wearing shorts and Nike Hi-tops. Very cool indeed.

Last week, I noted that the gig was happening at Top Soil Beach. I was wrong because it was Topsail Island. But for some reason, folks say “soil” with the southern pronunciation being “sul”. Every time that I pronounced it, someone was correcting me. If I said, “top sail”… Someone corrected me with “top sul”. If I said “top sul”, someone else would correct me with “top sail”. I couldn’t win for losing, so I just stopped saying the location and just said “the beach”.

Now… If you’re prone to getting your feelings hurt, you may want to stop reading right now. But if you’re willing to take a look and ponder my thoughts, then you’re not one for standing in one spot emotionally.

It’s been 5 years since the World Trade Center was destroyed and I’m seriously sick of hearing about all of it. Yes. It was tragic and I was horrified just like anyone else possessing a soul. I feel for all the families of the victims. It’s something that we, collectively as a nation, will not be able to forget. I know what I was doing that day and you know what you were doing that day. Blah, blah, blah!

Every year, we’re reminded of it all and I just think that it’s time that we all moved on. Okay, a 5th anniversary should be observed. A 10th anniversary should be observed along with a 20th and 25th. Perhaps just every five years until the generations witnessing the event have all died off.

I just think all the media attention surrounding the anniversary keeps people from moving on. On December 7th, we’re not assaulted with specials about the Japanese attacking the U. S. at Pearl Harbor… The occasion is noted, but a big deal isn’t made about it. Can we get to that point with September 11th?

Common sense here… If you keep picking the scab off a sore, the slower it will heal. It’s okay to put a band-aid on it and move on. The scar will be there to remind us. We don’t need the media dictating the way we should feel. The television networks and newspapers herd us around like sheep telling us how to feel while sensationalizing the grief and pain inflicted upon the victims for ratings. Reliving the events won’t help anyone, except those Madison Avenue types.

I got off this merry-go-round after the one-year anniversary. You won’t find me standing around with a candle in my hand at whatever time everyone is supposed to do it. I’m sure there’s an email floating around with specific times and which direction to face while reflecting on the past. Me? I’m moving on with the future.

Now to business as usual… I did manage to start up again with season one of House. I took a little break to get caught up on a much better show, season 2 of Veronica Mars (season 3 premieres on October 6th). I’ve decided that I no longer need to see anymore of House. I watched through the first 10 episodes and have decided to take the rest of the series off my Netflix queue.

It’s not that I didn’t like the show, it’s that the show just isn’t great enough for me to sit and watch it. I didn’t much care for the same crap that those CSI shows do where they “shove” a camera inside a person to show us idiots in TV land how things happen inside the body. I haven’t really bonded with the characters. I just feel that even though the show is entertaining, it doesn’t keep me glued to the TV therefore, it’s a waste of my time.

That means that I’ll have to give House 2 out of 5 stars on Netflix which translates to “didn’t really like”. I just kept finding my attention drifting to other places and people while watching House. I would suddenly remember to make a phone call during an episode. It just wasn’t gluing me down.

I gave it a shot, but I’ve never really been a guy that enjoys medical dramas. I’ve never seen any episode of these shows… Marcus Welby, M.D., St. Elsewhere, or ER. I prefer the medical comedies like M*A*S*H, House Calls, and Scrubs.

I also got to watch the film Silent Hill. It’s a horror type of movie based on a video game. And in my opinion, it’s the first video game based movie that actually works. It’s not great, but it’s understandable. The special effects are awesome and the acting is more than adequate. It’s easy to follow and I found a few scary moments in the film that made me jump.

It’s about a little girl that keeps sleepwalking and mumbling about a place called Silent Hill. After a little Internet research, Mommy decides to take the girl to Silent Hill in order to find something to make the girl better and keep her from being institutionalized.

Silent Hill is a ghost town no longer appearing on any maps. There was a mine fire that started in the 60’s and the town had to be evacuated. The mine fires continue burning today and it makes the air poisonous.

A cop gets involved and mayhem ensues. Somehow, the little girl, the mother, and the cop end up in an alternate dimension complete with nightmarish special effects. It’s a cool ride… Kind of like the “weird” scenes from Altered States. This is a movie for pot smokers and fans of Pink Floyd. Silent Hill is a great little “trippy” ride.

I’m giving it 4 out of 5 stars on Netflix.